State Of Emergency Declared

[paulfromphuket]

its like choosing between plaque and cholera

But apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health, what have they ever done for us!

Boy am I glad someone else can keep smiling, thanks

[rainman]

Thailand never has, never had, a choice of true Democracy. They have a choice between a corrupt government that ruins the country, or one that develops it. Whether the government ruins or develops the country, the government will always be corrupt.

[henryalleman]

*** To compliment my last post relating to staying put in C.Mai

The Nation, Fri, November 28, 2008 : Last updated 15:07 hours

Unsettled Army situation keeps PM in Chiang Mai

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat will remain in Chiang Mai for the time being as the army situation is "unsettled," Government deputy spokesperson Suparat Nakbunnam said Friday.

Prime Minister Somchai has no schedule yet to return to Bangkok, Suparat said, adding the decision to stay in Chiang Mai fro the time being is as part of security measures.

"It is mainly because the Army situation is still unsettled. And from now on, PM's schedules will be confidential. Reporters will not be informed of his schedules," she said.

Somchai has chosen to stay in Chiang Mai after returning from Peru as anti-government protesters seized Don Muang and Suvarnbhumi airports. He declared state of emergency on both airports on Thursday from state-run NBT station in Chiang Mai.

In the programme, Somchai dismissed an increasing call from the situation monitoring panel under the Army for him to dissolve the House.

On Thursday, the situation in the capital was extremely tense as Coup rumours spread after the premier shot down calls by the Army to step down to solve the political turmoil.

The embattled premier will chair Friday a teleconference with governors and senior officials nationwide from Chiang Mai's City Hall.

marshbags

Running away and hide himself in Chiang Mai is a sign of weakness. If he was a man and a real leader of the country, he will go to Suva and talk and listen to the demonstrators, and answer their questions, believe me he will gain respect from all the Nation. Now he act like an coward, and we all know that nobody respect a coward

[SomNamNah]

Have you ever seen an angry Thai mob?

I believe being out of your mind on Rice whisky is a valid defence in a Thai court of law.

"but I was pished your honour!"

but yes agree.. being in CM is a bad idea, dont want trouble up here!!

Bruce Willis Reportedly In Suvarnbhumi Vent Sysyem

Edited November 28, 2008 by SomNamNah

[Kerryd]

Thailand has made the list of the Top 20 Most Dangerous Places as compiled by the Telegraph newspaper of London.

The latest edition of the list puts Thailand as the seventh most-dangerous spot for travellers behind Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan. Thailand is said to be more dangerous than Colombia and Haiti at the moment.

LOL! Telegraph readers - bunch of poofs!

I'll say, considering that over 125 people have been killed in Mumbai in the last couple of days (possibly more). How many in Bangkok ?

And coming from someone that has spent the better part of the last 5 years working in Afghanistan, Thailand is NOWHERE near as dangerous, not by a LONG shot.

Who ever "compiled" that list has probably never set foot outside of England. Sheesh, I think London itself is more dangerous than all of Thailand.

Which reminds me. Hmm, guess which city currently sits on top of the list of most violent cities in the US ? New Orleans: New Orleans Ranks as Most Violent U.S. City, Study Finds

208 murders in 2007 for a city with a population of (approx.) 270,000.

(I used to use New Orleans (pre-Katrina) as a comparison to Pattaya when comparing crime stats. Both by oceans (salt water gulfs at least), both heavily reliant on tourism, and both similar in size (back then, based on the unofficial total populations). Even back then, New Orleans was almost 4 times deadlier than Pattaya.)

[Koo82]

Thaksin is a thief who give cheap loans to poor farmers who are not able to pay them back, so he can buy up their paddy fields, and sell it to the his cronies for an high price

And PAD only think about the rich;

its like choosing between plaque and cholera

This is wrong. Khun Thaksin called it "loan" but actually gave free to poor people. He didn't buy up the fields like you said. He only took chances to buy & sell in stock market (no tax to be paid according to the law), to invest in big projects and so on, but he did not take advantage from poor people. He is not 100% good, but he is not as bad as you said.

Come to think of it, why does a man want to be a PM? He wants to be famous, to have power, and to be rich. What is wrong with him being rich? He gave someone 3 million Baht per month as salary so that one would not need to corrupt. Someone kept asking for money but Khun Thaksin stopped giving. So they revenge. Just simple as that.

His mistake was he sat in the chair other people wanted to sit.

If they want to be PM, come out for election campaigns. They don't want to do that but they want to be PM! It has shown how many times already that the PM coming from Army or something did not know how to run a country. We, majority Thais don't trust them.

[keemapoot]

its like choosing between plaque and cholera

But apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health, what have they ever done for us!

I guess I would choose plaque over cholera. But, eating soft foods all my life would be a bummer.

[anothertorres]

hey guys, what's going on in this thread!

Edited November 28, 2008 by anothertorres

[Sigi]

Current text on "The Nation" TV channel’s news ticker on the bottom of the screen:

"Government to enlist Thaksin’s help if coup is started."

[rainman]

CNN just reported that the government is backing down and not removing the protesters. You've got to be kidding me.

[anothertorres]

oh, totally.

[Maverell]

i am sorry to say this, but i will. To all Thai who reads this forum: Thailand is a joke throughout the world. No one can ever justify the seizure of an international airport . You messing with those that give you your life and they are going to go away.

[rainman]

Thailand is sending a message to it's citizens (especially the bad ones): You can do anything here and get away with it.

[vahack]

Thailand has made the list of the Top 20 Most Dangerous Places as compiled by the Telegraph newspaper of London.

The latest edition of the list puts Thailand as the seventh most-dangerous spot for travellers behind Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan. Thailand is said to be more dangerous than Colombia and Haiti at the moment.

LOL! Telegraph readers - bunch of poofs!

Hmm, guess which city currently sits on top of the list of most violent cities in the US ? New Orleans: New Orleans Ranks as Most Violent U.S. City, Study Finds

208 murders in 2007 for a city with a population of (approx.) 270,000.

funny i was thinking the same thing.

nearly every city in the US

is more dangerous than Bangkok

i grew up in DC and was scared a lot more

walking around that city than I have ever been

anywhere in Thailand.

DC was the murder capital for years.

Thailand is a peaceful people

and Thais are non-aggressive

especially to farangs.

the farangs held at the airport

were probably given VIP treatment

i couldn't see Thai people

treating farangs badly even now.

its not in their nature.

they've been serving us for decades.

ps to the guys who think

these PAD guys aren't terrorists:

taking over 2 major airports, a parliament,

crippling business, tourism & government IS terrorism lol

the guy who blew up OK City was an American.

you can have terrorists from your own country..

i don't care tho.

i'm in the northeast (its harvest celebration here)

and i am loving the exchange rate 35.5/USD

[TopDogger]

My guess is there going to try and catch PAD off guard.

[animatic]

Thailand is sending a message to it's citizens (especially the bad ones): You can do anything here and get away with it.

The bad ones knew that already.

[bartender100]

Apparantly all Pattaya's VTP have been sent to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Not a wide up, whats that all about there are no tourists there now are there?

[scratt]

i am sorry to say this, but i will. To all Thai who reads this forum: Thailand is a joke throughout the world. No one can ever justify the seizure of an international airport . You messing with those that give you your life and they are going to go away.

I am an expat living in Thailand, and I just want to take this opportunity to apologize to the Thai people for this kind of moronic post.

Edited November 28, 2008 by scratt

[phaethon]

CNN just reported that the government is backing down and not removing the protesters. You've got to be kidding me.

[animatic]

i am sorry to say this, but i will. To all Thai who reads this forum: Thailand is a joke throughout the world. No one can ever justify the seizure of an international airport . You messing with those that give you your life and they are going to go away.

I am an expat living in Thailand, and I just want to take this opportunity to apologize to the Thai people for this kind of moronic post.

I second that.

[citizen33]

CNN just reported that the government is backing down and not removing the protesters. You've got to be kidding me.

It isn't clear whether this is a new story or just CNN's spin on something from earlier today:

'Bangkok's two main airports remained occupied by anti-government protesters Friday but Thai authorities appeared to have backed down from earlier threats to end the siege by force. (...) government spokesman Nattawut Sai-Kau told reporters Friday that police would avoid using force and attempt to negotiate with the protesters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)'.

[rainman]

It's 2am. I'm signing off with the hope that I will wake up with either the PAD driven out of the airport by the police, or a military coup. Anything is better right now than the country paralyzed and being ruined. Blocking one of the largest airports into its 4th day is absolutely unacceptable and will bring unrepairable damage to Thailand's economy and image. Tourism is dead. Import and export will suffer billions in damages.

I am disappointed that also that the one person who I hoped truly cared about the country, has not done anything in the past 4 days. This may be the end of Thailand as we knew and loved it.

My last thoughts of tonight go out to India and it's government, who truly knew how to handle and end a crisis.

Have a good night all.

Edited November 28, 2008 by rainman

[solent01]

i am sorry to say this, but i will. To all Thai who reads this forum: Thailand is a joke throughout the world. No one can ever justify the seizure of an international airport . You messing with those that give you your life and they are going to go away.

I am an expat living in Thailand, and I just want to take this opportunity to apologize to the Thai people for this kind of moronic post.

I second that.

3rd'ed

[Mossfinn]

My last thoughts of tonight go out to India and it's government, who truly knew how to handle and end a crisis.

Have a good night all.

To be fair Rainman, they were already shooting and there was no option but to use deadly force and with the insurgents shooting to the last, the only way forward was damage limitation. I will give credit to their soldiers though, they put lives on the line and in one instance took heavy casualties against the loss of only two insurgents.

Do you really want to see that at Swampy? A negotiated truce every time, up to a point, but I agree that point has come.

Moss

[solent01]

My last thoughts of tonight go out to India and it's government, who truly knew how to handle and end a crisis.

I hope you are not trying to compare India with Thailand, you can't in anyway compare the two.

[Carib]

It's 2am. I'm signing off with the hope that I will wake up with either the PAD driven out of the airport by the police, or a military coup. Anything is better right now than the country paralyzed and being ruined. Blocking one of the largest airports into its 4th day is absolutely unacceptable and will bring unrepairable damage to Thailand's economy and image. Tourism is dead. Import and export will suffer billions in damages.

I am disappointed that also that the one person who I hoped truly cared about the country, has not done anything in the past 4 days. This may be the end of Thailand as we knew and loved it.

My last thoughts of tonight go out to India and it's government, who truly knew how to handle and end a crisis.

Have a good night all.

If you cannot see the difference of what is going on in India or Thailand, you just didn't go to sleep, you were asleep already.

You make this all sound like a your personal problem.

[rainman]

To be fair Rainman, they were already shooting and there was no option but to use deadly force and with the insurgents shooting to the last, the only way forward was damage limitation. I will give credit to their soldiers though, they put lives on the line and in one instance took heavy casualties against the loss of only two insurgents.

Do you really want to see that at Swampy? A negotiated truce every time, up to a point, but I agree that point has come.

Moss

I would really like to see a truce. But after 4 days and hearing what we've heard, we have to be realistic. The PAD, in their own words, have said they will "fight until death" and will not negotiate under any terms. Their objectives are clear, to bring this to and end with a bloodbath. That is the only way they will not end up as the bad guys. Sadly, their supporters are too dumb to realize this.

Again, we have to be realistic. There will be no agreement, so better end it sooner than later. The people who remain there are no longer innocent, they know what they've done. I feel sad though for the children who have been dragged into this by their parents by taking them to the airport. Shame on them.

I hope you are not trying to compare India with Thailand, you can't in anyway compare the two.

No. You can't compare India with Thailand. India has mastered a much bigger and more difficult crisis in less than 48 hours. Thailand has absolutely failed and disappointed.

I'm out for real. Goodnight all.

[baht&sold]

THAKSIN from his latest interview: “Those who violate the law must be prosecuted".

Spoken from a wanted convicted criminal on the 'run' whom cannot seem to get arrested even inside a Thai embassy in Hong Kong whilst getting a divorce for strategic business convenience...

Sequels and come-backs are difficult at best and perhaps Khun Thaksin might heed the critics advice panning the formerly beloved 'Indiana Jones' latest come-back attempt by stating simply; "That's enough Indie"... (one has to know when to finally go)

It's now quite late and either there will be an unholy onslaught in the wee hours OR 'something' is up... We shall see but still hoping this resolves peacefully somehow and Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports re-open ASAP!

[solent01]

Indeed B&S, how ironic.

[SomNamNah]

OR 'something' is up

just thinking the same...

Oh well. same same, as long as the whiskey/price index doesnt suffer most should be satisfied.

I think the only (govt) solution is a peaceful seige, letting out those that want... till they are all too weak to fight.

but then again if the folks in the airport aren't armed, how can they 'fight to the death'?

if it ever came to civil war (which it wouldnt over this? - maybe a dry run though) i wonder how much power for Thailand comes from Burmese Gas.. I think rather a lot.

working nights here in CM, nice and cool. waiting for english news: http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/

quite groovy music.

Edited November 28, 2008 by SomNamNah