120 Men Armed With Batons And Big Knives Demolish Stalls In Chatuchak Market

[george]

Group of men forcefully demolish stalls in Chatuchak market

BANGKOK: -- Dozens of police are reinforced into Chatuchak weekend market after some 120 men armed with batons and big knives forcefully demolished hundreds of stalls in the market on Thursday morning. The men wore T-shirt with the word "police" on them.

The men briefly clashed with vendors of the stalls who rushed into the sites after learning of the demolition. The sites belong to the State Railway Authority.

Cursing and yelling at each other, both sides claimed that they had official documents to prove their actions. Some vendors were seen throwing bricks and stones at the men who shouted back and threatened to assault the vendors.

There are still unclear how many were injured during the incident.

The men reportedly started the demolition at about 4pm and continued until 7pm. They claimed that they had court order allowing them to knock down the stalls.

A woman identified herself only as Apinya claimed that she represented a developer company that has ownership over the area and is allowed to demolition works.

The vendors also showed court documents that suspend any demolition works pending trial on ownership of the areas.

After police intervention, both sides agree to go to Bang Sue police station to discuss about the incident.

--The Nation 2006-11-09

[Scott]

If a court had ordered them (vendors) out, wouldn't they have been notified?

[Douggie Style]

120 guys with iron bars smashing up the stalls - will it make any difference to the products...

[Tony Clifton]

After the World Plaza incident I can' t believe policemen would demolish buildings, only rough up civilians.

Funny thing is, you can buy t-shirts at Jatujak with POLICE printed on them.

Edited November 9, 2006 by Tony Clifton

[brazil]

sounds a little like an incident in soi 10 sukhumvit a few years back

it will be interesting to know what part of the market they decided to use mob rule, as now jj market is so vast covering so many sections on each side of the road.

[sriracha john]

A Thai police officer looks at the site of the Bangkok weekend market which was demolished by a group of about 100 men after vendors refused to evacuate from the disputed land Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, in Bangkok, Thailand. No one was killed in the incident.

AP

[Rinrada]

Maybe they were looking for a particular pet....rabbit...

dog.....budgie...rat

[lopburi3]

I believe the dispute is in the tropical fish area of the market.

[Couthy]

Maybe they were looking for a particular pet....rabbit...

dog.....budgie...rat

I actually live just behind Bang Sue cop shop - you should see it - there's bus loads of folks in there barking. Great entertainment.

However, on another note : Don't lots and lots of tourists go to Chatuchak?.

Another positive advertising campaign for LOS..........................................

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

I walked past Soi Zero the other day. Its looking incredibly tidy albeit flatter than usual.

What happened?

[kmart]

Slow Loris protectors mibbe?

[Totster]

I walked past Soi Zero the other day. Its looking incredibly tidy albeit flatter than usual.

What happened?

The other day..? Was that before or after you moved away from Bangkok ?

totster

[bkkmadness]

I believe the dispute is in the tropical fish area of the market.

Is nothing sacred?!

Edited November 9, 2006 by bkkmadness

[Hermano Lobo]

So the Thugs are back in town again !

I think perhaps this letter in today's The Nation has some significance? Even though it refers to Thaksin :-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A very long way to go before real justice will ever be served in Thailand

Re: "Thaksin comparable to Saddam and he should be wary of the same punishment", Letters, November 8.

The letter warning Thaksin that he could go the same way as Saddam reinforced an opinion I have held for a while. But, on reflection, I know that nothing of the sort will happen.

The nation has compromised itself too fast in the globalisation of value, with corruption leading the way to reach unparalleled limits.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont graced the international media with a speech espousing the restoration of the Rule of Law and morality in the country.

I think not. Thailand will remain culturally divorced from both until it can rid itself of its feudal patronage system. It is this that bestows value on a person according to wealth, not deeds. The impression that a man of impenetrable insincerity would somehow go the same way as Saddam is inconceivable. Thaksin's arch critics may live in hope but I think they will be lucky to witness Thaksin even facing a parking fine.

Sucatash

Bangkok

[logpoacher]

"Group of men forcefully demolish stalls in Chatuchak market"

As opposed to the other way of demolishing things?

[albert dickinson]

This demolition tells me some rich & corrupt person,regardless of what hat he wears is behind this.I pose a question.Who is capable of organising 100+ men to carry out this dastardly deed at short notice.

Albert.

[Laulen]

An excellent post Hermano Lobo

A letter from a Thai that recognises the difficulties in maintaining law and order in LOS. It is such a sad state of affairs.

Are we any different in other 'farang' countries, or is it that there is a greater degree of 'sophisticated' thuggery?

Laulen

[Bottlerocket]

SUNDAY MARKET

Thugs demolish Chatuchak stalls

Police forced to intervene as leaseholder tries to evict unwanted tenants

More than 100 armed men stormed into the Sunday Market at Chatuchak early yesterday to destroy stalls as the owners pelted them with debris in a futile effort to stop them.

In scenes reminiscent of the destruction of Sukhumvit Square ordered by Chat Thai deputy leader Chuwit Kamolvisit several years ago, thugs tore through the area using strong-arm tactics to keep the stall owners at bay.

The Sunday Market has been leased by Thanasarnsombat Pattana Company from the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). It is located next to the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Vendors who have operated at the market for about 10 years insisted they were protected by a court order until negotiations, scheduled for February 7, were conducted.

When police officers arrived at the market at around 5am, stalls were being torn apart despite protests from the vendors, some of whom hurled bottles and stones.

A vendor was reportedly hospitalised after a demolition worker punched him with a brass knuckle-duster. Some of the men carried axes, clubs and crowbars.

The police urged both sides to negotiate.

A woman, calling herself Apinya, said she was a legal adviser for Thanasarnsombat Pattana.

She said an April court order meant all tenants with contracts with the bankrupt Sunday Holdings Company should have left the area by November 2.

"We displayed copies of the court order and SRT statement that declares our company's rights here," Apinya said.

Sunday Holdings used to lease the area from SRT until it went bankrupt in 1998. SRT later took charge of the area and sold the lease to Thanasarnsombat Pattana.

However, trader Thanaporn Sapien said she and other vendors had run their stalls there more than 10 years. After Sunday Holdings went bankrupt, they continued to pay their Bt300 a day rent to SRT until a few months ago when electricity and water were cut off.

"We jointly lodged a complaint with the Civil Court on October 27, which issued an injunction barring any forced removal and the cutting off of the electricity and water," she said.

Police Division 2 deputy Maj-General Amnuay Nimmano yesterday asked Thanasarnsombat Pattana to refrain from further action until the parties had met.

Amnuay said representatives from the Legal Execution Department and SRT would settle the dispute.

SRT acting governor Thawil Samnakhon yesterday said Thana-sarnsombat Pattana bought the 12-year lease in March. Under the contract, the company must construct a building for tenants to trade in within two years or face a fine.

"Now, eight months have passed since the contract was granted," Thawil said, adding that SRT and Thanasarnsombat Pattana had tried to find alternative sites for the vendors but received no cooperation.

Veera Udom, chair of the Sunday Market Cooperative, vowed to submit a petition to Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda at his house today.

Seems like the company has had their last straw with SQUATTERS.

[In the Rai!]

Thugs in Thailand.....No way!

[Heng]

Mob rule works both ways. Squatters often think because they are squatting in numbers that they don't have to move. The worst are merchant squatters because you often can't pay them to move. My brother once had to pay 900 Baht per shack x 40 shacks to get saleng/scavengers to move in order to build a dorm for Rajabhat students on Ratchada 36. How would you feel about having to pay someone to move off your own private property. Plenty of folks out there I think would be less 'jai yen' about these types of situations.

[Tony Clifton]

Why do thugs have to be hired for evictions? Aren't there law officers to assist or do they simply refuse to be involved until damage and injuries have been done?

[Bottlerocket]

When police officers arrived at the market at around 5am, stalls were being torn apart despite protests from the vendors, some of whom hurled bottles and stones.

A vendor was reportedly hospitalised after a demolition worker punched him with a brass knuckle-duster. Some of the men carried axes, clubs and crowbars.

The police urged both sides to negotiate.

DEMOLITION WORKER.......BRASS KNUCKLE DUSTER!?!?!?!?!?!

POLICE URGED BOTH SIDES TO NEGOTIATE!?!?!?!?!?!

<deleted>!?!?!

Why doesn't it say something like, "When police arrived on the scene they quickly deployed to arrest the vandals involved. The mayhem soon came under control and several people have been charged with assault & battery, resisting arrest, coercion & intimidation through threat of bodily harm, and destruction of public & private property--to name just a few." ?????

[kmart]

I watched that shower of <deleted> on the news this morning. The cops were just bystanders, doing virtually nothing and smirking sheepishly because they've probably taken money from both parties and have no idea whose side they're supposed to be on. The Law notwithstanding, of course.

[Heng]

Why do thugs have to be hired for evictions? Aren't there law officers to assist or do they simply refuse to be involved until damage and injuries have been done?

Well, the norm is actually tenants are usually willing to move/vacate at the end of their lease. In cases where they are steadfast about not moving, squatters can sometimes drag cases out legally for months and sometimes even years. So "why" landlords sometimes resort to heavy handed measures is because of loss of revenue. This is especially likely in cases where the landlord isn't the property owner, but merely a leasee of the property themselves. This is likely the case here. Some developer has leased property for XX years from the SRT and doesn't want to spend X years in court NOT collecting rent on property that they have subleased.

[John K]

Perhaps the price of tea has gone up now that some political feeding lines have gone dry after 9-19.

[Crushdepth]

I believe the dispute is in the tropical fish area of the market.

I went to the tropical fish section on Saturday (rebuilding my fish tank). Quite a few shops were gone, but it was wasn't wholesale demolition like the picture on the first page of this thread. It was more like a cluster of shops here and there that had been removed. The majority of that section is still intact, and the damage was all in the outdoor 'laneway' down to the road.

[cclub75]

POLICE URGED BOTH SIDES TO NEGOTIATE!?!?!?!?!?!?

That's of course, the best part of it.

It's surreal.

Anyway, this new "incident" illustrates many problems of the country.

[Plus]

Realistically, what else can they do with squatters? Ask police to evict them?

Legally it can draw for years, while someone has invested money and the rent has to be paid.

Third world problems - third world solutions.

[Johpa]

Realistically, what else can they do with squatters? Ask police to evict them?

Legally it can draw for years, while someone has invested money and the rent has to be paid.

Third world problems - third world solutions.

I would think it preferable for the police to evict the shopowners in an orderly fashion rather than having an influential person hire 100 off-duty policemen to act as thugs. And I believe the tenants were paying rent and were in the midst of legal proceedings to clarify the legal status of the leases relative to the new owners of the property who wish to redevelop the property.

One does not need to travel to the third world to find property owners who will do just about anything to break a lease in order to redevelop the property. It is a time honored tradition. Those who control the land have often been even more ruthless than those who control the means of production.

[clokwise]

According to a Thai news report, many of the thugs were actually illegal immigrants, who are now awaiting possible deportation after being arrested at the demolition site without proper id. Some of them apparently spoke very little Thai.

It seems like a very savvy move -- you hire illegals to do the dirty work, which means they can be blamed for all the trouble -- plus you don't have to pay them if they get deported.

Whoever decided to do this obviously knew they could get away with it.