Chiang Mai Governor Who Vowed To Crack Down On Red-Shirt Protesters Sidelined

[Chicog]

Well a few weeks ago most of the bars in Loi Kroh were shut quite early, simply because none of them had any customers. So I don't know how'd you'd tell if there was a crackdown or not.

[LawrenceChee]

They were all attending the "fleece farang workshop" offered free at Meriden ...part of skills upgrading program for a better life

[dickyknee]

now 12am is a little more flexible, 2 years ago the 12am was very hard-fast... even spicy had to close early some nights.

it seems we remember things a little differently.

"some nights" = very hard-fast rule?

Yes, I remember things very differently. Other than during brief curfew period, I don't remember Warm-Up, Monkey Club, Riverside, etc ever shutting down at 12am. Can you please remind me when that was exactly?

-Mestizo

sorry. i'm wrong you're right. it never happened.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I've been with my wife and friends at Zoe in the reggae area and saw police cars pull in at midnight sharp. This is very much a tourist area, some of whom were quite concerned at the sudden razzia show of force. Let's just say that this kind of thing is not helping when you want to build a tourist destination, and when you want to promote regular clean nightlife.

Mestizo earlier made the point that it may be better the devil you know than the devil you don't know, and it is indeed by no means a given that there will be a change, for better or for worse. I'm an optimist though, and with ML Pannada having been so vocal against nightlife and pandering to some fairy-tale Buddhism & Temples image of Chiang Mai that only seems to exist in his mind, I'm cautiously optimistic about the change of guard.

[NancyL]

I, for one, am going to miss the Governor's calm, cool and well-dressed presence at every opening and ribbon cutting. The guy is kind of cute, not that I'm interested in that sort of thing. He has a fabulous wardrobe -- must get the name of his tailor before he goes. He always looks cool and collected, no matter how warm, even in his heavy northern Thai silk jackets. He can sit thru amazingly boring events and look somewhat interested, never bored. Plus, he speaks flawless English and Thai and always says just the right thing.

He was always fun to watch at an event!

[Mestizo]

I've been with my wife and friends at Zoe in the reggae area and saw police cars pull in at midnight sharp. This is very much a tourist area, some of whom were quite concerned at the sudden razzia show of force.

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Right. And we saw that before this governor, during this governor, and I'm sure will see it after he's gone.

So, now that he's gone, purely for research purposes, I'm going to do a survey starting at midnight around Chiang Mai, and see how much has changed since last week!

-Mestizo

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Will be interesting to see if there is any change, yes. Main test will be during the high season, when bars have the money to make a rule-bending effort. (Applies to places frequented by holidaying Thais just the same)

[wellred]

For a minute I thought the title read crack down on red light districts and my heart was racing. Phew!

[hellodolly]

Indeed, this ex-governor took too much a risk for Thaïland !

Confronted to a violent and/or illegal activity, the governor should look first who is responsible for this and let the "authorized people/groups" be violent/illegal ...

Violence and/or illegality are permitted for certain peoples/groups, and non-violent/legal activities of others are NOT !

Is it a dictatorship or not, after all ?

He was more of a risk to tourists actually:

http://www.travelwir...g-mai-thailand/

Get it rite for once will you. You never have any thing good to say about a politition unless they are red shirts or PT.

He had nothing to do with the deaths in Chiang Mai that the article you referred to talked about. The hotel has since been torn down.

But you were rite in saying he was hurting tourism. He had been stepping up the police enforcement of the bar closing times.

But I don't think there are that many tourists that come here for the bars a hand full mostly it will be good news for the local bar fly's.

And one more thing you and the article failed to mention was that The World Health Organization had looked into and could find no reason either for those deaths. And as is typical of your posting two of the deaths were two yeas ago on a Island down South not in Chiang Mai.

It indeed was a mystery but if the WHO couldn't solve it I don't think I would blame it on the Governor. It will remain unexplained unless you are charging the WHO with covering it up.

Being as this is Thaksin's home town you can bet that the new governor will be a red shirt and the bar's can once again call the shot's.

[nurofiend]

As for the usual whining Dem losers, well, chums, the position of Governor of Chiang Mai is a political appointment, and, just as the Dems appointed Panadda (a vocal anti-Red), so PTP have appointed someone more to their taste. If the Dems want to be in a position to appoint Governors, maybe they should try to win a general election sometime, something they haven't done for 20 odd years!

exactly, nail on head... there is nothing more to be said.

what's good for the goose...

[Hugh Jarse]

Indeed, this ex-governor took too much a risk for Thaïland !

Confronted to a violent and/or illegal activity, the governor should look first who is responsible for this and let the "authorized people/groups" be violent/illegal ...

Violence and/or illegality are permitted for certain peoples/groups, and non-violent/legal activities of others are NOT !

Is it a dictatorship or not, after all ?

Your post is unclear please get it translated.

[Hugh Jarse]

I've been with my wife and friends at Zoe in the reggae area and saw police cars pull in at midnight sharp. This is very much a tourist area, some of whom were quite concerned at the sudden razzia show of force.

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Right. And we saw that before this governor, during this governor, and I'm sure will see it after he's gone.

So, now that he's gone, purely for research purposes, I'm going to do a survey starting at midnight around Chiang Mai, and see how much has changed since last week!

-Mestizo

Will look forward to hearing about your findings and the methodology you employ.

[L&J]

<p>I find the discussion of the replacement of Gov. Panadda interesting in relation to the Red/Yellow political factors, but those

are issues that the Thai people will ultimately deal with themselves.

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I have no idea what his impact was on the bars in Chiang Mai was or really care if he wanted them open all night or

only according to the legal hours.

However I can attest to the fact that on several ocassions while attending public events here the Governor went

out of his way to personally thank us for attending. There were never many farang at these events so his interest in approaching

us seemed to be very sincere and gracious. He is the only Thai official I've%2

[hellodolly]

This red shirt thing is typical The Nation spin.

They could also have stated that he was among the longest serving governnors in the country (see Wikipedia); a change was simply due. Also because he governed very different from his own claims of being only a facilitator, he instead took it upon himself to orgestrate crackdowns for example on nightlife of any kind.

Good riddance. And don't buy the spin.

'amongst the longest serving' must be taken with a grain of salt and some ear medicine, I think.

In the list of governors on wiki ML Panadda is listed as 'since Oct. 2010', still lots of others from 2009, one 2008 PhangNga and one 2006 SuphanBuri.

http://en.wikipedia....iland#Governors

He was unpopular here for getting the laws enforcing night life enforced to a certain degree. He could have done more but he did have a start on it. I doubt that had anything to do with his transfer. If some people don't like the length of service some people serve they had best not make a point of it here in Thailand.

Not that there are many who live here that are concerned with the length of time a person serves.

[hellodolly]

I have the funny feeling that you are referring to allowing "selected" night venues to operate past the legally mandated 2am closing.

Chiang Mai went from flexible 2am closing to hard-fast 12am closing about 2 years ago.

This is *HIGHLY* inaccurate. The only places that were being shut down, were the small group of bars on Loi Kroh Rd. Most everything else is staying open later than that, including a hand full of bars on Loi Kroh. Even the mid-night closing time is no longer a "hard-fast" rule on Loi Kroh anymore. The powers that be have informed some of the bars they just have to turn the music down/ off at midnight but not close.

All the bars in the Reggae area (with the occasional exception of Zoe in Yellow Bar), Warm-up, Monkey Club, Riverside, Goodview, Fabrique, etc, etc, were never under some hard-fast 12am closing time rule.

-Mestizo

True as I said he was just starting. three steps forward two and a half back.

Interesting that the only complaint that they have against him was that he had started to enforce laws.

Not a word about the day to day living conditions out side of bars. Hell the last two times my wife got stopped for no helmet they wouldn't take her money made her go into the police station to pay the full price.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Never seen such a circus. And these buffoons are running a country?

They are not running the country they are they are bankrupting it.

[Skywalker69]

RESHUFFLE

Pol Gen Pongsathat to ONCB, Chiang Mai Governor moved to inactive post

The Nation

ML Panadda

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Justice Ministry's proposal for the deputy police chief to become the new secretary general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Pol Gen Pongsathat Pongcharoen will be the new chief of the ONCB while Pol Lt Col Dussadee Arayavudh, secretary general of Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) was named the new deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry.

Asked who would replace Dussadee at the PACC, Chalerm said Justice Minister Pol Gen Pracha Promnok was still considering it.

The Cabinet also promoted Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Director-General Wibul Sanguanpong to permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry.

The Cabinet approved Wibul's promotion and the reshuffle of other senior Interior Ministry officials, as proposed by Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit.

As part of the annual reshuffle, Chiang Mai Governor ML Panadda Dissakul was transferred to the inactive position of deputy permanent secretary. When he was appointed the Chiang Mai governor by the Democrat government, Panadda announced that he would not tolerate illegal or violent activities of the red-shirt protesters.

In June 2011, Pheu Thai member Chalerm Yoobamrung said Pannadda would definitely face the axe if the Pheu Thai won an election and became a coalition leader.

-- The Nation 2012-09-04

So what Chalerm is saying is that no matter how popular or good at his job the governor might be he would be replaced for political reasons by PT.

Politicians before people. Plus ca change.

Incompetence before competence,.

[Ricardo]

<snip for brevity>

As part of the annual reshuffle, Chiang Mai Governor ML Panadda Dissakul was transferred to the inactive position of deputy permanent secretary. When he was appointed the Chiang Mai governor by the Democrat government, Panadda announced that he would not tolerate illegal or violent activities of the red-shirt protesters.

In June 2011, Pheu Thai member Chalerm Yoobamrung said Pannadda would definitely face the axe if the Pheu Thai won an election and became a coalition leader.

-- The Nation 2012-09-04

So what Chalerm is saying is that no matter how popular or good at his job the governor might be he would be replaced for political reasons by PT.

Politicians before people. Plus ca change.

You can't allow local government-officials to go round announcing that they'll be tough on violence or law-breaking, if that were to occur, it would be an undemocratic infringement on freedom !

Unless they're in the Cabinet, or ruling-party, of course.

People know to ignore much of what they say, as they're only "little white lies", meant to be taken with a pinch-of-salt.

[Buchholz]

K. Panada was quite popular in Chiang Mai and his love of the city persuaded the Red rulers to come to an accommodation with him. I don't know if he is now being sidelined but he is being moved simply because his 2 year term has come to an end. Unfortunately for the likes of me, his 'vision' for Chiang Mai involved it being a centre for meditation and a trekking capital. Allowing visitors to enjoy a convivial pint in a pub didnt figure highly on his priority list.

The "2 year term has come to an end" really makes me wonder about the remark of another member saying he was one of the longest serving AND the long list of governors from 2009.

Shouldn't moving a governor way past his term be more of a priority? Did term lengths change?

I'd be interested in reading about these term limits for appointed governors as I've not found anything that specified a time limit on their service.

All the references I encountered spoke only that they were appointed by the Interior Minister without any mention of their serving for a maximum time.

Even the above article speaks of:

As part of the annual reshuffle, Chiang Mai Governor ML Panadda Dissakul was transferred

Additionally, you certainly have it right about the nonsensical "longest serving" Governor, rubl. Dissakul was not that.

.

[Thai at Heart]

Governors come and go with the whim of the government. It happens.

[Buchholz]

Governors come and go with the whim of the government. It happens.

Indeed they do. I was just intrigued by the mentioning of two year maximum terms for which I've not found any supporting information as well as the inaccurate "longest serving Governor."

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[RogueExpat]

Governors come and go with the whim of the government. It happens.

Indeed they do. I was just intrigued by the mentioning of two year maximum terms for which I've not found any supporting information as well as the inaccurate "longest serving Governor."

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I do believe that Governor's of Thesabahn's, OBT's, OBJ's, are all on four year terms.

[Thai at Heart]

Governors come and go with the whim of the government. It happens.

Indeed they do. I was just intrigued by the mentioning of two year maximum terms for which I've not found any supporting information as well as the inaccurate "longest serving Governor."

.

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From what I can see, reshuffling these blokes is approximately every 2 years or so, although occasionally a few stay for 5 or 6 years. It is a stupid farce of merry go rounds, where governors put their oar into expensive development projects to line their pockets and then disappear often before the project is even finished. We have a defunct new bus station out town now, and everyone is scratching their heads as to whether it is ever going to be used. The opposition from the local traders around the old bus station was very large when it was proposed, but the old bus station is in a ridiculous spot, so the new station got built, presumably with plenty of padding, and sits as yet unopened one year later.

http://tambon.blogspot.com/2011/11/province-governor-reshuffle-list-2011.html

[drdoom6996]

This is news?????????????????????????????

[paniolo]

....on a bright note..........better than getting Uzi'd while having dinner...............The Governor is welcome in my house for dinner anytime, he's got a heart and balls......hope he gets to keep them

[TackyToo]

Never seen such a circus. And these buffoons are running a country?

Only half of them. The rest is keeping the unemployment rate low by enjoying inactive post's

[moe666]

I have the funny feeling that you are referring to allowing "selected" night venues to operate past the legally mandated 2am closing.

Chiang Mai went from flexible 2am closing to hard-fast 12am closing about 2 years ago.

I was in a Chiang Mai nightclub a few months ago and they closed at 2am

[jeffcool]

I don't know about other peoples countries but which ever government Australia has in power appoints all the old political hacks, party faithful and ex-pollies to all the lucrative posts like UN, Ambassadorships, Heads of various government bodies etc etc. It is their retirement extra bonus.

From what I read here it seems Australia and Thailand are the only two countries that reward their mates. Every other county purely appoints by meritocracy eh?

Happens in me country too.... But you know TV members... We like to be biased.....

[theanimaster]

So a scumbag gets replaced by another scumbag, what's new?

Then again, I think I'm starting to buy these red shirts' cause. sure they're being used, but better to have SOMEONE in control than everyone fighting over the scraps to this godforsaken government.

[Mestizo]

Will be interesting to see if there is any change, yes. Main test will be during the high season, when bars have the money to make a rule-bending effort. (Applies to places frequented by holidaying Thais just the same)

So not much changed last night. Loi Kroh bars were still turning down the music and preparing to close around midnight. The reggae area was still going around 2am, when I left. Handful of Loi Kroh bars in the boxing area were open well past 3am, when I threw in the towel and went home.

HOWEVER, I did see one thing very different, which I have not seen for a long, long time. There was an elephant pandering to the tourists out front of the bars next to Johns Place. First time I have seen an elephant in town since the ban went into affect a long time back. A sign of things to come?

-Mestizo