Internal Security Act Now In Force In Phuket

[george]

Internal Security Act now in force in Phuket

Just as they did in May for the aborted Asean summit,

Phuket Police are once again practicing crowd control techniques

at Phuket City Police Station. File photo.

PHUKET CITY: The controversial Internal Security Act to ensure there is no disruption at the upcoming 42nd Asean Ministers Meeting is now in force, but very few locals will have noticed any difference.

Military hardware, much of it on flatbed trucks, rolled onto the island yesterday afternoon.

Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who is in charge of security during the meetings, said no street demonstrations would be allowed during the meetings, which would include the 16th Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and Post Ministerial Conferences.

“Phuket must have no protests whatsoever,” he said.

“No areas will be designated for demonstrations, there will be no road blockages, and there will be no protest letters submitted.

“Not even a peaceful gathering is allowed.”

General Prawit asked prospective protest groups, including the red shirts and local and foreign non-government organizations, to comply with the regulations.

He said international standards would be applied in providing security for the leaders of the 28 countries due to attend.

The Internal Security Act will remain in force in Phuket for two weeks, until July 24.

Gen Prawit said he did not think the extra security would affect local businesses and said he was confident the meetings would run smoothly.

Deputy government spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said Cabinet had ordered relevant authorities to cooperate with officials from the Internal Security Operations Command, who are empowered to designate certain buildings or places off-limits.

Unauthorized people are not allowed to carry weapons outside their residences and the Isoc director has the power to ban the use of electronic devices in certain areas.

The Isoc chief can also impose restrictions on the use of certain roads or vehicles, the spokesman said.

Suthep Thaugsuban, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs, said local residents would be told about any restrictions.

Gatherings will not be allowed at the airport or on roads to and from the airport, or in areas around the hotels where the delegates will stay, the spokesman said.

Phuket Provincial Police have also been busy gearing up for the event.

On Wednesday morning, hundreds of policemen in full riot gear practiced their crowd control techniques outside Phuket City Police station.

The exercise involved using shields to form phalanxes to drive off protesters.

A band of volunteer motorcycle taxi drivers who acted as 'protesters' relished the opportunity to hurl plastic bottles of water and other missiles at the police.

-- Phuket Gazette and TNA 2009-07-11

[webfact]

A band of volunteer motorcycle taxi drivers who acted as 'protesters' [relished the opportunity to hurl plastic bottles of water and other missiles at the police.

[bridge]

“Not even a peaceful gathering is allowed.”

Everyone better leave Phuket then, or at least no be in the company of anyone else

[baht&sold]

This is 'new's? Oh well...

“Phuket must have no protests whatsoever”

GOOD!

very few locals will have noticed any difference.

GOOD! Not surprising and hopefully same for most.

Here's wishing Phuket a successful summit! Go Phuket, go Thailand!

(proxy-protesters of ALL stripes, that's quite enough already, thx)

[toptuan]

“Not even a peaceful gathering is allowed.”

Everyone better leave Phuket then, or at least no be in the company of anyone else

Wow, does this mean 90% of the Phuket forum posters, all avid church-goers, don't have to attend tomorrow?

[fiddlehead]

OH well.

Raining hard now in Phuket and looking at the forecast, more of the same for the next 5 days.

Good time to hold this summit and their max. security.

[Coaster11]

"Not even a peaceful gathering is allowed."

Everyone better leave Phuket then, or at least no be in the company of anyone else

Wow, does this mean 90% of the Phuket forum posters, all avid church-goers, don't have to attend tomorrow?

Has anyone heard of the issue of travel passes on Phuket for local vehicles?

Or is there another thread on here about it?

[starkey_rich]

Returned home to Phuket a few days ago from a 2 month break so I am only just catching up with what is going on.I have been told by a couple of people that I need to register my vehicle to obtain a pass to be allowed to travel around the island.This seems to be correct but no one knows where to get these passes.Anyone know anything about this

[zorro1]

"Not even a peaceful gathering is allowed."

Everyone better leave Phuket then, or at least no be in the company of anyone else

Wow, does this mean 90% of the Phuket forum posters, all avid church-goers, don't have to attend tomorrow?

They cant leave , the buses will have more than 2 people which is a clear violation of a peaceful gathering

[LivinginKata]

Topic already running about vehicle passes for Laguna area during Phuket summit...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Registering-...-S-t278599.html

[starkey_rich]

Topic already running about vehicle passes for Laguna area during Phuket summit...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Registering-...-S-t278599.html

I know it is but not much useful info there

[tracer]

Returned home to Phuket a few days ago from a 2 month break so I am only just catching up with what is going on.I have been told by a couple of people that I need to register my vehicle to obtain a pass to be allowed to travel around the island.This seems to be correct but no one knows where to get these passes.Anyone know anything about this

If I was told correctly its Kamala, Surin, Bangtao and Chengtaley where you can register your bike/car so that they know its local.... Note, nobody said anything about the many Thai owned places where they rent out motorbikes etc....Essentially if red tshirts want to go to Phuket, they are likely already too late...

Nobody knows anyway whats the status of the many motor bikes which are Tsunami victims... and were restored!!

[stevenl]

Nobody knows anyway whats the status of the many motor bikes which are Tsunami victims... and were restored!!

I have one, excellent bike, just no papers available.

[tracer]

Topic already running about vehicle passes for Laguna area during Phuket summit...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Registering-...-S-t278599.html

Assume that its via Pu Yai or Kamnan or Orbotor. May vary between where you are. However as seemingly this short term mess started yesterday even if today I noticed no problems (IT RAINED LIKELY TO HARD) consider you may have later problems depending if those soldiers have a brain (g). I have no idea how or what they are doing but I am all in favour of keeping those red Tshirts out of Phuket... On the other hand if I had been planning their operations they would already be here and driving around on the many phuket registered motorbikes!!! The good thing is that any stranger in the Dusit area is standing out like a read cloth for a steer (spanish variety).

[gbswales]

Is it just possible that what might have gone unnoticed will be seen as a clear challenge to Yellow and Red shirts alike - not to mention the thousands of people who might join in because they like a "rumpus". These meetings should be held in remote hotels which can easily be completely sealed off to road and public access and everyone flown in our out by Helicopter for the duration of the meeting itself. Better still why dont they completely abandon these junkets for the big wigs and host them virtually using video conferencing - that way everyone stays nice and secure in their own countries and there is no host country bearing the cost of huge security exercises.

Mind you I suppose if video conferencing was the norm - Thaksin might still be in office LOL

On a slightly different but related subject it always amazes me that many of the summits to "save the planet", begin by creating even more damage by flying people half way around the world

[wrecker]

Any which way you look at it, people have the right to peaceful demonstrations. Luckily for the government here, hardly any country in the Asean group is legitimate, freely elected and democratic. So there will be no questions from most countries.

I wonder if they have consulted Burma on how they deal with legitimate demonstrations. On the other hand this government is power horny and they have just a few months left to steal as much as possible, so they would have asked non Asean member China for advise.

[tomartoh]

Wrecker your so savage. Where ever do you get those nasty thoughts from?

[billsykes]

I guess Patong and soi Banglar will be empty, and not peaceful?

[ilyushin]

Glad to hear this. Hope they also apply other non-lethal systems to combat any protest.

[Maestro]

Off-topic and nonsensical posts and the replies to them and posts containing only quoted text have been deleted.

--

Maestro

[warmwater7]

Off-topic and nonsensical posts and the replies to them and posts containing only quoted text have been deleted.

--

Maestro

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO, HMMMMMMMMMMM..........................????????????????? ( FALLING TONE )

ANY HOW, HOPE THINGS ARE QUIET IN THE STREETS.

[pumpuiyai]

[quote “Phuket must have no protests whatsoever,” he said.

“No areas will be designated for demonstrations, there will be no road blockages, and there will be no protest letters submitted.

“Not even a peaceful gathering is allowed.”

Yet another sad day for Thailand. So much for democracy.

[MUYTHAI]

Is it just possible that what might have gone unnoticed will be seen as a clear challenge to Yellow and Red shirts alike - not to mention the thousands of people who might join in because they like a "rumpus". These meetings should be held in remote hotels which can easily be completely sealed off to road and public access and everyone flown in our out by Helicopter for the duration of the meeting itself. Better still why dont they completely abandon these junkets for the big wigs and host them virtually using video conferencing - that way everyone stays nice and secure in their own countries and there is no host country bearing the cost of huge security exercises.

Mind you I suppose if video conferencing was the norm - Thaksin might still be in office LOL

On a slightly different but related subject it always amazes me that many of the summits to "save the planet", begin by creating even more damage by flying people half way around the world

LOL. "Saving the planet". I thought this meeting was about oligarchy and its continued rule in these countries, big business, egos, materialism, showmanship, profit, money...and more money. Do you "really" believe they are going to discuss saving ecosystems and species in Asia? Maybe I am wrong. Not!

[beerchang]

Personally I think it's a good idea and only for 2 weeks. I feel sorry for Thailand though. Bashed to peices (on this website, by the way) for letting protests get out of control and then bashed for trying to put and end to 'peaceful protests' that, from what I have seen, don't stay peaceful for long.

Hope it all goes well for Thailands sake.

[Siripon]

Any which way you look at it, people have the right to peaceful demonstrations. Luckily for the government here, hardly any country in the Asean group is legitimate, freely elected and democratic. So there will be no questions from most countries.

I wonder if they have consulted Burma on how they deal with legitimate demonstrations. On the other hand this government is power horny and they have just a few months left to steal as much as possible, so they would have asked non Asean member China for advise.

So you thought the red shirts were peaceful at Songkran, Pattaya, Udon, and Chiang Mai just a few days ago!!!?

[TAWP]

Thanks everyone for your support, you're the best!!

htt p://pret-auto.org

This is a spam-account, see hidden text too.

(No, report-btn still doesn't work.)

[Skajd]

Military hardware, much of it on flatbed trucks, rolled onto the island yesterday afternoon.

He said international standards would be applied in providing security for the leaders of the 28 countries due to attend.

The Internal Security Act will remain in force in Phuket for two weeks, until July 24.

On Wednesday morning, hundreds of policemen in full riot gear practiced their crowd control techniques outside Phuket City Police station.

The exercise involved using shields to form phalanxes to drive off protesters.

ive just read the report about advising people to avoid public and busy places because of swine flu. and to wear face masks and wash hands etc.

theres going to be quite a gathering of people in a small area, and all the police in tight phalanxes etc. will they wash their hands and wear face masks? they won't be avoiding busy places. i wonder if there will be people who contract the swine flu? members from 28 countries too! and phuket has had quite a few cases already ... we will see i guess. if more than 100 people can contract it from one night club in pattaya who knows what could happen here?!?

[baht&sold]

ive just read the report about advising people to avoid public and busy places because of swine flu. and to wear face masks and wash hands etc.

theres going to be quite a gathering of people in a small area, and all the police in tight phalanxes etc. will they wash their hands and wear face masks? they won't be avoiding busy places. i wonder if there will be people who contract the swine flu? members from 28 countries too! and phuket has had quite a few cases already ... we will see i guess. if more than 100 people can contract it from one night club in pattaya who knows what could happen here?!?

Yes, best head to a 'safe' underground bunker immediately (and please invite your colleagues).

[Phuketforlife]

I just think we should stop anything negative toward Thailand or phuket since every body on the Island is suffering during the last 8 months Economy on the Island as not increase and hotel and restaurants and bar's are all hurting the tourist level is down and closures will be for sure, they should start controlling there own country before they try to help others that need less help then Thailand with police men with a salary of 6000 and chief getting spiffs of 200 000 a week oh before i forget they give the police man a bonus for rent of 3500 have you seen apartments for this price there rat holes so tell me why now cop's in thailand our so corrupted. So lets give them a hand of applause so they can look more After this summit and spend a furturne on this event so then they can turn on there own people and including Foreigners for paying the bills after so look now they already started giving out ticket all over specially essential place like Kathu, its crazy that the world does not open there eyes and see the corruption and make them stop it and help create equal fairness and logic in to this country we love so much called Thailand which all these forums and articles come from and our based on.

Let turn this into a possitive Island let not turn this Island like a freak show they did in Bangkok....

Cheers

[baht&sold]

I just think we should stop anything negative toward Thailand or phuket (snip)

Let turn this into a possitive Island let not turn this Island like a freak show they did in Bangkok....

Cheers

But that's so selfish! How would TV survive with the apparent 'target market'????

Unless perhaps any posters are willing to actually pay for the privilege ? (as if that's a reality;)

Edited July 16, 2009 by baht&sold