Despite losing at weight lifting, Thai remain hopeful

The weight lifting competition on Saturday at the 2008 Olympics this year had Thailand hoping to get a gold medal but the failure of Weightlifters Premsiri Bunpithak and her fellow partner Pensiri Laosirikul, two of Thailand’s top medal hopes, have caused tremendous disappointment among the enthusiastic Thais. Pensiri finished fifth, while Premsiri could not make a successful lift in three attempts in the snatch category and was eliminated in the 48kg division.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who was expecting that the world will get to see the better sides of Thai athletes this year, had given all the possible support to the participants before the games began. She was personally present to witness the match at Beijing. Despite their defeat the duo won praise from Her Highness.

The burden to win Thailand’s first medal at the Beijing Games now rests on the shoulders of weightlifter Premwadee Charoenrattanatharakul, who will contest the 53kg class.

On the better side, middleweight Angkhan Chomphuphuang made a winning start in his Olympic debut in boxing. He beat South Korea’s Cho Deok-jin 9-3 on points in the round of 32. In swimming, Nimitta Thaveesupsoonthorn finished fifth in her heat in 5:02.18secs in the women’s 400m individual medley.

In the coming days, we will get to see some of the better Thai athletes compete to find Thailand a recognizable position at the Olympics 2008.

Thaksin fails to appear before Court

Several tittle-tattles were being made about Thailand’s deposed PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife’s appearance before a special court on Monday. But their failure to show at the hearing has raised endless questions.

The duo who have been charged of various abuse-of-power and corruption cases in the country, had been granted permission on July 29th, to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games last Friday at Beijing.

There were scheduled to take the Thai Airways flight back on Sunday to appear at the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in a case involving an allegedly unlawful purchase of real estate. Apparently the couple, instead of heading to Thailand, has flown to London.

It is believed that the Flight to London and semi-permanent exile may cause Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman to lose their bail and even cost them a whooping 69 billion baht (about 2 billion U.S. dollars) in frozen funds.

Though their spokesmen have repeatedly said the duo will be back and make their court appearance, this statement has not protected him from the Thai judiciary which is pressing several cases as well as a slew of investigations that may lead to trials.

Till we hear any concrete statement from the accused and banished PM, wide range of speculations are being made regarding his innocence.