Protesters asked not to disrupt air traffic control

[thewug]

Why must there be a coup? Why not just get rid of the boneheads that are causing the trouble. Answer is because we are talking about grown people that are like five year old children who care about themselves then trying to sit down and talk.and talk isn't even going to be a talk

Edited January 13, 2014 by thewug

[geriatrickid]

This just might be the kickstart the Cambodian and Vietnamese airports need. Yes, a closure of Thai airspace may prove risky, but it can be managed by some flight route changes. The airlines won't be happy but Cambodia and Vietnam will be delighted by the new overflight income.

However, I think the reality is that the Thai airforce will step in and provide essential services from its own airbases ensuring that a few key corridors remain open. BKK might be closed, but Don Muang is still technically a military airport since it is owned by the Thai military as is Utapao.

Chiang Mai will continue to operate.

The key question is whether or not the government and the military have worked out a contingency plan that can be effected within minutes of a disruption? As this is Thailand, I have to wonder.......

[Ozymandias]

That would be deliberately endangering thousands of lives. A stupid, stupid threat to make.

Absolutely. And can we have the slaveringly uncritical supporters of the 'demonstrations' like TVGerry come out and condemn it ('wrong is wrong' he has stated) just as they (rightly did) the (alleged) threat by the PTP thug on the general's daughters?

My guess is that the forum silence will be deafening but hope springs eternal...

[Ozymandias]

Once again Suthep can not control his protesters. They lie to the people and endanger the lives of thousands of passengers in the air. A stupid move but one you can expect from them. They don't care about others.

And the RED one does ???

How many of the yellows so far has been shot by the red counter-demonstrators.

Do you not read the news ??

No one has proved they were Red Shirts. Do you not read the news

Yep. ASSUME makes an ASS out of U and ME. No, my mistake: just you!!!

Reds & yellows alike seize on these kind of incidents with glee then fill in the gaps where there is no evidence with the 'facts' they desire. The rest of us look on and wonder how this country could so easily be manipulated by such intellectually challenged buffoons.

[tominbkk]

The protest is not going as planned with poor turnout and they will be grasping at straws and the airport and traffic control will be a way for them to put pressure on the government.

Lets hope the Military steps in and stops that (I dont mean a coup) just make sure that dont happen

Poor turnout? Estimated 250,000 today. And they don't even have to pay them to come! Actually, the protestors come with money to give to Suthep!

[Ozymandias]

The protest is not going as planned with poor turnout and they will be grasping at straws and the airport and traffic control will be a way for them to put pressure on the government.

Lets hope the Military steps in and stops that (I dont mean a coup) just make sure that dont happen

Poor turnout? Estimated 250,000 today. And they don't even have to pay them to come! Actually, the protestors come with money to give to Suthep!

It's all relative to what Suthep says in his speeches. He promised 1 million, as I recall. 250,000 is almost certainly an overestimation, given that the biggest rally site, Asoke, attracted 15,000 according to Richard Barrow, an impartial observer. He could have been out by 10,000 possibly, but this then places the topmost figure for all rally sites at 150,000. Let's be generous and say 200,000.

However, even if your 250,000 is accurate, it's way off what Suthep promised. Still, this should be no surpise as he has also promised:

• This will be over when the amnesty bill is dropped
• The final victory will be tomorrow / Friday / a week Tuesday
• Airports will not be seized (admittedly preventing the Thai Air Traffic Control from operating is not strictly speaking seizing the airports, but you can see the disingenuity there)

Given that these are just 3 of his many broken promises - and that this leader of the anti-corruption movement is infamously corrupt himself (and still was when Deputy PM, when other Dems complained about his corrupt practices) then the question is:

How can you believe that if the movement succeeds and Yingluck is out, that he will have no part to play in the unelected body that will oversee Thailand, unaccountable to the electorate, for 18 months? How can we even be sure it will be 18 months? How can we be sure, given his decades of corruption, from the Phuket land reform scandal when his behavour brought down one of the last majority Dem govts to the fixing of palm oil shares to enable his family to expand their wealth through political influence?

My wife (who has some sympathy with the protests but is not a yellow shirt) said to me today: You think I don't know Suthep is corrupt? But at least he's not as corrupt as Thaksin!

I don't tell my wife, but if this is the logic that prevails in this country, then there really is no hope for an end to corruption.

[poohy]

Can you honestly imagine all this shambles being allowed to happen without the police/army stepping in in any other country in the world. It baffles me, and it does seem Thailand is fast approaching a Failed State situation.

[MaxLee]

Can you honestly imagine all this shambles being allowed to happen without the police/army stepping in in any other country in the world. It baffles me, and it does seem Thailand is fast approaching a Failed State situation.

It IS already a failed state...

[noitom]

the precedent for airport closure was set by the Yellow Shirts -PAD. No effort by the military, police or government to stop it. It was a deplorable breach of security in Thailand.

[catmac]

The protest is not going as planned with poor turnout and they will be grasping at straws and the airport and traffic control will be a way for them to put pressure on the government.

Lets hope the Military steps in and stops that (I dont mean a coup) just make sure that dont happen

Poor turnout? Estimated 250,000 today. And they don't even have to pay them to come! Actually, the protestors come with money to give to Suthep!

Don't even have to pay them to come? Most of these goons are bussed up from the South; transport, food and entertainment all paid for, and a little bit of pocket money to keep them happy.

I really am surprised at how few middle-class grannies there were blowing their whistles today, maybe they just got bored by the whole fiasco - after all, how many times have we been assured that "today will be victory day"?

[smilesfly]

Once again Suthep can not control his protesters. They lie to the people and endanger the lives of thousands of passengers in the air. A stupid move but one you can expect from them. They don't care about others.

In another forum it was suggested that the threat to take over air traffic control was not at Swampy or Dom Muang, but at Aerothai's head office in Bangkok. All air traffic control, both civilian and military, other than traffic approaching airports is controlled from there for all of Thai airspace, parts of the Gulf of Thailand and parts of the South China Sea. Such actions would disrupt international flights passing through Thai controlled airspace.

If this is indeed the threat, it is a move calculated to quickly force the military's hand. Suthep's supporters, no doubt, are hoping for a coup. Ejecting his mob and restoring proper air traffic control and safety in the skies over Thailand would be the better option.

It is indeed aimed only at the head office and not at the airports but I have to correct that military air traffic is (mostly) not controlled from there. Coordination with the military, yes. Some of the regional airports' approach control is based in the head office though (Udon, Ubon, Surat, Samui, etc).

[khrab]

Is here any traffic control at all that could be disrupted ???????

Edited January 13, 2014 by khrab

[smilesfly]

Is here any traffic control at all???????

Where do you hail from, Sir? The Middle Ages?

[fish fingers]

And just to add.... A few blocked roads won't remove Yingluck! I expect if Suthep etc are serious, then something major has to happen!

Yingluck is running out of options, Thaksin knows that if the elections even go ahead that it won't be a legit government. That means Yingluck's days are numbered!

[jimmybcool]

This is depressing me. I am scheduled to arrive in BKK from TPE on Thursday around noon. If they had already closed the airport I could just cancel and wait it out here in the states. But I have no way of knowing what is happening and it is feasible I get on a jet for TPE (14 hours) and arrive to discover OOPS, no one gets to thailand now.

I really enjoy Thailand but it is reaching a point where I wonder if it's worth this. Ever increasing scams, price rises, corruption. Now one can't even count on flights in and out.

Amazing is right. Amazing if they think thai face and reputation isn't already damaged.

[takkatan in the land]

Many thais support suthep because he says he wanna stop corruption.

They know democrats are corrupted too but they say less than taksin's.

I don't know if suthep is the new messiah or just one more greedy corrupt

but even if we are optimistic and we believe him, nobody can be surprised

if after few years someone make opposition by other city shutdown or something

worse, because we don't know yet how this is gonna end.

Allow suthep take control of the country for an unknown period of time is starting

new undemocratic historic precedent that may fed the wishing of a new hungry

illuminated like suthep in the future.

The situation for the actual government is already untenable,

they had lost any reaction capacity, they allowed suthep to go so further.

Probably even he is surprised of how easy have been for him until now.

Now they just can do two things and no one is good for the country.

One think is do as until now, nothing.

Just waiting that some divine power comes from nobody knows where

to fix all problems and make suthep disappear.

Other option is do what they should do time ago when suthep started his particular

revolution and saying that they are not going to stop by any reason.

They have to stop it now before the blood arrives to the river.

The situation is quite delicate right now I know, but for sure if they do it on

time, it will be better than let the country in the hands of a man who says

that he wants to reform all laws but who does not respect any.

And who knowing the possible consequences of his acts he has complete

unconcern towards anything it might happen.

[khrab]

Is here any traffic control at all???????

Where do you hail from, Sir? The Middle Ages?

No, from Thailand.

[smilesfly]

Is here any traffic control at all???????

Where do you hail from, Sir? The Middle Ages?

No, from Thailand.

Then do not worry, there is air traffic control!

[khrab]

Is here any traffic control at all???????

Where do you hail from, Sir? The Middle Ages?

No, from Thailand.

Then do not worry, there is air traffic control!

Get stronger reading glasses!

[Ulic]

I think they learnt there lesson the last time they shut down the airport. Very unpopular with everybody.

[noitom]

They were "asked." This reminds of when Ronald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers in the US for threatening strike. Thai government should be ashamed of themselves to cower and "ask" protesters not to commandeer air control and disrupt international air traffic as all airlines reroute to other layovers and destinations. Thailand has no security.

[BudRight]

It really isn't very dangerous to be without air traffic control; it just streamlines things. It's almost a non issue when you consider the actually controlling can just be moved.

[bra]

I am no expert on Thai culture but I think the request rather threat by the Aerothai CEO is in keeping with the normally non confrontation way. Of course in other cultures strong explicit warnings would be issued and any one trying to take over an ATC Center (against the law) would be met with the Police, TRG and the Defence forces if necessary, and charged with criminal offences.

However even if the Government did not take action and the Centre was closed down, this does not mean an immediate threat to safety. Aerothai, like all Air Traffic Service Providers, will have contingency plans in place for this eventuality which preserve safety but may result in a large decrease in capacity, and interruption to airline services. Overflights (not operating at Thai airports) would be diverted outside Thai airspace, and provided the control towers at the major airports were not taken over a limited service for domestic flights could be provided.

But the end result will be considerable disruption to flights, especially International, resulting in few tourists, business travel, freight services etc. The loss , again, to airlines, business both Thai and foreign owned, the tourism industry and thousands of jobs performed by Thais would be considerable.

If a line has to be drawn this is it. If the protesters (and are they still under control of the protest organisers?) do not comply with the Law in this instance they should be stopped by force, arrested and charged.

[Maybole]

I am a retired controller. I am horrified that anybody should interfere with such a vital safety service. Remember that Thailand is a crossroads for many vital air routes that contain many aircraft which do not touch down in Thailand. It will affect and antagonise all the neighbours.

[DiamondKing]

The protest is not going as planned with poor turnout and they will be grasping at straws and the airport and traffic control will be a way for them to put pressure on the government.

Lets hope the Military steps in and stops that (I dont mean a coup) just make sure that dont happen

Poor turnout? Estimated 250,000 today. And they don't even have to pay them to come! Actually, the protestors come with money to give to Suthep!

Hmmm Suthep said 10 MILLION would be out n the streets so 250,000 is pityful not only that but there are 60 Million people in Thailand and if that is all Suthep can muster then it is a failure in anyones book

[ginjag]

Protesters Please ground all DRONES until later, they are interfering with air traffic.

[LivinLOS]

If the stalemate continues, it is almost a sure thing that airports, TV stations and Telcos will be next.

As Suthep states.. There can be no win-win and theres no compromise..

So obviously as this escalated they will keep escalating until something breaks.. Thats the very game plan.

[rickirs]

Once again Suthep can not control his protesters. They lie to the people and endanger the lives of thousands of passengers in the air. A stupid move but one you can expect from them. They don't care about others.

What makes you think he's not controlling his protesters? Because he would dare create chaos and endanger public safety? His record of lack of honesty speaks for itself.

[LivinLOS]

The protest is not going as planned with poor turnout and they will be grasping at straws and the airport and traffic control will be a way for them to put pressure on the government.

Lets hope the Military steps in and stops that (I dont mean a coup) just make sure that dont happen

Poor turnout? Estimated 250,000 today. And they don't even have to pay them to come! Actually, the protestors come with money to give to Suthep!

Hmmm Suthep said 10 MILLION would be out n the streets so 250,000 is pityful not only that but there are 60 Million people in Thailand and if that is all Suthep can muster then it is a failure in anyones book

Add in the fact that this is 'local' for any bangkokian.. So of that 250k, how many are wandering along for a look, as everything else is shut down and its the big event, as opposed to be passionate supporters. That from a country of 60 million.

Asoke this morning shows a few 100 possibly.

Thats the biggest rally site ?? Trying to change the government voted on by an entire country ?? Theres more sleeping people the morning after a full moon party.

[ginjag]

Once again Suthep can not control his protesters. They lie to the people and endanger the lives of thousands of passengers in the air. A stupid move but one you can expect from them. They don't care about others.

What makes you think he's not controlling his protesters? Because he would dare create chaos and endanger public safety? His record of lack of honesty speaks for itself.

Another one with loss of memory---or was not here when Thaksin was around.--83 posts ???