Suvarnabhumi Closed

[Guess]

............the airport would become the new PAD head quarters and i don't think that the mib could move them even if they wanted to. as wanderlust said in a couple of days the ppp will be no more anyway................. the events of the past week just confirm to me that this country is an absolute basket case.
miked

Agreed, and it would be a disaster if they tried. These protesters have already been at the wrong end of the stick and still carried on. Any military/police action would strengthen their resolve and make martyrs of them.

I have just been reading the Sunday Bangkok Post and in it there is an article saying that the only solution now is a dissolution of government with an interim care taking administration until a new election can be called. I agree with it.

The Thaksin supporters can claim all they like about Thaksin''s conviction but is was done while his people were still in charge. I am not sure what counter argument they would come up with for that.

I have heard and read a few statements that the airport will reopen in a couple of days. Whether this is based on inside information or just a hunch I do not know.

Maybe a climb down before the King's birthday is on the cards.

Efforts can be made to stop future governments being backed by TRT/PPP but they cannot be enforced.

Before the last election there was a referendum regarding a change to the constitution to force future government officials declare their financial interests. This was a direct action brought about by the Shincorp sale. It did nothing to stop the newly formed renamed TRT from getting in power.

In Thailand it is still possible to move vast amounts of money around unchecked allowing wide spread corruption. Until those basic problems are solved money will speak with the loudest voice.

Myself and other have made parallels with events in western history. Mostly they events that have taken place fairly recently. What the situation is now reminding me of is the peasants revolt with Sonthi playing the part of Watt Tyler.

[Wanderlust]

"If I say Mugabe, that is the sort of threat I think Thailand faces if Thaksin gets his way."

That kind of statement doesnt do you justice.

Are you saying that Thaksin would (in no particular order) :

get a bunch of north korean troops to train his own and then send them to the towns of his coalition partner and kill over 20,000. ? (infamous 5th brigade and Matabeleland)

take property from foreigners

have inflation of 50 million %

life expectancy of 37 years for men and 34 for women (lowest in the world).

No food in the shops

International aid suppling daily needs

etc etc

You have taken my words too literally but some of those things could well happen over time. However I meant the type of ruler Mugabe is - won't listen to others, control freak, prepared to kill in order to deal with something,as crooked as the day is long, prepared to cut the country off etc etc just to hold onto power and make money.

[Super Joe]

Last weeK:

In an address to the nation Thursday night to announce the emergency, Mr. Somchai said navy and air force personnel would help the police

Today:

Air Force Commander-in-Chief ACM Itthaporn Supawong Sunday repeated the military's call for Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to dissolve the House.
He said the call was agreed upon during a meeting of the situation monitoring committee and agreed by heads of government agencies, academics and representatives of the private sector.

He could try the postal workers ?

SJ

[robby hh]

The Nation today

Chamlong says

"I'm worried about safety and security," he said. The PAD wants the police to patrol the surroundings of Government House with the help of PAD guards at night".

Got a cheek atacking the police at the airport then asking for their help at Govt house

[faq2mfh]

There's weight behind the PAD. And I don't mean the rented crowd of yellow shirts...

[STEVE G]

There's weight behind the PAD. And I don't mean the rented crowd of yellow shirts...

Thats why the whole of Thailand knows the verdict of the constitutional court before it's even started!

[hhfarang]

Tensions rise over Thai blockade

Tensions continued to rise in Bangkok as thousands of anti-government protesters occupied the city's two main airports for a sixth day.

Police said they were negotiating with a group, as officials warned of soaring economic losses from the blockade.

Some 100,000 passengers remain stranded in the Thai capital. Some countries are putting on flights to bring them home.

Demonstrators want the government to step down, accusing it of being corrupt and hostile to the monarchy.

Fears of violence between pro- and anti-government groups are growing, after a grenade attack in Bangkok.

Saturday's late-night attack on protesters who have been occupying a government compound since August injured about 50 people, three of them seriously.

It is widely presumed to be retaliation for the airport occupation, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok.

Pro-government groups are said to be planning a rally in the capital later in the day.

'Avoid confrontation'

Demonstrators from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) - a loose alliance of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class - have been been occupying Bangkok's international and domestic airports for almost a week.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has authorised police to remove them, but police say that they will not use force.

"We are in a negotiation process. We want to avoid any violent confrontation. We will not use weapons," police spokesman Pongsapat Pongcharoen said.

BBC News - 30.11.08

[hhfarang]

Thais embarrassed by politics: Abac Poll

A survey conducted by Abac Poll Research Center revealed that many Thai people were ashamed of the political turmoil and they preferred to stay politically neutral.

According to the poll, 76.5 per cent felt very embarrassed about the local political turbulence and the negative views of foreigners toward Thailand.

65.1 per cent said they would have less pride in the country, if the situation turns violent and intensifies. 92.3 per cent believed political problems can be solved by the justice system. 58.4 per cent said they will not take sides in politics.

Bangkok Post - 30.11.08

[Nereus]

PAD allows 88 flights out - without passengers:

The leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy have agreed to allow 88 grounded aircraft to fly out of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The planes were stranded when they flew in as the PAD occupied the international airport last Tuesday night. Only a handful of passengers have been allowed to leave since then.
The agreement came after hours of negotiations between protest leaders and Airports of Thailand, the airport's owner and operator.

The first of the 88 aircraft already left Suvarnabhumi shortly after dark on Sunday evening.
Under the agreement, Thai Airways International and foreignh airlines can fly to airports in other provinces of the country to help evacuate tourists who have been stranded for nearly a week by the protesters.

There is no sign the PAD demonstrators will leave the airport.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_new ... ?id=132398

I am in Bangkok and there was one heavy jet pass low overhead this morning, but I could not get outside quick enough to see where it was heading. This may help clear some of the backlog, but I sure would not want to be trying to go out through U-Tapao just yet.

added 10-30 am:
An all white 747 just passed overhead on climb to the South West from Don Muang. Maybe they have allowed stranded Aircraft to depart from there also. For any Aircraft to operate from either Airport air traffic control has to be operating. There has been no mention of how this is happeneing. The only aircraft flying around yesterday was Thai Flying Services BK 117 Helicopter, and it passed by several times travelling from South to North over the city.

Missed this bit earlier:
Transport Minister Santi Promphat said the air force base in Don Mueang has also been opened for commercial flights to held stranded passengers get out of the country.

http://www.bangkokpost.net/topstories/t ... ?id=132387

[Nereus]

If you are a "congested passenger", you may want to try this.
They do not say what aircraft they are using to fly to U-Tapao.

Bitec opens U-Tapao check-in counters:

(BangkokPost.com) - The Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Company Limited on Monday morning opened check-in counters for stranded passengers to take flights to U-Tapao International Airport at Bitec Convention Centre in Bang Na, aimed at reducing heavy congestion of passengers.
Four x-ray machines and a baggage handling system were brought to the U-Tapao check-in counters.

Passengers can check rerouting flights of different airlines by calling the Bitec at 0-2749 3974 or 0-2749 39 82.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_new ... ?id=135012

Good Luck!

[robby hh]

Seems they are moving out of Govt house (report in the nation today) to hard to defend is the reason given.

See on TV they are actually cleaning the place up.
New HQ to be at the airport so looks like they intend to stay there However some at G H have aparantly said they wont move what that will mean who knowes

Some on this forum are blaming the police, the govt, the army, toxin and anyone else you can think of for this mess but the root cause is the PAD, if they didnt exist or wern't so willing to stuff up the country for their and their backers ends none of this could have happened.

[buksida]

Some on this forum are blaming the police, the govt, the army, toxin and anyone else you can think of for this mess but the root cause is the PAD, if they didnt exist or wern't so willing to stuff up the country for their and their backers ends none of this could have happened.

What a myopic comment. 'All of them' is the correct answer if you're looking for someone or something to blame, there is no 'good side' or 'bad side' in any of this ... it is all cause and effect.

[STEVE G]

At least the airline I work for here got their 100 million dollar plus Boeing 747-400F back, it left Bangkok in the early hours of the morning.

[miked]

robby hh wrote,
Some on this forum are blaming the police, the govt, the army, toxin and anyone else you can think of for this mess but the root cause is the PAD, if they didn't exist or wern't so willing to stuff up the country for their and their backers ends none of this could have happened.

i only blame the fugitive ex prime minister. without him none of this would have happened. he can finish it whenever he wants but has his sights fixed on the bigger prize. whatever it takes he has to be stopped and the PAD will stop him.
miked

[sandman67]

isnt it mad being a guest in a country we have chosen to be in...coming as we do from mainly stable societies where we are just citizens......

yet here the people have as much power as the military, police and government combined? Nothing we would ever contemplate....

here the people.....no matter how small a minority you think PAD represent.....can defy "the machine"...and I think theres a groundswell of sympathy.....

I think this is good....

Government should fear its people...especially when you are as inept as this administration has been.....

.....not the other way around.