Bangkok Update

Bangkok Update

It's PISSING rain on them red shirts on Sukhumvit right now.

It looks like a storm to stay, as well.



US' SABOTAGE WARNING
Thaksin demands evidence
By The Nation
Published on March 17, 2010

Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra challenged the government to provide evidence to back up its claim that he might be behind plans to stage sabotage.



Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban said earlier that security had to be beefed up because he had received warnings of sabotage from foreign governments that have effective intelligence networks. The tip-offs say the attacks will be launched from two Bangkok high-rises, he said.


On his Twitter page, Thaksin said Suthep had made the story up to discredit him. "This is the old Suthep, who is spreading news that foreign intelligence agencies had tapped my telephone conversations and alleged that I am behind an attempt to stage sabotage in Thailand," he tweeted via @thaksinlive. "Suthep should provide evidence to back up these claims. Suthep is 60 now, old enough to stop making up stories."


Meanwhile, media reports said yesterday that a phone conversation of Thaksin, tapped by the US intelligence while he was in Montenegro, suggested the fugitive's supporters might commit terrorist acts in Bangkok. The US Embassy, however, refused to comment, saying the data was not verified.


Vice Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth said the ministry had received no warnings about sabotage but if there were ever such a threat, it would go directly to security agencies.


Police spokesman Pol Maj-General Prawut Thavornsiri said the police had not received any warnings of sabotage from the US Embassy or the Foreign Ministry. "Police will contact the US Embassy to verify the issue," he said. "We don't believe there will be any sabotage in Bangkok."

With a bit of luck it will wash them all into the gutter where they belong.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I had a close encounter with this Red Shirt protest today. It was really more of a parade with clappers. The rain stopped for most of the event. I exited MRT Sukhumvit at 1215, and they were parading up Sukhumvit in the direction of Nana. I crossed over the BTS foot bridge and watched it for a while and then made my way up Suk on the even side of the street. They were loud, many of the trucks had huge speakers, and every now and then there was a " Abhisit ock buy" (get out) and then loud Isaan music. They were waving to the Bangkok business crowd out for lunch time and some were dancing in the street.

I spoke to a few, asking where they were from and all were from the Issan provinces. One of the loud speakers was even shouting " Abhisit get out" (in English) and another I think was saying it in Chinese. They seemed quite friendly. The press (local and international) followed along with cameras.

As I walked along the sidewalk about half of the business had either their doors and shutters down or the tall buildings had a line of their rent-a-cops guards standing abreast. The Grand Suk. Sheratan shut all the doors and put up barricades. Robinson's shut the store and shut off all the lights. The 7-11 remained open. Street vendors remained and was doing a good business. The OJ man ran out of OJ. I had to enter one of the building, for my appointment, and I was questioned as to my intent. They had the elevator shut off, never quite sure why they do that but have seen this before, but after a while opened it. In a few hours all was back to normal. One hell of a traffic jam is all they accomplished.

[bao-bao]

Thanks for the personal report, TrongpaiExpat. I'd have been tempted to stand on the sidewalk overpass and watch the show myself, if I'd been there and had the nerve.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Thanks for the personal report, TrongpaiExpat. I'd have been tempted to stand on the sidewalk overpass and watch the show myself, if I'd been there and had the nerve.

No nerve involved. I ran into them by accident, I had no idea they were going to be there. I first considered going back into the subway and getting the hell out of there but once I saw that they were peaceful I went along with my original plans. There was no sign that there was anything going on until I came up from the subway. None of them were in the subway, and the BTS ran freely along Suk. for the duration of the event, about 2-3 hours.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Today, Sat 21 March, I ran into the Reds three times. I had to go over by Rama 4/Lumpini and a motocy guy warned me I could not get over there. I waited it out for a few hours. Then I took MRT to BTS and has some things to buy at the Emporium. No signs of any Reds. MRT and BTS were running smoothly.

I then took a Taxi over to Suk 71, I had to pick up a suitcase that was being repaired and we ran into a Red parade going the other direction. So, for a while it was not so bad until we had to take a right turn and the parade was not stopping for red lights and prevented cross traffic. We were stuck for about an hour. Just made it to the shop before it closed.

Then on the way back, again another traffic jamming parade on the other side of town. We made a quick U-turn and had to take an alternative route.

It does not take much to cause a major traffic jam in Bangkok and your sure not winning the hearts and minds of the Bangkok commuters and the people caught in a traffic obstruction. Lots of children in the trucks. Love the Thaksin masks, hate the loud speakers. More music being played than chants. Abhist ock buy --just doesn't rhyme like hay, hay LBJ how many kids you kill today or hell, no we wont go.

One Thai guy I know that used to be a Yellow shirt for 300B a day then turned Red when they offered more. He told me he went over and wanted to join again but they would not give him any money since he was a walk-in from Bangkok and was not recruited from up country. They told him to buy a shirt and join in, he could get free food, but if he wanted money, go back up country and sign up there. Today he decided he was not going to be a Red Shirt.

One Thai guy I know that used to be a Yellow shirt for 300B a day then turned Red when they offered more. He told me he went over and wanted to join again but they would not give him any money since he was a walk-in from Bangkok and was not recruited from up country. They told him to buy a shirt and join in, he could get free food, but if he wanted money, go back up country and sign up there. Today he decided he was not going to be a Red Shirt.

Thanks Trongpai good report, in a nutshell your last paragraph all but sums up Thai politics or shall we say Thai political following. Change will come but it's still a long way off.

[camperboy]

Is it true that most thais are no more sympathetic against the Red shirts?

Is it true that most thais are no more sympathetic against the Red shirts?

"Most" Thais? No, I would not say that.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I would say most Thais don't discuss their political views with most farangs. Many of the Bangkok Thais that I observe and know seem to take a polite detached stance when the Reds come marching through.

Interesting article in the Nation showing Bangkok people on the streets waving on the parade with red flags etc. Having been in the middle of several of these event now, the red flags are given to the by-standers by parade participants. I now have a few of them. I really don't think these cheering bystanders are making a political statement. I recall several years ago when Bangkok had Gay Pride, someone passed gay flags to everyone on one of the buses going through Silom and all the Thai commuters on the bus were cheering and waving rainbow flags out the windows of the bus. It's a parade, wave.

Like many of you with your Pattaya centric view of Thailand, I might be suffering from Bangkok centraitis.

I would say most Thais don't discuss their political views with most farangs. Many of the Bangkok Thais that I observe and know seem to take a polite detached stance when the Reds come marching through.

Interesting article in the Nation showing Bangkok people on the streets waving on the parade with red flags etc. Having been in the middle of several of these event now, the red flags are given to the by-standers by parade participants. I now have a few of them. I really don't think these cheering bystanders are making a political statement. I recall several years ago when Bangkok had Gay Pride, someone passed gay flags to everyone on one of the buses going through Silom and all the Thai commuters on the bus were cheering and waving rainbow flags out the windows of the bus. It's a parade, wave.

Like many of you with your Pattaya centric view of Thailand, I might be suffering from Bangkok centraitis.

Many years ago, I worked with a dozen or so Thai Lawyers in Bangkok and don't ever recall any really indepth conversations about politics either in the office or over a few bottles of 'Black' They would rather talk or gossip about other things, you could bring up the topic/s but again as you have said their views were not really dicussed in any great depth as they would rather make a joke of someone or something and leave it at that.