Redshirts offer Chiang Mai as alternative capital for Yingluck govt

[Scamper]

Just in case anyone's forgotten the nuts that reside in the UDD, here they are, ready to provide Yingluck with her own Berlin-style bunker. In terms of the fiction that there is no anti-government sentiment in Chiang Mai, rest assured, it exists in strong numbers in that highly cosmopolitan city. The problem from the UDD's perspective is that anyone who is not burning down buildings in support of democracy are simply harder to spot.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Scamper

[asiamint]

It makes sense to contemplate a permanent move to CM. It is far more suitable than Bangkok and a move could free the govt of all the hangers on living high on the hog in BKK, at taxpayers expense

They finally might do something about the burning and awful pollution up there if the government does as you say. The big guy since 2003 has had the chance to bring a little change in the air quality to his homeboys but all his supreme efforts in this matter sadly have amounted to nothing.

Over 10 years have passed under our dear leader and everything is still just as backward as when he took office.

Air pollution keeps me from any long stays up north and i suspect anyone with half a brain won't want to move up there in the future. Beautiful area with very nice people and has all the attributes to be a great place to live but nothing has changed and i doubt it will.

If they don't sort out the burning issues then soon there will be an exodus of business people/ residents. Have you ever been there when it's thick with haze?

People are losing patience and want to leave those Northern area's because of the terrible pollution.

[tezzainoz]

If the government moves, it will only prove how weak and innefective they are...

I guess its easier for her to flee the country if shes closer the border

she would never take parliment to the far north

that would leave industrial Bangkok

open to a new government setting it self up

and she would end up being PM of a split Thailand

[noikrit]

...... I thought the Capital was in Dubai ....

[telecom]

I think you will find the real power is in BKK, and it doesn't sit with a caretaker cabinet.

They run off to Chiang Mai, they are abandoning government and they will be impeached and likely arrested for abandonment of their duty.

[telecom]

They will end up a bankrupt state within a few months.

The people in the north will starve to death.

Whatever........ The people will turn on the government within a few months. All the wealth will remain in the south and we have 18 million tonnes of rice already in stock.

[telecom]

By the way..... Why are the UDD and red shirt supporters going around saying they own Chiang Mai?

Wife has much family there and they hate Yingluck and Thaksin.. Red shirts are actually a huge minority there.

It may be full of disillusioned and bought voters, but as far as most of them go, they are NOT part of the red movement.

[spirit47]

Yes Poo, flee to Chiang Mai. Show how weak your government is and what you think about the rest of the country by hiding out in your home town! You'll have beloved red shirts protecting you and anyone who just whispers something bad about you and your crap family can get beaten up and lynched! Your very own kingdom!

Not as outrageous as it sounds at first. Remember her beloved uncle Somchai Wongsawat remained PM while hiding in a bunker in Chiang Mai and continuing to convey Thaksin's directives.

This idea of a semi-autonomous state for the reds to live in worship of the Shinawatras that would rule over them, and a seperate main state where a reformed democracy with more strict checks and balances together with a functioning police force could be the way out of this mess. For most of the country, this whole "Cult of Shin" is getting very tiresome.

Seting up a new North-Korea, no thanks, better to clean up the whole country, a few thousand militants, and Chiang Mai would be a lovely place...

[rreddin]

These red shirts are blind and ignorant. I wish Thailand would split in to north and south. Let North Thailand be ruled by the Shinawatra dynasty and South Thailand by democracy. Then lets see after a couple of decades who is more advanced.

What are you on? Google Suthep and corruption. Google his plans for an appointed council to run the country until corruption is erradicated (hint = never).

OK say Thailand becomes a federation of autonomous regions with the national government being responsible for defence, fiscal and national economic policy. There are likely to be at least 4 such regions, five if greater Bangkok becomes an autonomous region. 74% of government expenditure is currently spent in the greater Bangkok area. That would change under a federal system of government. Knowing what Bangkokians think of the folk from the North, North East, I doubt there will be any enthusiasm to continue subsidising Bangkok. You can add the folk in the former Sultanate of Pattini to that. They would expect the the taxes they pay, and they do pay a lot of taxes, spent in their region - on them. The big loser would be Bangkok, which would lose the subsidy from the rest of the country.

Bangkok will never be another Singapore.

It will come as a shock to you, but the other main political parties do have support in the North and North East, but not as much as PTP. Nevertheless, they do win seats in local government elections so you can rest assured that while you are enjoying living in shabby gentility under an appointed council, the rest of the country will be free to elect the representatives of their choice and will be prospering.

The North and North East already have access to deep water ports at Da Nang and Yangon and the highway linking those ports is being upgraded. Some of the industries flooded in 2011 relocated to other parts of the country around Khon Kean in the North East. Ground has been broken on a new railway linking the deep water port at Da Nang with Savannakhet and there is already funding in place to build the line from the Thai/Laos border at Mukdahan/Savannakhet to link with the line running through Khon Kaen and Udon Thani to Nong Khai and into Laos.

The loser will be the port of Bangkok. In fact it will be a double loser because when the new deep water port and industrial zone being built in southern Myanmar is completed, it will also take shipping and employment away from the port of Bangkok and the greater Bangkok area.

Are you still keen to see the country broken up?

[marcusd]

The home of the Shin Dynasty.

Trouble is this fool is living in the past. I think he would be hard pressed getting 500 now. What I see in Chiang Mai are diminishing gatherings for REDS.

[Basil B]

New map.

Shan Shin State.jpg

More like:

[johnthompson]

These red shirts are blind and ignorant. I wish Thailand would split in to north and south. Let North Thailand be ruled by the Shinawatra dynasty and South Thailand by democracy. Then lets see after a couple of decades who is more advanced.

What are you on? Google Suthep and corruption. Google his plans for an appointed council to run the country until corruption is erradicated (hint = never).

OK say Thailand becomes a federation of autonomous regions with the national government being responsible for defence, fiscal and national economic policy. There are likely to be at least 4 such regions, five if greater Bangkok becomes an autonomous region. 74% of government expenditure is currently spent in the greater Bangkok area. That would change under a federal system of government. Knowing what Bangkokians think of the folk from the North, North East, I doubt there will be any enthusiasm to continue subsidising Bangkok. You can add the folk in the former Sultanate of Pattini to that. They would expect the the taxes they pay, and they do pay a lot of taxes, spent in their region - on them. The big loser would be Bangkok, which would lose the subsidy from the rest of the country.

Bangkok will never be another Singapore.

It will come as a shock to you, but the other main political parties do have support in the North and North East, but not as much as PTP. Nevertheless, they do win seats in local government elections so you can rest assured that while you are enjoying living in shabby gentility under an appointed council, the rest of the country will be free to elect the representatives of their choice and will be prospering.

The North and North East already have access to deep water ports at Da Nang and Yangon and the highway linking those ports is being upgraded. Some of the industries flooded in 2011 relocated to other parts of the country around Khon Kean in the North East. Ground has been broken on a new railway linking the deep water port at Da Nang with Savannakhet and there is already funding in place to build the line from the Thai/Laos border at Mukdahan/Savannakhet to link with the line running through Khon Kaen and Udon Thani to Nong Khai and into Laos.

The loser will be the port of Bangkok. In fact it will be a double loser because when the new deep water port and industrial zone being built in southern Myanmar is completed, it will also take shipping and employment away from the port of Bangkok and the greater Bangkok area.

Are you still keen to see the country broken up?

All nonsensical speculation.

The GDP of Bangkok + central provinces + eastern provinces + southern provinces combined is a staggering 75% of the GDP of Thailand. Bangkok alone is almost 50%. You can speculate all you want but I am pretty sure a few fresh highways in the north is not going to change that number. And you are forgetting one thing the North is going to be ruled by an inept, unskilled, dictatorial and corrupt government.

So yes I am very very keen to see a division of states. Only to prove my point that the Shinawatra government are a bunch of clueless inept morons. Furthermore Suthep is not equal to state of South Thailand.

[Dogmatix]

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Dubai also beckons

[falangadang]

Well, speaking as someone who has a family and lives in Chiangmai, I don't like the idea of the PTP/YL govt coming to Chiangmai.

Frankly,.. it would do nothing in terms of moving the country forward,... and even worse (if we take it to extremes) it could be the beginning of a North/South country split as we have seen in Nth and Sth Korea and Nth and Sth Vietnam.

Just hope all this insanity soon ends and the country can start to move forward.

The best part of all of this is that the rice scam/scheme has ended and the 2.3 trillion "infrastructure" loan has been killed!

[Wat dee]

These red shirts are blind and ignorant. I wish Thailand would split in to north and south. Let North Thailand be ruled by the Shinawatra dynasty and South Thailand by democracy. Then lets see after a couple of decades who is more advanced.

Even then might be hard for "democracy" to win! Of course You can always count the votes "Florida" style

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

All nonsensical speculation.

The GDP of Bangkok + central provinces + eastern provinces + southern provinces combined is a staggering 75% of the GDP of Thailand. Bangkok alone is almost 50%. You can speculate all you want but I am pretty sure a few fresh highways in the north is not going to change that number. And you are forgetting one thing the North is going to be ruled by an inept, unskilled, dictatorial and corrupt government.

So yes I am very very keen to see a division of states. Only to prove my point that the Shinawatra government are a bunch of clueless inept morons. Furthermore Suthep is not equal to state of South Thailand.

I have to agree that it's nonsense speculation. The economic backbone of Thailand is no longer agriculture (the rice pledge scheme may be partly responsible), but is centered in Bangkok and the Eastern Seaboard in tourism and industry. If Yingluck were foolish enough to relocate the government to Chiang Mai, it would certainly create a divided state. Someone would come to power out of the Democrats to administer Bangkok and the South. It's really no solution for either side of the conflict.

[Credo]

The idea of moving the capital is a worthwhile one. The reasoning in this thread, is not, however. Bangkok is sinking and prone to flooding. It is overcrowded, it is chaotic, industries do not fare well in the middle of a capital city.

If you think a Northern Thailand would be worse off, I think you are sadly mistaken. Neither side will come out well. A divided country would see many of the international businesses fleeing...and they don't have far to go...Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar are pretty welcoming and economically feasible.

[belg]

they can also just all go to dubai... there is where the orders come from anyway

[Scott]

Some off-topic posts have been deleted as well as replies.

[animatic]

If I remember, when Somchai holed up in his northern house,

that was the beginning of the very end of his premiership.

This will remind me of duelling popes in Rome and Avignon,

both will have adherents, but neither will have full authority,

nor recognition by all nations.

[william mackay]

Absolutely terrific, at last someone has the sense to bring sanity to this situation, well done everyone.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Thaiready]

Best thing that could happen......we're tired of Bangkok sucking us dry....

[MobileContent]

These red shirts are blind and ignorant. I wish Thailand would split in to north and south. Let North Thailand be ruled by the Shinawatra dynasty and South Thailand by democracy. Then lets see after a couple of decades who is more advanced.

The red shirts won many parts of Bangkok as well. So let Bangkok join the South but loosing Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Pattaya, Chonburi etc.

The economies of Samut Prakarn, Pathum Thani are huge and are the hinterland economies of Bangkok.

Any way farangs can only wish in this country and do join the democracy in the South such as Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat.

[Now or Never]

Sounds like a good idea .... right now....... until the money runs out...... then ..... OMG it was a great idea at the time.

Yes, Yings ..... I'd keep the jet and the burkha ready.

[Thaiready]

These red shirts are blind and ignorant. I wish Thailand would split in to north and south. Let North Thailand be ruled by the Shinawatra dynasty and South Thailand by democracy. Then lets see after a couple of decades who

is more advanced.

You have piss poor idea of Democracy if thats what you call happing currently in Bangkok....you must be a commie.

[Blackmirage2013]

What a tragedy for the North! Under the Shinawatra leadership, the poor long-necked women tribe will have to pledge their necks for some type of ring tossing tourist scheme for which they will not be paid!

I can see it already..... hundreds of long necked women peering through the second story windows of government house in Chiang Mai demanding their money. History will repeat itself....

[wolf5370]

Ah they are just jealous because the Bangkok cops are getting all the money with their "four times the daily rate" each day and 200,000 of them on continual call - they want some of that money...and CM has a Shangri-La too to provide the 5 star food for everyone on the tax payers tab just like in Bangkok.

[Ricardo]

She would be welcomed here

it will never happen but why not fantasize for a moment? ammart control South and PTP controlled North

I know where I'd rather be

anyway idle dreaming over... arm the Police, arrest the fascists and problem over! the majority of Thais would cheer! and vote AGAIN for PTP

"She would be welcomed here"

Not by everybody, I suspect, in fact in the recent election :-

http://asiancorrespondent.com/119339/ec-figures-show-turn-out-at-47-72/

Voters in the Northern region 8,526,095

of whom only 4,776,287 bothered to go out to vote

and 766,790 spoiled their voting-papers

while 1,011,857 voted 'No'

so only 2,997,639 cast their vote for a party, probably mainly PTP, but certainly not all.

These figures show that a maximum of 35.2% of northern-voters supported PTP, and probably fewer than that, if some were voting for other parties.

If only a third, or less, of local voters support PTP, can it really be true to say "she would be welcomed here", I suggest not.

3m out of 4.8 is pretty comprehensive in any election - certainly a majority

anyway we look nationally and we see, yet again, PTP win

don't believe it? HOLD an ELECTION

my point is that you might not like the result but "that's democracy folks"! I would have much rathered Dems participate

If an opposition party cannot defeat this lot then what on earth does it say for them???

"3m out of 4.8 is pretty comprehensive"

Although, as I clearly failed to make clear, assumes that no other party got any votes at all, in the North. So that's a best-case, 3 million out of 8.5 million, a very poor showing by PTP.

"I would have much rathered Dems participate"

I agree, I said at the time that Abhisit should lead the Dems into the election, and remain disappointed that he didn't.

"If an opposition party cannot defeat this lot then what on earth does it say for them???"

It says that both PTP and the Dems are pretty rubbish, and that almost all the also-rans are even worse, in my view. They all suffer from poor leadership, the Reds suffer from a has-been former-PM interfering with constant orders to do this or that, and corruption is rife. The Shin-elite are just as bad as the old-elite they claim to want to throw out ... ask any farmer now !

I wish Thai parties were more bottom-up, despite that being totally against the culture, and I wish the ageing political-dinosaurs would become extinct. I look forward to seeing how that new independent-Red party makes out, and hope that they do manage to get an MP in this, their first election to encourage them.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Ricardo

[renaissanc]

A lot of childish remarks so far by the know it all brigade.

People are just having a bit of harmless fun.

[daboyz1]

Better start repairing the walls and dredging out the moat.