Given all the closure of media – web-sites included – it is very obvious, whatever one’s political stance, that there is now a very serious coup under way.
“The latest SMS item I received said the northern route from Ayuthaya/Saraburi towards Bangkok are now clogged with vehicles carrying red shirts to join their comrades at Rajprason”
Oh my god Julian, you must have received the same sms I did at 8am this morning from…wait for it, yes “Thai Visa” sms service.
How can such a “revolutionary” pay THB49 per month to recieve such things from the “devil”???
You might ven get to be Thailand’s Che Guevera yet!
It actually wouldn’t be any loss if they were to shut down every single TV and radio station in the country. There is no mature debate on any of them. They all have their mafia allegiances, and they all work with the idea that you can fool all of the public all of the time.
Julian the wannabe revolutionary! Just remember that the Russian Revolution spawned the mass-murderer Stalin. And the list of gone wrong and completely failed revolutions is endless. The elite (both’ left’ & ‘right’) were responsible for the futile 1976 orgy of sickening violence. Doubtless you will enjoy kicking the shit out of others and getting the shit kicked out of yourself. This conflict was not schemed as a means to benefit the masses, and will only benefit those who crave power at any cost.
There’s this study from the World Bank on Moving Out of Poverty: scroll down for the report on Thailand.
Or the older Everyone’s Miracle? report showing that inequality in Thailand increased even faster than economic growth (so that the poor tended to go backwards – which implies very low levels of social mobility).
I agree that there is no excuse for storming Parliament.
But there is also absolutely no excuse to shut down Prachatai (which I just tried to access only tio be given the “It works” notice, as mentioned by JFL above). This is nothing but a scandelously misdirected act of censorship.
presumably the military are willing to wait while Abhisit is on track to secure their amazing wealth creating budget requests and stand aside while they make their personnel reshuffle to further secure themselves in power
if it seems Abhisit and the government might give in to an early election then the generals will want to act but will have to face their uncertainty that their soldiers will obey their commands to dismantle the redshirts
You never did take up the challenge to defend your long-standing Thailand secession scenario. We have heard enough to want to see you put some meat on those particular bones…
Vichai N #2 – from opposites end of the political spectrum, I agree with you : Andrew is probably wrong.
I pray he is right – I pray a government of national unity will steer Thailand out of it’s current self-imposed trap, via another election soon.
But realistically, I don’t see this being successful.
In the long-term : there is no more “Thailand”.
At midday Thursday both C-Band and KU-Band of People Channel TV have been blocked. Accd to NBT station, People Channel “distorts” news but what about NBT itself ? NBT regularly spread malicious reports about the red shirts.
Abhisit forgets that the reds still have community radios (some of them are mobile now) and People Channel still continues its SMS news service. The latest SMS item I received said the northern route from Ayuthaya/Saraburi towards Bangkok are now clogged with vehicles carrying red shirts to join their comrades at Rajprasong.
I am going there too with a group of Thai friends in a pick-up truck.
Thanks for the nice banner picture. It looks like the coup group in 2006 announcing its evil act. That is, a picture of shame, and potentially a picture for future Thai history textbooks.
Their goal – a national election – is honourable. But taking advantage of the government’s non-violent response is a high risk strategy and it risks slipping from legitimate protest to provocation.
Taking advantage of the government’s non-violent response… you make it sound like the government has forsworn its “right” to kill Thais out of the goodness of its heart. Because it’s a “Democrat” government, no doubt.
It’s a military government and has been since 19 September 2006. The military has been pulling the strings since that date.
The idea that the Red Shirts are provoking the Putsch by their non-violent demonstrations is absurd.
What you are arguing for is “change without changing”. Where have I heard that before? Let the people “sound off” then pack up and go back home and we’ll review their “suggestions” and see if we cannot accommodate some of the utter inessentials.
The only people standing up to totalitarianism in Thailand… to the ability of the Regime to “legitimately” invoke a “temporary coup” whenever it deems it necessary… are the Red Shirts. If they were to go down the new military consensus, the convergent Thai-Burmese model… power in the hands of the military, exercised through their civilian puppets… would be a fait accompli in Thailand as it waits in the wings in Burma.
But the Red Shirts, the people, are not going to go down. The people have girded their loins for the long haul and have made up their minds that they must do “what it takes” to wrest control from the unelected elite regime. That is the real consensus in Thailand, and the people will pursue it, and it will take as long as it does.
Andrew, I think your commentary is quite sound. It always amazes me that commentators on things in Thailand are so fixed on what happened in the past, they find it difficult to admit that things can change – and sometimes for the better.
It’s not always a case of same, same, only different.
Sorry to be punctilious about the grammar . . . but I am saving you from being berated by MCSING.
At any rate Tarrin, everything is academic now after Red leader Arisman raised the ante, and PM Abhisit felt obliged to declare State of Emergency. The Reds leadership blew their moment to rise to the moment . . . as usual.
I do not share Andrew Walker’s optimism that violence could be avoided . . . because there is no one who has a cool head within the Reds leadership.
JFL. Welcome to the real Thailand! I can’t remember a Thai Government that wasn’t a repressive totalitarian regime. Least of all the Thaksin ones. And there is no evidence that the redshirts are about to improve anything. You are wasting your time tying yourself to any of the current factions.
MRC role is the guardian for the Mekong river but they dropped the guard so easily. MRC bought China’s denial of all responsibility for the drought.
MRC acts as cover for China from the Mekong countries.
It’s time to change direction or replace current MRC leadership. MRC should be proactive, should wait no more for China, go get the data and run hydrological model for the river themselves.
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State of Emergency in Bangkok
Given all the closure of media – web-sites included – it is very obvious, whatever one’s political stance, that there is now a very serious coup under way.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
“The latest SMS item I received said the northern route from Ayuthaya/Saraburi towards Bangkok are now clogged with vehicles carrying red shirts to join their comrades at Rajprason”
Oh my god Julian, you must have received the same sms I did at 8am this morning from…wait for it, yes “Thai Visa” sms service.
How can such a “revolutionary” pay THB49 per month to recieve such things from the “devil”???
You might ven get to be Thailand’s Che Guevera yet!
State of Emergency in Bangkok
It actually wouldn’t be any loss if they were to shut down every single TV and radio station in the country. There is no mature debate on any of them. They all have their mafia allegiances, and they all work with the idea that you can fool all of the public all of the time.
Occupation of the malls – UPDATED
I was referring to this post by antipadshist:
http://thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/mobile-post-a-survay-living-with-master-race/#comment-881
Didn’t see anything as outrageous on his own blog, though.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
Julian the wannabe revolutionary! Just remember that the Russian Revolution spawned the mass-murderer Stalin. And the list of gone wrong and completely failed revolutions is endless. The elite (both’ left’ & ‘right’) were responsible for the futile 1976 orgy of sickening violence. Doubtless you will enjoy kicking the shit out of others and getting the shit kicked out of yourself. This conflict was not schemed as a means to benefit the masses, and will only benefit those who crave power at any cost.
On mobility and inequality in Thailand and elsewhere
There’s this study from the World Bank on Moving Out of Poverty: scroll down for the report on Thailand.
Or the older Everyone’s Miracle? report showing that inequality in Thailand increased even faster than economic growth (so that the poor tended to go backwards – which implies very low levels of social mobility).
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
Nich – these events are still unfolding, it’s a moving target of a subject : I’m working on it – and will get back to you.
Thanks for your offer.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
I agree that there is no excuse for storming Parliament.
But there is also absolutely no excuse to shut down Prachatai (which I just tried to access only tio be given the “It works” notice, as mentioned by JFL above). This is nothing but a scandelously misdirected act of censorship.
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
presumably the military are willing to wait while Abhisit is on track to secure their amazing wealth creating budget requests and stand aside while they make their personnel reshuffle to further secure themselves in power
if it seems Abhisit and the government might give in to an early election then the generals will want to act but will have to face their uncertainty that their soldiers will obey their commands to dismantle the redshirts
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
Chris,
You never did take up the challenge to defend your long-standing Thailand secession scenario. We have heard enough to want to see you put some meat on those particular bones…
Best wishes to all,
Nich
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
Vichai N #2 – from opposites end of the political spectrum, I agree with you : Andrew is probably wrong.
I pray he is right – I pray a government of national unity will steer Thailand out of it’s current self-imposed trap, via another election soon.
But realistically, I don’t see this being successful.
In the long-term : there is no more “Thailand”.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
At midday Thursday both C-Band and KU-Band of People Channel TV have been blocked. Accd to NBT station, People Channel “distorts” news but what about NBT itself ? NBT regularly spread malicious reports about the red shirts.
Abhisit forgets that the reds still have community radios (some of them are mobile now) and People Channel still continues its SMS news service. The latest SMS item I received said the northern route from Ayuthaya/Saraburi towards Bangkok are now clogged with vehicles carrying red shirts to join their comrades at Rajprasong.
I am going there too with a group of Thai friends in a pick-up truck.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
“GeGee, if you believe whatever Sonthi Lim, the yellow shirt leader who now prefers to live overseas, says, enjoy your delusions too.”
Why ?
What did he say?
And what’s he got to do with events of the past few days/weeks ?
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
P.S.:
Thanks for the nice banner picture. It looks like the coup group in 2006 announcing its evil act. That is, a picture of shame, and potentially a picture for future Thai history textbooks.
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
Their goal – a national election – is honourable. But taking advantage of the government’s non-violent response is a high risk strategy and it risks slipping from legitimate protest to provocation.
Taking advantage of the government’s non-violent response… you make it sound like the government has forsworn its “right” to kill Thais out of the goodness of its heart. Because it’s a “Democrat” government, no doubt.
It’s a military government and has been since 19 September 2006. The military has been pulling the strings since that date.
The idea that the Red Shirts are provoking the Putsch by their non-violent demonstrations is absurd.
What you are arguing for is “change without changing”. Where have I heard that before? Let the people “sound off” then pack up and go back home and we’ll review their “suggestions” and see if we cannot accommodate some of the utter inessentials.
The only people standing up to totalitarianism in Thailand… to the ability of the Regime to “legitimately” invoke a “temporary coup” whenever it deems it necessary… are the Red Shirts. If they were to go down the new military consensus, the convergent Thai-Burmese model… power in the hands of the military, exercised through their civilian puppets… would be a fait accompli in Thailand as it waits in the wings in Burma.
But the Red Shirts, the people, are not going to go down. The people have girded their loins for the long haul and have made up their minds that they must do “what it takes” to wrest control from the unelected elite regime. That is the real consensus in Thailand, and the people will pursue it, and it will take as long as it does.
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
Andrew, I think your commentary is quite sound. It always amazes me that commentators on things in Thailand are so fixed on what happened in the past, they find it difficult to admit that things can change – and sometimes for the better.
It’s not always a case of same, same, only different.
Anti-pro-democracy
Tarrin,
Grenade attacks . . . plural with an s.
Sorry to be punctilious about the grammar . . . but I am saving you from being berated by MCSING.
At any rate Tarrin, everything is academic now after Red leader Arisman raised the ante, and PM Abhisit felt obliged to declare State of Emergency. The Reds leadership blew their moment to rise to the moment . . . as usual.
I do not share Andrew Walker’s optimism that violence could be avoided . . . because there is no one who has a cool head within the Reds leadership.
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
@Vichai N: If Andrew’s wrong, when it’s all said and done Abhisit may have to seek some advice from some of his contacts at Kyrgyz embassy.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
JFL. Welcome to the real Thailand! I can’t remember a Thai Government that wasn’t a repressive totalitarian regime. Least of all the Thaksin ones. And there is no evidence that the redshirts are about to improve anything. You are wasting your time tying yourself to any of the current factions.
Xiaowan filling and the Mekong
MRC role is the guardian for the Mekong river but they dropped the guard so easily. MRC bought China’s denial of all responsibility for the drought.
MRC acts as cover for China from the Mekong countries.
It’s time to change direction or replace current MRC leadership. MRC should be proactive, should wait no more for China, go get the data and run hydrological model for the river themselves.