fsuthai

The captain informed passengers before landing that the windshield cracked and one of the four engines stopped.

To be perfectly honest I'd rather hear that after we'd landed.

Seconded; apart from that how on earth is it possible that those 2 (completely different) problems occurred at the same moment ? What has an engine that stopped has to do with a cracked window ?

LaoPo

Depends on how big the part was that the engine threw into the windshield!

Let's face it...

01. Still a very tight group of people run the show, like some 0.8X per cent of the populous which own every thing

02. Thailand is now a G20 member and no more 'golden triangle' or 'tiger' - state & desperately tries to westernize; i.e. 'jay-walking' laws

03. There's much concern about Farang mingling into the power circles - protectionism - see Russian & Western housing/building companies

04. Wouldn't you be kind of jealous or 'not amused' to see places and the stuff going on in like Pattaya as a Thai citizen - brothels etc.

05. You can get teachers and other low level 'employees' from countries like the Philippines or Morocco for a 1/3 of what 'white people' get

06. There seems to be a movement to regain control of certain areas & get rid of people which just bump around in 'their' country

07. Everyone in the region sees the ASEAN Union as the emerging force which makes 'western investment' rather unnecessary / avoidable

08. We see enough coverage in the media of Farang's bad behavior, i.e. the Australian Mom stealing sitting matts & swinger cartels

09. Aggression is best focused against 'outsiders' to divert the internal struggles, i.e. yellow vs. red shirts (which is a farce)

10. We can just hope that it will not end in repossession-ism / deportation B$

Please read and think twice if you will; this is not a condemnation but a point of view and many of you I guess have seen similar movements and streams. Honestly I am sick of the newsletter when every second blurp is dealing with 'crackdowns' on this and that. As for myself, I always tried to maintain a respectful and honest approach to the Thai's in general but I also am concerned of the 'status' of the Farang's image in the Kingdom. There is a breaking point in every relationship sometimes; sorry to say, but these messages simply tell: 'Behave, play after our rules or be kicked out / not allowed to come back'. Seriously hoping that our 'image' and 'treatment' will continue on a basis of mutual understanding and R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Thanks for your time

&

stay healthy and happy in this wonderful country!!!

I agree with 'Peacefulwarrior' pretty much throughout the list. Someone stated that the attitude of the Thai govt. is getting increasingly negative towards "farangs"...and, in all honesty, who can blame them. I'm certainly not trying to be anyone's "guru" but I find most farang behavior here irritating and antagonistic. The predominance of negative comments about Thai lifestyle, intelligence, government, politics, religion, etc. here in the ThaiVisa forums is shocking! Some of that negativity might be justified but criticizing the Thai nation for the actions of a few just exacerbates the problem. Most falang residents drive big, expensive SUVs or newer model cars & trucks, live in huge homes inside walled (& guarded) compounds, make spurious comments about most of the things that are different here from those of their home country, and frequently have an unjustified "attitude" when dealing with the Thais.

A good start on cleaning out the 'negative' falangs would be to deport all of the misguided & 'pushy' missionaries, any identifiable sex offenders, and especially all of the CIA, MI6 & Mossad agents! (Also their political/security counterparts from Russia, Japan, China, Korea, et.al.) Spies just love Thailand...

Essentially, if you enjoy living and/or working in this lovely country, just be polite and friendly and the Thais will almost always respond in kind! IMHO

Happy New Year!

What's the "Wa army"?

jaideeguy - I have sent you a private message.

Hi Artisi:

I'm [email protected], and just wonder if I could get you to copy that private message on to me. It's not just idle curiosity for I'm an early septuagenarian, retired and living happily in the ChiangMai area. But, some maybe/maybe not curable health issues and I've always been determined not to linger around very long after any chronic and/or untreatable pain sets in. And, since I'm convinced that I have other places to go and things to do, I certainly don't want to be hooked up to tubes in some hospital until my Thai wife goes into debt over ridiculous medical bills.

I would definitely feel better having a "living will" and hope Thailand gives it final approval. Nonetheless, a final trip to some interesting, neighboring country to have a final & legal exit would be nice. Always loved to travel!

Chok dee,

Paul Hammond

I'm really surprised at how many hawkish, repressive law & order freaks comment here. I haven't read her book and didn't know of her case but, IMHO, I think she deserves a fair second chance and a modicum of respect for her efforts to restore her life. After all, she received a Royal Pardon (not a parole, or reprieve of the death sentence---which is totally insane anyhow!) and was traveling on 'legitimate' documents. There are a lot of people with much more heinous criminal histories walking around freely in a lot of other countries. Quit tossing those righteous stones 'cause I doubt any of you are transgression free!

Condolences to his family and friends. My Thai wife said she thought he was a decent man but had a "bad tongue" sometimes (spoke his mind)!

<snip>

I am not stupid enough to buy this &lt;deleted&gt; arse endever.

If they wanted to stop the amount of bags being used, they could train the staff to use them more sparingly. If they only cost 0.3 baht to buy and they sell them at 2 or even 1 baht, the stores will encourage staff to use MORE bags for customers.

Thai customes won't argue as it will look like they are arguing over a few bahts worth of plastic and farang customers aree too few and far between to have a significant country wide effect. This about making more money disguised as enviromental concern, and I am surprised you lot haven't clocked it yet.

Hey, Trianglechoke, I don't think everyone is as cynical as you appear to be. Too many of us westerners living in Thailand seem to 'look for negatives' and are too quick to criticize! Of course the Thais can adapt to change, and 'our' ideas aren't always better! As someone above said, "What about organizing all of those little plastic bags into our car or taxi?". Most Thais are carrying those little bags on the handlebars of a motorbike and heavy products frequently bust through a single plastic bag, especially if you live 20-30 K out in the country. Plus its easier to balance the load with several small bags. I'd like to see the govt. start developing a country-wide garbage disposal system. But, in the meantime I'm opposed to plastic and in favor of hemp!

About time too - sick of plastic bags and the smell of burning plastic by the beech from the local dumps!

here they burn the plastic around the corner, a lot people complained but police can't do anything because it is between two areas and police does not know who is responsible.....

That's a "cop-out" by the police, H90...no pun intended. If they really don't know, they could certainly find out! We have a 'recycling' operation in our vicinity (upland valley n.w. of MaeRim, ChiangMai---that used to be known for "the good air"). They burned a lot of plastic and most of the immediate neighbors started getting sick, some very sick! There were a lot of complaints with little to no action. Finally a petition was circulated (by Thais) and signed by hundreds of valley residents, including some falanges. Turned out the site was owned by a cop but the neighborhood pressure resulted in significant improvements to the incinerators and restrictions on time & wind direction as to when the burning of plastic would be allowed. Just takes a little pushing and, usually, a lot of tact!

The government should legalize growth, harvest, and production of hemp! Good for the fields, better profits for the farmers, and alternates beneficially with the rice crops. It would also create a lot of new "green & clean" processing & manufacturing companies/co-ops to significantly boost employment and the end result could be stronger, eco-friendly paper bags which would be better for everyone. The U.S. has to buy (import) hemp products so Thailand might as well have good hemp products to sell to America and other unenlightedned nations; stuff like bio-fuels, building products, rope, clothes, insect repellent mulch, oils & about 30 other regularly used end products that would be cheaper with improved quality.

Be bold, Thailand. Nobody smokes hemp!!!

Ask the residents of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Three Mile Island, or Chernobyl if nuclear power is dangerous or 'non-polluting'! Thailand should be leading SE Asia in the inevitable move toward "Green Power"...sun, wind, thermal (if available), and especially massive planting of hemp! Growing and processing hemp plants could supply cheap fuel, revive the economy with foreign sales, has over 35 substantial commercial uses for local needs (such a fibers for ropes, clothes, construction materials, and is good for the soil), grows without the need for pesticides & chemical fertilizers, etc. Unfortunately, however, the greedy power-mongers (even Thailand has them) can't make as much money off cheaper, practical solutions that would help spread a little of the potential wealth of meeting non-polluting power demands of the future.

This is one protest we ALL need to support---politely & by invitation, of course! I live here (8 yrs. now) and would love to see the Thais show some foresight about going GREEN for energy and solve most of the air pollution, garbage dumping, and widespread lack of meaningful jobs & wages! It could be so easy if the authorities would get over the American-exported paranoia about growing hemp; even though hemp has no THC to get you high like ganja (which should be grown also). The U.S. is so screwed up that it has to import hemp products from other countries! Might as well provide them with another booming market supplier...

Ciao, Paul

NOW would be a good time to get clean water and unspoiled bags of rice distributed to stranded and homeless residents in those areas. It should help ease religious tensions and would be cheaper than having to treat illness & infections later. My condolences to those affected; it could happen to any of us living in S.E. Asia...and probably will at some time in the near future.

Chok dee!

Hi Trying to buy hydrogen peroxide, it for human consumption (diluted of course).

Looking for pure H202, food quality 35% concentration.

If you are curious its for a home remedy, mild oxygen therapy, 8 drops of H2O2, quarter teaspoon of bicarb in a water bottle, taken on an empty stomach between meals. Oxygenates the blood, raises your PH. Optimal consumption concentration is .45% H2O2.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

Whatever else hydrogen peroxide taken orally may or may not do, it certainly does not change the blood pH nor "oxygenate the blood"!

Nothing taken orally alters the pH of the blood -- luckily for us since the human body cannot survive outside of an extremely narrow blood pH range. The lungs and kidneys between them regulate the pH. Food, medications etc taken orally may (temporarily) alter the pH of the stomach but will have no effect on the pH of the blood.

As for "oxygenating" the blood, (1) a normal healthy person's blood is already 98-99.9% fully oxygenated and (2) even if a person is, for some reason, not well oxygenated this cannot be corrected via oral ingestion of oxygen in any form.

All that said, I too would like to get hold of some 35% H2O2 (in my case for topical use) so if anyone knows where to buy it in Bkk please tell.

If in Bangkok you can purchase (H2O2) from Vidhyasom Co. Ltd in PraKanong.. 35% grade about 150 baht I think it was.

if you get off the train at Prakanong and then walk towards On Nut way.. you turn left about 3 streets up.. its a fair way down though.. a motorbike taxi would be a better option.. It is a very big place, you cannot miss it.

Vidhyasom Co. Ltd also has a place in Surat Thani

Phuket: available at Supercheap.

Thanks for the information, Detox! If I can't locate the 35% Food Grade H2O2 locally (ChiangMai) I'll be taking the train down to Prakanong within a week.

Anyone interested in more online information regarding Hydrogen Peroxide can go to this link:

http://educate-yourself.org/cancer/benefit...de17jul03.shtml

[Don't correct the spelling error and be sure to scroll down for the article on hydrogen peroxide!]

Hydrogen Peroxide is cheap and cannot be 'patented' so the big pharmaceuticals have tried repeatedly to have it banned for any kind of personal medicinal use and regularly issue phony health alerts against it plus 'pressure' doctors from prescribing or recommending it. They don''t want the populace getting healthy using herbals & 'home' remedies when they have expensive toxins & poisons to guarantee their obscene profits.

The 3.5% solution available just about anywhere is excellent as a disinfectant for practically anything (dental partials, kitchen counters, toothbrushes, bongs, etc.) and I personally have used it to check skin cancers (it made a growth that I believe was a melanoma just disappear completely with only a week of topical treatments), control an occasional oral herpes outbreak, and ward off colds & flu by wetting a finger & inhaling into my nasal passages. The 6% solution is made for beauty shops and used to bleach hair. It can also be used as a disinfectant and for topical, external skin care but the higher percentages (30-50) are made for commercial processes and are caustic to the eyes or skin. The Food Grade 35% solution is, therefore, also caustic and should be handled carefully and diluted (with distilled water) down to a 3-4% solution for any internal uses. It is widely regarded as a miracle treatment for a vast array of illnesses and diseases! Also great for the garden!

The guy faces a conviction for armed assault for less than USD 4,500.00? What a tosser.

I am a firm believer in giving a test to all who want to come to Thailand before they get on the plane, weed out the fools and misfits.

Would be awfully boring in the LOS though

Butch & Sundance would be so ashamed!!! Probably just a 'down on his luck' cowboy from the great American Southwest. Or, maybe the clothes won't fit and they find the real perpetrator. Seems like an awful lot of posters here are too willing to forfeit their freedoms for a little 'imagined' security.

I would imagine that circumstances which reduce one to living down in the gutter might make even the "Bangkok Hilton" look like UP! And, $4,500 would be a pleasant windfall to many of us who would never even consider stealing it!

Nice to see you guys are all getting along so well......Thaivisa falang harmony at it's best....

I'm not an American but every once in a while I just get tired of semi-literate morons from the UK and EU countries when they get on this anti yank kick!!

When shit happens in the world and you can't handle it (which is almost always) who do you turn to?? USA.. When the USA gets involved you bitch and complain about yankee bullies. You people are always against everything....what exactly are you for??? The EU has lost the balls to stand up to anything...all they are capable off is talking.....study groups...protesting with bill boards and finger pointing when somebody else (usually the US) tries to do something about it. American foreign policy has often been flawed.....bad decisions have been made....but at least they try .....If the EU would shut up whining and help out....maybe we would start to get somewhere. Fat chance

And somebody suggested the UN should deal with this arms dealing thug!! The fuc_king UN is just the worlds most expensive debating society....

That's my two cents worth as an objective non-American...... Whine on...................

I wonder if some of you American haters were forced to choose between what Americans want for the world and what some of the regimes you seem to sympathize with want for the world........who would you run to??? Stupid question.....you could never be honest with your answer.......it's not just the Thai's who can't stand to lose face.. I wonder how many of you anti-American whiners have every set foot in the US.... I have spent a good deal of time there....and lots of time in the UK and EU countries too. There is not the slightest doubt in my mind which I would choose if I had to.....even taking into account the sometimes bad policy decisions made by US governments at times......find me a country that does not have bad government decisions!!!!

Sorry Vicco, you have a weak argument going there but thanks for trying! There are still a few good things about the USA...just can't think of many right off hand. You are right about whether most westerners would rather live in a world dominated by American imperialism or a middle eastern country like Afghanistan or Iran, dominated by Sharia law and forced muslim religious practice. However, most of us also prefer not to have to make such a choice! Screw the muslims and the christians. Both of those mystical belief systems want to control the world and will kill anyone standing in their way. (Buddhism, more a philosophy than a religion, is okay so long as they don't get 'pushy'.)

Those of us that prefer to 'question authority' and criticize bad US foreign policy would just like to see America become a good neighbor for a change and work for world peace rather than the true "merchant of death" it has been since Vietnam! We keep hoping to see such changes but, unfortunately, the new boss seems the same as the old boss! Maybe we can get someone like Kucinich or Paul elected next time; we need someone concerned about keeping America strong (not aggressive) and compassionate.

Viktor Bout was the victim of a lousily conducted 'sting' operation and should be allowed to return to his home, not handed over to CIA operatives, that do their own drug smuggling and arms sales to pay for "black ops" budgets...and who don't give a dam_n whether he is guilty as charged or whether they break international laws in his capture. It's a good decision by the Thai court IMHO.

Congratulations to all the "anti-American" posters on this board. You should all be diplomats from your respective home countries.

Do you REALLY think all the facts have been disclosed in this case ? Since you don't know what the hel_l you're talking about why don't you keep your phuckin mouth shut till you DO know the facts, and can make a fair judgement. They ought to call you "robin", you're all mouth and ass.

For all you people who hate the U.S. so much. you probably aren't old enough to remember, but if the U.S. hadn't entered World War 2 when they did, you'd all be speaking German. I'm old enough to remember, I was there.

Is all this anti-American bullshit you're spreading in any way related to the original post.....I don't think so,

That is so typical of the brain-washed, sanctimonious, "my country right or wrong" American bull anal-secretion, of 'our' generation...I'm an American septuagenarian also. I think nearly all of us once believed Americans were heroes and the country was "a beacon of hope" for the oppressed masses. Its taken me nearly 50 years to finally learn the rest of the story! It's mostly been "smoke and mirrors". While the text books and civics teachers were telling us how fortunate we were to be Americans (and we definitely were fortunate!), nobody said much about lingering racism (brown, black and yellow), growing fascism and empire building, ruthless exploitation of other countries native populations and resources [read: Confessions of an Economic Hitman...probably available online with a Google search], extreme religious intolerance, hate-mongering, and political meddling in State affairs, and, probably most importantly, the increasing erosion of our Constitutional guarantees of civil rights and liberties---which has obviously been approved by the ruling elite, funded by our avaricious, profit-driven, amoral corporations, and enacted by our "out-of-control" CIA criminals and thugs! I'm not anti-American, per se, but I'm definitely anti-American global conquest and 'new world order' plans!

I personally think Viktor Bout deserves prison time for some of his activities (but, maybe not). America has become a militaristic bully, is the world's biggest supplier (and user) of weapons of war, and, internationally, the most lawless nation in the world and biggest de-stablelizer of world peace! Bout did not break any Thai laws, so far as I know, and I'm happy that Thailand did not 'crumble' to the usual pressures (& probable expectations) of U.S. officials (DoJ & CIA). Even Bout doesn't deserve to be handed over to those goons that practice "enhanced interrogation" techniques, illegal renditions, no habeas corpus, and no legal redress. And, by the way, the U.S. federal prison system definitely still has some "country club" examples but those are generally reserved for a token crooked politician or other high ranking official that gets sloppy in his/her illegal-for-profit machinations. Viktor would likely go to "Gitmo" until he gave the CIA his international customer contact list and then be rehabilitated into the witness protection program where his new life/identity could be funded by U.S. taxpayers!

Anyhow, do a little research on your country before you start criticizing true patriots that dare to condem bad U.S.A. foreign (and domestic) policies! I still have a little faith left in the American people. Most, I believe, still know the difference between right and wrong...they just don't know enough about the horrible atrocities being committed in our names, by our govt.! {Oops, I probably just got added to the "terrorist watch list" by implicating the only terror group with "black ops" teams capable of remote controlling airplanes into the WTC towers, slamming a missile into the Pentagon & claiming it was hit by a passenger jet, imploding the towers with nano-thermite (only made by the U.S. military), and the audacity to claim that some muslims unable to fly a Cessna trainer well, could have accomplished such a fatal attack.} But, no matter, I love living in Thailand and have no immediate travel plans!

Just my humble opinion (and some conjecture), of course! Peace!

8k pound is a massive amount! They should have fought it if they were innocent, why did they pay? did they steal it? giving in to these scams/extotions will make it continue! if you get in trouble you call your embassy and take it from there, REMEMBER INNOCENT UNTILL PROVEN GUILTY. Things need to change in Thailand

Sorry but calling your embassy will likely help you no more than calling the Chamber of Commerce back home. Somewhere "we the people" were led to believe that our embassies and consulates are there to help us with any problems when abroad. NOT!!! I think they exist only to promote big business and house CIA/MI5/Mossad, etc. agents. They overcharge for services we need and probably get kick-backs from the shyster lawyers they recommend!

There is so very little courtesy, respect, honesty, sincerity around anywhere today and, unfortunately, I have to blame the 'government gone crazy' actions & policies of the Bush/Cheney administration for much of it. Thailand can not continue to let this rampant corruption flourish. And we falanges living here need to help any way possible, rather than just criticize. Otherwise, the tourist trade will begin to rival that of Burma and the emboldened but impoverished criminals will start targeting us.

Just shrugging our shoulders and saying "TOT" when we read or hear about bad things happening, to others, just isn't going to hack it. I'm happy to acknowledge all of the favorable aspects of living here and don't look for flaws but we must stay alert and willing to confront evil whenever...and wherever.

Thanks for the update Scott. A very reasoned and even post on a 'hot button' issue which remains a concern with lesser or greater degrees to most.

Not certain what more the Govt may do, or really can do. Certainly pushing the public health Ministry to provide more info regarding preventative measures is welcome and wise (as they seem to be doing). Also, personally thought it was wise to centralise info collection from all the various clinics etc (order now been rescinded btw).

As things were a couple weeks back, there was a BREAKING NEWS alert in the Thai media every hour screaming: 'Yet ANOTHER swine flu case!!!' As there'll likely be hundreds and possibly thousands of new cases, it's just not wise to make this the focus in a media sweepstakes whilst scaring the bejeezuz out of an already bewildered and overwhelmed populace...

As for your school situation, with children susceptible more than others and being in close proximity, one can certainly see cause for heightened concern both for the students and staff. But it sounds like your school is taking prudent measures and unless a deadly virulent mutation should 'ever' break out, not certain much more can be done or should be at this time.

For example, outright closing schools like some did a couple weeks back simply swelled the midday population at Siam shopping mall, with pals holding hands, tweaking noses, sharing food etc as normal. Better to keep them in school (unless they show signs of flu of course) and start each day off with the daily flu updates from the Health Ministry, followed by Q&A regarding proper hygiene and prevention.

Meanwhile, 'teach your children well' (as CSN&Y used to say;) and hope your Oct break goes as planned.

Cheers.

Edit: just re-read your post and realised your school is closed, my error. Is this because of the 3 teachers off for 7 days thus a staffing issue? Or, could the school actually operate with current staff?

================================

Hello 'baht&sold':

Not many here are going to have any clue as to who/what "CSN&Y" refers to...but I certainly did, and enjoyed the spark of remembrance of my favorite musical group of all time. Suite Judy Blueeyes (sp?) is my favorite rock piece.

Historically the children and we 'older' ones are the most susceptible to dying from a bout with the flu virus but this H1N1 seems to be killing mostly middle aged ones. (Probably a special concoction from one of the CIA's black ops labs...but that might just be my personal paranoia.) I don't think the authorities can be TOO cautious when it comes to protecting the school kids! We old farts can protect ourselves or just gracefully accept nature's natural recycling.

Anyhow, thanks for the memories...

I live in an upland valley north of MaeRim/ChiangMai and came down with Dengue fever about this time last year. Felt suddenly ill on a Friday night; thought I had caught a cold or flu so I took Tylenol, Decologen (antihistamine), and Suladin (sp?) which my wife says is a strong cold/flu medication. (Always made me feel 'doped up' and worse but made me sleep well and feel better the next morning.) The next day, Sat., I knew I was really sick but have serious reservations about going to the hospital {anywhere} so I kept taking our home drugs and my wife got some antibiotics (blue capsules) & better pain pills (little pink pills) from a nurse-run medical clinic in our village. I had a raging headache, obvious fever, and every joint in my body hurt! But, no nasal congestion, runny nose, or typical cold/flu coughing...so I knew it was something else. Being stubborn, I figured I'd be okay soon and spent nearly all day and all night in my recliner because my joints hurt too much to lie on the bed. Sunday it seemed even worse so I told my wife to take me to the hospital if I wasn't better by Monday morning. I drifted in & out of conciousness, mostly brief fitful naps, for the second day and couldn't eat anything but oatmeal, soup, or 'milk toast'. Anyhow, about 4:00 AM Monday morning I woke up, still in the recliner, and was soaking wet. The fever had broken and I felt much better; the joint aches were much less, the headache was gone, and I knew I was going to make it to age 71! It was several more days before I began to feel well but I've had no reoccurrances of any of those symptoms.

I did a lot of research on the internet afterwards and discovered that there are four strains of dengue. The bad news is that you can 'catch' all four but the good news is that you won't be affected again by the strain you survive; and it is not likely that you will find more than one strain in the same general area. So, if you are bitten in your home area (as I was), you're likely immune from dengue if you don't travel to other outbreak areas. It is a very serious and nasty virus. I thought I might die that Sunday night...and hurt so much I didn't really care!

Good, they also should be horsewhipped for good measure.

What a bunch of tools.

Easy to see that you liked your pointed "Dunce" hat as a kid so much you traded it for a Klu Klux Klan one in later life! What an idiot you remain.

Ho can it be any worse than now ?

I hope you will never find out how much worse its possible to get. You're living in one of the most civilized countries in the world. You have relative freedom of speech and press. You have a functioning educational system and health care system that include mostly everyone and all layers of society. You have a relative uniform and strong sense of nationalism. You have water and electricity. If you want to know how much worse its possible to get, hope for your 10 years of military rule.

Well put, "xminator"! Thailand is MORE civilized than most Western countries, IMHO, especially the 'Homeland Securitized' U.S.A. I applaud the restraint of the police (mostly) and the military of Thailand in dealing with a peaceful protest of unarmed citizens with legitimate grievances against the government. BushCo would have sent in the jack-booted riot police, beaten them, handcuffed them, hauled them off to unannounce confinement areas without any specific charges, access to lawyers or bail, and granted no court appearance for as long as it could be kept quiet from the "free" press or general populace.

I see a lot of the visiting fascists are taking this "kinder, gentler" approach as a personal slap in the face. Hope it stings!

Congratulations, Thailand. This is a victory for all of you!

any experts? how difficult is it to take the airport without guns considering that PAD may has some basic anti tear gas gear and may brake in all offices to hide there. As well some might be armed with guns.

What they can do else in the worst case, destroy essentiell computers to ensure no normal operations for a while.

It is not difficult to get rid of them. First security needs to quickly lock the place down. Then the police need to come up the ramp with the water spray things, this will force the crowd down the other side of the ramp towards the exit and out on to the highway. Of course, using the water will cause a few scraps and gashes as the protesters get knocked to the ground by the force of the water but they will quickly retreat, other countries use this method and it is effective, chances of anyone dieing are very slim indeed.

If the police use what little brains they have then the eviction can be achieved quite quickly.

You need to be "water boarded" and then you might not wish to have the human riff-raff hosed out of the terminals!

The People's Alliance for Democracy insists it will continue its airport occupation and other protests until Somchai resigns. It also has rejected the general's proposal for elections, pushing instead for the appointment of a temporary government.

I didn't hear anything about the PAD rejecting fresh elections....

In any case Khun Anupong has been admirable in trying to resist calls for a coup, but now it is time for him to do so.

He is a steadfast and trustworthy man to take over at this point, and infinitely superior to the current corrupt regime.

Also, can people please stop saying that PAD want power. They do not. They want free and fair elections, and a government free of corruption. They have voluntarily disbanded once, and will do it again.

Well put, Scratt. Seems that George & whatever corporate hack wrote that piece for AP are backing the Thaksin shills that bought the last election! I haven't read an honest political article from the Associated Press in years. Shame, it used to be respected for responsible journalism.

The "anti-rich & powerful" riots in Mumbai are just a signal of the spreading despair of the disenfrancised populaces of many nations that simply are not going to stand for the corruption, greed, internal acts of terror, and violent reactions of those in power when people try to protest peacefully. I think we local foreigners and visiting falanges should stay out of Thai politics...period. I'm for peace and good governance, here and back home.

Numbers anyone?

Just how many protesters are there actually on the streets of Bangkok?

The only estimates I've seen for yesterday were 40,000 in the Post (quoted in the last thread) and "from a half to a third of the expected number" from AP (also quoted in the last thread) which would give from 25 to 33 thousand from PAD's dream of having 100,000 turn out. Give them 40,000, or even 50,000 and that's still less people than turn out for a good English football match! Coupled with the other quote in the last thread that support at Gov Hse. was dwindling away to no more than 5000 hard core protesters on a day to day basis, makes me think that the vast mass of Thailand's population want nothing more to do with Sondhi and his bunch of clowns.

And then Jai Dee reports that "100 protesters have reached Don Muang"..........ONE HUNDRED, and they think this gives them a mandate to overthrow the Government (however inept this present one may be). I've been watching the live coverage on TV (not ASTV - I don't get the cartoon channel), and while there were certainly crowds, a good few thousand or so, it was nothing like the mass uprising that PAD have hyped it up to be.

PAD may well be right about one thing. This probably will be the final attempt, I don't think the next one would be big enough to even make the news!

&lt;deleted&gt;, catmac, are you just bouncing around and reading the posts that fit your preconceived opinions? There have been several posts that stated PAD's intention to send smaller protest groups to various areas of BKK (Finance Ministry, Don Muang, etc). Besides, part of the reason the world is in such a mess right now is that most of us have been either pre-occupied with sporting trivia or busy trying to make 'end's meet' to keep an eye on the crooked politicians that have been bleeding us dry. But, you are in good company here; lots of fascists that obviously work for the 'masters' and share your misguided views.

P.S. What's "a good English football match"...they're all boring as hel_l. (Now that should really hit a nerve...meant as a joke, however. Life's too frapping short to get all worked up over the Thai's political issues; especially since there are so many 'difficulties' occurring in our former parts of the world. Cheers!

the unarmed police just shooted at a bus.

I just can't believe that the government is not doing anything after they had no problems killing people last time.

The police ended a hijacking with reasonable use of force and with no loss of life, and you seem to be implying that this is a bad thing . How much koolaid did you drink?

Maybe they should have given the bus a police escort through parliment.

OK, lets try again....

How can an unarmed policeman shoot?

Or is the police telling a lie, again?

<snip>

do you really expect ALL police in Bangkok to be unarmed? the police at the parlaiment are unarmed, the police elsewhere are not unarmed (and i am sure the criminals amonst the PAD are armed.

Do you think everyone should just give in to the criminals? do you think they shoulkd be given the freedom to continue with their criminal activities?

<snip>

I know it is none of my business (being a 'guest' resident) but I think you are wrong, Werbs, in branding the political protesters "criminals". I applaud their non-violent protesting and am surprised at how many posters here feel that the unarmed and very brave PAD supporters are the villains in this serious scenario. There is nothing "patriotic" about blind allegiance to bad governance. In fact, in a free society, it is a citizen's duty to protest when elections are stolen, bought, or misused. The current majority has made no attempts to hide their 'advise & consent' status with the banished billionaire that would be king...or god. "Toxin" and the similar super greedy, super rich, 'power elite' (elite only in their own perverted minds) in other countries of this world have absolutely no care or concern for the rest of the world's population or, indeed, for what happens to our world! Such people MUST be opposed by whatever means available. To not do so is like volunteering for slavery. IMHO

Good luck Thailand...fight the good fight (peacefully, of course)!

Warning! This country is owned and operated, and inhabited by Thai people, enter at your own risk.

that actually is a very good idea , given the way things work here.

Spotted at a little-used, small, backwoods border crossing coming over from the Lao frontier....

Hey Sriracha John: Your sign is obviously a phony. I love the Thais dearly but they have never put that many English words together without a grammatical error or misspelled word or two...