Sondhi’s Revolution
One thing I’ve got to say for my old boss Sondhi Limthongkul: he’s not afraid to take risks. Back when I was working for him in the early 90s, he launched an Asian business magazine (Asia Inc), a regional English-language daily newspaper (Asia Times) and was poised to launch a satellite when the Asian boom ended in mid-decade. So, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Sondhi’s latest effort was a high-stakes attempt to bring down Thailand’s prime minister, his former pal Thanksin Shinawatra. Unlike Asia Inc and Asia Times, however, this time his plan resulted in complete success. Despite “winning” an election forced on him by Sondhi and other members of the anti-Thaksin movement, Thaksin today announced that he’s “taking a break” from politics and will step down from his post (the election was complicated by a boycott by opposition parties that leaves many parliamentary seats empty, making it difficult for Thaksin to form a government). So, where does this leave Sondhi? Back from a brief trip to China—which rivals say was meant to avoid arrest on charges of defaming Thailand’s king, and which Sondhi said was for his health—he’s planning on suing his accusers. Given Thaksin’s situation, I’ll be surprised if the charges aren’t dropped; you don’t exactly mess with someone who has shown that he can bring down a popular elected official. Sondhi’s situation is a good reminder that you shouldn’t underestimate a determined entrepreneur with an agenda. Sondhi knows how to get what he wants, and if he wants to be the next Thai PM (or just a behind-the-scenes power broker, which I suspect is more likely), it’ll happen.
