PAD to resume street protests if gov't pushes for charter rewrite

The core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy have threatened to resume street protest by the yellow shirts if the government proceeds to amend the charter.

The leaders, including Sondhi Limthongkul, Somsak Kosaisuk, Somkiart Pongpaibul, reminded the crowds on Wednesday that they had held street protests totalling 226 days to oppose charter rewrite under two puppet governments.

"We rallied two times for 33 days and 193 days totalling 226 days to oppose charter amendments and oust two puppet governments and now the present government has the idea of amending the charter," Chamlong said.

-- The Nation 2009/10/07

Well, here we go again.

High-season is knocking at the door.

Not only tourists will be pleased to know about their intentions....

What's it all about???

UPDATE

PAD to resume street protests if gov't pushes for charter rewrite

By The Nation

The core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy have threatened to resume street protest by the yellow shirts if the government proceeds to amend the charter.

The leaders, including Sondhi Limthongkul, Somsak Kosaisuk, Somkiart Pongpaibul, reminded the crowds on Wednesday that they had held street protests totalling 226 days to oppose charter rewrite under two puppet governments.

"We rallied two times for 33 days and 193 days totalling 226 days to oppose charter amendments and oust two puppet governments and now the present government has the idea of amending the charter," Chamlong said.

Responding to Somsak's question on reviving street protests, the crowds gave a long cheer in support of taking to the streets once again. None made any noise when asked if they disagreed with the protest plan.

The threat for the resumption of street protests was made at a Royal Plaza rally to mark the last's year bloodshed caused by the October 7 crackdown on yellow-shirt protesters.

-- The Nation 2009/10/07

the PAD are morons, just like the redshirts.

I hope they don't ruin this high-season... but have to give them some credit, they are "standing on their principals" no matter who is PM...

High-season is knocking at the door.

Not only tourists will be pleased to know about their intentions....

What's it all about???

Discounting some problems with tourists / airports / PAD, overall the PAD protests had little if any effect on the tourists. As a matter of fact, some of it became a tourist attraction - on a couple of occassions my wife acted as translator for a number of tourists who visited parliament house to see the protest first hand .

Legally the parliament can pass the amendments without any input from the people, and now it's on the House agenda.

Abhisit promised to hold a referemdum but the option of amending two minor articles on its own, just because all parties in parliament agree on them, is still there.

Also PAD is the only group of people feeling strongly enough about the amendments to take it to the streets. Finally we can hear people's voice, albeit only one group of people. Still it's a change from lonely Abhisit carrying the torch, even if he does alright so far.

Even with referendum - while it sounds like a good idea on paper, the fact is that the proposed amendments ARE self-serving, politicians just want public approval for their schemes. That is not how it's supposed to work. Reds probably want the referendum because it can speed up the elections - also not a good reason to change the highest law in the land.

Bottom line - the constitution is not a problem, tinkering with it without a reason is not appropriate. The mindset of persuading people by all available means to support hidden agendas is not appropriate.

High-season is knocking at the door.

Not only tourists will be pleased to know about their intentions....

What's it all about???

Discounting some problems with tourists / airports / PAD, overall the PAD protests had little if any effect on the tourists. As a matter of fact, some of it became a tourist attraction - on a couple of occassions my wife acted as translator for a number of tourists who visited parliament house to see the protest first hand .

Yeah right- How can you discount the airport fiasco, one of the main events created by the PADiots and then go on to say "little effect" .

Ask the hotels and tourism related businesses if that is a correct assumption. Oh - and perhaps ask the tourists who were stranded at Swampy have discounted it and if they thought it will have any effect on their opinions of Thailand.

Pleased your wife was one of the few to benefit.

I hope they don't ruin this high-season... but have to give them some credit, they are "standing on their principals" no matter who is PM...

Don't give credit to yellow thugs!

I don't want them in the streets, but I can understand their motives.

They see the government probably pandering to the same greedy folks

that they have been working for years to hamstring.

As in,

the proposed charter amendments are being written by politicians to benefit politicians

Resolving issues BETWEEN politician cliques, to stop artificial street protests, and then

everyone makes nice. Problem is that is basically forgiving the unforgivable IN ADVANCE.

Except essentiallyit is a facade and a charade. This will hardly benefit "The People" directly.

But I do see it as an excellent stalling action to calm the streets,

at least from ONE side, the clearly more dangerous one,

and allow the current crew to implement better actual policy for the people.

This weeks education initiative being another excellent start.

So if this side tracks PTP and the Reddened hordes enough to let Abhisit work for the country

we may all benefit from this slightly more tranquill interlude. Regardless if PAD moves or not.

Lets call PAD equal opportunity annoyers...

But it is easy to see why they wouldn't like the gains they have seen made,

erased on the alter of faux reconciliation, for the betterment of a self serving clique or 3.

If the PAD want to get taken seriously as a political party they need stop protesting.

Can someone knowledgeable break down exactly what the PADites object to here (specifically)?

Maybe now because they are starting their own political party they have no use for the democrats and want to get rid of them also, so they can step into power the same way the democrats did after their last protest. The PAD try to sound like they want whats best for the country but the followers are been horribly fooled by the people at the top of the yellow ladder, and in my opinion those people are worse than any Thai politician before them.

'As a matter of fact, some of it became a tourist attraction '

no facts there for me i'm afraid

for me I've really lost my attraction to thailand especially after i had to cancel my trip due to the happy clappy protesters, I was unable to keep the rose tinted glasses on for my last trip and am not looking forward to my already booked trip at xmas though i have mitigated this by popping over to cambodia for 10 days and spending only a few days in bangkok, next year i've booked for bali a bit further on the plane for me but worth it for the extra relaxation gained.

High-season is knocking at the door.

Not only tourists will be pleased to know about their intentions....

What's it all about???

Discounting some problems with tourists / airports / PAD, overall the PAD protests had little if any effect on the tourists. As a matter of fact, some of it became a tourist attraction - on a couple of occassions my wife acted as translator for a number of tourists who visited parliament house to see the protest first hand .

The argentinian ambassador talking today in thailand on a tv show would not agree with you on that. he was supported too by a japanese businessman.

The jetskis have done it for tourism but the airport closure and the uncertain politics have affected business.

The petulant threats from PAD have the potential of shredding the fragile tourist trade recovery.

TVF's PAD fanclub will have their work cut out for them trying to justify the new threats. The Cambodia border fiasco saw them say oh but those people trying to incite a war really weren't there with the full blessing of the PAD hierarchy. However, it's going to be difficult to make excuses for PAD if there are street protests that disrupt the nation.

Watch for Thaksin's name and the "redshirts" to get dragged into this. Fact is that neither Mr. Thaksin, not the resdshirts, not anyone else except for PAD and its backers are behind this latest turn of events. Time to accept the fact that PAD is bad for the country and does nothing to benefit the nation.

what the pay for being a protester this time around?

PAD say they are set to protest if the Dems push for charter changes.

Their protest would be misplaced- it's Mr Thaksin, copy-cat opportunist Mr Newin, Puea Thai and the banned 111 who are 'pushing' charter change (or rather exoneration from past charges and a 'get out of jail' free pass to repeat- with impunity;)

Perhaps the PAD (along with Mr Sondhi's overriding personal grudge) could relocate their protest to Dubai (or Germany;) Regardless, their potential re-ignition is as unwelcome as the unknowing red-pawns (cynically used like convenient bond-slaves) are misguided and neither pawns are likely welcomed by the fed-up majority, especially on the door of high season.

Oct promises to be an eventful month (much more than 'normal') unfortunately...

'Winner' takes all - of what's left.

Edited October 7, 200916 yr by baht&sold

what the pay for being a protester this time around?

PAD 0 Baht

Red: 500 Baht

The charter should be made new but in a way that people with initiate vote-buying are banned from politics for lifetime and stay in jail for 1 year.

People who just took the money are not allowed to vote forever (they destroy the democratic system so they can't be part of it).

If important person from a party do vote-buying and the other leader don't exclude them and report them the party must be dissolved and all their properties should be state properties.

That would be the way to go, just it won't happen.....

Actually heard from a thai mate, apparently she was offered 800bht to be a yellow.

Edited October 7, 200916 yr by britmaveric

If they're going to shut the airport down again the second week in November would be good.

If they're going to shut the airport down again the second week in November would be good.

is your mother in law flying in?

Time to accept the fact that PAD is bad for the country and does nothing to benefit the nation.

I don't agree. PAD was instrumental in getting rid of T. It also helped sweep Samak and Somchai out. Just getting those 3 problematic people out of top office have been beneficial to Thailand.

Reds are reading from the same playbook and trying to get Abhisit out, but it's not working. Indeed, general respect for Abhisit is increasing, despite many months of Red bellyaching.

Generally I'm ok with PAD, but some of their actions are a drag, such as their most recent plans to protest re; charter change. Plus, their choice of Sondhi as their standard bearer leaves much to be desired.

If they're going to shut the airport down again the second week in November would be good.

is your mother in law flying in?

Nah, I'm there for a holiday. Last year I got an extra week in the LoS because of the airport closure

Actually heard from a thai mate, apparently she was offered 800bht to be a yellow.

She called to you in the UK from Thailand yesterday to tell you she was offered money to be a yellow?

The petulant threats from PAD have the potential of shredding the fragile tourist trade recovery.

TVF's PAD fanclub will have their work cut out for them trying to justify the new threats. The Cambodia border fiasco saw them say oh but those people trying to incite a war really weren't there with the full blessing of the PAD hierarchy. However, it's going to be difficult to make excuses for PAD if there are street protests that disrupt the nation.

Watch for Thaksin's name and the "redshirts" to get dragged into this. Fact is that neither Mr. Thaksin, not the resdshirts, not anyone else except for PAD and its backers are behind this latest turn of events. Time to accept the fact that PAD is bad for the country and does nothing to benefit the nation.

a good summary of the reality of what is happening

Time to accept the fact that PAD is bad for the country and does nothing to benefit the nation.

I don't agree. PAD was instrumental in getting rid of T. It also helped sweep Samak and Somchai out. Just getting those 3 problematic people out of top office have been beneficial to Thailand.

Absolutely correct.

High-season is knocking at the door.

Not only tourists will be pleased to know about their intentions....

What's it all about???

Discounting some problems with tourists / airports / PAD, overall the PAD protests had little if any effect on the tourists. As a matter of fact, some of it became a tourist attraction - on a couple of occassions my wife acted as translator for a number of tourists who visited parliament house to see the protest first hand .

Would that be the tourists who were locked in the country and could not get out or the ones that were locked out and could not get in or all the ones who cancelled their trips to LOS, because of the yellowbellies stupid antics? The imbeciles ruined last high season and they seem to intend to do it again.