Hulkster

I'm jolly good young squire. Fetch me your finest drop of Thai whisky.

Good lad. I'm just having a tipple. A nightcap before I retire to the mansion in On Nut.

Young Nok, you drank your 200 baht cola exceptionally fast. You must have been awfully parched. Allow me to buy you another. Oh no, 200 baht is not a problem I'm a high end tourist.

BREAKING : Channel News Asia reporting bomb exploded at Army Club !

Better get used to it in Bangkok.

Anyone who has had their civil rights stripped will resort to any means to have them restored.

This is not a coup.... and there is not a possibility of a civil war...

Well done buddy

Get it through your heads.

It's a coup. They didn't go through the judiciary and use the military to take control just to hand power back with an election in August.

Are some of you having trouble joining the dots?

There's no intention to hold an election.

Do you actually think they went to the trouble of using the judiciary and army to stage a coup, and now they're just going to hand over the reins to the PTP when they score a resounding election victory in August??

The election won't take place. The Bangkok elite didn't orchestrate a judicial and military coup to just hand back power via an election.

Hilarious to think that there's any chance of an election in the foreseeable future.

The army won't let an election take place.

MARTIAL LAW

PDRC to meet to discuss next move

BANGKOK: -- Core leaders of anti-government protest will meet at 10.30am to discuss about their next move after the military imposed the martial law in the country.

Nation TV reported on Tuesday that People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is expected to hold a press briefing about their decision.

Army Commander in Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has called for pro- and anti-government rallies to halt their movements.

Satit Wongnongtaey, a PDRC leader, announced cancellation of a march in Bangkok to be led by PDRC’s chief Suthep Thaugsuban this morning following the invoking of the martial law.

-- The Nation 2014-05-20

MARTIAL LAW

PDRC to meet to appoint next PM

BANGKOK: -- blah blah blah

If not a coup, why would they not have done this in conjunction without consulting the govt?

How does taking over media outlets fit what he is saying also?

Surely if they announced this with the govt and kept both side separated, then everyone would be happy. But now it still looks like another power play.

Probably because the govt was not interested in peace? 1) caretaker minster's adviser caught transporting M16 war weapons, 2) CAPO states they will protect reds who are not being attacked!, but adds "we believe violent attacks against the PRDC will (should?) continue!" (dozens killed, 100s wounded, blah, blah). Just guessing here, I don't think the government thought peace was in their own personal interest, but M16s were.

I agree totally. Drag them kicking and screaming but still leave them there until an election can be held. Use the military to safeguard the election to reduce the cheating that happens on both sides.

The consequences of the military taking over will not be good for the people of Thailand

Whatever the consequences, they will surely be better than more people dying or getting injured from the never-controlled violence.

It's not going to stop anything. The Bangkok elite are intent on retaining the stranglehold they have always held on the country and the red shirts are intent on retaining basic civil rights.

This just fuels more hatred since the red shirts said there would always be a coup.

It's different this time. The red shirts have had sand kicked in their faces one too many times. They won't back down until they the civil rights they have been denied.

There will be martial law indefinitely. There will be an insurgency using guerilla tactics. Bangkok will be a miserable place to live.

They may have won the battle but the war is only just beginning.

I will never fly them again.

I was astounded how few protesters there are taking part! I expected 100,000s but the photos, with wide angles, can barely show more than a few thousand tops

must be a crushing blow to Dear Leader and the fake monk but they'll be pleased their courts helped them out in the short term.

The yellow shirts are chicken hawks. Red shirts scared them away.

Let's hope that the police are up to the task of upholding the law, if not let's hope the army will take action, these attacks should not be classified as normal crimes, they are an act of terrorism hence should be stomped on before things start to snowball. No one wants 2010 again.

This is actually ALL the police's fault.

With the now over 150 attacks on protesters, the police have had the opportunity to round these people up about 20 times by now.... Yet they have stood by and allowed them to happen and probably even assisted the attacks themselves.

All terrorism in Thailand is (as far as I am concerned) government and police sponsored.

Also noteworthy to point out that up to now, I have not heard a single statement from YL, PTP, or CAPO calling for restraint..... no comment means they clearly support it.

All blood is on their hands. and a complete melt down into civil war if it ever happens will be 100% the fault of these people and Thaksin.

If this happens, these people should be seized by the military and convicted of agitating a civil war and handed down the death penalty to be carried out immediately.

Suthep is the one calling for an "all out final battle".

The Bangkok elite have to now reap what they've sown.

The only people they can blame are themselves.

You are as sick as the ones that throw the grenades.

You can't deny the majority of the population their democratic rights without suffering some kind of repercussion.

The yellow shirts have indicated they want a fight and they're going to get it by the looks of it.

After the 2010 riots were put down bombs were set off threw out the city, is this the start of similar attacks but using M-79 grenades.

Seems like it. They're more prepared for the fight this time.

I'd be worried if I were camping in Lumpini Park. Tents don't offer much protection. It's probably prudent that they leave Lumpini Park.

The Bangkok elite have to now reap what they've sown.

The only people they can blame are themselves.

It really is not too hard to imagine what will come next. The red shirts will not accept this ruling and will exercise their democratic rights to protest. This was always going to be the end game. The people will rise up against this polical coup.

You are a minimum of 6-8 months behind the times. It all changed with the amnesty vote. That was the tipping point. The level of broad support for PTP that existed a year ago has shrivelled since the Anmnesty thing, and other sins were dragged into the light and brilliantly (pun intended) illuminated by Khun Suthep.

Yet the democrats still refuse to participate in elections...

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The arrogant elite are so out of touch with reality if they think they can once again hijack the democratic process and not suffer any repercussions.

The red shirts will not surrender this time. It's not like 2010. Now they know they will never have their political rights recognised unless they fight to the death.

How is getting a corrupt bunch of politicians banned a "hijacking" of the democratic process? Save your "fight to the death" talk for your psychiatrist.

Corruption pervades every area of Thai society.

These are trumped up charges. Certain laws are strictly enforced when it suits the agenda of the Thai elite. It's nothing short of a judicial coup.

I'm just stating what imo will result. The reds will fight to the death because if it wasn't clear in 2010, it's crystal clear now -- they will never play a role in Thai politics, their vote will never be recognised unless they vote for someone aligned purely with the interests of the Bangkok elite.