“The basic role of the Thai government and the armed forces, as in any country, is to maintain public order so everyone can work, travel and live in his own home in security. ”
sounds OK except that its not “armed forces”, its police forces
the term armed forces normally applies to the military and they, in any reasonable society are more or less strictly limited to action against external enemies not internel
its the police job to manage (not suppress) internal crime and crowd issues
also, normally military and police are not permitted to be involved in business and politics, for conflict of interest reasons and to preserve their status as servants of the public, without fear and favour
seems Thailand has been taken over by a military that, by using protection of the monarchy as cover, is completely out of anyones control. they are in control and treat everyone else as puppets and prai.
Thanks for reciting the PAD’s version of “democracy” for us champ. Anyways, good that you mentioned the other Asian democracies. The ones that come to mind are Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Phillipines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore (since when were China and Vietnam democracies?). Can’t recall any of the governments in those countries needing the military and various sky deities to legitimize their right to govern. All of them were perfectly capable of winning free and fair elections.
Even in weaker democracies like Malaysia or Singapore, most of the monkey business of the ruling party is conducted within the legal sphere.
Portman re.#5 – why don’t Thais simply deport foreigners convicted of LM ?
That’s what most countries do which have these sorts of laws ?
A lot less embarrassing and costly to the landlord.
Well, what a day reconnoitering the protest site. Early in the afternoon Ratchadamri, the main thoroughfare of the protest, was barren. I immediately thought that it was the end. I discovered later that most of the protesters were concentrated on Ratchadamri between Ratchaprasong and Silom. I did see several kids and many women. Some women were holding bamboo spears right next to the Red Guards at the barricades.
This afternoon I saw two barricades set up next to Pratunam on Ratchaprapop with red shirts pouring gasoline into containers for molotov cocktails. The military had established itself at Sri Ayyuttaya and Ratchaprapop. A grenade went off near the soldiers and then I decided to get away and check out the other side near Soi Rangnam/Ratchaprapop. Soldiers had control of this intersection and were firing at protesters further up Ratchaprapop near the Siam City Hotel. It was quite dangerous there for a while at Ratchaprapop/Din Daeng/Ratchwatii roads hearing bullets hit metal near me. I got out of there too as I watched the red shirts push an army vehicle that they had taken control of beating it for all to see. Later I returned to learn the soldiers had backed off to Sri Ayuddaya/Ratchaprapop.
I then went to check out the main protest site and what a surreal experience it was riding my bike down Phayatai and then Petchburi almost along in such eerie silence. As I approached the barricades at Pratunam and Ratachaprapop it was just silent and I saw no people. No soldiers. It was really weird. I learned that the red shirts had backed away into their encampment relinquishing their perimeters in the area. I walked into the main protest site fully expecting to be just a mere remnant of the dynamism I had seen there for almost two months. I was wrong. It was filled with people.
I then rode my bike down to Rama IV and again it was just eerie being on those roads that were so empty. I tried using my cell but the network was down. I saw, as I have for months, a scattering of soldiers, but that’s all. I got one block away from Saladaeng but sensed that it was just too dangerous listening to that deathly calm; I turned back home.
My sense is that there is not going to be any crackdown tonight because there are simply too many protesters at Ratchaprasong. If the military is going to starve these protesters they will have to shut down many streets for a long time causing horrific transportation issues. Again, who knows what’s going to happen?
The few conversations I had with these red shirts were different than the ones I have had with these protesters at this rally before. Today I actually got a sense that these last reds holding out were the stereotypical red shirts I’ve heard of before from pro government people: a bunch of illiterate people who don’t know what they are fighting for. This feeling was unsettling for me because I have been so supportive of their cause.
I now feel that the reds are leaderless and have ceded the initiative in addressing the much larger issue of what kind of constitutional democracy Thailand needs. This past week has been such a heartbreak for me. God I would have loved to have heard a Jefferson, or a Thomas Paine, or a Churchill on the stage two weeks ago. Instead it comes to this.
Does the army have the stomach to shoot 300 people to stop this rally?
You might be correct in your analysis that the “eyewitness account” is not accurate.
However I still think it was worth noting the account and whether or not it was authored by an actual “eyewitness” or not, the question of who shot Seh Daeng and why was he shot while standing two feet from a New York Times journalist interviewing him rather than in a less “public” media centric setting is a question that seems to me will never be answered definitively but a probable answer is that it was the work of a highly trained and skilled Thai Army sniper using first class sniper equipment.
Re :
“Now tanks and commandos have surrounded pro-democracy protesters (again); lets see. I doubt that Abhisit never had any intention of submiting to the thai electorate any time soon; he was playing for time”.
The explosions most likely are either grenades / mortar fire – so far I’ve seen no reports of the louder, sonic boom tanks make. Presumably these would only be fired against other military using tanks in support of the Red Shirts, or in against extremely well situated Red Shirt positions where hostile fire is coming from, and which could not be eliminate in any other way. May happen in the provinces, but virtually all Cavalry – i.e. tank – units are Prem loyalists from the three huge military bases of Korat, Lop Buri/ Suraburi (need to check which) and Kanchaburi.
In this respect, it is still something of a replay of the Songkran riots.
The basic role of the Thai government and the armed forces, as in any country, is to maintain public order so everyone can work, travel and live in his own home in security. Whilst Thai democracy is far from perfect, the authorities must now execute a clear and decisive plan to fulfil that purpose. What Asian democracy is perfect? You tell me. Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China? Don’t pull my leg. Thaksin is paying for this campaign of disorder and violence, no one else is. And he wants his martyrs. His goal is to be the first President of Thailand. Make no mistake of that. I would far rather live in a ‘managed democracy’ in Thailand than in a land of Thaksinistas. Have you forgotten what Thaksin did? 2,500 dead without trial in the drug wars. Sacking workers in his own TV channel and refusing to pay compensation. Extorting the issue of a NTC regulation increasing foreign ownership in telcos from 25% to 49% the business day before he sole the Shin Group to Temasek. Prevailing on the head of the Revenue Department to issue him with a declaration of no tax liability on the Shin share sale. Suing a NGO protestor for millions of Baht for criminal defamation (thank God the Thai courts shot that one down). Planning to use Thai public money to buy a UK football club. Procuring a Thai Exim Bank guarantee so that Myanmar could but Shincorp products. Procuring that his goodfornothing son’s company got the sole contract for all the advertising space at the Underground line stations. I could go on. Thaksin is no different from Mussolini, Hitler or Peron, a wicked, vicious, egotistic, unprincipled, immoral, powerhungry dictator who will not shirk from doing anything to achieve his ends. Thailand is well rid of him. And foreign governments who give him a passport should be denounced for the paid whores that they are. We will have our election in Thailand whether it is next year or this. And rather than the US Government talking to the Redshirts and telling the Thai government what to do, it would be preferable if they talked to the prostitute countries that issued a passport to Thaksin to revoke it, and not refund his “application fee”
1). Army Chief, and those Queen’s guards who lost life, injured on 10th April. They have motive to think that Sae-Dang was behind the attack. However, I don’t think these people would do much as Anupong doesn’t hate Sae-Dang that much.
2). Sae-Dang used to threaten Col. Sansern, the army spokeman and Sansearn used to say he also got power to fight back. Also, Col. Apirat, the commander of Inf. 11, who had word splash with Sae-Dang, some said today raid is his responsibility as some source said at around 4 p.m. today, he commanded the raid at Chaopraya Massage, nearby.
According to mil. expert, the weapon used to shoot Sae-Dang was a riffle (can’t remember the name) using .308 bullet, light version. There are two fragments inside Sae-Dang head (removed already), and one stuck on his life-vest.
He was being interviewed by IHT journalist and the light spot him making him visible.
It is time for people revolution. All citizens must stand up and use their hands and feet to defend their rights. It’s time for everyone to take the matter into their own hands and unite into one. Whoever treat their own citizens as enemy, that kind of people cannot rule. They must be kicked out or stay in jail. It’s time for a payback.
Just speculation here, but my thoughts are that the current thai leadership is too hamstringed or incompetent to pull off what seems like an effcient assassination on SD. Me thinks that it must have been US involvement or Red Shooting Red.
From looking at the current state of evaluations, it is indeed quite obvious that quality is not the issue, but agreement with the positions is. Perhaps change the category from “Quality comment or not?” to “Agree or not?”. Anyway, I think that the issue of pressure for conformity is a serious one. In the previous format, people with disagreements were forced to compose a comment. Now they can just click (and ask a few friends also to click). That’s too easy, I think.
The shooting by at least one policeman from Lumphini Police Station, back at troops carrying out the crackdown has been confirmed by Reuters : http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE64D0BJ20100514
One has to go back a long way in Thai history to find something comparable.
In the mid-1950’s (date from memory) police and soldiers fought it out in central Bangkok.
During May’92 there was talk this might happen, but it did n’t.
I’m pretty certain also that it did not happen in ’73.
As the army is sealing the area around the protest sites with razor wires and small groups of soldiers across the streets, small but growing groups of motorcyclists are gathering around the army blocks. I drove around and saw similar situations in Rama IV road, Silom, and Sathorn. I stopped in Sathorn, at the entrance of Suan Phlu. The atmosphere is surreal. The normal traffic has transformed into an empty space filled with air of imminent violence, ready to crack open. The motorcyclists i talked to, most of them motortaxi drivers say that “the population is not accepting the actions of the army and government”. Rumors run into the crowd of people being killed and their body being hidden by the army. In front of the Australian Embassy, right in front of the U-turn military in full gear stand in the heat facing the small crowd of motorcycles, most of them motorcycle taxis wearing their vest, that is growing at the entrance of Suan Phlu, horning and shouting to the soldiers from afar. The military side is even more tense that the other one, prohibiting people from taking pictures and shooting videos. They move frantically and keep changing the position of the razor wire while the other soldiers hide, with their weapons pointed at whatever moves close to them. Behind them fighting are going on at the Rama IV intersection, the center of confrontation now, as noise of loud explosions come from the direction of Silom, grenade deflagrating and echoing in the empty streets. The side of the motorcycle grows moment after moment as the action of the military push more people into the streets. This is the perfect recipe for a really nasty ending. Everybody there stands on their motorcycle in the middle of the street watching carefully every movement of the soldiers, ready to react or just cover somewhere. Soi 1 of Sathorn is completely close to the traffic and one motortaxi says the army is shooting rubber bullets at motorcycles between Ngan-Dumplhi and Rama IV. An older motortaxi, sitting inside Suan Plu on his bike, half looking at the situation and half picking up clients who go in the direction of Narathiwat tells me tonight they are going to set on fire buildings all over the city. This is a nightmare for the army now surrounded by the this small but growing crowd of young man mostly that are forming all around this area and growing steadily. In the meanwhile news arrives that another groups of red shirts are gathering in Kloeng Thoei, ready to pull an attack to the army. The situation now looks like concentrical circles of alternating red shirts and army, decreasing in density as you go out, at least for now.
Perhaps any jazz enthusiast’s day could be improved only if, after the exquisite pleasure of listening to the Great Man’s clarinet virtuosity, the enthusiast steps outside to feel His cooling rain fall upon a fevered brow. Then His palm oil diesel powers a late-model Benz while yon enthusiast heads to an exhibition of oil-on-canvas masterworks likewise bestowed upon a grateful people. When at night there comes peaceful, restful sleep, the Great Man is there too, somehow having made it happen. Just a matter of knocking up the ad copy.
Sathorn South road was blocked off all the way from Narathiwas to Rama IV around 2pm. All traffic was diverted down Narathiwas.
Don’t know if the block is still in effect but Sathorn is pretty empty for this time of the day.
At Sala Daeng intersection, fighting, shooting still going on. Medics team helps injured protesters. It appears the protesters has taken control at Sala Daeng again.
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Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Erewhon #24
“The basic role of the Thai government and the armed forces, as in any country, is to maintain public order so everyone can work, travel and live in his own home in security. ”
sounds OK except that its not “armed forces”, its police forces
the term armed forces normally applies to the military and they, in any reasonable society are more or less strictly limited to action against external enemies not internel
its the police job to manage (not suppress) internal crime and crowd issues
also, normally military and police are not permitted to be involved in business and politics, for conflict of interest reasons and to preserve their status as servants of the public, without fear and favour
seems Thailand has been taken over by a military that, by using protection of the monarchy as cover, is completely out of anyones control. they are in control and treat everyone else as puppets and prai.
pity, the basic Thai people are beautiful
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
@ Erewhon
Thanks for reciting the PAD’s version of “democracy” for us champ. Anyways, good that you mentioned the other Asian democracies. The ones that come to mind are Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Phillipines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore (since when were China and Vietnam democracies?). Can’t recall any of the governments in those countries needing the military and various sky deities to legitimize their right to govern. All of them were perfectly capable of winning free and fair elections.
Even in weaker democracies like Malaysia or Singapore, most of the monkey business of the ruling party is conducted within the legal sphere.
“Specifically for foreigners affected by losses or harms”
Portman re.#5 – why don’t Thais simply deport foreigners convicted of LM ?
That’s what most countries do which have these sorts of laws ?
A lot less embarrassing and costly to the landlord.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Well, what a day reconnoitering the protest site. Early in the afternoon Ratchadamri, the main thoroughfare of the protest, was barren. I immediately thought that it was the end. I discovered later that most of the protesters were concentrated on Ratchadamri between Ratchaprasong and Silom. I did see several kids and many women. Some women were holding bamboo spears right next to the Red Guards at the barricades.
This afternoon I saw two barricades set up next to Pratunam on Ratchaprapop with red shirts pouring gasoline into containers for molotov cocktails. The military had established itself at Sri Ayyuttaya and Ratchaprapop. A grenade went off near the soldiers and then I decided to get away and check out the other side near Soi Rangnam/Ratchaprapop. Soldiers had control of this intersection and were firing at protesters further up Ratchaprapop near the Siam City Hotel. It was quite dangerous there for a while at Ratchaprapop/Din Daeng/Ratchwatii roads hearing bullets hit metal near me. I got out of there too as I watched the red shirts push an army vehicle that they had taken control of beating it for all to see. Later I returned to learn the soldiers had backed off to Sri Ayuddaya/Ratchaprapop.
I then went to check out the main protest site and what a surreal experience it was riding my bike down Phayatai and then Petchburi almost along in such eerie silence. As I approached the barricades at Pratunam and Ratachaprapop it was just silent and I saw no people. No soldiers. It was really weird. I learned that the red shirts had backed away into their encampment relinquishing their perimeters in the area. I walked into the main protest site fully expecting to be just a mere remnant of the dynamism I had seen there for almost two months. I was wrong. It was filled with people.
I then rode my bike down to Rama IV and again it was just eerie being on those roads that were so empty. I tried using my cell but the network was down. I saw, as I have for months, a scattering of soldiers, but that’s all. I got one block away from Saladaeng but sensed that it was just too dangerous listening to that deathly calm; I turned back home.
My sense is that there is not going to be any crackdown tonight because there are simply too many protesters at Ratchaprasong. If the military is going to starve these protesters they will have to shut down many streets for a long time causing horrific transportation issues. Again, who knows what’s going to happen?
The few conversations I had with these red shirts were different than the ones I have had with these protesters at this rally before. Today I actually got a sense that these last reds holding out were the stereotypical red shirts I’ve heard of before from pro government people: a bunch of illiterate people who don’t know what they are fighting for. This feeling was unsettling for me because I have been so supportive of their cause.
I now feel that the reds are leaderless and have ceded the initiative in addressing the much larger issue of what kind of constitutional democracy Thailand needs. This past week has been such a heartbreak for me. God I would have loved to have heard a Jefferson, or a Thomas Paine, or a Churchill on the stage two weeks ago. Instead it comes to this.
Does the army have the stomach to shoot 300 people to stop this rally?
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
http://twitter.com/TAN_Network: Sondhi Limthongkul steps down as New Politics Party leader, says party no longer need to rely on him.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Re: Portman and Who Shot Seh Daeng
You might be correct in your analysis that the “eyewitness account” is not accurate.
However I still think it was worth noting the account and whether or not it was authored by an actual “eyewitness” or not, the question of who shot Seh Daeng and why was he shot while standing two feet from a New York Times journalist interviewing him rather than in a less “public” media centric setting is a question that seems to me will never be answered definitively but a probable answer is that it was the work of a highly trained and skilled Thai Army sniper using first class sniper equipment.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Jim Taylor #5 :
Re :
“Now tanks and commandos have surrounded pro-democracy protesters (again); lets see. I doubt that Abhisit never had any intention of submiting to the thai electorate any time soon; he was playing for time”.
The explosions most likely are either grenades / mortar fire – so far I’ve seen no reports of the louder, sonic boom tanks make. Presumably these would only be fired against other military using tanks in support of the Red Shirts, or in against extremely well situated Red Shirt positions where hostile fire is coming from, and which could not be eliminate in any other way. May happen in the provinces, but virtually all Cavalry – i.e. tank – units are Prem loyalists from the three huge military bases of Korat, Lop Buri/ Suraburi (need to check which) and Kanchaburi.
In this respect, it is still something of a replay of the Songkran riots.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
The basic role of the Thai government and the armed forces, as in any country, is to maintain public order so everyone can work, travel and live in his own home in security. Whilst Thai democracy is far from perfect, the authorities must now execute a clear and decisive plan to fulfil that purpose. What Asian democracy is perfect? You tell me. Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China? Don’t pull my leg. Thaksin is paying for this campaign of disorder and violence, no one else is. And he wants his martyrs. His goal is to be the first President of Thailand. Make no mistake of that. I would far rather live in a ‘managed democracy’ in Thailand than in a land of Thaksinistas. Have you forgotten what Thaksin did? 2,500 dead without trial in the drug wars. Sacking workers in his own TV channel and refusing to pay compensation. Extorting the issue of a NTC regulation increasing foreign ownership in telcos from 25% to 49% the business day before he sole the Shin Group to Temasek. Prevailing on the head of the Revenue Department to issue him with a declaration of no tax liability on the Shin share sale. Suing a NGO protestor for millions of Baht for criminal defamation (thank God the Thai courts shot that one down). Planning to use Thai public money to buy a UK football club. Procuring a Thai Exim Bank guarantee so that Myanmar could but Shincorp products. Procuring that his goodfornothing son’s company got the sole contract for all the advertising space at the Underground line stations. I could go on. Thaksin is no different from Mussolini, Hitler or Peron, a wicked, vicious, egotistic, unprincipled, immoral, powerhungry dictator who will not shirk from doing anything to achieve his ends. Thailand is well rid of him. And foreign governments who give him a passport should be denounced for the paid whores that they are. We will have our election in Thailand whether it is next year or this. And rather than the US Government talking to the Redshirts and telling the Thai government what to do, it would be preferable if they talked to the prostitute countries that issued a passport to Thaksin to revoke it, and not refund his “application fee”
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Who shot Sae-Dang?
well, to me, there are two possible groups:
1). Army Chief, and those Queen’s guards who lost life, injured on 10th April. They have motive to think that Sae-Dang was behind the attack. However, I don’t think these people would do much as Anupong doesn’t hate Sae-Dang that much.
2). Sae-Dang used to threaten Col. Sansern, the army spokeman and Sansearn used to say he also got power to fight back. Also, Col. Apirat, the commander of Inf. 11, who had word splash with Sae-Dang, some said today raid is his responsibility as some source said at around 4 p.m. today, he commanded the raid at Chaopraya Massage, nearby.
According to mil. expert, the weapon used to shoot Sae-Dang was a riffle (can’t remember the name) using .308 bullet, light version. There are two fragments inside Sae-Dang head (removed already), and one stuck on his life-vest.
He was being interviewed by IHT journalist and the light spot him making him visible.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
It is time for people revolution. All citizens must stand up and use their hands and feet to defend their rights. It’s time for everyone to take the matter into their own hands and unite into one. Whoever treat their own citizens as enemy, that kind of people cannot rule. They must be kicked out or stay in jail. It’s time for a payback.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Just speculation here, but my thoughts are that the current thai leadership is too hamstringed or incompetent to pull off what seems like an effcient assassination on SD. Me thinks that it must have been US involvement or Red Shooting Red.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
chris beale #19
or dumb opportunity
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Re. Who Shot Seh Daeng ? postscript :
Other questions are :
1) Why was he shot in front of reporters ?
2) For maximum publicity / intimidation impact ?
Rating comments
From looking at the current state of evaluations, it is indeed quite obvious that quality is not the issue, but agreement with the positions is. Perhaps change the category from “Quality comment or not?” to “Agree or not?”. Anyway, I think that the issue of pressure for conformity is a serious one. In the previous format, people with disagreements were forced to compose a comment. Now they can just click (and ask a few friends also to click). That’s too easy, I think.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
The shooting by at least one policeman from Lumphini Police Station, back at troops carrying out the crackdown has been confirmed by Reuters :
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE64D0BJ20100514
One has to go back a long way in Thai history to find something comparable.
In the mid-1950’s (date from memory) police and soldiers fought it out in central Bangkok.
During May’92 there was talk this might happen, but it did n’t.
I’m pretty certain also that it did not happen in ’73.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
As the army is sealing the area around the protest sites with razor wires and small groups of soldiers across the streets, small but growing groups of motorcyclists are gathering around the army blocks. I drove around and saw similar situations in Rama IV road, Silom, and Sathorn. I stopped in Sathorn, at the entrance of Suan Phlu. The atmosphere is surreal. The normal traffic has transformed into an empty space filled with air of imminent violence, ready to crack open. The motorcyclists i talked to, most of them motortaxi drivers say that “the population is not accepting the actions of the army and government”. Rumors run into the crowd of people being killed and their body being hidden by the army. In front of the Australian Embassy, right in front of the U-turn military in full gear stand in the heat facing the small crowd of motorcycles, most of them motorcycle taxis wearing their vest, that is growing at the entrance of Suan Phlu, horning and shouting to the soldiers from afar. The military side is even more tense that the other one, prohibiting people from taking pictures and shooting videos. They move frantically and keep changing the position of the razor wire while the other soldiers hide, with their weapons pointed at whatever moves close to them. Behind them fighting are going on at the Rama IV intersection, the center of confrontation now, as noise of loud explosions come from the direction of Silom, grenade deflagrating and echoing in the empty streets. The side of the motorcycle grows moment after moment as the action of the military push more people into the streets. This is the perfect recipe for a really nasty ending. Everybody there stands on their motorcycle in the middle of the street watching carefully every movement of the soldiers, ready to react or just cover somewhere. Soi 1 of Sathorn is completely close to the traffic and one motortaxi says the army is shooting rubber bullets at motorcycles between Ngan-Dumplhi and Rama IV. An older motortaxi, sitting inside Suan Plu on his bike, half looking at the situation and half picking up clients who go in the direction of Narathiwat tells me tonight they are going to set on fire buildings all over the city. This is a nightmare for the army now surrounded by the this small but growing crowd of young man mostly that are forming all around this area and growing steadily. In the meanwhile news arrives that another groups of red shirts are gathering in Kloeng Thoei, ready to pull an attack to the army. The situation now looks like concentrical circles of alternating red shirts and army, decreasing in density as you go out, at least for now.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
At around 6:30 p.m., tear gas was thrown to the Redshirt stage while Jatuphon speaking. Situation cooled off now.
“Sufficiency democracy” – my contribution to political science vocabulary?
Perhaps any jazz enthusiast’s day could be improved only if, after the exquisite pleasure of listening to the Great Man’s clarinet virtuosity, the enthusiast steps outside to feel His cooling rain fall upon a fevered brow. Then His palm oil diesel powers a late-model Benz while yon enthusiast heads to an exhibition of oil-on-canvas masterworks likewise bestowed upon a grateful people. When at night there comes peaceful, restful sleep, the Great Man is there too, somehow having made it happen. Just a matter of knocking up the ad copy.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Sathorn South road was blocked off all the way from Narathiwas to Rama IV around 2pm. All traffic was diverted down Narathiwas.
Don’t know if the block is still in effect but Sathorn is pretty empty for this time of the day.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
At 5:44 p.m. local time,
At Sala Daeng intersection, fighting, shooting still going on. Medics team helps injured protesters. It appears the protesters has taken control at Sala Daeng again.
See photo
http://www.pantip.com/cafe/rajdumnern/topic/P9251573/P9251573.html