In a bizarre reversal of the normal publishing practices of Thai politicians, Thaksin Shinawatra has very quietly published his ‘Tackling Poverty’ in English and says it will soon appear in Thai. (By contrast, his replacement as head of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party, Chaturon Chaisang, published his latest book first in Thai with an English translation soon to be launched at the FCCT.)

The reason for this cart-before-the-horse procedure is apparently the involvement of Anil Bhoyrul as a sort of editor, whose media experience does not include the ability to work in Thai. Their working relationship is revealed in the following exchange of e-mail drafts of just one paragraph in the book. These were obtained by Prachatai from its normal unnamed and totally unverifiable sources.

Confusingly, in their working relationship Thaksin apparently chose the pseudonym ‘Frank’ (after Manchester City supporters decided that ‘Frank Sinatra’ was easier for Mancunians to pronounce than his real name). Anil Bhoyrul also decided to use the pen-name he adopted after his conviction for conspiracy to breach the UK Financial Services Act – Frank Bailey. Prachatai readers will no doubt be able to figure things out.

8July
Dear Frank,
Here draft of next paragraph my book. Pls edit asap.
“I fight all nasty peoples about drugs. I success no more ya ba in 3 moth. I tell police ‘if you do nothing, I will do you’, so they do. For me, not care who is nasty peoples, just how soon can have big photo-op with flag in Sanam Luang celebration. I know influential third hand not like my doing and they try kill me with car bomb and blow up plane (Frank, this come before, but still can use). In the end, maybe this why they have to coup against me.”
Yrs
Frank

15 July
Dear Frank,
Thnx for the draft. A few questions first. Who is ‘nasty people’? The way this is written, people might think the military are drug-pushers. Do you really want to say this? And I am not sure about the plane thing. People will check and it may hurt your credibility, if that is a concern to you.
Yrs
Frank

16 July
Dear Frank,
Yes military drug-push. Everyone in Thailand do. But you right, when I go back to PM I must careful to have some military on my side. Maybe you say third hand. Everyone in Thailand understand who is. About plane bomb, OK, you leave out. Just say attempt many assassination against me.
Yrs
Frank

18 July
Dear Frank,
People in Thailand may understand ‘third hand’ but no one else will, and this book is for the non-Thai audience, remember. Would ‘mafia’ be OK?
Yrs
Frank

19July
Dear Frank,
If you think Mafia OK, you use, but in Thailand everyone think Mafia is Ministry of Interior. Will change for Thai version. Pls hurry because still many more chapter.
Yrs
Frank

28 July
Dear Frank,
Here is my edit. The lawyers have already scanned it and given it the OK. Hope you like it.
“One of my biggest battles with the mafia was with drugs…I launched a campaign aimed at eradicating methamphetamine use in three months. I did this by making everyone in the process more accountable. For me the issue was never about whether I was right to take on the mafia and their drug barons, it was about how long it would take to succeed. I knew that in the process I would make many powerful enemies, it would cost my life (there were several assassination threats) and at the very least, it would cost me my job – which it did.”
Yrs
Frank

30 July
Dear Frank,
OK, but my draft more strong, I think. Never mind, go on. Next section about corruption. Easy to write because I am expert.
Yrs
Frank

About author: Bangkokians with long memories may remember his irreverent column in The Nation in the 1980's. During his period of enforced silence since then, he was variously reported as participating in a 999-day meditation retreat in a hill-top monastery in Mae Hong Son (he gave up after 998 days), as the Special Rapporteur for Satire of the UN High Commission for Human Rights, and as understudy for the male lead in the long-running ‘Pussies -not the Musical' at the Neasden International Palladium (formerly Park Lane Empire).