Thai Army Says Planning Operation To Clear Protesters

[on-on]

Most news is poor to be honest, reporters usually lack in-depth on-the-ground knowledge. I usually hear stuff on twitter before it hits the mainstream media though there's the odd occasional bit of crapness like the post above. Mostly it's very very useful though.

Most of what I see on Twitter is crap, frankly. You have to pick through a lot of sh*t to get to the corn on any site where any yoyo with a computer or phone can post "news". It's like anything else on the internet. Lots of good info out there, but the signal to noise is really bad.

[10027586]

Man, someone has really cranked up the music. I'm over by Ari, but I assume I'm hearing Ratchaprasong here. Good lord.

Would you expect anything less in Thailand? My neighbours regularly make dam_n sure I don't sleep with their bloody karaoke!

[imafaranggetmeoutofhere]

Just seat at home thinking like you do I can’t get my head around this when the police & army raided the TV station why the hel_l was they not order to take all their stuff to do with transmitting so then they can’t have their TV channel …

[10027586]

Most news is poor to be honest, reporters usually lack in-depth on-the-ground knowledge. I usually hear stuff on twitter before it hits the mainstream media though there's the odd occasional bit of crapness like the post above. Mostly it's very very useful though.

Most of what I see on Twitter is crap, frankly. You have to pick through a lot of sh*t to get to the corn on any site where any yoyo with a computer or phone can post "news". It's like anything else on the internet. Lots of good info out there, but the signal to noise is really bad.

I've got my filters set up fairly nicely so not much <deleted> actually gets through to me

[re_fuse]

We can't allow protests there because it damages the country," army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told reporters

Pity they didn't say that about the Airport in 2008

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Most news is poor to be honest, reporters usually lack in-depth on-the-ground knowledge. I usually hear stuff on twitter before it hits the mainstream media though there's the odd occasional bit of crapness like the post above. Mostly it's very very useful though.

Most of what I see on Twitter is crap, frankly. You have to pick through a lot of sh*t to get to the corn on any site where any yoyo with a computer or phone can post "news". It's like anything else on the internet. Lots of good info out there, but the signal to noise is really bad.

I've got my filters set up fairly nicely so not much <deleted> actually gets through to me

filters are no substitute for common sense however

[10027586]

Not gonna let that drop are you troll-boy. 99% of the time I get good stuff. 1 time I fuc_k up and you can't let it go. Typical angry internet man. Go get a life.

[slapout]

It would appear that movement of personal by either side occurs after mid morning snack, simultaneous with mall opening etc. Guess no one on either side wants to disrupt the daily routine which has been established. With the army now in charge of security and their track record to date, I await their next demonstration of ineptitude.

Other than the great escape yesterday, its been kind of boring for the past week. Maybe weekend warriors has real meaning for the Thai military. I am waiting for the snatch and run guys to hit the scene during the next brilliant operation by which ever side decides to jump.

[Jingthing]

We can't allow protests there because it damages the country," army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told reporters

Pity they didn't say that about the Airport in 2008

Fine. Two wrongs don't make a right. Lesson learned. Next ...

Edited April 16, 2010 by Jingthing

[LaoPo]

"Thai media have reported widespread rumors that junior commanders are itching to crush the protesters and may seek to push Anupong aside, and Abhisit as well, by a coup if necessary."

From:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/t...e_n_540329.html

LaoPo

[imafaranggetmeoutofhere]

Focus on Thaksin as protest paymaster

http://www.smh.com.au/world/focus-on-thaks...00416-skgu.html

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Not gonna let that drop are you troll-boy. 99% of the time I get good stuff. 1 time I fuc_k up and you can't let it go. Typical angry internet man. Go get a life.

Actually my last post did not contain any anger whatsoever, although it is impossible to tell from a simple post (I did not even use caps). I am sure you can see how a statement like your earlier post could be taken as irresponsible at what is clearly a very sensitve time with possibly many lives at risk here.

As your profile name suggests that there should be no dissolution of the government over this forced situation by the reds, i can't help but think we agree on the fundamentals of what is happening here.

My only point is that you need to be a little more selective about posting anything you might hear on the internet. Anyway enough said on that. I hope our collective times could be better spent posting for the positive. And I will take the troll-boy comment with a grain of salt. Peace

[on-on]

Twitter #redshirts government using rainmaking planes to wash out protests - have developed lightning weapons - crackdown imminent

EDIT: Seriously, I should start a parody Twitter account, it couldn't be any worse than most of what gets tweeted. REPORTS OF TANKS SHIPPED IN CRACKDOWN IMMINENT. They might as well set this stuff as a daily headline.

Edited April 16, 2010 by on-on

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Twitter #redshirts government using rainmaking planes to wash out protests - have developed lightning weapons - crackdown imminent

EDIT: Seriously, I should start a parody Twitter account, it couldn't be any worse than most of what gets tweeted. REPORTS OF TANKS SHIPPED IN CRACKDOWN IMMINENT. They might as well set this stuff as a daily headline.

Classic !! good one ; )

[kurtgruen]

I'd love to know the real story of what happened in the hotel room this morning....and how they started with A and ended up with Z.

The only thing that kept coming to my mind on the subject all day was the movie title... "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight."

The Lullaby League vs the Lollipop Guild!

The police, in Thailand, seem to have a history taking Thaksin's side. The Army might be PM Abhisit's only hope, of conducting an operation, without all the details leaking out to the Reds in advance.

I'm just wondering, who is really in charge. First, there were no press conferences from PM Abhisit for about a week, then the one scheduled was several hours late and when PM Abhisit did finally speak, he handed power, to deal with the Reds, over to General Anupong.

No matter what happens, I have a feeling, it will happen quickly. The owners of Central, Paragon, etc. Shopping malls, are not going to sit back and loose millions of dollars every day, without doing something. I'm surprised, that the protesters are actually still there. One would think, the Government forces would have overrun and arrested them, when there were only 3000 Protesters present yesterday??? After all, what happened to the 50,000 plus soldiers, who were in Bangkok before. I'm sure, that 50,000 soldiers could either surround and cut off, or overrun 3000 Protesters easily. Why are they waiting until the weekend, when the numbers will swell again???

[hextac]

I'd love to know the real story of what happened in the hotel room this morning....and how they started with A and ended up with Z.

The only thing that kept coming to my mind on the subject all day was the movie title... "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight."

The Lullaby League vs the Lollipop Guild!

The police, in Thailand, seem to have a history taking Thaksin's side. The Army might be PM Abhisit's only hope, of conducting an operation, without all the details leaking out to the Reds in advance.

I'm just wondering, who is really in charge. First, there were no press conferences from PM Abhisit for about a week, then the one scheduled was several hours late and when PM Abhisit did finally speak, he handed power, to deal with the Reds, over to General Anupong.

No matter what happens, I have a feeling, it will happen quickly. The owners of Central, Paragon, etc. Shopping malls, are not going to sit back and loose millions of dollars every day, without doing something. I'm surprised, that the protesters are actually still there. One would think, the Government forces would have overrun and arrested them, when there were only 3000 Protesters present yesterday??? After all, what happened to the 50,000 plus soldiers, who were in Bangkok before. I'm sure, that 50,000 soldiers could either surround and cut off, or overrun 3000 Protesters easily. Why are they waiting until the weekend, when the numbers will swell again???

If you think about it you probably just answered your own question.

[rodcourt49]

get 50.000 troops to Bangkok and outfit them with riot gear, shields and batons ONLY, and PUSH!

Well that's what happened..didn't you see that live before..the army slowly pushed and edged forward and forced the demonstrators out of the area..tents and all..it was later when the grenades was thrown killing those poor troopers..who then had to respond accordingly with firepower.

On another note, does any one have stats as to who shot who? I doubt if any Police shot anyone!

[imafaranggetmeoutofhere]

I'd love to know the real story of what happened in the hotel room this morning....and how they started with A and ended up with Z.

The only thing that kept coming to my mind on the subject all day was the movie title... "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight."

The Lullaby League vs the Lollipop Guild!

The police, in Thailand, seem to have a history taking Thaksin's side. The Army might be PM Abhisit's only hope, of conducting an operation, without all the details leaking out to the Reds in advance.

I'm just wondering, who is really in charge. First, there were no press conferences from PM Abhisit for about a week, then the one scheduled was several hours late and when PM Abhisit did finally speak, he handed power, to deal with the Reds, over to General Anupong.

No matter what happens, I have a feeling, it will happen quickly. The owners of Central, Paragon, etc. Shopping malls, are not going to sit back and loose millions of dollars every day, without doing something. I'm surprised, that the protesters are actually still there. One would think, the Government forces would have overrun and arrested them, when there were only 3000 Protesters present yesterday??? After all, what happened to the 50,000 plus soldiers, who were in Bangkok before. I'm sure, that 50,000 soldiers could either surround and cut off, or overrun 3000 Protesters easily. Why are they waiting until the weekend, when the numbers will swell again???

True maybe some money being exchange to speed things up also

Police fear protesters are too strong after red-shirt leader's escape act

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/as...ct-1947237.html

Edited April 16, 2010 by imafaranggetmeoutofhere

[LuckyLew]

So the headline at the top, saying Government ready for more talks with Reds means the machine guns will do the talking?

It is the red leadership under instructions from Thaksin who prefer petrol bombs to negotiations.

you forgot to mention that this would not be happening if the ligitmate government (red shirts) were still in power

i am apolitical....

and if Thaksin was still in power ..

He would have more money than the GDP of Thailand in his bank

His picture would probably be sewn into the flag and the country

name would changed to thakland

[pkspeaker]

fighting another army is not the same thing as dispersing a protest, in fighting another army the goal is to kill, where dispersing a protest the goal is to kill as little as possible, or wind up doing a tienamen square or (Thailand)1992 operation in which the death toll will reach into the 1000s.. lets hope that can be avoided..

it's amazing that this army can't even surround a hotel and remove some fat middle aged men from a room without incident. If the army can't protect the country against a bunch of farmers with sticks, what the heck would they do if say someone like Cambodia decided this would be a nice country to have? I wonder how many countries out there are looking at Thailand as possible fair game, seeing how helpless they really appear. Maybe the moral of the story is, image is just that, all show and no substance. Time to get it together and prove it has what it takes to protect the women and children, or maybe the women and children should do it instead?

[BKjohn]

So the headline at the top, saying Government ready for more talks with Reds means the machine guns will do the talking?

What part of the red leaders statement "NO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT" don't you understand?

some people are really thick here

[Jerrytheyoung]

TO MY FRIENDS

I hear this cry coming from the bowels of the Thai country people, this long cry asking for more justice.

Who can remain insensible to the pain of the millions of men, women and children you represent? Your lives are rooted to this beautiful Country of which you are the gardeners. Generation after generation, you have been shaping the landscape, without you it will be an impenetrable jungle. Long days spent farming this rice, in the heavy rain, in the heavy sun, and when coming the dark, so exhausted that you have only one aim: to rest for working again tomorrow. You have gotten no time to take care of yourself: your wooden houses are nearly the same that those of your grand fathers’ ones and generations before. Modernity is slightly visible through a TV set, a tap water in your garden....few details: it is your life and you can be proud than during Centuries you have feed the whole Country, particularly your fellow town people.

During this time your fellow town people have worked hard also, building factories, making business and they have succeeded: day after day they are accumulating wealth. Today they have nice modern houses, nice cars and all the modern comfort going with. Today they are more and more busy for accelerating the accumulation of wealth. Today they have big projects in which they are going to invest billions and billions. They are so occupied that they have forgotten you have feed them during Centuries. They cannot disturb their activities and give you a small part of their wealth because they need it for their grandiose projects. The Cities are buzzing like beehives: the noise is so important that they cannot hear you: they are deaf to your long pain cry.

Red Shirt people you are entering in Humanity History, I wish the coming days to be Peaceful, I know you love Peace ...

[BKjohn]

TO MY FRIENDS

I hear this cry coming from the bowels of the Thai country people, this long cry asking for more justice.

Who can remain insensible to the pain of the millions of men, women and children you represent? Your lives are rooted to this beautiful Country of which you are the gardeners. Generation after generation, you have been shaping the landscape, without you it will be an impenetrable jungle. Long days spent farming this rice, in the heavy rain, in the heavy sun, and when coming the dark, so exhausted that you have only one aim: to rest for working again tomorrow. You have gotten no time to take care of yourself: your wooden houses are nearly the same that those of your grand fathers' ones and generations before. Modernity is slightly visible through a TV set, a tap water in your garden....few details: it is your life and you can be proud than during Centuries you have feed the whole Country, particularly your fellow town people.

During this time your fellow town people have worked hard also, building factories, making business and they have succeeded: day after day they are accumulating wealth. Today they have nice modern houses, nice cars and all the modern comfort going with. Today they are more and more busy for accelerating the accumulation of wealth. Today they have big projects in which they are going to invest billions and billions. They are so occupied that they have forgotten you have feed them during Centuries. They cannot disturb their activities and give you a small part of their wealth because they need it for their grandiose projects. The Cities are buzzing like beehives: the noise is so important that they cannot hear you: they are deaf to your long pain cry.

Red Shirt people you are entering in Humanity History, I wish the coming days to be Peaceful, I know you love Peace ...

Oh boy, and what are you on?????

considering the English you are probably a red shirt maniac yourself fresh from brainwash central

you are right in one respect, it comes from the bowels of the country side they did throw a lot of it around besides M76 grenades, petrol bombs, killed people with AK47's etc ...

your post is communist dribble

Edited April 16, 2010 by BKjohn

[charmonman]

TO MY FRIENDS

I hear this cry coming from the bowels of the Thai country people, this long cry asking for more justice.

Who can remain insensible to the pain of the millions of men, women and children you represent? Your lives are rooted to this beautiful Country of which you are the gardeners. Generation after generation, you have been shaping the landscape, without you it will be an impenetrable jungle. Long days spent farming this rice, in the heavy rain, in the heavy sun, and when coming the dark, so exhausted that you have only one aim: to rest for working again tomorrow. You have gotten no time to take care of yourself: your wooden houses are nearly the same that those of your grand fathers' ones and generations before. Modernity is slightly visible through a TV set, a tap water in your garden....few details: it is your life and you can be proud than during Centuries you have feed the whole Country, particularly your fellow town people.

During this time your fellow town people have worked hard also, building factories, making business and they have succeeded: day after day they are accumulating wealth. Today they have nice modern houses, nice cars and all the modern comfort going with. Today they are more and more busy for accelerating the accumulation of wealth. Today they have big projects in which they are going to invest billions and billions. They are so occupied that they have forgotten you have feed them during Centuries. They cannot disturb their activities and give you a small part of their wealth because they need it for their grandiose projects. The Cities are buzzing like beehives: the noise is so important that they cannot hear you: they are deaf to your long pain cry.

Red Shirt people you are entering in Humanity History, I wish the coming days to be Peaceful, I know you love Peace ...

Tell it to the red shirt leaders who are nothing but a bunch of self-centered, corrupt, violent, irresponsible thugs happy to use the rural poor for their own selfish pursuit of power and wealth. The rural (and urban) poor deserve a lot better than the likes of Thaksin and his cronies. While they sleep outside and face the possibility of injury or death, Thaksin stuffs his face in Saudia Arabia (see his facebook page) or looks at investment properties in Montenegro, and Arisman and the rest stay in luxury hotels. It makes me sick.

[huanga]

"Dr Thaksin has assigned a team of lawyers to bring a libel case, both civil and criminal, against Mr. Kasit,"

Does he believe the Thai justice system now? How about come back and face his own sentence? What a hypocrite!

[LuckyLew]

TO MY FRIENDS

I hear this cry coming from the bowels of the Thai country people, this long cry asking for more justice.

Who can remain insensible to the pain of the millions of men, women and children you represent? Your lives are rooted to this beautiful Country of which you are the gardeners. Generation after generation, you have been shaping the landscape, without you it will be an impenetrable jungle. Long days spent farming this rice, in the heavy rain, in the heavy sun, and when coming the dark, so exhausted that you have only one aim: to rest for working again tomorrow. You have gotten no time to take care of yourself: your wooden houses are nearly the same that those of your grand fathers' ones and generations before. Modernity is slightly visible through a TV set, a tap water in your garden....few details: it is your life and you can be proud than during Centuries you have feed the whole Country, particularly your fellow town people.

During this time your fellow town people have worked hard also, building factories, making business and they have succeeded: day after day they are accumulating wealth. Today they have nice modern houses, nice cars and all the modern comfort going with. Today they are more and more busy for accelerating the accumulation of wealth. Today they have big projects in which they are going to invest billions and billions. They are so occupied that they have forgotten you have feed them during Centuries. They cannot disturb their activities and give you a small part of their wealth because they need it for their grandiose projects. The Cities are buzzing like beehives: the noise is so important that they cannot hear you: they are deaf to your long pain cry.

Red Shirt people you are entering in Humanity History, I wish the coming days to be Peaceful, I know you love Peace ...

So shouldn't they be mad at their "fellow town people?"

Why did they have to come to Bangkok

They should be protesting outside their fellow town peoples house

[vicco]

Everybody loves peace. The Government loves peace but it attacks the protesters. The protesters love peace but they attack the army. The army loves peace but it shoots unarmed civilians. The army is fighting internally. The government ministers are fighting each other. The police are loosing opportunities to collect fines from motorbike riders.

The ex-pats are fighting, sniping , insulting and back stabbing each other. What a wonderful world...peace is breaking out all over....

(Congratulations to the "special forces commandos" That advance phone call to the hotel to let them know you were on your way over really helped to avoid conflict...textbook commando stuff) Eveybody down in the street was really impressed too. When is the next show?

[BKjohn]

"Dr Thaksin has assigned a team of lawyers to bring a libel case, both civil and criminal, against Mr. Kasit,"

Does he believe the Thai justice system now? How about come back and face his own sentence? What a hypocrite!

put a roof over it all and you'll have the largest "loony bin" in the world

[pkspeaker]

But the question remains why that wasn't done when the yellow shirts shutdown the airports for 2 weeks? i'll say one thing about the redshirts, their protests might be disruptive but they're not nearly as bad as what the yellows did-they sacked and occupied government house for months-vandalizing it in the process, and then the airport takeover which was only about 50 times more damaging to the economy then shuttering 2 malls and a few hotels.. i wonder if this has any real economic impact-Gaysrorn for example is owned by a rich family, and why Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery keep closing even though they are blocks away from the protest site and protesters(I was at Siam bts station yesterday) is beyond my comprehension. As far as the stock market- such political unrest is merely a bargain opportunity for many stocks, you can go buy some of them now and profit take as soon as the protest is ended, its just knowing the right day to buy.

Had the government dispersed the yellow shirts on the first day of the airport takeover or even month before that when they sacked government house; we wouldn't have such audacious redshirts today-anarchy breeds anarchy.

In almost any other place in the world, the armies/police would - without hesitation - shoot the Red Shirts for what they have done/are doing. In the USA, for example, if protesters forced their way into the Congress (i.e. parliament) building or the White House (to throw blood on it).... guaranteed the army/police would shoot without any second thoughts. Because, if for no other reason, allowing protesters to do those actions shows to the society that gov't is not protecting the constitution. It shows that the gov't has stopped (is failing) to be an institution balancing the rights of all parties. (of course, there are other reasons they would be shooting...but this is the broad philosophical explanation). In many countries, what they have done to snarl traffic and shutter commercial areas alone would have been enough to "release the hounds" on the Red Shirts.

[generalgrant]

So many times in the past, the reds who represent the poor of Issan, have risen and then simply gone home.

But this time something very different has happened.

A hardcore group has armed itself with automatic weapons, grenades, and other weapons even worse. They were attacked by army and did not run. over 800 people were shot with over 23 dead, but they did not run.

NOOO

This time is different it seems.

As each day goes by, more join the group.

NOW--some of the more affluent who are from the group that was attacked and killed in huge numbers at Thamasat are joining.

They are hardcore and filled with hate. They want to give some back to those who killed their friends and family.

Question, when does a riot become a war?

I say when organized groups stand their ground and fight and have colors.

Red is a color.

The group is organized.

All hel_l could blow thing up in Bangkok soon.

Do you all have an exit plan farangs?

I hear it might get real unsafe should things break into anarchy.

Oh well