Red shirt mass rally on Wednseday ... who cares?

Post by **buksida** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:59 pm

Judgement day is due Wednesday as the red-shirt protesters appear determined to bring the government down to its knees while the government is confident that situation will not spill out of control. But a general sense of apprehension prevails among the public.

Full Story: Bangkok Post

Thoughts: So who has had enough of all this then? According to surveys conducted by some of the big universities around 75% of the population have (though their figures may not be entirely accurate). One thing I have observed is that there isn't the same level of attention being given to these street protests this time around, maybe because most people have had enough and have seen it all before.

Whatever the outcome and whoever is in the hot seat is going to make no difference whilst the country remains divided and virtually split into two political factions. Any side that claims 'majority' support are mislead.

I'd agree that Abhisit wasn't 'democratically' elected but neither was Thaksin, investigations into both of his parties have proved that so both red and yellow sides are hypocritical and as bad as each other.

What I don't understand is why the government allow a convicted fugitive who is still technically on the run to broadcast in Thailand. They're certainly efficient enough at selective censorship when they want to be and Thaksin did his fair share of stifling the opposition when he was in power.

Overall I'd say this cycle is never going to end until a government free of corruption, hidden agendas, and dubious backers gets the majority vote of the majority of the provinces in the Kindgom. And this will never happen while the same old few corrupt cronies at the top of the political pile keep fighting over power through their own greed.

So if the reds get their way, the Democrats get kicked out, Thaksin comes back and the PAD take over the airport again ... who wins? It ain't Thailand!

Please put your solutions for Thailand's political problems on the back of a postage stamp and send it to us at PO BOX 5AME01D5H1TE ...

Post by **Roel** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:32 pm

What I don't understand is why the government allow a convicted fugitive who is still technically on the run to broadcast in Thailand.

Probably because if they would not let him that would give Mr. T. a - certainly in the eyes of his supporters - valid reason to once again shout "injustice"!!!

Post by **PeteC** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:41 pm

They have invaded the Royal Cliff Hotel in Pattaya today where the next ASEAN round is. 1,000 police on hand, but peaceful so far. Raining cats and dogs over there so maybe they'll go home like drowned rats.

Pete

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:44 pm

buksida wrote:..Overall I'd say this cycle is never going to end until a government free of corruption, hidden agendas, and dubious backers gets the majority vote of the majority of the provinces in the Kindgom...

Yeah, I'll go for that, agree. Don't want to sound too defeatist here but we might be in for a bloody long wait. It's almost painful how transparently pathetic it is.

Same sh*t different day.

Post by **sandman67** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:06 pm

Id say any farang business owner with a tourism facing business should care...

Call me cynical, but I suspect tomorrows rally is going to end in a riot of some form....

UDD/DAAD are notorious for their tactics, especially the use of violence firearms and IEDs.

They have been allowed to be stoked up for a week by ever more vitriolic attack speeches by the "Dear Leader" and his cronies, who are calling for a "peoples revolution". In any normal country they would have been arrested by now for inciting insurrection.

The police softly softly approach has just meant they have increasingly flexed their muscles and flagrantly disobeyed the police and courts. They are suffering from delusional levels of Dutch Courage now....

They have taken the government approach as a sign of weakness and instability, which they have openly stated.

The Reds, and Thais in general, have the political education and sophistication of an Accrington Housebrick. The words "democracy", "coalition government", and "economics" are therefore meaningless.

They cant count...so 10,000 becomes 300,000....and 75% of the population against them is a minority.

Thais have sod all powers of logical deduction and no concept of cause and effect.

All the ingredients of a riot and subsequent ham fisted police crackdown.

This years "high season" is already screwed..... more protests and violence will see the following seasons buggered as well.

Thats why you should care

The thing is....if that 75% cant be bothered getting off their arses as its just easier to say Mai Pen Rai than do something to stop this

...my reply is Som Nam Na.

after all...Im a farang, and TIT....so my voice and opinion doesn't count.

Post by **Jim** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:05 pm

I care. Last year it took me and the mrs 8 days and £2000 uninsured english pounds to get home because of the yellow shirts. Including the forgettable thrill of a taxi ride from Hua Hin to Penang. We are supposed to be coming back in just over a week.....and here we go again. This is a toally selfish attitude. I know, but I dont care.

I am totally agnostic between red and yellow shirts, but it seems to me this will never be resolved until someone shoots Mr T. If this doesnt happen, then the inevitable consequence in the other direction is even worse.

Post by **hhfarang** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:54 pm

this will never be resolved until someone shoots Mr T

"Shoot me! I pity the fool who tries!!!!"

Post by **STEVE G** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:17 pm

What I don't understand is why the government allow a convicted fugitive who is still technically on the run to broadcast in Thailand. They're certainly efficient enough at selective censorship when they want to be and Thaksin did his fair share of stifling the opposition when he was in power.

I feel that is purely because he knows too much; he was after all the Prime Minister for many years which obviously gave him access to the complete workings of the state and the business practises of all those influential figures behind it.
What he knows could possibly be enough to change the nature of Thai society as it has been known in the modern era, and he is a clever enough opponent to try to use this to his advantage.

Post by **Sabai Jai** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:15 pm

Steve G

Your'e probably correct there..

I heard from a Barrister that was probably going to get the brief that Mr T said if he was going down he would be taking others with him - big names mooted.

SJ

Post by **PeteC** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:33 am

Apparently the Thai News on 3 showed it getting ugly in Pattaya yesterday. They got close enough to Abbasit's(sp) car to throw a rock through a window, with him in the car apparently. He's going to lose patience soon and won't be surprised if it then gets violent. Pete

Post by **caller** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:36 am

All this is now being covered by the Beeb. The crowds in Bkk looked huge and it seems certain the ASEAN jolly in Patts will be disrupted. Some articles appeared in the UK press over the weekend.

What goes around comes around.

Post by **buksida** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:56 am

STEVE G wrote: I feel that is purely because he knows too much; he was after all the Prime Minister for many years which obviously gave him access to the complete workings of the state and the business practises of all those influential figures behind it.

Good points, I would imagine he can name and shame a few, he's already attacked the privy council. Its just a big show, Nevin was on the box yesterday crying about how Thaksin shafted him, its like a big political soap opera and a rather farcical way of administering a country.

None of it really matters in the long run because if the reds get what they want and Thaksin returns the country will be worse off because there are so many people from the bottom of the Thai social hierarchy to the top that hate him. It'll also open the doors to any politician in future that wants to blatantly abuse his power and rip off the state, especially if they amend the charter again and acquit him of any wrongdoing as they intend to.

Banish them all and make the Understudy PM I'd say! I can't really see a solution for all sides to this one.

Post by **Chas** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:20 am

Did anyone else notice that BKK post report states the PM's car got attacked while it was stopped at a red light.

Stopped at a red light? WTF Even the most minor functionary traveling through Hua Hin gets a complete road/ traffic shutdown.

The premier of Thailand's motorcade stops for red lights?? Hello?

Something is not right here . .piss poor reporting perhaps . . ..but you do have to wonder at his security detail for getting him into such a dangerous situation in the first place.

Can you imagine such a thing happening in any other country? But TIT

Post by JD » Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:51 pm

You can watch the whole incident here.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/special ... &cateid=13

If I was an ASEAN summit leader heading to Pattaya I would seriously consider the security aspect after watching that. How on earth does the PM get into a situation like that, with no security, no police car front and back, only two or three pc plod's in attendance and doing next to f'all to stop the situation. It either smacks of total ineptitude from the PM's security team, (you have to envisage that they knew the red shirts were going to be demonstrating), or it was a set up by the PM's own office.

Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and the Keystone Cops comes to mind.

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:59 pm

Like you said JD "How on earth does the PM get into a situation like that?"

Only in Toyland!

Hua Hin Forum

Red shirt mass rally on Wednseday ... who cares?

Red shirt mass rally on Wednseday ... who cares?

Re: Red shirt mass rally on Wednseday ... who cares?

red light?