Oh my God Fauxie, BE CAREFUL PLEASE!!!

running to turn the tv on...

Holy cow.

Stay safe Fauxie.

This is so sad, such a beautiful country normally.

Ok, first PM Thaksin declared a curfew in Bangkok tomorrow. Then tanks circling his home not far from where we live. I'm currently over at my friend's house and trying to work out what's happening. All the cable stations have been disconnected but terrestrial channels are still running.

they are claiming the attempt was not successful on the news here
but i guess that all remains to be seen

glad to see you check in nick

edit: a reporter on the ground said that is spin from the government and that it is likely the pm would not be returning to the country
[Edited 9/19/06 11:42am]

Fauxie said:

If you can keep us informed..

I just heard about this...Martial Law.

Be very careful.

I'm not sure I will return home tomorrow from my friend's house. We don't live so far from where much of this is taking place, but here in Bang Bua Thong nothing much has changed. No cable or commercial radio though. It just stopped a few hours ago.

Fauxie said:

Oh my god. Could there be actual warfare in the street if this coup happens?? Please be safe Nick.

Please be careful!!

this is so scary, when I saw the news about the tanks I got scared for you and your wife.

Fauxie said:

this is horrible-PLEASE be safe-i like u

"We ask for the co-operation of the public and ask your pardon for the inconvenience," the announcement said.

At least they've been polite about the Coup but fucking hell. Stupid fucking pillocks inconveniencing everyone's life to make some useless point about what appears to be the sacking of a General they were loyal too - the repurcussions of this will be huge. Those morons.

abierman said:

I thought about him too... I hope you and Mon and the family are safe, Nick. Where's Golf?

The world's gone crazy.

Spookymuffin said:

No. Here's the deal. On the face of it, the military and police have assumed control in the PM's absence (he's in New York) on behalf of His Majesty The King. However, the King is a frail man, though respected by the majority of the population. He has power in that politically he holds sway by way of the great support for him among the public. That this coup was ordered by the King seems doubtful and rather it's more likely it was simply done on his behalf against his wishes. An alternate theory is that this is in fact protection (by extreme measures) for the PM considering the death threats and assassination attempts of late, but there's little to support this as yet. it's just a theory. It all seems reasonably civilised so far (he says, tanks rolling around), but we have to wait and see. A curfew has been declared and all military personnel have been told to report for duty, but so far this area at least is unaffected.

The unrest is centred around alleged corruption in the government and in particular on the part of PM Thaksin Chinawatra. Elections were held recently and all but the PM's Thai Rak Thai party boycotted. A political impasse insued and it still hasn't been resolved. This all has nothing to do with the original subject of this thread, the bombing in Hat Yai, but that's by the by. Right now all is pretty much normal here but for the cable and English radio blackout and the odd website being suddenly unavailable.

Please be careful.

CarrieLee said:

I thought the same thing...look at what's going on in Hungary today...


BC-Hungary-Politics,0242
URGENT
Police retake television building after overnight riots
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - Police retook the headquarters of
Hungarian state television Tuesday after violent clashes with
protesters furious over a leaked recording of the prime minister
admitting the government had lied about the economy.
About 150 people were hurt in overnight riots that Prime
Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, called "the longest and darkest night"
for the country since the end of communism in 1989.
Several thousand police reinforcements were called to the
capital from across the country. Police drove protesters out of the
TV building around 3 a.m., more than five hours after the unrest
began.
The injured included 102 police officers, one of whom was
described on state television as being in satisfactory condition
after an operation to remove a bone splinter from his skull.
Gyurcsany, who said police had been taken by surprise, refused
to resign, as protesters had demanded.
The violence followed a mainly peaceful protest outside
parliament by several thousand people that began late Sunday, when
local media played a leaked recording made in May of Gyurcsany
admitting to repeatedly lying to the country about the state of the
Hungarian economy in order to win April elections.
The Socialist prime minister has not denied making the
statements.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-09-19-06 0510EDT


BC-Hungary-Politics, 2nd Ld-Writethru,1011
AP Interview: Hungarian PM vows to stay despite riots
Eds: UPDATES throughout with prime minister's comments, details of
overnight riots.
AP Photos MT107, 113, 114, 117
By PABLO GORONDI
Associated Press Writer
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - Protesters stormed the headquarters of
Hungarian state television Tuesday and forced it off the air
briefly in an explosion of anger after the prime minister admitted
lying about the economy during an election campaign in April.
Officials said about 150 people were injured in the violence,
including 102 police officers, one of whom suffered a serious head
injury.
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany vowed to stay in office and
carry out economic reforms, despite the riots he described as the
worst since the end of communism in 1989.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Gyurcsany condemned
the "vandalism" of 2,000 to 3,000 protesters who fought police
and invaded Hungarian television headquarters, but said he had
complete confidence in the police's ability to restore order.
"I'm staying and I'm doing my job. I'm extremely committed to
fulfilling my program, fiscal adjustments and reforms," he said.
"I know it's very difficult for the people, but it's the only
direction for Hungary."
Several thousand police reinforcements retook the headquarters
of Hungarian state television early Tuesday after hours of violent
clashes with protesters demanding that Gyurcsany resign for lying
about the economy to win April elections.
"We had to cancel all programming and go off the air at about
1:20 Central European Time because the protesters - well, I should
call them troublemakers, because they were not representing anyone
here - they stormed the building," Balazs Bende, an editor at
Magyar Televizio, the state broadcaster, said in an interview with
British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
"They broke through the barricade and started to go in and
break everything that they could find. They started looting and
taking everything they could," Bende said.
"So at that moment the management of MTV Hungary and security
service of MTV Hungary ordered everyone, every worker of the
television, to leave, and we have been escorted on a sideway door
to relative safety," he said.
By daylight Tuesday, police controlled the area around the TV
building, which also includes the National Bank of Hungary and the
U.S. Embassy, and broadcasting resumed.
Gyurcsany called it "the longest and darkest night" for
Hungary since the fall of communism.
The protests were triggered by a recording that surfaced Sunday
on which Gyurcsany admitted lying "morning, evening and night"
about the economy during the campaign.
Gyurcsany, who has not denied making the statements, has called
an emergency session of the National Security Cabinet for Tuesday.
In an effort to rein in a soaring budget deficit, his
Socialist-led coalition has raised taxes and announced plans to lay
off scores of state employees, introduce direct fees in the health
sector and tuition for most university students.
"The parties behind the government have given (my program) full
support ... and we have to go ahead," said Gyurcsany, whose
coalition with the Alliance of Free Democrats in April became the
first Hungarian government to win re-election since the return to
democracy in 1990.
"In Hungary, we have not witnessed these kinds of protests in
the last 15-20 years, but just because 2,000 or 3,000 people don't
understand what they can and cannot do, it's not a right to disturb
the peace of the country," he said.
"I'm absolutely sure that the Hungarian police will be able to
handle the situation and ensure security and restore calm."
Justice Minister Jozsef Petretei, who also oversees the police
force, submitted his resignation because of the outbreak of
violence, but his offer was rejected by Gyurcsany.
The protesters began gathering outside the parliament building
Monday night to demand Gyurcsany's resignation. As the crowd grew
to more than 10,000, according to an estimate by MTI, the state
news service, several hundred broke away and marched over to the
nearby TV building, demanding to deliver a statement in a live
broadcast.
While most of demonstrators watched, a few dozen broke through
police lines and into the building. Police tried to disperse them
with water cannon sprays but the truck was quickly disabled by the
rioters, some of whom escorted the police officers operating the
vehicle to safety.
Several cars near the TV building were set on fire, their flames
scorching the building.
Rioters also vandalized a large obelisk commemorating Soviet
soldiers who were killed driving Nazi forces from Hungary at the
end of World War II.
In the recording leaked Sunday to local media, Gyurcsany could
be heard admitting that his government coalition, the first in
post-communist Hungary to win re-election, had lied about the
economy - keeping it afloat through "hundreds of tricks" and
thanks to "divine providence."
Gyurcsany's comments - made in May to the Socialists' group of
parliamentary deputies - were full of crude remarks.
"We screwed up. Not a little, a lot," Gyurcsany was heard
saying. "No European country has done something as boneheaded as
we have."
"I almost died when for a year and a half we had to pretend we
were governing. Instead, we lied morning, evening and night," he
told his fellow Socialists.
President Laszlo Solyom asked Gyurcsany to publicly recognize
his error, saying the news of the remarks had thrown the country
into a "moral crisis." He also chastised the prime minister for
"knowingly" jeopardizing people's faith in democracy.
Gyurcsany defended himself by saying that was he trying to
convince his party about the urgent and inevitable need for
comprehensive reforms and to change the political culture.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-09-19-06 0901EDT

Fauxie said:

Thank you.

And I agree, it does seem civilised for a coup and the connotations that that word has. I love that they issued a statement apologising for the "inconvenience."

My worry is that it'll all turn sour a la Franco/Spain in the 30s and you'll have a civil war between those that agree with a coup for change and those that don't.

Spookymuffin said:

It's the picture they're painting, that it's under control. Ultimately it's all up in the air as far as we're concerned.

Fauxie said:

Isn't it always?



*pulls out pipe and puts on slippers*

At the moment all terrestrial TV stations are showing a basic text message on screen interspersed with a statement to stay calm.

...
[Edited 9/19/06 12:42pm]

January 23, 2006: Thaksin's relatives sell their controlling stake in Shin Corp, the telecoms empire he founded, to Singapore state investment firm Temasek. The tax-free $1.9 billion sale angers Bangkok's middle classes and adds momentum to Sondhi's campaign.


February 24: Thaksin calls a snap election on April 2, three years early and two days before a big anti-government rally.


February 27: Three main opposition parties announce an election boycott after Thaksin rejects their demand for a neutral body to reform the constitution.


April 2: Election is held despite opposition boycott.


April 4: After a strong protest vote, Thaksin meets revered King Bhumibhol Adulyadej, before announcing on national TV that he will step down as soon as the next parliament meets.


April 5: Thaksin hands day-to-day power to Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya.


April 26: The three main opposition parties say they will stand in a new election if April 2 poll is annulled.


May 8: Constitutional Court rules that the election is unconstitutional and a new poll should be held.


May 23: Thaksin takes back reins of power, saying it was time to get back work on economic and security issues.


May 30: Government sets election re-run for Oct. 15. King approves the re-run in late July saying he wants a swift end to the crisis.


July 20: Thai army chief unexpectedly re-assigns more than 100 middle-ranking officers thought to be supporters of Thaksin, adding to rumors about divided army and possible coup.


September 19: Thaksin declares a state of emergency after tanks surround Government House.

everything's going screwy - 10 mins to log in here and no cnn and stuff - something's up - I'll hav to see u on the flip side . I'm staying put here at my friend's for a while I think

Fauxie said:

Good luck - I'll be thinking of you in bed tonight.



That came out wrong.

Forgive me, prince.org, I have to see this for myself.

Nick we're all thinking of you, stay safe with your family and keep us updated from time to time

Fauxie said:

Oh, fauxie. Be careful and I hope the best for you and your family.

Checkpoints in town, tanks, hummers and wave after wave of trucks with soldiers in the back. They all looked so young. Khao San Road was eerily silent with not one person walking on the street. After Victory Monument there was a checkpoint with soldiers peering inside cars, and then soldiers all around several roads after that, and several roads blocked off. Still a few taxis around after 4am but nobody really out on the street.