samak Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 there are now many police check points between Bangkok and Pattaya, in particular on the non main roads! they obviously want to prevent the red shirts from gathering in Pattaya. so the police check everybody if they wear red shirts; the real ones wear yellow and keep their red shirts in the luggage! this gets more and more another comedy thai style! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Latest from The Nation: << In Bangkok, traffic turmoil continued with protesters continuing to occupy Victory Monument. Concerns have been growing about several hospitals in the area. The protest has caused severe constraints for patients, visitors and transport of medical supplies. Red Shirts have blocked Sukhumvit 71 and a Vibhavadi highway-Suthisarn Road junction. Protesters have retreated from Democracy Monument to the main rally site in front of Government House. Police reported heavy traffic jams on several roads but the situation has not been as severe as Thursday since the government declared Friday a national holiday to counter the Red Shirts' aggression. >> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 THE NATION 10 Apr 2009 Opinion: Red-shirt rallies will soon run out of steam Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's attempt at a final blitz to regain political power may be coming to a futile end. All of the Shinawatra clan members including his ex-wife Pokemon and her children, General Chaiyasith Shinawatra, Yingluck Shinawatra, Somchai Wongsawat and Yaowapa Wongsawat, have already left Thailand and sought refuge elsewhere. Yingluck and Yaowapa appeared at the rally on Wednesday. At the moment, most of the family members are believed to be fortifying themselves in Singapore, waiting for further political developments. But they must have sensed by now that the tide is going against them. They have played their trump card. The Red Shirt protesters who have been ravaging Bangkok over the past two weeks are being left to take care of themselves as the paymasters jump ship. It sounded like a perfect plot from the beginning. Thaksin and his clan believed they could take over Thailand through the Red Shirt revolution. To succeed, they would have to mobilise 300,000 protesters, who would then create a scene to justify a military intervention. The protesters have begun to make their presence in Bangkok streets felt over the past two weeks, concentrating their rallies at the Government House, the Royal Plaza and the Si Sao Theves residence of General Prem Tinsulanonda, the president of the Privy Council. A military clique belonging to the Thaksin camp would stand ready to come out with the tanks. The privy councillors would have to be held hostage. Almost incidentally, General Jongrak Chuthanont, deputy national police chief, reported that the police had uncovered an assassination attempt against Privy Councillor Chanchai Likhitjittha. The three men allegedly involved in the plot were identified as Kamik Sukkanjanakas, 33, Panupong Rattanapaiboon, 32, and Sakchai Lim, 29. They were described as the gunman, the driver of a getaway motorcycle and the contractor. But you can sense that the timing of the police arrest of the three suspects is rather questionable amid the ongoing momentum of the red-shirt rallies. The protesters demand the resignation of General Prem, the former prime minister General Surayuth Chulnanont and Chanchai, as privy councillors because they believe that the three were allegedly involved in the 2006 coup. They also demand that Abhisit Vejjajiva resign from his premiership. On Tuesday, police arrested Major Thienchai Muangchantuek at an army camp for allegedly being the mastermind. The arrested men told the investigators that a group of military officers wanted to instigate turmoil ahead of today's rally by the red shirts. Navy Captain Chakkrit Sekhanan was further implicated. On Thursday he reported to police in order to acknowledge charges relating to the contract on the life of privy councillor Chanchai. Chakkrit denied any involvement in the assassination plot. He said he volunteered his surrender as proof of his innocence. He said he did know Major Thienchai, the go-between suspect, who accused him for putting out the contract on Chanchai's life. Chanchai, a former president of the Supreme Court, along with other senior judges and a few privy councillors, was accused by Thaksin of plotting the 2006 coup. After the discovery of the alleged assassination plot, the police want to provide protection for the members of the Privy Council. Will the members of the Privy Council trust the police protection? The military clique belonging to the Thaksin camp has been subdued. The protesters have widened their rallies to strategic locations in Bangkok, covering the Victory Monument, the Democracy Monument, the Foreign Ministry, the Constitution Court, the Democrat Party's headquarters and Hualamphong Railway Station. But their rallies, which reflect the dao krajai (widespread) rallies of the yellow-shirted PAD protesters last year, could be running out of steam soon. It costs about Bt50 million a day to organise the rallies. Over the next few days, the protesters should disperse as the money runs out and their leadership is nowhere to be seen. Besides, they are looking forward to spending time with their families during the Songkran festival next week. The Red Shirt subcontractors (Do I hear Veera?), who have organised the rallies and taken turns to attack the privy councillors and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, are likely to be purged afterwards. After Songkran, you will see that Thailand will gradually return to normalcy. The Abhisit government will ride out this wave of political turbulence. The yellow-shirt protesters ended their rallies in December last year with the removal of the Somchai government. The Red Shirt protesters should end their rallies in this hot month of April, with Thaksin and his clan suffering from a bitter defeat that will be beyond any repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samak Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 wishful thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Maybe, but they've not got a reaction from the government, no heavy-handed response, so what else is there to do? They've also given up on the road blocks, which was effective! I see the leader is saying the next tactic will be more spectacular...we shall see, I just hope I'm not here when/if it happens. I see the police were their usual ultra efficient selves down in Pattaya... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Not as much support as they hoped for? THE NATION 10 Apr 2009 100 taxis with 500 Red Shirts to move to Pattaya The Red Shirt movement will deploy 100 taxis with 500 protesters to join the rally in Pattaya. Veera Musigapong, a Red Shirt leader, recruited 500 men volunteers from the Government House at 6:35 pm to join the rally in Pattaya. Veera said [color:red]people in Pattaya attacked the Red Shirts[/color] so he would deploy 500 men to protect the protesters there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 "This" was the "Sathorn blockade"... The most short-lived roadblock I ever saw (I have the pictures taken by the PAD...) Edit - Mod 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samak Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Mekong posting in a good and friendly mood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Looks like patience with the Red Shirts is running out, as is their own patience. The Post reports Red Shirts punched a driver and damaged his car because he asked to be allowed to pass through the blockade and go home. Red Shirts in Chiang Mai are trying to take over Tha Pae Gate with their protests, pissing off the Songkran revellers who told them to fark off. Protests AGAINST the Red Shirts reported in some provinces. Also ... << Meanwhile, hospitals at the Victory Monument were in disarray as supplies could not get through. Rajavithi Hospital director Warunee Jinarat said oxygen supplies were running out as the Red Shirt rally blocked roads entering the area. She asked the UDD leaders to allow oxygen to be delivered. >> So a few people die. Never mind, Thaksin will bring them back to life when he returns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Red-shirts battle blue-shirts in Pattaya Link Pattaya - Red-shirted protesters armed with giant firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, sling shots and batons, battled with local people who formed a line to protect the venue of Asean +6 summit venue here Saturday morning. The clash happened at 8:40 am. The outnumbered blue-shirted local people was scattered and ran for cover when the red-shirted people attacked them. The Nation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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