Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 At 3AM this morning, General Prayuth declared martial law without consulting the government. No news yet on exactly what that means. Just went for a 20km drive and didn't see any soldiers. Will update if/when I hear more. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 The following list was published in The Nation;however, still no word from the military. So far no curfew. Martial law gives military officers the power to: - Take action against war or riots; - Use arms to suppress unrest; - Search, confiscate or occupy any premises or vehicles; - Censor information; - Block, search and control postal services; - Activate the military court to judge on crimes within the area under martial law; - Mobilise civilians to help the military; - Procure resources such as vehicles or logistical materials to support military operations; - Prohibit public gatherings, publications, broadcasting, transport, communication, travel, the movement of people or any action that the Defence Ministry deems necessary; - Enforce curfews; - Destroy, remove or adjust any premise or location for the purpose of military operations; - Arrest and detain suspects for a maximum of seven days. - People are not entitled to any compensation for damage incurred during such military operations; - Martial law can only be ended with a Royal Decree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/128740/pattaya-wakes-up-to-martial-law-in-thailand/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Prayuth ordered the dissolution of the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) with immediate effect and all the forces, especially the police, working under the Capo return to their original units. He also ordered the setup of the Directorate of Peace Keeping in charge of maintaining peace and order, and ordered the police and officials under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry to report to the Internal Security Operations Command. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 PBS shows troops on streets in Bangkok. Troops control Ratchaprasong. For anyone going from Bangkok to Pattaya today, I recommend not taking the Ekkamai bus as Bang Na seems to be shut down. Other options include taxi (but take the tollway north of Swampy), or Rail Link to Swampy and take the Bell bus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snick Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I read somewhere that buses were being allowed thru Bang Na checkpoint..but not 100% sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torurot Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 10 Satellite TV stations (both Pro & Anti) ordered shut. Wonder about international stations like BBC? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 I read somewhere that buses were being allowed thru Bang Na checkpoint..but not 100% sure. Buses are indeed being let through the checkpoints. The problem is getting there. Traffic very bad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 10 Satellite TV stations (both Pro & Anti) ordered shut. Wonder about international stations like BBC? I heard the tail-end of a military announcement listing a bunch of stations including CNN & BBC, unfortunately I missed the part that said what the list meant. As of 11AM, CNN & BBC are still being transmitted on True. At 11:30,channel 3 showed some clips from CNN. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sustra Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 10 tv stations have been closed.... keep update from bangkok...i am expected to be there in 20 days... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 10 tv stations have been closed.... keep update from bangkok...i am expected to be there in 20 days... So far, other than troops on the street, a few (mostly Red) TV stations being shut down, and some very bad traffic, life goes on. Nothing that would stop me from coming. Currently, the government, PDRC, and the military are holding meetings to decide their next step. Unless the Reds go nutz again, we'll have to wait and see what comes out of the meetings in a few hours. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdogg Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Excellent updates from Trenton, our correspondent on the ground in Bangkok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardhi Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Presumably the Bang Na road blocks are to prevent the extreme fringe Red Shirt element from Samut Prakhan getting into the city centre. Lets just hope they don't have a road map and work out there are plenty of other ways into the city these days !!!! But by the sounds of things, overall its a least worst kind of strategy. stop all the agitating broadcasts, keep the factions apart and probably most of all, stop Chalerm from doing all kinds of mischief. Interesting that they raided his house as soon as the announcement was made. Wonder if the decision to move now had anything to do with the discovery of the (presumably the stolen army) M16's in the back of a politicians car. Lots of people seem to be getting very very nervous about that find. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torurot Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 We need more photos of the the Drinks bringer. :-) Keeping things calm so you don't have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snick Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 But by the sounds of things, overall its a least worst kind of strategy. stop all the agitating broadcasts, keep the factions apart and probably most of all, stop Chalerm from doing all kinds of mischief. Interesting that they raided his house as soon as the announcement was made. Whats this ? Missed that story ! 555 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Presumably the Bang Na road blocks are to prevent the extreme fringe Red Shirt element from Samut Prakhan getting into the city centre. Lets just hope they don't have a road map and work out there are plenty of other ways into the city these days !!!! But by the sounds of things, overall its a least worst kind of strategy. stop all the agitating broadcasts, keep the factions apart and probably most of all, stop Chalerm from doing all kinds of mischief. Interesting that they raided his house as soon as the announcement was made. Wonder if the decision to move now had anything to do with the discovery of the (presumably the stolen army) M16's in the back of a politicians car. Lots of people seem to be getting very very nervous about that find. I too am curious about that. It's understandable if they went after the PM, but Chalerm? Might be interesting to see if Chalerm threatened the military in the last week or so. Lord knows he's threatened everyone else! Heard the cache of weapons was small, but the police on the scene tried hard to get the military to back off. It seems ducks have been lining up for a few days now. Considering that finding the cache happened just yesterday, wondering if it was the last straw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 General Prayuth just announced at a press conference that there are no plans for a curfew. Woo hoo! Party time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardhi Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 The thing about Chalerm was reported by a newspaper - BKK Post I think it was, but maybe another agency. The guns went missing a good few years ago - lots of them. A well planned and executed operation breaking into an armory and to this day, the army are still pissed about it. Looks like those which turned up in the back of the Pheu Thai guys car are possibly from the stolen supply. So presumably, someone knows where the rest of them are. I think this has a lot to do with the martial law coming in right now as M16's are not the sort of thing you buy on e-bay - that is reserved for kalashnikovs !!!!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Errr ... General Prayuth didn't say, "Woo hoo, party time!" I put that in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 The thing about Chalerm was reported by a newspaper - BKK Post I think it was, but maybe another agency. The guns went missing a good few years ago - lots of them. A well planned and executed operation breaking into an armory and to this day, the army are still pissed about it. Looks like those which turned up in the back of the Pheu Thai guys car are possibly from the stolen supply. So presumably, someone knows where the rest of them are. I think this has a lot to do with the martial law coming in right now as M16's are not the sort of thing you buy on e-bay - that is reserved for kalashnikovs !!!!. It would be great if this story doesn't dry up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardhi Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Here is the link Re: Chalerm;- http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727581-thai-govt-calls-emergency-meeting-to-respond-to-martial-law/ Its from Khaosod, so will have a pro Pheu Thai bias. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snick Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Here is the link Re: Chalerm;- http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727581-thai-govt-calls-emergency-meeting-to-respond-to-martial-law/ Its from Khaosod, so will have a pro Pheu Thai bias. Tanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peeps Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Well flying today due tomorrow! My timings are always great. Thanks for the updates lads as they, in the main, gave me the sense of "it'll be alright" :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 With no mention of a curfew, decided to drive into the Nana Triangle and have a look around. Driving in from the north, the only military I saw were at the Mujahid mosque in Din Dang. It could have been a coincidence as the the Reds caused quite a bit of damage in Din Dang back in 2010, and that's also where the tollway and Wipadawie-Rangsit empty into Bangkok proper, but still I found it strange. Traffic was very light. A Thai friend said many didn't go to work, and many left early. Perfect for me! From Din Dang to Soi 4 there were no soldiers. Had dinner at Bourbon Street (Soi 63?, Ekkamai) and no soldiers in sight. Business as usual on Soi 4 and Soi Cowboy. Picked up a friend at Don Muang around 10PM, and went straight back to Nana. Surprised there were no soldiers at Don Muang as I heard the military had relieved the police at Swampy. Also, just because I only saw a few soldiers at Din Dang, don't think there are no soldiers elsewhere. The police at the Soi 4 police box told me that Ratchaprasong was closed. And news shows military have the various protest locations surrounded. The average punter looking to chase a few skirts shouldn't have a problem. Don't know what time Nana closed as we quickly BFed a few of our favorites from Cascade. Checkpoints are still in force at Bang Na, but the traffic doesn't seem as bad as it was yesterday. If I were going to or from Pattaya, I'd still take the northern route instead of the Ekkamai express. However if it's a hardship for someone to make it work, Ekkamai should be okay; it might take longer, but they'll get there eventually. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sustra Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 thanx for the update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.