Is Thailand a Skypocraty ?

Skype has already gave us a new verb, “to skype”, but it might also bring us a new concept in political analysis : the Skype Government, or Skypocraty thanks to the Thaksin family who is currently ruling Thailand in a brand new digital conceptual manner.

Skypocraty namely allows a convicted exiled and fugitive brother to remote control a Prime minister, who also happens to be his sister. This is not to be confused with the former Skipocraty, which allows democracy without (or by skipping) elections (see former Thai government). Well, as you probably already know, Thai democracy has its own idiosyncrasy.

And mind you, this does not mean the country is run by idiots. It originates from Greek and designates a peculiar temperament.

Now the serious piece of work by Thomas Fuller in the NY Times:

Millions of people across the globe have cut the tethers to their offices, working remotely from home, airport lounges or just about anywhere they can get an Internet connection. But the political party governing Thailand has taken telecommuting into an altogether different realm.
For the past year and a half, by the party’s own admission, the most important political decisions in this country of 65 million people have been made from abroad, by a former prime minister who has been in self-imposed exile since 2008 to escape corruption charges.
The country’s most famous fugitive, Thaksin Shinawatra, circles the globe in his private jet, chatting with ministers over his dozen cellphones, texting over various social media platforms and reading government documents e-mailed to him from civil servants, party officials say.
It might be described as rule by Skype. Or governance by instant messenger, a way for Mr. Thaksin to help run the country without having to face the warrant for his arrest in a case that many believe is politically motivated.

via Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand Wields Influence From Afar – NYTimes.com.