24/07/2012 at 02:49 PM | The Bangkok Post
All roads lead to Rome, or so it was once said. But today, it appears that all roads lead to Hong Kong
with Pheu Thai Party members and their red-shirt supporters leaving Bangkok in droves to the shopping
paradise to wish Thaksin Shinawatra a happy birthday. The fugitive former prime minister turns 64 on
Thursday.
But not every well-wisher will be there just to wish the birthday boy many happy returns. Many have other
motives, such as the under-performing cabinet ministers who have to be there in the hope they will get his
blessing and will not be axed in the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.
Also, there are those ambitious MPs who aspire to be included in the next cabinet lineup and who also have
to show their faces to the big boss for his blessing.
The sudden presence of so many people in red in Hong Kong shopping along the famous Nathan Road in
groups may cause a bit of a stir, with local residents wondering why these people are wearing red because
the Chinese New Year is still many months away.
It was reported that the venue of the birthday celebration was shifted from Macau to Hong Kong because
the hotel chosen in Macau was not big enough to accommodate all the well-wishers arriving from Thailand.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=Thaksin-Shinawatra-001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/Thaksin-Shinawatra-001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
But Mother Nature seems to have spoiled the celebratory mood. Hong Kong has been battered by
Typhoon Vincente, causing the cancellation of all flights in and out. Those followers who were still in
Bangkok will have to wait there is an all-clear from the airlines that flights to Hong Kong are resuming.
Back here at home, many activities have been planned to celebrate Thaksin's birthday on Thursday. They
include a religious ceremony at Wat Chao Fah in Nonthaburi, where many monks will be invited to pray for
the birthday boy and 2.6 million amulets will be cast and 64,000 packets of doughnut will be distributed to
underprivileged children.
All roads lead to Rome, or so it was once said. But today, it appears that all roads lead to Hong Kong
with Pheu Thai Party members and their red-shirt supporters leaving Bangkok in droves to the shopping
paradise to wish Thaksin Shinawatra a happy birthday. The fugitive former prime minister turns 64 on
Thursday.
But not every well-wisher will be there just to wish the birthday boy many happy returns. Many have other
motives, such as the under-performing cabinet ministers who have to be there in the hope they will get his
blessing and will not be axed in the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.
Also, there are those ambitious MPs who aspire to be included in the next cabinet lineup and who also have
to show their faces to the big boss for his blessing.
The sudden presence of so many people in red in Hong Kong shopping along the famous Nathan Road in
groups may cause a bit of a stir, with local residents wondering why these people are wearing red because
the Chinese New Year is still many months away.
It was reported that the venue of the birthday celebration was shifted from Macau to Hong Kong because
the hotel chosen in Macau was not big enough to accommodate all the well-wishers arriving from Thailand.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=Thaksin-Shinawatra-001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/Thaksin-Shinawatra-001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
But Mother Nature seems to have spoiled the celebratory mood. Hong Kong has been battered by
Typhoon Vincente, causing the cancellation of all flights in and out. Those followers who were still in
Bangkok will have to wait there is an all-clear from the airlines that flights to Hong Kong are resuming.
Back here at home, many activities have been planned to celebrate Thaksin's birthday on Thursday. They
include a religious ceremony at Wat Chao Fah in Nonthaburi, where many monks will be invited to pray for
the birthday boy and 2.6 million amulets will be cast and 64,000 packets of doughnut will be distributed to
underprivileged children.
