Pad Leader Sondhi Limthongkul Shot

[h90]

If Sondi dies - CHIT WILL HIT THE FAN

My family (Thai) and I are scared! We confirm what you wrote

My wife is pretty confused, never saw her that way the last 9 years.....

I am sure many people are discussing what to do now and not every idea will be good.

[MJo]

AK-47s are not that rare but M16s as used by the armed forces would be harder to come by.

AK-47 were produced in Zillions and I guess they are easily available in Cambodia/Myanmar.

Even in Croatia (or was it Serbia) after the war the price was approx 900 Baht (most probably for an old wear out chinese edition) (offer was that time 300 Austrian Schilling).

But M16s are not around every corner.

I thought US government has shipped thousands and thousands of M16's to Thai military over the years ?

Few years ago in Filippines, M16 was as easy to get from the street as AK-47. More expensive though...

[MJo]

Now that he's of no further use, the power behind Abhisit may want to tidy up things. I wouldn't automatically assume Thaksin is behind this.

You must be talking about Senior Tacksin, from Central America.

When you think about it, it would not be the first time that someone is "shooting his own" to justify later acts against other side. If this is the case here it seems to be working wery well.

[ricklee]

I hope the driver makes a full and speedy recovery. I don't care for Sonthi, but I do not wish for anything bad to happen to him, either.

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a protracted problem for the country.

Just the beginning??!!! I hate to think of what the middle will look like....it's been several years already.

[aussimike]

Well, I guess every soldier/weapon expert can confirm you will be certainly dead after receiving a 100 round shower from an AK-47...

Could that incident have been stage-managed? Not uncommon here in Thailand. I remember some cases with the dear leader involved years ago...

Very plausible.

The fact that 100 rounds from automatic weapons(at close range)and failed to kill anyone.

Suspicious.

They must have stolen the army's blank rounds that they used in the Red Shirt protests by accident!

Completely futile and inopportune post. IQ=10

blank rounds ?????- even the BBC made comments about this - as the bkk reporter even saw them loading live rounds - and the army spokeman -- claimed they were only using blanks -- ya sure -- saw these images myself --- i just hate to think what sort of tit for tap is now going to take place -- as OP commented earlier - this could lead to an underground civil war between these top groups -- but there is also the strong possibility of outside influences - and of course every one will blame taksin and the reds -- lets see --

[Meridian007]

I'm not a big fan of Sondhi, but Thaksin's methods show more and more of how much he is just a lo-so street gangster with too much money.

Police who rushed to the attack scene in front of Iamworanut Temple found Sondhi's car riddled with bullets. Police reportedly collected about 100 cartridges of AK-16 and rifles.

This is the saddest thing for me, they obviously have no respect for Buddhism.

Do the reds (and Thaksin) really hate their country so much? They have clearly shown their feelings toward the Monarchy and Buddhism, and it saddens me to see people give those things up just for money.

[Khom77]

Why isn't anyone talking about the most obvious suspects.... foreign journalists! (After all, it seems to be fashionable to blame them for everything these days). Sonthi still owes quite a few senior journos money from his collapse in 1997, and these boys have long memories .... never know what they might get up to after a hard night at the FCCT.

OK, bad joke. Here's hoping that both Sonthi and his driver recover. I have no time for Sonthi L but never want to see people killed for their opinions, and certainly don't want to see this country fall further into tit-on-tat violence....

[somluck]

who's next?

i bet my money on Prem, Sonthi, Surayud. Chamlong too but a long shot

[bertlamar]

Now that he's of no further use, the power behind Abhisit may want to tidy up things. I wouldn't automatically assume Thaksin is behind this.

You must be talking about Senior Tacksin, from Central America.

When you think about it, it would not be the first time that someone is "shooting his own" to justify later acts against other side. If this is the case here it seems to be working wery well.

Various lawyers, civil rights types and litigants against Shin/TRT and in the south were gunned down or kidnapped and since missing during TRT years - most/none never solved.

I highly doubt this crazy theory of shooting their own; of late Sondhi has been relatively quiet; no doubt he is clinically insane, but he is only one of several prominent PAD and seems to be moderately 'controllable' - given the violence and thuggery of the red shirts as well as TRT's history of media intimidation/NGO villainisation (if this is a word) and much worse, it seems more likely to need to look in that direction.

He might be a terrorist, but no one deserves this - hope he gets better soon....and hope the driver can make a full recovery.

Edited April 17, 2009 by bertlamar

[sypher01]

Well, I guess every soldier/weapon expert can confirm you will be certainly dead after receiving a 100 round shower from an AK-47...

Could that incident have been stage-managed? Not uncommon here in Thailand. I remember some cases with the dear leader involved years ago...

Very plausible.

The fact that 100 rounds from automatic weapons(at close range)and failed to kill anyone.

Suspicious.

Actually, my guess is that the PRESS called them "Automatic Assault Rifles" (as they call any rifle), but its much more plausible that the guys here could get a hand only on the single action version of those rifles.

Meaning, they needed to push the trigger 100 times to shoot 100 bullets.

In that case, its a little more difficult than just point and shoot (spray).

I'd also say, its *really* strange they didnt kill anyone. Hit all 4 tires and cant hit a head? ... or a body? The m16 WILL penetrate for sure any car unless its bulletproof against rifles. Also the distance, must have not been that far ... how large is a road here? ...

imho it is staged, or he's dead already. If not ... well, pretty lucky. might as well play with grenades, with such luck he'll come out unscathed.

[h90]

AK-47s are not that rare but M16s as used by the armed forces would be harder to come by.

AK-47 were produced in Zillions and I guess they are easily available in Cambodia/Myanmar.

Even in Croatia (or was it Serbia) after the war the price was approx 900 Baht (most probably for an old wear out chinese edition) (offer was that time 300 Austrian Schilling).

But M16s are not around every corner.

I thought US government has shipped thousands and thousands of M16's to Thai military over the years ?

Few years ago in Filippines, M16 was as easy to get from the street as AK-47. More expensive though...

But I thought they are in the hands of the military, with every M16 has a number and there is a record where it is.

Ups sorry I forgot we are speaking about Thailand and not about Europe.....most probably it is a complete mess, no records...no one knows anything and a good amount of them is sold on the black market.....That might be more probable.....

[webfact]

I'm not a big fan of Sondhi, but Thaksin's methods show more and more of how much he is just a lo-so street gangster with too much money.

Police who rushed to the attack scene in front of Iamworanut Temple found Sondhi's car riddled with bullets. Police reportedly collected about 100 cartridges of AK-16 and rifles.

This is the saddest thing for me, they obviously have no respect for Buddhism.

Do the reds (and Thaksin) really hate their country so much? They have clearly shown their feelings toward the Monarchy and Buddhism, and it saddens me to see people give those things up just for money.

Then lets make the most of this situation and HOPE that this terrible incident is a wakeup call for all Thais to realize they need peace not a war!

Edited April 17, 2009 by webfact

[YORKSHIREPUD]

I'm saddened at the unrest in this wonderful country, I wish Khun Sondhi and his driver a speedy recovery.

If Thaksin has any love at all for his country, he will put a stop to all this and we all know that he has the influence to put a halt to all the ugliness going on between these factions and do it now before it gets worse.

Thaksin, how can you sleep in peace whilst knowing that this country, known worldwide as " THE LAND OF SMILES " is becoming the " THE LAND OF MISERY ". The damage you are doing here is nothing less than criminal, you know that, but I don't think you care for all the hurt and emotional misery that you are responsible for,not to mention the damage to the tourist industry.

Thailand needs the influx of finance gained from visitors and investors from around the world, so why keep shooting yourselves in the foot.

I LOVE THAILAND AND THE THAI PEOPLE.

[hammered]

I hope the driver makes a full and speedy recovery. I don't care for Sonthi, but I do not wish for anything bad to happen to him, either.

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a protracted problem for the country.

Just the beginning??!!! I hate to think of what the middle will look like....it's been several years already.

Depends what the motivation was. If it the start of an organised red capaign to assasinate those they dont like it will be just the start. However, it could just be a revenge killing on the orders of someone or an attempt to cause a yellow uprising and subsequent chaos detrimental to governing the country. A lotof important people publically also have recently been seen as obviously close to the reds. Now the riot failed to achieve its power objective they may also want tomake their point that they are too dangerous to just be "ridden out of town'. Right now in camp red it is likely they are effectively leaderless with every faction acting independently. There will likely be more chaotic events but there may also be all kinds of behind the scenes stuff going on.

It certainly needs the adults to step up to the plate or it is going to deteriorate.

If Sondhi dies it is going to be unpredictable. And we may see a few red leaders taken out too. Lets hope he survives.

[chowder]

so the assassination attempt of the top judge, and now Sondhi, with all this talk about assassination its starting to look real by the minute.

shiet like this don't happen in Thailand only lots of hot air bashing talk but never carry out an attempt. its look like a new trend in Thailand.

[baabaabobo]

From The Phuket Gazette:

PHUKET / BANGKOK: Sondhi Limthongkul, media mogul and one of the five core leaders of the yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), is in serious condition after being shot in the head early this morning.

One of the attackers’ bullets hit his left skull, causing a brain hemorrhage, Vajira Hospital Director Dr Chaiwun Charoenchoktavee said.

Doctors are conducting an urgent operation on Mr Sondhi that is expected to finish around noon.

Mr Sondhi has no wounds on his body.

His driver, Vayupak Mussi, was also seriously wounded in the attack but is now in stable condition, doctors said.

PAD spokesman Parnthep Pualpongpan said at least two attackers riding in a pick-up truck blocked Sondhi’s vehicle on Samsen Road in Bangkok as he was heading to the office of his Manager newspaper at about 5am.

The attackers shot out the tires of Sondhi’s vehicle before stepping out of their car and spraying the car with bullets. The attack lasted about five minutes before the attackers sped away.

Police who rushed to the scene found Sondhi’s car riddled with bullets. They collected more than 100 AK-16 bullet casings from the scene as evidence.

Mr Parnthep said Mr Sondhi had earlier been informed he could possibly be the target of an attack, but ignored the warnings.

Chamnong Paokorn, a 53-year-old bus driver who witnessed the attack, said that he was driving his bus past Lamworanut Temple when he saw a blue pick-up truck with no license plate block Sondhi’s vehicle.

Then two men in the back of the pick-up then opened fire on the vehicle. Another vehicle sped to the scene and exchanged fire with the attackers, who then fled the scene.

Mr Sondhi had been scheduled to be a keynote speaker at the PAD rally to take place in Phuket on Saturday.

[MJo]

Channel 7 is showing pics of the car. Tires shot but the car is in good shape. Seems that all entry holes are in the windscreen and rear window is broken. Sides of the car seem to have very little damage and side windows are intact.

For me it looks like little reminder who's the boss by shooting thru the car from front. It would be so easy to make sure they got him by just opening a door or shooting from the side towards rear seat. So not cold blooded execution attempt IMO.

[h90]

Well, I guess every soldier/weapon expert can confirm you will be certainly dead after receiving a 100 round shower from an AK-47...

Could that incident have been stage-managed? Not uncommon here in Thailand. I remember some cases with the dear leader involved years ago...

Very plausible.

The fact that 100 rounds from automatic weapons(at close range)and failed to kill anyone.

Suspicious.

Actually, my guess is that the PRESS called them "Automatic Assault Rifles" (as they call any rifle), but its much more plausible that the guys here could get a hand only on the single action version of those rifles.

Meaning, they needed to push the trigger 100 times to shoot 100 bullets.

In that case, its a little more difficult than just point and shoot (spray).

I'd also say, its *really* strange they didnt kill anyone. Hit all 4 tires and cant hit a head? ... or a body? The m16 WILL penetrate for sure any car unless its bulletproof against rifles. Also the distance, must have not been that far ... how large is a road here? ...

imho it is staged, or he's dead already. If not ... well, pretty lucky. might as well play with grenades, with such luck he'll come out unscathed.

Staged????

He shot himself a bullet in the head to discredit Thaksin???

[TAWP]

It is hard to believe we cannot catch a break. Now we have some terrorists trying to take out an opposition terrorist leader on city streets. It will make for a good movie but won't do much for tourism. Sondhi should be serving a 20 year jail sentence for last years acts of terrorism. He may be safer in jail.

Quoted for proof that fans of Red are calling Yellows Terrorists, since no-one is allowed to call Red's Terrorists in another thread...

[TAWP]

The saddest part about this thread is people with no experience of weapons trying to argue over how implausible it would be to fire a lot of shots at a moving hard target and not have someone completely blown up by a multitude of rounds.

Unless you are professionals in the field, <deleted>.

[conimex]

He's got to have some kind of bulletproofing installed in the car to survive 100 rounds surely?

Survived 100 bullets ! Could be a nice propaganda !

[charmonman]

the red shirts AND the yellow shirts are destroying our country. Justice for all, means punishment for all...ALL the red/yellow criminals need to be arrested and jailed for their crimes against Thailand.

Only then will our PM gain the respect of the silent majority of good Thai citizens.

A lot of people are trying to equate the yellows and the reds. Although the airport occupation was a stupid and harmful act, to my recollection the yellows didn't shoot anyone, or set any fires, or vandalize any public or private property. Get real. The yellows might have some questionable motives and tactics but, so far, they have not shown anything like the thuggishness and brutality of the reds.

As for Sondhi, if not for him Thailand might now be ruled by President Thaksin in the style of President Marcos. I always thought he opposed Thaksin at great personal risk, and I have unfortunately been proven right.

[h90]

Then lets make the most of this situation and HOPE that this terrible incident is a wakeup call for all Thais to realize they need peace not a war!

It might be the wakeup call for many people to take the law in their own hands.

I hope it won't happen, but it is probable that all that weirdo southern paramilitars and ex communist fighters get some good ideas on revenge.

They got already "good ideas" at the PAD demonstrations, just Chamlong could hold them down.

If they get the idea to hunt down the red leaders. The reds hunt down yellow leaders. Both form private armys, both have contacts to the military for sourcing weapons.....

I think that is called civil war

[Plus]

Reds are probably acting on impulse and without leadership and thus hurting their alleged cause. Alleged, because some opportunists claim this to be a progressive movement trying to bring freedom to the country. Well, they can pretend to be something else only for so long, without leaders to keep the show going their real faces shine through.

Actually, it was their leaders who gave up on their alleged cause first and told them to burn Bangkok.

Either way - they have completely lost the propaganda war and will get as much sympathy and support from the society as communists from now on.

[Phil Conners]

So this was why Taksin's sister and niece left for Singapore two days ago... Getting out of the line of fire...

[sypher01]

Staged????

He shot himself a bullet in the head to discredit Thaksin???

That was written before i got to the "hit on the head" part

Now it seems more and more like a failed assassination or a warning gone wrong.

Still, if he dies ... eww ... bad stuff.

Gotta go check what planes i can get to get the hel_l off this country

[george]

Sondhi is in serious condition : doctor

BANGKOK: -- Sondhi Limthongkul is in serious condition after being shot as a bullet hit his left skull. The bullet is still in his skull, causing bleeding inside his brain, Vajira Hospital Director Dr Chaiwun Charoenchoktavee said Friday.

Doctors are conducting an urgent operation on Sondhi and the operation is expected to finish around noon.

Sondhi, a core leader of yellow shirts, known also as People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who seized Bankok airports late last year, has no wounds on his body.

His driver, Vayupak Mussi, was also seriously wounded from the attack. Doctors said later that he survived and was now in stable condition.

Meanwhile PAD's spokesman Parnthep Pualpongpan said at least two attackers riding on a pickup blocked Sondhi's vehicle who was on Samsen Road, heading to Manager newspaper office in Banglampoo area early Friday morning.

The attackers then shot four tyres of Sondhi's vehicle before stepping out of their car and sprayed more bullets on the car. The attack lasted about five minutes and the attackers went back to their pickup which sped away along Tevet Road.

Police who rushed to the scene found Sondhi's car riddled with bullets and they could collect more than cartridges of AK-16 and rifles from the scene.

Parnthep said Sondhi was informed of reports that he could possible a target of attack, but he simply ignored the warnings.

Meanwhile Chamnong Paokorn, 53, a bus driver, said that he was driving his bus past Iamworanut Temple when he saw a blue pickup truck which had no license plate blocked Sondhi's vehicle.

Then two men on the back of the pickup then opened fires on the vehicle. Then another vehicle sped to the scene and exchanged fires with the attackers who later escaped the scene.

-- The Nation 2009-04-17

[clausewitz]

[ to my recollection the yellows didn't shoot anyone, or set any fires, or vandalize any public or private property. Get real.

clip showing PAD guards firing guns at unarmed anti-padders

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

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.

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, and a gun attack by PAD guards on a broadcast van belonging to the TNN news station at Suvarnabhumi airport.

[redscouse]

sadly you reap what you sow in this country more than most other countries, am I the only one that is surprised it has taken so long for this to happen? I feel if the legal process was moving quicker in regards to this fool then this would not have happened.

So who did it? reds, yellows, blues, army, police, dems? all of these are possible when you spend the past 3 years collecting enemies

[Rideau]

This is surely not a setup.

The bullet wounds his head. This is too deadly to be a setup. And PAD won't get anything out of this or taking to the street again.

But the only guy that gains is Thaksin. With his Red defeated and credibility seriously tarnished, Thaksin has the only way to neutralize the damage by provoking and bringing out Yellow back to the street again. One way is to gun down Sondhi, Yellow's key man. At the same time, it is Thaksin's revenge taken on Sondhi, who was the second, but most powerful, one after Ekkayuth Anchanbutr to expose Thaksin's bad sides to the world.

However, Yellow appears to be aware of Thaksin's tactic by not coming out at this time.