Troops, Armoured Vehicles Converge On Bangkok Protest Site

[dobadoy]

Yesterday the government cut off the money source and today banks are burnt down - Go figure. This is a very sad day for this country and the whole situation is being played out by a few people in front of the worlds media, even the BBC and CNN have changed the tone of their reporting over the last 24 hours.

Just been watching BBC World and they let slip that their offices had been inside the Red Area...no wonder they were pro Red

Two posts that both make very salient points.

[KMUTT]

What is the source for those photos?

http://news.yahoo.com/

[SomTumTiger]

TAN saying Central World has been destroyed by fire. Thank you Thaksin, thank you so very very much.

[Xangsamhua]

TAN saying Central World has been destroyed by fire. Thank you Thaksin, thank you so very very much.

They just wanted to leave us with something to remember them by.:-(

Edited May 19, 2010 by Xangsamhua

[KMUTT]

Central World Destroyed in Fire

UPDATE : 19 May 2010

Bangkok's largest shopping mall, the second largest in Asia, has been destroyed by fires.

Reports indicate that the fire, started by protesters shortly after their leaders' surrender, blazed on for hours.

Fire crews could not get on the scene and the department store's own fire crews were unable to stop the blaze.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData...?DataID=1029544

[BigBikeBKK]

What have you done for the poor lately?

Volunteered anywhere?

Donated anything to anyone?

Hmmm, moved here, bought a house, started a company, hires a bunch of staff most of whom come from rural Isan, export large amounts of Thai goods, consume large amounts of Thai goods, pay taxes, donate to Thai temples and orphanages, participate in numerous charity events. Volunteer occasionally at my child's pre-school. Did I miss anything?

Edited May 19, 2010 by BigBikeBKK

[gemini81]

Yesterday the government cut off the money source and today banks are burnt down - Go figure. This is a very sad day for this country and the whole situation is being played out by a few people in front of the worlds media, even the BBC and CNN have changed the tone of their reporting over the last 24 hours.

Just been watching BBC World and they let slip that their offices had been inside the Red Area...no wonder they were pro Red

thats why their site was down! fearing revenge after kissing red shirts' but_ts and the soldiers come in and clear the way. I don't like BBC now and will never follow their misleading news again. they must do no research on situations and circumstances before they report.

[SomTumTiger]

The largest shopping mall in Thailand - destroyed by the minions of the largest mass murderer and thief in Thailand. Any questions?

[hungryhippo]

The BBC & CNN have been 100% behind the Reds giving biased and false information to the world. The difference here is that these are people's opinions, most who live in Thailand, and are not being read and seen around the world like CNN & the BBC. That my friend, is a big, big difference - Apples & oranges. CNN & the BBC have shown during these protests that they are totally unprofessional and have been spewing Red propaganda worldwide.

The BBC has always been pro-taksin. It's not their fault. It's a problem with their Thai corespondent, Jonathan Head. He even spoke at a red shirt conference.

[jcbangkok]

Key Red-shirt Leader Arisman Pongruengrong Allegedly Captured

Key red-shirt leader Arisman Pongruengrong, who did not turn himself in with the rest of the core leaders earlier this afternoon, was allegedly apprehended at Ploenchit BTS station.

He's believed to have been transported to Narasuan Army Camp.

-- Tan Network 2010-05-19

Any confirmation of this?

And anybody got links to any live news feeds covering what is going on?

[chadintheusa]

6pm Rattanathibet smoke at Thaicom buildings site of red protest gunfire in the distance avoid area. Nonthaburi not safe.

[Jimmu]

don't forget ( and don't forgive ) these names ?

Jatuporn Prompan

Nutthawut Saikua

Weng Tojirakarn

Jeng Dokjik

Korkeaw Pikuntong

Wiputalang

Nisit Sinthuprai

Plus one:_

Thaksin S.

some more :

Veera Musigapong

Payah

Arisman

[dobadoy]

The largest shopping mall in Thailand - destroyed by the minions of the largest mass murderer and thief in Thailand. Any questions?

Just one for Thaksin. How many votes do you expect your proxies to get in the next election? (I mean election for parliament, not firing squad, which I'm sure would turn out a different result altogether).

[gemini81]

The largest shopping mall in Thailand - destroyed by the minions of the largest mass murderer and thief in Thailand. Any questions?

that, channel 3, and the On nut bombs and guns I just witnessed are a red follower assessment. statement of violence and no respect whatsoever. No questions.

[xenomorph]

Looks like this is very very far from over.

Central world, Paragon, MRT, other important buildings are on fire.

Central Worl, Paragon, Emporium, etc. aren't important buildings except for the owners and those whose lifves are cornered around beeing seen shopping or eating a 100+ bath icecream cone such places. MRT stations are important buildings - particularly to those that never had money for even a motorbike. While blowing up luxury malls, 5000+ hotels and banks at least makes some sense in what some claims to be a class strugle - surely, blowing up the MRT station in the the poorest part of central Bangkok is just plain stupidity - since it is bound to turn away a lot of poor suckers - which thereby can foresee a lot of extra distress in their future struggle for making a living - hat would otherwise have remained at least a bit supportive.

This will only backlash as more and more non-Issarn Thais will start to look down and maybe even hate poor people from the Issarn region. What they are doing right now will not put them in a better position.

.

[ungcas]

Central World Destroyed in Fire

UPDATE : 19 May 2010

Bangkok's largest shopping mall, the second largest in Asia, has been destroyed by fires.

Reports indicate that the fire, started by protesters shortly after their leaders' surrender, blazed on for hours.

Fire crews could not get on the scene and the department store's own fire crews were unable to stop the blaze.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData...?DataID=1029544

I can see the smoke. Really horrible. Will take a lot of time and $$$ before it can reopen.

These so called "protestors" are just the scum of the earth.

[Xangsamhua]

Yesterday the government cut off the money source and today banks are burnt down - Go figure. This is a very sad day for this country and the whole situation is being played out by a few people in front of the worlds media, even the BBC and CNN have changed the tone of their reporting over the last 24 hours.

Just been watching BBC World and they let slip that their offices had been inside the Red Area...no wonder they were pro Red

thats why their site was down! fearing revenge after kissing red shirts' but_ts and the soldiers come in and clear the way. I don't like BBC now and will never follow their misleading news again. they must do no research on situations and circumstances before they report.

I don't think the ABC is much if any better. Most of our friends from Australia who call have swallowed red propaganda and it comes from the media. Maybe the journos are still living in the 70s and think that any protest must be a good protest.

[zydeco]

For Red leaders it's pretty clear that the Big Protest has turned into the Great Skedaddle. Running away, hiding, and surrendering while your pawns bleed out in the street will not create martyrdom. The face has been ripped off the Reds and the message is clear: they wanted power and money on the cheap and were ready to fight to the last drop of blood of every poor farmer they could bribe into bringing into Bangkok. How pathetic and mean.

[KMUTT]

Emergency Decrees in Mukdahan and Kalasin Provinces

UPDATE : 19 May 2010

The Center for the Resolution of Emergency Situations, or CRES, has declared State of Emergencies in an additional two provinces, namely Mukdahan and Kalasin.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData...?DataID=1029545

================================================================

Helicopter Picks up Channel 3 Staff after Fire Broke out on 6th Floor

UPDATE : 19 May 2010

A helicopter arrived on the roof of the Maleenont Building to transport employees out of the building after a fire has broken out on the 6th floor of the building.

The channel has suspended its broadcast.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData...?DataID=1029538

[SomTumTiger]

The largest shopping mall in Thailand - destroyed by the minions of the largest mass murderer and thief in Thailand. Any questions?

that, channel 3, and the On nut bombs and guns I just witnessed are a red follower assessment. statement of violence and no respect whatsoever. No questions.

Nice to be back on the same side. Lots of work to rebuild, but I love Thailand and i will help with what I can.

[senti]

How's the crackdown working out for you yellow coloured glasses tool monkeys. Not well?

Oh yeah the yellow wreaths at Seh Daeng's funeral aren't so funny now.

So, after all the threats about "tough peasants killing army/police", reds ended up being only able to set fires on public property?

Pretty hardcore, I must admit. It's right next to spitting on the street, on toughness list.

Your reds are really some tough people. Almost like toddlers

[KMUTT]

All commercial banks to be closed on 20-21 May

BANGKOK, 19 May 2010 (NNT) - The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has issued an official order to halt the operations of all commercial banks during 20-21 May 2010.

The BoT's decision to suspend the banking operations across the country was made because of the persisting violent incidents throughout Bangkok and other parts of the country after the disbandment of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) rally this afternoon.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255305190053

[lannarebirth]

According to some moronic post he is still running the mob and why he ran away but I think logic would dictate he is doing everything possible to get out of the country.

EDIT: Been away and trying to catch up on the news but Thai PBS says he has been arrested.

We will see but I think like Pedro01; it looks like something very organised. The moderate leaders have washed their hands of what is going to happen. The moderate leaders cannot anymore soften the situation and block extremists, we are on the worse scenario, if some military units join the Red Shirts we are in the Civil war....

I don't think soldiers seeing thugs setting fire to buildings such as Channel 3 with people inside is going to cause the soldiers to desert!As mentioned by another poster, the red shirts have spent months demonising the government with violent and vile language, stoking the fires of violence, and many bored uneducated Thai youths love an excuse for some vandalism and violence if they think they won't get caught.

Civil vandalism not civil war.

Not the meaning, some people (too many pages for finding the posts-) with an indepth knowledge of Thailand have underlined that -inside army- there were some factions close from the Red Shirts, and that they wanted to position themselves in a near future. The issue is not at the level of individual soldiers but at higher levels. Is is true? that is the question....they will choose the best opportunity to act? Will they do and if, when?

I think it probably is true though not affiliated with Reds per se. I think there are some that want to be on a winning Thaksin team. I'll bet there are fewer today than there were last week. Fewer still next week is my guess.

[DP25]

TAN saying Central World has been destroyed by fire. Thank you Thaksin, thank you so very very much.

I think they're exaggerating just a bit to using the word 'destroyed'. They'd need heavy tank fire to destroy it. Might take a while to repair fire damage in some shops and open up again

[KMUTT]

Immigration Bureau tasked to prevent fugitive UDD figures from leaving the country

BANGKOK, 19 May 2010 (NNT) — The Center for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) has collaborated with the Immigration Bureau to prevent core figures of the anti-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) from leaving the country.

Thani Thongphakdi, Deputy Director-General of Information and Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed the cooperation between the CRES and the Immigration Bureau to prevent the fugitives flee the country that the operation was being conducted based on the Criminal Code, which defined the core figures’ past movements as internal terrorism.

Mr Thani added those with court summons have no right to travel out of the country.

Meanwhile, a name list was passed to the immigration offices on Thailand-Malaysia border both at Sadao District of the southern Songkhla province and at Sungai-Kolok district of the southernmost Narathiwat province.

Both offices are tasked to keep a close watch on UDD fugitives’ confidential movements outside the Kingdom, especially Veera Musikpong, Weng Tojirakarn, Arisman Pongruengrong, as well as another 143 UDD comrades.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255305190046

[Jerrytheyoung]

TAN saying Central World has been destroyed by fire. Thank you Thaksin, thank you so very very much.

I think they're exaggerating just a bit to using the word 'destroyed'. They'd need heavy tank fire to destroy it. Might take a while to repair fire damage in some shops and open up again

The structure has been distorted by the fire and even if it seems good, it is no more acceptable as the resistance cannot be anymore guaranteed.

[asiancup2007]

TAN saying Central World has been destroyed by fire. Thank you Thaksin, thank you so very very much.

I think they're exaggerating just a bit to using the word 'destroyed'. They'd need heavy tank fire to destroy it. Might take a while to repair fire damage in some shops and open up again

The structure has been distorted by the fire and even if it seems good, it is no more acceptable as the resistance cannot be anymore guaranteed.

BTS will likely be out of action for a long while then.

[TheItaliann]

It's very clear what happened here. Thaksin has decided that full blown terrorism is a better strategy. He can't win legitimately so he will turn into Osama Bin Laden. I hope I am wrong, but perhaps this is just the beginning.

Why wasn't he arrested in France and extradited?

[haroldc]

Immigration Bureau tasked to prevent fugitive UDD figures from leaving the country

BANGKOK, 19 May 2010 (NNT) — The Center for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) has collaborated with the Immigration Bureau to prevent core figures of the anti-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) from leaving the country.

Thani Thongphakdi, Deputy Director-General of Information and Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed the cooperation between the CRES and the Immigration Bureau to prevent the fugitives flee the country that the operation was being conducted based on the Criminal Code, which defined the core figures’ past movements as internal terrorism.

Mr Thani added those with court summons have no right to travel out of the country.

Meanwhile, a name list was passed to the immigration offices on Thailand-Malaysia border both at Sadao District of the southern Songkhla province and at Sungai-Kolok district of the southernmost Narathiwat province.

Both offices are tasked to keep a close watch on UDD fugitives’ confidential movements outside the Kingdom, especially Veera Musikpong, Weng Tojirakarn, Arisman Pongruengrong, as well as another 143 UDD comrades.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255305190046

They should add Robert Amsterdam's name to the list. He was, and still may be, in Thailand.

[KMUTT]

Additional curfew information:

Outbound travelers need to show travel documents

Foreigners and local residents who have to catch international flights can proceed to the airport even after 8pm, when the curfew is imposed.

Acting government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn announced on TV that they need to show officers their travel documents - passports and tickets.

The Nation