Red Shirts Rioting In Isarn

[Mai Krap]

Earlier there was live feed of burning tires and hundreds of Police at the city gates of Khon Kaen in front of the new Central Plaza which is under construction. There are rumors that Mitrapop road has been blocked and I received a phone call earlier from Nong Khai saying the friendship bridge into Laos was closed till further notice. I'm trying to find out what the situation is in case things get worse as some are predicting. There is not much if any news available in English so any information that can be confirmed is great, first hand accounts are better.

No politics needed by the way, I only want to know the facts about what is going on. Most of us have already made up our minds about who we like or not, not that any Thai cares what a Farang thinks anyway.

[Orac]

If you want reasonable replies I suggest you try a less inflamatory title.

[Cuban]

We were diverted off the South bound Hwy 2 just South of KK (After Tesco) on Monday due to the road being blocked by red shirts further down. No idea of the detail, we drove cross country back home.

[nonthaburial]

If you want reasonable replies I suggest you try a less inflamatory title.

I see nothing inflammatory in that at all. Please explain your comments

[Orac]

OK, maybe I am wrong here, but the title is not posed as a question but as a statement then requests evidence to back it up. The term rioting is used as opposed to protesting or even gathering which are far more neutral terms that would fit better with the OPs request - by requesting non-political and factual evidence the less emotive terms would be more relevant.

I opened the thread expecting to find details of rioting in Nong Khai, where I visit 2-3 times a week, as this is what is explicitly stated in the title however there is nothing to back this up and, judging from the lack of responses since the original post was made, is a major exageration of the facts. There has been enough damage done to Thailand over the last few months without any extra fuel being added to the flames.

[kurnell]

If you want reasonable replies I suggest you try a less inflamatory title.

I see nothing inflammatory in that at all. Please explain your comments

I agree. Sit down, take a valium before you make another response

[Orac]

If you want reasonable replies I suggest you try a less inflamatory title.

I see nothing inflammatory in that at all. Please explain your comments

I agree. Sit down, take a valium before you make another response

Don't worry - I am well chilled out at the moment

All I am saying is that there is no evidence to back up the OPs claim that there is rioting in Nong Khai - all I can find on the internet are a couple of reports that protesters had blocked the friendship bridge (there is another post already about this). IMHO the term rioting is a bit over the top.

[Prajak]

I was near the bridge today and nothing was going on. In Nongkhai things always happen 50 years later...... Even the "coup" came to Nongkhai a few days later. The 2. day there finally was more police in town (on bicycle since their budget is low....) and the 3. day the marine police were at the bridge. No, in Nongkhai it is always quiet. And in my little village 4 km from the city there was even no songkran...... That's why I like it here.

[Orac]

I was near the bridge today and nothing was going on. In Nongkhai things always happen 50 years later...... Even the "coup" came to Nongkhai a few days later. The 2. day there finally was more police in town (on bicycle since their budget is low....) and the 3. day the marine police were at the bridge. No, in Nongkhai it is always quiet. And in my little village 4 km from the city there was even no songkran...... That's why I like it here.

I was out with the family for 2 days in the pickup for Songkran and thought we managed to cover every village in the area! Looks like we missed one.

If you let me know where you are I can ensure you a good soaking next year

[Mai Krap]

No worries on the writing, It was not intended as a insult to red shirts. What I saw that day, what I have seen before, and what I worry about is rioting, not peaceful protests. Things seem pretty quiet on the surface but I suspect Isarn at the moment is similar to a big river, beware the undertow. The fight is far from over but I hope there is no more gun play, probably just wishful thinking on my part.

For the record I was in Nong Khai when Taxin was ousted, There were armed security people out in places, one guy with a Uzzi comes to mind as I happened upon him quite accidentally. I was also there 2 years ago when a huge crowd of very intimidating red shirted people alongside trucks with loud speakers marched through the center of town, not the thing you like to see when you drop by to see a friend and get caught up in a protest march.

My purpose for writing here is not commentary on politics. Its a strong desire to not ever end up in the middle of any Thai protest right or wrong. I figure since nobody has asked me what I thought or offered to register me as a Thai National so I can vote, I will happily sit this one out.

[citizen33]

Just in terms of possible road blocks, I drove on Highway 2 from Ban Phai to the Phimai junction yesterday and saw no problems. There were no demonstrators in evidence and a steady flow of traffic from teh direction of Khon Kaen with traffic getting quite slow in places because of volume. So if there was a problem it can't have lasted long.