AMARETTO-old
September 18th, 2006, 15:03
Kantathi's globe-trotting may have less to do with diplomacy and more to do with Thaksin's reliance on his predecessor
So far this month, caretaker Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon has already travelled to Ireland and France and he is due to meet up with caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in New York City for the annual United Nations general assembly this week.
Kantathi will then visit other major cities in the US - Boston, Washington DC, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles - before coming back to Thailand via a stopover in Hong Kong.
Prior to this trip he visited Brazil, Jamaica, Canada and Finland.
Kantathi has been to 15 countries since Thaksin dissolved the parliament in February - and the total continues to rise.
In this month alone, he will have travelled to eight countries and 11 cities - leaving him precious few days to work in his office at the Foreign Ministry.
Travelling a lot is not a crime. But in principle, caretaker governments without a mandate from the people should not make binding agreements with other countries. Visiting a number
of countries without a clear purpose is a waste of taxpayers' money.
However, Kantathi reckons he is doing his job in the best interests of the country. Flying first class whenever possible, he continues to propagate his initiative of enhancing the role of diplomacy in "making the entire world beneficial for the Thai people".
Kantathi claims he is opening new frontiers for Thai investors and the public, particularly in Latin America.
But apart from his travel bills, Kantathi has little to show for his efforts. He has yet to lay out strategic plans or conduct systematic follow-up to ensure his claims bear fruit.
Economic relations with foreign countries need much more than a few handshakes and photo opportunities with foreign leaders.
Kantathi has also made others curious about what exactly are the objectives of so many trips. While travelling in the US to meet up with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in July, a Thai reporter in Los Angeles asked what he hoped to achieve from the visit.
Kantathi's reply was: "Nothing. It is simply a visit in response to an invitation from Rice."
And while embarking on journeys that might appear unnecessary, he is rarely around for those that do require his presence.
For example, he was supposed to be in Cuba at the end of this week for the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) summit with Thaksin. However, it was Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai who took that role.
In fact, Kantathi is not entirely to blame for this. It was Thaksin who assigned the former foreign minister to head the Thai delegation. It was Surakiart's working group, rather than diplomats at the Foreign Ministry, who prepared groundwork for Thaksin's trip to Havana and New York for the UN general assembly.
This is not the first time that Kantathi has been overshadowed by Surakiart. The new appointment of Vice Foreign Minister Sorachak Kasemsuwan, a close aide of Surakiart, appears to be the last straw in relations between the former and current foreign ministers.
The appointment came without notice or consultation with Kantathi and despite vows that he would discuss the matter with the PM, Sorachak is still vice minister.
It reflects the strong influence Thaksin has over his ministers and the permanent shadow of Surakiart over the Foreign Ministry - which Kantathi can do little about.
Thaksin's favouring Surakiart stems from the fact that, unlike Surakiart, Kantathi simply isn't useful enough to Thaksin. As a result, Thaksin has often bypassed Kantathi and acted as the foreign minister himself.
In the meantime, Surakiart has never relinquished his power over the ministry. He has been manipulating from a distance, making it even harder for Kantathi to manage affairs.
These conditions have made for a frustrating working environment for Kantathi over the past year. But instead of fighting back and insisting on his position and roles for his subordinates, Kantathi simply jets off overseas, leaving the problems behind. This hardly seems to be in the national interest.
The Nation : www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/18/pol ... 013898.php (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/18/politics/politics_30013898.php)
So far this month, caretaker Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon has already travelled to Ireland and France and he is due to meet up with caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in New York City for the annual United Nations general assembly this week.
Kantathi will then visit other major cities in the US - Boston, Washington DC, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles - before coming back to Thailand via a stopover in Hong Kong.
Prior to this trip he visited Brazil, Jamaica, Canada and Finland.
Kantathi has been to 15 countries since Thaksin dissolved the parliament in February - and the total continues to rise.
In this month alone, he will have travelled to eight countries and 11 cities - leaving him precious few days to work in his office at the Foreign Ministry.
Travelling a lot is not a crime. But in principle, caretaker governments without a mandate from the people should not make binding agreements with other countries. Visiting a number
of countries without a clear purpose is a waste of taxpayers' money.
However, Kantathi reckons he is doing his job in the best interests of the country. Flying first class whenever possible, he continues to propagate his initiative of enhancing the role of diplomacy in "making the entire world beneficial for the Thai people".
Kantathi claims he is opening new frontiers for Thai investors and the public, particularly in Latin America.
But apart from his travel bills, Kantathi has little to show for his efforts. He has yet to lay out strategic plans or conduct systematic follow-up to ensure his claims bear fruit.
Economic relations with foreign countries need much more than a few handshakes and photo opportunities with foreign leaders.
Kantathi has also made others curious about what exactly are the objectives of so many trips. While travelling in the US to meet up with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in July, a Thai reporter in Los Angeles asked what he hoped to achieve from the visit.
Kantathi's reply was: "Nothing. It is simply a visit in response to an invitation from Rice."
And while embarking on journeys that might appear unnecessary, he is rarely around for those that do require his presence.
For example, he was supposed to be in Cuba at the end of this week for the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) summit with Thaksin. However, it was Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai who took that role.
In fact, Kantathi is not entirely to blame for this. It was Thaksin who assigned the former foreign minister to head the Thai delegation. It was Surakiart's working group, rather than diplomats at the Foreign Ministry, who prepared groundwork for Thaksin's trip to Havana and New York for the UN general assembly.
This is not the first time that Kantathi has been overshadowed by Surakiart. The new appointment of Vice Foreign Minister Sorachak Kasemsuwan, a close aide of Surakiart, appears to be the last straw in relations between the former and current foreign ministers.
The appointment came without notice or consultation with Kantathi and despite vows that he would discuss the matter with the PM, Sorachak is still vice minister.
It reflects the strong influence Thaksin has over his ministers and the permanent shadow of Surakiart over the Foreign Ministry - which Kantathi can do little about.
Thaksin's favouring Surakiart stems from the fact that, unlike Surakiart, Kantathi simply isn't useful enough to Thaksin. As a result, Thaksin has often bypassed Kantathi and acted as the foreign minister himself.
In the meantime, Surakiart has never relinquished his power over the ministry. He has been manipulating from a distance, making it even harder for Kantathi to manage affairs.
These conditions have made for a frustrating working environment for Kantathi over the past year. But instead of fighting back and insisting on his position and roles for his subordinates, Kantathi simply jets off overseas, leaving the problems behind. This hardly seems to be in the national interest.
The Nation : www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/18/pol ... 013898.php (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/18/politics/politics_30013898.php)