Bangkok Shutdown: Violence fears realised

[webfact]

Violence fears realised
The Nation


Anti-government leader Suthep Thaugsuban is protected by bodyguards linking arms, as a group of admirers welcome him during his march yesterday along a Sukhumvit Road section.

Abhisit's home attacked; 4 held in 'unrelated' weapons seizure

BANGKOK: -- THE STAKES in the months-long political rally are rising, as more violence is directed at anti-government protesters.

The Bangkok residence of Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrat Party leader, was the target of a grenade attack on Tuesday night, while two people near the Pathum Wan rally site were injured in a shooting early yesterday morning.

In a move to cope with the rising number of attacks, the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) has agreed to cooperate with a new police security plan under which nine checkpoints will be set up near Pathum Wan and Ratchaprasong rally sites to screen people entering the venue to minimise the chance of possible attacks.

The casualty toll for the "Bangkok shutdown", now entering its fourth day, had grown to seven injuries as of Tuesday night, sustained in three attacks on anti-government rally sites by unknown assailants, according to a Public Health Ministry update released yesterday. The ministry's toll does not include five deaths that occurred during a red-shirt rally at Rajamangala Stadium late last year.

Since the PDRC launched its campaign late last year, three people have died and 194 have been wounded through attacks and other violence, Dr Narong Sahametapat, permanent secretary of the ministry, said in statement read out yesterday. The incidents cited by Narong included a two-day skirmish between police and protesters at the Thai-Japanese Stadium during candidacy registration.

Early yesterday, a bus chartered by anti-government protesters that was parked at the Nang Lerng Race Course, officially known as the Royal Turf Club, was damaged when a tyre was set on fire.

In what was described as a separate incident, four people were arrested and a 9mm pistol and four grenades were seized when the suspects' vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint at 3am yesterday. Bang Na police said the four suspects had nothing to do with the bombing of Abhisit's house.

The four suspects - Anusorn Pinijkhun, 45, Suna Thinkaew, 53, Khamphrai Saengsawaeng, 45, and Thanapha Denmart, 48, a woman - were charged with possessing weapons and carrying them in public without a permit. Suna reportedly confessed to buying the grenades from a friend and carrying the gun for self-defence.

Deputy National Police chief Pol General Aek Angsananont said the seized explosives were Chinese-made RGD-5 grenades, possibly smuggled in, unlike the type used in Abhisit's home attack, which police did not identify.

Aek had inspected Abhisit's house on Sukhumvit Soi 31 after a grenade blew a large hole in the roof above a storage room and shattered windows at 11.20pm on Tuesday. No one was hurt in the incident. Abhisit's family had already moved out, leaving a few caretakers inside.

The motive was probably just to scare people, as was believed to be the case in a drive-by shooting at a coffee shop at the Democrat Party headquarters on Monday night, Aek said.

Pol Colonel Khamthon Ouicharoen, chief of Explosive Ordnance Disposal police, said the grenade picked up at Abhisit's house was a US-made M-26 model, available in military arsenals.

Abhisit said he believed the figures behind this attack were the same ones that carried out attacks on his and others' homes during the bloody red-shirt protest in Bangkok in 2010.

PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban claimed the government had something to do with all the attacks last night against the anti-government movement.

Rames Rattanachaweng, a Democrat legal adviser, urged Bang Na police not to jump to conclusions regarding the explosives arrests pending a thorough investigation.

At the Hua Chang Bridge near the PDRC'S rally site at the Pathum Wan Intersection, Thossaphol Ngamlamai, 35, a garbage collector, and Amphai Charoenrit, 55, a woman from Surat Thani, were hit by gunfire from unknown sources just after midnight.

Thossaphol, who was shot in the ankle and head, and Amphai, struck in the right arm, were rushed to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. A pickup truck opposite the Asia Hotel was also hit. A source reported that gunshots and blasts continued to be heard in the area until about 2am, when everything went quiet. Former Democrat MP Thaenkhun Jitissara said he suspects the gunman might be a professional because, unlike the attacks on Rajdamnoen Avenue when motorcyclists were seen hauling explosives or opening fire before fleeing, this seemed like an ambush. Police would be asked to check on the buildings surrounding the rally site.

Pol Maj-General Wanlop Prathummuang, a senior commander who led a team to inspect the Hua Chang Bridge shooting scene amid some protesters' scolding, said police found a spent cartridge at the site.Police, regretting this happened due to their lack of access to rally sites to provide security, would ask protest leaders to let them help screen people who came and left the protest sites, he said.


-- The Nation 2014-01-16

[noikrit]

Hmmmmm ... Now the Grenades arrive .... Sad , very sad .....

[englishoak]

Police, regretting this happened due to their lack of access to rally sites to provide security, would ask protest leaders to let them help screen people who came and left the protest sites,

Typical now the police are suddenly not such a bad lot then, should have accepted the help in the first place but were too busy vilifying everyone who has to work with the elected government at the time

​get that security set up and keep the people safe, face and stubbornness shouldnt have even compromised peoples safety in the first place

[Lingba]

there should be drones flying soon

[casindonet]

9mm automatic pistol for self defence I can understand....but what kind of people need 4 grenades for self defence?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[pxlgirl]

some of my thai folks have said that some Bangkokians who were fed up with protesters blocking their roads would throw small stones from high buildings... They can injure quite a bit and it's sad to see that all of this seems to be part of the plan. It's no brainer that there will be (violent) resistance, either from regular people or some political counterparts, or even planted attacks on either side. The ppl involved are too emotional and irrational to see through this dirty game.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

We have seen this pattern of violence before when a square faced man being threatened to remove his sticky fingers from the cookie jar, haven't we?

.

[Thait Spot]

9mm automatic pistol for self defence I can understand....but what kind of people need 4 grenades for self defence?Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

These people were released after questioning

Amazing Thailand

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[waza]

Mild violence like this will just increase the protestors resolve. Let hope it doesn't escalate.

[poisonus]

The four suspects - Anusorn Pinijkhun, 45, Suna Thinkaew, 53, Khamphrai Saengsawaeng, 45, and Thanapha Denmart, 48, a woman - were charged with possessing weapons and carrying them in public without a permit. Suna reportedly confessed to buying the grenades from a friend and carrying the gun for self-defence.

I wonder why the police have not followed normal past procedure by issuing where these people came from. I mean, if they were from the southern provinces, it would have been emblazoned across the report. Could it be that they are from... cough cough..... 'The North'?

Grenades for 'self defense'? where were they going?..... Syria?

[MaxLee]

If you make weapons available at every night market and flea market outlet each and every day,... is it any mystery...?

[Nowhereman60]

Let the war games begin.

[englishoak]

Let the war games begin.

Please lets not, word games ok but not war games, we have had enough bloodshed as it is.

should kidnap Suthep and Yingluck stick em in a room and refuse to let them eat until they had a proper chat, That would do it by 11 am

[LuckyLew]

and it is only going to get worse ... hope you are happy TS ... more blood on your hands

[A1Str8]

This is going to end bad.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Prbkk]

another disingenuous report from The Nation. Every credible news source in the world is talking about the peaceful protests and, in the context of declining support and dwindling numbers, prospects for a peaceful resolution. But not The Nation. I wonder why

[ikke]

and it is only going to get worse ... hope you are happy TS ... more blood on your hands

Yes you beloved, Suthep, nr1 terrorist gets ore blood on his hands, and TS has nothing to do with this, TS is used by this terrorists to take over control, to make you and his followers believe that this is all about TS.

This Suthep is out there making a big mess , only to get what he wants, dictatorship, and we know where it started, but sad enough we don't know where it will end.

[spare5]

The death including police?

[Tarric]

How much of the violence is instigated by extremist elements loyal to the PTP or by regular residents of Bangkok suffering as a result of the shutdown is a matter of conjecture. However its becoming clear that many Bangkok residents are becoming increasingly hostile towards the protesters, while people can afford to miss a couple of days of work many can't afford to miss more than that.

As the protesters begin to cost people their homes, business's and livelyhoods over the coming days and weeks the Bangkok public's response is likely to grow to be increasingly hostile with ever increasing levels of violence.

[crazykopite]

It appears to me that the red shirts are behaving well and keeping out of these unsavoury protests I applaud them as it must be very tempting to get involved. As for Suthep lock this madman up before he cause further damage how the hell can one man bring a major Asian city to a standstill it beggars belief he is wanted for murder when he was deputy prime minister so to me that would be good enough to arrest him it seems no one has the balls to go and do it.

[webfact]

More gunshots and bombs hit anti-government protests



BANGKOK: -- Two bombs were hurled at security guards of anti-government protest on Lard Prao intersection and gunshots were sprayed at protesters near Chamaimaruches bridge in Dusit area late last night, but nobody was harmed.

The first incident happened at about 11.00 p.m. at the protest site of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) on the Lard Prao intersection where the majority of protesters coming from the provinces.

Two deafening sound of explosions were heard forcing the PDRC guards and protesters near the scene to run for cover.
After the explosion was over, the guards went out to inspect the scene. They found a metal sheet on the ground beneath the Lard Prao flyover. They said they believed the bomb was hurled from a running vehicle passing the flyover which is behind the stage of the PDRC. But the bomb hit the flyover wall and did not fall on the ground below. The metal sheet might be part of the wall.

Meanwhile gunshots were sprayed into a cordon of security guards of the Network of Students and People for the Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) on Phitsanulok road in Dusit area shortly before midnight. But nobody was hurt.

NSPRT chief guard Nasser Yuma said the gunman came in a car and then sprayed bullets at the guards and escaped. He later cautioned media representatives to leave the area for safety reason.

Following the gun attack, the guards have tightened maximum security at the protest site and surrounding areas to safeguard protesters.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/gunshots-bombs-hit-anti-government-protests/


-- Thai PBS 2014-01-16

[wolfmanjack]

If you make weapons available at every night market and flea market outlet each and every day,... is it any mystery...?

I have seen knives and swords available at the night market which are no worse than the long knives available on the side of the road used for chopping meat or pruning trees.

I have not seen pistols, rifles or grenades for sale at any of the night markets I have been to.

If you have then please let us know where you have been shopping.

[dahinni]

what is really bad here, they try to solve problems with guns n violence.

[tingtongteesood]

and it is only going to get worse ... hope you are happy TS ... more blood on your hands

Yes you beloved, Suthep, nr1 terrorist gets ore blood on his hands, and TS has nothing to do with this, TS is used by this terrorists to take over control, to make you and his followers believe that this is all about TS.

This Suthep is out there making a big mess , only to get what he wants, dictatorship, and we know where it started, but sad enough we don't know where it will end.

Spoken like a true red shirt, scary thing is they are actually made to believe this !

[keemapoot]

Interestingly, Richard Barrow's twitter feed has been showing army bunkers going up around the city. Don't know if this means anything yet, but interesting to monitor.

[sam sen]

are the checkpoints going to be manned by the same calibre of security staff as those checking people entering department stores and the MRT/BTS...?

[lucjoker]

this blocking of streets saves hundreds of lives!

Thousands of slow walking people can not crash their motorcycles into each other !

They must do this every weekend !

[bunny11kk]

and it is only going to get worse ... hope you are happy TS ... more blood on your hands

Yes you beloved, Suthep, nr1 terrorist gets ore blood on his hands, and TS has nothing to do with this, TS is used by this terrorists to take over control, to make you and his followers believe that this is all about TS.

This Suthep is out there making a big mess , only to get what he wants, dictatorship, and we know where it started, but sad enough we don't know where it will end.

Oh My God! Thanks for you insider information! Now I know TS has nothing to do with this!

[love1012]

another disingenuous report from The Nation. Every credible news source in the world is talking about the peaceful protests and, in the context of declining support and dwindling numbers, prospects for a peaceful resolution. But not The Nation. I wonder why

maybe because thats the way you like to present it. I was very interested to see how red shirt supporter could wriggle out of they violent conduct. You posting ou excuse them. amaze me once more. AGAIN red shirt supporter use violence and AGAIN you excuse them. Personally I HOPE that no protestors use violence it will bring them down to you red shirt level. Thaksin happy to conduc this affair and see people hurt from his big expensive appartment in Dubai. Maybe you can remind your isaan lady of this fact.

[Mackie]

Let the war games begin.

Please lets not, word games ok but not war games, we have had enough bloodshed as it is.

should kidnap Suthep and Yingluck stick em in a room and refuse to let them eat until they had a proper chat, That would do it by 11 am

That's a good suggestion but you omitted the most important part, before you stick them in the room, the Skype should be installed. You do realize that, don't you? Of course, the dialogue is always the best course of action.