A Day Of Reckoning For Thai Govt And Its Pitak Siam Opponents

[jcb2001]

The government has done more to beat up this rally than everyone else put together. I doubt that such a massive crowd as predicted will turn out. I think they are just paranoid that their own tactics might be used against them.

Eg. A bit of bomb throwing here and there requiring an armed response, a bit of blood on the floor, a campaign to demonise the Fairy Princess as a ruthless killer and destabilise the government etc etc etc. Worked last time.

I don't think you can compare this demonstration tomorrow with the red shirt demonstration in May 2010. The 2010 protest was well planned out with red shirt and black shirt para military commandos doing there thing, bombings and intimidation. These red shirt thugs let everyone know, they meant business. I'm not convinced the tomorrows demonstration will be as threating. Wait and see.

[55Jay]

BTW

All elections, worldwide, are bought!

horse manure! I nor anyone I have met, have been offered money to vote for a candidate in my home country. All this "bought election" in other countries (short of Nigeria) talk is about campaign spending to maximize a candidate exposure to the masses, which actually a good thing. The more people who know the platform of a political party, the more chance they can cast an informed vote. This is NOT the same as passing out 500 baht bank notes to uninformed voters. In other countries million are spent getting the parties message out to the voters, in Thailand millions are spent buying votes with little or no regard to educating voters regarding the policies and platforms of the parties. Let's not confuse vote buying and campaign spending! While it may be true that he with the most money wins, the underlying premise is very, very different.

I know what you are saying and can't disagree with your premise. However, I have a spin on that.

West: Vote for me and I promise to do X, Y Z - most of which most care about is about money, supplements and tax issues. Rarely do they deliver if elected. In part because they can not, so their words are meaningless yet the average citizen laps it up like a sucker, not to mention the paid supporters whipping up applause and hoots and hollars in the crowd. The really serious vote buying, influence peddling and corruption occurs at venues and levels the commoner just doesn't associate with but when you strip away the starched white shirts and ties, and $10,000 a plate donation dinners, it's lipstick on a pig.

Thailand: Here's 500 Baht, vote for me. OK, krup.

Corruption here is more transparent thus doesn't insult my intelligence in exactly the same way as being lied to every 2, 4 or 6 years 'back home". In the US, citizen do have a vote but only the illusion that it actually makes a difference. As a niche expat, I don't have either and it's f****g liberating! All the peacocks on TV getting their yellow and/or red panties in a wad is great entertainment.

[asiawatcher]

I doubt the Ptak Siam opponents are able to overthrow anything. They will not cause a coup. They can only bring to light the continued mismanagement of Thailand by an inept Government bent on corrupt practice. Saturday, if it stays a protest and not a riot, will be nothing more than a storm in a teacup. But it will show others in Thailand there is a huge dissent between people and governance.

I like the statement "Key opposition figures have been working hard to turn Thailand's half-baked democracy into a full-fledged one since the 1980s. " The best part being 'half-baked' democracy. At least the journalist knows his work.

The thorn in the side of all is the continued interference by Thaksin in Thailand from afar. Remove that issue and a lot of the problems will cease. Sure, health failure, a bullet, not going to happen (I wish). The most important thing to do is get the courts to summons, try in his absence the other remaining charges (I understand there are at least 6), impose sentence of contempt of court for failure to appear, even if no case can be proven or resolve against the other charges, and lodge sentences against each charge of contempt. After all everyone forgets he is a bail jumper. Then there can be no pardon or change to the constitution that will allow his freedom. A charge for theft, fraud, bribery, murder et al can be overturned but contempt of court is never overturned. Oh well - wishful thinking. Can you imagine PTP trying to run Thailand without the puppet master? They wouldn't last a year. As for those who believe in this mob being a 'democratically elected' government, that can never be up held as long as votes can be bought, and they were.

I don't see why you believe they won't be able to spark a coup. If they get an enormous amount of people, firstly it will be a huge show of discontent. Then, as we have seen, there is no practical way for the police to handle an enormous amount of protestors and break up a protest, so it will continue ad infinitum. This will inevitably cause a shift in the rhetoric against the government on stage, which leads to confrontations between firstly the police and then red shirts will get involved, so the army will step in to restore calm.

Once it leads down the road to armed confrontations, the only organisation that will be able to solve it is the army. There will be a massive clamour for them to step in to save the country from itself.

Yep I can see the logic in what you say. I guess it more or less comes down to 'hoping' it doesn't turn sour. If the populace at large believe this Govt has been democratically elected which it partially has, then to remove them is difficult. They are so obviously corrupt, and they have already moved or replaced PTP hostile posts with their own cronies, and the last step is to change the constitution whilst continuing to strip the country's coffers, to get themselves immunity yet Thais' at large still can't see it. An executive royal order will be the only chance of mobilisation but I still don't think Pitak Siam will be able to pull that string. The political two party system is also not the answer as it will just all go downhill again is there is another coup but having said that, I would throw these crims out "poste haste" and take my chances.

[h90]

BTW

All elections, worldwide, are bought!

horse manure! I nor anyone I have met, have been offered money to vote for a candidate in my home country. All this "bought election" in other countries (short of Nigeria) talk is about campaign spending to maximize a candidate exposure to the masses, which actually a good thing. The more people who know the platform of a political party, the more chance they can cast an informed vote. This is NOT the same as passing out 500 baht bank notes to uninformed voters. In other countries million are spent getting the parties message out to the voters, in Thailand millions are spent buying votes with little or no regard to educating voters regarding the policies and platforms of the parties. Let's not confuse vote buying and campaign spending! While it may be true that he with the most money wins, the underlying premise is very, very different.

I know what you are saying and can't disagree with your premise. However, I have a spin on that.

West: Vote for me and I promise to do X, Y Z - most of which most care about is about money, supplements and tax issues. Rarely do they deliver if elected. In part because they can not, so their words are meaningless yet the average citizen laps it up like a sucker, not to mention the paid supporters whipping up applause and hoots and hollars in the crowd. The really serious vote buying, influence peddling and corruption occurs at venues and levels the commoner just doesn't associate with but when you strip away the starched white shirts and ties, and $10,000 a plate donation dinners, it's lipstick on a pig.

Thailand: Here's 500 Baht, vote for me. OK, krup.

Corruption here is more transparent thus doesn't insult my intelligence in exactly the same way as being lied to every 2, 4 or 6 years 'back home". In the US, citizen do have a vote but only the illusion that it actually makes a difference. As a niche expat, I don't have either and it's f****g liberating! All the peacocks on TV getting their yellow and/or red panties in a wad is great entertainment.

I had a good friend who came from East Germany. He told me once: Before they had the choose between 1 idiot, now they have the choice between several idiots....that is not what the hoped for.

[Thai at Heart]

I doubt the Ptak Siam opponents are able to overthrow anything. They will not cause a coup. They can only bring to light the continued mismanagement of Thailand by an inept Government bent on corrupt practice. Saturday, if it stays a protest and not a riot, will be nothing more than a storm in a teacup. But it will show others in Thailand there is a huge dissent between people and governance.

I like the statement "Key opposition figures have been working hard to turn Thailand's half-baked democracy into a full-fledged one since the 1980s. " The best part being 'half-baked' democracy. At least the journalist knows his work.

The thorn in the side of all is the continued interference by Thaksin in Thailand from afar. Remove that issue and a lot of the problems will cease. Sure, health failure, a bullet, not going to happen (I wish). The most important thing to do is get the courts to summons, try in his absence the other remaining charges (I understand there are at least 6), impose sentence of contempt of court for failure to appear, even if no case can be proven or resolve against the other charges, and lodge sentences against each charge of contempt. After all everyone forgets he is a bail jumper. Then there can be no pardon or change to the constitution that will allow his freedom. A charge for theft, fraud, bribery, murder et al can be overturned but contempt of court is never overturned. Oh well - wishful thinking. Can you imagine PTP trying to run Thailand without the puppet master? They wouldn't last a year. As for those who believe in this mob being a 'democratically elected' government, that can never be up held as long as votes can be bought, and they were.

I don't see why you believe they won't be able to spark a coup. If they get an enormous amount of people, firstly it will be a huge show of discontent. Then, as we have seen, there is no practical way for the police to handle an enormous amount of protestors and break up a protest, so it will continue ad infinitum. This will inevitably cause a shift in the rhetoric against the government on stage, which leads to confrontations between firstly the police and then red shirts will get involved, so the army will step in to restore calm.

Once it leads down the road to armed confrontations, the only organisation that will be able to solve it is the army. There will be a massive clamour for them to step in to save the country from itself.

So why wasn't there a coup when the red shirts were protesting? Somehow the army was able to break up that protest without changing the government?

Dont you think the Thai people are sick of these protests? Why dont the yellow shirts just accept the democratic process and try harder to get elected fairly?

You think the army went to all that effort to delivery the dems a coalition, that they were going to break it?

Listen carefully, the army is part of the establishment that is pro democrat and sees thaksin as a danger to the country.

The last thing they are ever going to do is hoof the democrats out of power, but if necessary and opportune, they would kick ptp out and finish the job good and proper this time.

And if you think they work selflessly for the good of the country, pull my other one.

Edited November 23, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[Thai at Heart]

I doubt the Ptak Siam opponents are able to overthrow anything. They will not cause a coup. They can only bring to light the continued mismanagement of Thailand by an inept Government bent on corrupt practice. Saturday, if it stays a protest and not a riot, will be nothing more than a storm in a teacup. But it will show others in Thailand there is a huge dissent between people and governance.

I like the statement "Key opposition figures have been working hard to turn Thailand's half-baked democracy into a full-fledged one since the 1980s. " The best part being 'half-baked' democracy. At least the journalist knows his work.

The thorn in the side of all is the continued interference by Thaksin in Thailand from afar. Remove that issue and a lot of the problems will cease. Sure, health failure, a bullet, not going to happen (I wish). The most important thing to do is get the courts to summons, try in his absence the other remaining charges (I understand there are at least 6), impose sentence of contempt of court for failure to appear, even if no case can be proven or resolve against the other charges, and lodge sentences against each charge of contempt. After all everyone forgets he is a bail jumper. Then there can be no pardon or change to the constitution that will allow his freedom. A charge for theft, fraud, bribery, murder et al can be overturned but contempt of court is never overturned. Oh well - wishful thinking. Can you imagine PTP trying to run Thailand without the puppet master? They wouldn't last a year. As for those who believe in this mob being a 'democratically elected' government, that can never be up held as long as votes can be bought, and they were.

I don't see why you believe they won't be able to spark a coup. If they get an enormous amount of people, firstly it will be a huge show of discontent. Then, as we have seen, there is no practical way for the police to handle an enormous amount of protestors and break up a protest, so it will continue ad infinitum. This will inevitably cause a shift in the rhetoric against the government on stage, which leads to confrontations between firstly the police and then red shirts will get involved, so the army will step in to restore calm.

Once it leads down the road to armed confrontations, the only organisation that will be able to solve it is the army. There will be a massive clamour for them to step in to save the country from itself.

Yep I can see the logic in what you say. I guess it more or less comes down to 'hoping' it doesn't turn sour. If the populace at large believe this Govt has been democratically elected which it partially has, then to remove them is difficult. They are so obviously corrupt, and they have already moved or replaced PTP hostile posts with their own cronies, and the last step is to change the constitution whilst continuing to strip the country's coffers, to get themselves immunity yet Thais' at large still can't see it. An executive royal order will be the only chance of mobilisation but I still don't think Pitak Siam will be able to pull that string. The political two party system is also not the answer as it will just all go downhill again is there is another coup but having said that, I would throw these crims out "poste haste" and take my chances.

they don't need orders, they just do...

Edited November 23, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[JurgenG]

One more stupid article that avoids the real problem.

"First, the ruling Pheu Thai Party should come to terms with the stark reality that despite its popularity and majority control, it will forever be haunted by strong opposition as long as it lets fugitive former PM Thaksin Shinawatra be its puppeteer." What does that mean ? No more Thaksin, no more opposition ? A 99.9% approval rate ? Obviously the author of the article doesn't understand the reality of a democratic government.

"Second, government leaders should review their stance against opponents" : Which opponents ? Some minority fascist groups or the opposition side in the parliament ? Where does the democrats stand today ? Nowhere as usual.

Then it become more interesting.

"...whether they should be seen as undemocratic enemies or be engaged as partners to improve the political system." So we agree that Pitak Siam should be seen as an enemy of democracy. So again my question, where do the democrats stand here ?

We have a beginning of answer from the author, they should "be engaged as partners to" bla bla bla ...Basically give them a share of the pie and there will no more opposition. That's Thailand pre-Thaksin, the elite shares the loot, the working class shut up and works.

And the last sentence really summarize the problem "They might have erred in opting for street protests, but at least they are as passionate about democracy" This protest and its organizers are clearly enemies of democracy but there is no other avenue for people to express their opposition to the government because the opposition party, namely the democrats, are just a spineless bunch of lazy profiteers who are more interested by getting their share of the loot than building a democratic society.

Are you serious - this government interested in building a democacy? Much too busy counting the proceeeds of their scams and ploting their leaders return.

You actually believe that the current government behaves in the way that a democratically elected government should? Taking orders from a convicted criminal and fugitive, making appointments based on nepotism and cronyism, making false promises and lying, ignoring the law when it suits etc. These are fundamental breaches and are undepinned by corruption, theft and ineptness. Pre-Thaksin the elite shares the loot, post Thaksin his clan and cronies share the loot. Who says Pitak Siam are an enemy of democracy (apart from you)? They want to exercise the right to peaceful and lawful protest, as people in a democracy can do. They are protesting against a government who lie, steal, ignore the law, and allow criminals free reign. Presumably, you believe that the PTP's little white lie that it supports democracy. Wait and see how they behave when they loose an election.

Of course he does not actually believe what he posted. He is just trying to get a debate going. No one with an IQ of at least room temp C would believe what he posted. But it makes for good back and forth.

Yep - having read his other posts I think you're right. Still, it's beem a quite day and not been trolled for a while!

The problem I see with all your posts, and with all the people who answer, "+1" "like" ..., is there is no arguments, just insults and name calling. From time to time, you insert an out-of-context reference about "the man from Dubai..." and you think you show great intelligence about the current debate. Yeah, right ....

In the mean time PT is firmly in charge of the government affairs but the "official" opposition, namely the democrats, is nowhere to be seen in the current debate. Maybe it's you and your friends who should stop insulting people intelligence by refusing to admit where the real problem is.

[JurgenG]

Your reply also fits the bill of stupidity that you are laying on the article.

I don't think calling other posters stupid without an explanation is part of a constructive debate, or even within forum rules for that matter.

I give you the benefit of the doubt and wait for a more elaborate answer. But you being obviously a democrat supporter, don't expect me to hold my breath for too long

Should that forum rule that you wish to uphold not apply also to the author of the article?

The protestors are not against democracy. Apart from the stupidity of the coup comment most there will be very much for democracy or more so against the hijacking of it by a fugitive criminal in Dubai. Found guilty in a criminal court, by his peers under the governance of one of his own proxy parties. And now again as he was doing when he screwed up last time, attempting to gain control over all who can hold him to account. You hold the Democrats in contempt and fairly so where corruption and pathetic moral fibre do exist, but every excuse is made for The Pheu Thai party governed by a fugitive criminal and where within scum with more larger crimes within Thailand than corruption are rewarded...and this is the democratic alternative you lot put forward. The intent from the Shinwatra's all along is complete control of Thailand with total and absolute power held by their family....democracy???...and you label the writers article with stupidity?

The protesters are not against democracy ... right

The call for a military coup is at at the heart of their movement. If it's not against democracy, I don't know what it is.

You say I make every excuse for the PT, it's maybe because I'm a pragmatic. On the one hand you have the Singapore model, with Thaksin, and on the other hand you have the Burma junta model with Abhisit and Newin (people who know a bit of local history will see the irony here ). Where do you prefer to live, Singapore or Burma ? And don't fool yourself by believing that Abhisit is some kind of Aung San Suu Kyi because, first he wiill need a spine, and second Aung San Suu Kyi is on Thaksin side. Actually the whole international community is on PT side while they only paid lip service to the Abhisit administration.

Face it, as today there is no democratic alternative to Thaksin, that's why people have no other choice than to support far right extremist group like Pitak Siam to express their opposition to the government. The current failure of the democratic system in Thailand has nothing to do with Thaksin but everything to do with the the failure of the democrats to create a credible alternative.

[asiawatcher]

I doubt the Ptak Siam opponents are able to overthrow anything. They will not cause a coup. They can only bring to light the continued mismanagement of Thailand by an inept Government bent on corrupt practice. Saturday, if it stays a protest and not a riot, will be nothing more than a storm in a teacup. But it will show others in Thailand there is a huge dissent between people and governance.

I like the statement "Key opposition figures have been working hard to turn Thailand's half-baked democracy into a full-fledged one since the 1980s. " The best part being 'half-baked' democracy. At least the journalist knows his work.

The thorn in the side of all is the continued interference by Thaksin in Thailand from afar. Remove that issue and a lot of the problems will cease. Sure, health failure, a bullet, not going to happen (I wish). The most important thing to do is get the courts to summons, try in his absence the other remaining charges (I understand there are at least 6), impose sentence of contempt of court for failure to appear, even if no case can be proven or resolve against the other charges, and lodge sentences against each charge of contempt. After all everyone forgets he is a bail jumper. Then there can be no pardon or change to the constitution that will allow his freedom. A charge for theft, fraud, bribery, murder et al can be overturned but contempt of court is never overturned. Oh well - wishful thinking. Can you imagine PTP trying to run Thailand without the puppet master? They wouldn't last a year. As for those who believe in this mob being a 'democratically elected' government, that can never be up held as long as votes can be bought, and they were.

I don't see why you believe they won't be able to spark a coup. If they get an enormous amount of people, firstly it will be a huge show of discontent. Then, as we have seen, there is no practical way for the police to handle an enormous amount of protestors and break up a protest, so it will continue ad infinitum. This will inevitably cause a shift in the rhetoric against the government on stage, which leads to confrontations between firstly the police and then red shirts will get involved, so the army will step in to restore calm.

Once it leads down the road to armed confrontations, the only organisation that will be able to solve it is the army. There will be a massive clamour for them to step in to save the country from itself.

So why wasn't there a coup when the red shirts were protesting? Somehow the army was able to break up that protest without changing the government?

Dont you think the Thai people are sick of these protests? Why dont the yellow shirts just accept the democratic process and try harder to get elected fairly?

Good questions. I don't think a coup was possible with the reds because the reds represented rabble, mob rule. The police did nothing to maintain law and order and in fact condoned it in many obvious ways. When the govt had no more options as barricades grew, weapons were being used, they invoked army presence and that was long overdue. The fact the army responded meant they respected government and did not side with the mobs. So the country demonstrated clearly, it was and still is, divided.

Yes - I watched red mobs grab LPG bottles, place petrol drums along side them and police stood by and do nothing. In my country a sniper would have dropped those scum in their tracks. Thailand at large I would think, are sick of the protests, even the Pitak Siam one now, it achieves nothing and only paints a terrible picture to the international community, yet the Thai don't seem to care. Politics here is simply a licence to scam money but with only 'token police' to uphold the law, and corrupt as they are, what chance does Thailand have at this point,

I think the next step could possibly dissolve into civil war, especially if Thaksin is in any way, allowed to return, which is unlikely, even though the dems went through the motions of extradition, they do NOT want him inside Thailand. The problem with the coloured shirts from any side is, the process is far from democratic, involves nepotism, payoffs, vote buying and so on. The use of the word 'democracy' is simply an uneducated verbal barrage by those hiding behind their corrupt actions. Until Thaksin is 'removed from the equation, this unrest is going to continue. Take that problem out by law or otherwise, and the country may be able to move forward.

[zydeco]

I doubt the Ptak Siam opponents are able to overthrow anything. They will not cause a coup. They can only bring to light the continued mismanagement of Thailand by an inept Government bent on corrupt practice. Saturday, if it stays a protest and not a riot, will be nothing more than a storm in a teacup. But it will show others in Thailand there is a huge dissent between people and governance.

I like the statement "Key opposition figures have been working hard to turn Thailand's half-baked democracy into a full-fledged one since the 1980s. " The best part being 'half-baked' democracy. At least the journalist knows his work.

The thorn in the side of all is the continued interference by Thaksin in Thailand from afar. Remove that issue and a lot of the problems will cease. Sure, health failure, a bullet, not going to happen (I wish). The most important thing to do is get the courts to summons, try in his absence the other remaining charges (I understand there are at least 6), impose sentence of contempt of court for failure to appear, even if no case can be proven or resolve against the other charges, and lodge sentences against each charge of contempt. After all everyone forgets he is a bail jumper. Then there can be no pardon or change to the constitution that will allow his freedom. A charge for theft, fraud, bribery, murder et al can be overturned but contempt of court is never overturned. Oh well - wishful thinking. Can you imagine PTP trying to run Thailand without the puppet master? They wouldn't last a year. As for those who believe in this mob being a 'democratically elected' government, that can never be up held as long as votes can be bought, and they were.

I don't see why you believe they won't be able to spark a coup. If they get an enormous amount of people, firstly it will be a huge show of discontent. Then, as we have seen, there is no practical way for the police to handle an enormous amount of protestors and break up a protest, so it will continue ad infinitum. This will inevitably cause a shift in the rhetoric against the government on stage, which leads to confrontations between firstly the police and then red shirts will get involved, so the army will step in to restore calm.

Once it leads down the road to armed confrontations, the only organisation that will be able to solve it is the army. There will be a massive clamour for them to step in to save the country from itself.

So why wasn't there a coup when the red shirts were protesting? Somehow the army was able to break up that protest without changing the government?

Dont you think the Thai people are sick of these protests? Why dont the yellow shirts just accept the democratic process and try harder to get elected fairly?

Good questions. I don't think a coup was possible with the reds because the reds represented rabble, mob rule. The police did nothing to maintain law and order and in fact condoned it in many obvious ways. When the govt had no more options as barricades grew, weapons were being used, they invoked army presence and that was long overdue. The fact the army responded meant they respected government and did not side with the mobs. So the country demonstrated clearly, it was and still is, divided.

Yes - I watched red mobs grab LPG bottles, place petrol drums along side them and police stood by and do nothing. In my country a sniper would have dropped those scum in their tracks. Thailand at large I would think, are sick of the protests, even the Pitak Siam one now, it achieves nothing and only paints a terrible picture to the international community, yet the Thai don't seem to care. Politics here is simply a licence to scam money but with only 'token police' to uphold the law, and corrupt as they are, what chance does Thailand have at this point,

I think the next step could possibly dissolve into civil war, especially if Thaksin is in any way, allowed to return, which is unlikely, even though the dems went through the motions of extradition, they do NOT want him inside Thailand. The problem with the coloured shirts from any side is, the process is far from democratic, involves nepotism, payoffs, vote buying and so on. The use of the word 'democracy' is simply an uneducated verbal barrage by those hiding behind their corrupt actions. Until Thaksin is 'removed from the equation, this unrest is going to continue. Take that problem out by law or otherwise, and the country may be able to move forward.

Do you ever wonder what is to the Left of Thaksin? Whenever the Red leaders get to talk their true intentions, more than a few of them sound like the Khmer Rouge. See "the UDD's sincere left-wing members are using Thaksin and anticipate the opportunity to eventuaylly dump his personal agenda in favor of a more socialist society." http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE13Ae01.html

[scorecard]

I doubt the Ptak Siam opponents are able to overthrow anything. They will not cause a coup. They can only bring to light the continued mismanagement of Thailand by an inept Government bent on corrupt practice. Saturday, if it stays a protest and not a riot, will be nothing more than a storm in a teacup. But it will show others in Thailand there is a huge dissent between people and governance.

I like the statement "Key opposition figures have been working hard to turn Thailand's half-baked democracy into a full-fledged one since the 1980s. " The best part being 'half-baked' democracy. At least the journalist knows his work.

The thorn in the side of all is the continued interference by Thaksin in Thailand from afar. Remove that issue and a lot of the problems will cease. Sure, health failure, a bullet, not going to happen (I wish). The most important thing to do is get the courts to summons, try in his absence the other remaining charges (I understand there are at least 6), impose sentence of contempt of court for failure to appear, even if no case can be proven or resolve against the other charges, and lodge sentences against each charge of contempt. After all everyone forgets he is a bail jumper. Then there can be no pardon or change to the constitution that will allow his freedom. A charge for theft, fraud, bribery, murder et al can be overturned but contempt of court is never overturned. Oh well - wishful thinking. Can you imagine PTP trying to run Thailand without the puppet master? They wouldn't last a year. As for those who believe in this mob being a 'democratically elected' government, that can never be up held as long as votes can be bought, and they were.

I don't see why you believe they won't be able to spark a coup. If they get an enormous amount of people, firstly it will be a huge show of discontent. Then, as we have seen, there is no practical way for the police to handle an enormous amount of protestors and break up a protest, so it will continue ad infinitum. This will inevitably cause a shift in the rhetoric against the government on stage, which leads to confrontations between firstly the police and then red shirts will get involved, so the army will step in to restore calm.

Once it leads down the road to armed confrontations, the only organisation that will be able to solve it is the army. There will be a massive clamour for them to step in to save the country from itself.

So why wasn't there a coup when the red shirts were protesting? Somehow the army was able to break up that protest without changing the government?

Dont you think the Thai people are sick of these protests? Why dont the yellow shirts just accept the democratic process and try harder to get elected fairly?

Have a look at what is going on around the world. People in many countries take part in public protests - not just in Thailand. Of course, if you do it in some countries, the goevernments will use extreme force to oppress it because they can't accept any criticism or the truth.

An elected government does not have a mandate to ignore the law and constitution, make new rules up as it goes along, and steal state money for personal gain. if it behaves so then it is subject to protest and hopefully censure.

Dear farang000999,

1. You think its' only the yellow shirts who object to the current government and it's antics? Suggest you think again.

2. "Dont you think the Thai people are sick of these protests? Why dont the yellow shirts just accept the democratic process and try harder to get elected fairly?

a. Are you suggesting that the current government actually embrace and follow democratic process?

b. Are you in reality suggesting that the current government was elected fairly?

c. Why do you assert that the yellow shirts don't accept the democratic process?