February 6, 2008

What is going to be the main agenda of Noppadol Pattama at the Foreign Ministry? Most people agree that he does not seem to fit this foreign portfolio. But as a versatile lawyer and one of the top lieutenants of ousted prime minister Thaksin, Noppadol is capable to doing anything.

In fact, I was attending Thammasat University the same years (1979 and 1982) with Noppadol. I studied English & Philosophy in the Liberal Arts Department, while Noppadol read law. I liked to hang around at the Faculty of Law because I had a lot of male friends over there. This would help me balance my friendship with the classmates at the Liberal Arts Department who were mostly girls.

I was not a good student then. But Noppadol excelled in his study and went on to win the King's scholarship to study law in the UK. I saw him once or twice at the Faculty of Law but we never talked. My friends, who now have become judges and lawyers, told me that he was a "dek rien", who did not want to mingle around with others.  

While practicing law, Noppadol went into politics by joining the Democrat Party. Later on, he switched side to join the Thai Rak Thai. His role rose to national attention when he undertook to become a lawyer and spokesman for the Shinawatra family.

He was not afraid to speak against the military juanta during the coup. He also took the Asset Examination Committee to task over its confistication of Thaksin Shinawatra's assets for alleged corruption.

After the People Power Party's election victory, Noppadol has been rewarded handsomely for his dedication to Thaksin. He is taking over now as foreign minister.

But why the Foreign Ministry?

Thaksin has been pretty mad at the Foreign Ministry, which took away his diplomatic passport. This has created a lot of inconvenience to Thaksin's travelling while he is living in exile. Thaksin complained that other Thai leaders had not been treated like this.  

Also, in May 2007. while Thaksin was in Moscow to attend a commencement ceremony to receive an honourary degree there, he ran into a mishap. While he was having a meal at MacDonald's, somebody stole his briefcase. Inside was cash valued at US$9,200 as well as his passport.

Thaksin had a terrible time in Moscow trying to get a new passport. He had to queue up at the Thai Embassy. It took him quite some time and a lot of sweat before he got hold on a new passport. Thaksin would never forget this humiliating incident.

I guess probably this is one of the reasons Thaksin would like to have Noppadol, my good friend, at the Foreign Ministry to do some clean-up of the Passport Division. The prime minister of the Kingdom of Thailand must never ever be mistreated.