'Harassed' airport red shirts pressure Pheu Thai for help

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- A group of 30 red shirts rallied yesterday for three hours in front of Pheu Thai Party headquarters to demand an end to harassment by Suvarnabhumi Airport officials over parking revenue.

The protest ended after the party promised to solve the problem within three days.

The group claims that they are authorised to collect parking fees as they hold the management concession for the airport's parking facilities.

Although airport security has called the group a mafia, the red shirts say airport officers threaten them and police arrest them for trespassing and illegally collecting parking fees.

Although the party accepted their request, some red shirts were still unhappy.

"Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested? Have they already forgotten the red shirts? We hope Pheu Thai will watch over us but if the government continues to work like this, we have to rethink the Pheu Thai Party," said Wipoj Apornrat, one of the red-shirt leaders.

-- The Nation 2012-05-01

"Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested?"

Errr - because you are breaking the law???

This is a perfect illustration of why it is so difficult to take Thailand and Thais seriously. I just can't imagine John Gotti and family protesting the FBI's wiretapping schemes and demanding that the Democratic Party step up and support them. Cheers to airport security for abusing a bunch of retarded scammers that regularly irritate airport users and exploit morons. Only in Thailand do the criminals have the gall to stand up and demand political representation such that they may continue their crimes. It exposes the nature of the people and of the government, which is a manifestation of the people.

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by Unkomoncents

I am speechless!

The chickens are coming home to roost. These red useful idiots have outlived their usefulness. PTP got elected, Wake up fools.

Edit: normal spelling error

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by pimay11

they hold the management concession for the airport's parking facilities - what makes them believe this?

I love this place !!!! I seem to recall some kind of pitched battle last year over the parking concession fees. First rule in Thailand is follow the money, which makes everything crystal clear. So apparently the parking fees are a lot of money......In a normal airport, there would be a concession granted, and that would be the end of the story. I do not remember any battles over parking fees at LAX airport.......But this appeal to the government adds a nice farcical touch.

Like if the jet ski mafia formed a lobbying group, and filed complaints against the police for trying to stop their scams.

they hold the management concession for the airport's parking facilities - what makes them believe this?

Hits the nail on-the-head !

Perhaps one of their trusted-leaders gave it to them, as a reward for services-rendered, they would do better to get lawyered-up and take their contract to court for verification, to see if it's worth the paper it's written on.

If their business-enterprise succeeds, then I can also arrange the toll-concession for Tower-Bridge in London, payment to be made offshore according to instructions via a Nigerian email-account !

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by Ricardo

Well this should all be sorted easily. all the "group of red shirts" have to do is produce their company documents, their tender bid, and proof of payment for the concession.

This will disprove all theories that the this is simply a payoff to a bunch of mercenary thugs via a typical Thaksinist scam (ie with other people's money).

they hold the management concession for the airport's parking facilities - what makes them believe this?

They paid the bribe? Then forgot further installments.

Seriously? Asking their leaders to protect their criminal empire, nice touch. Big red balls on these guys.

Well, I remember the last guy who was collecting fees, who also thought he had the licence, and he got the crap beaten out of him - and I don't say this lightly - from memory he was very seriously injured, it was on national news, it was one of the biggest stories of the month. I guess he was a Yellow Shirt by the way he was dressed - suit and tie. The hired mob descended upon him at the airport - I guess they were representatives of the Red Shirts. Yes this is how informal business contracts are awarded in Thailand - whoever can hire the most ruthless mob to enforce robbery. We are seeing this with the rice pledging scheme at the top - the elite form of this game. Give me the sense to not worry about what I can not change however much I would like to change it.

The airport is all its own game here - if those red shirts think that anyone can own airport business except the various entrenched airport mafias- well, they've got a lot of harassment coming up until they figure it all out.

Are these the same goons that staged an *armed takeover* of the carparks a couple of years ago over a concession dispute? Harrassment should be the least of their concerns, why aren't they in jail?

Poor fellows, having their "illegal fee collection" activities interfered with like that. And at an airport too.

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by Crushdepth

Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested? Have they already forgotten the red shirts?

You are cannon fodder, get over it.

And some say ex-pats can whine, we are rank amateurs compared to this bunch.

"Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested? Have they already forgotten the red shirts? We hope Pheu Thai will watch over us but if the government continues to work like this, we have to rethink the Pheu Thai Party," said Wipoj Apornrat, one of the red-shirt leaders.

To add more fuel to the irony fire, Wipoj Apornrat is also a Pheu Thai Party-list MP.

.

My hearts breaking for you!

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by Sayonarax

"Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested? Have they already forgotten the red shirts? We hope Pheu Thai will watch over us but if the government continues to work like this, we have to rethink the Pheu Thai Party," said Wipoj Apornrat, one of the red-shirt leaders.

To add more fuel to the irony fire, Wipoj Apornrat is also a Pheu Thai Party-list MP.

Is it standard of PTP MPs to think that now that they are in government, that they can break the law without being arrested?

they hold the management concession for the airport's parking facilities - what makes them believe this?

Simple answer in their eyes - they are reds shirts, PT is the government, therefore they (this group) believe they can make up the rules as they go along to whatever they want.

All their demands for democracy, respect for and equal application of the law, no double standards, all forgotten.

(Truth is of course they never even understood what any of that stuff meant.)

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by scorecard

"Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested? Have they already forgotten the red shirts? We hope Pheu Thai will watch over us but if the government continues to work like this, we have to rethink the Pheu Thai Party," said Wipoj Apornrat, one of the red-shirt leaders.

To add more fuel to the irony fire, Wipoj Apornrat is also a Pheu Thai Party-list MP.

Is it standard of PTP MPs to think that now that they are in government, that they can break the law without being arrested?

They can when the allegations of trespassing and illegally collecting parking fees are clearly

politically-motivated.

.

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by Buchholz

they hold the management concession for the airport's parking facilities - what makes them believe this?

Maybe that stems from when they took it over....

Zone 2 Parking Lot At Suvarnabhumi Airport Closed Off By Armed Men

Men in black block car parks in Suvarnabhumi

Deputy Director for Operation of the Suvarnbhumi Airport, said the company had called a meeting with the carpark operator on October 11. At the meeting, AOT will discuss whether it should extend the contract with the parking firm and whether it should demand that the services be improved.

Edited May 1, 201214 yr by Buchholz

And just to think this is happening at the world's tenth best airport .

You know what is so interesting is that every time there is a genuine negative red shirt story, the Thaksin-supporting-posters on this board remain strangely quiet. I wonder if these guys are .................. (continued on page 97)

"Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested? Have they already forgotten the red shirts? We hope Pheu Thai will watch over us but if the government continues to work like this, we have to rethink the Pheu Thai Party,"

Last time I checked, people get arrested for illegal activities

Are people so stupid as to think that if they help elect a particular party it means

they get to act and do as they wish? Do they really think the because they were paid

to vote for a certain party that they should now have carte blanche and run roughshod

where ever they like want and when ever they want ....

Wasn't there a story yesterday about the education system in Thailand?

IMO too many people in this country have attended the wrong sort of

schooling

they hold the management concession for the airport's parking facilities - what makes them believe this?

Delusions that someone told them so, so it must be so.

<snip>

Wasn't there a story yesterday about the education system in Thailand?

IMO too many people in this country have attended the wrong sort of

schooling

Maybe they went to one of the Red Democracy Schools.

"Today Pheu Thai is the government but why are the red shirts still getting arrested? Have they already forgotten the red shirts? We hope Pheu Thai will watch over us but if the government continues to work like this, we have to rethink the Pheu Thai Party,"

Last time I checked, people get arrested for illegal activities

Are people so stupid as to think that if they help elect a particular party it means

they get to act and do as they wish? Do they really think the because they were paid

to vote for a certain party that they should now have carte blanche and run roughshod

where ever they like want and when ever they want ....

Wasn't there a story yesterday about the education system in Thailand?

IMO too many people in this country have attended the wrong sort of

schooling

"Are people so stupid as to think that if they help elect a particular party it means

they get to act and do as they wish?"

Clearly the answer is YES.

And this reaction was clearly foreseeable.

<snip>

Wasn't there a story yesterday about the education system in Thailand?

IMO too many people in this country have attended the wrong sort of

schooling

Maybe they went to one of the Red Democracy Schools.

Which would mean that they learned nothing whatever about what democracy means, and how it connecst to obseving the law, freedom of speech, etc.

And just to think this is happening at the world's tenth best airport .

Just to make sure there is no inaccurate reporting: we all verified earlier that Suvarnabhumi is the 25th best airport in the world. It is only 10th best if you put a lot of qualifiers in, such as:

- international

- with between 40-50 million passengers/year

- in Asia

- in Southeast Asia

- in Thailand

- in central Thailand

- with 20km of Bangkok

- run by Thai speakers

- where som tam is served

- where som tam is served by Thai speakers

- where gangs run the car park

... and even then, it's probably only the 3rd best!

And just to think this is happening at the world's tenth best airport .

Just to make sure there is no inaccurate reporting: we all verified earlier that Suvarnabhumi is the 25th best airport in the world. It is only 10th best if you put a lot of qualifiers in, such as:

- international

- with between 40-50 million passengers/year

- in Asia

- in Southeast Asia

- in Thailand

- in central Thailand

- with 20km of Bangkok

- run by Thai speakers

- where som tam is served

- where som tam is served by Thai speakers

- where gangs run the car park

... and even then, it's probably only the 3rd best!

Thank you . I stand corrected.