The Silvio Berlusconi of Asia – Bloomberg, June 26, 2012
…Opposition parties and the judiciary are determined to keep out a man they view as no less Machiavellian than Richard Nixon. So resolute, in fact, that they have resorted to warping the nation’s democratic institutions to head off his return. It proves that almost six years since Thaksin’s departure, Thailand’s government is no more credible or efficient than it was under his leadership…
But Thailand’s perpetual crisis is testing tolerance. Major floods last year weren’t the fault of Thaksin’s sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Her unsteady handling of the deluge that breached Bangkok’s defenses confirmed concerns that she is both inexperienced and a proxy for her brother as he finagles a way back into power…
From 2013: Berlusconi and Shinawatra: The billionaires who love power more than money