So What Are The Redshirts All About?

[kevbomac05]

so is this about a revolution or what

can someone give me an explanation about what the red shirts are rioting against and any other information you have

also yikes i was gonna get a flight last year for around 800 dollars now flights are 1300 dollars so i cant even come to Thailand and i gotta go to south america

[whybother]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

[ALFREDO]

Yes, that is in short the situation and Mr. Thaksin helped with his money that the RED train was moving and had steam.

Regarding the flight tickets, they indeed are a lot more expensive these days now.

Also from Asia-Europe, last year 680.- Euro, now similar or same Airlines 200-300 Euro up.

Only cheaper now EGYPT Air, 680.- Euro, shall I give it a try?

[PingManDan]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

[Chaimai]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

OK PingMan, share your "real truth" with us.

[maccaroni man]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

so what is the error, please enlighten us.

[Chaimai]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

so what is the error, please enlighten us.

Mr PingMan appears to be a little shy at the moment.

[Mosha]

Give him a chance. He's had 28 posts, that makes him an expert.

[jackr]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

The truth hurts, eh what what.

Btw, what's a 'frang'?

[phetaroi]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

This is an opinion forum, and everyone has a right to state their opinion here. So he doesn't need to stay out of it.

Now, that doesn't mean I agree with "why bother" fully.

I'm going to leave alone all the comments about Thaksin and let everyone else deal with that.

I have visited Thailand many times over the years since 1987 and then just over a year ago came here to retire. I've spent time in upcountry villages with friends and loved ones...not that I'm an expert...others have done so more than I. But a year ago in June we went upcountry to the family home and after coming back, one day on the Skytrain I was thinking -- how must it feel to the poor rice farmer from some little village in Issan -- a village that has virtually no infrastructure where living is not too many steps about subsistence -- when he comes to Bangkok and sees the Skytrain, the subway, Central World and Paragon, modern supermarkets, and so forth? Many times as I have gone around this city, which is wonderful in so many ways, I have thought back to that inequality that is so clear and obvious.

I compare that to many places in the world, where there is always inequality, but not always is the inequality so obvious.

None of that justifies what the red shirts did. There can be no justification for anarchy. And as the other poster said, it has nothing to do with democracy. But I can understand resentment on the part of the comparatively poor people from upcountry.

[SomTumTiger]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

Actually, he is right - but you know that already, which is why you are resorting to using giant type to distract us from your lack of knowledge and your use of the word "FRANG"

[hawthorne]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

Man oh man are you the typical FRANG in your thinking, if you do not know the real truth then stay out of it.

Oh man ol man the truth is like salt in the wound eh?

[dsprtliving]

Well, the red shirts will tell you they are about the poor and about democracy, and about getting their leader, Thaksin, back into power to look after them.

They say that their leader is the first person that looked after them, that he made their life better and he cared about them.

They are angry that their leader was ousted in a coup, and his puppet party was disbanded by the courts.

Ofcourse, in reality, that's all BS, and they are simply trying to get Thaksin back so that he can continue his raping of the country with his corrupt policies, and they can get their little bit of it.

agreed...which is why they were so pissed off when their puppet leaders finally gave up. They suddenly realized they wouldn't be able to collect on a promised salary for sitting on their bottoms for 2 months in the hot sun listening to the equivalent of a hellfire and brimstone preaching 24 hours a day. Thus, they blamed the government for their not being able to collect and the burning of key buildings in Bangkok was the back-up plan to make them feel like they didn't loose face.

[Bubbalicious]

This Red Shirt "Movement" IS all about Thaksin. I find it astonishing that some people (including the Montenegrin formerly known as Thaksin) try to deny it, because these 'red shirts' were recruited in the name of Thaksin (e.g. Love Thaksin group) with signs hanging outside supporting businesses using Thaksin's name to recruit protesters. Then these people had their transport fully funded into Bangkok, so without Thaksin's support and name there would have been no major riots like we saw (only perhaps localized ones like ones that happened April 2009). Many reports also say they were paid a daily allowance (though the protesters dispute this and I have heard that part of the hesitance of the red shirts to disperse was due to the fact that they had turned over ID cards to village leaders (as proof of payment).

Now, these people all professed their support for democracy, though if pressed I bet for them Thaksin = democracy (which couldn't be farther from the truth). 

In addition, there were a lot of other groups (left wing/socialist/social welfare types) who latched on to the "movement" to press their own causes (economic inequality, etc.). I don't have any beef with the message and intentions of these folks per se, but they did choose to associate themselves with militants/terrorists (whatever name you choose) of a very violent stripe (e.g. Seh Daeng and his Ninjas, etc.). If these folks had come out separately to promote their issues, I could see merit in their effort but instead they chose to associate with the violent and corrupt elements.

[MiG16]

CNN explainer: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/...iner/index.html

BBC: How did Thailand come to this

Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/18/last-best-hope.html

Sacrifices in BAngkok: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...=wsj_india_main

Im sure these do not cover all the views, but hopefully they offer you some timeline, chronology of events that led to the recent turmoil. Im sure it may not fit in with what everyone perceives as how things happened (hence I tried to post a few sources). However, since we dont really want to start yet another thread to discuss the yes and no, the evilness and the good in the conflict, unfortunately I have to close this thread.

Regards