Thai soldiers seize alleged redshirt weapon cache from NE temple

[JAG]

Red shirt movement should be outlawed in Thailand as they are a terrorist organisation.

Amazing (and sad) to see expats from democratic countries support the ruling elite, who wouldn't piss on them, if they (the expats) were on fire!!

Well even democratic countries have their share of enthusiasts for military junta government, martial law and the suppression of basic civil rights.

That is their right.

What I do find amazing are the contortions which they perform in attempt to justify this as a democratic process. Harry Houdini would be impressed!

[BSJ]

I am happy the army and the police have confiscated these items. It was the right thing to do.

[JAG]

I am happy the army and the police have confiscated these items. It was the right thing to do.

True, but a shotgun, a pistol, a shotgun, a grenade and a couple of BB guns is hardly evidence of an imminent major insurrection.

[GeckosDiving]

The abbot already stated it was red shirts who stored them there.

One thing is clear - red shirts and violence go hand in hand, always have.

So the 90+ killed red shirts and more than 800 injured in 2010 was attacked by fellow red shirts??

The truth is, both sides are equally primitive and prone to violence!!

[jdinasia]

I am happy the army and the police have confiscated these items. It was the right thing to do.

True, but a shotgun, a pistol, a shotgun, a grenade and a couple of BB guns is hardly evidence of an imminent major insurrection.

Just enough for the next incident of tossing a grenade and arming the 2 people to do that.

[geriatrickid]

What silliness.

The cache consisted of two shotguns, four BB guns, one handgun, one homemade "pen gun," one hand grenade, one rifle, and over a hundred bullets for the firearms, Sadly, there are many people in Thailand who have actual arsenals in their businesses and homes. This is hardly an arms cache. It makes for a nice headline, but if you stop some of the local business men in Phuket, you find significantly more lethal weapons.

​BTW no mention if the weaponry was functional or illegal.

[BSJ]

I am happy the army and the police have confiscated these items. It was the right thing to do.

True, but a shotgun, a pistol, a shotgun, a grenade and a couple of BB guns is hardly evidence of an imminent major insurrection.

Maybe, but there could be 100's of other weapons stored in a dozen different locations that have much more power to do harm.

[rametindallas]

Why are there always hand grenades found? Why dont you ever see stories of the police tracing these caches back to the military where they came from? Why does the military always "lose" these arms and nothing is ever said about it? Why are the arms ALWAYS illegal? How do the police know they are illegal so quickly? If illegal arms are such a problem, why doesnt the government make and enforce new rules to try and curb these dangerous items? Why does the junta feel no beds or umbrellas and cleaning up beaches is more important? Just wondering why?

If you weren't so busy trolling and actually kept of with the news reports, you would know these hand grenades were never part of the Royal Thai Army arsenal. They are of Russian manufacture and readily available on the underground arms market. Remember that Victor Bout lived in Thailand for a while. Thailand has porous borders due to mountainous, jungle terrain plus a crooked police force and is awash in military grade weaponry, including rocket propelled grenades, M79 grenade launchers, battle and assault rifles; all which have been used by the Red Shirt militants. BTW a shotgun, as found in this recent seizure, is a very potent weapon when used against humans.

[jaapfries]

"The cache consisted of two shotguns, four BB guns, one handgun, one homemade "pen gun," one hand grenade, one rifle, and over a hundred bullets for the firearms, said Maj.Gen. Adisorn."

In my home country we have far more than this legally in private homes. It makes the govt. think twice before attempting a coup. In fact, we've never had one.

This was in my opinion a truly pathetic seizure.

@96tehtarp: No Sir; think not of just this 1 little "cache" - but think of how many hundreds more of these little "caches" are spread around the Kingdom . . . . . it soon adds-up to a formidable amount of "killing-devices" in the hands of, potentially, totally irresponsible mallots . . . . .

[rametindallas]

"The suspect contested the charges," said Maj.Gen. Adisorn. "He claimed that Redshirt groups have visited the temple for merit-making, and left behind these belongings when they departed from the temple."

why the red shirts have this nasty habit to hiding weapons in temples like a certain Bangkok temple ...

Why these red shirts have the habit and always place a lot flags and t-shirts at the same places where the police find their weapon caches...

Why these red shirts have the habit and always place a lot flags and t-shirts at the same places where the police find their weapon caches

So when their fellow Red Shirts come across them, they know they belong to Red Shirts and don't steal them. Duh!

[rametindallas]

Red shirts are really stupid! Whenever they hide weapons, they cannot help but put flags, t-shirts, bandanas, udd cards, etc...at the same place. For some unknown reason, they cannot resist it.

They want to show how proud and defiant they are. There's no telling how many cashes there are. When you see one roach in your kitchen, it means you have hundreds or thousands. These people have been brainwashed for many years in Communist-type Red Villages and they believe strongly in their cause.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE13Ae01.html

Ah, the brain washed commies raise their heads above the parapet again!

The Red Shirts are not Communists, per se, but they have been brainwashed using Communist techniques and much of their leadership are 'former' Communists.

[rametindallas]

What silliness.

The cache consisted of two shotguns, four BB guns, one handgun, one homemade "pen gun," one hand grenade, one rifle, and over a hundred bullets for the firearms, Sadly, there are many people in Thailand who have actual arsenals in their businesses and homes. This is hardly an arms cache. It makes for a nice headline, but if you stop some of the local business men in Phuket, you find significantly more lethal weapons.

​BTW no mention if the weaponry was functional or illegal.

So what are you saying? That because, in your opinion, it was 'silly' and the cash was relatively small, that the soldiers should not have confiscated it and/or the media should not have reported it? What's your point if you have one?

[96tehtarp]

"The cache consisted of two shotguns, four BB guns, one handgun, one homemade "pen gun," one hand grenade, one rifle, and over a hundred bullets for the firearms, said Maj.Gen. Adisorn."

In my home country we have far more than this legally in private homes. It makes the govt. think twice before attempting a coup. In fact, we've never had one.

This was in my opinion a truly pathetic seizure.

Not true. Private citizens in the US cannot legally own live grenades.

He's not referring to the US. Probably Iraq or Afghanistan.

Switzerland I think. Someplace with an armed militia as opposed to an actual army

Although hand grenades are not legal in the US, ownership of their individual components is marginally legal.

I've ridiculed this seizure as pathetic, however someone else has mentioned in this thread that one hand grenade and a couple of handguns is certainly enough to cause disruption and widespread media coverage. That is a valid point as doing so would be terrorism.

Yes, I was thinking of Switzerland and places like Sweden.

As an interesting note on war weapons availability I refer to that SOB Anders Behring Breivik who mercilessly slaughtered women and children on the island of Utøya in Norway. He made a trip to the Czech Republic to purchase firearms and returned empty handed only to purchase a a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic carbine and a Glock pistol using legally-obtained permits in Norway.

Most of my Thai friends, where I live, own firearms legally, specifically shopkeepers with cash and inventory.

[96tehtarp]

"The cache consisted of two shotguns, four BB guns, one handgun, one homemade "pen gun," one hand grenade, one rifle, and over a hundred bullets for the firearms, said Maj.Gen. Adisorn."

In my home country we have far more than this legally in private homes. It makes the govt. think twice before attempting a coup. In fact, we've never had one.

This was in my opinion a truly pathetic seizure.

@96tehtarp: No Sir; think not of just this 1 little "cache" - but think of how many hundreds more of these little "caches" are spread around the Kingdom . . . . . it soon adds-up to a formidable amount of "killing-devices" in the hands of, potentially, totally irresponsible mallots . . . . .

In my home county, where I come from, that's exactly what the democratic government wants; a well armed citizenry. This in case the military has any pregnant ideas about hosting a putsch. This is not the case in Thailand which is uniquely Thai. I'm glad they grabbed the cache mentioned in the OP and I do hope there will be no more bombings in Bangkok. We all can agree we are tired of it.

[geriatrickid]

The Red Shirts are not Communists, per se, but they have been brainwashed using Communist techniques and much of their leadership are 'former' Communists.

Brainwashed using communist techniques? Can you cite one reputable security agency that supports that idiotic claim? If you had one iota of understanding of the UDD you would know that it is an umbrella organization that includes many groups with divergent and opposing views. They range from nationalists on the right wing side of the spectrum who want a return to basic values, much like US Republican tea baggers, and the National Front movements in Europe, to progressives who have a social advancement agenda. None of these groups has undergone communist style brainwashing.

The leadership are not former communists. If you keep repeating lies, do you think they become the truth? There are five recognized leading voices in the UDD.

Veera Musikapong: Former spokesman of Prime Minister Pramoj Seni Pramoj, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, of Communications, and of Interior under General Prem, secretary general of the Democrat Party, executive member of the TRT and MP. Hardly the CV of a commie.

Jatuporn Prompan: Of humble origin, he is a self made man, having worked his way through vocational school and then university. He is the working man's MP. In the UK he would be considered Labour Party, in Canada New Democratic party, in the EU social democrat. Only in the screwed up world of loonie right-wingers would he be considered a commie.

Nattawut Saikua - former MP and cabinet member. He comes from a middle class family. He is Mr. Small business representing the shopkeepers class of thailand. He was ridiculed for his capitalist ways by the opposition when he was recording singing a jingle for a retail chain.

Weng Tojirakam: The only one who could be labeled a commie, even though he was not. He is a product of a poor family who sent him to the elitist Mahidol University and was the secretary-general of the Medical Students Centre of Thailand. He was part of the anti facist protests in the early 1970's including the resistance to the Thammasat University massacre. He was forced to flee for his life. Having nowhere from which to continue the fight for freedom, he joined the communists. He was hardly a communist as he is devout Buddhist and communism does not allow for religion. If anything he is a religious fundamentalist filled with the same fervour and zeal that drives evangelicals. He was no more a communist than the brave heroes that enlisted to fight Franco's right wing overthrow of the Spanish Republic in the 1930's.

So yes, please tell me again where the commies are.

[geriatrickid]

Most of my Thai friends, where I live, own firearms legally, specifically shopkeepers with cash and inventory.

And in Phuket, heartland of the Suthep triangle, the jet ski thugs will threaten using zip guns, and shotguns. It is not unusual for the local power brokers to walk around with heavy powered automatic weapons. I'm more worried about a yaba crazed tuk tuk driver

shooting up the streets of Patong then I am with someone up country with a a BB gun and weapons that have not even been described as functioning.

[2fishin2]

Why are there always hand grenades found? Why dont you ever see stories of the police tracing these caches back to the military where they came from? Why does the military always "lose" these arms and nothing is ever said about it? Why are the arms ALWAYS illegal? How do the police know they are illegal so quickly? If illegal arms are such a problem, why doesnt the government make and enforce new rules to try and curb these dangerous items? Why does the junta feel no beds or umbrellas and cleaning up beaches is more important? Just wondering why?

If you weren't so busy trolling and actually kept of with the news reports, you would know these hand grenades were never part of the Royal Thai Army arsenal. They are of Russian manufacture and readily available on the underground arms market. Remember that Victor Bout lived in Thailand for a while. Thailand has porous borders due to mountainous, jungle terrain plus a crooked police force and is awash in military grade weaponry, including rocket propelled grenades, M79 grenade launchers, battle and assault rifles; all which have been used by the Red Shirt militants. BTW a shotgun, as found in this recent seizure, is a very potent weapon when used against humans.

You are right BB guns are very lethal.

[96tehtarp]

The Red Shirts are not Communists, per se, but they have been brainwashed using Communist techniques and much of their leadership are 'former' Communists.

The leadership are not former communists. If you keep repeating lies, do you think they become the truth?

geriatrickid thanks for your informative post. Full post is here.

Here's a 2010 article on the red communist links " Thai power grows from the barrel of a gun" and a commentary/critique of it here; "Red shirts as communists."

Edited March 18, 2015 by 96tehtarp

[diehard60]

The abbot already stated it was red shirts who stored them there.

One thing is clear - red shirts and violence go hand in hand, always have.

i don't know how long you have been here but it ain't just the reds. Get your facts straight.

[jdinasia]

The Red Shirts are not Communists, per se, but they have been brainwashed using Communist techniques and much of their leadership are 'former' Communists.

Brainwashed using communist techniques? Can you cite one reputable security agency that supports that idiotic claim? If you had one iota of understanding of the UDD you would know that it is an umbrella organization that includes many groups with divergent and opposing views. They range from nationalists on the right wing side of the spectrum who want a return to basic values, much like US Republican tea baggers, and the National Front movements in Europe, to progressives who have a social advancement agenda. None of these groups has undergone communist style brainwashing.

The leadership are not former communists. If you keep repeating lies, do you think they become the truth? There are five recognized leading voices in the UDD.

Veera Musikapong: Former spokesman of Prime Minister Pramoj Seni Pramoj, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, of Communications, and of Interior under General Prem, secretary general of the Democrat Party, executive member of the TRT and MP. Hardly the CV of a commie.

Jatuporn Prompan: Of humble origin, he is a self made man, having worked his way through vocational school and then university. He is the working man's MP. In the UK he would be considered Labour Party, in Canada New Democratic party, in the EU social democrat. Only in the screwed up world of loonie right-wingers would he be considered a commie.

Nattawut Saikua - former MP and cabinet member. He comes from a middle class family. He is Mr. Small business representing the shopkeepers class of thailand. He was ridiculed for his capitalist ways by the opposition when he was recording singing a jingle for a retail chain.

Weng Tojirakam: The only one who could be labeled a commie, even though he was not. He is a product of a poor family who sent him to the elitist Mahidol University and was the secretary-general of the Medical Students Centre of Thailand. He was part of the anti facist protests in the early 1970's including the resistance to the Thammasat University massacre. He was forced to flee for his life. Having nowhere from which to continue the fight for freedom, he joined the communists. He was hardly a communist as he is devout Buddhist and communism does not allow for religion. If anything he is a religious fundamentalist filled with the same fervour and zeal that drives evangelicals. He was no more a communist than the brave heroes that enlisted to fight Franco's right wing overthrow of the Spanish Republic in the 1930's.

So yes, please tell me again where the commies are.

Both Weng and Thida were communists. Your own post says he joined the communists. They are not the only core members with connections to the CPT.

[diehard60]

well first of all i did not know that BB guns were dealy weapons. Second I see 2 hand guns not one. But I guess the author of this acrticle can't count. I did not see a hand granade. WOW A REALY BIG CASHE OF WEAPONS. But one thing wrong that is not realy a Red Shirt area.

[Baerboxer]

The abbot already stated it was red shirts who stored them there.

One thing is clear - red shirts and violence go hand in hand, always have.

So the 90+ killed red shirts and more than 800 injured in 2010 was attacked by fellow red shirts??

The truth is, both sides are equally primitive and prone to violence!!

The difference being, in the example you use, one side was actually security forces, brought in to take action against red shirt insurgent terrorists and their black shirted assassin comrades.

Sadly innocent lives were lost, as were those of insurgents and security forces. Many people were being manipulated by ruthless individuals for their own purposes. But of course, those individuals never expose themselves to danger, fleeing at the first sign of trouble, keeping a safe distance or even keeping out the country.

[Baerboxer]

The Red Shirts are not Communists, per se, but they have been brainwashed using Communist techniques and much of their leadership are 'former' Communists.

Brainwashed using communist techniques? Can you cite one reputable security agency that supports that idiotic claim? If you had one iota of understanding of the UDD you would know that it is an umbrella organization that includes many groups with divergent and opposing views. They range from nationalists on the right wing side of the spectrum who want a return to basic values, much like US Republican tea baggers, and the National Front movements in Europe, to progressives who have a social advancement agenda. None of these groups has undergone communist style brainwashing.

The leadership are not former communists. If you keep repeating lies, do you think they become the truth? There are five recognized leading voices in the UDD.

Veera Musikapong: Former spokesman of Prime Minister Pramoj Seni Pramoj, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, of Communications, and of Interior under General Prem, secretary general of the Democrat Party, executive member of the TRT and MP. Hardly the CV of a commie.

Jatuporn Prompan: Of humble origin, he is a self made man, having worked his way through vocational school and then university. He is the working man's MP. In the UK he would be considered Labour Party, in Canada New Democratic party, in the EU social democrat. Only in the screwed up world of loonie right-wingers would he be considered a commie.

Nattawut Saikua - former MP and cabinet member. He comes from a middle class family. He is Mr. Small business representing the shopkeepers class of thailand. He was ridiculed for his capitalist ways by the opposition when he was recording singing a jingle for a retail chain.

Weng Tojirakam: The only one who could be labeled a commie, even though he was not. He is a product of a poor family who sent him to the elitist Mahidol University and was the secretary-general of the Medical Students Centre of Thailand. He was part of the anti facist protests in the early 1970's including the resistance to the Thammasat University massacre. He was forced to flee for his life. Having nowhere from which to continue the fight for freedom, he joined the communists. He was hardly a communist as he is devout Buddhist and communism does not allow for religion. If anything he is a religious fundamentalist filled with the same fervour and zeal that drives evangelicals. He was no more a communist than the brave heroes that enlisted to fight Franco's right wing overthrow of the Spanish Republic in the 1930's.

So yes, please tell me again where the commies are.

You've made some excellent posts over the years and some of the other extreme. But at least you look up facts. Then go and spoil it by claiming "Jatuporn to be a self made man and Nattawut to be representing the shopkeepers of Thailand".

They are groomed, appointed by and serve Thaksin. Remember how Jatuporn got his wealth and all those amulets and artifacts? And wasn't Natuwatt's transport company doing well during the rice pledging scam - moving loads of rice around to mysterious destinations at the dead of night. Who paid for all that?

Weng and Thida - communists. Trained by and still believe. Forget religion - many communists were orthodox or Catholics in countries were those superstitions were strong.

Now, in the UDD can you tell us how these leaders of this democratic umbrella organization were actually elected to their roles?

[halloween]

And in Phuket, heartland of the Suthep triangle, the jet ski thugs will threaten using zip guns, and shotguns. It is not unusual for the local power brokers to walk around with heavy powered automatic weapons. I'm more worried about a yaba crazed tuk tuk driver

shooting up the streets of Patong then I am with someone up country with a a BB gun and weapons that have not even been described as functioning.

Most people, for safety sake at least, assume weapons are functionable until they are clearly shown not to be. Assuming otherwise due to lack of an adjective would be clutching at straws.

[DM07]

I was thinking all the time, where I have seen a similar scenario before.

Suthep- marching through Bangkok, on a route, unknown to anyone before and a "grenade" was thrown at him (well...kind of...more like 100 meters behind him) and ...voila...there is a red shirt- weapons depot, ID cards, red-shirts and all...

Why am I not convinced?

[Eric Loh]

Martial law, detention without trial, abduction, toutured prisoners and set up incriminating props; the junta has a credibility problem when dispensing information. It's now one way street, absolute rule and a police state. This self designed happiness can deteriorate badly very fast.

[AleG]

I was thinking all the time, where I have seen a similar scenario before.

Suthep- marching through Bangkok, on a route, unknown to anyone before and a "grenade" was thrown at him (well...kind of...more like 100 meters behind him) and ...voila...there is a red shirt- weapons depot, ID cards, red-shirts and all...

Why am I not convinced?

Because this never happened ".there is a red shirt- weapons depot, ID cards, red-shirts and all..." and the grenade was real.

Looks like you are purposefully trying to not be convinced.

[JAG]

The Red Shirts are not Communists, per se, but they have been brainwashed using Communist techniques and much of their leadership are 'former' Communists.

Brainwashed using communist techniques? Can you cite one reputable security agency that supports that idiotic claim? If you had one iota of understanding of the UDD you would know that it is an umbrella organization that includes many groups with divergent and opposing views. They range from nationalists on the right wing side of the spectrum who want a return to basic values, much like US Republican tea baggers, and the National Front movements in Europe, to progressives who have a social advancement agenda. None of these groups has undergone communist style brainwashing.

The leadership are not former communists. If you keep repeating lies, do you think they become the truth? There are five recognized leading voices in the UDD.

Veera Musikapong: Former spokesman of Prime Minister Pramoj Seni Pramoj, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, of Communications, and of Interior under General Prem, secretary general of the Democrat Party, executive member of the TRT and MP. Hardly the CV of a commie.

Jatuporn Prompan: Of humble origin, he is a self made man, having worked his way through vocational school and then university. He is the working man's MP. In the UK he would be considered Labour Party, in Canada New Democratic party, in the EU social democrat. Only in the screwed up world of loonie right-wingers would he be considered a commie.

Nattawut Saikua - former MP and cabinet member. He comes from a middle class family. He is Mr. Small business representing the shopkeepers class of thailand. He was ridiculed for his capitalist ways by the opposition when he was recording singing a jingle for a retail chain.

Weng Tojirakam: The only one who could be labeled a commie, even though he was not. He is a product of a poor family who sent him to the elitist Mahidol University and was the secretary-general of the Medical Students Centre of Thailand. He was part of the anti facist protests in the early 1970's including the resistance to the Thammasat University massacre. He was forced to flee for his life. Having nowhere from which to continue the fight for freedom, he joined the communists. He was hardly a communist as he is devout Buddhist and communism does not allow for religion. If anything he is a religious fundamentalist filled with the same fervour and zeal that drives evangelicals. He was no more a communist than the brave heroes that enlisted to fight Franco's right wing overthrow of the Spanish Republic in the 1930's.

So yes, please tell me again where the commies are.

You've made some excellent posts over the years and some of the other extreme. But at least you look up facts. Then go and spoil it by claiming "Jatuporn to be a self made man and Nattawut to be representing the shopkeepers of Thailand".

They are groomed, appointed by and serve Thaksin. Remember how Jatuporn got his wealth and all those amulets and artifacts? And wasn't Natuwatt's transport company doing well during the rice pledging scam - moving loads of rice around to mysterious destinations at the dead of night. Who paid for all that?

Weng and Thida - communists. Trained by and still believe. Forget religion - many communists were orthodox or Catholics in countries were those superstitions were strong.

Now, in the UDD can you tell us how these leaders of this democratic umbrella organization were actually elected to their roles?

You enthusiastically support a military junta, which has taken power in an unconstitutional manner, and has appointed a legislative assembly to replace an elected parliament, and you criticise the internal electoral processes of the party which has convincingly won every general election this century. Extraordinary double standards!

And as for this nonsense about rhem being communists, we're getting close to destroying the village in order to save ir" territory

[whybother]

You've made some excellent posts over the years and some of the other extreme. But at least you look up facts. Then go and spoil it by claiming "Jatuporn to be a self made man and Nattawut to be representing the shopkeepers of Thailand".

They are groomed, appointed by and serve Thaksin. Remember how Jatuporn got his wealth and all those amulets and artifacts? And wasn't Natuwatt's transport company doing well during the rice pledging scam - moving loads of rice around to mysterious destinations at the dead of night. Who paid for all that?

Weng and Thida - communists. Trained by and still believe. Forget religion - many communists were orthodox or Catholics in countries were those superstitions were strong.

Now, in the UDD can you tell us how these leaders of this democratic umbrella organization were actually elected to their roles?

You enthusiastically support a military junta, which has taken power in an unconstitutional manner, and has appointed a legislative assembly to replace an elected parliament, and you criticise the internal electoral processes of the party which has convincingly won every general election this century. Extraordinary double standards!

And as for this nonsense about rhem being communists, we're getting close to destroying the village in order to save ir" territory

Which general election did the UDD win?

[DM07]

I was thinking all the time, where I have seen a similar scenario before.

Suthep- marching through Bangkok, on a route, unknown to anyone before and a "grenade" was thrown at him (well...kind of...more like 100 meters behind him) and ...voila...there is a red shirt- weapons depot, ID cards, red-shirts and all...

Why am I not convinced?

Because this never happened ".there is a red shirt- weapons depot, ID cards, red-shirts and all..." and the grenade was real.

Looks like you are purposefully trying to not be convinced.

Yep...it didn't happen!

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/17/thai-anti-government-protesters-wounded-explosion-bangkok

One of the first articles that pop up, when you google "suthep bangkok march grenade", there is another by BP.

They all said, that there was a stockpile of weapons, linked to reds at first and later totally dis- proven.

The fact, that they backpaddled later, doesn't mean "it didn't happen"!

I can not be arsed to look for it, but I recall the red- shirt memorabilia and the ID card quiet well.

And I am not that old.