Instead of entering the reconciliation process, it would be better if Suthep entered the going-to-jail process.

Yes! Along with anyone/everyone else that has outstanding warrants for their arrest. Will Thaksin step up first to set the precendent?

Watching the thai news now, most protest sites seem more or less deserted. At Asok the protesters are only stretching back about as far as Soi Cowboy, and at Lumpini there are a few people. Perhaps the protest numbers will bolster when half of them can be bothered to get out of bed

Actually Rajadamri looks quite busy, but how may of those shown are actually protesting, and how many are passing through going about their business in anybodies guess.

It's still a bit early in the day for a big turn out. I'd expect that by mid afternoon the numbers will swell quite a bit. It was the same during the last big rally.

Morning prayers?

No, I'm not at all religious, but if I were, I'd lay hands on you and shout, "Get out of Rich Teacher you Red Devil!"

Amen

Watching the thai news now, most protest sites seem more or less deserted. At Asok the protesters are only stretching back about as far as Soi Cowboy, and at Lumpini there are a few people. Perhaps the protest numbers will bolster when half of them can be bothered to get out of bed

Actually Rajadamri looks quite busy, but how may of those shown are actually protesting, and how many are passing through going about their business in anybodies guess.

It's still a bit early in the day for a big turn out. I'd expect that by mid afternoon the numbers will swell quite a bit. It was the same during the last big rally.

Morning prayers?

No, I'm not at all religious, but if I were, I'd lay hands on you and shout, "Get out of Rich Teacher you Red Devil!

Amen

Since a lot of the protesters and southern Muslim, should all the stages face a certain direction?

"I don't know how it can happen. How can the PDRC have many protesters who will occupy the seven intersections for a long time? You know it was not hard for Adolph Hitler to order an invasion of countries in World War II, but it was very difficult to control those areas," he said.

The Bangkok shutdown would not affect the caretaker government, but the lives of Bangkok people would be really affected. The PDRC would become an enemy of the people, he said.

Exactly. Let the spoilt brat yellow shirts have their hissy fit, give them the rope they need to hang themselves, then lets move on to elections as planned.

What is the point of the planned elections? without 95% it is null and void

The elections are a new way for PTP to pilfer from the people, 3.8 billion to be spend on the elections ... that will be a few mercs ..

Since a lot of the protesters and southern Muslim, should all the stages face a certain direction?

Halal restaurants must be making a killing!

I wonder if that was his logic in April/May 2010? The red shirts set the precedent for taking the capitol hostage to get your way.

No, they didn't. That was the PAD in 2009, when they took over Suvarnaphumi. Whilst not the 'capitol' as such, it did paralyse Bangkok as a flight hub. And it did give the reds a few ideas, clearly, for 2010.

Each time the polarisation reverses, yellow to red, red to yellow, the anti is upped. You can blame both bands of lunatics for this.

Just to point out that the closure of Swampy was 2008, not 2009.

I wonder whether Thaksin's aide remembers, which side Thailand was on, in the second world-war ?

Hint ... Hitler was an ally, not an enemy.

9am and it's certainly looking like a flop so far. A few troublemakers loitering around traffic junctions in inner Bangkok while 99.9% of Thailand gets on with business as usual. The women around my way are cackling and waggling their little fingers. They say that Suthep just hasn't got it.

mega flop

In the markets this would be referred to as "talking his own book". He is not exactly a disinterested party.

9am and it's certainly looking like a flop so far. A few troublemakers loitering around traffic junctions in inner Bangkok while 99.9% of Thailand gets on with business as usual. The women around my way are cackling and waggling their little fingers. They say that Suthep just hasn't got it.

Due to late night parties, rich elite Bangkokian don't gets up until after 10am.

Then they have to spend another 2 hours in makeup and whitening cream before they are ready for Blunch.

The reference to Hitler is indeed apposite but not so much in respect of the Nazi occupation of Europe. Mr Wattana would do well to expand his studies of European history to cover the methodology of Hitler's rise to power initially through a general election but later subverting democracy to eliminate any possible opposition to his totalitarian rule. Sound familiar Mr Wattana?

I wonder whether Thaksin's aide remembers, which side Thailand was on, in the second world-war ?

Hint ... Hitler was an ally, not an enemy.

Absolutely. Hitler's Asian joint venture partner had no problem maintaining the occupation of Thailand on behalf of the axis. It took US intervention in the war and several years to dislodge them. Nothing from the pliant Thais.

Better for illiterate Thaksin flunkies to keep quiet about the war. This is a job for a real expert in Southeast Asian history - Mr Robert Amsterdam.

mega flop

Don't turn off your TV just yet

If by flop he means current gov will be replaced within few weeks, then he is correct. Sent from my C6802 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Lets face reality, trying to change the government by shutting down less than 30% of BK by disrupting the traffic flow, and aggravating the public is like having a 'wet dream' it only a dream.

I wonder if that was his logic in April/May 2010? The red shirts set the precedent for taking the capitol hostage to get your way.

Not true, the precedent was set by the yellows for taking the airport hostage..... in case you forgot.

9am and it's certainly looking like a flop so far. A few troublemakers loitering around traffic junctions in inner Bangkok while 99.9% of Thailand gets on with business as usual. The women around my way are cackling and waggling their little fingers. They say that Suthep just hasn't got it.

Due to late night parties, rich elite Bangkokian don't gets up until after 10am.

Then they have to spend another 2 hours in makeup and whitening cream before they are ready for Blunch.

There we go with the "Elite" word again. What do you care what time they get up or how much make up they wear? But just a simple question... "How would you classify Yingluck?" Peasant farmer type perhaps?

If by flop he means current gov will be replaced within few weeks, then he is correct. Sent from my C6802 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well, first of all, Khun Watana is totally out of touch with grass-roots feelings here, and indeed, it is far too late in the day for Yingluck (sorry, I meant Thaksin) to be considering the issuing of an executive decree to create a reform committee, since it is as clear as the nose on your face that this is a final desperate act aimed at keeping this puppet government in place.

He is partly correct in saying:

"the planned Bangkok shutdown aims to oust the caretaker government, not initiate reform"...

however, if I may correct him slightly, what the protesters actually aim to achieve is "to oust the caretaker government" AND "initiate reform".

Secondly, how does someone with such obvious links to the fugitive criminal feel that he has any right to comment on the political situation in Thailand? Anyone who is clearly providing assistance to this most corrupt individual should be vilified by all good citizens of Thailand.

His master is responsible for the mess that the country is in, and the people are going to come out in enormous strength to demonstrate this to the "caretaker" government. This Thaksin sycophant will no doubt be made to eat his words...!!

Thirdly, he has no idea what is going through the mind of Gen. Prayuth, and I think there are many of us on this forum who are far better able to read between the lines of the comments that the Gen. has made. No, Khun Watana, if your beloved leader and his followers make any moves to escalate the problem, the Gen. will be there to prove you wrong on yet another count.

Finally, it didn't take long for the Hitler analogy to appear in this thread, did it...!!

Look at Thai history...PAD weren't the first one.....it has tradition.

Enlighten me, when and for how long did these previous prolonged protests take place?

The "student uprising" in the 70s when the then interior minister, a certain Mr Samak, declared they were all communists after which 100s were killed in the most brutal fashion some being hung & burned. Also in recent history 1992 when Chamlong lead a protest to oust the military backed government again resulting in an unknown number of deaths which was officially in the 40s but there were reports of truckloads of bodies being taken away. HM the King intervened to prevent further bloodshed.

Kudos to you Valentine for helping to educate another "unenlightened" one, but I think it is the duty of anyone who cares to comment on these issues to actually do some research themselves, and find out the facts for themselves, before making any comment at all...!!

Their we go with the "Elite" word again. What do you care what time they get up or how much make up they wear? But just a simple question... "How would you classify Yingluck?" Peasant farmer type perhaps?

The Prime Minister of Thailand, is the appropriate term.

Let's leave the comparisons to Hitler out of these discussions as it is inflammatory and hyperbolic in nature.

My apologies Metisdead, but I was merely commenting on the issue raised by Khun Watana himself in the original report...!

Flop or not, I think the protest has made its point. Yet the rhetoric continues. Without acceptance of the democratic process and the tacit understanding from both sides that change is a must, Thailand will forever be mired in a divisive enduring cycle of mistrust and corruption. The government appear to have accepted the situation, though whether it can be trusted remains to be seen. The opposition, with its ever changing agenda, together with its faceless backers does nothing to inspire trust, again this remains to be seen. There must be a point at which both sides accept there will be no outright long term victory and that the nation deserves better.

Let's leave the comparisons to Hitler out of these discussions as it is inflammatory and hyperbolic in nature.

My apologies Metisdead, but I was merely commenting on the issue raised by Khun Watana himself in the original report...!

Apologies, my error, posts re-instated.

THAILAND "THE HUB OF FLOPS"

Their we go with the "Elite" word again. What do you care what time they get up or how much make up they wear? But just a simple question... "How would you classify Yingluck?" Peasant farmer type perhaps?

The Prime Minister of Thailand, is the appropriate term.

Caretaker Prime Minister is the actually the appropriate term, however; it doesn't answer my original question.

I wonder if that was his logic in April/May 2010? The red shirts set the precedent for taking the capitol hostage to get your way.

Different game, different goals. The result was an election and the Thaksinistas being swept to power.

Then instead of any reform, they got straight down to a spectacular gobble-swoggling campaign to reward themselves for enduring fraternization with the dark-skinned hoi poloi.

Whoever said that this country has never been occupied was playing on the lovingly cultivated IGNORANCE of the vast majority of Thais and farang pedigree-bus stowaways.

Real Thais have been occupied for years.

Have a look at the King Prajadipok manifesto.

gobble-swoggling makes the World go around!

Thaskin seems to think that Thailand still loves him, nothing could be further from the truth, this guy is either dumb or in denial , Thaskin you have completely wreaked Thailand as a friendly country with a caring population , now it is dog eat dog, something Burma couldn't do nor the Japanese, Thaskins aid is just a mouth piece for a man who at best was a megalomaniac, this aid needs to get a real job , as for the Shutdown being a flop , we will see.

Not entirely true. Thaksin is still a very popular figure in a lot of the North and North East regions. If allowed back into Thailand and allowed to run in a national election I am almost positive he would gather a majority of the votes. Yes you may add by paying money, but we all know that this is done on both sides so not a valid point.

Like him or not, he is still a popular political figure in parts of Thailand. Just so happens the parts of Thailand he is still very popular in have a large voting block!

I think you need to watch bluesky channel to see it live and know the true numbers.

I think you need to watch bluesky channel to see it live and know the true numbers.

Truth and bluesky rarely coincide

I think you need to watch bluesky channel to see it live and know the true numbers.

Truth and bluesky rarely coincide

True or not, you can still watch Blue Sky muted and you'll still get a good indication of the numbers...

Again, depending which side of the divide you sit will determine how you view the numbers...

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