Possibility Of Sabotage Taking Place On March 14: Abhisit

[webfact]

Sabotage threat: PM

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Abhisit warns of plots to create chaos as govt braces for rallies this week

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said recent intelligence reports had pointed to the possibility of sabotage taking place on March 14.

He said the government was closely monitoring the situation and would make sure no weapons are smuggled out of military barracks.

Abhisit said that the government's Security-Related Situation Monitoring Committee had received information indicating possible acts of sabotage aimed at creating chaos.

He did not give any details about the nature of the sabotage, or who might be behind such a plot.

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army had no information about the possibility of sabotage, adding that the intelligence mentioned by the prime minister could be from another security agency.

Abhisit said he would tomorrow seek the cooperation of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in preventing any clashes in the capital between demonstrators of different colours, such as between the red-shirted Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship and the blue-shirted pro-Newin Chidchob group.

The PM denied the government had any plan to deploy traffic spikes to stop red shirts' vehicles from entering Bangkok from upcountry.

He also insisted his administration was not a puppet of the bureaucratic elite (amataya).

He urged red-shirt protesters to be orderly and act in accordance with the Constitution.

Abhisit said he would try to communicate with the red shirts' leadership but, if that failed, he would then try to relay his messages through the mass media.

He reiterated that he had no intention to crack down on peaceful demonstrators, but was ready to impose special measures if necessary.

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday called on his red-shirt supporters to join the mass anti-government rally.

"I would like to urge those who love democracy, justice and equality, and those who think that I have been bullied without mercy and humanity, to join the rally," read his Twitter message.

He was referring to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders to have Bt46 billion of his assets seized for his being unusually wealthy due to abuse of power and conflict of interest.

Thaksin said on Friday night that a man who was treated for heart disease under his government's universal healthcare programme had offered to carry out a suicide bombing. However, he turned down the offer because he did not want to endanger anyone's life.

Thepthai Senpong, spokesman for Abhisit, who is the Democrat Party leader, claimed Thaksin has given red-shirt leaders Bt50 million.

He said the leadership had first asked for Bt100 million, but was only given half the sum to organise the rally and was now seeking an additional Bt20 million. No evidence was given to back his claim, however.

FUND-RAISING FOR RALLIES

Thepthai added that some "hard-core" red-shirt leaders had received separate sums after flying to Dubai to see Thaksin in person.

He also cited a security report that 100,000 vehicles of various types would enter Bangkok and as many as 1 million protesters would converge on the capital on March 14 with a view to peacefully overthrowing the government within three days. If they failed in that objective, protesters would as a fallback position try to oust the administration by March 20, he cited the report as saying. Thepthai said the security report revealed that the red shirts' operation would be divided into two phases.

They will first drum up support in at least 38 provinces until March 11, and then gather in large numbers in Bangkok with the Phan Fah Bridge on Rajdamnoen Avenue as their focal point centre, plus six subcentres.

Red-shirt-sympathising Buddhist monks will also gather at Bangkok's Sanam Luang, he added. The report also indicated that all former MPs from the dissolved Thai Rak Thai and People Power parties had been assigned the task of filling 200 vehicles carrying 10 passengers each.

Well-trained former Army officers - clad in black and carrying bamboo sticks - will serve as guards, he said.

Meanwhile, Democrat MP for Bangkok Kowit Tharana urged people who disagree with the red shirts to wear a ribbon in the tricolour of the national flag.

He said they should also carry placards saying they oppose violence.

Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai Itthidej Kaewluang said as many as 10,000 pickups carrying seven to 10 passengers each would head for Bangkok from the northern region alone to urge Abhisit to dissolve the House of Representatives.

"We would like Bangkokians to be sympathetic, because it's not often that rural folk get to visit Bangkok while Bangkokians always travel to the provinces. But since there will be so many people, I'm wondering if the government can handle it. If the government can't handle it, then it cannot stay in power. I'm personally fully prepared for a new election," he said.

-- The Nation 2010-03-07

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[neverdie]

and would make sure no weapons are smuggled out of military barracks.

I would of like to have thought this was common practise, sadly thats apparently not true. TIT I guess.

[jonclark]

I would like to add that there is also;

The possibility of sabotage NOT occurring next March 14th - As has been true for the last 8 years i have lived here.

Just so we can keep the whole debate balanced and not whip ourselves into a frenzy.

[Sunderland]

I flew from Dubai on EK374 on late Friday night with my wife (Thai) who works for Emirates. I commented on the higher than usual number of Thai passengers on that plane and she agreed 100%. There was one group in particular, numbering 20+ people, who were constantly moving between seats, shouting across everyone's heads to their 'friends' on the other side of the plane and were not your average tour group. The wife said their dialects were a mixture of northern and north-eastern. Most of them were aged 35-45 years old, but there were a couple of men in their 70s or even older ... village headmen perhaps? So is someone paying people to fly over and directly collect money from Thaksin or just to discuss strategies?

Maybe nothing, but I fly this route often and most of the Thais you see on there are usually cabin crew who work for Emirates flying home for a break or WAGS with foreign husbands/boyfriends/sponsors.

Must learn not to 'tink too mut'.

[Squigy]

I flew from Dubai on EK374 on late Friday night with my wife (Thai) who works for Emirates. I commented on the higher than usual number of Thai passengers on that plane and she agreed 100%. There was one group in particular, numbering 20+ people, who were constantly moving between seats, shouting across everyone's heads to their 'friends' on the other side of the plane and were not your average tour group. The wife said their dialects were a mixture of northern and north-eastern. Most of them were aged 35-45 years old, but there were a couple of men in their 70s or even older ... village headmen perhaps? So is someone paying people to fly over and directly collect money from Thaksin or just to discuss strategies?

Maybe nothing, but I fly this route often and most of the Thais you see on there are usually cabin crew who work for Emirates flying home for a break or WAGS with foreign husbands/boyfriends/sponsors.

Must learn not to 'tink too mut'.

I assume there must be a lot of Thai's who are sore over not receiving their "tea money" anymore from T and his cronies. These people should get out and find a new job or source of income.

Who pay's the airfares to Dubai (Centre of the T World... not for long) and why dont the just buy 1 way tickets if they are so unhappy about their lot back in Thailand. Maybe they could work as T's groundsman or T's driver or T's cook.. I am sure T has enough pull with the Govt of Dubai to get them to extend visa's to his rural folk.

[Squigy]

He also insisted his administration was not a puppet of the bureaucratic elite (amataya).

Prove it! To any outsider who has been in Thailand for a few years can work it out that this is NOT the case.

Who does he think he is kidding.

[anotherpeter]

He also insisted his administration was not a puppet of the bureaucratic elite (amataya).

Prove it! To any outsider who has been in Thailand for a few years can work it out that this is NOT the case.

Who does he think he is kidding.

Just because he is not a Thaksin croney doesn't make him a puppet. Does that mean that all the PPP and PT politicians were puppets of Thaksin?

Maybe with his extensive O/S education, he actually has a mind of his own now.

And how do you prove something like that? Regardless of any proof he provides, you won't believe it anyway. You've already made your decision. You won't listen to anything else now.

[Insight]

I flew from Dubai on EK374 on late Friday night with my wife (Thai) who works for Emirates. I commented on the higher than usual number of Thai passengers on that plane and she agreed 100%. There was one group in particular, numbering 20+ people, who were constantly moving between seats, shouting across everyone's heads to their 'friends' on the other side of the plane and were not your average tour group. The wife said their dialects were a mixture of northern and north-eastern. Most of them were aged 35-45 years old, but there were a couple of men in their 70s or even older ... village headmen perhaps? So is someone paying people to fly over and directly collect money from Thaksin or just to discuss strategies?

Maybe nothing, but I fly this route often and most of the Thais you see on there are usually cabin crew who work for Emirates flying home for a break or WAGS with foreign husbands/boyfriends/sponsors.

Must learn not to 'tink too mut'.

Just shown this to the missus - quite concerning.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army had no information about the possibility of sabotage, adding that the intelligence mentioned by the prime minister could be from another security agency.

So much for sharing intelligence information? More likely though the source is again the 'shark! shark!' cries from one of the hawks around Abhisit. "Meanwhile", those remarks are incredibly damaging, as the scenario seems to require that there are some elements in the military who would engage in sabotage. That seriously pushes buttons for foreign tourists and investors; even if true this should be dealt with internally.

[craigt3365]

He also insisted his administration was not a puppet of the bureaucratic elite (amataya).

Prove it! To any outsider who has been in Thailand for a few years can work it out that this is NOT the case.

Who does he think he is kidding.

What country leader is not at least a partial puppet to the bureaucratic elite???? They got all the money and help get these people elected...that's the way it works...

[siampolee]

Thaksin said on Friday night that a man who was treated for heart disease under his government's universal healthcare programme had offered to carry out a suicide bombing. However, he turned down the offer because he did not want to endanger anyone's life.

Rather an interesting ambiguous comment from Thaksin implying that suicide missions were mooted. However Thaksin out of his kind thoughts for others turned the suicide bombers offer down if it actually was made of course. We are well aware that Thaksin does indeed have a creative mind which at times seems no to be able to link to reality.

The true face shows yet again. power at any price, the well being of the Thai citizens in general is not on Thaksins or his toadying acolyte agenda.

Their agenda is power money total state control to benefit themselves alone.

[asiawatcher]

The PR machine is working overtime so the world maintains a vigil on Thailand but already all embassies are warning travellers to avoid Thailand next week.

Hopefully despite the Govt assurances all will be peaceful and be allowed to happen they will have a Plan B to round up these trouble makers and put it down at last so we can all move on.

But the damned Baht remains strong....

[mccw]

He also insisted his administration was not a puppet of the bureaucratic elite (amataya).

Prove it! To any outsider who has been in Thailand for a few years can work it out that this is NOT the case.

Who does he think he is kidding.

Even if he was, which i dont think he is, it would still be better than to be slave of Thaksin

[scotbeve]

He urged red-shirt protesters to be orderly and act in accordance with the Constitution.

Huh??? What constitution???

[scotbeve]

Indeed

He also insisted his administration was not a puppet of the bureaucratic elite (amataya).

Prove it! To any outsider who has been in Thailand for a few years can work it out that this is NOT the case.

Who does he think he is kidding.

[NanLaew]

and would make sure no weapons are smuggled out of military barracks.

I would of like to have thought this was common practise, sadly thats apparently not true. TIT I guess.

There's always that cache of arms allegedly seized by the Thai military from that plane at Don Muang and quickly squirreled away in some unknown army depot north of the capital.

The government and Air Force can't agree on what actual day the arms were seized.

Nobody has fronted up as the short-changed buyer of the stuff.

Nobody has defined exactly where the stuff came from.

I don't think anyone has actually seen the ordnance.

And the whole case was dismissed and the plane and crew released a short time ago.

And now the PM reckons we have to 'worry' about the 12th AND the 14th?

[animatic]

He also insisted his administration was not a puppet of the bureaucratic elite (amataya).

Prove it! To any outsider who has been in Thailand for a few years can work it out that this is NOT the case.

Who does he think he is kidding.

What country leader is not at least a partial puppet to the bureaucratic elite???? They got all the money and help get these people elected...that's the way it works...

That is the state of the world.

No one gets elected without debts to someone. Expectations to be filled.

In Abhisits case Suthep expected to make up for the damage caused to

southern districts by Thaksins blatant withdrawal of funding for infrastructure here.

As ANYONE in this district wopuld expect him to do. Certainly he is not loved here,

but if he gets the job done for his district he gets re-elected.

Is that a gangster... well compare him to Al Capone and no he isn't.

More a mayor Daily, political strong man or king maker.

No one is in TOTAL control of any nation except if they are a dictator.

Some people have executive decision making for their nation on a day to day basis,

but it is STILL a juggling of various sectors needs and priorities. And not all sectors are altruistic.

Abhisit is just juggling the factions as he must.

If PTP were playing fair they would be getting more consideration for their own factional backers,

but they have been nothing but a 'singularly attacking', rather than constructive 'Shadow' opposition,

and so they have essentially cut themselves out of the loop, their own fault IMHO,

in the hopes of getting the whole loop back in their hands. And not share a bit, as they did before.

Tory districts still get services when Labor is in charge,

because they know how far to push the game.

And visa versa, sadly PTP has no such level of subtlety.

[mazeltov]

I flew from Dubai on EK374 on late Friday night with my wife (Thai) who works for Emirates. I commented on the higher than usual number of Thai passengers on that plane and she agreed 100%. There was one group in particular, numbering 20+ people, who were constantly moving between seats, shouting across everyone's heads to their 'friends' on the other side of the plane and were not your average tour group. The wife said their dialects were a mixture of northern and north-eastern. Most of them were aged 35-45 years old, but there were a couple of men in their 70s or even older ... village headmen perhaps? So is someone paying people to fly over and directly collect money from Thaksin or just to discuss strategies?

Maybe nothing, but I fly this route often and most of the Thais you see on there are usually cabin crew who work for Emirates flying home for a break or WAGS with foreign husbands/boyfriends/sponsors.

Must learn not to 'tink too mut'.

OMG! Thai on a plane!

So every Thai abroad a suspect in a conspiracy plot as long they are not female in company of a foreign male (in whatever degree of relationship) or providing other kind of service like inflight service personal. but if they come in groups bigger than 4 person and speak a northern or north eastern dialect - caught, guilty, convictable.

i agree their behavior was maybe somewhat annoying for a lone independent passenger and deviant from frequent flyers, but traveling groups of people, socially connected to each other with more in common than just sharing the same plane, they will act different than how they would do when travel alone. Groups tend to develop their own dynamics and that can turn such a flight to a 'hayride'. nothing unusual and that can be observed on groups of various national, cultural and social backgrounds. that can happen with nearly any group unlike your average tour group or not, a group of Norse academics, Greek villagers, Welsh skittles club, Boston aunties from a quilt class, Mongolian CEOs, nothing special, unusual or suspect.

To conclude they are village headman on the way to collect money from Thaksin directly in Dubai is farfetched.

But Dear Dr. Watson, aren't terms and idioms like WAGS or 'tink too mut' somekind of marker of a regiolect or sociolect, variants of language used by speakers of a certain social back ground or from a particular geographical region? Especially 'tink too mut', isn't it even a 'locallect', a dialect spoken only in certain locals, taverns by speakers sitting on certain stools, seats of taller height than your usual chair?

[animatic]

He urged red-shirt protesters to be orderly and act in accordance with the Constitution.

Huh??? What constitution???

Try the one that you blythly ignore,

but that the Thai people voted for.

Alternately try either 1997 or 2007.

Makes no difference, these laws in question essentially remain the same.

[animatic]

and would make sure no weapons are smuggled out of military barracks.

I would of like to have thought this was common practise, sadly thats apparently not true. TIT I guess.

There's always that cache of arms allegedly seized by the Thai military from that plane at Don Muang and quickly squirreled away in some unknown army depot north of the capital.

The government and Air Force can't agree on what actual day the arms were seized.

Nobody has fronted up as the short-changed buyer of the stuff.

Nobody has defined exactly where the stuff came from.

I don't think anyone has actually seen the ordnance.

And the whole case was dismissed and the plane and crew released a short time ago.

And now the PM reckons we have to 'worry' about the 12th AND the 14th?

That would be a minuscule fraction of the local arms stash.

Not a game changer at all.

[lannarebirth]

and would make sure no weapons are smuggled out of military barracks.

I would of like to have thought this was common practise, sadly thats apparently not true. TIT I guess.

There's always that cache of arms allegedly seized by the Thai military from that plane at Don Muang and quickly squirreled away in some unknown army depot north of the capital.

The government and Air Force can't agree on what actual day the arms were seized.

Nobody has fronted up as the short-changed buyer of the stuff.

Nobody has defined exactly where the stuff came from.

I don't think anyone has actually seen the ordnance.

And the whole case was dismissed and the plane and crew released a short time ago.

And now the PM reckons we have to 'worry' about the 12th AND the 14th?

Remember Crispin's article about Jakroprob and company storing arms caches in the NE? Here's his latest one, though pre judgement day:

Some Bangkok-based diplomats suggest that Thaksin's post-coup reliance on discredited politicians and rogue military and police elements to push his agenda has further undermined his already questionable democratic credentials. That, they say, will conspire against any future Thaksin bid to portray government suppression of UDD protesters bent on violence as an anti-democratic crackdown deserving of international censure - as he attempted in the chaotic wake of last April's riots.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LB20Ae01.html

[NanLaew]

and would make sure no weapons are smuggled out of military barracks.

I would of like to have thought this was common practise, sadly thats apparently not true. TIT I guess.

There's always that cache of arms allegedly seized by the Thai military from that plane at Don Muang and quickly squirreled away in some unknown army depot north of the capital.

The government and Air Force can't agree on what actual day the arms were seized.

Nobody has fronted up as the short-changed buyer of the stuff.

Nobody has defined exactly where the stuff came from.

I don't think anyone has actually seen the ordnance.

And the whole case was dismissed and the plane and crew released a short time ago.

And now the PM reckons we have to 'worry' about the 12th AND the 14th?

That would be a minuscule fraction of the local arms stash.

Not a game changer at all.

Maybe so, but it only takes one well placed, well-timed and well thrown grenade to bring out a totally disproportionate military response or as you would call it a 'game changer'. I wasn't saying this particular cache of arms (if it ever existed) was anything to do with planned insurrection. The point is that nobody really knows what the military has what and where... and that includes the bloody military!

Now, wasn't Thaksin on the very edge of declaring his own martial law from his hotel while he was attending that UN bash; only to be pre-empted by the military who shut down his satellite links before staging their own coup?

If things even go slightly pear-shaped while Abhisit is in Australia and he decides that it's too dangerous and the military wades in 'for the good of the people', who is left to argue the case for the people?

If it's going to happen, it will happen next week. Otherwise it will be more sycophantic, talking heads bouncing ideas off each other and floating balloons. My wife is as red as they come but even she says that all the talking in the redshirts camp is just that. Talking. The "leaders" keep suggesting 'what if' and alluding to 'doing something' but without a real leader, nobody is going to do much of anything.

[khunjamespittman]

The PR machine is working overtime so the world maintains a vigil on Thailand but already all embassies are warning travellers to avoid Thailand next week.

Hopefully despite the Govt assurances all will be peaceful and be allowed to happen they will have a Plan B to round up these trouble makers and put it down at last so we can all move on.

But the damned Baht remains strong....

Having watched the Baht for the last 15 years, it is easy to see that valueation of the Baht has never reflected the financial reality of Thailand's GDP, Balance of payments, economy, or any other rational indicator for it valuation. Sometimes it appears like someone flips a coin every morning and that perosn gets to name the price to please whoever is in power at the moment.

[Sunderland]

I flew from Dubai on EK374 on late Friday night with my wife (Thai) who works for Emirates. I commented on the higher than usual number of Thai passengers on that plane and she agreed 100%. There was one group in particular, numbering 20+ people, who were constantly moving between seats, shouting across everyone's heads to their 'friends' on the other side of the plane and were not your average tour group. The wife said their dialects were a mixture of northern and north-eastern. Most of them were aged 35-45 years old, but there were a couple of men in their 70s or even older ... village headmen perhaps? So is someone paying people to fly over and directly collect money from Thaksin or just to discuss strategies?

Maybe nothing, but I fly this route often and most of the Thais you see on there are usually cabin crew who work for Emirates flying home for a break or WAGS with foreign husbands/boyfriends/sponsors.

Must learn not to 'tink too mut'.

OMG! Thai on a plane!

So every Thai abroad a suspect in a conspiracy plot as long they are not female in company of a foreign male (in whatever degree of relationship) or providing other kind of service like inflight service personal. but if they come in groups bigger than 4 person and speak a northern or north eastern dialect - caught, guilty, convictable.

i agree their behavior was maybe somewhat annoying for a lone independent passenger and deviant from frequent flyers, but traveling groups of people, socially connected to each other with more in common than just sharing the same plane, they will act different than how they would do when travel alone. Groups tend to develop their own dynamics and that can turn such a flight to a 'hayride'. nothing unusual and that can be observed on groups of various national, cultural and social backgrounds. that can happen with nearly any group unlike your average tour group or not, a group of Norse academics, Greek villagers, Welsh skittles club, Boston aunties from a quilt class, Mongolian CEOs, nothing special, unusual or suspect.

To conclude they are village headman on the way to collect money from Thaksin directly in Dubai is farfetched.

But Dear Dr. Watson, aren't terms and idioms like WAGS or 'tink too mut' somekind of marker of a regiolect or sociolect, variants of language used by speakers of a certain social back ground or from a particular geographical region? Especially 'tink too mut', isn't it even a 'locallect', a dialect spoken only in certain locals, taverns by speakers sitting on certain stools, seats of taller height than your usual chair?

Yes, you are right on every count. They were obviously a group of holidaymakers on a Club 35-75 holiday in Dubai.

My mistake.

[caf]

I would like to add that there is also;

The possibility of sabotage NOT occurring next March 14th - As has been true for the last 8 years i have lived here.

Just so we can keep the whole debate balanced and not whip ourselves into a frenzy.

I agree; speculation and unbridled journalism again. I have just read the posts following yours from sunderland and Squidgy. Predictably the opening post has brought out what it intended. An opportunity to incite. ( Illegal in Thailand as elsewhere, though the Nelson appraoch can be used depending on which side you are on)

caf

[caf]

Thaksin said on Friday night that a man who was treated for heart disease under his government's universal healthcare programme had offered to carry out a suicide bombing. However, he turned down the offer because he did not want to endanger anyone's life.

Rather an interesting ambiguous comment from Thaksin implying that suicide missions were mooted. However Thaksin out of his kind thoughts for others turned the suicide bombers offer down if it actually was made of course. We are well aware that Thaksin does indeed have a creative mind which at times seems no to be able to link to reality.

The true face shows yet again. power at any price, the well being of the Thai citizens in general is not on Thaksins or his toadying acolyte agenda.

Their agenda is power money total state control to benefit themselves alone.

Even if true, there was no implication of suicide missions being mooted. a really giood example of putting words in people's mouths to incite.

caf

[caf]

I flew from Dubai on EK374 on late Friday night with my wife (Thai) who works for Emirates. I commented on the higher than usual number of Thai passengers on that plane and she agreed 100%. There was one group in particular, numbering 20+ people, who were constantly moving between seats, shouting across everyone's heads to their 'friends' on the other side of the plane and were not your average tour group. The wife said their dialects were a mixture of northern and north-eastern. Most of them were aged 35-45 years old, but there were a couple of men in their 70s or even older ... village headmen perhaps? So is someone paying people to fly over and directly collect money from Thaksin or just to discuss strategies?

Maybe nothing, but I fly this route often and most of the Thais you see on there are usually cabin crew who work for Emirates flying home for a break or WAGS with foreign husbands/boyfriends/sponsors.

Must learn not to 'tink too mut'.

OMG! Thai on a plane!

So every Thai abroad a suspect in a conspiracy plot as long they are not female in company of a foreign male (in whatever degree of relationship) or providing other kind of service like inflight service personal. but if they come in groups bigger than 4 person and speak a northern or north eastern dialect - caught, guilty, convictable.

i agree their behavior was maybe somewhat annoying for a lone independent passenger and deviant from frequent flyers, but traveling groups of people, socially connected to each other with more in common than just sharing the same plane, they will act different than how they would do when travel alone. Groups tend to develop their own dynamics and that can turn such a flight to a 'hayride'. nothing unusual and that can be observed on groups of various national, cultural and social backgrounds. that can happen with nearly any group unlike your average tour group or not, a group of Norse academics, Greek villagers, Welsh skittles club, Boston aunties from a quilt class, Mongolian CEOs, nothing special, unusual or suspect.

To conclude they are village headman on the way to collect money from Thaksin directly in Dubai is farfetched.

But Dear Dr. Watson, aren't terms and idioms like WAGS or 'tink too mut' somekind of marker of a regiolect or sociolect, variants of language used by speakers of a certain social back ground or from a particular geographical region? Especially 'tink too mut', isn't it even a 'locallect', a dialect spoken only in certain locals, taverns by speakers sitting on certain stools, seats of taller height than your usual chair?

Spot on reply.

We need more lurkers like you to start speaking up in replies to some of these threads. They tend to get monoploised by those who only ever see one point of view, anti-thaksin.

He was extreemly corrupt and has been proved so but that does not take away what he actually did do for the electorate that voted for him democratically.

Let's all hope Thailand can move forward democratically. His majesty is on record of desiring a healing of the divisions, as he always has been. Give this a chance and stop the incitement and far fetched views in this last ppst.

caf

[animatic]

Thaksin brought up suicide bombings, no one else did.

[scotbeve]

How true that seems and it wouldn't surprise me.....

My reply function doesn't appear to be wroking properly

The PR machine is working overtime so the world maintains a vigil on Thailand but already all embassies are warning travellers to avoid Thailand next week.

Hopefully despite the Govt assurances all will be peaceful and be allowed to happen they will have a Plan B to round up these trouble makers and put it down at last so we can all move on.

But the damned Baht remains strong....

Having watched the Baht for the last 15 years, it is easy to see that valueation of the Baht has never reflected the financial reality of Thailand's GDP, Balance of payments, economy, or any other rational indicator for it valuation. Sometimes it appears like someone flips a coin every morning and that perosn gets to name the price to please whoever is in power at the moment.

[p_brownstone]

I flew from Dubai on EK374 on late Friday night with my wife (Thai) who works for Emirates. I commented on the higher than usual number of Thai passengers on that plane and she agreed 100%. There was one group in particular, numbering 20+ people, who were constantly moving between seats, shouting across everyone's heads to their 'friends' on the other side of the plane and were not your average tour group. The wife said their dialects were a mixture of northern and north-eastern. Most of them were aged 35-45 years old, but there were a couple of men in their 70s or even older ... village headmen perhaps? So is someone paying people to fly over and directly collect money from Thaksin or just to discuss strategies?

Maybe nothing, but I fly this route often and most of the Thais you see on there are usually cabin crew who work for Emirates flying home for a break or WAGS with foreign husbands/boyfriends/sponsors.

Must learn not to 'tink too mut'.

Oh d**m - major conspiracy alert!!

The sky is falling.

A group of Thais, on an airplaine from foreign Country " x " to - <gasp> pause for dramatic effect - Thailand!!!

Speaking together in Thai - and not quietly and discretely as we all know Thais habitually speak - but actually talking loudly, even shouting to each other - (<gasp> perhaps over the aircraft engine and other noises).

Obviously they were secretly planning a Riot / Insurrection / Coup.

Was your wife able to give you some idea of the content of their "shouted across eveyones heads" conversations or was she simply able to discern that their accents were Northern or North Eastern .......... and then she was obliged to switch of her "Conspiracy Theory Antennae" for some reason?

Patrick