Closing Suvanabhumi Airport b/c of PAD

[DJTX]

The Nation: "However, television stations ran texts stating that the Army had announced it would mobilise its personnel and vehicles in Bangkok as part of a study course for military students"

Yeah, right :roll:

[Stramash]

Emergency rule has been declared around the two airports.

Thousands of passengers have been left stranded by the protest action, just the latest stand-off in a long-running political struggle gripping Thailand.

Protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) occupied a government complex in the capital for months.

At the start of this week said they were embarking on the "final battle" of their campaign to unseat the government, and they have vowed to resist attempts to disable their airport protests.

'Temporary' emergency

Mr Somchai was speaking to the nation after an emergency cabinet session was held in the city of Chiang Mai.

"It is wrong for protesters to take the entire Thai nation hostage," Mr Somchai said, according to AFP news agency.

"The government is not intending to hurt anybody... and the emergency will be temporary," he added.

The [ruling party]'s strategy for months now has been to turn the other cheek to the PAD's provocations

Jonathan Head

BBC correspondent in Bangkok

The prime minister said air force and naval units would be deployed to assist police in ending the protests, which he said had caused "massive damage".

Under emergency rule, troops may be deployed, groups of more than five civilians are forbidden from forming, subject to immediate arrest, and a media blackout can be enforced.

Protesters remain resolute that their show of force will continue.

"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.

The BBC's Quentin Sommerville says moving the protesters will not be easy - they have shown they are willing to put up a fight, and have already called on supporters to set up roadblocks near terminal buildings.

Reports from Bangkok say tank movements there have sparked fears of an impending military coup.

On Wednesday Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat rejected a call by army leader Gen Anupong Paochinda for new elections to end the political deadlock, saying his government was legitimate. Gen Anupong has denied any coup plot.

Interesting how Somchai says Air Force and Naval units will be deployed, yet its the Army tanks rolling in...

split in the armed forces perhaps???

[vbroker]

Oh and it is well worth noting that he is a THAI citizen and also Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

Noted. He's educated. Now note this: At the root of all the strife is the vast educational gap between the rich and poor. Notice I didn't say money or wealth. We're not talking wealth re-distribution here a la Karl Marx. Once everyone has the same access to a quality WESTERN STYLE education and some/many of the dopey cultural quirks disappear (can you say "face loss?") as is customary once you're educated, the entire mind set changes; these idiotic "disruptions" cease and the need for a coup every five years disappears. This is the LAST thing your typical lower Sukhumvit living expat there wants. So he needs to live with it and stop whining.

So one assumes he knows what he is talking about!

Agreed.

Farang opinion is not the last word on these issues. There are plenty of smart Thais too you know!

Farang opinion is no word on these issues. Unless he/she has acquired citizenship.

[Undercover]

Noted. He's educated. Now note this: At the root of all the strife is the vast educational gap between the rich and poor. Notice I didn't say money or wealth. We're not talking wealth re-distribution here a la Karl Marx. Once everyone has the same access to a quality WESTERN STYLE education and some/many of the dopey cultural quirks disappear (can you say "face loss?") as is customary once you're educated, the entire mind set changes; these idiotic "disruptions" cease and the need for a coup every five years disappears. /quote]

Farang opinion is no word on these issues. Unless he/she has acquired citizenship.

That's a rather odd take on the situation. Sure, education is important but you're over-simplifying it and ignoring the tremendous economic inequality in this feudal society and the 200 year history of Bangkok vs. the rest of the country. Like other feudal societies throughout history, Thailand has an over-concentration of wealth in the top tier, without the noblesse oblige traditionally found in western feudal societies. This has been going on for a long time. As late as 1900, Bangkok raiding parties would go upcountry and take rural farmers as slaves, tattooing them with a slave number on their hand and bringing them back to Bangkok for forced labor. "Thailand: Politics and Economy by Phongpaichit Pasuk and Chris Baker (Oxford University Press) is an excellent book on this subject.

There are also some structural issues (lack of a property tax or inheritance tax, crazy duty structures on imports, impediments to foreign direct investment), that all serve to mainain the economic interests of the elites and perpetuate the status quo. The fact is the political dynamics here are very, very similar to those of France in the late 18th century before the revolution and I think the ultimate outcome will be pretty much the same.

The Economist, not exactly a Marxist rag, pointed precisely that out here just this morning::

"The Thai crisis is complex and the motives of its actors are not always clear. But it has increasingly looked like a fight to the death by the country?s traditional, royalist elite against a threat to its dominance from an authoritarian but highly popular leader from outside that Bangkok-based clique."

And I'm not clear why a foreigner would need to be a citizen to have an opinion on this, anymore than one would to have an opinion on Iraq or North Korea or anywhere else.

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12708150

[Nicked]

I was watching the news on Swedish telly and saw small children in the yellow crowd of the PADs at the airport, should you risk your own child for politics?? Use them as a shield just proof how crazy these people realy are.

[Stu_thailand]

Oh and it is well worth noting that he is a THAI citizen and also Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

Noted. He's educated. Now note this: At the root of all the strife is the vast educational gap between the rich and poor. Notice I didn't say money or wealth. We're not talking wealth re-distribution here a la Karl Marx. Once everyone has the same access to a quality WESTERN STYLE education and some/many of the dopey cultural quirks disappear (can you say "face loss?") as is customary once you're educated, the entire mind set changes; these idiotic "disruptions" cease and the need for a coup every five years disappears. This is the LAST thing your typical lower Sukhumvit living expat there wants. So he needs to live with it and stop whining.

So one assumes he knows what he is talking about!

Agreed.

Farang opinion is not the last word on these issues. There are plenty of smart Thais too you know!

Farang opinion is no word on these issues. Unless he/she has acquired citizenship.

Is there ANY post you don't spout this **** off in? And where, may I AGAIN ask as I did several months ago, did you stay during your visit in Bangkok? SOI NANA wasn't it??? I suppose that's called 'Upper Silom' for you??

[zeusbheld]

Oh and it is well worth noting that he is a THAI citizen and also Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

Noted. He's educated. Now note this: At the root of all the strife is the vast educational gap between the rich and poor. Notice I didn't say money or wealth. We're not talking wealth re-distribution here a la Karl Marx. Once everyone has the same access to a quality WESTERN STYLE education and some/many of the dopey cultural quirks disappear (can you say "face loss?") as is customary once you're educated, the entire mind set changes; these idiotic "disruptions" cease and the need for a coup every five years disappears. This is the LAST thing your typical lower Sukhumvit living expat there wants. So he needs to live with it and stop whining.

great. that's sorted. it's all so simple, it's a wonder no one has figured out how to solve all thailand's problems until now.

what's next, world peace or hunger?

[Nicked]

This is what PAD are for the world outside Thailand..

A picture of PAD supporters at the airport prepared to meet the police.

http://gfx.aftonbladet.se/multimedia/dynamic/00794/thaidemontrant_794616a.jpg

[DJTX]

"If the government wants to clear the protesters, let it try. The PAD will protect all locations because we are using our rights to demonstrate peacefully without causing damages to state properties or rioting," Suriyasai said. The Nation

I guess taking over an airport is okay siince they did it peacefully and did not cause any damage. Guess that's resolved.

[dannyboy]

This is on Stickman's site...

http://www.stickmanweekly.com/Reader2007/reader4791.htm

Cloud Cuckoo Land

By Bangkok Barry

Those of us who live in Thailand have always known that the Thais live in their own enclosed world, their own little bubble, with almost no knowledge or interest in the rest of Planet Earth. Things happen in Thailand that just would not happen in any country that considered itself anything other than a banana republic. When people talk of places that are close to the bottom of the pile they usually think of most of Africa, or the chaos and filth that can be found in India. Certainly, the state of the footpaths in Bangkok and the badly maintained buildings everywhere are far closer to India than Singapore. So Thailand is down there. And the governing of a country is another measure of where on the ladder it stands. Guess where Thailand is.

Especially now. Where, except in the worst countries of Africa, would you have a police force that does little more than look on as people riot on the streets, attack each other with golf clubs and machetes or lob hand grenades and use rocket launchers against each other. And where the army, summoned to restore order, do absolutely nothing. But that has always been what the Thais do best - nothing at all. Ignore anything unpleasant, anything at all, and it will go away. It will be invisible.

Now it?s payback time for the head in the sand mentality, because as well as messing up the country for themselves they?ve now taken the suicidal step of involving foreigners, both business people and families on vacation. The sham that existed for years on TV commercials, in newspaper and magazine ads and so on, promoting Thailand as the Land of Smiles, has been blown out of the water for ever with the events of the past few days. Thais often have an inflated opinion of their country?s importance, even its size, and think they know more and are better than anyone else. When in fact the absolute opposite is true. Many are ignorant, although usually well-meaning, the education system is a sick joke, every embassy in the whole world knows you cannot trust a word that a Thai says. And the pretence that Thais are a peaceful race has now been shown up for what it always was.

It?s been okay while they just wanted to take over the government offices and turn the place into a site for an never-ending party. The government, of course, did nothing. Just moved somewhere else, ran away from the problem. The police? One brief confrontation, which they handled badly, surprise surprise. How about the troops restoring order? No. Let the mob rule and control a part of the city. Still, it was okay, a small area and they kept their quarrel to themselves, in-house. Then they started moving outside their little fiefdom, demonstrating in the hubs of the city, on Silom, outside Central World, on Sukhumvit. Visitors were now getting caught up in the bad vibes that were far removed from the smiles on the TAT posters.

And then. And then. If a country can commit suicide, Thailand did it. In any country in the world, taking over an airport would be considered an act of terrorism. I'm pretty sure that the penalty for that in many countries, including Thailand, is execution. Have the PAD leaders considered that, or do they care. And do they care that their actions will almost certainly put hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Thais out of work as foreign companies and tourists go elsewhere. And the police just let them do it, totally outnumbered, out-maneuvered, out-motivated. After all, you get paid the same whatever you do, so do nothing. It?s the Thai way. And, let?s not forget, many might have had their wife or other family members among the mob. The PAD wanted to let the world know of their cause, and that was their way of doing it. You know what? The world doesn?t give a flying fcuk about Thai politics. Both sides are as bad as each other, only interested in themselves. The world knows that most Asian countries are corrupt, and let them get on with it. That?s it. End of story.

But, because some people believe that Thais are the centre of the world and everyone is interested in their political shenanigans, we had families sheltering their terrified children as men dressed in full riot gear strode through the airport. Imagine what that is like for a young child. They could have nightmares for years. And that was just the beginning. The Thai staff do what Thais do best, and fled the scene leaving thousands of passengers stranded and confused and without any kind of assistance whatsoever as a lawless mob took over the building. The effectiveness of security at the airport has been questioned ever since it opened, and it fully lived down to expectations. The mob was able to take control of the entire complex, including airside, without the slightest resistance from anyone. Thousands of people, who came to Thailand because they believed in the fantasy, were trapped, unable to return to the city because almost all transport disappeared as quickly as the airport staff, and they spent the night and the whole of the next day sleeping anywhere they could. While nobody did anything at all to resolve the situation. Can you imagine that happening anywhere else in the world? Except an African banana republic. Because Thailand is the centre of the world it didn?t matter that people had jobs and family to return to, business meetings to attend in anywhere other than Thailand. Finally, the country was exposed to the entire world for what it really is, underneath the veneer.

Thailand may not recover. With pictures of gunfire on one of the busiest roads in the capital, knives held to citizens throats as they beg for mercy, setting fire to property, hand grenades being thrown around all over the place, and taking over supposedly secure airports while the police look on and the army ignores requests for help, why on earth would anyone at all consider visiting or doing business in a country without any semblance of law and order. Everyone who wants to fly out of the capital has, effectively, been held hostage even days later. I would expect that many airlines will now suspend flights indefinitely, not only because there'll be no passengers but because safety of their staff and property and planes cannot be guaranteed. The FAA and others have lists of airports that are safe and those that are not, and advise airlines accordingly. I guess Bangkok has now joined their blacklist. I've written before that it was only a matter of when, not if, Thailand suffered a terrorist attack. I just never imagined it would come from the Thais themselves.

It sums it up quite well for me...

[Undercover]

This is what PAD are for the world outside Thailand..

A picture of PAD supporters at the airport prepared to meet the police.

http://gfx.aftonbladet.se/multimedia/dynamic/00794/thaidemontrant_794616a.jpg

Great picture! He looks very pro-democracy.... one wonders how many millions of baht TAT has to spend to make up for pics like that being splashed across the internet.

In my mother-in-law's very middle-class neighborhood in Bangkok, gangs of armed PAD thugs are going to door-to-door demanding that people join the protests to prove their loyalty and love of certain institutions. They are also offering 1500 baht per day in cash and free food.

Because of the economic situation, a lot of the unemployed people are taking them up on this offer. The rest of the people in the moo bahn are staying inside with the gates locked and the lights out, terrified.

I don't see a happy outcome here...

[Undercover]

This is what PAD are for the world outside Thailand..

A picture of PAD supporters at the airport prepared to meet the police.

http://gfx.aftonbladet.se/multimedia/dynamic/00794/thaidemontrant_794616a.jpg

Great picture! He looks very pro-democracy.... one wonders how many millions of baht TAT has to spend to make up for pics like that being splashed across the internet.

In my mother-in-law's very middle-class neighborhood in Bangkok, gangs of armed PAD thugs are going to door-to-door demanding that people join the protests to prove their loyalty and love of certain institutions. They are also offering 1500 baht per day in cash and free food.

Because of the economic situation, a lot of the unemployed people are taking them up on this offer. The rest of the people in the moo bahn are staying inside with the gates locked and the lights out, terrified.

I don't see a happy outcome here...

[Katoom]

Man this place makes me miss Thailand badly!

You keep talking but saying nothing, again.

Can you at least list a few of the things you have so much distaste for, please? A little list will do, thanks.

Chop chop...

[zeusbheld]

the sharpened stick, the ultimate fashion accessory for peaceful civil disobedience.

[Ngairo]

the sharpened stick, the ultimate fashion accessory for peaceful civil disobedience.

Puts a brand new meaning to the common Thai phrase 'Happy Ending'

[Hobbes]

the sharpened stick, the ultimate fashion accessory for peaceful civil disobedience.

Don't be so harsh...can't you see, it's night time...they are just prepared to fend of any vampires. :roll:

:twisted:

[Stramash]

But by the look of his mask, he is already one of the undead...

(Weclome to the Land of Skeletal Smiles???)

and anyway, nasty PAD men with stakes, picking on da ickle cute vampires...

[vbroker]

Is there ANY post you don't spout this sh*t off in?

Yes, several. But you knew that already.

And where, may I AGAIN ask as I did several months ago, did you stay during your visit in Bangkok? SOI NANA wasn't it???

Indeed it was. More than once and I'd stay there again. I've stayed elsewhere as well, but the point is what a hypocrite I am, right? I also admit I like to play with the local females and am far from immune from bar girls too. Indeed there is almost no way to escape them if you're in party mode there. And likely you don't want to. But instead of attacking me personally, which I don't mind; why don't you challenge the point raised? Answer: you can't. It's irrefutable.

Oh and it is well worth noting that he is a THAI citizen and also Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

Noted. He's educated. Now note this: At the root of all the strife is the vast educational gap between the rich and poor. Notice I didn't say money or wealth. We're not talking wealth re-distribution here a la Karl Marx. Once everyone has the same access to a quality WESTERN STYLE education and some/many of the dopey cultural quirks disappear (can you say "face loss?") as is customary once you're educated, the entire mind set changes; these idiotic "disruptions" cease and the need for a coup every five years disappears. This is the LAST thing your typical lower Sukhumvit living expat there wants. So he needs to live with it and stop whining.

great. that's sorted. it's all so simple, it's a wonder no one has figured out how to solve all thailand's problems until now.

what's next, world peace or hunger?

Yeah I think part of the solution is what's simple: mandate a uniform kindergarten through eighth grade for all children; special emphasis on the poorer upcountry population. This is what's difficult: finding the leader(s) with the gonads or ovaries to implement such a political change.

[vbroker]

mandate a uniform kindergarten through eighth grade for all children

Sigh...

Do you have kindergartens in your country where the kids start at 3 years old, stay at school from 7.30 to 15.00 every week day and have such an academic program they seldom have opportunity to play?

A lot more research needed pal... :roll:

Uh no we don't. Wouldn't this fall under the "uniform" category I mentioned above? Given your description, it appears some Bangkok schools need to be as overhauled as I'd imagine there are upcountry areas that would love to have access to ANY sort of school program. The point is it all needs to be addressed and yes a lot more research is needed. The question is does Thailand have the leader(s) and political will?

[JImBa]

Could someone advise me if this is mere hyperbowl or are the authorities actually going to attempt to remove all of these protesters?

Thailand braced for bloody night to break airport siege

Security forces with new emergency powers surround PAD protesters

By Oliver Wright in Bangkok

Friday, 28 November 2008

Thailand is braced for a potentially violent end to the three-day blockade of Bangkok's main international airport as the government declared a state of emergency and rumours of an imminent army coup spread. The Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, unable to return to Bangkok because of the protest, gave security forces powers to oust 4,000 People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters who hold Suvarnabhumi airport.

Last night, more than 40 police vans moved into position around the terminal and officers set up roadblocks at all entrance routes to the airport, searching all vehicles going in and out. There was no immediate sign of a move to forcibly remove the protesters although one PAD source said they were preparing for an attempt to evict them early today.

Inside the departure lounge, beside the main airport information screen still showing Wednesday's cancellations, someone had put up a yellow sign in English. "Our only aim is to fight until the PM resigns," it read. "If in doing so we have caused you any inconvenience we sincerely apologise."

The Prime Minister's declaration empowers the government to suspend some civil liberties, restrict the movement of people and prohibits mass assembly in certain places. Mr Somchai accused the right-wing and essentially anti-democracy PAD of "holding the country and the public hostage". He added: "I do not have any intention to hurt any members of the public." But the emergency measures raise the possibility of violent clashes if the authorities move on Suvarnabhumi and the city's older, smaller Don Muang airport which is also held by protesters.

The Public Health Minister, Chalerm Yoombamrung, said he had 30 emergency medical teams on standby to deal with the aftermath of any crackdown. He added that police would try to negotiate first. "But if the negotiations fail, let's keep our fingers crossed," Mr Chalerm said. "I want them to be successful because I don't want to see bloodshed."

Earlier, Mr Somchai urged the army to stay in its barracks as coup rumours swirled. A government spokesman, Nattawut Saikuar, denied Mr Somchai planned to sack the army chief, Anupong Paochina, a day after the general called for a snap election to defuse the crisis. "Troops should stay in their barracks and the Prime Minister is not going to sack anybody," Mr Nattawut said after a cabinet meeting in the northern city of Chiang Mai.

PAD, which has been demanding the resignation of Mr Somchai and his government, seized the airport on Tuesday, forcing cancellation of all flights in and out. They accuse Mr Somchai of being a proxy for the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Thaksin, who is Mr Somchai's brother-in-law, and former owner of Manchester City football club, is in exile and wanted in Thailand for violating a conflict-of-interest law. Mr Somchai took over as Prime Minister last December after winning elections called after the previous military coup in 2006 in which Mr Thaksin was ousted. Although the right-wing PAD is demanding new elections, it also argues for less democracy, believing that poor Thais should be disenfranchised and the country controlled by the middle and upper classes. The blockade has already cost the country millions in lost revenue and next week is the start of the main tourist season. But the army is unlikely to want to act rashly. Having transferred power to a democratically elected government less than 12 months ago, they do not want to be seen to be overthrowing it and supporting the protesters. But by doing nothing they appear impotent, encouraging the government and the opposition to further entrench their positions.

Yesterday appeared to be more of a carnival mood. Outside the terminal, a band had set up on the concourse playing Thai pop songs, and small stalls sold mats, flags and rattles shaped like hands. Many protesters had brought food, bottled water, and even first-aid kits for those staying overnight.

Don Dualai, 52, had arrived earlier in the day with bags full of toiletries. He was planning to stay for a few hours but had to go home later to look after his young son. "You wait till Friday and the weekend and there will be 200,000 people here," said the business consultant. "Everyone is angry; Thaksin is a traitor and Somchai is his puppet. No one here will leave until they are gone."

Many Western travellers had left for the poolside of the nearby airport hotel. "If it's not open tomorrow we're going to hire a van and drive to Penang and fly to Kuala Lumpur," said **** Matthews, 62, from Minnesota, who had been on a golfing holiday with his wife. "We've had enough now. We can't wait here forever."

[SweetieBabie]

I was watching the news on Swedish telly and saw small children in the yellow crowd of the PADs at the airport, should you risk your own child for politics?? Use them as a shield just proof how crazy these people realy are.

I just saw crazy white farang guys PAD supporters wearing yellow bandannas on TV.

[MisterMatlock]

I was watching the news on Swedish telly and saw small children in the yellow crowd of the PADs at the airport, should you risk your own child for politics?? Use them as a shield just proof how crazy these people realy are.

I just saw crazy white farang guys PAD supporters wearing yellow bandannas on TV.

From what I've read, PAD supporters are going door to door offering 1500 baht per person per day plus free food, drinks, and transportation to come support the PAD. Maybe the farang guys needed the cash (like all the thai supporters) and took them up on their offer...

[allseasonsman]

Just thought it might be interesting for Thais to see how this whole thing is being reported in the daily news paper of record in Ireland.

THERE WAS an uneasy calm on the streets of Bangkok last night as citizens waited to see whether government efforts to break a siege by opposition protesters of the capital's two airports spiralled into a coup d'etat.

Addressing the nation on television, prime minister Somchai Wongsawat declared a state of emergency at Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports and ordered the army to stay in barracks, while mobilising loyal military units to end the occupation which has isolated Bangkok.

Protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were getting ready for a clash with paramilitary police, navy and border patrol units after Somchai ordered an end to the blockades at the airports.

Truckloads of army units could be seen on the roads leading to the airports.

Somchai said the disruption was causing massive damage to the economy and accused the protesters of "holding the country hostage, and the public hostage". "National security must be enforced to protect the majority. The emergency doesn't aim to hurt anyone; I hope the protesters leave the area," he said.

The protests have led to flight cancellations and stranded thousands of travellers. The instability has damaged Thailand's international reputation as a lively, emerging economy, and hit the country's stock market.

"I need to do something to restore peace and order," Somchai said as he invoked emergency powers.

The last time the premier acted to quell protest was in September when the opposition occupied Government House.

Emergency powers allow for restriction of the movement of people, and prohibition of mass assembly in certain locations.

Army commander Anupong Paochinda has called for snap elections and for the opposition to end their occupation, which would effectively leave the military in control and would be a de facto coup.

The Nation newspaper reported that Anupong had a telephone conversation with Mr Somchai to exchange ultimatums.

"A blink could result in the prime minister's stepping down or the removal of the army commander," the paper said.

The problem is largely the political gulf between the Bangkok elite and middle classes, who revile former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the majority rural and urban poor who loved his populist style.

The opposition wants to unseat Somchai's government because it says Somchai is a puppet of Thaksin, his brother-in-law. Thaksin and his allies stand accused of corruption and abuse of power, and Thaksin is now in exile, a fugitive from a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law.

Rumours of a coup were fuelled by a flurry of text messages following news reports of tank exercises, which the army said were a routine training exercise. Some offices closed early and medical teams were standing by in facilities around the capital, while senior military figures indicated that the army was on standby.

While the atmosphere was tense, Bangkok's citizens are well used to this - having witnessed 18 coups or attempted coups in 76 years of stop-start democracy.

Thailand's democratic life is functioning but chaotic, and the southeast Asian nation has been in political crisis since the army seized power in a coup in 2006. While day-to-day life tends to go on as normal during times of political unrest, relentless corruption trials, judicial manoeuvring and accusations of impeding the democratic process are having an impact.

In Chiang Mai to the north, where the government's support base is at its strongest, a pro-government gang shot dead an anti-government activist earlier this week after dragging him from his car. Government supporters were said to be mobilising late last night to be prepared in case of a coup.

In previous coups, Thailand's hugely popular King Bhumibol Adulyadej has intervened, but he is a few days short of his 82nd birthday and can no longer be relied upon to help in the same way, although his intervention should never be ruled out.

In a telling sign of the monarchy's view, Queen Sirikit last month attended the funeral of a protester who was killed in a clash with police.

Further complicating the current situation, the opposition has vowed to take to the streets if the military moves to oust Somchai, who was elected democratically, prompting fears of major destabilising civil unrest if there is a coup.

By focusing on the damage to the tourist industry, the government is hoping to appeal to fears of massive damage to a crucial income source for many Thais.

Losses in the remainder of this year could run to 150 billion baht (?3.29 billion), around 1.5 per cent of GDP. There are broader fears that the unrest could worsen the impact of the global slowdown and tip the export-driven economy into recession.

The government is drawing up plans to begin flying out thousands of tourists with "urgent needs" from one or two military bases in the next 48 hours.

That could include parents with young children and people with medical conditions, said Weerasak Kowsurat, Thailand's tourism minister.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1128/1227825379551.html

THE FOLLOWING are the main players in protests in Thailand over calls for the premier to step down:

Somchai Wongsawat

Prime minister and brother-in-law of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, Somchai is a former appeal court judge who became prime minister in September after his predecessor, Samak Sundaravej, was removed by the constitutional court for hosting cooking shows while in office.

His close relationship with Thaksin has led to charges of nepotism, which he denies.

Gen Anupong Paochinda

Commander-in-chief of the Thai army, Anupong was a leading member of the junta behind the 2006 coup that deposed Thaksin Shinawatra. He has declined to use force to clear protesters off the streets of Bangkok, fearing mass bloodshed. His call for fresh elections on Tuesday was seen by many as openly tilting the army's sympathy towards the protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Anupong has insisted that a coup will not resolve the country's problems. He is said to be a Beatles fan and a keen drummer.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej

The king is the world's longest- serving head of state, having ascended to the throne in June 1946. He is credited with being a restraining influence on the military, helping to steer the country's transition to democracy in the 1990s and supposedly heading off several coups. He has been a significant presence behind the scenes, persuading rival politicians to negotiate. The yellow shirts worn by PAD protesters are a sign of loyalty to the crown.

Thaksin Shinawatra

The former prime minister, a former police colonel from Chiang Mai, set up one of Thailand's first mobile telephone networks, growing the family fortune to an estimated ?1.6 billion. He founded Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) and was swept into office in 2001 with the first absolute majority in Thai history, but was overthrown by a coup on September 19th, 2006, while attending a UN meeting in New York.

He then lived in exile in a mansion in Surrey, and later in a rented flat in Park Lane, London. In 2007, he bought Manchester City FC for £81.6 million (?97.5 million). This month, the UK withdrew the visas of Thaksin and his wife after they were convicted of corruption by Thailand's supreme court. He now lives in the Middle East.

Two leading protesters

There are nine prominent personalities at the head of the PAD, which wants the overthrow of the government. Of these, Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang led mass street protests against a military-backed government in 1992, which prompted the last major crackdown by the Thai army. A former governor of Bangkok, he is a devout Buddhist who is reported to be celibate and to have renounced all worldly possessions. Sondhi Limthongkul is a former journalist and media owner who long ago fell out of sympathy with Thaksin. He has been accused of using his newspapers as a personal mouthpiece for his political views.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1128/1227825379541.html

[beej]

Man this place makes me miss Thailand badly!

You keep talking but saying nothing, again.

Can you at least list a few of the things you have so much distaste for, please? A little list will do, thanks.

Chop chop...

ok

Hong Kong is full of coke head western posh boys that toff around in their fancy sports cars shouting their champagne swigging mouths off at the top of their voice, if you don't fancy hanging out with them you've got to put up with the rude arrogant Chinese here, who would rather cut off their own noses than help you.

Its over the top expensive for little reason, and its cold.

Give me the **** up known as Thailand any day, I miss it!

[beej]

I was watching the news on Swedish telly and saw small children in the yellow crowd of the PADs at the airport, should you risk your own child for politics?? Use them as a shield just proof how crazy these people realy are.

I just saw crazy white farang guys PAD supporters wearing yellow bandannas on TV.

From what I've read, PAD supporters are going door to door offering 1500 baht per person per day plus free food, drinks, and transportation to come support the PAD. Maybe the farang guys needed the cash (like all the thai supporters) and took them up on their offer...

Can I insert and English teacher jibe in there somewhere?

:wink: