Thai Online Battle

Writer: Bangkok Post.com
Published: 24/07/2009 at 05:39 PM

Thaksin, PM both use social network to reach supporters

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra has opened new channels to contact his supporters, using the social networks Facebook and Twitter, his former legal adviser Noppadon Pattama said on Friday.

Thaksin was currently living in Dubai, he said.

The fugitive politician would stay connected to his supporters through the two social networks starting Saturday morning Thailand time, he said.

He was expected to first give suggestions to the government about ways to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, he said.

Mr Noppadon said the government had limited the way Thaksin could communicate with his supporters, so he had opened new channels to communicate with them.

"Thaksin will accept everyone to his networks, and his supporters can send their good wishes through these channels, too," he said.

Supporters of Thaksin would hold religious rites for him at Wat Kaew Fa temple in Nonthaburi's Bang Kruai district on Sunday, his 60th birthday. A hologram of Thaksin would be projected at the gathering, to make it feel as if the fugitive politician was really present, he said.

Government spokesman Sathit Wongnongtaey said hologram technology had been around for 30 years, so there was nothing to be excited about.

Also, Mr Abhisit, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin and he himself had also been using Twitter and the internet for some time. Thaksin must have just thought of it, he joked.

Mr Sathit said the government would not try to stop Thaksin's supporters from holding their celebrations. Anyone was entitled to have a birthday party.