It is too soon to write off Thaksin Shinawa-tra, the telecoms tycoon who wants to rule Thailand. His new party suffered a blow on July 23rd, when Bangkok's voters turned out in droves to choose a new governor. His candidate managed to push the man from the ruling Democrat Party into third place. But she lost heavily to Samak Sundaravej, a veteran conservative whom most people seemed to think could get something done about the capital's many problems. Yet Mr Thaksin is hoping that the parliamentary elections, which must be called later this year, will be a very different story.
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