Red shirts confront PDRC protesters at Chaeng Wattana rally site

[Lite Beer]

Red shirts confront PDRC protesters at Chaeng Wattana rally site
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Many red-shirt supporters arrived on motorcycles and in vans on Friday to challenge the anti-government protesters near the Chaeng Wattana rally site.

Tension rose at the site at 11am when the red-shirts arrived together with a sound truck. They announced through the public address system that that the rally at Chaeng Wattana was causing hardship to passenger van operators and local residents.

The red shirts formed their line about 100 metres from the barrier line of security guards of the People's Democratic Reform Committee.

Gunfire was heard while the red shirts were confronting the PDRC guards, causing sending the motorcyclists and vans to flee before later regrouping.

Army officers near the scene rushed in to set up a line of barriers on the road to prevent the two sides from coming near each other. Police officers also joined the Army officers in trying to control the situation.

The situation eased at about 12:30pm when the two sides stepped back from the confrontation.

Earlier, at noon, an explosion was heard from the side of the Prapa Canal causing protesters and reporters to dash for cover behind the PDRC's barrier.


-- The Nation 2014-01-17

[Thait Spot]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

[Nowhereman60]

Seems people including Red Shirts are upset with their daily lives being destroyed by protesters. Even Red Shirts need to earn a living either driving vans or taxis.

[shawndoc]

Erawan Center now reporting 28 injured in "bomb" blast.

[pedro01]

Coincidence or co-ordinated?

[englishoak]

They announced on the sound truck that the rally at the Chaeng Wattana caused hardship to passenger van operators and local residents.

Theres the clue right there, this will be drivers and others who are fed up with their wages being affected by the protesters getting together, dosnt take a genius to know a lot of drivers and general lower paid jobs are done by red shirt supporters.

This was bound to happen at some point, you mess with normal peoples jobs and ability to earn they wont put up with it for long.

[Theoutsider]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

That all we can do, guess.

[Credo]

I would think that it would be the ones behind the protests that would be the more likely group to wish to bring this to a head. They are paying a lot of money each day for something for which there is no end in sight.

But the situation is complex and it could be just about anybody.

[WAERTH]

Handgrenades now. 28 injured

[Emptyset]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The red "Peace Corps" has arrived in town, could be a very bad weekend this one.

[Emptyset]

Coincidence or co-ordinated?

Explosion is not related to incident at Chaeng Wattana.

[MunterHunter]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

I guess that was sarcasm, right?

[shawndoc]

Coincidence or co-ordinated?

Explosion is not related to incident at Chaeng Wattana.

Explosion is Banthadthong Rd.

[MaxLee]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yes, so the red shirts, the rice farmers, the rubber farmers and other populist policy victims such as parents representing their 1st grade kids (tablet policy victims), first car buyers and etc, have a good reason to come to Bangkok and kick the Anti-government people's behind in a vengeance more than ever...

... while in the mean time more and more Pheu Thai politicians go into exile and cooperate with their Master in Dubai to expand their network via Skype conference,

wanna bet???

[BKKBrit]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

What? The Armed Forces are behind Thaksin? Where do you get this gem of information from?

[jollyman]

In Mongolia we have a saying: "If dogs could fly, we would be covered in Dog shit"

[JesseFrank]

Congratulations, the Thailand civil war has officially started today .

[Tatsujin]

Seems people including Red Shirts are upset with their daily lives being destroyed by protesters. Even Red Shirts need to earn a living either driving vans or taxis.

Pity we didn't hear the same complaints a few years ago last time Bangkok was under siege . . .

[Tatsujin]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

What? The Armed Forces are behind Thaksin? Where do you get this gem of information from?

That was sarcasm which as a Brit I'd have thought you'd have understood. The Army most definitely is NOT behind Thaksin, the Police on the other hand are firmly in his pocket(book).

[Emptyset]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

What? The Armed Forces are behind Thaksin? Where do you get this gem of information from?

That was me being sarcastic in response to the ludicrous theory that Thaksin is trying to engineer a coup. I do believe militant reds could be behind some or all of the attacks, but see no reason why it'd have to be ordered by Thaksin (see the BKK Post article yesterday that suggests hardcore reds are outside of his control), especially not in the service of a coup. That's just flat out ridiculous.

[rijb]

Seems people including Red Shirts are upset with their daily lives being destroyed by protesters. Even Red Shirts need to earn a living either driving vans or taxis.

Pity we didn't hear the same complaints a few years ago last time Bangkok was under siege . . .

There were. But, that was then and this is now. Try to keep up.

[chooka]

Using firearms in retaliation to words, just a little excessive I think

[Familyonthemove]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

Really? I always thought the police were on Thaksin's side - he has a police background - and the Army generally supports the other lot.... But like most things in Thailand it's not quite that simple.

But in general elections suit Thaksin's and Coups suit the Democrats.

[thailiketoo]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

• General Prawit Wongsuwan and former army chief General Anupong Paochinda. You don't get much more anti Thaksin than these two but I'll let you google it.

Suffice it to say you are almost completely wrong. Who told you that the Army was with Thaksin? Even Suthep has not accused him of that. Everything else but. But not that, just too loony.

[Familyonthemove]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

Yep. Thaksin ordered them to confront the PDRC because he wants a coup which will re-install him as PM. We all know the Thai military are with him, so this makes perfect sense.

What? The Armed Forces are behind Thaksin? Where do you get this gem of information from?

That was sarcasm which as a Brit I'd have thought you'd have understood. The Army most definitely is NOT behind Thaksin, the Police on the other hand are firmly in his pocket(book).

Ever noticed how the term 'sarcasm' on TV seems to be a metaphor for posting something in error.

Anyway - looks like it will get messy now. Time for us 'visitors' to stay away from the protest sites.

[JesseFrank]

I guess Thaksin needs that coup so bad

I think the last thing Thaksin will want is a coup, as that would effectively kill his amnesty and 2.2 trillion Baht loan bills.

[diceq]

Pity we didn't hear the same complaints a few years ago last time Bangkok was under siege . . .

It's totally different. In a democracy you vote for change. But the only thing you can do in a military dictatorship is to protest. To topple a dictatorship with violence is justified. To try to do so in a democracy is not.

This is a simple concept that all western governments understand.

[jollyman]

In the end the only solution will be: a winner and a loser There has never been a revolution by people marching,eating noddles. People win revolutions ,people that are prepared to die for it. Not these wimps you see every day on the TV,

Edited January 17, 2014 by jollyman

[NongKhaiKid]

Last night Channel News Asia aired the second part of a report on the protests and this time it was to present the government's point of view.

Featured was Udon Thani's resident red idiot Kwanchai, the one who wears official uniform without permission and never gets prosecuted.

With a straight face he stated that the reds never indulge in violence whereas the anti-government protesters never do anything else because they are all drug addicts from the south.

With such reasonable people involved reconciliation must be just around the corner.