Ongoing chaos in Thailand

sugar

เฟริสค่ะ
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thousands of tourists stranded in Thailand by political protests that have cut off the capital's airports battled frustration and boredom on Saturday as they scrambled to find a way out of the country.

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport has been closed since late Tuesday and the mostly domestic Don Muang airport since Thursday by protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who want the government to quit.

The airport closures have paralyzed air traffic to the capital, left thousands of foreigners stranded and crippled the tourism industry during the peak end-of-year season.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A grenade blast wounded more than 50 anti-government protesters in Bangkok on Sunday, fuelling fears of clashes ahead of a big rally in the Thai capital planned by government supporters.

The blast occurred around midnight at Government House, the prime minister's office occupied by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) since August in a bid to topple the government.

PAD supporters are also dug in at the capital's two main airports, stranding thousands of tourists, grounding exports and threatening to further slash economic growth.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has declared a state of emergency at the airports and given police the authority to remove the protesters. But PAD supporters attacked police on Saturday night, forcing them further away from the main Suvarnabhumi international airport.

A Reuters reporter said no police were visible around the airport on Sunday.

The sit-ins at Suvarnabhumi and the city's domestic hub Don Muang are the latest escalation in the PAD's "final battle" to unseat a prime minister it accuses of being a front for former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin, who is Somchai's brother-in-law, was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives in exile.

He still has strong support among the urban and rural poor, and the pro-Thaksin Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) says it will bring 100,000 supporters to central Bangkok on Sunday afternoon in a show of support for the government.

Veera Musikapong, a DAAD leader, told the Nation newspaper one focus of the rally would be the alleged bias of the courts.

The Constitutional Court has moved with uncharacteristic speed to conclude a vote fraud case on Tuesday that is widely expected to lead to the disbanding of Somchai's People Power Party (PPP) and two other partners in the ruling coalition.

"It is obvious that there is interference with justice. It was well planned, and this is a concealed coup," Veera said.

If the court dissolves the three parties, Somchai and other top leaders would be barred from politics and many cabinet ministers would have to step down.


^this is them INSIDE the airport, all landing & departure flights are canceled, passengers/tourists are literally stranded - it's been 3 days now


It's like the entire country is being controlled by the PAD. Thai laws are such jokes. These people first occupied the government compounds and now they have taken over the airports. It was a mistake to have let them continue their charades for so long, they think they can do whatever they want, when they want. When their members get injured it's 'the government attacking "innocent" civilians' but when they do it, it's a matter of self defense? Bunch of hypocrites, I have no sympathy for these kinds of people. Many of their supporters were either paid to join or have been brainwashed by Sondhi himself. The government is too lenient on them, I say go in with tear gases, do whatever they can to get them out of there asap. It's not like their people aren't armed, they've attacked & stood up to government officials before. And with the current economy in the slumps, blocking the entire airport will sure help.

I just had to vent about this since it's frustrating to see it unfold. I hear about it all the time when I'm at home...it's the only thing my parents watch nowadays. -_-
 

ohitsnoyyy

Mama Noy ♥️
ahh I remember seeing this on wednesday. It's so crazy. I've only seen it on the news about 2-3 times. Wasn't exactly sure what was going on specially since the news has been more focused on the attack on Mumbai so I haven't been able to focus on this news.
 

CTR

The Realist guy here period
Sugar, the stupid protesters (PAD) is turning the motherland into a joke. I am so frustrated as you are. Yes, the government is for the people and by the people. However, when you have people running a muck and there is no law and order then it becomes a big problem. They topple two Prime Ministers already and now they want to topple another one. Those idiots just want things their way and if they don't get what they want, they resort to this kind of stuff. Which is totally destroying Thailand economic system, investment, tourism, etc. No one people should have more right then other people.

What about the people who like the government? Don't they have a voice too. You don't see people protesting in Chang Mai or in the Isaan region because they feel that the government is doing the right thing to help them out. Most of the PAD are HI-SO, well-educated, business people, and so on. They get kind of scared because the regular people are speaking with their votes.

What kind of a country let protesters get into government building and airports? If this is the US, it would not even lasted that long. I hope they crack down on this stuff. I am so embarrassed of the motherland because of this. It makes Thailand look like a bunch of lawless people and savages.

Sugar, the Prime Minister just announced a state of emergency in the two Bangkok airports but his hand is really tied because the head of the army commander is a lean toward the PAD. That is a bunch of bull. Basically, he won't allow his men to do anything and let this saga continue. :angry: :angry: :angry: I just heard that the Supreme Court will disband the political party of the Prime Minister. This is becoming a joke.


Not only does the economic slowdown of the world hurting Thailand but the stupid PAD is hurting the country. Driving away investment and Tourism. :angry: :angry: :angry: I'm not on the side of the government nor the PAD. All I want is peaceful negotiation and the return of normalcy. Because a lot of innocent people are hurting because of this. People who depend on tourism and investment. Damn them, I can go on and on. :angry:

I read the news daily on CNN because I don't watch TV that much any more.
 

hithxbye

sarNie Juvenile
YEAHHHH I KNOWWWWWWWWW
TELL ME BOUT IT!!!


I WAS SUPPOSE TO LEAVE TO THAILAND TODAY BUT OBVIOUSLY I CANT GET THERE BC OF THE AIRPORT SHUTDOWN!!! UGHHHH...GOT ME SO PISSED OFF!! MY CONDO THERE BEEN EMPTY FOR A WHOLE MONTH WHATA WASTE!!!
 

sugar

เฟริสค่ะ
I agree with you CTR. It was a mistake from the moment they began invading government buildings, and how on earth they managed to stay there for so long just baffles me. I don't understand how they can let such a problem continue and escalate into something as vast as this. This is just ridiculous. They cry out about everything Thaksin when they themselves are no better than him.
 

Thookatha

sarNie Elites
my aunt and uncle is stuck over there. they were suppose to be back on Tuesday. it is now sunday. i'm VERY concerned.
 

sugar

เฟริสค่ะ
He was voted in by the majority but they, the PAD didn't vote for him since they despise everything Thaksin related - and he's Thaksin's brother in law, on top of that his party, DAAD, contains many former Thai Rak Thai members (Thaksin's now defunct political platform).
 

darvil

sarNie Adult
This PAD thing is a very sad thing.

When I was in BKK, I almost had a chance to go to a large protest. My friend was going to go. I started realizing now that he is one of the PAD.

Anyway we went out drinking instead but it could have been an interesting experience.

Either way I am totally against what the PAD is doing. Its a democracy for God sake. You just can't just force changes like that just because you don't like it. What if say a bunch of disgruntled Mccain followers protests and then take over an International airport like LAX? Peaceful demostration is one thing but trying to disrupt one of the main artery of a country's economic heart is just irresponsible.
Would we tolerate something like that? Would we remove Obama from office? What if the situation was reversed? What if people claim that Mccain is just another Bush and try to remove him from office?

And what would be the point of redoing everything again? Another election is out of the question since its obvious that the PAD will lose again. Would they keep repeatedly doing this until they get their people in power? But how likely is this if the country side keep voting the other way? In a democracy you have to try to change someone's opinion and change their vote if things don't go the way you want it to. You then can change things on the NEXT election.
 

trina_ben

sarNie Adult
woah! i didn't know the situation there was this serious! thanks for your info guys! hope this will be resolved soon!
 

sugar

เฟริสค่ะ
Well, PAD has done it again. They've managed to oust yet another PM. -_-


Thai Court Disbands Ruling Party

By Nopporn Wong-Anan

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was banned from politics for five years and his party disbanded on Tuesday, spurring exultant anti-government protesters to end their blockades of Bangkok's airports.

Government party members will switch to a new "shell" party

already set up and they said they would vote for a new prime minister on December 8, setting the stage for another flashpoint in Thailand's three-year political crisis.

Chavarat Charnvirakul, a construction mogul and first deputy prime minister, was named interim leader, an official said.

Anti-government protesters cheered Somchai's fall after only 2- months in power and their leader said they would halt all rallies, including blockades of Bangkok's airports.

People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Sondhi Limthongkul said they would start pulling out of Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports at 10 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday.

"We've finished our duty," said Sondhi, who had accused Somchai of being a pawn of his brother-in-law, Thaksin.

"If a puppet government returns or a new government shows its insincerity in pushing for political reform, we will return."

The airports operator said it would decide on Wednesday when passenger flights in and out of the capital could resume.

While the chaos may soon be over for thousands of stranded travelers in Thailand, the country's wider conflict between forces loyal to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok's royalist elites looked set to drag on.

"The divisions are so deep, it's difficult to see how it could be over," said political analyst Giles Ungpakhorn of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

The Constitutional Court also disbanded two other parties in Somchai's six-party coalition for vote fraud in the 2007 general election and barred their leaders from politics for five years.

The rulings raised the risk of clashes between red-shirted government supporters, who forced the judges to find a new venue after surrounding the court, and yellow-shirted PAD protesters, who had invaded the airports in a "final battle" to oust Somchai.

Hours before the court decisions, one person was killed and 22 wounded after a grenade was fired at protesters at Don Muang.

Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has intervened in previous political crises during his six decades on the throne, made no mention of the country's troubles during a short speech at a Trooping the Color military parade in Bangkok.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...E4AO4TX20081202
 

sugar

เฟริสค่ะ
It won't go back to normal for another week or so, but even then, what's done is done. They lost so much during that one week of airport shutdown, not just economically but Thailand's reputation has been tarnished. Tourism will be slashed in half next year, the one area where Thailand gets the majority of its monetary gain. And, these PAD bastards aren't gone for good, they'll be back as long as they disagree with who ever is the next elected PM. So much for democracy. :rolleyes:
 

fun

Expired Sarnie
It won't go back to normal for another week or so, but even then, what's done is done. They lost so much during that one week of airport shutdown, not just economically but Thailand's reputation has been tarnished. Tourism will be slashed in half next year, the one area where Thailand gets the majority of its monetary gain. And, these PAD bastards aren't gone for good, they'll be back as long as they disagree with who ever is the next elected PM. So much for democracy. :rolleyes:
I wonder why they even use the term democracy when it really isn't. =(
 

noungning

Heartless
lol... they will not be normal for a very LONG time, well in fact, they were never normal.

i think i've argued too much to make my point across to darvil's teeny brain, so i'm done here.

but i am just going to answer, the PAD didn't elect the current, well now former, PM. Somchai, Taksin's bro-in-law was nominated in as PM from PPP after Samak was oust from being found guilty for hosting a cooking show [LMFAO, yes, it's Thailand]. He's not supposed to be taking private business work while in office, but he did and broke the "contract"/rights or whatever u wanna call it, so the court ruled him not qualified as PM... but ppl wanted him out anyways because they believe he still holds ties with Taksin and being led by him to doing many things he did while in office. Then Somchai came into the picture and walah... people didn't want him in, people in general that doesn't like Taksin, that is... and they weren't willing to even give the guy a chance since the ties with the family. and hell broke loose... demonstrations daily... random killings, shootings, crimes and bombings happening... and yeah... my friends in bkk were there witnessing, literally, gut bursting events... it must've been traumatic. just learning of it from them, i'm just shocked... but i guess shit happens.

in conclusion, i thought thailand was very patient to let all this happen for how long it has happened which in turns makes the country look very weak... so yeah it'd take yearssssssss if possible to ever recuperate... and as for finding an uncorrupted PM, um wishful thinking? but it won't happen, everyone is corrupt...again, not enough selfish ppl in this world eh? they just prey on those they can.
 

sugar

เฟริสค่ะ
I was referring to airport operations going back to normal, not the country as a whole. The latter is far from being stable.
 

CTR

The Realist guy here period
Ning, my relatives just called and they said that the job market or finding any job is so tough. I mean close to nothing. Not only have the global economic hardship fallen on Thailand but this disgraceful acts by the PAD have added more to the miserably to the rest of the court. I'm so frustrated just like you. So only BKK should have a voice? What about Chang Mai? What about the Isaan area? PAD = PUBLIC ACT of DESTRUCTION or PEOPLE ALLIANCE of DESTRUCTION.

They can protest because there is people sponsoring them. In a protest, you don't see people getting trucked around town to protest. You don't see people delivering food and water to the protesters. Most of them are from the BKK area and they are HI-so, middle class, well educated,etc.

Have you contacted your relatives to see how they are doing? I know we are from the same area. Nong Khai represent. B) Well, I have relatives in Nakorn Sawan as well. Sadly, Thailand does not have a democracy no more, it is anarchy. The King should have step in and said something. To tell the truth, I think he sided with the PAD that is why he didn't say anything. People would have listened because he is respected in Thailand and aboard.

Sugar, those idiots did not look at the long term ramification of their acts. They don't look at the big picture and how it would affect the economic and perception around the world. They say they care about the country but they don't give a damn about the country at all. A group of people should not have more rights than other people. If someone won the election, they won it. It is not time to b*t*h or cry around it. It is time to work together to get the country going. In American, we might have different political parties and different views; however, we will come together to work as a country. The PAD said Western democracy doesn't work for Thailand. Well, if they really understand the dynamic of what a democracy is, they will know that it can work. Democracy is not perfect but if you can work the imperfections out and have selfish people run the country than it will work.

lol... they will not be normal for a very LONG time, well in fact, they were never normal.

i think i've argued too much to make my point across to darvil's teeny brain, so i'm done here.

but i am just going to answer, the PAD didn't elect the current, well now former, PM. Somchai, Taksin's bro-in-law was nominated in as PM from PPP after Samak was oust from being found guilty for hosting a cooking show [LMFAO, yes, it's Thailand]. He's not supposed to be taking private business work while in office, but he did and broke the "contract"/rights or whatever u wanna call it, so the court ruled him not qualified as PM... but ppl wanted him out anyways because they believe he still holds ties with Taksin and being led by him to doing many things he did while in office. Then Somchai came into the picture and walah... people didn't want him in, people in general that doesn't like Taksin, that is... and they weren't willing to even give the guy a chance since the ties with the family. and hell broke loose... demonstrations daily... random killings, shootings, crimes and bombings happening... and yeah... my friends in bkk were there witnessing, literally, gut bursting events... it must've been traumatic. just learning of it from them, i'm just shocked... but i guess shit happens.

in conclusion, i thought thailand was very patient to let all this happen for how long it has happened which in turns makes the country look very weak... so yeah it'd take yearssssssss if possible to ever recuperate... and as for finding an uncorrupted PM, um wishful thinking? but it won't happen, everyone is corrupt...again, not enough selfish ppl in this world eh? they just prey on those they can.
 
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