[Asia_news] Seminar: Telecommunications Privatisation Under Thaksin

[Sarah Bishop]

*Seminar: Telecommunications Privatisation Under Thaksin*

Issay Chulajata

/Seminar Room F, //Coombs// //Building//, on //1 November 2006//, 
12.30-2.00/

The National Thai Studies Centre is pleased to announce a seminar on the 
topic of /Telecommunications Privatisation Under Thaksin/.

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra promoted privatisation as 
a key strategy for rapid economic growth. This was controversial in 
several areas, with efforts to privatise the Electricity Generating 
Authority of Thailand generating sustained public opposition. 
Privatisation in the telecommunications area – where Thaksin’s family 
owned the largest mobile telephone company – was even more 
controversial. The sale of Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) as part of a 
broader package to Singapore’s state-owned Temasek in January incited 
strong opposition from sections of the media, academia and civil 
society, culminating in some of the biggest anti-government rallies in 
over fourteen years. Ultimately, it contributed to the overthrow of the 
Thaksin government on 19 September. **

Issay Chulajata has been involved in the area of telecommunications 
privatisation for several years, initailly as member of the Thai Foreign 
Ministry then as an international marketing consultant. She has 
submitted her PhD on this topic at the University of Canberra, and 
currently works in the Department of Environment and Heritage.