The recent announcement that Thailand's deposed former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has signed on as an economic advisor to the government of neighboring Cambodia seems ill-advised on the surface and a potential grab for power on the part of the deposed Thaksin. Thaksin, an astronomically wealthy businessman-turned politician, twice won elections by landslides in Thailand, was ousted in a 2006 coup after allegations of corruption and insulting the constitutional monarchy of Thailand. Although he retains strong support in Thailand's rural areas, the educated urban elite revile him and filled the streets in protests aimed at removing him, and then his allies, from the government. Since then, Thaksin has maintained a Facebook page on which are posted numerous photos of him with world leaders and other fabulously-rich businessmen. Although he has been barred from entering France, Germany and many other European nations, others have obviously welcomed him with open arms. Thaksin has made no secret of his intentions to return to the top post in the Thai government, despite the fact that he has been sentenced to two years in prison and he currently is barred from traveling on either a personal or government Thai passport. His funds inside Thailand have also been frozen. Thailand has had a number of military confrontations with Cambodia over the past year or so concerning border disputes in which deaths have occurred. Just recently, the two countries arrived at an agreement on extracting oil reserves from waters that are territorially disputed. Taking a position of advising the Cambodian government will only serve to increase the tension between the two governments as evidenced by Thailand's withdrawal of its ambassador to Phnom Penh in response to the appointment. By putting his own country's interests at risk, Thaksin is hardly building a resume to fuel a legitimate return to Bangkok. That doesn't seem to concern him, however. __
