Bangkok taxi drivers demand end to protests

[chooka]

I'm confused! 200,000+ people (BKK elite if you must) call for an end to corruption and it's a move to apartheid, but 20 taxi drivers must be listened to?

It does seem that the minority are the voice tho. be the minority 200K you speak of or the minority 20. If the minority has the right to protest about the government then the minority has the right to protest about Suthep or is it only Suthep and his lunitics who are allowed a voice?

[Khun Loong]

And I demand that the ar**hole taxi driver that stole my bag yesterday return it.

[MrSlatersParrot]

A bit hypocritical. They served the reds well, blocking streets and being idiots. Now the shoe is on the other foot, they are upset!!!

For "hypocritical" read democratic.

The "population" is quite happy with the current government, thank you very much (it's they who voted them in, after all).

It's only the elite who are throwing their rattles out of the pram cuz no-one likes them or wants them to govern in the current administration's stead.

You have no clue at all, "it's only the elite!". What a comment to make, you've really fallen for the Red propaganda.

Do we have to explain it your lot all again. Speak to the real people, go outside and speak to people on the street and see why they are unhappy with this Government. This isn't no rich vs poor thing going on, wake up.

The South of Thailand, are they elite? No. Are they poor? A lot of them, yes. Are the majority, anti-Government, yes?

The Elite - a lot of them are anti the Government, sure. But a lot of the Elite are pro-Thaksin too, a hell of a lot. And what about the Shinatarwa (sic) family, not exactly, trudging the fields every day are they?

Then you have your working classes and middle classes, some who are pro Government, some Anti, some Neutral. Many of these are disgusted with the Government after what they see in a failed Rice Scam robbing their taxes they pay, a Government that continually lies and corrupt to the core and let's not forget the thing that started all this mayhem, a whitewash bill, to make corrupt, deceitful criminals have nothing to answer for.

That my friend, is why the people are upset and taking to the streets. Do the majority of these people like Suthep, from what I hear, not many. They do however, know it's right for this Government to be railed in. If the Government had done its job properly then none of this would have happened. Simple. But no, they got greedy, power hungry and thought of one man, just one man, over the needs and wishes of the people. That's disgusting.

Do you really think the "people" are so upset about the "rice scam" that they are taking to the streets to drive an elected government from office?

Or the ill conceived amnesty bill which was defeated by the senate and dropped by this government?

Are they really on the streets fighting against corruption?

Wake up. This is the PAD and an attempted coup.

An attempted Coup for the Rich like last time

Notice how vague they are about their so-called "reforms."

We've heard a few things though including

Suthep's call for the minimum wage to be reduced from 300 baht back to 200 baht. Good for the bosses.

Removal of voting rights for the poor etc

Endless hate rhetoric

Facebook hate messaging

Collective whipped up mass hysteria.

It will fail.

The Amnesty Bill was definitely the thing that tipped people over the edge to take to the streets most definitely. The scam and the corruption were build ups.

But yes, you are right and I agree with you, since then the protests have taken a change on removing the Government and we have yet to hear what reforms he wants. Many people who were protesting, have since stopped as the end result is not the one they originally went out for.

The problem you have is the population don't believe a word the Government says anymore, it's just lies and deceit, so when they say "we only want peace, not power", "we won't try and bring in the bill again". No-one believes them. How do the people know, the Government won't try it again?

There are many anti-Government protesters and ex protesters that don't agree with Suthep's tactics or demands, but I think most will agree that something needs to be done to rail in this Government, who are/were going out of control.

I would say that most people would say the government is or appears incompetent. I have seen no real evidence of graft.

Stories in the press?

Hardly. Merely the usual smear and innuendo.

Their main policies remain unfulfilled due to the blocking ofthe opposition and it's judicial friends styming any progress. Infrastructure spend and high speed rail were proposed and legislated for by abhisit but never carried out.

Flood prevention is also now essential. Blocked.

Sure bailing out the farmers comes at a cost but what else can they do?

Amnesties come at a cost.

Not the way I would go.

Thaksin can wait but an endless hate fest solves nothing

[chooka]

Don't these taxi-drivers realise, there will be a million potential-customers, wanting to get a ride to the demo ?

And then throw-in all Jatupon's Red-Shirt anti-anti-protesters, wanting to rally & make the world safe, for caretaker-governments !

Yay for Increased business-opportunities for taxi-drivers !

and a good old kicking to go along with it. The fair the get won't even cover the medical costs.

[JRSoul]

I would say that most people would say the government is or appears incompetent. I have seen no real evidence of graft.

Stories in the press?

Hardly. Merely the usual smear and innuendo.

Their main policies remain unfulfilled due to the blocking ofthe opposition and it's judicial friends styming any progress. Infrastructure spend and high speed rail were proposed and legislated for by abhisit but never carried out.

Flood prevention is also now essential. Blocked.

Sure bailing out the farmers comes at a cost but what else can they do?

Amnesties come at a cost.

Not the way I would go.

Thaksin can wait but an endless hate fest solves nothing

How is flood prevention being blocked by the opposition? Local people are opposed to heavy handed tactics and loaded forums.

What else can they do to the farmers. You're right, they have stuffed them royally, and now have to face the music of where hundreds of billions of baht have disappeared to. But people should let them continue, because they're only incompetent?

[petermach]

the whole world is looking at Thai police laxity in Bangkok. Why Suthep ( representing a minority of the population) who is tarnishing Thailand image and damaging Thailand economy has not been arrested yet ? Has police in Bangkok a preferred political color ?

[Deez]

A bit hypocritical. They served the reds well, blocking streets and being idiots. Now the shoe is on the other foot, they are upset!!!

For "hypocritical" read democratic.

The "population" is quite happy with the current government, thank you very much (it's they who voted them in, after all).

It's only the elite who are throwing their rattles out of the pram cuz no-one likes them or wants them to govern in the current administration's stead.

Doesnt your Avatar come in Red?

[Deez]

Hey Mr. Dangerfield, calm down a bit.

The populace is not speaking, 20 red shirt sympathisers are speaking.

While I agree that not all taxi drivers are red shirts, I would stake my life that these 20 taxi drivers have an allegiance to the red faction.

I’m pretty sure that the taxi drivers lost more revenue during the 2010 riots but they were not so worried about loosing their money then.

And why would that be, exactly?

Maybe cuz the real populace is tired of the Army continually sticking their collective hand up the backside of their glove puppet and elitist enforced governmental administration for the better good of the few rather than the many.

And please don't tell me to calm down.

I'll do that in my own time, thank you.

Oh dear, no sex last night?

Seems longer than just last night

[Thait Spot]

the whole world is looking at Thai police laxity in Bangkok. Why Suthep ( representing a minority of the population) who is tarnishing Thailand image and damaging Thailand economy has not been arrested yet ? Has police in Bangkok a preferred political color ?

Yes mate.

Very much red

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[hellodolly]

It is definatly a shame that their business is down.

Now they are beginning to understand what the red shirts did to thousands of every day working citizens in 2010. It is against these type people and their followers that Sutheop is trying to put an end to and bring in a government for the people.

I am not that familiar with Bangkok other than to know it is a huge city. I wonder how many cab drivers are affected by the protests. Also how much of their business is lost. At least they still have their cabs and have time to protest. That is not the way it was for a lot of small business owners when the red shirts were doing their thing in 2010. It is the same red shirts as today.

In all fairness to taxi drivers I was watching Air Asia the other day. It had a spot on about the taxi's in Malaysia particularly KL they seemed to be worse than what some posters would have us believe they all are here.

doesn't the present government support taxi drivers to a degree here in Thailand?

[Nowhereman60]

what the taxi drivers should do it block the way so that the protesters can not go t their designed routes.

[sjjmmi]

Bring in the Tanks

[Halion]

At last.

The real "populace" are speaking.

Those who stand to lose the very daily rice they put on their families tables due to the selfish actions of an elite minority and its paid canon-fodder, should the capital be further disrupted.

Forget the Army and forget the Police, you really, really, really don't wanna upset the taxi/MC brigade.

You'll barely be able to sit down for a week, if you do.

Nice 1.

The real populace are starting to speak.

All we need now are the street-vendors who don't have their carts insured, in order to be smashed by protestors and the bar owners who are in similar position to join them. Not to mention the street girls workers.

Who would voluntarily face down that lot?

Thusep and his ilk will be heading for Dubai, in quick order.

I agree

Suthep has been rambling on how the Majority "The real People" are on his side. Looks like the real people (Not the rich elite) are fed up with him and are hurting and maybe about to give him a far old spanking. There is now a 500K incentive.

How interesting that you can claim that the "real populace" are speaking. A handful of disgruntled taxi drivers is a far cry from the voice of the people..

[tonytigerbkk]

what the taxi drivers should do it block the way so that the protesters can not go t their designed routes.

What, you mean block the traffic like they do on a daily basis?

[tonytigerbkk]

A bit hypocritical. They served the reds well, blocking streets and being idiots. Now the shoe is on the other foot, they are upset!!!

For "hypocritical" read democratic.

The "population" is quite happy with the current government, thank you very much (it's they who voted them in, after all).

It's only the elite who are throwing their rattles out of the pram cuz no-one likes them or wants them to govern in the current administration's stead.

Doesnt your Avatar come in Red?

Well Sebastian Dangerfield was a red head.

[8OA8]

Not all taxis are Red...I've been in a few where the drivers were obviously Yellow nut-jobs...

Hopefully the "turn your car's headlights on to show opposition to Suthep" campaign will catch on, if so it will help in selecting a taxi...though unfortunately, only during the daytime, haha...

I'm not sure whether to buy shares in Osram or Hella bulbs, what bulbs do you reckon will be most popular in taxi's

[Ricardo]

Don't these taxi-drivers realise, there will be a million potential-customers, wanting to get a ride to the demo ?

And then throw-in all Jatupon's Red-Shirt anti-anti-protesters, wanting to rally & make the world safe, for caretaker-governments !

Yay for Increased business-opportunities for taxi-drivers !

and a good old kicking to go along with it. The fair the get won't even cover the medical costs.

Perhaps the taxi-drivers now know, not to throw things at demonstrations, of either colour ?

Or perhaps they might make their personal politics known, so that red-protesters can use red-taxis, and yellow-protesters yellow-cabs ?

With all those elites & red-shirt supporters, who are supposed to be living in Bangkok, taxi-drivers there must surely be used to getting-along with, and taking money off, both sides ?

[chooka]

At last.

The real "populace" are speaking.

Those who stand to lose the very daily rice they put on their families tables due to the selfish actions of an elite minority and its paid canon-fodder, should the capital be further disrupted.

Forget the Army and forget the Police, you really, really, really don't wanna upset the taxi/MC brigade.

You'll barely be able to sit down for a week, if you do.

Nice 1.

The real populace are starting to speak.

All we need now are the street-vendors who don't have their carts insured, in order to be smashed by protestors and the bar owners who are in similar position to join them. Not to mention the street girls workers.

Who would voluntarily face down that lot?

Thusep and his ilk will be heading for Dubai, in quick order.

I agree

Suthep has been rambling on how the Majority "The real People" are on his side. Looks like the real people (Not the rich elite) are fed up with him and are hurting and maybe about to give him a far old spanking. There is now a 500K incentive.

How interesting that you can claim that the "real populace" are speaking. A handful of disgruntled taxi drivers is a far cry from the voice of the people..

200K lunatics are a far cry from voice of 68 million people

[kdw512]

Interesting. Obviously the taxi driver that refused to take me yesterday must be doing alright.

No kidding. Same happened to me, 3 cabs refused to take me from soi 11 to Ruam Ruddee.

[JRSoul]

what the taxi drivers should do it block the way so that the protesters can not go t their designed routes.

Doh! Try to imagine what a Corolla looks like after 1000 people walk over it.

[FangFerang]

I really think that shutting down a city only hurts the citizens who have meager resources, and resembles wrongful imprisonment.

[Spalpeen]

I guess Sutheps "The People" doesn't include taxi drivers with hungry families. Or people on the minimum wage, which he wants to cut. Or stock market investors, who are currently losing money. Or rice farmers. Or Bangkok commuters.

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

[chooka]

I guess Sutheps "The People" doesn't include taxi drivers with hungry families. Or people on the minimum wage, which he wants to cut. Or stock market investors, who are currently losing money. Or rice farmers. Or Bangkok commuters.

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

Suthep and his group of rich and elite mates who want the country by any means possible. excluding elections which they will never win.

[MGP]

Taxi drivers worried about not making money? That is funny!

2 of every 3 Taxis that I call do not want to take the ride. “Mai pai, sorry, mai pai”, or they act like they do not understand farang, although talking in Thai. And that was before the protests started.

Edited January 4, 2014 by MGP

[JRSoul]

I guess Sutheps "The People" doesn't include taxi drivers with hungry families. Or people on the minimum wage, which he wants to cut. Or stock market investors, who are currently losing money. Or rice farmers. Or Bangkok commuters.

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

Suthep and his group of rich and elite mates who want the country by any means possible. excluding elections which they will never win.

Doesn't it get tiresome pretending that all those protesting about a corrupt, inept and autocratic government are "rich and elite"? What is the point of repeating an obvious lie?

[kirk0233]

The real power, the military, is playing both sides against each other. As long as these childish protests continue with each side in turn trying to trump the other by creating the most disorder, the military will come out the winner. If the corrupt military is always saving one side from the other the civil government cannot create effective legal and ethical measures that originate democratically from the people that work toward solving the root causes of the problems. Two months into the protest many expect a coup; what institution benefits from this stupid band aid solution apart from the military?

Edited January 4, 2014 by kirk0233

[thhMan]

I need to call BS on the taxi drivers comment...

They didnt have any problems paying their taxi lease when refusing fares, so why should this be any different.

I get it now... Karma...

Hopefully other things will be coming back to haunt the thais ...

[GeorgeO]

A bit hypocritical. They served the reds well, blocking streets and being idiots. Now the shoe is on the other foot, they are upset!!!

Yes indeed...! It's natural that they will protest because their allegiance is with the man in Dubai.

However, they still refuse to accept, as do all red shirt apologists, that the very reason for these protests is to bring corruption to an end in Thailand, which would ultimately allow the country, and its people (including taxi drivers) to prosper...!!

[chuang]

Hey Mr. Dangerfield, calm down a bit.

The populace is not speaking, 20 red shirt sympathisers are speaking.

While I agree that not all taxi drivers are red shirts, I would stake my life that these 20 taxi drivers have an allegiance to the red faction.

I’m pretty sure that the taxi drivers lost more revenue during the 2010 riots but they were not so worried about loosing their money then.

Likewise it's not the thai populace that want a change of a democratic elected government and an unelected suthep council..but a bunch of sore losers who want to be the government even though they are not elected....

[Spalpeen]

I guess Sutheps "The People" doesn't include taxi drivers with hungry families. Or people on the minimum wage, which he wants to cut. Or stock market investors, who are currently losing money. Or rice farmers. Or Bangkok commuters.

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

Suthep and his group of rich and elite mates who want the country by any means possible. excluding elections which they will never win.

Doesn't it get tiresome pretending that all those protesting about a corrupt, inept and autocratic government are "rich and elite"? What is the point of repeating an obvious lie?

.

Go on then, give us all an example of a working class person who can afford to spend weeks on the streets of Bangkok campaigning for his vote to be taken away and to have a cut in the minimum wage. The only 'working class' people you will see at a Suthep rally are the deeply deluded and the rent-a-mob who are paid to be there.

If the government is corrupt, inept and autocratic then the way to get rid of it is with..........an election!