Thai Troops Retreat In Face Of 80,000 Protesters

[eggomaniac]

Eggo --- since you start that post with a bald-faced lie i won't quote it. However it was NOT Abhisit or Sondhi that banned the TRT executives. If you can't even start with something even remotely resembling the truth please do not expect people to dig further into your posts to take the time to correct the other lies.

you are funny.

Sondhi bank rolled Thaksin into power, then got BILLIONS in debt forgiveness.

if you saying Sondhi did not, 'techincally' sign the papers on the expelled politicians, well I guess you are the 'honest' one. he was the architect, not the engineers

truth is the airport would still be closed if he did not get HIS way. he brags about it!

have you even listened to his next plan of action, the next time the stupid people elect members he doesn't want.

he says he is going to get all the rich Thais to withdraw money and destroy the Thai economy.

he says,, what a sweetie you got for a LEADER

Thaksin and Sondhi are cut from the same clothe. both gangstas!

I just feel sorry for the apolitical 70% of Thais who have to live with results of thugs being at the wheels of power.

Of course they could form a White Shirt movement and wash the reds and yellows off the map, won't

Once historians catch their breathe, the last 10 years in Thailand will be called the Sondhi Era!

[Publicus]

The provokation failed. The reds scored an owngoal, but it looks like they get more and more desperate. How far can they push the army without anything happens? I think it is an scary situation right now.

Sooner or later some redshirt will open fire out of the crowd Bloody sunday style , and the army will get the blame, I am sure a few of our readers have been in the same situation if they served in NI,

Thailand loses if there's any violence and who's interested in the country losing? Who's intrested in seeing the government discredited by any means? Which side already has tossed (human) blood around and about, targeting buildings of the government and the home of the PM especially?

Thaksin, the guy behind and in front of all this continuing chaos, weeping during his phon-ins, continues to demonstrate his emotional and mental instability. There are always the extremist factions, the more desperate Thaksin becomes the more dangerous the situation can become. Thaksin is trying to force the army sooner or later to have to take a stand, such as today at the 11th Infantary military reservation, the headquarters of the government's present operations and its center of communication, command and control. The army wisely diffused the Redshirts there last time and will honestly try to accomplish the same feat again. I do think and believe the army will succeed this time too absent Red extremist bonzai violence.

[SanSaiExPat]

You would be the same fellow urging George Washington to compromise with King George's as he led the framing of the constitution at the Philadelphia Convention and again when he defeated the British at Yorktown troops you would have counseled him not to resort to violence but to let the British have their way. Brilliant advice sir.

Sure thing, and you would be the one defending that the total dictatorial thousand year Reich power of Adolph Hitler was legitimate because he was elected. You asked for that with your absurd George Washington comparison.

Lets be clear about this. Many of the red supporters here have been whipping up a violent, civil war mentality, egging on the reds to perform revolution for their dear leader, at any cost. They are not the voice of reason, they are the voice of madness.

They seem much more reasonable than the violent group that shut down the airport in 2008 and drove over police officers in their Isuzu trucks (Do you remember the video of that? The driver later claimed his gas pedal stuck. What a load! But that explanation was accepted) And how was the airport held? By the threat of violence of course. But those actions were supported by reasonable folks like you so that behavior is excused. Why do lefties like you always try to invoke Hitler and the Third Reich when faced with any cogent argument which supports a conservative viewpoint like democracy and actually having a government who was voted in by the people? Its ok I'll spare you the embarrassment of answering. You don't like democracy or republics because you think you’re smarter than the people are. You think you know better than the little people and that you should make decisions for them, the common man. You think, “Who are these up-country bumpkins who dare to make decisions for themselves? Look, they are being taken advantage of by that evil capitalist Mr. Thaksin. We need to take their power away and save them from themselves.” I understand you all too well sir. Who's voice is the voice of madness? One that espouses freedom and free elections or one that would take that freedom away?

[eggomaniac]

not quite sure if you don't the history of the 2 'buddies' Thaksin and Sondhi, or, like some Yellows deny the facts? which is it?

-------------

With the election of Thaksin Shinawatra as Prime Minister in 2001, several of Sondhi's associates became leaders in the new government. His banker, Viroj Nualkhair, became president of state-owned Krung Thai Bank and gave more than a billion baht in "debt forgiveness" to Sondhi, allowing him to emerge from bankruptcy. Sondhi became a vocal supporter of Thaksin, calling him "the best prime minister our country has ever had."In 2005, Viroj Nualkhair was dismissed from the KTB after incurring over 40 billion baht in problem loans. Sondhi then began criticizing Thaksin using the media under his control, including satellite broadcaster ASTV. He founded the People's Alliance for Democracy, aimed at overthrowing the Thaksin government.

If you want one word that proves Thaksin WAS corrupt, that word is 'Sondhi'.

I think people are scared of him.

eggomanic

i am quite puzzled by your post....

r u living in the same thailand as most of us....?

could you kindly give us some quote or reference.... as to where u got those out of this world explanation please....

sond-the went to utah and graduated from there.... certainly i did not see his billion there...

r u certain that what you stated was not from some barstools....

<i meant to say.... sond-tee (sondhi), but apparently thaivisa is using a new word program in which errors are readily accepted but deletion and correction are prohibited....LOL>

Eggo --- since you start that post with a bald-faced lie i won't quote it. However it was NOT Abhisit or Sondhi that banned the TRT executives. If you can't even start with something even remotely resembling the truth please do not expect people to dig further into your posts to take the time to correct the other lies.

you are funny.

Sondhi bank rolled Thaksin into power, then got BILLIONS in debt forgiveness.

if you saying Sondhi did not, 'techincally' sign the papers on the expelled politicians, well I guess you are the 'honest' one. he was the architect, not the engineers

truth is the airport would still be closed if he did not get HIS way. he brags about it!

have you even listened to his next plan of action, the next time the stupid people elect members he doesn't want.

he says he is going to get all the rich Thais to withdraw money and destroy the Thai economy.

he says,, what a sweetie you got for a LEADER

Thaksin and Sondhi are cut from the same clothe. both gangstas!

I just feel sorry for the apolitical 70% of Thais who have to live with results of thugs being at the wheels of power.

Of course they could form a White Shirt movement and wash the reds and yellows off the map, won't

Once historians catch their breathe, the last 10 years in Thailand will be called the Sondhi Era!

[Somtamnication]

So irrespective on who is legitimately governing this country.... once troops retreat over cowardice, who protects this nation? What a joke! Loss of face is so important here but they have lost the meaning of loss of face. Funny sh1t!

[Jirapa]

Probably want to avoid provoking these types of people, giving them an excuse and justifying violence. Good on them.

What violence? In the Toksteth riots in the UK PC Blakelock had his head chopped off so this looks quite civilised!

[Sunderland]

Why is Abhisit addressing the nation from his bathroom???

[Jirapa]

Elected by what kind of parliament ? What logic ?

A parliament where the leading party the PPP was disolved by a court ?

A parliament where even a naiv would suspect that many MPs switched side in exchange for

some kind amnesty in minor case of corruption ?

A parliament elected by the people ? Certainly not , the people elected another

parliament last time they were consulted .

What democratic legitimacy has this parliament anyway ?

<snip>

Since this was responding to my post I guess I must respond.

Most of that leading party are still in the Parliament in PTP.

Only leadership was lost FROM THEIR OWN ACTIONS:

Tough tits they cheated and lost the bet.

If that leadership PPP had dissolved the parliament, and run PTP with list,

they might well have won, but they didn't for reasons we will likely never know.

What;s this back room deal talk... made up it seems.

Newin would have still survived with or without this minor conviction.

He wasn't the only one to abandon Thaksin either.

And I have few doubts Thaksin helped out to hang him farther after he left.

You are so far the ONLY person in THAILAND to make this allegation.

quid pro quo to save his ass from a charge, by switching parties... righty O flyboy.

Like this wouldn't have been possible with the crooked Thaksin parties...HA!

Right dude, that dog don't hunt.

The PEOPLE elected EVERY SINGLE SITTING PARLIAMENTARIAN...

irrefutable fact.

Only a smaller than TRT leadership and some few party list EXECUTIVES were lost.

All valid seats were filled BY THE THAI PEOPLE voting in BY ELECTIONS.

PTP still had the biggest number of seats...

BUT no one wanted to work with them anymore.

Again : Tough tits they cheated and lost the bet.

This parliament has the DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY

of the THAI PEOPLE voting in EVERY SINGLE SITTING MINISTER OF PARLIAMENT

Your sense of sour grapes doesn't make it less legitimate.

It just makes your positions less likely to be listened to with any gravitas.

Last general election in Thailand was held in September 2007 and brought the PPP

to power

There was NO GENERAL ELECTIONS after the dimantlement of the parliament

by the courts which came later . Oh yes no one wanted to work with PTP , I wonder why

probably some PPP Mps not so clean were offered immunity in return for them switching side

Please do not confuse everyone for your own purpose

Too many CAPS in your posts! But no general election to swear in a government after ousting one illegally is not legit. Correct me if I'm wrong?

[Jirapa]

Why is Abhisit addressing the nation from his bathroom???

Having a pooh maybe?

[endure]

Probably want to avoid provoking these types of people, giving them an excuse and justifying violence. Good on them.

What violence? In the Toksteth riots in the UK PC Blakelock had his head chopped off so this looks quite civilised!

PC Blakelock was murdered in the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985. Broadwater Farm is in London - Toxteth is 200 miles away in Liverpool. Your argument would be better served if you got your facts right.

[Sunderland]

Thaksin - corrupt

Suthep - corrupt

Almost every Thai politician - corrupt

They all get what they deserve today ...

[Jirapa]

Probably want to avoid provoking these types of people, giving them an excuse and justifying violence. Good on them.

What violence? In the Toksteth riots in the UK PC Blakelock had his head chopped off so this looks quite civilised!

PC Blakelock was murdered in the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985. Broadwater Farm is in London - Toxteth is 200 miles away in Liverpool. Your argument would be better served if you got your facts right.

Does it really matter about the location? Yes I believe it was Broadwater Farm but a PC lost his head and we haven't seen anything like that here over the past couple of weeks. It's not an argument and you stated the facts so cheers!

[connel707]

Good preventive move!

What is the army supposed to do in the case some of the

soldiers are attacked or otherwise provoked,

maybe even taken for ransom?

Someone needs urgently a provocation, some wrong move and this is at "all cost" to be avoided!

this confirms ,,,, a weak goverment ..

on the positive side ....the thai bart would be even stronger ,

if there was not the , current political unrest .

Whats a Thai Bart.......do you mean a Thai Bart Simpson..?

[connel707]

80,000

No expert here but it looks far more than that.

Given that they were spread in several locations, it definitely wouldn't look anything like 80,000.

I counted them all....82,462 but some might have been Manchester United supporters who got a bit lost..!! Pass me a Chang.!!

[Sunderland]

2 grenade attacks on 11th regiment at 4:30 a.m.

Full state of emergency to follow today?

All set to go off today ...

Edited March 28, 2010 by Sunderland

[Jirapa]

2 grenade attacks on 11th regiment at 4:30 a.m.

Full state of emergency to follow today?

All set to go off today ...

Where'd you here that? 5 bombs went off in Surat 2 weeks ago and they were just fireworks. 4 grenades went off in Bangkok that had nothing to do with the red-shirts.

[Sunderland]

That Bangkok paper that Thaivisa is not allowed to post links to

... and TNN24.

Edited March 28, 2010 by Sunderland

[connel707]

d

So what happens when the army decides not to back down in a particular situation?

Eventually, there is going to be violence.

And the reds will come up with some lame propaganda to say that it was Abhisit's fault.

It is terribly sad, as Abhisit has been the most outspoken 'no violence' person so far, his comment when he heard of the blood-buckets idea was "I worry about their health, withdrawing blood in a medically unsafe way".

I just hope people remember this quiet, humble man and his words during this sad affair.

Do you really beleive that the blood was from all the protesters ???? They took a small amount of blood from several volunteers just for the media cameras and then down to the slaughter house to get 25 litre bottles of PIG BLOOD, they hoodwinked the lot of you.

Sorry to dissapoint you...But we all already know it was pigs blood...no-one was hoodwinked..!!

[anotherpeter]

Too many CAPS in your posts! But no general election to swear in a government after ousting one illegally is not legit. Correct me if I'm wrong?

You're wrong.

You don't need a general election to swear in a government.

The government get's sworn in by the head of state (ie the King). That happened with the Abhisit government.

[anotherpeter]

Too many CAPS in your posts! But no general election to swear in a government after ousting one illegally is not legit. Correct me if I'm wrong?

You're wrong.

You don't need a general election to swear in a government.

The government get's sworn in by the head of state (ie the King). That happened with the Abhisit government.

Just to add to that, the previous government wasn't ousted illegally.

The courts disbanded the party (PPP), but most of the MPs were still there (generally moved to the PTP) and by-elections were held for the banned MPs.

They could have formed a new coalition and formed a new government, but the smaller parties deserted them. (bring out the consipiracy theories). Would it have been an illegitimate government if the PTP were able to form a new coalition?

The Democrats formed a new coalition to form a new government. The King swore them into government.

[way2muchcoffee]

2 grenade attacks on 11th regiment at 4:30 a.m.

Full state of emergency to follow today?

All set to go off today ...

Where'd you here that? 5 bombs went off in Surat 2 weeks ago and they were just fireworks. 4 grenades went off in Bangkok that had nothing to do with the red-shirts.

But then you don't really know that do you? There are various possibilities for these grenades: UDD, RCM51, DAAD, Red Siam, Udon Lovers, PAD, Military, Police, Democrats, one of the Coalition partners. Any of these could be responsible and possibly none of the above.

[mca]

You're wrong.

You don't need a general election to swear in a government.

The government get's sworn in by the head of state (ie the King). That happened with the Abhisit government.

Entirely correct. Past military dictators will attest to that.

[animatic]

Eggo --- since you start that post with a bald-faced lie i won't quote it. However it was NOT Abhisit or Sondhi that banned the TRT executives. If you can't even start with something even remotely resembling the truth please do not expect people to dig further into your posts to take the time to correct the other lies.

you are funny.

Sondhi bank rolled Thaksin into power, then got BILLIONS in debt forgiveness.

if you saying Sondhi did not, 'techincally' sign the papers on the expelled politicians, well I guess you are the 'honest' one. he was the architect, not the engineers

truth is the airport would still be closed if he did not get HIS way. he brags about it!

have you even listened to his next plan of action, the next time the stupid people elect members he doesn't want.

he says he is going to get all the rich Thais to withdraw money and destroy the Thai economy.

he says,, what a sweetie you got for a LEADER

Thaksin and Sondhi are cut from the same clothe. both gangstas!

I just feel sorry for the apolitical 70% of Thais who have to live with results of thugs being at the wheels of power.

Of course they could form a White Shirt movement and wash the reds and yellows off the map, won't

Once historians catch their breathe, the last 10 years in Thailand will be called the Sondhi Era!

Thaksin invested aprox 600 million into a Sondhi company,

and then later Sondhi bought him out later making Thaksin over a billion in buy out.

Sondhi later started doing a competing sataelite project with Laos and his competing telecom company

was making a dent in Thaksins telecom company, so Thaksin set about ruining him,

This coincided with the '97 crash caused by PM Chavalits lies about devaluation.

Some people had a few days to divest and hedge their Baht before the suprise devaluation.

Thaksin came out smelling of roses and Sondhi came out dead meat... for years.

Then later Thaksin threw him a temporary help line since Sondhi was useful as a media mouthpiece,

but ultimately screwed him AGAIN and that is the reason Sondhi set about taking down Thaksin.

So no doubt Sondhi was 'Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.'

And set about bringing Thaksin back down to reality...

not realizing reality is a long way down for Thaksin's ego to fall.

What is this Sondhi signed the papers bit. You are really clutching at straws.

Sondhi wouldn't let dirt slide back under the carpet,

but pulled no strings to remove anoyone from office.

Not in his powers to do so.

That is fantasy.

It seems this stuff is made up to suit an attitude.

No one says Sondhi is an angel, but the wild accusations don't hold water.

You could stick to the pure verifiable truth and have enough to paint him bad,

there's no need to use hyperbolic lies to that same end.

Oh yes, the airport would NOT be still closed now... regardless of HIS hyperbolic statements.

[animatic]

You're wrong.

You don't need a general election to swear in a government.

The government get's sworn in by the head of state (ie the King). That happened with the Abhisit government.

Entirely correct. Past military dictators will attest to that.

As well as many completely legitimate governments.

If a General Election was the only device needed,

why is there a law about using By Elections to fill vacant seats?

Why? Because there is seen to be NO NEED to re do an election if less than a quorum of MPs exisits,

each local voting area elects a replacement for any lost MP.

There is nothing said about losing PARTY LEADERSHIP, and a small part of that parties MPs.

That is all that was lost when PPP was disolved the LEADERSHIP.

That was from THEIR MISTAKES.

PTP could have had a full party list and a snap election if Somchai had called it.

But he didn't and PPP went down, but the vast majority of MPS from PPP are STILL IN PARLIAMENT.

And by elections filled in other seats, by THE PEOPLE.

No matter how many times you whine out this 'need an election' argument it STILL is WORTHLESS.

Because an election and by elections have been held and a paliament is properly and legally installed.

[rametindallas]

The Thai Military are a bunch of pussy's.

This country lost face when they retreated and let the Japanese invade them.

Nothing has changed since then - they lost face long ago ......

What a stupid statement.

I might also ask, in relation to what event do you make this statement?

Is is the fact they have shown incredible patience today?

Is it that they are not armed when facing protesters ?

Prey tell what brilliant thought gave you the confidence to say such a thing ?

Ah WWII, dont listen to the Thai's ramble on about how we are so proud, we have never been colonised. They dont teach them in school that they threw their hands up to the Japanese and were occupied by them. Heard of the The Thai/Burma Railway. On that note all these Muslim's in the south which the Thai's so much despise actually fought against the Japanese during WW11.

This country is a joke - it ever had a face to lose.

ps. Lets get this party started ....

there's a difference iin colonized and occupied

[Indo-Siam]

The yellow shirts could muster in their best days never more than 20,000 people, if nobody likes to lose face, it is easy to make a deal in which elections are hold let's say in six months time. At least Abhisit will have the chance to show he is legitimate. The fact that (certain) Bangkok people are starting to feeling the pinch is only a good sign. The protestors are on the street to cause inconvenience. If there was no pressure or inconvenience each and every demonstration was useless.

The way I look at things, the ability to put a lot of warm bodies on the street is related to having a large population of idle "n'er do wells" available, who have nothing better to do than complain. When I look at a long caravan of Red Shirts, what I see is a population of folks who are not usefully employed in any productive enterprise to feed their families (unless you accept that they are all being paid a salary to appear, in which case they are simply actors) - and all I can think is: "Do I really want such idle, unemployed people to be selecting the next government of Thailand?"

The argument between the Thai elites and the lower economic strata of Thailand is the same argument being played out all over the world:

One side says - The pie is divided unequally, and my team feels that our slice of pie is too small - so we want your side to accept smaller slices - and shift the distribution of the existing pie so that we get larger slices. We deserve more pie!

The other side says: Just listen to us, and let us run things, and we will make the pie MUCH bigger - so that everyone gets more pie, even without changing the angles of the slices.

In a nation with an ever-growing population, the first approach will never work out in the long run. If you just want to redistribute existing wealth, everyone will eventually become poor.

What the first group wants is both benefits: You give us some of your pie now, while at the same time, you go off and do your thing to make the pie bigger for everyone - while we sit here eating pie in the shade.

The second group says: Uh, sorry, but - that's not how things work. If we are going to put our blood and sweat into the very hard work of making EVERYONE's pie bigger, we want to reap big rewards - not watch the fruits of our labor flow to less industrious people.

In one form or another, this battle is playing out all over the world.

I have not been everywhere in Thailand, and there may be localities that have seriously declined since I first visited Thailand in 1995. But - everywhere that I have been - including remote rural parts of Thailand - things have gotten significantly better, across the spectrum. Better roads, better clinics, more reliable electricity and clean water, better roads, better schools, better telecommunications and transportation, etc. Some of the improvement was before Thaksin, some was during his tenure, and some occurred after Thaksin's departure. But - the trend has always been upwards. Every Thai's slice of pie has gotten bigger - but - if you listen to the Red Shirts, you would think that their villages have been raped and pillaged since 2006, and everything is going downhill rapidly. Well - to my own eyes - this is simply fabrication.

I have seen absolutely NOTHING that even remotely suggests to me in any way that the Red Shirt leadership has any ideas about ways to make the pie bigger. A rising tide lifts all boats - but they have no brilliant thoughts about how to bring on a rising tide. They just want to pursue the "Robin Hood scenario": Take from the rich and give to the poor. Well, Robin Hood may have been popular among the peasants - but I'm not so sure he would have made a great Monarch, or great Prime Minister.

Superficial populism can be seductive to the weaker-minded parts of the electorate (a great example being the travesty that put the current US administration into power), but it usually damages the long-term prospects of success for the nation.

The Red Shirts are all worked up about the illegitimacy of the Abhisit government - and also about the unjust distribution of wealth and power throughout Thailand. But - I never hear them talk about substantive policies and improvements that they would make. They are focused on superficial issues - but do not appear to have any transformational proposals for how to run the country. As far as I can tell, they want to pursue the exact same agenda as the current government - they just want their favorite sons to be sitting in the big chairs. That does not seem like a very compelling argument in favor of immediately unseating the current government.

Edited March 28, 2010 by Indo-Siam

[animatic]

Since this was responding to my post I guess I must respond.

Most of that leading party are still in the Parliament in PTP.

Only leadership was lost FROM THEIR OWN ACTIONS:

Tough tits they cheated and lost the bet.

If that leadership PPP had dissolved the parliament, and run PTP with list,

they might well have won, but they didn't for reasons we will likely never know.

What;s this back room deal talk... made up it seems.

Newin would have still survived with or without this minor conviction.

He wasn't the only one to abandon Thaksin either.

And I have few doubts Thaksin helped out to hang him farther after he left.

You are so far the ONLY person in THAILAND to make this allegation.

quid pro quo to save his ass from a charge, by switching parties... righty O flyboy.

Like this wouldn't have been possible with the crooked Thaksin parties...HA!

Right dude, that dog don't hunt.

The PEOPLE elected EVERY SINGLE SITTING PARLIAMENTARIAN...

irrefutable fact.

Only a smaller than TRT leadership and some few party list EXECUTIVES were lost.

All valid seats were filled BY THE THAI PEOPLE voting in BY ELECTIONS.

PTP still had the biggest number of seats...

BUT no one wanted to work with them anymore.

Again : Tough tits they cheated and lost the bet.

This parliament has the DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY

of the THAI PEOPLE voting in EVERY SINGLE SITTING MINISTER OF PARLIAMENT

Your sense of sour grapes doesn't make it less legitimate.

It just makes your positions less likely to be listened to with any gravitas.

Last general election in Thailand was held in September 2007 and brought the PPP

to power

There was NO GENERAL ELECTIONS after the dimantlement of the parliament

by the courts which came later . Oh yes no one wanted to work with PTP , I wonder why

probably some PPP Mps not so clean were offered immunity in return for them switching side

Please do not confuse everyone for your own purpose

Too many CAPS in your posts! But no general election to swear in a government after ousting one illegally is not legit. Correct me if I'm wrong?

The government wasn't ousted illegally.

The party holding 'a PM Somchai', was dissolved for election fraud.

The government was a construct around Somchai, and so it fell.

PTP could have put together another coalition, but they were rebuffed.

They STILL had the seats to try first, but and a big but, they had lost the confidence

of most other MPs and could NOT put together a government. The second biggest party then did that.

If PPP had NOT cheated and not gotten CAUGHT, they would not have been dissolved.

If anyone trusted PTP's MPs to do their jobs the could have been back in government that week.

YIOu can NOT confuse PPPs breaking of election laws, and the ineptitude of PTP

with illegally ousting a government. They did this to themselves.

If you want to say someone was out to get them... well they made it SOOO much easier to do.

[Wolfie]

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all of the board rules, which you all agreed to when signing up with Thaivisa.com

Specifically this rule, with regards to modifying other peoples wording when quoting them.

30) Do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes, added emoticons, or altered wording.

Thanks!

[otherstuff1957]

I have to say that I think that the government has handled this situation very well. Backing off from the temples and other areas was exactly the correct strategy. If they had refused to budge, they would have ended up fighting for the sake of fighting. Now, they are not retreating from the Govt. buildings and the army base, showing that their earlier retreat was based on wisdom, not fear.

I didn't really have a very high opinion of Aphiset & Sutep before this, but I really do think that they are doing a good job at controlling the situation while not starting any violence. I just hope that they can continue to do so.

My wife asked some Red friends why they liked Thaksin. They said that loans were easily available when he was PM. They also liked his debt forgiveness policies. Need I say more?

[timekeeper]

the PM should be allowed to meet with the protest leaders

they should be arrested and immediately airlifted out by helicopter to a remote Navy controlled island

the protesters should be told where they are being held and invite them to organise a rescue bid