10,000 Police, Soldiers, Security Officials Deployed To Keep Security At Government House

[h90]

Someone mentioned activities in the Provinces earlier. Nothing here in Chiang Mai, as far as I can tell.

A few tuk tuk and Songtheaw drivers attached red ribbins and rags to their vehicles, some are wearing red shirts, a few of them yellow shirts.

Lots of jokes about the situation up here and lots of funny suggestions, from the Thai People who are up here. For example (these are from Thai people, not me....

Thaepae Road has water guns set up by the city on both sides of the road. One Thai lady suggested, that you put everyone in red on one side of the street and everyone in yellow on the other, so that they can spray each other. Everyone laughed and agreed.

At the market, women joked about carrying a red and a yellow T-shirt with them, so they can go with the group who will offer them the most money. Again, everyone laughed.

Another one suggested to have Thai boxers in red and yellow uniforms from now on, instead of red and blue.

A foreigner yesterday, walking up Chiang Mai road, wore a bright yellow shirt, red shorts and yellow shoes. My wife and I thought that was quite funny (covering all the bases) ;-)

One thing, that us foreigners often do, that a lot of Thais don't, is to take Thai politics serious.

The old "One day at a time" comes to mind. :-)

Well last time in the south, the people were serious on politics.....without jokes.....

I can accept both opinions, but to don't care about it, or jokes like these about shows pure stupidity and not being mature enough for democracy....

[kurtgruen]

I do think that you don't know much about Che.

I don't see Cuba being run by a bunch of different coloured versions of capitalists, so he must have done something right ;-)

You might want to get your facts straight before posting them, but this is not the thread for answering right wing propaganda, so I won't get goated into it ;-)

[h90]

I do think that you don't know much about Che. He was a fanatic, murderer and executioner. He was a very dangerous man, he did kill quite a few of the first revolutionary who embarked whit him and Castro. He was such a danger for the revolution that Castro send him away under the false pretext to spread the revolution in South America to prevent further bloodshed under his comrades.

He was such a loose canon that even the Angolions send him back.

He was the 20th century Robespiere and the perfect example for the old motto, " a revolution always eat his own children"

I don't know enough about Che....

There is one history written from Cuba and Castro which makes almost a Jesus out of him.

There is one history written from USA and exil Cubans which pictures him as pure devil.

For me it is impossible to find out what is really true.

[LevelHead]

Much of the other "charges" are all down to "spoken testimony" of people, that took two years to get hold of, for some reason. They are pretty flimsy and appear to some people to be totally "false allegations and testimony" which was the reason Thaksin fled as he said "I cannot get a fair trial".

Reality check time...

That's the beauty of thaivisa's search engine... lots of real facts readily available with a few clicks of a mouse.... such as the veritable avalanche of documented evidence of wrong-doing....

Wanna know why cases take so long? The sheer volume of evidence is a good place to start....

one case:

Thaksin stands to lose a fortune in 'unusual wealth'

Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra might be exiled in London but he is about to pay a whopping price with his Bt76-billion fortune about to be seized in Bangkok.

Based on graft allegations, public prosecutors have mounted a sturdy case for the seizure of Thaksin's wealth. The prosecution writ is 124-pages long. The associated evidence required 180 boxes and needed to be transported to the court in a large lorry.

another case:

there certainly is a lot of it... eg. 40 boxes in the lottery case

The Assets Examination Committee yesterday filed corruption charges in the Supreme Court against ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra and former Cabinet ministers, in connection with the two and three digit lottery scandal.

The Nation / 2008-03-10

still another case:

and yet another case:

oops... sorry, forum software limits me to 4 quotes...

Allegations, rumours, hearsay...........

WHERE ARE THE CONVICTIONS ?????????? LOL

Anyone who staged a coup can stage lots of funny evidence. Those with the guns do what they want.

Funny how its all alleged, alleged, alleged and yet in the years following the coup they NEVER MANAGED TO CONVICT.

Just not enough hours in the day to make up false documentation, sorry, thats get down to all the hard work of this OH SO OBVIOUS AND BLATENT AND MASSIVE CORRUPTION that in 2 YEARS they managed to do nothing did they, the coup appointed interim government.

LOL

Funny old world.

So obvious that in 2 years from 2006 onwards they did.......................jack.

[kurtgruen]

Someone mentioned activities in the Provinces earlier. Nothing here in Chiang Mai, as far as I can tell.

A few tuk tuk and Songtheaw drivers attached red ribbins and rags to their vehicles, some are wearing red shirts, a few of them yellow shirts.

Lots of jokes about the situation up here and lots of funny suggestions, from the Thai People who are up here. For example (these are from Thai people, not me....

Thaepae Road has water guns set up by the city on both sides of the road. One Thai lady suggested, that you put everyone in red on one side of the street and everyone in yellow on the other, so that they can spray each other. Everyone laughed and agreed.

At the market, women joked about carrying a red and a yellow T-shirt with them, so they can go with the group who will offer them the most money. Again, everyone laughed.

Another one suggested to have Thai boxers in red and yellow uniforms from now on, instead of red and blue.

A foreigner yesterday, walking up Chiang Mai road, wore a bright yellow shirt, red shorts and yellow shoes. My wife and I thought that was quite funny (covering all the bases) ;-)

One thing, that us foreigners often do, that a lot of Thais don't, is to take Thai politics serious.

The old "One day at a time" comes to mind. :-)

Well last time in the south, the people were serious on politics.....without jokes.....

I can accept both opinions, but to don't care about it, or jokes like these about shows pure stupidity and not being mature enough for democracy....

Thanks for the opening....I would never claim, that this country is mature enough for democracy! (Nor would I claim that democracy is necessarily the best system for Thailand)

[Splatter]

It is 4 o'clock....

...any more news on the taxi drivers at Victory Monument and general Bangkok traffic situation?

Looks like the usual "flows" on Phetchburi and Ploenchit either end of Chidlom.

[medegen]

Last i heard they were going to seize the government house.

A red-shirted leader announced at the main rally site in front of the Government House at 2 pm that the protesters would storm in to seize the Government House complex if the administration refuses to resign by 4 pm.

The Nation

Edited April 9, 2009 by medegen

[h90]

Allegations, rumours, hearsay...........

WHERE ARE THE CONVICTIONS ?????????? LOL

Anyone who staged a coup can stage lots of funny evidence. Those with the guns do what they want.

Funny how its all alleged, alleged, alleged and yet in the years following the coup they NEVER MANAGED TO CONVICT.

Just not enough hours in the day to make up false documentation, sorry, thats get down to all the hard work of this OH SO OBVIOUS AND BLATENT AND MASSIVE CORRUPTION that in 2 YEARS they managed to do nothing did they, the coup appointed interim government.

LOL

Funny old world.

So obvious that in 2 years from 2006 onwards they did.......................jack.

there is no conviction because Thaksin ran away. The military did not influence the courts, therefor it went so slow.

[henryalleman]

I am doing business.

There is a reason why in the Netherlands we have to learn 3 languages and not just English because it has been found that many German businessmen like to conduct business in German, same for the French. A friend of mine who was working for a mobile phone company in the Netherlands owned by France Telecom said that many of the meetings with high managers would be in French, not English. I could go on and on and on.

But there is definitely a reason why students in a country like the Netherlands (which is in a huge way dependent on international trade) are encouraged to learn other languages apart from just English. Recent years saw Russian re-introduced as an exam choice and Spanish and Mandarin introduced and promoted more for students to take in during their high school years. And you know why they do this, because they came to the conclusion that far from everyone speaks English or likes to conduct business in that language ...

Waerth

correct, in Flanders exactly the same.

Its very interesting to walk sidelines.

But lets go back to topic, I realy like to have some information about the current situation;

How many red shirts are still present?

[LevelHead]

Good strategy threatening to use 20,000 taxi's to totally block Bangkok.

Leave the tourists alone so they can fly in and out and go to Phuket etc... but block and shut down central Bangkok.

Should force the governments hand if the capital is totally paralysed.

Foreign media will have a field day showing how incompetent and hated the present government are, and how new free and fair democratic elections should be held.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Note: I'm very aware the following 'clipping' is not from a news paper, however it's a first-hand account of a Westerner who went to check out the mood at the protests. It's very interesting because it provides a first-hand experience that you normally wouldn't find in a newspaper:

http://wyaryan.blogspot.com/2009/04/bangkok-sees-red.html

Small Excerpt:

Several Thai friends told me not to go. One said it would be dangerous. Another warned against "turbulence" (Thais consulting their English-Thai dictionaries sometimes come up with understandable but rather odd translations). I didn't know what to expect, but thought I'd be seen as a tourist who had lost his way from Khao San Road not far to the south. What I didn't expect was the overwhelming warmth and friendliness I received. People smiled, they flashed me the thumbs up sign, and they asked where I was from. That it was America seemed to delight many. They shook my hand. Only one indicated the non-red color of my shirt, but he smiled as he pinched the material.

Then I saw something truly strange and wonderful. A line of black-clad helmeted police were passing through the crowd. Obviously they had been withdrawn from the street in front of Prem's house to allow the overwhelming number of marchers to pass by. As they came through the crowd the people cheered, and many bowed to them with hands together, the Thai sign of respect. The police were smiling and some even took photographs. There was no antagonism between the demonstrators and the forces hired to control them. I could not imagine a situation in which any violence between the red shirts and the police would take place. I felt completely safe.

Full post is here: http://wyaryan.blogspot.com/2009/04/bangkok-sees-red.html

BTW: I don't mind to post it in 'General' if that is deemed more appropriate.

[Splatter]

Good strategy threatening to use 20,000 taxi's to totally block Bangkok.

Leave the tourists alone so they can fly in and out and go to Phuket etc... but block and shut down central Bangkok.

Should force the governments hand if the capital is totally paralysed.

Foreign media will have a field day showing how incompetent and hated the present government are, and how new free and fair democratic elections should be held.

What?

By shutting down "central" Bangkok how will the tourists in central Bangkok get to the airport?

[h90]

Good strategy threatening to use 20,000 taxi's to totally block Bangkok.

Leave the tourists alone so they can fly in and out and go to Phuket etc... but block and shut down central Bangkok.

Should force the governments hand if the capital is totally paralysed.

Foreign media will have a field day showing how incompetent and hated the present government are, and how new free and fair democratic elections should be held.

please explain why a party which got 2 times dissolved for electoral fraud is interested in free and fair democratic elections.

If they would like that, they could have done that years ago and safe Thailand a lot hasle+maybe being in power.

[Insight]

Nation now reporting that Thaksin's sister's have bailed...

Thaksin's sisters leave country: reports

Unconfirmed reports said former prime minister Thaksin Shinwatra's sisters - Yaowapa Wongsawat and Yingluck Shinawatra -may have also left the country.

The unconfirmed departure would leave the red-shirted movement with no immediate, on-hand guidance, the sources said. This could either weaken or, on the contrary, galvanise the movement and things could get out of control.

Thaksin's ex-wife Pojaman, their three children, his brother Chaisit Shinawatra and brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat had left the country earlier.

The Nation

[Splatter]

Good strategy threatening to use 20,000 taxi's to totally block Bangkok.

Leave the tourists alone so they can fly in and out and go to Phuket etc... but block and shut down central Bangkok.

Should force the governments hand if the capital is totally paralysed.

Foreign media will have a field day showing how incompetent and hated the present government are, and how new free and fair democratic elections should be held.

please explain why a party which got 2 times dissolved for electoral fraud is interested in free and fair democratic elections.

If they would like that, they could have done that years ago and safe Thailand a lot hasle+maybe being in power.

Thank you h90.

I did not make it to addressing the second part of the comment

as I had already splurted coffee all over my computer screen.

[Wolfie]

Foreign media will have a field day showing how incompetent and hated the present government are, and how new free and fair democratic elections should be held.

Free and fair democratic elections where the party that buys the most votes wins, just like previous TRT/PPP Victories have occured, right?

I'm not a supporter of PAD or UDD - but whilst either 'group' exists Thailand will never be a true democracy

[moo9]

There was no antagonism between the demonstrators and the forces hired to control them. I could not imagine a situation in which any violence between the red shirts and the police would take place.

One of the reasons why the country slips deeper into chaos. It seems like everybody knows that governments and police are powerless.....

[johncitizen]

Just got home from work and heard about the taxi drivers taking Victory Monument.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Man I saw this one coming from a mile away, and frankly I am over the moon that they actually had the balls to pull it off!

Unless... it's actually a clever plot by the owners of the BTS/MRT etc. to raise some revenue for their newly opening lines...

Bring on the Red Revolution!

jc

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

ps. and who else is with me when I say that those two idiots who keep posing for the media in red shirts with a machete and a massive slingshot are plants to make the DAAD look bad? There is no way that any movement who want to retain a shred of credibility would let those fools keep getting their photo's taken like that. It's gotta be deliberate...

Edited April 9, 2009 by johncitizen

[prallo]

Red shirts criticise reporters of being bias

Red shirts protesters spitted on a TV channel reporter who said in a live broadcast that tens of thousands of protesters joined the pro-Thaksin mass rally.

The protesters surrounded the reporter and Channel 3's mobile broadcast unit. They said the number of the protesters reached 100,000 already. Some threw water and bottles on the crew team while some criticised the team of being bias and taking side with the government.

Worrying of their safety, the team went to stay in the mobile unit. The protesters demanded that the mobile unit and the team be moved from the area.

Police then intervened and asked the team and other reporters to move from the spot. They agreed but the protesters followed and spitted on them again.

However the protesters followed the reporters and yelled at them. The reporters then took refuge in a temple nearby.

I thought the red shirts demand real democracy. How could I be so stupid to believe this !

Edited April 9, 2009 by prallo

[rixalex]

There is no way that any movement who want to retain a shred of credibility would let those fools keep getting their photo's taken like that.

They have a shred?

[sriracha john]

Allegations, rumours, hearsay...........

WHERE ARE THE CONVICTIONS ??????????

come home Thakky and we'll see what happens...

Funny how its all alleged, alleged, alleged and yet in the years following the coup they NEVER MANAGED TO CONVICT.

You attempt to make it sound like its been a decade since; it's not.

Just getting mega cases like this to the warrant stage takes time; same as it does everywhere else.

So obvious that in 2 years from 2006 onwards they did.......................jack.

They can't legally move beyond the point they have been (warrants issued) since he fled.

Are you sure you've been here 2 decades? It seems you are unaware of many of the legal aspects.

Edited April 9, 2009 by sriracha john

[rixalex]

Are you sure you've been here 2 decades? It seems you are unaware of many of the legal aspects.

If ignorance is bliss, Levelhead must be in a state of ecstacy.

[sriracha john]

Note: I'm very aware the following 'clipping' is not from a news paper, however it's a first-hand account of a Westerner who went to check out the mood at the protests. It's very interesting because it provides a first-hand experience that you normally wouldn't find in a newspaper:

http://wyaryan.blogspot.com/2009/04/bangkok-sees-red.html

Your blogger looks like someone to take seriously...

[sriracha john]

Thaksin's ex-wife Pojaman, their three children, his brother Chaisit Shinawatra and brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat had left the country earlier.

actually he's his cousin, but still... it's foreboding that the recent voodoo ceremony coordinator has departed the country too...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thaksin-s-Su...44.html&hl=

Thaksin's Supporters Hold Rite To Relieve Him Of Bad Lucks, Combination of Animism, Voodoo and Buddhism

[Wolfie]

I've just been told that the Red's next 'target' for a blockade is the Prakanong/Rama4/Sukhumvit junction

A thai friend of mine has just told me its been on the TV (i live in that area, hence the warning coming to me)

[Koo82]

Free and fair democratic elections where the party that buys the most votes wins, just like previous TRT/PPP Victories have occured, right?

I'm not a supporter of PAD or UDD - but whilst either 'group' exists Thailand will never be a true democracy

To make you happy, I'll say only TRT/PPP/PT buy votes. Democrat Party never buys

If DP buys, people still vote for PT. Those who bring benefits to the reds will win.

[NCFC]

Just got home from work and heard about the taxi drivers taking Victory Monument.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Man I saw this one coming from a mile away, and frankly I am over the moon that they actually had the balls to pull it off!

Unless... it's actually a clever plot by the owners of the BTS/MRT etc. to raise some revenue for their newly opening lines...

Bring on the Red Revolution!

jc

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

ps. and who else is with me when I say that those two idiots who keep posing for the media in red shirts with a machete and a massive slingshot are plants to make the DAAD look bad? There is no way that any movement who want to retain a shred of credibility would let those fools keep getting their photo's taken like that. It's gotta be deliberate...

Yes, and according to story in BKK Post today, the yellows hired gunmen to assassinate a privy councillor - presumably so the murder could be blamed on the reds. Very underhand trick.

[Koo82]

Those who protested in front of the house where Prem lives, Ministry of Foreign Afffairs, Democrat Party office and Constitution Court moved to Victory Monument. The main stage is still outside the Government House.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Koo82

[WAERTH]

I've just been told that the Red's next 'target' for a blockade is the Prakanong/Rama4/Sukhumvit junction

A thai friend of mine has just told me its been on the TV (i live in that area, hence the warning coming to me)

I heard something similar on tv .....

W

[mdechgan]

Thanks for the opening....I would never claim, that this country is mature enough for democracy! (Nor would I claim that democracy is necessarily the best system for Thailand)

I agree totally. Democracy in Thailand is not the way to go. It only encourages mob rule, vote buying, divisions, etc. If the Thai people were more educated about democracy and can't easily be swayed by money it would be different.