zaphodbeeblebrox

how frightening!!!

Has anybody listened to the racket made by parking attendants all over Bangkok? They love their whistles.

An extra 117 military checkpoints will be set up to cover risk spots around protest sites and other key areas in Bangkok in the wake of escalating violence. /Bangkok Post

Do you think the CMPO should have done the same thing to protect the protest areas? After all, setting up checkpoints and doing searches was specifically authorized by the SOE. Maybe if they stuck to these violence prevention tasks, instead of trying to seize assets and remove protesters and their blockades, the SOE would not have been gutted by the court?

There's also been a bunker at Ratchaprarop Airport Link station (east side of street, just north of the station) for several weeks.

PDRC protest sites under bomb and gun attacks

BANGKOK: -- The skytrain station at Siam Square was also ordered close before midnight and all entrances were blocked by PDRC guards for safety reason.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pdrc-protest-sites-bomb-gun-attacks/

-- Thai PBS 2014-02-26

The redshirts have been unleashed. Suthep wasn't very effective in his shut-down of Bangkok. The redshirt gangs will show him how to do it. Welcome back, 2010.

"shootings in the central commercial area of Bangkok" on Wednesday

Is that the best these "journalists" can come up with to pinpoint the location of the shootings? At least they seem to have a better clue of what is happening than the police.

I would assume that judges and the courts have immunity from this type of nonsense. I'll do my research and see what I can find.

CMPO has done nothing but try to overstep its constitutional authority by stifling opposition to the PTP government. None of its actions have made Bangkok safer.

I can understand the police would not want to interfere with the bombings of anti-government political headquarters, but you'd think there would be some pressure to investigate when so many are being affected by collateral damage from the PTP gorilla war against their political opponents.

"Earlier authorities sold 600,000 tons of rice, netting a profit from the transactions in February of 20 billion baht."

Assuming the numbers are correct, profit to PTP, and no payments to the farmers. Well done! Why don't they own up to the fact that the program lacks accounting controls and that huge losses will need to be made up out of the general fund so that the pledge notes are honored and the farmers paid. The deception and misrepresentations are astounding.

Not related to the call to boycott Shinawatra-linked companies, my company has canceled over 150 AIS phone accounts in the last week. The reason: AIS is not company friendly. They don't offer online prepaid topup without going through a major submission of corporate documents (DTAC and True have online registration for their prepaid sim cards). It is also the result of AIS refusing to consolidate over 100 accounts into a single monthly invoice (yes, we receive 100 invoices from AIS each month in the mail). We switched to DTAC for our postpaid consolidation.

I have no sympathy for AIS. They deserve to lose the business.

I'm on the lamb, but I ain't no sheep. (pic taken in Sariburi today)

Political unrest bears no effects on retail shops

BANGKOK, 24 Feb 2014 (NNT) - According to the Development of Thai Capital Retailers Association, the ongoing political unrest has no bearings on the local retailer sector.

President of the Association Suwit Kingkaew made the comment, explaining that most of the retailers are located outside the capital, the main rally site, while the items they offer are everyday essentials; thus, their revenues remain steady.

Mr. Suwit said that the sector is more susceptible to consumer’s behaviors, and global economic performance.

He said that the number of retail shop operators is growing every year. At present the nation has a total of 600,000 shops, a jump of 3% year-on-year. Mr. Suwit said a retail shop’s strong point is its close proximity to communities, and has been eyed by producers of consumer goods as an attractive outlet with thorough access to local people.


-- NNT 2014-02-24

Well, if customers of Big C and noodles stands are continually being subjected to bombings and their children being killed because police are nowhere to be seen, this will quickly change.

Facebook? What percentage of the Thai population look at Yingluk's facebook page each day, or any day for that matter? Is television address out of fashion?

She has 2.5 million likes, if that helps you do the calculation. That means about 3-4% of the country's population would receive it in their news feed.

With major terrorist attacks this weekend, choosing to make a facebook post condemning the attacks, as opposed to going on national TV is a total fail as a leader.

One thing I noticed about the pics taken in the immediate aftermath of the attack is the total lack of a police presence. This is on the street just outside Big C and is not near any stages. It's the middle of one of Bangkok's biggest shopping districts, and no police. First responders were the army and rescue crews. The police didn't show up until the army had apprehended some possible suspects.

The lack of a police presence, in light of all the terrorist activity is most disturbing. Do they not care about the security of shoppers on the busy weekend?

I would give more weight to it being drunk football hooligans [red ones] after Trat were defeated by Chiang Mai FC in the season opener there last night. The game ended not long before the attack. Trat football fans are notoriously aggressive and violence is a common thing at and/or after matches.

How do you explain the similar attack in Klaeng 2 weeks ago?

The divisions in Thai society run too deep, and these are merely reflected in the police force. Until the police are loyal to the people and not the reds or yellows, there will never be proper enforcement of the laws. There will be no justice to punish the purveyors of violence. The police are wholly incapable of properly controlling and at the same time protecting protests. Yet, the right of protest remains firmly rooted in the Thai constitution as one of its pillars of democracy. When the police fail, ultimately the armed forces must step in. When the current situation becomes unbearable, we will see a repeat of what we have seen in the past, the army rescuing Thailand from self-destruction, because the police will always fail at this task.

Jatuporn's speech, made right before this terrorist attack seems to have kicked off a new phase in this protest movement.

"the battle could be finished in three days"
"we must fight and the situation will take a new twist. The world will remember our battle."

Why are people taking children to these protests? I have a five year old daughter and therefore those pictures of her in the hospital hit me pretty hard. I remember in 2010, people holding screaming babies above barricades in Bangkok. Leave the kids at home!

The attack occurred at a marketplace. Some of the injured and killed were at a noodle stand in the marketplace. Thai media is reporting the 8 year old was killed by a "stray bullet".

There are no stray bullets when someone fires into a crowd.

I agree, but I think the media is trying to explain that the girl wasn't part of the rally which was the intended target of the attackers. And, under the "transferred intent" doctrine, the attackers still would be seen under the law as intending to have murdered a bystander. Not that the perpetrators will ever be identified, or brought to justice.

Why are people taking children to these protests? I have a five year old daughter and therefore those pictures of her in the hospital hit me pretty hard. I remember in 2010, people holding screaming babies above barricades in Bangkok. Leave the kids at home!

The attack occurred at a marketplace. Some of the injured and killed were at a noodle stand in the marketplace. Thai media is reporting the 8 year old was killed by a "stray bullet".