So, lots of protests outside government house, many injured, and supporters of the government have killed one of the protesters (a member of the People's Alliance for Democracy), leading the PM to declare a state of emergency and hand over security to the army.

We don't have any water right now and it's possible we'll have our electricity cut later. Many unions in support of the PAD are striking so bus services aren't running, Thai Airways flights are being stopped or delayed, water and electricity is being cut and there are a bunch of other disruptions. Apparently the state of emergency is intended to last until at least November 30th.

Under these rules I know you can't have a gathering of more than 5 people in a public place, but I'm not sure yet if there's a curfew.

Oh gawd fauxie I hope you and Mon will be safe Just stay off the streets for now.

Any way of getting bottled water? Is it possible you may have to flee Thailand or Bangkok?

NoodleSoup said:

luv4u said:

Mon and her brother just got back from buying lots of bottled water. Hopefully we'll get the running water back soon.

We won't have to flee Bangkok or Thailand, but we should be limiting our travel around the city. Think we'll just lay low for a while. Only problem is that we're in the middle of applying for visas to the UK and Ireland so need to travel around Sathorn, Sukhumwit, Silom etc. where many of the embassies and government buildings are. I imagine there will be lots of closed roads and a conspicuous army presence.

.
[Edited 9/1/08 23:16pm]

We've got running water again but it's all murky.

I think the only thing to do is to stay home for a week and drink ice cold beers.

NoodleSoup said:

now ur talking!! ..Stay safe hun

Ocean said:

Will do.

Thankfully we live within close proximity of many places that sell such a beverage and a good 30 minutes from where all the trouble might happen. Better safe than sorry, I say. Time to be drunk and broke, all in the name of safety of course.

.
[Edited 9/2/08 0:10am]

Oh dear. Please be safe and keep us posted if you can.

Thinking of you

shanti0608 said:

Should be fine. Bangkokians are fairly used to this kind of thing so nobody tends to panic. You can get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time though, so just have to be a little more on the ball.

What a mess though. Protests were almost entirely peaceful until the government started paying folks 200 baht a day ($6) to come down and protest against the anti-government protesters. Now a man's been killed and 40 injured and they've had to declare this state of emergency.

It's all basically over Thaksin.

NoodleSoup said:

I didn't know it's still a bit push and shove politically in usually calm Thaicity. Bhumi isn't interfering with any of this? Very little of this is on the news in Europe, so I thought all was well. I'll research a bit myself, unless you can explain in a nutshell what's been happing the last year.

Isn't the president a bit dodgy?

Btw, the water is always murky isn't it!

Sander said:

lol..

good luck nick, keep that ass indoors man..

keep safe
and make sure you stock up on beer
[Edited 9/2/08 8:54am]

stay safe

Holy Wow!!

What can be said that hasn't been said already. Please be safe.

Prayers for you and your loved ones, fauxie ...that's gotta be unsettling.

You and your family stay safe.

Thai PM declares emergency in capital; 1 dead, 43 injured in political violence


at 8:22 on September 2, 2008, EDT.
By Jocelyn Gecker, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Anti-government protesters stand off against riot police in Bangkok. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Wally Santana


BANGKOK, Thailand - Thailand's prime minister declared a state of emergency in Bangkok on Tuesday to restore order after overnight clashes between government opponents and supporters left one person dead and 43 injured.

Samak Sundaravej called it the "softest means available" to end the violence. But under the sweeping powers that give the military the right to restore order, authorities can suspend certain civil liberties, ban all public gatherings of more than five people and bar the media from reporting news that "causes panic."

Samak gave no timeframe for how long the decree would stay in effect but said it would be over "moderately quickly."

"I did it to solve the problems of the country," Samak said in a televised news conference at a military headquarters in Bangkok.

After a meeting of senior security officials, Army Commander Gen. Anupong Paochinda called a separate news conference in which he repeatedly stressed that the army's goal is to avoid violence.

"If the military has to get involved, it will not use force and will be on the people's side," Anupong said, adding that troops would carry only shields and batons if ordered into the streets.

"They will not be armed, they will not wear bullet proof vests. ... We urge the two sides not to make any move that could lead to violence."

He dismissed speculation that the army was positioning itself to seize power, less than two years after it did so in a 2006 coup.

"If the military uses force to stage a coup, it will create a lot more problems," he said, adding that it was "too soon" for authorities to exercise the emergency power of restricting media coverage.

The overnight violence heightened a national crisis that started a week ago when opponents of Samak occupied the grounds of his office, known as Government House, and refused to move until he resigned.

Samak's government was confronted with another threat Tuesday afternoon: The Election Commission recommended that his People's Power Party be disbanded for electoral fraud committed during December elections.

The commission forwarded its findings to public prosecutors who will decide whether to submit the case to the Constitutional Court for a final ruling, which could ultimately bring down his government.

Calm returned to Bangkok's streets by morning, after Samak deployed troops with riot gear - but no guns - to disperse the two groups of protesters. Both sides retreated to their respective protest sites - less than a kilometre apart - keeping the area a flashpoint for further trouble.

As a precaution, city hall announced that 435 Bangkok public schools would close for three days. Some international private schools opted to shut for a week.

Canada was among several countries that issued advisories urging caution in travelling to Thailand.

"Canadians in Thailand should exercise extreme caution, follow the advice of local authorities, and are strongly advised to avoid gatherings and areas targeted by protesters," the Foreign Affairs Department in Ottawa said in a travel advisory.

A week of political tension exploded into street clashes early Tuesday between protesters seeking to topple Samak and mobs of his supporters.

About 500 Samak supporters marched through the streets after midnight Monday vowing to retake Government House.

Gangs armed with sticks, knives, slingshots and other makeshift weapons chased each other up and down boulevards, beating anyone they could catch. Reporters saw at least one man aiming and firing a pistol at a group of people.

The mob scuffled with police a less than 100 metres from the Government House complex, then clashed with alliance members, mostly in an area near the Asian headquarters of the United Nations.

"The police tried their best," Bangkok police chief Gen. Jongrak Jutanond said. "We were armed with nothing but shields so there was only so much we could do."

Jongrak had ordered riot police a day earlier to carry only shields and no batons in hopes of deterring violence. By sunrise, Jongrak said "the situation is now under control."

Inside Government House, one of the protest leaders Chamlong Srimuang, remained defiant. "We will stay and fight!" he told protesters. "Stay calm. Don't fear... Can you be brave a little longer to save our country?"

One person, identified as a 55-year-old man, died from severe head injuries suffered in the violence and nine others were hospitalized, at least three with gunshot wounds, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Another 33 people were treated for injuries and sent home.

The People's Alliance for Democracy accuses Samak's government of corruption and of serving as a proxy for ex-prime minister Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. Thaksin recently fled to Britain to escape an array of corruption charges.

On Monday, the alliance had announced that their supporters in state enterprise unions would cut off water, electricity and phone service to government offices as part of a "general strike" set for Wednesday.

Alliance supporters said they also would delay departures of flights of the national airline. They are already disrupting rail service and plan to cut back public bus transportation as well.

Samak has repeatedly said he would not be bullied by a mob into resigning or dissolving parliament and calling a new election.

- With files from The Canadian Press


©The Canadian Press, 2008

And you recommended that we move to this fucking country??

Seriously though, you and Mon stay safe. Not being able to bathe has got to be a true test of marriage.

FunkMistress said:

I don't know... they could always bathe in beer and THAT sounds kind fun if you ask me...






Oh and I hope you guys stay safe too!

Sander said:

The King hasn't been involved at all as far as I know. I'm a bit sleepy (It's 7am) so I won't go into all that's been going on, but basically the PM Samak is useless and there are people who feel that his government is basically Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party under a different name and that Thaksin is still pulling the strings or at least helping out financially. Samak doesn't bring any of the positives as a PM that Thaksin did (astute businessman) but more than likely brings all the same corruption. Plenty of people are fed up, hence the protests, but there are plenty of supporters of the government, and then the majority that is either apathetic or simply wants this kind of unrest to stop.

Thanks everyone for the caring thoughts. We're used to this in the Land of Smiles ( ) and I can't see there being escalation of the situation into worse violence. Just a big political mess and maybe the inconvenience of cuts in power, water and whatnot.

Stay safe man!

However, I do respect the tenacity of people in places like Thailand or Mexico who take to the streets and voice their frustrations.

Bush & Co. stole 2 elections and besides some internet rantings, no one really did much (including me). Just whine & complain.

stay safe!

PurpleJedi said:

Whenever there's political unrest in my country is 200 people tops. They walk towards some building, stand there for a couple of minutes, hoping for press, then bail for home!

Thanks Noodlesoup for the lowdown. It has reached the press here now (a day after). You not having tap has spread all over the globe!

You better stay on the org at night though!

Sander said:

I just read on the Bangkok Post website about how the unions appear to have decided against the strike, so now I'm not sure that our lack of running water yesterday was even anything to do with this. I mean, it's hardly unusual for us to lose electricity and water for a short time at any given moment anyway. Amazing Thailand!

Yay! Crisis referendum to be held, possibly as soon as next month. PM's not standing down, but protests continue and the army has refused to get too involved with stepping in. Strikes don't seem to be happening, so water, electricity, bus services and whatnot continue and everything is unstable but relatively safe. Wonder what will happen next. Join us in the Land of Smiles for your next vacation. You have elections, we have coups.

NoodleSoup said:

does this mean they're closing down Nana Plaza?????

I can't help thinking about difficulties to form a technological watch cell without electricity, even a simple emergency response unit. What if someone faint or get injured and have to call an ambulance? And did they think about life-support systems???

I hope you're safe and you still got enough bottled water

spelling again!
[Edited 9/4/08 5:15am]

abierman said:

Yeah, wonder how that's working out.

Nothing's any different really. Just some traffic diversions and more police and soldiers about.

come to momma!!!

seriously, be safe.