Bangkok's Financial Heart Under Guard As Rallies Loom

[whiterussian]

Reds should go talk to people from Russia, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, see how communism worked for them. Made more people poor, not rich.

I suggest they dont ask Abramovitch or one of the thousands of very afluent Russians who holiday in Thailand now...Communism is not all bad, it is the best system in the world providing individuals dont abuse it..

Err... his meteoric rise came AFTER the collapse of the soviet union, aided by foreign capital, he and a select few robber barons make killings. The privatisation of national industries on a stock market for the first time, led to stock market gains of over 10,000% in a matter of years.

Nice try, but no cigar.

*edit, sorry for flame, i hate that word "Abramovitch"

Edited April 19, 2010 by whiterussian

[gigiman]

Reds should go talk to people from Russia, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, see how communism worked for them. Made more people poor, not rich.

I thought the reds wanted an immediate election ? How does that translate into them being or wanting the nation to be communist .

How does wanting more representation in government make you a communist. ???

Get a grip man

[Maestro]

Thai army moves into Bangkok business district

The Thai army has moved hundreds of soldiers into the business district of Bangkok to prevent anti-government protesters entering the area.

The protests by the "red-shirts", now in their fifth week, are currently focused in the city's shopping hub.

The red-shirts are trying to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down and call an election.

Read more: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8628864.stm

-- BBC 2010-04-19

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Maestro]

Business district next possible battleground

Thailand declares the business district's main thoroughfare off-limits to demonstrators. CNN's Arwa Damon reports.

-- CNN 2010-04-19

[Publicus]

" "The military is very brutal," ranted a doctor from the seat of his BMW as he drove to work at a Silom hospital. "Why are these soldiers on the streets? This is power without reason -- they're protecting their assets." "

An interesting comment. Based on the stereotyping in the press and this forum, I would not have expected this obviously well off man to make such comments.

Is it just me or have the Nation's articles adopted a more sympatheric stance in the recent week?

Brings to mind the return of Napoleon. At first the newspapers were very hostile and then as Napoleon's forces came closer to Paris, the newspapers become more supportive, finally lauding him as a liberator.

Just an observation, but I get the feeling that some opinions change depending on who is perceived as having the momentum.

The Bangkok Post has been consisten though with balanced articles, well as balanced as can be expected from the BP The PDN has just done what it does best, reported the facts and left out biases.

Napolean and Thaksin is a good comparason. For Napolean it was Elba, for Thaksin Fiji.

[OzMick]

Reds should go talk to people from Russia, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, see how communism worked for them. Made more people poor, not rich.

I suggest they dont ask Abramovitch or one of the thousands of very afluent Russians who holiday in Thailand now...Communism is not all bad, it is the best system in the world providing individuals dont abuse it..

Really. So exactly where and when did this happen to allow you to so judge it?

a quote for you "Communism is like Prohibition, great in theory but it never works in practice." from the great philosopher Will Rogers (I had to google)

Edited April 19, 2010 by OzMick

[geriatrickid]

[

so why are 62 million not protesting?

Was that a facetious question? One never knows in TVF as the education and/or intellectual capacity of some respondents is on par with special ed students from Bratislava..

Here are some possible explanations;

-For the same reason only 57% of the population turned out for the Constitution vote in Thailand. It's called APATHY.

- Because the demographics of Thailand are such that there are not 62 million able bodied adults to protest. The situation is not conducive for 21% of the population under the age of 15, nor the 9% over the age of 65 to protest. And if you look at the conditions of the remaining 70% aged 15-64, slightly more than 1/2 of that % are women. This being Thailand, that 37% segment is busy wiping the noses and posteriors of the males and dressing them and of course living up to farang stereotypes that all Thai females are cheap hookers or masseuses. So that brings us to something in the region of 30% that might be able to offer themselves up to be massacred by the military. Of this number, most cannot afford to leave their jobs as they rely on that money to feed the family. It's called systemic poverty.

Yes, I understand you were trying to make a point that many people do not support the protests. And yes, I am sure they number in the millions if not tens of millions. However, there are many more tens of millions so crushed by the lack of opportunity and poverty that they cannot participate in the protests. Just as I do not discount the number of people opposed to the protestors, do not make the error of assuming because you do not see millions of protestors, that the sentiment and support is not significant in the population.

Edited April 19, 2010 by geriatrickid

[grandpops]

"Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the government's move to declare some demonstrators as terrorists only worsens the situation. Many tourists have reconsidered their trips, since travel insurance does not cover acts of terrorism.

"This message carries even stronger negativity for the industry than the internal political tension," he said."

This from the Nation as well!!!!! I suspect that some of the Democrat backers themselves are loosing so much money now that they think it worth the risk or another election. At least they can recoup some money whilst they try to rig it

Backfiring rhetoric from the Government, costing them even more money.

It does, however show that it's the supposed higher end tourists (again) that are the most fickle. Backpackers and sex tourists still here in their number.

[andrisdg]

Feeling bad

There seems to be a un stopable downward spiral

Is the army monolithic or will it split into red and yellow factions

The best case scenario seems to be a coup and if the army splits the worst case is civil war

Long live the king as his stature it can be argued has so far staved of the the political collapse that seems to be inevitable

92 was bad 76 was worse ,2010 needs a peaceful solution ,fast

[bkkjames]

I see in the daily updates the Red Camp is to announce their travel plans at 10:00 am. Silom doesn't look likely.

Any guesses?

I say Sukhumvit up to 31 again.

[webfact]

Tuesday April 20 Red-shirt rally live updates

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Bangkok-Red-...es-t357635.html

[Mobi]

SBK Considering there is already a thread running in News regarding troops on Silom, I am at a loss as to why you didn't post there.

I am at a loss why you didn't just transfer my pics instead of scolding me ...

Not all of us spend our days glued to Thai Visa, and yet more of us are old and feeble and with the onset of mad Cow's disease its sometimes difficult to figure out how to turn on our pc's, let alone spot that a similar thread is already running.

That's what mods are for - isn't it? .

So here they are again:

Pics Of Our Gallant Thai Army Wing Their Way Across The World:

Edited April 20, 2010 by Mobi

[pedro01]

The reds just came half way across Rama IV road towards Silom. Lots of shouting, lots of sticks in the hands of the reds. Total traffic chaos.

After a bit of shouting and posturing, the reds backed off and now Rama IV is flowing again.

All the time, the army/police (hard to say from 25th floor) stood their ground.

Seems like some guys are itching for a fight.

[chadintheusa]

Reds should go talk to people from Russia, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, see how communism worked for them. Made more people poor, not rich.

I suggest they dont ask Abramovitch or one of the thousands of very afluent Russians who holiday in Thailand now...Communism is not all bad, it is the best system in the world providing individuals dont abuse it..

And which Russians got rich? Corrupt politicians, mafia members, and those that embraced capitalism. I guess you've never heard of a communist state abusing the system or their people. I'm sure North Korea is lovely this time of year, go visit and find out.

[yoshiwara]

The reds just came half way across Rama IV road towards Silom. Lots of shouting, lots of sticks in the hands of the reds. Total traffic chaos.

After a bit of shouting and posturing, the reds backed off and now Rama IV is flowing again.

All the time, the army/police (hard to say from 25th floor) stood their ground.

Seems like some guys are itching for a fight.

Must be the fake reds Thakisn has been referring to.

The real reds are cuddly teddy bears.

[bartender100]

The "yellow's" could set up near MBK, now that would be interesting

[Eurod]

Reds should go talk to people from Russia, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, see how communism worked for them. Made more people poor, not rich.

I suggest they dont ask Abramovitch or one of the thousands of very afluent Russians who holiday in Thailand now...Communism is not all bad, it is the best system in the world providing individuals dont abuse it..

Really. So exactly where and when did this happen to allow you to so judge it?

a quote for you "Communism is like Prohibition, great in theory but it never works in practice." from the great philosopher Will Rogers (I had to google)

cant you read ?

It says " providing individuals dont abuse it.." at the end of the day, its about everyone being equal .. is that such a problem to you ?

[Publicus]

" "The military is very brutal," ranted a doctor from the seat of his BMW as he drove to work at a Silom hospital. "Why are these soldiers on the streets? This is power without reason -- they're protecting their assets." "

An interesting comment. Based on the stereotyping in the press and this forum, I would not have expected this obviously well off man to make such comments.

Is it just me or have the Nation's articles adopted a more sympatheric stance in the recent week?

Brings to mind the return of Napoleon. At first the newspapers were very hostile and then as Napoleon's forces came closer to Paris, the newspapers become more supportive, finally lauding him as a liberator.

Just an observation, but I get the feeling that some opinions change depending on who is perceived as having the momentum.

The Bangkok Post has been consisten though with balanced articles, well as balanced as can be expected from the BP The PDN has just done what it does best, reported the facts and left out biases.

Not just you GK- from the portrayal, a month or so ago, of the red-shirts as nothing more than a non-representative handful of hired goons- to surprisingly frequent and mature ventures into social and economic analysis underlying the current mess. That being said though, the columnists who normally try to reduce the issues involved to the level of a child's comic book, haven't changed their tune too much. (as can be seen in the updates that webfact provides us- the usual- 'we' (the readers)=- and 'they' (the redshirts). If who ever posts those comments could rid him or herself of that supercilious sneering tone- the Nation might be on its way to reclaiming some respect.

However, if you read the foreign press- even the Amnesty International report- you will note that the Nation is being quoted- and hence, accorded the respect of a reliable national news organ- This certainly is bound to smarten up the general tenor around the old Remmingtons. They are now, perhaps, aware that they are preaching to more than the converted- that they are being regarded and will be accordingly judged, by their international colleagues as a mature news organ (which might be why we haven't seen those loopy Democracy vs Corruption editorials for a while- thank god.)

Pasuk/Baker and virtually every book I've bought about Thailand, English language newspapers, magazines and quarterlies abroad that I and many of us read quote the Nation as the newspaper of record of Thailand, the equivalent of the New York Times and the Times of London.

It's only the Reds with their skewed world view and unrelenting blind prejudice that rant, rage and spew daily against the particular recognized and globally respected Thai journal, the Nation.

Rant on Reds but without any credibility whatsoever.

[LaoPo]

Pasuk/Baker and virtually every book I've bought about Thailand, English language newspapers, magazines and quarterlies abroad that I and many of us read quote the Nation as the newspaper of record of Thailand, the equivalent of the New York Times and the Times of London.

It's only the Reds with their skewed world view and unrelenting blind prejudice that rant, rage and spew daily against the particular recognized and globally respected Thai journal, the Nation.

You are comparing an "institute" like the New York Times and The Times (UK) with Thailands' The Nation and telling us here that the latter is the equivalent of the first two ?

The Nation is a globally respected Thai Journal ?...with a circulation of perhaps a mere 50.000, but probably lower, versus the NYT with it's many state-, national- and foreign bureaus and a circulation of some 1 million to 1,5 million on Sundays and the UK Times with 500.000 ?...the latter published by Rupert Murdochs' empire ?

This is about the weirdest I've read from your hand, so far.

But, it was a good laugh ...globally respected...

LaoPo

[yoshiwara]

Reds should go talk to people from Russia, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, see how communism worked for them. Made more people poor, not rich.

I suggest they dont ask Abramovitch or one of the thousands of very afluent Russians who holiday in Thailand now...Communism is not all bad, it is the best system in the world providing individuals dont abuse it..

Really. So exactly where and when did this happen to allow you to so judge it?

a quote for you "Communism is like Prohibition, great in theory but it never works in practice." from the great philosopher Will Rogers (I had to google)

cant you read ?

It says " providing individuals dont abuse it.." at the end of the day, its about everyone being equal .. is that such a problem to you ?

Utopian socialists have always been a bankrupt group and inevitably resort to the 'ideal' concept when what they are advocating falls flat on its face.

You will find nowadays that they support any petty-bourgeois revolt going as a substitute for their own lack of political activity in their own countries.

ie they are looking for a proxy for their own lives.

That they end up as nose-bag fillers for Thaksin is not so surprising as they lack any objective class analysis.