Insight

PM Charlem is now in charge. Reap what you sow, Thailand.

p.s. Here's a video on Facebook of the aftermath of the incident. Note how the red shirts are provoked into continuously attacking the guy as he's being escorted away:

Slightly off-topic, but do you have an "inside scoop" on the ten or so red shirts charmers that were just rallying outside of 90-odd year old Prem's house on his birthday?

Seems like even after a democratic election and an undisputed win they still can't manage to let it go. I wonder what's egging them on...?

No, i haven't.

But what is egging them on is that the larger conflict is far from over. Elections are only one part, but the conflict is a structural sozio-political conflict involving the core of Thai identity. For this you have to look closer into academic theory. There are many papers written by eminent scholars that look into these aspects of the conflict. To name a few prominent ones: Nelson, Streckfuss, Hewison, Thongchai Winitchakul, Pasuk and Baker, Andrew Walker, etc.

Okay then.

See you the next red violence related thread soon.

Regardless of the circumstances of this attack, those who know the red shirts will know that attacks like these are hardly uncommon.

Guess we'll be reading much more of Nick on similar threads in the next few months!

Those who know the political situation know that attacks from every group against their opponents are very common. Over the past years i have photographed more than a few of those attacks by Red Shirts, Yellow Shirts, Multi-coloreds, and whatever group plays a role in this mess.

Slightly off-topic, but do you have an "inside scoop" on the ten or so red shirts charmers that were just rallying outside of 90-odd year old Prem's house on his birthday?

Seems like even after a democratic election and an undisputed win they still can't manage to let it go. I wonder what's egging them on...?

Regardless of the circumstances of this attack, those who know the red shirts will know that attacks like these are hardly uncommon.

Guess we'll be reading much more of Nick on similar threads in the next few months!

It's okay though because the big, shining red light of democracy that is Phua Thai have assigned the best upholder of truth and justice, Chalerm Yubamrung, to the case.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Burn your decks of cards. Heavy handed but ultimately completely ineffective crackdowns undoubtedly in the post.

He is rubbing it in.

And thus still making absolutely no attempt whatsoever to reach out to the millions of Thais who still despise him, regardless of what the election figures may show. And this is somebody who hardly has the ethical upper hand, despite all the efforts his red shirts last year and the year before to antagonise the army into committing an atrocity.

I'll say it again - at this rate it's all going to end very badly indeed.

Good. This may gove the opponents of Thaksin the confidence to not fear a referendum on 1997 or 2007. If they win it and 1997 is rejected the technical return of Thaksin will not happen. It is best that this choice is put to the people.

Personally I think the people will choose 1997 given the choice. I also suspect Thaksin's opponents think this, which is why it is being spun as delay, dont even try and government will fall when really they should be pushing for a quick vote if they are so confident of the outcome. Why would a government fall if it pushed for charter change via the democratic route by the way? The people would have the say. That is democracy. I guess if core policy went down they could be pressured to go for an election, so again for Thaksin's opponents if they believe this data is accurate a quick referendum on charter change would seem the logical option.

The survey figures all seem on the positive side of opposition to charter change - 70% in favour of postponement is way beyond margin of error. What makes you believe that PTP would hold a referendum inlight of negative figures, they could just do it and claim that they have a mandate?

PTP will go for a referendum as they'll deal with it the same way they dealt with the election - throw a truckload of money at the PT-loyal populous and expect them to come onboard, regardless of rational.

For the rest of the voting public who are well aware of what the real agenda is here, changes to the constitution will remain venomously opposed. But tough titty as that's democracy.

It'll end in tears. Or much worse.

Great feedback - big thanks for the info and links!

Looks like citizenship could be the best approach, with PR second. Will investigate both options further and try and keep this thread updated with how it proceeds.

Hi,

Have been based in Thailand for 10 years on Work Permit/Non-Im B for the entire duration. As of four years ago I started covering the costs of the work permit myself as I moved into consultancy. I've also been married to a Thai national for four years. My work permit is up for renewal this October, but was wondering if there's an alternative route I could now take to living and working here legitimately without having to fork out the costs for a work permit each year.

I understand there's PR, but I still need to apply for a work permit if actually working here?

Thanks for any info provided.

I

As usual the usual suspects rage and foam about Robert Amsterdam.However as I understand it he immediately clarified the position when it became evident these were not redshirt bodies.

Fact is Amsterdam has drawn attention to several uncomfortable truths about the last government's record.His critics however never address these (or deny them - the reds murdered themselves etc ) preferring personal abuse as we have just seen.

As to his PR activity, all governments do this including Thailand who hired an expensive European PR firm to deal with their lies and obfuscation in the recent German seizure of an aircraft.

"However as I understand it he immediately clarified the position when it became evident these were not redshirt bodies."

Really? Where did he do this?

He tweeted it

... with his (visible) right hand.

Well this complete non-story managed to keep the growing discontent within the red shirts of Phua Thai on display at last night's rally off the front-pages.

Well done Amsterdam & co.

They didn't want the gathering last night to be publicised after they were denied use of the Wat.

I think there's several other aspects of it they don't want to see publicised also.

Well this complete non-story managed to keep the growing discontent within the red shirts of Phua Thai on display at last night's rally off the front-pages.

Well done Amsterdam & co.

A mass grave discovered and still no international press coverage. I smell a big Thaksin.

I'd never usually ask this question as it's really not what I go looking for, but I'd be very surprised if the local media cover this one without all the usual gory details. And yet where are they? Vague details and accusations is all we have so far.

You can tell he's near.

Shouldn't a discovery of bodies of this number (and this recent - allegedly) get the attention of international media? Where are they?

Instead all we've got is local articles with Thailand's finest already pointing fingers.

Another stink. Start getting your exit visas sorted out.

Dr Thaksin's criminal charges was politicaly motivated from the begining.

There was NEVER any truth about his supposed wrong doings.

That tripling of personal wealth while in power, all an entirely legit operation from an honest Thai ex-cop.

What exactly did the Democrat government claim about Interpol anyway back when they were in power anyway? Anybody got any links?

I recall them saying the details had been sent off to Interpol, but citing problems as to whether Interpol had the authority to get involved with such cases.

Am sure I'm about to be corrected with articles released at the time in 3.. 2..

Better let him back and let the fertilizer hit the ventilator sooner than later.

A very polite way to describe the almighty shit storm that is brewing ahead.

It's a dam_n shame that the Red Shirts disabled all the street CCTV cameras in and around the protest camp, things would be much more clear with the videos recorded from them.

They really didn't like being watched. Mr Stickman himself (who was also well aware of the red shirt plans to torch CTW should the army breach the barricades) had the feeling he was being followed when he went inside camp red to interview protesters.

RT

One thing I know for certain.

Most of the posters on this thread would never get used to using Twitter.

In addition to that, in other battle zones several completely innocent bystanders were shot by the military, such as one middle aged man - not a protester - at Bon Gai who was shot while going out to do shopping when the military suddenly fired - he is now paralized. One man was killed in one of the upper floors of the Complete Apartment . There are many such cases where there are witnesses, and where the forensics play out as well. The cases are shuffled around between police and DSI, and for some to me unknown reason have not yet reached the prosecution.

AFAIR during this time the military were advising people to keep off their balconies as there were unknown snipers targeting people (didn't an actor also get killed on a balcony while holding a camera...?). If need be I can dig around for a YouTube clip video stating something similar in the commentary. Reading the above it seems like you're fingering the military for these deaths - on what evidence?

/edit here's two clips - the commentary of both state they have been told to keep off the balcony:

If the army didn't want them to film and they're apparently responsible for snipering others, why didn't they sniper these guys as well. Instead it looks like they went through the trouble of getting in touch to tell them to stop filming and keep out of site...

This is one of the videos which emerged from the chaos of April 10th, giving people the impression that something wasn't entirely correct with the red shirt narratives of the army being responsible for all deaths.

There's the other video of the sniper victim which won't be linked to for obvious reasons.

As 'Rix eluded to, how does the army gain by having a high body count? It doesn't; it would be simply conforming to the brutality it is being accused of by the red shirt side.

Wonder if anybody else is prepared to be attacked by hoards of "red shirts" while trying to escape violent demonstrations, have doctored audio recordings made from their speeches, suffer death threats made on "community" radio stations, be the subject of downright bizarre rituals such as having blood smeared all over their house and roof, undergo constant protection from the very real threat of assassination, have their manipulated images of themselves distributed with demon-like attributes, and so-on and so-forth..? While all this time deal with the constant in-fighting within the Democrats originating from the usual dinosaurs, and possibly face complaints from another side of being too gentlemanly and soft.

You could argue it goes with the territory. I'm keen to see parallels, if so.

I do have to say that, although I no fan of PT, this is one of the silliest complaints that I've ever heard.

I'm sure that everyone realized that these promises were just hot air.

The rural Thai's would not have.

And the failure of Phua Thai to live up to the election promises they made could render them very vulnerable indeed. However there are far better and legitimate ways of exploiting this vulnerability than going trying to have them dissolved through the courts.

Democrats really do need to wise up, otherwise this will be yet another opportunity gone wayside.