Clashes Continue, Turning Central Bangkok In Virtual Warzone

[Publicus]

I remember when Thaksin offered Abhisit a "power-sharing" deal back in late 2009. Abhisit declined. Today I wish he would have taken it.

Thaksin does not believe in shared power

He believes in being the supreme commander and

everyone else must serve him

For sure I wouldn't buy a used car from Thaksin.

[djleeflorida]

My friend is just listening to this "underground broadcast" By this guy they call "Anthee" He says no one knows where this guy broadcasts from or he would be put down.

I don't know. I know I don't post often mostly read only but I've been going to Thailand 12 years now and just got back from a two month stay last week so I do know what is going on in Thailand.

We'll see if my friend is just a jerk pulling my leg.

[pimay11]

I am in USA watching the thai satellite. My friend watching with me says it is not shown in Thailand. Red shirts talking.

BREAKING NEWS: From what they understand PM ABHIST HAS BEEN SHOT AND KILLED AND THE PERSON WHO DID IT KILLED HIMSELF AS WELL!

According to this broadcast no one knows yet and IT IS NOT CONFIRMED AND IS ONLY RUMOR!

I HAVE NO IDEA.

Anyone else hear about this. Tried to start a post about it but can not figure out how to do it, Sorry if off subject.

Just woke up... haven't a clue.

Maybe it was Thaksin.

Just scanned all the Thai TV channels. Nothing on this.

[redparrot]

I am in USA watching the thai satellite. My friend watching with me says it is not shown in Thailand. Red shirts talking.

BREAKING NEWS: From what they understand PM ABHIST HAS BEEN SHOT AND KILLED AND THE PERSON WHO DID IT KILLED HIMSELF AS WELL!

According to this broadcast no one knows yet and IT IS NOT CONFIRMED AND IS ONLY RUMOR!

I HAVE NO IDEA.

Anyone else hear about this. Tried to start a post about it but can not figure out how to do it, Sorry if off subject.

Just woke up... haven't a clue.

Maybe it was Thaksin.

I doubt it. He wouldn't have a motive.

[seahorse]

American democracy is the best democracy money can buy.

So true.

[redparrot]

Just scanned all the Thai TV channels. Nothing on this.

Thai TV has been extremely poor covering anything at all in the past days. There could be a nuclear bomb dropping in downtown Bangkok and they would show it for 10 seconds before switching back to the soap operas. Wouldn't be surprised if they didn't believe it was newsworthy

[redparrot]

Another thing ...might just be Thaksin punching Abhisit back for spreading false news that Thaksin had died a few days ago.

[Pitbullman1]

Soon we will have UDD protesters in every part of Thailand, not only Ratchaprasong and Silom.

By protesters do you mean armed insurgents?

Terrorists comes to my mind!

[Publicus]

I am in USA watching the thai satellite. My friend watching with me says it is not shown in Thailand. Red shirts talking.

BREAKING NEWS: From what they understand PM ABHIST HAS BEEN SHOT AND KILLED AND THE PERSON WHO DID IT KILLED HIMSELF AS WELL!

According to this broadcast no one knows yet and IT IS NOT CONFIRMED AND IS ONLY RUMOR!

I HAVE NO IDEA.

Anyone else hear about this. Tried to start a post about it but can not figure out how to do it, Sorry if off subject.

Just woke up... haven't a clue.

Maybe it was Thaksin.

I doubt it. He wouldn't have a motive.

To kill himself?

[pimay11]

Just scanned all the Thai TV channels. Nothing on this.

Thai TV has been extremely poor covering anything at all in the past days. There could be a nuclear bomb dropping in downtown Bangkok and they would show it for 10 seconds before switching back to the soap operas. Wouldn't be surprised if they didn't believe it was newsworthy

Point well taken.

[Publicus]

American democracy is the best democracy money can buy.

So true.

More clowns with nothing to say (not to try to insult clowns).

[imafaranggetmeoutofhere]

Best news so far

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdSIBLIjfAc

[seahorse]

the Reds seem to be self destructing and there only hope may be a complete revolution (hope this is not the case but unless they are stopped this may be their ultimate goal).

Isn't it obvious yet that this is what they are aiming for?

[h90]

Best news so far

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdSIBLIjfAc

[sagrevleyos]

Best news so far

LOL

Just a fun moment...

The reality is not fun at all...

[Tejas]

American democracy is the best democracy money can buy.

So true.

More clowns with nothing to say (not to try to insult clowns).

Are these "clowns" being paid to disrupt this thread?

It really would be nice if the clowns would shut up! Your comments are useless and boring.

If you are on site and know what is happening (WHAT IS HAPPENING, NOT WHY OR WHO IS TO BLAME), please report.

Thanks.

CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera...........Thai TV........all are not getting the job done.

[brahmburgers]

Some of the coverage shows protesters being detained in handcuffs (plastic?).

About time. That's a key part of crowd dispersal. Every rowdy who is caught should be taken far away, locked up and booked. Don't leave it to police to detain them, as they've shown repeatedly, that they'll let them out. Who can the the turnkey? don't know, maybe there are some farang who need a break from being at their keyboards for 10 hours at a stretch.

Thanks Harold, Pretty much what I've surmised, though you've got some added inside info. I'm the one who was aghast at seeing the large poster of Thaksin, in my northern Thai town, - a formal portrait of him dressed in royal robes. The poster was put up while he was still PM.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. If it was true, I'm sure it would be used by the Democrats against Thaksin on every TV channel and newspaper.

Unlike Thaksin and all his people, I don't lie. I dearly wish I'd had a camera on hand at the time. The poster had to be 6 meters tall by 4 or 5 meters wide, and stood there for at least a week. There must be someone up in C.Rai who took a photo of it. I assumed the same poster was put up at other locations, but maybe it was unique to that one spot - a suburb called Ban Nam Lat, at the corner with Rim Kok road.

[humfurry]

Dozens of taxis blocked the Din Daeng exit of the elevated expressway at 5:30 am Saturday.

The taxi drivers, who support the red-shirt movement, fear that troops would be deployed to crack down on the red-shirt protesters at the Din Daeng Intersection, using the expressway.

Protesters stopped burning tyres at Din Daeng intersection but tension remained high as protesters and troops continued to confront each other there.

Meanwhile, police set up a checkpoint at the Victory Monument.

The Nation

It took me 5 1/2 hours to get home last night... I'm glad it's not a work day.

Edited May 14, 2010 by humfurry

[timekeeper]

People say freedom of expression doesn't exist here.

isn't the universally accepted method of showing disdain in this manner, to show your arse?

this stupid red can't even get that right.............

post_a113529_x610.jpg.html

Edited May 14, 2010 by timekeeper

[seri thai]

Am utterly appalled at the reds. They had such sympathy a month and a half ago, now they are just a bunch of criminals working for their master Thaksin to the detriment of the entire nation. Disgusting.

OK. However, I can't understand any civilized person having any sympathy for them at all after Pattaya Asean and Black Songkran.

The only ones that have sympathy for them are the reds themselves - like their fan club here - time for negotiation is over and I hope the government realizes that the only way to win this is to go full out and destroy them once and for all

Thats a bit harsh...kill the innocent protestors in the camp that are sticking up for the rights whether they are right or wrong?

It never ceases to amaze me how farangs on thaivisa seem to think they know best about thailand and how to deal with thailands problems.

What is also very funny is that i have scoured the thai tv channels to seem some live coverage and all i can find is thai soaps and other nonsense things...yet thaivisa has thousands of high intelligent members going crazy about others people problems..If you are a farang with a thai passport then fair enough..its your problem as well you fellow country mens.

A cultural difference based on educational philosophy Bygonkaew. We have rigtly or wrogly been taught that it is acceptable to air personal and political points of view even if they are offensive to others. In Thai culture expressing an opinion is fraught with all sorts of dangers from the "mere" social ones to execution. Or the other way round if you prefer. I also have opinions on politics in Russia, the USA, Israel, Zimbabwe and Burma to name a few which I'd be happy to share with you when you're not watching the soaps. A respected thai friend of mine once sadly repined "We get the governments we deserve" please "feel free" to discuss.

[redparrot]

the Reds seem to be self destructing and there only hope may be a complete revolution (hope this is not the case but unless they are stopped this may be their ultimate goal).

Isn't it obvious yet that this is what they are aiming for?

Free cable TV for everyone? Yaaaaaaaaay!

[redparrot]

Dozens of taxis blocked the Din Daeng exit of the elevated expressway at 5:30 am Saturday.

The taxi drivers, who support the red-shirt movement, fear that troops would be deployed to crack down on the red-shirt protesters at the Din Daeng Intersection, using the expressway.

Protesters stopped burning tyres at Din Daeng intersection but tension remained high as protesters and troops continued to confront each other there.

Meanwhile, police set up a checkpoint at the Victory Monument.

The Nation

It took me 5 1/2 hours to get home last night... I'm glad it's not a work day.

Who's running tactics for the red shirts now that Seh Daeng is ...well, pretty much dead? Maybe he wasn't the "brain" after all. Well, obviously he wasn't.

[schmutzie]

Here is another element to the story as reported in this Daily Telegraph article.. I have no idea how much truth there is in the claim that elements of the police force are siding with the protestors, but if true it is a highly significant development.

.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...rt-protest.html

It is. Hopefully not an overall trend.

One thing I don't get is why it always has to end up with the army firing live rounds and people dying.

Surely there are more clever ways to suppress protesters even as delinquent as the hardcore reds?

I've seen crowd control in action in other countries that was non-lethal. But it requires a lot of discipline

from the officers. And a lot of monitoring from air and ground.

Here's I'm mostly seeing army or police units lumped together as if they'd been watching "300" too many times.

Checkpoint are manned by guards that look bored or slouch on plastic chairs. They don't impress any sort

of commanding presence. I remember at the start of the protest, when officers were standing with riot shields

in small groups of 3-5 near Kao San. Again, totally pointless display of "force". As if they'd been randomly "dotted"

throughout the area.

We were told that something like 50000 troops were on standby to deal with the protest. Where are all these

troops? Are they keeping them spare? The Lumpini footage today seems to show a thin line of about 100 troops

walking down the road. Why such small numbers? And they seemed to have no immediate backup whatsoever behind them.

The way things are going, even if the current operation is successful in clearing the red shirt, it really feels like

it will only help establish an underground movement that'll bring torment for months if not years to come.

I keep trying to remember the relief I felt a week ago, when I sincerely thought the stand off would be resolved.

I remember feeling impressed that all involved seemed to have come to their senses. I'd been grumbling for weeks

about the failure of state institutions.

Now we're in worst case scenario land.

This is as bad as it gets. Corrupt politicians using the power of the country's, Army which is supposed to protect the citizens from outside elements (eg. Burma or Cambodia), to kill the very Thai citizens they are supposed to protect. The police should be used for internal problems.

This is a situation that cries for a trip to the Hague War Crimes tribunal for a war against Thai citizens waged by the Army under the orders of the politicians. I suspect we'll see this 6-7 years.

Get off my back will 'ya.

I think it's rather the other way round when it comes to who's using who.

I don't have much sympathy for the red protest. Even of the goal (whatever it actually is) is justified, their means are not. And I don't care about precedents.

What I do have an issue with is that the institutions that are supposed to work for the people are not. If they were, the protest would never have been allowed to run so out of hand.

Finally, I find it astounding that army or police seem incapable of devising strategies that do not involve firing live rounds.

There's nothing here that an election will fix. Nor deposing Abhisit. Absolutely nothing.

All personal opinion.

[seahorse]

American democracy is the best democracy money can buy.

So true.

More clowns with nothing to say (not to try to insult clowns).

And your point is?

Actually I was making a point about American "democracy."

Edited May 14, 2010 by seahorse

[pimay11]

Some of the coverage shows protesters being detained in handcuffs (plastic?).

About time. That's a key part of crowd dispersal. Every rowdy who is caught should be taken far away, locked up and booked. Don't leave it to police to detain them, as they've shown repeatedly, that they'll let them out. Who can the the turnkey? don't know, maybe there are some farang who need a break from being at their keyboards for 10 hours at a stretch.

Thanks Harold, Pretty much what I've surmised, though you've got some added inside info. I'm the one who was aghast at seeing the large poster of Thaksin, in my northern Thai town, - a formal portrait of him dressed in royal robes. The poster was put up while he was still PM.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. If it was true, I'm sure it would be used by the Democrats against Thaksin on every TV channel and newspaper.

Unlike Thaksin and all his people, I don't lie. I dearly wish I'd had a camera on hand at the time. The poster had to be 6 meters tall by 4 or 5 meters wide, and stood there for at least a week. There must be someone up in C.Rai who took a photo of it. I assumed the same poster was put up at other locations, but maybe it was unique to that one spot - a suburb called Ban Nam Lat, at the corner with Rim Kok road.

If you drive from Kalasin to Sakon Nakhon you will see quite a few posters of Mr. T. They have been there since he was PM. They are not as large as the one described above.

[redparrot]

Obviously Thailand has reached a "perfect stalemate".

The red shirts will come out whenever yellow rules and the yellow shirts will come out whenever red rules.

[Publicus]

The only ones that have sympathy for them are the reds themselves - like their fan club here - time for negotiation is over and I hope the government realizes that the only way to win this is to go full out and destroy them once and for all

Thats a bit harsh...kill the innocent protestors in the camp that are sticking up for the rights whether they are right or wrong?

It never ceases to amaze me how farangs on thaivisa seem to think they know best about thailand and how to deal with thailands problems.

What is also very funny is that i have scoured the thai tv channels to seem some live coverage and all i can find is thai soaps and other nonsense things...yet thaivisa has thousands of high intelligent members going crazy about others people problems..If you are a farang with a thai passport then fair enough..its your problem as well you fellow country mens.

A cultural difference based on educational philosophy Bygonkaew. We have rigtly or wrogly been taught that it is acceptable to air personal and political points of view even if they are offensive to others. In Thai culture expressing an opinion is fraught with all sorts of dangers from the "mere" social ones to execution. Or the other way round if you prefer. I also have opinions on politics in Russia, the USA, Israel, Zimbabwe and Burma to name a few which I'd be happy to share with you when you're not watching the soaps. A respected thai friend of mine once sadly repined "We get the governments we deserve" please "feel free" to discuss.

Yes, and people do get the governments they deserve - good and hard.

[yoshiwara]

the Reds seem to be self destructing and there only hope may be a complete revolution (hope this is not the case but unless they are stopped this may be their ultimate goal).

Isn't it obvious yet that this is what they are aiming for?

No. If there is one thing that is clear it is that a revolution is not part of the agenda.

Class war has been a feature of the language used, but that is merely a smokescreen in front of the primary aim.

Restoration of Thaksin and control over the armed forces is the objective.

The current rampage by the reds is Thaksin's throwing over of the agreed deal.

That deal failed his target.

He is all in.

[moetownblues]

Why are the reports in the thai media so different from that in the world media?

"Three journalists, one of them a Canadian with the France 24 television channel, were shot and wounded covering the unrest, underscoring the risks facing media in the capital, where a Japanese cameraman was killed last month."

Nelson Rand, a reporter who was covering fighting between troops and protesters for France 24, was hit by three bullets from a military assault rifle and "gravely wounded", his network reported. Thai news reports he was hit in the hand????????

"The army had warned Thursday it would deploy snipers around the Reds' protest site" Are the snipers for the media to stop the real story comming out or to systymatically pop of civilians?

"The prostesters threw stones and fireworks at the troops as the two-month standoff descended into more violence". "The soldiers... had no choice but to respond to these attacks," Panitan told a news conference, adding that troops were authorised to use live ammunition in self-defence, for warning shots or against armed gunmen.

At one point troops fired directly at protesters and then advanced up a road, shooting into the air, according to an AFP reporter. STONES V'S LIVE ROUNDS yes that's an even match (<deleted>)

"Abhisit has already started civil war," top Red Shirt Nattawut Saikuar told reporters.

"We urgently demand the government withdraw the military and stop all violence," he said. "I don't know how we can survive tonight if Abhisit does not agree to a ceasefire. We hope that Abhisit does not want war."

The incident has generated a lot of comments on talk back radio in Australia and it appears that the international community is opposed to the actions of the government and the yellow shirts some calling it straight out murder of civilians by troops.

It doesn't matter which side you support red or yellow you would have to agree that the actions taken by the government is way over the top and has tarnished the reputation of Thailand in the eyes of the world. I also believe that the latest action has destroyed the tourist industry to a point of almost wiping it out.

[seahorse]

Some of the coverage shows protesters being detained in handcuffs (plastic?).

About time. That's a key part of crowd dispersal. Every rowdy who is caught should be taken far away, locked up and booked. Don't leave it to police to detain them, as they've shown repeatedly, that they'll let them out. Who can the the turnkey? don't know, maybe there are some farang who need a break from being at their keyboards for 10 hours at a stretch.

Thanks Harold, Pretty much what I've surmised, though you've got some added inside info. I'm the one who was aghast at seeing the large poster of Thaksin, in my northern Thai town, - a formal portrait of him dressed in royal robes. The poster was put up while he was still PM.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. If it was true, I'm sure it would be used by the Democrats against Thaksin on every TV channel and newspaper.

Unlike Thaksin and all his people, I don't lie. I dearly wish I'd had a camera on hand at the time. The poster had to be 6 meters tall by 4 or 5 meters wide, and stood there for at least a week. There must be someone up in C.Rai who took a photo of it. I assumed the same poster was put up at other locations, but maybe it was unique to that one spot - a suburb called Ban Nam Lat, at the corner with Rim Kok road.

If you drive from Kalasin to Sakon Nakhon you will see quite a few posters of Mr. T. They have been there since he was PM. They are not as large as the one described above.

They were all over the place. Any Thai I have spoken to about it thought that it was an insult and a direct challenge to the king.