4 Grenades Explode Near Thailand's Anti-government Tv Station

[dee123]

...I think old Thaksin might have changed his views about UK now that they have revoked his visa request,.....but to be perfectly honest it is Definately Thaksin who rocked the boat but the old goverments and officials and elites were up to their necks too,....only free speech can wipe the slate clean even an amnesty might be worth considering

Edited November 24, 2008 by dee123

[dee123]

May I remind everyone of something - knowledge because this was/is my job - any news that you read in The Nation or The Bangkok Post has been written by Thai journalists and then translated by Thai translators and the rewritten by Western journalists based in BKK. A wee reminder that language in reporting can be misunderstood

western journalists ,?....any names please,.....u mean to say that Thai's write then "western journalist's" ....or do u mean western translators?

[LaoPo]

...I wish I knew what was going on.....it all seems as clear as mud at the moment,.....the only thing I know for sure is that Thailand has still not got freedom of press.....oh well!....thats life

Doesn't everybody ?...maybe this will help: Q&A, according to the BBC:

Q&A: Bangkok protests

Anti-government protesters have occupied buildings since August

Protesters in Thailand have been occupying key government buildings since late August to demand the resignation of the government. Here are some key points about the demonstrations.

Who is protesting?

The protests are led by the royalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which claims the government is corrupt and hostile to the country's much-revered monarchy.

The PAD is a loose grouping of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class opposed to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted from power in 2006.

After months of camping outside government buildings, it rallied tens of thousands of supporters around Thailand's parliament building on 22 November, in what it called a "final battle" to topple the current government.

It believes the current Thai government, headed by Mr Thaksin's brother-in-law, is linked to the ousted premier and thus discredited.

Police said around 18,000 demonstrators took to the streets, blocking roads leading to parliament. That led to the day's session being abandoned as many parliamentarians could not get to the building.

Some groups marched on the police headquarters and the finance ministry.

Pro-government supporters have also shown their support during the past couple of months.

Most recently 10,000 pro-Thaksin supporters gathered at a Buddhist temple just outside Bangkok to support the government.

Why does the PAD hate Mr Thaksin?

While in office, Mr Thaksin's populist policies attracted enormous support from rural areas, and the old elite felt threatened.

His power base was too wide, they believed, and they accused him of corruption and nepotism.

Some of his detractors also accused him of competing with Thailand's much-revered monarch, King Bhumibol, for the heart of the nation - something Mr Thaksin roundly rejects.

It was the PAD that launched the massive street protests in Bangkok that preceded the 2006 military coup that finally forced Mr Thaksin out and into exile.

And despite the fact he is no longer in the country, the PAD insists Mr Thaksin remains the power behind the People Power Party (PPP), which emerged from the ruins of his banned Thai Rak Thai party to win the most votes in last December's general election.

What do they want?

The PAD has vowed to continue protests until their demands for a government independent of Mr Thaksin are met.

Since protests began in August, Samak Sundaravej was forced to resign as prime minister by a court on an apparently unrelated matter.

The PAD believed he was a proxy for Mr Thaksin.

The PPP's Somchai Wongsawat was approved as prime minister to replace Mr Samak.

That Mr Somchai is a brother-in-law of Mr Thaksin further inflamed the anti-government protesters.

Some PAD leaders have also called for parliament to be largely appointed, complaining that rural voters have been duped into backing the PPP.

Why was Mr Samak forced out?

Mr Samak had vowed to stand firm in the face of anti-government protests which erupted in late August.

But on 9 September a court found that his participation in a TV cookery show had violated a ban on ministers having outside interests and ordered him to resign.

The court ruling did not prohibit his return to power and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) initially said that it would immediately re-elect him as prime minister.

But the planned re-election vote could not go ahead because many lawmakers stayed away. It became clear that - after the prolonged protests - Mr Samak no longer had the support of the PPP's coalition partners, or even of some members of his own party.

What about Thaksin Shinawatra?

Mr Thaksin was deposed in a military coup in mid-2006, and travelled to Britain.

When his allies won the first post-coup elections in late 2007, he returned to Thailand.

There he and his family faced a raft of corruption charges - allegations which the former Thai leader probably expected to come to nothing.

But when charges were brought, Mr Thaksin and his wife fled to the UK in August 2008, saying they would not get a fair trial in Thailand.

His move prompted widespread condemnation in Thailand and calls for the UK to extradite him to his homeland for trial.

In October he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to two years in prison by the Thai Supreme Court.

In a landmark ruling, he was found to have violated conflict of interest rules in helping his wife buy land from a state agency at a knock-down price.

Having sold his controlling interest in Manchester City football club, Mr Thaksin and his wife then had their visas revoked by the UK while they were out of the country, preventing him from returning.

As of mid-November, 2008, Mr Thaksin is thought to be travelling in East Asia.

Is the public behind the PAD?

Thai society is deeply divided. The rural poor still strongly support Mr Thaksin, and the PPP won by far the most seats in the elections last year.

It is probably fair to say that many of those who backed Mr Samak and the PPP did so because they wanted Mr Thaksin - and his populist policies - to return.

But other groups, including many state employees, have joined the PAD's cause, holding strikes and disrupting transport routes in different areas of Thailand to show their support for the protests.

Thailand is polarised - and the choice of the next prime minister will determine whether the two sides move closer together or further apart.

What happens next?

The PAD wants to replace Thailand's one-man, one-vote system with one in which some representatives are chosen by professions and social groups rather than the general electorate.

The new government says it wants to start negotiations with the PAD.

But it is also pushing ahead with controversial plans to amend the constitution - a key grievance of the protesters who see it as part of a plan to rehabilitate the former prime minister.

Story from BBC NEWS:

Published: 2008/11/24 13:32:50 GMT

LaoPo

[dee123]

...they wouldn't be serious journalist's if they didn't have the ability to read and write Thai,......and tell it how it really is,....but then again the only way you can find out what is really happening is from foreign media like Reuters,BBC, and the like outside of Thailand,....

[dee123]

...over the past year BBC has really only given facts on the "bleeding obvious"....probably because they haven.t got a clue either...the problem lies with the suppression of investigative journalism as we have here in the "West".....you can't say "here we have film of Thaksin ordering some police to carry out shoot to kill on drug dealers or footage of Samak leaving a meeting with a wanted fugitive...ect ect ....because the few journalists that are brave enough to try and dothis are quickly rounded upand shot,...and the rest of the "journo's"....don't really thinkits the right thing to do obviously!

Edited November 25, 2008 by dee123

[plachon]

Still no mention of rampant vote buying by Toxin's parties on each and every occasion, numerous well-documented corruption charges leading up to the Pastrygate scandal or Toxin's appalling human rights abuse record, amongst other serious ommissions by the BBC.

They also fail in describing PAD as "believing Samak was a proxy for Thaksin". If the truth were to be told, Samak himself admitted as much and is on record as saying so prior to the election, although in his usual inability to tell the truth, started claiming he was his "own man" once he got into power and liked the taste of it. This infuriated Toxin, as much as it infuriated PAD and a fair chunk of the PPP cabinet who thought Samak was off his trolley on several occasions (they were probably quite glad to see him folding paper cranes, knowing he couldn't inflict too much harm while so occupied).

[catmac]

Strangely you seem to have overlooked the mass-attack, with explosive gas-grenades, by the border-police against the PAD, at the beginning of last month ? Some 500 people injured/maimed/hospitalised ?? Ring any bells ???

Do you mean when the police quite rightly moved an illegal obstruction whos aim was purely to obstruct the legal sitting of parlaiment?

It would appear that you take one side of the propoganda while I see it as it is. The only bad thing here is that they don't give a 5 minute warning to the crooks trespassing at government house before launching tear gas into there and dispersing these criminals

Only bad thing?

Where you by any chance one of the coppers laid off for beating up some 'thugs' in the cell?

You seem to have no problem labeling everyone not fitting into your UK-CCTV-fascist-model as criminals and thinking any pain or injury upon them is rightful and a 'good thing'.

If you cannot see an issue with unarmed people getting killed by Police-officers, well...that is it then.

A wonderful calm, reasoned and polite reply, TAWP.

Do I detect you PADisters are becoming a wee bit hysterical as you see your dream of a mass uprising fade into comedy..........a few old grannies waving their clappers and asking the Finance Minister if they could use the toilet!

[catmac]

Female protesters assault deputy Metropolitan Police Division chief

DON MUANG: -- Female protesters assaulted a deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 4 at the Don Muang Airport Monday evening.

The protesters booed Pol Col Phatchara Boonyaprasit while he walking from the canteen at the airport at 5:15 pm. Several spat at him and many threw water bottles at him.

At one moment, he was pushed until he fell over and the back of his head hit a barricade.

After he fell down, several protesters kicked him and threw water bottles at him again until other policemen came to rescue him and took him away.

-- The Nation 2008-11-24

Thank you, George, for this report.

Yet again the true nature of PAD is revealed, a bunch of nasty, violent thugs! And that's just the females!

[CuttySark]

That's impossible!

The PAD are peaceful protesters... Must be a move from Thaksin to discredit these pacifists and well educated demonstrators

I think that it is far from impossible, but as you say, most likely instigated by a few bad apples from the other box, with a different agenda than a peaceful protest.

/bbp

So it is OK for a few bad apple in PAD to cause trouble and kick some police in Don Muang. For the same argument, it is OK for a few bad apple in the police for to go shooting some innocent PAD protestors. Why blame the whole police unit?

[dee123]

....Mussalini the Italian dictator introduced proppaganda to the Pitchet goverment during the second world war, at the same time changing the country's name from Siam to Thailand,,,their national anthem too changed,...since then successive goverments have had a strangle holdover the "Masses"....proppaganda these days is much more subtle....you can afford to give the press a certain amount of freedom but when the chips are down and you need to swing the populace in your favour,,the strings are then pulled in the Thai papers and their television which is all controlled by the state or military or meglamaniacs with connections.....old habits die hard....

[jackr]

Last night I was in the city of Chiang Mai.

Should be packed with tourists as it`s the height of the season.

It was like a ghost town with many entertainment, massage parlours, restaurants closing early.

Just been viewing all 6 Thai TV channels, not a mention of this crisis. Thailand a democratic country, my ass.

Whether you like Thaksin or not, if he really loved his country, Thaksin should fade away for the sake of the people. That would be the decent thing to do.

Late December to March is the 'height of the season' up here. It is, however, not as busy as usual but that can also be attributed to the state of the money situation in the world in general.

---

Screw the pad

[Nampeung]

Hey Dee123, no I distinctly meant that Western journalists rewrite into proper English the info they are given by Thai translators of Thai to English where the news is concerned. This is important to remember when reading English language newspapers in Bkk. The only direct writing Western journos are allowed in the mainstream Bkk newspapers is feature/column writing. The politics etc has to be written by Thai journos and then translated by Thai translators then rewritten by English speaking journos...

[CuttySark]

I would suggest that the new Constitution, prepared during the junta-appointed government's time in power, was at least voted-for by a majority of the people in a referendum.

The problem with any PPP-led coalition-government attempt to impose their own modifications, to that Constitution, is that they appear to be trying to do so without any attempt to consult the people. And to be trying to rush this through, before the courts disband the PPP for electoral misdeeds, bringing the government down.

Hence the problems on the streets right now.

The current Constitution is undoubtedly imperfect, all sides would want to modify it to some degree, why is it so hard for the government to do this in a consensual way ?

Unless the changes are ratified by the voters, how can anybody claim that such modifications are democratic, rather than an imposed white-wash to satisfy only the needs of of the PPP's paymaster in Dubai ?

The referendum is one-sided. It ask (1) take this new constitution or (2) no conttitution at all. It should have ask (1) take this constitution or (2) revert back to the constitution which we have just burnned.

Government can change the law with asking the people. The MP vote on it, you vote for the MP, hence you have mandated for the MP to vote on your behalfs. If not, there will be a referendum every other week, if the government decides to do anything. This is the rule. If you don't like the rule, vote for someone else who campaign to change the rule.

There can NEVER ever be a consensual way out in politic, that's what VOTING is for. How do you get 60 millions to agree on the same thing.

[CuttySark]

JoeinSurin --- again I repeat my invitation for you to go back and read the thread about that day and the results of the forensics and analysis by international groups. Yes when you fire weapons containing RDX directly at people instead of in an arc, and when you use scads of it, and when it is military ordinance then obviously it was meant to cause grievous bodily harm and in fact did kill and maim innocent people.

No, just because YOU have an opinion that the innocent victims of the police that day deserved to die, does not make that true.

These things don't happen to people abiding by the law and not trying to defy and fight the police. Trying to make the police doing their job look like the victim is an old trick that no one but a fool would fall for.

You seen to hold any news that would support your PAD as fact and anything else as "LOL" .

Ive seen police in more than one western country beat peaceful protestors who were trying to get out of the way. I doubt its different in Thailand.

I am not trying to defend the PAD. It is the way of how demonstrations are handled worldwide. It usually goes with painting a picture of a scary mob for public cionsumption which may or may not be true

I am not defending the police. However I must add that I have seen just as much violence on the protesters side against the police (not just in Thailand).

[Jai Dee]

Parliament’s session held on Dec 8-9

The four partite meeting on Monday agreed to hold an extraordinary parliamentary session between December 8 and 9 to approve frameworks of negotiation with ASEAN counterparts during upcoming ASEAN summit meeting in Chiang Mai in December. The session would not amend Constitution.

The four partite meeting on Monday (November 24) comprised Mr. Chai Chidchob, chairman of the Parliament, Senate Speaker Mr. Prasopsook Boondej, Mr Chavarat Charnvirakul, deputy prime minister, in his capacity as acting prime minister, and opposition leader Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Other relevant people also attended the meeting. They included Mr. Witthaya Buranasiriม chief of the Government's whip, Mr. Sathit Wongnongtoey, opposition Democrat party whip chairman, and Mr. Natthawut Saigua, Government Spokesman.

Mr. Chi said after the meeting that the meeting agreed to propose to the Government to open an extraordinary session of the Parliamnt between December 8 and 9 to concentrate on considering frameworks of agreements to be signed during the upcoming ASEAN summit meeting during December 14 and 16, in line with Constitution’s article 190. The session, he stressed, would not consider amending Constitution.

Source: National News Bureau of Thailand - 25 November 2008

[dee123]

Hey Dee123, no I distinctly meant that Western journalists rewrite into proper English the info they are given by Thai translators of Thai to English where the news is concerned. This is important to remember when reading English language newspapers in Bkk. The only direct writing Western journos are allowed in the mainstream Bkk newspapers is feature/column writing. The politics etc has to be written by Thai journos and then translated by Thai translators then rewritten by English speaking journos...

well it kind of sounds like the American scriptwriters scenario....about ten educated script writers sit down to write comedy,....trying to emulate real genius like the Python's or Sellars or similar,....comes out with really clever lines then a dubbed audience overlayed,....total garbage.....no wonder I could never take the Nation or Bkk post editorial serious.....i just feel sorry for the people who have been digesting that S--t for years.!!!

[Jai Dee]

BMA orders more schools for temporary closedown

BMA orders a temporary closedown of schools located nearby the PAD’s stronghold.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced a temporary closedown of schools under BMA supervision located nearby People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD)'s stronghold in order to avoid traffic jams and for the sake of public safety.

This notification will become active tomorrow by which Wat Makutkasattriyaram School, Benchamabopit School, and Rajvinit Secondary School will be closed for 1 day (November 25), while Wat Sommanas School, Parinayok Kindergarten, and Rajvinit Elementary School will be closed for 2 days (November 25-26).

Source: National News Bureau of Thailand - 25 November 2008

[Jai Dee]

PAD-led protesters from Government House reach Don Muang at 5:20 am

Protesters, who moved from the Government House, arrived at the Don Muang Airport at 5:20 am

Source: The Nation - 25 November 2008

[CuttySark]

[

- The young girl killed by the teargas grenade was unarmed. Probably was so several of the others with maimed legs and feet, or atleast one couldn't see any weapons from the footage by the news crews.

These things happen to people that break the law and defy the police. If anyone is at fault it is the PAD for brainwashing these people into getting killed and hurt. If anything the PAD has blood on their hands for using these vulnerable people as pawns in their personal war. The police were doing their job. The people hurt were breaking the law. Quit trying to make the bad guys (PAD) the victims.

What law did the young girl break who was killed by a bomb? I can't seem to find anywhere that she had defied the police either.

Taking over the Parliament and not letting the government go to work is not breaking the law?? Maybe you are right? This might be your lawful right as a Thai citizen.

Again, please direct me to a specific area where it clearly states that this young woman broke the law by taking over Parliament. Your claim that she was a lawbreaker is absolute rubbish and there is nothing to support your claim reagarding the young girl in question.

Again, please direct me to a specific area where it clearly states that the police intended to kill this young woman. The police are doing their job, and this girl happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

DAAD/UDD people also get killed. Does the PAD intend to kill them too. Similar to the PAD girl, those DAAD/UDD were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am sorry for both side. Don't just use the poor PAD girl for a one-sided argument. Explain as well why DAAD/UDD people DESERVE to DIE.

[CuttySark]

in my office arrive a group with children.

On my opinion that everything is just too easy they told me, that there was a big amount of police in the zoo, one guard could see the police dig bombs somewhere so PAD quickly moved away from parliament, because that was designed as trap.

Some more things I didn't understood fully. but they wanted to leave the kids here as they worry for a bloodshed (in their stupid thinking "can be dead for the king") they put the kids out of danger.

Hope nothing too bad will happen.

Please leave the place out of this forum. Mentioning "dead" in relation to the place is even worst. Watch what you are typing. I am sure you don't mean any harm, but it may be misunderstood by some. be on the save side.

[Nowhereman60]

PAD vehicles not allowed to use expressway without paying fees

Several vehicles of the People's Alliance for Democracy caused traffic snarls in front of the Yommaraj gate of the expressway after the protesters refused to pay toll for using the expressway.

Yes we are PAD, we don't have to pay tolls, we can carry weapons and steal buses, spit on police officers, push them to the ground. Yes, we are PAD the thugs of Thailand, we do what we want and don't care about others.

[CuttySark]

These people were using guns meaning to kill. To say the Thai Police were doing the same is pure propaganda. The tear gas used by the police bought from the USA worked as intended the cheap China crap did not. To say they wanted to kill the protesters is foolish. At the rate you are going you could work for George Bush to justify the WMD's.

Again I invite you to go back and watch the videos of the events that day and read the threads and articles by the observers. The police were WAY over the top. They killed protesters and injured hundreds more! They were border police brought in to punish the protesters and that is exactly what they did. You state that police anywhere would do this but when the only reports from that search returned repressive and totalitarian governments in developing nations then you switch to ... but they meant to kill. So are you now arguing that using that volume of chinese military ordinance fired directly at the protesters in massive quantities was 'accidental'? If so then who is responsible for it? Remember, these people were non-violently assembled to protest the government and had been given no lawful orders to disperse.

Yes I have watch the siad video downloaded from ASTV and I have to agree with you. Perhaps you would also watch the video distriuted by anti-PAD. Then you might want to be neutral.

I agree that the police are bad. At least to the same degree, so are the PAD guard.

[brahmburgers]

Whether you like Thaksin or not, if he really loved his country, Thaksin should fade away for the sake of the people. That would be the decent thing to do.

decency is not his strong suit. He's great at 'lust for wealth' and 'craving for power' and 'unmitigated selfishness' (willing to drag the country through blood and mud in order to get his way).

PAD-led protesters from Government House reach Don Muang at 5:20 am

Protesters, who moved from the Government House, arrived at the Don Muang Airport at 5:20 am

Source: The Nation - 25 November 2008

Let's hope DAAD/red shirts and such - continue to be cool - and not confront PAD members. Police and military have been reasonably cool-headed as well - considering how easy it would be to get inflamed - and for things to get violent and out of hand.

In the big picture of things, PAD are doing civil and peaceful protests. Let the drama continue!

[Nampeung]

Hey Dee123, yeah I know exactly what you mean. I could tell you some pretty mad stories about what goes on in translating/rewriting news for English language newspapers in Thailand... but not on a public forum. Suffice to say that what you read is, of course, not always what is really happening. Thank you Dee123 for getting this point and accepting it

[Plus]

A little perspective here - from Declaration of Independence:

"..whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on.."

>>>>

The most likely outcome of the recent PAD offensive is House dissolution and new elections, not the best scenario, but it's hard to find any other constitutional way out (apart from wacky judiciary revolution recently mentioned by Grispin).

A lot would depend on whether PAD is able to evict the government from Don Muang or not.

At this point the ball is firmly in the govt' court - PAD has made its move, they blocked the parliament and they chased out the Cabinet meeting. Even if Nation's coverage today talks about govt victory - two three days like that and keeping quiet will not be an option anymore, everyone would day that Somchai owes nothing less than new elections to the country.

[animatic]

May I remind everyone of something - knowledge because this was/is my job - any news that you read in The Nation or The Bangkok Post has been written by Thai journalists and then translated by Thai translators and the rewritten by Western journalists based in BKK. A wee reminder that language in reporting can be misunderstood

western journalists ,?....any names please,.....u mean to say that Thai's write then "western journalist's" ....or do u mean western translators?

I believe she is meaning more western proof readers to make sure the English actually says something clearly.

Thai to marginal English to reasonably good English. I think both papers could use MORE of these people.

No doubt anyone there doing it has journalism experience, hence she called them journalists.

[Nampeung]

Absolutely Animatic

[werbs]

But no convictions against the PAD and no attempt to break up their trespass and crimnal activities

You claimed that there had been "no attempt to break up their trespass". I pointed out that this was in fact not correct :-

Strangely you seem to have overlooked the mass-attack, with explosive gas-grenades, by the border-police against the PAD, at the beginning of last month ? Some 500 people injured/maimed/hospitalised ?? Ring any bells ???

Do you mean when the police quite rightly moved an illegal obstruction whos aim was purely to obstruct the legal sitting of parlaiment?

It would appear that you take one side of the propoganda while I see it as it is. The only bad thing here is that they don't give a 5 minute warning to the crooks trespassing at government house before launching tear gas into there and dispersing these criminals

Instead of conceding your mistaken claim, that there had been no attempt, you then start instead to argue that the attempt had been justified, which is a completely different point.

I agree with you that it was wrong of the border-police, not to give any warning, before firing explosive tear-gas rounds at a largely-unarmed crowd of civilians.

Do you actually read things before you respond to them? Try it and it will save me having to explain things which are clear to everyone who reads properley.

There has been no attempt to move people from government house, there was however action to remove criminals from outside parliament, do you realsie there are two site we are talking about here.

secondly at no point did I say the police were wrong to not give a warning outside parliament, I stated they should give a warning to the criminals inside government house before they disperse them with tear gas. two different sites. In my opinion no warning was needed outside parliament and no warning was given.

if you want to lock horns with me then feel free, however try nd stick to what i have actually written rather than what you would like me to have written, you are displaying all the signs of lazy debate in the hope that someone will believe you, funnily enough just like the criminals you support, however every time you choose to misquote me I will spring up and bite you on the *rse and make you look foolish

[werbs]

You spout things that aren't based on facts.

Let's take the quick correction so we can see how you treat the truth:

- The young girl killed by the teargas grenade was unarmed. Probably was so several of the others with maimed legs and feet, or atleast one couldn't see any weapons from the footage by the news crews.

- The car didn't contain a bomb. The 'explosion' like cloud happened after several minutes of the whole car being on fire. Most likely the gastank overcooking. (It wasn't very much of an explosion either, just very much a gas-tank having it's content released via the safetyvalve due to overpressue. Seen it up close in a restaurant fire some (14) years ago. A mushroom-cloud shot up 4-5 meters into the air and me and another guy stood unharmed just 2 meters away from the tank, at the time trying to put out the general fire in the kitchen-area. We left in haste after that.)

- The police should react like a teased cobra, that is when their training should set them apart from random thugs. I'm concerned you, as a former police officer, doesn't reflect upon that.

If I put my hand in the fire I will get burned, if i get too close to a fire there is a chance i will get burned. if i go home when i see the fire start then i wont get burned. simple really.

As for one of the guys who allegedly had his leg blown off, there is video footage of him a few days before with surprise surprise only one leg.

the car did contain explosives, do yourself a favour and goand look at the car, i have already mentioned where it is parked and the damage is in no way consistent with a fire or a fuel explosion, the damage is consistent with explosives. (I suppose nobody was carrying home made incendiary devices either)

at no point did i say the police reacted like a teased cobra, another one who seems to not be able to understand english. i said if you tease a cobra then expect to be bitten, i never said who the cobra was, that comment was in fact aimed at the government rather than at individual police officers (who in my opinion have shown great restraint throughout all this)

the fact that people have died as a result of the PAD not leading a peaceful protest leading to the events in october seems to be missed by many, if in fact the whole protest had been peaceful from the PAD i am sure the events in october would not have happened

just to make this clear I am not a government supporter, to be honest i do not care who governs here, I am not pro police either, but because of their actions i am 100% against the PADwith their pathetic brainwashing tactics, I am more suprisedto read expats on here denying facts about their tactics and defending these criminals. its clear where you anti police stance comes from, maybe you have a criminal past yourself

[CuttySark]

PAD vehicles not allowed to use expressway without paying fees

Several vehicles of the People's Alliance for Democracy caused traffic snarls in front of the Yommaraj gate of the expressway after the protesters refused to pay toll for using the expressway.

Yes we are PAD, we don't have to pay tolls, we can carry weapons and steal buses, spit on police officers, push them to the ground. Yes, we are PAD the thugs of Thailand, we do what we want and don't care about others.

IMHO, I believe that PAD should be able to access the toll-way for free. Afterall many of us leave our work to come to protect country against dictatorship. The PAD are doing it for good cause, so the Toll way people, if you are Thai, should also help out the PAD. This is not too much to ask for. Anyway, we are not asking the toll way staff to pay the toll for us. We are just asking you to open the gate for PAD vehicle. There is no cost on your side. Thai "Nam Jai" is priceless. Even MasterCard cannot buy that. We in exchange will give you some yellow t-shirt and hand clappers.

Edited November 25, 2008 by CuttySark