State Of Emergency Declared

[xtof2]

I'm very selfish tonight.

I just want to be able to go home and see my family!!!

I'm fed up being stuck in Tokyo.

Did you think of catching a plane into penang (if that's possible) and taking the train in? I can't think of any other way of getting into the country right now, but something like that would probably of got you in quicker.

I've been researching this to get mom out. The quickest route I can find to Bangkok is to get to either KL or Singabore and take either a Tiger, Air Asia or Malaysia Airlines flight into Phuket. There are still plenty available. figured I'd drop that in. You can also transit in through Siem Reap, Phnom Penh or Samui (and no doubt other provincial locales), but these are less convenient and more expensive because of the monopolies and limited traffic.

Bus to Hadyai, van to Penang, then Air Asia to KL, 5 times a day for ~1500 THB.

Well, I have some friends stuck in Jakarta too.I T seems all Asia flights to Phuket, Chang Mai are fully booked. Even Air Asia from KL or Singapore.

You're right, probably the only way is Penang and bus.

Early this morning, 200 people on waiting list for tomorrow on Thai from Tokyo

[sassienie]

UPDATE!

Just been announced on Thai TV channel 3 news that all inbound and outbound airmail services are suspended.

Edited November 27, 2008 by sassienie

[grandpops]

Sorry soundman -- but many of us know that ptotesters for the PAD are not getting paid. However the difference WOULD be that vote buying is illegal during elections.

To paraphrase your ususal knee jerk responses.

Name, videos, links, signed witness statements must be provided by you. Or we dont believe you

The PAD are on the run. If not tonight then soon as they are a jaded Fascist rear guard movement of a feudal system that has been condemned to death by information spread on the interenet.

Coup, Junta, PAD, nobody can run this country as it will instantly descend into civil war if the army get in. Who could govern and who will protect the thousands of outlets of the PAD backers?

The Government know which businesses are backing them and the businesses are sh1tting bricks. If they are exposed they have had it... Look at DTAC today. Could the army protect every DTAC outlet in the country? And what about every branch of every bank thats involved?

No my friend. The reason we don't have the list of business backers is that the Goverment is using it to get them to withdraw support. Up to them but my guess is they will!

Underlined so you dont try your old beloved PAD trick of playing royal cards.

[Kerryd]

So, in the 4 1/2 hours or so since the SoE was declared, has anything actually happened ?

[Moonrakers]

So, in the 4 1/2 hours or so since the SoE was declared, has anything actually happened ?

To sum it up Kerry:

No.

[anothertorres]

UPDATE!

Just been announced on Thai TV channel 3 news that all inbound and outbound airmail services are suspended.

that'll teach us! can someone make a phone call and tell them they win?

[Nampeung]

When are the police supposed to be clearing the airports? It's midnight now right?

[grandpops]

I really cant think of any other country in the world that would let it get this far!

FF

In most other countries in never would have gone this far. Thaksin would already be in prison.

Forgive me Father if I speak out of turn

Perhaps one way out would be for Thaksin to come back as PM and throw PAD and their leaders in Jail.

I am sure that if Mr Thaksin went to prison to visit these Fascists he would find the conditions so bad that he would never be corrupt again!

We get a PM that can run a country and he scares himself to keep on the straight and narrow.

Is this not perfect or have I missed something? Speaking of which, I better get ASTV on or I'll miss the KICKoff

Also looks like Thaksins money in England is appreciating massively. nearly 10% this week by the look of things.

Edited November 27, 2008 by grandpops

[fauxie]

That ASTV live propaganda doesn't seem to be from Suvarnabhumi.

Anyone notice the guy in white completely changing his tune from what he said earlier on Thai terrestrial TV? Toned it down for that, but gets all pumped up when addressing the crowd there.

LOL

[anothertorres]

So, in the 4 1/2 hours or so since the SoE was declared, has anything actually happened ?

what a poignant question. seems as if they just turned the music up a little louder!

[BowmoreIslay]

Tonight will be a good night to take the airports back by force. Since all the international media is on Mumbai, and heavy action in Bangkok will be mild in comparison. Most news network will not provide much air-time to cover Thai situation.

[gbswales]

This is Thailand's moment of truth - it doesent matter how many coups there are if after any election people protest the new government. I cant say what I want to say without putting the forum organisers at risk - but any sensible person knows the only way this can be resolved. It is about influencing the "people" to use the ballot box rather than resort to protest

Not content with the effect on the tourist industry that the years of protests, the effects of the Tsunami, the world's economic decline and the increase in airline travel costs have had - there is now a group who are prepared to risk the destruction of one of the countries main industries just to decide which particular set of of corrupt politcians will run the country.

[farseer]

I don't think you should be the person throwing around accusations like that seeming as you're loyties are very anti-PAD. If you have proof then show it. I don't like nonsensical claims.

PAD supporters have been at my Soi's market all evening offering up to 700 Baht a day for anyone coming to protest at the airport. And they have pick-up trucks waiting to be loaded with people before they drive off. They offered it to my wife and her friend while I was standing besides them. Proof enough? Come see it for yourself if you're still ignorant.

Can you please provide a weblink to your proof.

A weblink? Did you read my post before asking this?

No, I don't have a weblink. Because it's not on the internet, it's happening in my Soi's market, as I already wrote. I don't need to prove anything to anyone. I know what I see and hear and I write it. Believe it or don't, that's up to you.

You don't have to prove a thing to anyone, as I know what you are saying is perfectly true. The "guards" and demonstrators are being paid to strike and always have been. What Thai in their right mind wants an end to democracy and freedom with PAD's idiotic new politics?

You don't know any PAD supporters do you? PAD supporters are passionate about their cause and have been whipped up into a state of frenzy not least by the 24 hour radio stations and TV channels that have been used as their main tool for communicating to those at home. In all major towns (in the south at least) there is a well organized PAD group providing screenings of the events in Bangkok and transport to Bangkok. There are also DVDs of all the events in Bangkok being distributed all the time which are completely biased towards the group and show alleged police and government brutalities. The thing stopping many PAD supporters going up is work - they are not paid to be there. If they were there would be more there. Sure the length of time has put a few initial supporters but the key belief in the rightness of their actions still remains.

I am not a PAD supporter but to call them idiotic is to not fully understand both the situation and the cult of ideology that has arisen around them. They believe they have big guns and they are sticking to them.

Don't just put this down to money talking. I am not denying the very well organised leadership is probably getting desperate to swell numbers at the airport by offering bribes, but for the true supporters it is about more than money and that makes it all the more worrying.

This is about money and always has been, if you go down to the government house and talk with some of the demonstrators you will learn that they are all being paid. Most are too ignorant to understand what Chamlong's new politics is all about anyway. People get very passionate where money is concerned, who wants to lose a nice little earner?

[anothertorres]

i see the police are standing on the overpass looking at the airport. there might be 4 of them, sounds like excessive use of force, but whatever it takes. sidenote, they're all just sitting there in the airport with those hand clappers. are you serious? if it gets cold are they gonna bust out these?

[fauxie]

Ok, I cried BS when a poster said this earlier, but...

"We will not leave. We will use human shields against the police if they try to disperse us," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters news agency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7752012.stm

[rainman]

UPDATE!

Just been announced on Thai TV channel 3 news that all inbound and outbound airmail services are suspended.

I think they have been suspended for the past 2 days already. Just nobody cared to mention it.

[innovator]

So, when does the action start? It sure will be fun watching this on TV.

A good old western round up would work just fine. Grab the horses and round up the buffaloes.

[ozzieovaseas]

May i suggest to all you people who begin your argument with "every other country in the world would...bla bla bla" just stop and think...

has this ever happened in any other country in the world recently??

AND if so,how did they actually handle it?

Would you prefer the approach of certain communist countries who would call in tanks against even one person?

I really cant think of any other country in the world that would let it get this far!

FF

Yes thats true,and by no means am i condoning the actions of the PAD but then again there arent many countries in the world where ordinary citizens could or would be bothered to act like this...without acts of full scale terrorism and violence anyway...do they really know how much they are hurting the country? or are they so swept up in their own cause that they dont think of the repercussions?

My point is at least the government hasnt responded with the brutal means that other countries might use...how do you stop a huge number of people without force.

would saddam have let his insurgents get this far or would they have been shot one by one before a group had the chance to form

[fsuthai]

any experts? how difficult is it to take the airport without guns considering that PAD may has some basic anti tear gas gear and may brake in all offices to hide there. As well some might be armed with guns.

What they can do else in the worst case, destroy essentiell computers to ensure no normal operations for a while.

It is not difficult to get rid of them. First security needs to quickly lock the place down. Then the police need to come up the ramp with the water spray things, this will force the crowd down the other side of the ramp towards the exit and out on to the highway. Of course, using the water will cause a few scraps and gashes as the protesters get knocked to the ground by the force of the water but they will quickly retreat, other countries use this method and it is effective, chances of anyone dieing are very slim indeed.

If the police use what little brains they have then the eviction can be achieved quite quickly.

You need to be "water boarded" and then you might not wish to have the human riff-raff hosed out of the terminals!

[tropo]

Any PAD supporters still holed up at the airport have ZERO sympathy from me if they get hurt or killed. They know what they did, they know what's coming. You can't just seize an international airport and expect to be greeted with flowers and cookies.

If they had seized the JFK or L.A. airport, it would have ended a long time ago, and probably much worse than the Thai police will hopefully end it tonight. As far as I'm concerned, if you run past security at the JFK or L.A. airport, protesting something or not, you get shot in the back before you get anywhere. The Thai government and police have been more than patient, but enough is enough.

Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures rainman. I don't know who is right and who is wrong, but when you believe in something with all your heart, then you put it all on the line. No half measures. And that's what the PAD is doing. To the extent that they are not bearing arms, they have enormous sympathy from me if they are injured or killed. Apart from some isolated incidents, they have been protesting peacefully.

I work in the tourism industry and this is a huge blow. I may lose my job. Of course I wish they would get out. But this isn't my country and I do believe in peaceful protests.

At any rate, I see no real solution in sight. Perhaps we need a good old fashioned dictator.

Taking over an international airport and closing it down is not a "peaceful protest". It's not even a protest.

I don't care how many PAD "protestors" are hurt or killed. They know the risks they are taking by doing what they are doing. In my world if you play with fire you'll get burned, and they are knowingly playing with fire.

They must be taken out asap.

[rainman]

This is taking too long. The PM should have issued a state of emergency within minutes of the airport being seized.

[JUDAS]

Ok, I cried BS when a poster said this earlier, but...

"We will not leave. We will use human shields against the police if they try to disperse us," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters news agency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7752012.stm

IF this statement is actually true then they are nothing more than terrorist scum and should be dealt with accordingly.

[wasabi]

This is taking too long. The PM should have issued a state of emergency within minutes of the airport being seized.

The moment the PAD broken into the airport uncontested they won. They made the government look weak and ineffective. Any response now though necessary will look reactionary and heavy handed since everyone is watching. Thai and foreign alike would have admired a finely tuned military that shocked and awed the protesters back to the rice paddies before they got to the luggage claim. Thai's need to save face and pass the buck just doesn't serve immediate response crisis like this very well.

[tropo]

Ok, I cried BS when a poster said this earlier, but...

"We will not leave. We will use human shields against the police if they try to disperse us," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters news agency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7752012.stm

IF this statement is actually true then they are nothing more than terrorist scum and should be dealt with accordingly.

They were calling this the "final battle". It doesn't sound like they were joking either.

[Kerryd]

I'm not sure whether to shake my head or just chuckle over how many people have this notion that Thailand's economy revolves around

Suvarnabhumi airport !

I guess they should just shut down all the ports, railways, border crossings and other airports in the country, because all of Thailand depends solely on Suvarnabhumi (or so it seems after reading a couple thousand posts over the last couple of days) !

Oh right, almost forgot. Seems some think that Thailand's economy is also entirely dependant on tourism, and these protests have "irrevocably and permanently damaged" Thailand's tourism industry.

So glad to see so many professors of Economy here sharing their knowledge with the masses.

Off to read more pearls of wisdom, whilst enjoying a head shaking chuckle.

[hungryhippo]

This is about money and always has been, if you go down to the government house and talk with some of the demonstrators you will learn that they are all being paid. Most are too ignorant to understand what Chamlong's new politics is all about anyway. People get very passionate where money is concerned, who wants to lose a nice little earner?

Please don't bring the bribe thing up again, if you want to read the other posts then do so, however it's been discussed to death until you come back with evidence all you're doing is beating a dead horse.

This is taking too long. The PM should have issued a state of emergency within minutes of the airport being seized.

Agreed. Like I have said from the start all the PAD have shown is how weak the government are.

They were calling this the "final battle". It doesn't sound like they were joking either.

With the PAD everything is the final battle, it's been like that for months.

Edited November 27, 2008 by hungryhippo

[skooldaze]

I am happy to announce that I am moving away from this backward country as result of this joke. PAD's siege of the airport and the government's inability to forcibly extricate these mongrels is the last straw for me. I am taking my half thai kids and moving back to the democratic country I came from so that they don't have to be exposed to adults that act like children.

I am ashamed to be living in this country. My friends call me from home and ask, "So, exactly why are you living there?"

And for once, I have nothing to respond. It used to be "oh the people are so nice." "there is great convenience here" and "It's nice to have hired help" but I asked myself today. Why? And I could not come up with one good reason to stay in this place anymore.

I had hoped to stay here over December as I HAD a number of friends that were coming to visit, but they've all cancelled their plans.

Keep up the good work Thailand. There is not end to this problem. All of these mongrels at the airport could be mowed down by tanks a coup could take place and new elections could be held, but once again, Thaksin's proxies would win. This country is running in place. It's either continuing protests or having the greedy Thaksin in power who wants to reshape the country into another Singapore with a one party rule.

Good riddance and good luck to all you farangs that stay here and hold out hope for something that will never happen and that is Normalcy.

Of course I'll have to wait until these morons are cleared from the airport!

Edited November 27, 2008 by skooldaze

[Moonrakers]

Ok, I cried BS when a poster said this earlier, but...

"We will not leave. We will use human shields against the police if they try to disperse us," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters news agency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7752012.stm

IF this statement is actually true then they are nothing more than terrorist scum and should be dealt with accordingly.

By all accounts all tourists have left the airport.

And so by "Human shields" they will be referring to themselves, it is not as though they are using unwilling hostages to take the flack/bullets or whatever for them.

Think objectively here, even the PAD would not be so stupid as to do such a thing.

[cougar52]

For all of you that are waiting for blood, you may have to wait a little longer, The PM himself said with-in 24 hours. And in history is true, most of these things usually happen in the wee hours, including the bomb attacks.

[wasabi]

I'm not sure whether to shake my head or just chuckle over how many people have this notion that Thailand's economy revolves around

Suvarnabhumi airport !

I guess they should just shut down all the ports, railways, border crossings and other airports in the country, because all of Thailand depends solely on Suvarnabhumi (or so it seems after reading a couple thousand posts over the last couple of days) !

Oh right, almost forgot. Seems some think that Thailand's economy is also entirely dependant on tourism, and these protests have "irrevocably and permanently damaged" Thailand's tourism industry.

So glad to see so many professors of Economy here sharing their knowledge with the masses.

Off to read more pearls of wisdom, whilst enjoying a head shaking chuckle.

Yes it's true the airport alone is a small chunk of Thailand's economy and if this were happening in a vacuum it would not really be a concern. The economic damage arises from lack of faith in Thailand's ability to have a basic functioning government that has the power to instill law and order. Without this less people will want to trade or do business with Thailand. This situation is just as serious as people say it is and the damage done to Thailand will likely not be remedied in our lifetimes. A lot of people laughed when people starting warning NASDAQ 5000 was too high 8 years ago and look at it now. Well this is the same the dominoes are falling.