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Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Finally, we now know who has been actively behind Thaksin Shinawatra's PR war from the outside. He is Sam Moon. He is now active executive director for Thaksin's new foundation, Building a Better Future Foundation, formed to restore his name in the international arena. This follows Thaksin's parting with his wife with a divorce and his being denied a visa into the United Kingdom. From its website, Building a Better Future Foundation, with offices in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, has two objectives. First, it would like to encourage and nurture the next generation of Asia's business and financial leaders. Second, it would like to nurture start-up projects in Asia that will stimulate development. The Foundation is also inviting people to join its Think Tank. "In addition to helping tackle the current economic crisis in the region and some of the most pressing problems facing developing nations, the Foundation seeks to stimulate development in the region," the web site said. Thaksin previously won the PR war from the outside, painting himself as a champion of democracy and a victim of a military coup. After the UK's denial of his visa, Thaksin's image has taken a beating. So it is necessary to create a new foundation to re-boost Thaksin's image. This PR war on the international front must be won before the political war in Thailand can be launched. Inside Thailand, Thaksin has won the battle in the upcountry, where the political stake is the highest. The rural voters could still give his nominee party a majority for a comeback in an event of a snap election. The PR War from the outside and the reinforcement of the rural political base are what Thaksin is trying to strengthen to corner the Bangkok middle class and his political enemies. ############################################## This is Sam Moon's profile: Sam Moon has lived in and worked across Asia for the past 23 years working for The Economist, Dow Jones and his own company in partnership with BusinessWeek. Mr. Moon first met Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra 16 years ago and has remained in contact with him over the years.(I have been wondering for the past few years why The Economist's and Dow Jones' editorials have been so superficially and passionately negative against Thailand!!!) 
Sam Moon During his career in Asia, Mr. Moon produced and managed senior level conferences throughout the region. This has provided him with an excellent network of relationships due to the nature of his conference activities.Mr. Moon has previously been a Senior Advisor to the Boao Forum for Asia, PBEC and other organizations. He is currently Senior Advisor to the Jeddah Economic Forum which is the leading and most influential economic gathering in the Middle East. When Dr Thaksin approached Mr. Moon to assist with his vision of Building a Better Future Foundation, Mr. Moon rearranged his schedule so he could become involved in the initial stages of developing this initiative. Having worked with speakers such as Lee Kuan Yew, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Bill Clinton, George Bush senior, Colin Powell, Al Gore, John Major, Tony Blair, Zhu Rongji and many others, Mr. Moon has long felt that the region needed an Asian leader who could be an icon on the global stage for the new generation. Having seen Dr. Thaksin work with media, handle challenges and “work” a crowded room, Mr. Moon feels Dr. Thaksin is one of only a handful of a new generation of Asian leaders who could become a “Clinton from Asia”. Dr. Thaksin’s leadership ability, vision, charm and media savvy puts him in a league all to his own. Having the advantage of seeing most leaders up close and personal (and behind the scenes), Mr. Moon feels he is in a unique position to make this comparison. Mr. Moon is based in Hong Kong. Originally from the USA, Mr. Moon is proud to call Hong Kong and Asia home. Mr. Moon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee. #################################### Since 1996, as CEO and founder of DNMstrategies, Sam Moon is well recognized as the leader in Asia in developing and building conference activities, providing opportunities for Asia's chief executives, financial officers, presidents and other senior executives to meet for dialogue on current international issues and to explore the latest business thinking with the world's foremost political, academic and management thought-leaders. Over 21 years in Asia based mainly in Hong Kong, Sam spearheaded the effort of two global media companies, namely The Economist Group and Dow Jones, in transforming their respective conference activities into an actual growth-oriented and profitable business units. While in The Economist Group, Sam was also made responsible for The Economist Group’s conference business for the United States and Latin America, with the aim of facilitating a similar business turnaround for The Economist brand. Sam is also very active in global business community as a member of the Board of Governors for the American Chamber of Commerce; member of the Board of Directors at the Hong Kong Arts Center; president of the American Community Theatre; and Regional Advisor for AIESEC. He frequently chairs/moderates events and conferences for BusinessWeek as well as other groups across the region. His strong network of relationships also expands to Middle East where Sam’s conference platform forms a valuable bridge between businesses and investors between the Middle East and the Far East. Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee, United States. ################################################
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