Thailand -- Hub Of Protests

[toptuan]

Is anyone else getting fed up to "here" (fingers just under chin in a sideways motion...) I appreciate the value of freedom of expression, but for some reason, it just seems to come wave after wave in the LOS.

Demonstrations on Wireless Road in front of GPF Witthayu Building

December 11, 2008

This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. Citizens traveling to

and residing in Thailand that approximately 300-plus individuals have

gathered in front of the GPF Witthayu Building on Wireless Road to

demonstrate against the Beer Chang Company and its desire to be listed

on the Bangkok Stock Exchange. Buses continue to drop off demonstrators

at Lumpini Park who are then walking down Wireless Road to the GPF

Building. We ask Americans to exercise caution if you are going to be

in this vicinity or in the area of any demonstrations.

We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to

be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into

violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of

demonstrations and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any

demonstrations.

Edited December 11, 2008 by toptuan

[Geekfreaklover]

Any demonstration against Chang beer gets my support.

I've had my fair share of Changovers.

It is time to use positive action.

[wamberal]

Go back to wherever you came from, and the very best of luck to you.

[PeaceBlondie]

Would you prefer Greek style protests? Or just lying/laying back and saying mai bpen rai as their country implodes?

[madjbs]

Is anyone else getting fed up to "here" (fingers just under chin in a sideways motion...) I appreciate the value of freedom of expression, but for some reason, it just seems to come wave after wave in the LOS.

You don't even live in Bangkok, so how does it even effect you?

[MKAsok]

I got stuck on Rachadaphisek in the middle of one of their demos a couple of weeks back. The whole road got closed in both directions. Everyone there was very friendly (many of them mistakenly assumed I was there to join the demo and seemed extremely pleased a foreigner was taking such an interest in the issue) and I had an interesting chat with a couple of monks, who insisted I had something to eat and drink. The contention that such a demo could 'turn confrontational' (around 50% of the demonstators appeared to be monks), is, frankly, laughable.

[toptuan]

Is anyone else getting fed up to "here" (fingers just under chin in a sideways motion...) I appreciate the value of freedom of expression, but for some reason, it just seems to come wave after wave in the LOS.

You don't even live in Bangkok, so how does it even effect you?

Where you live, and where you travel to, are two different things. Duh.

[toptuan]

Go back to wherever you came from, and the very best of luck to you.

Ah, the inevitable "If you don't like it, go home!" post. You took the bait.

Thank you for adding your two-satang's-worth to our thread.

[toptuan]

Or just lying/laying back and saying mai bpen rai as their country implodes?

So far, PAD Thai-style protests have hastened this process.

(e.g. Still waiting for international air parcel shipments sent back in November, airlines refusing to land here due to security concerns, etc. )

A bit of an extreme reaction to make your point, PB (Greek looters and arsonists). I would simply advocate a protest style that doesn't paralyze the country's infrastructure. That's what I'm tired of.

Edited December 11, 2008 by toptuan

[orchis]

I passed the protest in a taxi this morning. The main (middle) traffic lanes on Wittayu

were not impacted by this protest. I didn t lose any more time there than I usually do at that time in traffic.

But I'm still exhausted from the airport occupation as this has out stressed me for 2 weeks.

[ThaiEye]

Would you prefer Greek style protests? Or just lying/laying back and saying mai bpen rai as their country implodes?

Agreed. 300 peaceful protestors like this is absolutely nothing to worry about.

In virtually every European country every day there is some kind of protest going on. It's just that the media and foreign governments dont throw a frenzy and declare how dangerous the country is etc....

By the way: How come European countries havent jumped on the bandwagon and seriously advised their population how dangerous it is to go to Greece - or how the entire nation's public transportation is affected? Can call it double standards.

[toptuan]

Or just lying/laying back and saying mai bpen rai as their country implodes?

I'm curious: What does protesting against Chang Beer being listed on the Thai stock market have to do with the country imploding? Is there a rational connection I'm overlooking somehow? Or are we being just a wee bit melodramatic?

Edited December 11, 2008 by toptuan

[bkkjames]

Or just lying/laying back and saying mai bpen rai as their country implodes?

I'm curious: What does protesting against Chang Beer being listed on the Thai stock market have to do with the country imploding? Is there a rational connection I'm overlooking somehow? Or are we being just a wee bit melodramatic?

As one of the heaviest drinking per cap countries in the world, interesting that so many would protest a stock listing. Is it not a chance for them to support their own interest.

kinda like, The more Chang I drink, the greater the sales and my chances of getting a .08 baht dividend per share at the end of the year increases

[junkyard]

i've booked tickets to bangkok this sunday on the 4th jan 08. but i'm quite wary of the current protests and such. albeit being extremely excited cos i go there at least once every yr.

can anyone living in bangkok pls update me on the current situation and in their most honest opinion whether it is safe to enter the country now?

thanks alot!

[Soutpeel]

i've booked tickets to bangkok this sunday on the 4th jan 08. but i'm quite wary of the current protests and such. albeit being extremely excited cos i go there at least once every yr.

can anyone living in bangkok pls update me on the current situation and in their most honest opinion whether it is safe to enter the country now?

thanks alot!

Its fine....you will be safe to enter the country...

[tartempion]

Go back to wherever you came from, and the very best of luck to you.

Or plane had to leave from Swampy 25th Nov at 16.15, crew were stuck on the way to airport, departure only delayed for 1 hour but ALL passengers pissed off, believe me, no sympathy for PAD from anyone on that flight, please multiply be all affected.

Wamberal, Why do you make such idiotic comment?

[londonthai]

on that day several thousands more were pissed off, for the following week some 250k.

I much more prefer street protests than closing down major international airports, with consequenses to hundreds of thousands

[endure]

I was pissed off at having to pay 11000bt for a connecting flight to Singapore which my holiday insurance doesn't cover. Mind you, it meant I had 5 days extra holiday that the boss couldn't moan about

[G54]

In the main, the protests have little effect on my life in LOS, or on the g/f and friends I have here. I was concerned about the airport closure but was ready to accept the diversions and delays because people on all sides should be allowed to make their feelings felt and heard.

Looking at Greece at the moment, also the way the French will blockade ports etc., and the regular protests in the UK over various problems, the protests in Thailand seem little different.

The news coverage from television and the press do seem to over-react as usual and make the situation out to be unbearable.

Am I getting fed up here with the protests? No.

[Ricardo]

This is a newly/partly-democratic country, struggling to emerge from feudalism, and you have to accept that this will be a drawn-out process, which may from time to time involve protests on the streets, just like a farang democracy. These may affect your own life-style a little. So what ?

Living in the UK we still had miners'-strikes, a 3-day working-week, million-plus protests in the capital against the Poll-tax or ban on fox-hunting, port-closures & oil-refinery blockades, and we didn't have anything like the social/economic-injustice which one sees in Thailand.

Fed up with the PAD/red-shirts ? I think you need to be more tolerant or patient with this process, it's going to continue anyway, so just accept it & hope it stays mainly non-violent, and leads slowly to small improvements.

[londonthai]

unlike in the UK, the recent protests here were a work of a tiny minority of thugs sponsored by the ruling class, to keep thailand still as a semi-feudal country and had the objective opposite to what they have in the UK - to deepen socio-economic injustice and class devision. Those "improvements" have taken back thai politics a decade or two.

Edited December 31, 2008 by londonthai

[mogoso]

i've booked tickets to bangkok this sunday on the 4th jan 08. but i'm quite wary of the current protests and such. albeit being extremely excited cos i go there at least once every yr.

can anyone living in bangkok pls update me on the current situation and in their most honest opinion whether it is safe to enter the country now?

thanks alot!

If your going to Bangkok on 4 Jan. 08 I wouldn't worry much. Thats almost a year past and I'm sure that particular demo has long passed.

[ThaiEye]

I was watching on the TV yesterday bloody protests in the UK when the demonstrators attacked the police, i didnt however, see Thailand putting out travel warnings to the UK.

Everyone country has its protests, look what happened in Bradford and Greece much bloodier and violent than anything in Thailand since 1992.

It's another one of those 'take a look in the mirror' - what happens in the West is much worse - at least in Thailand we dont see terrorists attacking and murdering hundreds on trains and thousands in buildings.

As for tourists, Bangkok is much safer than of the European capitals.

[mrtoad]

i've booked tickets to bangkok this sunday on the 4th jan 08. but i'm quite wary of the current protests and such. albeit being extremely excited cos i go there at least once every yr.

can anyone living in bangkok pls update me on the current situation and in their most honest opinion whether it is safe to enter the country now?

thanks alot!

Wow!!! Are you Doctor Who?

[Soutpeel]

I was watching on the TV yesterday bloody protests in the UK when the demonstrators attacked the police, i didnt however, see Thailand putting out travel warnings to the UK.

Thats because 98% of the Thai population wouldnt be granted a visa anyway...

[mrtoad]

I was watching on the TV yesterday bloody protests in the UK when the demonstrators attacked the police, i didnt however, see Thailand putting out travel warnings to the UK.

Everyone country has its protests, look what happened in Bradford and Greece much bloodier and violent than anything in Thailand since 1992.

It's another one of those 'take a look in the mirror' - what happens in the West is much worse - at least in Thailand we dont see terrorists attacking and murdering hundreds on trains and thousands in buildings.

As for tourists, Bangkok is much safer than of the European capitals.

No , of course there there are no terrorism problems in Thailand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Thailand_insurgency

Something like 3,700 dead.

[londonthai]

No , of course there there are no terrorism problems in Thailand.

Something like 3,700 dead.

or 2500 killed within the first 3 months in 2003 during "war on drugs" - with the great majority (1400 death) not related to drugs at all

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin#The_.22war_on_drugs.22

[mrtoad]

No , of course there there are no terrorism problems in Thailand.

Something like 3,700 dead.

or 2500 killed within the first 3 months in 2003 during "war on drugs" - with the great majority (1400 death) not related to drugs at all

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin#The_.22war_on_drugs.22

Got to hand it to Thaieye, he remains pretty convinced that everything is good in Thailand.