dtarasin

Hey all of you complainers - Thai tourism will not take a knock except for this immediate few weeks. There's no way all the back packers, package holidayers and se* tourists are concerned -

this won't affect them travelling to Thailand at all. Grow up and realise that Thailand needs change, a lot of change. Mega change...

Your dreaming... the knock on effects for tourism are huge. The tourists are loosing confidence in Thailand fast, watch as bookings for 2009/2010 drop significantly

They were already dropping, with or without the airport siege.

Recession remember?

So that makes it alright? I guess everyone who didn't like George Bush should've just taken over airports instead of putting up with the elections. I mean, there's a recession in the US too.

If they keep fighting like this, there will be nothing left to rule. Can't we just send these "protesters" from both sides to someplace where they won't do any damage? I'm thinking Wasilla, Alaska.

Post of the day right there!

Oh, this is a classic. Anyone have Sarah Pailin's tel. no.?? She'll sort them out.

I'm starting to mellow about all this now. Ive realized there is little point in working yourself up into a frenzy. It seems the government will be finished this week, by the court, I think everyone is just waiting on this decision now. It seems somchai will be gone within a couple of days. Either that or perhaps it will be solved on the 4th with the speech.

I think once it all is sorted things at the airport will return to normal within a couple of days, albeit with a lot less foreigners coming through the doors.

See, that's the thing that worries me though. IF the ruling government is kicked out or disbanded, the PAD (and many others) will attribute this takeover of BKK airport as playing a huge role. After that, everyone will think that all they need to do is hold the country's infrastructure hostage to get what they want politically. So when does it end?

If the PAD does get their way, Somchai resigns, and the PAD supporters get the government they want, what's gonna stop the redshirts from closing down airports and taking over government house to bring Somchai and the PPP back?

Small corruption is mostly eradicated in developed countries, but I am not sure if big corruption is. For instance, take the example of Dick Cheney and Karl Rove. It is quite well known that they were the sources that exposed the CIA operative, Valerie Plame, to revenge her husband's exposure of White House lies to justify the invasion of Iraq. How come they are not in jail, and not even any legal process ongoing? This is nothing but big corruption.

Because they don't have PAD?

Maybe Americans aren't willing to burn their house down just to kill a few rats.

People's Alliance for Democracy leader Chamlong Srimuang meets City police chief Lt Gen Suchart Muenkaew on Sunday to ask him to provide security following daily attack on protesters. is this a joke or what the nation

And the police chief said, 'Sure Chammy, just as soon as you give us back the cop your goons kidnapped at Swampy the other day."

Didn't they let her go already?

TRT/PPP misjudged the current political reality of Thailand.

And PAD and their advocates haven't? I am gagging to hear the reasoning behind your assertion. What is the "current political reality" here?

The "current political reality" is that their supporters are too fired up and blinded by their leaders to realize that they're just pawns, and both the PAD and the PPP should be kicked out. Stop wearing yellow. Stop wearing red. Once people are stripped of their team colors, they'll start being reasonable again.

This gives me hope that the majority of the population are still sane.

And the insane minority are ruling now.

If they keep fighting like this, there will be nothing left to rule. Can't we just send these "protesters" from both sides to someplace where they won't do any damage? I'm thinking Wasilla, Alaska.

And now for some good news:

Thais embarrassed by politics: Abac Poll

(BangkokPost.com) - A survey conducted by Abac Poll Research Center revealed that many Thai people were ashamed of the political turmoil and they preferred to stay politically neutral.

According to the poll, 76.5 per cent felt very embarrassed about the local political turbulence and the negative views of foreigners toward Thailand.

65.1 per cent said they would have less pride in the country, if the situation turns violent and intensifies. 92.3 per cent believed political problems can be solved by the justice system. 58.4 per cent said they will not take sides in politics.

This gives me hope that the majority of the population are still sane.

The situation is slowly escalating, and the core problem is a class conflict.

As is always the case with Thai culture, what you see on the surface is not necessarily the reality. Behind the gentle wais, or traditional Thai greeting, and friendly smiles has always lurked deep-rooted social contradictions. A dynamic, burgeoning urban middle class looks down on a huge, poor rural class which has been awakened by Thaksin Shinawatra's Peronist-style populism.

One of Asia's most vibrant intelligentsia and unfettered media co-exists with probably the world's most conservative and powerful monarchy. A fractious, corrupted political elite manipulating elections for its own gains co-exists with a military elite which has staged more coups than elections.

There is a game going on with the "last stand" of the anti-Thaksin forces holed up in the airport. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) - once hugely popular with the rabidly anti-Thaksin urban class - has steadily lost support with its increasingly illegal and thuggish tactics which have badly affected the economy. The PAD wants to force the hand of the players - the military to launch a coup, or the government to resign.

http://news.inbangkok.org/?p=219

The elected government is pushing the military to take action against the PAD. The military is asking the government to resign and call new elections, which is an odd thing for an arm of a government to do. All the while, the emboldened PAD is fast becoming reminiscent of the proto-fascists in Germany and Italy before World War II.

I didn't highlight this. It's how most thinking people see this.

This is an ongoing revolution and the Fascist PAD are fighting a rearguard battle on behalf of a morally bankrupt Elitist group whose time is coming to an end.

Let the Bankok rich lose their money. Isaan and the North is poverty as usual, only this poverty is not as acute as it was pre Thaksin. The PAD pot must be nearly empty now as they are more and more desparate to provoke this coup.

Four straight election wins against all odds and all the might of the Junta Appointed Court with the Junta ammended constitution.

Army not fancying a war in the south and a major insurection in the North. Besides, the Government is still in the country and the worlds media, politicians and almost the entire north of Thailand are on their side. In any event if they coup, they will have no money in the coffers as the country is shafted now by their inaction.

The fight against Fascists must always be fought and if the sheep of the PAD want to be fodder for Sondhi, what is the rest of the country supposed to do?

Perhaps if the worlds media had sent Indian and Black presenters to interview these "educated" PAD followers, they would have seen the horrified looks on the faces of the white Chinese Thais. The same look we see from them when they tell us that dark skin thais are "lo-so" and that burmese and Indians are dirty and smelly and criminals.

Check the threads on TV about the condo blocks that will not allow indian residents to live there because they smell. Those of you who live in Thailand will know this to be a true summary of how the whiter skinned bangkokians view others.

Very good post.

These fascist thugs must never be allowed to force a legally elected government and then stack the deck so that a majority elected government will never again gain power.

It makes me wonder why other people here on TV pronounce their allmost fanatical suport for the PAD.

What is their agenda?

I suspect it is the same as the fascists, that is...the rural majority were begining to be empowered and that meant their little serfdoms where slowly coming to an end.

Just because the govt was legally elected it don't mean they are necessarily good for the people. Take Hamas for example in Palistine, they too were legally elected and yet no one respects them, why should Thais be expected to support Toxin's terrorists with their drive by motorbike bombings and such?

How about we use George Bush's 04 victory as an example? They're probably the worst US Administration in history, but was elected in a (somewhat) democratic process. During that time, the country was just as polarized as Thailand is now.

Were the people who voted for Kerry extremely pissed off? Sure they were. But did they barricade themselves inside airports and hold the country hostage till Bush resigned? No. They did it the smart way. They spent the next 4 years educating the population, smearing Bush, and concentrated on bringing people to their side for the next election. They made sure their mistakes wouldn't happen again.

That's the civilized way of doing it. Not taking over airports and demonizing those who don't agree with you.

KireB... do you even read what you post? Do you realize how incredibly retarded you sound? You keep on bringing up "old ladies" like they're the ones running PAD. No one is saying Thaksin are saviours of Thailand, but let me ask you something. Has anything the PAD did make the country better? Last time I checked, Thaksin wasn't the one holding this country hostage.

KireB is in denial. It started when he became disillusioned over what his friends the PAD have done this week. Now he just buries his head in the sand so he cannot read what he posts.

I don't think denial is the right word, though. He/she (and the majority of the PAD) seems to be so emotionally invested in this conflict that he/she has no objective other than to "win". Once you've got that much at stake, you'd be willing to rationalize anything (example: Clinton supporters during the 08 primaries).

This is why I keep saying, BOTH sides need to take a couple steps back and ask themselves what they're really fighting for.

I am very sorry for the people who now are out-of-work because of the desier for power from a few people.

They are paying others to do thier dirty work to get the power.

The police or army have to end this madness.

Herman

Now Police said they don't have enough man power.

Army don't want to do a shesh.

Surprised no one has filed a court case to Army Chief General Anupong for not supporting the government to clear terrorists. Someone was excellent that they brought to court that Khun Samak cooked on tv as an employee. He was not an employee in that cooking show. Stupid people based on the dictionary to accuse he was an employee.

Its clear that you dont respect the Thai justice system. Samak was found guilty of cooking (TIT ) according to the law.

Let me get it straight: you call a group of old ladies terrorists, you call the judges in your country stupid people, but Samak and Thaksin are the saviours of the Thai Nation? Next thing you're gonna tell us that thes eyellow bandits deserve to be bombed all the time.

KireB... do you even read what you post? Do you realize how incredibly retarded you sound? You keep on bringing up "old ladies" like they're the ones running PAD. No one is saying Thaksin are saviours of Thailand, but let me ask you something. Has anything the PAD did make the country better? Last time I checked, Thaksin wasn't the one holding this country hostage.

In the end it all boils down to American money supporting some extremists in power, effectively distorting the democratic process for many years to come...lets see where did we see that before...ah yes, Iran.

And the award for most random, generic post goes to....

it seems to me that the military are the real problem in thailand and they in fact want to install their very own puppet government

Yeah right........!

The problem is this country is the corrupt police force and the goverment-mafia!

You're both wrong. The real problem, when you get down to the very core, is THE PEOPLE. This whole culture of "respecting authority", "save face", and "elders" has created years and years of repressed anger and discontent among the general population where we're taught to turn a blind eye to any political/social wrong-doing for fear of coming across as "rude" and "impolite". If your average Thai were as outspoken and obnoxious as your average American, we wouldn't be here in the first place.

Am I saying this is a bad thing? Not necessarily. There are advantages and disadvantages to every culture. What's important, and what's remembered, is how that culture deals with situations. The same goes for individuals. Society doesn't judge a person based on WHY they're bad. Society only remembers the bad things the person has done. Example: How many times have you asked yourself why Hitler became who he was?

And right now the PAD's actions have overshadowed any wrong-doing that could've been attributed to Thaksin. To both red and yellow shirts, I ask you this: How do you think your actions will be remembered?

We're all in this together. Don't let them these sanctimonious bastards and corrupt politicians tear us apart.

but it is worth destroying the country because Taksin did.....

Not did, Gravelash, he WILL, if they don't stop him.

A week without an airport is nothing compaing to revolution into Republic of Thailand.

And what is so unspeakably bad about a Thai Republic?

EXACTLY. I'd love to see an answer to this.

Two things:

1. Republic = "a country or state not led by a hereditary monarch", which means that these posts are bound to be deleted.

2. Why would a republic be any better than a constitutional monarchy? Ever heard of the term "banana republic"? You fancy having Thaksin as president? Or Somchai?

Is it worth Thais fighting Thais for? Is it worth Civil War? Over something that is, while may be politically wrong, not morally wrong? And while we're fighting to prevent that, we're condoning acts that ARE morally wrong?

but it is worth destroying the country because Taksin did.....

Not did, Gravelash, he WILL, if they don't stop him.

A week without an airport is nothing compaing to revolution into Republic of Thailand.

And what is so unspeakably bad about a Thai Republic?

EXACTLY. I'd love to see an answer to this.

What's the color that results from mixing yellow and red? Everyone should start wearing that.

Orange.

Unfortunately that is the birthday colour of Sondhi

It's also the color of monks' robes. The implications are endless!

*going out to buy some orange t-shirts*

(BangkokPost.com)

A peaceful end to the protest was still the goal, he said. "The government is still in the process of negotiations and I have asked my men not to use force whatever happens. The gunfire will not be heard from police."

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rejected calls to negotiate. Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang will remain closed until Somchai resigns, said PAD founder and leader Sondhi Limthongkul.

"If we have to die today, I am willing to die. This is a fight for dignity," he said on a broadcast by his own ASTV station.

This Sondhi character sure sounds like a self-righteous prick.

He sure does! Lets hope some pro government sharp shooter gives Sondhi the shot of dignity that he deserves Perhaps if the head falls off then this thing will unravel on its own!!!

Um... That's not exactly what I had in mind. You should seek help.

Actually the Thai people need to seek help, because their police force and military seem to be a bunch of lazy unics! The time has come that if the Thai military and police force can't grow some balls then someone with some guts needs to stand up for the country and take out this clown Sondhi Better to have one man killed now than hundreds or thousands giving their lives a week from now

You'll just be making a martyr out of him. And then what? You think his followers will just sit idly by and go "Oh well, time to go home."? Or would hundreds or thousands be giving their lives for him a week from now?

The only resolution to this conflict is for supporters of BOTH sides to unite for a new cause and kick BOTH Sondhi and Somchai out. Neither of them are doing this country any good.

What's the color that results from mixing yellow and red? Everyone should start wearing that.

According to PAD leaders, they are now threatening to seize seaports next.

You really are a troll!

The wailing and moaning, venom and bile of the anti-PAD people in these threads is akin to the exorcism of demons IMO.

Roll on the 2nd of December....

I'm a troll? Do you read the news? PAD leaders themselves said it and it's all over the news. What rock are you hiding under, yellow shirt?

Maybe if the PAD wouldn't hold the country hostage, people wouldn't need to wail and moan so much.

Can everyone please calm down? We're all on the same side. It's back-and-forth vitriol like this that got us here in the first place.

I just read a report that 50,000 Thai citizens are outside of Thailand and can't return home because there are no inbound flights. Their visas are expiring and their funds are surely not infinite either. What about them?

Count me in as one of them. I'm supposed to be flying to BKK tomorrow. Doesn't look like it's gonna happen

Ok all you pro-PAD members who claim "peaceful protest" ad infinitum on here, please give me one reason not to call you're PAD friends TERRORIST SCUM.

Many of you cried over this terminology ealier today and yesterday so I imagine you have some explanation or excuse for PAD's terroristic activities.

Well Tropo, as you like to call people names (you want me to add your pm to me?), it's clear to that you resent peaceful protesters, or PAD as you wish. You are an unmannered person who has threatening words for anyone opposing your limited point of view.

I mean, what kind of intelligent human being calls peaceful protesters terrorist scum? Only fools do!

Just because they haven't killed anyone doesn't mean they're "peaceful protesters". Look at the definition of the word "terrorism". It's basically any act of disrupting civilian assets or infrastructure for political purposes. PAD's occupation of Suvarnaphum fits that description. They might've been "peaceful" protesters before, but once they bombarded the airport, they've crossed the line.

Do we have to start in with labelling PAD as terrorists in yet another thred, they are nothing of the sort.

or insurgent or freedom fighter: a rebel

www.bigpedia.com/encyclopedia/List_of_euphemisms

One who utilizes the systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve political objectives, while disguised as a civilian non-combatant. ...

www.aeroflight.co.uk/definitions.htm

One who engages in the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence individually or with an organized group against people or property with ...

nallaseth.com/documents/GlossaryS-W.htm

often names for rebel, revolutionary, or folk heroes, especially by oppressive governments

www.startsurfing.com/encyclopedia/d/o/u/Doublespeak.html

The use of - or threatened use of - criminal violence against civilians or civilian infrastructure to achieve political ends through fear and intimidation, rather than direct confrontation. ...

www.readycolorado.com/glossary.php

IMHO, ever since the PAD took over Suvarnaphum, they became terrorists.

How can this still be???

Yes, I would support a coup [ 352 ] [50.43%]

No, I would not support a coup [ 346 ] [49.57%]

No more voters, it is as divided as Thailand.

Is this Thaksin's legacy in the fahrang world.

50/50 looks like a healthy democratic split to me. The important issue is HOW a country and its people deal with their differences while moving forward. And at the moment, Thailand fails miserably.

Once again: Sorry for sounding ignorant. I've been living in NY for the past couple of years so I haven't really been keeping up. Can anyone from both sides answer me this? Why are you fighting? It's a simple question.

Sorry for sounding ignorant. I've been living in NY for the past couple of years so I haven't really been keeping up. Can anyone from both sides answer me this? Why are you fighting? It's a simple question.

har, har. must have been not so easy for a ProPAD cult follower to find something you could quote from this editorial piece in the POST. i recommend to read the whole thing.

Somchai, allways a smile in the face. smart boy, i would say. just wait until the granny at the airport are out of diapers and must go home.

what should he do? give the PAD another fight and drama situation. the PAD scum is so desperately asking for to got beaten up. that is for for sure. but smile somchai don't do it. in a couple of days we have also a celebration. that is thousand times more important, then free the airport outright. keep that in mind.

exercise patience, this is the last phase. ignore those Pipi & A Democracy trolls. ignore them. in a couple of day the spook will over. that was their final battle. Chamlong allready told us he will go home and stop do the best for the nation. nobody ask him to do it anyway. that snake tounge that created thaksin in the first place. go home now. look over there, there is the door. bye, bye, go eat your carrots.

and if you are home, without mobile phone and all, Chamlong, so nobody could say your are the evil master planer behind. just like the last time when you visteted over the weekend the police to keep your puppeteer hands clean. at least you keep cool and smile as well. so it goes, that how true gentleman fight each other. gently, smiling. and a steel clear glance. but your are to old, your team is just too dumb. you got out smarted by boyish somchai. he, he. pika-chu buff

your crazy comrade hate mouth somsuck can lead the remains of the cult into their final destination. what would it be? a stoic mass self-immolation, a final flame? after they got aware that nobody wants them, talk with them, not even beat them up.

or will the PAD cult try another thugish violent act, bring more people with them down, go back to the city and do more destruction. PADs final egomaniac show as the Kalki. i guess that will happen. they should have done that in the rainy seasons. the rain keeps the dust and stench down.

place your bet, what building will they final attack. from what bridge they will jump. what will the last act of the stupid PAD show. at what locationthey will give their version of The Dying Swan, poor choreograph. or is the airport the final terminal already. so clean and comfortable. no desire to go back to your old domicile, right? the asphalt camping, the smell of piss

and own shit everywhere. just throw few more grenades over there, set something on fire and leave. new home- the airport. you are the people and the nation, so no worry, no damage done to anybody, right. prigs. never done a real job in life right, just hang around all day. leech.

instead of silent go home those PAD scum will do a nasty last show. lacerate each other. but not with a cool Seppuku show, with self control and discipline.

phoneyPAD will try it once more with finger pointing and blaming others.

their red shirt scam got exposed, look pic below. will they still trying it or change the shirts twice do something stupid in yellow and blame the reds?

PAD it's over now, go home. don't hurt any innocent or hurt yourself. why you want to die? it's stupid.. be cool. back to the beach. hang out there. will be pure nature and so silent this season. enjoy the sea breeze. there is actually nothing to protect or to defend. you are too dumb to be the Winnarr. but you can still have your normal life. how ever is in charge beach boy & grandma, he will not care about you. if you hate him or are in love with that power. that will not have an effect or impact on the daily life of your younger sister back home or your niece, grandma.

if you feel still energetic, check out a nice office room at the airport, take your last dump there and then sneak out. bye, bye. try to be be smart in the end.

That's quite a bit of hate without really saying anything, dude. Is it worth it? We're ALL Thai. We ALL want the country to get better. Maybe if you took two steps back and stop demonizing people who don't agree with you, then we can move forward.

I'm speaking as a Thai national living in NY, who has planned to go back on Sunday and my trip is now in limbo.