How?
See post #256 in this thread.
With Thailand perched on the edge of so many hotspots over the decades, there’s quite a few. There have even been targeted hits of businessmen using remote-controlled claymore mines.
Despite the peaceful veneer the Thais like to project, I’ve heard it said the only people not armed are the farangs. That may be only a slight exaggeration.
Yingluck was supposed to show up to answer corruption charges today regarding that rice scheme, but she was too busy. She’s still touring the country, focusing on areas where she’s sure to receive a rousing red-shirt welcome. And a group of her supporters tried to chain the gates shut in Bangkok at the place where the hearing was due to take place.
Those rice bonds that were supposed to go on sale today too, the ones whose proceeds are supposed to pay the angry farmers, has been delayed until tomorrow (Friday).
Ominously, a red-shirt hard-liner wants to recruit 600,000 young men for a “pro-government Democracy Protection Volunteers Group.” Looks like the reds may be gearing up.
Looks like the Bangkok “shutdown” is coming to an end. Suthep says he’ll clear all the occupied intersections this weekend and operate from a single stage inside Lumpini Park. Hmmm. He says no one is making him do this, but things are never what they seem on the surface over here. And this does come right after the army chief came out and ominously warned he could not promis there would be no military coup in the near future. But the thinking has been that Suthep wanted a coup. It could be nothing more than the dramatic dwindling of numbers as even supporters grow tired of this.
There really is never any figuring out what’s really going on here.
I like the last sentence in the linked story: “In any case, he said, Ms Yingluck could not communicate well in English and that could pose a problem during negotiations.” Referring to proposed negotiations using the UN as a mediator. Prime Minister Yingluck’s English is notoriously bad. Most famously, she was overheard telling Hillary Clinton “Overcome” instead of “Welcome.” That sounds like an Urban Legend but is apparently true.
Just wondering if there are any updates. MSN did have one short blurb about a second set of elections, but nothing since.
No news is good news, Sam?
Not much happening now. They’ve consolidated into Lumpini Park in central Bangkok and freed up all the intersections they were occupying. Still a few incidents occurring such as a couple of people being shot in or near the park, but it’s largely died down.
Except in northern Bangkok, where the Government Complex remains shut. The Foreign Ministry is located out there. I mentioned earlier that I knew a Malaysian waiting to receive Foreign Ministry approval for her Bangkok assignment. They did bring her into the country on a regular tourist visa, and she’ll be interviewed by a ministry official at some hotel that they’re working out of now.
Further elections are supposed to be held. They’re not new ones but rather an extension of the February 2 polls. The government is trying to complete that election in areas that were blocked by protesters on election day. Then the elections will probably be challenged in court.
The red shirts are starting to hold a number of rallies in the North and Northeast and threatening to act more militantly. And the prime minister continues her tour of friendly areas in those two regions, basking in the adoration she receives at each stop. Safer than Bangkok for her right now, I’ll clue ya!
But by and large, life has returned to normal in Bangkok. Pity about Lumpini Park though, as it’s been turned into a fucking pig sty. I’ve never had time to make much use of the park – actually, I think it’s been 20 years since I last set foot inside it – but it’s always been considered a bright spot in this city of concrete.
Just a small update. The useless state of emergency will be lifted tomorrow (Wednesday). I don’t know anyone who could tell you what good it did anyway.
The protesters now have control only of Lumpini Park in central Bangkok and the Government Complex in northern Bangkok. But they’ve supposedly from today allowed the opening of the passport office. My wife is renewing her passport tomorrow but instead of going out there, she’ll use one of the smaller offices dotted around the city. I’m not sure if these offices have been opened since the Government Complex became occupied or they’ve always been there, but they’re especially crowded now. The wife will have to leave home at 5am and still expects to wait a long time.
There’s been a new development of some importance. The Constitutional Court today (Friday) completely nullified the results of the February 2 election on the grounds that the voting could not all be held on the same day. So we’re back to square one. Story here.
This sets a very bad precedent. Now either side or any other group can block elections completely just by disrupting the voting in some areas. It’s looking like Thailand may never have another functioning government again.
What do you mean “again”? 
Sorry to be flippant, hope the situation continues to not affect you too badly.
Fair point. 
I suspect - or at least hope - the court will reconsider its holding when its (un)intended consequences become clear.
I wouldn’t count on that. That would mean they’d have to admit they could have been wrong. That’s not going to happen.
This will probably take a whole new constitution to fix. Constitutions here are not like the one in the US. They come and go. The present one dates from 2007, formulated after the military coup. It may take another coup to get another constitution. It usually does, but not always.
Now it looks like a car bomb went off about 5am. That’s out where the Government Complex is located, and it’s still occupied. Car bombs are not really the style here though, but you never know. Personally, I suspect it’s more likely that someone was transporting or storing explosives, and something happened to set them off.
I know this is old news, but the children that died were at a food stall helping their mother, not part of the protest per se.
Also related to that probably the lowest point in a very sordid narrative was when Red Shirts burst into cheering at the news of those murdered in the attack:
I see now that the video has been removed from Youtube (actually the account was removed) but seeing the faces in the crowd absolutely lighting up with glee when hearing the news was a stomach-churning experience. Even worse, the man bringing in the good news is a policeman.
They were tangentially part of the protest. I believe the food stand was set up to sell food to the protesters, and it’s not opponents of the protesters who set these stands up. Children on either side should not be allowed near these sites. It shows a complete lack of common sense.
The red shirts have a long history of bloodthirstiness. Their glee at the news of deaths was similar to their delight at seeing Bangkok burning. Their rhetoric during their 2010 rallies described in graphic detail how they would literally disembowel the yellow shirts if given the chance. Peaceful Buddhists, my ass.
You’ve got some different kinda Buddhists there, that’s for sure!
Well, there were those peaceful Buddhists in Japan in the 1930s and '40s … oh, wait! 
On a side note, Bruno Mars did not cancel his concert. And it didn’t take him long to find pirated copies of his own music, heh. 
Excerpt: **"He also posted a picture of himself smiling as he showed off four pirated CDs of his own music. ‘Got these Bootleg CDs #WhatayaGonnaDo? #Bangkok,’ he wrote.
“It also appeared that the vendor was not aware that Bruno Mars was checking out his pirated products.”**
I think the militarists were mainly Shinto, not Buddhists, weren’t they?