Traffic Chaos In Bangkok As Protesters Close Main Roads

[h90]

OK, may be I am wrong. So should I go to work tomorrow or not?

If you work for a normal company then yes, you will most likely need to go to work tomorrow.

I don't know about, but if my Prime Minister would say that tomorrow is a National Holiday, I wouldn't even bother to ask my company. I'd be on holidays, until the end of Songkran :-)

that's different in Thailand! National Holidays does not mean the same as in Europe. Most NH we are open complete normal with 100 % of the staff comes without any extra payments.

but on the other hand if no customer call, they sit outside and eat, drink and chat all the day.

[edwardmoulton]

Abhisit just started speaking on Television

TAN translation to English right now, too

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/

I know he is finished now but for future reference how do you get to see the programme? - I click on play on the TV on the right but nada

hmmmm...not sure, maybe it's your browser settings or software for playing? It works for me, I just tried it again.

They have some good English stuff sometime, but they also have a lot of boring, repetitive commercials. I use them for Translations, such as the PM's speech tonight and a few of their regular English Programs. Sometimes, they have news on the hour, sometimes, it's just commercial.

Hit and miss, but the only decent place I found with English News and Programs about Thailand and Asia.

thanks for the help. I'll just try it IE then not Firefox....

[kurtgruen]

OK, may be I am wrong. So should I go to work tomorrow or not?

If you work for a normal company then yes, you will most likely need to go to work tomorrow.

I don't know about, but if my Prime Minister would say that tomorrow is a National Holiday, I wouldn't even bother to ask my company. I'd be on holidays, until the end of Songkran :-)

that's different in Thailand! National Holidays does not mean the same as in Europe. Most NH we are open complete normal with 100 % of the staff comes without any extra payments.

but on the other hand if no customer call, they sit outside and eat, drink and chat all the day.

When we had the restaurant in Chiang Dao, we either gave our staff the day off on the holiday, with pay, or if they choose, they could work it for double pay. When both of them choose to take the important day off, we paid them and either tried to run it on our own for the day, understaffed, or closed for the day. We still made a decent net profit every month and everybody was happy. (Not meant as a judgement, just a suggestion for great employer/employee relations and a loyal workforce.

[edwardmoulton]

What a genius of a PM. The markets are already closed 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th for the weekend and then Songkran. So may as well declare the 10th a holiday too and close Thailand for international business for 6 straight days in the middle of an economic crisis.

As I said earlier, all that education but still Thai brain = no common sense or foresight...

its ramblings like this that discredit anything else you might post...

just because a person is Thai does not make them stupid

How am I rambling and when did I call Thais stupid? Common sense and foresight are not the same thing - only to someone like you which discredits anything you say here or elsewhere as it is clear you can't read or reason so discussion is way off the menu, if you care to take issue with my post...

[kurtgruen]

Abhisit just started speaking on Television

TAN translation to English right now, too

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/

I know he is finished now but for future reference how do you get to see the programme? - I click on play on the TV on the right but nada

hmmmm...not sure, maybe it's your browser settings or software for playing? It works for me, I just tried it again.

They have some good English stuff sometime, but they also have a lot of boring, repetitive commercials. I use them for Translations, such as the PM's speech tonight and a few of their regular English Programs. Sometimes, they have news on the hour, sometimes, it's just commercial.

Hit and miss, but the only decent place I found with English News and Programs about Thailand and Asia.

thanks for the help. I'll just try it IE then not Firefox....

You're welcome ;-) If it opens in IE, then it's probably just your settings in Firefox.

[sbk]

I have started a thread just for traffic updates/news updates. Please keep the political out of it. Any political posts in that thread will be deleted. However, please feel free to post observations on traffic and/or demonstration news.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Traffic-Demo...es-t256001.html

Thank you, your a star

Cheers. Would have done it sooner except for the 3 hour power cut when a tree fell on the main lines to the island over on Samui.

[edwardmoulton]

What a genius of a PM. The markets are already closed 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th for the weekend and then Songkran. So may as well declare the 10th a holiday too and close Thailand for international business for 6 straight days in the middle of an economic crisis.

As I said earlier, all that education but still Thai brain = no common sense or foresight...

Well, I was thinking that about you Edward, but I didn't want to say it aloud, but since you brought it up...

Why was that Mr or Ms Bowman? Did you see the similarity in education? Wrong! I went to Cambridge not Oxford and I am not Thai otherwise Mark and I are two peas in a pod, live in BKK, have Thai wives and are the same age! And you, jbowman?

Edited April 9, 2009 by edwardmoulton

[kurtgruen]

Anyways, good night everyone and Happy Songkran/New Year.

We are off on our 10 day holiday to the beach tomorrow, so you will get a break from my ramblings.

Right now, the awesome seafood at Rayong is a lot bigger draw for us, than watching same old on television.

Cheers

[bf2002]

hahahaha....the "Democrats" are getting what they dished out.

Abhisit is a blue blood and smart enough to know if he calls in the cops, he'll go the way of his opponents, but who knows if it will end the same way?

You reap what you sow!

[BlackJack]

if you connect the dots

Thaksin named names and also mentioned the Monarchy

Thaksin moves his family out of Thailand

Thaksin moves his army of supporters in

The PM moves his army of police and soldiers in

Stay inside for a few days and watch the fireworks

as there is no solution without conflict

[samgrowth]

OK, may be I am wrong. So should I go to work tomorrow or not?

If you work for a normal company then yes, you will most likely need to go to work tomorrow.

I don't know about, but if my Prime Minister would say that tomorrow is a National Holiday, I wouldn't even bother to ask my company. I'd be on holidays, until the end of Songkran :-)

What if you work for a Bank or stock market?

[rainman]

I don't know about, but if my Prime Minister would say that tomorrow is a National Holiday, I wouldn't even bother to ask my company. I'd be on holidays, until the end of Songkran :-)

If your prime minister tells you to jump off a cliff, do you jump off a cliff too?

I bet there won't be any police on the streets tomorrow. They're all staying home because it's a holiday.

[h90]

When we had the restaurant in Chiang Dao, we either gave our staff the day off on the holiday, with pay, or if they choose, they could work it for double pay. When both of them choose to take the important day off, we paid them and either tried to run it on our own for the day, understaffed, or closed for the day. We still made a decent net profit every month and everybody was happy. (Not meant as a judgement, just a suggestion for great employer/employee relations and a loyal workforce.

Well restaurant has even less free days.

We work from Mo-Sa 8.30-17.30 including most holidays. Hard to replace a person. Everyone get a commission on the turn-over which is usually 2000-3000 Baht, so everyone is interested to be active. Specially a holiday can be also a 200 Baht commission day, if something is urgent and the competitor has closed.

Beside that my wife always give sometimes some extras on such days...free food, 200 Baht gifts (not salary)

[h90]

hahahaha....the "Democrats" are getting what they dished out.

Abhisit is a blue blood and smart enough to know if he calls in the cops, he'll go the way of his opponents, but who knows if it will end the same way?

You reap what you sow!

explain he is blue blood!

[Seizhin]

I'm sure I just heard that BoT announced that Banks will open tomorrow, and I'm sure the stock market will open tomorrow as well.. But as long as there's no violence, perhaps there wont be any need for circuit breaker.

[eldar1]

OK, may be I am wrong. So should I go to work tomorrow or not?

If you work for a normal company then yes, you will most likely need to go to work tomorrow.

I don't know about, but if my Prime Minister would say that tomorrow is a National Holiday, I wouldn't even bother to ask my company. I'd be on holidays, until the end of Songkran :-)

What if you work for a Bank or stock market?

Bankers do what come naturally to them, they go out golfing All my colleagues back at ABN-Amro were the most work shy people i have ever known Stock jockeys are generally incapable of taking holidays (too busy filling those trading holes )

Banks will be open tomorrow, as a bank you can't just close because 12 hours ago the PM said their was a holiday, the industry just does not work like that.

[Seizhin]

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...

After 25 years here I have learned, other than realising that most of the local citizens seem to have come from a different universe, that the only way to remain sane is to look at all the things here that make the average farang crazy as entertainment, pure and simple, or else you will truly go insane!

The final solution will be a coalition of the "right wing" of the reds with the "left wing" of the yellows to form a moderate, perhaps orange? group.

I cant help but agree with you, close one eyes, accept a corrupt officer in exchange for a peace, and improvements.

There's good, there's bad, there's balance and stability.

[eldar1]

I cant help but agree with you, close one eyes, accept a corrupt officer in exchange for a peace, and improvements.

There's good, there's bad, there's balance and stability.

Balance and stability is good, but ideals and misguided morals are just so much more entertaining. In a country that is ruled by sanook, guess which one wins out?

[lounger]

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

Taksin now maintains that his aim is to help the Thais by kicking the old ruling parties out. He got into politics by marrying into the powerhouse family the Damapong. Now his wife has dumped him maybe because she realises his aim is to kick her family off the top slot.

So who are the rich guys?. Certainly it looks like an upper class war fought by the poor sods running about in coloured shirts.

[samgrowth]

Bankers do what come naturally to them, they go out golfing All my colleagues back at ABN-Amro were the most work shy people i have ever known Stock jockeys are generally incapable of taking holidays (too busy filling those trading holes )

Banks will be open tomorrow, as a bank you can't just close because 12 hours ago the PM said their was a holiday, the industry just does not work like that.

But the bank did close with less than 12 hr notice during the last coup in Sept 2006. At that time, the order was given by Army, not a PM though. I suppose the Army is more powerful.

Or is it that Korn have not offload his stocks yet, so the stock market cannot close tomorrow.

[eldar1]

Bankers do what come naturally to them, they go out golfing All my colleagues back at ABN-Amro were the most work shy people i have ever known Stock jockeys are generally incapable of taking holidays (too busy filling those trading holes )

Banks will be open tomorrow, as a bank you can't just close because 12 hours ago the PM said their was a holiday, the industry just does not work like that.

But the bank did close with less than 12 hr notice during the last coup in Sept 2006. At that time, the order was given by Army, not a PM though. I suppose the Army is more powerful.

Or is it that Korn have not offload his stocks yet, so the stock market cannot close tomorrow.

Ok, in a case of a national emergency banks can close on even less notice then 12 hours, but abhisit said there was a national holiday so that's a bit different.

Korn would not be the first thai politician to go to such great lengths to secure his financial future

[Metalgear]

If I am the Prime Minister, I will order loads of water canons and ambulances to be ready. Then I will use it on the protestors. Once I have cleared them, I will ask the police to create a barricade around them and confine them, then I will fire tear gas, then I will go in with bull dosers to crush the taxis.

I will use more water canons to disperse the crowds and move in the army to use stun guns to paralyse those who turn violent. Off course there will be some deaths but even so, there will be less critism from the international community because they already know how far these protestors can go.

It will be okay.

Then I will put all UDD leaders under arrest and detain them.

But all said, this may not be possible because the Thai police and army are not capable of doing so. If this were to happen in countries like China or Malaysia or Burma......I hate to think what it will be like.

[0zz1]

Now this might get me banned or arrested, but where can we go from here?

There's two sides who have no sign of reconciling their differences, a military unwilling to govern, the owners of big business who will support whoever ends up winning, and a divide between Bangkok and the provinces that gets clearer and clearer every day.

There's a government that has shown no real effort to quell civil unrest, a party that's been banned time and time again, a global economic downturn, and no true clarity of the situation in the international media.

All I can see is civil war or the return of absolute monarchy.

I disagree.

Yellow + Red = a tiny minority.

Thai population wants peace and sanook.

Indeed, they are a tiny minority, but really think they are a majority.

My DAAD-fan friend honestly believe that some 90+% of the country really is pro-red, with some 'fooled people' being the rest...

last election only 40 % vote for TRT 2nd Edition, so 90+ can't be true

hmm 40% vote TRT? This starts to make sense now... as much as the elections in former USSR and Saddams Irak where you can get over 100% votes...

I believe that less than 40% of Thais voted in the last election (someone could give real figure here). So lets say 30% of Thais voted and 40% of Those voted TRT that would mean 12% of Thais. That is something I could agree already...

[xminator]

No, that will not happen because it would be political suicide.

[bulmercke]

OOOOooooo I did n't expect to be watching the Foreign and Commonwealth website closely again for January 2010. Hubby says if we have to cancel then we wont bother booking Thailand again (this would be a great shame). We loose £300 a time which is alot of money at this time in our economic situation. I have every sympathy with people expressing their right to free speeh and true democracy, but I feel another coup is maybe on the cards to prevent all out civil war.

Yeah. Right.

There will be no coup - at least - not at any time soon. The old ruling elite has seen off (undemocratically) the challenge that Thaksin presented to their continued control and hegemony over the masses.

The constitution court ruled that PPP was guilty of election fraud and - as a consequence of this - the party and the government of which it was the main party - was forced to step down.

Under the circumstances - in any other country - another election should have been called - BUT here it wasn't.

Instead all that happened was that the opposition stepped-up and and formed the next government.

This was NOT democratic and the people should have been given the opportunity to chose the next government instead of the constitution court colluding with the powers-that-be and denying the people any democratic input.

If you thought Thaksin represented an authoritarian dictatorship - then the guys currently in power - of whom Abhisit is just a puppet - will make Thaksin look like small fry.

It's all over NOW as far as democracy goes in this country - that's if it ever existed here in the first place -

[rainman]

I believe that less than 40% of Thais voted in the last election (someone could give real figure here). So lets say 30% of Thais voted and 40% of Those voted TRT that would mean 12% of Thais. That is something I could agree already...

Your math only works if all of TRT supporters went to vote 70% of Thais that did not support TRT stayed home. In that case, it's their fault if they don't go vote. It's a "who gets more votes, wins" vote, not a "who stays home wins" vote.

But anyways, that math is not logical in any way I look at it.

[wasabi]

As long as these wild protests are allowed to go on with impunity why should either side stop? Also as long as some third hand, we know who in this case, is paying them more than they would make at their jobs why wouldn't they protest? I think it is time to show who is in control if anyone actually is.

[rainman]

Yeah. Right.

There will be no coup - at least - not at any time soon. The old ruling elite has seen off (undemocratically) the challenge that Thaksin presented to their continued control and hegemony over the masses.

The constitution court ruled that PPP was guilty of election fraud and - as a consequence of this - the party and the government of which it was the main party - was forced to step down.

Under the circumstances - in any other country - another election should have been called - BUT here it wasn't.

Instead all that happened was that the opposition stepped-up and and formed the next government.

This was NOT democratic and the people should have been given the opportunity to chose the next government instead of the constitution court colluding with the powers-that-be and denying the people any democratic input.

If you thought Thaksin represented an authoritarian dictatorship - then the guys currently in power - of whom Abhisit is just a puppet - will make Thaksin look like small fry.

It's all over NOW as far as democracy goes in this country - that's if it ever existed here in the first place -

Thumbs up to you. One of the very few posts here that I completely agree with. Thaksin was a threat to the elite in Thailand that has run the country with their puppets for decades. Thaksin had enough money himself, he didn't need to accept the bribes of the elite and that's why he had to go.

Of course they found him guilty in the land purchase case. But if you dig deep enough, you'll find that 99%+ of Thai politicians used their position in politics at some point to influence this or that deal. It's how politics works. Take Berlusconi in Italy for example. Everyone knows he's a corrupt crook and steals money left and right, but he runs the country the right way and that's why people vote for him.

But back to Thailand. Thaksin got too powerful and dangerous for the elite. He threatened their continuous grip on Thailand's government and that's why he had to go.

[court]

Looking at it all from Canada I just see a criminal whipping up a group of people who won't stop unitl they get it their way. Stop & smell the somtom people. I heard the red shirts were paying people to be a part of this. Blocking streets should not be allowed. No need for cranes to lift cars out of the way get the army out with a tank, roll over them and sweep up the mess. It won't take many of those before driver's get out of the way & fast.

Thank God (not) for the Canadian common sense.... You understand very little of this whole affair so your comment looks very naive!

Ya well I lived in Thailand for a lot if years. Have seen the tanks on the street a number of times. I have perfect understanding as to why the "red shirts' are demonstrating. I was there in November when the other side blocked the airport and forced me to spend a few expensive nights in Japan. Yes even we in the colonies get the news, we might even get a bit of news that is censored there. Huh but thanx for the kind wors.

[bulmercke]

Yeah. Right.

There will be no coup - at least - not at any time soon. The old ruling elite has seen off (undemocratically) the challenge that Thaksin presented to their continued control and hegemony over the masses.

The constitution court ruled that PPP was guilty of election fraud and - as a consequence of this - the party and the government of which it was the main party - was forced to step down.

Under the circumstances - in any other country - another election should have been called - BUT here it wasn't.

Instead all that happened was that the opposition stepped-up and and formed the next government.

This was NOT democratic and the people should have been given the opportunity to chose the next government instead of the constitution court colluding with the powers-that-be and denying the people any democratic input.

If you thought Thaksin represented an authoritarian dictatorship - then the guys currently in power - of whom Abhisit is just a puppet - will make Thaksin look like small fry.

It's all over NOW as far as democracy goes in this country - that's if it ever existed here in the first place -

Thumbs up to you. One of the very few posts here that I completely agree with. Thaksin was a threat to the elite in Thailand that has run the country with their puppets for decades. Thaksin had enough money himself, he didn't need to accept the bribes of the elite and that's why he had to go.

Of course they found him guilty in the land purchase case. But if you dig deep enough, you'll find that 99%+ of Thai politicians used their position in politics at some point to influence this or that deal. It's how politics works. Take Berlusconi in Italy for example. Everyone knows he's a corrupt crook and steals money left and right, but he runs the country the right way and that's why people vote for him.

But back to Thailand. Thaksin got too powerful and dangerous for the elite. He threatened their continuous grip on Thailand's government and that's why he had to go.

rainman - I guess we're in total agreement -

Also - the army had a 'hands-off' approach when it came to the PAD - the PAD was basically able to do whatever they liked - whenever they liked - no matter how many people they inconvenienced - or whatever the economic cost to the counrty was - BUT - you can be sure that the army now is well and firmly on the side of the government and the old ruling elite that whole-heartedly supports it - and vice-versa -

One step out of line by the red-shirts ( Thaksin) and the army will shoot on the red shirts or whatever for they have absolutely nothing to lose now - THEY'RE IN TOTAL CONTROL -

It's their country again - taken back from that dastardly scoundrel Thaksin who threaten their existence and powerbase.

rainman - as you so rightfully said: "He threatened their continuous grip on Thailand's government and that's why he had to go."

Nuff said!