Thai Red-Shirts Kidnap CAT Telecom CEO

[block2]

Taskin certainly has blood on his hands

But Abhisit's hands, are now also covered in blood..he now has to go...

Simple ....let the thai people vote..thats all they want..it's not rocket science....

[BigC]

just not understand the BBC. all this stuff going on here and the BBC are more interested in a dead polish PM. i am not saying that it should not make the news but Thailand news seems to be at the back of the news. Also a bomb went off in Belfast and they barely mentioned it. thought it was stupposed to be BBC world news. what a load of rubbish. Get better information on thaivisa. you should opne your own TV station !!

[jupiler]

Taskin certainly has blood on his hands

But Abhisit's hands, are now also covered in blood..he now has to go...

Simple ....let the thai people vote..thats all they want..it's not rocket science....

And after those election a convicted criminal(Taksin) as prime minister? Yeah, that would be real democracy!

How you think the rest of the world would react on that? Thailand gonna be a banana republic, and investors gonna move to other country's.

[animatic]

Hungry, the Bangkok Post is contradicting the Nation with the CAT CEO saying that he was not kidnapped, and that he went willingly. But you will believe what you want to, like the rest of the anti-reds.

Of course he'd fuc_king say that!

Knowing they can just come back next day and do it again and no one will stop them.

One office pencil pusher vs 300 motorcycle taxi guys

and one guy wanted by police for a laundry list of charges.

This guy is just happy as hel_l to be let loose, and that's that.

[jayjay0]

Whats the problem. This is Thailand if they will put on yellow shirts the army and the police will go home. Do you people forget the closing of the airport and seizure of government house with a 500,000,000 damage bill and no recriminations. A government that sanctions that is rotten to the core. Do you people not realize that legal and justice are two separate items.

The army takes the engines off scows loads them with refuges and when caught the PM says he will have the army set up a panel to look into. Heard any thing sense. before you condemn the reds look at the alternative.

[fleming]

Army's action is, so far, much too soft. How come people tolerates that a "sponsored" minority manage to bother a whole country? A tougher reponse to those unpeaceful protests is needed. Talking is a loss of time.

Government is stalling in order to hide the evidence and get their stories straight before they resign.

So many idiots on this post are basically saying send in the tanks and heavy artillary (in not so many words but implying). What do you want another Tianaman Square and do you think a stronger course of action than we saw on Saturday will fix the problem? In these kind of situations throughout history forcing your political oponents underground leads to more radical movement such as the IRA to name but one.

Thailand is a divided country politically as is it's army so a fair percentage of the footsoldiers who are forcebly enlisted into the army at the age of 20+ and thrown on the frontline in Bangkok this weekend were obviously forced to fight their own unwillingly.

Many comments on many of the posts on this topic over the weeks have refered to the redshirts almost as if they're another nationality altogether so military action is justified like it would be for an invading force. They're as Thai as their yellowshirt brothers and should be allowed the same voice and treated with the same respect the yellowshirt seige of 2 airports recieved!

Would temper the above post saying that the so-called "many idiots" are just feeling that a fugitive, a now stranger in his country, just want his corrupted money back to his own pocket and is using any possible channels to get it back there, whatever the cost for his ex-country and ex-country-fellowmen for whom he's paying an extra-1000 THB or so per day for self rendering services... without much consideration for the consequences of his action on "his-owned" people. But when money gets involved, who knows what people are capable of...

Edited April 12, 2010 by fleming

[ThaiPodologist]

I just wonder that the Bangkok Post is publishing an interview with the boss of the Cat Telecom which another member of this community has mentioned. In this interview he explains very clear that he has NOT been kidnapped. So why is this wrong information in this forum???

I have also seen the gentleman on Thai PBS and he explains again the same.

The interesting part is, that with wrong information which are NOT corrected people are led to confusion. They believe things which are obviously not true.

German newspapers told today same as French TV that a 3rd party was involved. The soldiers of that 3rd party have had weapons who just had been delivered to the anti task force of the army of Thailand into Southern Thailand. Those weapons are newest technology from Israel.

How can Red Shirts get those weapons??? It seems as if some person with a lot of power behind the scene in Thailand plays games to blame others. The best would be when the United Nations come to Thailand to take care of new elections that the possibility for corruption and vote buying will be less than before. Further there should be several diplomat from everywhere of the world involved to calm down the situation.

The last we need is Thaksin back in the country or the Reds winning the rally. Because that brings the yellows back and the games just starts from zero with different colors What they need is a solution like in Zimbabwe with Tsvangiray and Mugabe. Both groups have to be in power in a coalition government to bring the country forward with a new constitution which has been written in cooperation with international experts.

Thailand is unable to solve its conflicts and it will lead this country to the land of hate, blood, war, total corruption and complicated economic situations. Tourists will stay away and a solution is out of sight. Only the international community can solve what the land of smile can not.

[Sabre]

So much hysteria in these threads.

Try to remain calm people. Hysterical people can't think clearly, and make stupid mistakes.

Now more than ever, we need to keep our wits about us.

[mythBuster]

It is time to close down the nation according the bizarre rules of this government look at this man's own statement:

Mr Jirayuth accompanied the red-shirts to the CAT's telecom network centre in Nonthaburi to prove that CAT did not do anything to disrupt the signal.

He denied reports that he was abducted by the protesters and said he was not taken to their rally stage at Phan Fa Bridge.

[Sabre]

So

Things on the boards have changed. Funny how so many here were saying the Reds were never going to win but now the same people are silent.

Face it people.

Most of the people here who are not Thai do not know a thing about Thai political things and such. Heck, most of these Farangs living in Thailand never voted in their home nations.

Tell them the price of beer is up, and you get their attention. Tell them a bar is closed, and you have a real crisis for them.

The faranag, most who live in Thailand, would actually benefit from a Thai collapse because the Baht would collapse.

Put the baht at 50 or more to the US dollar and all the farangs of the world who come to Thailand to party would smile.

Now I know there are some of you who worked those teaching jobs making 40,000 baht a month. You save it though? NO

It is not a pimple on the arse of an elephant.

Baht 50 or 60 would turn Bangkok into party central again.

Total collapse of the economic system would make most of my friends in Thailand happy.

Nothing better than desperation and hunger for the buyer of goods.

Personally, I am not a buyer of the goods. I am like Al Buddy. Married with Children.

I have not been in the scene for a decade.

But as I said, the 1997 collapse was great for tourists.

That's right. Just like Cambodia after the khmer rouge? It's great when most of the population is so poor right? You can get sex very cheaply then. And bribe corrupt police. A real party zone for pedophiles and other criminals, while the population as a whole suffers terribly. I'd rather see Thailand prosper, even if it means your friends can't party so hard.

[anotherpeter]

It is time to close down the nation according the bizarre rules of this government look at this man's own statement:

Mr Jirayuth accompanied the red-shirts to the CAT's telecom network centre in Nonthaburi to prove that CAT did not do anything to disrupt the signal.

He denied reports that he was abducted by the protesters and said he was not taken to their rally stage at Phan Fa Bridge.

But why did HE have to go?

[sceneitb4]

Whats the problem. This is Thailand if they will put on yellow shirts the army and the police will go home. Do you people forget the closing of the airport and seizure of government house with a 500,000,000 damage bill and no recriminations. A government that sanctions that is rotten to the core. Do you people not realize that legal and justice are two separate items.

The army takes the engines off scows loads them with refuges and when caught the PM says he will have the army set up a panel to look into. Heard any thing sense. before you condemn the reds look at the alternative.

A high ranking army official was quoted in todays paper saying the raid (saturday push) should have been conducted at dawn. No kidding. Everybody and his water buffalo knew there would be claims and counter claims as to who fired the first shot, the reds have been on the gound for weeks now. How difficult is it to gather hard intel when you have have a slow moving target, elevated vantage points, unlimted access through infils, press badges handed out like candy. And yet this military mis times their push, mis quotes the ops (firing overheads) and won't or can't use basics to electronic ID imagery and capture images of who fired first? Pathetic. Could you imagine public sentiment with proven imagery as to who fired first? Usually during any crisis there is a steady stream of information avilable, a spokesman, a talking head who 'pedals the policy'. In this case, you have Military and Goverment ofiicals being sought for quotes rather than initiating response. The Dems blew thier moment in th sun, now they are back peddling, and the Military has once again proven to be an inept bunch, an ineffective tool, sucumbing to a goup of rag tag money centerd thugs.

[kiwijor]

These thugs simply seem to believe they are above the law, acts like this make the perpetrators nothing more than terrorists.

I think you are inciting unrest POMTHAI, you can't make the difference between right and wrong. you think what the army did is ok Huh?

[winsorooi]

These thugs simply seem to believe they are above the law, acts like this make the perpetrators nothing more than terrorists.

i think all of them are terrorists including the present government. Aren't they? The PM was not elected by the people, he got the position from the military. Did they break the law? Well, all of them.

To settle this conflict is to go back to the basic. New election is called ASAP then using international organizations to monitor the election. Whoever win, pleaseeeee accept the will of majority regardless how stupid the majority are. No more yellow or red. Whoever in power, corruption is the Thai culture, there isn't any different if you bride the police officer for 500Bht because of your traffic offense and the ministers accept bride for 5million Bht. Same problem. Unless you want to change the culture. It will take around 50 to 100 years. U guys would have died by then, so educate your grandchildren and children to make Thailand a better place to live.

[BigBikeBKK]

Wow, the Land of Smiles is turning into the Land of Anarchy where an angry mob can go around threatening people, conducting illegal searches and kidnappings... And these are the people some want to see in government?! Ask yourself- what kind of country do you want to live in? One that is governed by laws or one that is governed by a mob?

[hegralow]

this is going out of control.......practically they are doing whatever they want to do...........no law here..........

I have been neutral on this whole 3 Ring Circus taking the position that this is for the Thais to sort out and farang should keep their mouths shut, stay away from the protest sites and generally mind their own business.

But this lawless thuggery...Abhisit needs to take the gloves off. This not about politics now; it's about crass and arrogant disregard for anything resembling civil behavior and rule of law.

What has happened so far is not even close to lawless thuggery. The red shirts are trying to get new elections (forget Thaksin for a minute). Had the police/military not moved in the other day, there might not have been any deaths. The government is afraid they might loose, that is why Abisit has not dissolved the govenmentand called for new elections, it is about holding on to power. IF the red shirts had wanted to cause serious violence there would have been serious problems and many deaths. They have shown remarkable restraint in holding a mob of 50.000 together when what they are doing is basically revolutionary in nature. The government too has shown restraint but they worry about the possibility of loosing this fight by inaction thus the troops trying to route the demonstrators off their turf and death and injury. Stop looking at this from your personal perspectives. This is two major opposing forces and it is amazing to me that the violence is not worse. Can the government really start shooting at the red shirts for parading around town? Do you people expressing ideas about cracking down on the red shirts really realize what chaos that would cause. How many people would be killed? Revolutionary behavior is not peaceful by nature. Pray that things will cool down some. Elections are needed to solve the standoff. The military marching in and deposing Thaksin was the first step in a distructive series of events. Like it or not Thaksin was an elected member of parliment. If indeed the military holds so much power they should have reined in his excesses and set him straight on what was acceptable behavior. It was all a mess from the beginning and many of you call the current government ligitimate. I am no supporter of Thaksin but he was the elected leader before the coup. How can any subsequent government be legitimate after a coup. You wonder why the red shirts are in the streets. Dah, it's a no brainer. They want back their elected government, the one they elected.

[BigBikeBKK]

You wonder why the red shirts are in the streets. Dah, it's a no brainer. They want back their elected government, the one they elected.

Erm, don't you mean to say the government they were paid to elect?

[christiaan]

Even when we have some information or a little more as 'some information' we still are outsiders. We have to be carefull with our opinions becos in almost any situation our opinion tells more about our self as the matter we think we have to tell something about. A judgement makes it difficult to see the situation as it realy is. I would say in Thailand it is very difficult to see what is realy going on. Not only what is going on at 'the surface' but also at the 'background', at the back of the stages. Thai people are very different from most western people and also in Asia they are or have become quite unique in their way of being. They are different from other Asian cultures, at least very different from the Chinese and the Vietnamese general culture. Learning to know more about Thai history and Thai culture I am more and more astonished about their behaviour. And when I can hold my judgement back I can keep on to be interested in them. Looking at the situation as it is now I would say every Thai adult knows the country is ruled by the rich and powerfull elite. And that is not the problem, the problem is this elite is in the first place always taking care themself and making the gap bigger between them and the less fortunate. The problem is in general they not realy care for the less fortunate people. They need them to be rich and powerfull and stay that way. I have been reading over and over again Thaksin is paying the people to demonstrate. In the beginning I even read when they would discover the payment would be to low compared to the costs they would have, many red shirts would start to return home. But now, after weeks, more as 20 red shirts died and the red shirts still continue. Does this mean the payment is so high they even like to die for this? Does it mean their loyalty to Thaksin is so high they would voluntary sacrifice their lifes for him? On 'the other side' soldiers died. Probably the lowest paid workers in the army or police have lost their lifes. And then the army retreated, leaving some of their equipment at the battle stage. Why? Why do they leave the battle field?

I would say this is astonishing, this is not something to have some superficial opinion about but this is something that is puzzling the mind. We not realy 'know' what is going on and why it is going on the way it does. We just guess and often only spread around our likes and dislikes. But when we are honest, when we are not corrupt in our way of thinking, most of us have to admit we just do not understand.

[Trouble]

I don't disagree that elections need to be held. But having elections in this climate would be totally irresponsible. And yes, the Thais did elect Thaksin and he was robbing the country blind, executing innocent people under the guise of "getting rid of small time street drug dealers" Guess that's all fine and dandy with you. To bring him back would further damage this country. It is a serious problem and not at all an easy one. Giving in to crass lawlessness is not the answer either in avoiding violence. I am here on the ground and see the damage it is causing. Are you in Thailand or in LA?

Further comment: how can any rational person that has any knowledge of this situation "forget Thaksin for a minute". He is the cause behind all this and is paying many of the protesters just as he bought most of their votes to get elected in the first place. The man is a cancerous tumor in the vital organs of Thailand. You want to minimize that, go ahead, but I think you are out of your tree.

That's it, tell me I am not rational, tell me I am out of my tree. Your problem is that you see a mob in the streets as lawlessness. Until the violence starts it is a group of people demonstrating for "their" rights. That may take your sensibilities of order for a rough ride. It may inconvenience you but people have the obligation to demonstrate against their government over grievences when the government will not listen. Take Taksin out of the equation for a moment (I realize that is difficult for you as you obviously are influencded by your hatred for the man.) IF these people were asking for elections regardless of the Taksin issue would they still be a lawless mob or people who had seen their army arbitarily throw out the elected government. Were the students in Tien an men square a lawless mob. You seem to hate Taksin so much that any means to drive him from power is justified. That is not the way "democratic" countries work. No people in a western nation would tolerate the process as it happened in Thailand IF they could do something about it. Seems like the end justifies the means in your thinking. That is not democracy. My thoughts on this issue have more to do with the process than who is behind what. Does anyone here actually think that yellow shirt politicians do not enrich themselves? Have yellow shirt politicians not paid for votes? Like some have said, both sides hand out money and then the people go vote for whom they want. Sure Taksin used the system to his advantage, yes he enriched himself using his power. Why do so many of the generals live such lavish lives on army pay? Every level of the police, government, and military is rife with corruption. Do you suppose that Taksin actually had a list of those drug dealers to be eliminated and that it was all his doing? I have never fully understood how the death of petty drug dealers can all be put on Taksin. This is just one of the many things thrown against Taksin. Yes something terrible happened but could any one on this forum convict Taksin on such charge with what you really know? No way, it is all part of the Taksin did this, Taksin did that. The only thing we do know for fact is what he has been convicted of in a court of law. I am not defending Taksin. I wish sincerely that he was out of the equation. But the vile hate of this man is warping many a persons thinking on this current issue. NOW, let me set something straight on my thoughts on Taksin. This man COULD have brought real change to Thailand. His problem was that he was a megalomaniac. He turned out to be just like many of his predessors succumbing to corruption and failing. I do not want him back. Neither do I want the current govenment that came to power by questionable means. What I do want is fair, honest elections where the electorate, rightly or wrongly, chooses their representatives. We all know that will be a difficult road. Many can say the Thai people are not ready or cannot do that so just leave the current government in power. But people have to make their own mistakes and they have to learn from those mistakes. No group of elites or foreign expats can think they know what is best. Won't work, never has worked. The Thais need to figure out how they can hold elections which people will accept for the term of the parliment. Power given to leaders by any other means will mean continuous upheaval. My views on this issue involve the principles of how it should work. What we in the west have is tolerance knowing that the pendulum of politics swings back and forth, We have some confidence that our elections are fair and honest. The Thais need to get to that point to achieve trust in government. That I am sure is a long way off. From what I have seen and read, Abisit has done a piss poor job in the public relations department. I give him credit for restraint in using force. If he wants to be remembered well in history, he could use his current position to bring about change in creating a system of fair and open elections. That should be his legacy. Negotiate with the red shirts, bring them into the process, and see how elections can be held that are accepted by all. A tall order.

So call me all the names you want. I am so sorry that my take on things does not go along with your sense of order. It seems that the difference between you and I is that I can understand the red shirts. Sure money helped bring people to the demonstrations but calling for elections is not an unreasonable request, is it? I do understand that to the leaders of boths sides it is a question of who controls the power. I am sure you might be happier if the government of Thailand kept order much like the government in Burma. No lawless thuggery there.

[liloldspirut]

According to a friend of my wife who works at CAT, the red shirt mob already "brought him back".

Red Shirt Mob?? HMM, Mobs have no conscience towards anyone and anything. Would not a Corrupt Gov which has no conscience towards its people be a Mob too? Lets see AV Gov Mob--Red Shirt Mob which way should I throw my opinion.

[brahmburgers]

Taskin certainly has blood on his hands

But Abhisit's hands, are now also covered in blood..he now has to go...

Simple ....let the thai people vote..thats all they want..it's not rocket science....

It's too simplistic to say Abhisit has blood on his hands. It's like saying a cop who shoots a thief has blood on his hands. Abhisit is PM and as such is in a position to try and keep mayhem from spreading in Thailand's capital city. He was extremely patient (to a fault) for 3 weeks. The Reds kept goading him, and causing severe problems for Bangkokians, tourism, public health (tainted blood on sidewalks), bombs tossed at buildings, etc. Abhisit did the least he could/should have done, and alarmists are shouting he has 'blood on his hands.' I'd have blood on my hands too if some jerks broke in to my house and caused mayhem.

Wow, the Land of Smiles is turning into the Land of Anarchy where an angry mob can go around threatening people, conducting illegal searches and kidnappings... And these are the people some want to see in government?! Ask yourself- what kind of country do you want to live in? One that is governed by laws or one that is governed by a mob?

good points. A country run by T or any of the Red leaders will be a badly run country at best. If any of them get voted in to power from this fracas, then those who voted for them will have to tough it out. I'll say to them, 'you made your bed, now sleep in it.' Most of my Thai friends were T supporters when he was riding in to prominence. Now they're silent or embarrassed or quick with excuses when it's mentioned.

[BigC]

with war going on. it is hard to tell what is real and what is not. fall all we know there was not kid napping maybe it was just a stunt to make it look like one maybe red shirts are shooting other red shirts and make it look like th soliders are doing it to make more tension.

i wonder where there is money inloved if people that used to be yellow are now red and vis vira.

not sure but i reckon that taksin was not liked by the world for his shoot to kill policy on war on drugs and the muslims. this might be a reason why he keeps getting rejected from so many countries.

also Taksin has a large take in cambodia. i wonder how many weapons are sneaking over the border.

don't know why the yellows don't push taksin into the world court of Human rights. then he will get locked up over seas and then get depoted back to thailand.

i wonder with the 76 billion baht that they put back into the thai economy will push taxes down. this is my only problem with the new PM is taxes.

from my selfish point of view taksin made my life in thailand easier but from an outsiders view point think he made some other peoples lives missery.

1 thing is for sure if the new PM is not a good business man then taxes will put allot of people off thailand with the already week pound and the strong baht.

[BigC]

Taskin certainly has blood on his hands

But Abhisit's hands, are now also covered in blood..he now has to go...

Simple ....let the thai people vote..thats all they want..it's not rocket science....

It's too simplistic to say Abhisit has blood on his hands. It's like saying a cop who shoots a thief has blood on his hands. Abhisit is PM and as such is in a position to try and keep mayhem from spreading in Thailand's capital city. He was extremely patient (to a fault) for 3 weeks. The Reds kept goading him, and causing severe problems for Bangkokians, tourism, public health (tainted blood on sidewalks), bombs tossed at buildings, etc. Abhisit did the least he could/should have done, and alarmists are shouting he has 'blood on his hands.' I'd have blood on my hands too if some jerks broke in to my house and caused mayhem.

Wow, the Land of Smiles is turning into the Land of Anarchy where an angry mob can go around threatening people, conducting illegal searches and kidnappings... And these are the people some want to see in government?! Ask yourself- what kind of country do you want to live in? One that is governed by laws or one that is governed by a mob?

good points. A country run by T or any of the Red leaders will be a badly run country at best. If any of them get voted in to power from this fracas, then those who voted for them will have to tough it out. I'll say to them, 'you made your bed, now sleep in it.' Most of my Thai friends were T supporters when he was riding in to prominence. Now they're silent or embarrassed or quick with excuses when it's mentioned.

seems to me that taksin is still running the country

[ianf]

[

How does this affect Thai people? I do not know and cannot generalise, but I can tell you that last night my wife finally cracked. She was in tears for a long time saying "How can they [the reds] do this to our country when the father of our country [the King] is ill and old and frail. I love my country and I love my King. I will go to see these people and kill them myself. I hate them what they are doing to our country. I love my country" and so on. We have paid for business class tickets to the UK for the whole of May. She is now refusing to go ................................................................................

................ Her relatives, previously Thakskin supporters now hate the very air that he breathes.

This is just one family out of millions. I just wonder how the mood is elsewhere..................

[Siam Simon]

Hungry, the Bangkok Post is contradicting the Nation with the CAT CEO saying that he was not kidnapped, and that he went willingly. But you will believe what you want to, like the rest of the anti-reds.

Of course he'd fuc_king say that!

Knowing they can just come back next day and do it again and no one will stop them.

One office pencil pusher vs 300 motorcycle taxi guys

and one guy wanted by police for a laundry list of charges.

This guy is just happy as hel_l to be let loose, and that's that.

Of course you'd fuc_king say what you'd say, Ralph.

So now the Head of CAT is a liar and you're a mind reader. Dear, oh dear oh dear!

[ppmacready]

These thugs simply seem to believe they are above the law, acts like this make the perpetrators nothing more than terrorists.

This is a 3rd world country where if you have money you ARE above the law.

Where else can you drive your car, foot to the metal and if your stopped only pay $7 dollars.

kill a mother of 2 whilst drink driving and only pay $20,000.

[selftaopath]

Arisaman will be up on kidnapping charges now , when they catch him he will go away for quite a while.

Do you think so, really? This is Thailand = Lack of Sanctions (LOS). My vote is: If caught (lol) there will be NO jail time.

[selftaopath]

These thugs simply seem to believe they are above the law, acts like this make the perpetrators nothing more than terrorists.

Well hel_l!!! Look who their "god/leader" is.

[geriatrickid]

Arisaman will be up on kidnapping charges now , when they catch him he will go away for quite a while.

Only if he kidnapped someone. The evidence suggests that there was no kidnapping, no threats of physical harm and no criminal act. before condemning, please look at the facts.

Looks like he has had a few training lessons with al qaeda

Really? How so? Was a mentally handicapped person or a child sent carrying an explosive vest? Was anyone shot? What physical assault took place? Was the kidnapped person forced to make a confession and then beheaded in a savage manner?

It seems you have fallen for propaganda hook line and sinker.

[chadintheusa]

Do you want to live in a country where ordinary citizens are seized by squads of kidnappers, where the press is intimidated through violence, where people feel that they are above the law, where propaganda inflames, where hatred distorts and where elections are bought by armed militias? Sounds more like Iraq or North Korea, but it's where Thailand is heading. People of Bangkok need to beware the reds will trample on you to get their way.