page_title: Premiership of Thaksin Shinawatra
section_title: Foreign policies
hierarchical_section_title: Premiership of Thaksin Shinawatra / Administrative reform / Foreign policies
caption_attribution_description: English: BANGKOK. President Putin with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.Русский: АНГКОК. С Премьер-министром Таиланда Таксином Чинаватом.
context_page_description: Thaksin Shinawatra was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand.
  As prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra initiated many policies affecting the economy, public health, education, energy, drugs and international relations. He gained two landslide re-election victories. Thaksin's policies were effective at reducing rural poverty and at providing affordable health coverage to the people. Because of this, his main support base has been the rural poor.
  His cabinet was packed with academics, former student leaders, and former leaders of the Palang Dharma Party, including Prommin Lertsuridej, Chaturon Chaisang, Prapat Panyachatraksa, Surapong Suebwonglee, Somkid Jatusripitak, Surakiart Sathirathai, and Sudarat Keyuraphan. Traditional leaders of regional coalitions also became members of his cabinet.
  His government has been frequently charged with dictatorship, demagogy, corruption, conflicts of interest, human rights offences, acting undiplomatically, using legal loopholes, and hostility towards a free press.
context_section_description: Thaksin was fiercely attacked for tasking diplomats with supporting domestic economic programs, e.g., promoting OTOP products. Surapong Jayanama, former ambassador to Vietnam claiming that Thaksin's policies were "demeaning" and would do little to enhance Thailand's international stature.
  Thaksin also initiated negotiations for several free trade agreements with China, Australia, Bahrain, India, and the US. This policy was also criticized, with claims that high-cost Thai industries could be wiped out.
  Thailand joined George W. Bush's multinational coalition in the invasion of Iraq, sending a 423-strong humanitarian contingent. It withdrew its troops on 10 September 2004. Two Thai soldiers died in Iraq in an insurgent attack.
  Thaksin announced that Thailand would forsake foreign aid, and work with donor countries to assist in the development of neighbors in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.
  Thaksin was attacked by influential former diplomats for acting undiplomatically with foreign leaders. Kasit Pirom, former Thai ambassador to Japan and the United States, noted at an anti-Thaksin rally "When Khun Thaksin went to the United Nations to attend a joint UN-Asean session, he did not behave properly when addressing the session, which was co-chaired by the UN secretary-general and the Malaysian premier. In his address Thaksin did not mention the name of the Malaysian premier".
  Thaksin established close, friendly ties with the Burmese dictatorship, including extending the neighboring country a four billion baht credit line so it could conclude a satellite telecom deal with his family business.
  During the time Thaksin was in office as prime minister, he was ambitious about making Thailand a regional leader. He proposed, and was supported by other South East Asian countries, an economic treaty at the sub-regional level, to promote economic, technological, and infrastructure development.  His government also provided economic assistance to neighbouring countries Laos and Cambodia.
  Thaksin has been attacked for his support of former Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai's failed campaign to become UN Secretary General.
caption: Shinawatra with then President of Russia Vladimir Putin at APEC Bangkok 2003 on 21 October 2003 in Bangkok.
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