Five Bombs Hit Surat Thani Ahead Of Red Shirt Rally

[Jingthing]

This is the probably red's version of 'suicide bombers', it is their suicide of the tourism industry and the international corporate investors in Thailands future growth.

I think we had the suicide of the tourist industry last November when a million or so tourists were stranded at Suvarnabhumi...I can't remember the colour of their shirts, can you?

Actually tourism was recovering quite well until the REDS starting going postal at Black Songkran. Lets focus on the here and now. It is Thaksin and his reds who are the major threats to the economy of Thailand.

[WISteve]

This is the probably red's version of 'suicide bombers', it is their suicide of the tourism industry and the international corporate investors in Thailands future growth.

I think we had the suicide of the tourist industry last November when a million or so tourists were stranded at Suvarnabhumi...I can't remember the colour of their shirts, can you?

Actually tourism was recovering quite well until the REDS starting going postal at Black Songkran. Lets focus on the here and now. It is Thaksin and his reds who are the major threats to the economy of Thailand.

You don't write for The Nation by chance?

The reason I ask is that they seem to have the ability to draw conclusions in the HEADLINES without any physical evidence as well.

This is truly developing into an unholy union and I'm putting less and less credence in anything I read in either The Nation or on ThaiVisa these days.

[vicco]

Excuse me if i'm wrong but there have been bomb attacks in the south pretty much every other day or so for the past 5 years. Unless I'm mistaken, Surat Thani isn't really a Red area either. Is there any actual evidence linking the Red Shirt protests to the bombings?

Good question....no there is not the slightest evidence....but on here that does not matter. Even if there was conclusive proof that it was nothing to do with UDD...it would be discredited by the TV Redshirt experts. Their minds are always made up within 30 seconds of getting the news. There is not the slightest possibility of anyone other than Redhsirts doing these things....No other political movement in the world has radical splinter elements that from time to time get out of hand and do things that tarnish the movement. Trade Union rallies are always full of peace and harmony...French farmers always demonstrate very cordially. as do animal rights groups, enviormental protesters we won't get into football fans etc. You have to understand that Thai rice farmers and bee keepers are the most violent people on the planet... and Red is well known to be an "aggressive" color. The case is already closed...don't try to confuse everyone with facts... or objective opinions..

[backsoon]

And this is going to be a "peaceful demonstration" ........................................

I didn't know that any group had as yet claimed responsibility for the bombs. what do you know that the media doesnt yet know?

No group has claimed responsibility. The article implies that the blast occurred as the red shirts were leaving for Bangkok.

And no group will claim responsibility for any violence in Bangkok either. It doesn't matter how they're dressed. It will all be blamed on other groups.

Beware of red shirts (or blue shirts or yellow shirts or green shirts) because they might actually be blue shirts or yellow shirts or green shirts (or red shirts) dressed as red shirts (or blue shirts or yellow shirts or green shirts).

Give me a break, man. I am colorblind.

Why can't they go topless? Than we could see whether they are elite or not!

And see all the strings attached.

[kangeroo]

yes well I'm just out of korat and here we go again a bus load of the locals are of to bkk including the girl friend and there is nothing i can say to her, except up to you , but the intresting thing which is the same as the last time 80% are being payed .

cheers

[IvanDobsky]

This is the probably red's version of 'suicide bombers', it is their suicide of the tourism industry and the international corporate investors in Thailands future growth.

I think we had the suicide of the tourist industry last November when a million or so tourists were stranded at Suvarnabhumi...I can't remember the colour of their shirts, can you?

It was yellows in November 2008 not 2009. It was reds in April 2009 trying to blow stuff up and only succeeding with a few buses.

One doesn't make the other OK. A plague on both their houses.

[IvanDobsky]

And this is going to be a "peaceful demonstration" ........................................

I didn't know that any group had as yet claimed responsibility for the bombs. what do you know that the media doesnt yet know?

No group has claimed responsibility. The article implies that the blast occurred as the red shirts were leaving for Bangkok.

And no group will claim responsibility for any violence in Bangkok either. It doesn't matter how they're dressed. It will all be blamed on other groups.

Beware of red shirts (or blue shirts or yellow shirts or green shirts) because they might actually be blue shirts or yellow shirts or green shirts (or red shirts) dressed as red shirts (or blue shirts or yellow shirts or green shirts).

Give me a break, man. I am colorblind.

Why can't they go topless? Than we could see whether they are elite or not!

And see all the strings attached.

not with the amount of 'aunties' on show thanks!

[bhoydy]

yes well I'm just out of korat and here we go again a bus load of the locals are of to bkk including the girl friend and there is nothing i can say to her, except up to you , but the intresting thing which is the same as the last time 80% are being payed .

cheers

Why don't you offer her double to stay and then you'll know if it's really about the money?

[kangeroo]

no she doesn't need the money she really believes in all the red shirt stuff , i cant argue because i dont understand and after reading most of the post there are a lot the same as me .

[vicco]

yes well I'm just out of korat and here we go again a bus load of the locals are of to bkk including the girl friend and there is nothing i can say to her, except up to you , but the intresting thing which is the same as the last time 80% are being payed .

cheers

I assume you mean paid? Funny I live right in the heart of "Redshirt" country and I'm completely surrounded by them. Many of them (neighbours) have headed for BKK and as far as I can tell, not one of them is being paid (or payed either). This whole payment thing is another myth generated for obvious reasons. Some people are compensated for providing transport, food, performing on stage and many other services but the vast majority are there because they believe in the cause. If you had to work 12-14 hours a day just to get by, and watch your elitist fellow countrymen loot the country would you need to be paid to try and make a change. Did the masses that supported the French revolution get paid?....Did all those Russians that that rose up to support the revolution get paid? These things happen because large masses of people are disenfranchised....not because they get paid....Now the people who go to such lengths to discredit the movement...they really do get paid!! So as far as payments are concerned..who has the moral high ground?? The government and it's supporters could solve all this but the wealthy class who prop up the whole thing will not give up one baht....or one iota of power. They have won the battles so far...they may win this one too, but the side that wins most of the battles does not necessarily win the war!

[CockneyGit]

Just thinking out loud really, but is this possibly also aimed at hitting the tourism trade..??

They wouldn't dare disrupt the airport, so the next best thing would surely be to hit the most visited tourist region in the country (Samui, Phangan, Tao)..??

Added bonus is that it's the home of the deputy PM..!!

[SeanMoran]

yes well I'm just out of korat and here we go again a bus load of the locals are of to bkk including the girl friend and there is nothing i can say to her, except up to you , but the intresting thing which is the same as the last time 80% are being payed .

cheers

I assume you mean paid? Funny I live right in the heart of "Redshirt" country and I'm completely surrounded by them. Many of them (neighbours) have headed for BKK and as far as I can tell, not one of them is being paid (or payed either). This whole payment thing is another myth generated for obvious reasons. Some people are compensated for providing transport, food, performing on stage and many other services but the vast majority are there because they believe in the cause. If you had to work 12-14 hours a day just to get by, and watch your elitist fellow countrymen loot the country would you need to be paid to try and make a change. Did the masses that supported the French revolution get paid?....Did all those Russians that that rose up to support the revolution get paid? These things happen because large masses of people are disenfranchised....not because they get paid....Now the people who go to such lengths to discredit the movement...they really do get paid!! So as far as payments are concerned..who has the moral high ground?? The government and it's supporters could solve all this but the wealthy class who prop up the whole thing will not give up one baht....or one iota of power. They have won the battles so far...they may win this one too, but the side that wins most of the battles does not necessarily win the war!

Amen.

[rreddin]

Too think we imagined it wouldn't get down here.

This is a message for Suthep of course.

And a bad omen for this weeks events.

The problems in the far south have not merited much air time on Thai television and barely touches the consciousness of ordinary Thais even though 1000 people were killed down there in the last year. Who in their right mind would not have expected the Islamic seapartists to take advantage of the situation? Of course they were going to kick off and cause as much confusion as they can. They have also caused explosions in Bangkok in the not too distant past. So it should have been expected that they would become more active now. It may be that the Govt is too watching the red shirts to have noticed what the Islamist separatists are doing.

Heaven forbid that those 6000 guns etc really were stolen and have found their way into the hands of the Islamist separatists.

[sbk]

Just as an FYI for those who don't seem to understand terminology in Thailand.

Surat Thani is in the South. The South begins at Chumphon, or Prachuab Khiri Khan depending on who you talk to. The Muslim separatists are in the area referred to as the Deep South, mainly the provinces along the Malaysian border.

The Muslim separatists have concentrated themselves in the Deep South and are unlikely to be throwing bombs at streets in Surat.

[anotherpeter]

I assume you mean paid? Funny I live right in the heart of "Redshirt" country and I'm completely surrounded by them. Many of them (neighbours) have headed for BKK and as far as I can tell, not one of them is being paid (or payed either). This whole payment thing is another myth generated for obvious reasons. Some people are compensated for providing transport, food, performing on stage and many other services but the vast majority are there because they believe in the cause. If you had to work 12-14 hours a day just to get by, and watch your elitist fellow countrymen loot the country would you need to be paid to try and make a change. Did the masses that supported the French revolution get paid?....Did all those Russians that that rose up to support the revolution get paid? These things happen because large masses of people are disenfranchised....not because they get paid....Now the people who go to such lengths to discredit the movement...they really do get paid!! So as far as payments are concerned..who has the moral high ground?? The government and it's supporters could solve all this but the wealthy class who prop up the whole thing will not give up one baht....or one iota of power. They have won the battles so far...they may win this one too, but the side that wins most of the battles does not necessarily win the war!

"watch your elitist fellow countrymen loot the country" ... Someone told me that Thaksin wasn't elite???

[animatic]

Excuse me if i'm wrong but there have been bomb attacks in the south pretty much every other day or so for the past 5 years. Unless I'm mistaken, Surat Thani isn't really a Red area either. Is there any actual evidence linking the Red Shirt protests to the bombings?

Surat Thani is rarely a targeted site of southern separatist terrorists who primarily bomb away in Pattani, Yala and Narithiwat. Outside of those three provinces, Songkhla and Had Yai in it are more often targeted.

Red still looks like red to me.

This is not southern insurgents.

They actual can hit their targets.

And most all the muslims living in Surat Thani are decently treated

and considered members of the greater community. Allowed to live as they see fit.

There are two muslim villages not from from me.

This is a message right in the financial heart of Sutheps home district.

And aimed at his cronies and general base.

The only other time in memory this has happened was

at a similar juncture of Red driven hostilities. And it essentially unknown otherwise.

[KK-Mike]

Too think we imagined it wouldn't get down here.

This is a message for Suthep of course.

And a bad omen for this weeks events.

What is life like in the Surat Thani area, would one move there or away from there??

[rreddin]

yes well I'm just out of korat and here we go again a bus load of the locals are of to bkk including the girl friend and there is nothing i can say to her, except up to you , but the intresting thing which is the same as the last time 80% are being payed .

cheers

I can't speak for your neck of the woods. However, in this ampur, local villagers have raised over 150,000 baht from voluntary donations to pay for the fuel and food for those who could go to Bangkok. They went in their own vehicles, not hired pickups. That should be enough for at least 20 pickups, each with 10 people, from this ampur alone. Not all of the vehicles were pickups, somepeople round here also own a car!

Before you get cynical, they genuinely were voluntary donations from people who have a real grievance against this govt and its backers, It seems that most of the ex-pat community as represented by posts on this forum do not understand the strength of feeling against this govt by ordinary people, not just the "red shirts".

[animatic]

The Deputy PM Suthep is from Surat and is an ardent foe of Thaksin. This is not the first anti-Suthep disturbance in Surat Thani.

Foolish to piss off Surat natives, after all, they are all hired killers with black hearts

LOL.

I had a similar thought, but reigned it in before being first poster.

We can't say all are this way,

but it ~IS said a surprising number of this demographic are from this district.

Now Arisman has been threatening Suthep telling him he may need to find a new place to live.

Surprise this IS where Suthep lives. Coincidence? Doubtful.

Edited March 12, 2010 by animatic

[greasergirl]

first of all

this thread drives me colorblind.....

is there any free unbiased newspaper in Thailand ?

Or... as there is not much that can be called unbiased and free even in Europe,

how can we hope to find beside some scare infomation on the web

something really unbiased in Asia? The Nation, certainly not

go there for lifestyle and things like that.

If we like to vote and dream of changing things, we would not be

or thinking of being in Thailand or Asia , other things are driving us, this is

absolutely OK and we all hope democracy will install in near future...

a look alike China 2 is no dream we are dreaming of....Gina

I can name u lot of reasons I'm leaving Europe,

go read the German Spiegel, FAZ and Zeit about Guido Westerwelle.

All should know he is gay, all should know that he is living

something 99,8% like a marriage with his partner Monz.

A 'Lebenspartnerschaft" a German construct 99,8% like a gay marriage in UK

All newspapers see a huge difference to a minister with a wife,

and him being on a trip........with his gay partner.

since 3 days there is nothing else political relevant in Germany or Europe

Europe is politically a big chaos..I tried

to change things for 22 years, I stop now !!!!

No sense anymore to do so......

Gina

[animatic]

Too think we imagined it wouldn't get down here.

This is a message for Suthep of course.

And a bad omen for this weeks events.

What is life like in the Surat Thani area, would one move there or away from there??

Spent a few evenings there over the years after missing the Samui ferry boat.

It has most of the amenities and prices are quite cheap.

Nice enough town, but for me a bit boring. But I have met some very nice locals

there and always been treated well, except by the usual crooked bus trip touts

and unadvertised restaurant stops at cousins place etc. preying on tourists.

Like anywhere there are good and bed elements.

But to answer your question, I wouldn't move to there.

[mazeltov]

Excuse me if i'm wrong but there have been bomb attacks in the south pretty much every other day or so for the past 5 years. Unless I'm mistaken, Surat Thani isn't really a Red area either. Is there any actual evidence linking the Red Shirt protests to the bombings?

Surat Thani is rarely a targeted site of southern separatist terrorists who primarily bomb away in Pattani, Yala and Narithiwat. Outside of those three provinces, Songkhla and Had Yai in it are more often targeted.

Red still looks like red to me.

This is not southern insurgents.

They actual can hit their targets.

And most all the muslims living in Surat Thani are decently treated

and considered members of the greater community. Allowed to live as they see fit.

There are two muslim villages not from from me.

This is a message right in the financial heart of Sutheps home district.

And aimed at his cronies and general base.

The only other time in memory this has happened was

at a similar juncture of Red driven hostilities. And it essentially unknown otherwise.

yes, will all know muslim are decent chums. THE YEWS DID WTC!

and its totally all clear that the are behind Mr. Thaksin. Thaksin is a YEW PUPPET.

they come always when they smell the money and want suppress us all. now they target the white christian working class men favorite holiday province in Thailand. it is the YEWS. that is so obvious.

i can write it in the internet - hence it is true. and we don't need no further evidence.

[Moonrakers]

Excuse me if i'm wrong but there have been bomb attacks in the south pretty much every other day or so for the past 5 years. Unless I'm mistaken, Surat Thani isn't really a Red area either. Is there any actual evidence linking the Red Shirt protests to the bombings?

Surat Thani is rarely a targeted site of southern separatist terrorists who primarily bomb away in Pattani, Yala and Narithiwat. Outside of those three provinces, Songkhla and Had Yai in it are more often targeted.

Red still looks like red to me.

This is not southern insurgents.

They actual can hit their targets.

And most all the muslims living in Surat Thani are decently treated

and considered members of the greater community. Allowed to live as they see fit.

There are two muslim villages not from from me.

This is a message right in the financial heart of Sutheps home district.

And aimed at his cronies and general base.

The only other time in memory this has happened was

at a similar juncture of Red driven hostilities. And it essentially unknown otherwise.

yes, will all know muslim are decent chums. THE YEWS DID WTC!

and its totally all clear that the are behind Mr. Thaksin. Thaksin is a YEW PUPPET.

they come always when they smell the money and want suppress us all. now they target the white christian working class men favorite holiday province in Thailand. it is the YEWS. that is so obvious.

i can write it in the internet - hence it is true. and we don't need no further evidence.

[Insight]

Has Romfoord forgot how to use bold text!?!

[rainman]

Yet another desperate attempt by the Abhisit government to blame everything on the red shirts.

[golferchin76]

No, they are Democratics that bomb themselves...

Excuse me if i'm wrong but there have been bomb attacks in the south pretty much every other day or so for the past 5 years. Unless I'm mistaken, Surat Thani isn't really a Red area either. Is there any actual evidence linking the Red Shirt protests to the bombings?

I have businesses and friends in Surathani and Songka and I assure you that anything north of Hatyai (300km south of Surathani) and include Hatyai itself the life of people evolve around sun in normal ways. It is when you enter Pattani and southward the scenery starts to give you goose bumps. Armed soldier, concrete road

blocks, empty and leaves filled highway pavements.

And sure there is no actual evidence linking the red to the bombings. I think this is intelligence warfare at work. The purpose is to create a climate of fear. As angiud wrote above, 'democrats placed the bomb themselves.' Or CNS, army, who knows. The purpose could be to instill fear into the heart of Bangkokian, to taint the image of reds.

[Publicus]

Too think we imagined it wouldn't get down here.

This is a message for Suthep of course.

And a bad omen for this weeks events.

What is life like in the Surat Thani area, would one move there or away from there??

Spent a few evenings there over the years after missing the Samui ferry boat.

It has most of the amenities and prices are quite cheap.

Nice enough town, but for me a bit boring. But I have met some very nice locals

there and always been treated well, except by the usual crooked bus trip touts

and unadvertised restaurant stops at cousins place etc. preying on tourists.

Like anywhere there are good and bed elements.

But to answer your question, I wouldn't move to there.

I did both, move to there and moved out of there, nine months apart. Very good restaurants and a wild hour's drive on narrow roads to the beach and more restaurants and clubs. Snafu is that it rains.....and rains...........and rains..........

Friendly people.....still the only place I'd been in in LOS where anytime the temperature gets above 30 Thais complain that it's hot (it's usually raining and cool).

So, more on topic, some Reds drove in and planted some devices and drove out again. Red is still Red and by itself no other color than Red and only Red.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Publicus

[barney42bb]

Excuse me if i'm wrong but there have been bomb attacks in the south pretty much every other day or so for the past 5 years. Unless I'm mistaken, Surat Thani isn't really a Red area either. Is there any actual evidence linking the Red Shirt protests to the bombings?

Deputy PM Suthep Thuagsuban comes from Suratthani.

Now I see a bright Red.

Come on Red Shirt Buffalo's...Do your worse...Many far-rang hoping you will smash your own countries credibility...Even more.

I will wait until late Monday to change some money up...hopefully your actions will push the baht back to 95 to the ££££.

You have been ripping tourists and ex -pats off too long.

[vicco]

I assume you mean paid? Funny I live right in the heart of "Redshirt" country and I'm completely surrounded by them. Many of them (neighbours) have headed for BKK and as far as I can tell, not one of them is being paid (or payed either). This whole payment thing is another myth generated for obvious reasons. Some people are compensated for providing transport, food, performing on stage and many other services but the vast majority are there because they believe in the cause. If you had to work 12-14 hours a day just to get by, and watch your elitist fellow countrymen loot the country would you need to be paid to try and make a change. Did the masses that supported the French revolution get paid?....Did all those Russians that that rose up to support the revolution get paid? These things happen because large masses of people are disenfranchised....not because they get paid....Now the people who go to such lengths to discredit the movement...they really do get paid!! So as far as payments are concerned..who has the moral high ground?? The government and it's supporters could solve all this but the wealthy class who prop up the whole thing will not give up one baht....or one iota of power. They have won the battles so far...they may win this one too, but the side that wins most of the battles does not necessarily win the war!

"watch your elitist fellow countrymen loot the country" ... Someone told me that Thaksin wasn't elite???

That response hardly speaks to the point I was trying to make.......if we could all just get off the Thaksin fixation, and try to understand the anger and frustration of these people maybe we would get somewhere. (I'm not holding my breath on that one.. ) I know the Reds hold Thaksin up as a kind of Idol..he was their guy and he was ousted by a Military coup. I gather many on TV are OK with military coups as reasonable solutions for handling PM's they disagree with?? Why bother with elections when the army can take care of business in a few hours...and then you can just appoint the government you want. Anyway, there is a hel_l of a lot more to this than Thaksin. Those of us who actually live close to the supporters of this movement know that very well. Those who do not.... well what more can I say....It's like spit in the wind trying to explain anything to them....the reds are always guilty even when proven innocent. The Reds may be a bit rough around the edges--but that does not make them bad guys- or stupid guys....just not very polished guys. they did not have the benefit of a private school education and Oxford. I personally like the Thai PM...he seems like a polished and reasonable man...but the circumstances under which he tries to govern just do not allow him to move forward. He is seen (rightly or wrongly) as a puppet of the ruling classes and acts only on their behalf. For the great mass of rural people that is just not going to be accepted and something has to give, otherwise this destructive state of affairs will just go on and on. The country desperately needs a fair and transparent election. There is good and bad...right and wrong on both sides of this ongoing saga.

Come to think of it many of the leaders in the UK have been to Oxford and look what a great job they do even when they are democratically elected.... ..sorry off topic---just could not resist!!!

[Robbie Dye]

So what does bombing in the south have to do with udd gathering in bangkok? I personally donot see the connection. Thats like saying I caught a cold because my uncle in Canada sneezed.

It doesn't, but it makes a good headline. Like "Swine flu in Canada. Lovelomsak's uncle sneezed".

Thought the swine still resident in the Middle East ??