Suthep calls on supporters to besiege ministries, city halls

[airconsult]

This is not just Bangkok elites rabble rousing,

but Bangkok middle class, and their families back home, and many more,

who have finally become fed up with the PTP over reaching and lies.

And a mass of the unpaid rice farmers and their children working in other towns.

All utterly fed up with bald faced lies to their faces and not getting paid while their local puyais still get their shares.

There was needed something to strike the match to already simmering discontent.

PTP went way to far, and 80% against public opinion, with the 4am amnesty bill,

and the lies, brought to light by the Constitution Court, to put it on the table.

Then right after as it was still going down in flames took a stab at garnishing 2.2 TRILLION baht in loans.

Just about the right amount to buy the next election if it comes too soon,

but earmarked for the rice farmers... as it they will ever see it.

At the very most, 100,000 were at Red Shirt Central 2010,

but if they have 4,000 in the stadium today I'd be be surprised.

And yet the police blocking the routes north from the south with tank trucks,

and tire shredding triangles, shows their fear as right now there is the

LARGEST ever rally in downtown Bangkok,

and showing a grim faced, not ebullient, group of obviously middle class Thais,

no madness, no insane faces laughing for cameras.

A serious group listening to speeches,and lending their physical presence

to make a VERY large statement of intent. Even as this has grown beyond the

Anmest bill issues, the over-reaching by the Shin-Clan has created an

anger-driven movement all on it's own, one that is NOT abating but actually growing the crowd.

Regardless of over the top rhetoric on stages, or competing potential visions

of governance beyond the immediate goal, there are no calls for destruction, just occupations,

Wit specific instructions to not damage ministries or steal anything.

When reads went to ministries there was destruction and beatings and mayhem.

This is a very different feeling mass rally.

Suthep has never directed a secretive group to take out army leaders in the field,

there is no reason as sane sniper will take him out, and besides, that is one of the few acts

that WOULD cause 1 million plus people to be come utterly enraged.

Yingluck is progressively being backed into a corner, no matter her protestations,

and despite denials of reality via legal manoeuvres, the writing is smudged but on the wall,

Why are you trying to make the man out like a hero? He is well known as the khamnan poh of surit thani/phuket/krabi.

Now the others are calling on their debts about the rubber and he can't deliver.

Edit - he's one of the feudal warlords who can no longer distribute largesse to his followers... and in trouble because of it and losing face. Like all of the old one's, he belongs in prison though we'll never be able to prove all his crimes.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited November 27, 2013 by airconsult

[animatic]

This is not just Bangkok elites rabble rousing,

but Bangkok middle class, and their families back home, and many more,

who have finally become fed up with the PTP over reaching and lies.

And a mass of the unpaid rice farmers and their children working in other towns.

All utterly fed up with bald faced lies to their faces and not getting paid while their local puyais still get their shares.

There was needed something to strike the match to already simmering discontent.

PTP went way to far, and 80% against public opinion, with the 4am amnesty bill,

and the lies, brought to light by the Constitution Court, to put it on the table.

Then right after as it was still going down in flames took a stab at garnishing 2.2 TRILLION baht in loans.

Just about the right amount to buy the next election if it comes too soon,

but earmarked for the rice farmers... as it they will ever see it.

At the very most, 100,000 were at Red Shirt Central 2010,

but if they have 4,000 in the stadium today I'd be be surprised.

And yet the police blocking the routes north from the south with tank trucks,

and tire shredding triangles, shows their fear as right now there is the

LARGEST ever rally in downtown Bangkok,

and showing a grim faced, not ebullient, group of obviously middle class Thais,

no madness, no insane faces laughing for cameras.

A serious group listening to speeches,and lending their physical presence

to make a VERY large statement of intent. Even as this has grown beyond the

Amnesty bill issues, the over-reaching by the Shin-Clan has created an

anger-driven movement all on it's own, one that is NOT abating but actually growing the crowd.

Regardless of over the top rhetoric on stages, or competing potential visions

of governance beyond the immediate goal, there are no calls for destruction, just occupations,

Wit specific instructions to not damage ministries or steal anything.

When reads went to ministries there was destruction and beatings and mayhem.

This is a very different feeling mass rally.

Suthep has never directed a secretive group to take out army leaders in the field,

there is no reason as sane sniper will take him out, and besides, that is one of the few acts

that WOULD cause 1 million plus people to be come utterly enraged.

Yingluck is progressively being backed into a corner, no matter her protestations,

and despite denials of reality via legal manoeuvres, the writing is smudged but on the wall,

Why are you trying to make the man out like a hero? He is well known as the khamnan poh of surit thani/phuket/krabi.

Now the others are calling on their debts about the rubber and he can't deliver.

Edit - he's one of the feudal warlords who can no longer distribute largesse to his followers... and in trouble because of it and losing face. Like all of the old one's, he belongs in prison though we'll never be able to prove all his crimes.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I am not trying to make him out to be any kind of a hero.

I am saying that he is not in the same league of evil as some others.

Sure he is a modernized feudalist, but Rome wasn't burnt in a day, even by Nero.

He is not in anyway a target of the army as Sea Daeng was, since he's not killed their own.

He most certainly can and is still distributing largesse to his province.

No, the rubber farmers are calling on Yingluck to raise the prices,

they know Suthep is frozen out, and by whom, and the locals don't like it.

Just as they didn't like it when Thaksin stopped revenue coming back to Surat Thani,

But still demanded tribute and 'higher taxes, or else', from them.

Slow as it may seem the old lords are fading away and Suthep is one of the last,

but what he is doing now has less to do with his aspiration and more to do with

the strangle hold Thaksin has returned to Thailand's forward progress.

Notice he isn't the local lord of most of these people protesting,

and he is no longer an MP, so he is not the khamnan of the majority in this rally.

But he is a firery orator and knows the time is right to punch the buttons that are

controlling the public's anger.

This battle is over Thaksin's quest to recoup his old face and more,

and even if it takes old lords to have the social klout to lead against it,

leading against it is still the better choice for the country.

The country is coming toward a major change,

and leaving Thaksin in control of the majority of levers of power,

is the worst possible choice for the nation and the thai people.

This doesn't say Suthep is a hero, it does say he is likely the right man for his moment.

Edited November 27, 2013 by animatic

[sjjmmi]

Welcome to the end of Thailand as we know it

[airconsult]

 

This is not just Bangkok elites rabble rousing,

but Bangkok middle class, and their families back home, and many more,

who have finally become fed up with the PTP over reaching and lies.

 

And a mass of the unpaid rice farmers and their children working in other towns.

All utterly fed up with bald faced lies to their faces and not getting paid while their local puyais still get their shares.

 

There was needed something to strike the match to already simmering discontent.

PTP went way to far, and 80% against public opinion, with the 4am amnesty bill,

and the lies, brought to light by the Constitution Court, to put it on the table.

 

Then  right after as it was still going down in flames took a stab at garnishing 2.2 TRILLION baht in loans.

Just about the right amount to buy the next election if it comes too soon,

but earmarked for the rice farmers... as it they will ever see it.

 

At the very most, 100,000 were at Red Shirt Central 2010,

but if they have 4,000 in the stadium today I'd be be surprised.

 

And yet the police blocking the routes north from the south with tank trucks,

and tire shredding triangles, shows their fear as right now there is the

LARGEST ever rally in downtown Bangkok,

and showing a grim faced, not ebullient, group of obviously middle class Thais, 

no madness, no insane faces laughing for cameras.

 

A serious group listening to speeches,and lending their physical presence

to make a VERY large statement of intent. Even as this has grown beyond the

Amnesty bill issues, the over-reaching by the Shin-Clan has created an

anger-driven movement all on it's own, one that is NOT abating but actually growing the crowd.

 

Regardless of over the top rhetoric on stages, or competing potential visions

of governance beyond the immediate goal, there are no calls for destruction, just occupations,

Wit specific instructions to not damage ministries or steal anything.

When reads went to ministries there was destruction and beatings and mayhem.

This is a very different feeling mass rally. 

 

Suthep has never directed a secretive group to take out army leaders in the field,

there is no reason as sane sniper will take him out, and besides, that is one of the few acts

that WOULD cause 1 million plus people to be come utterly enraged.

 

Yingluck is progressively being backed into a corner, no matter her protestations,

and despite denials of reality via legal manoeuvres, the writing is smudged but on the wall,

 

 

 

 

Why are you trying to make the man out like a hero? He is well known as the khamnan poh of surit thani/phuket/krabi.

Now the others are calling on their debts about the rubber and he can't deliver.

Edit - he's one of the feudal warlords who can no longer distribute largesse to his followers... and in trouble because of it and losing face. Like all of the old one's, he belongs in prison though we'll never be able to prove all his crimes.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

 

I am not trying to make him out to be any kind of a hero.

 

I am saying that he is not in the same league of evil as some others.

Sure he is a modernized feudalist, but Rome wasn't burnt in a day, even by Nero.

He is not in anyway a target of the army as Sea Daeng was, since he's not killed their own.

He most certainly can and is still distributing largesse to his province.

 

No, the rubber farmers are calling on Yingluck to raise the prices,

they know Suthep is frozen out, and by whom, and the locals don't like it.

Just as they didn't like it when Thaksin stopped revenue coming back to Surat Thani,

But still demanded tribute and 'higher taxes, or else', from them.

 

Slow as it may seem the old lords are fading away and Suthep is one of the last,

but what he is doing now has less to do with his aspiration and more to do with

the strangle hold Thaksin has returned to Thailand's forward progress.

 

Notice he isn't the local lord of most of these people protesting,

and he is no longer an MP, so he is not the khamnan of the majority in this rally.

But he is a firery orator and knows the time is right to punch the buttons that are

controlling the public's anger.

 

This battle is over Thaksin's quest to recoup his old face and more,

and even if it takes old lords to have the social klout to lead against it,

leading against it is still the better choice for the country.

 

The country is coming toward a major change,

and leaving Thaksin in control of the majority of levers of power,

is the worst possible choice for the nation and the thai people.

 

This doesn't say Suthep is a hero, it does say he is likely the right man for his moment.

We're almost on agreement there...

Basically the whole rice payment - everybody knew, including ptp - that it was a horrible idea. But it was designed to cripple the people like suthep in the north. Already since they had 5 year supply contracts they are forced to buy Indian rice to fulfill. Meanwhile under the fta, Australian dairy farmers coop is moving in to try and do a non-profit buying collective to replace the rice scheme.

But. ... one step at a time. Freeing the farmers in the south and setting up coops has to be another year.

Where we disagree is that you think suthep is doing this for the people.

He is doing this for some people - him and his close partners.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[icare999]

This is not just Bangkok elites rabble rousing,

but Bangkok middle class, and their families back home, and many more,

who have finally become fed up with the PTP over reaching and lies.

And a mass of the unpaid rice farmers and their children working in other towns.

All utterly fed up with bald faced lies to their faces and not getting paid while their local puyais still get their shares.

There was needed something to strike the match to already simmering discontent.

PTP went way to far, and 80% against public opinion, with the 4am amnesty bill,

and the lies, brought to light by the Constitution Court, to put it on the table.

Then right after as it was still going down in flames took a stab at garnishing 2.2 TRILLION baht in loans.

Just about the right amount to buy the next election if it comes too soon,

but earmarked for the rice farmers... as it they will ever see it.

At the very most, 100,000 were at Red Shirt Central 2010,

but if they have 4,000 in the stadium today I'd be be surprised.

And yet the police blocking the routes north from the south with tank trucks,

and tire shredding triangles, shows their fear as right now there is the

LARGEST ever rally in downtown Bangkok,

and showing a grim faced, not ebullient, group of obviously middle class Thais,

no madness, no insane faces laughing for cameras.

A serious group listening to speeches,and lending their physical presence

to make a VERY large statement of intent. Even as this has grown beyond the

Anmest bill issues, the over-reaching by the Shin-Clan has created an

anger-driven movement all on it's own, one that is NOT abating but actually growing the crowd.

Regardless of over the top rhetoric on stages, or competing potential visions

of governance beyond the immediate goal, there are no calls for destruction, just occupations,

Wit specific instructions to not damage ministries or steal anything.

When reads went to ministries there was destruction and beatings and mayhem.

This is a very different feeling mass rally.

Suthep has never directed a secretive group to take out army leaders in the field,

there is no reason as sane sniper will take him out, and besides, that is one of the few acts

that WOULD cause 1 million plus people to be come utterly enraged.

Yingluck is progressively being backed into a corner, no matter her protestations,

and despite denials of reality via legal manoeuvres, the writing is smudged but on the wall,

very well said I'm totally fed up with those who spout total BS and don't understand what Taksin and his crew are up to. I did not think Thai people had it in them and that Taksin would get his way and make Thailand a 1 party dictatorship. I had and have my exit plan if that evil monster ever really gets to total grips here as he tried in 2005-2006. Hopefully I wont need to excite that plan and my thai family can live here without the dark cloud of Taksin constantly overshadowing things. As I've said I've lived here 30 years and brought up 2 lovely children here and in all that time lived through some pretty bad corrupt governments and coups but nothing posed as big a threat IMO to this country as this one person who is hell bent on getting total power or would/will destroy Thailand without a care for anything except himself. Even his whole family flee at slightest sign of trouble. How any can support such a evil cowardly lot is beyond me. It would be better to live under Saddam or Gaddafi than what Taksin would do here I guarantee you that. So in my book almost anyone or anything is better and as Taksin himself said democracy is not always best for every country.

[icare999]

Well it seems to have started. City halls seized in Satun and Trang in the south.

good they have leant well from Taksins red thugs only they do it peacefully while red thugs burn and destroy. ITs perfectly acceptable to have peaceful occupations of anywhere including airports IMO if it rids Thailand of Taksin for good

[MobileContent]

I'm supprised no one has plugged this nut yet

RT@แก้วมาลา Kaewmala@Thai_Talk: Abhisit distances self & DemParty from Suthep, saying S has gone "beyond the goal". Told Dem MPs not to violate law. khaosod.co.th/view_newsonlin…

To me this says the same as, you can have him.

Khun Abhisit had never control over Suthep. Not for nothing was Suthep against Khun Chuan Lekpai decision for Abhisit to become the head of the Democrat Party after Suthep invested and raised a lot of cash for the Democrat Party.

For Suthep its time he retires and focuses on his business on Samui and Phuket.

So lets look at some of the Suthep asset declation:

Suthep Thaugsuban declared outstanding debts of 347.578 million baht and assets of 210.95 million. I wonder if Suthep paid back 248.57 million baht that he owes to the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

May be it would be now the right time for the Islamic Bank of Thailand which is owned by the government to recall the loan and ask Suthep to cough up the funds within 30 days or declare him a bankrupt.

As I have said for the past few months. Suthep will drive the Democrat Party to the wall. The army will not go against the current government but they might go after Suthep. No wonder Khun Abhisit is distancing himself from Suthep but the damage has been done. If they want to block provincial halls in the South, all right it's his turf as he has the cash to get the people's on board.

Khun Abhisit should have known that this guy is nuts.

[animatic]

This is not just Bangkok elites rabble rousing,

but Bangkok middle class, and their families back home, and many more,

who have finally become fed up with the PTP over reaching and lies.

And a mass of the unpaid rice farmers and their children working in other towns.

All utterly fed up with bald faced lies to their faces and not getting paid while their local puyais still get their shares.

There was needed something to strike the match to already simmering discontent.

PTP went way to far, and 80% against public opinion, with the 4am amnesty bill,

and the lies, brought to light by the Constitution Court, to put it on the table.

Then right after as it was still going down in flames took a stab at garnishing 2.2 TRILLION baht in loans.

Just about the right amount to buy the next election if it comes too soon,

but earmarked for the rice farmers... as it they will ever see it.

At the very most, 100,000 were at Red Shirt Central 2010,

but if they have 4,000 in the stadium today I'd be be surprised.

And yet the police blocking the routes north from the south with tank trucks,

and tire shredding triangles, shows their fear as right now there is the

LARGEST ever rally in downtown Bangkok,

and showing a grim faced, not ebullient, group of obviously middle class Thais,

no madness, no insane faces laughing for cameras.

A serious group listening to speeches,and lending their physical presence

to make a VERY large statement of intent. Even as this has grown beyond the

Amnesty bill issues, the over-reaching by the Shin-Clan has created an

anger-driven movement all on it's own, one that is NOT abating but actually growing the crowd.

Regardless of over the top rhetoric on stages, or competing potential visions

of governance beyond the immediate goal, there are no calls for destruction, just occupations,

Wit specific instructions to not damage ministries or steal anything.

When reads went to ministries there was destruction and beatings and mayhem.

This is a very different feeling mass rally.

Suthep has never directed a secretive group to take out army leaders in the field,

there is no reason as sane sniper will take him out, and besides, that is one of the few acts

that WOULD cause 1 million plus people to be come utterly enraged.

Yingluck is progressively being backed into a corner, no matter her protestations,

and despite denials of reality via legal manoeuvres, the writing is smudged but on the wall,

Why are you trying to make the man out like a hero? He is well known as the khamnan poh of surit thani/phuket/krabi.

Now the others are calling on their debts about the rubber and he can't deliver.

Edit - he's one of the feudal warlords who can no longer distribute largesse to his followers... and in trouble because of it and losing face. Like all of the old one's, he belongs in prison though we'll never be able to prove all his crimes.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I am not trying to make him out to be any kind of a hero.

I am saying that he is not in the same league of evil as some others.

Sure he is a modernized feudalist, but Rome wasn't burnt in a day, even by Nero.

He is not in anyway a target of the army as Sea Daeng was, since he's not killed their own.

He most certainly can and is still distributing largesse to his province.

No, the rubber farmers are calling on Yingluck to raise the prices,

they know Suthep is frozen out, and by whom, and the locals don't like it.

Just as they didn't like it when Thaksin stopped revenue coming back to Surat Thani,

But still demanded tribute and 'higher taxes, or else', from them.

Slow as it may seem the old lords are fading away and Suthep is one of the last,

but what he is doing now has less to do with his aspiration and more to do with

the strangle hold Thaksin has returned to Thailand's forward progress.

Notice he isn't the local lord of most of these people protesting,

and he is no longer an MP, so he is not the khamnan of the majority in this rally.

But he is a firery orator and knows the time is right to punch the buttons that are

controlling the public's anger.

This battle is over Thaksin's quest to recoup his old face and more,

and even if it takes old lords to have the social klout to lead against it,

leading against it is still the better choice for the country.

The country is coming toward a major change,

and leaving Thaksin in control of the majority of levers of power,

is the worst possible choice for the nation and the thai people.

This doesn't say Suthep is a hero, it does say he is likely the right man for his moment.

We're almost on agreement there...

Basically the whole rice payment - everybody knew, including ptp - that it was a horrible idea. But it was designed to cripple the people like suthep in the north. Already since they had 5 year supply contracts they are forced to buy Indian rice to fulfill. Meanwhile under the fta, Australian dairy farmers coop is moving in to try and do a non-profit buying collective to replace the rice scheme.

But. ... one step at a time. Freeing the farmers in the south and setting up coops has to be another year.

Where we disagree is that you think suthep is doing this for the people.

He is doing this for some people - him and his close partners.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well....

Effectively there is not one single Thai rallying who doesn't expect to benefit from the removal of the Shinwatra Clan's hands on the power controls here. They are Thais, this is a given, it's how the culture works day to day. But even as every Thai wants more face and face is gauged by first possessions and then klout, it would be absurd to think Suthep has no plans to benefit into the future if possible. Or as aptly to not be broken by Thaksin's machinations.

But the thing is he is rich, he could retire yesterday and clip coupons and be incredibly comfortable. He doesn't and more wealth collection can only be part of the equation. Makes no matter if he has loans, that is how business leverages things. We know Thaksin's pathology is the way it is; monomaniacal, but he is an anomaly in Thai politics, almost every deposed Thai leader has gone to pasture for 10 years or more, before returning as elder statesman ( sort of like Nixon in his later years) did, but in a respected advisory role. Respected for taking the backseat graciously, with know intention of taking power. The Thai way so to speak.

Thaksin is like the 2nd ever to go back into attempting to control the country after he lost power, they never expected it, they hadn't realised his pathology was this deep seated. And that is why there has been a concerted effort to remove his tentacles, he is just too much of a loose cannon with too much money, greed and lust for power to ever be a stable leader again. He was showing clear signs of mental instability in 2006, and that clearly was what prompted the coup. It is highly unlikely he has become MORE stable as his plans get thwarted.

The rice pledging scheme was clearly the quid pro quo for the rice mafia network delivering their localities at the voting booth,. And this led to the huge flooding when 'influencials' insisted their fields not be flooded when 4 big storms over-loaded the dam capabilities, until there was no choice but to unleash humongous amounts of water the land structure couldn't accommodate. Then the rice pricing structure was so absurdly high the market went else where. Everyone knows they have been propping it up with external loans, but this is not even going to the poor farmers... Yeah right the friends of Thaksin get it, and throw crumbs to the little folks.. eventually. Well that hasn't been working well has it? Suthep never went to such absurd lengths in the south, he kept things manageable if not the greatest,

at least he did garner some loyalties in a sustainable way.

But both are Feudal Liege Lords thrust into the information age.

Equally so, but one is a strong arm old school political brawler,

they other a observably unstable megalomaniac with far to much time and money,and a sense of entitlement to control the whole country as he sees fit.

And how he sees things was through a network of yes-men and brown-nosing sycophants.A very bad recipe for understanding and dealing with the problems of an nation trying to move into the 1st world, with one foot still stuck in the 19th century with cellphones as value added.

So yes, Suthep wants to profit as anyone else does, but over riding that to some extent has to be some form of love of country, that we don't always attributed to Thai politicians. The risk he is presently taking is not what one does strictly for money next year. And while the thrill of having a half million respond to your words in real time is exhilarating, it also can't be the only driving force either. Money and hosannahs are not enough to risk all... but country is.

Edited November 27, 2013 by animatic

[DtemJai]

Ms Anchalee likes ThaiVisa/ThailandNews – say announced to a massive Anti-Thaksin rally at Victory Moment yesterday night. The bad news is – that was done indirectly & in a discrete Thai way, I got it – but the Thais there?. Thanks for your overwhelming online foreign support and Have a nice stay in Thailand. That’s it all folks my master-piece post are now done, if deadmist is around…say goodbye to my lines. Bye bye…

[Thai at Heart]

I'm supprised no one has plugged this nut yet

RT@แก้วมาลา Kaewmala@Thai_Talk: Abhisit distances self & DemParty from Suthep, saying S has gone "beyond the goal". Told Dem MPs not to violate law. khaosod.co.th/view_newsonlin

To me this says the same as, you can have him.

Khun Abhisit had never control over Suthep. Not for nothing was Suthep against Khun Chuan Lekpai decision for Abhisit to become the head of the Democrat Party after Suthep invested and raised a lot of cash for the Democrat Party.

For Suthep its time he retires and focuses on his business on Samui and Phuket.

So lets look at some of the Suthep asset declation:

Suthep Thaugsuban declared outstanding debts of 347.578 million baht and assets of 210.95 million. I wonder if Suthep paid back 248.57 million baht that he owes to the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

May be it would be now the right time for the Islamic Bank of Thailand which is owned by the government to recall the loan and ask Suthep to cough up the funds within 30 days or declare him a bankrupt.

As I have said for the past few months. Suthep will drive the Democrat Party to the wall. The army will not go against the current government but they might go after Suthep. No wonder Khun Abhisit is distancing himself from Suthep but the damage has been done. If they want to block provincial halls in the South, all right it's his turf as he has the cash to get the people's on board.

Khun Abhisit should have known that this guy is nuts.

The army will not go against the current government?

Why?

[Thai at Heart]

This is not just Bangkok elites rabble rousing,

but Bangkok middle class, and their families back home, and many more,

who have finally become fed up with the PTP over reaching and lies.

And a mass of the unpaid rice farmers and their children working in other towns.

All utterly fed up with bald faced lies to their faces and not getting paid while their local puyais still get their shares.

There was needed something to strike the match to already simmering discontent.

PTP went way to far, and 80% against public opinion, with the 4am amnesty bill,

and the lies, brought to light by the Constitution Court, to put it on the table.

Then right after as it was still going down in flames took a stab at garnishing 2.2 TRILLION baht in loans.

Just about the right amount to buy the next election if it comes too soon,

but earmarked for the rice farmers... as it they will ever see it.

At the very most, 100,000 were at Red Shirt Central 2010,

but if they have 4,000 in the stadium today I'd be be surprised.

And yet the police blocking the routes north from the south with tank trucks,

and tire shredding triangles, shows their fear as right now there is the

LARGEST ever rally in downtown Bangkok,

and showing a grim faced, not ebullient, group of obviously middle class Thais,

no madness, no insane faces laughing for cameras.

A serious group listening to speeches,and lending their physical presence

to make a VERY large statement of intent. Even as this has grown beyond the

Amnesty bill issues, the over-reaching by the Shin-Clan has created an

anger-driven movement all on it's own, one that is NOT abating but actually growing the crowd.

Regardless of over the top rhetoric on stages, or competing potential visions

of governance beyond the immediate goal, there are no calls for destruction, just occupations,

Wit specific instructions to not damage ministries or steal anything.

When reads went to ministries there was destruction and beatings and mayhem.

This is a very different feeling mass rally.

Suthep has never directed a secretive group to take out army leaders in the field,

there is no reason as sane sniper will take him out, and besides, that is one of the few acts

that WOULD cause 1 million plus people to be come utterly enraged.

Yingluck is progressively being backed into a corner, no matter her protestations,

and despite denials of reality via legal manoeuvres, the writing is smudged but on the wall,

Why are you trying to make the man out like a hero? He is well known as the khamnan poh of surit thani/phuket/krabi.

Now the others are calling on their debts about the rubber and he can't deliver.

Edit - he's one of the feudal warlords who can no longer distribute largesse to his followers... and in trouble because of it and losing face. Like all of the old one's, he belongs in prison though we'll never be able to prove all his crimes.

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I am not trying to make him out to be any kind of a hero.

I am saying that he is not in the same league of evil as some others.

Sure he is a modernized feudalist, but Rome wasn't burnt in a day, even by Nero.

He is not in anyway a target of the army as Sea Daeng was, since he's not killed their own.

He most certainly can and is still distributing largesse to his province.

No, the rubber farmers are calling on Yingluck to raise the prices,

they know Suthep is frozen out, and by whom, and the locals don't like it.

Just as they didn't like it when Thaksin stopped revenue coming back to Surat Thani,

But still demanded tribute and 'higher taxes, or else', from them.

Slow as it may seem the old lords are fading away and Suthep is one of the last,

but what he is doing now has less to do with his aspiration and more to do with

the strangle hold Thaksin has returned to Thailand's forward progress.

Notice he isn't the local lord of most of these people protesting,

and he is no longer an MP, so he is not the khamnan of the majority in this rally.

But he is a firery orator and knows the time is right to punch the buttons that are

controlling the public's anger.

This battle is over Thaksin's quest to recoup his old face and more,

and even if it takes old lords to have the social klout to lead against it,

leading against it is still the better choice for the country.

The country is coming toward a major change,

and leaving Thaksin in control of the majority of levers of power,

is the worst possible choice for the nation and the thai people.

This doesn't say Suthep is a hero, it does say he is likely the right man for his moment.

We're almost on agreement there...

Basically the whole rice payment - everybody knew, including ptp - that it was a horrible idea. But it was designed to cripple the people like suthep in the north. Already since they had 5 year supply contracts they are forced to buy Indian rice to fulfill. Meanwhile under the fta, Australian dairy farmers coop is moving in to try and do a non-profit buying collective to replace the rice scheme.

But. ... one step at a time. Freeing the farmers in the south and setting up coops has to be another year.

Where we disagree is that you think suthep is doing this for the people.

He is doing this for some people - him and his close partners.

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Well....

Effectively there is not one single Thai rallying who doesn't expect to benefit from the removal of the Shinwatra Clan's hands on the power controls here. They are Thais, this is a given, it's how the culture works day to day. But even as every Thai wants more face and face is gauged by first possessions and then klout, it would be absurd to think Suthep has no plans to benefit into the future if possible. Or as aptly to not be broken by Thaksin's machinations.

But the thing is he is rich, he could retire yesterday and clip coupons and be incredibly comfortable. He doesn't and more wealth collection can only be part of the equation. Makes no matter if he has loans, that is how business leverages things. We know Thaksin's pathology is the way it is; monomaniacal, but he is an anomaly in Thai politics, almost every deposed Thai leader has gone to pasture for 10 years or more, before returning as elder statesman ( sort of like Nixon in his later years) did, but in a respected advisory role. Respected for taking the backseat graciously, with know intention of taking power. The Thai way so to speak.

Thaksin is like the 2nd ever to go back into attempting to control the country after he lost power, they never expected it, they hadn't realised his pathology was this deep seated. And that is why there has been a concerted effort to remove his tentacles, he is just too much of a loose cannon with too much money, greed and lust for power to ever be a stable leader again. He was showing clear signs of mental instability in 2006, and that clearly was what prompted the coup. It is highly unlikely he has become MORE stable as his plans get thwarted.

The rice pledging scheme was clearly the quid pro quo for the rice mafia network delivering their localities at the voting booth,. And this led to the huge flooding when 'influencials' insisted their fields not be flooded when 4 big storms over-loaded the dam capabilities, until there was no choice but to unleash humongous amounts of water the land structure couldn't accommodate. Then the rice pricing structure was so absurdly high the market went else where. Everyone knows they have been propping it up with external loans, but this is not even going to the poor farmers... Yeah right the friends of Thaksin get it, and throw crumbs to the little folks.. eventually. Well that hasn't been working well has it? Suthep never went to such absurd lengths in the south, he kept things manageable if not the greatest,

at least he did garner some loyalties in a sustainable way.

But both are Feudal Liege Lords thrust into the information age.

Equally so, but one is a strong arm old school political brawler,

they other a observably unstable megalomaniac with far to much time and money,and a sense of entitlement to control the whole country as he sees fit.

And how he sees things was through a network of yes-men and brown-nosing sycophants.A very bad recipe for understanding and dealing with the problems of an nation trying to move into the 1st world, with one foot still stuck in the 19th century with cellphones as value added.

So yes, Suthep wants to profit as anyone else does, but over riding that to some extent has to be some form of love of country, that we don't always attributed to Thai politicians. The risk he is presently taking is not what one does strictly for money next year. And while the thrill of having a half million respond to your words in real time is exhilarating, it also can't be the only driving force either. Money and hosannahs are not enough to risk all... but country is.

I am curious to see what happens if the red politicians in isaan think that yingluck is going to fall.

They are hugely invested in infrastructure for the rail and road improvements and have made some very big promises to some very big investors.

[whybother]

Khun Abhisit had never control over Suthep. Not for nothing was Suthep against Khun Chuan Lekpai decision for Abhisit to become the head of the Democrat Party after Suthep invested and raised a lot of cash for the Democrat Party.

For Suthep its time he retires and focuses on his business on Samui and Phuket.

So lets look at some of the Suthep asset declation:

Suthep Thaugsuban declared outstanding debts of 347.578 million baht and assets of 210.95 million. I wonder if Suthep paid back 248.57 million baht that he owes to the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

May be it would be now the right time for the Islamic Bank of Thailand which is owned by the government to recall the loan and ask Suthep to cough up the funds within 30 days or declare him a bankrupt.

As I have said for the past few months. Suthep will drive the Democrat Party to the wall. The army will not go against the current government but they might go after Suthep. No wonder Khun Abhisit is distancing himself from Suthep but the damage has been done. If they want to block provincial halls in the South, all right it's his turf as he has the cash to get the people's on board.

Khun Abhisit should have known that this guy is nuts.

The army will not go against the current government?

Why?

Because a government spokesman at the MoD said they wouldn't.

[Thai at Heart]

Khun Abhisit had never control over Suthep. Not for nothing was Suthep against Khun Chuan Lekpai decision for Abhisit to become the head of the Democrat Party after Suthep invested and raised a lot of cash for the Democrat Party.

For Suthep its time he retires and focuses on his business on Samui and Phuket.

So lets look at some of the Suthep asset declation:

Suthep Thaugsuban declared outstanding debts of 347.578 million baht and assets of 210.95 million. I wonder if Suthep paid back 248.57 million baht that he owes to the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

May be it would be now the right time for the Islamic Bank of Thailand which is owned by the government to recall the loan and ask Suthep to cough up the funds within 30 days or declare him a bankrupt.

As I have said for the past few months. Suthep will drive the Democrat Party to the wall. The army will not go against the current government but they might go after Suthep. No wonder Khun Abhisit is distancing himself from Suthep but the damage has been done. If they want to block provincial halls in the South, all right it's his turf as he has the cash to get the people's on board.

Khun Abhisit should have known that this guy is nuts.

The army will not go against the current government?

Why?

Because a government spokesman at the MoD said they wouldn't.

Oh. Ok.....

[Thai at Heart]

Khun Abhisit had never control over Suthep. Not for nothing was Suthep against Khun Chuan Lekpai decision for Abhisit to become the head of the Democrat Party after Suthep invested and raised a lot of cash for the Democrat Party.

For Suthep its time he retires and focuses on his business on Samui and Phuket.

So lets look at some of the Suthep asset declation:

Suthep Thaugsuban declared outstanding debts of 347.578 million baht and assets of 210.95 million. I wonder if Suthep paid back 248.57 million baht that he owes to the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

May be it would be now the right time for the Islamic Bank of Thailand which is owned by the government to recall the loan and ask Suthep to cough up the funds within 30 days or declare him a bankrupt.

As I have said for the past few months. Suthep will drive the Democrat Party to the wall. The army will not go against the current government but they might go after Suthep. No wonder Khun Abhisit is distancing himself from Suthep but the damage has been done. If they want to block provincial halls in the South, all right it's his turf as he has the cash to get the people's on board.

Khun Abhisit should have known that this guy is nuts.

The army will not go against the current government?

Why?

Because a government spokesman at the MoD said they wouldn't.

and because Yingluck is keeping Prem happy

DailyNews120212.jpg You velly hansum man

I somehow think that might not quite cut it.

Although it's better than that picture where Prems wai to Thaksin barely got over his belt buckle

[captspectre]

This madman's rhetoric just continues to go over the top. Wish the police would get on with it, arrest him, and get him to somewhere where he will stop whipping the masses to a frenzy. Reminds me of old movies of Hitler's speeches to the masses of Berlin.

what aboutm the curreent rumor that "someone" of influence is payinf the people who were bussed in 500Baht a day plus food. if I remember right Taksin was a "duly" elected official who was overtrown by this clown and his lap dogs!

[animatic]

Khun Abhisit had never control over Suthep. Not for nothing was Suthep against Khun Chuan Lekpai decision for Abhisit to become the head of the Democrat Party after Suthep invested and raised a lot of cash for the Democrat Party.

For Suthep its time he retires and focuses on his business on Samui and Phuket.

So lets look at some of the Suthep asset declation:

Suthep Thaugsuban declared outstanding debts of 347.578 million baht and assets of 210.95 million. I wonder if Suthep paid back 248.57 million baht that he owes to the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

May be it would be now the right time for the Islamic Bank of Thailand which is owned by the government to recall the loan and ask Suthep to cough up the funds within 30 days or declare him a bankrupt.

As I have said for the past few months. Suthep will drive the Democrat Party to the wall. The army will not go against the current government but they might go after Suthep. No wonder Khun Abhisit is distancing himself from Suthep but the damage has been done. If they want to block provincial halls in the South, all right it's his turf as he has the cash to get the people's on board.

Khun Abhisit should have known that this guy is nuts.

The army will not go against the current government?

Why?

Because a government spokesman at the MoD said they wouldn't.

Oh. Ok.....

I believe that was either irony or sarcasm.

[HAL9000]

This is mob rule. Thailand needs to learn that if it doesn't like something in the government, they have to wait for the election.