Thai Political Parties Dissolved

[Onyxia]

Edited December 2, 2008 by Onyxia

[GarryP]

Shouldn't that be "The Farce of PAD"?

Edited December 2, 2008 by GarryP

[Old Man River]

I think that by international law, taking over the international airport's control tower is an act of terrorism!

Stop cheapening the word. PAD has resorted to radical political tactics. Isn't that bad enough? Not terrorism. If they had started to murder or threatened to murder stranded tourists (such as happened in Mumbai) THAT is terrorism. This overplaying the terrorist red herring is simply stupid and not helpful to bringing peace to Thailand.

Well said.

[MyphuketLife]

Let's say a Muslim group peacefully took over the international airport in Mumbay tomorrow. To leave the airport, they demand that the Indian government step down and hold new elections. In these elections, only muslims can vote, as the judgement of hindus can not be trusted. They are not hurting anybody, but if someone attacks them they will fight to death.

What would you call this? A legitimate protest, terrorism, or something else?

Can't wait to see them try to word dance out of this question....

[rainman]

MyphuketLife, I love your new avatar.

[baht&sold]

Cargo flights may restart from Bangkok on Tuesday

REUTERS Tue Dec 2, 2008 3:05am EST

BANGKOK, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Cargo flights can start leaving Bangkok's besieged Suvarnabhumi airport again as soon as shippers and airlines are ready, the airport authority said, and a cargo sector official said some were due to leave later on Tuesday.

"I have authorised pure cargo flights to resume from 0900 hours (0200 GMT) this morning and it's up to them to start when they are ready," Serirat Prasutanond, managing director of Airports of Thailand PCL AOT.BK, told Reuters.

He said passenger flights would not restart until anti-government protesters had ended their sit-in, which has halted all passenger and cargo flights for the past week. "Passengers' safety comes first," he said.

The cargo flights were scheduled after a meeting between the Transport Ministry and private businesses on Monday, said Kasem Jariyawong, president of the Thai Airfreight Forwarders Association, adding he did not expect the protesters to block these flights.

Kasem said container trucks could enter the airport through an entrance not blocked by the protesters.

The cargo flights will mostly involve Asian carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Malaysian Airline Systems.

"The cargo planes are ready but shippers need time to repack their cargoes, which have earlier been moved out of the airport after they were delayed by the protest. It takes time to truck them back there," he said.

"An agreement was reached for cargo flights to resume from 0900 hours local Tuesday (0200 GMT) to 1800 hours (1100 GMT) Wednesday. If things go well, we will try to extend them at least for a week," he said.

However, Serirat said the situation would be reviewed every 15 days, and that the authority would keep extending permission for cargo flights as long as there was no disruption from protesters.

Kasem expected the first cargo plane out to be a Singapore Airlines flight, which he said was already loading.

NOT ANTI-BUSINESS

A prolonged closure of the $4 billion Suvarnabhumi airport, a major Asian hub that can handle 3 million tonnes of cargo a year, would do huge damage to the export-driven Thai economy, which is already struggling to cope with a global slowdown.

The protesters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) see the airport disruption as a way of toppling the government, which they say is a front for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed by the military in September 2006.

Current Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and other cabinet ministers will have to step down as a result of a court verdict on Tuesday, which found three ruling parties guilty of electoral fraud and said they must disband, but Thaksin allies are likely to form the next government.

However, Kasem was optimistic cargo would not be blocked.

"This is a window left open and there is no reason for protesters to block it. The PAD has said it is not against private business," he said.

Kasem said earlier that around 1,500 tonnes of cargo worth some 3 billion baht ($85 million) left the airport each day. Some 600-700 tonnes was perishable goods such as food and flowers. The rest was mostly electronics and computer parts, plus jewellery.

Another 1,000 tonnes of inbound cargo and 600 tonnes of transit cargo also go through Suvarnabhumi each day. After the airport was shut, some cargo firms moved their goods out of Suvarnabhumi by truck and through the south to Malaysia, where they were airlifted from Kuala Lumpur. Some were also sent by sea to Singapore, and then flown out from there. ($1 = 35.71 baht) (Editing by Alan Raybould)

[blaze]

Unluckily -- already since they started this mess -- the PAD so obviously have no plan what they really want. Then somebody could work towards that.

Their stated goal was that the government shall be dissolved. This has happened now.

One would assume that patience is wearing really thin on all sides who backed them, they seemingly never let this come to an end. They themselves do not want to be in power (really?), on the other hand they have nominated nobody. Maybe they just do like destruction for no other sake than destroying things...

i thought their stated aim initially was that somchai resign?

as with every revolutionary faction ever that reaches the top of the mountain, they then realise that they want more than they set out in the beginning. peace, freedom, justice, reasonably priced love and a hard-boiled egg. they've got parliament dissolved, next they'll insist on a PAD presence in any new government, irrespective of elections. and that southern, educated people's votes count double those of poor, northern people's. and that all saengthaws in chiang mai must be repainted yellow. spin the wheel. . .

I believe it was previously stated Somchai and his CABINET resigning,

and they are waiting on the cabinet. I think they should just go.

Someone bigger will no doubt TELL the cabinet to sod off shortly.

Chalerm for PM, yegawds that would be a declaration of war...

NO ONE- even by terms of this constitution can 'tell the cabinet to sod off'- except the courts.

[henryalleman]

Thailand ruling party dissolved

On Monday, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said he would not resign

Thailand's constitutional court has dissolved the governing People Power Party (PPP) saying there had been vote fraud during the last election.

The party's leaders, including Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, were also banned from politics for five years.

But, under the constitution most of its MPs can keep their seats under another party name, and should be able to form another government, correspondents say.

I don't understand, Why those MP's, who are in fact members of an corrupt criminal organisation can without any problem keeps their seats and form a new party under the De Facto leadership of another convicted criminal. this is an democracy unworthy. This is only possible in Thailand.This will only create new problems.

Earlier, an anti-government protester was killed at a Bangkok airport.

[baht&sold]

We hope to end the protests at the airport, and we are aware of the disruptions caused, but our aim is to keep our Thai constitution intact.

It is. Leave the airports now.

Election Calls Rejected

Call elections, now.

-By Dec 5th (or sooner) HM The King will speak, PAD 'may' leave the airports and the TRT/PPP/PeuaThai 'may' call elections... (this is the best case scenario, but don't count on it unfortunately)

UPDATE: Al Jazeera confirming Cargo to begin shipping from Suvarnabhumi (in fact excellent 20 minute report on AJ, cover ALL sides, catch it at top of the hour)

AlJazeera live stream:

http://www.tvlizer.com/content/view/242/374/

[xminator]

The PPP and two other parties have been disbanded over vote fraud and many MP's banned from politics for 5 years. How come other members of the same party - now under a new party name can be allowed to form a government. Do they expect anybody to take that seriously ?

Yes, you are supposed to take that just as seriously as the banning of MPs. The remaining MPs have no charges against them. There is no proof of fraud in the provinces they got elected from.

Foreign media just started reporting that AOT and PAD agreed to open all flights, including passengers. So maybe PAD is leaving afterall? It wont be as winners, its the same parties that are in power still.

[MyphuketLife]

Shouldn't that be "The Farce of PAD"?

Point taken, updated per your suggestion!

[McFarang]

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.

I wouldn't be so sure, I have friends in BKK who have been told their china air flight will leave tomorrow without fail

but from which airport?

Nothing will be flying out of the bangkok airports for a minimum of 7-9 days (2 days clear up and 7 days to re-certify the airports)

Hey Wolfie in Angola fly to CDG Paris tonight Air France most apologetic they are only flying to Phuket on 3/12/08 result didn't want to go to BKK anyway live in Phuket after a week of fuming I can say thanks PAD but hey open the airports and lets get back to normal.

[oceano]

The PAD are domestic terrorists. Even though they are not a political party, they are becoming a proxy government themselves. How come airplanes now need approval of the PAD to leave the airport? How come the PAD needs to approve the next government? This is nothing short of a terrorist organization.

Before everybody said taksin was a criminal.

When someone try to send him and him relative out the politics you said are terrorist.

So what you want?

When they talk and said we dont want criminal(who is not a criminal?) nobody listen them.

So after 6 month of talk for nothings they do the only thing that hurt the power and the big rich people: take the airport.

They wrong? Are you sure?

Pls think whit a thai mind not farang mind, and for all that talk about europe and usa...i can find 1000s acts from people tired about politicians that go on the road and make milions of dollar of damage for notings(my country first).

ciao

[rainman]

I never said Thaksin wasn't a criminal. But he's not the only criminal. I said many times, Thailand never had a choice of Democracy, but only a choice between one corrupt leader or the other.

[MyphuketLife]

The PAD are domestic terrorists. Even though they are not a political party, they are becoming a proxy government themselves. How come airplanes now need approval of the PAD to leave the airport? How come the PAD needs to approve the next government? This is nothing short of a terrorist organization.

Before everybody said taksin was a criminal.

When someone try to send him and him relative out the politics you said are terrorist.

So what you want?

When they talk and said we dont want criminal(who is not a criminal?) nobody listen them.

So after 6 month of talk for nothings they do the only thing that hurt the power and the big rich people: take the airport.

They wrong? Are you sure?

Pls think whit a thai mind not farang mind, and for all that talk about europe and usa...i can find 1000s acts from people tired about politicians that go on the road and make milions of dollar of damage for notings(my country first).

ciao

Ciao, Since I was not born and raised in Thailand I cannot think with a Thai mind, but many Thai's don't agree with the airport taking.

And since you can find 1,000's of acts that caused millions of dollars of damage for nothings in US and Europe, please show me 10 in the US that compare to the airport taking...

I can show you fairly peaceful protests that gave blacks equal rights that did not take down the US economy while doing so.

Edited December 2, 2008 by MyphuketLife

[bubba]

I just received this SMS alert from the Bangkok Post SMS service:

"PAD accepted AOT's demand to allow incoming flights to use Suvarnabhumi after the Contsitution Court dissolved PPP. First incoming flight expected within 24 hrs"

I don't have any more than that and it's not in the BKK Post site yet, but sounds at least promising!

[magisterludi]

UPDATE: Al Jazeera confirming Cargo to begin shipping from Suvarnabhumi (in fact excellent 20 minute report on AJ, cover ALL sides, catch it at top of the hour)

That's good news! Now it will be a week before the cargo companies start to accept bookings...

[yadetout]

Thailand’s SET Index Falls After Court Decision Ousts Premier

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...amp;refer=asia#By Saeromi Shin and Liza Lin Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand’s main stock index fell, erasing earlier gains, after the country’s Constitutional Court dissolved the ruling People Power Party, forcing Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to step down.

The SET Index fell 4.39, or 1.1 percent, to 386.53 at 3:08 p.m. in Bangkok, headed for its lowest close in more than a week. Advanced Info Services Pcl and Siam Commercial Bank Pcl led the decline. The index rose as much as 0.8 percent before the court ruling.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...&refer=asia

[rijb]

Let this be a lesson to aspiring political parties. Don’t buy votes – buy protestors. They’re cheap, legal and reusable.

[tig28]

Oh please, every political party in Thailand "breaks the law". Just about every high ranking government official "breaks the law". Just about every high ranking police officer "breaks the law". Just about every high ranking military officer "breaks the law". And quite frankly, the judiciary of Thailand has never been without its dirty laundry and it too has always been under the influence of one political faction or another. What has changed is that Sondhi has used his media power to demonize the opposition and so now we have the pawns of both megalomaniacs, Thaksin and Sondhi, wearing their gang colors avowing to destroy the opposition. So the chess game will continue. All that has happened is that one side got some leverage over the judiciary who then threw the board up in the air to mix up all the pieces and start anew. But the stalemate will continue. There is no good news here for the Kingdom and the Thai people.

Sadly ---Johpa is correct. The hypocrisy of PAD is illustrated in the decades of criminal and murdering activities of just one of their leaders General Pallop Pinmanee ---- for those who imagine that PAD fight corruption- murder-intimidation---simply have a quick look at this guys record.

This guy is a stark raving maniac ---- heaven help Thailand if he and his ilk actually get to hold sway !!

Panlop or Sae Daeng take your pick.

Both loose cannons,

but Panlop clearly the smarter, quieter.

But I have only heard of Panlop's 'saying' he has anything to do with PAD, Hmmmmmmm!

he's not a PAD leader, no name on roster. PAD are only foolish--- not insane!

Last heard from he was golfing with Thaksin...after PAD stiffed him. Was this golf game before or after he was implicated in the attempted car bomb assassination of Thaksin ??--You remember --when his driver was arested with 67 Kg of explosive --outside Thaksins house? Taksin then had him dismissed as deputy of the Security Operations Command. Incrediably vicious --- this Thaksin !!

But he has known Chamlong for decades,

and he has known Thaksin for decades too. I think they studied together.

And doesn't seem to be someone with allegencese to much of anyone with out a title. Thats not exactly true--- he seems to have had strong alliances with the Junta who always looked after him:

EG: He took part in several coups, ordered the massacre of insurgents at Krue Sae Mosque and after the 2006 military coup overthrew Thaksin, the military junta appointed Pallop public relations adviser to the Internal Security Operations Command of Thailand. And the ISOC eally helped Thaksin---no??

He claimed he was the mastermind behind a series of assassination attempts on General Arthit Kamlang-ek, commander of the Army under Prem. Pallop was later "rehabilitated" and retired from the Royal Thai Army with the rank of full general in 1996.

[MyphuketLife]

I just received this SMS alert from the Bangkok Post SMS service:

"PAD accepted AOT's demand to allow incoming flights to use Suvarnabhumi after the Contsitution Court dissolved PPP. First incoming flight expected within 24 hrs"

I don't have any more than that and it's not in the BKK Post site yet, but sounds at least promising!

Must be a domestic flight, as to re-qualify the airports for international takes a week minimum.... Although TIT and things have known to be rushed "Mi Ben Ria"

[rainman]

Let this be a lesson to aspiring political parties. Don’t buy votes – buy protestors. They’re cheap, legal and reusable.

And Sondhi's golden rule, if you do it anyways, don't get caught!

[magisterludi]

Let this be a lesson to aspiring political parties. Don’t buy votes – buy protestors. They’re cheap, legal and reusable.

[LiveSteam]

great so now we swap yellow terrorists for red terrorists ?

Indeed, and it will be interesting to see if those posters calling for PADs blood will continue with their hard line towards the Red...as they all clame to not the pro-PPP.

(Besides what, 2 users that are madly in-love with Thaksin. Even thought he...ehh...has nothing to do with PPP...or so they say...it all gets very confusing when they try to justify their irrational postings. )

If the yellows move out of the airport and reds move in, You will hear me calling for the police or army to go in and end the occupation. Red, Yellow, White, Black, Brown, Purple, Pink.... Does not matter the color of the shirt it matters their actions.

What will be interesting is if YOU will say the reds taking over the airport is ok in light of them trying to accomplish something as you have for the yellow shirt??? Hopefully we don't find out, as I would hate to see the airport occupation continue

But there you make a logical fallacy my friend, for I have never defended the occupation of the airports. But I have neither called for blood, neither yellow nor red. Unlike so many PAD-haters here (but they are not Thaksin/PPP-supporters they say), hence the interest what they say when the reds do anything, apart from always saying 'yellows deserve it' when yellows get killed...

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

The estimated cost for their actions in the last week is now getting close to 100 billion US dollars (3,500,000,000,000 Thai Baht).

For this money you could build 25 new Suvarnabhumi airports. You could buy back the part of Shin Corporation that Thaksin sold to Singapore 100 times. You could build countless new skytrain and subway lines...

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

[Belle]

seem protectors are moving out from airport but my friend supposedly to meet me 2 days ago was telling me that tiger airways has canceled all flight to and from bangkok till 15 dec. guess no one know as people running the country are .....

[chrislarsson]

Let us make it absolutely clear

BOTH SIDES EMPLOY TERRORIST TACTICS

Stop arguing basic elementary issues. Thank you very much.

And who HONESTLY is surprised that PAD didn't go home? We all knew they weren't going anywhere. If you believed they would, stop for a second and use your gray matter....

PAD will only go home when it is time.

And for those saying why doesn't <peace agency> do anything? Well, DUH!

And when is that time? Maybe it has nothing to do with political events at all.

Maybe Sondhi right now is consulting the departure date with fortune tellers and magicians to find the ultimate day when the stars will be in the most favorable position and dark forces will be against the enemy...

[mackayae]

Let this be a lesson to aspiring political parties. Don’t buy votes – buy protestors. They’re cheap, legal and reusable.

That's great. I knew there had to be a lesoon learned in all of this. So all this strife was worthwhile, afterall.

[bubba]

I just received this SMS alert from the Bangkok Post SMS service:

"PAD accepted AOT's demand to allow incoming flights to use Suvarnabhumi after the Contsitution Court dissolved PPP. First incoming flight expected within 24 hrs"

I don't have any more than that and it's not in the BKK Post site yet, but sounds at least promising!

Must be a domestic flight, as to re-qualify the airports for international takes a week minimum.... Although TIT and things have known to be rushed "Mi Ben Ria"

I'm confused as well. This was in BKK Post earlier today:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=135126

(BangkokPost.com) - Airports of Thailand (AOT) acting president Serirat Pasutanond said Suvarnabhumi airport could resume operation in about a week once the anti-government protesters led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leave the airport.

Mr Serirat expected it would take authorities approximately seven days to check the readiness of Suvarnabhumi once the protesters leave.

[oceano]

The PAD are domestic terrorists. Even though they are not a political party, they are becoming a proxy government themselves. How come airplanes now need approval of the PAD to leave the airport? How come the PAD needs to approve the next government? This is nothing short of a terrorist organization.

Before everybody said taksin was a criminal.

When someone try to send him and him relative out the politics you said are terrorist.

So what you want?

When they talk and said we dont want criminal(who is not a criminal?) nobody listen them.

So after 6 month of talk for nothings they do the only thing that hurt the power and the big rich people: take the airport.

They wrong? Are you sure?

Pls think whit a thai mind not farang mind, and for all that talk about europe and usa...i can find 1000s acts from people tired about politicians that go on the road and make milions of dollar of damage for notings(my country first).

ciao

Ciao, Since I was not born and raised in Thailand I cannot think with a Thai mind, but many Thai's don't agree with the airport taking.

And since you can find 1,000's of acts that caused millions of dollars of damage for nothings in US and Europe, please show me 10 in the US that compare to the airport taking...

I can show you fairly peaceful protests that gave blacks equal rights that did not take down the US economy while doing so. (that came later with stupid home buyers)

Sorry for my english...

The usa are not born whit civil war?

How many civil war they do in last past 200 yr?

How many milion of people die in usa for the civil war?

How many milions of dollars they lose when tha black people fight...i remenber something like Martin lutherking and klu klux clan...

Ok is the past not 2008 but dont forget that, for some things here they are same europe 50 yrs ago.

[yom07]

And when is that time? Maybe it has nothing to do with political events at all.

Maybe Sondhi right now is consulting the departure date with fortune tellers and magicians to find the ultimate day when the stars will be in the most favorable position and dark forces will be against the enemy...

I hope you are right. Given the shape of the moon and stars yesterday evening over BKK, it will all end up in a giant fun party !!!