State Of Emergency Decree Imposed In Bangkok

[hammered]

Although looking a little thinner than last night, the crowd at Rajaprasong is still large and I wouldn't fancy trying to drive a peaceful wedge through it.

It is down but there isnt going to be a clearance at 10'oclock or soemthing. This is all psyops. If a cleartance comes it happens at 4 or 5 AM when people are knackered or gone home, and leaders may be tucked up in nice bed, not at the height of speech giving. Maybe PTV will get shut down or maybe the government will threaten more places and cause the crowd to spread over many locations. It is all games right now

[landofthefree]

The Farrang I know , like me, live and work in Bangkok and have done so for years. They think, like me, that the Abhisit Government is just a party made up of the rich establishment figures in Bangkok so therefore are the minority and are fated to lose in any election, so letting them lose sooner rather than later would be better for everyone concerned. Like me they want to get rid of the state of emergency ,get rid of the protesters on the streets and get Bangkok back to normal again. In response to your Thai friends comments it was interesting to see today the support that I witnessed that was being shown from people on the street to the redshirts as they were driving around Mo Chit and On Nut . Their support seems different to the lack of support for the red shirts that your Thai friends claim. Maybe the red shirts aren't as unpopular as many TV posters believe.

I have lived in BKK and owned a number of business here for quite a few years please don't mistake me for a tourist or monger, thanks.

You really honestly believe that if the gov't is toppled NOW and the elections are held and the REDS party is in power the Yellow shirts are just going to sit around and do nothing? goodness... I want some of whatever you are taking.. or I guess that is "normal" to you.

Or maybe the support isn't as great as OTHER TV posters believe? Did you happen to see the REDS parading up and down Thong Lor? Or what happened to them after the first parade when they ventured up to the top end of Bangkapi? I don't think your two minor examples or my two are enough to determine how much support they do or do not have... I can tell you among my employees (greater than 100 in all locations) the support has been dropping like a stone the more violent sounding and acting the leaders become.

Maybe they are telling you what you want to hear about who they support. As you are not a Fishmonger (although I dont know why you wouldnt want to be one after all its an honest occupation ) or heaven forbid, a tourist (please remember that if you ever go abroad your opinion is, by your own logic, also worthless ) I would guess you know that Thais will tell you what they believe you want to hear especially if you are their boss. Your employees are probably all redshirt supporters on the sly as they know Abhisit does not represent their interests but they wouldn't tell you that would they? I just reported what I saw today, what I didn't say is that I travel through Bangkok all the time with work and have seen many, many redshirts over the last few weeks and have never seen anyone showing anger towards them in Bangkok. Just reporting on what I know about Thais and what I have recently seen

[hammered]

People should remember that Nattawut et al and particulalrly Arismon are going away for a long time if they lose and dont escape the country. They like the PM have lots of pressure on them

Very true. I can't see any of the red shirt being let loose for a while if they lose. Their court cases will surely come up before any of those who closed the airport down, or the government will never see an end to the cycle of protests.

But if they win, what then? More chaos from the yellows, pinks and rainbows!

If they win they will just take it oput on the losers. Whoever wins this will still be in a precarious position and will have to act horribly. We arent at some juncture of enlightenment unfortuanatley

[Jerrytheyoung]

Okay... given what I see on TV right now, there must be at least 50K people clapping and cheering the red-shirt leaders at Rajprasong. This can end in only a couple of ways... (1) thousands of people driven away by riot gear - a lot of injuries, perhaps a few killed, or (2) the Army General declares a coup and all is well (?!), (3) nothing happens and we are still stuck in time...waiting for either (1) or (2) to happen....

The big difference with the past is that, NOW, Thailand is an industrial Country, and who are the basic workers running the production for the profit of the Elite: northern guys and girls, as it has been often underlined.

So if there is a riot the response will be probably be a General strike... and the Elite has perfectly understood the risk, the huge impact on potential investors (japanese for example) who will be heading to Vietnam or Malaysia where the risk of work stoppages are nil: this is one of the reason why Abhisit is loosing some supports.....

Edited April 7, 2010 by Jerrytheyoung

[animatic]

WRONG! It means they were accepting orders from their elected government to not be provoked into reaction. It is called discipline and is a military characteristic. If the generals were interested enough in their country's welfare to remove a nascent dictator, what makes you think they will allow it to be taken over by his rabble? Do you think they want Thaksin to take command, kiss and forget?

What ELECTED government? I remember military taking over one actually ELECTED government not so long ago...

Well it certainly wasn't Thaksin elected government, he was alone at the top having dissolved his Parliament and cabinet,

and his time as Caretaker PM had also expired because he hadn't run a proper election in time.

So not sol long ago would be what, 1991?

[hammered]

Okay boys and girls.... what is the latest news from Rajprasong? How many people are there? What are they doing? Has the government moved them yet?

Nearly nobody but that doesn't stop their leaders from yelling their lungs out...

I wouldnt say nearly nobody. Down on th dizzy heights yes but still reasonable

[Sunderland]

Breaking up the crowd at Rajaprasong is far from the end of this. The way they are protesting this time around it's highly likely they will pick another random intersection and set up there. And what is to stop them blocking the road again? The keystone cops? Dad's army???

[rainman]

People should remember that Nattawut et al and particulalrly Arismon are going away for a long time if they lose and dont escape the country. They like the PM have lots of pressure on them

Very true. I can't see any of the red shirt being let loose for a while if they lose. Their court cases will surely come up before any of those who closed the airport down, or the government will never see an end to the cycle of protests.

But if they win, what then? More chaos from the yellows, pinks and rainbows!

Of course the court cases against the red shirts will come up before the court cases against the yellow shirts. Otherwise it wouldn't be double standard. Like the red shirt guy on his motorbike who threw a bag of poop at Abhisit's residence. He was convicted and sentenced to prison the same day, while the yellow shirts are still free and no sentence has yet been read after 2 years.

[lannarebirth]

Everybody in Thailand is two degrees of separation from someone famous.... did you ever notice that everyone seems to know or be related to someone "famous" in Thailand... strikes me as odd that if they are related, they let their relatives behave like such horse's ass*s... or maybe primitive behavior runs in the family?

I agree, its true.

[frankganderson]

so, when's the baht gonna start falling???

Don't be so selfish. Lives are on the line now. This is no joke. Thank Thaksin for this mess. He was willing to destroy his own country for his money and power greed.

I could not agree more re. Thaksin as far as what he was willing to do and getting away with it with the help of many willing accomplices...but it's a lot tougher than just Thaksin. A lot of people in Thailand are fed up with the sakdina system, double standards and being fed a lot of crap all the time. Thaksin was, in a strange way, a catalyst for people recognizing their situation - at least, as far as it did not involve Thaksin!

[rainman]

I bet it goes dark early in Bangkok with all them nasty dark people there lol.

Try sinking just a little lower. I'm sure you can do it.

[Sunderland]

Signal has gone now.

[Hugh Jarse]

It's about time! Totally justified for all the world to see.

A message to the good people of Thailand.

I can tell you with confidence the vast majority of foreigners support your honorable PM Abhisit in his valiant effort to fight anarchic red shirt's illegal attempt at revolution and the rule of a violent mob. Good luck to and best hopes for a PEACEFUL resolution.

Here,here ,well said . The current administration must be commended for their handling of the demo's so far. I cannot recall any other administration here being so patient and diplomatic. The Reds are messing on their own doorstep by this approach to conflict resolution. They are ridiculed the world over and the blood demonstrations recently illustrate their vulgarity ditto their puppet master thaksin S.

[Sunderland]

Could be a sign of impending crackdown. There is a big 'No signal' sign on the screen.

[rainman]

Signal has gone now.

Same here. I thought it was just me, but seems like it's dead. Looks like the government has either overrun the station or they pulled the plug otherwise. Tonight might get ugly.

[TAWP]

Even though the TRT has been banned , its off-spring the PPP (proThaksin) won that election with an absolute majority.

No, they did not, they held a minority, on par with the democrats, in the 36-39% region.

Facts, not fiction, please.

[Throatwobbler]

But you don't remember the election that came 13 months AFTER the coup? Odd, because there was one. Look it up, it was was in all the papers.

"Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai party of Thaksin Shinawatra and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for 5 years."

Kinda nice to hold elections when you ban the opposing party....

Even though the TRT has been banned , its off-spring the PPP (proThaksin) won that election with an absolute majority.

Of course once the PPP was banned later on , the dems did not want the PTP (PPP offspring) to win yet again .

On the other end in all fairness PPP and TRT were so corrupt , buying the votes of poor farmers , that its kind of difficult to

support them . Its truly a different case then Europe or USA. Democracy in THailand is dysfunctional because of wide scale

corruption

Please moresomekl. I think you make a lot of good points but you occasionally make stupid statements.

At the last election the PPP did not get the most votes but got the most seats. They were the largest government in number of seats so they could form a government.

I know you have issues with how we got to those elections But those are the results

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_general_election,_2007

[YouYouYou]

Just an update ....

The Red TV channel has been cut to Nakhon Pathom a few minutes ago .... MMM (about 9.53PM)

Any other cable watchers in other places?

Is it now gonna kick off??

Check this out moderators.#

Just now too Suthep with all the top military brass on all channels asking families of red shirts etc. to please go home ...MMM, I think its gonna kick off soon. Can't be coincidence these two events eh?

Edited April 7, 2010 by YouYouYou

[Sunderland]

Signal has gone now.

Same here. I thought it was just me, but seems like it's dead. Looks like the government has either overrun the station or they pulled the plug otherwise. Tonight might get ugly.

Would seem to be about that time. Easier in some ways to launch a crackdown when most of the city is off the streets and in bed.

Gives them about 8 hours before most of Bangkok wakes up to try and sort it all out. Surely if that's their plan they will go for the leaders first. Once you're taken out the likes of Nuttawut, Jatuporn, Arisman and Veera, there aren't too many left who are able to deliver the rhetoric to the same degree.

[Sunderland]

Just an update ....

The Red TV channel has been cut to Nakhon Pathom a few minutes ago .... MMM (about 9.53PM)

Any other cable watchers in other places?

Is it now gonna kick off??

Check this out moderators.

Yes, it's been cut.

[hammered]

People should remember that Nattawut et al and particulalrly Arismon are going away for a long time if they lose and dont escape the country. They like the PM have lots of pressure on them

Very true. I can't see any of the red shirt being let loose for a while if they lose. Their court cases will surely come up before any of those who closed the airport down, or the government will never see an end to the cycle of protests.

But if they win, what then? More chaos from the yellows, pinks and rainbows!

Of course the court cases against the red shirts will come up before the court cases against the yellow shirts. Otherwise it wouldn't be double standard. Like the red shirt guy on his motorbike who threw a bag of poop at Abhisit's residence. He was convicted and sentenced to prison the same day, while the yellow shirts are still free and no sentence has yet been read after 2 years.

He wasnt a red shirt but someone with problems. Still I doubt it will matter in your world of red and yellow. Referring to the poop thrower.

Notice how Arismon is still free after the Pattaya attack. That wouldnt happen in any western country for sure etc. Still I enjoyed your horrible bitter attack on poor people who were lucky enough to earn daily wages, and shouldnt be complaining at losing themn due to soemn red rally yesterday. I would really like to see you explain that to some of the poor I know. Gues you just dont mix with grassroots people. Not sure the red brotherhood would appreciate that elitist attack on ordinary people

[rainman]

- Suthep is on all TV stations right now.

- He's offering red shirts a ride home if they want to go home.

Edited April 7, 2010 by rainman

[OzMick]

What's the latest? There is too much old lady and old man gossip here.... don't people have things to do? What's actually happening with the red-shirts?

They're stripping down and have declared they will now be known as the 'white undies'.

After weeks on the street, you think that their undies will be white?

[traderjm]

Maybe they are telling you what you want to hear about who they support. As you are not a Fishmonger (although I dont know why you wouldnt want to be one after all its an honest occupation ) or heaven forbid, a tourist (please remember that if you ever go abroad your opinion is, by your own logic, also worthless ) I would guess you know that Thais will tell you what they believe you want to hear especially if you are their boss. Your employees are probably all redshirt supporters on the sly as they know Abhisit does not represent their interests but they wouldn't tell you that would they? I just reported what I saw today, what I didn't say is that I travel through Bangkok all the time with work and have seen many, many redshirts over the last few weeks and have never seen anyone showing anger towards them in Bangkok. Just reporting on what I know about Thais and what I have recently seen

You seem to forget that YOU were the one that made the opening comment about YOU and YOUR friends living here, the implication being that I might not. So I was merely clearing up for you any confusion I do in fact and have for some. My post did NOT say that an opinion of a tourist is worthless what an amazing leap of logic, or lack of whatever shoe fits.. but merely that a two week tourist could not possibly have the same insight as to what is going on as a person having lived here for years, with Thai family, I am sure you would agree. I would dare say that even a expat that has lived here for years without a thai family would have a different POV as well. Never said one was better or worse than the others, simply different.

Again with your leaps of logic, I never said the employees comments were made directly to me. Nor did I say I have expressed an opinion to any of them as to whether I support or dislike the REDs. Nor are all of my employees from UP country. So while you are quite right Thai's as a general rule do NOT like to rock the boat more so in a work environment, you made too many assumptions about the situation, most of which are completely off base.

I would think that for the first week of the sit in when there was RED propaganda and crap all over the place and it is decreasing by the day and NOT on any orders from me or any of my mangers it is a pretty clear indication they are not now nor were ever hard core supporters..

I too travel the city a fair bit, a merely gave two examples in response to your two. I am sure you will agree they were not met with the same level of support you claim in every place you went? I already acknowledged I have seen support of them on the streets but nowhere near as much as some posters on TV claim.

I will tell you what I posted in another thread if you have not seen any anger towards them you have simply not been in the right places at the right time I guess. I have seen anger at them in three or four different locations nothing over the top but for sure NOT support and with a clear of message of go home now please.

We have different experiences and that's good, nothing wrong with seeing more than one POV

[ChouDoufu]

sitting here in my condo in chiang mai.<br />building cable has 6 thai channels.<br /><br />ALL now are showing some thai dude in glasses speaking.<br /><br />sorry, i don't know who he is.....

now i do....Deputy Prime Minister Suthep

Edited April 7, 2010 by ChouDoufu

[Carib]

Suthep on all stations now

[Redsunset]

Signal has gone now.

Same here. I thought it was just me, but seems like it's dead. Looks like the government has either overrun the station or they pulled the plug otherwise. Tonight might get ugly.

I went off line for a few minutes... Could be related to the Emergency Decree, but given the incompetence of TRUE as my Internet provider, I would not be surprised if it was a coincidence.

[jdinasia]

THe last election in Thailand by the thai people was in December 2007 .

The PPP (proThaksin) won the absolute majority at that election if i remember well .

What election are you refering too ?

geeze ----

You don't remember well. PPP had to form a coalition government.

[Redsunset]

Suthep on all stations now

Suthep reminds me of DICK CHENEY

[OM3N]

Are you saying the red channel is down? All normal channels showing Suthep declaring state of emergency.