Thai Army chief calls urgent Top Five meeting‏

[webfact]

Army chief calls Top Five meeting‏

BANGKOK: -- Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has abruptly cancelled his morning schedule to preside over the 104th anniversary celebration of the First Army Region.

Instead, the army chief called an urgent meeting of the “Top Five” army officers to assess the Bangkok Shutdown operation launched today by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.

Members of the PDRC started blocking some main intersections to set up their stages since Sunday evening as the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order has declared several road intersections and government buildings where protests were planned off-limits to protesters.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/army-chief-calls-top-five-meeting%E2%80%8F/


-- Thai PBS 2014-01-13

[15Peter20]

Surely not enough excuse yet to stage a coup.

[GrantSmith]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Prbkk]

Maybe they are meeting to discuss the low turnout?

[taony]

took me a long time to understand that, even though my original guess turned out to be right.

[nong38]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know? Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sgt Bilko is one I heard.

[nong38]

The General has called for calm and asked that sides keep calm and remember they are all Thais even though they may have different views.

He sounds a man who cares about the country, I wonder what would happen if he asked the PDRC and the PM to meet him for chat?

[millwall_fan]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know? Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sgt Bilko is one I heard.

Good soldier Schweik is another.

[culicine]

Maybe they are meeting to discuss the low turnout?

Who needs a big turnout when the police are doing NOTHING to stop it. I could get some boy scouts to do the same thing. The ploy is obvious - let it run it's course. They are hoping for a backlash from the public. They are hoping for unseen hands to carry out violence to put protesters off of protesting.

[Nickymaster]

Surely not enough excuse yet to stage a coup.

You talk like Tkaksin and his red team. There will be no coup. Yingluck has to clean up the mess herself.

[millwall_fan]

Maybe they are meeting to discuss the low turnout?

Who needs a big turnout when the police are doing NOTHING to stop it. I could get some boy scouts to do the same thing. The ploy is obvious - let it run it's course. They are hoping for a backlash from the public. They are hoping for unseen hands to carry out violence to put protesters off of protesting.

What can the police do? The army have instructed them not to use any 'violence' and that can be taken to read anything that could in any way prevent the demonstrators doing exactly what they want.

[DocN]

Still everything going as predicted....

[culicine]

If it's only a meeting of top brass it doesn't mean a coup. They still have to follow orders.

[iancnx]

The drive by shooting of democrat supporters at a coffee shop (12 rounds expended) might have concentrated minds earlier than expected.

[15Peter20]

Surely not enough excuse yet to stage a coup.

You talk like Tkaksin and his red team. There will be no coup. Yingluck has to clean up the mess herself.

Yes mate, if you say so. Carry on....

[oldthaihand99]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know? Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sgt Bilko is one I heard.

Good soldier Schweik is another.

Sgt Schultz is top 2.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=hogans+heroes+shultz&qpvt=hogans+heroes+shultz&FORM=IGRE

[NongKhaiKid]

Channel News Asia has reported that news of this meeting has naturally fueled even more rumours of an impending coup but it doesn't take much especially in such a volatile atmosphere.

[craigt3365]

Maybe they are meeting to discuss the low turnout?

Who needs a big turnout when the police are doing NOTHING to stop it. I could get some boy scouts to do the same thing. The ploy is obvious - let it run it's course. They are hoping for a backlash from the public. They are hoping for unseen hands to carry out violence to put protesters off of protesting.

Take a look at the pics here. Hardly a low turnout:

https://twitter.com/georgebkk

[oldthaihand99]

Surely not enough excuse yet to stage a coup.

You talk like Tkaksin and his red team. There will be no coup. Yingluck has to clean up the mess herself.

What would you suggest? Baby wipes?

[ginjag]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know? Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well the PM is the defense minister, with vast experience in this field, served in the forces, (school maybe) she has to be present. You cannot leave out a high ranking person. She has proven background on how to run a non corrupt government, and is loved by all. NOT NOT

[FWIW]

Oh dear. The date for the "shut down" has been known long in advance. the date of the anniversary celebration has been known long in advance.

Sudden cancellation is not a good sign.....

[oldthaihand99]

Channel News Asia has reported that news of this meeting has naturally fueled even more rumours of an impending coup but it doesn't take much especially in such a volatile atmosphere.

Around NEP it looks so dead, even for a Monday morning, as if the coup is already on.

Most shops, banks, stores, etc open for business as usual though.

[NongKhaiKid]

Surely not enough excuse yet to stage a coup.

You talk like Tkaksin and his red team. There will be no coup. Yingluck has to clean up the mess herself.

What would you suggest? Baby wipes?

Being one of the rich elite she doesn't do anything herself and will get someone to do it for her

[alfalfa19]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know? Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sgt Bilko is one I heard.

Good soldier Schweik is another.

I believe Colonel Klink belongs at that table as well.

[oldthaihand99]

Channel News Asia has reported that news of this meeting has naturally fueled even more rumours of an impending coup but it doesn't take much especially in such a volatile atmosphere.

Around NEP it looks so dead, even for a Monday morning, as if the coup is already on.

Most shops, banks, stores, etc open for business as usual though.

With hardly any traffic, pedestrians or shoppers, it was like a ghost town around 930 AM.

A guy blowing a whistle in a group of about 10 was walking along sukhumvit near soi 4 with one dressed in a yellow shirt.

Edited January 13, 2014 by oldthaihand99

[rijb]

Have they finished moving their equipment into Bangkok?

[JoeThePoster]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know? Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sgt Bilko is one I heard.

Good soldier Schweik is another.

I believe Colonel Klink belongs at that table as well.

Not sure but I think also includes ....

Major Wood

Seaman Swallow

Private Parts

[SamMunich]

Prbkk posted

Maybe they are meeting to discuss the low turnout?

On a private note: I like your "new" avatar a lot more than the previous. That one made me wonder, if that is the expression of some mental problem. Now for real, I start to see you in another light. Don't worry, I won't propose... right now <wg>,

Sam

Edited January 13, 2014 by SamMunich

[catterwell]

Who's in this Top 5 officers? Anyone know? Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Commander-in-Chief (CiC): Gen Prayudh; Deputy CIC Gen Udomdej Sitibutr; Asst CiC: Gen Chatchai Sirikulya; Asst CiC: Gen Paibool Khumchaya; Chief of Staff: Gen Aksra Kerdphol

Such a meeting made public suggests a message is being sent or planned.

Nothing to do with a coup - those are planned very secretly.

[NongKhaiKid]

Channel News Asia has reported that news of this meeting has naturally fueled even more rumours of an impending coup but it doesn't take much especially in such a volatile atmosphere.

Around NEP it looks so dead, even for a Monday morning, as if the coup is already on.

Most shops, banks, stores, etc open for business as usual though.

With hardly any traffic, pedestrians or shoppers, it was like a ghost town around 930 AM.

A guy blowing a whistle in a group of about 10 was walking along sukhumvit near soi 4 with one dressed in a yellow shirt.

Thanks to the posters who are giving updates from their own areas as the BBC, Channel News Asia etc are only covering the protest areas, naturally enough, and so far no reports about how other areas are affected.