Sebastien Berger, Ban Mi, Thailand
September 24, 2006
Telegraph, AP
The astrologer of the ousted Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, said he had foreseen his demise — but also his return to power within 18 months.
Phra Khru Wichitsuthakarn, 64, is the abbot of a monastery, about two hours north of Bangkok, and one of the kingdom's foremost soothsayers.
His last consultation with the ex-prime minister was by telephone two weeks before Tuesday's bloodless coup that removed him from power.
"When it's an important situation he will call me for a suggestion," the monk said at Wat Khang Khao, or "Bat Temple".
"I warned him before the coup to be careful, there will be enemies who want to attack you, but they won't kill or hurt you. After this period, be careful of the revolution."
The week before the coup, launched by the head of the armed forces last week, an attempt was allegedly made to assassinate Mr Thaksin with a bomb. "I suggested he change where he sleeps, where he stays, and that he go travelling temporarily," the monk said. "Of course, he believed it. He went outside Bangkok and stayed in the villages; he went abroad."
The abbot glossed over the fact that his advice had not saved the prime minister's job. "He couldn't stop the revolution happening — it has to happen this way," he said.
In the months leading up to the coup, Mr Thaksin had grown increasingly unpopular, with critics accusing him of using his position to increase his wealth and of failing to cope with a Muslim insurgency in the south.
The army finally moved against Mr Thaksin while he was in New York at the UN.
But Phra Khru Wichitsuthakarn said the bad influence would wane from April 16 next year, "and he will be the prime minister again".
His revelations came as the leaders of the coup were given formal royal approval in a special televised ceremony.
- Four police officers were injured in a bomb blast in restive southern Thailand yesterday, the first such attack since last Tuesday's coup. The officers were preparing security in Pattani province before a visit later in the day by Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, when a bomb hidden along the roadside exploded.
With the ousting of Mr Thaksin, many Thais were hoping some headway could be made in quelling a bloody separatist insurgency in the Muslim south that has claimed more than 1700 lives since 2004. Mr Thaksin was blamed for mishandling the crisis.
Phra Khru Wichitsuthakarn, 64, is the abbot of a monastery, about two hours north of Bangkok, and one of the kingdom's foremost soothsayers.
His last consultation with the ex-prime minister was by telephone two weeks before Tuesday's bloodless coup that removed him from power.
"When it's an important situation he will call me for a suggestion," the monk said at Wat Khang Khao, or "Bat Temple".
"I warned him before the coup to be careful, there will be enemies who want to attack you, but they won't kill or hurt you. After this period, be careful of the revolution."
The week before the coup, launched by the head of the armed forces last week, an attempt was allegedly made to assassinate Mr Thaksin with a bomb. "I suggested he change where he sleeps, where he stays, and that he go travelling temporarily," the monk said. "Of course, he believed it. He went outside Bangkok and stayed in the villages; he went abroad."
The abbot glossed over the fact that his advice had not saved the prime minister's job. "He couldn't stop the revolution happening — it has to happen this way," he said.
In the months leading up to the coup, Mr Thaksin had grown increasingly unpopular, with critics accusing him of using his position to increase his wealth and of failing to cope with a Muslim insurgency in the south.
The army finally moved against Mr Thaksin while he was in New York at the UN.
But Phra Khru Wichitsuthakarn said the bad influence would wane from April 16 next year, "and he will be the prime minister again".
His revelations came as the leaders of the coup were given formal royal approval in a special televised ceremony.
- Four police officers were injured in a bomb blast in restive southern Thailand yesterday, the first such attack since last Tuesday's coup. The officers were preparing security in Pattani province before a visit later in the day by Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, when a bomb hidden along the roadside exploded.
With the ousting of Mr Thaksin, many Thais were hoping some headway could be made in quelling a bloody separatist insurgency in the Muslim south that has claimed more than 1700 lives since 2004. Mr Thaksin was blamed for mishandling the crisis.
5 comments:
It seems the abbot only told Thaksin the obvious.
But will he be right that souffle can rise twice?
SiS
Can anyone consult that abbot to predict whether Hun Sen's demise is coming soon? If we know it will happen we will need to take strong measure to prevent Cambodia's assets from leaving the country with him, his family and his cronies. The CPP shipped Cambodia's financial assets to Vietnam when they lost the 1993 election.
Even if Mr.HUN SEN put million and million of dollars in foreign bank to disguise from Cambodian people, he won't be seeing his money! Whether Mr. HUN SEN put his asset in Thailand or in Vietname, it will be up for grab by the Thai and the Viet government!
I personally know may fools and traitors during King Sihanouk's time including Mr. Lon Nol who took their asset to Thailand and United States in million of dollars from Cambodian people! And at the end, these fools and traitors didn't get to see their money or their big mansion! ahaha!
Mr. HUN SEN and all his cronies won't be different from all the fools and the traitors that I had mention above!
Just mark my words!
I mark any word but he take the money out of the country and people die of stavation.
To: brother 12:26AM
It is the reality that Cambodian people must die of starvation and It is no different than that of the Lon Nol regime! But the end game for these fools and traitors, they will never see a penny of their money! These fools and traitors would be lucky enough if they can escape with their life!
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