BBC report

[drogon]

Seems there is a wise move on the part of the army and the government...

 

-> Now have to see where it leads but reducing peacefully the reds numbers + tightening the military cordon...while accepting their protest there as legal.

 

=

-> appease tension, keep them all at the same place, stay on legal grounds and of course...dissociate them.

 

Hope it goes on like this

 

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/140503/military-won-t-interfere-at-govt-house

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/140504/authorties-help-red-shirts-return-home

-----------------------------

Military 'won't interfere' at Govt House

 

Published: 14/04/2009 at 10:06 AM

 

Military authorities on Monday ruled out an assault on protesters at Government House.

 

 

 

In a special announcement by a military spokesman broadcast on all TV and radio stations at 10am, a spokesman said the army would continue operations in downtown Bangkok.

 

"But our aim is only to clear the streets so that normal traffic can move," he said.

 

He said the protest of red shirts at Government House is legal and would not be harmed.

 

Scattered and violent resistance to the military attempt to secure Bangkok continued on Monday night. Authorities said one soldier was shot overnight in an ambush near the Mahboonkrong centre near the main tourist shopping area.

 

The continued clashes raised speculation on Monday night that soldiers would assault and try to clear the Government House protests, where thousands of anti-government demonstrators continued their campout for an 18th day.

--------------------------

+++

Authorties help red shirts return home

 

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 14/04/2009 at 10:46 AM

 

A number of red shirt protesters at Government House have decided to return home and authorities have assisted them, Government spokeman Panitan Wattanayagorn said on Tuesday morning.

 

Mr Panitan said that authorities have set up check points around the Government House area when the main body of protestors remain encamped. United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protesters who would like to leave were assisted by authorities, he said, adding that the number of protestors remaining had reduced in number.

 

The spokesman said the situation around the city had improved compared to the past tow days adding that security forces will today ensure that roads remain open and traffic flowed.

 

 

He expressed concern about reports that protestors had brought in gas cylinders and placed them in front of Government House. The government has not yet started talks with the protest leaders.

 

 

Mr Panitan admitted that the government was considering a proposal to extend the Songkran holidays to include Thursday 16 April and Friday 17 April.

[Coss]

IMHO, Thaksin will lose more credibility, Redshirts will tough it out at Govt house for a month, with sporadic acs of insanity, like death.

 

Global pressure on the economy will tell, and an equilibrium will settle gradually on all concerned.

 

Cheers

 

Not that I know much - Coss

 

I see that the red shirts have ended their protest, though not actually dispersed yet

 

[Pom Michael]

Yes, Game over for the UDD. But sense that the real danger is still coming from the thugs that the Red Shirts gave power to over the last few days, they may hold on for another day/night and the military/police not having the same restrictions on their actions.

[cavanami]

The red shirts fizzled...

[Torneyboy]

They'll be back...

[Flashermac]

The reason the 30 baht health plan has become something of a disaster is that wonderful Mr Talksome Shitealot didn't allocate sufficient funds to pay for it. Hospitals found themselves losing hundreds of millions from footing the bill for all sorts of medical treatments. Srirat Hospital dropped out after reportedly losing over more than 280 million baht (I think it was) the first year. The number of hospitals now refusing to take part must be large. The health care programme is a great idea ... IF THE GOVERNMENT FUNDS THE IT. Talksome didn't.

 

 

<< Thailand's low cost health program, introduced in 2001, has won plenty of support among voters in recent years. But the plan has overburdened hospitals with debts, and hundreds of doctors are leaving the public health system because of rising work pressures.

 

...

 

Dr. Cherdchoon says the added burden has fallen on the shoulders of doctors, especially in rural areas, where hospitals have historically been understaffed. Over the past four years more than two thousand doctors have resigned from state hospitals because of the heavy workload. She says doctors are forced to work 100 hours a week, [color:red]often earning just over $400 a month[/color].>>

 

Link

 

 

Note that these highly paid doctors are part of the Thai "middle class". When posters go on about the "middle class", they sure never forget that middle class in Thailand can mean an income of around 20,000 baht or so a month. However, the leaders of both the Reds and Yellows are filthy rich "elitists" themselves. Only a fool thinks they are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cavanami]

Word in the hood...go to the 30 baht hospital, dead quick...like in poor or no health care!

[Mekong]

Flash was here in the early 70's, seems to know what he's talking about (as you do mekong) but without the aggression and bad temper you so often display.

 

Phil,

 

I dont waste time and effort mincing my words, where I come from we call a spade a spade which is also applicable to the industry I work in, not pretty but effective as in gets the job done.

 

I have met Chelseafan in Thailand on a couple of occasions both with fellow board members and also with other Thai based expat friends of mine and IRL we got on well IMHO so my comments are not a blind indiscriminate attack on an unknown person but banter with a fellow boardmember who knows who I am and what I am like IRL.

 

As Flash, Hardy and others have pointed out subsequent to my post in a more eloquent manner both the 30 Baht Health Care Scheme and the Village Loan Scheme were severely flawed due to their lack of financial support, it was all smoke and mirrors. I am not doubting the fact that CF and many others know of people who have benifited "Short Term" from these schemes but they were never thought out from an ecconomical stratedgy POV and couls never have been financed in the long run. This IMHO is just another example of how Mr T's "Popularists Policies" are just another example of hidden vote buying to put it politely out and out corruption if you really want to call it as it is.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not Pro-Elite / Anti-Isaan, both sides have their obvious flaws and a middle ground has to be achieved in order for Thailand to move on as a fledgling democracy, but based on my own experiences of working / living / interfacing with Thais from many levels over the years I am of the opinion that the so called "Old Elite" is in a far better position to move Thailand forward on both the National and International fronts than a Dictator who's party name TRT "Thai's Love Thai's" is akin to the BNP "British National Party" back in the UK.

 

Ever since Feb 9th 2001 when Police Lieutenant Colonel Thaksin Shinawatra (Sic!) was elected PM life has not just got more difficult for expats with respect to minimum income / bank balance requiremnts but also changes to the FBA (Foreign Business Act) have made foreign investment in Thailand a far riskier business and has had a negative affect on Thailands intergration within the ever expanding Global Markets.

 

So when someone who only spends a few weeks a year in Thailand and has very little interaction within the business or expat community makes a post stating that "My GF father got 30 Baht Health Care Treatment" or "My GF sister got a loan" without knowing the true facts and implications of how these schemes were NOT financed, but blindly following unilateral comments, of course I get frustrated and show a little aggression.

 

You may dislike how I put my points across but can you disagree with the content of my statements?

 

I hope the 10 minutes I wasted typimg this post lets you understand where I am coming from a little better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest lazyphil]

i just spoke to my, er, 'wife' on the phone and she is very pro yellow, hates taksin, not issan girl, but poor bkk (not a issan migrant), dirt poor immediate family (the ones in pathum seem quite well to do), i spent months living in her slum in bkk (not for any ego experience going native nonsense but because i loved her!.....perhaps still do!)......so its not black and white, socially, economiclly should she be pro red, the colour fighting for the little man?.....

 

i actually didn't make a stand who i thought was 'good' or 'bad' (i openly admit its a mystrey to me whats going on but thanks for trying to explain!), i just found your tone aggressive, and fair enough, where you're from you straight talk, my relatives live in haslingden, lancs and sheffield so i know all about northern bluntness (but they have humor which you dont display much!)

as for flash he was a serving combat soldier--i guess he expelled all his aggression years ago!!

[Flashermac]

<< Ever since Feb 9th 2001 when [ex-] Police Lieutenant Colonel Thaksin Shinawatra (Sic!) was elected PM life has not just got more difficult for expats with respect to minimum income / bank balance requiremnts but also changes to the FBA (Foreign Business Act) have made foreign investment in Thailand a far riskier business and has had a negative affect on Thailands intergration within the ever expanding Global Markets. >>

 

 

 

 

I've been asked by people why I don't like Thaksin. You just summed it up. The man has screwed expats right and left. Visa fees went up 400%, the amounts required in the bank for marriage or retirement visas doubled, there's this crap about farangs "needing 65,000 a month" to live in Thailand etc etc. Meanwhile, government university lecturer pay has not gone up since 1992! How many folks on this board make the same salary they did 17 years ago? When Thaksin came up with his 65,000 minumum crap, one of my colleagues remarked, "Now they'll HAVE to raise our salaries." Yeah, right - in a pig's arse. Instead the govmt decided that teachers and journalists were exempt from the requirement (unless they want to retire here, that is). When the retirement visa was announced, one could use bonds, property etc to qualify. With Mr T it beame only cash in a savings account. Talksome obviously does not like expats (or poor people either) unless they can do something for him.

 

 

p.s. Phil, in Vietnam we were all armed to the teeth 24 hours a day. We had to learn to be nice to each other.