Thailand’s got snap elections today for prime minister, a manuever by the prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, to take advantage of a disorganized opposition that wants him out but doesn’t have much of an alternative to present. Vast protests have been taking place in Bangkok over the past six weeks. Prominent leaders of the 1992 democracy-now revolts have been seen at them, and the King has voiced a veiled displeasure with both sides in this.

Today’s the snap poll, which amounts to a referendum on Thaksin. Most of the opposition saw through the maneuver and word now is that they aren’t participating. Abstention is said to be huge.

Frankly, I’m with the king on this. Thaksin made himself a tidy $2 billion profit in a much-disputed Singapore business deal, which is absolutely awful, because heads of state should not be involved in business dealings while in office, for one thing. Two, it’s disgusting that he paid no taxes on a transaction that big. Three, it involved a supposedly privatized state firm that through political maneuvers, Thaksin ended up holding – and then sold to foreigners. You can see how a lot of the Thai public feels about this. It’s like he walked off with the phone company and then sold it to the Chinese.

But in Thaksin’s favor, where was the law he broke? There are no laws in Thailand against this and Thaksin isn’t much of a guy concerned about ‘face.’ At least not about something substantial like that. Who elected the legislators who never bothered setting up a framework of laws people could live with? As Milton Friedman says, if someone gives you a gift, you take it. You can’t blame Thaksin for taking advantage of the lack of laws even if he is a shameless bastard. What Thailand needs are new laws against this stuff he’s pulling, and a whole lot of loss of face for him.

Here’s a first news analysis here, and updates will follow.