State Of Emergency Declared For Bangkok

[colino]

Britons warned off Bangkok travel

Britons travelling to Bangkok should "urgently review their plans" after the Thai government declared a state of emergency, the Foreign Office has said

"British residents in, and visitors to, Bangkok are advised to avoid any areas where demonstrations are taking place and to stay indoors as far as possible."

The FCO told Britons abroad in Thailand to avoid demonstrations and gatherings, including near Government House in central Bangkok, where anti-government protesters have been holding an on-going rally since 26 March.

bbc

And so it starts

colino

PS they havn't told me jack

Edited April 12, 2009 by colino

[Thai at Heart]

And this was my point. I never said do not think. I said stop arguing and insulting each other over something we do not really know or understand

It's a forum, build a bridge, get over it, then I will tell my wife's uncle when he gets the order to move into Khon Kaen not to do it.

Edited April 12, 2009 by Thai at Heart

[spongeman]

Am i the only one that thinks democracy clearly does not work in some country's?

You my friend have hit the nail on the head.

[kuffki]

And i rest my case once again"This is the Thai News Clippings " Thai news interpreted by an individual.

So what the f do you know about Thai politics other then getting it from Thai translated papers?NOTHING

Express your concerns about the situation or your hopes for the future, but do not get into discussion or argument over Thai politics, because you know nothing about it and hence it is you and people commenting on Thai politics look like fools.

Actually the english language news sites (the nation/bangkok post/reuters/BBC/AFP) have their own reporters reporting directly in wnglish so nothing is translated. The reporters from the newspapers are thai nationals that write in english so they have a good grip on situation are are able to put that into english.

So we have credible news stories made by credile journalists, so why is it wrong to discuss the politics? Do you feel that we a non thai are incapable of understanding politics? Are thai's so spectalularly different that us mere farang could not possibly hope to understand what is going on?

I therefore contest the notion that we look like fools and that you should refrain from posting words to that effect, lest you be yourself be called a fool.

There you go, does not even live here but watches CNN/BBC and already is an expert on Thai politics, and i bet my bottom dollar will continue to argue the point that he is right!

And yet again somehow assumed i am Thai-do i need to say anything else about your ability to argue the politics?

I would however argue that you cannot read.

1. i live in thailand

2. i never said you were thai

Read what you wrote and then keep arguing until you turn blue

"So we have credible news stories made by credile journalists, so why is it wrong to discuss the politics? Do you feel that we a non thai are incapable of understanding politics? Are thai's so spectalularly different that us mere farang could not possibly hope to understand what is going on?"

[hammered]

We are not guests.

Guests come to dinner or come for a holiday, they do not live here and contribute to the economy.

I live here and I should have the same civil rights as a Thai. I accept I cannot vote and I am happy to own a condo but I will never accept anyone calling me a 'guest' and the sooner the rest of the foreign residents here do that too the better for us all and Thailand can start to be less racist...

Oh come on, you are a guest of the State just as any other ex-pat on the globe is merely a guest. The fact that you contribute to the economy is irrelevant. You freely choose to live in a foreign country on a visa that can be revoked at any time, it is your choice. You are still but a guest and as all guests in all scenarios, you can be asked to leave, which is perhaps the best definition of being a guest. Maybe the racism you encounter might be lessened by your taking a less haughty stand and take a more realistic stand and accept your guest status with a touch of humility.

nicely put

[wxpwzrd]

We are not guests.

Guests come to dinner or come for a holiday, they do not live here and contribute to the economy.

I live here and I should have the same civil rights as a Thai. I accept I cannot vote and I am happy to own a condo but I will never accept anyone calling me a 'guest' and the sooner the rest of the foreign residents here do that too the better for us all and Thailand can start to be less racist...

Oh come on, you are a guest of the State just as any other ex-pat on the globe is merely a guest. The fact that you contribute to the economy is irrelevant. You freely choose to live in a foreign country on a visa that can be revoked at any time, it is your choice. You are still but a guest and as all guests in all scenarios, you can be asked to leave, which is perhaps the best definition of being a guest. Maybe the racism you encounter might be lessened by your taking a less haughty stand and take a more realistic stand and accept your guest status with a touch of humility.

You would have to try to educate people on what a visa really is. You are a guest in any country except that which you are born... unless a particular country explicitly extends you rights as a visitor -- a guest.

[shunima]

There you go, does not even live here but watches CNN/BBC and already is an expert on Thai politics, and i bet my bottom dollar will continue to argue the point that he is right!

And yet again somehow assumed i am Thai-do i need to say anything else about your ability to argue the politics?

Quote from BBC's "The Office" : You're a cock, you're a cock, you're a cock ! Hope that says it all. I'm no. xxxx you are around 30000 up the ladder. So what the F@#k do you think gives you the right to judge others if they are expert in Thai politics. Get a grip man or better get drunk and get off your computer. get a life prick. (yeah and ban me for this if you like... I'm done with his rants)

and there you go!

Great ending from an educated political analyzer.

...educated? no, but who do you think you are to call me an "analizer" #$%

[edwardmoulton]

Fusion of Western and Asian ideas works very well in HK and Singapore where they take the best from each culture. Also, ex-colonies have the choice how much ex-colonial ideas to maintain and they maintain the bits they like and that work...

oh boy... HK & Singapore are the least countries I would have mentioned. Both are def. not democratic and both of them end to put their opponents in jail faster than you & me can say "I got it"

Who mentioned democratic? I said they take the best bits from abroad and make the places work unlike Thailand..... That is what we were discussing, remember.

[Plus]

Attacking politicians, breaking (to many) windows, setting (to many) fires and (too much) violence is not fair play. Neither is tanks in the streets and bullets on protesters no matter how anarchistic they behave...

Reds have declared that they are not going to recognise Thailand laws and that they would physically attack government leaders. That's way past civil disobedience.

Clue word - civil, btw.

Red behavior over the past few days was anything but civilised.

[Old Man River]

The SOE was to allow the military to take control as police would not. The Special Warfare Command from Lopburi is moving into Bangkok. These are the guys who will shoot if ordered to.

Abhisit won't give an order to shoot, so that is irrelevant, assuming they would listen to him anyway.

Far, far from irrelevant. I wasn't referring to Abhisit.

[hammered]

I guess as ther converation has turned that not much is going on right now

[edwardmoulton]

Urgg having PAD come out is the last thing this country needs right now. Having 2 mobs on the street is a sure fire way of this thing devolving into a proper civil war. Let's hope Sondhi keeps his dogs on a tight leash.

It's quiet over in red insurgency land at the moment, have they finally seen the light and gone home for songkran?

Why isn't the government actively hunting the traitorous leaders of anti-democratic red shirt movement? Abhisit is just too soft sometimes, most other leaders would have had those 2 hunted down and brought to justice for their treason.

I think this shows very clearly that Abhisit has no power at all when he is told what to do by those outside his government. I guess all of you who thought he had this grand master plan and deliberately let the reds wreck the summit and come out in force were sadly very wrong.... He is just more out of his depth than we previously thought as he is now humiliated further by being ordered what to do!

Good strategic move by the PAD. Fear from the top down in the armed forces to play ball and scape goats all round...

[hammered]

Attacking politicians, breaking (to many) windows, setting (to many) fires and (too much) violence is not fair play. Neither is tanks in the streets and bullets on protesters no matter how anarchistic they behave...

Reds have declared that they are not going to recognise Thailand laws and that they would physically attack government leaders. That's way past civil disobedience.

Clue word - civil, btw.

Red behavior over the past few days was anything but civilised.

That is extreme.

[henryalleman]

The Nation is reporting that Abhisit was injured slightly during the Red's storming of the Interior Ministry.

There is no defense for these actions. There is no rationalization for these actions. These protestors must be stopped, and order must be restored. They are not fighting for democracy. They are a mob, and must be dispersed.

I have seen PM Abhisit appear on TV 3 times in the past hour. He is not running or hiding (aka Thakin, Somchai, Etc).  He is leading his country, and I am very proud of him.

Brave indeed, because if he calls new elections he won't be PM again. The courts would have to throw out another 50 or so MPs to give his coalition space to rule. When are you Abhisit nuts going to realize he's just a puppet anyway? Yes, he's got an unblemished record and he speaks well... he has a good education. But why has his party consistently lost major elections to TRT and it's offspring? Because the Thai people know that the big boys in the Democrat party are more corrupt than even old Thaksin the devil. Look it up. There are not politicians in Thailand that aren't scum. There are only those who were elected, and those who were legislated/put in place by court decree.

As long as you are looking down the rationale path... were you a PAD supporter? Do you hate Thaksin so much that you are blind to the evils of the other side? The reds enjoy popular support. The PAD enjoyed support of the paid and the middle class in Bangkok... they never represented the electorate. I knew yellows who protested and got paid and a few who didn't, and all the reds I know that have been protesting have earned nothing. With the local and international media ignoring them, and the local news printing absolute lies about them, it doesn't surprise me that they have turned somewhat violent. Mobs of any color have violent tendencies. Lets hope the reds continue to show as much restraint as they have. Let's hope Abhisit has the sense to call new elections, because it's clear he cannot enforce the rule of law on the reds... he didn't even try with the yellows (suspect, don't you think? nevermind that Sonthi gave a press conference early in the administration stating explicitly that Abhisit couldn't touch him because he was "made" by the PAD)

In the last by elections the government parties won 21 of the 27 seats. So be very carefull for what you are wishing for

[OldenAtwoody]

Pictures from Gulf News:

http://www.gulfnews.com/world/Thailand/10303400.html

Bands of anti-government protesters smash car carrying Thai PM

Agencies

Published: April 12, 2009, 14:53

Bangkok: Bands of anti-government protesters are roaming areas of Bangkok as a state of emergency was announced, with some smashing a car carrying Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and others beating up motorists.

Demonstrators swarmed over two of three armoured personnel carriers outside a shopping mall in downtown Bangkok, while police stood by as the crowd hurled rocks, flower pots and poles at a car in which Abhisit was riding.

"I believe that the people have seen what happened to me. They have seen that the protesters were trying to hurt me and smash the car," Abhisit said in a television appearance.

"It's total chaos. It is scary and the military are doing nothing. Who can guarantee our safety?" said Martin Liu, a 36-year-old American tourist.

Abhisit vowed on Sunday to take legal action against anti-government protesters who forced him to cancel a major Asian summit.

Thai authorities also arrested protest leader Arisman Pongruengrong for his role in the break in at the Asean Convention Center.

Armoured vehicles were seen in the streets of Bangkok following the announcement of an emergency decree to stem anti-government protest across Thailand.

Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, however, said the presence of the military in the Thai capital was not a sign of an imminent coup but a measure to restore order.

[northend_boyz]

An institution of education!!! That's why i have the common-sense to only post facts and information I'm sure of.

[eldar1]

Read what you wrote and then keep arguing until you turn blue

"So we have credible news stories made by credile journalists, so why is it wrong to discuss the politics? Do you feel that we a non thai are incapable of understanding politics? Are thai's so spectalularly different that us mere farang could not possibly hope to understand what is going on?"

okay..... you are not making any sense at all now. I say that we have credible journalists here in thailand (to counter you argument that all news is translated thus worthless), and i challenge your notion that just because we are not born here we cannot understand politics.

again not saying that you are thai and i'm still living in thailand.

[henryalleman]

Via a regular tv station, I saw a group of reds on the tank. They took control of one tank now.

Are you very proud about the fact that a Bhuddist monk act like a hooligan hitting a car,

shame on him!!!!!

CNN just reported that red shirt lost all credibility and they respect Abhisit for his restrain, not step in the trap your terrorist organisation is set up for him.

They also report that its only a few thousand reds are cousing the problems and that there is not support from the Thai public for those actions.

Luck you have an PM like Abhisit, who don't like to use violence. You should respect him for that, and sooner or later when you will grow up, you will respect him for that.

And all of this is happening while the coward T hiding himself abroad together with his family, while he set the country on fire. Why at least he doin't send his children to give an helping hand, or are they much more important than the children of the misguided ignorants who fight his battle for regaining his billions;

Grow up Koo before you will ashame yourself more.

CNN have said nothing of the sort. Watch the very neutral news there and stop mis-leading, henryalleman. I find it amazing how some people can just imagine things and post them as reality here...

Are you sure that you saw the same news on CNN.

[hammered]

So guys if the authorites shoot a few reds how will it go down with the ordinary people? Critical question right now

[OldenAtwoody]

Ousted Thai PM Shinawatra calls for revolution

http://www.gulfnews.com/world/Thailand/10303451.html

AP

Published: April 12, 2009, 18:09

Bangkok: Ousted and exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for revolution in Thailand and said he might return to head it.

Police General Vichai Sangparpai has estimated up to 30,000 anti-government protesters are presently scattered around Bangkok.

Most demonstrators regard Shinawatra as their leader,

"Now that they have tanks on the streets, it is time for the people to come out in revolution. And when it is necessary, I will come back to the country. Let us be strong to fight for true democracy for our people," he said in a phone-in broadcast to followers surrounding the office of the prime minister.

There were signs that the government might again not be able to contain the protesters on Sunday.

"The government can't do anything. There are too many of us," said Lada Yingmanee, a 37-year-old housewife at one of the protest sites.

[jbowman1993]

No new news in quite a while. Did they all go to sleep?

[kuffki]

Read what you wrote and then keep arguing until you turn blue

"So we have credible news stories made by credile journalists, so why is it wrong to discuss the politics? Do you feel that we a non thai are incapable of understanding politics? Are thai's so spectalularly different that us mere farang could not possibly hope to understand what is going on?"

okay..... you are not making any sense at all now. I say that we have credible journalists here in thailand (to counter you argument that all news is translated thus worthless), and i challenge your notion that just because we are not born here we cannot understand politics.

again not saying that you are thai and i'm still living in thailand.

Please go back to my original post and then we can talk

[henryalleman]

are there any thai people on this forum that can explain how a govt. can be so weak so as not to be able to control demonstrators?

Its difficult for us farang to comprehend why nothing is being done..............someone please explain.

Its very easy to understand. he don't want blood on the streets. should respect him for his restrain.

At the end he will be the winner and will have all respect as well at home and abroad.

perhaps,

I am inclined to believe the police and the army are not interested in crowd control one bit.

Did you see the given orders by the government.

[edwardmoulton]

We are not guests.

Guests come to dinner or come for a holiday, they do not live here and contribute to the economy.

I live here and I should have the same civil rights as a Thai. I accept I cannot vote and I am happy to own a condo but I will never accept anyone calling me a 'guest' and the sooner the rest of the foreign residents here do that too the better for us all and Thailand can start to be less racist...

edward, do you have a recidency or citizenship? can the immigration kick you out anytime they want? the answers are for you to contemplate...

No, no, no and no respectively and now I am bored with this very trivial issue when we have a major political situation. You carry on being scared fo your own shadow and everso humble and I will not. Agree to differ.

[TheUsernameIsAlreadyTaken]

<br />

We are not guests.<br /><br />Guests come to dinner or come for a holiday, they do not live here and contribute to the economy.<br /><br />I live here and I should have the same civil rights as a Thai. I accept I cannot vote and I am happy to own a condo but I will never accept anyone calling me a 'guest' and the sooner the rest of the foreign residents here do that too the better for us all and Thailand can start to be less racist...

<br />edward, do you have a recidency or citizenship? can the immigration kick you out anytime they want? the answers are for you to contemplate...<br />

<br /><br />No, no, no and no respectively and now I am bored with this very trivial issue when we have a major political situation. You carry on being scared fo your own shadow and everso humble and I will not. Agree to differ.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

They can kick you out any time, if they WANT!

[edwardmoulton]

We are not guests.

Guests come to dinner or come for a holiday, they do not live here and contribute to the economy.

I live here and I should have the same civil rights as a Thai. I accept I cannot vote and I am happy to own a condo but I will never accept anyone calling me a 'guest' and the sooner the rest of the foreign residents here do that too the better for us all and Thailand can start to be less racist...

Oh come on, you are a guest of the State just as any other ex-pat on the globe is merely a guest. The fact that you contribute to the economy is irrelevant. You freely choose to live in a foreign country on a visa that can be revoked at any time, it is your choice. You are still but a guest and as all guests in all scenarios, you can be asked to leave, which is perhaps the best definition of being a guest. Maybe the racism you encounter might be lessened by your taking a less haughty stand and take a more realistic stand and accept your guest status with a touch of humility.

I am not haughty, I am making a fair comment. If you want to be so grateful, carry on. Agree to differ.

[Thai at Heart]

So guys if the authorites shoot a few reds how will it go down with the ordinary people? Critical question right now

I think it possible that the Reds might rally in Chiangmai, and larger northern cities, the larger Isaan cities and the army won't be able to control it and they may move to Bangkok.

I think the army is trying to make sure they can control the regional cities before they do anything.

[kuffki]

So guys if the authorites shoot a few reds how will it go down with the ordinary people? Critical question right now

I think it possible that the Reds might rally in Chiangmai, and larger northern cities, the larger Isaan cities and the army won't be able to control it and they may move to Bangkok.

I think the army is trying to make sure they can control the regional cities before they do anything.

I think they waiting for the night to set in, to avoid unneccessary casualties from passing by people and onlookers observing.

And also half of the red shirts will be sleeping, so again easier and reduces the number of casualties

[eldar1]

Please go back to my original post and then we can talk

because i'm bored i actually went and read the post again (still the same post i replied to) and your whole argument is that because some thais don't understand politics then we cannot understand politics.

I'm sorry but that is such a bogus argument to make, i could say the same thing about quantum physics, but that still doesn't mean it's true. If you don't understand politics then fine, that's ok, but don't go around saying that just because you don't understand it no one else can, which in effect is what you are saying.

rereading you post also does not explain why you seem to think i don't live in thailand and why you think i said you were thai.

Fact is some of us live here and know quiet a bit about thai politics and we are very much in our right to talk about something that effects our lives. If you don't want to argue politics or don't like other people argue politics, there are many many forums on this lovely site that can offer you something more to your taste.

[canuckamuck]

They occupied government house for three bloody months forcing everyone to work elsewhere. You call that a visit?

They closed three airports causing mayhem across Asia, was that another visit. And if the mob would have gotten their hands on those government folks that jumped the fence as parliament was sieged. do you think they would have helped them find their car and driver?

Nothing like reading a good history rewrite before sleep.

PAD's taking over govt house was peaceful and non-violent.

Apart from that, they've been demonstrating in various locations around the city, including metropolitan police. It was all peaceful and non-violent. They also managed to get into the airport without breaking through glass doors and lines of police and soldiers and without blocking cars of visiting foreign government leaders and scaring women shitless and wheeping in front of TV cameras while they run around the building, hunting for anyone important to vent their anger at.

"Government folks that jumped the fence when parliament was sieged" - you mean Oct 7 when the poilice fired tear gas canisters without any warning and injured hundreds of people, killing at least one and seriously maiming several others, do you mean that as an example of PAD violence? Do you mean those government folks who ordered a crackdown and then passed through the rivers on blood to declare their "reconciliation" policy with those who lost their lives and limbs?

You are another one who confuses civil disobedience with lynch mob on rampage.

Well we could beat this like a dead horse but were not supposed to beat dead horses for some reason.

You see what you see and you make up cute stories about peaceful people peacefully assuming control of government headquarters and airports. And all of their golf clubs were for golf, and all their guns were just squirt guns yada yada yada... kind of a nice life you have, are their unicorns and talking flowers in your backyard too.