Bangkok Protests - What's Their Strategy for Victory?

[taiping]

I would like to know what the Thais think about the situation and how it will end - nobody cares what farangs think.

I asked a Thai woman today who spoke reasonable English working in a company sales office what she thought, and it was very clear she knew of Suthep's corruption and previous shenanigans regarding palm oil etc, but she believed that he was the lesser of two evils (compared to Thaksin & Co) and he would be capable of reforming the system to some extent. It seems a pragmatic view but I doubt very much it will work.

[quiuvo]

Every day he has a different strategy. Last Monday was to be the Shutdown of bkk . Today, Sunday was to be the great decision day full of protestors. Before was ? No long term strategy really, just throw something and see if it sticks. And yet he is not in jail for breaking many laws, trespassing being one.

[dunque]

What's a red hat?!?!

Santa

[smokie36]

What protest??

[impulse]

Strategy? We don't need no stinking strategy.

Though, with Asian politics, there's usually a strategy, disguised as a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma with a few sub plots and some alliance shifting and back stabbing.

I don't pretend to know...

To my pinhead, it looks like they rallied to put a stop to the amnesty bill, and when they saw how well that worked out, they just decided to keep the momentum going.

I suspect the strategy is being created "on the fly" as it were.

Edited January 19, 2014 by impulse

[Bkk Cruiser]

No but the Red shirts have nothing to gain by injuring a few protesters since fatalities would only draw in the army and result in an all-bets-are-off situation.

The protesters have everything to gain by injuring a few of their own for the "greater good" if it draws in the arbiters of their success.

The bombing, at Chang Wattana, happened to a group that preceded Suthep's passing the spot.

After the bombing, the PDRC would only allow the army to enter the building where the grenades from where said to be tossed. The police weren't allowed in at all.

The army came out with no suspect(s), but enough ordnance to fight a battle, and one red hat !

Even my wife, a staunch opposition supporter, said "Something is wrong here …"

However, she believes it was a set up, by the government, to make people believe that it was a set up by the PDRC.

Actually - there were two red hats found in the building.(see photo below).. both were the same design The first red hat with a Walls Ice cream logo was on the top of the pile of red Tshirts and numerous recently opened BB gun pistol boxes -this was the only hat to be seen when the initial rush of photographers were allowed in the room. Then after the PDRC and army cleared the room a second photo was taken that showed many of the "weapons" which actually were BB guns on a table - but with much reduced incriminating red / police paraphernalia that was shown in the first photos except with a second identical design red baseball cap was laid out on top of the BB guns but with an embroidered logo in the place of the Walls ice-cream logo that the PDRC claimed was a Police attack unit. The police held an immediate press conference and bought examples of their authentic issue red hats and displayed photos of their training groups receiving a different style red hat- with a different front peak,rounded high shaped head piece and different material for all to examine... saying that the questionable attack hat did or never had belonged to them. . Funny The source for this is the Pantip Thai language forum

Curt.. your wife seems to be very perceptive. I think there are quite a few people involved in the background who have learned everything they know by watching Thai Television soap operas.

[Maybole]

I thought that this thread was about future strategy.

Suthep's hatred is so intense that I think that if he ever got into power he is capable of having a large number of Shinawatr family and cronies put against a wall and shot out of hand

This will inflame matters so much that an army takeover will become inevitable. this will produce further bloodshed. Army Generals could not allow this and when they do take over, I suspect that Suthep himself will be arrested to prevent further disorder. Abisit will return as the least of many evils, he will be forced out after the Army get fed up and sombody similar to Taksin will win an overwhelming election victory. Then another Suthep will appear, force the Army to take over and then it begins again.

[The Dancer]

Didn't seem much of a mob at Asok this evening. And the number at VM seems to have dwindled considerably. The bombs, sad though they were, will keep the pretty people away - the ones with painted faces, colorful clothes, who drive to the mob, sit away from the sun and steal off occasionally for a cappuccino - and hasten the departure of the southern rented crowd.

Anyone knows what the numbers were like today? Guessing Wednesday latest will see Suthep drunk and naked in the tender arms of two of Poseidon's best. Man has now got money to burn.

[californiabeachboy]

I think Suthep's Plan A is to get the Armed Forces to take over, in which case there will be a vacuum for political leadership, and he will try to step in.

Plan B is for him to reach an agreement with the government (I know that sounds crazy, but I believe these leaders are more practical than we think), that he will move back down South and be in charge of Southern Thailand - a big fish in a smaller pond, with minimal interference from Bkk.

[quiuvo]

I thought that this thread was about future strategy.

Suthep's hatred is so intense that I think that if he ever got into power he is capable of having a large number of Shinawatr family and cronies put against a wall and shot out of hand

This will inflame matters so much that an army takeover will become inevitable. this will produce further bloodshed. Army Generals could not allow this and when they do take over, I suspect that Suthep himself will be arrested to prevent further disorder. Abisit will return as the least of many evils, he will be forced out after the Army get fed up and sombody similar to Taksin will win an overwhelming election victory. Then another Suthep will appear, force the Army to take over and then it begins again.

Like this mak mak . A vicious circle.