Rajabhakti Park closed for 'renovation' Monday

[rjcampbe]

"Maintenance" on a park that has only been opened for a month? Just how frigging stupid do the Junta think people are?

Is there really a Thai word for maintenance?

[Squeegee]

Please guys, can you stop associating Thailand with museums of corruption? It is a developing country and focussing on the past is not helpful.

A corruption safari, on the other hand....

(Think of the opportunity for package tours!)

Edited December 7, 2015 by Squeegee

[Champneys]

Doesn't this government and Army understand the more you do these stupid things the more attention it draws to the problem and the those it makes this administration looks.

They have the guns so they think they can do anything they want.

[T_Dog]

FaceBook has video of the students being herded into a bus, some being dragged. Anyone know what the translation is of the chant the crowd is yelling?

[tribalfusion001]

FaceBook has video of the students being herded into a bus, some being dragged. Anyone know what the translation is of the chant the crowd is yelling?

According to someone on here, the students are the "thugs"!

[tribalfusion001]

Please guys, can you stop associating Thailand with museums of corruption? It is a developing country and focussing on the past is not helpful.

A corruption safari, on the other hand....

(Think of the opportunity for package tours!)

The Chinese tourists will love a corruption safari. Maybe this is the way to attract "quality tourists"!

[petedk]

Doesn't this government and Army understand the more you do these stupid things the more attention it draws to the problem and the those it makes this administration looks.

They have the guns so they think they can do anything they want.

"They have the guns so they think they can do anything they want."

You are wrong! They know they can do, and do, anything they want.

Sign of the future. I think they will be here for a long time.

Edited December 7, 2015 by petedk

[glenmohr]

When we use the most advanced system of statistical calculus and then consulting the calendar, we discover that the next military coup in Thailand is very soon. Myaybe down to a matter of months but not sure what time of day yet.

We hope the next military junta makes corruption illegal.

Hoping.

[Tom Cahill]

The students apparently have no intrest in anything other than being a pain in the arse to anyone of authority,

they probably display the same attitude in the daycare they attend on a non regular schedule.

At least the grounds should stay as clean as they are presently, by keeping those who seem most interested in

being diruptive in their free time. I never noted any group cleaning up after themselves after they finish their quest for whatever they are trying to accomplish.

I might have let them go in but charge each '' farang price for entry to national parks '' just for being a pest on/ during renovation time

If the above flapdoodle is really the best the junta defenders can come up with, I would call that 1-0 to the other team.

Use your brains. Thirty-three arrests. That's a Masonic number. This is a pantomime to deliberately undermine the junta to bring about some change not possible without some alleged outrage. Look Hagel and the Hagalean Dialectic and it will all make sense. They're all in on it and no onee's making silly moves. It's all a scam.

[NCFC]

I truly am lost words, as to where the assumption comes from that this park was built for the purpose of entertaining or educating the people.

I mean to say, clearly this was a business project with huge donations from the biggest companies this country has, to give these companies a chance to pledge their allegiance to the Army, was it not ?

I believe it was built to demonstrate the absolute power of monarchy throughout the history of Thailand.

[metisdead]

Off topic deflection posts and replies have been removed.

[biplanebluey]

Renovation so shortly after official opening.

Must be really substandard then because of the corruption involved.

Will probably take all day to clear up all the bullshit

[ratcatcher]

"Maintenance" on a park that has only been opened for a month? Just how frigging stupid do the Junta think people are?

Is there really a Thai word for maintenance?

The park was closed for maintenance. This was a typo.

It should have read "The Park is closed for the main tenants to create a "Wiggle Room"

[facthailand]

Rajabhakti Scandal: Military Closes Park 'For Maintenance,' Detains Dozens of Activists

At least the French ambassador thinks the junta is "moderate"!

[callaway]

Who is this Serawith Seritiwat that the big army boys were so scared of that they couldnt drag his ass off the train? Drag the lawyer and the rest but not him. So who the hell is he related too?

Edited December 7, 2015 by callaway

[smedly]

so you people don't think these so called students have guns, you need to do a little research and then have a few thoughts about what can be bought in this country to create unrest - innocent poor students - I think not

When they start to behave like educated people I might give them some credit but for now I will rest my case

like I have said many times - there are divisive groups here at the behest of whoever is willing to pay - call them students or whatever but they are up to no good

and as I have already stated, these corruption allegations need to be investigated and any irregularities need to be seen to be dealt with and investigated properly, not much to add to that in the land of the most corrupt people I have ever seen

[tribalfusion001]

so you people don't think these so called students have guns, you need to do a little research and then have a few thoughts about what can be bought in this country to create unrest - innocent poor students - I think not

When they start to behave like educated people I might give them some credit but for now I will rest my case

like I have said many times - there are divisive groups here at the behest of whoever is willing to pay - call them students or whatever but they are up to no good

and as I have already stated, these corruption allegations need to be investigated and any irregularities need to be seen to be dealt with and investigated properly, not much to add to that in the land of the most corrupt people I have ever seen

I hope you are on the PM's Christmas card list for reproducing the governments propaganda for them!

[baboon]

so you people don't think these so called students have guns, you need to do a little research and then have a few thoughts about what can be bought in this country to create unrest - innocent poor students - I think not

When they start to behave like educated people I might give them some credit but for now I will rest my case

like I have said many times - there are divisive groups here at the behest of whoever is willing to pay - call them students or whatever but they are up to no good

and as I have already stated, these corruption allegations need to be investigated and any irregularities need to be seen to be dealt with and investigated properly, not much to add to that in the land of the most corrupt people I have ever seen

How many of these students were arrested on firearms charges? What firearms legal or otherwise were claimed to be found in their possession? Just keep making it up as you go along, eh?

[smedly]

I see It as it is fooled by none, if you think these students are acting on their own then we will have to disagree - everything in Thailand is about who pays and there are many willing to pay to feed their agenda some have very deep pockets

now and I w2ill repeat this now for the 3rd time - if there is corruption involved in this park it needs to be exposed and those responsible brought to justice, the problem I see here is that the ex army chief now PM may already be threatened by those who are now in power over the army, he has to walk a fine line or he may himself find he becomes the victim of those that are now wielding the big stick, it is not him any more, if you think General Prayut is 100% in charge then you are naïve, I do however believe he is doing his best for Thailand and that is my opinion which I am entiltled too

This place is a tinderbox of lots of factions trying for power - we all know who the players are and the money involved, it could go pear shaped at any moment - the current PM is trying to keep a lid on it - he may fail and that is a worry

go ahead and insult me and my opinion if you want, I will report it

Edited December 7, 2015 by smedly

[baboon]

I see It as it is fooled by none, if you think these students are acting on their own then we will have to disagree - everything in Thailand is about who pays and there are many willing to pay to feed their agenda some have very deep pockets

now and I w2ill repeat this now for the 3rd time - if there is corruption involved in this park it needs to be exposed and those responsible brought to justice, the problem I see here is that the ex army chief now PM may already be threatened by those who are now in power over the army, he has to walk a fine line or he may himself find he becomes the victim of those that are now wielding the big stick, it is not him any more, if you think General Prayut is 100% in charge then you are naïve, I do however believe he is doing his best for Thailand and that is my opinion which I am entiltled too

This place is a tinderbox of lots of factions trying for power - we all know who the players are and the money involved, it could go pear shaped at any moment - the current PM is trying to keep a lid on it - he may fail and that is a worry

go ahead and insult me and my opinion if you want, I will report it

You are perfectly entitled to your own opinion. You just aren't entitled to your own facts. Feel free to hit the report button if your feel the argument is not going your way. My conscience is clear for one.

[tribalfusion001]

I see It as it is fooled by none, if you think these students are acting on their own then we will have to disagree - everything in Thailand is about who pays and there are many willing to pay to feed their agenda some have very deep pockets

now and I w2ill repeat this now for the 3rd time - if there is corruption involved in this park it needs to be exposed and those responsible brought to justice, the problem I see here is that the ex army chief now PM may already be threatened by those who are now in power over the army, he has to walk a fine line or he may himself find he becomes the victim of those that are now wielding the big stick, it is not him any more, if you think General Prayut is 100% in charge then you are naïve, I do however believe he is doing his best for Thailand and that is my opinion which I am entiltled too

This place is a tinderbox of lots of factions trying for power - we all know who the players are and the money involved, it could go pear shaped at any moment - the current PM is trying to keep a lid on it - he may fail and that is a worry

go ahead and insult me and my opinion if you want, I will report it

You are right about different factions being in involved and the country is a tinderbox. But supressing the media, censorship, harrassing students, building folly parks and not sorting out important things like Airport/airline safety is not the way forward. Other regimes have tried these things in other countries and always fail in time!

[sjaak327]

Did I just read this right ? The army has once again handled a situation in the worst possible manner and posters such as smedly are blaming the students ?

Give me a break, the junta are idiots, no propaganda is going to change that.

[webfact]

Students blocked from protest over park 'graft'
The Nation


Thammasat University student Sirawith Seritiwat gives an interview to the media at Thon Buri Train Station in Bangkok ahead of his trip MOnday to Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Military, police detain 38 activists while they were on their way to Prachuap Khiri Khan before releasing them

BANGKOK: -- AT least 38 student activists were taken into military custody yesterday after a failed bid to stage a political stunt to highlight alleged corruption in the construction of Rajabhakti Park and demand that the government take action against it.

Hundreds of military and police stopped the students on a train at Ban Pong Station in Ratchaburi as they were travelling from the capital to the park in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The students were taken to the Ninth Infantry Regiment Command in Nakhon Pathom's Buddhamondhol district.

They were released last night after agreeing not to hold any political activities concerning the scandal.

The students and political activists led by Thammasat University student Sirawith Seritiwat launched a campaign called "Taking the train to Rajabhakti Park, Lighting up the Corruption". Some 60 students and activists joined the trip.

National Council for Peace and Order spokesman Winthai Suvaree said the intention was not to detain the group but merely bar them from travelling to the park. He said the move was designed to prevent a possible confrontation that could have become violent.

A group of local royalists was seen waiting at the railway station shouting and scolding the students while they were taken from the scene. One shouted: "[if you] do not love the King, then get out [of the country]."

Sirawath is studying at Thammasat's Faculty of Political Science. He is the leader of many student groups such as Dome Front Agora and Democracy Study. He has been actively protesting against the junta since the coup in the middle of last year and detained a couple of times. Given this, he has often been confronted by officials while staging political activities.

Lawyer Anont Nampa joined the trip and was also arrested. He is with the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group, which advocates for political defendants including those facing lese majeste charges.

Rajabhakti Park was closed to the public yesterday. Officials said roads at the park and other facilities needed to be repaired despite the park opening only a few months ago. It was guarded tightly by police and soldiers with barricades put at the entrance.

The arrest of the student activists was condemned locally and internationally.

National Human Rights Commission chairman Wat Tingsamitr said the agency would discuss the issue today.

British Ambassador to Thailand Mark Kent tweeted yesterday: "I had hoped the fact that 200 people [being] allowed to demonstrate at the US Embassy might be relaxation on freedom of assembly."

He was referring to a demonstration late last month against US Ambassador Glyn Davies for him criticising harsh penalties under the lese majeste law.

The activist group New Democracy Movement demanded in a statement that the junta to release the student activists without any conditions.

NDM said people had the right to examine government expenditure and the students arrested yesterday had that right violated. It said arresting them was proof that there was corruption in the construction of Rajabhakti Park, and yesterday's event was a victory because of that.

The Bt1-billion park has become a hot political issue after claims of corruption and irregularities in raising funds for its construction. Deputy Defence Minister Udomdej Sitabutr, who presided over construction of the park, admitted that commission fees were taken by someone involved in the project before being turned into 'donations'.

The government set up an in-house committee to investigate but the public has demanded an independent body be set up to look into the matter.

Pheu Thai Party legal adviser Ruangkrai Leekitwattana said he would call for the Auditor General to take back more than Bt46 million spent on Rajabhakti Park, claiming that the budget had been misused.

He said the money was supposed to be spent on buying permanent property for the Army, but was used instead to buy construction materials for the park like marble, stone and granite.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Students-blocked-from-protest-over-park-graft-30274492.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-08

[tribalfusion001]

This part is very interesting A group of local royalists was seen waiting at the railway station shouting and scolding the students while they were taken from the scene. One shouted: "[if you] do not love the King, then get out [of the country]." So, if you protest against possible corruption, you get that accusation thrown at you. Don't you just love mob rule by thugs 555

[Mango Bob]

The government and the Army just don't understand that the students got more media cover just saying they were going to the park and having the police and army look like fools detailing them.

[waldroj]

One word in The Nation article (#114) above stands out more than any other - scandal!

[NCFC]

This part is very interesting A group of local royalists was seen waiting at the railway station shouting and scolding the students while they were taken from the scene. One shouted: "[if you] do not love the King, then get out [of the country]." So, if you protest against possible corruption, you get that accusation thrown at you. Don't you just love mob rule by thugs 555

I wonder if there were more than 5 royalists?

[Somtamnication]

This is such a ridiculous clampdown. The seeds of the Chula vs. Tham circa 1976 massacre are growing again.

[tribalfusion001]

This part is very interesting A group of local royalists was seen waiting at the railway station shouting and scolding the students while they were taken from the scene. One shouted: "[if you] do not love the King, then get out [of the country]." So, if you protest against possible corruption, you get that accusation thrown at you. Don't you just love mob rule by thugs 555

I wonder if there were more than 5 royalists?

Looks that way, but the same applies outside the US Embassy, strange logic?

[HomeinThailand]

If they want to protest, kepp your dang mouth shut about when and where you are going to be. Seems like they broadcast where and when they are going. Duh...of course you will be stopped. So junta...exactly how much did you spend and where did the money actually come from???