State Of Emergency Declared

[farseer]

any experts? how difficult is it to take the airport without guns considering that PAD may has some basic anti tear gas gear and may brake in all offices to hide there. As well some might be armed with guns.

What they can do else in the worst case, destroy essentiell computers to ensure no normal operations for a while.

It is not difficult to get rid of them. First security needs to quickly lock the place down. Then the police need to come up the ramp with the water spray things, this will force the crowd down the other side of the ramp towards the exit and out on to the highway. Of course, using the water will cause a few scraps and gashes as the protesters get knocked to the ground by the force of the water but they will quickly retreat, other countries use this method and it is effective, chances of anyone dieing are very slim indeed.

If the police use what little brains they have then the eviction can be achieved quite quickly.

[LtCol]

I believe that you should have the democratic right to protest a government , I DON'T believe you have the right to involve Transport Hub safety & effect others doing it.

Get 'em out we were supposed to be in Pattaya yesterday , we are still in OZ , we will be lucky to get there this week-end by the look of it

[rainman]

I don't think you should be the person throwing around accusations like that seeming as you're loyties are very anti-PAD. If you have proof then show it. I don't like nonsensical claims.

PAD supporters have been at my Soi's market all evening offering up to 700 Baht a day for anyone coming to protest at the airport. And they have pick-up trucks waiting to be loaded with people before they drive off. They offered it to my wife and her friend while I was standing besides them. Proof enough? Come see it for yourself if you're still ignorant.

[Underdog]

This should do it ... if the military prevents this clash between the PPP/Government/Thaksin forces and the PAD (with many middle aged women and some kids) camped out at the airport then THIS gov't can never function here.

If the PPP/Government/Thaksin forces are allowed to attack the people camped out at the airports and ANY deaths occur I don't see the coalition government holding together and poof .... new elections with blood on the hands of the PPP.

Then there is the chance that the military just says "Time to go folks, we'll take care of running the country until we can have new elections again"

There seems to be nigh onto 0% chance that the PPP/Thaksin gov't can survive this.

What complete and utter crap!

They (PAD) have brought this on to themselves, they are even alienating moderate Thais, even their previous supporters with their disgraceful behaviour, crack their wooden heads and let it be the end of it!

[pippomusic]

my god...

how can paople say things such as "lets break some eggs" and "they should stop this with any means".

Protest is the heart of our democracy. If you could fly to thailand with your foreign money to make your bellies bigger, sitting on your desks, and talking shit, because you know how "things should be", its just because you come from a country well we had MUCH BIGGER protests than these in the past..

how pathetic.

What a waste of human brain.

The total absence of any criticism.

I am totally disgusted by most of comments here.

[sbk]

Discussion of the royal family will result in immediate suspension of posting rights. Period.

Abusive flames will result in immediate suspension of posting rights.

Keep this civil

[photojourn]

About time.

The government had to make a stand against these urban terrorists.

If the PAD refuse to withdraw then they bring any injuries upon themselves and I have no sympathy for them.

The seizure of the two airports is a last, desperate stand by an organisation that has run out of ideas, has dwindling support and just plain desperate.

[coconutmonkey]

Well, Thailand isn't all that bad against some of the politically defensive members on here, and it certainly isn't the greatest and most efficient.

However, it was pleasing to see some court rulings against corruption in the last few months, that's gotta have been a step forward (assuming they were guilty in fair and just trials). It may have been the climax of any future justices to come!

Personally though, my impression is that everyone involved in any of the alliances has broken the law and the one with the greatest exectution of the furthest reaching plan from here will eventually take the reins, though for how long who knows!! See how many coups in the last 75 years??

But as for either group thinking about Thailand as a unified people.....? I doubt it.

All sides have made unlawful errors having their own motives.

Off course the leaders opposed to PAD are leading from the front, not. Both sides are as guilty in the fighting. The truth is this country would not know democracy if it bit them on the bum. May be the should do a US style constitutional republic, while still embracing the monarchy.

Interesting idea, I bet someone's thinking of it.....!

[grandpops]

any experts? how difficult is it to take the airport without guns considering that PAD may has some basic anti tear gas gear and may brake in all offices to hide there. As well some might be armed with guns.

What they can do else in the worst case, destroy essentiell computers to ensure no normal operations for a while.

It is not difficult to get rid of them. First security needs to quickly lock the place down. Then the police need to come up the ramp with the water spray things, this will force the crowd down the other side of the ramp towards the exit and out on to the highway. Of course, using the water will cause a few scraps and gashes as the protesters get knocked to the ground by the force of the water but they will quickly retreat, other countries use this method and it is effective, chances of anyone dieing are very slim indeed.

If the police use what little brains they have then the eviction can be achieved quite quickly.

Dont want Kids gloves now. What is needed is a good hiding for all the PAD, all the gunmen and masked men in prison and Sondhi and Anupong on treason charges.

Certainly they need a new army chief and any Coup leaders this time will find it impossible to govern or gain any symtahy outside JD, SrirachaJohn, Plus and J90.

The PAD are reported worldwide as a Fascist Right Wing Mob. Who's right? The rest of the world or JDinPADland? and Srirachajohn. Free speach on all matters has been observed in ALL the press and MEDIA of the world this time except here. But believe me there are so many references to "somepeople" that the great firewall of China along with the Berlin wall cannot keep thais from seeing this.

When BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg comentarys are all the identical as with the free press of the world... even the Nation now it says something.

Wish for BlanmangeApong to ride to Sondhi's aid and it will finish this country from the business elite top down next time. Don't forget the poor are already poor and its the "educated thais 555555555555" that will be slipping down the social ladder. Sufficiencny was never meant for the middle classes was it! It was meant to stop the poor aspiring to anything other than surfdom.

They are going to go home from this PAD riot and find their buisness in tatters and themselves downwardly mobile. I hope we can watch as their cars and bikes are repossessed as it mostly credit with the middle class and the Banks are going tits up.

Edited November 27, 2008 by grandpops

[hungryhippo]

I believe that you should have the democratic right to protest a government , I DON'T believe you have the right to involve Transport Hub safety & effect others doing it.

Thousands of protesters sitting in the airport terminal doesn't effect safety. It effects money, every hour they're there it's costing millions of lost sales to the airport, the stores, the resaurants, etc.

PAD supporters have been at my Soi's market all evening offering up to 700 Baht a day for anyone coming to protest at the airport. And they have pick-up trucks waiting to be loaded with people before they drive off. They offered it to my wife and her friend while I was standing besides them. Proof enough? Come see it for yourself if you're still ignorant.

No, it's not and please don't resort to personal attacks calling me ignorant just because I demand proof to your claims. Now, do you have evidence? Like a video, audio, pictures? Rumours from the opposition isn't evidence, it's barely a rumour. I'm willing to listen if you give me something more then unverified facts which can not be verified.

[DP25]

If the PPP/Government/Thaksin forces are allowed to attack the people camped out at the airports and ANY deaths occur I don't see the coalition government holding together and poof .... new elections with blood on the hands of the PPP.

As a proxy for Thaksin, the PPP already has blood on their hands, through the mass murder of thousands of innocent Thai citizens under the Thaksin regime. And it still didn't seem to matter to the roughly 1/3rd of people who voted for the PPP anyway.

[seri thai]

Off course the leaders opposed to PAD are leading from the front, not. Both sides are as guilty in the fighting. The truth is this country would not know democracy if it bit them on the bum. May be the should do a US style constitutional republic, while still embracing the monarchy.

Thats what the politicians and schoolteachers tell them they have already!

[Underdog]

my god...

how can paople say things such as "lets break some eggs" and "they should stop this with any means".

Protest is the heart of our democracy. If you could fly to thailand with your foreign money to make your bellies bigger, sitting on your desks, and talking shit, because you know how "things should be", its just because you come from a country well we had MUCH BIGGER protests than these in the past..

how pathetic.

What a waste of human brain.

The total absence of any criticism.

I am totally disgusted by most of comments here.

Yeah, you should be up there with the PAD, that's democracy! It has nothing to do with democracy, this is CRUNCH day for the Feudal system here (with any luck), and hopefully an end to the PAD, they make this country an international disgrace!

[Wolfie]

And if you come up with the bribes that the PPP supposedly gave to voters, how do you answer to the fact that the PAD is paying every demonstrator at the airport? Isn't that bribing too? Face it, both sides pay for votes and support.

There is a difference between being an elected government who bought votes and being an anti-government group who pay demonstrators... whilst neither is good, holding an official position as a result of vote buying should invalidate your right to govern the country.

Didn't the courts find PPP guilty of vote buying, which means they have to dissolve the party?

[grantbkk]

Finally! No matter what happens everyone will not be pleased. The PAD should start moving NOW!

[TAWP]

America is a great place however the US style of politics is horrible.

It turns into a grab of left or right, winner takes all. Politics is suppose to be about finding a middle ground that is acceptable to all people. It's the US style of politics (we won so we're doing everything our way and rewarding only those who voted for us) which got Thailand into this mess in the first place.

"Quoting for truth."

I agree with you and that is one of the bad things we saw during the last 8 years in the US. Any, elected, leader that thinks he can only govern towards the people that elected him and abuse the rest has no clear understanding what democracy is. And Thaksin's schemes with budgets and 'support', with the direct attack on southeners ability to make a living as the effect, proves he wasn't a leader fit to lead.

[egg6447]

Any PAD supporters still holed up at the airport have ZERO sympathy from me if they get hurt or killed. They know what they did, they know what's coming. You can't just seize an international airport and expect to be greeted with flowers and cookies.

If they had seized the JFK or L.A. airport, it would have ended a long time ago, and probably much worse than the Thai police will hopefully end it tonight. As far as I'm concerned, if you run past security at the JFK or L.A. airport, protesting something or not, you get shot in the back before you get anywhere. The Thai government and police have been more than patient, but enough is enough.

well done that man. i cant believe the amount of people on the case of the government. its there job to enforce law and order. the arguments ref the governments right to hold its position is only open to the due prosseses of parliament. not street mobs or terrorists. there is no such thing as opposition outside of the elected government, hence you have a opposition in parliament. for all the rights and wrongs of how the government got elected, they were elected, if corruption wasn,t the norm maybe they could get proper and fair elections. make no mistake the old elite are fighting for there servival here, as they see it, of course the historic parrallel is there with the english civil war. pity its taken thailand 4 hundred years to get this far. so pad you are out of order, if you dont toe the legal line, civil war is more on than off.

.

[TAWP]

And if you come up with the bribes that the PPP supposedly gave to voters, how do you answer to the fact that the PAD is paying every demonstrator at the airport? Isn't that bribing too? Face it, both sides pay for votes and support.

There is a difference between being an elected government who bought votes and being an anti-government group who pay demonstrators... whilst neither is good, holding an official position as a result of vote buying should invalidate your right to govern the country.

Didn't the courts find PPP guilty of vote buying, which means they have to dissolve the party?

The Election Commision did afaik. And forwarded the case.

[Underdog]

I have said it other threads and will repeat it again and again, how can this be allowed to happen? this is not a protest, it is a disgrace! They (PAD) have brought shame onto the country they purport to represent.

The quicker they are removed from the Airports and the streets of Bangkok the better! I cannot imagine any "civilised" nation putting up with this crap, it is beyond belief! Words cannot describe their behaviour, what do they want? another election where they lose again? and this continues ad infinitem?

Thail;and needs to smarten up, or simply fade away as another lawless backwater 3rd world banana republic (did I spell banana correctly...the mind goes with age)

[HYENA]

I'm just surprised they did not act sooner. I'm sure how Thai style politics go they're falling into some sort of well orchestrated trap by declaring a state of emergency. So coup or no coup--or is it just the airport??? I think the airport move has pissed off enough who may have been on the fence (and the small amount of international communities that care) that they're losing support.

Not a peep in Washington DC/national news in the US...only the little ticker line at the bottom of the screen says anti government protesters have taken over airports and that's it. No one here really notices what goes on since chaos is the norm over there and nothing can be believed anyway.

I look forward to the police or whoever-military, I don't care...get them to stop this BS and get the terrorists out of the airports. If DTAC supports PAD, I don't see why PAD wouldn't be declared as terrorists ESPECIALLY if they follow up on their human shield claim...that would mean the US could seize any holdings these PAD supporters have in the US under terrorist laws....(sounding fun)!

Both sides are wrong because it all started off wrong but I see no chance of ending corruption of either side or the next 5 PM's from here out...they'll all be corrupt and become billionaires. Thailand, unfortunately will continue to be an illegitimate place. Corruption and dishonesty are a part of Thai culture, I don't see any chance of it ending given the children are learning it and the oldsters have lived with it...great thing to teach the generations.

BTW I agree with the mod. I reported some useless personal flames 'cause I'm sick of posts filled with personal back and forth about nothing but egos clashing. Normally I wouldn't report but come on, grow up!

Edited November 27, 2008 by HYENA

[egg6447]

I would agree with you that the government probably wont survive evicting the PAD. What I can't understand is your saying "forces are allowed to attack the people camped out at the airports". As you have all the answers, how do you remove them, as leaving them there is not an option? No country in the world would tolerate this situation as you well know, nor would any elected government resign.

The PAD leaders are setting up those idiots as cannon fodder to try and involve the military. When the police try to evict them the PAD is going to attack, it is well known they are carrying weapons. Regardless whether one supports the government or PAD, what PAD is doing is reprehensible. And in the end if it does turn ugly who will those sad brainwashed people be sacrificing for? Sure as hel_l the real PAD backers will not be standing in the firing line with them, they will be at home watching it all on TV.

.> exactly. allways falls to the poor , the unedeucated, the working class to do the dirty work.

[mgjackson69]

I would be willing to wager that the greatest share of these so-called protesters voted for Thaksin...he was very effective at handing out money to the poor for support, same as PAD.

[phupaman]

Hi All.

I think that every one in Thailand knows that Thaksin makes ALL the decisions for this puppet government,, How on earth can it be called democratic,I cant recall Thaksin being elected.

And now a state of emergency, Hiding behind the law,The same law they ignore when it suits them,Such as both the Thaksin prison sentences, abuses of the constitution,thai temple, vote buying, etc etc How can anything they say or do be considered legal.

phupaman

[egg6447]

I would agree with you that the government probably wont survive evicting the PAD. What I can't understand is your saying "forces are allowed to attack the people camped out at the airports". As you have all the answers, how do you remove them, as leaving them there is not an option? No country in the world would tolerate this situation as you well know, nor would any elected government resign.

The PAD leaders are setting up those idiots as cannon fodder to try and involve the military. When the police try to evict them the PAD is going to attack, it is well known they are carrying weapons. Regardless whether one supports the government or PAD, what PAD is doing is reprehensible. And in the end if it does turn ugly who will those sad brainwashed people be sacrificing for? Sure as hel_l the real PAD backers will not be standing in the firing line with them, they will be at home watching it all on TV.

.> exactly. allways falls to the poor , the unedeucated, the working class to do the dirty work.

[jdinasia]

And if you come up with the bribes that the PPP supposedly gave to voters, how do you answer to the fact that the PAD is paying every demonstrator at the airport? Isn't that bribing too? Face it, both sides pay for votes and support.

There is a difference between being an elected government who bought votes and being an anti-government group who pay demonstrators... whilst neither is good, holding an official position as a result of vote buying should invalidate your right to govern the country.

Didn't the courts find PPP guilty of vote buying, which means they have to dissolve the party?

1) No credible reports of the PAD paying demonstrators are out there ... not even in the Thai press or media outlets.

No, the EC has found the PPP guilty and sent the case to the courts and it is scheduled to be resolved before mid-december.

(The courts COULD solve this by releasing an early report!)

[whitfield]

The Somchai Government was democratically elected. If PAD thinks the PPP bought votes their only crime was to buy more votes than PAD.

The Government has been remarkably tolerant of the paid PAD demonstrators so far but as this is clearly the PAD's last desperate throw of the dice. They have to act.

They have warned the demonstrators what is about to happen so anyone staying wants a fight. Any person staying there with women and children would be clearly deranged.

If the supporters of PAD want to form the next government perhaps they should go away and talk to the people who didn't vote them and try and find policies that will get them elected. This is what you do in a democracy.

For the love of Thailand pack your bags and go home. You have made your point but it was rejected.

[iang]

This isn't a political statement, as it wouldn't matter to me which side had invaded & taken over the airports, but from their actions, I think that PAD really stands for People AGAINST Democracy!

The occupiers have now been warned & it is these PAD occupiers (not demonstrators) who will have put themselves into harms way, if push should come to shove in Thailand (not the government) reclaiming its principal gateway airports!

May all leave peacefully now - ahead of any pain & suffering.......

[phibunmike]

Do you think that it is possible that Somchai has actually played this scenario rather cleverly, and isn't as ineffective as he is usually given credit for?

If he had brought in the police or army earlier to control the protesters, he would have been censured internationally, and would have invoked a huge backlash locally against "strong arm" tactics, bringing more onto the side of PAD, and invoking memories of earlier bloody put-downs. By waiting until the 11th hour, when so many are crying out for forces of law and order to restore normalcy to the airports and streets, he will have support, even if there are a few casualties. "Unavoidable", people will say; "they deserved it". Simultaneously, he has allowed PAD to shoot themselves in the foot with their tactics, trying to bait him into action.

So perhaps he has been more strategic than we think?

[endure]

I will remind you all again:

NO MENTION OF THE MONARCHY - NO MATTER HOW CLEVER THE ALLUSION.

[phibunmike]

Do you think that it is possible that Somchai has actually played this scenario rather cleverly, and isn't as ineffective as he is usually given credit for?

If he had brought in the police or army earlier to control the protesters, he would have been censured internationally, and would have invoked a huge backlash locally against "strong arm" tactics, bringing more onto the side of PAD, and invoking memories of earlier bloody put-downs. By waiting until the 11th hour, when so many are crying out for forces of law and order to restore normalcy to the airports and streets, he will have support, even if there are a few casualties. "Unavoidable", people will say; "they deserved it". Simultaneously, he has allowed PAD to shoot themselves in the foot with their tactics, trying to bait him into action.

So perhaps he has been more strategic than we think?

Cheers,

Mike