Aot Officials Begin Inspections Of Suvarnabhumi Airport

[Buckwheat]

Officials of Airports of Thailand Plc started checking all systems of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 10 am Wednesday after the People's Alliance for Democracy officially handed over it back.

Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD co-leader, chaired a ceremony to hand over the airport back.

The Nation

[mgjackson69]

I realize that this article is from The Nation...but how could PAD "officially handed it over back"? "Officially" implies some sort of legitimate authority.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

I immagin over the next week we will hear about all of the items looted from the businesses at the airport. Not to mention the damage caused.

[nonthaburial]

I also wondered about pilferage, no doubt a lot of the lady supporters are wearing expensive make up and carrying expensive hand bags whilst the guys are well stocked up with ciggies and booze !!!

Funny really King Power getting a little Karma

[jayjayjayjay]

Officials of Airports of Thailand Plc started checking all systems of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 10 am Wednesday after the People's Alliance for Democracy officially handed over it back.

Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD co-leader, chaired a ceremony to hand over the airport back.

The Nation

Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD co-leader, chaired a ceremony to hand over the airport back.

Milking it for every last drop, they should have been arrested there and then.

Edited December 3, 2008 by jayjayjayjay

[JoeThePoster]

Well, now it's only a matter of time before a "small budget" for rennovation is requested.

[TukTukDriver]

I immagin over the next week we will hear about all of the items looted from the businesses at the airport. Not to mention the damage caused.

I think I now understand the real reason many of them were there.

[geriatrickid]

If I understand this correctly, one of the ringleaders of an event that featured vandalism, criminal mischief, contempt of court (there were court orders to leave the premises), extortion, large financial loses incurred by hundreds of thousands of people if not millions, was allowed to participate in a "ceremony" whereby, he and his organization temporarily withdrew from the airport?

And the Thai people wonder why every foreign country still has travel advisories in place and the civilized world watches with disgust?

Edited December 3, 2008 by geriatrickid

[digitele]

Well, now it's only a matter of time before a "small budget" for rennovation is requested.

No doubt!

[bkkdawg]

Officially handed over in a ceremony by the PAD?! Love it

[Peterpan]

Well, now it's only a matter of time before a "small budget" for rennovation is requested.

No doubt!

I guess the airport tax will be going up, you tourists have to pay for this mess.

[globalmenace]

TAT needs a new publicity slogan. How about AMAZING THAILAND?

Sorry, couldn't resist...

[globalmenace]

Anybody have a link to a video of the "ceremony"?

[globalmenace]

Well, now it's only a matter of time before a "small budget" for rennovation is requested.

No doubt!

I guess the airport tax will be going up, you tourists have to pay for this mess.

What tourists are you referring to? The ones who won't be showing up next year? Prolly need to rename it to "GhostTown International".

[easybullet3]

I also wondered about pilferage, no doubt a lot of the lady supporters are wearing expensive make up and carrying expensive hand bags whilst the guys are well stocked up with ciggies and booze !!!

Funny really King Power getting a little Karma

haha!!

i couldnt agree more.

king power is a genuine rip-off merchant and are very unscrupulous.

maybe this is time they gave back what they have been ripping off for so long!

[termad]

I also wondered about pilferage, no doubt a lot of the lady supporters are wearing expensive make up and carrying expensive hand bags whilst the guys are well stocked up with ciggies and booze !!!

Funny really King Power getting a little Karma

I was wondering the same thing as I've been trying to find out from Thai Post when Reg Air Mail and Air Mail service will re-start.

I've got one Reg Air Mail Held in the Post Office waiting to go and one Reg Air Mail one the way to me from U.K. which has been at Suwannabumi since the occupation! If Thai Post can't say when service will restart they can't be that confident that Airport is going to fully reopen.

[jdinasia]

If I understand this correctly, one of the ringleaders of an event that featured vandalism, criminal mischief, contempt of court (there were court orders to leave the premises), extortion, large financial loses incurred by hundreds of thousands of people if not millions, was allowed to participate in a "ceremony" whereby, he and his organization temporarily withdrew from the airport?

And the Thai people wonder why every foreign country still has travel advisories in place and the civilized world watches with disgust?

Congrats for working the spin there. Vandalism? Criminal Mischief, Contempt of Court, (There was an appeal of the court order to leave --), Extortion?

None of which did they do that I can ascertain.

They did cause financial damage, not sure if it was less or more than the alternatives not to mention less or more than caused by Thaksin (the real issue here)

But it is really good spin! Some people that cannot think critically MIGHT believe it!

[Ricardo]

I immagin over the next week we will hear about all of the items looted from the businesses at the airport. Not to mention the damage caused.

Perhaps this is AoT's chance, to get a new supply of baggage-trolleys, for quickly passing to the local scrap-yards ?

And of course any cracks in taxiways, which might now be discovered & need repairing, are clearly PAD's doing ?

And just who stole the 3rd & 4th runways ? ! Own up now !

[HuaHinRay1]

If I understand this correctly, one of the ringleaders of an event that featured vandalism, criminal mischief, contempt of court (there were court orders to leave the premises), extortion, large financial loses incurred by hundreds of thousands of people if not millions, was allowed to participate in a "ceremony" whereby, he and his organization temporarily withdrew from the airport?

And the Thai people wonder why every foreign country still has travel advisories in place and the civilized world watches with disgust?

Congrats for working the spin there. Vandalism? Criminal Mischief, Contempt of Court, (There was an appeal of the court order to leave --), Extortion?

None of which did they do that I can ascertain.

They did cause financial damage, not sure if it was less or more than the alternatives not to mention less or more than caused by Thaksin (the real issue here)

But it is really good spin! Some people that cannot think critically MIGHT believe it!

I agree with the 'geriatric' I would like to see what would happen to you or any other falang who piled up trolleys, erected a tent carried a home made weapon, stopped the free passageway into the airport not to mention ignoring a Court Order.

My guess is your bank balance would be minus a few 1000 THB or your ass would be a little tender from your cell mates advances!

[Chivas]

I also wondered about pilferage, no doubt a lot of the lady supporters are wearing expensive make up and carrying expensive hand bags whilst the guys are well stocked up with ciggies and booze !!!

Funny really King Power getting a little Karma

haha!!

i couldnt agree more.

king power is a genuine rip-off merchant and are very unscrupulous.

maybe this is time they gave back what they have been ripping off for so long!

Am always amused when people say they have been ripped off by King Power-Why ???

Have they scammed your credit cards ?

Abusive too you ??

Counterfeit products ??

Personally have always found rhem helpful giving discounts etc and certainly never been scammed.

If you think the prices are high then dont buy the product-its as simple as that ??

Chivas

Edited December 4, 2008 by Chivas

[geriatrickid]

Congrats for working the spin there. Vandalism? Criminal Mischief, Contempt of Court, (There was an appeal of the court order to leave --), Extortion?

None of which did they do that I can ascertain.

They did cause financial damage, not sure if it was less or more than the alternatives not to mention less or more than caused by Thaksin (the real issue here)

But it is really good spin! Some people that cannot think critically MIGHT believe it!

Spin? The only one spinning here is you. That's your excuse? Blame it on Thaksin? Hello? Mr. Thaksin was not at the airport. He was in Hong Kong. Why didn't PAD go after him there? Oh wait, was it was because they would have been tossed in jail if they tried it there?

What's next, blaming the hundreds of thousands of innocent travelers for the crisis? The only thing here "critical" is your position. Let's review shall we

Contempt of Court:

I'll start with a PAD sympathetic news source so you can't accuse me of using a biased report ok?

Thai court orders protesters to leave airports (Source: The Nation 27-Nov-2008) Thailand's Civil Court on Thursday issued an injunction to order 13 leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to lead protesters out of the Don Muang Airport immediately. The court ruled in favour of the AOT Plc that the occupation of the airport by the protesters affected the constitutional rights of the public to receive air transport service as well as affecting their liberty to travel.Earlier, the court also ordered PAD and its supporters to leave the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.Despite the court order, PAD protesters refused to leave, vowing to continue to occupy the airport despite the injunction.Sirichai Maingarm, a PAD leader, said the PAD would continue to occupy the airport until the government resigns.

What part of court injunction do you not understand?

Extortion: The use, or the express or implicit threat of the use, of violence or other criminal means to cause harm to person, reputation, or property as a means to obtain property from someone else with his consent. The threat of violence was used to seize the airport from the AoT. As well thousands of passengers were forced to flee fearing for their personal safety.

Vandalism: The intentional destruction of property is popularly referred to as vandalism. It includes behavior such as breaking windows, slashing tires, spray painting a wall with graffiti, and destroying a computer system. Vandalism is a malicious act and may reflect personal ill will, although the perpetrators need not know their victim to commit vandalism. As soon as the PAD protestors spray painted slogans, slashed police vehicle tires, started rifling through drawers and erecting barriers, vandalism too occurred.

The Bangkok Post (Reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan) said masked members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) invaded the control tower at Suvarnabhumi airport, a day after they stormed the main terminal, prompting airlines to cancel flights. When the doors were forced to the airport tower, when secure areas of the airport were breached, multiple acts of criminal trespass occurred. The breaking in to the tower was "forcible entry", and no different than burglary in respect to the intent.

At least you recognize that there was serious financial injury sustained by millions of people. For example, The ThaiIndian News (2-Dec-2008) service has used the number provided by industry sources and appearing in other wire service reports and states that Daily losses due to cargo disruption was estimated at $86 million USD per day

Considering the losses incurred by Thailand and others, plus the losses to come, your attempt to gloss over these losses as "less" than what you believe were undertaken by Mr. Thaksin or the "alternatives", it really is you spinning,

I will also take this opportunity to point out that your opinions seem to be more predicated on emotion than fact. When I posted on another thread about the inability for people to access HIV prevention and treatment, you were vociferous in your howls of protest. 48 hours later when the Thai director of infectious disease made that same statement, you never reappeared to retract your position. You might want to get out of the quicksand now.

Edited December 4, 2008 by geriatrickid

[old wanderer]

Congrats for working the spin there. Vandalism? Criminal Mischief, Contempt of Court, (There was an appeal of the court order to leave --), Extortion?

None of which did they do that I can ascertain.

They did cause financial damage, not sure if it was less or more than the alternatives not to mention less or more than caused by Thaksin (the real issue here)

But it is really good spin! Some people that cannot think critically MIGHT believe it!

Spin? The only one spinning here is you. That's your excuse? Blame it on Thaksin? Hello? Mr. Thaksin was not at the airport. He was in Hong Kong. Why didn't PAD go after him there? Oh wait, was it was because they would have been tossed in jail if they tried it there?

Not hardly....I love your spin but will answer each alligation with the true facts.

What's next, blaming the hundreds of thousands of innocent travelers for the crisis? The only thing here "critical" is your position. Let's review shall we

Contempt of Court:

I'll start with a PAD sympathetic news source so you can't accuse me of using a biased report ok?

Thai court orders protesters to leave airports (Source: The Nation 27-Nov-2008) Thailand's Civil Court on Thursday issued an injunction to order 13 leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to lead protesters out of the Don Muang Airport immediately. The court ruled in favour of the AOT Plc that the occupation of the airport by the protesters affected the constitutional rights of the public to receive air transport service as well as affecting their liberty to travel.Earlier, the court also ordered PAD and its supporters to leave the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.Despite the court order, PAD protesters refused to leave, vowing to continue to occupy the airport despite the injunction.Sirichai Maingarm, a PAD leader, said the PAD would continue to occupy the airport until the government resigns.

What part of court injunction do you not understand? The part that you failed to list in your court order, was the Court lifted the injunction after the PAD appealed the injunction.....so there was no in junction in effect until the appeal is heard sometime in Jan.

Extortion: The use, or the express or implicit threat of the use, of violence or other criminal means to cause harm to person, reputation, or property as a means to obtain property from someone else with his consent. The threat of violence was used to seize the airport from the AoT. As well thousands of passengers were forced to flee fearing for their personal safety.

Nobody was "FORCED" to flee, to the contrary there are a number of pictures of tourist staying and enjoying the music, and putting on head bands, stating in Thai.."WE fight for the King" I hardly think filling up the passanger arrival area, with a bunch of middle age women wearing yellow shirts, and waving happy clappers was to terrifying.

Vandalism: The intentional destruction of property is popularly referred to as vandalism. It includes behavior such as breaking windows, slashing tires, spray painting a wall with graffiti, and destroying a computer system. Vandalism is a malicious act and may reflect personal ill will, although the perpetrators need not know their victim to commit vandalism. As soon as the PAD protestors spray painted slogans, slashed police vehicle tires, started rifling through drawers and erecting barriers, vandalism too occurred.

Again, look at the videos, no tires were slashed, however they did remove some valve stems and let the air out, you cannot find any graffiti signs at the airport, erecting barriers to prevent bombs being lobed into the protesters, is hardly vandalism.

[i]The Bangkok Post (Reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan) said masked members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) invaded the control tower at Suvarnabhumi airport, a day after they stormed the main terminal, prompting airlines to cancel flights.[/i] When the doors were forced to the airport tower, when secure areas of the airport were breached, multiple acts of criminal trespass occurred. The breaking in to the tower was "forcible entry", and no different than burglary in respect to the intent.

1st your source is not a neutral source, 2nd there were 3 PAD members that were escorted by the AOT to the control tower. Stayed for less than 15 minutes and left. As you might notice, (I would certainly expect you to print), when the AOT decided on Monday to resume operation of cargo operations, it began immeadately, without delay, how could this have happened if the security was so "breached.."

The other secure areas where the duty free areas were, no protesters were allowed to enter. These were guarded by PAD so no theft of vandlism could take place. The AOT president thanked the PAD for keeping the airport without damage and cleaner than when they came to protest.

At least you recognize that there was serious financial injury sustained by millions of people. For example, The ThaiIndian News (2-Dec-2008) service has used the number provided by industry sources and appearing in other wire service reports and states that Daily losses due to cargo disruption was estimated at $86 million USD per day

Considering the losses incurred by Thailand and others, plus the losses to come, your attempt to gloss over these losses as "less" than what you believe were undertaken by Mr. Thaksin or the "alternatives", it really is you spinning,

The protest was necessary to protect Thailand and prevent the imposing of a Thaskin dynasty, and basically revoking the Monarchy. The Constitution was about to be changed to enable this by what we now have definitive proof was a corrupt government. The losses that are claimed, are way over blown, as while the gross number make a nice headline, is the money truly lost, or is it simply delayed?

I will also take this opportunity to point out that your opinions seem to be more predicated on emotion than fact. When I posted on another thread about the inability for people to access HIV prevention and treatment, you were vociferous in your howls of protest. 48 hours later when the Thai director of infectious disease made that same statement, you never reappeared to retract your position. You might want to get out of the quicksand now.

A minor concern about these people, lack of treatment for how many days.....lets see, the airport was shut for 8 days, and you want me to believe Bangkok has less than a week supply of treatment drugs...and also the people do not need daily treatment....way over blown bleeding heard hyperbole..

In history it will show the PAD protesters to be the true patriots and hero's of Thailand.

[CockneyGit]

Officially handed over in a ceremony by the PAD?! Love it

If ever a book is written about these events, it would have to be published as "fiction". If you told people they would never believe it..!!

T.I.T

[StevieH]

In history it will show the PAD protesters to be the true patriots and hero's of Thailand.

horsesh*t. history will show them to be a drop in the ocean, a scratch of the surface, another self-promoting bunch of jackanapes who wanted to be the ones in charge of the knife and slicing up the pie. thailand's political problems are far, far bigger than the PAD, the PPP and even the supposedly devilish thaksin. cultural, intellectual and social revolution and maturity required before thailand can ever proceed to dealing with its political palaver.

[old wanderer]

In history it will show the PAD protesters to be the true patriots and hero's of Thailand.

horsesh*t. history will show them to be a drop in the ocean, a scratch of the surface, another self-promoting bunch of jackanapes who wanted to be the ones in charge of the knife and slicing up the pie. thailand's political problems are far, far bigger than the PAD, the PPP and even the supposedly devilish thaksin. cultural, intellectual and social revolution and maturity required before thailand can ever proceed to dealing with its political palaver.

Boy I wish people were forced to have a small amount of Thai educations before being allows to post crap like above...

The PAD never did aspire to rule, only challenge the corruption in Thailand. Thaskin with his control of the media, his blood lust in the south, brought corruption to it's highest form...

I applaud a group of people that donated time and money to stop it from going any further.

[Johpa]

In history it will show the PAD protesters to be the true patriots and hero's of Thailand.

You jest of course. History will show that the PAD represents the assimilation of a large number of Central Thais and assorted others into what once was the Sino-Thai Bangkok cultural group. This is the final and complete rebuttal of Prof. Willliam Skinner's hypothesis, where he got it arse-backwards. People tend to assimilate towards an elite, even if that elite is a minority. This new Thai cultural group sees itself as separate and superior to the more Tai oriented ethnic groups such as the Isaan/Lao folks in the Northeast as well as the Khon Muang groups up north. Members of those groups have been denigrated as uneducated and unworthy of being allowed to fully participate in the affairs of the Kingdom. They, the PAD, are patriots only to themselves and certainly not to the Nation as a whole. In fact they have fractured the Nation, perhaps irreparably.

If you are not happy with Isaan folks being used as political scapegoats in order for a few to profit then just wait awhile. I would assume that it is now only a matter of time, as the unintended consequences of these action by the PAD are felt, that newer scapegoats will be sought and I would venture a guess that the small minds that makeup the PAD leadership will sooner or later direct their follower's frustrations upon the white guys walking around with the Thai women half their age and then onto all Farangs.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Johpa

[StevieH]

Boy I wish people were forced to have a small amount of Thai educations before being allows to post crap like above...

The PAD never did aspire to rule, only challenge the corruption in Thailand. Thaskin with his control of the media, his blood lust in the south, brought corruption to it's highest form...

I applaud a group of people that donated time and money to stop it from going any further.

and i wish people would stop making out that the root problem is thaksin when it's far wider and more systemic than one greedy bloke who happens to be unpopular with the cognoscenti in the south.

i don't applaud anybody who brings a country to a standstill to suit their own selfish and unelected ideals. still, what patriots eh?

[old wanderer]

No I do not jest.....

While opening up the Issan region to politic was a good thing, and myself being married to an Issan woman for the past 13 years, I do have some insight into the feeling in the region.

Look through the results of the last few elections, and the number of career politicians that are now banned. Why? Basically vote buying in Issan.

The absolute worst fights I have had with my relatives has been over try to make them understand it is not OK to take a few baht for a vote...it will effect them.

The you also ignore the rural areas of the south....very strongly PAD/

The fact that Thai TV is completely controlled by the government, and any person that tries to show government corruption is fired, or worst they just disappear....

If we had free press, radio, and TV so even the Issan Thai could hear all sides of the argument, then a democratic vote would be worthwhile, as it is, the politicians still have not learned that they cannot buy votes for a few baht.

The Bangkok "elete" yes oppose corruption, because they are the one that feel it the most. They are also the economic engine of Thailand..

While many dis pare the attitude of depriving every person a vote, if the person is not informed, and cannot even hear the arguments, how can they vote with any modicum of knowledge?

[StevieH]

While many dis pare the attitude of depriving every person a vote, if the person is not informed, and cannot even hear the arguments, how can they vote with any modicum of knowledge?

that's not your decision to make, nor is it PAD's. i know people back in the supposedly progressive west who don't read newspapers and don't watch television who still vote at election time. that's what democracy is, that's the point of it, it doesn't exclude anybody based on education, IQ, religion, political leaning, ethnicity. . . .it is a free vote and that vote is their's to decide what to do with as a free citizen.

[old wanderer]

Boy I wish people were forced to have a small amount of Thai educations before being allows to post crap like above...

The PAD never did aspire to rule, only challenge the corruption in Thailand. Thaskin with his control of the media, his blood lust in the south, brought corruption to it's highest form...

I applaud a group of people that donated time and money to stop it from going any further.

and i wish people would stop making out that the root problem is thaksin when it's far wider and more systemic than one greedy bloke who happens to be unpopular with the cognoscenti in the south.

i don't applaud anybody who brings a country to a standstill to suit their own selfish and unelected ideals. still, what patriots eh?

So the stopping of the country for a few days is catastrophic?? I think not

Thaskin is indeed the root of the problem. If he and his wife were today sitting in Jail as justice has proscribed, none of the protest would have happened..

Thaskin and Pojaman were not content to just have ordinary corruption that has been the norm. IT was when they started to manipulate things to get the Monarchy out of the way, that it unleashed this patriotic wave that became the PAD movement.

Look at the post conviction manipulations of Thaskin:

1. Campaigned for getting his Brother-in_law as PM

2. Numerous trips by PPP members to consult with Thaskin about what to do

3. Pojaman tried to get back into the country to free up the money to bribe who ever needed to be bribed. (Fortuatly the Judges accepted her appeal but denied bail....as she has skipped out on bail before.)

4. Setting up the new party,,,,maneuvering to get his younger sister, or another relative to head this party

5. Condemning the courts, the King, and the British government as being corrupt....every body is wrong but him...(now what does that sound like)

etc etc.

If Thaskin and Pojaman were to disappear tomorrow, (sort of like he made a lot of people disapear during his term in office) things would be a lot better for Thailand.