Sondhi Limthongkul (Thai: สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล; RTGS: Sonthi Limthongkun; Chinese: 林明達; pinyin: Lín Míngdá, born 7 November 1947) is a Thai media mogul, conspiracy theorist, pro-Beijing anti-democracy reactionary activist, demagogue, and leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). He was elected leader of the New Politics Party (NPP).
Starting his career as a journalist, he later founded Manager Daily newspaper as well as satellite broadcaster ASTV. Originally a strong supporter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he later became a leader of the anti-Thaksin movement. Under his leadership, the PAD was the major player in the 2005–2006 Thai political crisis that led to the 2006 military coup that toppled the Thaksin government. When Thaksin-affiliated parties won the 2007 general election, Sondhi became the major player in the 2008–2009 Thai political crisis, leading the PAD in violent clashes with security forces and anti-PAD protestors as well as the seizure of Government House, Don Muang Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Sondhi is more or less a supporter of the Democrat Party and stopped the PAD's protests after Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was appointed Prime Minister.
In April 2009, Abhisit faced massive anti-government protests led by the pro-Thaksin red shirts which caused the Fourth East Asia Summit to be canceled and was followed by riots in Bangkok. Days after the Bangkok unrest was quelled by military force, gunmen ambushed Sondhi's car, a black Toyota Vellfire, at a petrol station. They shot out the tires, and fired over 100 M-16 and AK-47 assault rifle rounds at the car. The attackers escaped from the scene when Sondhi's followers in another car opened fire on them. Sondhi suffered a serious head wound but remained conscious, standing and lucid before being sent to a hospital for emergency surgery.[1] Sondhi survived the surgery, which involved removing several bullet fragments embedded about half a centimetre deep in his skull. It is not certain who was behind the shooting, though Sondhi's son and PAD's spokesmen speculated that a faction of the military or police might have been behind it.[2][3]
On 6 September 2016, the Supreme Court of Thailand ruled that he must serve the 20 years in prison sentence ruled by the Appeals Court in 2012, when he was freed on bail. The sentence, according to the Supreme Court, will not be suspended. He was found guilty of violating the Securities and Exchange Act by falsifying documents in 1997 to secure a loan from Krung Thai Bank amounting to 1.08 billion baht.[4] He was released from jail early on 4 September 2019 on royal pardon.[5]
SondhiLimthongkul (Thai: สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล; RTGS: Sonthi Limthongkun; Chinese: 林明達; pinyin: Lín Míngdá, born 7 November 1947) is a Thai media mogul, conspiracy...
Sondhi, Indian-born theoretical physicist SondhiLimthongkul (born 1947), Thai media mogul and activist Sondhi Boonyaratkalin (born 1946), former Commander-in-Chief...
and emphasizes political and business news. Founded by media-mogul SondhiLimthongkul, it was an outgrowth of Manager Monthly magazine and Manager Weekly...
Weekly) is a Thai political talk show hosted by SondhiLimthongkul and Sarocha Pornudomsak. The show is Sondhi's personal mouthpiece, and up to 2004 it praised...
Shinawatra, who is Thai Chinese, was ousted from power in 2006, it was SondhiLimthongkul, another prominent Thai Chinese businessman, who formed and led People's...
by accusations published by media mogul and popular talk show host SondhiLimthongkul, a former Thaksin supporter who had broken with him. These included...
and editorial outlook" to the print newspaper Asia Times, owned by SondhiLimthongkul, a Thai media mogul and leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy...
crusader SondhiLimthongkul's "Yam Fao Paen Din", a show that media reformers called a junta "propaganda tool." Lese majeste charges against Sondhi filed...
Suomi-strategia) are names of a controversial conspiracy theory espoused by SondhiLimthongkul and supporters affiliated with the People's Alliance for Democracy...
pay their respects. At a rally the following day, government critic SondhiLimthongkul claimed the destruction of the statue was an attempt by the Prime...
TV channel ASTV (Thailand), defunct Thai TV station established by SondhiLimthongkul supporting the People's Alliance for Democracy, prominent during the...
During the peak of the Thailand political crisis in February 2006, SondhiLimthongkul, leader of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)...
Shinawatra in 2006 after the removal of the critical TV program of SondhiLimthongkul. In 2008, PAD accused Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat of being...
newspaper printed in Bangkok in 2005 and 2006. Started by politician SondhiLimthongkul's Manager Media Group, it consisted of eight broadsheet pages that...
regions. However, the most severe critic of Thaksin seemed to be SondhiLimthongkul, a media tycoon and former colleague. While Thaksin was in New York...
president Boonchu Rojanastien, singer Nichkhun of 2PM, media mogul SondhiLimthongkul, the politically influential Sarasin family, as well as two of the...
unprecedented step of calling the elections undemocratic. In May 2006, the SondhiLimthongkul-owned Manager Daily newspaper published a series of articles describing...
Cambodian–Thai border dispute forms a background. PAD (yellow shirt) leaders SondhiLimthongkul, Chamlong Srimuang, and others were indicted on 27 December for storming...
the royal palace. At least 20,000 protesters, led by media figure SondhiLimthongkul, gathered demanding the resignation of the prime minister, and submitted...
Ron Leavitt, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2008) 1947 – SondhiLimthongkul, Thai journalist and politician 1948 – Stephen Green, Baron Green...
interim leader of the party was Somsak Kosaisuuk. On 7 October 2009, SondhiLimthongkul was elected as the leader of the party. The party's colors were yellow...
resign. Viroj was a former financial advisor to media proprietor SondhiLimthongkul, having helped him make the initial public offering of one of his...
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