Breaking news…

Source: ETNA

The Thai prime minister announced he would quit after the messages from the streets and apparently because the King told him to. A shame, because just 14 months ago, he was very popular and I liked him in some ways. But amid public perceptions of shamelessness and corruption after a $2 billion profit-taking deal in Singapore, he dropped himself into this. The Thai people have gotten their message out loud and clear that a leader must be not just clean but above the very appearance of corruption. Leaders cannot hide behind legal technicalities as a basis of ethics. Just because something is legal does not mean it’s moral, or right or worthy of the people who collectively give their vote and their trust.

It’s a great message for all leaders to remember that leaders are there by the consent of the people and must be endowed to lead, above all, because they are good. Thais in their thousands insisted on it. Thaksin fell short.

First story is here.

A biography of Thaksin Shinawatra is here.

Bangkok’s The Nation has live coverage here