Helicopters and a lot of black smoke

[Mekong]

And yes, the smoke that is coming from the Bon Kai intersection (trivia - how many people who live here actually knew the name of this part of town?)

 

PM

 

Funny you should say that since I posted Last Night

 

"Its amazing to me that this insignificant, and to many unknown, little corner of downtown BKK is now a battle zone, having lived there for 11 years without incident and only selling up and moving away just 2 months ago."

 

Its actualy rather misleading to refer to the junction at Expressway Ramps as "Bon Kai Intersection" since Bon Kai itself is 350 Meters west on Rama IV towards Lumpini Stadium, its more commonly know as either Rama IV, Klong Toei or Chuea Plearng Road.

 

More Trivia, Bon Kai gets its name from the Cock Fighting that used to take place there.

 

 

 

EDIT

 

On "Bangkok Dangerous" Map that LK posted a link to, Bon Kai Intersection is Soi Ngam Duphii / Rama IV where the RED Line is midway between expressway and Sathorn.

[LizardKing]

Or the army is telling the truth and keeping casualties low as ordered and the red shirts are not peaceful as advertised?

 

Ya, that's about right. As soon as the army appeared, tasked with holding the reds in their area with no deaths, the attacks began.

 

Peaceful, non-violent and unarmed...my arse!

[ozpharlap]

Hey OH made a valid comment - Mekong slammed him saying if your not here you know jack shit.

 

That's just stoopid thing to say.

 

I am flying in next week, hope it has all settle by then but I can see no winners in all of this at the end of the day.

[Mekong]

Hey OH made a valid comment - Mekong slammed him saying if your not here you know jack shit.

 

That's just stoopid thing to say.

 

 

Dyslexic Dog,

 

You seem to have overlooked the basis of my comments without considering the facts. I merely intimated that a person sat nearly 22,000 KM away from the situation could not possibly have the same "Real Time" knowledge or has been affected by such in the same way as someone who is lving it.

 

• Yesterday my in laws were subject to false checkpoints and attempted to be diverted into "Live Fire Zones" to be used as human shields
• We now have 2 Families and a childless Couple staying with us since they were driven out of homes due to escalation of Red Shirt Protest Areas
• Proposed buyers of my old apartment stalled on signing completion papers since expanded protests east on Rama IV now engulf said property

 

Now if Old Hippie was to say that he would not mind his relatives being taken as Human Shields, Didn't mind offering up space in his home for ten "Political Refugees" or was quite happy to live without the 9 Million THB ( > US$ 275 K ) from property sale for an untold period until the situation showed some signs of resolution I would be impressed, but fortunatley for him he is not stuck in such a situation.

 

Just becaise his rhetoric happens to support your own ideals does not make him an authority on the situation, especially since it has ZERO affect on his day to day life.

 

I stand by what I said, without being affected by it hourly and daily and just passing judgement from afar he really doesn't have a clue about what is actually going on and the inconviniences ( sic! ) it is causing the average Bangkokian.

 

If his convictions were as stong as his mouth he would drag his fat hairy arse over here and go camp out at Ratchaprasong in support of his "Soul mates" until them he can just Shut the Fuck Up since as I said he knows fuxk all about the reality of the situation.

 

[Wallenda]

Wow. A slow boil that would've done Jackie Gleason proud.

 

You... .are... a BLABBERMOUTH!!!! A BLABBERMOUTH!!!!

 

odn't take seriously, just teasing, it was king of amusing.

[Mekong]

If in reply to the citizens of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricaine Katrina I had stated "Stop Moaning and buy a Mop" that would have reflected the same level of ignorance shown by certain BM's here.

[Old Hippie]

"...Now if Old Hippie was to say that he would not mind his relatives being taken as Human Shields..."

 

 

Hell yes, take them!

 

"...Just becaise his rhetoric happens to support your own ideals does not make him an authority on the situation, especially since it has ZERO affect on his day to day life..."

 

Do I? or am I just trying to get some different views out there? So far this has been mostly 1 sided and as I said I think there is more to it than that.

 

"...I stand by what I said, without being affected by it hourly and daily and just passing judgement from afar he really doesn't have a clue about what is actually going on and the inconviniences ( sic! ) it is causing the average Bangkokian..."

 

Yes, all I am saying is look at it from the other side of the coin, the guys who "have a horse in the race instead of your own selfish interests. If there was a civil war in the UK, and you felt you were getting screwed so you took to the streets, would you give a shit about the Pakistani family that couldn't sell their apartment because of you? This is THEIR fight, not yours.

 

When all of this started, and we were all discussing how it would most likely go, I made a few predictions based on conversations I have had with Expats, Thais in the USA, Thais in Thailand and a few people very well versed in Thai politics. A few expats on the board said I was wrong, some of them rather rudely. Sadly, it seems I was right about a lot of the predictions I made, wish I was wrong, and I wish this ended "peacefully the Thai way..." as some said, but it did not. Somehow, I managed to do it "...22,000 KM away from the situation.."

 

You seem to have gotten a little insulting and personal, which I suppose is o.k. I'll attribute it to your stress in the situation. However, I will take the comment "fat hairy ass" as an observation, and not an insult.

 

As far as not living there, sadly true, wish I did, and I am making the effort to retire there, may or may not happen sooner or later. "Real time reports?" Nope, I don't have them. But like any news story that is of interest, people comment on it. We speculate, throw out ideas and discuss them. Other people disagreed, spelled out why, and were polite about it.

 

If commenting on events were only limited to what is immediately around us, and others from afar should not comment on it all, then discussions would be boring and lack input from those standing back looking at it more objectively. I mean should I tell Lizard King "to shut the fuck up" about the Illegal immigrants in Arizona because he doesn't live there? Should I tell him to "Haul his fat hairy ass down there and camp out with them..." just because he does feel a need to voice his opinion (well spoken at that) on the matter? Even or especially if his opinion is in opposition to mine? You're smarter than that.

 

So what should we do? Limit news discussions and commentary only to events in what a 5km circle from where we live or work? Or should we accept that people have different opinions on things, which may or may not be "real time" and maybe their thoughts are or are not influenced by where they are.

 

Ok, I know you are under stress, I know it sucks for you, best of luck with it, hope it all ends soon, and you can move on with your life. Good luck and stay safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mekong]

 

You seem to have gotten a little insulting and personal, which I suppose is o.k. I'll attribute it to your stress in the situation. However, I will take the comment "fat hairy ass" as an observation, and not an insult.

 

 

 

OH

 

Hats off to you for being civil towards, what some may say were, my uncivilised remarks, on the occasions we have met in the past we have not ripped each others throats our and hopefully that will continue into the future.

 

I would call it more frustration than stress, if I was stressed I would be hiding myself in the abyss of a vodka bottle or three, but fortunatley I have learned ( with your support over the years I may add ) that that course of action causes more problems than it resolves.

 

The one that is really pissing me off is the facts that current actions have indirectly frozen a large part of my assets and may actualy lead to a depretiation of such. As I posted previously in this thread and Pom Michael has also bought up, not may people knew where Bon Kai district of BKK was but now its a freakin war zone, does not go well for property resale values.

 

Its not as if I am going to starve to death but it does mean completing a few more overseas rotations in places I would rather not be in order to get back to where I was just last wednesday at a fiscal level ... maybe I am a fortunate one to be able to do it again as compared to others.

 

My Rant was not "Old Hippie Said" I was being vocal about hundreds if not thousands of non-thai resident farangs who offer an opinion about the current situation from afar without having experienced the full effects that many expats are feeling, it was due to your (posted) vocals at the time my frustration was boiling that made you an easy target.

 

Was I wrong to single you out YES

 

Was I wrong to get personal YES

 

I apologise for taking my frustrations out on you as an individual, but conversley I know that you are thick skinned enough to recognise my rant and shrug it off. As for "fat hairy ass" Dyslexic Dog has the copyright on that!

[LizardKing]

Nicely said. But too am out ~B200k over this.

 

And as of Friday I sent Mrs LK & Mom to stay with extended family in Nonthaburi as the drama is just too close to her folks home and they are well known yellow supporters in well known a yellow neighborhood in the Klong Toey 'hood. So excuse my ill-temper, especially since I DO care about democracy and know that a mob does not offer it...

 

So I am poorer and pussy-less over this and not happy LOL!

[ozpharlap]

Nicely said. But too am out ~B200k over this.

 

And as of Friday I sent Mrs LK & Mom to stay with extended family in Nonthaburi as the drama is just too close to her folks home and they are well known yellow supporters in well known a yellow neighborhood in the Klong Toey 'hood. So excuse my ill-temper, especially since I DO care about democracy and know that a mob does not offer it...

 

So I am poorer and pussy-less over this and not happy LOL!

One cannot be pussy-less in LOS. It is your choice, as you are with someone that is understandable.

 

To look at this thread and some of the hostilities it has invoked makes you appreciate how difficult this whole Thailand mess has become. On this board we cannot just agree to disagree, one must continue to push their barrow or try to deconstruct the others argument, even if that counter argument has some valid points or as is usually the case, arguing at cross purposes. Not that that is a bad thing, a healthy debate can reach an accord.

 

However, imagine those with vested interests, be they right or wrong. Sadly, under some circumstances they do not, or cannot, just want to walk away. Even after what they stated what they wanted, and when the offer was made and what they sought (fresh elections) were given they continue to the point of anarchy. After anarchy there is no other path but to restore it.

 

As with all hostilities there are losers on both sides.