grandpops

Abhisit's Facebook page is about to hit 200k fans.

http://www.facebook.com/Abhisit.M.Vejjajiva

I am so glad he moved to Facebook from Hi5

Right now he needs all the friends he needs.

I guess Suthep took him off his list the other day though.

i just signed up.

Proves nothing. I signed up. Love to see how he has aged since his soap star boy next door looks of last year.

So, by using a tried and tested formula and extrapalating the results. At least 50% of his followers signed up to see what kind of a fool he is making of himself on there.

Also, this sample (you and me) shows that 100% of his followers are Falangs who are irrelevant.

It's not all Bad for the Government.

The BBC pitched in with this masterpiece of of a sentance regarding Mark and Suthep

Mr Suthep was in charge of Friday's failed operation to arrest several key red-shirt leaders.

He had announced that the police were there to take "decisive measures against terrorists" - the government's word for an alleged protest hard core.

Did Aunty ever fall for the Terrorist spin! This is one of the most skillfully crafted shows of complete contempt for a Gov spokesperson I have seen in a long time.

The Thai Junta must be spinning the press like mad and threatening them with all kinds of charges, WP problems, LM etc, leading them to their favoured MOB outside the Army barracks.

What a farce, a MOB complaining about a MOB. Wouldn't happen under Thaksin.

But.

They are better conditions for free and fair elections that having all serious opponants of the Dems, barred, their parties disbanded and election courts set up to police canvassing, no outside monitoring etc.

FYI this is how the last fit up was conducted.

going mad to read all this stuff, most of you US guys, you came from a free country, Thailand is not a fancy video-game, it is real, the reds are real too. Nobody wants to start the talks first, that is "kindergarten".

Not true. There's been multiple attempts by the Democrats to restart negotiations, all snubbed by the reds who have insisted on a 16 day or less house dissolution demand.

Re Ahhisit's fan page - was started many months ago, but until 2 or 3 months ago the number of fans was below 100,000. Looks like my previous prediction will come to pass

What was your prediction? And thanks, I revisited his Hi5 page a few weeks back and saw it mentioned the FB page and assumed it was fairly new. When I went it was not too much beyond 100k. Just since my post about his FB it has added another 500 fans. LOL, I feel like I am waiting for the New Year's ball to drop to see it hit 200k ... about 450 more to go.

But again surprised, just out of competition, the Reds have not piled onto Thaksin's page. I think his went from about 10k to 20k in the same time Abhisit's has grown near a 100k.

Not as many computers in farmers living rooms. Usually their houses are full of farming things.

But nice to show your elitist blindness with this post. Shows more the class divide than anything else.

Yellows being the elites, have more money, therefore more computers, therefore more facebook members.

You not related to Einstein by anychance are you

If you're a farang in Thailand and not on the side of the Reds, then you're a traitor to everything the West has achieved in the modern era. You yellow, old-school, old-money supporters posting here would still be in the factory earning less than five dollars a day if it wasn't for socialists fighting for workers rights, true democracies, legal systems functioning equally for rich and poor, and universal healthcare and education. Thaksin is the catalyst for this uprising, whether he's good or bad. The Bangkok elite and their repressive rule is the cause - keeping the poor in their place with fear from every angle for decades. Farang! Stand up and fight for these PEOPLE's rights!

How (the expletive) can you have free and fair elections when propaganda like this is doing the rounds? FYI the word below Abhisit and Suthep is "murderers".

Imagine such material being distributed during an election campaign in the UK or US?

Go listen to the average red shirt speech and see if you'd get away making similar statements on a stage in your home country.

Traitor indeed.

Mate. There are dead people from last saturday. They didn't commit suicide, and the Army didn't just turn up off their own bat. Somebody (and you will have to make your own mind up about this) ordered it.

If Suthep ordered it and peopled died, what else should we call him?

OK--facts are facts

You might want to look up the word fact and understand it's meaning.

But now so what?

Well the reds are clearly the majority party,. This explains the last two coups (2nd done with the puppet court) that was ordered by the ruling elite.

A majority of 100 would be 50.1% at the very least and as the "RED party" did not win even 40% in the last election I am not sure how they are the majority party. Explain please

How do farangs play into this?

You have the ones who are logical and see that the reds, no matter how flawed, are on the moral high ground asking for rights for the poor.

Moral high ground? Threatening to burn down a city, throwing blood on peoples homes, kidnapping... rights for the poor? Perhaps you should talk the local village elders that cheat and steal from all these mainstream RED members on a daily basis...

I suggest in the future you make sure you are fully awake before you post...

Just how many PMs and parties should be banned by unelected courts before people protest?

Just look at the Rainbow PAD. Their man who was muscled into power behind the scenes is taking a bit of flak and they are out protesting. BUT, because they are protesting to try and save Abhisits bacon, they are exempt from SOE, allowed (encouraged) to gather outside army base.

Sauce for the goose.... If Anupong is to restore order in Bangkok, he can rid his base of this mob on his way to Rachprasong. Then, people may just believe the army are neutral.

The hi-so mob outside the army barracks were hilarious on the BBC. The journos were obviously bussed in to cover it by the propaganda chief-of-the-day and responded by showing them as the toffs they are.

Mr Angry threatening to organise leaders in the province, resplendent in his executive shirt and expensive glasses. It was like the Eton Debating Society going to Downing street to support Maggie during the mineres strike.

Stank of hi-class prejudice and was exposed as such. Not what they wanted to be shown.

I have been here for 13 years. I have always noticed that Thais will support the winner and not the underdog. That goes for sports, business, successful people, police, and generally government.

They do this so that they can be on the winning side and not risk being on the losing side because their bread is going to be buttered by the winner.

I have been frustrated when a wrong is being done, the Thai's know it but accept that the "boss" has requested that be done. They know it is wrong but will support the boss as not to lose grace.

Few people in this country think that they can be successful on their own, because if they are successful a "bigger" person will come and take it away, like the police and they are helpless to fight back.

This political exercise is just the start of lesser Thai's beginning to stand up for what they support, even if the "bigger" people don't support that.

The USA, yep I am American, had similar problems in the 70's with the national guard called out to quash the demonstrations, and that backfired on them.

I think that the quote "Democracy is the worst form of government barring all others" is quite true and unless you have a benevolent dictator or Monarchy it is the only way to go, and it is really messy.

I think that these demonstrations are far more civilized than currently take place in many parts of the world and as Falangs, who come from Democratic countries we should support this DEBATE and stop making fun of the "fat" guy climbing out the window, we all have "fat" guys in our respective governments.

You are so right with this post. Thais will switch sides at the last minute and they will all (mostly) be on the winning side. Somehow it works here and I respect them for the way they (generally) sort things out with some mysterious Thai glance or nod.

The Nation made much of his weight because they are no longer a newspaper. A better comparison would be the Football fanzines in england with their insults and taunts of opposing teams. Funny, but certainly not to be taken seriously.

I repeat my previous post. Imaging this in any supposed quality newspaper in the states or UK.

"Hillary Clinton hauled her fat frame up from the table (should loose a few pounds there) and was greated by President Obama and his porky wife, who had squeezed herself into an outfit that made her look like a used tampon."

Sneers and smears like this would wind you in court and any journo writing it would be out of a job. Do the writers of this drivel put their real names to it?

Praise the Nation if you like, but they are doing a great job for Thaksin by showing the world what is allowed as freedom of speech and what isn't ie anything against, Abhisit, Thuagabin etc.

The system that is used now is working, no real reason to change it.

You sir are right! All the other turkeys who scoff at the current system have missed this.

Traffic coming in from Karon, will now have to cross the traffic coming out lane outside Anchalee hotel (juction of Song Roi Pee) This will need traffic lights as the outflow traffic coming from the beach will have to be stopped as well.

The traffic coming out of Song Roi Pee at the Phra Baramee end will have to cross in incoming traffic. IE incoming traffic will have to go straigh ahead to the beach whilst outflow is trying to turn right accross it.

That is at least two new sets of lights they will need. It's true...

If they try it, it will fail.

Many airports mate if you don't like it. So long as the PAD leave them open when you plan to leave. Surely it would be the final indignity for you if you had to curse the PAD for stranding you at the airport.

And please stop appologising for them. This is where the seeds to all of this were sown. If they had just left Samark, Somchia in charge they would have been voted out of office by now, and in all propability, Mark would be in his first year as Thailands best PM.

Sorry he got impatient and took the poison challis from his elite masters. HE could have been good for the country, (still may be in ten years time or so) if he was his own man...... BUT.... he isn't! FACT

You still don't understand how the system works here do you?

IF they had just left Samak or Somchai in charge, they wouldn't have been voted out of office until Dec 2011.

Because that's when the next election should be held. 4 years after the previous election.

Is that clear enough for you?

They wouldn't have lasted that long. I am no fan of their competence and they were relying on others as well. Shows I am not as rabid in my posting as you yellows!!!

Democracy however makes no distinction! you are either voted in, or you are not. And Mark not only wasn't but he was put in with votes that were (as you rightly pointed out.. Thanks ) that were not due until next year. At least we agree on that.

TAN Network: Army Spokesperson requested red shirts return soldiers' weapons, concerning that 3rd party would use it to frame red and/or soldiers.

An interesting statement. Logically, by saying the reds have the weapons but that they might be used by the 3rd party, it assumes they are one and the same, or at least are in co-operation. I agree.

And skirting over the fact the the Army lost a ton of weapons!! AGAIN... AND.. had another game of kiss catch with the Cambodian Army this afternoon in Surin.

Anybody post that list weaponry they lost?

What a mockery all this comes to. Ineffective Police and Army covered with bright coloured medals (for what?) and mob ruling a cosmopolitan city.

A Prime Minister who is issuing orders for civility and complete ignor(ance) by those empowered to act.

A convicted criminal paying to (yes) 'terrorise' a populace and Interpol has not been called in to arrest him? Remove the head of the snake (and the money tree) and see what happens.

Thailand your time is up. You are now the laughing stock of all Asia.

If the Thai Army/Police are incapable of taking orders (as it will affect their income - poor dears) call in the US or Brits or Aussies and clear the streets of this 'mob rule'.

Allow the Govt to get on with it and in the interim sack all the heads of the Police down to Sergeant and as already mentioned in these strings, pay a starting salary above Baht 6,000 a month so they don't have to take bribes. I m sure the public here is also unaware police here have to buy their own guns meaning there is a huge market for weapons and ease of access to almost anyone.

It is well known Thailand runs as perhaps the most corrupt country in SE Asia and this 'display' of inability to control the 'out-of-control' means things need to happen and now.

Many airports mate if you don't like it. So long as the PAD leave them open when you plan to leave. Surely it would be the final indignity for you if you had to curse the PAD for stranding you at the airport.

And please stop appologising for them. This is where the seeds to all of this were sown. If they had just left Samark, Somchia in charge they would have been voted out of office by now, and in all propability, Mark would be in his first year as Thailands best PM.

Sorry he got impatient and took the poison challis from his elite masters. HE could have been good for the country, (still may be in ten years time or so) if he was his own man...... BUT.... he isn't! FACT

It seems pretty clear what happened.

1) The redsihrts were tipped off.

2) The police were delayed by elements in their forces and by redshirt supporters on the scene

3) By the time the police reached the leaders they were surrounded by an angry mob who has already shown the willingness to fight security forces.

4) The roads were quickly blocked by hundreds of redshirts.

5) The police were trapped, didn't have the will or the mandate to use force on the redshirt mob who had descended on the scene within minutes, and they were outnumbered.

6) Arisman's stunt was a PR gimmick, performed after the police had already been forced to give up.

Yes, there is some serious egg on the face of the RTP. They are publicly humiliated.

The only way this operation could have worked would have been to get in and out in under 10 minutes. They failed to do this.

Why they didn't temperarily sequester the staff and their cell phones,

'for their own safety' is an open question to the gods of proper law enforcement.

Why use a word like sequester? You obviously mean Kidnap!! Oh the irony. Sequestered at gunpoint.

grandpops....

and where are you from.... sir?

do you live in korat.... sir?

i'll be very happy to donote 100,000 to the charity of your choice.... sir

if the redshirts can successfully, as you suggested, negotiate with the army and the biz community.... and

another 100,000 to the redshirt coffer.... if you can prove to the thaivisa community and readers alike that....

there are some 30 mil redshirt supporters around....

i am just curious.... is your attending physician named.... DOCTOR WHENG....?

the redshirted doctor wheng was the first to publicly announced during their negotiation with apisit govt that the redshirts has some 20 or more million supporters....

and now grandpops.... you are saying the number has grown to 30 mil....

well.... just prove it to the thaivisa communities.... alright? and i'll be more than happy to donate to your favourite charity....

as far as the 300,000 silent majority supporters on facebook, it is really a surprise to everyone alike.... by now it could have

grown to a much larger number....

as grandpops said.... stranger things happened.... indeed who knows.... grandpops could be right too....?

grandpops dear.... wanna give me a rebuttal here....

It's another snide piece and another nail in the coffin of journalism at Thailand's premier PAD mouthpiece. References to weight and appearance that would not be tolerated against other groups. Imagine a piece on Hilary Clinton referencing her body shape and appearance and ignoring all she said? Thats how low this pamphlet has sunk.

This was an assassination attempt. All the footage showed the room shot to bits.

They are now pinning their hopes on the Army. Are the Army going to run the country now if the Police can't?

Want to see serious loss of income, support and face for Thailand? Then let the Army go on a killing spree.

I think the smart move for the Reds is to negotiate with the Army. Then they all win, Army, Reds and business district. Leaves Mark and Thaugsabun out in the cold hoping that their 300,000 facebook supporters are enough to outvote 30 million red supporters!!

Mind you, stranger things have happened here.

See other thread.

BPost: Ex-army chief Chaisit Shinawatra offers to take army chief Anupong Paojinda to visit red-shirts at Ratchaprasong Intersection rally site to see real situation.

More likely than the blood bath you are hoping for.

Another report from TAN is that they are asking the army to clear the Pink bunch away as it might be seen as double standards to kill one group of protesters and encourage another. double standards regarding the PAD, who are as vacuaous as ever and devoid of any tactic other than hiding behind pictures of one who really is way above this despotic little mob.

They are close enough to the Army for them to have a trail run!! Few tons of tear gas over the wall, few cracked gucchi bags and ray bans and the Hhi'so facebook protest is off!!! As likely as a blood bath by Anupong.

It's another snide piece and another nail in the coffin of journalism at Thailand's premier PAD mouthpiece. References to weight and appearance that would not be tolerated against other groups. Imagine a piece on Hilary Clinton referencing her body shape and appearance and ignoring all she said? Thats how low this pamphlet has sunk.

This was an assassination attempt. All the footage showed the room shot to bits.

They are now pinning their hopes on the Army. Are the Army going to run the country now if the Police can't?

Want to see serious loss of income, support and face for Thailand? Then let the Army go on a killing spree.

I think the smart move for the Reds is to negotiate with the Army. Then they all win, Army, Reds and business district. Leaves Mark and Thaugsabun out in the cold hoping that their 300,000 facebook supporters are enough to outvote 30 million red supporters!!

Mind you, stranger things have happened here.

where are the 30 million Red supporters.. 30,000 you mean... and for sure here the Army will go on a killing spree... give us some fun to watch on TV..

30 million red in the face supporters, maybe.

30.000,maybe,

on the payroll 15 thousend,

somebody says Hilary is a lesbian,true or not?and her husband a wanke_r, in case of the internal..what was her name?

Wow,

You guys sure know how to raise the level of debate on here don't you.

Symptomatic of the fact that the Falangs coming over here are increasingly from the Yob class.

It's another snide piece and another nail in the coffin of journalism at Thailand's premier PAD mouthpiece. References to weight and appearance that would not be tolerated against other groups. Imagine a piece on Hilary Clinton referencing her body shape and appearance and ignoring all she said? Thats how low this pamphlet has sunk.

This was an assassination attempt. All the footage showed the room shot to bits.

They are now pinning their hopes on the Army. Are the Army going to run the country now if the Police can't?

Want to see serious loss of income, support and face for Thailand? Then let the Army go on a killing spree.

I think the smart move for the Reds is to negotiate with the Army. Then they all win, Army, Reds and business district. Leaves Mark and Thaugsabun out in the cold hoping that their 300,000 facebook supporters are enough to outvote 30 million red supporters!!

Mind you, stranger things have happened here.

Gen Anupong has been reluctant to clear the streets, and now he's in charge. Here's my interpretation. PM knows he won't make it till September. Than means his successor will name the replacement for Anupong when he retires. By putting him on the front line now Gen Anupong either has to act and take responsibility for any massacre, or not act and take responsibility for the failure. Either way he can be forced into early retirement and the PM can replace him sooner than September and name a friendly General to head up the military instead of losing the election and having a pro red General leading the Army.

This is an incisive analysis of the politics at play here, but it appears that both the police special forces and the army are deeply divided and act according to their factional loyalties rather than being cohesive - evidenced by the failed operations to date. Has anarchy simply been well-hidden until now, or has it emerged as the constitution is tested beyond its limits?

Good response. The only thing wrong with the post you reply to is that Abhisit did not pull Anupongs strings. Anupong sat out the debacle yesterday morning, watched it go tits up the took charge. Hence Mark shaking like a blancmange on TV last night. He had had the rug pulled out from under him and his stooge in charge of comedic street policing is toast. He was starting to look like Goebels.

You are right about the divided loyalties and if the Army were crazy enough to slaughter a load of reds, you would find people from Bangkok going to Pattani, Beiruit, Gaza and Zimbabwe next year for their holidays to get some peace and quiet away from the troubles here.

IMHO

Cretins.

The Government has managed to find a few top cops that will obey its rules.

The rank and file however are having second thoughts.

Like the Italians in the last war, they are capable of more fight than this. Trouble is, the rank and file are mostly red, their families are mostly red.

So much for the offer of talks. No more talks I say, starve the business community out now. All the yellow supporters backers are now loosing big money.

Obama was so concerned yesterday with the Thais running round screaming "Terrorist" that he held a press conference.... and announce a mission to Mars!

You have evidence to support your contention? From what I have seen of the RTP over a good number of years they appear to be a bunch of bananas. Yellow and come in bunches. It needed 50 plus of them to shoot up an elderly couples refrigerator remember? They will support any party that allows them to carry on being a national disgrace with the reputation of being the largest organised crime syndicate in the world.

Plenty mate, Look around and you will see corruption in every corner of every walk of life here. Thaksins been gone 4 years!

Lucky they shot the fridge. The army managed to kill a few people on live tv last weekend. Suppose as you didn't think is fit your argument that you didn't see it.

You intellegent falangs think you have answers with your glib replys. you don't even know the questions to begin with.

Let's call a spade a spade. I have read these low blow attacks at anti-red foreigners by pro reds several times here recently. They want to give the impression that anti-red foreigners are mainly that way for lurid, vile, corrupt, personal greed reasons. I do wonder is this the kind of anti-foreigner hate propaganda being broadcast to the red crowds to "explain" that so many foreigners are indeed anti-red/anti-Thaksin?

They don't want to give us credit that actually we do care about Thailand and sincerely do not like Thaksin and the reds and the misery many of us feel will be visited on Thailand if they manage to prevail.

Been saying it for years.

When Thaksin started closing bars early, clothing the ladies and driving the sex scene into entertainment zones, he lost the backing of the intellegent expat community.

Your misery is nothing to do with this countrie's problems and you have contributed nothing.

Falangs buy bars, visit bars and live for bars. No loss to the general population if a few more of you are barred from the country because you can't be bothered with work permits, tax etc.

Speaking of which. Any falang not paying tax here and not married, should go home tomorrow. don't need em. Really.

Quite imagine many duplicate accounts signing up....

Like the poll on here where 1000 voted but only 50 commented!!

They can have a vote at the election so whats their beef if they think they are so many?

I refer to my Dwayne Dibble post yesterday, they are nerds.

Maybe he is keen to see Karadic in the Hague!

I think seriously the reds will negotiate with him, just to rub salt into the wounds of whats left of the government. Army conspicuaously absent this morning.

Seeing through the mist of tear gas

Giles Ji Ungpakorn

Machine guns and tanks are not brought on to the streets to cook noodles, show off to tourists or repair the roads.

TV, are you sure Gile is allowed to post here?

Don't you remember why he is not in Thailand?

However I really love Giles writing. Especially the red m... sorry cannot mention here.

Nice to see free speach been promoted by the yellows on here.

Same happend to Jonathan Head. PAD don't like him, LM charges off he goes.

Is the CRES a sort of modern day SS one wonders. They are summoning all and sundry to appear before it, and all and sundry are ignoring it.

Meanwhile the Army base has conscripted a mob of PAD human shields.

So spontaneous, so spontaneous.

Thailand is another set of murderous assaults on demonstrators away from basket case status.

Seeing through the mist of tear gas

Giles Ji Ungpakorn

Machine guns and tanks are not brought on to the streets to cook noodles, show off to tourists or repair the roads.

TV, are you sure Gile is allowed to post here?

Don't you remember why he is not in Thailand?

However I really love Giles writing. Especially the red m... sorry cannot mention here.

Nice to see free speach been promoted by the yellows on here.

Same happend to Jonathan Head. PAD don't like him, LM charges off he goes.

Is the CRES a sort of modern day SS one wonders. They are summoning all and sundry to appear before it, and all and sundry are ignoring it.

Meanwhile the Army base has conscripted a mob of PAD human shields.

So spontaneous, so spontaneous.

Thailand is another set of murderous assaults on demonstrators away from basket case status.

The Colorful Shirts are in front of the 11th. They appear to be having a good time and behaving themselves admirably... Fair sized crown as well.

Hope they are not frightening the inhabitants!!!

CS gas in a high concentration dropped onto the protesters from Helicopters .... a few hundred rubbish collecting trucks ... they'd be lying on the floor throwing up and not offer any resistance what so ever ... get rid of this rubbish .....

Any pick up heading towards Bangkok with red shirts in or on it should be confiscated at police check points not to be returned to the owner .. any bus transporting red shirts should be treated the same ... see how many pick up owners and bus companies will bring more of this scum to Bangkok

Remember, they are breaking the law, kill people and want to have a convicted gangster to come back to rule the country

Why don't you do it then? Perhaps you keyboard warriors should go to the Army Barracks and sort this mess out. Sure you will be well received!!

So we are proposing gassing, Helicoporers dropping stuff on them, Anthrax cows I saw yesterday and Navy Seals in Boats treking up Silom!! How about some real seals balancing balloons and blowing kazoos, flapping around the area!!

How about this. Corporal Jones with bayonet fixed.... they don't like it up em Mr Thuagsabun, they don't like it up em! Or Benny Hill music on Thai Tv reports of police raids?

PS, this change in the country is going over your heads and you obviously don't know anything of Thai History or how Thais conduct themselves, even in disputes. Note the smiling faces of the so called Kidnapped CAT boss and the relaxed informal gathering with the Police who were detained this morning.

More Violence is being proposed on this forum that in the offices of the Thais, on both sides!

I think you are all being a bit hard on the police. Its easy to joke about their incompetence but think about what you would do in the situation. You have Red-Shirts all over the place, guarding the hotel room doors and in numbers outside. Some of them may be armed. You can't go in an shoot them so how do you get in to make an arrest? Tear gas? Think of the chaos that would cause. Helicopters? What good would they do? By the time you have got through the door he is going out of the window. I don't see how you can arrest somebody surrounded by thousands of demonstrators without overwhelming numbers of police/army and using force with the potential of another bloody mess and who would that benefit? The Government? The Army or Police? The more chaos there is and bloodshed the more likely it is that the Red Shirts will succeed.

I'm no security expert, but considering the Bangkok Post just ran an article about the (supposedly) amazing Thai Navy SEAL team, why not use them? And as someone else mentioned, the Thai military does have helicopters. Were these BiB traffic cops the only swat team they could find?

Thats all we need now!

Armed patrol boats making their way through the traffic!