PAD Lay Siege On Government House, NBT TV Station

[sriracha john]

Mmmm and ToC are reporting that anti-PAD groups are gathering at Sanam Luang. The mix gets even more volatile. Samak needs to say something in his speech to calm this all down.

One would think the Leader of the Nation would have said something about 7 hours ago.

[hammered]

Mmmm and ToC are reporting that anti-PAD groups are gathering at Sanam Luang. The mix gets even more volatile. Samak needs to say something in his speech to calm this all down.

I just found out a businessman frind of mine who I considered to be quite normal has taken to the streets as well, he has just gone down a bit in my estimation. Hopefully Samak will come up with a solution, resignation might be the only thing that disperses this mob though and I can't see that happening.

He may just declare a state of emergency. I dont see resignation. An election could be an outside shot. In all likelihood he will just condemn certain actions and ask for peace etc. But with the PAD in the compound of government house he cant sound too weak. He is also hamstrung by all the recent government stuffing of various committees with Thaksin cronies which may make it hard for him to get army support beyond a few utterances.

[Haydn]

On a very personal note I am very worried as my wife is visiting her daughter who is in hospital in Bangkok and has to travel from one side of the city to the other.

[tracer5050]

Some power out for short time in Rachada this Am but back on quick. Dont know if part of the PAD or just power thing?

[h90]

Sondhi explains his 'final war'

We'll block the roads from southern, northern and northeastern regions, but we'll let our supporters arrive in the city first. We'll block the roads after midday. At noon, we'll close Phuket airport and Hat Yai airport.

We will post this plan online [on the Manager website] at 10am.

Has anyone heard if this happened ? There'd be a lot of unhappy people (coming and going) if they did manage to close the airports. I was going to fly to Hat Yai on Saturday but may have to hold off on buying the tickets now.

I looked at the Manager website but couldn't see anything in English about the "plan".

It is Tuesday, guess Saturday everything is OK again, or the problems are so huge that a lost ticket does not matter much.

[Thai at Heart]

Either we see a full scale coup against that corrupt government.

Or we see something very terrible happening.

Who knows. This is Thailand. In this crazy place right now anything is possible.

[hammered]

PPP to counter PAD

People Power Party MP Pracha Prasopdee on Tuesday announced that he would organise counter crowds if the government failed to disperse the mass rally organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy by 6.00 pm.

Pro-government crowds started to congregate at Sanam Luang.

Nasty. The governments people should not be threatening to organise counter protests. It is time for calmer actions to prevail. But if they think the PAD have gone too far then they can use the police or even military in a legal manner.

[lifeisrandom]

i am getting a good laugh out of TV commentary. i can just picture you guys typing this stuff out and believing it!

[kenmackie]

If this action by PAD causes the price of beer to rise in the capital there is going to be hel_l to pay!

I know that some here on Thai Visa want to compare this situation (perhaps a revolution) to famous communist coups around the world since the 1950's. I prefer to compare PAD to that once infamous German Army corporal, Adolf Hitler.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is using scare tactics to mold the opinion of the uninformed populace to their own ends. While complaining and pointing fingers at the elected government about anything and everything they refuse to negotiate on any subject and simply call for an end to present government rule. Sound familiar? Same thing happened two years ago which led to a coup d'état and the ousting of a seated, elected government.

This is nothing new. Many of us remember from our history lessons that back in the 1930's Europe they had their own PAD saying exactly the same thing about the seated government. The Nazi Party used the economic hardships suffered by the Germans to grab power. Adolph Hitler and his ilk fooled the German people into joining their extreme and radical movement to overthrow the government.

Like the Nazi's in Germany PAD has no business in a civilized Thai society. They are trampling on the peoples consciences and revising history to suit their own ends. These extreme, unconscionable leaders are master manipulators, preying on the weak, drunk with power and serve no constructive purpose. It is time to put an end to the madness and remove PAD and their self-serving leaders. They have had their fifteen minutes in the spotlight and have fooled innocent Thai people long enough.

IMHO

[/

[george]

Protesters enter Government House

BANGKOK: -- Police watched helplessly as hundreds of protesters stormed into the Government House on Tuesday.

Some protesters climbed over the side gates to enter the Government House while some others used bolt cutters to break the chains tied at the gates at 1.50pm.

The protesters were led by Chamlong Srimuang, a co-leader of People's Alliance for Democracy which led the protest against the Samak Government.

Police who was deployed at the Government House watched helplessly as the unarmed protesters moved into the compound.

The protesters however now sit on the lawns. Police blocked them far from the Government House buildings.

A leader of the protest said the protesers have no intention to break the properties of the Government House.

He said they just wanted to use the shades to avoid the heat outside.

-- The Nation 2008-08-26

[h90]

Mmmm and ToC are reporting that anti-PAD groups are gathering at Sanam Luang. The mix gets even more volatile. Samak needs to say something in his speech to calm this all down.

I just found out a businessman frind of mine who I considered to be quite normal has taken to the streets as well, he has just gone down a bit in my estimation. Hopefully Samak will come up with a solution, resignation might be the only thing that disperses this mob though and I can't see that happening.

He may just declare a state of emergency. I dont see resignation. An election could be an outside shot. In all likelihood he will just condemn certain actions and ask for peace etc. But with the PAD in the compound of government house he cant sound too weak. He is also hamstrung by all the recent government stuffing of various committees with Thaksin cronies which may make it hard for him to get army support beyond a few utterances.

Declaring state of emergency and the army does not follow him would be his end.

Cleaning it up with the army and blood on the streets might be not acceptable for someone higher than Samak and it would be his end.

So he find another solution....but what??

Samaks cards are not good in that game, but he just risk his position as PM.

PAD is at a point in which they can't step back anymore, or?? Who knows in Thailand?

[onnut]

On a very personal note I am very worried as my wife is visiting her daughter who is in hospital in Bangkok and has to travel from one side of the city to the other.

I have just driven across the city and did not have any problems, there was a little more traffic in some parts. but thats all. I am sure she will be fine

[geovalin]

Whatever we think about PAD, Thaksin or corruption:

Do PAD people breach any law? If yes, they have to be arrested. That's it.

Is their nationalist rhetoric dangerous for the peace inside the country and with the neighbors (without mentioning our visa renewal)? If yes, we have to hope all this nightmare finish soon.

My guess is that the answer to both of these question is YES.

[lifeisrandom]

Human beings love conflict. I am watching this with a bowl of pop corn and hoping something exciting happens. That is what all of us want right? We want to see conflict. We want to hear about thousands of people causing chaos and murder and all of that. Its exciting. The guys insisting that the sky is falling are first in line. They are salivating at the prospect of chaos. I think that is crystal clear.

[Thai at Heart]

Mmmm and ToC are reporting that anti-PAD groups are gathering at Sanam Luang. The mix gets even more volatile. Samak needs to say something in his speech to calm this all down.

I just found out a businessman frind of mine who I considered to be quite normal has taken to the streets as well, he has just gone down a bit in my estimation. Hopefully Samak will come up with a solution, resignation might be the only thing that disperses this mob though and I can't see that happening.

He may just declare a state of emergency. I dont see resignation. An election could be an outside shot. In all likelihood he will just condemn certain actions and ask for peace etc. But with the PAD in the compound of government house he cant sound too weak. He is also hamstrung by all the recent government stuffing of various committees with Thaksin cronies which may make it hard for him to get army support beyond a few utterances.

Declaring state of emergency and the army does not follow him would be his end.

Cleaning it up with the army and blood on the streets might be not acceptable for someone higher than Samak and it would be his end.

So he find another solution....but what??

Samaks cards are not good in that game, but he just risk his position as PM.

PAD is at a point in which they can't step back anymore, or?? Who knows in Thailand?

Correct, there is every chance the army wouldn't act on a state of emergency

[onnut]

looks like rain. that will make em all run for cover.

[Haydn]

On a very personal note I am very worried as my wife is visiting her daughter who is in hospital in Bangkok and has to travel from one side of the city to the other.

I have just driven across the city and did not have any problems, there was a little more traffic in some parts. but thats all. I am sure she will be fine

Thank you onnut that makes me feel a little easier

[Insight]

Mmmm and ToC are reporting that anti-PAD groups are gathering at Sanam Luang. The mix gets even more volatile. Samak needs to say something in his speech to calm this all down.

One would think the Leader of the Nation would have said something about 7 hours ago.

Each hour he spends doing his "business as usual routine" (bugger all, as we all know) just adds further validation to the cause...

[mjperry]

Sondhi explains his 'final war'

BANGKOK: -- After calling on People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters from all over the country to converge for today's "final war" protest march against the Samak Sundaravej administration, PAD core leader Sondhi Limthongkul talked to the Bangkok Post's Nattaya Chetchotiros.

<...snip...>

We'll block the roads from southern, northern and northeastern regions, but we'll let our supporters arrive in the city first. We'll block the roads after midday. At noon, we'll close Phuket airport and Hat Yai airport. We will post this plan online [on the Manager website] at 10am.

<...snip...>

Does anyone know if they've successfully closed Phuket airport?

MJP

[scyriacus]

If this action by PAD causes the price of beer to rise in the capital there is going to be hel_l to pay!

I know that some here on Thai Visa want to compare this situation (perhaps a revolution) to famous communist coups around the world since the 1950's. I prefer to compare PAD to that once infamous German Army corporal, Adolf Hitler.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is using scare tactics to mold the opinion of the uninformed populace to their own ends. While complaining and pointing fingers at the elected government about anything and everything they refuse to negotiate on any subject and simply call for an end to present government rule. Sound familiar? Same thing happened two years ago which led to a coup d'état and the ousting of a seated, elected government.

This is nothing new. Many of us remember from our history lessons that back in the 1930's Europe they had their own PAD saying exactly the same thing about the seated government. The Nazi Party used the economic hardships suffered by the Germans to grab power. Adolph Hitler and his ilk fooled the German people into joining their extreme and radical movement to overthrow the government.

Like the Nazi's in Germany PAD has no business in a civilized Thai society. They are trampling on the peoples consciences and revising history to suit their own ends. These extreme, unconscionable leaders are master manipulators, preying on the weak, drunk with power and serve no constructive purpose. It is time to put an end to the madness and remove PAD and their self-serving leaders. They have had their fifteen minutes in the spotlight and have fooled innocent Thai people long enough....

you have a very strange perception about history, my friend. you are revising history to suit your own ends. adolf hitler was the seated, elected government of germany and was supported initially by anti-communists from all over the world. he became a dictator, because there was no 'pad' organizing open street protest and civil resistance. you'd better compare adolf hitler with corporal tax-sin. he was trying to treat thailand as if it was his own 100% company, just to fill the pockets of his greedy ilk. do you really believe that his supporters in the poorest parts of thailand are not 'bought' (like one can buy a whole party or a football-club). and you are sure that they are better informed than the bangkok intelligence? i can see from your various posts, that you are a rightist supporter of tax-sin and your two pictures in tv show everyone how those supporters want to look like: the masked, almighty super-ironman! you are unmasked......your first and foremost interest is the price of beer.......

[gymshark]

On a very personal note I am very worried as my wife is visiting her daughter who is in hospital in Bangkok and has to travel from one side of the city to the other.

I am right around the corner from one of the sites and you wouldn't even know anything was happening. But I hear thunder....

[esprit]

Calling Thai soldiers "cowards" is daring them to take action. Who can defend PAD and Sondhi's position today?

Apparently you haven't read the past 12 pages? Even allegedly educated foreigners are defending PAD and SOndhi's position!!

I was giving the PAD believers a way out. I was referring to "after" the Bangkok Post interview. It is easy to be anti-Thaksin and anti-government but not so easy to support any of this that is going on today.

The PM's speech at 3:00 PM could be interesting.

rumour is he is organising a BBQ !!

[grantbkk]

If this action by PAD causes the price of beer to rise in the capital there is going to be hel_l to pay!

I know that some here on Thai Visa want to compare this situation (perhaps a revolution) to famous communist coups around the world since the 1950's. I prefer to compare PAD to that once infamous German Army corporal, Adolf Hitler.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is using scare tactics to mold the opinion of the uninformed populace to their own ends. While complaining and pointing fingers at the elected government about anything and everything they refuse to negotiate on any subject and simply call for an end to present government rule. Sound familiar? Same thing happened two years ago which led to a coup d'état and the ousting of a seated, elected government.

This is nothing new. Many of us remember from our history lessons that back in the 1930's Europe they had their own PAD saying exactly the same thing about the seated government. The Nazi Party used the economic hardships suffered by the Germans to grab power. Adolph Hitler and his ilk fooled the German people into joining their extreme and radical movement to overthrow the government.

Like the Nazi's in Germany PAD has no business in a civilized Thai society. They are trampling on the peoples consciences and revising history to suit their own ends. These extreme, unconscionable leaders are master manipulators, preying on the weak, drunk with power and serve no constructive purpose. It is time to put an end to the madness and remove PAD and their self-serving leaders. They have had their fifteen minutes in the spotlight and have fooled innocent Thai people long enough....

you have a very strange perception about history, my friend. you are revising history to suit your own ends. adolf hitler was the seated, elected government of germany and was supported initially by anti-communists from all over the world. he became a dictator, because there was no 'pad' organizing open street protest and civil resistance. you'd better compare adolf hitler with corporal tax-sin. he was trying to treat thailand as if it was his own 100% company, just to fill the pockets of his greedy ilk. do you really believe that his supporters in the poorest parts of thailand are not 'bought' (like one can buy a whole party or a football-club). and you are sure that they are better informed than the bangkok intelligence? i can see from your various posts, that you are a rightist supporter of tax-sin and your two pictures in tv show everyone how those supporters want to look like: the masked, almighty super-ironman! you are unmasked......your first and foremost interest is the price of beer.......

Good counter to my post. Pure entertainment while we wait for hard news.

[bangkokrick]

Human beings love conflict. I am watching this with a bowl of pop corn and hoping something exciting happens. That is what all of us want right? We want to see conflict. We want to hear about thousands of people causing chaos and murder and all of that. Its exciting. The guys insisting that the sky is falling are first in line. They are salivating at the prospect of chaos. I think that is crystal clear.

I for one do not want ot see any violence or injuries to innocent people. I just heard that the police have evacuated the local primary school. I am not sure which one but its in the Thonglor area.

Sad day for all.

Cheers, Rick

[didivolk]

Dear Khun Korn

Whoever and for whatever reasons sides with Sonthi L. disqualifies himself.

Not much to add. The party name of the oldest Thai party should be changed to 'Undemocratic'. You (they) caused partly the mess we are in now. If you excuse the PAD nobody can help you. When and if there is a new election you will see. The Thai people at a whole are not as stupid as you and the so called middle class think they are.

What a bunch of worthless thugs. God, they remind me of football hooligans.

If you think they look like football hooligans than there most be something wrong with your eyes.

Please read the following article, maybe it helps you understand the PAD. The real hooligans are in the government.

SHADOW BOXING

Without ethics, there simply is no hope

KORN CHATIKAVANIJ

Last week the gloves came off between the Finance Minister and his Shadow (me). This has nothing to do with the success of our boxers in Beijing (though when is it that we will win two golds?) but more because in my opinion the Minister crossed the line into the indefensible. Queensbury Rules just will not do with this man.

As he said himself in Parliament, unless and until the jail door is slammed shut, everything is to be considered decent and acceptable.

I am, of course, referring to the political interference in the appointments of the Bank of Thailand (BoT) and the Securities Commission (SEC) Boards - as well as the subsequent Stock Exchange Board appointments. All stuffed with questionable individuals chosen by even more questionable political cronies who, I believe, are mostly either illegally conflicted or are individuals facing charges of corruption against the State. All this is compounded by a Cabinet resolution during the week to appoint a crony to the board of the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) - the same crony who was chairman of SC Asset, the Shinawatra property company in the middle of perhaps the biggest outstanding criminal charge against the ex-prime minister - a charge filed by, wait for it, the DSI, of course.

Moreover, the Office of the Attorney-General will not file charges yet - the OAG wants more evidence from the DSI and the SEC. Is the attorney-general now more or less likely to receive cooperation?

I wish I could just move on.

I feel like I've been working these cases for most of my political career so far. I so look forward to the day when we can open a newspaper and not have to read about the ex-prime minister again.

I and, I am sure, most of the readers of this newspaper are fed up with the fact that we cannot move on. The trouble is, of course, we either let them all get away with insulting the lot of us, or we stand and fight - if necessary without gloves.

I, for one, can no longer help it; I am trapped. As long as they chose to cynically subvert our beliefs as to what is right and proper, then we need to stand up to them.

I thought it was bitterly ironic that Khun Thaksin is begging for sympathy in the UK by citing his wish to resign his Manchester City chairmanship in order to protect the club's reputation given the charges made against him in Thailand. Why is he concerned with Man City's honour and yet completely unabashed when it comes to the honour of Thailand's own institutions?

Based on the same rationale, why is Thaksin not requiring his acolytes to resign from positions of prime minister and minister, given criminal charges against them? Perhaps he cares more about Man City than Thailand itself? Or is he merely acknowledging higher ethical requirements in the UK compared with Thailand?

Indeed, the Finance Minister said in response to my challenge to him last week in Parliament that we must not use individual beliefs to judge what is right - and that we must simply abide by the law.

Putting aside the fact that he seems not to be bothered by his boss running away from justice to London, I cannot accept that kind of rationalisation from someone who is a leader of our country.

After all, what is the law if not an attempt to frame our collective beliefs of acceptable, ethical behaviour into civil code?

While one may argue about the existence of absolute rights and wrongs, one cannot argue that laws cannot cover every aspect of proper ethical behaviour.

In short, the Finance Minister is asking us to suspend our ethics and merely resort to conforming with the law. That is not the kind of leadership Thailand needs.

I would indeed argue that above all, what we need today is not more crowd pleasing policies, but leaders setting solid examples of good behaviour. I am not even being simply righteous - I have absolutely no doubt that it would be good business.

What is the fundamental problem of our economy today? It is "trust" and through that, confidence. I am stating the obvious that through confidence comes investment, consumption and everything that goes towards making our economy vibrant.

The fact that our Finance Minister chooses to ignore this means that we have no chance - and I mean it absolutely - we have no chance of doing better than the cyclical movements of the prices of our exports allow us.

I've just heard a report that a very well-known multinational had decided to co-invest with a local company chiefly because it learnt that, in spite of all the opportunities, the local company had treated them with exemplary fairness. How many international firms had come to me when I was an investment banker asking if I could introduce them to Siam Cement? Was it because Siam Cement followed the law? Sure, but much more than that, they knew of the company's reputation for high ethical standards - meaning that even if there was no law, Siam Cement could be expected to do the right thing. This meant Siam Cement always had first choice of all the best potential partners. As I said, it's good business.

The Finance Minister also spoke of "Rights". He was saying that the individuals he chose for these top positions have the right to be selected because they have not yet been conclusively proven guilty. Again, this is disingenuous. They may have rights, but the Minister has Duty. He has the duty to protect the institutions that he oversees to ensure that they continue to be respected and trusted so that they can perform the role expected of them. He needs to understand the concept of the greater good. It is not as if he has to choose the people he does - there are plenty of equally capable individuals whose appointment would not tarnish the reputation of the institutions.

All this is particularly sad when one considers that both the Bank of Thailand and the SEC have regulations that would bar those appointed to their boards (through the Minister's process) from having anything to do with the companies that these two institutions regulate.

How do you answer to that? If I didn't miss-hear him, I think the Minister is actually suggesting that these regulations be amended. He even blamed the whole problem on the Constitution!

I meet people in the world of finance and banking who ask me if there is anything that can be done. The answer is, at the first instance, that we need to alert the public as to what is going on.

However, with this administration, this will achieve little as there is no sense of shame. We are dealing with a political party which has promised to vote back the Prime Minister if he is to be forced to step down as a result of a potential ruling of conflict of interest in his TV cooking show.

As I mentioned earlier, short of putting them behind bars, there appears to be no stopping them, at least not until there is another general election, and until then, we may also need to throw away the key.

Korn Chatikavanij is Shadow Finance Minister.

Email: [email protected]

This is an excellent article from the increasingly frustrated Dem perspective explaining the context of why the PAD are suddenly back. Thaksin left. Talk of gang Of Four defecting. Divisons in PPP. Arrest warrants in various toilets. Thaksin reasserts authority. Revenuegate, DSI committee packed with cronies. BoT committee packed with cronies. Warnings from above aboyut sepnding th country into bankruptcty. PAD unleashed today. Military reshuffle imminent. These things do not happen in isolation. The stakes are getting higher.

What would be intersting today would be a fly on the wall of Samak and the army boys. The PAD are on the streets storming government places. Samak has to go to the military to check his back and work out an acceptable reaction. What does he have to promise today to ensure his back is really still covered. Put it in the context of the above.

[gymshark]

Human beings love conflict. I am watching this with a bowl of pop corn and hoping something exciting happens. That is what all of us want right? We want to see conflict. We want to hear about thousands of people causing chaos and murder and all of that. Its exciting. The guys insisting that the sky is falling are first in line. They are salivating at the prospect of chaos. I think that is crystal clear.

Drama queen, No one want's to see people die.

[bangkokrick]

For those of you that are not in Bangkok there is a hel_l of a thunder storm going on at the moment and the rain is hammering down. Lets hope that it cools the tempers a little.

Cheers, Rick

[jfchandler]

Samak's on TV now....just after 3 pm. His speech is showing on NBT as well....

[gymshark]

Samak's on TV now....just after 3 pm. His speech is showing on NBT as well....

He almost looks serious....... stand by

[Jai Dee]

Police try to block protesters from entering a studio of National Broadcasting Television on Tuesday.

A television footage shows men who tried to seize NBT station on Vipavadi Rangsit Road early Tuesday morning.

Protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy gather in front of the National Broadcast Television station on Vipavadi Rangsit Road on Tuesday morning. Now they managed to storm into the compound.

Source: The Nation - 26 August 2008