Four M-79 Grenades Fired Into A Battalion In Bangkok, Injuring 2 Soldiers

[Jirapa]

I just had a very articulate Thai women in my store who is very anti-Thaksin and has never had anything good to say about the redshirts. She feels that the protesters in Bangkok have conducted themselves so well this weekend that they are making a real case for themselves with Thais that were against them before.

Let us hope that no one has ruined all of that.

The BBC is giving mostly a one-sided pro-Red coverage of the Reds intent to overthrow the government. It is surprising what the BBC is LEAVING OUT of the events. The BBC coverage is in essence saying that the Reds are seeking a vote and implying that Thailand's present government is a dictatorship. But, then what can we expect from a country that has given safe haven to every convicted Thai criminal who flees the country?

Taksin had his UK visa revoked and had to leave. And who are all these Thai criminals living in the UK? Anyone facing the death penalty if they're returned to their own country is allowed to stay and if the charges against them are considered credible they'll be locked up in the UK. I'm no redshirt but better than a redneck!

[connel707]

Some people may be aware that the US launched an open war against North Vietnam due to an 'incident' in the Gulf of Tonkin in August 1964. It was later revealed the 'incident' had been engineered by the Americans. It's possible, in a similar, vein, that what seems obvious, isn't obvious especially in a land of smoke and mirrors such as Thailand. Skepticism is healthy. Due to this incident, a 'power' in this large chess game may gain an advantage. However, without question you could just believe it's the red shirts. Up to you.

Get a frigging life....

[JungleJim]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

Salient point. Just as likely to be the work of the yellows in order to stir a reaction from the army and to create the association in peoples minds between the red shirts and violence.

[connel707]

the only good thing i can think of this is the baht should get weaker? financial gurus r u out there?

We live in Thailand...don`t we want the Thai Baht to get stronger.!! Greed Greed Greed.... join the Red Shirts...

[tonywebster]

Can anyone point me to anything where the reds PROMISE or Guarantee one million people? it seems some on here keep clinging onto this like it actually makes any difference, I have said before the other numbers that matter will be on election day.

In any case, 100,000 people is not too shabby for a protest, this is massive compared to other protests worldwide.

As for the grenades, the fools on here that condemned the reds for the turd throwing should take heed and wait until there is evidence, save them from looking foolish again.

last week the drama queens were up in arms about grenades, 6000 guns being stolen etc etc etc etc etc etc, all we have seen this weekend is a large peaceful protest and that irks many of you, I know you are wanting to type the same old rhetoric 'see, we told you so blah blah bloody blah'

Bottom line, they failed. They made their demand. They offered no compromise position. They were denied (and rightly so). So, now what? If you really believe they (meaning THAKSIN) will just say, OK, I guess we lost, time to go home, well, believe that, but I truly believe events will prove you wrong. Simply based on the past behavior of Thaksin, his current behavior is PREDICTABLE.

That does not answer my request, can you show me where they promise these figure? this seems to form part or your wrong assumption that they have failed, it is still ongoing as far as I can see, you saying they have failed does not mean they have failed, you are nobody to these people so why would they listen to you anyway.

i think you are getting hotter under the collar than any red shirt out on the streets my friend you need to take a chill pill

[DonGato]

This will raise the tensions further.

That's probably what "someone" is looking for...

...throw the rock, hide the hand and -with the other hand- point at someone else... ???

[connel707]

I hope the soldiers are OK.

I think "somebody" just made a serious mistake.

I agree, I hope they will be OK as well.

Looks like a long day ahead...

Get well soon..

Are you Thai? Why you hurt Thai soldiers?

I still not sold anything for today..the day will end soon...so please customer buy my goods then I will have some money to pay taxi home..

Do you sell grenades..?

[bkksteviejai]

The more I read post about politics in the Kingdom now days the more I realize many people have their minds already made up about events that have not even happened yet, and as soon as they do happen, before gathering any facts, some claim to know exactly what occurred, by who, and why.

I sure hope due process prevails. It is a pretty mixed up crazy world here in Thailand these days, I suggest not to assume anything!

Could it have been the reds?, of course, could it have not been the reds, yes, that is possible too. Stupid people do stupid things for stupid reasons, who knows what idiot decided to use violence and why. But that stupid idiot probably didn't take a moment to consider the possibility they were wrong in their thinking.

None of us should be stupid idiots in assuming we cannot be wrong ourselves. All I am saying is everyone should try to look past appearances and get to some hard facts before drawing a conclusions.

Let cooler heads prevail!

Spot on....TV has a plethora of armchair pundits who have donned there colour shirt.......

I'll go back to reading just the facts...I've had enough of this "sixth form" political commentary...........nonsense.

[nowork114]

M-79 is a GRENADE LAUNCHER, the grenades fired from this launcher are 40x46 mm - just to keep the record straight

[jeisonc]

I'm not one for conspiracy theories but I also think we shouldn't be too quick to judge who is behind the violence. Muslim seperatists could have something to gain from political chaos in Bangkok. It could be a third party trying to provoke Abhisit, etc.

Wonder how long the Reds/UDD can stay active on the streets - their budget is limited.

[annabel]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

Exactly my thoughts.... can be anybody trying to get trouble started ... a lot of idiots out there just waiting for things to get violent

[moskito]

M-79 grenade fired into a battalion, injuring 2 soldiers

BANGKOK: -- Two soldiers were injured on Monday after an M-79 grenade was fired into an army battalion opposite National Broadcast Television (NBT) station near the Victory Monument. The soldiers were now being treated at the Phra Mongkul Hospita

sorry george, I cant find this NEWS anywhere else. Is it possible to mention your source?

Sometimes it seemes TV is on the way to become something like the SUN, DAILY MIRROR or another boulevard press media....PLEASE DONT BOTHER TO DO THAT TO TV Forum!

[peacefulwarrior]

FALSE FLAG TACTICS ! This is braising your own troops to create the image of an enemy and it is not the last nor the first time they do it. Remember 6 bombs at Victory monument at new years. Or the grenade on the lawn of the Justice Department... It's all staged but this time they would even cut them selves a little to create more animosity. Well, as Kissinger said "soldiers are but swine to be used for foreign/internal policy".

Pearl Harbor - declassified

Gulf of Tonkin - declassified

9/11 - questionable

Grenades here - very questionable

As long as people are in the left vs. right paradigm there won't be any change, the elite's rule, the color does not matter and so don't some dead serfs. The chess board is for us to be fooled and distract of REAL ISSUES that matter to the people.

[Gonzo the Face]

I just had a very articulate Thai women in my store who is very anti-Thaksin and has never had anything good to say about the redshirts. She feels that the protesters in Bangkok have conducted themselves so well this weekend that they are making a real case for themselves with Thais that were against them before.

Let us hope that no one has ruined all of that.

articulate in you're store

just kidding, you and i both know it was only a matter of time before someone did something extremely stupid.

ND you think it was extremely stupid for someone to go into UG'store ???

[rogerdee123]

The BBC and Economist magazine both have a recent history of ignoring some of the realities and interpreting the long running issues surrounding Taksin as a simple "Poor vs Elites" .

>The BBC is giving mostly a one-sided pro-Red coverage of the Reds intent to overthrow the government. It is surprising what the BBC is LEAVING OUT of the events. The BBC coverage is in essence saying that >the Reds are seeking a vote and implying that Thailand's present government is a dictatorship. But, then what can we expect from a country that has given safe haven to every convicted Thai criminal who flees >the country?

[neverdie]

I'm trying to get a rise out of the old geezer... .....anyway back on topic Gonzo,its clear the persons responsible for this mess have possibly started something which is going to lead towards alot more bloodshed, they should be dealt with stiffly and swiftly, irregardless of what the colour of their shirt is.

[Huey]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

They don't care, they're Terrorists and terrorists commonly kill their own in a percived bid to further their own agenda.

[OZEMADE]

The news article says an M79 grenade not 4. where does that 4 comes from??????????????????????? More Yellow shirt lies??????????

One or four, does that matter ???????????????????????. A grenade is a grenade, kills indiscriminetly. Someone acquires one for one purpose.

In actual fact there were SIX (6) fired into the compound from an overhead pass, two failed to explode and four did explode, one of the 4 injured two soldiers. Source from the B/P today.

[Puccini]

I have a feeling that the red leadership, if I were to use the term, has forgotten to have something called 'Plan B'...

I suspect that grenades are their plan B, ie the plan of the UDD leaders, not of the innocent masses dancing in the streets and having a jolly good time.

[Just1Voice]

Ok, The Nation is now reporting the police have arrested a suspect after a tip by witnesses.

[TerraPosse]

I just had a very articulate Thai women in my store who is very anti-Thaksin and has never had anything good to say about the redshirts. She feels that the protesters in Bangkok have conducted themselves so well this weekend that they are making a real case for themselves with Thais that were against them before.

Let us hope that no one has ruined all of that.

The BBC is giving mostly a one-sided pro-Red coverage of the Reds intent to overthrow the government. It is surprising what the BBC is LEAVING OUT of the events. The BBC coverage is in essence saying that the Reds are seeking a vote and implying that Thailand's present government is a dictatorship. But, then what can we expect from a country that has given safe haven to every convicted Thai criminal who flees the country?

Apologies for going OT, Mods. 

Maybe you find Fox News more balanced but the BBC only broke the story about the GT200 'bomb detector', pulled up the UK government over their fabricated intelligence going to war and perhaps you should listen to the grillings their moderators give to politicians on Radio 4.  I've lived in a few places the world over but the BBC is by far the most balanced public broadcaster out there.

Ohh, and I ain't British btw. 

[MegaMik]

Yes quite so. A faction of them would be most logical.

This was a blindingly stupid move from a NORMAL thinking persons point of view.

But from some others viewpoints this is the WHOLE REASON to have the Redshirts in Bangkok:

Provoke the army into some sort of tragic confrontation on TELEVISION; spin, spin, spin the story,

and then, in theory, get the silent majority of Thais back on the Red side.

And so, crush the Democratic party and the Ammartta with them.

Never mind that all Thais see them STARTING this mess, and if it spins from control,

he who started and continued it must take the lions share of blame.

it is the barely sane act of zealots, and illogically the act of a government provocateur.

The government benefits from this fading away, only the PTP and Reds benefit, possibly,

if this blows sky high.

Greed and revenge are the worst motives on earth to injure people,

but the ones most often used, sadly....

It's good to see someone with an analytical skill commenting the rally and the unwanted but expected grenade going off.

In a democracy one should expect the military to keep the country safe looking over the border and not meddle in politic matters, but in 2006, that didn't happen.

This is the aftermath for that event.

Regardless what our opinion is regarding Thailands internal politics and view of democracy, we can only stand aside and hope for the best outcome for this conflict,

unless you are a citizen of Thailand with a Thai passport.

I can't have more than an opinion about it and pray (although I'm not religious) that no one will come to harm.

Every action has its concequences and so will this one.

Only guesses are good enough to predict what but with a bit of logic we can come closer in our efforts.

But then again, what good will it do us to know, we can't change anything anyway, only for our own ego is the knowledge worth anything.

Different matter if you are living in the area where everything happens, then knowledge can be bliss.

[Grey11]

I just had a very articulate Thai women in my store who is very anti-Thaksin and has never had anything good to say about the redshirts. She feels that the protesters in Bangkok have conducted themselves so well this weekend that they are making a real case for themselves with Thais that were against them before.

Let us hope that no one has ruined all of that.

The BBC is giving mostly a one-sided pro-Red coverage of the Reds intent to overthrow the government. It is surprising what the BBC is LEAVING OUT of the events. The BBC coverage is in essence saying that the Reds are seeking a vote and implying that Thailand's present government is a dictatorship. But, then what can we expect from a country that has given safe haven to every convicted Thai criminal who flees the country?

Taksin had his UK visa revoked and had to leave. And who are all these Thai criminals living in the UK? Anyone facing the death penalty if they're returned to their own country is allowed to stay and if the charges against them are considered credible they'll be locked up in the UK. I'm no redshirt but better than a redneck!

Where are the administrators? I thought it was against Thai Visa rules to revert to calling people disparaging names. Calling me a "redneck" is a personal attack on my character. This person does not know me. I live in Thailand and am married to a Thai. I am not a redneck/racist/bigot, etc. Since when has it been a crime to criticise England - the sun never sets on their empire now does it. The BBC has made a sham of coverage of these events. period.

[ballpoint]

That does not answer my request, can you show me where they promise these figure? this seems to form part or your wrong assumption that they have failed, it is still ongoing as far as I can see, you saying they have failed does not mean they have failed, you are nobody to these people so why would they listen to you anyway.

i think you are getting hotter under the collar than any red shirt out on the streets my friend you need to take a chill pill

I really wonder if you are as ignorant as you make out to be, or if you have some other agenda? It's not that hard to find examples of the red leadership promising a million protestors:

""Some 600,000 to 700,000 'red shirts' are on their way to Bangkok and, together with those already in town, we will have more than a million people," Woravat Auapinyakul, a member of parliament for the pro-Thaksin Puea Thai Party, said." - http://www.scotsman.com/12007/Millionman-march-by-red-shirts.6150250.jp

"Nattawut Saikua, a top leader of the anti-government Red Shirts said they had evaluated the situation and their movement's strategy and that everything had been accomplished as planned.

The Red Shirts are confident there will be one million protesters attending the demonstration on Sunday, he said.

"This is real, not a dream", Red Shirt leader Nattawut said emphatically." http://www.mcot.net/content/31980

And, from the Bangkok Post "More than one million red-shirts will certainly take part in a mass rally aimed at bringing down the government, United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD)leader Jatuporn Promphan claimed on Tuesday." - No link as per TV policy.

That gives three different red leaders all confident of a million protestors. Granted, getting 100,000 is not much of a failure, only 10% of the confidently certain number we were told would turn up. Maybe that's a success in some quarters?

As others have posted, what has the government got to gain from the grenade attack? It gets an excuse to stamp down on the reds, but at a price. It would be far better for it if the protests remained peaceful and peter out when Thaksin's funds wear thin. What have the reds got to gain? It's obvious to anyone that their protest has been a flop so far. Sure, they've shut down a few streets, made a lot of noise and threats - "we'll protest on the 12th" "the biggest numbers will be on the 14th" "if Abhisit doesn't dissolve parliament by 09:00 on Monday we'll shut down the city" "if Abhisit doesn't dissolve parliament by 12:00 on Monday we'll shut down the city" "we'll lay seige to the 11th infantry barracks until Abhisit dissolves parliament" "we'll skulk back to our bridge and think about what to do next" "we'll carry the master's bloodsucking ways to their logical conclusion by sucking the blood of his supporters and throwing it where ever we want"... - They can carry on (pun intended) as they have with their keystone kop antics of chasing around the city in a show of orchestrated buffoonery, making empty threats until said master's money runs out and they all go home, or they can escalate matters. It's also interesting that all the reds here broadcasting how peaceful the rally has been so far seem to have forgotten just how long the rally remained peaceful last songkran until the true nature of these thugs made itself evident.

[Jirapa]

Thai Army:

"4 Bombs exploded which are not thought to be linked to the demonstration!"

Don't count your chickens before they've hatched!

[sbk]

Lets drop the flaming, the baiting and the general nastiness. Its time we all remembered to be civil and mind our manners.

[Jirapa]

I just had a very articulate Thai women in my store who is very anti-Thaksin and has never had anything good to say about the redshirts. She feels that the protesters in Bangkok have conducted themselves so well this weekend that they are making a real case for themselves with Thais that were against them before.

Let us hope that no one has ruined all of that.

The BBC is giving mostly a one-sided pro-Red coverage of the Reds intent to overthrow the government. It is surprising what the BBC is LEAVING OUT of the events. The BBC coverage is in essence saying that the Reds are seeking a vote and implying that Thailand's present government is a dictatorship. But, then what can we expect from a country that has given safe haven to every convicted Thai criminal who flees the country?

Taksin had his UK visa revoked and had to leave. And who are all these Thai criminals living in the UK? Anyone facing the death penalty if they're returned to their own country is allowed to stay and if the charges against them are considered credible they'll be locked up in the UK. I'm no redshirt but better than a redneck!

Where are the administrators? I thought it was against Thai Visa rules to revert to calling people disparaging names. Calling me a "redneck" is a personal attack on my character. This person does not know me. I live in Thailand and am married to a Thai. I am not a redneck/racist/bigot, etc. Since when has it been a crime to criticise England - the sun never sets on their empire now does it. The BBC has made a sham of coverage of these events. period.

Didn't call you a redneck I said "I'm no redshirt but better than a redneck!" Get your facts right

[tonywebster]

a long post there ballpoint, but amongst all those words you wrote you faield to show me any promises or guarantees, not that it actually matters how many there are, like I said already the numbers that matter will be at the polling stations.

the fact is they have put together a massive peaceful protest and kudos to them

[Moonrakers]

a long post there ballpoint, but amongst all those words you wrote you faield to show me any promises or guarantees, not that it actually matters how many there are, like I said already the numbers that matter will be at the polling stations.

the fact is they have put together a massive peaceful protest and kudos to them

What on earth is your point? Clutching at straws again Tony?

[thaibkk]

this just might be a 9/11 plot in small...

army shooting on same army and blaming someone else

giving them a reason to become violent and oppressive

sorry but I believe if you are hit with a m79, you are scraped together (from your many pieces all over the place)

maybe a m79 practise grenade