Things heating up in Bangkok ...

[Smiles]

A few photos from todays online edition of the Bangkok Post of the demonstrations surrounding Government House. Sorry the photos in the edition were quite tiny and not expandable on the website, so had to blow them myself and the quality is not so great.

Looks like lots of people writhing around, pushing and shoving. Violence seems to be very minimal with mostly scratching and falling incidents reported. Hope it stays that way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/Personal/pad1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/Personal/pad2.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/Personal/pad3.jpg

Cheers ...

People who deliberatly cause pubic trouble belong in prison. However I have just heard a spokesperson say that the prison population has been ballooning over the last few years. My god, has the world gone crazy. They are their to be punished not to be given the thrill of a lifetime experience that many of us can only dream of.

And so it begins, this repeating pattern of street protest followed by more threats and protest.....the next coup, number 19 I think, has begun. Any bets as to who will head the new new government or how many things the silly old generals can screw up with their new new unity military government, or who will head the new new disunity government....and lastly any bets as to when new new democratic elections will be be allowed in Thailand??? And then as a final thought any bets as to who will be in control all of these military coups when the King passes on and the new monarch assumes the Crown????

I watched it all day on the news (Thai TV) on Friday. It seemed very peaceful then, many bands playing Thai folk songs, many of which I have never heard before. the police peacefully enjoying from behind the barricades. I'm sorry to hear it may not be as peaceful today. I just turned on the TV. Samak is speaking. The newscaster is speaking in Thai. The only words I understand are "Thaksin Shinawatr". I am worried I will be getting emails very soon.

[Hmmm]

It's hard to see where this is going, other than down the same old road. The only thing that is clear is that the Thais remain incapable of governing themselves.

PAD appear to be a noisy minority anarchic rabble, who somehow seem to have brought the government almost to its knees. Their only cause seems to be their hatred of Thaksin.

- The PAD protesters want Samak to resign. But another Thaksin proxy would simply be installed in his place.
- If parliament is dissolved and there are new elections, the PPP (or whatever they choose to call themselves this time) will win yet again.
- If the army stages another coup, the country is in limbo again, until the next elections, which PPP will win again.

Perhaps 'Not The Nation' sums it up best:
http://www.notthenation.com/pages/news/ ... php?id=518 (http://www.notthenation.com/pages/news/getnews.php?id=518)
"PeopleтАЩs Alliance for Democracy Protests Against People, Alliances, and Democracy.
Anti-Thaksin, pro-coup group demands mob rule, election nullification, and legislation by unelected elites.

BANGKOK - Social unrest returned to the streets of the Thai capital this weekend as the PeopleтАЩs Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, resumed their campaign to rid the kingdom of what it perceives to be the dangerous values corrupting Thai society: majority rule, the current coalition government, and the passing of laws by elected representatives chosen by open elections."
---------------------------------

Now here's a radical thought. How about HMK making it clear that PAD should go home, for the good of the country ? I'm no apologist for Thaksin, but what the country needs now is stability (esp given the inevitable death that will come sooner or later), and ongoing movement towards a functional democracy, however slowly.

[Bob]

Now here's a radical thought. How about HMK making it clear that PAD should go home, for the good of the country ? I'm no apologist for Thaksin, but what the country needs now is stability (esp given the inevitable death that will come sooner or later), and ongoing movement towards a functional democracy, however slowly.

If he believed in democracy or the rule of law, yes, I agree, would seem natural for HMK to make some comment. This
PAD groups uses as its underpinnings what they claim to be "anti-King" actions or comments by their political opponents (actually, with Sondhi Limingkul, one of PAD's leaders, the only thing that really drives him is his all-consuming hatred for Shinawatra). That's the basis on which they created the mess two years ago which effectively caused the first coup. Now they are doing the same thing now for even thinner reasons. Limingkul, in my view, is as corrupt (or possibly more so) than anyone ever claimed Shinawatra was and, in addition, is one of those demagogues who insanely believes the world awakens every day with baited breath to hear his thoughts. He stirs discontent and plays on people's fears and prejudices....but, as would be expected, offers nothing else.

The PAD group, in my opinion, has done nothing but harm the country.

I dont understand why you are so anti PAD. In any democtatic country (if Thailand is or have ever been) it is commen practis to demontratet, it is a part of democracy, and in Thailands case, maybe what they need to get "real" democracy.

[Bob]

Admittedly, I am rather anti-Pad....but that's based on what their leaders have said (when one reads what they are pronouncing to the public at the rallies - both in 2006 and now - you just need to ask yourself what they are really after).

Lots of variations of democracy but one of the underpinnings of most is the concept that the people get to elect the government and one follows the rule of law when electing or getting rid of leaders. Screaming "lese majeste" and bringing a government to a halt until its elected leaders resign is not very democratic in my view. And, presuming this government falls and somebody else is elected, PAD will be back again. It'll stop only if HMK speaks out or when the bloodshed starts.

Like it or not, if there were free and fair elections in Thailand, Shinawatra would win. A lot of people surely hate him but, if that's what the majority of the Thai people want, isn't that what democracy is all about?

[Hmmm]

While I suggested that HMK could get PAD to go home (of course not directly, but via his proxies), the conspiracy theorists would argue that the palace and the military actually support the destabilizing effect that PAD is having on the government. The army has apparently told Samak that the way to resolve the situation is to dissolve parliament.

The one thing I find most interesting personally about all this are the photos and captions from the Bangkok Post. No other country that I can think of could have protests in such numbers that remain largely peaceful over a period of time, involving such strongly held views.

Nor could they have the following:

"Unable to resist the massive PAD forces, police can only watch the anti-government protesters remove a police van ...". There seem to be a lot of police helmets around the van ...

"Policemen rush to help their female colleagues who were in the front row .... ". How many female police do you see on patrol in Thailand, yet here they are manning the front row in full riot gear (and, apparently, doing a very good job)!

" A PAD demonstrator offers sweets to security officers ...". Reminiscent of the flowers some people put in the rifle barrels of troops on the streets following the last coup.

"A man bows down to a police officer ...". Where any where else in Asia would that be for any other reason than to stop him beating him?

"A riot policeman seals his plastic mask with paper to protect his face from the sunlight ..."

"A man tries to free himself from women Border Patrol Police ..." and it is still not only not getting violent, but it looks as if some involved are actually smiling!

Sadly history shows that it may not stay this way indefinitely, but let's at least be thankful for the particularly "Thai" way both sides are handling it so far.

[Brad the Impala]

While I suggested that HMK could get PAD to go home (of course not directly, but via his proxies), the conspiracy theorists would argue that the palace and the military actually support the destabilizing effect that PAD is having on the government. The army has apparently told Samak that the way to resolve the situation is to dissolve parliament.

The Constitution prohibits the dissolving of Parliament while there is a Motion of Censure on the agenda, as there is.

One school of thought is that Thaksin wants Samak to disslove parliament to prevent the negative publicity to him that a Motion of Censure would bring. If that happens the Army would take control as Samak would be acting illegally. Otherwise it is reported that the Army would refrain from intervening, as they would prefer Samak to still be in power for the Annual Army reshuffle, rather than another Thaksin stooge.

Meanwhile Thaksin, who has been invited to appear before a British Parliamentary Enquiry into the foreign ownership of British Football Clubs, is gazing into his crystal ball and forecasting strange events at the beginning of July.

[Jetsam]

this is all great, 52.73 bht for one euro

:cheers:

[bkkguy]

Like it or not, if there were free and fair elections in Thailand, Shinawatra would win. A lot of people surely hate him but, if that's what the majority of the Thai people want, isn't that what democracy is all about?

if that is the case then why did the PPP spend so much money buying votes in the North and Isarn?

and when has there ever been a "free and fair election in Thailand"?

bkkguy

Its all change next week - i would bet big money on it!

[fedssocr]

I'm not sure that any democracy is really free and fair these days. Certainly with all of the reported shenanigans during the last Thai election there was some amount of corruption involved. But I agree that its not clear what PAD actually can accomplish given their current way of operating. I don't think there can really be any doubt that Thaksin was corrupt and used his position to enrich himself and his family. But there has to be a way for PAD to work within the system rather than street demonstrations and making demands. I wonder why the constitution allows itself to be amended so easily. Without those proposed changes would these demonstrations have happened or would they have found some other reason? One of the best things about the US Constitution is that it is very hard to amend it which is definitely a strength.

[Aunty]

I know how to fix this problem, shoot em' all!

[Dboy]

I know how to fix this problem, shoot em' all!

Is that you Mr Cheney?

dboy

The Thais pushing their self destruct button again? Yep, looks like it. Still good news for us sex tourists, more baht for our pounds there for even cheaper fucks. Great news and keep up the pressure PAD. I'll be over in the next 2 months, so hopefully this will keep going on until at least then and the Baht will keep dropping.

Mingkwan abruptly leaves debate to answer call of nature


Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan Thursday sought permission from the House speaker to leave the assembly hall for toilet room while he was answering questions of the opposition during the censure debate.

Some opposition MPs tried to protest but House Speaker Chai Chidchob cut them short and sent Mingkwan out of the assembly hall.

"You can go and have your deputy speak on your behalf," Chai said tongue-in-cheek.

Mingkwan left the debate room at 1:20 pm and came back two minutes later and resumed answering the opposition's questions.

The Nation

[fedssocr]

that is weird. But I liked yesterday's story about Thaksin's lawyers clumsily trying to bribe the judges with Bt2m in a lunchbox!

that is weird. But I liked yesterday's story about Thaksin's lawyers clumsily trying to bribe the judges with Bt2m in a lunchbox!

I would consider the use of the lunchbox to hide the cash to quite subtle by Thai standards. I have seen bribes take place in the open sight of everyone in the room at Pattaya City Hall, and no one so much as took a second look. We must remember not to apply Western standards to Thai business and culture. Corruption and pay offs is the way ALL business is done in Thailand, to think otherwise is foolish and naive.

Its all change next week - i would bet big money on it!

Not in the casinos - Samak said those would only happen after he had been in power for more than four years! Off to Poipet for you again .....