The RED SHIRT Crisis in Bangkok!

[Lefty]

(guydesavoy @ May 18 2010,23:04) Yeah it does. Things seem to have settled down a tad in the last 24 hours.

Funny thing is, every time I see his name I can't help thinking about that Gene Pitney song

Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa?

Did you realize that Tulsa spelled backwards is a slut? A little fact that is overlooked or ignored by all the bible thumpers and inbreeders who inhabit the state of Oklahoma.  

[deepthroat]

(Lefty @ May 19 2010,02:05) Did you realize that Tulsa spelled backwards is a slut? A little fact that is overlooked or ignored by all the bible thumpers and inbreeders who inhabit the state of Oklahoma.  

Oops.... you made the common mistake of assuming they can spell.

[PigDogg]

(Snick @ May 17 2010,08:41) Bangkok Air is having a 2 for 1 sale on tickets to Samui.

Looks to me it's a night "free" at a hotel if you pay for two additional nights.

If anyone sees a 2 for 1 dir deal to Samui, please post a link, thnx.

[Snick]

You need a Visa, for the 2 fly for 1 offer

[Snick]

Final Push ?
Reports coming in that at 6am this morning the Army started advancing on the Red Positions at Sala Daeng (Silom) intersection, using Armored Personel Carriers (APC) and Water Canons.
A dozen APC are positioned around the protest site.

In other news, peace talks broke down when Thaksin insisted he get his money back, amnesty, his passports returned and a Puppy.

[f0xxee]

So the Puppy was the deal breaker?

[f0xxee]

IN honesty I thought the Gov't had totally screwed the pooch on this one, but in hind-sight their game has not been too bad... allowing enough rope to the UDD to hang themselves (re the hospital invasion), then offering a peace proposal for the red shirts to again reject and again gain themselves more bad PR and bad blood. Finding justification to cut the money trail to the UDD.
Someone in the government is a shrewd opperator.

[rxpharm]

It appears to be coming to a head - troops with armoured vehicles are gathering around the main protest site - probably to a push into it Wednesday am (which is the last day of the declared extra public holidays). Tuesday night the Red Shirt leaders were booed by the crowd when they announced a potential peace plan brokered by a group of Thai senators. Ironic that their own brain washing techniques have worked too well with the protestors, and now they have pretty much hung themselves out to dry no longer able to convince their followers to accept a peace plan they wanted to agree to - after turning down the Abbhisit road map.

[deepthroat]

(titian @ May 18 2010,06:38) would it be possible please for someone on the ground to spell out what's open and what's not.  I presume that Patpong is a no-go area and that Soi Cowboy is safe, but what about Nana and the other establishments along Soi 4?  I am due in BKK next month, and would appreciate some solid intel as it's difficult to work it out from the high-level map on the BBC News website.

Not exactly a list of what's open and closed, but here's the latest Bangkok Dangerous map from respected blogger and long-time Thailand resident Richard Barrow updated with this morning's events. He also works for a local newspaper

http://maps.google.co.th/maps....62&z=14

Bangkok Dangerous: Street Battles May 2010
URGENT: Wednesday 19th May: Looks like the army crackdown is starting along Rama IV Road now!

Central Bangkok is now a "war zone". Latest news is that the street clashes are further outside the area marked on this map. All MRT and BTS train services are closed until further notice. Most big shopping malls in central Bangkok are closed too. All schools are shut. Monday to Friday is now a public holiday in Bangkok. The army's plan to encircle the red shirts (green square) has failed repeatedly. So far 36 dead in running street battles. We think the army will move in soon to clear the streets.

MOST DANGEROUS: Areas to avoid in Bangkok this week: Sala Daeng/Silom area, Lumpini Boxing Stadium/Bon Kai area and Ratchaprarop to Din Daeng area including Victory Monument.

Follow for updates: http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow

BTW, the rest of Bangkok and Thailand is safe :-)

[deepthroat]

Live nearly minute-by-minute Reuters coverage:

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Bangkok_protests

[Snick]

The 'Holiday' has been extended to cover the whole week, in Bangkok.

Its 8am right now, troops are advancing and have taken elevated positions on skytrain over looking the Red Shirt rally site.

Watching the APC drive around Lumpini Park on TV.

[f0xxee]

Further to comments above about children being placed in Jeopardy.

Quotes on the matter from "The Nation" 19-05-10 regarding the attached photo:

Children's rights activists and a human-rights commissioner jointly yesterday condemned red-shirt leaders for not preventing the use of children as human shields.
The condemnation arose after the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) displayed photographs of a small boy being held up above a bunker-like structure formed by anti-government protesters, who were preparing to battle it out with soldiers.


"The leaders shouldn't let children come near the bunker. It is too dangerous. Anything could happen to them. I've been protecting children's rights for a long time and I'm worried. One of the leaders has just had a baby. What if someone put his child in the bunkers like this, I wonder how he would feel," children's rights activist Wallop Tangkhananurak said


However, red-shirt leader Dr weng Tochirakarn brushed aside any blame.
"It's the parents' decision to bring their children along," Weng said, adding that though he did not agree with such a decision he suggested that maybe some parents wanted to entertain their children in this manner.


Speechless......

[deepthroat]

Latest according the Reuters live feed:

8:31am: Two people shot in gunfight near Bangkok protest site, Reuters witness, as protesters fired back at troops.

[Snick]

Live announcement on Thai TV first in Thai, then IN ENGLISH, govt will be making multiple advances today to set up secure perimeters are restore order in many parts of the city.

Nothing about clearing the rally site.

[f0xxee]

Just watching on TV as the APC's start to roll over the tyre walls and bamboo stakes.