Piichai

Im due on an International flight today 2.30pm Don Muang

Can anyone advise of traffic disruptions?

PBS showing many troops and heavy traffic going north in front of the Officer's Sports Club (or whatever they call it).

Suggest taking tollway and leaving early. Please note there are currently a handful of soldiers on the tollway near the Sports Club.

Good luck. I'm scheduled to be at Don Muang at 10PM; planning on arriving crazy early.

We're now at 11 pages and running...

Hopefully before we get to 100, someone from the Army will pop up and explain just what, if anything, their imposition of martial law is going to mean for average citizens, Thai and farang alike.

Nothing in the Army's original announcement about curfews or anything like that. Perhaps they don't feel those kinds of measures are necessary.

It would seem so. Besides dissolving CAPO and requiring the police and Interior Ministries to report to ISOC, the only limits I've seen is restricting rallies to Rachdamnron, Aska, and Chang Wattena.

Are there any no-go zones in bangkok right now because of this Martial Law?

Not mentioned in the military statements thus far, but something seems to be happening in Bang Na according to PBS.

Something must be happening in Bangkok Na. PBS is showing a lot of troops in the area.

PBS also reported troops at Ratchaprasong.

PBS is reporting that the military has ordered all media outlets to standby for an important announcement.

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My news text from the other newspaper says Jatuporn is urging reds not to oppose the army.

He's trying to play nice because his bail was just revoked LOL.

Please try some reading comprehension skills. His bail was NOT revoked. The court revoked the ARREST WARRANT they had issued.

On Monday, Jatuporn failed to appear in court. The court revoked his bail and ordered Jatuporn to appear tomorrow, Wednesday 21 May.

My news text from the other newspaper says Jatuporn is urging reds not to oppose the army.

Finally Jatuporn gets religion!

Thai government not consulted about martial law: PM's aide

BANGKOK, May 20, 2014 (AFP) - Thailand's embattled government was not consulted in advance by the military about the declaration of martial law but it is still in power, said the chief security adviser to Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan.

"The caretaker government still exists with Niwattumrong as caretaker prime minister. Everything is normal except the military is responsible for all national security issues," Paradon Pattanatabut told AFP.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-05-20

Looks like Chalerm is out of a job.

Again.

Martial law should never be invoked under any situation, an army that works against the people and becomes a police force completely misses the point they are meant to be the guardians of the country against outside forces, their role is to HELP Thai people not to fight against any of them.

The army have done NOTHING in the past few months and have been utterly ineffective in trying to stop violent attacks, let's see if they even have the balls to go and remove the few guards and the insane monk who have managed to hold onto a gigantic government complex for about 6 months. They have been getting destroyed in the south for years and were really outrageously stupid in 2010 as well.

Attacks against the peaceful protesters dropped dramatically once the military started protecting them.

It'll be interesting to see what changes come about.

Wonder if Prayuth will have a talk with the Acting Senate Speaker and Acting Caretaker PM.

I am keens for this news organisation to hire someone who can speak English.

Don't you mean write English. Just asking.

Correct writing comes after correct speaking. Just saying.

My sainted mother was a prolific writer, but as she was a deaf-mute, she never spoke a word.

The Red-Shirt paramilitary forces that are heading for BKK are scary. Seems like Cult of Leadership Militance, N.Korea style

It looks like a cross between a scout jamboree and a Thai school sports day. Somehow I don't think they'll be coming to Bangkok for sightseeing and shopping.

Or are they the elite paratroopers?

Of course they would say that, but what did the unions say?

I thought all politicians took assault rifles with them for lunch, dinner and the like. To show of their expertise and knowledge of such. Look, this is how you check if it's unloaded ... ...

A few years back one accidentally hosed down an assistant or someone putting his uzi on a restaurant table. It was lunch time, if I recall correctly.

It was Senator Boonsong Kowawisarat in 2012, who for some reason took a Uzi 9mm pistol to a family lunch and managed to shoot and kill his partner, mother of his two children, whilst putting it away. Presumably as someone told him it's not polite to have handguns at family dinners, unless it's a Mafia family of course.

Are you sure about that? I recall he killed his secretary/cousin.

CAPO is one of the only organisations still upholding the law in Thailand. Unfortunately there are few police and military prepared to enforce that law.

This means that these PDRC civil servants (along with their fascist idol Suthep) will get away with undermining democracy.

These people clearly need a lesson in democracy, but in my experience they have closed minds, impervious to ideas from the modern outside world. Although several surrounding countries understand and support democracy - e.g. India, Philippines, Indonesia - the Thai middle class persists in believing that Thailand is "different" and cannot follow the rest of the world. And one has to agree: different. That is, suffering the curse of the ammart, which says that the "great and the good" shall rule over the lower orders for evermore.

96 posts and we already have " Idol Fascist Suthep" and Amart mentioned, wonder what the rhetoric will be after 966 posts. Who runs CAPO, ??? and you want to respect it ???

Trustworthy government, fantastically organized-non corrupt.

As the days of PTP dwindle to a precious few, expect the rhetoric (and new posters against Suthep) to increase.

finally after 6 months the police will start doing their job, I dont believe it. They will probably still let the reds toss grenades and shoot at the protesters though after all, they dont really want to stop their team from doing all the damage

Oh, come on. Are you that new here? Were you here in 2008? There's a reason the police have been keeping their heads down. The PDRC are the visible, public relations part, for showing the international TV networks. Behind them, invisible to the foreign reporters, is the Army. Have you noticed how many of the "guards" are "off-duty" service members? Special Forces, SEAL, etc. The end game will depend on maneuvering going on inside the Army's top ranks and among the elite groups struggling to be in an advantageous position when something happens.

As someone who drove through the Asoke checkpoint on an almost daily basis; if those guys were off-duty Special Forces... The mind bottles...

It would be nice if it made a difference. But with the police involved, I'm skeptical.

The problem has been that the police dare not do anything unless the Army approves first. The Army is generally supportive of Suthep and strongly anti-Thaksin, although I understand there are some disagreements within the top ranks. Suthep's strategy is to provoke the police into committing violence against the PDRC, which might give the Army an excuse to run another coup. The Army, as I understand it, wants to leave it to the courts and the "independent" anti-government agencies. With soldiers in the checkpoints too, the police can beel safe from being attacked by the PDRC "guards." When you accept this basic dynamic, you can understand why the police allowed the protesters to invade Police Headquarters.

The police had ample opportunity to prove their worth by catching at least one of the terrorists' attacks of the peaceful protesters; however the police failed miserably.

If the police want another shot at redemption, they're not needed at the PDRC checkpoints, but rather just outside the range of an M79.

The old yellow rhetoric again and again day in day out!

No moving forward just thaksin thaksin thaksin.

You should be asking where is abhisit?

As I said in these times here's his chance to shine go on the front foot and give the people options but no it seems the dems are like a headless chook.

At least give the people an alternative or your just going down the same track as you have been for years!

Abhisit is busy meeting with the Senate.

Looks like it's all over for the mad little evil lunatic. Oh wait he will probably plan another final push if he loses this final push. Be a man of your word you little turd and call it quits, give the country back and bugger off for good. There is a nice cell waiting for you and should be home for the next 20 yrs.

Suthep has already won.

He is merely removing the people from harm's way before the final axe from the constitutional court and the senate takes its final swing.

The reds will rise up and be blown away by the army as they march on Bangkok 2010 fashion with no PDRC to confront, they only have the army and violence.

They will be crushed and the UDD will be no more.

If you can't see that, then you are as blind as can be.

Unless of course you have 'contacts' behind all the closed doors that have told you otherwise.

Suthep is not just going to walk away and let the UDD/REDS/CAPO claim victory and neither will he let down all the people who supported the movement for the past 7 months, and he is especially NOT going to suffer the biggest face loss in Thai political history when the job is 90% complete.

But you lot who support the Thaksin regime can cling to your own delusions that Suthep has failed and enjoy the last 2 weeks of your god's power in Thai politics.

He who laughs last, laughs longest.

The army will not confront the reds, because the army knows it does not have full support within the army. Why do you think the General is so reluctant to have a coup?

Perhaps he too sees the need for reforms.

But don't fool yourself, if the Reds cause enough problems, they'll be dealt with appropriately.

For all we know after the stick pile is sold Thailand might have a positive number outcome. But of course that would be in three years time and the Dems/Suthep will claim victory! Give me a break. The administration is trying to work benefit for the agricultural base! Oppose it as you will, but tell me what else can be done.

Every day there is less and less rice; it's eaten by bugs, it's eaten by birds, it's eaten by rats, it's stolen, and don't forget that every day the rice rots just a little bit more.

And each and every day the storage costs rise still further.

I think we all know it's quite impossible they'll even break even let alone achieve a positive number.

If you want to know what else can be done, research how Abhisit did it. Want to give the farmers more, then do so. But Thaksin's rice scam was established from the beginning to rape the country.

Shameful.

It seems PTP is hemorrhaging votes daily.