PDRC to shut down Bangkok by end of next week

[FangFerang]

Both sides have legitimate gripes. Neither side is talking to the other.

This is not 2010. This is much more serious. If the people in Bangkok take control of the whole nation, it is really going to hit the fan. If the Shins refuse to share power, it is really going to hit the fan.

It is going to hit the fan. Stay out of the way.

Thai people deserve better than this. Seeing this is one of the saddest things I have ever seen in my entire life.

[englishoak]

Doesn't he have an appointment on Jan 2 in court ??

Right on que, human shield of epic proportions, what a coward.

At least he has stayed in Thailand ... so far .... not like the convicted criminal coward living in dubai

if he turns up at court ill take it back

[blabth]

How can a whole nation be kept hostage by a single person. The consequences Thailand will be coming soon. Tourist from all over the world will think twice now to book there holiday 2014 in Thailand. Companies are thinking to invest in Asia will look around for more stable opportunities such as Vietnam and Indonesia. People like S don't care as they have the resources. But the demonstrators on the street will feel the pain. Khun S does not belong into a Jail but in a padded cell of a madhouse. I must have lost his marbles on the road.

With so much advertising they got now, the authorities counts with new tourism record 2014

True before it was

" Come to Thailand see the ruins of Siam, now it will be come to Siam see the ruins of Thailand"

[hellodolly]

Go on, I dares ye. Shut down the airports and the ports and the industrial estates. No? Suthep, you're just chicken.

Don't talk crap.. They've done it before and they could do it again. Pray it doesn't happen.

Do you know what is going on here. This they has only been together for less than two months.

Have you checked out

http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2013/results/

yet. You really should it will give you a chance to see what you are defending.

Fab4 tells me they have improved the system and now have Thailand the 102 least corrupt country in the world as compared to 88th least corrupt in the world last year.

[crazydrummerpauly]

He going to try to hold Bangkok hostage and the police, courts and military do not have the balls to do anything about it.

I think the military will do something, don't you?

Completely agree - reads almost like a full-on invitation to the Army to come on in boys.

[Thailand]

Where is the prime minister? What does she have to say in response to this latest plan by the protesters? Why isn't she in Bangkok overseeing the crisis?

Probably preparing the new seat of government in the north?

[englishoak]

Both sides have legitimate gripes. Neither side is talking to the other.

This is not 2010. This is much more serious. If the people in Bangkok take control of the whole nation, it is really going to hit the fan. If the Shins refuse to share power, it is really going to hit the fan.

It is going to hit the fan. Stay out of the way.

Thai people deserve better than this. Seeing this is one of the saddest things I have ever seen in my entire life.

Im doing exactly that for a week or so starting on jan 2 ... I am out of bkk with the family and taking some R&R... agreed this is going to get far far worse... i dont know the exact translation but both sides are getting more and more duurr every day

[8OA8]

Too many people only see this upcoming shutdown as an inconvenience to their own interests.

No pain no gain is what should be accepted by everyone, that is everyone interested in this country's political landscape changing for the better.

Khun Suthep should be receiving the support of everyone that wants to see a change for the better in Thailand

[Lingba]

Good...close down Bangkok!....all the people running businesses there trying to earn a living should really love this.....I wonder if "Mr. Democracy" actually polled everyone and asked how they felt about this move....This whole thing...."us against them" is nothing but an old fashion turf battle between two rival gangs...Reds and Yellows....both are ruled by unscrupulous, conniving, greed ridden thugs who hide behind the disquise of a so called political party that is set up to trick the common citizen into believing that the party is working as a sector of the gov't to help people with their daily lives by making fair judgements and laws to serve these citizens for the better....

Get rid of all of them...Reds and Yellows

[Jawnie]

I'm sure the malls will be open.

[hellodolly]

With him as a future leader Zimbabwe, North Korea and Sudan are going to look like democracies!!

Ah me another uninformed poster.

I pointed out the facts to TVGerry I will show them to you also. Up to you to decide if they are the kind of people you wish to rule the country. You will notice in this chart that under the present administration they are on their way to joining North Korea and Sudan rolling in the mud.

http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2013/results/

Enjoy

[Hunter88]

Go ahead shut it down and in three years it will be the same as it is now. If you can't win an election you can't win. Is that clear enough?

[wolfmanjack]

No pain, no gain. I hope the PDRC have worked out how to implement a strategy for exit counseling for a couple of million people from the cult of Shinawat. As with any cult following, rebuilding the followers self esteem and life can be difficult and traumatic after coming to terms with having been used by the cult leader for his own personal benefit only. I have to admit some surprise that Thaksin has been so successful in building such a cult following, he can't levitate like Shoko Asahara, can't write pop songs like Charlie Manson and doesn't have the good looks of Jimmy Jones. Either way, I wish PDRC luck trying to deprogram and re-educate the Isaanites.

Thailands future rests in your hands Khun Suthep. Fight the good fight, uniting the country will earn you reverence in the Thai history books.

Only naive newbies would think the yellows are somehow better in this. For example the corruption index of Thailand jumped from position 62 to over 80 during the yellow rule of 2006-2008. Now it is over 100.

"Surayud's government was a controversial one. There was a significant worsening in perceived levels of corruption during his government. Surayud's Deputy Finance Minister, Sommai Pasee, was sentenced to jail for abuse of power. Surayud raised the military budget by 35% and was accused of economic mismanagement, rampant human rights abuses, and flip-flopping on numerous policies." - wiki

They must have only been going after the big fish then because during the Surayud's government was the only time I was not bothered by government officials asking for bribes.

During Thaksin's term in office was when I had the highest number of people coming looking for bribes.

Rank of the highest bribes asking. Highest to lowest.

1) Thaksin ( 6 different groups)

2) PTP (3 different groups)

3) Dems (1 group)

4) Prior to Thaksin ( (1 group but not so much)

5) Coup (No One actually showed up at my place of business asking for money.)

[Bluespunk]

I know I am stupid, but can someone please explain to me, how spoiling the lives and businesses of the people, who voted for you (Dems has many voters in Bkk) is going to make them support your cause?

Suthep! Your "enemy" is in the north. So take your stupid fight to Khon Kaen, Surin or Buriram.

But I guess you are too much of a chickenshit to do that!!

He's not a dem anymore. This megalomaniac fascists lunatic plans, which take account of no one or anything he does not care for, are his alone, not the dems.

[marcusd]

Go on, I dares ye. Shut down the airports and the ports and the industrial estates. No? Suthep, you're just chicken.

Heard it all before for 3 months now and I aint seen no MILLIONS in the streets yet

[Ianatlarge]

"He defended the PDRC’s final push as legitimate reasoning that the Constitution states clearly that the people can retake their power back to uphold constitutional democracy if the sovereign power the people give to the administration was abused."

Really?

[brit1984]

No pain, no gain. I hope the PDRC have worked out how to implement a strategy for exit counseling for a couple of million people from the cult of Shinawat. As with any cult following, rebuilding the followers self esteem and life can be difficult and traumatic after coming to terms with having been used by the cult leader for his own personal benefit only. I have to admit some surprise that Thaksin has been so successful in building such a cult following, he can't levitate like Shoko Asahara, can't write pop songs like Charlie Manson and doesn't have the good looks of Jimmy Jones. Either way, I wish PDRC luck trying to deprogram and re-educate the Isaanites.

Thailands future rests in your hands Khun Suthep. Fight the good fight, uniting the country will earn you reverence in the Thai history books.

yes i'm sure re-writing the history books is part of suthep's grand plan, but the rest of your post is just bizarre...

what gain has come from the many coups that have gone before?... what gain will come from taking power away from the people?... what gain will come from making the more fanatical reds angry and providing propaganda for their leaders?... what gain will come from replacing one corrupt leader with another corrupt leader?... what gain will come from demonstrating that power in thailand can be achieved by terrorism?...

[transam]

Microphone rules........take it away and stuff will fall apart.............

[hellodolly]

The Army is likely to pragmatically hang back until one party clearly gets the upper hand. It has its own serious problems with "watermelon soldiers" and fractious splits with formally preeminent Battalions vying to jockey with recent "usurper" Battalions. The April the 10th 2010 Dinso Road grenade attack that killed Colonel Kriengsak Nanda-P is widely reported as Army on Army wrangling. Sadly, Suthep will keep going as the Army doesn't yet know the likely winners, is fearful of internal splits becoming ruptures, and knows there will be a serious backlash of yet another coup. Expect Bkk to be held hostage to such protests for the foreseeable future as the wrangling enters deadlock.

Beg to disagree. If the Army chooses to get involved they will tell you who the winner is. this is not a position they choose to put themselves in. they will support the winner in the elections as they have done with the PTP even though a lot of the TV posters think they are backing the Democrats. The reality is they have just backed the Government in power for the last 6 or 7 years.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Where is the prime minister? What does she have to say in response to this latest plan by the protesters? Why isn't she in Bangkok overseeing the crisis?

She is in her castle in the North wasting her time campaigning for a meaningless election that won't be held on Feb 2nd.

I've heard that she was told to leave Bangkok as she has an uncontrollable fear of tanks!!!

[stevehaigh]

'He then advised Bangkokians who have not taken part in the shutdown to get ready and leave the capital to relax at resorts or other places to avoid the inconvenience in the capital that will affect their daily life.', sure they could jump on their private jets and head off the St Moritz for a nice ski trip or something.

[soi41]

Too many people only see this upcoming shutdown as an inconvenience to their own interests.

No pain no gain is what should be accepted by everyone, that is everyone interested in this country's political landscape changing for the better.

Khun Suthep should be receiving the support of everyone that wants to see a change for the better in Thailand

You have either forgotten to take your medication, or been reading Sutheps latest publication!!

[blackman]

He going to try to hold Bangkok hostage and the police, courts and military do not have the balls to do anything about it.

a bit like it was when the reds did it then?

[Tarric]

Both sides have legitimate gripes. Neither side is talking to the other.

This is not 2010. This is much more serious. If the people in Bangkok take control of the whole nation, it is really going to hit the fan. If the Shins refuse to share power, it is really going to hit the fan.

It is going to hit the fan. Stay out of the way.

Thai people deserve better than this. Seeing this is one of the saddest things I have ever seen in my entire life.

Agreed it is a sad state of affairs indeed.

Looking at things from a solely political standpoint rather than an ideological one it would appear that the PTP have been quite accomodating to Suthep and his supporters. They have given him almost everything he has asked for and to be quite frank the things they have denied him have been out there at absolute best.

At the end of the day whenever there are actual free elections in any sense of the phrase the PTP or the PTP's successor party will be swept back into power. That is a reality that even the democrats accept, they know they can't win the political game so the democrat overlords have decided to seize power and forget about democracy because they weren't going to get what they want legitimately.

The truly ironic thing about the current situation is the fact that after the amnesty bill farce the Democrats had a real chance at making a serious dint in the hold the PTP hold over the electorate. If the democrats had of accepted new elections and run on a platform of reform (imaginary or otherwise) they could made sizeable gains in parliarment and perhaps at the outside formed a coalition government. Instead the moderates like Korn and Abhisit were ignored in favour of following Suthep's crusade.

The Army hold all the cards now, in my opinion they have to back the government its the only way this doesnt end with more blood on the streets.

If they back Suthep then the army will be facing internal turmoil as the full extent of the "watermelon" soldier problem manifests itself.

In addition to that the Red shirts will hit the streets en masse to protest and fight the coup that removed the democratically elected government. Unless the army agreed to a quick round of elections then the only way it ends is with a bloody crackdown on protesters opposed to military rule.

Anecdotally this current political turmoil is killing business's and costing jobs from all walks of life, the longer this drags on the less support Suthep has.

[laobali]

Maybe Bangkok will be shut for ever,wishful thinking???

Please just keep the airport open for transits. I need to get back to friendly, peaceful, socialist, one-party state Laos!

[blackman]

Go on, I dares ye. Shut down the airports and the ports and the industrial estates. No? Suthep, you're just chicken.

Don't talk crap.. They've done it before and they could do it again. Pray it doesn't happen.

why? somewhere to go?

[Thailand]

He going to try to hold Bangkok hostage and the police, courts and military do not have the balls to do anything about it.

a bit like it was when the reds did it then?

Wouldn't the equivalent be Suthep holding Chiang Mai hostage?

[HerIndoors]

Given that Thailand stands alone and is quite 'unique' regarding what counts as democracy when compared to the rest of the democratic world (how many coups ??/ ) , you have to ask the question if democracy is the right path for this country. We expats see democracy as the be all and end all of systems of governance, but bear in mind we have had hundreds of years to refine the concept and we still haven't got it perfect. IMHO Thailand is actually a feudal society with a very thin veneer of democracy and the power structures and rivalries that exist go deeper than just rural poor v's urban elite. It is more a case of giving allegiance to power brokers, irrespective of their political persuasions.

My guess is that Suthep knows he has the backing of the army and things will escalate until they step in with a coup. But of course we all know that this won't really 'fix' the problem...just suppress it ... for a time. The tragedy is that given the huge mandate PT gets at the polls, Thaksin and his cronies had the chance to go down in history as true believers and make changes that would have provided good governance, rule of law and genuinely improved not only the lot of the poor but the business elite as well. Instead he will be remembered as a divisive spirit, vindictive and corrupt to the max.

[Jackson86]

definitely they will soon regret when their economy starts falling down further.

[SICHONSTEVE]

No pain, no gain. I hope the PDRC have worked out how to implement a strategy for exit counseling for a couple of million people from the cult of Shinawat. As with any cult following, rebuilding the followers self esteem and life can be difficult and traumatic after coming to terms with having been used by the cult leader for his own personal benefit only. I have to admit some surprise that Thaksin has been so successful in building such a cult following, he can't levitate like Shoko Asahara, can't write pop songs like Charlie Manson and doesn't have the good looks of Jimmy Jones. Either way, I wish PDRC luck trying to deprogram and re-educate the Isaanites.

Thailands future rests in your hands Khun Suthep. Fight the good fight, uniting the country will earn you reverence in the Thai history books.

yes i'm sure re-writing the history books is part of suthep's grand plan, but the rest of your post is just bizarre...

what gain has come from the many coups that have gone before?... what gain will come from taking power away from the people?... what gain will come from making the more fanatical reds angry and providing propaganda for their leaders?... what gain will come from replacing one corrupt leader with another corrupt leader?... what gain will come from demonstrating that power in thailand can be achieved by terrorism?...

There is a lot to be gained through returning the power back to the people instead of having thieves misusing and abusing it for their own personal enrichment!!

Suthep should be given a medal for his services to Thailand in returning democracy to it's people, we should be eternally grateful to him and I wish him a happy retirement once his task is completed.