As I watching Spring News, it shows some flowers offering to Sae Dang at hospital, the sign reads “with concerns, from Pre-Cadet 11”. Guess his friends, like Army Region 4th commander, etc,
Shane Tarr and Portman, the Tavor TAR-21 is not a sniper rifle. It is a standard-issue assault rifle, an Israeli replacement for the M-16, that has recently been adopted in Thailand. Although it can be used for sharpshooting, that is not its intended usage.
Portman can you please tell me what is your evidence for “Black Shirts” being in possession of such rifles? If you have some photographic evidence I can run it past one of my colleagues who was trained as a sniper. Thanks a lot.
Athita, the “military group” are Saedaeng’s rapidly trained and increasingly angry NPC defence force; up til now the army and state control weapons and arsenal, but this could turn round…
Jim Taylor#46
“Thairat online noted the govt tried to poison red guards and other protestors through distribution of free drinks; Matichon online warned protestors to be careful not to drink anything offered: 30+ people treated for poisoning at hospital. ”
I can’t find this on Thai Rath. Can you provide any more details?
Guess it’s not from Reuters, but TV France. He’s dead in hospital. Spring News also reports the police at Lumpini police station shot fires to soldiers.
This to be confirmed. Apologize for quick minute-to-minute report as it might be not 100% correct.
The black shirts have some Israeli Tavor TAR 21 bullpup rifles they seized from the military. That is really the latest thing in urban warfare and the 5.56mm standard NATO ammunition is readily available.
At around 2 p.m. local time, local TV reports the shooting occurs around Lumpini Park. One protester’s shot dead, a foreign journalist ‘s shot around hip, Matichon newspaper reporter also got shot.
There’s some report from protesters saying there’s a military group helping the Red Shirt in the park, fighting with the government army.
I have just been corrected by a affinal army relative who said urban environments they apparently? prefer SR-25 sniper rifle?…anyway such detail aside, my old mate Shane makes sense; the regime is going to create new heros; the stuff of legend, but it all depends on collective memory and the actual writing of history- a task traditionally undertaken by the amaat historians…for their own purpose
Blaming the government for the shooting of Seh Daeng seems a very long shot. We are not talking about the Israelis here. We are talking about the CRES which has proved incontrovertibly it can’t fight its way out of a paper bag or make anything happen at street level. In the unlikely event they had been so daring as to order an assassination, it would no doubt have been leaked beforehand. Failing that, the shooter would have probably missed completely or shot the NY Times reporter by mistake and then been arrested by the black shirts and lynched on the Rajprasong stage. This ruthless, efficient operation is far more likely to have been carried out either by a “ronin” group, disgruntled over non-payment, or a rogue army group getting pay back for the assassination of Col Romklao.
Jim Taylor, they certainly have used shotguns and many have only been armed with a shotguns. How did they otherwise have fired teargas rounds and rubber bullets? Anyway facing shotguns at close range is not necessarily much fun. A slug fired from a shotgun can kill a deer at 50 yards and buckshot would also be lethal.
Agree with you. It is strange to learn that Sae Daeng will get same status as Jit Bhumisak. On many living room’s walls, there will be a portrait of this maverick soldier. This is something that Thaksin never expects — he gets windfall from Sae Daeng’s martyrdom. He just called Sae Daeng’s daughter and praised her father.
Latest sms service reports on clashes along Wireless Rd with soldiers using live bullets (hello, CRES colonel, we need your comments). Both PM and Suthep have not appeared on tv since this operation started at 6 pm yesterday.
Portman, they are using live amunition, the shotguns are for frontline show, and in fact they are aiming for head shots; targets are selected by snipers using high velocity telescopic weapons such as 7.62x51mm M40 (newer A range models) kindly sold by the USA; there is no ambiguity here…
Paul, the soldiers have being using only shotguns to fire rubber bullets, not rifles. Rifles need a muzzle adaptor to fire rubber bullets or baton rounds and these have not been seen on the streets. They could, of course, fit the muzzle adaptor, which is also needed to fire blanks, before engaging the red shirts and quickly remove it, if necessary to switch to live rounds, but this is a fidly business and I would guess that, if you don’t see the muzzle adaptors, they are probably issued with live ammunition at this stage. Some soldiers at Saladaeng have been seen carrying a shotgun and an M16 and would drop the shotgun, which has no sling, to defend themselves with the M16, if necessary. Others with only shotguns have different colour coded cartriges in their bandoliers, indicating possibly tear gas rounds, rubber bullets, buckshot and slugs, as they move from mild to harsh anti riot measures. Since they are all pump action shotguns, it is also a bit fidly to do a quick change of ammo type but much easier than changing an M16 from rubber bullets to live rounds.
I have to agree with barnsybkk . The reds claim they are for truth and against corruption and yet they want Thaksin back. Even his most ardent supports admit he is corrupt. It’s just that all politicians are corrupt, so it is expected. I would not like to live in Thailand with
the red shirts in control of the country.
54# Sorry, but by supporting the reds you defend Taksin and everything he did and stands for.
Firstly, there’s no need to be sorry for an opinion. This sort of mentality is indicative of a situation where having an opinion other than the status quo is scorned upon. Maybe it’s because you’ve been there for 13 years you’ve assimilated well?
Secondly, that’s a bit black and white barnsybkk. Especially black and white for someone who has lived through periods of great turmoil in Thailand. Couldn’t it be a little less clear than that?
What is the protest movement? Maybe it means something different for each protestor? I don’t know.
Some foreigners may be disappointed with the offer of free board and lodging for 15 years, if they are successful in getting convicted of lese majeste. They can normally expect a royal pardon and a flight home soon after conviction. Harry Nikolaeides is the current foreign record holder but only managed to get 5 months’ free board and lodging on remand prior his economy flight back to Oz. Thais, on the other hand, may get more than 15 years of this largesse, if they can convince the court they committed more than one act of LM. Is this another example of dual pricing to foreigners?
Hi long time listener first time caller. As someone who’s lived in the kingdom since may97 ( crash/chav/97 constitution/taksin/war on drugs/takbai/crue se/ tsunami etc etc) I’m some what shocked by the level of support offered to the reds in this academic forum. Yes there are obvious rural grievances ( i lived in Khon Kaen for most of 97/98 and saw first hand Chavalit’s money politics and extra- killings) but the Reds are owned look stock and smoking barrel by the dodgiest dude in the history of Thai politics! Yes I know that’s a big call! How can posters here not see the movement for what it is? Yes it appears we have all read the ‘never smiles’ book and i agree with it’s thesis, but hello, I also lived under taksin and remember everything he did. Sorry, but by supporting the reds you defend Taksin and everything he did and stands for.
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Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Photo and report (in Thai) from late last night crack down at Lumphini Park, contains extreme graphic at the end.
http://www.prachataiwebboard.com/webboard/id/44453
you may need Google translation to read it.
Thank you Jim,
As I watching Spring News, it shows some flowers offering to Sae Dang at hospital, the sign reads “with concerns, from Pre-Cadet 11”. Guess his friends, like Army Region 4th commander, etc,
I doubt it would lead to more major fight backs.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Shane Tarr and Portman, the Tavor TAR-21 is not a sniper rifle. It is a standard-issue assault rifle, an Israeli replacement for the M-16, that has recently been adopted in Thailand. Although it can be used for sharpshooting, that is not its intended usage.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Portman can you please tell me what is your evidence for “Black Shirts” being in possession of such rifles? If you have some photographic evidence I can run it past one of my colleagues who was trained as a sniper. Thanks a lot.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Athita, the “military group” are Saedaeng’s rapidly trained and increasingly angry NPC defence force; up til now the army and state control weapons and arsenal, but this could turn round…
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Jim Taylor#46
“Thairat online noted the govt tried to poison red guards and other protestors through distribution of free drinks; Matichon online warned protestors to be careful not to drink anything offered: 30+ people treated for poisoning at hospital. ”
I can’t find this on Thai Rath. Can you provide any more details?
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Guess it’s not from Reuters, but TV France. He’s dead in hospital. Spring News also reports the police at Lumpini police station shot fires to soldiers.
This to be confirmed. Apologize for quick minute-to-minute report as it might be not 100% correct.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
The black shirts have some Israeli Tavor TAR 21 bullpup rifles they seized from the military. That is really the latest thing in urban warfare and the 5.56mm standard NATO ammunition is readily available.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
Spring News reports the shot journalist is now dead, it’s from Reuters. At 3 p.m.
Rest in peace.
Bangkok: A dangerous new phase
At around 2 p.m. local time, local TV reports the shooting occurs around Lumpini Park. One protester’s shot dead, a foreign journalist ‘s shot around hip, Matichon newspaper reporter also got shot.
There’s some report from protesters saying there’s a military group helping the Red Shirt in the park, fighting with the government army.
Gunfire, explosion heard.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
I have just been corrected by a affinal army relative who said urban environments they apparently? prefer SR-25 sniper rifle?…anyway such detail aside, my old mate Shane makes sense; the regime is going to create new heros; the stuff of legend, but it all depends on collective memory and the actual writing of history- a task traditionally undertaken by the amaat historians…for their own purpose
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Foreign journalist shot (in the hand), according to https://twitter.com/Journotopia
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Blaming the government for the shooting of Seh Daeng seems a very long shot. We are not talking about the Israelis here. We are talking about the CRES which has proved incontrovertibly it can’t fight its way out of a paper bag or make anything happen at street level. In the unlikely event they had been so daring as to order an assassination, it would no doubt have been leaked beforehand. Failing that, the shooter would have probably missed completely or shot the NY Times reporter by mistake and then been arrested by the black shirts and lynched on the Rajprasong stage. This ruthless, efficient operation is far more likely to have been carried out either by a “ronin” group, disgruntled over non-payment, or a rogue army group getting pay back for the assassination of Col Romklao.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Jim Taylor, they certainly have used shotguns and many have only been armed with a shotguns. How did they otherwise have fired teargas rounds and rubber bullets? Anyway facing shotguns at close range is not necessarily much fun. A slug fired from a shotgun can kill a deer at 50 yards and buckshot would also be lethal.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Shane, # 51
Agree with you. It is strange to learn that Sae Daeng will get same status as Jit Bhumisak. On many living room’s walls, there will be a portrait of this maverick soldier. This is something that Thaksin never expects — he gets windfall from Sae Daeng’s martyrdom. He just called Sae Daeng’s daughter and praised her father.
Latest sms service reports on clashes along Wireless Rd with soldiers using live bullets (hello, CRES colonel, we need your comments). Both PM and Suthep have not appeared on tv since this operation started at 6 pm yesterday.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Portman, they are using live amunition, the shotguns are for frontline show, and in fact they are aiming for head shots; targets are selected by snipers using high velocity telescopic weapons such as 7.62x51mm M40 (newer A range models) kindly sold by the USA; there is no ambiguity here…
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Paul, the soldiers have being using only shotguns to fire rubber bullets, not rifles. Rifles need a muzzle adaptor to fire rubber bullets or baton rounds and these have not been seen on the streets. They could, of course, fit the muzzle adaptor, which is also needed to fire blanks, before engaging the red shirts and quickly remove it, if necessary to switch to live rounds, but this is a fidly business and I would guess that, if you don’t see the muzzle adaptors, they are probably issued with live ammunition at this stage. Some soldiers at Saladaeng have been seen carrying a shotgun and an M16 and would drop the shotgun, which has no sling, to defend themselves with the M16, if necessary. Others with only shotguns have different colour coded cartriges in their bandoliers, indicating possibly tear gas rounds, rubber bullets, buckshot and slugs, as they move from mild to harsh anti riot measures. Since they are all pump action shotguns, it is also a bit fidly to do a quick change of ammo type but much easier than changing an M16 from rubber bullets to live rounds.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
I have to agree with barnsybkk . The reds claim they are for truth and against corruption and yet they want Thaksin back. Even his most ardent supports admit he is corrupt. It’s just that all politicians are corrupt, so it is expected. I would not like to live in Thailand with
the red shirts in control of the country.
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
54# Sorry, but by supporting the reds you defend Taksin and everything he did and stands for.
Firstly, there’s no need to be sorry for an opinion. This sort of mentality is indicative of a situation where having an opinion other than the status quo is scorned upon. Maybe it’s because you’ve been there for 13 years you’ve assimilated well?
Secondly, that’s a bit black and white barnsybkk. Especially black and white for someone who has lived through periods of great turmoil in Thailand. Couldn’t it be a little less clear than that?
What is the protest movement? Maybe it means something different for each protestor? I don’t know.
“Specifically for foreigners affected by losses or harms”
Some foreigners may be disappointed with the offer of free board and lodging for 15 years, if they are successful in getting convicted of lese majeste. They can normally expect a royal pardon and a flight home soon after conviction. Harry Nikolaeides is the current foreign record holder but only managed to get 5 months’ free board and lodging on remand prior his economy flight back to Oz. Thais, on the other hand, may get more than 15 years of this largesse, if they can convince the court they committed more than one act of LM. Is this another example of dual pricing to foreigners?
Crackdown? Abhisit’s last stand?
Hi long time listener first time caller. As someone who’s lived in the kingdom since may97 ( crash/chav/97 constitution/taksin/war on drugs/takbai/crue se/ tsunami etc etc) I’m some what shocked by the level of support offered to the reds in this academic forum. Yes there are obvious rural grievances ( i lived in Khon Kaen for most of 97/98 and saw first hand Chavalit’s money politics and extra- killings) but the Reds are owned look stock and smoking barrel by the dodgiest dude in the history of Thai politics! Yes I know that’s a big call! How can posters here not see the movement for what it is? Yes it appears we have all read the ‘never smiles’ book and i agree with it’s thesis, but hello, I also lived under taksin and remember everything he did. Sorry, but by supporting the reds you defend Taksin and everything he did and stands for.