State Of Emergency Announced In Bangkok

[animatic]

Chai considers House debate for crisis solution

House Speaker Chai Chidchob said Wednesday he was thinking about talking with all parties to call a session to map out a solution to political turbulence.

Chai said he was consulting the coalition and the opposition over another debate. Sunday's session ended in a failure.

He denied son Newin masterminded progovernment demonstrators to clash with the antigovernment faction on Tuesday, where one man was killed and others injured.

Source: The Nation - 03 September 2008

If it wasn't so sad, it'd be almost comical how the House Speaker seems to always have to qualify any statement he makes with denials about his banned son's involvement in any event of the day...

My wife says one of Thaksin`s lawyers and two PPP mps were filmed sitting at a restaurant while outside the DAAD were preparing their desperate assault.

Yeah a quick nosh, before the pep rally for the boys going into battle. Mai sabai, mai?

[Tony Clifton]

CAT Telecom threatens to cease operations if Cabinet does not resign

The CAT Telecom Company Labor Union is threatening to shut down international telephone and internet services in Thailand if the Cabinet does not resign.

The Chairman of the CAT Telecom Labor Union, Mr. Somboon Supsarn (สมบูรณ์ ทรัพย์สาร), reports that some portions of the company's labor union have sided with People's Alliance for Democracy demonstrations. More than 3,000 CAT Telecom workers are expected to join PAD demonstrators today (September 3). Mr. Somboon said that the rest of the CAT Telecom Labor Union will wait for clarification on the government's stance after today before acting.

The Chairman of the CAT Telecom Labor Union affirms that if the Cabinet does not resign by today (September 3), the union will cease all internet gateway and international telephone services in Thailand. Meanwhile Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Man Pattanotai (มั่น พัธโนทัย), said that the Army Commander in Chief maintained most peacekeeping authority and would be responsible for handling the CAT Telecom Labor Union. Mr. Man said that his ministry can only levy its computer laws against the Labor Union.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 03 September 2008

That'd throw a spanner in the works.

We wouldnt be able to waste hours debating every last development

Hmmmm...maybe some of us will go out and have a real life for a change.....Naaaaah, this too shall pass and soon we will all be glued to our computers again. There are also the computer games, for those of us who will go through internet withdrawals. If all else fails...take the dog for a walk or talk to the wife ;-)

We could always meet, I `ll bring pictures instead of posting them, it always pleases many and pisses off a few with no sense of humor. .

One clear advantage would be that a banned member would be recognised instantly upon stubbornly walking right back in.

[wxpwzrd]

I can assure that i dont support any of these idiots ,i am from england so its not my business to support ,i don"t have a vote, all i can say is that phuket is very PAD supportive and its for sure PAD that are offering cash here.

You maybe didn't support anybody except yourself but title others as idiots show who you are.

On the other hand it would be interesting to know how many actions are take to discredit the PAD in any possible way! And to discredit the PAD is maybe the only way left for the government site and their supporters to extend the "live" some more day's?!

All actions right know looking just that the end isn't very far!

Cheers.

I beg your parden are you calling me an idiot for not siding with PAD why should I ! I am just reporting a fact. Its obvious that PAD PPP and DAAD are very well funded and lets face it money is invested usually for a return so who's expecting it.

Yes I think they are all idiots for the damage this has and will cause the econnomy, mad as hamsters the lot of them, and sorting it out will be like hearding cats unless some order can be brought to bear very soon.

Actually he did not call you anything... He made comment about your ability to sling mud and call others idiots... But if the shoe fits, feel free to wear it.

[Tony Clifton]

didn't the people of Thailand elect the PPP as their government with a majority and more than any other party? If so, why is a minority protesting? Let's face the truth here for a second, the majority of Thais have voted for the PPP. Why is their choice not being respected? And occupying government buildings and TV stations and threatening to cut off electricity and water supplies is hardly democracy, but anarchy.

Well said. If they understood it, the mess would stop.

funny... like you didn't heard about rampant election fraud.

...or that PPP only got 37% of the vote and chose to draw in a coalition of even slimier parties to have a majority, parties who by the way broke every single promise made publicly upon joining PPP, no remorse or shame whatsoever.

[Farma]

Reuters is now reporting the Thai foreign minister has resigned.

[Moonrakers]

Is this a new development:

Thailand's Information and Communications Technology Ministry sought court orders yesterday to shut down about 400 websites and advised internet service providers to block 1,200 sites it considers a danger to national security or disturbing social order.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/0...lmedia.thailand

Or just something that I missed? And how does it coincide with CAT's threat of close net gateways?

[Mosha]

Reuters is now reporting the Thai foreign minister has resigned.

Also on BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7499116.stm

[Tony Clifton]

For all of those who go on and on about how the government has been elected, can you please answer this question: If you elected a government into your own country, but once in power it tried to change the constitution to suit criminals, it made an illegal deal with a neighbouring country, it appointed known criminals to very sensitive government posts, it worked to its own monetary advantage, not to its people, would you still think that this government was legitimate? Yes, it was elected, but if they break the law shouldn't they resign pending trial? Come on. And for all of those who say TIT, well that is the whole point, Thailand no longer wants this cycle of corruption. The people want change. And PAD is not just a small group of urban elite, as you can see from its support nationwide, it is a lot larger than a few thousand people. They have crossed the line numerous times, but they have been on the most part peaceful. Let's not forget that other 'civilised' countries also have anti government protesting, riots and yes, strikes.

Well said, Sao Jiang Mai.

A lot of people also seem to conveniently forget that a PAD supporter was shot, without provocation, and killed by the PPP/Samak sponsored DAAD, less than 48 hours ago. The man was in his 50's. There are definitely PPP links to the DAAD. How long are you guys going to support these criminals and...most of all, WHY???

It`s a party philosophy.

[onethailand]

My wife says one of Thaksin`s lawyers and two PPP mps were filmed sitting at a restaurant while outside the DAAD were preparing their desperate assault.

Wonder if they were dining on Thaksin's newly refilled account... on spotted dick perhaps?

[Moonrakers]

From The Nation:

FM plans to resign

Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag is seeking resignation from Samak Government after almost one and a half month in office, informed sources said on Wednesday.

It is still unclear why he wished to resign.

The reason:

Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama has resigned after a top court ruled he had violated the constitution by signing a deal over a disputed temple.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7499116.stm

[paulfromphuket]

I can assure that i dont support any of these idiots ,i am from england so its not my business to support ,i don"t have a vote, all i can say is that phuket is very PAD supportive and its for sure PAD that are offering cash here.

You maybe didn't support anybody except yourself but title others as idiots show who you are.

On the other hand it would be interesting to know how many actions are take to discredit the PAD in any possible way! And to discredit the PAD is maybe the only way left for the government site and their supporters to extend the "live" some more day's?!

All actions right know looking just that the end isn't very far!

Cheers.

I beg your parden are you calling me an idiot for not siding with PAD why should I ! I am just reporting a fact. Its obvious that PAD PPP and DAAD are very well funded and lets face it money is invested usually for a return so who's expecting it.

Yes I think they are all idiots for the damage this has and will cause the econnomy, mad as hamsters the lot of them, and sorting it out will be like hearding cats unless some order can be brought to bear very soon.

Actually he did not call you anything... He made comment about your ability to sling mud and call others idiots... But if the shoe fits, feel free to wear it.

ok maybe i am too sensitive or maybe just have read his comments understanding his inference more than you.

Thats for him to decide not you.

what remains is the simple fact that these people from whatever party and for whatever motive are destroying Thailands global reputation such as it was.

I guess in retrospect an idiot can't help themselves but taking a meal ticket today is no promise of one tomorrow and thats fools gold so they are fools not idiots.

[Tony Clifton]

Why does Samak have to know what side the guy casme from before accepting responsibility? Is he totally inhuman? And we should remember he has made a complete political career out of labelling those he disagrees with as not Thai and in several cases using it to suggest they should die or for justifying their deaths. This incident and his reaction in what he says follows this pattern., which side? and was he Thai? Very disturbing if you expect moral responsibility from a PM.

Fully agree. But, assuming the deceased has been identified correctly, it may have an influence on what Samak will say.

Then again, the Post has reported it both ways - hard to conclude that either one is correct. Has anyone read the Thai papers and can provide more info?

If the government still today isn`t using this poor guy as a martyr and Samak still does not know which side he was on, he was no pro-govt.

[Tony Clifton]

and its for sure PAD that are offering cash here.

And you know this how exactly...?

yellow shirts and thats what they say, i like to try and believe what someone actually says to me. maybe they are been hijacked and sent somewhere else but its pad at the town hall and pad getting recruited here in my village.

So they tell you that they are getting paid?

yes i think i was clear enough.

And I`m sure you or your Thai acquaintances have immediately contacted the proper authorities upon observing this.

[ratcatcher]

Reuters is now reporting the Thai foreign minister has resigned.

Also on BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7499116.stm

I think Tej Bunnag is well respected in diplomatic circles. He obviously is smart enough to realize that the S.S. People Power Party is a sinking ship and wanted to get off before the hordes of rats start to desert.

Obviously Captain Samak is destined to be the last aboard.

[younghusband]

Reuters is now reporting the Thai foreign minister has resigned.

Also on BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7499116.stm

I am sorry to hear it because Khun Tej was a highly competent and decent man.Nevertheless the reality is he was parachuted in for a specific purpose, namely to defuse the Cambodian crisis.The fact that he is going suggests to me the Samak Government's days are numbered.It also serves to confirm the FT thesis that there is indeed an elite conspiracy to destroy Thailand's fragile democracy.He was given his marching orders I suspect by the Premocracy.

Edited September 3, 2008 by younghusband

[ubonjoe]

FM seeks resignation from Samak government

Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag has tendered his resignation from Samak government, just 40 days after taking the office.

His reported resignation came a few days after his secretary, Poksak Nilubon, former ambassador to Sweden, resigned, saying he could not serve Samak Government.

The sources said Tej, former permanent secretary for foreign affairs, reasoned his resignation that his wife, Pensri, is sick.

Tej has been appointed to the position on July 27 particularly to handle the Thai-Cambodia dispute on Preah Vihear Temple.

It is still unclear why he wished to resign.

Tej is scheduled to visit Vietnam on September 10 and Indonesia from September 16 - 18

Nation

[Tony Clifton]

Reuters is now reporting the Thai foreign minister has resigned.

A sudden resignation, hours after the rumour, not days...

Something is up and he refuses to be associated with this govt. when it happens? Tonight?

[Moonrakers]

Reuters is now reporting the Thai foreign minister has resigned.

A sudden resignation, hours after the rumour, not days...

Something is up and he refuses to be associated with this govt. when it happens? Tonight?

I was wondering this, does he know something that we don't?

[geovalin]

It also serves to confirm the FT thesis that there is indeed an elite conspiracy to destroy Thailand's fragile democracy.He was given his marching orders I suspect by the Premocracy.

I'm sorry: who is FT?

Anyway tell me more about this.

Looks interesting and maybe true...

[permanent_disorder]

There isn't any real evidence that the PAD is paying it's supporters but a lot of real evidence that the DAAD is paying for there supporters.

Interestingly is further that the PAD didn't uses knives, sticks and so on but the DAAD does.

It looks like that those who wrote about the payments of the PAD are on the same side as the DAAD! Just need to read all of the post and it's like a very deep red line which is pointing that way.

Cheers.

where is the evidence?

comes all conclusion just from the one picture with the red shirt and his impressive sword? can we know this for really and not staged?

if i look at the videos that shows the violence in action it's mostly 5-6 yellow shirt beating people on the ground and also stabbing them with their long sticks.

but okay, thats also only a selection and don't show/ report everything what was going on. but it doesn't look like some peace loving people in self defence, more like a mob in attempt to lynch and kill. the dead man was also from the pro-government group.

and wouldn't it be great propaganda and evidence to show pictures of some heavy injured yellow shirts? i didn't see any, more from the opposite side, but those are not used in the propaganda war.

about weapons belongs to the PAD - look here

http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2008/09/...r-from-pad.html

and yes of course there was no riot police right on the spot. i was surprise how soft the police was acting in the past days. the police runs the de-escalation tactic and nothing more. who was in the need of some violence to bring it to a next stage? cui bono?

what scares me is also the rhetoric the PAD used, very aggressive hate speech and ultra nationalistic views. remember how he rants against singapore?

do you know how he wants solve the recent probms with cambodia?

http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=732

and can someone of the experts can shed a light what a "union" means or is in the political system here? i don't know, but i guess you can not really compare it to the working class movement like it is in the west.

[Slip]

Reuters is now reporting the Thai foreign minister has resigned.

Also on BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7499116.stm

I am sorry to hear it because Khun Tej was a highly competent and decent man.Nevertheless the reality is he was parachuted in for a specific purpose, namely to defuse the Cambodian crisis.The fact that he is going suggests to me the Samak Government's days are numbered.It also serves to confirm the FT thesis that there is indeed an elite conspiracy to destroy Thailand's fragile democracy.

Now it's time for someone to say "What about the vote buying"?- this thread follows the same cyclical process as many posters suggest Thai politics takes.....no?

[sriracha john]

Thai government tries to shut down 400 websites

Thailand's Information and Communications Technology Ministry sought court orders yesterday to shut down about 400 websites and advised internet service providers to block 1,200 sites it considers a danger to national security or disturbing social order.

ICT Minister Mun Patanotai said the department had advised ISPs to immediately block these websites, which it claimed were detected between March and August this year, and had sought court actions against them under article 20 of Thailand's Computer Crime Act.

The Bangkok Post reported yesterday that the ministry claimed the sites "disturbed the peaceful social order and morality of the people, and/or which were considered detrimental to national security".

This move to shut down online dissent follows the Thai authorities' declaration of a state of emergency yesterday as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to demand the government's resignation.

Thai prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, announced sweeping curbs to civil liberties to maintain calm, after which the ICT Ministry said it had detected more than 1,200 websites that violated the Computer Crime Act.

- Guardian / 2008-09-03

Edited September 3, 2008 by sriracha john

[kartman]

Just caught glimpse of thai tv thought i saw Samak giving a resignation speech but turned out to be an orangutan in the channel 7 soap , obviously i now realise my mistake as the orangutan's speech was making sense.

[geovalin]

Cambodian was in the no man's land. If it was a problem, just let's negotiate, no need to make a war for that.

Oups, I forgot, PAD strategy is NOT negotiation it's violence, violence and violence.

Are you for real? How can you say that the PAD stands for violence.

Do you read newspapers up side down?

PAD is one of most violent movement in the world. Not far from Hamas.

Incite violence on a 24/24 h, 7/7d basis is the worst violence in the world because, at least Al Quaida it's only "Seven Eleven"

:-)

Well, in Thailand 7/11 are open 24/24h.

:-)

[sriracha john]

what remains is the simple fact that these people from whatever party and for whatever motive

thank you for clarifying that it's undetermined whether or not it was allegedly PAD that was offering the money

[Plus]

...It also serves to confirm the FT thesis that there is indeed an elite conspiracy to destroy Thailand's fragile democracy.

I wouldn't put it that way. More like Thai fragile democracy learns that people voices cannot be ignored and elections do not give a carte blanche.

That weirdo Thanong Khantong from the Nation made an interesting point recently: there are three stages to it - coming to power, managing power, and handing the power to someone else.

Samak was accepted at the first stage - no one disputed his win and his right to govern, but he completely screwed up the second stage when he alienated half the country, and now we are looking at the third stage - a peaceful exit.

[davee58]

Just caught glimpse of thai tv thought i saw Samak giving a resignation speech but turned out to be an orangutan in the channel 7 soap , obviously i now realise my mistake as the orangutan's speech was making sense.

I think possession of controlled drugs leads to life imprisonment in Thailand.

Hide the hallucinogens, quick.

(just kidding)

[sriracha john]

Cambodian was in the no man's land. If it was a problem, just let's negotiate, no need to make a war for that.

Oups, I forgot, PAD strategy is NOT negotiation it's violence, violence and violence.

Are you for real? How can you say that the PAD stands for violence.

Do you read newspapers up side down?

PAD is one of most violent movement in the world.

Most Bizarre Statement of the Day. Congratulations.

[ovenman]

and its for sure PAD that are offering cash here.

And you know this how exactly...?

yellow shirts and thats what they say, i like to try and believe what someone actually says to me. maybe they are been hijacked and sent somewhere else but its pad at the town hall and pad getting recruited here in my village.

So they tell you that they are getting paid?

yes i think i was clear enough.

And I`m sure you or your Thai acquaintances have immediately contacted the proper authorities upon observing this.

Doubtful. They're probably all taking the free Phuket to Bangkok flights that he asserts THAI is offering to shuttle paid PAD demonstrators to the capital.

[younghusband]

...It also serves to confirm the FT thesis that there is indeed an elite conspiracy to destroy Thailand's fragile democracy.

I wouldn't put it that way. More like Thai fragile democracy learns that people voices cannot be ignored and elections do not give a carte blanche.

That weirdo Thanong Khantong from the Nation made an interesting point recently: there are three stages to it - coming to power, managing power, and handing the power to someone else.

Samak was accepted at the first stage - no one disputed his win and his right to govern, but he completely screwed up the second stage when he alienated half the country, and now we are looking at the third stage - a peaceful exit.

Well that's another way of putting it but the bottom line is that the majority's inconvenient habit of winning elections will be stymied one way or the other.

But if Samak goes, putting Sondhi's off the wall stipulations on one side, who will be next? I sense the elite's strategy is to get the Dems in power but how malleable will Abhisit be?Already international opinion has wised up to the disgusting nature of the PAD leadership but Samak and the scummy PPP Government gives a semi credible explanation to the PAD movement.But with Abhisit at the helm it all gets a bit more difficult for the elite.Can he be cowed? We shall see.