Thailand's army moves to ease coup fears

[SebD]

Forget insurance this is my bloomin holiday I'm talking about here. Serious biz.

You'll have a ball, whatever the political upheaval (especially if it's your first trip here).

You may even a have a few tales to regale your pals and your eventual grandlings with.

Thailand.....might not always amaze but can never be termed "dull".

Unless you get bored (in which case, you're boring).

Enjoy your trip (I'm sure you will).

[Sirius1935]

Hi all if there is a coup will flights still operate internationally into Bkk? I'm supposed to be arriving next Thursday and then getting a Bangkok airways flight into Phuket the same day.

What happened in 2010 with flights?

From past experience of flying aircraft to BKK during previous coups I doubt whether flights will be suspended.

I have been looking at seat availability over the next two weeks to decide which day to return to Thailand myself, as a passenger. Last week the flights were full on some days and other days had just two or three unsold seats. I checked again last night and every flight has 50 or 60 unsold seats. So hundreds of people have cancelled their trip to Thailand, in all three classes, so that probably covers business and well as tourism.

[SebD]

Hi all if there is a coup will flights still operate internationally into Bkk? I'm supposed to be arriving next Thursday and then getting a Bangkok airways flight into Phuket the same day.

What happened in 2010 with flights?

From past experience of flying aircraft to BKK during previous coups I doubt whether flights will be suspended.

I have been looking at seat availability over the next two weeks to decide which day to return to Thailand myself, as a passenger. Last week the flights were full on some days and other days had just two or three unsold seats. I checked again last night and every flight has 50 or 60 unsold seats. So hundreds of people have cancelled their trip to Thailand, in all three classes, so that probably covers business and well as tourism.

Such a shame for the country that people are being frightened away.

Every dollar not spent in Thailand is a potential dollar out of the pocket of some poor soul seeking to scrape a living here.

On a bright note, you should be able to find a 5-seat row to stretch out on, in-flight.

Better than 1st Class and at a fraction of the cost.

I hope this all gets resolved soon as Thailand deserves better than this.

[Sirius1935]

Hi all if there is a coup will flights still operate internationally into Bkk? I'm supposed to be arriving next Thursday and then getting a Bangkok airways flight into Phuket the same day.

What happened in 2010 with flights?

From past experience of flying aircraft to BKK during previous coups I doubt whether flights will be suspended.

I have been looking at seat availability over the next two weeks to decide which day to return to Thailand myself, as a passenger. Last week the flights were full on some days and other days had just two or three unsold seats. I checked again last night and every flight has 50 or 60 unsold seats. So hundreds of people have cancelled their trip to Thailand, in all three classes, so that probably covers business and well as tourism.

Such a shame for the country that people are being frightened away.

Every dollar not spent in Thailand is a potential dollar out of the pocket of some poor soul seeking to scrape a living here.

On a bright note, you should be able to find a 5-seat row to stretch out on, in-flight.

Better than 1st Class and at a fraction of the cost.

I hope this all gets resolved soon as Thailand deserves better than this.

Agreed and I have now added up the unsold seats in the first two weeks of this year from LHR to BKK ( the flight no longer continues on to SYD but terminates in BKK) on just the one airline. Over 750 people who were booked to fly but are now not going to. How many ₤₤₤ would they have brought into the Thai economy?

I have a reservation in First but its free!

[wellred]

No way I am cancelling. If it comes to it I'll ask Emirates to fly me to Phuket instead. I was heading there anyway once I landed in Bkk. Due to fly out next Wednesday. Really hope everything goes off ok without a hitch.

[retsdon]

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

[JRSoul]

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

[Sirius1935]

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

[retsdon]

Quite. It's actually startling that one would need to spell it out to people who can put sentences together.

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

[JRSoul]

Quite. It's actually startling that one would need to spell it out to people who can put sentences together.

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

Well you seem to be able to put sentences together, but neither you or Mr Unjustified Opinion seem to able to answer a simple question or two.

[hellodolly]

It's like this. Picture a family. The older son does the parent's bidding to keep them sweet. Then he uses the endorsement of his parents plus the fact that he is bigger than the younger sons to bully the younger sons into doing what he wants based firstly on what his parents want to achieve and secondly on his own self interest.

The younger sons are the political parties of Thailand, including the ruling one at any given time. The older son is the army. The rest you will have to figure out for yourself. It has been this way for many many years.

Who are the parents?

[siampolee]

hellodollypost # 101

Who are the parents?

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/It+is+a+wise+child+that+knows+its+own+father

It is a wise child that knows its own father.

Prov. You can never have certain proof that a certain man is your father . (Implies that the child in question might be illegitimate.) It is a wise child that knows its own father, but Emily is so much like her dad that there's very little uncertainty.

[hellodolly]

" So far I have heard that it is constitutional to delay the election and form a committee to look into reform for the Election system and the rest of the Government but she is not willing to step down and do that."

Oh, really, Dolly, what knowledgeable person did you hear that from, suthep? Would you care to tell what article/section of the constitution allows you to blockade election candidate registration centres, or, come to that, shutdown the capital city until a self decreed saviour of democracy gets what he wants? Let's face it, Dolly, you just nail your colours to the mast of anyone who is against Thaksin.

fab fab still rewriting posts to prove some elusive thing. Probably that Thaksin and his Clone are saints or some other unlikely thing. I have no idea. Have you checked out the

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

file yet.

The EC is my source for delaying the election. The last I heard they were not entirely sure that it was constitutional. Of course they are not as familiar with the constitution as you. Why don't you offer them your knowledge. I guess that is not a topic in red shirt bar's.

Before you post research what you are posting and then you will be able to understand things better. I never did say it was OK to blockade election candidate registration centers in fact I have said I am against it. As for shutting Bangkok down the last I heard it was still open and I for one highly doubt it will be shut down. Care to tell me where you got the information that Bangkok was shut down?

I am for any one currently on the scene against Thaksin. There may be some coming up that I would not be for but they would have to be really bad. Leave the corruption aside and look at the number of innocent murders in his crack down on drugs. One that has obviously failed as any body with the sense God/Buddha/Allah gave a goose could have told him. Look at the mess he encouraged and paid for in Bangkok in 2010. If Suthep was as bad as you would like us to believe and he was running I would back him. He how ever is not running he is trying at the moment to reform the government some thing Yingluck agrees needs doing but she was to busy trying to white wash her brother to do it. But now that she has had to put that on hold for 6 months and she has a gun to her head she is going to look into it. After she is elected which as I have said often enough will probably be the result of the election.

Another election promise. Why not reform the electio0n procedures before the election. Any thing it would stop the PTP from doing it would stop any one else from doing it. What is the problem?

In the mean time have a Happy New Year.

Just define "reform" as in "reform the election procedures".

You never know, I/we might just be willing to give it a whirl if only you and the "Democrat Party" would actually say what you mean by the much trotted-out word "reform".

All for an even playing field, me (having been indoctrinated with the British sense of fair-play and all that).

Put in procedures to allow voting to be private with out a witness stop vote buying. Put an end to false election promises. Lot's of things they can do.

Remember you really can't do any thing unless you are Thai just offer opinions. It would be an even playing field. With out the vote buying.

Not being British I don't know do the parties give money to the head man in the villages and then he makes sure they all vote for the man paying him. He generally gives part of the money to the people,

right now it is not a level playing field because all the parties do not have the same amount of money to buy votes with. I believe there are 53 registered.

You have been reading to much nonsense posts. It is the people calling for the reform the democrats joined them and are not calling the shots. If the Democrats were calling the shots this whole thing would never have got started.

The people are calling the shots and the weasels are sticking their head in the ground just like an ostrich. Pretending like it isn't happening.

I only wish I was calling the shots. There might be an exodus of foreign business who need the corruption to stay in business. You might find yourself out of a job. but relax I am not calling the shots just commenting on what is happening.

[hellodolly]

hellodollypost # 101

Who are the parents?

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/It+is+a+wise+child+that+knows+its+own+father

It is a wise child that knows its own father.

Prov. You can never have certain proof that a certain man is your father . (Implies that the child in question might be illegitimate.) It is a wise child that knows its own father, but Emily is so much like her dad that there's very little uncertainty.

To bad Thailand dosen't have a wise child in power

[Old Man River]

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

What a dumb comment. In 2010, the conscripts came into Bangkok and did their jobs. Finally, the professional soldiers were called in to finish things. There was no break in ranks.

Don't disrespect these people.

[hellodolly]

Agreed and I have now added up the unsold seats in the first two weeks of this year from LHR to BKK ( the flight no longer continues on to SYD but terminates in BKK) on just the one airline. Over 750 people who were booked to fly but are now not going to. How many ₤₤₤ would they have brought into the Thai economy?

How many of those 750 canceled were headed for SYD?

749

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

Or He could be saying they are from Issan and are completely indoctrinated in Thaksinism.

[SantiSuk]

Odd that VoA would describe the North and North East as "populous"!

According to Wiki the population of Issaan is 20 million. Looking at the map on Wiki of Thailand 20 million looks about proportional to the area Issaan bears to the whole of Thailand with its 67 million total population. Having travelled a little bit around the North I would be surprised if its population density is significantly greater.

Not trying to make any political points, just curious what message they were trying to, wrongly it seems, convey.

[icare999]

Forget insurance this is my bloomin holiday I'm talking about here. Serious biz.

if it worries you go somewhere else no one can answer your question since none knows and yes anything can happen. Thats risk you take when travelling here or almost anywhere so stop being a pussy and just come or don't come Who really cares about your little holiday when theirs a lot more at stake such as IMO weather Thailand turns into a one party police state or has some other future. Iived ives here 30+ years through many upheavals and coups and this one could get very very nasty and bloody. I think 8 have already been killed as a result of protests and it could but I hope not get much much worse although IMO the chance of all out Syria type civil war is very very low.

[icare999]

" So far I have heard that it is constitutional to delay the election and form a committee to look into reform for the Election system and the rest of the Government but she is not willing to step down and do that."

Oh, really, Dolly, what knowledgeable person did you hear that from, suthep? Would you care to tell what article/section of the constitution allows you to blockade election candidate registration centres, or, come to that, shutdown the capital city until a self decreed saviour of democracy gets what he wants? Let's face it, Dolly, you just nail your colours to the mast of anyone who is against Thaksin.

fab fab still rewriting posts to prove some elusive thing. Probably that Thaksin and his Clone are saints or some other unlikely thing. I have no idea. Have you checked out the

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

file yet.

The EC is my source for delaying the election. The last I heard they were not entirely sure that it was constitutional. Of course they are not as familiar with the constitution as you. Why don't you offer them your knowledge. I guess that is not a topic in red shirt bar's.

Before you post research what you are posting and then you will be able to understand things better. I never did say it was OK to blockade election candidate registration centers in fact I have said I am against it. As for shutting Bangkok down the last I heard it was still open and I for one highly doubt it will be shut down. Care to tell me where you got the information that Bangkok was shut down?

I am for any one currently on the scene against Thaksin. There may be some coming up that I would not be for but they would have to be really bad. Leave the corruption aside and look at the number of innocent murders in his crack down on drugs. One that has obviously failed as any body with the sense God/Buddha/Allah gave a goose could have told him. Look at the mess he encouraged and paid for in Bangkok in 2010. If Suthep was as bad as you would like us to believe and he was running I would back him. He how ever is not running he is trying at the moment to reform the government some thing Yingluck agrees needs doing but she was to busy trying to white wash her brother to do it. But now that she has had to put that on hold for 6 months and she has a gun to her head she is going to look into it. After she is elected which as I have said often enough will probably be the result of the election.

Another election promise. Why not reform the electio0n procedures before the election. Any thing it would stop the PTP from doing it would stop any one else from doing it. What is the problem?

In the mean time have a Happy New Year.

Just define "reform" as in "reform the election procedures".

You never know, I/we might just be willing to give it a whirl if only you and the "Democrat Party" would actually say what you mean by the much trotted-out word "reform".

All for an even playing field, me (having been indoctrinated with the British sense of fair-play and all that).

Put in procedures to allow voting to be private with out a witness stop vote buying. Put an end to false election promises. Lot's of things they can do.

Remember you really can't do any thing unless you are Thai just offer opinions. It would be an even playing field. With out the vote buying.

Not being British I don't know do the parties give money to the head man in the villages and then he makes sure they all vote for the man paying him. He generally gives part of the money to the people,

right now it is not a level playing field because all the parties do not have the same amount of money to buy votes with. I believe there are 53 registered.

You have been reading to much nonsense posts. It is the people calling for the reform the democrats joined them and are not calling the shots. If the Democrats were calling the shots this whole thing would never have got started.

The people are calling the shots and the weasels are sticking their head in the ground just like an ostrich. Pretending like it isn't happening.

I only wish I was calling the shots. There might be an exodus of foreign business who need the corruption to stay in business. You might find yourself out of a job. but relax I am not calling the shots just commenting on what is happening.

voting is private so I don't know were you got that wrong idea from. However many this don't believe its not known who they voted for even though that also is impossible and theirs a great deal at least in Taksin land red areas of intimidation let alone vote buying/

[Sirius1935]

Agreed and I have now added up the unsold seats in the first two weeks of this year from LHR to BKK ( the flight no longer continues on to SYD but terminates in BKK) on just the one airline. Over 750 people who were booked to fly but are now not going to. How many ₤₤₤ would they have brought into the Thai economy?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

Or He could be saying they are from Issan and are completely indoctrinated in Thaksinism.

You asked: "How many of those 750 canceled were headed for SYD?

749"

Answer: None. Read my post. The flight doesn't go on to SYD anymore, it terminates at BKK. So, multiply that number by the number of international flights that fly into BKK daily and you have a few thousand.

Shame.

[Sirius1935]

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

What a dumb comment. In 2010, the conscripts came into Bangkok and did their jobs. Finally, the professional soldiers were called in to finish things. There was no break in ranks.

Don't disrespect these people.

I have no idea what he is on about or who he is replying to.

[JRSoul]

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

What a dumb comment. In 2010, the conscripts came into Bangkok and did their jobs. Finally, the professional soldiers were called in to finish things. There was no break in ranks.

Don't disrespect these people.

I have no idea what he is on about or who he is replying to.

It seems he is replying to your claim that rank and file soldiers are Thaksin supporters, when their actions do not indicate that this is the case, or if it is true, they do not allow their personal political leanings to affect their carrying out of assigned duties.

[Bpuumike]

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

What a dumb comment. In 2010, the conscripts came into Bangkok and did their jobs. Finally, the professional soldiers were called in to finish things. There was no break in ranks.

Don't disrespect these people.

I have to wonder why they are not more active in the South protecting the country (all respect to the previous poster's in-laws).

[Old Man River]

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

What a dumb comment. In 2010, the conscripts came into Bangkok and did their jobs. Finally, the professional soldiers were called in to finish things. There was no break in ranks.

Don't disrespect these people.

I have no idea what he is on about or who he is replying to.

It seems he is replying to your claim that rank and file soldiers are Thaksin supporters, when their actions do not indicate that this is the case, or if it is true, they do not allow their personal political leanings to affect their carrying out of assigned duties.

J R, thanks for explaining it. I would have thought it would have been clear, but....

[ratcatcher]

Agreed and I have now added up the unsold seats in the first two weeks of this year from LHR to BKK ( the flight no longer continues on to SYD but terminates in BKK) on just the one airline. Over 750 people who were booked to fly but are now not going to. How many ₤₤₤ would they have brought into the Thai economy?

How many of those 750 canceled were headed for SYD?

749

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

Or He could be saying they are from Issan and are completely indoctrinated in Thaksinism.

A little perspective illustrated.

General Prayuth and his soldiers

[francescoassisi]

So how's about this? No coup.....but the army takes over and forces Yingluck to resig but voluntarily.., so no coup; just a board of the people's something or other takes over until an election can be held where the Democrats stand a chance of at least forming a coalition government with some fringe loonie parties. ...... But not a coup....definitely not a coup...,that's right out....the army said so....

[Emster23]

general is waiting for a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

[citizen33]

So many of the wannabe yellow shirts on here itching for military intervention don`t seem to grasp that the military isn`t the single bonded unit they`d like to think it is.

@tullynagardy

Yes, I have inlaws in the military. They were conscripted out of Isaan and chose to stay on. One is now a long term veteran and middle ranking officer in some specialist unit down South fighting the insurgency there. Let me tell you, he's not on the side of Suthep!

Gee, I bet the generals never thought about that! So if there is a coup in BKK, some 1000km from where he is stationed, what do you expect him to do about it? Abandon his career, fly home and join Thaksin's militia? Run outside and shoot somebody/anybody?

Or do what the serving Thaksin followers did in 2006 - SFA?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

What a dumb comment. In 2010, the conscripts came into Bangkok and did their jobs. Finally, the professional soldiers were called in to finish things. There was no break in ranks.

Don't disrespect these people.

The question of how the particular units involved in the 2010 civil disturbances came to be in Bangkok is very interesting, and I don’t pretend to know the answer. As most of the units concerned were drawn from the 1^st army, the explanation may be simply geographical. On the other hand there is a narrative on the red side that highlights the key role of the ‘Eastern Tigers’. My impression is that there wouldn’t have been so many raw conscripts from Isaan.

As far as I can tell the main units involved were:

(a) units from 1^st Army:

2nd Infantry Division (AKA the Queen’s Guard or the Eastern Tigers), brought in from bases in bases in Chonburi, Sakaew and Prachinburi Provinces.

11th Infantry Division with barracks in Bangkhen.

1st Infantry Division, Bangkok.

2^nd Cavalry Division, Bangkok.

31st Infantry Division, Lopburi. (The units near Wat Pratum were from the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 31^st and the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Special Force Regiment from Lopburi province).

( b ) An ad hoc force of specialist marksmen assembled from various units of the three armed forces and RTP.

Most were drawn from the 1^st Army which is headquartered in Bangkok and covers the central and western regions. This would mean there was little involvement from the other three Army Groups, which include one from the South.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_Army

My list may not be definitive and I’d welcome valid corrections. You can get some pointers from the various reports (like HRW) and inquest records. There is a lot of detail in a document from an anonymous ‘witness 22’, which given its link to Thaksin may be unreliable, but is nevertheless worth cross checking against other sources. I won’t post the link, but google will quickly find the full statement.

[hellodolly]

Agreed and I have now added up the unsold seats in the first two weeks of this year from LHR to BKK ( the flight no longer continues on to SYD but terminates in BKK) on just the one airline. Over 750 people who were booked to fly but are now not going to. How many ₤₤₤ would they have brought into the Thai economy?

What he is saying is: Most of the rank and file soldiers are" Watermelons". They appear green on the outside but are red inside. The generals know that but they, of course, are yellow.

Or He could be saying they are from Issan and are completely indoctrinated in Thaksinism.

You asked: "How many of those 750 canceled were headed for SYD?

749"

Answer: None. Read my post. The flight doesn't go on to SYD anymore, it terminates at BKK. So, multiply that number by the number of international flights that fly into BKK daily and you have a few thousand.

Shame.

Read your post again you didn't say that they didn't fly into SYD when you g first inquired. For all we know they canceled that flight after you first inquired and before you checked again.

Do you write for the Nation?

[Sirius1935]

Agreed and I have now added up the unsold seats in the first two weeks of this year from LHR to BKK ( the flight no longer continues on to SYD but terminates in BKK) on just the one airline. Over 750 people who were booked to fly but are now not going to. How many ₤₤₤ would they have brought into the Thai economy?

You asked: "How many of those 750 canceled were headed for SYD?

749"

Answer: None. Read my post. The flight doesn't go on to SYD anymore, it terminates at BKK. So, multiply that number by the number of international flights that fly into BKK daily and you have a few thousand.

Shame.

Read your post again you didn't say that they didn't fly into SYD when you g first inquired. For all we know they canceled that flight after you first inquired and before you checked again.

Do you write for the Nation?

Obvious troll post, not interested in the debate but just trying to be inflammatory by making personal insults and being arrogant.

However, if you would like to read about flights to BKK, then try again. My reference to SYD was posted Yesterday at 05:42 (above).

No flights have been canceled but they now have 50 to 60 unsold seats every day whereas two weeks ago they were almost fully booked.

There is a slight error in what I wrote. I should not have said in the first two weeks of this year. I was actually looking at the loads on flights for two weeks from 8ᵗʰ January to the 22ⁿᵈ.

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