Protesters Besiege Bangkok Election Offices

By Khaosod English.

BANGKOK: -- Anti-election protesters have surrounded several electoral district offices in Bangkok to prevent distribution of ballot boxers and other equipment.

Protesters led by the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) blocked roads leading to the district offices of Din Daeng and Ratchathewi since early this morning.

The blockade effectively barred officials from distributing equipment necessary for the election to their respective polling stations, namely ballot papers and boxes.

The move threatened to cancel the voting in the entire districts altogether, while some other electoral districts across Bangkok also reported problems such as insufficient number of election officials to oversee the voting.

Voting in the entire district of Laksi has already been called off due to the gunbattle between pro-government protesters and the heavily armed PCAD militants close to the district office yesterday evening.

Ms. Laksana Rojthamrong, District Director of Ratchathewi, said she has tried negotiating with the protesters blocking the election office in her area, but the protesters insisted that they will continue to oppose the election "in peaceful manner".

Permanent Secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Ms. Ninnart Chalitanond, confirmed that officials have failed to supply polling stations in Ratchathewi and Din Daeng with necessary equipment due to the protests.

PCAD′s strategy of blocking election venues is similar to their effort to disrupt the advanced voting on 26 January, in which numerous Bangkok districts and southern provinces were forced to cancel the voting thanks to the protesters′ blockade.

PCAD has vowed to scrap the 2 February election in favour of the formation of the unelected "People′s Council" to implement "reforms" in Thailand before any election can take place.

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNNU1UTXhNamt6Tnc9PQ==&sectionid=TURFd01BPT0=

-- Khaosod English 2014-02-02

Good.

Carry on the good job boys and girls.

Won't be long before we get rid of them.

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by Costas2008

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

67 out of 76 provinces reporting no issues (based on various twitter reports), and much of Bangkok is okay too. I guess the picnic fizzed. What's the next 'final' date Suthep?

Good.

Carry on the good job boys and girls.

Won't be long before we get rid of them.

Except the protests have largely flopped today. And who's "we"?

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

no they wont as they will go to dubai with the other liar and cheat

Jack Kurtz ‏@photogjack 47m

#bangkokshutdown 1 shot fired at din Daeng. Voters tried to march to polling place antigovernment guard pulled small pistol and fired once.

Guess that resolved that then.

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

Quiet, and at the same time if anyone has footage from 2010 of the burning and armed rioting going on in down town Bkk, please supply this footage to the police and hopefully these people will be brought to justice as well

67 out of 76 provinces reporting no issues (based on various twitter reports), and much of Bangkok is okay too. I guess the picnic fizzed. What's the next 'final' date Suthep?

There are obviously not counting the south then, outhere as good as nobody is out to vote ! THis goes for Krabi, Phang nga, surat, Trang, ........

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

Quiet, and at the same time if anyone has footage from 2010 of the burning and armed rioting going on in down town Bkk, please supply this footage to the police and hopefully these people will be brought to justice as well

Yep, any such footage should be provided for the courts to deal with. And I agree, the rule of law is paramount, hence the voters today should be allowed to vote peacefully.

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

And than take the guide book from Pol Pot to get rid of these educated troublemaker. Maybe just take everyone with glasses. Who can read may question the eternal leader.

67 out of 76 provinces reporting no issues (based on various twitter reports), and much of Bangkok is okay too. I guess the picnic fizzed. What's the next 'final' date Suthep?

There are obviously not counting the south then, outhere as good as nobody is out to vote ! THis goes for Krabi, Phang nga, surat, Trang, ........

76 counts all of Thailand - "they" are reporting problems in only 9 provinces, those being in the south it seems. The government must be fairly pleased with today so far.

67 out of 76 provinces reporting no issues (based on various twitter reports), and much of Bangkok is okay too. I guess the picnic fizzed. What's the next 'final' date Suthep?

There are obviously not counting the south then, outhere as good as nobody is out to vote ! THis goes for Krabi, Phang nga, surat, Trang, ........

But there is no one out to report anything to Bangkok as well

So no one from the South is reporting issues....

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

Quiet, and at the same time if anyone has footage from 2010 of the burning and armed rioting going on in down town Bkk, please supply this footage to the police and hopefully these people will be brought to justice as well

Arn't you lot tired of trying to derail subjects by going off topic ? It's a weak tactic... but it does tell me that I must have hit a nerve and you have no real response, except for firing a few off topic blanks.

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by moonao

Good.

Carry on the good job boys and girls.

Won't be long before we get rid of them.

We who? You are a funny boy...

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

Yes - probably on the same day they resurrect the amnesty bill!!

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

Quiet, and at the same time if anyone has footage from 2010 of the burning and armed rioting going on in down town Bkk, please supply this footage to the police and hopefully these people will be brought to justice as well

You mean like the footage of those guys just "Trying to take those Buses for a Joy Ride" when they Lost Control of those Buses and had to "jump out to save themselves" as those Buses went "Hurtling Toward" Military and Security Personnel ?

Must be True because that's what defenders of their actions said.

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by KimoMax

67 out of 76 provinces reporting no issues (based on various twitter reports), and much of Bangkok is okay too. I guess the picnic fizzed. What's the next 'final' date Suthep?

There are obviously not counting the south then, outhere as good as nobody is out to vote ! THis goes for Krabi, Phang nga, surat, Trang, ........

But there is no one out to report anything to Bangkok as well

So no one from the South is reporting issues....

Songhkla and hadyai no voting going on, goes for Surat as well, Krabi,......

This election can in no way be valid if several provinces are not voting, wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow the EC invalidates the whole saga

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by likewise

"Polling stations have opened," said Election Commission secretary general Puchong Nutrawong, adding protesters had prevented voting on Sunday across 12 southern provinces and in at least three Bangkok districts.

Ballot boxers?

Chewit?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

67 out of 76 provinces reporting no issues (based on various twitter reports), and much of Bangkok is okay too. I guess the picnic fizzed. What's the next 'final' date Suthep?

I just walked past a couple of BKK stations. No protesters, one cop and maybe three or four voters each.

BKK Governor @Sukhumbhandp cannot vote as Si Ayutthaya school polling station closed

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

And than take the guide book from Pol Pot to get rid of these educated troublemaker. Maybe just take everyone with glasses. Who can read may question the eternal leader.

Don't forget the call from the camp administration office for volunteers who can read foreign languages who will be taken out and clubbed to death.

Yingluck's English is so bad, despite majoring in Engish at Chiang Mai U and her MBA from Kentucky State U, she is quite safe. Chalerm too. He needed a interpreter when he fled to Denmark in 1991 - for English, not Danish.

So what is the charge count on Suthep now then? I wonder how history will judge him? ( and no THAT judge can't be kidnapped by UDD supporters)

It reminds me of a man that committed 193 counts of terrorism between 1961 and 1963 believed that his actions were justified. Struggling to restore democracy to his great nation. Oh, sure he was looked upon as a trouble maker, a terrorist and was demonized by those clutching to power. Through this "terrorist" actions democracy was finally restored. Not just that one principle called elections, but all of them.

Suthep…A terrorist or the Mandela of the East?

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by djjamie

The government knows that the international community will support the voting democratic process and never support something as preposterous as a "people's council" of handpicked people to establish "reforms" before an election. Reform is a platform that a candidate in a democracy campaigns on. Not like this Thailand circus that proposes to strip away freedom to vote and one man one vote concepts. In the unlikely event that Suthep's protesters have more staying power and the existing government fades away, the international community will never regard Thailand with any credibility.

67 out of 76 provinces reporting no issues (based on various twitter reports), and much of Bangkok is okay too. I guess the picnic fizzed. What's the next 'final' date Suthep?

There are obviously not counting the south then, outhere as good as nobody is out to vote ! THis goes for Krabi, Phang nga, surat, Trang, ........

76 counts all of Thailand - "they" are reporting problems in only 9 provinces, those being in the south it seems. The government must be fairly pleased with today so far.

Those 9 provinces equal more than 10% of the 76 provinces. Doesn't that make this a failed election won't the EC declare it void?

For those trying to vote today, grab as much footage of those obstructing the ballot boxes, and especially the armed PCAD militants. Videos, photos, etc that can identify the people responsible for this.

Then, submit online and to the police, hopefully they can be identified and one day brought to justice.

Quiet, and at the same time if anyone has footage from 2010 of the burning and armed rioting going on in down town Bkk, please supply this footage to the police and hopefully these people will be brought to justice as well

Arn't you lot tired of trying to derail subjects by going off topic ? It's a weak tactic... but it does tell me that I must have hit a nerve and you have no real response, except for firing a few off topic blanks.

Soutpeel raised a valid point, while you wish for the prosecution of those responsible as anti-government demonstrators, on the otherhand people like yourself would prefer to see the blind-eye approach for the burning of Bangkok during 2010, which is an obvious unbalanced double-standard with respect to the law.

Better that you MYOB.

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by MK1

One will need to exercise caution regarding Khaosod's particular brand of reporting from now on. It will be prudent to follow as many competing journalistic views as possible.

" Voting in the entire district of Laksi has already been called off due to the gunbattle between pro-government protesters and the heavily armed PCAD militants close to the district office yesterday evening. "

The odd syntax belies the facts that both sides have arms. How can a gunbattle take place if only one of them is " heavily armed " ? What is the difference between pro-government " protesters " and PCAD " militants " ? As this altercation apparently occurred " yesterday evening ", are we to assume that this was a result of one of the nightly attacks on the protesters during the night, and that the gunbattle was the result of self-defense ? Why doesn't Khaosod give the full story or pose that clear question ? The picture that Khaosod has posted with the story looks terribly serene. Is that supposed to give us an indication of something ? What exactly ? The interesting aspect of Khaosod is that the words they use that they attribute extra meaning to should be identified by " italics ", whereas the " italics " they do use are simply stated facts. Again, it will be prudent to read other accounts of this story before we get a true picture as to what happened.

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by Scamper

Bangkok areas reporting problems - NationTV twitter

Again the media are trying to portray this as a victory for Suthep. They closed very few, are very thin on the ground and Din Daeng has re-opened. The fascist have had their day and Yingluck stays on as Caretaker for another 6 months!!!

I also thought those whisling lunatics had been ordered to a picnic to make bangkok a car park. Lead by the ugliest ladyboy ever. Foul foul people. They won't picnic as they may get sun on their expensively skin whitened bodies.

the didn't beseige this man.

remember, a vote any vote is a vote for Yingluck. So with Sutheps words and threats ringing in his ears General Prayuth goes for the PT way!!!

Edited February 2, 201412 yr by pipkins