Thai Protesters Brace For Crackdown As Compromise Rejected

[jcbangkok]

Remember that the Red Mob has made NO demands, suggestions or requests related to helping poor of this country, increasing opportunity for the poor or better anything.

So, please don't pretend this is about the poor in the north wanting more opportunity. Then in the next breath explain how huge the mob is at night because most of those working in BKK then join (after work). Then in the next breath call all the people of BKK elite.

[Phuket Stan]

So,

Just coming back from my favourite issan village and some people presented to me the latest present from the Government for helping farming: a Kubota tractor 153 (15 horse power) with 3 disks, transmission by belt. cost 250,000TBT (for around 1000 houses/families)...a joke.

Really there is no policy for helping seriously ISSAN. It is the root of the problem, I have already written a lot about that... Instead to prepare the Civil war, the Government should defuse the situation by announcing a real policy for developing the Northern Country: 42% of the population with 13% of National income.....

Ok:

How about mandatory free schooling to 18 years old?

Not as good as 100k in everyone's bank today, but let's look to the future.

We use to say that a Government has 100 days to start implementing a policy and 6 months later must be passed through parliament...Abhisit has gotten 16 months....

1 Schooling is just talking, talking talking... good intention but hel_l is paved with good intentions (french proverb). In any case, too late and it is not the Primary issue.

2 The main issue is INCOME. price of rice, rubber, subsidising the Farming until it is modernised. Modernisation of Farming, with IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS. In the same time decentralisation of Industries to fix the population locally and condition for doing this successfully is INVESTMENTS in INFRASTRUCTURE IN NORTHERN REGION (NOT ONLY IN BANGKOK) RAILWAYS, HIGHWAYS, IRRIGATION.....

Which means drastic revision of the BUDGET, Reorientation of the INVESTMENTS.

This is the minimum to be credible....But probably this is not satisfactory for the Bankokians who want ALL for them.

In Summary, Abhisit except schooling intentions, peanuts for Northern Regions, nothing serious... Too late and very insuficient for defusing the situation.

Northern Regions need a SUPER PLAN to get them out of the ghetto bankokians are sending them...

Failure to understand this is driving to major turbulences, risk of a Civil war, because Northern people have nothing to loose.....

My wife is from the northern region. We spend loads of time up there in rural villages with family and friends and while times are hard we dont know anybody who wants civil war or even thinks it will happen. And everybody wants improved education. And many people still remember Thaksin fondly. Actually right now most of the middle aged people are working in the provincial towns to make some cash and waiting for planting time and most of the younger are working in factories etc. I could tell you all about the incentives to go do a red which have mostly, maybe totally, been refused in the areas we know but I dont want to digress.

Nobody has even mentioned the local oppressors who really control the rural poors lives more than the Bagkok based ones, but these are all tied into PTP and the red movement and it is a lot easier to go along with them against the great hated Bangkok while even deep down knowing you will still be stuck with the local oppressors but hope they may bung a few more scraps and anyway as the local oppressors control the local mills, money lending and to be honest whether you live or not it is quite difficult to stand up to such people, so take the nager otu on Bangkok which is only part of the problem is easy. However, until these local lords loose their power, and that wont happen with any PTP government by the way, the actual existance of those at the bottom will not change much and the funny thing is if you talk to poor people and they know you well enough to trust you, which means you must be direct family, close friend or have known them and proven good over a long period, you will be surprised how many people actually know this too. By the way, if you arent in the trusted category you will just be told what they think you want to hear whether true or not. Thailand has a long long way to go. Centrsal government even with the best will in the world cannot do the things you suggest without the lords being removed or they will as they have always done suck most of anything from center as it heads their way and make sure they control who gets to control center so they can make sure the right policies for them are passed. Now why do the red movement never mention this group?

It is politicians on various sides (yes their are more than two groups in this complex power play despite how some propagandists try to simplify it for their own ends) who are trying to set up the meme of civil war for their own ends. They may even pull it off but dont go thinking just becaue people are poor they want it.

Yes people want help with debt relief and better prices for commodities but to think every farmer in the north is on the verge of picking up weapons and heading for whereever is completly wrong.

And its been like this forever.....Until there is a major overhaul of the whole system this strife will go on forever also....it is a feudal system all over rural Thailand and most of the Thai people are aware of it

Re farming ...well that is 18th century style...it needs to be bought into the 21st century....how this is achieved is a formidable task...you have to feel sorry for most of the farmers because they dont know any other way...and that comes into the education catogory...and we all know how dismal that is

[jdinasia]

did you guys see the main protest site today?

look at it!! numbers surely seem to be dwindling:

tweet photo of red shirt main stage

That pretty well clears up the bogus claims that were being presented to us yesterday!

[hammered]

due to a mob, that's anarchy. while we've more than 420,000 people on facebook _opposing_ house dissolution?

420,000 people are members of the Facebook group. It doesn't mean that each member opposes house dissolution. You have to understand how Facebook works before you try and use it as a scientific poll of public opinion. Let's assume however that every single of those 420,000 people oppose the house dissolution ...that's only 1.52% of the Thai population.

Suddenly doesn't seem like that many people anymore, does it? 1.52% of Thais oppose house dissolution, while 98.48% don't. Hmmm...

The Khon Kaen University poll showed 49% of people in the Isaan didnt want a disolution and that was before the Silom killing. It also includes stated reasons on why or why not.

Your facebook argument by logical extension means we should also ignore the Rachaprasong demonstrators who certainly dont number anywhere near 420K. Logically following you argument it would go "well only 0.1% of the Thai population are demonstrating for an immediate disolution (actually they are split on 15 days, 30 days, 3 months, 5 months if you care to analyses what they actually say) so the other 99.9%..."

Still the reality is nobody at all in this intra-elite power struggle gives a toss what most people think.

You cannot dissolve the government at the moment. What you have right now is a breakdown of law and order. The police do not have control over even their own movements. With gangs of formerly red protesters appointing themselves the guardians of Thailand you cannot hold a successful election. If they continue to set up roadblocks and harass ordinary citizens you cannot hold free elections. How can you expect any votes for the democrats if voters have to pass through red checkpoints before getting to the polling stations? In such a situation the whole election would be worthless. Law and order must be restored so that if the PTP wins the election it will be legitimate, and not due to massive intimidation of the population. Unless Thais have the freedom to move about their own country without interference you cannot hold elections.

Basically true and you ll find most non-red Thais agree. In many ways what the reds have to do to keep their rally protected is initself losing them support from the middle ground and their former soft sympathisers on a dialy basis

[hammered]

My wife is from the northern region. We spend loads of time up there in rural villages with family and friends and while times are hard we dont know anybody who wants civil war or even thinks it will happen. And everybody wants improved education. And many people still remember Thaksin fondly. Actually right now most of the middle aged people are working in the provincial towns to make some cash and waiting for planting time and most of the younger are working in factories etc. I could tell you all about the incentives to go do a red which have mostly, maybe totally, been refused in the areas we know but I dont want to digress.

Nobody has even mentioned the local oppressors who really control the rural poors lives more than the Bagkok based ones, but these are all tied into PTP and the red movement and it is a lot easier to go along with them against the great hated Bangkok while even deep down knowing you will still be stuck with the local oppressors but hope they may bung a few more scraps and anyway as the local oppressors control the local mills, money lending and to be honest whether you live or not it is quite difficult to stand up to such people, so take the nager otu on Bangkok which is only part of the problem is easy. However, until these local lords loose their power, and that wont happen with any PTP government by the way, the actual existance of those at the bottom will not change much and the funny thing is if you talk to poor people and they know you well enough to trust you, which means you must be direct family, close friend or have known them and proven good over a long period, you will be surprised how many people actually know this too. By the way, if you arent in the trusted category you will just be told what they think you want to hear whether true or not. Thailand has a long long way to go. Centrsal government even with the best will in the world cannot do the things you suggest without the lords being removed or they will as they have always done suck most of anything from center as it heads their way and make sure they control who gets to control center so they can make sure the right policies for them are passed. Now why do the red movement never mention this group?

It is politicians on various sides (yes their are more than two groups in this complex power play despite how some propagandists try to simplify it for their own ends) who are trying to set up the meme of civil war for their own ends. They may even pull it off but dont go thinking just becaue people are poor they want it.

Yes people want help with debt relief and better prices for commodities but to think every farmer in the north is on the verge of picking up weapons and heading for whereever is completly wrong.

And its been like this forever.....Until there is a major overhaul of the whole system this strife will go on forever also....it is a feudal system all over rural Thailand and most of the Thai people are aware of it

Re farming ...well that is 18th century style...it needs to be bought into the 21st century....how this is achieved is a formidable task...you have to feel sorry for most of the farmers because they dont know any other way...and that comes into the education catogory...and we all know how dismal that is

But to change that system needs an outsider with immense power. Only an urban based politician with no interest in the rural patronage system to survive could do it or a benevolent dictator. Any democratic system which relies on people voting form where they are house papered will inevitably give those oppressors majority after majority. One way to change it would be to let people vote in the constituency where they resided rather than where there tabien bahn was. That would need a census and reweighting of the constituencies and would reduce the influence of the powerful feudal types, but that change would need the OK of the rural feudal barons who dominate in the current system so that leaves you with the only option of being able or willing to change the system being the unacceptable one of benevolent dictator. Kind of depressing when you can see a system which is just going to perpetuate and worsen things for the majority tiny trickle down, a bit more substandard education and the odd handout aside for a long long time

I am not hopeful on this one at all. No thopeful of a major overhaul. Oddly enough Thaksin in his first government could have done something here but he opted to not to and then mnoved to relying increasingly on the feudal group that controls the rural areas. A chance to modernise went begging there

[elcent]

tulsathit: Well guys, today's recap: HM speaks about "duty", PAD ab martial law, Reds ab imminent crackdown and Thaksin ab investment in Montnegro.

Mon Apr 26 2010 22:27:26 GMT+0700 (SE Asia Standard Time)

I think Thaksin's money trails will be checked. Yes, keep on checking out this guy.

[Phuket Stan]

My wife is from the northern region. We spend loads of time up there in rural villages with family and friends and while times are hard we dont know anybody who wants civil war or even thinks it will happen. And everybody wants improved education. And many people still remember Thaksin fondly. Actually right now most of the middle aged people are working in the provincial towns to make some cash and waiting for planting time and most of the younger are working in factories etc. I could tell you all about the incentives to go do a red which have mostly, maybe totally, been refused in the areas we know but I dont want to digress.

Nobody has even mentioned the local oppressors who really control the rural poors lives more than the Bagkok based ones, but these are all tied into PTP and the red movement and it is a lot easier to go along with them against the great hated Bangkok while even deep down knowing you will still be stuck with the local oppressors but hope they may bung a few more scraps and anyway as the local oppressors control the local mills, money lending and to be honest whether you live or not it is quite difficult to stand up to such people, so take the nager otu on Bangkok which is only part of the problem is easy. However, until these local lords loose their power, and that wont happen with any PTP government by the way, the actual existance of those at the bottom will not change much and the funny thing is if you talk to poor people and they know you well enough to trust you, which means you must be direct family, close friend or have known them and proven good over a long period, you will be surprised how many people actually know this too. By the way, if you arent in the trusted category you will just be told what they think you want to hear whether true or not. Thailand has a long long way to go. Centrsal government even with the best will in the world cannot do the things you suggest without the lords being removed or they will as they have always done suck most of anything from center as it heads their way and make sure they control who gets to control center so they can make sure the right policies for them are passed. Now why do the red movement never mention this group?

It is politicians on various sides (yes their are more than two groups in this complex power play despite how some propagandists try to simplify it for their own ends) who are trying to set up the meme of civil war for their own ends. They may even pull it off but dont go thinking just becaue people are poor they want it.

Yes people want help with debt relief and better prices for commodities but to think every farmer in the north is on the verge of picking up weapons and heading for whereever is completly wrong.

And its been like this forever.....Until there is a major overhaul of the whole system this strife will go on forever also....it is a feudal system all over rural Thailand and most of the Thai people are aware of it

Re farming ...well that is 18th century style...it needs to be bought into the 21st century....how this is achieved is a formidable task...you have to feel sorry for most of the farmers because they dont know any other way...and that comes into the education catogory...and we all know how dismal that is

But to change that system needs an outsider with immense power. Only an urban based politician with no interest in the rural patronage system to survive could do it or a benevolent dictator. Any democratic system which relies on people voting form where they are house papered will inevitably give those oppressors majority after majority. One way to change it would be to let people vote in the constituency where they resided rather than where there tabien bahn was. That would need a census and reweighting of the constituencies and would reduce the influence of the powerful feudal types, but that change would need the OK of the rural feudal barons who dominate in the current system so that leaves you with the only option of being able or willing to change the system being the unacceptable one of benevolent dictator. Kind of depressing when you can see a system which is just going to perpetuate and worsen things for the majority tiny trickle down, a bit more substandard education and the odd handout aside for a long long time

I am not hopeful on this one at all. No thopeful of a major overhaul. Oddly enough Thaksin in his first government could have done something here but he opted to not to and then mnoved to relying increasingly on the feudal group that controls the rural areas. A chance to modernise went begging there

Yes he could have done it but he was a crook right from the word go.....the original asset case confirms that.....in many ways he could have been the man to really make Thailand what it has the enormous potential to be ...but the snout was into the trough long before he became PM....remember the baht bust....he climbed right into the trough after becoming PM....I do have a some faith in Abhisit....young, well educated, lived in the UK and saw how it could work but I would not like his job....but he has backbone and brain ....opps I might need my fire hose put on standby after that remark...I can smell the flames already

[tomyummer]

Since we know that the army and police are internally messed up with loyalties going for both sides and rogue officers, I suggest Abhisit hire an outside agency to handle the protesters. The General Than Shwe comes to mind. I know he knows how to make crowds disperse or rather, disappear. Ooops. I forgot, he's a red. He got that sweet deal when he leased the satellite from Uncle Thaksin in addition to getting a friendly loan as well. Kim Jong Il?

[Jingthing]

Its a given that Thailand is many, many decades from becoming what westerners would recognize as a real democracy (no matter who "wins" this current civil war).

[tomyummer]

Thailand needs to coin more appropriate terms instead of using the unobtainable 'democracy':

1) de-mock-crazy

2) democ-hazy

3) defraud-acy

4) Mono-crazy

[Jerrytheyoung]

Its a given that Thailand is many, many decades from becoming what westerners would recognize as a real democracy (no matter who "wins" this current civil war).

Disagree, History shows that after years of slowdown, suddenly one event...and there is a brusk acceleration: we are in one of these periods.

I do think that there are some solutions and some men able to solve the situation in Thailand. General Anupong has shown his great sense of unity and may have to step in for stopping the carnage... It was not his will but circumstances may decide other way. Then he can put a man like Anand in a transitional period.

They may be some other solutions

In any case, dissolution of house is a must because current budget has to be fundamentally revised. Abhisit, at the difference with Anupong, has demonstrated he is not a stateman , just a partisan leader.

Edited April 26, 2010 by Jerrytheyoung

[ozzieman05]

A disappointing but unsurprising response from the biggest stubborn mule PM the world has ever seen.

Your post is o soon

The redshirt thugs are not the PM yet

[ozzieman05]

Thaksin denies he is dead

Rumours have swept the Internet in recent days that the fugitive ex-premier has succumbed to cancer in Dubai, but he claims that he is still very much alive.

"Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated."

Mark Twain

Just like taskin

even after he dies he will deny it

[TheItaliann]

First you guys were claiming the protesters were only there because they were paid, now you are saying "Oh look, the protest sites are empty. The reds finally got sick of their leaders and gave up". These statements contradict each other.

What you guys fail to realize is that the reds can mobilize a protest at a 24 hour notice. Lets say that Central World is taken back as I type this. What is stopping it from being seized next week?

[ozzieman05]

Latest UPDATE

To keep the Thai economy going

The yellow shirts are now buying red shirts so the can mingle with the redshirts

The red shirts are buying floral multicolour shirts so the can mix with the yellow shirt, and look like they are the good guys

The coloured shirts are now wearing pink shirts as they have been taken over by the society of Ladyboys

The Army is making a lot of money selling Army outfits to red shirts so they can become water melons

The PM wants to use water cannons but can not as their is a water shortage and need to wait for the rains to come

All visitors to Thailand must now wear F Shirts

Thailand companies now looking at buying Shirt manufacturing companies in China

[TheItaliann]

Its a given that Thailand is many, many decades from becoming what westerners would recognize as a real democracy (no matter who "wins" this current civil war).

Yes a real democracy is one were the two sides are 90% the same, get on tv and pretend to fight each other and then go to lunch after the show is over. American democracy is based on it being impossible to win an election as a third party candidate and impossible to be president without billions in financing. Just another make believe democracy. Try protesting and see how that goes.

[ozzieman05]

First you guys were claiming the protesters were only there because they were paid, now you are saying "Oh look, the protest sites are empty. The reds finally got sick of their leaders and gave up". These statements contradict each other.

What you guys fail to realize is that the reds can mobilize a protest at a 24 hour notice. Lets say that Central World is taken back as I type this. What is stopping it from being seized next week?

Not really a high achievement

I know one bar where the girls can mobilise a room full of Farang in 10 mins

Pull out the army and send in the bar girls

1000 baht for every red shirt they send home

Many with big smiles on their faces

[yoshiwara]

First you guys were claiming the protesters were only there because they were paid, now you are saying "Oh look, the protest sites are empty. The reds finally got sick of their leaders and gave up". These statements contradict each other.

What you guys fail to realize is that the reds can mobilize a protest at a 24 hour notice. Lets say that Central World is taken back as I type this. What is stopping it from being seized next week?

They gave up because of failed momentum and risk.

As for mobilization of serious numbers, one cannot turn political activity on and off like a tap.

It doesn't work.

It isn't working.

Try something else to keep up your red cheerleader spirits.

[TheItaliann]

I am no cheerleader. Just trying to show some of you a thing called reality while you cheer for your team.

If the protesters are paid, why would there ever be an issue of steam being lost? Wouldn't they just keep getting paid? So you are saying now that they are there on their own freewill?

How many yellow hand clappers do you own?

[Montenegrin]

Thaksin is back in Montenegro.

If anyone wonders why he chooses Montenegro - they give out passports easily (if you have cash/connections, of course), and they don't extradite their 'citizens'.

Quite few criminals have (ab)used that already.

edit: To explain it a bit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_%C4%90uk...gation_in_Italy <- Montenegro is ran by this guy and his 'friends' - this should put things into perspective

Montenegro is the place where most of stolen vehicles from EU end up. A couple of years ago we used to make jokes about them such as what the Montenegro tourist campaign slogan should be and ended up with winner "Come visit Montenegro. Your car is already here!"

Other than that Montenegro people were considered in former Yugoslavia to be the laziest and there was a neverending line of jokes about this.

Their women were considered gorgeous, but had no teeth left and stinked like hel_l for never taking shower or brushing teeth.

It was the last republic to separate from Serbia and basically lived off the Serbs, as long as the Serb economy could support them. After that they took off, despite having little no no economical resources and some of world's laziest workforce.

I would not say that the above is entirely true and even if it were, it doesn't apply to every person from that country. It does tell quite a bit about what their neigbours had to say about them.

A serbian colleague of mine, after telling him about Thaksin getting a Montenegran passport responded with just "No wonder. Mafia sticks together."

So with corruption thriving, country in downspiral to economic crash, and people unwilling to get off their backsides, it is not unimaginable that the government could sell passports to fill the ginormous budget hole.

Oh really?!And guy from Serbia told you that?What a surprise .

Well,I will tell you that we are also stupid,ignorant...unlike Serbians who are smart,wise...funny though that their country keep getting smaller and smaller when they are so superior .

@Senti,do not try that "Montenegro-mafia state" bullshit here.I know that you actually believe in that Serbian media propaganda,but than look how Europe treats us and how does it treats Serbia.You are not seriously comparing Serbian mafia(Zemunski klan and rest of them) and Montenegrin criminals,are you?For your information-"infamous" Darko Saric and Stanko Subotic are citizents of Serbia and are both probably in Switzerland at the moment(Subotic is for sure since two TV stations interviewed him there B92 one of them).

p.s.@Tomazbodner-ask its neighbours what do they think of Serbia.Pick anyone you want,it doesnt matter,they all love it equally,Croats and Bosnians beign biggest fans.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Montenegrin

[animatic]

On man's stubborn mule who won't give in,

is another man's

well considered and principled stand for law and order.

Somachai didn't give in either, he just finally gave out.

Sadly for him he had no principled stand to stand on.

Edited April 27, 2010 by animatic

[draftvader]

Thaksin is back in Montenegro.

If anyone wonders why he chooses Montenegro - they give out passports easily (if you have cash/connections, of course), and they don't extradite their 'citizens'.

Quite few criminals have (ab)used that already.

edit: To explain it a bit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_%C4%90uk...gation_in_Italy <- Montenegro is ran by this guy and his 'friends' - this should put things into perspective

Montenegro is the place where most of stolen vehicles from EU end up. A couple of years ago we used to make jokes about them such as what the Montenegro tourist campaign slogan should be and ended up with winner "Come visit Montenegro. Your car is already here!"

Other than that Montenegro people were considered in former Yugoslavia to be the laziest and there was a neverending line of jokes about this.

Their women were considered gorgeous, but had no teeth left and stinked like hel_l for never taking shower or brushing teeth.

It was the last republic to separate from Serbia and basically lived off the Serbs, as long as the Serb economy could support them. After that they took off, despite having little no no economical resources and some of world's laziest workforce.

I would not say that the above is entirely true and even if it were, it doesn't apply to every person from that country. It does tell quite a bit about what their neigbours had to say about them.

A serbian colleague of mine, after telling him about Thaksin getting a Montenegran passport responded with just "No wonder. Mafia sticks together."

So with corruption thriving, country in downspiral to economic crash, and people unwilling to get off their backsides, it is not unimaginable that the government could sell passports to fill the ginormous budget hole.

Oh really?!And guy from Serbia told you that?What a surprise .

Well,I will tell you that we are also stupid,ignorant...unlike Serbians who are smart,wise...funny though that their country keep getting smaller and smaller when they are so superior .

@Senti,do not try that "Montenegro-mafia state" bullshit here.I know that you actually believe in that Serbian media propaganda,but than look how Europe treats us and how does it treats Serbia.You are not seriously comparing Serbian mafia(Zemunski klan and rest of them) and Montenegrin criminals,are you?For your information-"infamous" Darko Saric and Stanko Subotic are citizents of Serbia and are both probably in Switzerland at the moment(Subotic is for sure since two TV stations interviewed him there B92 one of them).

p.s.@Tomazbodner-ask its neighbours what do they think of Serbia.Pick anyone you want,it doesnt matter,they all love it equally,Croats and Bosnians beign biggest fans.

I am learning some of the weirdest stuff EVER here on ThaiVisa. Cool though!!

[TAWP]

First you guys were claiming the protesters were only there because they were paid, now you are saying "Oh look, the protest sites are empty. The reds finally got sick of their leaders and gave up". These statements contradict each other.

No, they don't. They describe the fact at two different times. And neither is mutually exclusive.

The Red pay/supported their 'fans' in coming by offering gas-money and paying canvasser for bringing people. They might also have payed some people directly, in some regions.

People, that isn't all that super-excited about the whole ordeal (eating is more important than dreaming) will leave after a while when no results are shown. Even if they where payed to be shipped in.

We even have reports of office-staff going down, asking for their money on a lunch-break, and then heading back to work...people do what they need to do to survive or get some extra cash.

Edited April 27, 2010 by TAWP

[Tod Daniels]

I think it might behoove all the red supporters to ‘brace for a crackdown”, or better yet, head for parts unknown. I just came from chatting with the soldiers at the mouth of my Soi (Suk-Soi 12) as well as on all the crossovers, and the Asok skyway.

They are VERY WELL armed with TAR-21 assault rifles and short barreled 12 gauge 'riot' shotguns. From the shotgun rounds visible in their bandoliers slung around their bodies, it would appear, they have both rubber 'sabot' rounds (most of the rounds) as well what looked like buckshot too (many less rounds). Although IMO solid lead slugs with their low velocity would be a better choice for limiting collateral damage in a crowd as opposed to the “spray and pray” pattern of buckshot.

The ones with Tavor-21's have their vests stuffed with full mags, as well carrying many smoke and/or flash-bang (concussion) grenades too. They are really ready for anything which is good, as you can't predict what will happen. Way better for them to be prepared for ANY contingency then not prepared like before.

They also have about a dozen or more of the waist high orange street barricades (the kind you put in place and fill with water which has clips to hold barb-wire). They are placed in front of the Times Square building along with about 12 rolls coiled of razor wire.

I think this is a good form of 'containment' when the time comes to push the dwindling mob from their Rachaprasong ‘moo-ban’; close down the roads, corral 'em in, keep reinforcements and other out. Finally the soldiers are exhibiting crowd dispersal 101 techniques and tactics.

With that being said, the soldiers in this area are semi-celebrities to say the least. In just in the 20 minutes I chatted with them, I saw foreign tourists ask to be photographed standing next to the soldiers at least 70 times. (The soldiers should charge $$ for this, like the tourist area street bug sellers do!! )

It also appears that when soldiers and police broke the up-country barricades to get thru, the reds cried foul and are going to fill assault charges against them.. Wait, aren't the redz the one breaking the law in the first place by blocking PUBLIC highways with their b/s barricades? Or am I mistaken and any mob can block a highway and conduct searches of vehicles? Although I just read the Thanyaburi Court sentenced 11 red shirts to 15 days in jail for setting up check points along Pholyothin Rd; and they were jailed immediately!! So progress in the renegade blockadez. ..

That's almost as comical as ‘whacky’ Dr. Weng’s statement on the red stage this morning about the red leaders NOT approving the blocking of the BTS Chidlom station with tires. Wait a second, isn't the BTS Chidlom station inside the red moo-ban area? How did 'fake redz' carry frickin' truck tires UP onto the platform with NO 'real redz' seeing it or even questioning what they were doing. Strange that Weng said they should remove the tires, but it took another 2 hours for the message to travel from the stage to the station. Even though you can clearly hear what any redz speaker on stage says when standing in the station itself. The mind wobbles at the insanity of the red leaders mentality in this fracas.

I commend the thai government for playing them with kid-gloves so far. Sadly, for the redz, (or as they're now known, the color-less, non-privileged shirtz) and really everyone involved in this; I think it the gloves gonna come off quite soon. ...

[SanSaiExPat]

A disappointing but unsurprising response from the biggest stubborn mule PM the world has ever seen.

It is kind of hard to negotiate with terrorists. Not a good precedent really.

You’ve got it wrong pal. It's this illegitimate government that has imposed its elitist policies and taken away the basic rights of the people for far too long. อภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ should take a clue from Tony Blair

[SanSaiExPat]

Its a given that Thailand is many, many decades from becoming what westerners would recognize as a real democracy (no matter who "wins" this current civil war).

Disagree, History shows that after years of slowdown, suddenly one event...and there is a brusk acceleration: we are in one of these periods.

I do think that there are some solutions and some men able to solve the situation in Thailand. General Anupong has shown his great sense of unity and may have to step in for stopping the carnage... It was not his will but circumstances may decide other way. Then he can put a man like Anand in a transitional period.

They may be some other solutions

In any case, dissolution of house is a must because current budget has to be fundamentally revised. Abhisit, at the difference with Anupong, has demonstrated he is not a stateman , just a partisan leader.

Exactly correct Abhisit has no leadership skills He should take a clue from Tony Blair and step down.

[innbkknow]

Just a idea, if the government made a deal with the reds on the basis of what he promised u, you get from us now and please go home. See how many reds would be left, Then we are dealing with a true Democratic protest. No brainer really

[webfact]

Topic continues here:

Clashes Continue, Turning Central Bangkok In Virtual Warzone

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Clashes-Cont...-B-t365165.html

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