Insight

But Bangkok was not burned down except for a few department stores (and to my eternal regret the Siam Theatre), not one of them worth a human life - whether soldier, Thai civilian or foreign journalist.Many unarmed protestors and other civilians were however gunned down.The social media was alive with middle class calls for redshirt blood.

The red shirts left behind a trail of destruction after giving up Ratchaprasong, which went way beyond the boundaries of their camp, made throughout the night of the 19th-20th May. It was far more than "a few department stores" being burnt down. The next morning the smell of smoke from burning tires lingered in the air throughout the city. 7-11 shops and bank branches were destroyed and phone boxes smashed, right down Sukhumvit Road to Bang Na. According to a friend of mine in the area and another poster on this forum, Arisman personally oversaw the fire being lit at Thailand SET, along with the live rounds fired at the fire service approaching to put out the fire.

When asking the motorbike boys at the end of our soi who they thought responsible for the damage in our area the following morning, they replied with "Tahan sua daeng". A pro-red market stall seller in the local market cackled with glee at the damage done, saying something to the effect of "this is the power Thaksin can unleash when you cross him!", much to the dismay of other market stall sellers and customers listening to her.

Downplay the damage done all you wish and continue to play down the role of those who were clearly responsible for coordinating it. Many ordinary Bangkok civilians felt very uneasy and deeply concerned at the scale of the devastation they observed that morning.

Just for the record, had a settlement visa for the missus in with the UK embassy since 28th Aug 2012. Still eagerly awaiting any sort of response from the embassy.

The timing just was not right for the Red Shirts to shoot him. I can understand the argument he would be made a martyr, but it was too soon.

In the hours before She Daeng came down with his blinding migraine, he was being very vocal to the media about his orders from the "boss" regarding the placement of tyres around Chula Hospital. These orders were in direct contradiction of what the other red shirt leaders had suggested, and arguably putting more egg on the face of his boss.

In short, he had become a massive liability to the red shirts.

Apart from hearing that those lowlifes are safely behind bars I would be very interested in hearing what happens to the little boy.

I truly hope there is someone in Oswalds family that can take him away from all of this and provide a decent life for him and the courts don't make him stay here.

In the other paper this afternoon, police said the mother-in-law involved would become state witness and take custody of the child.

.

Thanks for the info, B - but surely this can't be the case...? (although I guess anything is possible in TH )

Any confirmation from the Siam CC guys?

I am not infering this man was done this way BUT why oh why oh why do so many aged wetern men marry these prostitutes. Just because they look sweet, they fall for it. Imagine driving to kings cross and marrying some brass in her fishnets, it would never happen. I dont know why Thais are so good at the game.

Silly silly men.

Think to yourself, what's the profile of most of these men? Consider their social standing back in their home countries, their personal net worth, their level of intellect and career successes and their age. What are the chances that they can find themselves a subservient woman who will care for them and (initially at least) looks up to them as their knight in shining armour, able to provide a comfortable and secure life for them and their children / extended families?

When a not so affluent farang comes to live in Thailand, they appear rich in the beginning due to the favourable exchange rates. After a while, reality and awareness sets in and the Thai wife realises that this seemingly wealthy farang is actually only middle class or lower in their home countries. He might be able to provide but not the the level the Thai wife had hoped for. So before it's too late and while she still has some appeal to another farang, she tries to get out of her current relationship asap.

Yes, you are right, silly, silly men but hey, don't be too hard on them, they are not much cleverer than your average Thai farmer either.

Oswald does not seem to have fit the loser profile you describe. In fact, he seems like he was a successful, smart guy.

I asked before if anyone knew about the background of the ex-wife, but no one responded. At least that I saw.

I wasn't talking about the victim here. I was responding directly to DonW's post. Sorry for any misunderstanding caused.

To avoid any further misunderstandings about who you are referring to, perhaps you might want to take your sweeping, degrading and presumptuous armchair analysis to a thread which does not discuss the murder of a well respected Expat.

Seriously...

OK, let's do this

Government doomed, protests, riots, escalation, army steps in, restores law and order

interested anyone?

For me, anyway, anything will be way better than these buffoons

so you'd prefer... protests, riots, escalation, army stepping in, 'restoring law and order' by which i assume you mean a coup?

nah, not interested in the illegal overthrowing of government, sorry.

and reply all you want but i'm not getting into it, can't be bothered.

Why not?

I guess it's threads like these in which ThaiVisa lives up to its unfavourable reputation in some expat circles.

I know the victim well. He was a much respected and liked member of Thailands cricket community. He was generous with his time and philantropic. As the reports mention he was involved in a custody dispute over his son. Please show some respect and refrain from the usual Tv spectulation and ranting. Cheers. RIP mate.

I had spoke to him a few times. A true gentleman.

May he rest in peace.

I agree entirely. Informative media have the freedom to interpret facts as they see fit, but they have a responsibility not produce and disseminate lies, especially after it has been scientifically proven that the lie is a lie. (I'm specifically referring to the false Abhisit "ฆ่ามันหมด" voice clip.)

when you refer to the faked Abhisit clip, do you mean the one released in August of 2009?

I'm afraid I can't remember exactly when it was released... but that sounds about right, it was referring to the 2009 protest. I do know that it was re-played by Jatuporn to incite more hatred on the Rajprasong stage in late April 2010, which is just shameless.

Hi - just a check - are you certain that it was jatuporn and that he had it played in 2010?

I was looking back at the information when the tape came out, and Jatuporn at the time did not play it at a rally because they had learned that the tape was doctored. That would make it very odd for him to play the tape, especially Jatuporn to do it, 7 months later at a rally.

It was definitely played at the rally in 2010. I cannot recall who was on the stage when it was played, but it was most certainly played.

.Bangkok gangs danced 'Gangnam Style' before Ekkamai gun battle, report claims

So, in Thailand the real tough guy's are dancing in the streets?Where I come from they were called pussy's

Replace the name "Scott" with "Thai gangs"

"Yeah but the army.....!!"

At least nobody on this thread is laughably questioning who the "black shirts" were acting for. Yet.

The imaginary people...........

Any chance of a source?

I truly despair for the future of this country!

Don't. I'm having colleagues contact me venting their frustrations with recent events. Even more surprising given I'm no longer in the country.

My own opinion is that there's a a large uprising in the post, and no number of shadowy militant types, sponsored shirt wearers or heavily funded PR machines will be able to prevent its outcome.

Convenient timing for these ambiguous poll results - not long after a rather embarrassing PT defeat at the polls which matter.

A number of people on my Facebook timeline are currently asking if they could be included in future ABAC polls...

And THB 300 M for maintenance of pumps? What - you gonna gold plate the little suckers?

It appears to be 300 million baht more than was paid out before for maintenance of anything in the BMA and probably a reflection of that previous lack of maintenance is that the cost is so high.

I'd love to know how you stay motivated. Seriously.

Oh we really need another bureaucratic 'peace' council. <deleted>? Have these people got nothing better to do?

Let them occupy themselves with peace rather than war.

Love is in our hearts and you must open yours. Feel the love, share the love.

ace

Those rubber bullets make a hell of a mess of a man's head.

For those interested.

The M16 can/does fire rubber bullets. it is a slowish laborious process. The ammunition must be fired from at least 50 M to ensure the projectile is non lethal. At close range, the round is small, heavy and has high energy and could easily penetrate the body. Further than 50M it is designed to inflict non lethal pain. These rounds are nothing like the large bore baton rounds in common use with UK security services. It used to be recommended to fire the rounds on the ground in front of the target, thereby ridding the round of more energy and hitting the target via ricochet, however this often causes problems as it is unpredictable where the round will hit a target (eyes/head etc).

For those who think that blank rounds do not cause any recoil on a military rifle, you are wrong.

The reds wanted an inquiry, they now have one. As soon as any evidence is given in court that does not suit their purpose they cry foul...pathetic!

Would you like to comment on whether the gentleman seen firing from 0'51''in the attached clip is firing rubber bullets in a slowish laborious process - for indeed it is the very same chap being investigated and shown in the OP photograph in the white shirt on the left.

By the way there is evidence, and then there is just plain outright lying. I think you can tell the difference in this case, surely?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVmlkt6adtw

Is that "sniper" shooting at the red shirt attempting to set ablaze the gas tanker parked in a large residential area of Bangkok?

Can't help but wonder how trigger happy such a "sniper" would be if it was being manned by a red shirt aiming at the army attempting to do something similar.

Condescending bone head.

"Why isn't " the overwhelming support for the red shirts" reflected in the numbers there, or here? Is it only seen through red glasses?" It is certainly reflected in the polls in Thailand and the red supporters in the U.S. are only less vocal because the yellow supporters control their livlihood.

This is a "vision" in need of some serious chasing.

Any concrete evidence you can provide of this overseas oppression of the reds from these so-called "yellow supporters"?

My own opinion is that these protesters make up the majority of Thai expats, who are "velly educated" enough to understand exactly what Thaksin's end game is.

In terms of sympathy for the redshirt movement, albeit with caveats, there is huge support among the most educated people in the Kingdom.

Have you got any concrete evidence of this?

Armed with some understanding of Thaiscript, you only have to look around online to find plenty of it to the contrary.

I was thinking of that grouping sometimes known as the intelligentsia - university academics, elite university educated professionals, leading journalists etc.Note I am not saying this represents other than a minority of well educated Thais nor does it imply any respect for Thaksin.But it is a very significant and impressive group, a world away from the often hysterical online presence you mention - 'the velly educate peeple".

Any chance you could quit with the paragraphs of obfuscation and simply provide some solid evidence of the "huge support among the most educated people in the Kingdom" of the so-called red shirt movement?

You know as well as I do how easy it is to provide much evidence to the contrary. No point flooding this thread with it.