State Of Emergency Declared For Bangkok

[Ga-gai]

For me, I was able to imagine myself as in a role of greater importance than I would seem to be ordinarily. At the time, I had some recognition. I was making some progress professionally, but I wasn't really at the top. I didn't have top level recognition, and so when I started thinking irrationally, I imagined myself as really on a Number 1 level. I was the most important person of the world, and people like the Pope would be just like enemies, who would try to put me down in some way or another, or the president.

—John Nash

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

For the Brits amongst us, think of the possible consequences if Thaksin should regain power. He has said he will be avenged for having his UK visa revoked. Long term stayers may find things get (even more) difficult.

Even worse. Should he recover his frozen assets, he might buy another EPL team. Horrors!

[Old Man River]

If Abhisit opens fire on civilians, he's gone. He's gone anyways, just faster that way.

Civilians? Civilians don't break up international summits, civilians don't steal APC's, civilians don't cut off passage ways to hospitals. civilians don't take over roads and highways, civilians don't try to kill heads of countries, civilians don't run amok etc. With an SOE, these are no longer civilians. The enemy will be dealt with.

[catmac]

Some people are calling for elections!

Duh!

How about a prison time for those who declared an all out war on the government? What's the point in talking about elections in essentially a lawless country under the state of emergency that can't even be enforced?

First the govt needs to subdue the insurgency, make sure that emergency situation passes, then talk about elections.

I presume that you are referring to the actions of PAD last year!

If I remember rightly, weren't you cheering on the yellow shirts as they "declared an all out war on the government"? And doesn't "under the state of emergency that can't even be enforced" not remind you of the time when PAD was acting just as bellicose as those that you now so hypocritically condemn?

[rainman]

The enemy will be dealt with.

Funny that Abhisit said that anyone who occupies state property and inconveniences the public is an enemy of the state and will be prosecuted. So how come several PAD leaders are now holding high government positions and were never prosecuted for occupying the government building for months and the airports for a week? The red shirts haven't even entered the government house yet.

Foreign minister Kasit is one of the main PAD leaders.

Edited April 12, 2009 by rainman

[CrossBones]

So Everyone.... It would be interesting to hear all your predictions for the next week in Thailand!

[shunima]

For the Brits amongst us, think of the possible consequences if Thaksin should regain power. He has said he will be avenged for having his UK visa revoked. Long term stayers may find things get (even more) difficult.

yes... and he could even come up with the idea that zee germans take over to give them pupils proper english lessons

[hammered]

I think us foreigners should shut up. This is out of control and about Thailand. It is not our country. It is also impossible to know what is really happening. This is a mess and all we can hope for is that something vaguely reasonable comes from it, whihc is looking unlikley

[SpankyMcSpank]

The enemy will be dealt with.

Funny that Abhisit said that anyone who occupies state property and inconveniences the public is an enemy of the state and will be prosecuted. So how come several PAD leaders are now holding high government positions and were never prosecuted for occupying the government building for months and the airports for a week? The red shirts haven't even entered the government house yet.

Foreign minister Kasit is one of the main PAD leaders.

Ummmm, no he wasn't.

The central committee of the PAD consists of:

• Media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul
  
• Major General Chamlong Srimuang
  
• Activist Phiphob Thongchai
  
• State enterprise labor union leader Somsak Kosaisuuk
  
• University lecturer and social activist Somkeit Pongpaibul.^[40]
  

Besides the five leaders, ten others form the PAD management committee: Pitaya Wongkul, Rewadee Prasertcharoensuuk, Rosana Tositrakul, Chaiwat Sindhuwong, Preeda Tiasuwan, Sirichai Maingam, Suwit Watnuu, Kochawan Chaiyabut, Weerapol Sopa, Ouychai Wata.

Other leaders include Khamnoon Sitthisaman and Campaign for Popular Democracy leader Suriyasai Katasila. Several current and former employees of Sondhi played a role, including Panthep Puapongbhant, Samran Rodpetch, Kumnuun Sidhisamann, Sarocha Pornudomsak, Anchalee Paireerak, Yuthayong Limlertwatee, and Torpong Sewatarm.

Yes, its from Wikipedia. But its still true, lol. Find a publication that shows Kasit was a main PAD Leader. Or, stop saying it like its a fact.

[Thai at Heart]

For the Brits amongst us, think of the possible consequences if Thaksin should regain power.

Very good point, and I'm a Brit ...

On the basis that I am married to one of his constituents, he would have to deal with my missus at least. On a more serious note, I don't think it would get any easier for any expats to stay here if he gets back. However, if he does get here, he is going to be very busy hanging all those who put him where he is out to dry before he gets around to us, and that might take a very long time.

Milliband was a prick for doing what he did. He will probably get a gazzilion quid consultancy from Tesco when Labour loses the next election. I for one would pack up and go with family in tow somewhere else where it may be a little easier to belong.

Thailand, Great people, great life, but a complete mess of a system unfortunately.

Edited April 12, 2009 by Thai at Heart

[rainman]

Uhm ....Kasit standing on the podium all evening at the airport during the siege? Check YouTube for videos. He even suggested revoking the voting rights of the poorer Thais.

[SpankyMcSpank]

Uhm ....Kasit standing on the podium all evening at the airport during the siege? Check YouTube for videos. He even suggested revoking the voting rights of the poorer Thais.

How does that translate into him being a movement leader. They had hundreds of people sympathetic to their goals, speaking on stage.

[Old Man River]

From Thanong's Blog:

http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/thanong/2009/04/12/entry-1

[chiang mai]

I never imagined things would get to this point but I am now serioulsy considering my options and am mostly inclined towards leaving. Logic? Mob rule seems to be the pattern for the future and the prospect that the former PM might be allowed to return, given his criminal record and his past non-performance as PM are pretty strong motivators. Too much BS for too long for me I'm afraid and little chance of change.

[shunima]

So Everyone.... It would be interesting to hear all your predictions for the next week in Thailand!

water, water, mai bpen rai, water, sanuk and maybe water

[kuffki]

If Abhisit opens fire on civilians, he's gone. He's gone anyways, just faster that way.

Rainman!!!! Red shirts are no longer civilians, they passed that point when they broke into summit, then started to to destroy public property and attack other civilians.

On top they have hijacked military equipment, and caused bodily harm to member of the government-they are no longer civilians and that is their big mistake for which there will be blood shed.

Unfortunately all the UDD leaders have gone silent, may be because they realised they will not win or will spend the rest of their life in jail or be shot for treason, and hate to say it, but just like in the animal world if the leader is not there, the mob starts to run wild.

I doubt you will find even 1 educated Thai among the red shirts now,its all Isaan( unemployed and hardly educated)

But the sad part of it all is that the leaders really do not care about the people they lead, they only care about achieving their objective irrespective of bloodshed or not.

I really do not understand all the people arguing over Thai politics

Firstly half of you arguing do not even live in Thailand-so the hel_l would you know anything about politics in Thailand

Other half, only comes here for "good" time, so again where did you learn about Thai politics

and lastly, others can not speak Thai fluent enough to understand even Thai news or papers, so here you are arguing and the only source of information you have is either BBC/CNN or English papers which is translated/interpreted by someone.-so in fact -you have no real facts to argue.

Bottom line,some Red shirts will die if not tonight then tomorrow. Right or wrong is an opinion of each individual.

But remember, Yellow shirts did not attack passing by civilians, nor did they block roads to hospitals not did they harm government officals.

Yes they did seize the airport, but if you recall they did ask everyone to leave and did offer food and water for passangers who were stranded in the airport.

Yes they did paralise the travel, but did not block every day life of ordinary Thai's

Not to mention, Red shirts now have ruined Songran for all Thais in Bangkok and surrounding areas and that is over 20 000 000 people.

I am not taking sides, nor trying to justify anyones actions, but simply stating the facts. What people agree or not agree with is again an individual opinion.

It is right that now they are using the army?? in most country's the answer would not NO, but in Thailand, police are useless which they have proven time and time again. The only thing Thai police seems to be good at is extortion and bribes. So what other choice is there then to use the army.

Now some have mentioned soldiers not wanting to shoot their country men, Have you forgotten, Military service is mandatory in Thailand, so you have an army of kids 19,20 year old kids-of course they shocked and of course they lost. But be sure, once the orders come down to shoot-they will. Because if they disobey an order, they will be either shot or jailed for a long long time.

I personally think that the current PM did try all he could to keep calm and avoid any problems. He did try to negotiate and offer concessions. I do not think he did this because he is weak, but because he was raised and educated in UK(Democratic country) and possibly somewhere he did not realise that this was not UK but Thailand and rule of common sense simply-DOES NOT EXIST.

He did allow the worst to happen and did plea to stop, but yet again common sense will not prevail and hence the army is called in.

Did the mob understand this?-NO, they have gone and seized tanks-is it a smart move?-NO

Will they army now stand back and do nothing?-NO

Will the red shirts stop?-NO

So at the end of the day red shirts have brought all these on themselves on their own wheel and in the mean time have upset millions of people, forget tourists and expats. They have hurt their own people.

[rainman]

Uhm ....Kasit standing on the podium all evening at the airport during the siege? Check YouTube for videos. He even suggested revoking the voting rights of the poorer Thais.

How does that translate into him being a movement leader. They had hundreds of people sympathetic to their goals, speaking on stage.

He called on people to topple the democratically elected government of Thaksin and urged them to violence. Even suggested revoking the voting rights of the poor, effectively only making the rich and privileged able to vote. And yes, you can say the PPP was convicted of vote buying, but by then they had not been convicted yet. Didn't Abhisit say that anyone who urges violence and the toppling of a democratically elected government, not to mention declaring "victory" (which the red shirts, as well as the PAD did), make them an "enemy of the state"?

So why make Kasit, obviously an enemy of the state, the foreign Minister?

You can't answer it. And you know it. So don't.

[Chaimai]

Just had a call from friends in the UK asking if I am OK.

I told them, "No, I bloody well am not". "I have been soaked so many times in the village that everything is now wrinkly and I have enough powder on my face to artex a ceiling, or make Joan Collins look attractive".

No - they said. Are you OK, the BBC are running with the main headline of:-

TROOPS IN THAI EMERGENCY PATROLS

They were concerned because they thought Thailand had gone mad. Red shirts marauding everywhere and a 'mad monk' beating a car in a John Cleese Fawlty Towers style. They said they thought that Thailand was deeply Buddist and all Mai Bpen Rai .

I reassured them that being 180 miles from Bangkok (and even further from Pattaya) I was indeed safe and oblivious to the tostesterone fuelled goings on in those areas. The only people more oblivious to events are the local Thais who are likely to be permanently p!ssed for at least 3 days. I had not been rounded up by pitch-fork wielding Isaan-ites nor had I been raped in my bed - ( other than by consent with my better half as part of some boudoir games ).

My friends concluded that it was clearly a case of misrepresented reporting by the the BBC and Thailand was not actually an incompetent nation that could not only fail to ensure the safety of it's Asean guests, fail to secure the hotel meeting venue from invasion by a bunch hoodlums or prevent the same from taking over a couple of tanks when they took to the streets. Decisive though, calling a State of Emergency at the time of the biggest festival of the year. Next, they will probably try and ban the sale of alcohol !

Edited April 12, 2009 by Chaimai

[paulward]

I never imagined things would get to this point but I am now serioulsy considering my options and am mostly inclined towards leaving. Logic? Mob rule seems to be the pattern for the future and the prospect that the former PM might be allowed to return, given his criminal record and his past non-performance as PM are pretty strong motivators. Too much BS for too long for me I'm afraid and little chance of change.

it's a shame - i know how you feel. don't these thai people (both red shirts and yellows) that feel it necessary to protest in this way that they are just puppets of these political leaders to gain power and ultimately wealth!

[SpankyMcSpank]

Uhm ....Kasit standing on the podium all evening at the airport during the siege? Check YouTube for videos. He even suggested revoking the voting rights of the poorer Thais.

How does that translate into him being a movement leader. They had hundreds of people sympathetic to their goals, speaking on stage.

He called on people to topple the democratically elected government of Thaksin and urged them to violence. Even suggested revoking the voting rights of the poor, effectively only making the rich and privileged able to vote. And yes, you can say the PPP was convicted of vote buying, but by then they had not been convicted yet. Didn't Abhisit say that anyone who urges violence and the toppling of a democratically elected government, not to mention declaring "victory" (which the red shirts, as well as the PAD did), make them an "enemy of the state"?

So why make Kasit, obviously an enemy of the state, the foreign Minister?

You can't answer it. And you know it. So don't.

You didn't answer my question. How does that translate into him being a movement leader? Find a source that says so, or anything to back up your statement. I found mine. Otherwise, again, stop spreading your own revisionist history. Also, you make a lot of claims as to what he said. I'd like to see some documentation on your allegations, as no one else here has made that many detailed claims.

Its not too much to ask - "Show your Work"! lol

[Plus]

If I remember rightly, weren't you cheering on the yellow shirts as they "declared an all out war on the government"? And doesn't "under the state of emergency that can't even be enforced" not remind you of the time when PAD was acting just as bellicose as those that you now so hypocritically condemn?

I don't remember PAD declaring the all out war on the government to the point they refused to recongnise country's laws and declared a hunt for government leaders.

They've been to several government buildings, including metropolitan police, but never ever they allowed the lynch mob to unleash the violence of the kind we've seen in these two days.

They've confronted several ministers but never thrashed their cars and beaten their drivers, and they never gave security detail a reason to open fire on them, as reds claim Abhisit guards did today.

Trying to justify today's red insurgency by some PAD actions months ago is hypocritical by people who deplored PAD actions at that time but seems to problems accepting red violence despite all their previous protests about civil disobedience campaign.

Also, please note that civil disobedience doesn't include attacking government leaders. That falls under treason, that's where reds are frog marching today.

[rainman]

I'd like to see some documentation on your allegations

You're confusing me with your secretary.

I told you were to find it. You can even do a search on ThaiVisa, but I'm not going on a mission to convince you. If you want to educate yourself, do it. If not, well ...not really my problem, is it?

[sbk]

Insulting posts have been deleted. Please refrain from insults and derogatory comments as further such posts will result in immediate suspension.

[Hawkmoon]

F***

What is happening with you Thai's!

Lots of protests but no one putting forward answers.

You live a democracy, you make your bed you lie in it!

In the mean time you can work on changes!

Maybe I have lived in a world of stability born in the UK and moving to Oz in 1990 when I was 28.

I see good and bad in Taksin, he was certainly a shrewd leader.

What do you want?

The Yellow shirts to appoint their own leader for Thailand?

Or the red shirts to appoint Taksin as their leader for Thailand?

Yes that would be a dictatorship!

Let’s see some answers here!

[edwardmoulton]

LH & Rainman

Do you really want to see ee-Chalerm as PM? That scummy piece of shit and its inbred mutants (and yes, I am talking about its family too!)?

Go for it, then!!

(No it's not a typo. I will always refer to ee-Chalerm as 'it'.)

You'll never get an answer from them on that count. Its been asked and not answered countless times.

See what I mean? The silence on this issue speaks louder than anything.

I don't think there is any silence. Maybe some of us are just focussing on the bigger issues. It is not about the personalities, it is about democracy.

If you do not believe that, tell me that you can put your hand on your heart and support your heroes and their policies:

Abhisit? great leader and planner?

Kasit? mental age of what?

Suthep? Any other cabinet member you can admire?

Or maybe Mr Newin?

And then let's see:

The current government's standards:

Do you agree with only 30% of the government being elected and 70% being appointed by the poewers that be?

Do you agree with taking no action against the discgusting activiites of last year? PAD...

Do you agree with so much power being in the hands of a few in BKK and those in the countryside being considered sub-human?

Do you condone the continued cover ups and lies from the army over Cambodia and Rohingya?

If you support and agree with any of the above, come out and say it! Otherwise, stop droning on with sad old petty jokes about Thaksin and stop making personal attacks on people here for their beliefs (which, by the way are far more admirable than just following the easy poke-fun route so many of you do).

There are a lot of constructive members on here but form what I see the ones that continually make derogatory remarks are the sad old establishment buffoons...

Well, answer the questions above before you pick apart anyone else's posts and argue semantics...

[colino]

Anyone down town whats happing update please

colino

[gaipad]

I guess in the early morning hours we will see the military stepping in. I sit here in my flak jacket with my cellphone in a ziplock bag and I'm ready to get some more beer from the 7/11 down the soi.

[SpankyMcSpank]

I'd like to see some documentation on your allegations

You're confusing me with your secretary.

I told you were to find it. You can even do a search on ThaiVisa, but I'm not going on a mission to convince you. If you want to educate yourself, do it. If not, well ...not really my problem, is it?

There is no list of PAD Main leaders on Youtube. You said it, not me. You said he was a MAIN PAD LEADER. Prove it! How hard could that possibly be?

[T_Dog]

I never imagined things would get to this point but I am now serioulsy considering my options and am mostly inclined towards leaving. Logic? Mob rule seems to be the pattern for the future and the prospect that the former PM might be allowed to return, given his criminal record and his past non-performance as PM are pretty strong motivators. Too much BS for too long for me I'm afraid and little chance of change.

Your post hits my feelings spot on. I think Thailand will be in a state of upheaval for the next five years.

[northend_boyz]

The enemy will be dealt with.

Funny that Abhisit said that anyone who occupies state property and inconveniences the public is an enemy of the state and will be prosecuted. So how come several PAD leaders are now holding high government positions and were never prosecuted for occupying the government building for months and the airports for a week? The red shirts haven't even entered the government house yet.

Foreign minister Kasit is one of the main PAD leaders.

You have your facts wrong. Kasit wasn't a leader in the PAD. He was just ONE OF THE MANY speakers at their PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS. Speaking at a PEACEFUL demonstration doesn't make you a leader.**keep it civil--sbk***