Bangkok: Huge Turnout Expected At Red-Shirt Rally Today

[webfact]

Huge turnout expected at red-shirt rally today

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Some 50,000 red-shirt supporters will likely take part in today's rally at Ratchaprasong in memory of the 2010 crackdown, Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Maj-General Methee Kusolsrang said yesterday.

"The large turnout will block off all traffic at the Ratchaprasong intersection," he said, adding that some 1,000 policemen would be mobilised to maintain peace.

Police have been working with rally organisers like Thida Thawornseth and business owners like Chai Srivikorn to facilitate the flow of traffic at the rally site, he said.

Four checkpoints will be set up to check on people before they enter the rally site, he said. The checkpoints will be located at Chidlom, Pratunam, Chalermpao and Ratchadamri junctions.

A stage will be set up on Rama I Road and the rally will include a video-link with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at around 8pm and a candle-light ceremony at 9pm. The event is expected to conclude at around 2am.

Buses bringing red-shirt supporters from upcountry will be parked at Queen Sirikit Convention Centre, the Thai Tobacco Monopoly and at two designated sites on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road and Rama III Road. Organisers have arranged for 50 buses to bring some 3,000 red shirts from Nakhon Ratchasima. Supporters from the North and Northeast will arrive at the rally in the evening and head home a few hours later.

Organisers in Surin, Maha Sarakham, Chiang Rai and Phayao have been coordinating the return trip for supporters. Red-shirt supporters from the South departed for the capital yesterday and will stay until the conclusion of the rally.

-- The Nation 2012-05-19

[JayBangkok]

50,000 red-shirt supporters?

Yesterday it was 100,000 then 200,000.

There must be a lot of lost reds somewhere. Check under your beds guys

[OzMick]

I saw the 2 red shirt supporters leaving from Surat railway station yesterday. There must have been 100 people cheering and waving them goodbye, strangely none of them were wearing red shirts.

[webfact]

Red-shirts start blocking traffic at Rajprasong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Jor Sor 100 Traffic Radio Station reported that red-shirt people started blocking traffic at the Rajprasong Intersection at 5 am Saturday.

They are holding a demonstration at the Intersection to commemorate those killed in the crackdowns against red-shirt protesters two years ago.

The radio station advised motorists to avoid the Ploenchit and Henri Dunant roads.

-- The Nation 2012-05-19

[laurentbkk]

while driving to my office this morning on the toll way there were about 10 buses full of red shirt people ....

[SomTumTiger]

Protest all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

[Unkomoncents]

Well, I guess it feels about time to stir up trouble again. It's been too quiet in the Kingdom as of late. This is exactly the concern: many in the (aggregate) Thai public feel like demonstrating is more productive than their harvest-oriented lifestyles. Thailand should brace for years of protests. It won't stop anytime soon, especially as certain parties from abroad feel absolutely no sense of responsibility for the future of their (his, if you ask him) country.

[LuckyLew]

Good for them

Get them off their farms and out of their red villages.

Also, the 500 - 1000 baht they are surely being paid

to attend will help them put food on the table tomorrow.

Not sure how the will pay to feed themselves the day

after though.

Memorial is good, just too bad they still do not realize

their leaders led them in a slaughter, IMO

[metisdead]

Posts containing derogatory comments or insults toward Thais have been removed:

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[geriatrickid]

I saw the 2 red shirt supporters leaving from Surat railway station yesterday. There must have been 100 people cheering and waving them goodbye, strangely none of them were wearing red shirts.

Ahh, so basically you are saying that the support for redshirts is a lot greater than the numbers that show up at any given rally.

[geriatrickid]

Good for them

Get them off their farms and out of their red villages.

Also, the 500 - 1000 baht they are surely being paid

to attend will help them put food on the table tomorrow.

Not sure how the will pay to feed themselves the day

after though.

Memorial is good, just too bad they still do not realize

their leaders led them in a slaughter, IMO

You are claiming they are being paid. Do you have any evidence to support this claim?

I believe you still don't get it. There is a core demographic that supports the UDD, the same way there is a core group that supports Newin or Abhisit.

[geriatrickid]

Protest all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

I don't think it is a protest. Rather it is a memorial event for those killed in the Bangkok protests.

[SomTumTiger]

Protest all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

I don't think it is a protest. Rather it is a memorial event for those killed in the Bangkok protests.

"Memorialize" all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

[dru2]

Protest all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

I don't think it is a protest. Rather it is a memorial event for those killed in the Bangkok protests.

Hello GK,

A good morning to you. Do Phi Phi Don and yourself run an alternative shift system by any chance?

[Johnnie99]

I think it is nice that Taksin still pays the 'supporters' even if he is a convicted criminal. Let's stop being unkind to the people who relied then and now and the generousity of a criminal. Shame on you.

[Johnnie99]

Good for them

Get them off their farms and out of their red villages.

Also, the 500 - 1000 baht they are surely being paid

to attend will help them put food on the table tomorrow.

Not sure how the will pay to feed themselves the day

after though.

Memorial is good, just too bad they still do not realize

their leaders led them in a slaughter, IMO

You are claiming they are being paid. Do you have any evidence to support this claim?

I believe you still don't get it. There is a core demographic that supports the UDD, the same way there is a core group that supports Newin or Abhisit.

My dear, the consensus might be that you are indeed excellent however ... one cannot help thinking it might just be a tad possible you don't see the reality. Who would afford to come from, say, Surat, on their own money? There's a reason they are in Surat ...

[GeorgeO]

I saw the 2 red shirt supporters leaving from Surat railway station yesterday. There must have been 100 people cheering and waving them goodbye, strangely none of them were wearing red shirts.

Ahh, so basically you are saying that the support for redshirts is a lot greater than the numbers that show up at any given rally.

Maybe this is an outward show of support whilst they are actually hiding away what they really feel.

Many people in the villages now dubbed "Red Villages" have to keep their true opinions to themselves, or suffer the consequences.

[alanferdi]

50,000 red-shirt supporters?

Yesterday it was 100,000 then 200,000.

There must be a lot of lost reds somewhere. Check under your beds guys

50,000 red-shirt supporters?

Yesterday it was 100,000 then 200,000.

There must be a lot of lost reds somewhere. Check under your beds guys

Red shirts cant count....they can only shout! For the ones gone missing...they wear brown shirts with red underpants.

[p_brownstone]

Anyone in the area who can give some information on the traffic situation around there?

I planned to go to Henri Dunant today but will have to change my route if Rajprasong is blocked by these clowns.

Patrick

[Suradit69]

Also, the 500 - 1000 baht they are surely being paid

to attend will help them put food on the table tomorrow.

You are claiming they are being paid. Do you have any evidence to support this claim?

I believe you still don't get it. There is a core demographic that supports the UDD, the same way there is a core group that supports Newin or Abhisit.

My dear, the consensus might be that you are indeed excellent however ... one cannot help thinking it might just be a tad possible you don't see the reality. Who would afford to come from, say, Surat, on their own money? There's a reason they are in Surat ...

So are they spending the money on transport or to put food on the table? Providing transportation for people unable to afford it or handing someone cash to pretend they support a cause they otherwise would have no interest in aren't quite the same thing.

The wonderful thing about "seeing reality" in the absence of facts is that "reality" can be anything you want it to be. There's a reason why there are so many bars serving farang "visitors." It helps to keep the real "reality" at bay.

[spidermike007]

Even my red shirt friends in Issan shake their heads, and roll their eyes when I mention Yingluck. I believe they are losing patience with her lack of competence. Let us see how many show up for these rallies. Perhaps it will be a sign of how much support remains for the neophyte.

[LuckyLew]

Good for them

Get them off their farms and out of their red villages.

Also, the 500 - 1000 baht they are surely being paid

to attend will help them put food on the table tomorrow.

Not sure how the will pay to feed themselves the day

after though.

Memorial is good, just too bad they still do not realize

their leaders led them in a slaughter, IMO

You are claiming they are being paid. Do you have any evidence to support this claim?

I believe you still don't get it. There is a core demographic that supports the UDD, the same way there is a core group that supports Newin or Abhisit.

You always say they same thing .. "do you have any proof" ???

So old and tired ...

and yes I do get it ... there is a core group that are being paid to support the UDD

[rubl]

Anyone in the area who can give some information on the traffic situation around there?

I planned to go to Henri Dunant today but will have to change my route if Rajprasong is blocked by these clowns.

Patrick

Ratchaprasong in front of CentralWorld till Patumnam blocked for traffic according to Richard Barrow. Some photo's here:

[thaihome]

Anyone in the area who can give some information on the traffic situation around there?

I planned to go to Henri Dunant today but will have to change my route if Rajprasong is blocked by these clowns.

Patrick

Henri Dunant will not be blocked, but expect it be just about gridlocked.

[geriatrickid]

Protest all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

I don't think it is a protest. Rather it is a memorial event for those killed in the Bangkok protests.

"Memorialize" all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

I'd rather they didn't disrupt traffic........

[geriatrickid]

My dear, the consensus might be that you are indeed excellent however ... one cannot help thinking it might just be a tad possible you don't see the reality. Who would afford to come from, say, Surat, on their own money? There's a reason they are in Surat ...

Ahh, glad that you cleared that up. According to you, all of the UDD supporters in Surat are impoverished.

Have you looked at the just who is climbing on board the PTP bandwagon in the past 3 months?

I think you are deluded if you don't realize that a great many people are changing sides again. Perhaps one day you will pay attention to the long list of pilgrims to visit Mr. Thaksin and the PTP leadership.

If the political winds turn against PTP they'll change sides again. Until then, the tides of power have shifted in favour of PTP.

[TinoThailand]

Greath! another forcing the prices up in Thailand.

Just let Thaksin come back.

Build casino's so I can play live poker games...

I know it's comming so why not now?

[Gillespie]

Protest all they want - just don't BURN DOWN ANY DAMNED BUILDINGS

Funny how everybody remembers the structural damage rather than the bullet-riddled corpses. There was Facebook memorial page for CentralWorld. Good that BKK-ers have got their priorities right.

[siampolee]

A picture is worth a thousand words we are told. This particular image left me speechless,.

Do we now see the true face of the Red Shirt movement appearing led by a despotic character who resides outside of the Kingdom.

Graphic image courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.456908317656374.117401.149529535060922&type=1

[gand]

'Red Army' 'Red Guard' 'Khmer Rouge' 'Red Shirts'