Suthep leads protesters to defend Government House

[Bkkbound]

This could be the final showdown, where he is captured.

I would actually wager against that happening.

However, these protests are only a side-show and irritation to the failed government (read rice scam), and not a decisive game-changer in the current deadlock..... I wonder if Yingluck will cry like a baby in court, the same as her brother did..... or will she run before making an appearance (read rice farmers and parliament), just like her brother also did.

I still do not understand why anyone on this board still thinks Suthep is going to be arrested, the full weight of the Shins power has been used against him and nothing has happened. Surely you realise there are greater forces supporting Suthep rather than the fugitive on the run..

[samba2014]

Is the people's council idea a viable way to run Thailand? No. It makes no sense to have an unelected group of people running the country. Suthep's protest against the current government has some merit but he' gotta come up with a better solution. Meantime all blocked areas by the protesters should open.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Basil B]

This could be the final showdown, where he is captured.

I would actually wager against that happening.

However, these protests are only a side-show and irritation to the failed government (read rice scam), and not a decisive game-changer in the current deadlock..... I wonder if Yingluck will cry like a baby in court, the same as her brother did..... or will she run before making an appearance (read rice farmers and parliament), just like her brother also did.

Wasn't Thaksin tried in absentia?

No, he jumped bail while awaiting sentencing.

[luk AJ]

Why wasn't Suthep agitating for anti-corruption democratic reform when the Democrat party was buying votes in Hat Yai? Why wasn't Suthep agitating for anti-corruption democratic reform after the Democrat government was brought down when Suthep himself handed out prime land to Democrat supporters on Phuket? Why wasn't Suthep agitating for anti-corruption democratic reform after he was disqualified from office for, well, corruption?

Why wasn't Suthep agitating for anti-corruption democratic reform when the Electoral Commission recommended that the Democrat party be dissolved for egregious and continual corruption?

Could it be Suthep cares less about corruption and a pristine state of democracy and more about getting around that tricky problem of losing election after election after election. If democracy gives you the wrong result, the answer seems to be get rid of democracy. Very high-minded.

The land case (1995??) was clean....no court and common sense could find anything wrong at it.

Sure the Democrats aren't free of corruption, sure someone take 5-10%....but nothing like Thaksin or his sister (Yaowapha not Yingluck).

[Cnxforever]

25,000 police personnel is used to try to keep this corrupt government going.....

This was the "elected" corrupt government before parliament was dissolved to make way for new elections - the Abhisit government was the "unelected" corrupt government.

And the police have actually shown a lot of restraint so far - in any other country these "protestors" would have been crushed already.

But in Thailand the army leadership stays "neutral" because this is all about an ex-boss of Prayuth wanting to become the next prime minister - without being elected - I may add!

[beautifulthailand99]

Whilst on a brief walk through some of the Thailand anti government protest sites of the afternoon of 17th February I came across what might be an extremely prescient sign on a cinema just across the road from the Siam Centre.

[luk AJ]

As i am Fallang i will not interfere in the politics of Thailand. But if you think 5-10% side money is ok, in that case I have no idea what this uprising is all about. So corruption is ok as long as it is under 20%?? Jeezes?! So it is ok if I rob the bank and only ask for a small amount? Carpe Diem guys!

[bkkdave1220]

This could be the final showdown, where he is captured.

I would actually wager against that happening.

However, these protests are only a side-show and irritation to the failed government (read rice scam), and not a decisive game-changer in the current deadlock..... I wonder if Yingluck will cry like a baby in court, the same as her brother did..... or will she run before making an appearance (read rice farmers and parliament), just like her brother also did.

I still do not understand why anyone on this board still thinks Suthep is going to be arrested, the full weight of the Shins power has been used against him and nothing has happened. Surely you realise there are greater forces supporting Suthep rather than the fugitive on the run..

if you learn just one thing. find out who is in thaksins corner before you post again!!!

the answers are all out there, but you'll never find them here!!!

sweet dreams

[Bkkbound]

This could be the final showdown, where he is captured.

I would actually wager against that happening.

However, these protests are only a side-show and irritation to the failed government (read rice scam), and not a decisive game-changer in the current deadlock..... I wonder if Yingluck will cry like a baby in court, the same as her brother did..... or will she run before making an appearance (read rice farmers and parliament), just like her brother also did.

I still do not understand why anyone on this board still thinks Suthep is going to be arrested, the full weight of the Shins power has been used against him and nothing has happened. Surely you realise there are greater forces supporting Suthep rather than the fugitive on the run..

if you learn just one thing. find out who is in thaksins corner before you post again!!!

the answers are all out there, but you'll never find them here!!!

sweet dreams

he clearly does not have anyone with real power, he's a corrupt thug on the run from justice, he has no international credibility.. his sister is even more of an embarrassment.. The sooner this is terminated the better.

[SinCityGr8One]

If the powers that be, really wanted to grab Suthep, they would practice, practice, practice an operation involving helicopters and a company of police commandos for a period of time. 8 helicopters and 64 heavily armed commandos (5) swoop in from different approaches, (4) rappel down into a disoriented crowd, (3) use flash bang grenades to shock and awe, (2) apprehend Suthep and be prepared for a firefight, (1) land the choppers and return the commandos and Suthep to the choppers and leave. 5-4-3-2-1 and done.

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

[55Jay]

If the powers that be, really wanted to grab Suthep, they would practice, practice, practice an operation involving helicopters and a company of police commandos for a period of time. 8 helicopters and 64 heavily armed commandos (5) swoop in from different approaches, (4) rappel down into a disoriented crowd, (3) use flash bang grenades to shock and awe, (2) apprehend Suthep and be prepared for a firefight, (1) land the choppers and return the commandos and Suthep to the choppers and leave. 5-4-3-2-1 and done.

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Oh Jeez.

[shiok]

Oh please. This is just getting old now. Isn't it obvious that his protests and unthought-out plans for his ambiguous form of "reformed" government are just not going to happen? His numbers are dwindling and the government is now even less closer to giving up than before. Stop getting in the way! Let the caretakers do their job and let the courts and the voters decide what to do with everything. Seriously, if he was beating a dead horse before, now he is just wailing on its skeleton.

oh yeah and let the govt scam the farmers and more again!?!?

[Bkkbound]

If the powers that be, really wanted to grab Suthep, they would practice, practice, practice an operation involving helicopters and a company of police commandos for a period of time. 8 helicopters and 64 heavily armed commandos (5) swoop in from different approaches, (4) rappel down into a disoriented crowd, (3) use flash bang grenades to shock and awe, (2) apprehend Suthep and be prepared for a firefight, (1) land the choppers and return the commandos and Suthep to the choppers and leave. 5-4-3-2-1 and done.

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

ss did you ever see the you tube VDO of Thai police bomb disposal tactics..hilarious. The police are incapable of anything meaningful.. The military are as seen in 2010 but they are on the wrong side, that's why it has not nor ever will happen. There may well be military plans involving taking out the Shin Gov, As with all good plans we will find out after they are executed.. In my opinion the sooner the better.

[SinCityGr8One]

If the powers that be, really wanted to grab Suthep, they would practice, practice, practice an operation involving helicopters and a company of police commandos for a period of time. 8 helicopters and 64 heavily armed commandos (5) swoop in from different approaches, (4) rappel down into a disoriented crowd, (3) use flash bang grenades to shock and awe, (2) apprehend Suthep and be prepared for a firefight, (1) land the choppers and return the commandos and Suthep to the choppers and leave. 5-4-3-2-1 and done.

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

ss:cheesy: did you ever see the you tube VDO of Thai police bomb disposal tactics..hilarious. The police are incapable of anything meaningful.. The military are as seen in 2010 but they are on the wrong side, that's why it has not nor ever will happen. There may well be military plans involving taking out the Shin Gov, As with all good plans we will find out after they are executed.. In my opinion the sooner the better.

I certainly was NOT writing about the average Keystone Cops B-in-B, as I stated Police Commandos (ie., Border Police, etc.). Laugh all you want ,but read my Post again please. I personally know a few and I am convinced that they are quite capable to pull off an operation as I wrote. And I also stated "If the powers that be", if being the key word, as I am not personally sure the powers that be want to do that kind of operation.

[smedly]

there is never anything good about the military stepping in and ousting a government under most situations but I have to say that when the system fails to such an extent that it is unworkable which seems to happen in Thailand every couple of years then it's pretty handy to have a system that pulls it all back into line.

Something is wrong here in Thailand - pretty obvious, the country has not developed as it should, so some stuff needs to change

The whole system needs to be parked and the people (that are not on the take) need to sit down and work out a future, the constitution needs to be suspended and the current government need to step down - tell me I'm wrong, history doesn't lie

There is something seriously wrong here and it needs fixed

[heybruce]

I agree that Thaksin was corrupt, but with corruption long being endemic in Thailand it's difficult to find a politician who isn't, or a military coup leader. I agree that Yingluck does what Thaksin says, though her voters probably assumed that would be the case when they voted for her. I agree that Thailand would be better off it the Shinawatra family were kept completely out of politics, though I suspect the Democrats still wouldn't be able to win an election.

What I don't agree to is that toppling a democratically elected government with a street mob is good for Thailand. If they succeed the lesson learned by the rest of Thailand will be that a determined mob with no respect for the law can topple any government. How will this lead to a better future for the country?

The government should be removed through the courts or an election, not by a mob or military coup. And if a new election results in another PT government, then the Democrats, including Suthep and his minions, will have to wait for the following election and see if they can't make themselves more attractive to the majority of Thai voters. The Democrats just can't seem to grasp this.

[heybruce]

there is never anything good about the military stepping in and ousting a government under most situations but I have to say that when the system fails to such an extent that it is unworkable which seems to happen in Thailand every couple of years then it's pretty handy to have a system that pulls it all back into line.

Something is wrong here in Thailand - pretty obvious, the country has not developed as it should, so some stuff needs to change

The whole system needs to be parked and the people (that are not on the take) need to sit down and work out a future, the constitution needs to be suspended and the current government need to step down - tell me I'm wrong, history doesn't lie

There is something seriously wrong here and it needs fixed

Check out the article "Not a vote for the generals" in the April 23, 2007 edition of The Economist at http://www.economist.com. The 1997 constitution was written to create stronger political parties and end the weak, short lived coalition governments. The 2006 coup toppled a long serving (by Thailand standards) prime minister that kept winning elections. The military junta that followed wrote the current constitution with the intent of weakening democratic institutions, which led to the current mess. Still think a military coup is a good idea?

If so, consider this; the 2006 coup took place before social media and internet capable smartphones were ubiquitous, and was very carefully planned and executed to prevent the military from fracturing and fighting itself. In addition, one consequence of corruption in the military is that the rich and middle class buy draft exemptions for their sons, resulting in a military based on a conscripted force of young men from poor families, many of them redshirt supporters. All those young soldiers with smartphones means that dissension in the ranks caused by a coup could be quickly disseminated and lead to rebellion in the ranks. If that happens it's difficult to see where it will lead, but it won't be good for Thailand.

The generals realize all this and don't want to take the risk. I think Suthep is trying to cause enough chaos in the streets of Bangkok to force a military coup. If so, he is playing a very dangerous game.

Edited February 19, 2014 by heybruce