Anti-government Rally Thread 13-25 March

[boppia]

Oh, sorry. Haven't been following ASTV. Seems like there are quite a few people coming and going in support of the protestors.

One note for those follwing this. Check out TV3 in the early morning 4-5:15 am if you are up. The newscasters at that time seem to have a different way of discussing the news. They do get into more than at 7AM. They also seem to let more clips slide through than at 7.

[sriracha john]

sriracha john said:

however, I usually do know who it is that I am speaking with. Are there that many PAD leaders?

I anyhow have a lousy memory for names, and especially for people i had less than inspiring conversations with.

There is a shitload of PAD leaders and wanna be leaders, and consultants, and whatever. It's a bloody circus of the most impossible alliances down there - you can see doped out old hippies hobnobbing with shady godfathers, all sort of academics and minor politicians clapping each other on the shoulder, all having strange improvised conferences, drunk on their own imagined importance. In between you got an army of journalists picking up on any rumor floating around.

Sondhi running around like a bloody celebrity, his bimbo in tow, with his thuggish bodyguards who don't even take off their black shades in the middle of the night.

Absolutely pathetic.

In reality, there are only five PAD leaders. Since I assume you would know Chamlong and Sonthi by their faces and names, that leaves only three other leaders. Since you say you spoke with two of the remaining three leaders, I can provide you with their photos and names in the hope of jogging your memory as to which of the two you spoke with. If, in fact you actually only spoke with a som tam seller or a PAD rally stage hand, I'm sorry I can't help you much as I don't have photos of all of them.

[ColPyat]

Seoni. you really go from confused to won over easily! ColPyat, what exactly did Chamlong do that causes you to hate him so much? He didn't come up with the plan to kill so many people in Thailand in the past few years. If you have to choose based on your thinking Thaksin is guilty of the killings. He is the head. Chamlong can't take the blame over Thaksin. Thaksin wants to keep on going. He'll certainly see more people killed. If you are against the killings you must be against Thaksin. If you are not against Thaksin then you must be for the killings. What is it? In your case the best vote for you would be a No Vote unless you are for more killings?

Why are you and your bimbo, Seoni, so proThaksin? Thaksin can't be better than Chamlong? You seem to have an agenda.

As for the students that were murdered in the past Chamlong didn't kill them. In fact all the protests in Thailand have been generally peaceful from the side of the protestors. It's always been the government which seems to do all the killing.

If you like dictatorship you might think of returning home to Burma, oh sorry Myanmar.

Why would you want a leader who will take information away form you as the current government does? Are you corrupt?

First of all, i think it is highly impolite and ill mannered to call a fellow poster here my "bimbo". You are free to insult me, because i can take as i give, but seoni obviously is not as thick skinned as me. She/he has posted nothing that warrants such a flame.

Secondly, i despise Thaksin. But i also despise his former henchmen who had a fallout with him on a minor issue, compared to the grave mistakes Thaksin has made previously. Sondhi was an active supporter of Thaksin's drugwar, Chamlong has at least condoned the massacre. Chamlong has only criticised Thaksin on nationalist related issues, being more rightwing than even Thaksin, and on religious issues, being more fundamentalist than anybody.

Chamlong was an accomplice in the drugwar massacre, and the Tak Bai massacre, and the shameful secret deportation of Burmese Tsunami victims as he has not used his considerable clout to speak out against these atrocities. He could have easily stopped those atrocities if he would have spoken out. He was silent. That is why i despise him.

It might be difficult for you to comprehend, but there are more positions to take than pro or con in this power game. The issues that are important for me - freedom, social justice and seriously tackling rural poverty are on nobody's agenda in this conflict here. Therefore i can't support any side.

And i can only feel sorry for the naive and gullible people who believe that any side here is introducing any substantial and much needed improvements.

I don't need any leader, thank you very much. It might be a completely new concept for you, but i prefer to think for myself.

I just see a need for a responsible government, but this seems to be further off than ever.

[ColPyat]

In reality, there are only five PAD leaders. Since I assume you would know Chamlong and Sonthi by their faces and names, that leaves only three other leaders. If you spoke with two of the remaining three leaders, I can provide you with their photos in the hopes of jogging your memory as to which of the two you spoke with. If, in fact you actually only spoke with a som tam seller or a PAD rally stage hand, I'm sorry I can't help you much as I don't have photos of all of them.

Som Tam seller, PAD stage hand... very droll.

Nops, it wasn't one of the main guys - it was several of the "academics". I only listened in to some of the ponderings of the main leaders. Which might have impressed me when i was in my revolutionary phase in my early to mid teens.

[Siripon]

In reality, there are only five PAD leaders. Since I assume you would know Chamlong and Sonthi by their faces and names, that leaves only three other leaders. If you spoke with two of the remaining three leaders, I can provide you with their photos in the hopes of jogging your memory as to which of the two you spoke with. If, in fact you actually only spoke with a som tam seller or a PAD rally stage hand, I'm sorry I can't help you much as I don't have photos of all of them.

Som Tam seller, PAD stage hand... very droll.

Nops, it wasn't one of the main guys - it was several of the "academics". I only listened in to some of the ponderings of the main leaders. Which might have impressed me when i was in my revolutionary phase in my early to mid teens.

2 questions tonight.

1. Should Thaksin have resigned when his decrees ignoring Parliament to privatise EGAT were rejected by the Supreme Administrative Court as plagued by conflict of interest?

Usually when a government is unable to pass a law it is expected to resign.

2. How many governments in the world have dissolved Parliament when they have a majority of 374 MPs, as a single party,out of 500 MPs after just one year?

[Jai Dee]

BKK governor asks to convene with PAD and business owners around Siam Paragon

Bangkok Governor Aphirak Kosayothin (อภิรักษ์ โกษะโยธิน) has asked to convene with demonstrators and business owners around Siam Paragon, in order to prepare for the movement of the People's Alliance for Democracy on March 29th.

Mr. Aphirak spoke on the PAD's planned relocation of their demonstration site from Makkhawanrangsan (มัฆวานรังสรรค์) bridge to the Rama 1st road section in front of Siam Paragon mall, in order to allow the Red Cross to use the Phitsanulok (พิษณุโลก) and Ratchadamnoennok (ราชดำเนินนอก) roads for its annual fair on January 29th. He said the BMA's working committee currently coordinating with the demonstrators will ponder over the details and the number of demonstrators who will move to Rama 1st road. It will also coordinate with the various malls that own the sites to see which aspect they wanted the BMA to assist with. Mr. Aphirak said special consideration had to be made because this area is different from the other places previously used by the PAD.

On the matter where the poor people's caravan at Chatuchak (จตุจักร) park has claimed that the BMA is prosecuting the group due to violation of a law on sanitation, the Bangkok governor said he did not know of such matter and he has never prosecuted the group. He only asked that they maintain the cleanliness at Chatuchak park, which is a public asset.

Mr. Aphirak also said that the gathering by the group should not prolong, as its purpose was to encourage people to go to the polls on April 2nd, and if the election went according to schedule then there would not be a need to continue the gathering.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 27 March 2006

[jdinasia]

I find Coly getting more and more amazing!

First it's the "secret service" he's having tea with ... now the "leaders of PAD" no wait ... several of the academics.

Coly ..... you despise Chamlong and Sondhi ... in fact you are amazingly strident about it! You seem to even dismiss what you say is Thaksin's responsibility in the cases you cite! "But they could have stopped it..." He was the boss. simple huh?

Now to the part I don't understand! You don't want Chamlong and Sondhi in power .... You don't want Thaksin in power either according to at least on of your posts. Cool! That's the same thing PAD is working for ... Sondhi and Chamlong aren't running for office and they want Thaksin out. simple.

[ColPyat]

2 questions tonight.

1. Should Thaksin have resigned when his decrees ignoring Parliament to privatise EGAT were rejected by the Supreme Administrative Court as plagued by conflict of interest?

Usually when a government is unable to pass a law it is expected to resign.

2. How many governments in the world have dissolved Parliament when they have a majority of 374 MPs, as a single party,out of 500 MPs after just one year?

1) I have never heard that a prime minister has to resign when a by his government proposed law is shot down, at least not in my western European place of birth.

2) I don't know, but i guess none. Very clever though - he has contained the damage of Chamlongs siding with Sondhi, including minimising possible desertions of his own MPs, and has caught the parliamentary opposition completely unaware.

Whatever Thaksin is, or is not - he definately is so far the most creative crook Thailand had as PM.

[ColPyat]

I find Coly getting more and more amazing!

First it's the "secret service" he's having tea with ... now the "leaders of PAD" no wait ... several of the academics.

Coly ..... you despise Chamlong and Sondhi ... in fact you are amazingly strident about it! You seem to even dismiss what you say is Thaksin's responsibility in the cases you cite! "But they could have stopped it..." He was the boss. simple huh?

Now to the part I don't understand! You don't want Chamlong and Sondhi in power .... You don't want Thaksin in power either according to at least on of your posts. Cool! That's the same thing PAD is working for ... Sondhi and Chamlong aren't running for office and they want Thaksin out. simple.

Another droll joker.

Of course you don't understand it, how could you.

I want that Thaksin is voted out of office by a majority, or, less likely, to be lawfully convicted on one of his many shady deals.

If Thaksin is pressed out of office by a vocal minority before the majority supporting him has not deserted him the retributions and damage to Thailand's emerging democracy could be far worse than his continued stay in power. This is a gamble with far too high stakes. Nothing is simple, especially in the present situation.

But let me guess - this is a point you also won't understand.

[jdinasia]

Yeppers ... that's me ... a simple buffoon!

Sticking to the "Tyranny of Democracy" is obviously way better than using a legal loophole in the constitution to give breathing room for all parties and a chance to do some much needed work on the constitution to insure that further abuses like this cannot happen!

Thailand should just let Thaksin stay in office forever as long as he can push through populist measures that assure him of having a powerbase with rural farmers! Forget the middle-class that will have to pay the bills on this! Forget that there is only so much land that can be given away! Forget that religious and ethnic minorities feel persecuted and left out of the entire process! Just make it a "democratic vote"!

You are right! I am a total convert! I hope the voters keep Thaksin for life instead of using the system that allows them to petition for redress from abuse!

[Plus]

Colpyat, your posts today have been unusually charged with emotions and hate but I don't see what exactly made you so worked up. Your accusations against Chamlong are a figment of your imagination, your insinuations that majority of PAD speakers are xenophoic are just that - insinuations. It seems your hate breeds on itself.

I don't deny that there might have been some speakers who said things that might be considered xenophobic but I haven't seen any, come to think of it. Go to the Nation site and search for live coverage of PAD rallies - nothing xenophobic there. "Temasek get out" and "Thailand is not for sale" posters is all you've got, I'm afraid.

And calling Chamlong "two faced fascist" is way over the top. "He didn't say a word against deportation of Burmese tsunami vicitms." That makes 99.9999% of the world population fascist, including me.

Chamlong didn't have position of enourmous clout - he was an unpaid unifficial advisor on "human resource development", living in a hut in the government compund. Hardly a position of power, and he certainly wasn't a "senior member of TRT", he wasn't an MP and he didn't have any faction to control and didn't speak at any meetings. I won't be surprise if he wasn't even TRT member.

He came out against Thaksin on Liverpool lottery scam - nothing fundamentalist, nothing xenophobic. Did you read his renouncing Thaksin speech at all? Did you read Sondhi's renouncing Thaksin speeches?

There might be some merit in your accusations against Chamlong but your crusade to discredit him and other PAD leaders has no basis but your personal, and rather irrational feelings.

Someone mentioned consistent poll results showing that Thaksin supporters are a clear majority and anti-Thaksin crowd is a small minority, like 1% of the population. I didn't see those polls. The one that is in today, by ABAC, covers Bangkok, and gives Thaksin only about 7% of clear support against 4% clear "no vote". 40% will ignore the elections and 46% are not sure. Last year those "unsure" voted for TRT, six months before that they voted for Apirak, six months before that they voted for Democrat city coucillors. They are very fickle minded and will vote on the feeling of the day. They might be fed up with constant protests, but there's no sign they will vote for Thaksin either.

[sriracha john]

In reality, there are only five PAD leaders. Since I assume you would know Chamlong and Sonthi by their faces and names, that leaves only three other leaders. If you spoke with two of the remaining three leaders, I can provide you with their photos in the hopes of jogging your memory as to which of the two you spoke with. If, in fact you actually only spoke with a som tam seller or a PAD rally stage hand, I'm sorry I can't help you much as I don't have photos of all of them.

Som Tam seller, PAD stage hand... very droll.

Nops, it wasn't one of the main guys - it was several of the "academics". I only listened in to some of the ponderings of the main leaders. Which might have impressed me when i was in my revolutionary phase in my early to mid teens.

As I expected, it was not PAD leaders that you claimed earlier you spoke with.

[Plus]

If Thaksin is pressed out of office by a vocal minority before the majority supporting him has not deserted him the retributions and damage to Thailand's emerging democracy could be far worse than his continued stay in power.

That's the matter of gueswork, but I somehow don't think that any of Thaksin supporters will come to Bangkok protesting, not unless fed and bussed, and put in specially erected tents with free supplies of papaya.

Thaksin is not a president, no one voted for him - he's just a party leader. Parties change leaders all the time (at least Democrats do). He makes himself far more important than he legally is.

Very clever though - he has contained the damage of Chamlongs siding with Sondhi, including minimising possible desertions of his own MPs, and has caught the parliamentary opposition completely unaware.

I don't see how his snap elections contained Chamlong-Sondhi, or how it minimised defections - no one could defect anywhere anyway without losing their MP status, and the opposition paid him in kind, by boycotting the elections. See, that's the problem, we look at the same facts but see completely different things. You might argue that it's pluralism of opinions, but, as in case of "minimising defections", it's rather just a case of ignorance or at least misunderstanding.

And back to your original fear of mass protests if Thaksin resigns - it won't happen, not unless he himself whipes them up. "We'll go on the government house, are you with me?" kind of speeches.

[ColPyat]

Yeppers ... that's me ... a simple buffoon!

Sticking to the "Tyranny of Democracy" is obviously way better than using a legal loophole in the constitution to give breathing room for all parties and a chance to do some much needed work on the constitution to insure that further abuses like this cannot happen!

Thailand should just let Thaksin stay in office forever as long as he can push through populist measures that assure him of having a powerbase with rural farmers! Forget the middle-class that will have to pay the bills on this! Forget that there is only so much land that can be given away! Forget that religious and ethnic minorities feel persecuted and left out of the entire process! Just make it a "democratic vote"!

You are right! I am a total convert! I hope the voters keep Thaksin for life instead of using the system that allows them to petition for redress from abuse!

The ethnic minorities have never been treated humane by any government in Thailand.

Land has to be given away to the poor, unfortunately Thaksin talks only about giving land away, but in fact gives very little. Land has to be taken away from the ones who hold it illegaly, Thaksin only takes the land of the small fry, but leaves the big boys alone, especially the ones in his own party. But that is also not so very different from any other government. He only puts in into a more clever package.

The largest damage to the economical future has been done already years ago when easy loans were given out in huge amounts. Nowadays he talks more about the loans than actually giving them out. Both the middle class and the poor will have to pay the bill for this. Another government won't be able to turn this tide around.

I would just like to see that at the point the economy crashes again (which it will) that Thaksin is still in power so that it can be clear to everyone that he with his populist policies is the one to blame. This might be a lesson Thailand needs in order to develop further.

Nothing is forever. Thaksin won't be there forever. His Thaksinomics have already crashed bitterly as his consumer spending fuelled economy has not happened. What saved his arse was increased exports, the complete opposite of Thaksinomics. The EGAT ruling is gonna give Thaksin far more headaches than the demonstration as it deprives him of much needed cash to keep the bubble from bursting.

If left alone Thaksin will most definately be his own undoing.

These demonstrations are premature, and counterproductive. They give Thaksin an excuse to blame somebody else for his own mistakes, just as he has blamed years ago the evil foreigners and the Chuan government for the financial crises, in which he himself was substantially part of as a businessman and a deputy prime minister under Chavalit.

But this is beyond our great PAD leaders. Because their main issue always was the "sale of the country". They were very much on Thaksin's side when the mood was against the evil foreigners.

Chamlong himself has in one of his initial speaches during the rallies praised Thaksin as having been previously a great prime minister who has "done lots of good for the country", before he "sold Thailand to Singapore".

[ColPyat]

That's the matter of gueswork, but I somehow don't think that any of Thaksin supporters will come to Bangkok protesting, not unless fed and bussed, and put in specially erected tents with free supplies of papaya.

Thaksin is not a president, no one voted for him - he's just a party leader. Parties change leaders all the time (at least Democrats do). He makes himself far more important than he legally is.

I don't see how his snap elections contained Chamlong-Sondhi, or how it minimised defections - no one could defect anywhere anyway without losing their MP status, and the opposition paid him in kind, by boycotting the elections. See, that's the problem, we look at the same facts but see completely different things. You might argue that it's pluralism of opinions, but, as in case of "minimising defections", it's rather just a case of ignorance or at least misunderstanding.

And back to your original fear of mass protests if Thaksin resigns - it won't happen, not unless he himself whipes them up. "We'll go on the government house, are you with me?" kind of speeches.

Your post shows a complete lack of understanding of the Thai political workings.

Thaksin is TRT. The TRT is a conglomerate of different vested interests, swallowed up smaller parties that still live on in fractions. No Thaksin, No TRT. He keeps he whole party together.

The snap election contained the damage Chamlong's defection has done, not nullyfied it. Chamlong has serious clout in some partycircles, most likely several important MPs would have followed him.

After the snap elections were announced, any MP who would have defected would have been out of the game until at least the next elections. For a politician, especially in Thailand being in the game is far more important than ethical decisions.

Boycotting the elections were the only thing the opposition could have done as they were simply not prepared for elections so soon.

This is all part of very dirty powergames. It's about power - not about the good of the country. If it would be about the good of the country all sides would not with face saving flimsy argumentations avoid any negotiations or compromise.

My fear is not just mass protests initiated by whoever, but an erosion of democratic values in a county where those are only in its infancy, especially upcountry. Democracy does not come in a day, and to have one day a sort of true democracy in Thailand and development you need the villagers taking part. Deciding over their head is doing far more long term damage to their trust in democracy than Thaksin could ever do.

Mistakes will be made on the way, and Thaksin is one of them. But this has to be solved by negotiations, and compromise, and further laboring towards improvements. The dirty power games played now by all sides equally are doing massive damage.

[seonai]

ColPyat I am with you all the way, who cares about prats who say I am your 'Bimbo' ...... what a joke !!!!! I see it is more simplistic terms.... if some one like Chamlong was with Thaksin during the drug war.... why the hel_l did he not stand up and fight against it?????? I was the editor of a certain newspaper during the drug war and it was not funny. More than 7,8,9 000 people killed.

[jdinasia]

Yeppers ... that's me ... a simple buffoon!

Sticking to the "Tyranny of Democracy" is obviously way better than using a legal loophole in the constitution to give breathing room for all parties and a chance to do some much needed work on the constitution to insure that further abuses like this cannot happen!

Thailand should just let Thaksin stay in office forever as long as he can push through populist measures that assure him of having a powerbase with rural farmers! Forget the middle-class that will have to pay the bills on this! Forget that there is only so much land that can be given away! Forget that religious and ethnic minorities feel persecuted and left out of the entire process! Just make it a "democratic vote"!

You are right! I am a total convert! I hope the voters keep Thaksin for life instead of using the system that allows them to petition for redress from abuse!

The ethnic minorities have never been treated humane by any government in Thailand.

NO NO NO! you have me sold already! You are right the ethnic malays have never been treated well here! (niether have ethnic Chinese for that matter!!) remember .. you have me sold already! no need to preach to the choir!

Land has to be given away to the poor, unfortunately Thaksin talks only about giving land away, but in fact gives very little. Land has to be taken away from the ones who hold it illegaly, Thaksin only takes the land of the small fry, but leaves the big boys alone, especially the ones in his own party. But that is also not so very different from any other government. He only puts in into a more clever package.

Of course land has to be given away! That is obvious! New cars and houses and blocks of gold and even week long cruises have to be given away too! We haven't talked about evicting squatters but hel_l ... why not! Let's evict the hill tribes right along with the shrimp farms that are on government land!

The largest damage to the economical future has been done already years ago when easy loans were given out in huge amounts. Nowadays he talks more about the loans than actually giving them out. Both the middle class and the poor will have to pay the bill for this. Another government won't be able to turn this tide around.

<huh?>

I would just like to see that at the point the economy crashes again (which it will) that Thaksin is still in power so that it can be clear to everyone that he with his populist policies is the one to blame. This might be a lesson Thailand needs in order to develop further.

Yes Yes Yes!! We all want to see the economy crash again! You are so right! Much better to have a banking/economic crash that hurts everyone than anything that disrupts a concept like democracy!! Can't be with you more! You Go!!! Tell it like it is!

Nothing is forever. Thaksin won't be there forever. His Thaksinomics have already crashed bitterly as his consumer spending fuelled economy has not happened. What saved his arse was increased exports, the complete opposite of Thaksinomics. The EGAT ruling is gonna give Thaksin far more headaches than the demonstration as it deprives him of much needed cash to keep the bubble from bursting.

Yes I agree fully!! Waiting is best! We can certainly wait through another mass killing in the South ... that won't matter! Yes!!! We can wait through for another "war on drugs" . We can wait through more underhanded business deals! Much better than forcing him out now!

If left alone Thaksin will most definately be his own undoing.

These demonstrations are premature, and counterproductive. They give Thaksin an excuse to blame somebody else for his own mistakes, just as he has blamed years ago the evil foreigners and the Chuan government for the financial crises, in which he himself was substantially part of as a businessman and a deputy prime minister under Chavalit.

Yes I agree! Much better to leave a despot in power than to peacefully organize demonstrations and look for ways out of the abuse!

But this is beyond our great PAD leaders. Because their main issue always was the "sale of the country". They were very much on Thaksin's side when the mood was against the evil foreigners.

Yes Yes Yes! Those nasty people never did anything before the sale of Shin! Sondhi never organized rallies in Lumpini!! They are focussing on something trivial!

Chamlong himself has in one of his initial speaches during the rallies praised Thaksin as having been previously a great prime minister who has "done lots of good for the country", before he "sold Thailand to Singapore".

Yes it is bad bad bad to mimic a speech from Julius Ceasar! It is obviously AWFUL to acknowledge that your opponent (in a social way not political) has done anything good!

You are preaching to the choir! I am fully behind you Coly! ... I was so snowed by people that just want a change to a more moral government!

[lukamar]

Yeppers ... that's me ... a simple buffoon!

As you always like to quote the Dictionary...

- A ludicrous or bumbling person; a fool

- A gross and usually ill-educated or stupid person

After your last post, you 'll get a lot of YES votes, you sure have mine and no one even had to pay me to cast it.

[jdinasia]

ah yes! It is true! I am just a simple man with simple thoughts!

guess sarcasm is not so easy to understand as a teaching tool ... what about farce? or ridicule? <in the form of teaching tools not personal attacks>

I bow to your superior understanding of the current events in Thailand both in BKK and "up-country" from your vantage point in Canada!

I'd love to stick around and and chat with the webmaster of the Assoc of Foriegners in Thailand that in fact is 1/2 a world away ... but there are things to do in Bangkok this morning!

[lukamar]

ah yes! It is true! I am just a simple man with simple thoughts!

I bow to your superior understanding of the current events in Thailand both in BKK and "up-country" from your vantage point in Canada!

I'd love to stick around and and chat with the webmaster of the Assoc of Foriegners in Thailand that in fact is 1/2 a world away ... but there are things to do in Bangkok this morning!

There are probably more people on Thai Visa that are outside the country than inside it. It's nice to know that you don't think any of us deserve to have an opinion from whatever vantage point we have, just like you don't think the rural majority should have one either but should grovel to a view of a minority mob. Maybe you are just too close to the action in Bangkok to see the problems in the rest of the country, or maybe you are just a s**t disturber.

Yes better go wash your yellow shirt and polish up your sign for tonights trudge through the streets.

BTW :-Mr. Dictionary man - Next time spell foreigner correctly if you are going to plug the organization.

[sriracha john]

.... if some one like Chamlong was with Thaksin during the drug war.... why the hel_l did he not stand up and fight against it??????

The same should be asked of every person in Thailand that did not stand up to stop it.

[jdinasia]

OMG ... I made a typo?

Did I ever say you shouldn't have an opinion? or the right to express it?

Do you think there aren't people from "up-country" in Bangkok?

Did I ever say that people "upcountry" or rural were wrong?

I have implied (stated?) that people that think they have a better finger on the pulse of what's happening in Thailand from Canada than do people that are active in Thailand may need to re-adjust their thinking on that matter :-)

(oh ... and I am NOT going to scroll back looking for your typos ... so breathe easy! but if I disturbed you ... you might be correct about me being a ___ disturber )

[jdinasia]

Oppps sorry guys .... shouldn't have risen to the bait of Luk's last 2 posts!

Mods ... if you feel the need to delete ... feel free ! I will completely understand

[sriracha john]

I also got it late: I heared rumour, and that are only rumours could be wrong info.

That Toxin ate somewhere, with cameras and people cheers him and some people did not cheers him they use more Sondis words.....

But not sure if that is true or not....

Does anyone know what just happened to Thaksin? ASTV are broadcasting something alonmg the lines of a man getting too close to Thaksin and police thought he was going to attack Mr T. There was a huge commotion when I switched on with all these people screaming and shouting at ASTV cameras to get out. I switched on late !!!!!

It was three, extremely vicious-looking, middle-aged women whose verbal attacks drove Thaksin off....

Three shopkeepers at Trinity Complex show their anger after shouting "Thaksin Get Out" at the PM as he was trying to eat at the mall yesterday.

Trio chases Thaksin from Silom

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra finally met his match on Silom Road yesterday when hostile shopkeepers shouting "Thaksin get out!" hounded him out of a popular shopping area.

Thaksin's face turned ashen as a trio of female shopkeepers unleashed a verbal assault in a shopping mall near the headquarters of Bangkok Bank.

Unlike many of his critics, the women appeared without a script.

Thaksin has been able to handle the high-profile trio of Sondhi Limthongkul, Chamlong Srimuang and Thirayuth Boonmee, as well as the countless academics and media pundits who have lined up against him.

But he was caught off guard by the onslaught from the irate shopkeepers and appeared completely at a loss as to what to do.

Thaksin immediately cancelled his plans to do a bit of shopping at a market in a soi near Trinity Complex.

To some that witnessed the premier being driven off by shouts from contemptuous shopkeepers, the incident signified a shift from organised to spontaneous protests.

The harangue began while Thaksin was having lunch with Thai Rak Thai MP candidates Chakrapob Penkair and Orathai Thanajaro in the food court at Trinity Complex.

He told reporters that he selected the venue because it was not "luxurious" and was near a market in Soi Lalaisap where he intended to do spend Bt400 to Bt500 shopping.

But Thaksin's down-market visit turned into high drama while he and his companions were dining on noodles and somtam.

A female shopkeeper emerged from nowhere and created the first scene. She shouted, "Thaksin get out!"

Her shout drew others. One screamed: "Thaksin, seller of the national assets!"

The fury was impromptu and raw. Thaksin appeared stunned by it, but managed to finish his lunch.

At about 12.30 his son Panthongtae joined him and they departed the food court.

But they had walked less than 10 steps when one of the shopkeepers who had accosted Thaksin earlier climbed to the second floor of the car park opposite them and began shouting, "Thaksin get out!"

A group of bystanders clapped their hands in support of her.

Thaksin waved at the lady and tried to persuade her to come down to talk to him, but she refused.

Panthongtae looked up at the shouting shopkeeper and, according to one witness, said: "B...tch!"

Varaporn, the 45-year-old shopkeeper who first yelled at Thaksin (she declined to give her last name), said she would only let camera crews from ASTV and UBC film her.

In an interview with ASTV she said many shopkeepers in the area, most of whom sell garments and gifts, disliked Thaksin but only a few were bold enough to shout at him.

One shout was not enough, so she continued yelling and others joined her, she said.

But Thaksin supporters were there too, and they also began yelling.

The prime minister cancelled his shopping trip and headed for Ban Phitsanulok instead.

Chamlong Srimuang, a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, praised the shopkeepers' bravery.

"How can the prime minister continue to hang on [after this kind of verbal attack]? He should have resigned by now," Chamlong said.

Varaporn said that after Thaksin left a middle-aged man in a safari suit photographed her at her shop.

She said she tried to prevent him from taking her photo, but he claimed he was an investigator from Thung Mahamek Police Station and said she could pick up the photos there if she wanted to.

"I don't understand what's wrong with yelling like this. It's my right to express my opinion," she said.

She then called the police station to ask the superintendent about the man.

The superintendent said the man was not an officer at the station.

Colonel Charoen Srisasaluk, the station's superintendent, said he had talked to Varaporn. The man she described was not an officer at his station and he would investigate the matter, he said.

Last year most of the shopkeepers in Soi Lalaisap voted for Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party and welcomed him warmly when he campaigned there, Varaporn said. But now they are upset with the government's policy on free trade and the privatisation of Egat, she said.

A 32-year-old garment seller named Piangpen, who asked that her surname not be published, said that before Thaksin arrived at the mall, two men tried to distribute roses to the shopkeepers so they could present them to Thaksin. The shopkeepers refused.

Yesterday's incident was not the first time a member of the Shinawatra family encountered verbal harassment.

Thaksin's wife, Khunying Pojaman, was called "thick face" (meaning thick-skinned) while shopping at The Emporium with her daughter Paethongtarn a couple of months ago.

Thaksin last night flew to Chiang Mai, saying he needed a short break. He will attend today's Cabinet meeting via teleconferencing.

- TN

[jdinasia]

For some reason I don't see those three women as being "rich urbanites" but that characterization may be an assumption by me and wrong ;-)

[sriracha john]

I love the rapping song the team at ASTV have come up with that was broadcast about 3 pm today, talk about creativity! It went on for about 15 minutes, listing every misdeed of Thaksin for the last 5 years in perfect rhythm and rhyme. It finishes up with citing the names all his close TRT buddies, again in perfect rhyme. A great chorus too, very funny and creative, it should be played on free TV every night.

Apparently the anti-Thaksin rap song is available somewhere on the Manager web site. There are more photos of the Sukhumvit protest at Manager too.

The catchy tune is available for download in MP3 format here:

http://www.zshare.net/download/ai-na-liam-mp3.html

OR the larger file, but video included, WMV format here:

http://www.zshare.net/download/ai-na-liam-wmv.html

OR convenient and snappy little ringtone-MP3 format for your phone here:

http://www.zshare.net/download/liam-ringtone-mp3.html

[ColPyat]

You are preaching to the choir! I am fully behind you Coly! ... I was so snowed by people that just want a change to a more moral government!

Isn't it predictable - you are running out of logical arguments, and have to resort to insults and infantile forms of ridiculing your opponent. Please leave the sarcasm to the brits, your attempts are rather sad.

For some reason I don't see those three women as being "rich urbanites" but that characterization may be an assumption by me and wrong ;-)

Compared to the income structure of 60 percent of the Thai population Silom Road shopkeepers are rich urbanites.

"How can the prime minister continue to hang on [after this kind of verbal attack]? He should have resigned by now," Chamlong said.

So, three middle aged women shout "Thaksin get out", and Thaksin has to resign as a result? Yes...

Sriracha john said:

The same should be asked of every person in Thailand that did not stand up to stop it.

In a way, yes. But that of course counts especially for the ones whose voice has far more weight than that of normal folks, such as Chamlong. People who did not stand up and do something during the drug war killings should ask themselves why they didn't.

I can honestly say that me and my family, and my close friends here have tried what we could. Apart from other things we have hidden people who were on the blacklist and hunted by the death squads.

What did you do?

[jdinasia]

Really Coly !! I am with you from now on! I don't think you need to respond at ALL to the things in that post of mine! There are obviously no proper arguments for PAD or the Opposition Parties!

[sriracha john]

Sriracha john said:

The same should be asked of every person in Thailand that did not stand up to stop it.

In a way, yes. But that of course counts especially for the ones whose voice has far more weight than that of normal folks, such as Chamlong. People who did not stand up and do something during the drug war killings should ask themselves why they didn't.

I can honestly say that me and my family, and my close friends here have tried what we could. Apart from other things we have hidden people who were on the blacklist and hunted by the death squads.

What did you do?

Apart from other things, I took three M-16 rounds shot by the death squads to protect school children who had inadvertantly crossed into the field of fire.

[ColPyat]

Really Coly !! I am with you from now on! I don't think you need to respond at ALL to the things in that post of mine! There are obviously no proper arguments for PAD or the Opposition Parties!

I do post here because i enjoy the intellectual challenge of political debates and discussions.

I may be culturally insensitive, but where i come from i have learned to show at least a minimum of manners and respect and to my opponents during a debate or discussion. That appearantly does not count for your neck of the woods.

There are proper and logical arguments from any side, only you have ran out of them and resorted to trolling the board with pubescent insults, and sad attempts of humor. You are a waste of time as long as you keep up your infantile pissing contest.