Is The End Game Fast Approaching?

[wedders]

Just make yourselves one of these ....

... and keep your heads down

PAD shields, taken near their CM headquarters yesterday afternoon.

The redshirts were very much on edge last night at the pro-government headquarters in CM. Clear though, after I'd heard every possible rumour under the sun, that no one had a clue what was going on. 'Troops' being shipped off to Government House in Mae Rim in this photo where Somchai is holed up, a reaction to the apparent threat of hordes of PAD supporters about to arrive ...

Note the crutches in this first vehicle of the convoy ... not for beating yellow shirts over the head with - they belong to one of the redshirt leaders who lost the use of his legs fighting for democracy in Thailand, as he told us from the stage earlier on in the evening...

On a slight tangent, it was easy to identify the fuel of much of the anger, whatever the shirt hue, especially as the evenings wear on. Alcohol.

Edited November 29, 2008 by wedders

[SomNamNah]

fantastic post wedders!

[wedders]

Cheers - not much time to write about it all here as I mostly add pics and stuff to the blog. Just off to see what's happening today, there's a big rally going on again apparently...

[samuibeachcomber]

no one knows where all this will lead to,but i do get the feeling that thais are beginning to polarise into either the red or yellow camps.................sides are being taken.WAS in a thai restaurant last night and was wanting to talk about the current situation and it was recommended i not talk about it all,i think thais are beginning to worry about it all too.

[cloudhopper]

I'm due back from the States on the 4th so if the madness doesn't end soon at BKK I'll be needing a re-entry strategy.

[Ulysses G.]

My staff normally wear yellow T-shirts as a uniform, but we have told them to wear something else until this is over.

[samuibeachcomber]

My staff normally wear yellow T-shirts as a uniform, but we have told them to wear something else until this is over.

maybe thailand's in a quasi civil war state already without knowing it,why not draw a line across ubon ratchathani,korat and phisanilot and call it north thailand,PPP can have chang mai as its capital,and everything south of that line give to PAD and call it south thailand...........problem solved.

[Ulysses G.]

Do you want to give the Muslims a slice as long as you are at it?

[samuibeachcomber]

Do you want to give the Muslims a slice as long as you are at it?

why not,PAD seem to like fighting,but i dont think they would be a match for muslim extremists down south.

[wedders]

My staff normally wear yellow T-shirts as a uniform, but we have told them to wear something else until this is over.

I've got my (red) "I love Chiang Mai" t-shirt on for my trip up to Mae Rim in a few minutes time. Think on balance it's the safer option, but if I don't post back with any photos later on today you'll know why

[cmsally]

From what I hear: (ie. what's going around on the local grapevine at the moment)

the rumour that the PAD boarded a train the day before yesterday to CM was correct. Apparently the train was stopped at Mae Ta and they were dispersed and probably had vehicles waiting for them and then reappeared in CM near a temple called Wat Da Kai (sp?) Apparently there was quite a big fight somewhere with about 400 PAD supporters.

Rumours coming out of army camps here suggest that if there was a coup they would have to bring in troops elsewhere because the army northerners wouldn't participate.

The PAD supporter who was murdered had to go for funeral at the Santi Asoke affiliated temple up near Mae Taeng, because none of the local temples would accept. His son hoofed it off to BKK to join in protests there and didn't stay for the funeral.

Fact is many people willing to wear red but I would definitely not advise anyone to wear yellow.

Schools are telling students not to wear either.

Emotions are running high and certain colours mixed with alcohol = big trouble.

If this gets any worse even a BKK accent is going to set some people off, so I'm jolly glad I speak the local dialect.

[wedders]

From what I hear: (ie. what's going around on the local grapevine at the moment)

the rumour that the PAD boarded a train the day before yesterday to CM was correct. Apparently the train was stopped at Mae Ta and they were dispersed and probably had vehicles waiting for them and then reappeared in CM near a temple called Wat Da Kai (sp?) Apparently there was quite a big fight somewhere with about 400 PAD supporters.

Rumours coming out of army camps here suggest that if there was a coup they would have to bring in troops elsewhere because the army northerners wouldn't participate.

The PAD supporter who was murdered had to go for funeral at the Santi Asoke affiliated temple up near Mae Taeng, because none of the local temples would accept. His son hoofed it off to BKK to join in protests there and didn't stay for the funeral.

Fact is many people willing to wear red but I would definitely not advise anyone to wear yellow.

Schools are telling students not to wear either.

Emotions are running high and certain colours mixed with alcohol = big trouble.

If this gets any worse even a BKK accent is going to set some people off, so I'm jolly glad I speak the local dialect.

By late evening yesterday at the red-shirt rally a lot of the younger baton-wielding youngsters, ostensibly 'guards', were obviously pretty drunk. And looking for trouble (not a PAD supporter in sight, fortunately). Alcohol plays a major role in all the violence.

[Blinky Bill]

If this gets any worse even a BKK accent is going to set some people off, so I'm jolly glad I speak the local dialect.

My dear cmsally, I'm sure your facial features will swing them against beating your head in with a baseball bat rather than your competence with the local dialect.

[cmsally]

If this gets any worse even a BKK accent is going to set some people off, so I'm jolly glad I speak the local dialect.

My dear cmsally, I'm sure your facial features will swing them against beating your head in with a baseball bat rather than your competence with the local dialect.

You reckon; even the ones wearing those oh so cool sunglasses that are so black that they can't see a thing, and almost trip over their own feet!

Never said my facial features weren't Asian , did I.

[sassienie]

I've seen the country go through worse over the last 31 years, and if you look further back in modern history, worse still. It's hardly the end. Be glad you weren't here in the 70s or the 40s. These events come in cycles in Thailand, and if you're not prepared to weather them, then you were probably not cut out for longterm residence here.

Avoid crowds at night for the time being.

Sorry that`s utter nonsense.

It is irrelavant what`s happened in the past and each new crisis may pose different problems, a new threat to peace and a bleak outlook to our future security here in Thailand.

I have investments, property, family and pets in Chiang Mai and feel fear and concern over this present crisis as no doubt do many of us. Anyone who isn`t concerned, is a fool.

Many ex-pats here including myself have a lot to lose if this goes the wrong way and at this time, I can tell you that I find the present crisis extremely worrying and not taking anything for granted.

So I now join the many thousands here, who in your opinion are not cut out to stay in

Thailand for the long term.

Edited November 29, 2008 by sassienie

[cmsally]

From what I hear red shirts are receiving reinforcements, one reason being that they are constantly receiving threats that yellow shirts will send contingents to Chiang Mai.

At the moment an overactive mind envisages something like the siege under the Burmese.

In the end if there's a defeat we can all blame the Japs as they are the ones that dismantled the city wall!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If this gets any worse even a BKK accent is going to set some people off, so I'm jolly glad I speak the local dialect.

Possibly, but then don't forget it's not (just) a regional conflict first and foremost, it's also a class conflict. To put it mildly, not everyone in Bangkok supports PAD.

I for one am happy to see currently nobody is wearing yellow anymore in Chiang Mai. Main test will be Monday I suppose.

[Ulysses G.]

These events come in cycles in Thailand, and if you're not prepared to weather them, then you were probably not cut out for longterm residence here.

Avoid crowds at night for the time being.

Sorry that`s utter nonsense.

If there is a genuine farang expert on Thailand, sabaijai is certainly him. I would not argue with him if I were you.

[cmsally]

These events come in cycles in Thailand, and if you're not prepared to weather them, then you were probably not cut out for longterm residence here.

Avoid crowds at night for the time being.

Sorry that`s utter nonsense.

If there is a genuine farang expert on Thailand, sabaijai is certainly him. I would not argue with him if I were you.

However, a number of things make this different from the "normal" cycle.

[Ulysses G.]

I argue with him all the time, but I usually lose.

Edited November 30, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[SomNamNah]

Coups, Rebellions, Revolts and Revolutions in Thailand

1912 | 1932 | June 1933 | October 1933 | 1939 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | June 1951 | November 1951 | 1957 | 1958 | 1971 | 1976 | March 1977 | October 1977 | 1981 | 1985 | 1991 | 2006

(red dots)

looking for cycles...

1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_Revolution_of_1932

The Siamese Revolution of 1932 (Thai: การปฏิวัติสยาม พ.ศ. 2475) was a crucial turning point in Thai history in the 20th century. The revolution or the coup d’etat was a bloodless transition in which the system of government in Siam was changed from an absolute ... to a..

2008 stock market crash and the 2nd Great Depression

The Siamese Revolution of 2008 was a crucial turning point in Thai history in the 21th century. The revolution or the coup d’etat was a bloodless transition in which the system of government in Siam was changed from a ...

Edited November 30, 2008 by SomNamNah

[McLovin]

Jai yen yen TP

It's early days yet - they will stop for som tam soon and then it will all sort its self out - at least I sincerly hope so!

Thats why this country has gone down the toilet ....

[realthaideal]

After chatting with family - Mom - back home and assuring we were all right up here in CM, I did have to give her credit that I'd be giving the same advice to my kids if they were over here : Get out for awhile, and hang somewhere else till it blows over - ala Lao, Tokyo, Taipei. But who's go the budget and wants to act alarmist too early?

It really is odd with the no-telling which way this thing could unfold. Could be alot more of nothing and then Thld just looking primitive to more politically stable countries while it goes back to life as usual and more old cronies find their way to upper mgmt again. I'm hoping for peace.

[Mapguy]

Coups, Rebellions, Revolts and Revolutions in Thailand

1912 | 1932 | June 1933 | October 1933 | 1939 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | June 1951 | November 1951 | 1957 | 1958 | 1971 | 1976 | March 1977 | October 1977 | 1981 | 1985 | 1991 | 2006

(red dots)

looking for cycles...

1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_Revolution_of_1932

The Siamese Revolution of 1932 (Thai: การปฏิวัติสยาม พ.ศ. 2475) was a crucial turning point in Thai history in the 20th century. The revolution or the coup d'etat was a bloodless transition in which the system of government in Siam was changed from an absolute ... to a..

2008 stock market crash and the 2nd Great Depression

The Siamese Revolution of 2008 was a crucial turning point in Thai history in the 21th century. The revolution or the coup d’etat was a bloodless transition in which the system of government in Siam was changed from a ...

A piece of work! Very, very clever!

[cmsally]

Well it's 99.9% sure the PPP , Chart Thai & ? party get dissolved on the 2 Dec.

What happens then is anyone's guess, but nobody in Chiang Mai thinks they're going to lose.

Theoretically then Thailand doesn't have a govt. so somebody has to invent one?

Could be interesting between 2-5 Dec.

I think a lot of people have a plan B, but it is mostly in a different country and it is a little difficult to get to at present