Is Abhisit In Danger Of Losing Support?

[whistleblower]

After just watching the news and reading TV updates on this thread, i am wondering if confidence in the way Abhisit is handling the current situation is waning.

A lot of department stores are closed again, The four seasons hotel is not accepting any guests for the time being and Bangkokians are again facing mega traffic woes.

We have some 'self proclaimed' red leader demanding a Govt official talk to him 'within the hour or else', an angry red mob storming parliament and MPs scrambling down a ladder at the back of parliament to escape (must be a huge loss of face)

The argument that security guards were armed inside parliament buildings should be a non issue, every country has armed guards at their parliaments/seats of power.

Trying to keep the protests non violent is admirable and Abhisit has done well up to now. But the reds have clearly overstepped the boundries of the law, have caused criminal damaged and are inciting violence.

If the Abhisit govt insist on sitting idly while the reds run around and do whatever they want, surely confidence in Abhisit will decline???

[ukrules]

Didn't the previous parliament also run out of some meeting and escape into waiting helicopters the last time this happened.

[Jingthing]

Yes, confidence is eroding rapidly in Abhisit, even among his supporters. I am sure he has his reasons (wants to avoid bloodshed, unreliable military, etc.) but the usual popular expectation of any people is for the the government to crack down when anarchy breaks out, even if the consequences are very unpleasant.

[hammered]

From his perspective he has to consider the Somchai ruling and he is probably a nice guy who deosnt want to hurt people and also would anyone else want to have blood on their hands. The buck stops with him on this one.

Not defending him or saying he should or shouldnt a sthat is a choice a mere nobvody like me wouldnt want to be left to make. However, those are some of the issues that he will have to consider if he wants to order a crackdown

[george]

The Nation's Thanong: Anupong has given Abhisit 48 hours to dissolve parliament http://bit.ly/bhkJnM

[hammered]

Thanong is out there with the ultra PAD so this may be a little questionable but who knows. So far he has a 0% track record with his predictions but I guess he has to get one right soon.

[geriatrickid]

And now the real masters of Thailand shall speak. The military shall annoit a new leader. Sadly, I fear it may indeeed Mr. Korn.

Et tu brute????????????

[whistleblower]

Didn't the previous parliament also run out of some meeting and escape into waiting helicopters the last time this happened.

Yes they did.

But this topic was started to discuss whats happening now. Lets not have another 'reds did this/yellows did that' thread please. Lets try and stay on topic

[kraxlhuber]

Didn't the previous parliament also run out of some meeting and escape into waiting helicopters the last time this happened.

Reminds me of 73" in Saigon- Vietnam,the last one switched off the lights.

That headhonchoshitstirringnogood sonofa -gun should be stripped of his thai nationality and hounded around the world.

How many country's are aiding and abetting him/his flying device and pilot(Thai-Airforce ?)to cross the airspace and land somewhere to refuel,should then be apprehended ,and delivered to the international war-criminal court in the netherlands.

Ot he should get refugee status in Hawaii,such as Marcos then, got from the USA.

[mmushr00m]

You really think he has a say in this?

The situation will escalate, open fighting and looting in the streets, useless BiB....and then the saviours in green will come marching in guns ablazing. Everyone will be happy as the boys in green are shooting the rampaging mobs and re-establishing order.

Head green guy will say they had no choice but to act to stop the country descending into anarchy and to protect the innocent people of bangkok. Everyone will be happy except for those that are dissappeared.

Peace will return under the "benevolent" rule of the guys in green.

[needforspeed]

He try to avoid violence and bloodshed at all costs, also if that means loosing support for himself.

He suffer himself for the better of others, and i still agree that violence isnt the way to go, he is hoping that they will heading up home for the songkran festival.

Good time to make some quick arrests under the leaders and organizers from the reds.

He is in a very difficult possition at this time.

[Jingthing]

I agree. We can't stand in his shoes. I am sure this is very painful for him. It might indeed mean the end of his career but he might judge better that than be responsible in any way for bloodshed.

[somtampet]

From his perspective he has to consider the Somchai ruling and he is probably a nice guy who deosnt want to hurt people and also would anyone else want to have blood on their hands. The buck stops with him on this one.

Not defending him or saying he should or shouldnt a sthat is a choice a mere nobvody like me wouldnt want to be left to make. However, those are some of the issues that he will have to consider if he wants to order a crackdown

Whatever he does he will lose votes from some.Thats not unusal in Thailand,as political parties cant seem to hang on long here.

Thais do seem to throw their dummy out of the pram for anything.

[whistleblower]

Thais do seem to throw their dummy out of the pram for anything.

Does this include you beloved reds?

[geriatrickid]

You really think he has a say in this?

The situation will escalate, open fighting and looting in the streets, useless BiB....and then the saviours in green will come marching in guns ablazing. Everyone will be happy as the boys in green are shooting the rampaging mobs and re-establishing order.

Head green guy will say they had no choice but to act to stop the country descending into anarchy and to protect the innocent people of bangkok. Everyone will be happy except for those that are dissappeared.

Peace will return under the "benevolent" rule of the guys in green.

What looting? if there is looting it will be opportunistic poor Bangkok residents.

[elcent]

while there was a good time to stop the anarchists, Abisit waited and hoped, I don't know for what he was waiting when he had the chance to bring it to a halt.

It's like some cancer detected in an early stage but the patient decides to wait until the metastases spread out and then try to combat.

We all know where that ends, don't we?

[britmaveric]

I think Abhisit is pretty much done. It's a similar situation to last few PM(s), you can't really break the demo(s) up without effective police/army assistance. I think this will only occur if violence/looting happens on a very large scale. If the protesters remain peaceful - they will not step in.

[Insight]

I think Abhisit is pretty much done. It's a similar situation to last few PM(s), you can't really break the demo(s) up without effective police/army assistance. I think this will only occur if violence/looting happens on a very large scale. If the protesters remain peaceful - they will not step in.

Really hope not, but it's clear others are also speculating.

Will soon know...

[chadintheusa]

Let me break it down for the Americans out there. The Red shirts are like hill billies from the Ozarks and Appalachians. Poor, not well educated and a bit marginalized by the rest of the country. They idolize a corrupt billionaire named Bernie Madoff, they thinks he's the cat's ass. Bernie is in jail for his misdeeds but sees these rubes as his ticket to freedom and the restoration of his ill gotten fortune. He tries to enlist the help of a million of these fine folks, but through bribery and angry rhetoric he only manages to get 50,000 to participate in his scheme. He has them march on Washington, he even puts gas in their pickups so they can make the journey. They occupy the streets of the nation's capitol. They piss on the sidewalks and make a nuisance of themselves. They loiter and block intersections and hang out at the Lincoln memorial. They hope by doing this that Obama will not only pardon Bernie, but that he'll declare him the new President. Sounds insane doesn't it? What about the other 300 million or so citizens? Shouldn't they get a say? No, all that matters is that Bernie Madoff gets rich and powerful once more. And when he does his protesters can go back to moonshining and marrying their cousins.

And that in a nutshell is what it is like to live in Thailand these days.

[MikeyIdea]

No, I don't think that Abhisit is in danger of losing support in the long run, temporarily maybe yes. I think that the reds only option if Abhisit ignore the whole thing is to escalate the violence and intimidation themselves and that should come back and bite them sooner or later and when it does, his support will increase again

[termad]

From his perspective he has to consider the Somchai ruling and he is probably a nice guy who deosnt want to hurt people and also would anyone else want to have blood on their hands. The buck stops with him on this one.

Not defending him or saying he should or shouldnt a sthat is a choice a mere nobvody like me wouldnt want to be left to make. However, those are some of the issues that he will have to consider if he wants to order a crackdown

He has ordered a crackdown which Anupong refused to carry out. I think that Anupong was being politically wise to do so because it's doubtful if Abhisit is going to last the month out.

[termad]

Let me break it down for the Americans out there. The Red shirts are like hill billies from the Ozarks and Appalachians. Poor, not well educated and a bit marginalized by the rest of the country. They idolize a corrupt billionaire named Bernie Madoff, they thinks he's the cat's ass. Bernie is in jail for his misdeeds but sees these rubes as his ticket to freedom and the restoration of his ill gotten fortune. He tries to enlist the help of a million of these fine folks, but through bribery and angry rhetoric he only manages to get 50,000 to participate in his scheme. He has them march on Washington, he even puts gas in their pickups so they can make the journey. They occupy the streets of the nation's capitol. They piss on the sidewalks and make a nuisance of themselves. They loiter and block intersections and hang out at the Lincoln memorial. They hope by doing this that Obama will not only pardon Bernie, but that he'll declare him the new President. Sounds insane doesn't it? What about the other 300 million or so citizens? Shouldn't they get a say? No, all that matters is that Bernie Madoff gets rich and powerful once more. And when he does his protesters can go back to moonshining and marrying their cousins.

And that in a nutshell is what it is like to live in Thailand these days.

What a load of very confused rubbish.

[anotherpeter]

From his perspective he has to consider the Somchai ruling and he is probably a nice guy who deosnt want to hurt people and also would anyone else want to have blood on their hands. The buck stops with him on this one.

Not defending him or saying he should or shouldnt a sthat is a choice a mere nobvody like me wouldnt want to be left to make. However, those are some of the issues that he will have to consider if he wants to order a crackdown

He has ordered a crackdown which Anupong refused to carry out. I think that Anupong was being politically wise to do so because it's doubtful if Abhisit is going to last the month out.

Given the army is doing what it's told today, it seems Abhisit might have some life in him yet.

[4223rhodes]

From his perspective he has to consider the Somchai ruling and he is probably a nice guy who deosnt want to hurt people and also would anyone else want to have blood on their hands. The buck stops with him on this one.

Not defending him or saying he should or shouldnt a sthat is a choice a mere nobvody like me wouldnt want to be left to make. However, those are some of the issues that he will have to consider if he wants to order a crackdown

He has ordered a crackdown which Anupong refused to carry out. I think that Anupong was being politically wise to do so because it's doubtful if Abhisit is going to last the month out.

Given the army is doing what it's told today, it seems Abhisit might have some life in him yet.

The pesky Thaksins and Abhisits come and go; the army remains.