Mai Krap

This is just horrible, there is no accountability here in this country for anything. You would think the property owner would be concerned about dangerous balconies but I doubt it ever crossed their mind.

I hope these boys can recover from this, prayers out to them and family............................

I talked to the female Sleep Clinic Doctor a couple days ago, was referenced to her by the local clinic. She travels up to Isarn one day a month but the clinic up here does not have any way of actually testing anything as they have some old outdated equipment in a brand new hospital. The typical Thai response to sleep problems is drugs, sleeping pills and such. From what I gathered through investigation is you can see the Doctor here for free and she will tell you to come to Bangkok for 25,000 Baht. After a test you will be handed over to whoever it is selling the CPAP, sold the highest priced machine and then left alone to sort out how to adjust and use the thing.

I'm very negative of the Standards here, having been infected with Staph, and other negative experiences. I think it says much when Samak chose to go to America for treatment. I had a echo cardiogram done and the Doctor answered and took three phone calls while he watched the monitor, I would have raised helll about it but I figured it would do more harm than good. I have a appointment for next week but I may just go back to the States to get checked out.

Mobi, Whats the latest on your sleep apnea? Have you adapted to the mask?

Does anyone know of more sources for CPAP machines in Thailand? There are now some available in America for around 300 Bucks such as the Everest 2 which is a lightweight travel module that can even be operated by battery in order to use on long haul flights.

These two men, the poorest of the poor, duck farmers, sleeping out to keep soi dogs and snakes away from ducks, were tied up and savagely beaten. It is stated that both men had both arms broken. If it were simply a case of murder why would they not have just beaten them about the head? People are killed everyday in Thailand, there is nothing new about that, however the needless act of savagely beating these men stands out as a bigger story to me.

Monsters and Critics, was also pointing out a sharp increase in violent crime in Thailand over the last two months that parallels the economic crises that PAD and GOV refuse even exists. In my opinion we are going to see more and more of this kind of thing for many reasons. The biggest reason is that people who are given authority in Thailand to prevent such crime and take action against criminals simply refuse to take any responsibility to protect the public.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asi...ad_in_Thailand_

Duck heist leaves one dead in Thailand

Asia-Pacific News

Dec 31, 2008, 3:04 GMT

Bangkok - Thai thieves killed one man and severely bludgeoned another in a daring midnight duck heist in Ayuthaya province that netted 1,600 fowl, news reports said Wednesday.

Duck herders Kampaeng Saengchan, 58, and Montri Suebjabok, 48, were attacked by unknown assailants at midnight Monday as they kept vigil over the 1,600 birds in Nakorn Luang district of Ayuthaya province, 90 kilometres north of Bangkok, police said.

The duck rustlers tied up both men and beat them severely, killing Kampaeng and leaving Montri with head injuries and both arms broken.

Montri told police that an unidentified woman had approached them Monday asking to buy the ducks, but they told her the poultry did not belong to them, reported the Bangkok Post.

At midnight Montri was awoken by a flurry of blows delivered by three men. He survived the attack by pretending to be dead as the thieves took off with the ducks.

Wichan Sriam, the owner of the pilfered birds, told police that this was the second poultry theft he had suffered this month.

He said in mid-December 500 ducks had been stolen from his farm. Authorities have recorded a steep rise in thefts and burglaries since Thailand's economy started to slow down two months ago in response to the US financial crisis.

Think To Mut, You've got it all wrong, are completely out of touch with the reality of this situation. The Elite, The people puppeting PAD will certainly loose some financial ground but they will remain the Elite economically by double dealing and ripping off the disadvantaged as they always have. The price of rice and demand for rice is irrelevant to the field hand as they will always receive the smallest financial gain from farming. The middlemen and and mills will do as they always have paying less and charging more as they are third largest "Mafia" in Thailand behind the police and the military and none of them give a damm about anyone but themselves.

Nationalism in Thailand is in no way relative to Patriotism in America, its just a mob mentality with a mafioso morality, most of the flag holders are only cannon fodder as those who gain and lose power do it from offices within mansions and towers protected by private armies.

Anyone who believes PAD represents the middle class needs to understand that their middle class as described by international media is actually the equivalent of second tier Elites who also need to protect their position by limiting competition and keeping the masses from having any political power. Just go back and read their proposals, now look at their actions, does anyone believe they represent the farmer turned small business owner? Or is it obvious they wish for everyone under them to remain under them through protectionism and loyalties to powers who supplied their original bone? No business in Thailand wants any competition nor did any of the "Privileged" want any political competition, there is nothing democratic about Thailand other than every group wishing to move the goals everytime a ball is put into play.

My quotes were intentioned to lay a little light on the hypocrisy of claiming that Thailand is not in financial trouble when every single indication is that not only is Thailand in trouble, it is in big trouble.

Forgive me for entertaining myself with the news of this sinking ship known as Thailand. I would be laughing and dancing knowing that I was correct about the near future accept the failure of the "Elite" will in no way effect them negatively, their party will go on. It is my Thai family who does the back breaking work in the fields of Isarn who will suffer all the more and it is the next generation who have lost.

At one time I was a true believer, I spread the great message of Thailand. I convinced others to invest money here, build businesses here, to envision a great future as Thailand had such promise. I apologize to those people, I was wrong, we all gambled and now we have all lost. I once new a photographer who published a book named "Goodbye Bangkok" well Goodbye Thailand, once I thought of you so fondly, I will greatly miss the Thailand I fell in love with.

Sat, December 27, 2008 : Last updated 15:26 hours

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/12/27...ss_30091980.php

UNEMPLOYMENT, November job losses hit 70,000

By THE NATION

Many more lay-offs expected

About 70,000 jobs were lost in November, and many more are expected to follow in the next six months as the global economic crisis reaches Thailand, forcing business operators into more lay-offs, says the National Statistical Office (NSO).

Last month, the number of unemployed reached 520,000, up from 450,000 in October.

The unemployment rate crept from 1.2 per cent of the workforce in October to 1.4 per cent in November.

"Unemployment is 1.1-per-cent higher year on year. It's worrisome, given that unemployment is rising in the last quarter, when unemployment is usually the lowest of the year at that time," secretary-general Thananuch Tritipphayabutr said yesterday.

The results were from a national survey designed to demonstrate the effects of the economic slowdown on business operators and individuals.

The National Economic and Social Development Board earlier predicted unemployment of at least 2-2.5 per cent next year, up from 1.4 per cent estimated for 2007. That would mean 900,000 workers out of the 37.6-million-strong workforce out of a job.

Thotsaphon Wangsilabat, president of the Federation of Thai Industries in Ayutthaya, said in his province alone, which housed the largest number of electronic manufacturing plants, 100,000 workers could be laid off.

"Our survey shows orders have fallen 50-80 per cent and that executives must review data on a weekly basis. The manufacturing sector is in dire need of a government injection [of funds]," he said.

Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Atchana Waiquamdee admitted unemployment could rise further but insisted the situation would not be as severe as in 1997, due mainly to the healthy condition of the banking industry and the overall economy.

An NSO survey showed 96 per cent of large companies employing more than 200 employees agreed the global economic crisis had reached the Thai economy, with 58.6 per cent saying the impact was severe. While 90.2 per cent believed their own business would be affected, 98.1 per cent said they would continue operations, 0.7 per cent would shut down temporarily, 0.6 per cent would shut down permanently and 0.6 per cent would change their business. The operators confirmed they had witnessed a drop in orders, net profit, liquidity and customer payments.

"Notably, the problems are expected to intensify in the next six months," Thananuch said.

The NSO survey showed 10.2 per cent of business operators had laid off permanent staff, while 19.1 per cent had shed temporary workers and might lay off permanent employees in the next six months.

As well, 8.3 per cent said they had cut the work period, while 13.6 per cent planned to follow suit in the next six months; and 43.3 per cent had cut overtime hours, while 48.7 per cent would do so in the next six months.

The NSO expects hotel and restaurant operators as well as auto, motorbike, electronics, jewellery and furniture factories to lay off workers in the next six months, There is also high possibility that more subcontract workers in the auto and motorbike plants will also be axed in that period.

Despite the economic slowdown, the average monthly expenses of Thais have risen from Bt14,500 last year to Bt16,105 this year. They have cut spending on luxury items while still being thrifty with fuel and energy. This has led the NSO to estimate that poverty will affect 8.9 per cent of population this year, up from 8.5 per cent last year.

"It's frightening, because the poverty rate had been declining since 2002," the NSO's Thananuch said.

Meanwhile, 200 workers of Sammi Sound Tech (Thailand) in Samut Prakan closed Theparak Road yesterday in a bid to pressure the Labour Protection and Welfare Department's local office to make the company's South Korean owners pay compensation.

They said the plant closed two months ago but that the employers fled and failed to pay compensation yesterday as promised.

One worker said total compensation would amount to Bt16 million but that the employer had paid out only Bt4 million.

BoT asserts Thailand won't experience economic crisis

BANGKOK, Dec. 27 (PNA/TNA) -– Bank of Thailand (BoT) Deputy Governor Atchana Waiquamdee on Friday asserted Thailand would not experience an economic crisis despite the global economic meltdown because its economy is immune to such effects following the crisis in 1997.

She said whether the Thai economy would slow sharply or not for next year depends on the global economic conditions. No one could guess the situation.

What is of concern now is a sharp decline in the export growth to 5 per cent in October from 20 per cent the previous month. It showed a further slowdown in the export sector.

Next year, she admitted economies of Thailand's three major export destinations including the United States, Japan, and the European Union would be in recession.

Under the circumstance, it is very difficult for the export sector to escape unscratched.

Mrs. Atchana said the central bank would from now on give a priority to supervising the country's economic growth in the monetary policy implementation after the inflation rate had declined considerably.

She conceded the poor would experience difficulties if the economy grows only 0-2 per cent next year.

However, she believed the unemployment would not be as serious as that of 1997 when the country experienced the economic crisis although the number of jobless people would reach 800,000-900,000 next year.

What she is concerned now is the political conflicts, which dragged on for more than 3 years, and the unprecedented divisiveness among people in the country.

"This year should be noted as an historic one because the Monetary Policy Committee decided to cut the policy interest rate by 1 per cent at one time while the US interest rate is as low as 0-0.25 per cent," she said. (PNA/TNA)

DCT/rsm

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/24...ly-in-2009.html

Car production in Thailand projected to fall sharply in 2009

Posted : Sat, 27 Dec 2008 04:39:12 GMT

Author : DPA

Bangkok - Rapidly sliding global demand is expected to cut Thai automobile production by more than 35 per cent next year, said a report Saturday. The number of vehicles produced could drop from 1.4 million this year to less than 1 million, if domestic sales fall 10 per cent and exports crash 50 per cent, Wallop Taisiri, director of the Thailand Automotive Institute, was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.

Thousands of workers have already lost jobs and more are at risk, the report said.

The Commerce Ministry said last week the country's total exports dropped in November for the first time in six years, by 18.6 per cent.

About 60 per cent of Thai vehicle production is exported.

Thailand also has an extensive parts industry supplying vehicle manufacturers, noted Wallop. He predicted as many as 45,000 workers could lose their jobs.

"It probably won't be as bad as the 1997 (financial) crisis, when vehicle production fell to 140,000 units. But I expect to see this crisis last longer because we rely heavily on exports, and the slump is global," Wallop said. "Things may bottom out next year but we may need two years to move out of crisis."

The Federation of Thai Industries will meet early next year to coordinate requests for government help.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...VvqIdgD95AU4906

The Associated Press

Car production could fall 35 percent in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Vehicle production in Thailand could fall as much as 35 percent next year if the global economy continues to worsen, a leading auto institute said Saturday.

Thailand is a major production and export hub for pickup trucks made by General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. — all suffering in the midst of a global downturn.

Wallop Tiasiri, director of the Thailand Automotive Institute, estimated the decline in Thailand would more likely be about 15 percent. But he said a gloomier economic outlook in the United States and Europe could result in a production drop of 35 percent and the loss of 45,000 jobs.

"If the economic situation in major markets, especially in the United States and Europe, deteriorates much further, our production could go down by 35 percent or to 900,000 units," he said. "However, I think this worst case scenario will not be realized."

Vehicle production in Thailand hit 1.4 million units this year, up from 1.29 million units a year ago, Wallop said. The sector employs 300,000 people, about a third of them who are subcontracted.

Most analysts have predicted the automotive sector in Thailand would eventually be hit as vehicle manufacturers worldwide are cutting production amid the global financial downturn.

Last month, General Motors said it would stop production at its Thai plant for up to two months. General Motors and Chrysler LLC earlier this month were granted $17.4 billion in federal loans so they can stay afloat.

"Currently the Thai auto industry is still relatively strong. Every company still has their cash inflow," Wallop said. "However, we have to admit the slump of the global markets will hit local companies."

I know far a fact that Brendon himself was attacked a couple years back. While there are nice people and even great people throughout Thailand there are horrible people too and Nong Kai has its fair share as does any border town in the world. Anywhere you go in Thailand as a Farang you are a high profile potential victim for criminal elements. Some on the forum choose to ignore that fact and feel totally secure but it is many times their own self delusion that lets a predictable small crime escalate into horror for themselves and there loved one both in Thailand and abroad.

Travelers best beware, do not depend upon the kindness of strangers in a strange land. Thailand is pretty safe most of the time but it can also be a horror show beyond the western imagination.

Thanks, all good information. Any other insights are most welcome. One time I ate and Western Sizzler and the beef tasted like salmon, then I noticed the cook, cannot call him a chef, had the beef and salmon laid out on one tray touching thus the flavor transfer. Hopefully they have improved but where else is there to eat? I'm sure there is some good seafood around, is there plenty of fish in the morning market, sea bass, grouper, anything like that?

I'm tired of all the old wore out Hat Yai threads so this is a new one for 2009. Ive been scheduled to pass through town again a few times this year "2008" but with all the airport and political issues in Bangkok I ended up diverted to Laos.

What is the current situation in Hat Yai? I would like to hear from some people who live there if anyone cares to comment.

Did you guys have much of a flood? I read about flooding briefly in the news but have no idea how bad it got.

Whats up with motel prices? I understand the hotels are pretty much empty, is that true?

Is there any security at the Airport now? Did they just make a good show after the bombing and now blow off security?

Are there still armed military and police all over the place downtown Hat Yai? Does it feel like a combat zone?

How about rents? In Isarn rents are around 10,000 for a big modern house in a secured neighborhood, how would that compare to Hat Yai?

Any commentary by people who live there is most appreciated.

None of this true, Thailand is not in trouble, I just talked to a developer of homes and condos a few days ago. They told the prices were holding steady and they had over one hundred available properties. Come to think of it I have seen a bunch of new "For Sale" signs going up recently in Thai and English.

I was also told recently that my old stand by hotel off Sukumvit had doubled their prices because they had fewer guests and needed to make more money, funny how the west never thought of that.

Screw it, if my posts are just going to get deleted I can do that myself.............

Charged with terrorism? This dog is not going to hunt.

The damage is done, now its time to pay the fiddle player, well in this case, time tourist will be taking a hard look elsewhere. I cant help but think it was none other than Thai Airways itself that said the Air Embargo is now over. In the end its Taxin who was and is right, its all about the CHEESE. When he thought it paid to hate and kill Muslims, that he could earn pay and privilege through George Bush by ramrodding the south of Thailand and crying Terrorist, he was all over that. Now that he finds out England is for the English and the U.A.E is the capital of all CHEESE he is all Salaams and hairy kisses, Tak Bai? "I don't Recall."

It seems Thai Airways was in trouble before PAD ever moved the goals. It will be interesting to see how bad they are hurt from this as I know many who refused to ever fly with them again before this situation occurred. Now that it appears that they could have prevented the entire Air Fiasco 2008 by just whispering "Bad Idea" it seems they are covering their own tracks with some kind of frivolous lawsuit aimed at invisible powerful people and bankrupt patsies, A well known form of denial and scapegoating, just think about the implications.

As an interesting side note, having not flown in years, because of the Air Fiasco 2008 I will be forced to travel back and forth across the Atlantic and Pacific since people who would normally be happy to come see me have put me on notice Thailand is no longer suitable for meet and greets since the airport security was trained by the same headmaster as Thai bus drivers, any sign of trouble equals a quick exit. Save yourself man, to hel_l with any and all responsibility or ethic as a contracted service provider. I cant help but think of the hotel employees in Mumbai who staid hidden with customers protecting them throughout the ordeal and then reflect on the pathetic situation of all the tourists who were standing in line at Thai Airways who realized the staff all exited out the back door leaving them in line with no explanation and completely SOL.

Thai Aviation,

Spiraling descend for Thai Airways International

By Stéphane Hanot | Nov 07, 2008

BANGKOK, Thailand (eTN) - In times of crisis, what could look as an asset to be backed by a government is turning out to be a burden for Thai Airways International as the airline is unable to adapt rapidly to the situation in turbulent times.

An article in the Bangkok Post generated curiosity in air transport circles in Thailand. In a long interview, Bangkok Airways CEO Dr Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth voiced his concern on the future of Thailand national carrier. The founder of the regional airline Bangkok Airways lashed out the national airline, predicting it could go bust by next year if no reform is done. To aviation veteran journalist Boonsong Kositchotethana, Prasert highlighted that mounting financial troubles, bureaucracy linked to a lack of leadership and allegations of political meddling and corruption were responsible for the dire stand of the airline.

Corruption and political meddling are nothing new in Thailand as they are present in practically any Thai-run business, including most probably Bangkok Airways. But for Bangkok Post interviewer Boonsong Kositchotethana, the big difference between Bangkok airways and Thai Airways resides in the fact that the national carrier is still funded by public money, which makes it more accountable to its acts.

Thai Airways currently experiences a sharp decline of its traffic, exacerbated by political uncertainties in the Kingdom. But external factors are not only the cause for it. In harsh times, the collusion of alleged corruption, nepotism and board of directors’ incompetence are also taking their toll on Thai Airways’ destiny. And dissent voices start to be heard within the airline with some executives thinking that Thai Airways is heading into the wall.

For decades, the government , which owns 51 percent of all shares through the Ministry of Finance (70 percent of all shares are into public hands when including other shareholders), has considered Thai Airways as its own toy of prestige. However, any decision is suspended to the will of the board of director, most of them political appointees.

“They are barely professionals of air transport and if our CEO opposes them, he will be sacked immediately. Our CEO benefits also from support at the highest level,” explained a Thai Airways executive, who spoke under condition of anonymity.

Absence of competence has translated over the last years into strange decisions such as transferring domestic flights to most provincial cities from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang airport, cutting customers from the possibility to connect to TG international network. Another previous executive, asked by the time about the relevance and the professionalism of such a decision by the board of directors, replied by a prudent “no comment.”

The airline continues to fly unprofitable routes with an aging product. Little has been done so far to look thoroughly at the network. “A routes’ review with a downsizing of the airline such as what happened a few years ago at Garuda or Malaysia Airlines is just inconceivable for Thai Airways,” admitted the anonymous executive.

As a matter of fact, Thai Airways is only adjusting frequencies to demand this winter, Thailand’s high season with capacities up by just 2 percent.

TG has also been unable to use properly its own low cost subsidiary, Nok Air (39 percent of all shares), as a complement to its own activities. Both airlines remain today at odds on a common development’s strategy with Nok Air trying to sort out financial problems. Over staffing (20,000 employees for the time), bad human resources as many PNC or headquarters employees are getting a job rather for their political connections than their real skills are just some of the problems the airline is unable to fix.

Same can be said about the inability for TG to invest in time into a new fleet a few years ago. Decisions about the fleet evolution have been many times delayed over the past years due to government changes. Thai Airways average fleet age reaches over 11 years compared to 6.6 years for Singapore Airlines. The presence of 17 Airbus A300 and 18 Boeing 747-400 weight heavily on the airline’s fuel bill. This year, fuel bill should reach up to US$200 million, 35 percent of airline’s total costs.

Some TG executives complaint also that the slow reaction of TG to lower its fuel surcharge as oil goes down makes the airline very uncompetitive in many markets. “On long-haul traffic which represents the bulk of our business, fuel surcharge has decreased by 5 percent to 10 percent by early October as oil prices already plunges by 40 percent on average. This is too little. Keeping fuel surcharge so high for so long just to make more money is the wrong strategy as our competitors lowered sharply their surcharges. Many of our potential passengers have already gone to the competition because of our slow reaction,” added the questioned TG executive.

Thai Airways this week announced a further reduction, this time by 30 percent on most intercontinental routes but it might be already to late to capture back some of the market.

According to Krittaphon Chantalitanon, Thai Airways regional director for Thailand, Indochina and Myanmar, a recently received Airbus A340-600 as well as the delivery of eight Airbus A330 next year will give some relieve to the airline. Cost controls have also been enforced on luggage check-in allowances, in-flight food and water carried on board in a way to reduce weight.

TG is expected to see its annual loss reaching over 9.5 billion baht this year (US$ 270 million). In the interview to the Bangkok Post, Dr. Prasert compared Thai to a patient with terminal-stage cancer, with little prospect for recovery in the near term. He sees the rescue of the national carrier through a full and proper privatization to avoid the collapse.

“It will never happen as to many political interests are into the balance,” said the Thai Airways executive bitterly.

How does the future look? The Thai government will continue to bail out the airline for a question of prestige as it would be a major lose of face for Thailand’s government to get its national carrier getting bust or private. But this prestige will become increasingly expensive over time and translates into a stagnating airline with no defined strategy. The only meager consolation in Dr. Prasert’s interview to the Bangkok Post: Thai Airways is not the only one to be lashed out by him. He judges the Airports Authority of Thailand (AOT) as corrupted and inefficient as the national carrier.

Poor taste? I see the PAD as directly responsible for the deaths of these two men. Not only that, If any air accident results from this totally ignorant and completely unjustified act of air terrorism which is now reaching financial costs of billions of dollars with numbers upwards of 300,000 stranded tourist, their leadership should be held directly responsible in both criminal and civil courts.

If I were a family member of either of these two men I would be heading to a law office to retain lawyers and then to the Thai Embassy to hold them responsible.

This is the first case of tourists killed because of the PAD occupation of the Bangkok airports.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&am...54743435C405499

Canadians killed while fleeing Thailand

Bangkok - Two Canadian tourists stranded by Bangkok's airport closures were killed and a Briton seriously injured in a car crash as they rushed to catch a flight out of southern Thailand, police said on Tuesday.

Two Canadian men aged 63 and 48 were killed early Monday morning in southern Surat Thani province, as they headed to Phuket international airport, while a British woman was also wounded in the crash.

"The van overturned and plunged into the roadside after it tried to avoid crashing with a car in front, which suddenly slammed on the brakes," said Captain Charkrit Nima of the local police force.

He said six tourists were travelling in the van in the hope of catching a Cathay Pacific flight from Phuket, which is handling extra flights out of the kingdom because of the week-long siege of Bangkok's two airports.

A Hong Kong national was killed in a similar traffic accident on Sunday as he also tried to get to Phuket to catch a flight back home.

Up to 350 000 passengers are estimated to have missed flights out of Thailand by the week-long closure of the huge Suvarnabhumi international airport, and the shuttering since last Thursday of the smaller Don Mueang.

They were closed after protesters seized the main terminals as they upped a six-month campaign to topple the government.

Many tourists are flying out of provincial airports including Phuket and Chiang Mai. France, Spain and Australia have sent special flights to evacuate desperate citizens stuck in Thailand.

Tourists are also scrambling to leave via the small, Vietnam-era U-Tapao airport southeast of Bangkok, where queues snake round the basic terminal and thousands of passengers jostle to get their luggage through one scanner.

Check-in facilities have also been opened at a hotel and a convention centre in Bangkok to try to work through the backlog of frustrated holidaymakers.

AFP

Bloomberg is claiming the tourists stuck at the airport have now been evacuated, can anyone confirm this?

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...&refer=home

Thailand Evacuates Tourists After Protesters’ Airport Seizure

By Rattaphol Onsanit and Daniel Ten Kate

Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Thai authorities evacuated about 3,000 tourists from Bangkok’s international airport, more than 15 hours after anti-government protesters seized its main terminal, forcing the airport’s closure.

“The airport is just a scene of chaos,” said John Watson, chief executive officer of Diethelm Travel Group in Bangkok, Thailand’s biggest inbound tour operator. “Communication has basically broken down. Passengers are feeling very intimidated seeing people walking by with masks, knives, wooden clubs and iron bars.”

The tourists were transferred to nearby hotels, said Serirat Prasutanond, general manager at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, who negotiated their departure with the demonstrators. Four of the protesters were injured in an explosion outside the airport earlier.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy, which helped trigger a 2006 coup against former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, wants to force the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, set to return today from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru. The airport seizure escalates months of protests in which at least five people have died since August.

Transport Minister Santi Prompat told reporters today that he instructed airport officials to seek a court order to expel the protesters. Police have avoided using force since an Oct. 7 clash in which two people died and 470 were injured.

No ‘Defense’

“Nobody seems to be coming to the government’s defense,” said Michael Montesano, a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. The disorder may lessen support for the protesters and make it easier for the army and police to deploy, he said.

Today’s blast injured four PAD supporters on an access road leading to the airport about 6 a.m. today, Somchai Sopacharoen, the police chief in the district where the airport is located, said by telephone.

Thailand’s military won’t decide whether to send troops to the airport until after a meeting between the army, security officers, government agencies and business representatives, Sirichan Ngathong, an army spokeswoman, said. Army chief Anupong Paojinda will hold a press conference after the meeting, Sirichan said. Military leaders reiterated their commitment not to stage another coup, she said yesterday.

The Bangkok-based PAD, which includes many middle-class Thais and receives support from the country’s royalist elite, accuses Somchai’s ruling party of buying votes to win elections and of trying to protect Thaksin, who fled the country to escape corruption charges.

Asean Summit

Thousands of PAD activists, who have occupied Somchai’s official Government House compound in central Bangkok for three months, yesterday stormed his temporary office after forcing parliament to abandon its sessions a day earlier. That postponement may affect Thailand’s ability to sign international trade agreements at a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations it is hosting Dec. 15-18.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva today condemned violence from any side and offered to help negotiate a resolution to the standoff.

“I think everybody needs to come to the table. I can’t see how the situation can go on, how the PAD or the government can claim victory without damage to the country, so it’s time to get to the table.”

The SET Index of stocks pared earlier losses of as much as 3 percent and was little changed as of 4 p.m. local time. The measure, which has sunk 56 percent since the protests first erupted in May, is on course for its worst annual performance since the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Standstill

Southeast Asia’s fourth-busiest airport, which last year processed more than 41 million passengers, has been closed to all flights since 4 a.m. and won’t reopen “until the situation returns to normal,” general manager Serirat Prasutanond said.

About 292 flights can’t get in or out of the airport because of the closure, and the airport will lose 53 million baht ($1.5 million) a day in landing fees, he said. The airport typically handles as many as 120,000 people a day, according to Serirat.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry warned its citizens to avoid traveling to Bangkok and postpone their trips. Countries including Singapore and South Korea in September warned travelers about visiting Thailand after protesters forced the closure of its second-busiest airport in the resort of Phuket.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rattaphol Onsanit in Bangkok at [email protected]

Last Updated: November 26, 2008 04:15 EST

http://nationmultimedia.com/2008/11/26/hea...es_30089472.php

From Skywalker to Darth Vader

By Tulsathit Taptim

The Nation

Published on November 26, 2008

Whether it wins or loses, the PAD will pay a big price for Suvarnabhumi closure

Sondhi Limthongkul was pleading for public sympathy Tuesday night. We regret causing major inconvenience, he said, referring to the seizure of the Suvarnabhumi Airport, but we have no choice. His political movement, the People's Alliance for Democracy, has been targetted for sporadic bomb attacks, and the climbing death and injury tolls are adding to the tragedy of October 7, when police tear gas fired on Parliament-bound protesters killed and maimed many.

The PAD's pain is understandable. Its reaction and subsequent responses are hardly so. When thousands of PAD members staged a blockade at Suvarnabhumi on Tuesday and penetrated the passenger terminal and scuffled with officials, causing a total shutdown of the international airport, what unfolded before us was the transformation of Skywalker into Darth Vader.

Imagine a son about to board a plane to go back home and see his dying mother. Imagine patients in need of urgent medical help stranded. Business deals with be delayed or cancelled. Countless appointments will be missed.

The point is, if these problems and circumstances seem trivial in the PAD's eyes, how could the movement ever expect others and the whole world to appreciate its own situation? Understanding works both ways. If the PAD wants others' sympathy, it has to give it out. As simple as that.

The PAD's latest, most provocative and controversial strategy may yet prove effective. With the military caught in the middle and reluctant to use force either to end the airport blockade or remove the current government, Somchai Wongsawat's administration is looking a bigger lameduck by the hours.

But whatever the outcome of the Suvarnabhumi operation, the PAD will not get the only thing as important as Somchai's resignation _ public understanding and sympathy.

This is not civil disobedience. It's the PAD holding air travellers hostage to push for its goal. It's the PAD leaders telling its loyal followers that if someone inflicts you harm, it's ok to get back even at the expense of innocent others. The airport seizure caused more trouble to people whose sympathy the PAD had sought than the politicians the movement has tried to dislodge.

The travellers suffer real human ordeals. Somchai and his government are only dealt political blows. How the PAD measures the plights of these two groups goes a long way to telling us its principles and ideologies.

Having fought Thaksin Shinawatra and his alleged nominees by standing firm on the issue of conflicts of interests, the PAD has found itself in serious danger of being unravelled ideologically through conflicting values.

The real price the PAD is paying is not the dwindling sympathy from the neutrals or the big ammunition the airport infamy has given its critics. "I'm so saddened and disappointed," said a man who only weeks ago went in and out of Government House on a daily basis to support the movement. "I'm sorry I joined its rally."

It's people like him that is the real cost of the Suvarnabhumi strategy. And the biggest price to pay maybe those PAD members joining the airport blockade or cheering the move back at Government House. The leaders have won their unquestionable loyalty, but risked blurring their conscience once and for all.

The PAD used to be a political movement that did the wrong things for the right reasons. It's impossible to consider the airport seizure to be morally right because it affects hundreds of thousands of innocent people _ the passengers, their relatives, friends or business partners. That damage cannot be translated into financial figures did not mean it was light.

The PAD leaders claim they are abandoning "Ahimsa" (non-violence and non-aggression) because its members have become victims and nobody cares. That is all right as long as what happened on Tuesday evening is shrouded with proclaimed noble goals. When the action is explained in the simplest term _ "We want you to resign or a large number of innocent travellers won't be going home" _ what is the difference between that and holding an innocent passer-by at knife-point to force a bank robber to lay down his gun?

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=7441

AoT negotiates with protesters to help stranded

SAMUT PRAKAN, Nov 26 (TNA) – The Airports of Thailand (AoT) is trying to negotiate with the anti-government protesters to open the way for passengers, left stranded at Suvarnabhumi airport to go out to stay at hotel while the airport remains closed.

Passengers stranded since Tuesday night were being evacuated from Suvarnabhumi after anti-government PAD took control of the terminal.

Buses were provided to transport the passengers to other locations. Airport manager Serirat Prasutanon said the main concern now is to find the way to let trapped tourists and passengers out of the airport. Food and drinking water were distributed to trapped passengers and negotiations are under way.

Tourists complained about lack of information and sleepless, after the airport has been seized by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators since Tuesday night.

AoT evaluated it would lose about Bt50 million of income for each day the airport is closed.

Meanwhile, Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand said about 60,000 tourists arrival at Suvarnabhumi airport daily.

The council set up an emergency counter there to help trapped passengers and cooperated with its offices in other provinces to facilitate inbound passengers, whose flights were diverted from Suvarnabhumi airport to other international airports, to find accommodation. (TNA)

Angry travellers who spent the night sleeping on baggage carousels and at check-in desks complained that they had nothing to eat or drink since the protesters burst into the two-year-old terminal.

"We spent the night here after all the check-in staff ran away. No one is here to help."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...JRXywyzD_SY2VZQ

Thousands stranded as protesters seize Bangkok airport

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thai protesters on Wednesday tightened their grip on Bangkok's international airport, where two people were hurt in a blast and thousands of travellers left stranded by anti-government demonstrations.

Grenade attacks elsewhere in the city deepened the sense of lawlessness after demonstrators stormed the showpiece airport Tuesday night, dramatically escalating their campaign against Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Suvarnabhumi Airport -- a three-billion-dollar hub for travel throughout Southeast Asia -- was shut for the rest of the day as guards from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protest movement blocked access roads.

"I have been informed by Thai Airways that 3,000 passengers are stranded at the terminal now," airport director Saereerat Prasutanont told AFP, adding that 78 outbound and incoming flights were cancelled.

"Protesters refused to negotiate with anyone except the prime minister."

Angry travellers who spent the night sleeping on baggage carousels and at check-in desks complained that they had nothing to eat or drink since the protesters burst into the two-year-old terminal.

"It's not fair," said Vanessa Sloan, 31, from Florida, who was supposed to fly to the northern city of Chiang Mai on Wednesday. "We spent the night here after all the check-in staff ran away. No one is here to help."

"We all came to Thailand because we love Thailand but this has left a very bad feeling," added British retiree Jean McCartan.

Some PAD supporters later handed out sandwiches, cookies and drinks.

Authorities Wednesday began evacuating passengers on buses, but there were no announcements and a queue of about 1,000 people soon streamed up escalators as the vehicles trickled in one at a time, AFP reporters said.

The protesters said that they would occupy the futuristic airport until Somchai quits, adding that any airlines hoping to fly in our out had to seek their permission.

A sea of about 8,000 demonstrators, wearing yellow clothes in a traditional symbol of loyalty to the revered monarchy, cheered on PAD leaders who gave speeches from a stage set up in the taxi drop-off area.

Control tower officials were sent home and authorities said the airport would remain closed until the end of the day at the earliest. Authorities denied reports that protesters had seized the tower.

The PAD -- a loose coalition comprising royalists, Bangkok's old elite and the middle class -- is spreading chaos ahead of the prime minister's return from a foreign trip on Wednesday evening.

The alliance launched its campaign in May, accusing Somchai's government of being a corrupt puppet of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 coup and remains in exile to avoid corruption charges.

Support for PAD rallies has dropped in recent weeks, but its seizure of the airport leaves the government in a dilemma.

If it fails to act, Thailand's tourism industry and economy will be further hit, risking the possibility of another military putsch to prevent further chaos.

But the government will also want to avoid a repeat of clashes between protesters and police on October 7 that left two people dead and nearly 500 injured.

The Thai government said it had asked the security forces for assistance and refused to rule out the possibility of emergency action.

The government has been effectively paralysed since protesters occupied the prime minister's offices in central Bangkok in August, forcing Somchai to work from makeshift premises at Bangkok's old Don Mueang airport.

A grenade attack on demonstrators at Don Mueang wounded two people early Wednesday, emergency services said. A near simultaneous blast at Suvarnabhumi left another two protesters injured.

Three more were hurt when two grenades were tossed into a crowd of pro-government supporters on a road to Don Mueang, the site of a clash between rival activists that left 11 hurt on Tuesday, police said.

Somchai has rejected calls to quit. His plane back from the APEC summit in Peru was due to land at an undisclosed location on Wednesday evening.

The Australian government warned citizens to take extra precautions if planning to visit Thailand and the US embassy in Bangkok told its nationals to stay away from the airport.

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun...mp;news_id=4982

Bangkok airport to be evacuated of passengers

The situation at Bangkok Airport is getting worse. Airport authorities are now arranging evacuations for the tourists.

By Rikke Bjerge Johansen

At Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok the situation is nowhere close to being solved. So now, the Airport Authorities are beginning to evacuate the passengers.

"Don't worry, we have hotels for everyone," they are saying to the tourists who have been stuck at the airport all night long.

According to ScandAsia's reporter it could mean that the situation later on today and tonight si going to get very serious between the demonstrators and the police. That is why the Airport Authorities are in the middle of evacuating the whole airport.

Swedish and Norwegian embassies have dispatched staff to Bangkok Airport to help stranded tourists. Danish Embassy still considering what to do.

On Wednesday morning, the day after the occupation of Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport, all flights were cancelled and the airport staff that abandoned their tations last night failed in many cases to report to work.

However, there are still passengers stranded at Bangkok International Airport, many of them Scandinavians. That is why the airport is now being emptied.

The Norwegian and Swedish Embassy have each sent out two Embassy staff to help the tourists.

“People have been calling me all night long from Norway to make sure that their family and friends at the airport are ok,” Birgit Brandenberg, Norwegian Embassy councellor told ScandAsia’s reporter Gregers Møller, whoi had camped out in the airport to witness the development of the situation.

Now, the Norwegian embassy has two staff members plus a driver at the airport looking for the stranded tourists.

“Please tell the Norwegians who read this to call their relatives at the airport and tell them that we are out there looking for them,” she says to ScandAsia. The Danish Embassy has not sent any help to the airport yet.

"We are working on a solution and we are in contact with the other Scandinavian Embassies," Tove Wihlborg-Andersen, Consular Attaché Head of section at the Danish Embassy says.

The Swedish Embassy in Thailand were the first Scandinavian Embassy to send out their staff.

“We have two people out at the airport. Our main goal is to find those who have checked-in and went through immigration already,” says Jan-Olof Ahlenius, Counsellor Administrative and Consular Affairs at the Embassy of Sweden.

First, the Swedish Embassy needs to locate the Swedes at the airport and then to get them out of the airport since every flight has been cancelled.

The Australian and American Embassy also have their Embassy staff at the airport to help their countrymen.