Thai military moves to restore order after bloody clashes in Bangkok

Wednesday 08th October, 06:29 AM JST

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14 Comments

adaydream at 07:08 AM JST - 8th October

I'm hoping that peace and bright minds can bring civil rest to this situation. Then the government is going to have to have talks and listen at these talks to come to a peaceful solution. < :-)
bushlover at 07:16 AM JST - 8th October

adaydream that is the stupidest thing I have read in a while. How can peace prevail if they don't have it? And bright minds are usually the ones that are responsible for a lot of genocide around the world. You provide lip service only.
rjd_jr at 07:32 AM JST - 8th October

Unfortunately many people's worst scenarios have come to fruition. Many have felt that no matter who becomes PM, they will never be happy. And here we are, protestors are yet again happy with the new PM. This time it didn't even take two years between PM's; this one lasted weeks before the PAD was grumbling. It never ends.

What was most amusing was one of the spokesperson pontificating about how the rural voting class were too "uneducated" to make their own political choices, and how it was too easy to buy votes. So what is their proposal? To have a select group of people from certain social and professional circles to make political choices for them (read: the upper class/elite of Bangkok). Yet they have no clue as to how to prevent furture corruption in this new system they propose.

Once again this is less about political equality and justice.
adaydream at 07:58 AM JST - 8th October

bushlover - I remember a few months ago when the Thais were face to face with the Cambodians. They worked that out.

Nothing is impossible. < :-)
Scrote at 08:58 AM JST - 8th October

The so-called "People's Alliance for Democracy" should stop protesting against the freely-elected government and act to stop the rampant child prostitution in Thailand.

Of course, they won't lift a finger to stop it: the PAD are only interested in themselves.
Athletes at 10:30 AM JST - 8th October

Thai and Japan has changed prime misters like changing the clothes. It will not solve every problems they are facing now. Although democracy is not perfect, it will protect the poor and uneducated people. Smart and educated people care about themselves.

Bangkok people are only the fraction of the Thai population. If they do not like the government, they have to find the peaceful ways for solution. Not using the violence and confrontation!
SimondB at 04:02 PM JST - 8th October

Thailand is a country still comining to terms with democracy. Not so long ago bringing out the army was the norm when people showed dissent. Perhaps it is still happening now. But in my view, give Thailand a decade or so and the will of the people will shape the countrys' future. For many years they have been under dictatorship or leaders who were "democratically" elected but chose to rule in a dictatorship style.

10 years and Thailand will be OK. One thing I like about the Thais is there willingness to take to the streets to protest. From this will eventually come real peoples power. Go for it Thailand!
Athletes at 06:25 PM JST - 8th October

"Thailand a decade or so and the will of the people will shade the country futrure." It is rubbish! Since 1973, so many governments changed according the will of the people. The people are never happy! No government can satisfy the will of the extremist people. If current prime minster has to quit, they had changed two prime minsters with two weeks.

For business people, they do not want to see government changing everyweek. They will withdraw their investments. For current economic climate, screaming and distubing the law and order will promote social unstablity.

Democracy is not a confrontation. Which follow the will of the majority people. Singapore is a bit autocratic however it is the most prposerous country in SE Asia because of the polical stablity. It is impossible for pleasing everyone with the election.
sickearth at 09:03 AM JST - 9th October

It is rubbish! Since 1973, so many governments changed according the will of the people.

it rubbish since 1973 that because of the military government. it is not the will of the people like this time. it took the will of people (middle-class mostly in bkk) to remove military dictatorship government, and restore democracy back to the country where some group of people can enjoy getting the buying vote money and policy.

and this time it is another will of people trying to prevent the dictator thaksin and his people from coming back in full power. it is not all the protester agree with what PAD offer. but all of them do agree in the same direction which say, thaksin and all of his people must not make a comeback. nobody in thailand ever ask for a government that can please everyone as some said here!

and thais will never take a same path as Singapore, if you know what is thai mean in thai language you will understand that money and economic giant is not suit the word thai
Athletes at 06:47 PM JST - 9th October

Suprise phrase! "In thai language you will understand that money and economic giant is not suit the word thai". Most of the Thai politians are corrupted and well connected. When Taskin started campaining, he said he is richest man in Thai and he will never be corrupted like his predecessors.

He contributed for recovery of Thai from economic cris. However he became corrupted too. Thai has no "Indepedent commision against corruption". No transparency for polictical donations. No prudential regulation for monitoring for pulbic fiance. No wonder "Asia financial cris" was oringated from Thai. Consecutive changing government with force will not benefit for average Thai people. They need real leadership, fair regulation for public finance, strict dispiline and polical stabilty.
rajakumar at 12:18 AM JST - 10th October

Thailand political factions in bangkok must change mindsets to promote dialogues and promotion of peace among thai people.

I think thailand will go on to better thailand after learnig lessons from this october woes in bangkok.
sickearth at 01:25 PM JST - 10th October

Athletes, what you just said is what the middle-class in thailand (it is not only in bangkok), and most of the people in thai's education sector said.

they are the same group that you just said earlier that Smart and educated people care about themselves.

thai people know that They need real leadership, fair regulation for public finance, strict dispiline and polical stabilty. that why you are seeing them protesting now.

you knew Asia financial cris was originated from Thailand, but you know who where the government during that time? if you don't then, see people in thaksin'gov, see people in this gov.

even worse, people in that gov benefit from the cries by managing the thai's tax money for their own business and let the whole country went under IMF care. do i have to talk about 3000 plush people got kill in the south because of this people miss-calculated policy?

this people are "dangerous", only selfish people care nothing but buying vote money would elect those monster back.

now tell me who infact care about themselves?

the people trying to prevent those corrupter from coming back to power and destroy the country again

or

the people who can nothing but money they will get before the voting day?

by the way, make sure poor people in thailand are really poor. poor people have house, land farm, pay almost no tax. and thaksin offer them a million bath per village just for spending in whatever they want.(no wonder they love this guy!)

i see the people work day to night pay tax for everything they earn, no one offer them any special treatment, those middle-class are the real poor. and this people are the one protesting right now. it is not only small number in bangkok as you thing.
sickearth at 02:48 PM JST - 10th October

Athletes , i just relize that you said "He contributed for recovery of Thai from economic cris." you mean Mr.Toxin?!!

where did you get the information? Wiki? he is the prime suspect of influents the thai PM at the time to use the reserved money (all of them) to protect thai bath before the crises so that he can move his business empire out of thai base currency. Then they let the bath go over the night and the hell breakloose!

There is no one investigate this because it will hit many people in the government and opposition part, but it doesn’t mean you can call this guy who “ontributed for recovery of Thai from economic cris”

the real group of people lay a solute foundation for the economic recovery are those in the government right after Chavalit’s gov resigned. I have to count in

thaksin is someone benefited from… everyone work, and spend the money with the buying vote policy for himself.

After 4 years of his term all of his buying vote programs were showing a very bad sign because the shortage of tax money too feed in and that could be another round of economic destruction for Thailand. His business involved in almost all of thai’s government project, and he corruption everything from healthcare, education mattrial, transportation project, hospital equipment, ….EveryDamnThing.

Neverever call him a guy “contributed for recovery of Thai from economic cris." He was about to offer Thailand 2nd economic crises!

He has been the big part of bringing country to the crises and pay no part in bringing country out of it.
Athletes at 06:11 PM JST - 10th October

Sickearth! Interesting, exciting and some bias in your comment. In the reality, City people do not care about the poor cousins from the country side. I worked as volunteer for NGOs in Nothern area before. They said city people care for themselves.

In SE Asia, I have not seen successful democratic nations. Phillipine ripped off the corrupted Marcos in 1986. They keep ripping off the some successive presidents until now.They said, all governments are corrupted except Ramos. They have changed countless presidents now. Their last target was current president Aryoyo. Whey they rip the last president Joesph Estrada, they can not wait the election. All of them went to streets and scream, surround the presidential palace. According the latest static, GDP is falling, unemployment is sky rocketting. Inflation is out of control. Corruption are still rampant.

My biggest suprise was some people demonstrated on the streets before became politicans. Later they became corrupted too. They are opportunists and they cared for themselves. Thailand is becoming like Phillipine now. I have read Asia Weeks weekly. According the Asia Week Magazine from 2003 or 2004, Taskin repaid the loan to IMF within three years. He declarded independent day for full repayment date.

He was a former policeman and very touch for law and order. I am not fan of him. However I have seen in TV he was frying chicken and eating chicken during the Chicken flu season. Chicken traders kissed him. It is unusual for Prime Minister frying Chicken. My prime minister never fry chicken. Because he does not want to get the heat and smell. Anyway, Taskin family did not pay tax for selling Telecom company.

I assume he abused the power and protect his personal wealth. He and his wife assests needed to be frozen & send back to Thai. Thai people needed to be wise for not demaging the successful economy what they are now. If the conflict is still going on for a long term, current economic condition will be worsen. Even the second richest country in the world is laying off many staff. Thai people needed to be patient and united for the sake of the nation. If Thai are killing each other, this proud nation will go back to stone ages.

Thanks for your comment Sickearth! The earth is gettng sicker because of the financial cris world wide. I hope Thai will be stronger than 1997 because of the some reforms. In my heart, I do not wish to see Thai become likes Phillipine. I want to see successful, prosperous and united Thailand or Siam. Long live the King & Queen of both nations!