Rajprasong A Home From Home To Many Red-Shirts

[webfact]

Rajprasong a home from home to many protesters

By PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Rajprasong intersection, the country's premier business hub, surrounded by posh shopping malls and five-star hotels, feels like a second home to the red-shirted protesters since they moved here from Phan Fa Bridge on April 14 after an attempted sweep by security forces four days earlier.

"I feel like I'm staying at my home," Prayong Klaewkla, a 48-year-old Udon Thani native, said yesterday.

"It's not so hard living in this area," she said.

She had joined the rally on March 12 when it was still located at Phan Fa Bridge.

"Don't worry about the toilet. You can also take a bath here," she said.

Prayong is a cook for the red shirts from Udon Thani. The food - like sticky rice, papaya salad with fermented fish and fried meat - is also available for red-shirted protesters from other provinces. Servings are at 9am, noon and 3pm.

She said she could sleep at the shelters stretching from Rajprasong intersection to the Skytrain's Ratchadamri station.

Some of them stay on the plaza in front of the CentralWorld shopping mall. Some of them bring their own chairs to sit on while listening to the leaders speaking on the stage set up between Gaysorn and CentralWorld.

Bathrooms and portable toilets are provided in separate areas including in front of Police General Hospital, the Four Seasons Hotel and the Offices at CentralWorld tower.

If she gets sick she can ask for medicine and treatment at the medical tent. A medic who requested anonymity said about 100 protesters had fallen ill.

Most of them suffered from headaches, fever, diarrhoea, insomnia and aches and pains. Some of them have congenital diseases such as heart conditions.

"We will provide first aid for those who fall ill. For those with serious illnesses, we will send them to Police General Hospital, Klang and Vachira hospitals immediately," a medical worker said.

If Prayong wants something to drink to rejuvenate her, cups of coffee and other refreshments are also available here. Pornnapha Boonlanavej, a 44-year-old vendor, said she could earn Bt600 a day selling instant coffee mixes.

Other necessities for living at the demonstration site such as clothes, mobile-phone battery rechargers, sunglasses and face masks to protect against tear gas in case of crowd-dispersal drives are in plentiful supply.

Body massages are also on offer. Ladda Saephu, a 50-year-old woman who owns a massage shop in front of the Offices at CentralWorld, said about 100 people come by per day for a rubdown. She could make Bt15,000 per day.

Saithong Ketnok, a 57-year-old woman from Nakhon Ratchasima, said she had been coming to Rajprasong every day since the demonstrators had moved from Phan Fa Bridge.

Some days, she stays overnight and sleeps with other protesters at the rally site and goes back home the next day.

"I can sleep on the sidewalk," she said.

She is very comfortable staying at the demonstration site. But just in case she has to flee in a hurry, she has already packed her bags and left everything at the protest site.

"We have to keep our lives," she said.

-- The Nation 2010-04-18

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[chadintheusa]

Sounds like they're not just protesters, they're squatters. If things are so rosy here they are welcome to do what thousands of others have done, find a job, an apartment and live in Bangkok. But this is a political protest not just summer camp and trespassing on private property for weeks at a time could have some consequences. Red shirt leaders who have been spending their time in hotels and are clearly on the take should keep in mind that once this is all over the business owners effected by the protests ought to sue them in court for every last baht they have for the disruption they've caused. Be prepared to spend your ill gotten fortune on lawyers defending civil and criminal charges for the next ten years.

[brahmburgers]

In some countries, they designate a large semi-rural space for demonstrators, such as a football pitch or park.

......with basic toilets and trash bins, etc.

Two reasons this wasn't done in Bkk:

A. Authorities didn't think of it.

B. There are scant few (if any?) large open spaces near Bangkok.

Even if authorities did have the foresight to make prior arrangements, could they have channeled the arriving protesters to a designated area? Debatable. Thus far, protesters have run roughshod. Now there's talk of protesters setting up a 2nd site on Silom - and authorities saying they'll block that move - but can they?

Security forces' recent track record doesn't look encouraging, with abandoning vehicles, weapons, allowing themselves to be taken hostage. Perhaps not surprising when you see how top brass are promoted in Thailand: it's 'who you know' and 'how much you're willing to pay' that gets promotions. Perhaps if police and military promotions were gauged on skills and intelligence, then Thais would have better functioning security forces.

[RussellHantz]

Sounds like they are in for the long haul. I can see this stretching out for months unless the army goes in for the kill.

[anotherpeter]

The army just needs to go in and dismantle the stage. It's been set up illegally.

That won't be an attack on the people, so the people don't need to fight back.

[RussellHantz]

If they just dismantle the stage, the reds will build another one. Anyhow, they are going to have to remove the hundreds reds first that will surround and occupy the stage before they dismantle it.

[culicine]

One would hops that this will be over when school starts. The May 15 date for the leaders to turn themselves in is just prior to school starting. Can we assume they (think they) will be victorious by this date? Just how many schools and children will be affected?

[anotherpeter]

One would hops that this will be over when school starts. The May 15 date for the leaders to turn themselves in is just prior to school starting. Can we assume they (think they) will be victorious by this date? Just how many schools and children will be affected?

I don't think they have included school dates in any of their plans.

[shawndoc]

In some countries, they designate a large semi-rural space for demonstrators, such as a football pitch or park.

......with basic toilets and trash bins, etc.

Two reasons this wasn't done in Bkk:

A. Authorities didn't think of it.

B. There are scant few (if any?) large open spaces near Bangkok.

But it was done. The reds just decided to move to an unauthorized location to stir up more trouble. I remember on their first day at Rajprasong they were threatening violence if the government didn't provide portajohns within a few hours. Pretty sure they were provided.

[TallForeigner]

I can give you an eye-witness report first hand from the area around Ratchaprasong. I live in an apartment right in the middle of the Ratchaprasong area and I am down there on the streets and among the reds several times daily.

From my windows we can see and hear the action going on down there 24/7 - and we can feel the windows vibrating from all the hundreds of banks of loudspeakers and the noise of the crowd. In order to go on with our lives as normally as possible my wife and I have no other choice than to dive into the red masses from time to time.

We keep a neutral attitude and neglect all the political lies and propaganda no matter from which side it comes. To be honest I see far too many deviations from the truth and too much propaganda from all sides involved in the conflict.

If we are approached by friendly people we don't care what color they wear. With this attitude and putting the propaganda aside it is actually a very pleasant experience to go down there and dive into the red crowd, taste the hundreds of varieties of food they offer from all parts of the country, listen to some music sometimes, watch many people dancing and cheering and so many still just being happy while we try to neglect all the political propaganda around. Now they are celebrating Songkran and it's like a mega-party in front of our house.

People are warm and friendly and many approach me even apologizing for the inconveniences they cause; people offer me some specialties from Issan, drinks, ice coffee... Even after the terrible events that happened at Phan Fah on Black Saturday night the people around my neighborhood are still friendly, happy and mostly smiling.

Should we rather sit like sad victims in our apartment and keep complaining about the noise and the mob, stay out of our neighborhood and hope the government will send in troops to continue to "enforce the law" and spill blood in front of our doorsteps? We have chosen not to do that and we try to make the best out of the situation without politically joining a particular group.

In one sense we have no other choice than to sort of joining the rally and the people down there to go get some food and some entertainment but we both are certainly not joining the political propaganda rally - we am not wearing red

Welcome at Ratchaprasong Resort...!

In the beginning it was more of an open street party and now it is developing more and more into something like an independent village in the heart of the city - as described in the article above. People are installing themselves more and more comfortably and their own infrastructure is developing. The markets down there are getting more diverse, the selection of street food is getting better by the day, the number of tents, shelters, street pharmacies, open air massage parlors and so on is increasing constantly. I heard the red leaders calling the area "Ratchaprasong Resort".

Sometimes I feel like I am close to start crying. I like Thai people - no matter what color. Everytime I am just about to retreat back into my apartment the positive experience of the human warmth and friendliness is filling my heart and mind; if during such a moment I think about the terrible but real threat of an army marching in violently I have to fight hard to hold back my tears. It's an awful emotional roller-coaster. As a foreigner I have no rights to be involved in politics here but I still feel that I would like to help somehow. That's why my wife and I went out there a few times and were giving pillows to some very old and needy people and some toddlers sleeping on the pavement - it's not because we want to support the Red Shirts - it's just because we are human beings with hearts.

I keep capturing what is going on down there with my camera regularly and I opened a website with my photos from around my neighborhood: Ratchaprasong

Edited April 18, 2010 by TallForeigner

[OM3N]

Great post! And nice photos as well.

If only more people had your attitude...

[LuckyLew]

Just curious ..

What kid of souvernirs / red stuff are they selling down there?

What are they charging for these items?

[blackman]

this article gets to the root of the problem in trying to remove these protesters

the authorities have allowed then to get comfortable, they are well fed and watered

they have bathing facilities, toilets and entertainment.

if it came to a fight they are well rested and ready for it

the authorities should effect some measures to change that situation before making any efforts to move them

a little sleep deprevation would go a long way towards success

so lets bring in some huge mobile disco units, surround the site with them safe behind army/police lines and serande them with some very sad Thai songs that refer to dead relatives, lost loves, long dead favourite buffaloes, loss of sons, daughters, motorbikes etc

lets set the tone for a massive loss, lets get people thinking about a loss/death of a relative.

lets get them thinking about their own mortality and how their death might affect their family

lets get some huge projectors and use it to project images onto nearby buildings, of their beloved leader and his HiSo family enjoying the high life on his private planes, private yachts and reflecting his extravagent living in expensive hotels.

there is no need for sound, just add subtitles that tell them how Thaksin is spending the money he stole from them and how he is travelling the world in luxury whilst they sleep on the streets.

you could do comparison shots, him-you, him-you

a general mood should be created of anticipation of an attack by the troops

one that will come in the early hours

paranoia should be introduced at every opportunity

the minds of the combatants will do the rest

bring in some big troop carrying helicopters in the daytime and very loudly and very visibly drop heavily armed troops on to the top of buildings surrounding the rally area

have them dramatically drop down ropes to the roofs SAS style

these guys do not need to actaully be military, they could even be amateur mountaineers, no need for them to have weapons

this can be documented by officials before hand

its just to introduce a little paranoia to the crowd

start and encourage rumours amongst the crowd that they are surrounded by hundreds of snipers.

let them think that every time they see the glint of the sun on a window its a snipers scope

this can easily be done by officials infiltrating the crowd

Thais love rumours

have a few very visible and highly publicised drive bys of the area by big tanks laden with fully armed troops with very visible weapons like rocket launchers, grenade launchers and maybe even towing some howitzers.

let the reds see whats actually on the move against them

more paranoia

lets have some very visible substantial troop movements by some very heavily armed troops

preferably known to be from the south or the borders with Burma and Cambodia were they are used to dealing with insurgents

have them fly into Don Mueng live on TV

this should be highly publicised and rumours about what they are doing in Bangkok should be circulated to the reds

rumours should circulate that martial law is going to be introduced

rumours should indicate a shoot to kill policy is in place for those who do not obey the armys orders

rumours should tell the reds that they should write letters to their loved ones and family whilst they have a last chance to do so

more paranoia

rumours should circulate that somehow the army has added some kind of powerful sleeping draft to the water supplies

also to the bottled water being supplied to them

also to the food, and that they should treat everything with suspicion now

tell them if they feel sleepy they should report to the medical tent immediately

tell them they should not go to sleep and that it could be dangerous to go to sleep

tell them its the same kind of drug that katoeys use on clients in Pattaya, they will know of many that have died whilst being robbed.

to make sure show news clippings in Thai on the projectors of the deaths

more paranoia, less sleep

at night when things do settle down, the army should safely detonate huge exposive charges in the immediate area

if not explosives then launch huge fireworks every 20 minutes

send off flares to illuminate the area

this will keep them awake and think that the war starting

it will make for less sleep and more paranoia

it may even flush out the ronin warriors who could be taken out by snipers

have some snipers stationed with their spotters with a recording equipped spotting scope

that way when the kill is made it can be seen afterwards by the media to have been on an armed person, not an innocent protestor and therefore a justifiable kill

in the early hours of the morning stealth helicopters could drop capsicum onto the crowd using a crop dusting attachment

fire fighting chanooks could drop thousands of gallons of water onto the stage and take out the electrics and give then a songkran treat too

one could get unidentified bodies from the morgue, dress them in red shirts and leave them in areas near to the rally

they should be in a position where they can easily be found

it should be rumoured that there are reds in the crowd that are with the army and government and that they are picking off the protestors one by one

they should be told to look at your neighbour with suspicion and care

you might be the next victim !

more paranoia.........

what happened to the body beforehand should be well documented and can be proven as false flag bodies later when the reds point fingers at the Army

rumours to promote paranoia and sleep depravation should circulate all the time, maybe that the US has joined the fight, maybe the SAS, the Gurkhas or Mossad

maybe that private contractors from Blackwater have flown into to Thailand from Iraq

maybe a local building should be blown up by the army as a message to the reds

the paranoia value would easily cover rebuilding costs

the red who go home every night and return next day should be made to stay at the rally ground and told that a night attack is coming and they are needed at the site to defend each other

keep them there all the time with false rumours and deprive them of sleep too

if i was in charge these reds would not have more than 10 minutes peace day or night

their heads would be full with black magic, broken buddahs, defeatist thoughts, paranoid ideas and rumours

their imagination would do what the army cannot do at this time

ok, i have to get on now, other points to address, feel free to add to the diversionary ideas i have proposed

remember all should be relatively non violent and should intended to increase paranoia and sleep depravation not to take lives

once they are literally tired out then the army should attempt move them

less sleep=less fight

[TallForeigner]

Just curious ..

What kid of souvernirs / red stuff are they selling down there?

What are they charging for these items?

It's actually a constantly growing selection of stuff for kids you can find down there. Also for kids (but not for kids only) I have seen: plastic clappers in different sizes and forms (mostly in the form of hearts and feet), horns and similar noise making stuff in different shapes and sizes, shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, vests, jackets, caps, hats, scarves, headbands, wristbands and other clothing items in red or mostly in red and with various political propaganda on it, slippers with the faces of Khun Abhisit and Khun Suthep and weapons (so you can step your naked feet onto these faces and onto army weapons), coffee and teamugs with Dr. Thaksin's and other red hero's photos and political propaganda, all kind of framed photos of the red heroes including political propaganda and lots of other similar stuff. As far as I have seen this stuff is really cheap but I haven't bought any of it yet so I cannot give you an exact price list.

[ThailandLovr]

The army just needs to go in and dismantle the stage. It's been set up illegally.

That won't be an attack on the people, so the people don't need to fight back.

If the Army just looks at them and sneezes, the Red Shirt leaders will consider it provocation. Disable the stage? Anotherpeter, surely you jest?

[pontius]

...coffee and teamugs with Dr. Thaksin's...

I want one, in case I ever decide that I need to stop drinking coffee.

[TallForeigner]

@blackman

Seems to me as if you spend too much time at wargames behind your PC. Or you like to watch too many fantasy war movies and now you dream you could be the tactical advisor to the supreme commander... I also get the feeling that you cannot wait for the moment when the army is moving in - as if you are so keen on having hordes of Thai people killed. What have they done to you that you are so eagerly waiting to see Thai blood?

Please grow up, get out of your virtual fantasy world and please face the real world. Have you ever been here recently and talked to any real person here?

[anotherpeter]

@blackman

Seems to me as if you spend too much time at wargames behind your PC. Or you like to watch too many fantasy war movies and now you dream you could be the tactical advisor to the supreme commander... I also get the feeling that you cannot wait for the moment when the army is moving in - as if you are so keen on having hordes of Thai people killed. What have they done to you that you are so eagerly waiting to see Thai blood?

Please grow up, get out of your virtual fantasy world and please face the real world. Have you ever been here recently and talked to any real person here?

I thought the main aim of his ideas was so that no one gets killed.

You just don't like his ideas because they will effect you too .

Edited April 18, 2010 by anotherpeter

[ThailandLovr]

@blackman

Seems to me as if you spend too much time at wargames behind your PC. Or you like to watch too many fantasy war movies and now you dream you could be the tactical advisor to the supreme commander... I also get the feeling that you cannot wait for the moment when the army is moving in - as if you are so keen on having hordes of Thai people killed. What have they done to you that you are so eagerly waiting to see Thai blood?

Please grow up, get out of your virtual fantasy world and please face the real world. Have you ever been here recently and talked to any real person here?

Making life less pleasant at the rally site is a valid point, as are some others blackman made. Not all fantasy ideas.

Edited April 18, 2010 by ThailandLovr

[blackman]

@blackman

Seems to me as if you spend too much time at wargames behind your PC. Or you like to watch too many fantasy war movies and now you dream you could be the tactical advisor to the supreme commander... I also get the feeling that you cannot wait for the moment when the army is moving in - as if you are so keen on having hordes of Thai people killed. What have they done to you that you are so eagerly waiting to see Thai blood?

Please grow up, get out of your virtual fantasy world and please face the real world. Have you ever been here recently and talked to any real person here?

dear sir, your statement is full of assumptions and only asses make assumptions

i have never played any kind of platform game never mind a wargame

i do not watch fantasy war movies, in fact i kinda like chick flicks

i was a security advisor for 15 years and as such, yes i could qualify for a job as tactical advisor to the General

do you think i could do a worse job than we have seen so far?

as to your statement :

''also get the feeling that you cannot wait for the moment when the army is moving in - as if you are so keen on having hordes of Thai people killed. What have they done to you that you are so eagerly waiting to see Thai blood?''

another assumption, i never said anything like that, in fact i think i actually said the opposite in my post:

''remember all should be relatively non violent and should intended to increase paranoia and sleep depravation not to take lives''

done to me?

nothing yet but if were you to look at my posting history before making assumptions

i have made my position very clear on this subject before

''i think the red are bad news

i was brought up to have high morals and strong principles

i think they behave badly and they offend my sensibilities

i have never liked bullies and i think the reds fit into that category''

i do not need to meet & greet anyone there, i know already that red bullies with sharpened sticks, who chase middle aged women down the street who have had the courage to disagree with red leaders are not going to be my kind of people

if you think thats not representative behaviour of the reds gathered there then why did no-one denounce them for doing so?

or

why did no one denounce the reds who grabbed a women on the way to hospital with her son and intimidated and assaulted her?

or

the taxi driver who was beaten for beeping his horn at them so he can get through and go about his legitimate business?

or

many many many more incidents of bullying and intimidation like this.....?

i respect your wish to defend the reds but by doing so, it means that we have to disagree on this subject and likely many other issues that you find acceptable and i do not.

thats life, in general and on these kind of forums, people disagree, if they did not it would be very boring indeed

i do not expect to convert you to my way of thinking in a few words so i won't bother trying

please be aware that your childish attempts to upset, belittle and intimidate will not work with me

(maybe you have been amongst the reds too long? )

p.s. i am sorry if the General adopts any of my ideas and disturbs your sleep pattern over at Red Central

its not my intention, but it will be a bonus....... LOL

peace

[dutchweller]

No wonder these people dont want to go they are making a killing..

600b a day selling coffee

15 000b a day massage

All the while my GF has had to shut up shop at her market because no customers..

and I have been advised that if this rally go's on longer I will loose my contract with the hotel I work for that has been more or less shut down..

So this will force me to to go home and leave my GF here in Thailand with no income and a Baby on the way...

If this situation happens.....

I think I will go Postal from the rooftops overlooking the Protest Stage..

[hoilai]

@blackman

Seems to me as if you spend too much time at wargames behind your PC. Or you like to watch too many fantasy war movies and now you dream you could be the tactical advisor to the supreme commander... I also get the feeling that you cannot wait for the moment when the army is moving in - as if you are so keen on having hordes of Thai people killed. What have they done to you that you are so eagerly waiting to see Thai blood?

Please grow up, get out of your virtual fantasy world and please face the real world. Have you ever been here recently and talked to any real person here?

Making life less pleasant at the rally site is a valid point, as are some others blackman made. Not all fantasy ideas.

the last time the army moved in, some hundreds of drug dealers and runners died. that was when thaksin was pm and he dealt a blow to some old elites involved in drug dealings. of course the front runners drug deals were never caught. to stop protesting today is to relive the drug dealing days of times old and the poor reds will be caught again in the old triangle of being drug mules for the warlords of the old elite drug-pushing camp.

which is which that is for the betterment or amelioration of the poor thais of the north?

many books have been recommended including "the animal farm",,et.al.

many letters of appeal to thais to rethink their positions in this protest elswhere in this forum along with the recommended readings.

what about the book "pyramids of sacrifice"????

are there thai translations of these books?

pehaps since the protest is not violent so far, someone can read to the crowd these books over the microphones -with translation of course- to help thais at the rallies.

perhaps some may gain an education here they never had in the red columns.

Edited April 18, 2010 by hoilai

[FreedomDude]

Sounds like they're not just protesters, they're squatters. If things are so rosy here they are welcome to do what thousands of others have done, find a job, an apartment and live in Bangkok. But this is a political protest not just summer camp and trespassing on private property for weeks at a time could have some consequences.

Except there's one small problem. Normally, I'd agree with you. But the government didn't apply that standard to the yellow shirts. What goes around comes around.

Red shirt leaders who have been spending their time in hotels and are clearly on the take should keep in mind that once this is all over the business owners effected by the protests ought to sue them in court for every last baht they have for the disruption they've caused. Be prepared to spend your ill gotten fortune on lawyers defending civil and criminal charges for the next ten years.

And how much money was recovered for the damages caused by the yellow shirts?

[anotherpeter]

Sounds like they're not just protesters, they're squatters. If things are so rosy here they are welcome to do what thousands of others have done, find a job, an apartment and live in Bangkok. But this is a political protest not just summer camp and trespassing on private property for weeks at a time could have some consequences.

Except there's one small problem. Normally, I'd agree with you. But the government didn't apply that standard to the yellow shirts. What goes around comes around.

<snip>

Dude ... different government.

The reds consistently complain about what the yellows did, but then go and do it themselves. (Double standards?)

The Yellows should be punished for their damage to the economy. The Reds should be punished for their damage to the economy.

Edited April 18, 2010 by anotherpeter

[hoilai]

Sounds like they're not just protesters, they're squatters. If things are so rosy here they are welcome to do what thousands of others have done, find a job, an apartment and live in Bangkok. But this is a political protest not just summer camp and trespassing on private property for weeks at a time could have some consequences. Red shirt leaders who have been spending their time in hotels and are clearly on the take should keep in mind that once this is all over the business owners effected by the protests ought to sue them in court for every last baht they have for the disruption they've caused. Be prepared to spend your ill gotten fortune on lawyers defending civil and criminal charges for the next ten years.

suing left.right center?

what about countersuits and hauling the yellow shirts ffirst for shutting down the airport before?

should all farangs sue the yellow shirts for sleeping at the airport, for losing their jobs because they lost everything -sleep included- when the yellows shut down the airport for a week?

all farangs can sue them too right?

or is suing one another only for thais?

no double standards here for farangs, surely.....

or is there like it is for the thais....for the yellows and the reds???

[TallForeigner]

@blackman

You don't seem to be a very believable strategist or adviser if you are talking about things that are so far removed from the real world; any serious strategist would go on site and do some research and exploration on the actual situation on the ground first before even thinking about strategies. Have you been down here lately and seen with your own eyes what is going on?

And by the way I am not defending the reds - I am defending Thai people, human beings and humanity. My defense for human beings doesn't take any side.

The worst thing that can happen in this world is if an army has to go against their own people and kills masses of innocent human beings - be it directly with their weapons or indirectly by the panic and stampede they will create by their actions. This is never ever acceptable and justifiable. My fantasy is by far not exhausted yet when I think of non violent means to find an acceptable solution to the crisis without more bloodshed.

[Shah Jahan]

Why the goverment doesnt engage in mass psychological harrassment of the protesters is beyond me. ie.. dont let them get too comfortable

a constant barrage of sound, water and gas attacks would be non-violent, but make it clear that they are not welcome there and never let them get comfortable.

right now nakon-grandma can put out her lawnchair and enjoy a sunday afternoon listing to mein kampf.

what if the sonic attacks came, helicopters circling, sound from the stage drowneed out and massive water drops. it would make it less fun and just leave the commandos who would then easily be targeted.

muppets in control.

[anotherpeter]

@blackman

You don't seem to be a very believable strategist or adviser if you are talking about things that are so far removed from the real world; any serious strategist would go on site and do some research and exploration on the actual situation on the ground first before even thinking about strategies. Have you been down here lately and seen with your own eyes what is going on?

And by the way I am not defending the reds - I am defending Thai people, human beings and humanity. My defense for human beings doesn't take any side.

The worst thing that can happen in this world is if an army has to go against their own people and kills masses of innocent human beings - be it directly with their weapons or indirectly by the panic and stampede they will create by their actions. This is never ever acceptable and justifiable. My fantasy is by far not exhausted yet when I think of non violent means to find an acceptable solution to the crisis without more bloodshed.

The problem with supporting the ordinary thai person that is there demonstrating to support the reds, is that in effect you are supporting the reds.

If you are supporting the reds, then you are supporting the red leaders and the red thugs, which in turn means you are supporting Thaksin.

If the red leaders were actually there for the poor, they would have talked about their policies to help the poor.

If the red leaders were actually there for democracy, they would have talked about their policies to improve democracy.

If the red leaders were actually there for Thailand, they would have talked about their policies to help Thailand.

The only thing the red leaders HAVE talked about is violence and getting rid of the government.

If the ordinary thai person is at the protests, then they are also supporting this violence.

[FreedomDude]

In my opinion, the worst move the government has made over the past few weeks that really escalated tensions and heigtened the mistrust of the government to extreme levels is the CENSORSHIP - closing of tv stations, internet sites, etc.

As foreigners, we read the stories about these blockages but I don't think we really get the full impact as most of us don't read or watch Thai language media sources. Censorship should NEVER be tolerated in ANY society that aspires to be a nation respectful of basic human rights. Can economic success emanate from a society that censors? Certainly. Is that the direction we want to see Thailand head? I personally hope not. I could NEVER EVER live in a country like China.

[humfurry]

@blackman

You don't seem to be a very believable strategist or adviser if you are talking about things that are so far removed from the real world; any serious strategist would go on site and do some research and exploration on the actual situation on the ground first before even thinking about strategies. Have you been down here lately and seen with your own eyes what is going on?

And by the way I am not defending the reds - I am defending Thai people, human beings and humanity. My defense for human beings doesn't take any side.

The worst thing that can happen in this world is if an army has to go against their own people and kills masses of innocent human beings - be it directly with their weapons or indirectly by the panic and stampede they will create by their actions. This is never ever acceptable and justifiable. My fantasy is by far not exhausted yet when I think of non violent means to find an acceptable solution to the crisis without more bloodshed.

Well you have my sympathy @Tall. I don't know how you deal with it I'd go crazy. Starting tomorrow I'm back at the office and that means going through the area twice a day.

Thanks for sharing the pics. Cheers, Hummy