Traffic Chaos In Bangkok As Protesters Close Main Roads

[george]

Red shirts occupy Democracy Monument, traffic closed

BANGKOK: -- The red shirts have relocated their rally site at Royal Plaza to Democracy Monument on Rajdamnoen Avenue.

Police have closed off traffic around two thoroughfares at Democracy and Victory Monuments.

The red shirts moved out of two rally sites, the Royal Plaza and Si Sao Thewes residence of royal chief adviser General Prem Tinsulanonda.

Many protesters still remain at the main rally site in front of Government House.

-- The Nation 2009-04-09

URGENT (added at 22:13):

Friday 10 April 2009 Extra Holiday

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Friday-10-Ap...ay-t255999.html

Edited April 9, 2009 by george
Added: Friday 10 April national holiday

[george]

Police ready cranes to clear roads

BANGKOK: -- The police threatened to use cranes and trucks to move taxis parked on roads all over Bangkok if cabbies who support the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) do not stop blocking the streets.

The red-shirt protesters began blocking key roads across the capital on Thursday afernoon to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to resign.

They gathered outside the the Constitution Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government House and Democrat party headquarters in Bangkok, and in Pattaya where the 14th Asean Summit is to begin on Friday.

Bangkok's traffic police commander Weerapat Tansrisakul said his men were trying to negotiate with the taxi drivers who blocked all traffic lanes around the Victory Monument.

If the talks failed police may have to use cranes and trucks to remove the taxis and clear the roads, he said.

The UDD leaders said about 20,000 taxis would block roads around Bangkok for another three days if the government does not meet their demands for a general election and the resignation of the foreign minister and three privy councillors.

-- Bangkok Post 2009-04-09

[george]

'Red Shirt' protesters block Bangkok's main intersection, traffic paralysed

BANGKOK: -- In a bid to intensify pressure on the Democrat-led government, the anti-government 'Red Shirt' protesters on Thursday blocked key intersections in Thailand's capital, paralysing the traffic in the city.

Demonstrators led by Jakrapob Penkair, a leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), marched from the residence of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda to the Victory Monument, the city's largest traffic and transport hub, to join about hundred taxi drivers who parked their vehicles blocking roads around the area.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier dismissed the UDD's ultimatum announced Wednesday afternoon to three privy councillors and himself to quit their posts unconditionally within 24 hours, otherwise it would announce raising the level of its anti-government protest.

Metropolitan police negotiated with the taxi drivers to open traffic but to no avail.

Responding to Parliamentary queries over the road blockade by taxi drivers, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban, who supervises security affairs, said that police towing vehicles will remove the parked taxis as early as possible to reopen traffic.

The authorities are making helicopter-based traffic inspections from the air, report traffic conditions to the public to avoid blocked areas, Mr. Suthep said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit said that his government has prepared measures to handle the situation.

The premier himself board a Chonburi-based helicopter to inspect Bangkok's traffic bottlenecks and get a better understanding of the overall scene.

The protest leaders have changed their tactics, after announcing earlier that the UDD would remain at Gen. Prem's residence for at least three days.

-- TNA 2009-04-09

[BigSnake]

When willit end?

[Boater]

hopefully tonight. as many people including myself want to leave the capital for songkran !

[h90]

hopefully tonight. as many people including myself want to leave the capital for songkran !

I hope you are driving a tank

[TAWP]

Impound the cars, how hard can it be?

The police here are inept for anything outside being part of the protection business for companies ( ) or blocking traffic so VIPs can go through unhindered...

[mark5335]

For those TV members resident in the Asoke-Phrom Phong area, be aware that it was reported on local Thai news this afternoon that the Reds are going to congregate outside the PM's house in Soi 31 on Friday. The police numbers are being bolstered now...I can see from my window in Soi 31. Rumour is that red taxi drivers are going to grid-lock the soi in the morning.

Based upon the pathetic efforts of the Pattaya police in protecting the PM earlier this week... I wouldn't be surprised if property damage occurs as the police idly watch the goings on and not intervene.

[sabaijai]

Lovely, this will really endear the reds to Bangkokians.

[Guderian]

When willit end?

Tomorrow, when they will descend on Pattaya to deliberately shame the government and Thai nation. I'm battening down the hatches and staying in Jomtien.

[TexasRanger]

I understand the frustration of the people, but surely by now they must realise, the rich always win......

I weep for Thailands image.

[ThaiMike4u]

Here we go again.....

[robbiecia]

I'm hoping all the protesters here around victory monument will clear off tomorrow

Can't see them spending the holiday protesting, when they can all be back in the villages

[noahvail]

Impound the cars, how hard can it be?

The police here are inept for anything outside being part of the protection business for companies ( ) or blocking traffic so VIPs can go through unhindered...

If we discount the number of taxis reports by 90%, there are 2,000 taxis blocking roads. If - if - the BKK police have 50 tow trucks, that's 40 trips each; with each one being hassled, blocked, and generally slowed down in discharging their duties. So, let's say it takes an hour to drive to where the taxis are - oh, wait, the roads are gridlocked, but let's say an hour, an hour each way (allowing for hassles). Two hours round trip each, that's 80 hours. Of course, when they move one or two taxis, I would imagine that others will take their place in a slightly different area. I really don't envy the police in this job.

I don't think they'll be blocking much traffic for VIPs tonight

[slapout]

Farmers have been blocking roads throughout the country protesting low prices, buses were protesting high fuel prices using the same strategy. Now taxi's are being used to further a political agenda, if you want to call it that. In the past year we have have been entertained by mass marches, mass set in's, destruction of public and private property, physical assaults on people, etc which has resulted in huge monetary losses as well as untold inconvenience to tens of thousands of non participants to what apparently is a game to some people. Where does it stop? Next week or month, since these various groups seem to travel with impunity what stops them from taking what they want instead of destroying, displacing or disrupting it? It may be time to explain that there will be consequences to this type of behavior and follow through.

[mc2]

Lovely, this will really endear the reds to Bangkokians.

a dose of their own medicine, since they rammed it down ours

seems Abhisit just has to learn the hard way

for all his intelligence and education, he should have seen this a MILE away, before he took on PM

[corkman]

Isn't ignorance bliss...... the financial world (including Thailands) is crashing around us, and all these poor sods have to occupy their time and thoughts with is restoring Thaksin (assuming that is basically what it is all about)...... oblivious to it all, they continue to rip their nations credibility to shreds on the world stage.......

bang, bang....... bang-bang-bang........ whats that sound I hear you say? Looks like another Thai has shot themself in the foot........ again, Again, and AGAIN....... at this stage, they might as well chop their feet off.

To be honest, after the disruption with the airport carry on at xmas, and the continued messing around, its a long time before I will be planning a trip to Thailand again - and my wife is Thai, and we have kids that need to see their granny......... so if I can't be bothered, then your everyday punter won't either........ and lets face it, with other regional countries developing their infrastructure, why would you base you business in Thailand either.....

[thaibkk]

apparently, there is not enough crisis and job losses right now that they want to destroy what is left...

nice publicity for people planning to come to Thailand : DO NOT COME

first yellow, now red, what is next ?

hope all those cabbies cough up their half day fees (500 baht to rent one) and earn nothing and soon quit

[dudemeister]

Anybody heard talk of these numpties hitting Swampy again?

i am supposed to be flying in on Sunday, but might just change my ticket at Dubai for Vietnam.

[MaiDong]

I understand the frustration of the people, but surely by now they must realise, the rich always win......

I weep for Thailands image.

yeah, right now one rich convicted felon supported by people like Jakapop (charged with Lese Majeste and clearly guilty based on the speech he gave in LA and also some of the quotes from the FCC) and mobilising a ton of poor taxi drivers and so forth are determined to send the Thai economy right down the toilet.

Ah well, started pouring with rain, let's hope these f&*king red shirted idiots can't handle getting too wet.

Seems like they didn't mind forming a government when it involved getting Chart Thai to break their pre-election promise to form a coalition....but now they don't want democracy no more when it involves the some of the same MPs switching sides. Couldn't defend their conduct. Couldn't censure successfully.

And the family don't have to tolerate the s&*t storm they have brought on the capital, since they all flew out overseas.

All going well one more day of annoyance, and then songkran will see the protestors going back to rural Thailand, and hopefully staying put out there enjoying the massive economic success and daily payments that their hero has delivered for them rather than annoying the rest of us in the city.

Harshly put but I couldn't agree more

[mc2]

hope all those cabbies cough up their half day fees (500 baht to rent one) and earn nothing and soon quit

no doubt about it, they are getting reimbursed for their troubles.

most taxi drivers are fiercly pro thaksin anyways

[mhatami]

I understand the frustration of the people, but surely by now they must realise, the rich always win......

I weep for Thailands image.

Which rich people. The red shirt rich or yellow shirt rich

[spaceshipcrew]

Dumbass gov why they wanted to negotiate with a criminal in exile ? Why the hel_l they tolerate him puking his poison on large TV screens ?

They really never learn ?

Down down deeper and down and the end is not in sight...

[MaiDong]

Impound the cars, how hard can it be?

The police here are inept for anything outside being part of the protection business for companies ( ) or blocking traffic so VIPs can go through unhindered...

If we discount the number of taxis reports by 90%, there are 2,000 taxis blocking roads. If - if - the BKK police have 50 tow trucks, that's 40 trips each; with each one being hassled, blocked, and generally slowed down in discharging their duties. So, let's say it takes an hour to drive to where the taxis are - oh, wait, the roads are gridlocked, but let's say an hour, an hour each way (allowing for hassles). Two hours round trip each, that's 80 hours. Of course, when they move one or two taxis, I would imagine that others will take their place in a slightly different area. I really don't envy the police in this job.

I don't think they'll be blocking much traffic for VIPs tonight

I understand your point but it's not really about getting the cars moved, it's making these people realise that they can't just block busy BKK streets with their taxis and get away with it!

The cost of releasing their taxis from the pound might be more than they're beng paid by you-know-who to sit idly where they are!

I'm not a fan of the people closing the airport before but I'm also not in favour of the ignorance being shown by the reds!

Clear off and have some fun in the boonies, come back and get on with your life/work, make some money and get back some of your countrys pride <deleted>!

[rixalex]

I understand the frustration of the people, but surely by now they must realise, the rich always win......

That's probably what they are banking on, seeing as it's the rich (or to be more precise, one rich family) they are fighting on behalf of.

[gregb]

If we discount the number of taxis reports by 90%, there are 2,000 taxis blocking roads. If - if - the BKK police have 50 tow trucks, that's 40 trips each; with each one being hassled, blocked, and generally slowed down in discharging their duties. So, let's say it takes an hour to drive to where the taxis are - oh, wait, the roads are gridlocked, but let's say an hour, an hour each way (allowing for hassles). Two hours round trip each, that's 80 hours. Of course, when they move one or two taxis, I would imagine that others will take their place in a slightly different area. I really don't envy the police in this job.

I don't think they'll be blocking much traffic for VIPs tonight

Hello? Military? Yeah, can you send over a few of those bird looking things with a spinner on the top? Yeah, helicopters. And a cable on the bottom with about a 2 ton lifting capacity? Great. 30 minutes? Sounds perfect.

Then you lift the cars, and drop them into the ocean making a nice artificial reef for the fish.

Nowhere in Bangkok is more than 10 minutes away by air. And how many people would willingly donate their taxis to the struggle if they knew they were going to be destroyed?

Oh...a better idea. This one is even easier. Hello, bomb squad?

[on-on]

One of the more irritating things about living here is how every dam_n thing is a rumor. Anytime anything is going on everyone's passing twenty different crazy rumors and often none of them turn out to be true. I can't count how many times tanks have been "seen heading toward Bangkok" or so and so was going to resign or return or crack down on protesters or whatever and it's all nonsense. I generally enjoy life in Thailand and I take it for what it is, so I can't really expect to seriously moan about the informality when that's a lot of the appeal of living here. Still, at times it gets a little irritating. As of right now, if you were to believe everything that's been heard, Victory Monument is mobbed and shut down (this one appears to be verified), but the BTS and MRT are also to be mobbed and shut down tonight along with the Rama IV/Sukhumvit intersection and, soon, the Asoke-Phrom Phong area and God knows what all else. I understand that they can't make an official announcement about what they're going to do for obvious reasons, I just wish people would stop spreading all these idiotic rumors as if they have any sense of the legitimacy. It's hardly class-based either, I get them second hand through everyone ranging from the maids and taxi drivers up to foreign educated professionals and various farangs. Everyone's got a little of that grapevine of total nonsense magic and the end result is a flood of useless information that makes it impossible to tell what's actually happening.

[bertlamar]

hope all those cabbies cough up their half day fees (500 baht to rent one) and earn nothing and soon quit

no doubt about it, they are getting reimbursed for their troubles.

most taxi drivers are fiercly pro thaksin anyways

most provincial Isaan and northern taxi drivers anyway. A lot of canvassing to the taxi rental companies, astute marketing.

I personally think the PM is handling things the exact right way; we already know that when you clamp down on these things, then you end up like Thaksin's brother in law (look like a twit, lose power, no chance to get rich quick, kill some folk and endure the karma that results from that) or Samak (finish your political career widely considered to be possibly the most inept PM ever, although some would still choose pals Chavalit or Banharn for that considerable honor). Or the coup leaders - clamp down on an alledged massive protest too early, no one believes there was ever going to be a protest and a fair few thinks you are all <deleted>.

Best to let the world see how the reds conduct themselves (and so far it has been a bit scary) in the war of public opinion which right now is showing that money invested in PR is well spent (well by the reds anyhow plus the world always loves a matyr, even one who is a tax dodging murdering corrupt billionaire matyr...but democratically elected apparently after rigging an election in 2006 so it is all alright)

Corkman - stay at home mate. No need to come here, for some there are more important issues than your family visiting their gran here, they'd rather wear shirts of different colours and possibly set up really boring TV stations talking utter rubbish.

[TAWP]

Impound the cars, how hard can it be?

The police here are inept for anything outside being part of the protection business for companies ( ) or blocking traffic so VIPs can go through unhindered...

If we discount the number of taxis reports by 90%, there are 2,000 taxis blocking roads. If - if - the BKK police have 50 tow trucks, that's 40 trips each; with each one being hassled, blocked, and generally slowed down in discharging their duties. So, let's say it takes an hour to drive to where the taxis are - oh, wait, the roads are gridlocked, but let's say an hour, an hour each way (allowing for hassles). Two hours round trip each, that's 80 hours. Of course, when they move one or two taxis, I would imagine that others will take their place in a slightly different area. I really don't envy the police in this job.

I don't think they'll be blocking much traffic for VIPs tonight

You fail to factor in that the reason the taxi's aren't afraid of doing this is the lack if enforcement from the police. They aren't here to make sure laws are followed and as such are incapable of handling situations like this. If they would have a record of impounding the cars or...heck, enforcing speed limits or laws against drunk driving, people might not do it as much...

[edwardmoulton]

Lovely, this will really endear the reds to Bangkokians.

a dose of their own medicine, since they rammed it down ours

seems Abhisit just has to learn the hard way

for all his intelligence and education, he should have seen this a MILE away, before he took on PM

Abhisit is intelligent and well educated but his is still Thai. In my experience, they have the immediate gain in any situation ingrained into their every move.

After years in the wings winning no votes or support, he saw his big chance to make a name for himself. He engineered himself to be chosen as the cool safe smiley face for the real power behind to hold like a puppet.

Did he realize that this would be a very short premiership,? Probably. Did he see all these protests coming? Probably. But he could not resist being able to say he is PM even for a short time...

Meanwhile, we need the inconvenience in the short term IMHO to work this thing out. The ONLY way to keep everyone (except the few elite, but tough sh*t) happy is to have free and fair elections (as far as possible!) and the sooner Abhisit stands down the better for us all. Only the can we move on to a hope of real democracy and an end to the dual standards and corruption that plagues Thailand and holds it back...

Notice, I never once said Thaksin should return to power. I see him as a necessary catalyst here as he is the only one who can do this right now and Thailand desperately needs to turn the corner as it has become a laughing stock for so many reasons - stranded tourists, falling education standards, growing corruption, ethnic abuse, border disputes, appalling air safety, worse entertainment safety, and so on and so on...

Edited April 9, 2009 by edwardmoulton