Just listening to an interview with Scott Morrison (Aust Imm Minister) and Niel Mitchell, apparently Australia will be upgrading their travel warning and have said that Australian should consider leaving the country.

Capo has been dissolved? lots of updates on Richard Barrows twitter feed btw.

Hopefully an official announcement will be made that Chalerm and Tarit have also been dissolved.

Saw a few military men out on the street today on my way in to work. they had assault rifles in hand and i was thinking "thats odd" since i live well outside the center of BKK. came in and saw this right away.

the cycle continues: yellows take power, reds protest, elections called, reds win election, yellows find a way to negate it, yellows take power, reds protest, elections called, reds win election, yellows find a way to negate it, yellows take power....................

Coups, floods, extra judicial killing sprees, occupation and burning of buildings in capital, political chaos on the streets, rice policies, corrupt governments, civil war, irrational violence and now martial law.

Sometimes I feel like I'm living in some sort of extra terrestrial soap opera rather than a country.

Probably 70% of those issues also apply to your home country.

No they don't. There were floods which were dealt with in a rational organised manner. There can be violence but not anything like it is here. As for the rest. Not at all. I would have noticed.

Army to Chalerm: YOU FIRED!!!

Just listening to an interview with Scott Morrison (Aust Imm Minister) and Niel Mitchell, apparently Australia will be upgrading their travel warning and have said that Australian should consider leaving the country.

I just got the email.

Current Advice Level: "High degree of caution"

Change Summary:

It contains new information in the Summary and under Safety and Security: Civil unrest/Political tension (on 20 May 2014, the Army chief declared martial law across the entire country. You should follow the instructions of local authorities and avoid any protests, protest sites and political events).

... sent from my phone.

Army chief declares martial law
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha Tuesday declared martial law that covers the entire nation.

The martial law took effect on 3 am immedialtey when it was announced.

Following the martial law declaration, the Army chief issued an order to set up the peacekeeping command to replace the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order. The Army chief is the chief of the peacekeeping command.

The peacekeeping command would have the authority to summon to be interrogated and to hand over documents r evidences to the authorities.

The order, which appointed the command, stated that all government agencies that are parts of the structure of the CAPO, except the Army, Navy and Air Force, must return to their agencies and their normal activities.

The peacekeeping command also has the authority to demand the Internal Security Operations Command, the Royal Thai Police, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Interior Ministry and other government agencies to support their personnel to support the operations of the command.

Reacting to the martial law declaration, Jatuporn Prompan announced that the red shirts would continue their rally at the Utthayan Road.

The People's Democratic Reform Committee announced that it would cancel a planned march Tuesday because of the martial law.


-- The Nation 2014-05-20

Capo has been dissolved? lots of updates on Richard Barrows twitter feed btw.

Hopefully an official announcement will be made that Chalerm and Tarit have also been dissolved.

If CAPO has been dissolved does it mean Chalerm will now have to drink on his own time and his own bin ?

Can't wait for him and Tarit to threaten the army.

It'll be interesting to see what changes come about.

Wonder if Prayuth will have a talk with the Acting Senate Speaker and Acting Caretaker PM.

Edited May 20, 201412 yr by Piichai

I don't think you've lived in Thailand until you've been through at least 2 coups

FACT Pattaya has never had a Military Coup!

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it means dear lads that you are going to have to be very careful what you speak here BIG BROTHER watching

Rubbish! The military monitor TV? As a friend of mine said on another forum: They couldn't monitor milk!

All sides will respect the military's role as basically they are all cowards. - they'll all be out handing flowers to soldiers within 24 hours.

The real question is what does Prayuth intend to do with his newfound power? Having played a straight bat for the past months he has now got involved. It is hard to see what he can do other than guarantee that an election can be held. Otherwise it would just confirm that they are just another agency of the ruling elite. And he mustn't forget where most of his ground level troops come from. Watermelon army?

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T News showing a military proclamation that CAPO is no longer to exist.

Also nobody in or out of Aksa

...can one speculate from this exactly who the senior figure was who owned the vehicle containing the cache of weapons...?!

Under martial law? I wouldn't.

Lighten up Francis.....Thai military doesn't care what a bunch of fat, old farangs talk about on Thai Visa.

I'm not called Francis. I'm not fat. Im ageing for sure. I don't use racist terms to describe myself.

PS I wasn't being serious, maybe you should lighten up.

Edited May 20, 201412 yr by Bluespunk

Does this mean that the red shirt convoys coming into BKK will have to do a u-turn? :>

And, hopefully, the Bangkok streets and public buildings cleared of anti-government protestors. Again, hopefully, both sides take a step back. Both sides come up with real proposals for the citizens to debate and vote on. The reform proposals would be binding on all elected and there is a general election. Sorry, I should mention, no appointed government unless the citizens vote for that ( with no blocking of the peoples right to register candidates and polling places).

So much for his easing into a peaceful retirement.

It would be nice to know who invoked martial law; Prayuth or?

If you bothered to read other posts you would know the answer to your question.

Just stay out of it, waste of energy. They have not been able to solve the political gridlock and power struggle during the last 40 years so probably they are not going to solve them this time either.

CAPO terminated, martial law imposed

BANGKOK, 20 May 2014, (NNT) - The Royal Thai Army has imposed martial law and terminated the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO), pulling all the center’s forces to the newly established Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES).

The Army early this morning declared martial law throughout the nation, shortly before it released its second announcement establishing the CRES in place of the CAPO.

Both announcements, signed by Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, have invoked Sections 2 and 6 of the Martial Law, B.E. 2457, with the following effects: First, the Center for Resolution of Emergency Situation or CRES shall be established, with the army chief acting as its director.

Second, the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order, earlier established under the declaration of the Emergency Decree on April 28th, 2014, shall be terminated. The center is to cease all operations as of May 20th, 2014 at 3 AM. All of the police and military forces appointed to the center are to return to their respective units. In addition, the CRES is now in command of the the Royal Thai Police, all of the 3 armed forces and the Interior Ministry as well as all other related government units.

The Army has, however, insisted that its declaration of martial law is not a Coup d’etat, urging the public to go on with their lives.


-- NNT 2014-05-20

No soldiers on Sukhumvit Road.

Not a coup, "yet". But it's coming.

During the 2006 coup, all was normal. Tourists at first stayed away, particularly the Asian tourists, but after a few weeks, all was normal and very peaceful.

Yes, remember that one, occasional young soldiers stationed randomly, armoured vehicles at road intersections but no real inconvenience.

it means dear lads that you are going to have to be very careful what you speak here BIG BROTHER watching

Rubbish! The military monitor TV? As a friend of mine said on another forum: They couldn't monitor milk!

All sides will respect the military's role as basically they are all cowards. - they'll all be out handing flowers to soldiers within 24 hours.

The real question is what does Prayuth intend to do with his newfound power? Having played a straight bat for the past months he has now got involved. It is hard to see what he can do other than guarantee that an election can be held. Otherwise it would just confirm that they are just another agency of the ruling elite. And he mustn't forget where most of his ground level troops come from. Watermelon army?

once again the "Den" poster is wrong

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The Lerm is now jobless, time for him to do the honourable thing and cut off his head

No march today, staying at the rally site

Please note that the army does have the right under the Thai Constitution to impose martial law:

"Section 188. The King has the prerogative to declare and lift the martial law in accordance with the conditions and manner under the Martial Law. In the case where it is necessary to declare the martial law in a certain locality as a matter of urgency, the military authority may do so under the Martial Law."

Poop.. my beer delivery day is tomorrow.. hope its not effected by this

Coups, floods, extra judicial killing sprees, occupation and burning of buildings in capital, political chaos on the streets, rice policies, corrupt governments, civil war, irrational violence and now martial law.

Sometimes I feel like I'm living in some sort of extra terrestrial soap opera rather than a country.

You forgot to mention earthquake bahahahaha.....

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Okay, any list of real restrictions and limitations that are in effect on our everyday lives?

Only democrasy

If you call democracy a bunch of corrupt people who are lacking in any qualification that would justify them being an MP let alone running the country, whose sole aim has been to enrich themselves and their closest friends then you can stick democracy where the sun doesn't shine.

I am delighted the Military have stepped in. It will not affect lives here one iota apart from getting all the idiots off the streets. Now there may be a chance of getting those reforms done. It would be nice if they changed some laws! It is long overdue that MP's should no longer have Immunity and it's about time everyone was answerable to the law. One Nation, One Law, One People. Vive la Thailand.

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it means dear lads that you are going to have to be very careful what you speak here BIG BROTHER watching

Rubbish! The military monitor TV? As a friend of mine said on another forum: They couldn't monitor milk!

The security forces and agencies now report to the the military. I have been advised by PM from a Mod is response to one of my posts that was removed, that security agencies do monitor internet traffic, that includes TV, in Thailand & whilst it is rare, action is taken.

About time. After 20 deaths and over 700 injured and no arrests it could not have come soon enough. Capo and the police have clearly failed when looking at holding people accountable for the deaths.

Lets hope the innocent PDRC supporters deaths cease now that law and order will be balanced and that the army can catch the red shirts that committed the crimes. Or the "3rd hand" as the red shirts affectionately call them. 3rd hand being people that share the same values as the red shirts, have the same enemies as the red shirts and share the same leader as the red shirts.

Red shirts - Peaceful grass roots

Peaceful grass roots attacking innocent protestors - 3rd Hand

Good luck military. Just as you effectively quelled the brutal uprising in 2010 I am sure you will restore law and order again lest the UDD decide to, and in Jatuporn's words " The sky will turn red. Red like blood" Spoken like a true accused terrorist.

Edited May 20, 201412 yr by djjamie

Why does Thailand even have a military? All they do is covert power and money.

The role of the military is to defend the country and we have seen what happens if someone attacks Thailand in the past. The military runs home to cry to their mums.

Eh..........? Garbage!

Martial law should never be invoked under any situation, an army that works against the people and becomes a police force completely misses the point they are meant to be the guardians of the country against outside forces, their role is to HELP Thai people not to fight against any of them.

The army have done NOTHING in the past few months and have been utterly ineffective in trying to stop violent attacks, let's see if they even have the balls to go and remove the few guards and the insane monk who have managed to hold onto a gigantic government complex for about 6 months. They have been getting destroyed in the south for years and were really outrageously stupid in 2010 as well.

Attacks against the peaceful protesters dropped dramatically once the military started protecting them.