State Of Emergency Declared

[BusyBee123]

oldwanderer you live in dreamland we are in the noughties you know?

[whimsy]

"You are not allowed to post a URL."

Is this an example of the sensorship here that is frequently refered to?

No.

You need a history of more than one post to post a link.

[SomNamNah]

No ArGu, you have to make several more posts to be able to post a link i think... that one was your first in 4 years!

third political and democratic alternative in Thailand in the years to come?

with hungry bellies for the next few years a possibility, and a power vacuum looming, democratic ideals may or should be put on the back burner imo...

reminds me - note to self: buy the fans mother and 1 year old grandson her first shower, too dam_n cold for well water in them thar hills.

Edited November 27, 2008 by SomNamNah

[Carib]

this is a sad time for me....my fiance is due to have my son at the beginning of january. i fly new years day to be with her, and instead of being excited i am scared that i wont even be able to fly there into the country...this has HUGE repercussions for me being placed on birth certificates etc to ensure my future wife and son can return with me to england next year.

My point is the human cost and misery of that the PAD are causing is incalculable, im sure my own situation can be multiplied many times, and so yes i support any action against them, go back to government house, anything, but not the airport please.

I know everyone has there own agenda..i just pray that this in ended swiftly, yet i feel it simply will not be..this is a dark time for thailand and myself personally as I had fallen in love with that great nation.

Sheees you have got 5 weeks....... doesnot this sound a bit too much sorry for yourself??

[khunjamespittman]

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.

Protests are legal. occupying an international airport and other government buildings is criminal.

If you act criminally you should be punished and spend a long time in jail.

If you protest legally you might be able to convince a few people that you are sane.

Don't try to confuse the two actions. PAD is acting criminally, even if all their claims about PPP and Thaksin are 100% true, and the police must do their job arrest everyone single one of these people that they are witnessing create criminal acts.

[howzat]

Suvarnabhumi Airport remains closed until Nov 29

BANGKOK: -- Suvarnabhumi Airport will remain closed until 6pm of November 29, according to Airports of Thailand Acting President Serirat Prasutanond.

Serirat also added that Don Mueang Airport would be shut down until 6pm of Friday, November 28.

-- The Nation 2008-11-27

Do..... if it remains closed "until" 6pm, does that mean after 6pm it "will" be open..... i.e. if it ceases to be clsoed, then it must be open.......

Is that a statement of ultiamtum I wonder? i.e. you (PAD) WILL be out of the airport by 6pm, with or without your cooperation?

[howzat]

if the airport opens at 6pm Saturday I wonder how long to clear the back log and get back to the normal daily schedule.

[jerrylee]

please,

do somebody have trusted sources of informations or proof that PAD is paying protesters?

How much more do you want, up country it is common, I have witnessed it with my own eyes and ears. They are paying and in the case of govt house help people against their will when they wanted to go home, these were friends of mine. It is true.

Total Bullshit

[erobando]

Protests are legal. occupying an international airport and other government buildings is criminal.

If you act criminally you should be punished and spend a long time in jail.

If you protest legally you might be able to convince a few people that you are sane.

Don't try to confuse the two actions. PAD is acting criminally, even if all their claims about PPP and Thaksin are 100% true, and the police must do their job arrest everyone single one of these people that they are witnessing create criminal acts.

Yes, PAD is acting illegally.

So is DAAD/UDD, who are allowed free reign by the police.

IMO the red freaks are more dangerous.

PAD is just sitting around at the airports and government buildings.

DAAD is running around throwing granades, planting bombs and beating up various people they think are pro-PAD.

Last night about 30 bunch of red shirt vigilantes were sitting on the curb in my Soi, holding clubs and drinking beer.

I guess waiting for attacking orders?

[losworld]

If they were smart they would have imposed a state of emergency when they took the Parliament building. Now they are in a tough spot with protesters at the airport. I don't see a peaceful solution at the airport. I only see three reasonable options: 1) PM steps down 2) King appeals for election 3) military coup. At this stage I think it will be a military coup if people are killed at the airports. I'd say 3-6 months of military rule and an election is held. The military leader is pretty smart and I'm sure that even if he wanted power, which I don't think he does, no one in their right mind would really want to govern with the falling economy. PAD should remember that governments don't get elected as much as they get defeated and with the falling economy the current government will be doomed soon enough.

I really do believe this is a knee jerk reaction to what I consider the most irresponsible and reprehensible act imaginable which was the selection of Thaksin's brother in law as leader. In a land of face nothing could be more insulting and divisive to the country than this move. Now everyone must suffer the consequences of Thaksin's foolishness and his party's subservience.

I hope for a quick resignation and a call for an election prior to a military coup. PAD would be wisest to insist on the PM's resignation and let the new leader try to clean up the mess.

[skooldaze]

It is UNSTABLE. What planet are you living on?

Unstable in political terms...Yes..but does that mean the PAD is going to break down my hotel door and and strangle me with a yellow shirt..should i and every other farang leave the country by train??

If you want to live in a country that respects democracy, personal freedom and the rule of law you should leave any way you can. None of those three items apply to Thailand. And if you have children here, do you want them to live in a place with no sunshine laws, where information to the public from ALL public agencies is restricted and where they can't go more than five years without a coup? Get on that train brutha! I'm leaving by plane in the next few weeks when flights start running. I started packing today. NO KIDDING.

I am guessing you have not been in Thailand very long. I don't care about "Democracy" if it isn't democratic in nature. Personal Freedom? Thaksin sure clamped down on that! Rule of Law? The "war on drugs" sure showed us how important that is here! (at least under Thaksin ---- )

I didn't move to Thailand for it to be a nanny state. OR a police-state. I moved here because I love it here!

I absolutely believe "If you don't love it you should leave!" I do not however mean that the way some people do ... I mean it to be "Why would you live in a place you don't love if you have any choice in the matter!"

I did love it here in my SEVEN years of living here. But now I don't any more because this country is deteroriating and won't recover. I'm not one of those people that puts my head in the sand and is happy about my little slice of life as long as it's not upset by the tumult going on around me.

[Roadman]

Coalition MPs call for tough action

Published on November 28, 2008;Fri, November 28, 2008 : Last updated 6:09 hours

Army chief under fire for failing to enforce the law

Coalition MPs yesterday called on Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to take rigorous measures against the trouble-making protesters, including the possibility of declaring a state of emergency.

More than 60 MPs from the coalition parties were present at yesterday's press conference. They said the resolution was made by more than 200 government MPs.

The coalition MPs also agreed to mobilise supporters in their constituencies, at least 20,000 people for each MP, to oppose any coup attempt, Chart Thai MP Ekkapoj Wongnak told a press conference at Parliament yesterday.

The MPs agreed that when a state of emergency is declared, the PM must make sure that his subordinates comply with it strictly and anyone who fails to do so must be removed from his position, Ekkapoj said.

Army commander-in-chief General Anupong Paochinda on Wednesday said that even if a state of emergency is declared, he will not resort to use of force in dealing with protesters. He said he preferred to be removed from office than using force.

The coalition MPs were reacting to the People's Alliance for Democracy's seizure of the Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Suthin Klangsang told the press conference that citizens would be asked to obstruct any coup attempt, such as using their vehicles to block tanks taking part in a putsch.

When asked by a reporter how the MPs would take the responsibility for any loss of life, Suthin said the citizens would act voluntarily on their own.

When asked if such civil action could lead to bloodshed, many of the MPs present responded that it was an attempt to defend democracy.

In a related development, the pro-government Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship yesterday called on the government to take any decisive measure against the PAD protesters within a day or two, otherwise it would deal with the matter its own way.

Veera Musigapong, a group leader, said that a state of emergency should be declared."If the government doesn't take any action within today or tomorrow, the red-shirted people and other citizens will have to deal with this problem. If we allow it to continue, our country will suffer damage. I can assure that the people's power will come out soon," he said.

Meanwhile, Chaturon Chaisang, former executive of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, yesterday blamed the Army chief's inaction for the ongoing turmoil. He said what General Anupong Paochinda should have done was to strictly enforce the law by taking action against the People's Alliance for Democracy, instead of calling for the prime minister to dissolve the House of Representatives.

"The country has come to this point because the Army chief failed to enforce the law. His negligence has caused damage to the country, from the seizure of Government House, the Don Mueang Airport and the Suvarnabhumi Airport," Chaturon said at a press conference at the Radisson Hotel.

He said Anupong had failed to enforce the state of emergency which then-prime minister Samak Sundaravej had declared in August. He disagreed with the Army chief's concern that suppressing the PAD protesters would lead to violence.

"It appears the Army chief failed to see the violence caused by the PAD. He said political problems should be solved in a political way. But in fact the PAD's violation of law must be dealt with by enforcing the law," said the banned politician.

He warned that the Army chief's inaction would lead to "massive damage" to the country and his failure to enforce the law would bring about violence. He explained that people would try to protect themselves and their properties when authorities failed to do so.

-The Nation

LaoPo

The PPP line in the sand is being drawn.

Somchai would be wise to sack the clueless Anupong right now and put someone in there who will move swiftly on PAD at both airports.

Better the army removing them with less casualties than red and yellow waves facing off.

I would be staying well clear of all these SoE sites in Bangkok and if living near any of them taking an immediate holiday in another part of the country.

[MILT]

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.

Your heartless ignorance is amazing.

[SomNamNah]

ASTV, now saying the REDS dont like the .

http://www.astv-tv.com/toc_broadcast.html

what a load of crap! Thats like saying Thais dont like Somtam!

Now i AM offended, even as a farang! Pure propoganda!!! hahaha!

Edited November 28, 2008 by SomNamNah

[cougar52]

Here's the quote form Reuters:

Protesters remain resolute that their show of force will continue.

"We will not leave. We will use human shields against the police if they try to disperse us," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters news agency.

Please explain how this is an analogy. An analogy to what?

They're saying the protesters will stop the police from making them (all PAD) leave. It's just a translation error and you're nit picking words.

Earlier Suriyasai Katasila also told the protesters that they are allowed to use any means to prevent the police even if it means to using innocent people to repel the police. It was in Bangkok Post "breaking News" and then about 30 minutes later it was removed, so much to fair and truthful reporting.

[MILT]

It's not about courts anymore, a state of emergency has been imposed. The police doesn't need to wait for a court order anymore.

Hay Rainman sounds like you just want to see more violence and bloodshed from the police et. It is not your country nor your business. It sickenss me to read your shallow comments!!!!!!!

[southerndown]

Reply to Wasabi ------

Have a nice trip!

We obviously see things very differently! I wouldn't want be anywhere else (If I did, I have the wherewithall to be there!) Many people are not cut out for life abroad for whatever reasons and there is no shame at all in that! I knew Thailand's history when I moved here. I love the life here. I enjoy the people and more-so the culture. I live in an area with great healthcare, and accessible buildings etc. The things occurring this week in BKK are a blip. they have happened before in one way or another and will likely happen again!

I LOVE that the people here are not so repressive that the first instinct when faced like a crisis like this is to drag out the guns, and I am saddened by the fact that some people lob grenades etc when they are frustrated by not having the dominant position they crave so dearly.

I was thinking today .... if the PAD were actually a political party as opposed to a movement to rid this country of some of it's worst corruption and corrupters; would I be as supportive. The answer is no. Since the PAD is NOT in this for a "power grab" and are actually looking for someone else to take power and make changes, I can support them.

Yes Thailand is in for some financial woes, but what is happening now is not a significant contributing factor to what is ahead. The world economy is the issue. Hopefully the baht will be allowed to weaken some more, enough to stimulate exports and this will help! Auto manufacturers closing etc (though it will be claimed later that this is related to the PAD) will be major issues as will labor elsewhere being cheaper.

I turned down the volume on ASTV --- which I never watch --- to get a break from this nightmare and am heading to bed soon. With hopes that when I wake up this will be over and have ended peacefully!

A guy was killed in CM with police watching. The Baht is manipulated by the BOT by trading dollar reserves. Get real. This is anarchy and is for the benefit of a small group of people who have and willalways have the power that feudal societies have.

[LaoPo]

...The SILENCE is ear deafening.....07.30AM in Bangkok....and no -important- news.....???

LaoPo

[MILT]

the government was NOT democratically elected therefore PPP will get dissolved if they can't change the laws.

the PPP just got 1/3 of the votes and most of the coalition partner promised before the election that they would never make a coalition with PPP.

Sorry to busy your fantasy land bubble, but the government WAS democratically elected.

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.

I believe paying folks to protest is not the same as vote buying. How easy it is to confuse the two

[sriracha john]

It was 9 days into complete inaction on the last State of Emergency:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/State-Emerge...6.html&hl=i

State Of Emergency Announced In Bangkok, SAMAK TO HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL

that the following assessment was made...

I think that the title of this thread should be changed as niether it or the sub title is relevant anymore.

How long before it's posted this time?

Edited November 28, 2008 by sriracha john

[Koo82]

If they were smart they would have imposed a state of emergency when they took the Parliament building. Now they are in a tough spot with protesters at the airport. I don't see a peaceful solution at the airport. I only see three reasonable options: 1) PM steps down 2) King appeals for election 3) military coup. At this stage I think it will be a military coup if people are killed at the airports. I'd say 3-6 months of military rule and an election is held. The military leader is pretty smart and I'm sure that even if he wanted power, which I don't think he does, no one in their right mind would really want to govern with the falling economy. PAD should remember that governments don't get elected as much as they get defeated and with the falling economy the current government will be doomed soon enough.

I really do believe this is a knee jerk reaction to what I consider the most irresponsible and reprehensible act imaginable which was the selection of Thaksin's brother in law as leader. In a land of face nothing could be more insulting and divisive to the country than this move. Now everyone must suffer the consequences of Thaksin's foolishness and his party's subservience.

I hope for a quick resignation and a call for an election prior to a military coup. PAD would be wisest to insist on the PM's resignation and let the new leader try to clean up the mess.

1) Why does Khun Somchai have to step down because of a small group of crazy people? What power do they have?

2) Are you trying to say there will be another election? Then Puer Thai will win again. PAD are out again?

3) Coup is the worst. There won't be one. Don't desperately hope for another coup so some army / elites can hold more positions and change laws/rules to benefit them.

Smart military leader? Smart about what? After Khun Thaksin went down until Khun Samak came up, the army government scr3wed Thailand economy enough. No more Army people to be PM!

[siam4ever]

Well, Samak's absolute control turned out to be not so absolute! Cooking shows and cooked courts took care of him!

[Insight]

The PAD may of made a monumental mistake in terms of popularity by taking over the airport, but they've still managed to prove very effectively how utterly inept the PPP are. How can anybody have confidence in them after all this?

[tropo]

Here's the quote form Reuters:

Protesters remain resolute that their show of force will continue.

"We will not leave. We will use human shields against the police if they try to disperse us," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters news agency.

Please explain how this is an analogy. An analogy to what?

They're saying the protesters will stop the police from making them (all PAD) leave. It's just a translation error and you're nit picking words.

Nonsense..."nit picking words"...that's ridiculous. "Translation error"...any more excuses?

You're trying to interpret words to suit you're own pro-PAD agenda.

[AussieFarang]

This is not looking good.

Only 30 Emergency Medical teams called up??? Sounds like a new definition of optimism.

This is Thailand. You only get good quality health care if you can pay.

[tropo]

It's not about courts anymore, a state of emergency has been imposed. The police doesn't need to wait for a court order anymore.

Hay Rainman sounds like you just want to see more violence and bloodshed from the police et. It is not your country nor your business. It sickenss me to read your shallow comments!!!!!!!

Me too! Whatever it takes to extract those fools from the airport is fine by me. It should have happened on Tuesday evening.

[sriracha john]

It was 9 days into complete inaction on the last State of Emergency:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/State-Emerge...6.html&hl=i

State Of Emergency Announced In Bangkok, SAMAK TO HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL

that the following assessment was made...

I think that the title of this thread should be changed as niether it or the sub title is relevant anymore.

How long before it's posted this time?

Well, Samak's absolute control turned out to be not so absolute! Cooking shows and cooked courts took care of him!

Perhaps best to go down to the Constitution Court and explain the error of their ways to them...

I thought it was perjury and conflict of interest that took care of him.

[hammered]

...The SILENCE is ear deafening.....07.30AM in Bangkok....and no -important- news.....???

LaoPo

This is how I feel too. I fully expected to awake and find either a coup or the airports surrounded by police. But we reprtedly have nothing beyond a the usual nightly bombs and gunfire reports.

Either nobody actually has the power to do anything or there are some tense negotaitions going on imho.

[frodo]

Somachai resign from his post? Heaven forbid, if he did that, he couldn't show off his pretty little Peruvian medals.

In the streets, people are shooting at one another. Bombs are going off. People are being killed. Angry tourists are stranded at the hijacked Suvarnabhumi airport worrying about a lost Thanksgiving family reunion.

And a nervous-looking Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat goes on TV to tell us that he has received a set of decorations from the Peruvian government!

What a thoughtless, tactless, unintelligent move from a country's leader.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=132344

Edited November 28, 2008 by frodo

[SeaVisionBurma]

I've lost all interest in monitoring the actual PAD situation - the banter in this thread is far more entertaining now.....

However if anyone on the ground hears anything relevant on Suvarnabhumi - please post - so I can get my flight back there re-booked...