Bombings in Bangkok & CMai - opinions

[aaaaaa]

I consider this thread to be a troll in the worst possible taste

Yes the looniies will find it irresistable

And the "experts" both in weaponry and Thai politics.

They do not need to be provoked or encouraged

dude, personally I never even OPEN threads which I am not interested in. I wonder - why did you ? anyone can see that subtitle says it clearly: Speculations here...

so, yes - don't waste your precious time, better use it in Bedlam may be - very informative, you know..

now, here are some fresh Speculatins from Police - you can call them loonies if you want!

Police have 2 theories on bombs

Police investigating the New Year's Eve bombings are working on the theory that attacks could have been ordered by either "those in old power" or "those currently in power with conflicts of interests among themselves", said a source in Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB).

"So far, no evidence whatsoever can be produced against the wrongdoers, whoever they are. The Council for National Security (CNS) seems to know best who they could be," said a source who asked not to be named.

interesting: CNS knows it better than MPB, yet neither say anything.

and even "source" requested NOT to be named...

SOOOO MYSTERIOUS!

[pumpuiman]

for what its worth,

i asked around, the consensus was pretty firmly from parties associated with the ex.

don't know if they were acting under orders or off their own bat.

nasty development, condolences & sympthies to those affected

That is what most Thai people seem to think. Still we should await the outcome.

This is what they have been told to think....by a dictator who thinks people are sheep.

[chuchok]

for what its worth,

i asked around, the consensus was pretty firmly from parties associated with the ex.

don't know if they were acting under orders or off their own bat.

nasty development, condolences & sympthies to those affected

That is what most Thai people seem to think. Still we should await the outcome.

This is what they have been told to think....by a dictator who thinks people are sheep.

Yep, they can't find one single bomber from the south,but they announce that the Thaksin clan are responsible for this one.

[Boon Mee]

Yep, they can't find one single bomber from the south,but they announce that the Thaksin clan are responsible for this one.

Knee jerk reaction is to blame Taksin - easy...

Kinda like everything else is the fault of you-know-who.

[Drafi]

Today, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) mentioned in a carefully drafted article that there are speculations about a possible counter-putsch in Thailand.

Whoever is responsable for the bombings has weakened general Surayud and destabilized the provisional government simply by demonstrating that they do not have the power they claim to have.

We might see a series of even worse events during the following weeks or months. A military coup is a military coup and not in any case to be taken lightly even if it might have happened peacefully in the beginning. Long term political movements or underlying tensions do not simply disappear with a singular incident like a change of government.

Not being an expatriate and only knowing Thailand as a tourist I admit that I was amazed how lightheartedly the "farang community" in Thailand took the coup in semptember 2006. Personally, I think there was no solid base for being that optimistic and there still isn't. We don't really know what is going to happen.

[mayacan]

I find the bombings in Bangkok on New Year's Eve very interesting. First off from an American perspective, the news of the bombing barely made seconds on the back end of the CNN news coverage. It also made back ended stories in major U.S. newspapers. Not much coverage at all, but that's America, and the corporations that run us, just like they run the news.

But after reading all the blurbs here, and the several noted resorces from the various news agencies, here is an educated opinion from an historian/social scientist who likes to dabble in politics: I do not think it is the work of any muslim militant group, very simply, they would have went for numbers, and they would have gotten numbers on a New Year's Eve. Because of the rather low numbers of dead, and injured, it was well planned to have this result, and the intended result of scaring people. The only people who would gain from this would be people with something to gain from enforcing "marshall law", and the continued hold on power in Thailand.

There are factions in the Thai military that want to maintain power in the hands of the military. CNS, or any other unknown factions in the Thai military trying to wrestle power into their own hands now have a perfect excuse to gain control, for the safety of the people from the bad guys. Military coups are never clean and pretty, and they never happen for the benefit of the masses. Everything is about power & the control of the resources among the few who hold onto those resources.....follow the money.

[hammered]

Today, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) mentioned in a carefully drafted article that there are speculations about a possible counter-putsch in Thailand.

Whoever is responsable for the bombings has weakened general Surayud and destabilized the provisional government simply by demonstrating that they do not have the power they claim to have.

We might see a series of even worse events during the following weeks or months. A military coup is a military coup and not in any case to be taken lightly even if it might have happened peacefully in the beginning. Long term political movements or underlying tensions do not simply disappear with a singular incident like a change of government.

Not being an expatriate and only knowing Thailand as a tourist I admit that I was amazed how lightheartedly the "farang community" in Thailand took the coup in semptember 2006. Personally, I think there was no solid base for being that optimistic and there still isn't. We don't really know what is going to happen.

Interesting. I have heard from a few Western journalists that the bombing was organized by a few millitary officers linked to politicians from the ex-government who had been disadvantaged by the recent turn of political events. Persoanlly I wasnt totally convinced, but... Hopefully this will not get any nastier.

[thaihome]

I find the bombings in Bangkok on New Year's Eve very interesting. First off from an American perspective, the news of the bombing barely made seconds on the back end of the CNN news coverage. It also made back ended stories in major U.S. newspapers. Not much coverage at all, but that's America, and the corporations that run us, just like they run the news.

But after reading all the blurbs here, and the several noted resorces from the various news agencies, here is an educated opinion from an historian/social scientist who likes to dabble in politics: I do not think it is the work of any muslim militant group, very simply, they would have went for numbers, and they would have gotten numbers on a New Year's Eve. Because of the rather low numbers of dead, and injured, it was well planned to have this result, and the intended result of scaring people. The only people who would gain from this would be people with something to gain from enforcing "marshall law", and the continued hold on power in Thailand.

There are factions in the Thai military that want to maintain power in the hands of the military. CNS, or any other unknown factions in the Thai military trying to wrestle power into their own hands now have a perfect excuse to gain control, for the safety of the people from the bad guys. Military coups are never clean and pretty, and they never happen for the benefit of the masses. Everything is about power & the control of the resources among the few who hold onto those resources.....follow the money.

Why do think the southern Muslim militants would have gone for numbers? They have never done so in the South, why would they do so in Bangkok. They have many high profile targets, including many foreigners available in the south, but other than small blasts at a mall and the airport (similar to what happened in Bangkok) they have not done so. The group in the south have not used same tatics that people associate with other Muslim militants.

TH

[Plus]

Muslim bombers can blow up a dozen places simultaneously in Yala, no big deal, but to pull off the same feat in Bangkok is far more difficult.

Their profile is of country boys in late tens early twenties, with little education, using motorcycles, excellent knowledge of the area, and sympathy of the locals who'd cover for them. They would truly be lost in Bangkok. How would they get around, for example? Taxi drivers would sniff their accents in no time. Eight explosions in different parts of the city is way beyond their logistic capability. Only if they had a safe house, transportation, and at least a month to familiarise themselves with the city.

It just doesn't add up. Besides there are many technical points that might prove that it's not the work of southern bomb makers, or prove that it's the hand of known Bangkok bombings, so far unresolved.

It's also reasonable to keep the media out of it - to keep bombers in the dark about the actual progress in investigation.

Also, as it's not likely to be the work of common criminals, masterminds are also not common people. They are probably all widely known in their circles and fairly easy to pinpoint, but impossible to publicly name or accuse, let alone convict. So it's not unimaginable that CNS knows better who is responsible than investigators on the ground. It's one thing to know, another to prove.

[pschef]

I do not believe that any Buddhist Thai would randomly bomb other Thais to make a statement. It's not in their nature.

Sorry can’t fully agree with this statement, I have seen Thais almost killing each other for far less. But of course, that's just my humble opinion. Not speculation, throwing large stones at each other and using weapons’ over drunken argument.

[pschef]

Today, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) mentioned in a carefully drafted article that there are speculations about a possible counter-putsch in Thailand.

Whoever is responsable for the bombings has weakened general Surayud and destabilized the provisional government simply by demonstrating that they do not have the power they claim to have.

We might see a series of even worse events during the following weeks or months. A military coup is a military coup and not in any case to be taken lightly even if it might have happened peacefully in the beginning. Long term political movements or underlying tensions do not simply disappear with a singular incident like a change of government.

Not being an expatriate and only knowing Thailand as a tourist I admit that I was amazed how lightheartedly the "farang community" in Thailand took the coup in semptember 2006. Personally, I think there was no solid base for being that optimistic and there still isn't. We don't really know what is going to happen.

Tend to agree with this post

[ColPyat]

One thing we can be sure on is that terrorist attacks all round the world generate a huge amount of conspiracy theories, and some never believe the official story. Seems this board is going into overdrive on that right now.

The big problem is that since the coup (and yes, to some extend before as well) that we are supposed to believe the official versions just because they say so and are virtous, but fail completely to back up their statements with ecidence or fact. No, i do not "believe" anything unless being presented with more evidence than pure unsubstantiated rumor.

In case of the bombings it took Surayudh less than a day to come out with a statement pointing the bombings to Thaksin, and less than another day for Gen. Sonthi to come out with again a slightly differing statement, paired with a typical asinine response about Southern insurgents being excluded for not knowing their way around Bangkok.

This does not exactly affirm my trust in the abilities of our present government. And therefore i have huge difficulties in just believing them. But that is just me.

[sbk]

Yep, they can't find one single bomber from the south,but they announce that the Thaksin clan are responsible for this one.

Knee jerk reaction is to blame Taksin - easy...

Kinda like everything else is the fault of you-know-who.

Voldemort?

sorry Boon, couldn't resist

Just to give a Thai perspective (Southern of course), my husband's first reaction on hearing about the bombing (even before the govt made any statement at all) was that Thaksin's followers were behind it. The man is not beloved south of Bangkok, to say the least.

[ColPyat]

Just to give a Thai perspective (Southern of course), my husband's first reaction on hearing about the bombing (even before the govt made any statement at all) was that Thaksin's followers were behind it. The man is not beloved south of Bangkok, to say the least.

Problem though is that popular believe not backed by any evidence is all what presently opnions seemed to based upon in Thailand (and here on this board). Reasoning that just because Thaksin is not beloved he must be responsible for the bombings is a bit of of a jump.

There is as much circumstantial evidence linking fractions within the military to the bombings that would prefer a much tighter coup. This conflict within the coup makers and their subordinates and other vested interests, all strongly against Thaksin, has been known since only a few weeks after the coup. Nothing is monolithic here - neither was TRT - nor is the junta.

[sbk]

Just to give a Thai perspective (Southern of course), my husband's first reaction on hearing about the bombing (even before the govt made any statement at all) was that Thaksin's followers were behind it. The man is not beloved south of Bangkok, to say the least.

Problem though is that popular believe not backed by any evidence is all what presently opnions seemed to based upon in Thailand (and here on this board). Reasoning that just because Thaksin is not beloved he must be responsible for the bombings is a bit of of a jump.

I don't believe that was my reasoning at all, not sure where you got that idea from. All I am saying is that it was my husband's first reaction. He doesn't trust the man and believes that everything he does is to benefit himself and his family. He is hardly as uninformed and politically naive as you seem to be suggesting. All I was pointing out is that distrust of Thaksin runs high in areas where he didn't bother to spread his money far and wide.

[ColPyat]

I don't believe that was my reasoning at all, not sure where you got that idea from.

Well, i don't know what you believe as you haven't stated it yet. I just stated what opinions i read in this thread here, and in online newspapers (i'll be back in Thailand soon - and i guess i will have ample opportunity then to see what people believe) is based on rumor and not fact.

[blaze]

It's one thing to know, another to prove.

And on the basis of which, would we condemn?

And at the risk of sounding corny- on the basis of which did George W sell the war to the American people?

[sbk]

I don't believe that was my reasoning at all, not sure where you got that idea from.

Well, i don't know what you believe as you haven't stated it yet. I just stated what opinions i read in this thread here, and in online newspapers (i'll be back in Thailand soon - and i guess i will have ample opportunity then to see what people believe) is based on rumor and not fact.

I don't have an opinion since I don't know that much about it. I do not read the Thai language forums as my husband does, nor do I discuss politics with the locals that much. In my experience I have found that many Thai people take offense by foreigners who presume to know more about their country and their politics than they do.

[blaze]

Just to give a Thai perspective (Southern of course), my husband's first reaction on hearing about the bombing (even before the govt made any statement at all) was that Thaksin's followers were behind it. The man is not beloved south of Bangkok, to say the least.

Problem though is that popular believe not backed by any evidence is all what presently opnions seemed to based upon in Thailand (and here on this board). Reasoning that just because Thaksin is not beloved he must be responsible for the bombings is a bit of of a jump.

I don't believe that was my reasoning at all, not sure where you got that idea from. All I am saying is that it was my husband's first reaction. He doesn't trust the man and believes that everything he does is to benefit himself and his family. He is hardly as uninformed and politically naive as you seem to be suggesting. All I was pointing out is that distrust of Thaksin runs high in areas where he didn't bother to spread his money far and wide.

Perhaps SBK is pointing out the basic problem with trying to hang the blame in this- those who love Taksin, will say he didn't do it. Period. And those who hate him, will say he did. Period. Both sides will 'know' that they are right. Neither will bother worrying too much about fancipants notions like- evidence/proof and due process.

Pretty universal, sadly.

Edited January 3, 2007 by blaze

[Totster]

/topic closed

totster