Thailand declared a state of emergency in Bangkok Tuesday, banning gatherings of more than five people in a bid to clamp down on anti-government protests that erupted into deadly clashes overnight.
- Extracted from “Thailand declares emergency in Bangkok after clashes leave one dead”, AFP, 2 September 2008.
This may be an opportune time just to reiterate that any New Mandala readers in Bangkok, or elsewhere in Thailand, who have local updates on the situation in their area can feel encouraged to send them across. Recent guest posts by Srithanonchai have shown how much goes on below the surface and it would be wonderful, especially at this time of crisis, if more accounts from the fringes made it into the public domain.
5 responses so far ↓
1 rawingwong phonpiak // Sep 2, 2008 at 12:57 pm
It’s about time our friends who have illegitimately taken over the Government House leave and not forget to pay for the damage done to the property.
2 TEFL/TESOL Trash // Sep 2, 2008 at 1:06 pm
What’s so wonderful about Thaksin now?
3 TEFL/TESOL Trash // Sep 2, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Indeed, what’s so wonderful about Thaksin’s friends, ex-friends and enemies too? Ordinary Thais were be left picking up the scraps with any of these plonkers.
4 TEFL/TESOL Trash // Sep 2, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Rawingwong, it is also time people like Thaksin paid for what they have been stealing from the exchequer for decades. This entire conflict has blown-up because important people here are totally incapable of reining in their own greed. And also because there is no form of punishment allowed against greedy Poo-Yais. Your intelligentsia has completely failed to run the country in a just & equitable manner.
5 Farang Expat // Sep 3, 2008 at 12:04 pm
In Thailand where I live (a tourist area), what is noticeable is that in recent days local Thais seem to have stopped wearing yellow and red shirts and most T.V.s are now turned to soaps or sports.
This approach is probably one of self-preservation and conflict avoidance.
That said, it is time to get the mob out of government house and before magistrates where they belong.
Samak has played his hand well. It is time to let him take off the white gloves.
Lets hope the police, the soldiers, and the courts can do it with the least amount of bloodshed.
Then get the discussions back into Parliament where they belong in a democracy.
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