It's a reasonable enough question that it could have earned Thaksin some sympathy. But that ignores the fact that Thaksin has his own crew of slime scrapers funneling dirt on his political opponents to the country's National Counter Corruption Commission. Most of the charges dug up by Thaksin's men, however, haven't stuck. And, many of the politicians the public suspects of being less than sparkling clean, are members of Thaksin's coalition. This is an insult not only to the commissioners, but also to the Thai public, which had been longing for such a watchdog for years and has been supportive of its work.
Some governments are still, literally, getting away with murder.
But these days, at least in some countries, if you so much as steal from the people, you end up in jail. Even in places where the pace of change is relatively quick, such as the Philippines, there are those unhappy with the new rules. The culture of deference to power and hierarchy is still deeply ingrained. It simply isn't dignified to see your former leader's mug shot. But there's a lot less dignity in letting crooks walk free.