Udd Leaders End Protest

[henryalleman]

***

Besides all the above I strongly believe that the present PM is genuine in his concerns for the rural population,but this is along term plan. If somebody expect this can be dun in few years they are mistaken. Improving the rural areas will take 2 or 3 generations, anybody think different is not realistic. And its all start with education, education and education.....

***

Last year I visited friends who had a rice farm in Nong Saen(the rice center in Thailand). The paddy fields where so dry that the earth was broken. They had a pond full of water and the pumps and pipes to distribute the water. I asked them why you don't pump water in the fields, There answer was staggering, not yet dry enough and anyhow one of this day's the King will send rainmaking airplanes. And they continued to drink there Mekong and Singha in a food stall near the road with their friends.

This my friend is also Isan. So don't put all the blame on the rich in Bangkok.

***

I'm just replying to these points of yours. You're right it is a long-term project, but you don't seem to know it has been going on since the reign of Rama VI. I live in Isan and know a farmer from Michigan who is farming here, and like you, thought his Isan neighbors were dumb. He has since found out they know their land a lot better than he does, and, while they all still have a lot to learn, his learning curve was steeper than theirs. I put the blame on the rich in Bangkok, and on the farang community, for not knowing what is really what out here.

I like to correct you, I never said or even suggest that Isan people or farmers are dumb.

I wrote

And again you can only reach that by education, so the farmers are willing to break whit the mental lethargy.

I think you will agree that lethargy is not meaning dumb.

And frankly I feel a little bit offended by your comment, because if you read all my previous postings in numerous topics you would know that I have a great and deep empathy with the rural population of Thailand.

But even Lord Buddha said that men is master of his own destiny and should not wait or expect that others will do it for him.

So putting all the blame on the rich and farang (I prefer alien, foreigner or Expat) is a little bit too easy.

And there is a lot who can be dun. The farmers with the help of the government should make co-operatives and take all processing, sales, marketing, warehousing and transport in their own hands, cutting out the middle men.The are paying a fortune on fertilizers who make it almost impossible to make a profit. There are alternative way's for it.

Its of topic, but a few weeks ago I wrote an extensive posting about developing agriculture and fishing industry in Thailand, but there was no response what so ever. Not negative or positive. I think its just more easy to ranting and whining.

But if I understood the agriculture plans and the rural development plans of Abhisit well, there is improvement a head for the rural population. But as I wrote it will take 2 or 3 generations to succeed, and also complete different attitude from all parties involved (population and government)

And I can't emphasize it enough EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO IT ALL.

There is need for an massive injection of funds for HI-Tech equipment in technical schools. Those technical schools must produce high-skilled workers who have knowledge of modern techniques. This will attracted industry who will create better paid jobs. Also despite the economical crisis the EU is in desperate need of 5 million hi-skilled technicians, surveys calculate that will go up to 25 million in the next 20 years.

You never wonder why Indian engineers are all over Europe and not even 1 Thai. This is the future and not some slave labours in the building industry of the gulf, or some cook in a Thai restaurant somewhere in the US or Europe.

I stop because I start to be carried away too much.

Maybe I'm just an unrealistic dreamer and very boring

[henryalleman]

CNN have just posted an online survey asking "Has the recent unrest in Thailand made you re-consider traveling there on holiday?"

Amazingly (or not amazingly?), 68% of the respondents answered 'yes'

CNN Main Page and Poll

next week I will move up to Thailand, but the moving company told me that about 6 families in my home town who asked a quote said they reconsider their plans for moving to Thailand. Those were all pensioners who are many years married with a Thai spouse.

This is on top of a drop in Tourism. If you know that the average spending of an expat pensioners family is at least 1 million Baht per year, this could mean a multi billions Baht loss for the Thai economy if only 5000 families change their plan.

Thank you Khun Thaksin and your red brigade.

[shawndoc]

CNN have just posted an online survey asking "Has the recent unrest in Thailand made you re-consider traveling there on holiday?"

Amazingly (or not amazingly?), 68% of the respondents answered 'yes'

CNN Main Page and Poll

And how many of those responding had any plans to go to Thailand in the first place? Thailand isn't exactly the hot spot for Americans to go see.

[MsClueless]

a friend shared the following comment/summay of events from his perspective with me: (I cannot name the friend, but links have been posted elsewhere which I can share at end of post)

The Democrat government came into power in December 2008 by rigging Parliament. About two week earlier, the People's Power Party (PPP) was disbanded by the Constitutional Court on the charge of election rigging, resulting in PM Somchai being disqualified and his cabinet dissolved. This happened amidst the seizure of the Government House and the two international airports by PAD. And even before that, in September 2008, PM Samak of the PPP was disqualified by this same Constitutional Court for a wrongdoing (i.e., making a cooking TV show!!!). The logic is clear: You win the election, but I use the judiciary power to destroy you and negate the will of the majority of the people!

Just days after the dissolution of the Somchai government and two days before the King's birthday, PAD abandoned the Government House and the airports.

The former PPP members tried to regroup and set up a new party, namely Peur Thai (For Thai) Party (PTP). But the military intervened and forced a large shunk of former PPP members to split and gave support to the Democrat Party Chief, Abhisit. So he became PM. And the PTP became the opposition. This was a 'silent' coup d'etat. The Abhisit government is a mere puppet, backed up the military under the skin of parliamentary democracy.

The Abhisit government is actually the PAD government. They gave support to PAD in taking over the Government House and the international airports. The Democrat Party members were part of PAD. One of PAD leaders is a Democrat member of parliament (MP). Three of PAD leaders got high-positioned jobs in the Abhisit government, one of them being Foreign Affairs Minister! The Democrats provided finance, personnel and mobilizing networks for PAD throughout, whereas both PAD and the Democrats, like the military and the judiciary, are just the arms of autocracy! You will NEVER see the prosecution of PAD leaders for all their crimes.

The red-shirts' originial intention of going to Pattaya on Friday 10 April was to present a message to ASEAN leaders that the Abhisit government was illegitimate. But, on the way back downhill from the hotel, the red-shirts were ambushed by a blue-shirt gang organized by government politicians and the Democrats in Chon Buri. Several red-shirts were hurt from beating and slingshots, two of them seriously injured by a pingpong bomb. The news reached the red-shirts in Bangkok. Everyone was angry. So more red-shirts were mobilized from Bangkok to arrive in Pattaya in the early morning of Saturday 11 April. They went back to the hotel and demanded that the government took responsibility for the attack. But there was no answer. The red-shirts became even more angry. They stormed the hotel and broke up the ASEAN summit. The red-shirts in Pattaya were unarmed. Of course, they picked up some sticks and stone when they encountered a blue-shirt gang again on the way back from the hotel that

same afternoon.

The Abhisit government, losing face and credibility, decided to use force to suppress the red-shirt protest in Bangkok. So Abhisit declared the state of emergency in the area of Bangkok and five surrounding provinces on Sunday 12 April. The violent crash at the Ministry of Interior on that day happened AFTER the declaration of the state of emergency. The red-shirts went to Ministry of Interior because they knew that Abhisit was there. After shouting, pushing and shoving by the red-shirts, the black car (NOT Abhisit's), trying to move away, accidentaly hit one red-shirt. The red-shirts were angry and began to attack the car. Then, a security guard open fires and at least two red-shirts were severely injured. More crashes in Ministry's compound followed.

The troop started to move in from the North of Bangkok in the early morning of Monday 13 April. At around 4:30 am, the soldiers open fires at a small group of red-shirt guards at Din Daeng. Several people were killed instantly and several dozen were injured. Then the troop drove the red-shirts towards the Victory Monument and beyond. Several crashes followed. The soldiers kept shooting at those red-shirts. Many more were killed and injured. Red-shirts gradually retreated and finally regrouped at the main protest venue in front of the Government House. The armed gangs organized by government politicians roamed the streets and beat up any red-shirts they met and several were beaten to death.

The troop surrounded the red-shirt protesters in front of the Government House from all sides. Behind them were armed blue-shirt and plaincloth gangs organized by government politicians. TVs and the media showed hate messages and negative reports against the red-shirts throughout 13-14 April. They planned a remaking of the 6 October 1976 Student Massacre in the afternoon of Tuesday 14 April. At the last minute, there were around 8,000-10,000 red-shirts in front of the Government House. But, at 11:30 am of 14 April, the red-shirt leaders announced to "suspend" the protest and negotiated with the police to allow red-shirt people to go home unharmed. Five leaders were arrested immediately and are now jailed in military compounds around Bangkok. Around 20-25 arrest warrants have been issued to wipe out the whole lot of red-shirt leaders in one go. They are now seeking the charge of "high treason" (punishable by death) against the whole group. They expect the red-shirts, without leaders,

will not be able to launch a new movement in the future. Then provincial red-shirts will be dissolved by the security network later on.

One point must be emphasized. The press and the media, particularly TVs, have been strictly censored and controlled by the government as a result of the state of emergency. So all reports are one-sided and are mostly propaganda. The government's insistence that there were no serious casualties is a lie. Soldiers are still stationed in the streets. The situation now is like a rule by a military government with the face of Abhisit on it. It is actually another military coup.

also posted here: HK Liberty blog

[Insight]

Just heard on the Thai News that the Red Shirt leaders are being held by the Army and not the Police, apparently too many of them have friends in the Police or are even Policemen.

I heard the same thing on tv just now.

Off-topic here Koo, but how to does it feel to be an entirely expendable human resource by your boss?

/edit - wording

Edited April 16, 2009 by Insight

[clausewitz]

a friend shared the following comment/summay of events from his perspective with me: (I cannot name the friend, but links have been posted elsewhere which I can share at end of post)

The Democrat government came into power in December 2008 by rigging Parliament. About two week earlier, the People's Power Party (PPP) was disbanded by the Constitutional Court on the charge of election rigging, resulting in PM Somchai being disqualified and his cabinet dissolved. This happened amidst the seizure of the Government House and the two international airports by PAD. And even before that, in September 2008, PM Samak of the PPP was disqualified by this same Constitutional Court for a wrongdoing (i.e., making a cooking TV show!!!). The logic is clear: You win the election, but I use the judiciary power to destroy you and negate the will of the majority of the people!

Just days after the dissolution of the Somchai government and two days before the King's birthday, PAD abandoned the Government House and the airports.

The former PPP members tried to regroup and set up a new party, namely Peur Thai (For Thai) Party (PTP). But the military intervened and forced a large shunk of former PPP members to split and gave support to the Democrat Party Chief, Abhisit. So he became PM. And the PTP became the opposition. This was a 'silent' coup d'etat. The Abhisit government is a mere puppet, backed up the military under the skin of parliamentary democracy.

The Abhisit government is actually the PAD government. They gave support to PAD in taking over the Government House and the international airports. The Democrat Party members were part of PAD. One of PAD leaders is a Democrat member of parliament (MP). Three of PAD leaders got high-positioned jobs in the Abhisit government, one of them being Foreign Affairs Minister! The Democrats provided finance, personnel and mobilizing networks for PAD throughout, whereas both PAD and the Democrats, like the military and the judiciary, are just the arms of autocracy! You will NEVER see the prosecution of PAD leaders for all their crimes.

The red-shirts' originial intention of going to Pattaya on Friday 10 April was to present a message to ASEAN leaders that the Abhisit government was illegitimate. But, on the way back downhill from the hotel, the red-shirts were ambushed by a blue-shirt gang organized by government politicians and the Democrats in Chon Buri. Several red-shirts were hurt from beating and slingshots, two of them seriously injured by a pingpong bomb. The news reached the red-shirts in Bangkok. Everyone was angry. So more red-shirts were mobilized from Bangkok to arrive in Pattaya in the early morning of Saturday 11 April. They went back to the hotel and demanded that the government took responsibility for the attack. But there was no answer. The red-shirts became even more angry. They stormed the hotel and broke up the ASEAN summit. The red-shirts in Pattaya were unarmed. Of course, they picked up some sticks and stone when they encountered a blue-shirt gang again on the way back from the hotel that

same afternoon.

The Abhisit government, losing face and credibility, decided to use force to suppress the red-shirt protest in Bangkok. So Abhisit declared the state of emergency in the area of Bangkok and five surrounding provinces on Sunday 12 April. The violent crash at the Ministry of Interior on that day happened AFTER the declaration of the state of emergency. The red-shirts went to Ministry of Interior because they knew that Abhisit was there. After shouting, pushing and shoving by the red-shirts, the black car (NOT Abhisit's), trying to move away, accidentaly hit one red-shirt. The red-shirts were angry and began to attack the car. Then, a security guard open fires and at least two red-shirts were severely injured. More crashes in Ministry's compound followed.

The troop started to move in from the North of Bangkok in the early morning of Monday 13 April. At around 4:30 am, the soldiers open fires at a small group of red-shirt guards at Din Daeng. Several people were killed instantly and several dozen were injured. Then the troop drove the red-shirts towards the Victory Monument and beyond. Several crashes followed. The soldiers kept shooting at those red-shirts. Many more were killed and injured. Red-shirts gradually retreated and finally regrouped at the main protest venue in front of the Government House. The armed gangs organized by government politicians roamed the streets and beat up any red-shirts they met and several were beaten to death.

The troop surrounded the red-shirt protesters in front of the Government House from all sides. Behind them were armed blue-shirt and plaincloth gangs organized by government politicians. TVs and the media showed hate messages and negative reports against the red-shirts throughout 13-14 April. They planned a remaking of the 6 October 1976 Student Massacre in the afternoon of Tuesday 14 April. At the last minute, there were around 8,000-10,000 red-shirts in front of the Government House. But, at 11:30 am of 14 April, the red-shirt leaders announced to "suspend" the protest and negotiated with the police to allow red-shirt people to go home unharmed. Five leaders were arrested immediately and are now jailed in military compounds around Bangkok. Around 20-25 arrest warrants have been issued to wipe out the whole lot of red-shirt leaders in one go. They are now seeking the charge of "high treason" (punishable by death) against the whole group. They expect the red-shirts, without leaders,

will not be able to launch a new movement in the future. Then provincial red-shirts will be dissolved by the security network later on.

One point must be emphasized. The press and the media, particularly TVs, have been strictly censored and controlled by the government as a result of the state of emergency. So all reports are one-sided and are mostly propaganda. The government's insistence that there were no serious casualties is a lie. Soldiers are still stationed in the streets. The situation now is like a rule by a military government with the face of Abhisit on it. It is actually another military coup.

also posted here: HK Liberty blog

Yes, nice post. The government - well the military -even closed down Thaicom in Pathumthani so that no video broadcasts (which only reach a few thousands) from the red side can be made. Heavily armed soldiers are still there.

\On the other hand ASTv which had tens of thousands of hours of seditous rubbish against the last government is still allowed to say on despite it being able to be viewed for free on most TVs across the country.

[clausewitz]

This is on top of a drop in Tourism. If you know that the average spending of an expat pensioners family is at least 1 million Baht per year, this could mean a multi billions Baht loss for the Thai economy if only 5000 families change their plan.

Thank you Khun Thaksin and your red brigade.

I guess the PAD, never caused any problems to tourism.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Pad-Ahimsa-t220971.html

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...newsid=30087406

Man injured in shooting with PAD guards

A man was shot and injured early Sunday after he and his friends drove to the Makkhawan Bridge and shouted abusive words at guards of the People's Alliance for Democracy.

The guards claimed that the group started firing at them first but the five men told police that one of them simply raised their middle finger and shouted abusive words against the PAD guards and they chased after them and fired at them.

The injured man was identified as Jaroon Deetour, 22. He was shot once on his right shoulder and rushed to the Vajira Hospital.

Four other men in the car were taken into custody by police from Nangloeng Police station

They told police that they went to drink on a pub on Khao San Road and they got lost while returning home in Samut Prakan and Jaroon later drove to the Makkhawan Bridge and Jaroon lowed the window and raised his middle finger to the PAD guards.

No PAD guards were arrested.

'PAD guards' arrested with bombs

Police Sunday arrested two men, who confessed to be PAD guards, after a lot of bombs and other weapons were found on them.

The two - Thanit Khanurai, 28, and Watana Kijpithaksin, 22, were arrested while riding a motorcycle on the Ratchasima Road in Dusit district at 2:50 pm.

Police found a bag with 3 M67 grenades, 22 ping pong bombs, 1 homemade bomb, 4 shotgun ammunitions, a samurai sword, and three sling shots.

Police also found id cards of PAD guards on them.

Watana told police that he was hired by another PAD guard, identified only as Nok, to carry the bag from a spot under the Rajawat Bridge to put into a garbage bin in front of the Rajdamnone Boxing Stadium.

Source: The Nation - 10 November 2008

=================

http://www.bangkokpost.com/021208_News/02Dec2008_news07.php

Call to stop violent attacks on journalists

Media organisations condemn harassment [by PAD}

Five media organisations have slammed several instances of violence and intimidation towards journalists.

Journalistsand photographers atDonMueang airport as they cover the People’s Alliance for Democracy protest after facing threats by the antigovernment group’s security guards.

The move follows the recent intimidation of reporters and photographers by guards at the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rallies.

.

The Press Council of Thailand, the Confederation of Thai Journalists, the Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and the Cable Television Association of Thailand yesterday issued a joint statement calling for an end to all forms of threats and intimidation of those working in all media fields. They condemned violent acts against reporters, cameramen and news crews.

Among those acts were a recent threat against a newspaper photographer who photographed clashes between supporters of the PAD and pro-government supporters on Vibhavadi Rangsit Soi 3, intimidation of reporters and cameramen covering a crime story in Chiang Mai, a gun attack on the ASTV television station in Bangkok, and a gun attack by PAD guards on a broadcast van belonging to the TNN news station at Suvarnabhumi airport.

clip showing PAD guards firing guns at unarmed anti-padders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbnFPhExOTw

[Insight]

^ Jakrapob could get an SMS to international journalists saying people had been killed but couldn't make the small additional effort to supply pictures, along with the other thousand or so red shirts there?

Can you understand why nobody on the international media want to take this so-called "cover up" story further?

[fabianfred]

^ Jakrapob could get an SMS to international journalists saying people had been killed but couldn't make the small additional effort to supply pictures, along with the other thousand or so red shirts there?

Can you understand why nobody on the international media want to take this so-called "cover up" story further?

you will never convince those who consider it unthinkable that they could possibly be wrong and have been supporting the baddies all along....

[lannarebirth]

^ Jakrapob could get an SMS to international journalists saying people had been killed but couldn't make the small additional effort to supply pictures, along with the other thousand or so red shirts there?

Can you understand why nobody on the international media want to take this so-called "cover up" story further?

you will never convince those who consider it unthinkable that they could possibly be wrong and have been supporting the baddies all along....

It is easy to convince them, and me. Just supply some evidence.

[ballpoint]

a friend shared the following comment/summay of events from his perspective with me: (I cannot name the friend, but links have been posted elsewhere which I can share at end of post)

Snipped for brevity, and in the interest of truth...

One point must be emphasized. The press and the media, particularly TVs, have been strictly censored and controlled by the government as a result of the state of emergency. So all reports are one-sided and are mostly propaganda. The government's insistence that there were no serious casualties is a lie. Soldiers are still stationed in the streets. The situation now is like a rule by a military government with the face of Abhisit on it. It is actually another military coup.

also posted here: HK Liberty blog

Anyone spreading such dangerously blatant misinformation in the hope of inciting further trouble deserves to be arrested and executed along with their red shirted leaders. You're trying to tell us that the Thai army has direct control over CNN, BBC and all the international wire agencies? There was international coverage of the riots, many of the red shirts would have had at the very least camera phones, yet not one picture has been released. Don't you find that strange? Wouldn't Jonathon Head be screaming blue murder on our television screens right now? Thaksin's little spiel on military brutalities during his interviews, and all the massacre stories now coming out reek of a premeditated campaign. They were all obviously written before the event, in the hope that the military would get tough, and now none of the red supporters have the intelligence to realise that most people see right through them. Your friend is a lowlife. Trying to stir up even more trouble in Thailand. I wonder which one of the Shinarotten clan it is?

[ballpoint]

^ Jakrapob could get an SMS to international journalists saying people had been killed but couldn't make the small additional effort to supply pictures, along with the other thousand or so red shirts there?

Can you understand why nobody on the international media want to take this so-called "cover up" story further?

you will never convince those who consider it unthinkable that they could possibly be wrong and have been supporting the baddies all along....

It is easy to convince them, and me. Just supply some evidence.

What, supply some evidence that nobody got killed? Show you where all the dead bodies aren't? "They" and you are like religious fanatics, refusing to believe in the non existance of dead bodies. I'm sure there's hundreds of bodies in your mind, but that's your problem.

[lannarebirth]

^ Jakrapob could get an SMS to international journalists saying people had been killed but couldn't make the small additional effort to supply pictures, along with the other thousand or so red shirts there?

Can you understand why nobody on the international media want to take this so-called "cover up" story further?

you will never convince those who consider it unthinkable that they could possibly be wrong and have been supporting the baddies all along....

It is easy to convince them, and me. Just supply some evidence.

What, supply some evidence that nobody got killed? Show you where all the dead bodies aren't? "They" and you are like religious fanatics, refusing to believe in the non existance of dead bodies. I'm sure there's hundreds of bodies in your mind, but that's your problem.

I believe you have misread this series of posts. In the spirit of bringing people together I accept you apology in advance.

[midas]

Anyone spreading such dangerously blatant misinformation in the hope of inciting further trouble deserves to be arrested and executed along with their red shirted leaders. You're trying to tell us that the Thai army has direct control over CNN, BBC and all the international wire agencies? There was international coverage of the riots, many of the red shirts would have had at the very least camera phones, yet not one picture has been released. Don't you find that strange? Wouldn't Jonathon Head be screaming blue murder on our television screens right now? Thaksin's little spiel on military brutalities during his interviews, and all the massacre stories now coming out reek of a premeditated campaign. They were all obviously written before the event, in the hope that the military would get tough, and now none of the red supporters have the intelligence to realise that most people see right through them. Your friend is a lowlife. Trying to stir up even more trouble in Thailand. I wonder which one of the Shinarotten clan it is?

As this is Thailand where nothing is ever black and white - is it at all possible

there may be even something to these allegations which seem to popping up in all

the threads ? e.g Is there any guarantee beyond any doubt whatsoever that some redshirts

involved in the riots were not otherwise PAD in disguise ?

[ballpoint]

As this is Thailand where nothing is ever black and white - is it at all possible

there may be even something to these allegations which seem to popping up in all

the threads ? e.g Is there any guarantee beyond any doubt whatsoever that some redshirts

involved in the riots were not otherwise PAD in disguise ?

What, with all those bullets flying about and people getting slaughtered all over the place? Why would the elites of the PAD want to risk their lives? You can't have it both ways. Interestingly, I do know for a fact of a number of people who took money from the yellows, who later went back to Bangkok to get money from the reds. They all returned without a scratch on them though, which rather dampens the conspiracy theories. And then there's the militant group of the PAD, lead by general Pinmalee, who joined the reds in disgust that the yellows wouldn't adopt their violent ways. I'm sure they were involved, but ex PAD isn't the same as current PAD.

[TAWP]

Some of this conspiracy-crap is really cracking me up.

What we have here is people that honestly believe that:

- The violence in Red was actually instigated by infiltrating Yellows.

- That the military slaughtered hundreds of Reds (read: Yellows pretending to be Red?)

- That no-one amongst the Red own a cellphone or video camera and can bring any evidence, unless it is sunny days and crowd-shots of massive support is needed.

- That Thaksin gives a flying <deleted> about anyone but himself and his family.

Please post credible evidence for anything of the mentioned above - or more!

[Thai at Heart]

Try to walk into the agriculture ministry or excise and say the word co-operative!

That makes the hair stand on end and then the first word that comes out of their mouth is communism.

[BHA83]

Khon Essan market their own rice? it could never happen. It would put too many Thai-Chinese noses out of joint! Also their exploitation rights!

[midas]

Some of this conspiracy-crap is really cracking me up.

What we have here is people that honestly believe that:

- The violence in Red was actually instigated by infiltrating Yellows.

- That the military slaughtered hundreds of Reds (read: Yellows pretending to be Red?)

- That no-one amongst the Red own a cellphone or video camera and can bring any evidence, unless it is sunny days and crowd-shots of massive support is needed.

- That Thaksin gives a flying <deleted> about anyone but himself and his family.

Please post credible evidence for anything of the mentioned above - or more!

" The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists."

J. Edgar Hoover

[grandpops]

CNN have just posted an online survey asking "Has the recent unrest in Thailand made you re-consider traveling there on holiday?"

Amazingly (or not amazingly?), 68% of the respondents answered 'yes'

CNN Main Page and Poll

next week I will move up to Thailand, but the moving company told me that about 6 families in my home town who asked a quote said they reconsider their plans for moving to Thailand. Those were all pensioners who are many years married with a Thai spouse.

This is on top of a drop in Tourism. If you know that the average spending of an expat pensioners family is at least 1 million Baht per year, this could mean a multi billions Baht loss for the Thai economy if only 5000 families change their plan.

Thank you Khun Thaksin and your red brigade.

Least you can come if you want. Had this been 8 months ago you may have wanted to come but found a bunch of sheep blocking the airport and killing the holiday season dead.

The rural poor will not feel any of this loss as the wealth in this country is pocketed by the elites of Bangkok. Perhaps some of them my be getting a taste of the poverty they have subjected the rest of the country to for centuries.

Oh dear, all those lilly white translucent bangkok nose job ladies having to go without servants and skin whitener. Oh dear oh my, perhaps the UN will get involved in their plight.

[LawnGnome]

Its not pointless to point out the veiled hostility apparent in some poster's postings. Its actually a public service. What I have a hard time understanding is the continual obsession with pointing out the obvious. Yes the army supports the yellow movement and the and democrats. Considering the sh!t trail the TRT aka PPP aka PTP have led us down, I would have done the same thing.

The only pertinent question, at this point in time, is, how can we help Thailand get back on its feet. Most people feel that Abhisit is more suitable to do that than Charlerm. If you disagree let me know, I'd be happy to hear your reasons.

I for one don't give a flying rats patoot about the yellows, the reds, the airport, the army, the politics, etc. I care about my friends and collegues. I want them to feel like their country is heading down the right path. This continual negative tinged discussion goes in circles, accomplishes nothing, and only serves to make people more irritated and upset.

For a pleasent change of pace, lets all talk about the future and how we can make it better. (I know, fat chance of that happening).

[Ricardo]

Had this been 8 months ago you may have wanted to come but found a bunch of sheep blocking the airport and killing the holiday season dead.

Perhaps you are referring to the PAD protests 5 months ago at the end of November, at Swampy & Don Meaung, or were there airport-closures last August too ?

Would you agree that the Red-Shirt terrorist actions, over the past week at the ASEAN-meeting in Pattaya & on the streets of Bangkok, might also have damaged the holiday-season for tourists this year ?

[Netfan]

Some of this conspiracy-crap is really cracking me up.

What we have here is people that honestly believe that:

- The violence in Red was actually instigated by infiltrating Yellows.

- That the military slaughtered hundreds of Reds (read: Yellows pretending to be Red?)

- That no-one amongst the Red own a cellphone or video camera and can bring any evidence, unless it is sunny days and crowd-shots of massive support is needed.

- That Thaksin gives a flying <deleted> about anyone but himself and his family.

Please post credible evidence for anything of the mentioned above - or more!

" The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists."

J. Edgar Hoover

You're quoting J. Edgar hoover????? The cross-dressing queen (not that there's anything wrong with it) who saw communists under every bed and wasted time and money going after Martin Luther King while the mafia built an empire under his head of the FBI nose? If you want to be taken seriously, although by most of your posts its hard to tell, you really need a better role model than J. Edgar Hoover. The man is even an embarrassment to most of the modern law enforcement community.

[TAWP]

I thought his post was just a continuation of him proving that he has very little to offer.

[animatic]

Some of this conspiracy-crap is really cracking me up.

What we have here is people that honestly believe that:

- The violence in Red was actually instigated by infiltrating Yellows.

- That the military slaughtered hundreds of Reds (read: Yellows pretending to be Red?)

- That no-one amongst the Red own a cellphone or video camera and can bring any evidence, unless it is sunny days and crowd-shots of massive support is needed.

- That Thaksin gives a flying <deleted> about anyone but himself and his family.

Please post credible evidence for anything of the mentioned above - or more!

" The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists."

J. Edgar Hoover

You're quoting J. Edgar hoover????? The cross-dressing queen (not that there's anything wrong with it) who saw communists under every bed and wasted time and money going after Martin Luther King while the mafia built an empire under his head of the FBI nose? If you want to be taken seriously, although by most of your posts its hard to tell, you really need a better role model than J. Edgar Hoover. The man is even an embarrassment to most of the modern law enforcement community.

Doubly, maybe trebly ironic a quote,

because this was Hoover saying ;

the average person was incapable of understanding the Red Menace

or in this 50's case, Red Communist Menace.

And so that is why HE J.E. Hoover, who UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING ,

is protecting them from their own ignorance. By chasing down every

possibly rumored leftist in the USA, and grilling them to give up their

friends leftist or not for the same sweet time...

It was the ravings of a paranoid closet case, screaming up to please

a rabid Senator McCarthy, seconded by Richard Nixon no less.

Now with the postulations that ex-leftists in the Thaksin cabinet,

have been using thier old connections to Laos commies to

smuggle weapons into the north east to help with the Thaksin Revolution...

The irony runs think and deep on this one for sure.

[h90]

Khon Essan market their own rice? it could never happen. It would put too many Thai-Chinese noses out of joint! Also their exploitation rights!

there are some and it works well.

For years we bought vegetables from Essan who went once a week down to Bangkok.

Nobody is blocking them.