Protests Against Coup Continue in Bangkok

[Fat Haggis]

would you care to explain which circles within the USG supports this coup?

[ATF]

The Army should confiscate their iPhones then they would all start crying.

yep, probably right there. What I find annoying, is that often around the world, students get involved, and everything turns into a mess! They have no understanding of where democracy comes from or what it should be. Why can't they sit, watch, and learn from it. But no, these days it looks cool to be a rebel when you are a teenager.

It would help if they were taught simple arithmetic: 2x (minimum wage) x 3 (the price of rice) + 100,000 baht for your first car = ( election victory + economic disaster ) ÷ military coup

[icommunity]

The 'old elite power' won again. Again, they did it through forcing the people at 'gun point' and the judiciary they set up and interpret laws they've written in the way that suit only their agendas. Creating chaos and hardships to people and country they premeditated and engineered. There is no way they can win the hearts and minds of the people.

It is going to be interesting to see what the reform agendas will be and how the election will be conducted. This time, election boycott and violence could be nationwide, not just in the south and some central area if election laws and constituencies structures are changed to favour the dem. They could also be nationwide demonstrations and rallies calling for the reforming of the independence agencies, judiciaries, the senate, the military and the law enforcement agencies.

The 'old elite power' should adapted themselves to the reality of the emerging power of the people and find a way to engage the people in a positive manner. The people will always be around but not war weapons.

[JesseFrank]

I take my hat off to them for having the balls to go out there and protest in this touchy political climate.

There was a similar situation in May 1992, it's know in the history books as Black May.

This will not end as an average coup.

[ianf]

Why do people think the military want "clean politics"?

They benefit from the corruption just as much as everyone else does and they help the side that benefits them the most.

Funnily enough the Thai army/military are perceived as being less corrupt than the police. Posters here have attacked me in the past for saying that the army is not so corrupt. But everything I have seen in the years I've been here, plus loads of anecdotal evidence points to the fact that the army is relatively clean of corruption. relatively. However, I am always happy to hear my talk about the army in glowing terms : she hates the police but the army she, and many people from her community, like and trust.

[Oryx816]

Pigeons are symbols of democracy? I thought they symbolized disrespect for public art and architecture.

[tezzainoz]

"They also insult the people, because they chose to seize power instead of letting politics solve the problem"

Where has Sirawit Serithiwat been the last six months ?

have yo been asleep

they have been trying to solve the problem but it ended up being impossible

[givenall]

This was a joke, do anything you can and free for all, no accountability or measure. what kind of democracy was this. more like anarchy

[bkkgooner]

I salute any students who joined the protest today, well done to them.

[wolf5370]

The Army should confiscate their iPhones then they would all start crying.

yep, probably right there. What I find annoying, is that often around the world, students get involved, and everything turns into a mess! They have no understanding of where democracy comes from or what it should be. Why can't they sit, watch, and learn from it. But no, these days it looks cool to be a rebel when you are a teenager.

I think there is more to that than is immediately obvious. I hope he army use a RF jammer so their mobiles and G3 iPads will not connect - this is better than shutting down local towers as it affects less people - but it would still stop external control. They should also make a point of photographing the students, and arrest them later individually as they have broken the martial law rule as to 5+ people gatherings for political reasons. See how many turn up the next time. Release them after a few days, maybe confiscate their laptops and phones for a month or two to boot. No one in their right mind want to go back to the last 7 months of turmoil and violence.

[Jip99]

I salute any students who joined the protest today, well done to them.

Because ?

[binjalin]

hero's those students

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory posts and replies removed.

[binjalin]

I salute any students who joined the protest today, well done to them.

Because ?

if you have to ask "because" when students fight for democracy then I feel VERY sorry for you

[BillyBobThai]

I rode around Chiang Mai today to see what changes were taking place. Everything fairly normal. I saw a few armed soldiers at a couple of locations. These kids, yes they are still kids in my way of thinking, as has been pointed out by others, are between a rock and a hard space. This is not their doing, but they still have to follow orders. We should show them the respect that they deserve.

[bigbamboo]

The Army should confiscate their iPhones then they would all start crying.

yep, probably right there. What I find annoying, is that often around the world, students get involved, and everything turns into a mess! They have no understanding of where democracy comes from or what it should be. Why can't they sit, watch, and learn from it. But no, these days it looks cool to be a rebel when you are a teenager.

Hasn't it always been cool to be a teenage rebel?

And especially when you haven't got a cause.

[Jip99]

I am happy the Army showed sense here,this could easily have gone the other way and a massacre ensued,generally once the first shot is fired everyone else starts shooting,let's just hope that that does not happen,credit to the Officers in charge for showing initiative and not letting their men unload.

It was just a cheap shot trying to create another Tammasart University Massacre. They were massacred then because they were communists and Thailand was involved in the war with communist Vietnam. Thaksin is still out there pulling strings. The head needs to be removed before the beast will die.

Some people just shouldn't be let near a computer. Have you any idea what you are talking about?

I believe he has.

Sorry, did you make a point......................................about anything................................. at all ?

[Jip99]

Pigeons are symbols of democracy? I thought they symbolized disrespect for public art and architecture.

My missus says they are vermin and the only living thing that Buddha doesn't actually mind if you kill.

[JesseFrank]

I salute any students who joined the protest today, well done to them.

Because ?

if you have to ask "because" when students fight for democracy then I feel VERY sorry for you

In other countries students are respected for their opinion, because they are considered to be educated, though not sure if the latter applies to the average Thai student.

[fab4]

I am happy the Army showed sense here,this could easily have gone the other way and a massacre ensued,generally once the first shot is fired everyone else starts shooting,let's just hope that that does not happen,credit to the Officers in charge for showing initiative and not letting their men unload.

It was just a cheap shot trying to create another Tammasart University Massacre. They were massacred then because they were communists and Thailand was involved in the war with communist Vietnam. Thaksin is still out there pulling strings. The head needs to be removed before the beast will die.

Some people just shouldn't be let near a computer. Have you any idea what you are talking about?

I believe he has.

Sorry, did you make a point......................................about anything................................. at all ?

Well I think I did, unless of course you think that the Thammarsat University Massacre was "because they were communists". You do, don't you......................

F me they're coming out of the woodwork

[Mackie]

Maybe Thai Army and Thai police should simply take a leaf out of the U.S police book and simply smash few heads and beat the hell out of the students. After all, according to some Americans on this forum, the U.S. is the 'greatest' democracy in the world. I think Thais students are lucky to be in Thailand.

U.S. police in riot gear have clashed with student protesters at the University of California, Berkeley, after they refused to dismantle their camp. Tents were erected following a march against tuition fee increases for students - which was part of the broader Occupy Wall Street movement. Several activists were arrested, some were beaten by police with batons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_f06VQOkI4

[AleG]

They should not carry on their protests at night, they are just too good a target for "third hands" to cause an incident and manufacture a martyr or two.

[jonclark]

Problem seems to be that everyone in Thailand seems to think that their view is the correct view and they have a right to be heard - so everyone protests about something and nothing ever changes, because the people in charge are too busy pacifying the protesters to make any progress.

If PTP in charge - Anti- PTP protesters protest

If the dems are in charge - Anti Dem protesters protest

If the army are in charge - Anti-coup protesters protest

If the I were in charge - i'm sure the anti-foreigner group would protest

And they are all correct and they all want to protest, the other side is wrong!

See the problem?

[Now or Never]

While the Students are entitled to their opinion and their right to demonstrate I think their timing is very poor.

Right now polling indicates that most people are happy to have see some peace and stability returning to Thailand after a period of absolute insanity.

The military have most likely prevented a Red Shirt Terrorist attacks on Bangkok.

Let's relax and let life get back to normal.

Students please be patient.

[wlcart]

It seems TV members and westerners here in general have very low expectations for thai society by projecting a coup is a good thing.

[FangFerang]

I take my hat off to them for having the balls to go out there and protest in this touchy political climate.

And I taking my hat off for their flexibility.....being a commie but also taking money from the man in Dubai.....that is flexible thinking.

Maybe you can tell me how they are communists protesting for democracy...I just can't see what you are seeing.

[Fookhaht]

I take my hat off to them for having the balls to go out there and protest in this touchy political climate.

There was a similar situation in May 1992, it's know in the history books as Black May.

This will not end as an average coup.

And just what is an average coup in Thailand? Social scientists have come up with at least 15 different kinds of Thai coups as per this technical article:

http://notthenation.com/2014/05/social-scientists-discover-new-species-of-coup-in-thailand/

(And the current coup is definitely a unique species...)

Edited May 23, 2014 by Fookhaht

[stoneyboy]

It seems TV members and westerners here in general have very low expectations for thai society by projecting a coup is a good thing.

Yes I watched in amazement at idiotic comments like thank god for the Coup,and how good this is for the country when they were inexplicably plastered across the forum last night.

Absolute drivel.

[Dogmatix]

Pigeons are symbols of democracy? I thought they symbolized disrespect for public art and architecture.

My missus says they are vermin and the only living thing that Buddha doesn't actually mind if you kill.

Sounds like the famous Thai monk in the 70s who said it was OK to kill a communist.

[FangFerang]

I take my hat off to them for having the balls to go out there and protest in this touchy political climate.

Sorry , but it seems you live up to your name..... 99% of them were girls..

Nope. You are wrong. More than half were men, and the term balls was not literal.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/123095/thursday-evening-may-23-live-blog-of-the-coup/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thursday-evening-may-23-live-blog-of-the-coup

Doh!