Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's first engagement as coordinator of the group of informal advisers to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his role as annual chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), came yesterday when he met with Anwar himself.
During the meeting, followed by a dinner also attended by former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, discussions reportedly centred on several key issues, including the situation in Myanmar and the latest on cryptocurrencies.
While Yeo's presence had some people scratching their heads because no one knows what role if any he plays (or anyone else in the group), Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit sparked great interest, given the complexity and "weight" of his figure.
The 75-year-old businessman was a successful political figure until he was ousted from power in 2006 by a coup d'état and went into exile two years later while maintaining influence in Thailand’s public life before he returned in 2023.
More recently, although restricted by a conviction for corruption and abuse of power purged mostly under house arrest, he is back playing a political role and is now engaged in the election campaign in support of the current prime minister, hir daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Although a controversial and certainly cumbersome figure for Thailand traditional elites (family oligopolies, Armed Forces and monarchy), he also has important connections and ample financial resources.
His role alongside Anwar is unclear and the designation as an adviser has raised concerns even in Malaysia. Still, many admit that his knowledge of the situation in Myanmar and his relationships with many of the parties in the war-torn country could help break the impasse.
The current stalemate has had cascading repercussions for ASEAN, which includes Myanmar and nine other members, because the bloc has failed so far to bring the military junta and the opposition to a negotiating table and a ceasefire.
Conversely, having Shinawatra as an adviser could be linked to Malaysia’s desire to regulate digital finance with the recognition of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
The former Thai prime minister addressed such issues last month during his three-day stay in Abu Dhabi, where he met with the local authorities and the managers of Binance, a company that operates a large cryptocurrency exchange.
