Thai anti-govt protesters clash with police in Bangkok

[IvorBiggun2]

3 minutes ago, suestra29 said:

Those police are very brave hiding behind riot shields with their guns and tear gas against unarmed protesters.

Method in the madness. By allowing the protesters to attack the cowering police it confines the rioters to certain areas. The police are using deliberately tactics to confine the demonstrators. Learn from history and watch the N Ireland riots.

The police could quash the Bangkok rioters in minutes if they were allowed to use their full arsenal As it stands they're just playing games to keep the casualties down and tire them out..

[steven100]

5 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Method in the madness. By allowing the protesters to attack the cowering police it confines the rioters to certain areas. The police are using deliberately tactics to confine the demonstrators. Learn from history and watch the N Ireland riots.

The police could quash the Bangkok rioters in minutes if they were allowed to use their full arsenal As it stands they're just playing games to keep the casualties down and tire them out..

correct .....   as I have said ,  it's just a game   !!

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

correct .....   as I have said ,  it's just a game   !!

And as I have said, it isnt a game 

[OneMoreFarang]

10 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

I agree. They should simply accept a non-democratically elected government who had to overthrow a democratically elected government (twice!) and who have now stacked the system so much that even if they do lose, they don't really.

 

I mean, I;m sure you would if the same happened in YOUR home country. 

Thailand is the country where I live. In a way it is my home country. And I live here long enough that I know most Thai people don't vote for honest and educated people. Most people, and especially those farmers up country, want populists and they don't care if their leaders are corrupt. They vote again and again for corrupt people but then they are somehow surprised that they get a corrupt government.

Where are the good alternatives to the current government? Where are honest people with good ideas who want the best for Thailand and all Thai and not only enrich themselves? Where?

 

Democracy is a good idea if voters are smart, educated and if they care. We see not only in Thailand that what is called democracy is a disaster if idiots vote for populist greedy idiots - all over the world. 

[ikke1959]

Lockdown lockdown.. The only reason the Government doesn't want a lockdown is because they have shares and profits from the companies. In a lockdown it will cost them money so do a semi lockdown than the victims are the normal people.... The pockets of the politicians will be filled. It would be better that everyone who was against the Government stopped working ....... It has a bigger impact than clash with the police/army

[IvorBiggun2]

7 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

It would be better that everyone who was against the Government stopped working ....... It has a bigger impact than clash with the police/army

And how would those that stopped working feed their families and pay their bills? Nah that ain't gonna work

[johnnybangkok]

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thailand is the country where I live. In a way it is my home country. And I live here long enough that I know most Thai people don't vote for honest and educated people. Most people, and especially those farmers up country, want populists and they don't care if their leaders are corrupt. They vote again and again for corrupt people but then they are somehow surprised that they get a corrupt government.

Where are the good alternatives to the current government? Where are honest people with good ideas who want the best for Thailand and all Thai and not only enrich themselves? Where?

 

Democracy is a good idea if voters are smart, educated and if they care. We see not only in Thailand that what is called democracy is a disaster if idiots vote for populist greedy idiots - all over the world. 

You either are a democracy or you are not. Even if the population don’t vote “correctly” then that’s their prerogative and they have to live with their decision. Thailand has too often hidden behind the concept of democracy but in reality it is nothing more than a thinly veiled military dictatorship. 
You talk about people “up country” voting for corrupt politicians (I assume you mean Thaksin) whilst not holding the current corrupt and illegally installed government to the same standard. 
There has been plenty of potential “good” parties (Future Forward Party etc) who have tried to change things, only to find themselves banned by Prayut and his army cronies. 
As far as I can see, there’s only one party that hasn’t adhered to the rules and rights of democracy and they are the ones the protestors are currently and rightly demonstrating against. 

[Phoenix Rising]

31 minutes ago, steven100 said:

correct .....   as I have said ,  it's just a game   !!

Trying to influence the future of Thailand is not a game and protesting against coup makers and leaders like the guy you worship is a brave and honorable thing to do, words your guy knows nothing about.

[Phoenix Rising]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously many of those protesters want to fight. Why else would they wear helmets and gas masks?

How much does "tony" pay them this time?

If they would really care about Covid then they should stay home and complain online.

And please try some constructive criticism. If you want that X goes away then let us know with which Y you want to replace X. Here is a hint: If Y is a criminal things won't get better.

Yes, shame on them for wanting to elect their leader in elections instead of having leaders imposed on them by the old elite. How dare they!!

[IvorBiggun2]

29 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thailand is the country where I live. In a way it is my home country. And I live here long enough that I know most Thai people don't vote for honest and educated people. Most people, and especially those farmers up country, want populists and they don't care if their leaders are corrupt. They vote again and again for corrupt people but then they are somehow surprised that they get a corrupt government.

Those 'farmers up country' are just as corrupt as the people they place in power. The politicians pay for their votes and if it weren't for the fact that those corrupt farmers take their vote money the corrupt politicians wouldn't get power. They're all corrupt from the top to bottom. 

[Phoenix Rising]

4 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

You either are a democracy or you are not. Even if the population don’t vote “correctly” then that’s their prerogative and they have to live with their decision. Thailand has too often hidden behind the concept of democracy but in reality it is nothing more than a thinly veiled military dictatorship. 
You talk about people “up country” voting for corrupt politicians (I assume you mean Thaksin) whilst not holding the current corrupt and illegally installed government to the same standard. 
There has been plenty of potential “good” parties (Future Forward Party etc) who have tried to change things, only to find themselves banned by Prayut and his army cronies. 
As far as I can see, there’s only one party that hasn’t adhered to the rules and rights of democracy and they are the ones the protestors are currently and rightly demonstrating against. 

Amen. A large majority of the Thai electorate (google "landslide") repeatedly elected Thaksin or others in his orbit and from day 1 the old elite fought back. One PM they even got rid of through the courts because he hosted a cooking show and in the end they reverted back to the time honored Thai tradition of instigating a coup.

There will be no political progress in Thailand until that tradition is eradicated.

[Phoenix Rising]

3 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Those 'farmers up country' are just as corrupt as the people they place in power. The politicians pay for their votes and if it weren't for the fact that those corrupt farmers take their vote money the corrupt politicians wouldn't get power. They're all corrupt from the top to bottom. 

I have never read a more inane excuse for military rule.

[IvorBiggun2]

Just now, Phoenix Rising said:

I have never read a more inane excuse for military rule.

Then so be it.

[steven100]

If the police really wanted to end the protest and send them scattering they could do it in a heartbeat but they choose not to ..... that's why I have said it's a game of show.  nothing more imo.

[IvorBiggun2]

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

If the police really wanted to end the protest and send them scattering they could do it in a heartbeat but they choose not to ..... that's why I have said it's a game of show.  nothing more imo.

The way forward for the protesters is to get organized.  Then stretch the military/police by hit and move tactics in places in BKK that will cause maximum disruption and weaken the security forces by over stretching them. Just my 10 pence worth.

[kickstart]

2 hours ago, engamann said:

Really so you think to not join Covax was a pretty good job ? If this junta was not so damn corrupt them would have join the Covax but it was more important to fill up the bank account to the man we can not name even more then get the vaccine when it was ready and see know where that have put Thailand , going to be one of the last country lo recover from Covid. ( funny but now them have decided to join Covax , just one year after most of the world 555 )

Not in defence just saying, the sister of him at the top of the ladder is a big force in getting the Thai vaccine produced , the wife said him at the top is subbing her, jury is out on that one .

OK the job is a bit slow but they are producing some.

 

[mommysboy]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously many of those protesters want to fight. Why else would they wear helmets and gas masks?

How much does "tony" pay them this time?

If they would really care about Covid then they should stay home and complain online.

And please try some constructive criticism. If you want that X goes away then let us know with which Y you want to replace X. Here is a hint: If Y is a criminal things won't get better.

Just pandering to the system in place.  

 

The point is they want change not more of the same failure.

 

Peaceful demonstration can work in true democracies- occasionally anyway.

[AverageBloke]

How sad to read comments from well fed people criticising those who do not have enough to feed their families. 

[kingstonkid]

Take a look at the rest of the world.  There really is o country that is doing great.  

For all it's money and ingenuity the U.S. is in a mess as well.

 

What this government and Thai people did wrong is simple.  They underestimated the virus.

 

Thailand got hit with version a the original virus and was able to counter it,  BUT people as well as the government got cocky and felt that they had solved it.  Sinovac was working in China which had a larger population so it was felt that that was the easiest and quickest solution.    

But then again everything was getting back to the new normal people were travelling and getting back to work so why worry.

 

This is where the problem started in earnest as people both medical and political (here and in other countries)did not understand history and did not consider that viruses mutate. That people will get complacent and develop a oh it's over mentality.

 

The solution and 2020 is always perfect is that the government should have mandated sinovac vaccinations immediately in April 2020.

 

That when the second round started SONGKRAN and travel should have been cancelled again.  BUT hey it was not that bad a deal in 2020 so why worry and we need the money cried small and large businesses.

 

Then the government tried to get the vaccines.  Thailand got the contract to produce AZ so people thought great we are going to have a huge supply because we are producing it.  Forgetting or neglecting to realize that Thailand was producing for all of ASEAN so whatever was made would have to be shared.

 

Also the vaccines have never been said to stop of cure covid.  They were designed to minimize through gene therapy the effects for the virus and the severity.

 

There is o pill created that will end covid.  

 

Would a change in government do anything at this stage.  NO

They have to deal with the facts that there is not enough vaccines in the world for everyone unless you are living in the U.S. 

 

I am not a fan of the present government but if people have a better way of dealing with it I would love to hear it.

[Gottfrid]

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

Seem to be more smoke than anything else.    

Eeeeh? From the fires then? ????

[Uroller]

Time is running out on the inept and corrupt Thai government! Massive fail in taking care of the Thai people????????

[edwinchester]

8 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously many of those protesters want to fight. Why else would they wear helmets and gas masks?

How much does "tony" pay them this time?

If they would really care about Covid then they should stay home and complain online.

And please try some constructive criticism. If you want that X goes away then let us know with which Y you want to replace X. Here is a hint: If Y is a criminal things won't get better.

Helmets and gasmasks? Maybe rubber bullets and tear gas is your answer.

Stay home and complain online? Why do you think the present Govt love the computer crime act and why do you think Thailand is near the very bottom for internet freedom?

 

[OneMoreFarang]

20 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Helmets and gasmasks? Maybe rubber bullets and tear gas is your answer.

Stay home and complain online? Why do you think the present Govt love the computer crime act and why do you think Thailand is near the very bottom for internet freedom?

 

It seems the computer crime act is not enough to stop all those people who like to spread misinformation and lies.

But the real problem are obviously people who believe all that misinformation and who continue to support criminals.

[roquefort]

6 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

Thailand simply cannot afford (both in lives and the strain on it's health service) to let this latest wave get out of control. It's economically a heavy price to pay but they simply do not have any choice.

There's always a choice.

[johnnybangkok]

15 minutes ago, roquefort said:

There's always a choice.

Is there? 100’s of thousands dead, a health system on its knees and the ensuing turmoil that comes from knowingly sacrificing your own population. No sane government would willingly pay this price just for a short term gain in jobs and the economy. 
Until herd immunity is reached there isn’t a choice and I for one am grateful that even this bunch of clowns recognize this. It’s only a shame so many posters here don’t. 

[roquefort]

29 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

Is there? 100’s of thousands dead, a health system on its knees and the ensuing turmoil that comes from knowingly sacrificing your own population. No sane government would willingly pay this price just for a short term gain in jobs and the economy. 
Until herd immunity is reached there isn’t a choice and I for one am grateful that even this bunch of clowns recognize this. It’s only a shame so many posters here don’t. 

Yes there is. Unless you focus on one single virus and ignore all the collaterall damage, unintended consequences and destruction of peoples' lives and livelihoods caused by the response, not the virus itself. Suicides, mental health, increase in drugs and alcoholism, untreated cancers and other diseases. History will judge whether it's all been worth it.

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, roquefort said:

Yes there is. Unless you focus on one single virus and ignore all the collaterall damage, unintended consequences and destruction of peoples' lives and livelihoods caused by the response, not the virus itself. Suicides, mental health, increase in drugs and alcoholism, untreated cancers and other diseases. History will judge whether it's all been worth it.

History many will never see except as a footnote....

[digger70]

19 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

They asked for vaccines- and got tear gas and rubber bullets.

They're lucky that they didn't get Real bullets .

Maybe they should ,it will have a better Impact .

Peaceful demonstrations are fine ,if they become violent Fight them with all you got.

[johnnybangkok]

1 hour ago, roquefort said:

Yes there is. Unless you focus on one single virus and ignore all the collaterall damage, unintended consequences and destruction of peoples' lives and livelihoods caused by the response, not the virus itself. Suicides, mental health, increase in drugs and alcoholism, untreated cancers and other diseases. History will judge whether it's all been worth it.

The current worldwide death total stands at 4 million. That’s with lockdowns, social distancing etc. Without these measures it is conservatively estimated this could have been anything up to 40 million https://www.businessinsider.com/covid19-model-predicts-40-million-people-could-die-without-interventions-2020-3

As  bad as the consequences are for so many (and I’m certainly not diminishing this nor condoning it) I can guarantee you it won’t result in 40 million dead. 
There’s never been an easy choice with this pandemic but as soon as governments worked out the potential death toll,  there really wasn’t any choice. 
 

 

 

[engamann]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It seems the computer crime act is not enough to stop all those people who like to spread misinformation and lies.

But the real problem are obviously people who believe all that misinformation and who continue to support criminals.

Wow no wonder you love this junta whit this mindset , you would probably have a good life in China , North Korea , Belarus , Syria etc etc also county where the governments like to silence the people.