Thai Political Parties Dissolved

[jdinasia]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

I wrote this in terms of teams, not individual actions. For instance, when the court asked the PM to resign he did. And the red team have by no means exercised politics to destroy the economy.

Then you need to go back and see where the "red team" attacked the yellow team for a political purpose (like on Sept 2nd leading to the State of Emergency under Samak)

[grimmbro]

I would stick with Reuters over The Nation as a source of info...The Thai newspapers and Thai Airways have both been consistently overly optimistic about openings and releasing info. I can not believe that they will get any international flights until the Airports are cleared and certified as being safe. All that screen and security you normally go through would not be worth much if they just reopened the airport with the people that just occupied it. Nor would you feel particularly safe knowing that they would have had to rush the safety checks to open.

Just because PPP has been disbanded doesn't meet PADs objections. The new party is to be head by Thaksin's youngest sister or his cousin which would certainly not be any less objectionable then his brother-inlaw being in place. I was surprised that there has been nothing about which one of these two got the nod.

I would not start packing my bags just yet.

[xminator]

Jatuporn Prompan says all former PPP will got to PTP and that they will select a new PM on december 8th.

[chrislarsson]

Hi chrislarsson,

Interesting amount you come too. I am not saying it's wrong but do you have a link or something to back up the 100 billion US?

Regards,

LiveSteam

You are right...it's not correct. It should be 10 billion dollars. My apologies.

It's based on that GDP growth goes down from 4.5% to 4% this year, and from 4% to 1% next year.

That is just crazy. You take some [imaginary] projected numbers, due to world economical reasons, and apply them to PADs week-long siege of two airports.

Yes, it is so clear now...

Economies in the region are not expected to grow below 4%.

But let's just count tourism and assume that it will go down by up to 50% as TAT projects. That's 7.5 billion dollars already.

[magisterludi]

Airport to re-open on Dec 15th

BANGKOK, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Bangkok's international airport will remain closed to until Dec. 15 due to a blockade by anti-government protesters, the airport manager said on Tuesday.

"The rally has caused massive damage to the country. We will try to open the airport as soon as possible," Serirat Prasutanond, acting head of Airports of Thailand said in a statement.

The closure refers to passenger flights. One cargo flight left on Tuesday and others were scheduled to follow, the first departures in a week.

Source: Reuters http://www.reuters.com/

...old news from this morning and invalidated by current developments.

I have an option of a 36 hour 'trek' via KL to get to Chiang Mai, and then on to BKK or I have a flight on Thursday night to BKK direct, arriving at 0730 on Friday morning. Both will get me there approximately same time, but the second one is a lot cheaper and less hassle, assuming it actually happens.

Is it really opening up?

If not I have to get on a plane to KL tomorrow morning!

I think it all depends on your necessity/desire to get back to Bangkok. If I were you and I really wanted to get there on Friday I would go for the 'trek'...

[xminator]

Associated Press - December 2, 2008 5:43 AM ET

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - The head of Thailand's airports says that Suvarnabhumi international airport will remain closed to passenger flights until at least Dec. 15 due to the disruption caused by anti-government protesters.

Acting director Serirat Prasutanont of the Airports of Thailand says in a statement Tuesday that the country's main airport has lost more $10 million due to the weeklong closure forced by anti-government protesters.

The statement says the closure of the airport for passenger flights "is extended to 6 p.m. on Dec. 15."

Serirat said the airport was reopened to cargo flights on Tuesday.

[stub]

Big surprise, the P.A.D. won't be leaving!

Ever wondered why most civilized countries don't negotiate with terrorists?

Now you get your answer.

PAD are not terrorists. Save that word for real terrorists such as in Mumbai.

Redshirts murdering people with bombs, what would you call them?

There was no negotiation with the courts. The courts ruled how they were going to rule. What was negotiated exactly?

The PAD have not achieved what they want. The Thaksin forces are just going to rebrand and install another Thaksin puppet/relative.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorist

they fit the definition

Who has been terrorized? Sitting in an airport and manning blockades isn't terrorizing or frightening anyone. Thankfully nobody is resorting to terrorist tactics such as lobbing bombs into crowds of civilians or beheading teachers. This is just protest thank god. Stop cheapening the word - we might need it still.

[MyphuketLife]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

Good question, I wonder what those yellow shirts were doing when they were shooting bullets towards the TV van? Where they the friendly bullets that say "Hi please leave the area" or were they deadly bullets that missed their mark?

[marshbags]

One would assume the discrepancy between 1 week to open and this 24 hours quoted here is, that emergency flights to pull stranded tourists out might well land at a not fully certified airport. Surely compromises must be made to ensure speedy re-opening for the passengers most in need.

For full nortmal flights to resume I think 24 hours is awfully optimistic, but for the moment I will go with it :-)

In the end, this is a compromise, I can happily live with: the PAD being able to protest, tourists being able to travel unhindered. This is how it should have been from the beginning and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Maybe a sign that there is still some human consciousness even under the PAD.

Cargo planes resume services at Suvarnabhumi

Cargo planes Tuesday resumed their services from Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The services resumed at 9am.

"The protest has caused grave damage to the country and we're trying every means to clear the airport," Airports of Thailand Acting President Serirat Prasutanond said Tuesday.

The Nation

Unquote.

Of course things are changing at a fst pace and confusion is ongoing, but at least the above seems to be good as it refers to a positive action.

Patience and understanding is a must among our membership during these busy / trying times ( not aimed at yourself jts ), just a general thought as some are getting a little hot about these sort of things.

marshbags

[Thailand]

Fully operational by 6pm on 15th December, in the meantime open for cargo , emergency and military flights.

[Wiresok]

As a seeker of truth and justice the really important fact coming out of all this, which fundementally highlights the basic issue here, is hidden in the verdict of the court.

That is 9-0.

There is proof indeed of the total corruption , and bias , at the heart of the thai judicial system.

Mission accomplished in this onslought on democracy ?, or will the international community root out this slide to anarchy, and ethnic cleansing.

[Hollywood]

great so now we swap yellow terrorists for red terrorists ?

Thats what I was thinking....now the red terrorist will take over the airport till they get what they want.

[Kerryd]

My mistake...it should be 10 billion dollars. I already apologized earlier.

Of course it's not for the cost occurred already, but for the next year ahead. But the damage of this is caused in one week.

The posts are flying fast and furious. By the time I saw the previous one, started replying, rechecked my numbers one more time, and then posted it, there were almost 2 pages of posts inbetween (including your previous one).

How ever, the slide in the economic forescast is not entirely due to PAD's action over the last week. If this whole PAD thing had not have happen, there would have still been a significant decrease due to the global situation.

PAD's actions have had a short term effect on this year's economy yes. Possibly an effect on the mid-term (up to mid-2009), but I doubt their actions have seriously affected the long term outlook.

Their actions disrupted 2 major transport links. That's it. Despite the whining and moaning going on, all of the other airports, railways and shipping ports continued to operate.

PAD has not changed the economic policy of the country, and that is what will have the largest effect on next year's growth (or lack of it).

As I mentioned in the other thread, the total tourism portion of the GDP is 6.5%. Big numbers indeed, but I seriously doubt tourism is suddenly going to stop (despite the fact some people here seem to think Thailand's economy, especially it's tourist economy, revolves solely around Suvarnabhumi).

[davidxl]

Fully operational by 6pm on 15th December, in the meantime open for cargo , emergency and military flights.

Yep, just seen this on BBC, no passenger flights until 15th

[wxpwzrd]

As a seeker of truth and justice the really important fact coming out of all this, which fundementally highlights the basic issue here, is hidden in the verdict of the court.

That is 9-0.

There is proof indeed of the total corruption , and bias , at the heart of the thai judicial system.

Mission accomplished in this onslought on democracy ?, or will the international community root out this slide to anarchy, and ethnic cleansing.

Or maybe the courts see through the corruption that is three parties?

[backsoon]

NO chance that the airport will open any time soon. Not enough to appease the PAD, I'm afraid. They want much more than this.

Who cares what they want? Who wants to appease PAD? Who cares of the disolution of current govt?

The damage to this country's reputation among the nations is done. Irrevocably. It will be felt, it will hurt, just wait and see. This is not a country where Law and order prevails. Thais will hurt, but they do not care... the rest of the world is just a bunch of FALANG ! (they can't even say it correctly) As to

hurting,- they are bloody well used to it...

[bobg]

PARTY DISSOLUTION

People Power, Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties disbanded

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Court on Tuesday ruled to disband three coalition parties, People Power, Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya, and banned the three's party executives from electoral process for five years.

The high court held the three parties for accountability on electoral fraud involving party executives, Yongyuth Tiyapairat of People Power, Monthien Songpracha of Chart Thai and Sunthorn Wilawan of Matchima Thipataya.

In the fraud case linked to People Power Party, the high court cited the Yongyuth conviction by the Supreme Court as the ground to penalise the ruling party.

For cases linked to Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya, it invoked the rulings by the Election Commission as the basis to punish the two parties.

The nine presiding judges reached unanimous decisions against People Power and Matchima Thipataya parties. And they formed the eight-to-one decision to punish Chart Thai.

The high court opined that the punishment by disbandment was mandatory as sanctioned by Article 237 of the Constitution and that it had no leeway to selectively punish the party executives on the individual basis.

-- The Nation 2008-12-02

Who are the members of the Constitution Court and how are they appointed? It seems to me that every decision they have made in recent months has been against the interests of the PPP and in support of the interests of the PAD. Could there be some monkey business going on here?

[TAWP]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

I wrote this in terms of teams, not individual actions. For instance, when the court asked the PM to resign he did. And the red team have by no means exercised politics to destroy the economy.

Neither has PAD. They occupied the airport for attention, much like a kid that throws him down on the floor in the supermarket and cries to get the candy he pointed at doesn't do it to give you -the bystander - a headache. It might be a side-effect. But it's not the aim.

[TAWP]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

Good question, I wonder what those yellow shirts were doing when they were shooting bullets towards the TV van? Where they the friendly bullets that say "Hi please leave the area" or were they deadly bullets that missed their mark?

Or the Red's in Chiang Mai that stabbed and shot the radio-station man. But they of course hit their mark..and he died.

[wxpwzrd]

Who cares what they want? Who wants to appease PAD? Who cares of the disolution of current govt?

The damage to this country's reputation among the nations is done. Irrevocably. It will be felt, it will hurt, just wait and see. This is not a country where Law and order prevails. Thais will hurt, but they do not care... the rest of the world is just a bunch of FALANG ! (they can't even say it correctly) As to

hurting,- they are bloody well used to it...

And the tourists will return, and they will spend their money and life will go on... this too shall pass.

(and your slam of Thai pronunciation is uncalled for)

[magisterludi]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

I wrote this in terms of teams, not individual actions. For instance, when the court asked the PM to resign he did. And the red team have by no means exercised politics to destroy the economy.

Neither has PAD. They occupied the airport for attention, much like a kid that throws him down on the floor in the supermarket and cries to get the candy he pointed at doesn't do it to give you -the bystander - a headache. It might be a side-effect. But it's not the aim.

True. Except a kid is a kid. Unless you're trying to say that the P.A.D. protesters have 5 year old mentalities.

Edited December 2, 2008 by magisterludi

[grimmbro]

Thais being Thais they can declare anything they want....that doesn't make it so. The answer about the airport being open or not will be settled by the airlines. I still can't imagine that the airlines or numerous gov'ts are going to be happy about any flights from an airport where PAD is jointly doing security and screening.

Nor would such an opening inspire any confidence in tourists as the only reason for PAD to remain is to maintain the ability to shut down the airports if they become unhappy about something. They are not good locations to inspire the masses otherwise.

[TAWP]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

I wrote this in terms of teams, not individual actions. For instance, when the court asked the PM to resign he did. And the red team have by no means exercised politics to destroy the economy.

Neither has PAD. They occupied the airport for attention, much like a kid that throws him down on the floor in the supermarket and cries to get the candy he pointed at doesn't do it to give you -the bystander - a headache. It might be a side-effect. But it's not the aim.

True. Except a kid is a kid. Unless you're trying to say that the P.A.D. protesters have 5 year old mentalities.

The analogy was that they wanted attention - and they got it. We are all looking, are we not?

[xminator]

True. Except a kid is a kid. Unless you're trying to say that the P.A.D. protesters have 5 year old mentalities.

The IQ of a mob (IQm) is calculated as:

IQm = IQs / n

where

IQs = the IQ of the stupidest person in the mob, and

n = the total number of people in the mob

[ijwelch]

This is another sad decison by courts that are politcal pawns:

THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AHRC-STM-298-2008

November 26, 2008

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law

Already, the criminal justice system of Thailand has been reduced to an utter joke, its agencies and personnel either unable or unwilling to intervene effectively to protect public property and people's lives, or even prosecute wrongdoers. That the security forces can carry out coups on the whimsy of generals and engage in battles over trifles with those of neighbouring countries but not responsibly protect the Government House or international airport is sheer farce. That government agencies have been forced to negotiate and cut their losses rather than insist that the law be enforced is dangerous folly. And that the senior judiciary, which through a succession of highly politicised judgments has played a major part in contributing to the current mess has nothing useful to contribute when lives are at stake and the country is in greatest need of intelligent guidance is altogether shameful. About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile....tatements/1779/

The only joke I see is that statement (the misspellings are horrible - must be a Thaksin front organisation). The law is the law. PPP broke the law. Chart Thai broke the law. The judges issued their verdict in accordance with the law. While we may or may not agree that the punishment fits the crime, the punishment was correct according to the law. In my view the only positive effect of the 2006 coup was that it seemed to free the judiciary from the undo influence that Thaksin wielded over them. They seem to be acting according to "he who must not be named" direction that they rule according to the rule of law and with integrity for the sake of the nation.

I don't see any misspellings. The only word that can be spelled differently is 'judgments' but dropping the e is acceptable.

[chrislarsson]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

Good question, I wonder what those yellow shirts were doing when they were shooting bullets towards the TV van? Where they the friendly bullets that say "Hi please leave the area" or were they deadly bullets that missed their mark?

Or the Red's in Chiang Mai that stabbed and shot the radio-station man. But they of course hit their mark..and he died.

This arguments are just silly. If a British citizen is murdered in Thailand today, and Britain bombs Thailand next week, would you argue that Thailand started the war?

There are thugs on both sides and I'm not counting these.

[ryguy]

If you wanna cheer yourselves up read this apocalyptic little piece from Asia Sentinel. To be fair some of the predictions or promises for today made by Chatchuron havent come true or not at least yet!

Won't let me add "hammered's" url however

I suggest all read this article. Interesting to see how when you are allowed REAL Freedom of speech & can discuss anything and everything the comments below the article point out and give you a much better idea who is Really controlling Thailand ?

[TAWP]

So far the red team is playing by the rules. You can not say that about the yellow team.

Please show me the rulebook that says murder is alright.

Good question, I wonder what those yellow shirts were doing when they were shooting bullets towards the TV van? Where they the friendly bullets that say "Hi please leave the area" or were they deadly bullets that missed their mark?

Or the Red's in Chiang Mai that stabbed and shot the radio-station man. But they of course hit their mark..and he died.

This arguments are just silly. If a British citizen is murdered in Thailand today, and Britain bombs Thailand next week, would you argue that Thailand started the war?

There are thugs on both sides and I'm not counting these.

So you missed the fact that the yellow was first attacked by Reds, not the other way around?

Yellows shooting at tv van 9they appologized for it, they thought it was another attack in brewing) = bad

Reds killing man = acceptable

The trend continues by the thug-apologists.

[kenk3z]

It seems to me that the 30-day stamps in passports have now been automatically converted into retirement visas. No overstay as long as the airport is closed and you have a ticket showing you were supposed to fly out of that airport. And some people are getting room and board for free too.

I believe the next thing you need to get out of TAT is free medical care.

kenk3z

[erobando]

This is another sad decison by courts that are politcal pawns:

THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law

And that the senior judiciary, which through a succession of highly politicised judgments has played a major part in contributing to the current mess has nothing useful to contribute when lives are at stake and the country is in greatest need of intelligent guidance is altogether shameful.

I couldn't agree more. I have lost all respect for this country and it's so called leaders.

Similar circumstance occurred in Germany in 1923 and more recently in Myanmar 1962.

Are we heading for fascism?

Fascism? LOL WUT?

It's just SE Asian Politics. Check out Singapore or Malaysia.

And how many lawsuits was Thaksin involved in while PM, both as defendant and plaintiff?

It's nothing new or alarming.