37 replies to this topic

[ScottishLadyboyTerrorist]

Well, it seems there is another series of protests on the way and to hit central business district in Bangkok. This is the area remember, that is in close proximity to the entertainment venue of NEP.

The red shirts have gradually moved from their usual places of demonstration to these more busier business areas. The reason is simple and that is they are NOT getting the reception they had hoped for and now turning to a more direct way of protest.... Close businesses down and disrupt tourism again.. No good!!

I have copied extracts from BBC World news and Bangkok Post online in case some of you haven't seen it.

A question I have is, when will this all end? Will there ever be a time when someone does not protest and hold the cities to ransom??? People power is a good thing in the right context. Thailand is just recovering.. or rying to, from the last major disruption when yellow shirts closed the access to the airport. I know I'm going to sound selfish here, but FFS, we all have holidays booked and lb's to get cozy with...... Don't they bloody realise this!!!

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BBCWorld News... 03 April 2010

Tens of thousands of Thai anti-government protesters have rallied in the capital, Bangkok, in their latest push to topple the government.

The protesters, known as the red-shirts, are calling on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and hold early elections.

The red-shirted demonstrators have been holding regular protests for weeks.

Mr Vejjajiva has said he will hold elections by the end of the year - an offer the protesters have rejected.

The BBC's Rachel Harvey reports from Bangkok that there is no obvious or early end to the crisis in sight.

There have already been two unsuccessful rounds of talks to resolve the crisis.

On Friday business leaders, academics, and people from the tourism industry turned out wearing pink shirts to call for an end to the crisis and show their continuing support for the government.

They numbered several thousand but did not match the tens of thousands that have attended the red-shirt rallies, our correspondent says.

The red-shirted protesters are mostly supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, an exiled former telecoms tycoon who was ousted in a coup in 2006.

Many are from rural areas, and they have portrayed themselves as fighting for democracy.

They say that Mr Vejjajiva's offer of holding elections a year early is not enough, and that they are only willing to hold more talks if the prime minister brings forward his timetable.

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Bangkok Post.... 03 April 2010

Police to negotiate with UDD tSunday
03/04/2010 : Anti-government leaders of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) told the police on Saturday night that they could not ask their supporters to leave Ratchaprasong intersection yet, deputy police chief Panupong Singhrra Na Ayutthaya said.


UPDATE: Reds refuse to leave
03/04/2010 : At 9pm on Saturday night, the red shirts remained in the main shopping area of Bangkok, defying a deadline set by the government's peacekeeping centre.
Reds 'may occupy provincial city halls'


03/04/2010 : The red-shirt protesters will encircle provincial city halls if the government decides to disperse the mass rally on Bangkok's Ratchaprasong intersection, United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) co-leader Jatuporn Prompan announced on the anti-government stage on Saturday night.
Paragon puts losses at B60-70m


03/04/2010 : Siam Paragon - Bangkok's upscale shopping mall - said it had lost sales totalling 60 to 70 million baht due to the occupation of Ratchaprasong intersection by the anti-government protesters on Saturday.
Reds must leave before 9pm tonight


03/04/2010 : The red-shirt protesters led by the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) have until 9pm Saturday to leave Ratchaprasong intersection, the government's peacekeeping operations centre said.
UDD given 9pm ultimatum


03/04/2010 : The government has warned the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship to unblock the Ratchaprasong intersection by 9pm.
Jatuporn tells govt, bring it on


03/04/2010 : The anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on Saturday evening challenged the Democrat-led government to impose the Emergency Decree.
PM: UDD has gone too far


03/04/2010 : The red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) had stepped out of line by occupying the heart of Bangkok, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said after a meeting with security chiefs on Saturday.
Security up ahead of leaders’ arrival


03/04/2010 : Security has been tightened in Prachuap Khiri Khan ahead of the arrival of the leaders of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam tomorrow for the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit 2010 in Hua Hin.
Govt won’t use emergency decree


03/04/2010 : The government is capable of keeping the situation under control and does not need to use the emergency decree at the moment, acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said on Saturday.


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Fingers crossed this does not affect any tourism and those there at the moment. Maybe the best thing is to avoid Bangkok city as much as you can and spend your well earned break somewhere else.

I only hope the airport remains O F F their agenda and the police / army actually are in a better position to stop any attempt.

Cheers

SLBT

[RobiSLO]

You wish... BHT will devalue like… never. GBP went to bottom; EUR is following so I guess I'll ask my boss to pay me in BHT, only currency that holds value I guess.

As I told before, reds and other oppressed people all around the world have legitimate right to protest against oppression and injustice… but in Thailand I think only on my poor tourist ass and hope Army/Police will restore order by any mean necessary so I can have my few weeks in relative peace without dodging bullets and running away from riots.

BR

[dixon cox]

you would think this would devalue the baht

Once the UK election is out of the way in early May we should see some recovery for the £Pound against the Dollar (Baht).

Right now the Pound is a shite currency with the uncertainty of who will succeed in government and the possibility of a hung parliament.

[Bumblebee]

A question I have is, when will this all end?

That is the million dollar question. This is not a situation that will go away anytime soon. There is a social divide in Thailand, and this is manifistated by the red (usually rural poor and some rich business men etc) and yellow shirts (more or less the elite, middle and moneyed class) over who should run the country . The situation has been simmering for a long time, coming to the surface and the outside worlds attention only when we see protests on the news but it is always there, never far away.

It will perhaps continue until one side decides they have triumphed and who knows how they will judge that. It really is a difficut situation for anyone in Thailand and could eventually lead to civil war in a worse case scenario. I hope I am wrong..

[triat45]

An excellent question ("when will it end?")

A good friend in Bangkok put this theory to me:
The Red Shirts will push hard now for a settlement, because they will lose their crowd support at Songkran.
Come Songkran, not even the few hundred baht on offer from the organisers is going to stop most of the protestors (particularly those who have travelled to the capital) from returning home for new year's celebrations.
And, if they leave, all the momentum will be lost ... hence the push now for a deal.

His theory has some appeal, no?

[xyzzy]

A question I have is, when will this all end?

In the short term probably this afternoon. These paid protesters have been coming in for the weekend. Then going back to work during the week. I'm counting on that to get my flight out without a problem Thursday.

In the long term likely when things get so out of control the military decides to take over the government. Or Toxin (pun intended) runs out of money.

[koykaeng]

I've literally just arrived in Bangkok from Pattaya, and it was a very smooth drive with no traffic congestion or sign of protesters.

Infact, it was one of the most quiet, hassle free journeys I can recall.

I appreciate there has been plenty of activity / disruptions in recent days, however unless you are actually in the area where protests are taking place you wouldn't even know anything is underway.

I believe they have been protesting around the Ratchaprasong intersection, which is home to a number of major shopping centres.

Cheers
Koykaeng

[RobiSLO]

Hope they will be gone by Saturday or my shopping trip firt day will be postponed...

br

[BigTel]

A question I have is, when will this all end?

Or Toxin (pun intended) runs out of money.

I think we will have a very long wait for Toxin to ever run out of Money

[ScottishLadyboyTerrorist]

Hope they will be gone by Saturday or my shopping trip firt day will be postponed...

br

Robi, that is a good thing... No? At least your only cannot spend all your money shopping You'll just have to go drinking instead bro..



KK, I am assuming the Rachaprasong area is away from the NEP area matey? If it is then at least there will be no probs for those on their nightly activities. Which, of course is always a bonus.

[onetruesaxon]

A bit of useless information when we (Man city) bought Jo from CSKA Moscow for a fee reputed to be around £18m to £21m. It was on Thaksin Shinawatra's orders that he must come to city. He really pushed this through irrespective off the board or the Managers decision not to go for him. Even went as far to sack Sven.

Why was this ?

We actually paid a fee of £8m though it went through as undisclosed bettween £18 to £21. Thus cleaning £10m to £12m of Thaksin's money.

Same thing happened with the sale of the club. The acquisition of City from Thaksin Shinawatra, was led by Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim. This was set up even before Thaksin took charge of city. But everything was brushed under the carpet. This gave Thaksin a chance to hide a far sum off money in the process. Money that was spent but came back clean.