Thailand's army moves to ease coup fears

[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.

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.

This is interesting. At a very superficial level, my understanding has been the conscripts came in first, and then then the Tigers and a group from Lopburi to end it. Using your leads, I will see what I can find. If I have questions or stumble onto something I will PM you.

[Bpuumike]

Sorry if I'm completely off topic. I'm not real familiar with Thai politics at all as I have never really taken an interest. To me Governments are all the same, full of shit and only ever do what's right for them. So was wondering if someone could please explain why, if the people of the country don't want Yinluck in power did they ever vote for her in the first place? I understand that her brother was in power before which seems quite strange how a brother and sister can both have their time at the top of the political ladder (Corruption at it's finest). Could someone also explain why, if she has the interests of the country at heart would she not step down in order to keep peace? If everyone hates her so much I'm surprised she hasn't been physically removed one way or another. I also don't understand why "The Family" don't step in and sort this out (Rule as rulers do). After all the entire country loves them and will listen to their every word.

Simple. A great number of them were paid to vote. This is not anecdotal, I have witnessed it first hand. The price varies from small village or town-to-town.

Your latter sentences probably true but don't want to comment further and contravene forum and legal rules.

[Bpuumike]

That is it!

To coup or not to coup is not a question anymore.

I'm not an expert on Thai politics simply because I am not interested.

Any Government is better than none. And this is what Thais have now - no Government.

The Army has no alternative but restore at least a visibility of Law and Order.

Have no fear. They did it before many times and must do it again now. But not for the last time.

Reason? - Thais talk of Democracy too much and know of it too little.

For better or for worse they had a legitimate democratically elected Government.

If not happy with it they should wait for the next election. But that would have been a Democracy at work.

Instead they paralyzed the existing Government and paralyzed the vital capital life.

Hence - the inevitable coup. And the rigmarole is going on circles. Next Government will suffer the same fate.

Reason? - Thais talk of Democracy too much and know of it too little.... just keep going and repeat.

Happy New Year to all!

I think a certain Madam paralysed the existing and not quite democratic government.

I am no supporter of Kh. S. but at least he got the ball rolling.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Bpuumike

[KikiKookoo]

Sorry if I'm completely off topic. I'm not real familiar with Thai politics at all as I have never really taken an interest. To me Governments are all the same, full of shit and only ever do what's right for them. So was wondering if someone could please explain why, if the people of the country don't want Yinluck in power did they ever vote for her in the first place? I understand that her brother was in power before which seems quite strange how a brother and sister can both have their time at the top of the political ladder (Corruption at it's finest). Could someone also explain why, if she has the interests of the country at heart would she not step down in order to keep peace? If everyone hates her so much I'm surprised she hasn't been physically removed one way or another. I also don't understand why "The Family" don't step in and sort this out (Rule as rulers do). After all the entire country loves them and will listen to their every word.

Please see this clip. Hope it helps.

Note: There was a part of the clip that talked about red shirts, but did not explain well of what happened at Ramkhamhang. The red shirts are Thaksin supporters (who are known to be violent and burn Thailand down in 2010). Current protesters are the whistler blowers (who protest in peace and are against Thaksin regime). On Nov30-Dec1, the gov't organized the red shirts to come in to stir things up in Bangkok. They ended up crash with students at Ramkhamhang University. The dean tried to contact police, hoping the police would help protecting students. However, there was another clip showing that the police were on the same side with the red shirts. The police stood around. None came to helped the students.

Thailand Protest 2013 - Explained

Edited January 3, 2014 by KikiKookoo

[KikiKookoo]

Sorry if I'm completely off topic. I'm not real familiar with Thai politics at all as I have never really taken an interest. To me Governments are all the same, full of shit and only ever do what's right for them. So was wondering if someone could please explain why, if the people of the country don't want Yinluck in power did they ever vote for her in the first place? I understand that her brother was in power before which seems quite strange how a brother and sister can both have their time at the top of the political ladder (Corruption at it's finest). Could someone also explain why, if she has the interests of the country at heart would she not step down in order to keep peace? If everyone hates her so much I'm surprised she hasn't been physically removed one way or another. I also don't understand why "The Family" don't step in and sort this out (Rule as rulers do). After all the entire country loves them and will listen to their every word.

Please see this clip. Hope it helps.

Note: There was a part of the clip that talked about red shirts, but did not explain well of what happened at Ramkhamhang. The red shirts are Thaksin supporters (who are known to be violent and burn Thailand down in 2010). Current protesters are the whistler blowers (who protest in peace and are against Thaksin regime). On Nov30-Dec1, the gov't organized the red shirts to come in to stir things up in Bangkok. They ended up crash with students at Ramkhamhang University. The dean tried to contact police, hoping the police would help protecting students. However, there was another clip showing that the police were on the same side with the red shirts. The police stood around. None came to helped the students.

Thailand Protest 2013 - Explained

Thailand Protest 2013 - Explained[

Edited January 3, 2014 by KikiKookoo

[KikiKookoo]

Could someone also explain why, if she has the interests of the country at heart would she not step down in order to keep peace?

I also don't understand why "The Family" don't step in and sort this out (Rule as rulers do). After all the entire country loves them and will listen to their every word.

First one. The answer is....it is because she DOES NOT have the interests of the country at heart. She is trying to hold on to the power as long as her brother orders her to. She (actually her brother) knows that if there is reform before election, there is a hughhhhh chance their party will not win again.

Second one. In the past, when there was a crash between people and government like in May1992, the king stepped in and everybody listened.

In my opinion, the king cannot get involve this time. It is because Thaksin has been trying to paint the picture that there was high power behind the coup that outsteded him in 2006. So, "The Family" cannot help otherwise Thaksin would blame "The Family" again.

[Smokemachine]

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

But we have a Father.

[Smokemachine]

Sorry if I'm completely off topic. I'm not real familiar with Thai politics at all as I have never really taken an interest. To me Governments are all the same, full of shit and only ever do what's right for them. So was wondering if someone could please explain why, if the people of the country don't want Yinluck in power did they ever vote for her in the first place? I understand that her brother was in power before which seems quite strange how a brother and sister can both have their time at the top of the political ladder (Corruption at it's finest). Could someone also explain why, if she has the interests of the country at heart would she not step down in order to keep peace? If everyone hates her so much I'm surprised she hasn't been physically removed one way or another. I also don't understand why "The Family" don't step in and sort this out (Rule as rulers do). After all the entire country loves them and will listen to their every word.

Please see this clip. Hope it helps.

Note: There was a part of the clip that talked about red shirts, but did not explain well of what happened at Ramkhamhang. The red shirts are Thaksin supporters (who are known to be violent and burn Thailand down in 2010). Current protesters are the whistler blowers (who protest in peace and are against Thaksin regime). On Nov30-Dec1, the gov't organized the red shirts to come in to stir things up in Bangkok. They ended up crash with students at Ramkhamhang University. The dean tried to contact police, hoping the police would help protecting students. However, there was another clip showing that the police were on the same side with the red shirts. The police stood around. None came to helped the students.

Thailand Protest 2013 - Explained

Thailand Protest 2013 - Explained[

Nice video.

Looking forward a better future for Thailand.

A true democracy..

[fish fingers]

hughhhhh chance their party will not win again.

huge?

[Bpuumike]

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/

You must be joking.

If it went to the 'head man' of the village it would never be seen again. No, it's strictly cash in hand to individuals.