Mor voo-Doo in both camps

[GWR]

Perhaps Mor unites them than divides them:

Thaksin's wife meets fortune-teller

(BangkokPost.com) - Potjaman Shinawatra, wife of deposed premier Thaksin, went to see a renowned foretune-teller during her visit to Chiang Mai on Friday, according to local reports.

Khunying Potjaman met with Warin Buawiratlert at around 1.30 p.m. and spent about 1.30 hours with him.

The reports said she did not ask him to predict anything but instead discussed with him on how to solve national problems and create reconciliation.

Council for National Security chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin was scheduled to meet with Mr Warin on Saturday afternoon.



http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/090607_news02.jpg

[Photo: Bangkok Post - Varin: Fortune teller to the rich and powerful]

Link may expire:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=119329

Abhisit warns CNS leaders to steer clear of superstition

MANOP THIP-OSOD, CHINNAWAT SINGHA & CHEEWIN SATTHA

Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday warned key members of the Council for National Security (CNS) not to base any of their political decisions on superstitious beliefs. Mr Abhisit said people could not be expected to accept key decisions made by the ruling military council if they were based on such irrationality.

His comments were in response to reports that CNS chairman Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and other members of the military were heading to Chiang Mai today to consult renowned fortune teller Varin Buaviratlert. They reportedly want the fortune teller to perform magical rites to change the country's destiny following rising political tensions.

However Gen Sonthi denied the rumour, saying he was only meeting with the fortune teller for a meal.

The reports coincided with rumours that Khunying Potjaman Shinawatra, wife of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, also plans to visit the same fortune teller today at his house in the Sukhito housing estate.

A reliable source close to Mr Varin said today was a special Saturday with certain stars gaining strength, making it appropriate for a rite to avert bad luck.

Mr Abhisit said he did not know if the reports were true or not, but stressed that the coup makers should base their decisions on logic, not superstition.

It is normal for people in a confused state to turn to something or someone they can rely on, Mr Abhisit said. But to solve problems that affect the majority, all sides should use their brains and consciousness to find solutions, the Democrat leader added.

Commenting on reports of a possible change of prime minister, Mr Abhisit said there must be sound reasons for such a move. Decisions made by those in power must be explainable, he said. If any were driven by superstitious beliefs, no one would accept them, he warned.

A source said Khunying Potjaman, one of Mr Varin's regular clients, arrived at Chiang Mai airport at 11.30am yesterday. She briefly visited her Green Valley residence before heading for Doi Suthep to pay homage to Buddha relics at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. She is reportedly scheduled to visit him at his house today.

However, a close aide to Mr Varin denied that the military men of the CNS wanted him to perform a sueb duang chata (life prolonging) ceremony for them. The CNS leaders simply wanted to visit the fortune teller, the aide said.

Mr Varin gained Gen Sonthi's trust and became his personal seer after he correctly foretold Gen Sonthi's appointment as army chief. The fortune teller also previously correctly foretold that Gen Chaisit Shinawatra and Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, Gen Sonthi's predecessors, would clinch the top army job.

Before the Sept 19 coup, he also predicted that Gen Sonthi would lead a coup, citing that the army chief, in a previous life, had been a close aide of the late King Taksin the Great. He also predicted that Gen Sonthi would become prime minister.

Mr Varin formerly served as a rural teacher in government service, a source said. After leaving his teaching job, he reportedly met a hermit while travelling through the jungles in Chiang Mai's Chiang Dao district.

The hermit told him he possessed a 3,000-year old hermit's spirit, which gave him the powers of prediction. He then took up fortune-telling, his clients being mainly businessmen and military officers.



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http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/09Jun2007_news02.php

[ncr]

Council for National Security chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin was scheduled to meet with Mr Warin on Saturday afternoon.So it's not only the Buddhists in this country who are misguided by superstition, belief in magical amulets, spirit worship and the like?

[ncr]

This article itself is not really related to the thread's topic (though very interesting nonetheless), but these two pictures and caption caught my attention... Thai voodoo indeed: :D

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/160607_news16.jpg http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/160607_news17.jpg

Thaksin Shinawatra refused to 'get out' as demanded by his opponents and so did the CNS. This meant the demonstrators had no choice but to resort to black magic. DAAD locks the CNS leaders' souls in caskets [left], and PAD keeps Mr Thaksin's spirit in a pot [right]. — SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL

Very noteworthy insights regarding the rallies to be found here:

Protests a Subway Ride Away (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/16Jun2007_news24.php) - Bangkok Post, 16 June 2007

Enticing rallygoers to town cheaper than CNS thinks

Story by SUPHAPHAN PLENGMANEEPUN

It has been alleged the Assets Scrutiny Committee froze deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's assets to cut off financing for rallies against the Council for National Security (CNS). But the money required to organise the rallies might not be as much as the CNS thought. "Just a bus to transport people from rural areas to Bangkok and a ticket to ride the subway for each of them. That's all we have to pay," said a source helping to mobilise people to join the rallies.

She said many people in rural areas share a dream to visit Bangkok, the nation's capital, at least once in their lifetimes. And if they get a chance, one of the first things they want to do is to ride the subway. All she had to do was go into rural areas and offer people such a chance, the source said. In the past, she added, riding the skytrain was their top choice, but now it's the subway. Also, in the past, the most popular place for rural people to visit was Siam Park, "but now, it's Siam Paragon", she said.

After they take the offer, buses are arranged to transport them to Bangkok. However, before they are allowed to ride the subway or visit the luxury shopping complex, they must fulfil their mission - join the rallies. After that, they are taken by bus to Bang Sue station and are given subway tickets. "They have free time to ride and shop if they want, but they have to get to Hua Lamphong station on time so they can be transported back to their hometowns", the source said. That was her strategy last year. However, this year it was more difficult to bring people from the provinces to the rally because the government implemented measures to prevent them from coming.

She does not deny that many of the same people who last year were in the anti-Thaksin mobs are this year turning out for rallies supporting him. "If you notice, some people in the crowd can't speak Thai fluently. They are foreign labourers, most of whom work in factories in suburbs around Bangkok", the source said. But she said not all the people joining rallies this year and last were paid. Some were actually pro- or anti-Thaksin, while some others just love to go to rallies because big-name celebrities always appear on stage.

***

Thai Democracy? :( Just pawns in a cynical game of the mighty.

[doseiai]

Muslims aren't supposed to believe in superstition, its prohibited by the Koran.

Western thinking goes like this "What? Why trust a fortune teller on important decisions? Their culture must be different than ours".

Run it through a West-to-East translator:

Eastern culture goes like this "...hey, now, whatever decision I make, I'm not responsible for my decisions, because I've been influenced by fortune tellers."

Sonthi is obvious afraid someone might blame him for supporting the "wrong" side, and is developing cop-outs, just in case. Just eating dinner with a fortune teller is even more confusing as we don't know if they exchanged information or not. Old asian game...volunteer no information and purposely complicate.