Bangkok Violence Escalating

[Snick]

Or one of these, he could be anyone !

 

[Guest JustSumGai]

7 with the head wrapped could look like a Sikh who's lost I spose

[mikibyne]

They got him on film

[JaiDee]

Good article on the rice subsidies and [say it ain't so!] accompanying corruption.

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/10618134/Burmese-smugglers-get-rich-on-Yingluck-Shinawatras-13-billion-Thai-rice-subsidies.html

[Snick]

I rented a bicycle and had a nice 5 mile run from chit lom to past MBK, then down to silom/patpong and then back to chit lom.

I hope this continues for months.

[ArchieBunker]

Things seem to be getting back to near normal in the capital city.  There are lots more people on the streets and lots of people going about their normal day. I do see an uptick of tourists on the street both farang and Asian.  What the end game is who the hell knows.  This could be a new type of normal.

[Snick]

Somethings are returning to normal but bookings for flights and hotels are still down especially in Bangkok.

I was at Central World saturday lunchtime and it was very quiet, a few restaurants had closed or decided to use the slow time to re-model and February is usually high season.

 

Had lunch today with some Thai friends and they expect this to drag on for a while.

[deepthroat]

Pictures outside Terminal 21 taken from the Asok BTS station.

Taken with my iPad at around 6:30 this evening (Sunday).

[SiamSam]

Great pix DT. Love those Thai flag umbrellas in pix 6 and 7. Gotta have one for the rainy west coast. 

[BigTel]

Great pix DT. Love those Thai flag umbrellas in pix 6 and 7. Gotta have one for the rainy west coast. 

 

        I was just thinking the same Sam, when looking at DT's great pics .

[Snick]

The Protest Parade is starting at Ekkami BTS this morning (monday) at 10am, then going over to Phetchburi , then across Thong Lor, then down Sukhemvit to Asoke.

So expect chaos on Sukhemvit from Asoke to Soi 63.

 

They will be collecting money to help out the rice farmers.

[deepthroat]

Bangkok tourism today: Far more pleasant and peaceful than “normal” times

Feb 11, 2014

A long time US resident of Phuket and involved in the tourism industry in Thailand shared his experience about his recent trip to the Thai capital of Bangkok.

Ling Yai (Thai for 'Big Monkey') AKA John Caveman Gray and owner of John Gray’s SeaCanoe ( www.johngray-seacanoe.com ) told eTN:

"I must say this is the most pleasant Bangkok trip in my 24 years in Thailand.

Protesters are orderly and contained in zones allocated to them. I’ve seen big parties - call them rallies if you wish - but I have no concerns of violence.

Because of isolated (rare) shootings last week most tourists cleared out of Bangkok, making the city very livable – no traffic jams, easy to walk on the sidewalks, no lines in shops or restaurants – and a lot of local businesses suffering. The big chains – hotels, shopping centers, etc. - can take the hit but street vendors are hurting.

Phuket is down a bit because the continuing protests have gone so long that tourists including European and Australian are simply planning trips to other overseas destinations. Russians are also a factor in “destination transfers” – visitors to the Land of Smiles like to see smiling people. I feel sorry for anybody who can’t smile.

All this means Bangkok sidewalks are uncrowded and street vendors hurting along with other retail establishments.

Except for the economic suffering of local people, Bangkok is a very pleasant and livable place right now. Anybody with Bangkok on your “Bucket List” should book your air tickets immediately before things return to “Normal” (call it “chaos”?).

Hotels have availability, restaurants don’t require reservations, shopping centers are not shoulder-to-shoulder and good street deals are everywhere.

Bangkok today is far more pleasant and peaceful than “normal” times.

[bumblebee]

Was up there this morning and yes indeed it is so easy to walk around.  Sorta surreal strolling up the middle of streets that would normally be  a nightmare to cross.

[RocketSquirrel]

Bangkok tourism today: Far more pleasant and peaceful than “normal” times

Feb 11, 2014

A long time US resident of Phuket and involved in the tourism industry in Thailand shared his experience about his recent trip to the Thai capital of Bangkok.

Ling Yai (Thai for 'Big Monkey') AKA John Caveman Gray and owner of John Gray’s SeaCanoe ( www.johngray-seacanoe.com ) told eTN:

"I must say this is the most pleasant Bangkok trip in my 24 years in Thailand.

 

 

I agree.  BKK has seemed quieter around Sukhumvit and in the hotels.  However today it was business as usual on the BTS during rush hour.  I had to wait for the third train before I could squeeze on.  Although the hotels seem more empty, I am not finding the deals here that I had expected.  I've gotten relatively small discounts at Majestic Grand and Dynasty Grande but nothing really jaw dropping.  Majestic did waive the penalty when my plans changed upon arrival and cancelled at the last minute.  Good move on their part.

 

BTW, I have taken the John Gray seacanoe trips twice (the "HONG BY STARLIGHT"one).  I highly recommend it.  Make sure you go to www.johngray-seacanoe.com as there is another company offering tours that goes by the same name.

[SiamSam]

Mr. Squirrel how long will you be in LOS? 

[RocketSquirrel]

till sometime in March - hopefully late March :)

[seven]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/uk-thailand-protest-idUKBREA1D03820140214

 

 

"Thai police moved onto a protest site in Bangkok on Friday where demonstrators have been camped out for more than three months in their campaign to topple the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a Reuters witness said.

There was no violence as at least 1,000 police took over a long-established site in Bangkok's historic quarter, which has been occupied since anti-government rallies began in November."

[ArchieBunker]

Good move them on!!!!!

 

It sounds as if some kind of deal has been worked out.  Of course since this is Thailand, it must be some kind of deal that "saves face" for both sides.  What the actual end game is, I have no idea.  Sutheps mob does NOT want free and fair elections in spite of Abhisits claim that his side is ahead in the polls and would likely win.  Dream on.

 

There might be some kind of juidicial coup as we know what side THEY support and we know on what side  some of the highest, er um cough cough, corridor of power fall..........

 

It looks as though the courts might try and dump Yingluck out due to this rice scheme.  I mean its not like they EVER bounced out a PM for some spurrious reason oh lets say some PM had a cooking show or something like that.  Hell, that would NEVER happen even in Thailand, would it???

[pdogg]

 

Three people have been killed and dozens injured in violence that erupted as Thai police began clearing protest sites in the capital, Bangkok.

 

Police are trying to retake official buildings and sites that have been blocked by protesters who are calling on the government to step down.

 

The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok said that the situation now appeared calmer, but that at one point earlier in the day a grenade was thrown at police lines.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26236887

[pdogg]

 

Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her entire caretaker cabinet minister cancelled their scheduled meeting at her temporary office inside the Office of the Defense Ministry’s Permanent Secretary citing mass protest as main reason.

 

The office was crowded with almost ten thousand farmers and anti-government protesters who arrived at 11 a.m. and gathered in front demanding to meet her.

 

Anti-government protesters were led by all core leaders of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) led by Suthep Thaugsuban.

 

Barbed wire defense was erected and guarded by soldiers.

As angry farmers waited outside amid the heat of the daylight  sun, anger grew when  nobody come out to meet farmers. They shouted to see her immediately.

 

But before the situation went out of control,  a spokesman of the Office of the Permanent Secretary Maj-Gen Surachart Jitjaeng said the caretaker prime minister has called off the meeting with reason of the mass protest and that her presence could bring inconvenience  to the host.

 

Angry farmers then shouted and cursed her.

 

Meanwhile PDRC co-leader Sathit Wongnong-toei spoke through loudspeaker called on the Office of the Permanent Secretary to appoint a representative with authority to meet their leader Suthep Thaugsuban.

 

He said the PDRC leader wanted to clarify the representative the intention of the protesters to eliminate all the Thaksin regime and would return after the clarification.

 

Earlier on the Chaengwattana road, hundreds of nail traps were strewn on a 500- meter stretch of the elevated section of the road causing  tyres of several vehicles to go flat.

 

The incident caused added worse traffic jam on the road as well as the expressway exit ramps to Muangthong Thani.

Soldiers were called in to close traffic on the section and began to collect the traps.

 

The nail traps were strewn by perpetrators to stop farmers and protesters to travel to the Office of the Permanent Secretary to see the caretaker prime minister.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/yingluck-flees-farmers-protesters/

[pdogg]

 

People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuwan last night announced to call the largest rally ever in Bangkok over the next few days in what he called will be the final push to overthrow the caretaker government.

 

He did not elaborate the exact time of the final push but said that this would be the largest rally ever in the capital.

 

He  told all supporters and the people from all walk of life and across the country to get ready for the final push and start the reform of the country.

 

Suthep’s call for the final push came ahead of the ruling today by the Constitution Court on the 2-trillion baht loan bill on its constitutionality.

 

Suthep earlier said that there was strong possibility that the caretaker prime minister and her cabinet will not show any responsibility if the bill is ruled unconstitutional by the court.

 

He said her caretaker government has indicated the cabinet should not be held responsible as it was the responsibility of the MPs.

Even the bill is a financial bill and those who passed it should show responsibility to resign if it was rejected as practiced by all legislatives in the world, but he said this caretaker would again show no responsibility, he said.

 

With such possibility of defiance of the law, of the court, and repeated wrongdoings, it was necessary to have a final push to overthrow the regime, Suthep said.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/suthep-call-largest-rally-ever-bangkok-next-days/

[pdogg]

 

Suthep To Seek Royal Approval For His 'People Coup'

 

(6 April) Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has vowed to ask His Majesty the King to approve his effort to seize power from government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

Mr. Suthep delivered the comment yesterday at the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) rally stage in Bangkok's Lumpini Park.

 

At the rally, which was billed as a "big fight" against the government, Mr. Suthep outlined strategies for PCAD supporters in their campaign to remove Ms. Yingluck from her caretaker position, explaining that all PCAD local networks should gather list of their members across the country and "wait for the day of battle".  

 

"When I blow the whistle, all of these members must be present," Mr. Suthep told the crowd, "Bring out all the healthy persons, so we can embark on a prolonged fight, for at least 15 days".

 

Mr. Suthep said two events would be critical to the PCAD's ultimate fight against Ms. Yingluck: the conclusion of the corruption case conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Ms. Yingluck, and the verdict by the Constitutional Court which would determine whether she violated the 2007 Constitution by removing a hostile official from the seat of National Security Council director.

 

If the NACC ruled that Ms. Yingluck ran afoul of corruption laws, Mr. Suthep said, the PCAD supporters should stay in their position and wait for his future orders; however, a guilty verdict by the Constitutional Court - which will automatically remove Ms Yingluck from her position - would be met by an instant mobilisation from Mr. Suthep's nationwide network.

 

"We will immediately march on that day!" Mr. Suthep, "We will occupy Thailand so the sovereign power shall truly belong to the people"

Mr. Suthep elaborated further that he would then install himself as the "Sovereign Body" who will wield absolute power via numerous "Revolutionary Decrees" and adoption of a single charter provision as a legislative blank cheque - in the same manner of military dictators in 1960s, such as the notorious Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat. 

 

"We will have something like Article 17 [of 1959 Administrative Charter] as the highest law," Mr. Suthep said, referring to the charter article which allowed Field Marshal Sarit to fight suspected Communist threats by all means, " will be able to order anyone to be executed by firing squad, but I will only freeze assets".

 

He continued, "As a Sovereign Body who has seized power, I will have the power to appoint Prime Minister and Cabinet members at my own discretion. Then I will present this list to His Majesty the King, so that he can approve them as the People's Government".

 

Once His Majesty the King signed his approval for the "people's coup", Mr. Suthep said, the PCAD will proceed to appoint National Legislative Assemby and "People's Council" as two unelected legislative bodies to engage in "reforms" for Thailand.

 

He promises to return the power to the people once the "reforms" are completed, but warned that he would mobilise his supporters onto the streets if the government he had appointed "failed to perform its duties" as assigned by the PCAD.

 

Mr. Suthep's speech, which drew loud and long cheers from his supporters, is the first instance in which he clearly outlined the procedures to achieve his dubious goals of installing "People's Council" and "reforming Thailand"; Mr. Suthep and his core supporters have refused to elaborate on those terms in previous media appearances and interviews.

 

The remark also attracts concerns from a number of observers who fear that Mr. Suthep's plan would require His Majesty the King, who had remained largely silent on the current round of political crisis, to visibly take side and even violate the national constitution in the process.

Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that millions of pro-government supporters in the north and northeast will quietly accept Mr. Suthep's effort to remove their elected government.

 

In a separate mass rally in Nakorn Pathom province yesterday, Redshirts leader Jatupon Prompan insisted that the Redshirts are willing to fight for Ms. Yingluck, and ominously warned that a "civil war" could break out of Ms. Yingluck is removed by undemocratic ways. 

 

Mr. Suthep might have already prepared for such a scenario, however. In his speech yesterday, he also urged his supporters to be ready for prolonged rally in Bangkok for over 2 weeks in order to "deter" any opponents who would march into Bangkok and challenge his status as the Sovereign Body.

http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1396776917&typecate=06&section=

[pdogg]

 

DSI To Probe Suthep's 'People Coup' Speech

 

(7 April) The Division of Special Investigation (DSI) will seek legal action against anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban for publicly vowing to launch a "People's Coup" against the government.

 

DSI Chief Tharit Pengdith said the officials are already transcribing the footage of 5 April rally organised by the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) in which its sec-gen, Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, delivered a fiery speech concerning his plan to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

Mr. Suthep has said he would install himself as a "Sovereign Body" and present his own list of Prime Minister and Cabinet members to His Majesty the King to seek his Royal Approval. The PCAD will establish unelected legislative bodies afterwards, he explained, and implement series of "reforms" in Thailand.

 

He called his effort a coup by the people, as opposed to coups launched by the military in the past.

 

According to Mr. Tharit, Mr. Suthep's speech risks violating Article 113 of the Criminal Codes, which prohibits any attempt to illegally overthrow democratic regime either by violence or by coercion.  

 

"It is clear that Mr. Suthep's speech to the demonstrators reveals his intention to overthrow democratic regime," Mr. Tharit explained.

 

He added that the remarks will be used as evidence against Mr. Suthep in the court; the protest leader is already facing a separate charge of insurgency filed by the authorities.

 

The DSI will also consult with the Centre for Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) to seek legal guidance on how to further prosecute Mr. Suthep for his speech, Mr. Tharit said.

http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1396852539&section=11

[pdogg]

 

May 14 mass rally will be the final “win or lose” battle of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, said protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban at the Lumpini park protest site Thursday night.

 

“We have been very patient for the past six months.  We have invested  a lot both in terms of money and labour with several get killed.  There will be no negotiations, no national government, no coalition government.  Thaksin regime must be out and there must be reform before an election,” said Suthep.

 

The PDRC, said Mr Suthep, will carry on with its protest march on Friday until Sunday to drum up support for its planned mass rally on May 14.  On Monday, supporters of the PDRC are urged to gather at Sanam Luang at 5 pm to express their well wishes to His Majesty the King on the occasion of the Coronation Day and to take a vow of loyalty to the Monarchy.

 

The PDRC will take a break on May 6 and then on the following day until May 12, it will stage protest marches in Bangkok to mobilize support among Bangkokians to join the mass rally on May 14.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/suthep-says-may-14-will-win-lose-battle/

[Snick]

Yingluck is out, along with any member of her cabinet also involved in the transfer case (about 10 members).

 

Court will NOT decide how new PM is selected.

 

EC did NOT submit paperwork for July 20th election, so that is in limbo also.

 

Reds will rally on May 10th.

 

NACC is suppose do rule on rice case tomorrow, not sure what happens with that.