Shots, blasts as protest rivals clash on Thai election eve

[Scott]

A large number of inflammatory posts and replies have been removed.

[Gummigalgen]

RT@RichardBarrow: VIDEO: Gunfire & explosions in #Bangkok on the eve of national elections - RT @go6tv: คลิปปะทะ แยกหลักสี่ youtube.com/watch?v=_wVmQA #Thailand

Any idea WHY they were beating the car?

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It is Khmer language and it's said: "I think this car is from one of the other looney's who deliberately trespassed illegally Cambodian soil 2 years ago to provoke. One of Abhisit's Democracy buddy's"

That was my thought too. Please can somebody on here translate what was being shouted. Many thanks.

[MaxLee]

You can buy weapons for cheap at any local Bangkok night market. What do you expect???...

Edited February 1, 2014 by MaxLee

[Fryslan boppe]

Post cancelled by self.

Just read cdnvic warning about the circumstances discussed in this thread, and do not wish to be in contravention.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[oldthaihand99]

take away people's basic human rights and you can expect a backlash

most of the world fights FOR elections - and Thailand fights to STOP them

They are fighting for reform .. nobody other than pro-government support have said no election .. Suthep said reform then elections in 12-18 months.

I could ask. Why is Yingluck clinging to the PM's seat when she could step down for the good of the country?

1. Suthep is as corrupt as they come

2. YL's party is democraticly elected & wants to keep her.

3. She is fighting for continued democracy, & vs a "time out" from it, which could never end.

4. Let the people decide what is for the good of the country, at the polls & by dialoque, education & civil peaceful protests thereafter.

[pipkins]

To back up my first post. Most people are now observing the same thing.

There are 90,000 stations. and the Mob has been held all day in a stand off at one of them.. Yes, they holding the ballot papers, but the people will be at the stations tomorrow papers or no papers.

This show of people turning up, will heap pressure on whoever is backing Suthep and maybe ease the tension. Their entire military wing are now holed up at Lak Si. They won't get any sleep as there weill be harrying firecrackers and small bangs all night to keep them awake. To get to a pollling station to shut it, They'll have to break the army lines and this is their protection. They'll aslo have to break police, army and voter lince to get at a station.

Once there mind, a quick phone call to Somchai and station is closed... but for now, many are open and the 2 nearest me have voters in already to protect them!!!

Happy voting

Looks like the election will benefit from this, if these clowns are now barricaded in in Northern Bangkok.

So suthep is going to have to lead from the front.. lol with lead flying? He'll be leading the charge from under his bed as he was last week at the first sign of a bang.

[BlueNoseCodger]

RT@RichardBarrow: VIDEO: Gunfire & explosions in #Bangkok on the eve of national elections - RT @go6tv: คลิปปะทะ แยกหลักสี่ youtube.com/watch?v=_wVmQA… #Thailand

Any idea WHY they were beating the car?

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Army captain, , army badge tried to run over protesters to get away. High ranking as well which is why I think the voters set about the car instead of him.

Army been far too involved helping PDRC. Do they think that endears people to them or what?

They say they found this in the car (and presumably the badge is off the windscreen or rear-screen. If you look in the video, there is a badge on the front grill is there any closer photo of that badge?

The badge is Thai Armed Forces Headquarters (from the text in Thai), the emblem is a combination of the navy anchor, airforce wings, and army inner wreath.

(Link above is to Wikipedia above)

Added: Don't assume anything here, this photo came later and could be a deflection. However the badge on the front of the car grill is visible in the higher res versions of the video.

Edited February 1, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[casualbiker]

take away people's basic human rights and you can expect a backlash

most of the world fights FOR elections - and Thailand fights to STOP them

They are fighting for reform .. nobody other than pro-government support have said no election .. Suthep said reform then elections in 12-18 months.

I could ask. Why is Yingluck clinging to the PM's seat when she could step down for the good of the country?

1. Suthep is as corrupt as they come

2. YL's party is democraticly elected & wants to keep her.

3. She is fighting for continued democracy, & vs a "time out" from it, which could never end.

4. Let the people decide what is for the good of the country, at the polls & by dialoque, education & civil peaceful protests thereafter.

1. I agree.

2. Ummm. The party owner wants to keep her.. is it best for Thailand though?

3. Again ummm. Not sure she or Phua Thai understand what a Democracy is.

4. I tend to agree. So will ask why the poll wasn't postponed until a slightly later date. As it will not meet those requirement now?

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[londonthai]

This guy is likely to go the way of Seh daeng. Looks like a commie if I ever saw one.

no, commies are armed with communist manifesto, printing equipment, pens and cameras. You haven't seen one, yet, in thailand

[oldthaihand99]

A very interesting fact - DSI is pounding on protestors and people and firms giving them financial support using the Emergency Decree, but is completely silent and inactive on arresting the armed people who are attacking these same protestors when this govt proclaimed a State of Emergency.

Seems DSI views verbal assaults more dangerous than bombs and bullets.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

Death is a beginning called being "born again".

[lovetotravel]

There are more people WANTING to vote than there are protesters trying to stop the vote, and you can be sure there are some short tempered, prone to violence Thai among the larger group, which DOES NOT categorically make them Red Shirts, as some on here with their biased, prejudicial beliefs seem to automatically brand them as.

The poll that just came out showed the majority did not want an election right now. It was in the Post.

[ShannonT]

CNN and BBC showing proof of Suthep's guards firing at civilians and news reporters.

I can't wait to hear how he's going to defend that tonight on stage.

[casualbiker]

This guy is likely to go the way of Seh daeng. Looks like a commie if I ever saw one.

no, commies are armed with communist manifesto, printing equipment, pens and cameras. You haven't seen one, yet, in thailand

Here's 2 ::

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[icommunity]

this is the result of Yingluck's insistence to have elections.

Very predictable.

Yingluks insistence on letting Thais (including you) choose a leader that might not be her. Yeh what a bitch, /sarcasm.

Maybe she's ignorant ... same as these farang reporters .... maybe she doesn't understand Thai people & culture and can not understand and predict the violence that her actions will bring ...

either that .. she either doesn't understand ... or she doesn't care.

because the violence has been very predictable

And it will get worse.

so what else can we think about her ...

this election .. or not losing face ... is so important to her that she is willing for Thai people to be killed.

It was an election demanded by AV and the DEM. But when it happened they decided to boycott it.

PM Yingluck cannot resign because doing that will violate laws related to Royal Decree. Also, she does not want to betray the trust of the people who gave legitimate power to her and abandon democracy.

Send from my Mobile

[Gummigalgen]

Quite clearly here you can see the PDRC guy has a gun hidden in a bag.... So peaceful arn't they.

We been saying for weeks, there is a group of armed masked men marching with Suthep and there to protect him and the mob. Video of the day this and had a great outing on Twitter as well. Which means Reauters, AFP, BBC. All seen Sutheps peacuful protesters not obstructing polls.

Make is so much harder for the army to coup now. This video speaks a million words about this disgusting spectacle of a mob let loose in Bangkok by the Elites in order to get at their prize. Which is also out in the open now.

*Video deleted*

yes, how dare they start to protect themselves when the police stand by and let the red shirts use machine guns on them, totally disgusting, why cant they just stand there and let the red shirts shoot them without retaliating. Notice there was no violence till the red shirts showed up again, the abc has a video of the redshirt blockade with their molotov cocktails already set up waiting. This is what reds are good at, killing people that have a different thought to them, they are scum as are any who support them.

I Support Them. If you and your previous generations would have been be foooled with promises and false perspectives for Decades......you would step up the plate too. The seeds for this conflict have been planted long before Thaksin came into power. It is not about the T era. It is about a failed society with Bangkokian elite, greed, jealousy, and trying to get grip back on power by shutting down a metropole. Who can invent such crazy plan???

[Prbkk]

The protest movement has lost its last shred of decency and legitimacy. They have been exposed as the dangerous terrorists they truly are

[pipkins]

As I get more than my share of flames here. BBC just tweeted and their guy took this pic of PDRC in action.

Get over it you guys, This is the PDRC, they are armed and there are army personel amongst them. This is so out in the open and everybody.... and I do mean everybody, is printing these pics of PDRC fully armed, holding ballot papers hosgage.

People are bleating about the reds confronting them. It was PDRC laying seige to the ballot papers that started this. The the army are once again being photo'd working with the fascists, the game is up. Can be no pretence tonight from the stage, The Great Suthep is again revealed as a two faced, lying fascist fraudster who changes his rants every night to fit his unstable mood.

@BBCBreaking @pakhead outrageous that these protesters are wearing armbands that are the same color as TJA armbands for journalists!

Yes PIpkins, they are absolutely armed. Tired of being shot at and having grenades thrown at them, continually dying while the police have been watching and doing nothing like last Sunday, they are now absolutely armed. It is sad that it had to come to this.

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Good comment and they are going to find soon that there are many many more times this amount of armed people that will want a pop at them....

Could you care to comment on them laying seige to the ballot papers though. If you did that in most countries in the world, there would be much more lead flying... and without the army protefing them, they would be finished.

Totally shot is Sutheps coup. They just need to clear him and his backers out now.

Army. usual stuffed shirts. Best they take all their billions of dollars and spend it shooting up Pattani where they still can't calm the locals.

What was hilarious about the army today (i was there BTW) was the camoflage. They stood right out. Oh,,, a big thicket of shrubs in the middle of Cheag Wattana Not one iota of sense from the top here. Isn't camoflage supposed to make you blend in and become invisible to the enemy.

Their posts looked like small garden centres dotted about

Nobody screaming for them to coup has any idea how inept they are.!!! the Army know though

[Tony121]

Take a look at this video at this 15 second mark, is that badge on the front of his car grill (left of center on the front grill)?

a lot of information will be gathered from these videos, also look at at the 44 second mark you can see an explosive device thrown in the back of the car

[Boxclever]

People fighting for their right to vote.

[bkkjames]

A couple of observations...

1. The photos of the car with the army hat etc is either convenient or the car owner is incredibly daft at disguise? I will believe it only if they find his golf clubs in the back. Poor time for humour i know...sorry

2. Someone mentioned khemer language being spoken? Which team are they from although i probably know.

3. After last weeks murder and previous nightly events, it appears that team protesters have had enough of being 'protected'

4. A long night tonight and even longer day tomorrow no doubt

5. When the Brit embassy issues statements to the effect of stay indoors, take it seriously. They have a sad habit of being correct.

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[farangbanok]

This guy is likely to go the way of Seh daeng. Looks like a commie if I ever saw one.

no, commies are armed with communist manifesto, printing equipment, pens and cameras. You haven't seen one, yet, in thailand

Then I guess you were in London between 1968-1982,

At that time there was a jungle war with communist insurgents in Petchabun Province. Incidentally people in the North and North East - the red shirt homelands - refused to join the communists!

[zydeco]

As I get more than my share of flames here. BBC just tweeted and their guy took this pic of PDRC in action.

Get over it you guys, This is the PDRC, they are armed and there are army personel amongst them. This is so out in the open and everybody.... and I do mean everybody, is printing these pics of PDRC fully armed, holding ballot papers hosgage.

People are bleating about the reds confronting them. It was PDRC laying seige to the ballot papers that started this. The the army are once again being photo'd working with the fascists, the game is up. Can be no pretence tonight from the stage, The Great Suthep is again revealed as a two faced, lying fascist fraudster who changes his rants every night to fit his unstable mood.

@BBCBreaking @pakhead outrageous that these protesters are wearing armbands that are the same color as TJA armbands for journalists!

Yes PIpkins, they are absolutely armed. Tired of being shot at and having grenades thrown at them, continually dying while the police have been watching and doing nothing like last Sunday, they are now absolutely armed. It is sad that it had to come to this.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Good comment and they are going to find soon that there are many many more times this amount of armed people that will want a pop at them....

Could you care to comment on them laying seige to the ballot papers though. If you did that in most countries in the world, there would be much more lead flying... and without the army protefing them, they would be finished.

Totally shot is Sutheps coup. They just need to clear him and his backers out now.

Army. usual stuffed shirts. Best they take all their billions of dollars and spend it shooting up Pattani where they still can't calm the locals.

What was hilarious about the army today (i was there BTW) was the camoflage. They stood right out. Oh,,, a big thicket of shrubs in the middle of Cheag Wattana Not one iota of sense from the top here. Isn't camoflage supposed to make you blend in and become invisible to the enemy.

Their posts looked like small garden centres dotted about

Nobody screaming for them to coup has any idea how inept they are.!!! the Army know though

Why do you continue to incite violence and endorse killing? What sort of emotional vampire are you? Only able to feel validated when other people lose their lives? Shameful.

[Ulysses G.]

Shinavatra is a populist, manipulating poor and uneducated masses.

Both sides are manipulating the poor. Both sides are buying votes. There are no good guys in this conflict.

[Old Man River]

As I get more than my share of flames here. BBC just tweeted and their guy took this pic of PDRC in action.

Get over it you guys, This is the PDRC, they are armed and there are army personel amongst them. This is so out in the open and everybody.... and I do mean everybody, is printing these pics of PDRC fully armed, holding ballot papers hosgage.

People are bleating about the reds confronting them. It was PDRC laying seige to the ballot papers that started this. The the army are once again being photo'd working with the fascists, the game is up. Can be no pretence tonight from the stage, The Great Suthep is again revealed as a two faced, lying fascist fraudster who changes his rants every night to fit his unstable mood.

@BBCBreaking @pakhead outrageous that these protesters are wearing armbands that are the same color as TJA armbands for journalists!

Yes PIpkins, they are absolutely armed. Tired of being shot at and having grenades thrown at them, continually dying while the police have been watching and doing nothing like last Sunday, they are now absolutely armed. It is sad that it had to come to this.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Further to my comments above, how could a member of the PDRC be shot from two directions and be killed in broad daylight last week, committing the horrible crime of publicly stating his opinion a week before an election, and have no comment from the police?

Has anyone (PIpkins), heard any response about this public murder?

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[blaze]

take away people's basic human rights and you can expect a backlash

most of the world fights FOR elections - and Thailand fights to STOP them

Kill protesters and you can expect a bigger backlash. People are fighting for reform not to stop elections.

It has been asked, in the local media- in the international media- just exactly WHAT reforms are you planning?

Your fav flav is about Absolute Demcoracy--

we fear your shutting down-- your mind!

You see why some of us are nervous?

But you are going to bring as the Legion of the Archaengel Michael brought to romainia- righteousness and a return to True Faith and National Values?

So what reforms?

Hey man- this gov't is dead man walking. The Establishment backed by the army will see to that.

So then what happens? You think the Reds will just say- oh yes masssaa thanks for showing me the errors of my ways?

Christ! THINK

Edited February 1, 2014 by blaze

[casualbiker]

As I get more than my share of flames here. BBC just tweeted and their guy took this pic of PDRC in action.

Get over it you guys, This is the PDRC, they are armed and there are army personel amongst them. This is so out in the open and everybody.... and I do mean everybody, is printing these pics of PDRC fully armed, holding ballot papers hosgage.

People are bleating about the reds confronting them. It was PDRC laying seige to the ballot papers that started this. The the army are once again being photo'd working with the fascists, the game is up. Can be no pretence tonight from the stage, The Great Suthep is again revealed as a two faced, lying fascist fraudster who changes his rants every night to fit his unstable mood.

@BBCBreaking @pakhead outrageous that these protesters are wearing armbands that are the same color as TJA armbands for journalists!

Yes PIpkins, they are absolutely armed. Tired of being shot at and having grenades thrown at them, continually dying while the police have been watching and doing nothing like last Sunday, they are now absolutely armed. It is sad that it had to come to this.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Good comment and they are going to find soon that there are many many more times this amount of armed people that will want a pop at them....

Could you care to comment on them laying seige to the ballot papers though. If you did that in most countries in the world, there would be much more lead flying... and without the army protefing them, they would be finished.

Totally shot is Sutheps coup. They just need to clear him and his backers out now.

Army. usual stuffed shirts. Best they take all their billions of dollars and spend it shooting up Pattani where they still can't calm the locals.

What was hilarious about the army today (i was there BTW) was the camoflage. They stood right out. Oh,,, a big thicket of shrubs in the middle of Cheag Wattana Not one iota of sense from the top here. Isn't camoflage supposed to make you blend in and become invisible to the enemy.

Their posts looked like small garden centres dotted about

Nobody screaming for them to coup has any idea how inept they are.!!! the Army know though

In other countries the police do their job.

They should be going for vote "NO" NOT trying to stop the election.

Army wear camouflage. It's the working uniform.

You were in Laksi or Chaung Wattana?

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[pipkins]

Not Nation pic but as it is Reuters, some of us feel it could be genuine, unless the photographer is a thaksinisa on the dubai payroll. Quite clearly the PDRC are a paramilitary operation.

Come on Army. In US or Europe the army Would, 100% of shot all of them who did not immediately surrender. Thai Army Mai Pen Rai - we all the same Suthep gang.

[casualbiker]

this is the result of Yingluck's insistence to have elections.

Very predictable.

Yingluks insistence on letting Thais (including you) choose a leader that might not be her. Yeh what a bitch, /sarcasm.

Maybe she's ignorant ... same as these farang reporters .... maybe she doesn't understand Thai people & culture and can not understand and predict the violence that her actions will bring ...

either that .. she either doesn't understand ... or she doesn't care.

because the violence has been very predictable

And it will get worse.

so what else can we think about her ...

this election .. or not losing face ... is so important to her that she is willing for Thai people to be killed.

It was an election demanded by AV and the DEM. But when it happened they decided to boycott it.

PM Yingluck cannot resign because doing that will violate laws related to Royal Decree. Also, she does not want to betray the trust of the people who gave legitimate power to her and abandon democracy.

Send from my Mobile

Yingluck can resign at any time and Phua Thai can select a new PM.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[draftvader]

As I get more than my share of flames here. BBC just tweeted and their guy took this pic of PDRC in action.

Get over it you guys, This is the PDRC, they are armed and there are army personel amongst them. This is so out in the open and everybody.... and I do mean everybody, is printing these pics of PDRC fully armed, holding ballot papers hosgage.

People are bleating about the reds confronting them. It was PDRC laying seige to the ballot papers that started this. The the army are once again being photo'd working with the fascists, the game is up. Can be no pretence tonight from the stage, The Great Suthep is again revealed as a two faced, lying fascist fraudster who changes his rants every night to fit his unstable mood.

@BBCBreaking @pakhead outrageous that these protesters are wearing armbands that are the same color as TJA armbands for journalists!

Yes PIpkins, they are absolutely armed. Tired of being shot at and having grenades thrown at them, continually dying while the police have been watching and doing nothing like last Sunday, they are now absolutely armed. It is sad that it had to come to this.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Good comment and they are going to find soon that there are many many more times this amount of armed people that will want a pop at them....

Could you care to comment on them laying seige to the ballot papers though. If you did that in most countries in the world, there would be much more lead flying... and without the army protefing them, they would be finished.

Totally shot is Sutheps coup. They just need to clear him and his backers out now.

Army. usual stuffed shirts. Best they take all their billions of dollars and spend it shooting up Pattani where they still can't calm the locals.

What was hilarious about the army today (i was there BTW) was the camoflage. They stood right out. Oh,,, a big thicket of shrubs in the middle of Cheag Wattana Not one iota of sense from the top here. Isn't camoflage supposed to make you blend in and become invisible to the enemy.

Their posts looked like small garden centres dotted about

Nobody screaming for them to coup has any idea how inept they are.!!! the Army know though

In other countries the police do their job.

They should be going for vote "NO" NOT trying to stop the election.

Army wear camouflage. It's the working uniform.

You were in Laksi or Chaung Wattana?

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Just FYI Laksi is a district that Chaeng Wattana runs through. Same thing.

[samuiwonder]

CNN is reporting the gunfire came from anti-government protestors.

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