Thait Spot

Please provide the links to information that supports your view that world opinion has moved firmly to favour Yingluck. I can find support for a peaceful solution, support for democracy and elections. But I can't see mass information that specifically supports your statement that world opinion firmly favours Yingluck or her caretaker government.

Should be easy for you, after all you say you do a bit of research before posting what you think is cool, So, please share it with us all.

Virtually every single Western power has called for democracy to prevail. This is where Yingluck has done a turn on Suthep beyond belief. Shes managed to turn the issue away from the corruption plaugeing her government to one about defending democracy, hence the "Respect My Vote" campaign drawing in people who actually hate her and her brother. World opinion is forced to support her as she is the only one backing democracy.

Here is an article out today from probably the most highly respected international affairs publication in the world -

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21593419-varying-degrees-justification-election-boycotts-are-vogue-asia-trouble

" The main opposition group, the Democrat Party, should contemplate a name change: to the “anti-Democrats”, perhaps, or the catchier “Born to Rule!”. It is boycotting next month’s election not because it would be unfair (though it might be), but because it would lose. It has not won a general election for more than two decades. Its supporters in the south are outnumbered by those in the north and north-east of the country, who keep on voting in proxies for Thaksin Shinawatra, an exiled former prime minister. The forces that the Born to Rules represent, including much of Thailand’s traditional elite, find this impossible to accept. They are openly campaigning for what amounts to dictatorship, though they do not call it that. Democracy has not worked for the Democrats."

This is World Opinion, sorry if it doesnt match the TV clique of "I moved to Thailand as a sex tourist but want to try and be middle class" crew.

Same organ:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/11/thailands-protests-0

"Suthep said last night that there was no negotiation with the caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

"He said she now has one choice, to step down and leave the country."

If she goes north, do you have the balls to take your protests there?

She isn't going anywhere, fool. Though she may setup her government there, with or w/o a "coup" of various kinds occuring.

The People's Republic of Poo?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Neutrality is sacrosanct in the medical professional, that's why in times of war doctors treat patients regardless of the side they're on. The "right to protest" doesn't mean you can abandon your duties on any political whim. These guys are totally unprofessional.

What do bureaucrats do in times of war O Wise One?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I see the BP is reporting a massive turnout for Tida's protest in Ayutthaya.

An incredible 100 people turned out.

I could buy them all a Som tum without a significant dent in my wallet.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Just read on bloomberg 10 minutes ago that there was about 80,000 protesters, come on! Is this really a people's revolution? If people are that serious they should be coming out in there millions! These shutdowns are a mere inconvenience to the government. Suthep, I think your days are numbered!

Yes, as much as many people here would hate the low number, it has to be said that Bloomberg has no vested interest in high or low. The fact that the SET and the Baht both stabilised on the low turnout/no violence reflects the preference of the markets for stability( and the continuation in office of the current caretaker govt)

I do not often agree with you but in this case I feel you are spot on. But I do feel damage is being done and there ios a LOT more going on we will never know. All speculation to keep our brains busy

I noticed this early am when wondering whether the pound was heading towards 60 and if it was worth bringing my pension over. The numbers were poor and it was noticable from the drone shots during all the previous weeks protests that the numbers were tiny.

Suthep and his thugs also saw this early and set about de-stablising the SET by threatening to occupy it. BIt rash really as most of their Elite Backers will be inconvenienced by this move..... I do hope so as I'd love to see them trading in their Mercs and BMWs in order to by a rice paddy rotivator to go to work on with their mates.

More ill researched tosh.

The SET rose today

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

5000 in KK. Where have all the red shirts gone?

Not a sole at the government buildings at 10am but 5000+ at 12.20. I gave them my full support in their efforts to keep democracy out of the hands of this modern day Hitler. Reds across the region must have totalled maybe 100,000 + on day 1. No thugs on motorbikes or many young men, mainly older citizens. Maybe keeping the naughty boys on the sidelines just in case Suthep fancies his chances

...I am not your rival...I am the people

When you've run out of arguments accuse your foe of homosexuality.

Quite a common tactic for the red brigade. Karun the wife beater for example.

His condemnable of you

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How could CAPO possibly have any idea how long this will last ? Have their pronouncements ever borne any resemblance to reality ? Who's still listening to these broadcasts anyway ?

Mr Surapong strikes me as being a capable chap. Certainly has the measure of the situation and keeping things well under control, at least for now

The little wee green chap has been replaced by PTP ace Chalerm who clearly fancies himself as a latter day Lady Penelope's Parker

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

This article doesn't make any sense at all.

The satelites themselves are way beyond human interference. Not even the kamnan himself could manage that one despite his recent superhuman award.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

"Those found guilty for such acts will face imprisonment of as many as five years."

Yeah right. Unless they are Suthep and the anti-gov protesters, they are above the Law and the Constitution. They can commit any crime they want. They have approval of the highest order and I aint gonna be the one to arrest them because that's way to high for my arse and I will only be risking my life. No thank you.

Why derail this thread with childish nonsense? Go away

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You talk like Tkaksin and his red team. There will be no coup. Yingluck has to clean up the mess herself.

No coup? LOL what do you think is going on right now?

Protests are going on right now.

You don't think the protests are part of the game, next level of that game is violence on the streets, then tanks on the streets and change of current gov.

How do you suppose it would like, is army simply rolls 5 tanks to gov house and kicks her out. Doesn't look good at all, yes? That is why protests are needed.

2006 coup was crude, this time its gonna look much smoother.

I wouldn't consider opening a fortune reading shop if I were you!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Maybe they are meeting to discuss the low turnout?

Who needs a big turnout when the police are doing NOTHING to stop it. I could get some boy scouts to do the same thing. The ploy is obvious - let it run it's course. They are hoping for a backlash from the public. They are hoping for unseen hands to carry out violence to put protesters off of protesting.

Take a look at the pics here. Hardly a low turnout:

https://twitter.com/georgebkk

Anyone got INDEPENDANT official numbers on todays turnout?

Well, I couldn't give you an exact figure but having spent time today observing the crowds at Ladprao intersection, Pathumwan, Asok and Lumpini today I would say the crowds were big and from every demographic group. There were certainly more people today at the protest venues than I have seen at any protest held on a weekday since I first arrived here in September 1997. Today there were lots of southerners and Bangkokians in th crowds, but surprisingly a large number of people from the north-east. Well over 200 buses from the NE (Surin, Korat, Buriram, etc.) parked on the south side of the rally at Ladprao intersection.

Other observations:

The majority of people were good-natured and sober during the day. Can't say if the mood will be different late at night.

A lazy day for the police. Very, very few (at least in uniform) and I actually counted more men in military uniforms, although I can honestly say that I have only seen about 30 soldiers and 10 policemen throughout the areas I visited today. Expected to see more, so doubtless they have been sitting elsewhere snoozing in their white police vans.

There was a carnival atmosphere about today, but it is hard to see that continuing every day this week without a spark of some sort which gives people the feeling that they are close to victory. I can see less people turning out tomorrow when the novelty of today wears off tomorrow morning.

What will tomorrow bring?

Hopefully a violence free night, a cool morning with bright blue skies, a carnival atmosphere and some common sense.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How strange that it only seems to be the caretaker government, the PTP and the Red Shirts talking about a coup?

Nobody else wants it, least of all the Army yet this unfounded rumour keeps surfacing.

Of course if the government had any proof then something should be done but I suspect if they did have proof not that many people would believe them anyway given their track record so far.

Just as an aside were any children hurt in Bangkok on Childrens Day and the Army Day?

The government was so sure that they would be that they wouldn't allow children into government house.

Really??? Here are some recent quotes from Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha:

"If every group does not stop trying to destroy their opposition, the army's soldiers will be ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the country."

"Soldiers will not allow themselves to be seen as taking sides with any group, because they must be the keepers of the rules and order of the society. They must finally stop the disunity to secure and bring the nation out of the crisis"

"It′s not only about [coup]. Everything happens because there is a cause. If there is no cause for something to happen, it won′t happen".

And my personal favourite:

"If a cow has a wound on its back, the crow will peck it. If there is no wound, there won′t be any pecking"

So you still think the PTP (and Thailand) has nothing to be concerned about??

I think that the PTP though NOT its rank and file supporters have everything to worry about.

A thought for you.

If the PTP is banned why don't all their supporters get behind Thida and the UDD and form their own political party.

They would certainly be far more welcome than Thaksin and the PTP and perhaps then they could prove to the country that they don't need to buy votes and that is not all about Thaksin.

The red shirts would love to form their own party but they have 2 major issues.

Firstly, despite having some leaders from the south, they would have huge difficulty getting the necessary support.

Secondly, without Thaksin's funding they would not be able to break away let alone fund a campaign. I'm afraid they have become used to the hand that feeds and forgotten how to be grass roots

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Suthep should offer a fund of a million to assist rice farmers with planting their next crop

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Maybe they are meeting to discuss the low turnout?

Who needs a big turnout when the police are doing NOTHING to stop it. I could get some boy scouts to do the same thing. The ploy is obvious - let it run it's course. They are hoping for a backlash from the public. They are hoping for unseen hands to carry out violence to put protesters off of protesting.

Take a look at the pics here. Hardly a low turnout:

https://twitter.com/georgebkk

Anyone got INDEPENDANT official numbers on todays turnout?

Oxymoron alert!!!

Caution!!!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I thought there wasn't going to be an election in which to commit electoral fraud. Oh well, you live and learn.

Also, since when were the Democrats the legal authority to lay charges in this country?

As for ballot papers, I imagine the fraud is at the print facility. A common practice in the printing industry involves ordering significantly more stock - 5% for make ready and spoilage, then there's the opportunity to skim a bit off the top. This is a government contract after all, though in this case surely it is the responsibility of the EC and not the caretaker government.

Keep up for God's sake!

The accusation is using taxpayer's funds for campaigning.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What a farce Abhisit is. I wouldn't be surprised if it's own thugs linked to Comrade Suthep are doing it.

“If the election is postponed, (the government) should agree with society on which direction the country will move on. It’s not a matter of solving the problem merely to enable the government to stay on in power. It’s the government’s duty to find a resolution for the nation,” said Mr Abhisit.

Suthep has made it clear already even if the election is postponed they will not stop.

After inspecting the damage at his party quarters, Mr Abhisit and some party executives took the BTS Skytrain from Aree station for Pathumwan – one of the six rally sites for the Bangkok shutdown -- to meet the anti-government protesters.

Yes, this is the real Abhisit and the Democrat Party backing and mingling with the protesters.

I say it once again The Democrats is the political wing of the PDRC.

Looking at the numbers today of the rallies, I doubt their were more then 250,000-300,000 protesters which means they are in the minority.

Abhisit the coward who's hiding behind Suthep's back...

As opposed to camping out in the dessert behind his camels?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What a farce Abhisit is. I wouldn't be surprised if it's own thugs linked to Comrade Suthep are doing it.

“If the election is postponed, (the government) should agree with society on which direction the country will move on. It’s not a matter of solving the problem merely to enable the government to stay on in power. It’s the government’s duty to find a resolution for the nation,” said Mr Abhisit.

Suthep has made it clear already even if the election is postponed they will not stop.

After inspecting the damage at his party quarters, Mr Abhisit and some party executives took the BTS Skytrain from Aree station for Pathumwan – one of the six rally sites for the Bangkok shutdown -- to meet the anti-government protesters.

Yes, this is the real Abhisit and the Democrat Party backing and mingling with the protesters.

I say it once again The Democrats is the political wing of the PDRC.

Looking at the numbers today of the rallies, I doubt their were more then 250,000-300,000 protesters which means they are in the minority.

I was at Asoke for around 2 hours today. Permanent squatters - sitting under the awnings - were no more than 2,000. I stood there and did a mental calculation of the rows and the depth under the two awnings. Then there were the walkers - those Bangkokians coming to take a look-see armed with flags and whistles and taking selfies of themselves. So at any one time, I reckon there were no more than 8,000 to 10,000 at any one time. And like me, many of the crowd were just curious and came out for the fun of it. I think, to be fair, there were a lot more at the MBK site.

And further evidence of either funding is drying up or enthusiasm is drying up - there was a walk-by down Petchburi Road today. No more than 500 people. A fraction of what they had back in November and December

These figures being thrown around by their PR department are ludicrous IMHO.

No more than 2000

No more than 8000

No more than 12000

At any one time

At any one time

Righto

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

OK sure, but that's the job of the anti-graft body (NACC), independent prosecutors, etc. If it happened there will be a papertrail, If that happened then why isn't the NACC working on that case instead of this bogus case in which trying to amend the charter so that the senate is fully elected is called 'corruption'. absolutly ridiculous, the NACC is trying to sack 308 PMs because they voted for a charter amendment, how could that possibly be called 'graft'?

Ugg again with the 'rice scheme. corruption' bs

It's a farm subsidy, ok? We have farm subsidies in the US, they have them in Europe, it may not be good policy but it's not a form of 'corruption'

Yingluck would say it winds up not really costing that much because it creates disposible income in poor area's of the country, more money there, more economic growth, less dependence on the Bangkok economy .. although I tend to be against farm subsidies, in this case she's probably right.. You can say what you want about the Shinawatra's but it can't be denied that they are using standard economic pracitice that they derive from western models.

The rubber farmers in the south are also being subsidized.

The fact that the rice scheme is constantly harped on as a 'scam' exposes the problem with the PAD/PDRC - that they have no real issues, just acrimony.

Meanwhile Thailand slipped from 84 to 102 on the global corruption index, THB 800,000,000,000 is thrown at the rice scam and still no money for the farmers. The Department of Special Investigation is busy trying to arrest people that blow whistles and speak out against this corrupt government. The DSI is not interested in investigating the rice scam. Strange isn't it?

It certainly is a form of corruption if less than 50% reaches the farmers and the remainder finds its way into certain pockets

You are bringing in a number of unconnected issues - but as you seem to be as uninformed of these as you are of the rice scheme, allow me.

The NACC is examining the rice scheme corruption. The DSI didn't seem to get very far with it despite a whole file of evidence handed to them many months ago. Bear in mind that the PTP government slashed the NACC budget

The "bogus case" isn't about the senate composition legislation - it's about the cheating in parliament on the vote and presenting different (misleading) versions of the act for voting

I do hope this clarifies things

Have they never even heard of the Hippocratic Oath? Doctors are there to protect human life, not meddle in politics.

I sure can see all the Thai practitioners swearing their oath to a bunch of defunct Greek gods.

Be aware that the oath also includes 'swearing to protect people from injustice" and also swearing no to operate on people!!!

and that the oath swears to be free of "mischief"

Yeah you sure don't want a PM visiting the people of the country. How terrible that is.

Get a life !!!!!!!!!

What you don't want is a PM using taxpayers money to campaign for an election. That gives the incumbent PM a big advantage over any opposition.

How is she using taxpayers money to "campaign for an election"?

She doesn't need to "campaign". She is the PM NOW. She can't just drop all her PM duties to the people. She still has to do what a PM is supposed to do even during this shutdown.

Abisit/Suthep wants an election then they don't want an election then they want to charge their PM with election fraud..........I mean come on........let the people just decide in an election and that's that. Of course some Thai will not be happy and some will with the newly elected goverment but that's the same in any country after an election.

If the opposition wants to be elected in then they should be using this time before Feb. 2nd as their campaign time NOT as a time to insight riots, dividing a country, blood shed etc.

Apparently they have evidence that she did use taxpayers money to campaign.

Once the government is in care-taker mode, they aren't allowed to use tax payer money to advertise what they have done or what they are going to do. That is campaigning, and it is unfair if the incumbent is allowed to use taxpayers money for campaigning and all other parties have to use donations.

Just because the Democrats aren't in the election doesn't mean Yingluck is allowed to campaign using tax payers money.

I would add that the fact that the PTP and assorted lackeys are a caretaker government is irrelevant - no government can spend state funds promoting an election campaign - and if they are also campaigning through the UN by porky pie, that may bite the, further in the posterior.

Having read the exiteable description from The Nation of gunmen spraying anti government protesters with bullets, a read of the other paper reveal a more prosaic account, as does a dems member, Tankhun Jitt-issara who told a local radio station that it was politically motivated but was more scare tactics than life threatening.

And unless the protesters allegedly camping on the sidewalk in front of the coffee bar that was hit (if there were any, no mention of camping out protesters in the Post) were extraordinarily tall and jumping up and down at the time there wasn't much chance of being hit. They have photos on the other site of the eight 9mm bullet holes in the window.

The depths that you will resort to in order to seek excuses for violence against people are really quite sick

You could well find it's called the Stand Alone Republic of Chiang Mai by then.

All the other N and NE provinces are jumping ship

I just went for a walk to Asoke and there really isnt that many people, but then again its still only 11am, they still waking up

I'm watching TV now. Seems to be some pretty big crowds.

Yeah, a lot of people don't understand how things work in Bkk or Thailand for that matter. It's not even noon yet. It's going to get big.

Has Suthep claimed 65 million at Asoke yet? It will come.

Meanwhile around most of Bangkok you'd not know it was happening. Seriously - just drove down Ekkamai and it's life as usual with a slightly lower traffic volume. Yingluck posters line the street and are un-defaced as they have been for a week. Suk71 is bustling and the shops are doing their usual business. If this is the first day of the grand shutdown it hasn't worked.

65 Million?

It might come to that now that the rice farmers have realized the error of their ways