luangtom

Holy moly. looks like we have our very own Al-Quaeda. What's next, training camps? Suicide bombers? Truly scary.

If we all remember back in recent months, Seh Daeng said he was "training a People's Army". I guess there already were training-camps.....I suspect that these weapons were to be used as only a last resort and when the Red Shirt leaders that were left caved-in, no one was there to direct the People's Army and implement these weapons into the fray. It is a scary thought to think of what the consequences would have been, for both sides.

Thailand is in crisis. Why is the Thai baht not reflecting this? Business is literally at a standstill, SET is shut due to building attacks and much of retail-trade in Bangkok proper is at a stalemate. How is it that the baht is not impacted in the least by civil disturbances? If the business sectors in the EU, or Japan, or the USA, were under siege, their currencies would be reflecting it. Why is it not happening here?

Communism, not hardly. If it were, Tianamen Square in China comes to mind. Brute force would be employed and there would not be dozens dead, there would be hundreds, if not thousands dead. No not communist.

Stopping water and supplies. A typical ploy by either side. Starve out the other side is a common practice in conflict. As far as innocent women and children goes. Who would involve them by bringing them to this conflict? If a resident, they would most likely have packed it in and left for the safety of their family or friends elsewhere. Involving women and children in conflicts is a common practice to garner sympathy from the outside, just as it has done with you.

As far as investments go, all communist countries have foreign investors. Internal strife does not generally preclude a major foreign company from investing if they think the strife will not impede their profits or have little impact upon them.

PM Abhisit offered early elections by a year to be held on November 14th of 2010 versus December of 2011. It was the factioned Red Shirts that kept adding demands and voiding this offer which led to the conflict we are now in. It was the delayed control and the holding back of force by the government that allowed the Red Shirts to move forward with no consequences. What other country in the world would tolerate take-over of its major city? Let's say Beiching, Moscow, Munich, London, New York, Montreal? None would have allowed it to get this far. Do not even bring up the Yellow Shirts, as that is a different conflict at a different time.

Certainly can be Thai. What of those children whose parents trade them for a refrigerator or guarantee of an income if they just go to the city to "work in a restaurant"? It is no surprise to see children amongst the protesters. It is no stretch of the imagination to think we will see more of them lying dead in the streets. TIT....

Remember how well the baht fared in exchanges prior to the collapse in 1997-1998? Well, it may just be propped up again until they can no longer support it. How in the world can the Thai economy be better off than those others mentioned? Surely with the loss of revenue during the time since the coup in 2006 until now the baht is artificially inflated. If not, why is Thailand still a Third World Country with its turmoil and upheavals and not a world or at least an ASEAN powerhouse?

Yes, and the EU will soon all be speaking Arabic........look at your own internal problems.

Too little, too late...how many more times will it be a "last" and "an end"???

They already are higher. When the hotel staff was questioned as to why, the response was, "We need to charge more to make up for the losses we have suffered recently." That says it all, reverse logic within the Thai business-world.

It is May 28th...........

It is tradition and superstition. The Lord Buddha did not condone or advise the reverence for images of himself or any other. It is not a true Buddhist teaching. Mankind needs to grasp or cling to something to pay homage to, not just a theory or a teaching. So, hundred of years after the death of the Lord Buddha images began appearing and it evolved into what we have in the present age.

The only result of these immature and poorly timed events will be for further deterioration of Thailand. Chok dee, Thailand, chok dee. Sad........no one in Thailand seems to have insight and the country's best at heart. Sad. Soon, Thailand will be nothing more than the Third World country they are pressing to be.

Truly amazing to keep reading of bombs being thrown and detonated and such minimal injuries. Same goes for the government soldiers "exchanging hundreds of rounds" with Khmer soldiers at the border areas and not one being hit on either side. Is it the reporting being done that is incorrect or are the police and soldiers and demonstrators that inept with firearms and explosives? Makes one wonder just what is transpiring in the Land of Smiles........

This is a utopian approach to the current situation in Thailand. Neither side exhibits the want or desire to revert to spiritual or dhamma avenues for relief of the crisis. Buddhism may well be the State Religion, but it is not practiced in daily life except to attain the advantage over another. Reflect back and see that PM Abhisit wears a LP Thuat amulet for protection. Former PM Thaksin called upon Black Magic to curse the other side, as did the Red Shirts in the blood-sacrifice ceremonies. So, quotes from Buddhadasa Bhikkhu are not apt to instill peace and goodwill amongst the parties now facing off in the streets. Khamma may well play out in this crisis, if you believe the old teachings.............

Chok dee, khrap, chok dee.....

Are we to truly believe the Red Shirts, as we were to believe their errant leader Khun Thaksin, and just hope they will be true to their word? We all know how true the words of Khun Thaksin were. He said he would not become involved in Thai politics, yet he is. He said he would accept the findings of the courts concerning his funds, he did not and some of this current unrest is due to this. Yet, the Red Shirts promised......chok dee, Thailand, chok dee.

Just what sort of response are you trolling for? Do you honestly expect someone of Spiritual enlightenment to even garner a response to something of this nature? Short-cuts to nibbana? Huh?

So, where is the outrage with all of these meaningless deaths? Why aren't the good citizens out demanding something be done? Hmmmm? Makes a person wonder where priorities are. Outrage and demands due to 24 killed in street-riots/demonstrations and no outrage due to Songkran. Ya gotta love it....

If the Red Shirts truly wished to garner world-wide support, they would dump Khun Thaksin from their slate. He was the person that promised the world he would not enter back into politics, yet he directs the Red Shirts from afar in the lap of luxury while they sleep on mats in the streets. He also promised the world that he would accept the rulings of the court on his funds that were eventually seized and yet here we are listening to rant about how he needs to get his billions back to help the poor. It is unbelievable that anyone can yet accept anything that comes from the Thaksin camp in reference to daily directions for the Red Shirts or plans to attain his lost billions. Are the Red Shirts truly that easily mislead and believe that they will reap benefits from supporting Khun Thaksin in the name of democracy? These disruptions of life in Bangkok have nothing to do with democracy. It is one set of elites versus an opposing set of elites. How sad the Red Shirts cannot see how they are being manipulated for the benefit of someone else and not democracy. Until the former PM is out of the loop, there will be no resolution to this unrest. Then, and only then, will the world believe democracy is the goal of either of the sides. Chok dee, Thailand, chok dee.

Recently just completed this trip and it was trip, toll-way and a great ride with tip for less than 500-baht, which we rounded up to. Meter was something like 320 plus the toll and then adding the tip.

On the reverse, limo-service wanted 1,200-baht with toll included in price. So, by all means, go with the metered-taxi.

I am truly confused by the latest Red Shirt call for a "class war". How can any group advance their cause of representing the poor and uneducated with one of the country's exiled top billionaires as it iconic leader? Something with this does not compute. How can a man of such means be thought of as the representative of the poor and uneducated? Desperate times call for desperate measures, but former PM Thaksin as the figurehead for the poor? Surely they do not think of him as anything akin to their class. What gives?

These people known as Red Shirts demand to be recognized as political forces to be reckoned with, yet resort to throwing feces in bags, conduct cursing ceremonies to lay bad on the government, and now let blood in the name of their cause. How in the name of democracy do they hope the rest of the world think them not a Third World nation? These antics did nothing to enhance their cause in the eyes of the world and the rest of the nation. Where were their million-men for their Million-Man-March? The projected 100,000 last Friday turned out to be 6,500, their 1-million for Sunday was 100,000. I would dare say their credibility has suffered rather than improve. The former PM had best find himself a new tactic and approach. Maybe he can send his children to lead the charge next time, if there ever is one of credible means.

One sees and hears all of these things and Thai people still wonder why they are considered Third World........

Where were the million-men for the Million-Man-March? If the majority of the 65-million citizens is upset with this government, how come it was so hard to garner the advertised one-million? It was headline news when they announced it.

Did you take part in the cursing ceremonies?

And your point is?????