Curling up in bed, watching the news reports, waiting for the police to attempt to retake Bangkok's two airports. Wondering about the almost inevitable bloodshed too. It is time for action though. These hypocritical elitist thugs have got to go. For anyone who doesn't know the situation, here's a breakdown of those involved:

1. Protesters: Anti-Thaksin Chinawatra, rich, educated elite who talk about democracy but would love nothing more than for rich educated peoples' votes to count for more than those of others. Once made some sense, now take over airports. Can be prone to violence. Love playing the victim.

2. Police: Indisciplined (young, for the most part, when it comes to policing and not policy) thugs, corrupt and power-hungry. Not shy of using excessive force and a law unto themselves separate from the government and military.

3. Current government: Corrupt, vote-buying, dodgy-dealing incarnation of the old Thaksin Chinawatra led 'Thai Rak Thai' Party. May still be run by the aforementioned fugitive. Prone to violence. Not on good terms with the army, most notably the Chief General.

4. Army: Chief General doesn't really get on with the government. Would certainly think about a very upfront coup if the government had threatened to exercise power to boot him out. They've reassured that won't happen. Possibly is masterminding a thinking man's coup by actively doing nothing about the protests and waiting for the opportunity to take over, begrudgingly of course, when things go pear-shaped between the police and protesters. They have a slightly worrying not-too-unfriendly relationship with the murderous Burmese junta.

5. Monarchy: Quiet so far. Almost a little too quiet. Normally the King will come on TV and tell everyone to love each other. Unfortunately, wearing certain coloured polo shirts on certain days of the week doesn't seem to be holding the people together anymore. Red and yellow are the only colours people can see right now, those of the government and opposition party respectively.


So no decent horse to back. That phrase that goes something along the lines of 'the enemy of your enemy isn't necessarily your friend' springs to mind. I couldn't/can't stand Thaksin and his cronies but I've grown to abhor what the PAD is doing. I don't trust anyone.

.
[Edited 11/27/08 5:16am]

I understand this is probably in the wrong forum, but I really don't want it in there

:eww:

Stay safe bro.

Fauxie said:

abierman said:

She got her hair cut. Again! Even shorter! And now it's red too.

God, I just want to get out of this country and come back and deal with whatever state it's in next year.

Been thinking about you since I saw the news. Glad to hear you're safe for the time being. Scary times.

mdiver said:

Cheers, will do.

Looks like it will be resolved, one way or another, tonight.

Don Meuang to open tomorrow at 6pm Thai time, with Suvarnabhumi to open a day later at the same time. There's a lack of messing about implied in giving such a specific time. Could get ugly.

Fauxie said:

Casa Mr and Mrs Mdiver is always at your disposal if you need it bro.....

I am trying to follow all this.....the PAD isn't really about democracy, is it??
What I really still don't understand is why the Thai people have voted for Thaksin's PPP party last December after the coupe of 2006.....

All this is so complex and does not really have an outlook for a solution that will satisfy & reunite all.....I believe that the King will have a final say in this, his (political) power in Thailand is enormous! If he chooses the PAD's side, hell will break loose!
All this could not come at a more unfortunate timing for Thailand, with the high-season for tourism at the door....

CarrieMpls said:

We're ok here out in the sticks. Mon got stuck in traffic the other day for a couple of hours when she went into town owing to some roads being closed from the protests, but nothing major and we're alright here. The protests have been happening all over the city for months now. Worrying about recent bombings here in Bangkok (usually something that happens down south with the Muslims and the ongoing disputes over religion and land). We got in a taxi a couple of weeks ago and the driver had a little DVD player in his console and put on a pro-PAD film showing what they would see as police brutality at a recent, infamous protest. It's all been very tense for a while now.

A Bangkok friend of mine posted on his Facebook-page that rumour has it that the coup will happen at midnight (local time, in less than 3.5 hres...).....but that's only rumour!

abierman said:

No, they're not about democracy. They're the wealthy and educated and they're pissed that first Thai Rak Thai and then the PPP control the rural, poor vote. They want to marginalize those people and take over and rule the benefit of just the rich and greedy in Bangkok. I remember several years back talking with Mon about (basically what was) them and wishing they could get more of a foothold in Thai politics, but this was when they were a bunch of respectable intellectuals talking some sense and struggling to be heard. They've morphed into this violent, self-contradicting bunch of lawless thugs.

Thaksin was corrupt as they come, but he did have business sense, generated money for the country (from which he creamed off the top), but most importantly, identified the rural poor as the key to success at the polls. He bought votes too. More than the opposition, apparently.

The PPP is due to be investigated regarding vote-buying in the new year. They're on borrowed time whatever happens in the next few days.

I don't know where the King stands in all this. The PAD are supposedly fighting his corner (hence their wearing yellow) but I can't think he's on anyone's side in this mess (which likely explains his silence). He hasn't tried to exert any influence at all.

abierman said:

It's quite possible. People near Don Meuang airport reported seeing tanks on the move some 4 or 5 hours ago. The government have told soldiers to remain in their barracks but there's no doubt the army is at a state of readiness. Officially it's the police that will be seizing the airports, but the army won't be far away. A coup is almost a 100% certainty if the chief general feels his position is under threat. The reassurances to the contrary earlier are the only thing that has changed my thinking about what will happen, but like I said, a coup is definitely possible.

I've been reading reports as well.

DTAC, a huge telecommunications company here, have denied any affiliation with the PAD. It's purely coincidental that they've closed all their offices indefinitely and made arrangements for workers to work from home.

Who's next, Bangkok Bank?

Thailand to impose emergency around airports
http://seattlepi.nwsource...nrest.html



Anti-government protester holds a picture of Thai King and Queen during a rally at the Suvarnabhumi airport facility Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai authorities shut down Bangkok's second airport Thursday after it was overrun by anti-government protesters, completely cutting off the capital from air traffic as Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat rejected their demands to resign, deepening the country's crisis.(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

A Cabinet minister says Thailand's government will impose a state of emergency around Bangkok's two airports.

Agriculture Minister Somsak Prisananantakul says the decision was made at a special Cabinet meeting Thursday.

He says emergency laws will apply to areas around the main international Suvarnabhumi airport and the domestic Don Muang airport.

An emergency decree gives the military the right to restore order, allows the suspension of civil liberties, bans public gatherings of more than five people and bars the media from reporting news that causes panic.

Thousands of anti-government protesters are occupying the terminals of both airports, forcing the cancellation of all flights in and out of the capital.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's Cabinet, meeting outside the capital to evade anti-government demonstrators, was weighing whether to impose a state of emergency Thursday to try to end airport protests that have left thousands of travelers stranded for two straight days.

Meeting with the prime minister in Chiang Mai, 350 miles (570 kilometers) north of Bangkok, the Cabinet will consider both an emergency decree or the use of a tough internal security law, government spokesman Nattawut Sai-kua said.

"We have to consider these legal options to solve the crisis," he said before the afternoon meeting.

Meanwhile, the government was drawing up plans to begin flying out thousands of tourists with "urgent needs" from one or two military bases in the next 48 hours. That could include parents with young children and people with medical conditions, said Weerasak Kowsurat, Thailand's tourism minister.

They would be flown on Thai Airways flights to Singapore or Malaysia, where they could catch connecting flights to their destinations. The planes could then return with incoming passengers, Weerasak said.

"It is a contingency plan so we will try to accommodate the airlines and the passengers' needs," said Chaisak Angkasuwan, director general of the country's Aviation Department.

The government also may use buses and trains to transport tourists to other airports in Thailand, Weerasak said.

A Thai Airways flight from Los Angeles landed Thursday at U-Tapao air force base, 140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Bangkok, the airline said.

Protesters demanding the resignation of the prime minister have occupied Bangkok's international airport since Tuesday night, forcing the cancellation of all flights. On Thursday, they also forced the domestic airport to close in a bid to prevent government ministers from getting to the cabinet meeting.

Some ministers were flown on military planes from a nearby base to Chiang Mai, where Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has been since returning from an overseas trip Wednesday night.

There was speculation in the Thai media that the prime minister might remove the powerful army chief, Anupong Paochinda, who called Wednesday for the dissolution of Parliament and new elections to resolve the deepening crisis.

But Nattawut said Anupong's removal is not on the Cabinet meeting agenda.

The protests, which gathered pace three months ago, have paralyzed the government, battered the stock market, spooked foreign investors and dealt a serious blow to the tourism industry.

The crisis worsened early Thursday as authorities shut down the Don Muang domestic airport, which had been receiving some diverted flights from Suvarnabhumi, the international airport.

Thousands of foreign tourists have been stranded, including Americans heading home for their Thanksgiving holiday Thursday.

Bart Edes, a 45-year-old American banker, had planned to spend Thanksgiving with his wife at a friend's home in Manila, where he lives.

"They're going to put on a traditional feast - roast turkey, sweet potatoes, all the things you crave when you're outside of the United States," he said.

But Edes said he still had much to be thankful for. "Look at what happened in Mumbai. This is an inconvenience, but it could be worse."

At least 100 people were killed in the Indian city of Mumbai by a series of overnight militant attacks that reportedly targeted Americans and Britons.

The protests are being led by a loose coalition known as the People's Alliance for Democracy. It accuses Somchai of acting as the puppet for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a September 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin, who is Somchai's brother-in-law, is in exile, a fugitive from a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law.

On Wednesday, a district court ordered the alliance leaders and their supporters to immediately leave Suvarnabhumi, calling the occupation "an infringement on other individuals who have freedom of movement."

There was no sign of the protesters leaving Thursday - a reflection of their boldness amid the government's unwillingness to use force for fear of causing bloodshed.

The prime minister is not budging. In a televised address to the nation, Somchai said his government was legitimately elected and that it has "a job to protect democracy for the people of Thailand."

The statement amounted to a rejection of Army Gen. Anupong's suggestion to quit, which seemed to put him on a collision course with the military, although the general has said he would not launch a coup.

An emergency decree would give the prime minister authority to use the military to restore order and allow authorities to suspend certain civil liberties.

The security law is separate measure that would enable officials to bar public assembly and "suppress" actions considered harmful to national security.

The People's Alliance for Democracy insists it will continue its airport occupation and other protests until Somchai resigns. It also has rejected the general's proposal for elections, pushing instead for the appointment of a temporary government.

On Thursday, the EU and the British Foreign Office expressed concern at the deteriorating situation.

"We urge all sides to this political dispute to resolve their differences peacefully and legally, respecting Thailand's democratic institutions," Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell said.

The European Union said in a statement that "any anti-constitutional attempt to interfere in the democratic process would have a negative impact on EU-Thailand relations."

As the deadlock continued, political violence spread Wednesday to Chiang Mai, where government supporters attacked a radio station aligned with the protesters. Separately, there were unconfirmed reports that one man was killed and several people assaulted in an attack on the city's local airport.

The protest alliance launched its current campaign in late August, storming the grounds of the prime minister's office, which they continue to use as their stronghold. The group has also tried twice to blockade Parliament, in one case setting off a daylong street battle with police that left two people dead and hundreds injured.

Fauxie said:

It's strange that it is the elite, intellectual hi-so of Bangkok who have turned into this group of violent, lawless thugs.....also very dangerous!
About the King.....he will have to come out at some point, the Thai people will be expecting him to do so.....personnally, I find his power threatening and dangerous! Whatever he will say, he is going to be the one who decides who is good or bad, with all consequences.....all this does not look good!

A coup will have to happen.....just to open the two airports again.....this going to get ugly!

abierman said:

I don't think he can come out and say too much. Remember he wasn't exactly too unhappy about the coup ousting Thai Rak Thai last time around. I'd stop short of saying he outright supported it as he's always careful with what he says, but if he did pick a side it's clear which one he was on. The army chief then, Sonthi (where is he now? nicely retired with millions of dollars, 2 jets and several wives!) pretty much had his blessing. So, chances are the King's not too chummy with the PPP, but there's no way he's going to come out in support of the PAD, despite them proclaiming this is all for the King and holding up pictures for the cameras. I think he's staying clear of this one. Right now, for any halfway intelligent person, there is no pleasing outcome politically. I'm for a coup as the only solution to the immediate problem of the closed airports. Perhaps the King would favour a coup this time also, which would be neither in direct support of either the PPP or PAD, though the latter would be far happier with this outcome (PM Somchai would be out, as fits their goal).

.

Paul is flying to Cambodia instead. It's good he wasn't caught up in this. Looks like there won't be a Fauxie & Dook meetup though.

.
[Edited 11/27/08 6:57am]

abierman said:

That's some fascinating PPP propaganda. I almost thought it was being passed off as respectable journalism until the number of uses of 'thug' started to pile up. Really interesting for how strongly worded it is though, even going so far as calling the king 'weak'. Rather him than me!

The plot thickens. I can't say I don't find it all terribly fascinating, but right now all I care about is first and foremost as little violence as possible, and secondly to be able to fly to the UK as planned.

Fauxie said:

I feel sorry for the Thai people who really struck me with their friendly and welcoming nature, in the end they'll be the victim of all this.....would hate to see this coming to a bloodshed. I wonder what will happen to the King's b-day next week!

Paul told me about flying to Cambodia instead.....wise move by him, too bad you don't get to see him...the dude's a trip, you would have had fun! Oh well, that still leaves me being the only orger you've met so far!
[Edited 11/27/08 7:09am]

HamsterHuey said:

don't you get cheezy on this thread!

abierman said:

I get cheesy where ever I want to. I get cheesy with Nick ALL of the time.

Fauxie said:

I was going to ask about Paul. That's too bad that you couldn't meet up. He's so much fun.

Stay safe Fauxie.

when i heard about this on the news, my first thought was i hope fauxie and mon are safe

stay safe