Grey11

Just seen on BBC World TV:

A US based Thailand "expert" stuttered and stammered his way through an admission that "the soldiers are in a very difficult position", and "soldiers need to defend themselves"; after being asked by the commentator if he thought human rights abuses were being committed by the government in using live ammunition.

So the BBC are now allowing expression of such opinions.

and this reply is NOT biased!

The BBC & CNN have been 100% behind the Reds giving biased and false information to the world. The difference here is that these are people's opinions, most who live in Thailand, and are not being read and seen around the world like CNN & the BBC. That my friend, is a big, big difference - Apples & oranges. CNN & the BBC have shown during these protests that they are totally unprofessional and have been spewing Red propaganda worldwide.

APC's, Military wearing Balaclavas, Heavy machine guns, and armed police,

Now theirs a recipe for disaster.

Disaster for the Reds. A victory for Bangkok. Should the military use sharpened bamboo sticks against M79 grenade launchers & AK47s? The government is going for a victory this time, no more talk. Finally.

Hah, OK the situation is pretty dramatic, but am I the only one to have felt a surge of glee at the pictures of the army APC rolling right over and through the red-shirt "fortress"?

no, you are not alone

It is making my day. Long past due for the Army to clear out these rabblerousers.

and so she should

yes

Looks as if you joined TV as soon as the Reds arrived in Bkk. One month and almost 700 posts! Looks mighty suspicious to me.

how about go home and you won't get shot? how about the sharpened bamboo spears, the stacks of bricks and rocks, the gasoline bombs, or even guilty by association. Get your children out of the war zone and go home and value life. If you want a better life, get started, don't think someone is going to hand it to you. As far as those pics are concerned, nobody here knows the situation that preceded them getting shot. How horrible! how uninformed!

How horrible! how uninformed!

Might also aply to some of your posting.

People riot for a reason and usually after severe prolonged suffering, in this case because they are sick of being downtrodden.

I have travelled throughout the north including all of Isaan and there is not one person starving there. People work the fields, the kids go to school, and life goes on as it has for hundreds of years. There is a cycle when it comes to education that must be included when one speaks on inequalities in the educational systems in Thailand or any other country. The children will turn out just like their parents if their parents don't care that much whether their child gets a high school education & eventually a college/univ education. Throughout Thailand there are scholarships for the best students in every school in northern Thailand just like central Thailand, Bkk and Southern Thailand. Education - breaking the cycle - begins and ends with the family, not from government handouts. People in Isaan are not enduring "prolonged suffering." They may be "downtrodden" to a certain extent but check closely and see what percentage of Thai men in Isaan drink and gamble away 50% or 75% of the family's income. It is an epidemic with the uneducated. It is that way all over Thailand - most everyone plays the lotto (their are government lottos & illegal lottos like my neighbors play using a bookie)

Every word Danielle said is true. Everyone wants to act like a victim to get attention - perhaps a handout , perhaps earning their money protesting to bring Thaksin back. Democracy?! You could not find one out of 100 of the Reds (other than their fiery leaders who are making big money)who could spell democracy much less give a definition. They are protesting to overthrow the government (that makes them terrorists) and bring the crooked, cowardly, fugitive and Pile of S--t ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Snipers should have taken him out long ago. The man is scum! TIME TO DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO GET THOSE NEANDERTHAL REDS OUT OF BANGKOK. They want war, give them war!

Why does any thread mentioning the US, UK or Europe always descend into a pissing match about who won what wars?

I agree 100%. It took the Americans, French, British, Russians, Australians & many other small countries to defeat Germany in both big wars - WWI & WWII. None could have done it alone. We are individuals and we shouldn't be faulted because of where we were born. There are such harsh remarks on TV b/c, like any forum, you get so many of the meanest

hating people on earth. It is the nature of an open forum for hate speech.

This USA embassy temporary closure is a neutrality move designed to show that the USA is deliberately taking a neutral position and not becoming publicly involved because they, like all of Thailand's best allies have a strong interest in a stable, democratic Thai society. It would be wise for both sides to ask for and use (perhaps privately so Thailand can save face as an independent nation) the assistance of USA mediation -- after all, a country like the USA which has 250+ years of experience in democracy may have some good experience and ideas; whereas Thailand has less than 80 years, and all of it fraught with coups, tension, and conflict. Thailand should realize it is in the infancy of democracy and needs to understand how to deal with it.

If Thailand is ever to be respected by the international community, it must show STABILITY, CONSISTENCY, PEACE and the ability to quickly and peacefully resolve internal conflicts. There must never be any more violence between Thais vs. Thais ever, or else poor Thailand will be forever ridiculed and distrusted by worldwide investors, tourists, and even its own citizens who could otherwise build Thailand into first world country. If Thai people could ever look at the big picture and consider that, perhaps privately, they could take advantage of the wise consul of elder statesmen from democracies oldest bastions they could much more effectively resolve these current issues.

The 250+ year period did have a little issue between about 1865 and 1869 called the "American Civil War", due to the northern states,with the governmental center, over-controlling the southern, rural/agricultural states. (Monetarily, of course. Which is what it always comes down to. "Slavery" was not the actual big reason. And, of course, after the north won, with GIGANTIC loss of life on both sides, it ground the south into the dirt with it's heal. Hence the term "Carpetbaggers", where representatives of the north came to the south, stuffed illicit war reparations into a carpet-bag (figuratively speaking), and went back north.) Here also could be a lesson from a distinguished democracy. Which is: "Civil War=BAD, Peaceful Discussions=GOOD!"

I definitely agree!

I agree 100%

The Topic is Thailand.

Given the locations of the two embassies, one has to be an idiot to critizize the two for closing them down.

They are located in a war zone now.

A general shot and likely killed now.

Retaliation is extremely likely and the targets will be others in the Thai army.

Brother against brother

Civil war if it goes too far.

Farangs need to find an out plan fast because the party in Thailand is so so OVER!

I believe if the Puea Thai Party - Thaksin's old party from Thai Rak Thai to People Power Party - wins election and voted in their PM, they will raise all taxes on Farangs, everything having to do with Visas will go up & farangs will have less time in Thailand, etc. Remember the words coming from the mouths of the leaders (the women & children or simply paid to be there and because of lack of education are simply like sheep, followers) they hate the "elites' which to them is anyone who has a college/university degree and rail against their success. You know that all Thais think Westerners (farangs) are rich so we will also be classified as "elites" and they will come after us. If I was a farang living in North or Northeast Thailand I would be hoping the Democrat Party & Abhisit wins.

As far as all the hatred on here for the U.S. all I can say is people are people and there is no sense to hate Americans so much. Most Americans are against the U.S. using taxpayer dollars to invade foreign countries. If one took all the eligible voters, the percentage that voted for president was about 30%. Most Americans are sick of their government. Too bad this story had to turn into fiery words of hate toward the U.S. The common people are much friendlier than any European as a whole. We are all individuals. I will say that when there is a natural disaster anywhere in the world, the U.S. Government, the American people give more than any other country in the world. Our helicopters & Navy are there to pass out food and water. Regardless of what many on Thai Visa think - how bad you hate the U.S. - the people are very friendly once you get out of the cities especially sewers like NYC, L.A. - about all most Europeans know of the U.S.

One down and a few to go.

"The government has to continue to have a dialogue with the demonstrators and they need to reach an agreement on a path forward," Crowley said. Another idiotic statement from US Embassy. The government had a deal with the "demonstrators" and the "demonstrators" backed out. To call a paramilitary group with an armed redoubt in the middle of Bangkok for 40 days demonstrators is absurd. I applaud the Prime Minister for his patience in trying to resolve the situation but it is now beyond doubt that the red shirts are people who can not be trusted and it is time for the "demonstration" to end.

The Obama administration along with CNN & the New York Times have taken the side of the demonstrators. They don't know beans about Thailand. This Crowley is an idiot. So much for our business at the American Embassy on Mon. We hav been putting it off for two weeks hoping the Red Shirts would get out of Bangkok and go home. PM Abhisit has tried to have a dialogue with them. They want no dialogue, no peace treaty. Their goal all along was to overthrown the government. No country in the world would allow demonstrators to shut down part of a city. Personally, I would have done what I think the leaders of every government in the world would do, arrest the leaders, give the Reds a warning and then move in with shields, bayonets on the rifles and clear them out by force. The leaders want blood since they have the international media behind them. The longer they stay the more Thaksin pays them. Finally one of their leaders was taken out. The Reds want a street battle, give it to them. Surely there are a few thousand in the military that will follow orders and take out the terrorist Red Shirts and not run like so many of them have. Worst Army I have ever seen or heard of in my life. Court martials are in order. So much for our business - with time running out - at the U.S. Embassy. Man are we P*****d off!

ladies and gentlemen

this is 18.00h Thailand time, today is May 13, 2010 !

a new moment in the history !

We only get TNT and another Thai channel that are suppose to be news channels. But, when it comes to covering the Reds, we get about 2 minutes of pictures every hr. All we see is another Red Shirt leader shouting and strutting across the state like a peacock and looking like one of those peachers at revivals tyring to save people. Then it shows some of the old women (and man are they an ugly bunch!) cheering, jumping up and down and the rest fanning themselves sitting on the road. How much money is it going to take to clean up the filth these people will leave behind if they are moved out in the next two or three months. I do hope some of Thaksin's payoffs to the protestors will begin running low in the next 6 months. There is no way to have an election b/c the Red Shirts appear to be here to stay. The Thai Army is the worst I have ever seen. They run if the Reds come at them with spears. When the Reds run at anybody they should be dropped on the spot. The mean bodily harm and are trying to kill you. So many of these military rank and file and the generals need to be put on trial for their cowardice. I don't think there is a weaker military in the world. God, haven't we had enough of these - I could think of a thousand bad words to call each and every one of them - *^$#@&* Red Shirt revolutionary terrorists?~

GET THE hel_l OUT OF BANKOK YOU RED SHIRTS NEANDERTHALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They also said that all transportation system would be stopped, this include the BTS.

Any thoughts on what it means exactly? Personally, i see two options: 1 - Can't get off at station Chit Lom and/or Siam 2 - Entire line is stopped

What do you all think?

Kerm

Does anyone know how close the Reds are to the American Embassy. My wife & I have business to take care of there but do not want to take a chance of getting hit by one of those rocket grenades that the Reds fired at the sky train. We have had to put off visiting Bkk b/c of these terrorists that the government will not clear out. I have heard from my wife's friends in Bangkok that many, many people - not elites as Thaksin's army calls them - have been greatly incovenienced not just us. We are in Phuket but have to get to the American Embassy. We can ask some of my wife's friends if need be but thought somebody on TV could fill us in. Thanks

TO YOU CHICKEN S&*t Reds, GET THE H--l OUT OF BANGKOK!!!!!!

The American Embassy is not in the protest site and the road outside it is open. Just go along Sukhumvit to Ploen Chit turn left onto wireless Road and continue along for a few minutes then you will see the American Embassy. I've been walking there from the BTS for the last 2 months its safe don't believe everything you read!

Thanks a million. We really need to go to the American Embassy. But, my wife is Thai and is much more cautious than I am. It will be her decision when we go. She has really been cursing - calling the Red Shirts every name she can think of in Thai AND English.

They also said that all transportation system would be stopped, this include the BTS.

Any thoughts on what it means exactly? Personally, i see two options: 1 - Can't get off at station Chit Lom and/or Siam 2 - Entire line is stopped

What do you all think?

Kerm

Does anyone know how close the Reds are to the American Embassy. My wife & I have business to take care of there but do not want to take a chance of getting hit by one of those rocket grenades that the Reds fired at the sky train. We have had to put off visiting Bkk b/c of these terrorists that the government will not clear out. I have heard from my wife's friends in Bangkok that many, many people - not elites as Thaksin's army calls them - have been greatly incovenienced not just us. We are in Phuket but have to get to the American Embassy. We can ask some of my wife's friends if need be but thought somebody on TV could fill us in. Thanks

TO YOU CHICKEN S&*t Reds, GET THE H--l OUT OF BANGKOK!!!!!!

Right, so Suthep will surrender tomorrow and then what? More demands?

They are not going to leave tomorrow.

Morons...

Suthep will surrender and walk on bail after 30 minutes, with a trial never happening. Just like the yellow shirts surrendered and walked on bail after 30 minutes and 2 years later, a trial is still not visible on the horizon.

However, when the red shirts surrender, they will not be able to walk on bail after 30 minutes. The strictly enforced double standards in Thailand prohibit that.

Suthep didn't encourage violence speaking to a mob day after day and the Red Shirt leaders have. The Reds came to Bkk to overthrow the government and said so publicly. What country would not have arrested them for inciting to riot except Thailand? This is all getting old. My wife & I need to take care of business in Bangkok and these Reds continue to occupy too much of the city. How close are they to the American Embassy? We are more than p-ss-d about this! Abhisit gave in to them and now Thaksin's proxies are holding out and have no intentions of leaving peacefully. Just a bunch of low life liars & terrorists. I served a week's ban for "flaming". I was sentenced by Ijustwannateach. I don't know what I said but I guess he is a Red Shirt sympathiser so I shall say nothing else except RED SHIRTS GET THE H--- OUT OF BANGKOK!!!!!!!!!

Really sad. But the question remains who will have an advantage from this new act of violance? The Police is considerate as "Red Friendly". So why should the Reds ambush the Police? It smells a bit fishy to me. It could well be that the Group who reject the so called road map is interested to cause chaos and trouble and blame it on the Reds. Just a thought...

I blame it on the Reds because they came to Bkk to overthrow the government by any means necessary. Period. The Reds (thaksin) paid people that are violent that hate Bangkok, what they call the elites, the success of the businesses, any person who is successful and blame their failures in life on them. One can rise above poverty. But, it takes an entire family to do that - for their children to be successful. Violence solves nothing. Yeah, maybe the Red Shirts are convinced that it will get Thaksin back to rule and they will be given top jobs in the government. Then they will seek revenge by any means necessary through their inherit ways of corruption. The Reds (Thaksin) hired black shirts to be their military wing, to incite, to bomb, to kill. Once those in Bkk came out to counter their demonstrations they sought to wound and kill as many as possible. To the Reds the police are protecting the "elites" of Bkk that they hate so much and any and all people of Bkk who are successful.

PM Abhisit was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. His compassion for all the people of Thailand and his belief that he could compromise with these hired guns of Thaksin, was a victory for the Reds who wanted no peace, no compromise but was seen as a weakness by the so-called "elites" who believed that 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks of the Reds blocking hotels, hospitals, government buildings, streets and other businesses was too long and that the Reds only understand their own tactics, violence, force. I tend to believe that the government lost the publicity war as the foreign media took the side of the Reds seeking "democracy" - they do not know what it means & were intent on overthrowing the government. To the vast majority of people in the world, the Reds would be classified as "terrorists." Now, even when the PM is willing to step down one year early, it is not enough for the Reds (UDD, Pueau Thai Party, Thaksin, all one & the same). So Abhisiit ended up looking weak to the Reds AND those who supported the Democrat Party.

These demonstrations and the violence done and incited by the Reds has killed tourism in Thailand and given the country a bad name. I had a friend cancel her three week vacation to Thailand - visits planned for here in Phuket, Bkk, & Chiang Mai. Hotel occupancy in Phuket is at 19% of capacity and is at 12% in June. Most visitors take in Bkk & Phuket. It is the poor that the Reds say Thaksin and they care so much about who are losing their jobs working in the hotels, restaurants, and all other jobs having to do with tourism. It is ALL about Thaksin and his push for Power. And, it will take Thailand years to recover from this travesty brought on strictly and 100% by Thaksin's violent Red Shirts. Why weren't the leaders arrested the second weak? Without these firebreathing, hate speakers, the peasants would have no leadership. They are followers. They know no better. So Thaksin turned Thai against Thai for his own selfish purposes. I am retired in Thailand. My wife is Thai and what has happened in Bkk because of the violent Red Shirts & Thaksin affects ALL of us. Now, it will be years before we can sell our house in Phuket and move to a cheaper area. I think PM Abhisit is the most intelligent, closest to honest that Thailand has ever had and ever will have. My hope now is that Thaksin's Pueau Thai party is defeated in the next election. Does Thaksin & his lackeys in the north have enough money to pay millions of Thais to vote for the Pueau Thai Party (Thaksin) and have him fly his private jet back? I can only hope that enough educated voters have seen, especially with the blood, the attacks on the hospital and other dispicable acts of Thaksin's troops, that for the good of Thailand, we do not want these thugs controlling the country.

There going to have change the map of Thailand, since now it's all going pear shaped.

Why not split the country & let Isaan & Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai become their own country. The will be like Laos landlocked and have to use the dried up Mekong or deliver their goods to Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket & the rest of Thailand by truck and pay a duty on their goods once they reach the border with new Thailand by bus, train or truck. You think they are poor now? Try to exist without the capitol of Bangkok and the rest of Thailand that has seaports. Thaksin can return and wear the crown he has envisoned. But, first these terrorist Red Shirts have to be cleared out of Bkk. They have killed tourism and ruined Thailand's reputation for years to come. Thaksin never cared about Thailand just the Power & Wealth - most gained while PM. What Thai with any morals would throw in with the Khmer Rouge Hen Sun in Cambodia. Cambodia, like Burma is no friend of Thailand. But they are friends with Thaksin.

No other world leader would have put up with what PM Abhisit has put up with when an army comes in and takes a city hostage and destroys public & private property and blocks hotels, restaurants, etc. PM Abhisit is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. There can be no compromise with Thaksin's hired army (Red Shirts). Their only aim is to overthrow the government by any means necessary. They have made that plain. That is terrorism. And, 5 weeks of putting up with them is too long. I can't think of any other Pres. or PM of any other country in the world that would not have driven those who attempt to take over the government in that country's government that would not have used the force of the police or the military to drive out those who occupy a city & threaten to overthrow the government - not in the West, not in Central & South America, certainly not in Africa or the rest of Asia or SE Asia. All of this has made the most intelligent and pro-Western PM in Thailand's history look weak. There can be no more compromise. It is time to clear the Red Shirts out by force and arrest and imprison the leaders. Thaksin will never run out of money to pay these people to carry out acts of terrorism. These are violent people. Most followers are simply paid and just uneducated. That is the saddest part of it all.

Seems the reds are losing support quickly, there will always be the diehard’s and the paid troops but the average person has had a gut full.

Don’t see how the opposition can win an election now, there are certain things needed to contest an election let alone win one. First you need a viable political party, the PPP,PTP or whatever the current oppositions name is now hardly qualifies. An opposition party is not there just to oppose everything they are there to assist in the running of the country by acting as a check and balance on the ruling party. They should be sitting on committees to vet and if possible improve any legislation put forward, to put forward their own suggestions, support good legislation and oppose bad not just automatically oppose everything and walk out of the house when they look like losing a vote as seems to be the habit at present.

They need sound policies and a manifesto designed to improve the running of the country and the lot of the people as well as good honest and intelligent candidates. Can anyone say with honesty that the opposition has any of those?

But then again in this country possibly all you need is money in the right pockets.

Seems to me that PM Abhisit has in fact done quite a good job given the circumstances he has been given. First there is the less than ideal coalition partners he had to accept, the world financial situation, then all the crap with the red mob and of course a less than cooperative police force and armed forces.

To lay the blame for deaths and injuries at his door is just ridicules. Clearly if the reds had never been where they are or have been in the past none of this would have happened. If they went home peacefully today and those wanted by the law gave themselves up it would be finished. But the ring leaders have worked themselves into a position where they can’t do that and they now need to continue to provoke those around them and hope for some miracle to save them from the law.

Taksin, the one who started all of this has gone about it in completely the wrong way instead of paying disruptive mobs if he had come out and proclaimed his innocence (which he did) then said that to prove his loyalty to the country and his concern for the people he would use his own money to improve the peoples lot by for instance; building free clinics in rural areas poorly served by hospitals. The Taksin chain of free clinics around the country would have got him a lot of support and what about the Taksin free university for disadvantaged kids.

Then if he had come back to face the courts and negotiated fines for his convictions instead of jail time he would have been free to go and do as he pleased by now.

To say the only way to resolve things is to dissolve parliament is not correct, that would only leave a vacuum that would be exploited by all and sundry leading to even more trouble.

The only way out of this is for the reds to pack up and go home.

Always remember that in a democracy the poor are more powerful than the rich in countries like Thailand because there are so many more of them. Thaksin was elected with a block vote from the North & Northeast and as fired up as the Red Shirt leaders have these people, if they turn out to vote their party, Pueai Thai Party will get 90%+ vote from the North & all of Isaan. Thaksin threw them some crumbs. He promised them more. And, his political party has learned plenty from that. Unfortunately these poor, uneducated people can be led by the nose like a sheep. They believe what their leaders tell them and will follow them into the very gates of H---.

NEWS FLASH:

There cannot be any confusion . We probably will never know who launched the grenades.

But , it is fair to say we do have proof that this whole confrontation was provoked by the government !!!

If not, why would the government under any circumstances let the yellow shirts get near the reds to antagonize the situation. IF SILOM ROAD WAS DECLARED OFF LIMITS TO THE REDS ,,, WHY WERE THE YELLOWS ALLOWED TO PROTEST ,, AND CONGREGATE THERE . Why the double standard ? No government can claim to be that stupid ,,, and certainly not this one ,,, it was planned its obvious.

I was going to write a long reply , but its simpler to say you are wrong and each and every count. I wont bother to explain why as I can tell the effort would be wasted on you.

Excellent reply. You said it for me. Totally ridiculous. Some people in Bangkok are tired of their city being held hostage for 5 weeks and, as I do, want the Red Shirts to go home!

Of course it was the reds. They have threatened this. Red shirt apologists, you should be ashamed.

Where is your proof that the red shirts are responsible? You're ASSUMING. Don't confuse people with lies before you have facts, please. Nobody knows who attacked who tonight. Nobody knows who launched the bombs.

the logic of people saying that the REDS did this is just the sort of response that is to be expected and wanted by those opposed the them - just another reason to send in the army with all its might and remove them -- there are so many good stories coming from the govt side - like no live bulllets used on saturday and then 24 hours later a senior ARMY doctor stated that those killed where hit by live rounds --- just who is going to keep believing all this missinformation -

for all we know it could be a faction of the yellows just trying to accelarate the situation or even the so called peace loving pinks -- what next - maybe the rainbow warriors --- but to have everyone jumping on the anti red band wagon and point the fingerr - come on -- believe 20% of what u read -- and then divide by 2 --

the fact is that the whole truth will never come out and what ever sided did it - shame on them - but lets hold off to judge - i still for one dont thnk the reds had anything to gain apart from turning more people against them and what they really want is more support - so why the hel_l would they do this - ???? these sort of actions will turn everyone against them --

Because they (the Red Shirts) are ignorant and not capable of rational thinking or behavior. There aim is to overthrow the government by any means necessary. Any thinking person would have no doubt in their minds that Red Shirts fired the grenades. People saw it. Red Shirts see everyone in Bangkok as some kind of elite. These people have low self esteems and little if any education and blame their station in life on the what they think are all elites that live in Bangkok. To them it is two things: Get Thaksin back in Power & hurt the economy (they think only the wealthy are hurt by their closing of hotels, restaurants, shopping centers - many poor work in these establishments) of what they see as the "elites" in Bkk.

For 5 weeks they have been trying to incite riots in their quest to overthrow the government & have done all in their power to force the PM to order the soldiers to stop them - the only way they can be stopped - by shooting some of them. Then the world media can continue its dumb reporting that this whole thing is about "democracy" these poor who don't have clothes to wear, food to eat and are slaves to the rich in Bkk are just trying to be treated as human beings by a repressive dictatorship. First, other than the leaders who encourage these uneducated masses to commit violence, the avg. Red Shirt has no idea what "democracy" is nor can they spell it. Not 1 in 100 can even carry on a conversation in English. This is about Thaksin and his trying to ruin the entire structure of Thai society so that he can come back and wear a crown. 5 weeks and the military cannot even drive away a mob of peasants. The Thai military and Thai police are the most incompetent I have ever seen in my life. God help us if the bloody generals in Burma - friends of Thaksin - decide to take Thailand. Thailand would lose the war in a week.

The only thing I know about this mess is that I don't know anything. Too many players, too many plots.

I have reached that point as well. Logic and reasoning left the scene long ago.

I am starting to get to that point too.

I/we don't really know a lot of things.We may never know who threw the bombs. It would seem that a number of factions have reason to stoke the fire: reds, yellows,army, etc. I won't add the police to this list because they will not do anything because they don't have to. They can just sit back and when all the dust settles they just carry on autonimously making their corrupt monies.

However, I might add that I believe it was their responsibility to put a stop to all this 5-6 weeks ago and not allow it to escalate. But, it's gone far beyond that now.

I also think the PM has lost control. Or, maybe it's part of a master plan for the army to take over (temporarily maybe)...speculation.

Nevertheless, for many reasons, including business, tourism, investor confidence etc this must all stop now.It will be years before Thailand can dig itself out of the hole its dug for itself in terms of respect, prestigue and finance.

The fact is every person regardless of political affiliation or foreigner who gets injured or worse, killed, is simply one too many. But, unfortunately those fighting for control of the country and therfore the all important coffers will see all these deaths and injuries as collateral damage and nothing more....no matter what they may say in condemnation.

In the end, my money's on the ones with the most money... the elite, who will pay the army to secure power on their behalf.

I live in Phaya Thai area and I work on Silom Rd near Sala Daeng and I am a long term resident and a stake-holder in Thailand, so I have a vested interest in peace and prosperity reigning in this seemingly God forsaken country.

But, I am fully aware that I and almost everybody here on TV have no say in the matter, no matter how wise we think we are. I/we can maybe try to offer a different, out-siders perspective on the issue to the Thais aroud us who may "lend us an ear" , or I/we can either leave the country or try to avoid getting caught up in the mess.

I think that PM Abhisit is the most educated PM that Thailand will ever have. He is smooth, has a good command of English, but is too nice a guy to be PM. Thaksin, whose university degrees are in Criminal Justice knows how to take a measure of a man. He research our current PM and decided that he could be overthrown. That set the plan in place to have his supporters - Red Shirts/UDD - overthrow the present government with violence if necessary. Thaksin has the money along with other allies in the North & Northeast Thailand to sponsor a violent overthrow of the government. The people who protest, incite violence, and engage in violence, need to be paid, and the vast majority of Red Shirts are paid well. Those fiery speakers of the Red Shirts who get their minions fired up to take on the military and the police, are promised positions in a Thaksin government. Are they are so famous throughout Thailand now, that one of them will surely be selected as PM in the next election.

"emocracy is a form of government that substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. GBS

Sad that the PM did not get it over with early - enforce the law - and take the criticism from the international media which mistakenly reports this terrorist mob of Red Shirts as wanting democracy. It is all about Thaksin. The vast majority have no idea what democracy is or how to spell it but are looking for a PM to give them a handout. Too bad that Thailand will soon lose a man who is pro-West for a farang hating firebrand from Isaan. Can any of these RS speakers speak an entire sentence of English? I doubt it.

...one pink shirt was seen beating up a red shirt at the SkyTrain station...

That's a good start.

Why are you pro-violence?

You (Che) have taken the name of a Communist who was definitely pro-violence. So how can you accuse someone else? You are a supporter of the Reds who are engaged in violent revolution just like your heroes, Castro, Che, Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, Lenin, Trotsky, Kim (North Korea) and others in Eastern Europe under Soviet occupation

...one pink shirt was seen beating up a red shirt at the SkyTrain station...

That's a good start.

Excellent post. Like my wife said: "It is a good thing you weren't there are you might do something - throw something - at a Red Shirt and get deported. Luckily I am here in Phuket because I am so sick of seeing those neanderthals that I could spit. Even the Army is afraid of them so regular real residents of Bangkok finally had to turn out to try to take their city back. One thing for sure, after seeing these people, I don't think anybody with any sense wants to visit Isaan.

In reply to Che

Maybe he/she should consider what is the role of government

I thought one of its roles was to maintain law and order

Surely marching on the military and the police - refusing to disperse and occupying an area in a city thus preventing normal business to continue constitiutes a breakdown of law and order. Therefore the reaction by the military is predictable at the very least

Che Guevera was a Communist revolutionary who fought with Fidel Castro. What would anyone expect from a person who not only puts the photo of Che up but goes by his name. I see pictures of Che all over Thailand but the Thais don't know who he was - even those who are opposed to Communism and violent revolution. A Communist is always a Communist and will not change their spots. The only way Communists have ever come into power was by using force to overthrow the present government. Communists like Mao & Stalin, Kim in North Korea, etc. killed tens of millions of their own people. Castro has killed tens of thousands who voiced freedom of speech. Tens of thousands are in Cuban prisons, as they are many in Chinese prisons,, North Korean prisons, all for expressing their opinions which ran counter to the government dictates - political prisoners. Che, here on TV, glorifies violent revolution. Naturally he glorifies the Red Shirts whose goal is to overthrow the present government by any means necessary - but Communists always prefer the violent overthrow of a government.

Seems I forgot the likes of violent Communists such as Lenin & Trotsky and many more put into power by Russia after it acquired all of Eastern Europe from the Allies - Britain, France & the U.S.

In reply to Che

Maybe he/she should consider what is the role of government

I thought one of its roles was to maintain law and order

Surely marching on the military and the police - refusing to disperse and occupying an area in a city thus preventing normal business to continue constitiutes a breakdown of law and order. Therefore the reaction by the military is predictable at the very least

Che Guevera was a Communist revolutionary who fought with Fidel Castro. What would anyone expect from a person who not only puts the photo of Che up but goes by his name. I see pictures of Che all over Thailand but the Thais don't know who he was - even those who are opposed to Communism and violent revolution. A Communist is always a Communist and will not change their spots. The only way Communists have ever come into power was by using force to overthrow the present government. Communists like Mao & Stalin, Kim in North Korea, etc. killed tens of millions of their own people. Castro has killed tens of thousands who voiced freedom of speech. Tens of thousands are in Cuban prisons, as they are many in Chinese prisons,, North Korean prisons, all for expressing their opinions which ran counter to the government dictates - political prisoners. Che, here on TV, glorifies violent revolution. Naturally he glorifies the Red Shirts whose goal is to overthrow the present government by any means necessary - but Communists always prefer the violent overthrow of a government.

Let's please remember that we don't know who launched these bomb attacks. According to Channel 7, one pink shirt was seen beating up a red shirt at the SkyTrain station, who he thought was responsible for the attacks. The man is now in the hospital in serious condition.

We all know whoever launched these bombs were Red Shirt and/or their sympathisers. There was no violence in Bangkok until the Red Shirts came and have been inciting to riot for 5 weeks. When the residents of Bkk finally rose up - enough is enough and want their city back - and protested the Red Shirt terrorists launched bombs into them. The Reds can deny it all they want but they are grasping for straws as they have not been able to overthrow the government. Those like you who are Thaksin & Red Shirt supporters are simply spewing the vile of the Red Shirt leaders who are paid well by Thaksin who is ready to come marching back into Thailand triumphantly. Until the Army gets some balls and drives these terrorists from Bkk they will continue to do violence against those who oppose them and continue to hold the city hostage. There are thousands of poor in Bkk who have not been paid in weeks that work in the hotels, shopping centers, etc. all because of one man - Thaksin! Period!

And he is not in charge. Watch your back mate. If he shouts fire, who knows which way the bullets will be flying. Certainly Thailand will be flying up the UN's list of oppressive regimes and even onto US sanctions lists.

PAD, the people who wrested power from the People on the premise they were too stupid to vote, through mob rule and army control by their elite backers are now coming back on to the street to ensure that the power is not returned through the ballot box.

Can I have accurate soundbite of the day for that please on the BBC?

Nice organisation and I am not surprised they are disguising themselves as multi colourted protesters.

Once the yellow shirts go on, then the army will split.

Don't feed the trolls...

I've seen Thaksin supporter Grandpops on before. You would think he is one of the neanderthal uneducated Reds for sure. An Anarchist & maybe a Communist like Hun Sen, Thaksin's buddy. Seems to me like the BBC & CNN have been overly favorable to the Reds. Democracy? The Reds not only can't spell it they don't know what the H--- it is. They are following those radicals paid handsomely by Thaksin. Of course they are being paid to while those working in the hotels, restaurants, etc. are off work because of the Reds blockade and are not getting paid. I cannot even imagine one of those nasty looking, loud mouthed, cowardly Reds I see on Thai TV all the time ruling this country. They don't want peace. They want war. They have been trying to incite the army for weeks. They should be arrested as terrorists for trying to overthrow the government, damage to private and public property, inciting to riot, the list can go on. However, I have never seen an Army or the Police in my lifetime watching riots in countries throughout the world over my 63 years throw their guns down and run like scalded dogs. They should be court martialed and relieved of their jobs. Also, no country in the world would have allowed rioters like the Reds to do what they have done. Even the U.S. would have moved in and cleared them out. I hope that Burma & Cambodia don't see what a weak military Thailand has and decided to take the country. Either could whip the Thai military in less than a week. These Reds need to be moved out, by violence - shooting - if necessary. Camping out like animals for five weeks is enough. Naturally the Red leaders are staying in fancy hotels, not with their troops on the streets. Thaksin is flying around the world on his private jet while paying these neanderthals to do his fighting for him - paying them good however.