Red shirts in Chiang Mai in favour of new capital in case of coup

[philw]

12 pages in one day.

Please go and read the original article on the SCMP website, writen by Tom Fawthrop, not exactly a world renowned journo.

It is very clear that the Nation have exaggerated his original piece in the interests of sensationalism.

Sorry to rain on the parade...............

Will the Economist do as a source? I personally find their idea about separation absolutely idiotic but nothing surprises me from heavyweight intellectuals like Jatuporn, Nattawut, Arisman, Master English holder Yingluck who cannot string two sentences together etc...etc..."C'est la vie" as French say.

'Indeed, many red shirts say Bangkok is already lost. Mr Suthep has nearly free rein there, closing down most government offices. The police have charged him with insurrection and seizing state property, but no attempt has been made to arrest him. The imposition of a state of emergency for 60 days may not make much difference.

Thus most red shirts in the north and north-east now contemplate—indeed they seem to be preparing for—a political separation from Bangkok and the south. Some can barely wait. In Chiang Mai a former classmate of Mr Thaksin’s says that in the event of a coup “the prime minister can come here and we will look after her. If…we have to fight, we will. We want our separate state and the majority of red shirts would welcome the division.” Be afraid for Thailand as the political system breaks down."

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21594989-thailands-very-unity-now-under-threat-you-go-your-way-ill-go-mine

Hysteria always helps...........

[thaisaregrt]

how they will survive being land locked

This is coming up time and time again so lets address a few things.

1) There are many examples of landlocked countries infinitely wealthier than Thailand. Furthermore with the implementation of the ASEAN goods would be free to move into any Southern State without additional levy.

2) Thailands biggest export market by some way is China. As you probably arent aware Ill point out to you China lies about 50 miles from the NORTHERN border of Thailand.

As I mentioned above this wont happen as its simply the Reds posturing to ensure a coup wont take place and Suthep will be removed from the stage sooner rather than later.

well apart from living here for a number of years and going to most areas as well as studying geography when I went to school I would probably have to snicker at your reasoning but I dont suppose you can help that. Being land locked I am sure that the north would have no problems aquiring eveything they needed, chinese made is very good and would definitely suit them and of course their exports through china would definitely be a real boon for them just like their rice is now , a few imaginary contracts would be most welcome. As for many land locked lands doing well, they had people with brains leading them something that is missing from our reds but I am sure they will do fine

[bigbamboo]

This is too funny. If you are in Chiang Mai, you know how few red shirts have been at their command center, in the past week (probably less then 30 in total, most of the time only 3 or 4). They have not been getting paid. No money no honey. Thaksin should know that.

The redshirts are mainly poor working people, how do you expect them to attend rallies?

Should they just desert their jobs and farms?

9/10 people in CM support the redshirts.

99/100 in the more rural areas.

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

At the last by election in Chiang Mai Yaowappa Shinawat, one of the 'biggest noodles' in the party (sister of the PM and DM, wife of an ex PM and sister of the ex PM who runs PT etc....) only received 7 out of 10 votes polled in one of the safest seats around and that was before the redshirts starting rebelling.

The north may still be red but the colour is fading.

Edited January 30, 2014 by bigbamboo

[tingtongteesood]

And to think all the red sheeple keep bleating on and on about how Suteb wants violence, what a crock of <deleted> ! It is and has been for the last 4 years the violent red mobs that have caused so many problems for this country and all in the name of the dearly beloved fugitive....This article is quite scary and if this happens then I may be returning to my home country for some time....

[tingtongteesood]

The Post quoted Supon, a former policeman as saying "The majority of redshirts really like the idea of a separate state. If they stage a coup, we can live without Bangkok."

So the so called 'elite' will import rice into Bangkok from neighbouring countries. Let's see how the NE of the country manages without the rest of the tax paying members of the country's money to pay for their rice, what will they do then ?

So we will have Thailand split into 3, The Southern terrorists from Malaysia can have the south, the Northern terrorists ( red shits ) can have the north and Thailand will be stuck in the middle between 2 large areas of terrorists. It just gets worse and worse doesn't it.

[Cnxforever]

"Really, you just did the intimidation thing again.

You really think every poster here is a newbie? Plenty here have been very immersed in Thai culture etc., for very long time and well aware of what's OK and what's insulting etc., etc., and always very sensitive to these items.

What's' next - a nasty PM like another of your ilk?"

"........................and you get upset when people call you buffaloes!"

AGAIN - just in case you did not get it - he brought it up - I merely told him not to call anybody a buffalo it is very insulting to Thai people - No Thai will ever call another Thai that unless one wants to provoke a fight!!

Which part of that did you not get?

A bit paranoid aren't we? Why should I send you a PM ??

I hope you did not expect one - you will be disappointed!

I keep PM exchanges to my friends. You are not important to me.

[tullynagardy]

how they will survive being land locked

This is coming up time and time again so lets address a few things.

1) There are many examples of landlocked countries infinitely wealthier than Thailand. Furthermore with the implementation of the ASEAN goods would be free to move into any Southern State without additional levy.

2) Thailands biggest export market by some way is China. As you probably arent aware Ill point out to you China lies about 50 miles from the NORTHERN border of Thailand.

As I mentioned above this wont happen as its simply the Reds posturing to ensure a coup wont take place and Suthep will be removed from the stage sooner rather than later.

well apart from living here for a number of years and going to most areas as well as studying geography when I went to school I would probably have to snicker at your reasoning but I dont suppose you can help that. Being land locked I am sure that the north would have no problems aquiring eveything they needed, chinese made is very good and would definitely suit them and of course their exports through china would definitely be a real boon for them just like their rice is now , a few imaginary contracts would be most welcome. As for many land locked lands doing well, they had people with brains leading them something that is missing from our reds but I am sure they will do fine

Are you trying to suggest China isn`t Thialands biggest export market? I`m not altogether sure what your point is, I don`t think you do either.

Perhaps if you interspersed your posts with punctuation, rather than smilies, your points would be more lucid and better received.

Edited January 30, 2014 by tullynagardy

[beautifulthailand99]

"We will fight them on the chart talays, we shall mai koy give up - for those kon at this vital chooamaong ja poot - this was their finest chooamong. "

Khun Chai Winston Suthep

[bigbamboo]

Lets hope there never is civil war in Thailand, if there is us farangs better be the first to leave.

those thinking this will be a case of the army supporting the south are clueless, the army would be divided as would the police force

and I would not expect too many high-so's on the barricades.

The Thai-visa mafia need to sober up.

Yeah. This is craziness. If this happens, this country and any expat appeal is over.

May be some farang will leave, especially those living in BKK. However, I believe many will fight alongside the northern people - you may call them the Lanna people.

Send from my Mobile

Not without a work permit they won't.

[thaivisitorTeeVee]

" The Post quoted Supon, a former policeman as saying "The majority of redshirts really like the idea of a separate state. If they stage a coup, we can live without Bangkok."

Yeah right. Then you will end up like other land locked metropolis' such as Loas, Afghanistan, South Sudan etc etc

Are you sure? According to the last election results, it seems to me that Bangkok would be the almost land locked metropolis in such a scenario. Even the entire North East of Bangkok is red:

To assume that the 2012 election results reveal the true red/yellow(blue in this case) division of the nation is pure folly. Certainly this map no longer reflects the current political sentiments of the country. An unpopular ruling party will always distort the picture. Case in point, Obama's 2008 landslide. With Yingluck's and PTP's recent missteps, I would think there would be a lot of areas that favor neither of the two major parties.

All the most the elections should go ahead and let the votes decide.

Oh I forgot the Dems boycotted....so the whole map should be red.

[DrMe]

"We can defeat tanks because we have the numbers"

5555

[HOOD Robin]

Will Chiangmai be renamed into Jonestown for that occasion ?

Clownestown maybe ?

[love1012]

The red shirts appear to be itching to fight with the army so that they can crow about their 98 dead again for 4 years after making the army defend themselves against red shirt snipers and grenades and fire bombs.

They forget that more than half of the dead of 2010 were killed by red shirts - many murdered by them! - I hope the army will one day give the red shirts the fight they want so badly and after as few casualties as possible the rest see sense and go home so that there are no more red shirts for Thaksin to manipulate!

You may condemn my post for wishing blood shed on my own people - if they could afoid it then i would be happy - but i really feel it has gotten to the stage where both sides will not back down even though one side is more fanatical than the other.

Edited January 30, 2014 by love1012

[love1012]

Lets hope there never is civil war in Thailand, if there is us farangs better be the first to leave.

those thinking this will be a case of the army supporting the south are clueless, the army would be divided as would the police force

and I would not expect too many high-so's on the barricades.

The Thai-visa mafia need to sober up.

Yeah. This is craziness. If this happens, this country and any expat appeal is over.

May be some farang will leave, especially those living in BKK. However, I believe many will fight alongside the northern people - you may call them the Lanna people.

You think many foreigners would take up arms and fight in a Thai civil war?

If you are referring to westerners, I really hope you're wrong, Partly because it would mean that many foreigners are crazier than I previously thought.

Farang dont even fight for their own countries - what will they fight with - empty beer bottles from Nana? You may find just as many fighting for the other side if they do! The Army support a much higher authority than the South. This goes to all posters, you should research the story of the Army and who it serves and its part during Communist growth in the 60s and 70s - you would learn much from resources available on the internet on this topic.

Edited January 30, 2014 by love1012

[englishoak]

Ever realised how inappropriate your name is to your attitude ?

[3NUMBAS]

BKK will be under water in 20 years so they will need a new capitol anyway

[love1012]

Ever realised how inappropriate your name is to your attitude ?

Yes i see that - but it is very hard to love the servants of an exiled criminal who murders and dictates and bullys and bribes and lies and cheats and cares little for anything but his own meglamania - Im sure you understand - even though it is true to say that it takes an OAK many many more years than most to grow UP fully!!!

[Prbkk]

The red shirts appear to be itching to fight with the army so that they can crow about their 98 dead again for 4 years after making the army defend themselves against red shirt snipers and grenades and fire bombs.

They forget that more than half of the dead of 2010 were killed by red shirts - many murdered by them! - I hope the army will one day give the red shirts the fight they want so badly and after as few casualties as possible the rest see sense and go home so that there are no more red shirts for Thaksin to manipulate!

You may condemn my post for wishing blood shed on my own people - if they could afoid it then i would be happy - but i really feel it has gotten to the stage where both sides will not back down even though one side is more fanatical than the other.

Changed your mind about the reference to farang and empty beer bottles from nana? Thought that wouldn't be a good point to make? Just threaten anyone who speaks against Suthep's views with prison, as in your post on another thread? Brave New World

[Horton Jones]

The Lanna Kingdom has deep historical roots, you might be wise to pay attention. Perhaps the new version would work better with Laos and Burma than the smug Bangkokians do.

[Jingthing]

People supporting the splitting up of Thailand are indirectly supporting inevitable massive violence and a long civil war.

[monkeycountry]

Actually it might be a good idea. The reds can split Chiang Mei and the surrounding areas off from Thailand and set up ShinatwatraLand with Thaksin as King (or more likely Dictator).

But the kicker is, how will they finance their new country? Does anyone really think that Thaksin would dig deep (very deep) into his pockets to finance this. Highly unlikely.

So just more hot air from another brainless red.

time to stop all the BS...t

We all know the manufactures are in Thailand for cheap labour

It would cost very little to move manufacturing to the North if the wages there where cheaper than Bkk

the rice wholesalers in Bkk still need rice so they would still purchase from the north

As most of the happy girls come from Issan, Pattaya would close and a new fun town would open in the North

More girls as closer to home and they can come home when they want

Scenery wise the north has more to offer than the south, which only has beaches

so don''t put the north down

Best part would be that it would be easier to get a visa to western countries as the poor North Thai girls would be on their own passports

and the main problem to get a visa is the north girl are a high risk of not returning to Thailand when the visa finishes

I give my vote

Or the cheap labour and girls could just continue working at their current jobs, which is what would happen if Thailand was divided, unless of course the new North blocked them from leaving as they do in North Korea :-)

But dream on :-)

[Arkady]

Great idea. Thaksin can become president for life and raise his own taxes to build a high speed train do rice pledging. Labourers can come to work in Bkk and the South but will need to apply for a work permit like the Burmese and compete with them for low paid jobs. The army can fill its ranks with mercenaries or stop accepting bribes and draft Bangkok people.

[northernjohn]

Great idea, I think!

Once they're landlocked I wonder how they will get products, etc. delivered.

But they can try selling their rice 40% above market value. Any industry that produced would likely move to "South Thailand" (if there is North & South Thailand as the new states) where the minimum wage would probably be reversed to a level that reflects the actual qualification of workers.

Wonder how they will finance this new country then!

Will they have an easier immigration policy?

No 90 day reports.

[northernjohn]

The Lanna Kingdom has deep historical roots, you might be wise to pay attention. Perhaps the new version would work better with Laos and Burma than the smug Bangkokians do.

I take it you want to make the standard of living even lower for them than it all ready is.

I can see it all now all the people going to Cambodia and Lao to improve on their living conditions.

Nice Guy.

[northernjohn]

Lets hope there never is civil war in Thailand, if there is us farangs better be the first to leave.

those thinking this will be a case of the army supporting the south are clueless, the army would be divided as would the police force

and I would not expect too many high-so's on the barricades.

The Thai-visa mafia need to sober up.May be some farang will leave, especially those living in BKK. However, I believe many will fight alongside the northern people - you may call them the Lanna people.

You think many foreigners would take up arms and fight in a Thai civil war?

If you are referring to westerners, I really hope you're wrong, Partly because it would mean that many foreigners are crazier than I previously thought.

Farang dont even fight for their own countries - what will they fight with - empty beer bottles from Nana? You may find just as many fighting for the other side if they do! The Army support a much higher authority than the South. This goes to all posters, you should research the story of the Army and who it serves and its part during Communist growth in the 60s and 70s - you would learn much from resources available on the internet on this topic.

Not trying to be rude but it is 2014 not 1966. Things have changed and a lot of the people you are referring to are dead. If there is a civil war the people in the army that support the side the army is fighting against will just take all there equipment and fight for the other side.

I highly doubt there will be many foreigners getting involved. More like they would be leaving the country.

Why do people who can't face today insist on going back in history to find some thing that will support their ideas. Why not go back to when there was no Lanna just Cambodian or times when it was Burmese.

[EyesWideOpen]

Oh my god..... So if Isan splits off, where will the bar girls come from ?

Will they be allowed to cross the border and go to Bangkok ? Or maybe they

will be so wealthy after Thaksin takes over there that there will be no need to

work in a bar again. Maybe Bangkok will have to allow dirt poor Russian girls

to work in the bars to make up for the labor shortage ?

This is also a bit odd, as the Chinese based Lanna culture and the Laos based

Isan culture have nothing in common, so joining them up could be a bit tricky...

Regarding foreigners fighting, they along with myself will all be out of here as

soon as civil war breaks out.

Edited January 30, 2014 by EyesWideOpen

[Throatwobbler]

Lived in Chiang mai for 10 years. I have to say that all these people who think the North could break away and be hugely successful are living in a dream world. The North needs Bangkok and the south more than they need us. Also people need to look where the real rice growing areas of Thailand are, it's not the North.

[Docno]

Oh my god..... So if Isan splits off, where will the bar girls come from ?

Will they be allowed to cross the border and go to Bangkok ? Or maybe they

will be so wealthy after Thaksin takes over there that there will be no need to

work in a bar again. Maybe Bangkok will have to allow dirt poor Russian girls

to work in the bars to make up for the labor shortage ?

This is also a bit odd, as the Chinese based Lanna culture and the Laos based

Isan culture have nothing in common, so joining them up could be a bit tricky...

Regarding foreigners fighting, they along with myself will all be out of here as

soon as civil war breaks out.

Sorry, but I wasn't aware that Lanna culture was "Chinese based". In what sense? The architecture, religion, artistic styles, food, dialect, festivals, etc are quite distinct from Han culture as far as I know. Compare it to Vietnam, for instance, for a clearly Chinese influenced culture.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Emptyset]

" The Post quoted Supon, a former policeman as saying "The majority of redshirts really like the idea of a separate state. If they stage a coup, we can live without Bangkok."

Yeah right. Then you will end up like other land locked metropolis' such as Loas, Afghanistan, South Sudan etc etc

Are you sure? According to the last election results, it seems to me that Bangkok would be the almost land locked metropolis in such a scenario. Even the entire North East of Bangkok is red:

From your OWN image: Bangkok results: Democrats 23, Pheu Thai 10

Yet in terms of the split between the total number of voters, it's much closer:

[arthurwait]

Actually it might be a good idea. The reds can split Chiang Mei and the surrounding areas off from Thailand and set up ShinatwatraLand with Thaksin as King (or more likely Dictator).

But the kicker is, how will they finance their new country? Does anyone really think that Thaksin would dig deep (very deep) into his pockets to finance this. Highly unlikely.

So just more hot air from another brainless red.

If Bkk get separated it will die.Thaksinland will survive easy.They have rice they have the people.Bangkokians don't want to work for 5-6000bt a month and do some shity job what esaan people do now.Bkk will have to buy rice from esaan,bkk will hv to ask for manpower from esaan,It might take a while but after a few yrs a Thaksinland or North/east Thailand will boom and Bkk will die.It would be the right step to show Suthep and Bkk hiso how far they will come without esaan and maybe then they will stop their hiso behavior.

"how will they survive"see u have the same thinking as bkk hiso or Suthep.They also think esaan is to stupid for everything.Not everything is about Thaksin only.Bkk never did anything for esaan,Thaksin did.He came and said"hey I will give u education i will give u free health care, will give u bla bla,but I need to fill my pockets and pockets of friends."Then they should vote for who?Vote for Suthep who want to take everything away from them?Vote for Suthep who says they all stupid?i wonder who is brainless

There is approx. 1 million legal and 2 million illegal workers from the neighbouring countries already more will come when the jobs are easier to get and any employer would rather have them.

Do you think everyone from Bangkok is Hi-so and doesn't have a real job ?

Rice is available and cheaper also from surrounding countries.

How on earth do you know what Suthep wants and if he would even be PM ?

Taksin land would be like North korea just without the weapons (No money) or do you think the world is suddenly going to want over priced rice that already can't be sold ?

Taksin doesn't give them an education of any worth and what it is is paid for by Bangkok and the Eastern Seaboard taxes. Taksin doesn't educate people because educated people don't vote for him.

And how long do you think Taksin will stick around without money ?

Edited January 30, 2014 by arthurwait