Yesterday New Mandala’s Andrew Walker was interviewed on the ABC Radio National breakfast program about politics and the palace in Thailand. The audio of Andrew’s conversation with Fran Kelly is available here.
Thailand’s ailing monarch
October 22nd, 2009 by Nicholas Farrelly · 5 Comments
Tags: Royal family · Thailand
5 responses so far ↓
1 Arthurson // Oct 22, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Can anyone confirm the verbal report I just received by phone (Thursday 22 October at 1600) that red shirt protestors have seized the regional Thai Police headquarters in Chiang Mai? I have searched news sources but can find no mention of this. Can anyone currently residing in Chiang Mai please confirm or deny this report, and the possible repercussions if true.
2 CNXJeffrey // Oct 22, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Yes, today there was protest action taken by a “redshirt” group at the Chiang Mai police HQ. More detail yet to materialise.
The gist of the issue is a lot of people up here are extremely pissed off with the bias against redshirts (being targeted for arrest), while PAD have got off totally scot-free after their well documented violence over the past 2-3 years.
3 ChrisBeale // Oct 27, 2009 at 8:33 am
Both of the above are correct.
There is no more Thailand – it has broken into two.
Chiang Mai – Lanna – and Isaarn, against Bangkok, The Central Plains, and Southern Thailand, but not Pattani.
Isaarn – and Lanna – are now almost separate STATES, under the common monarchy.
Isaarn and Lanna now have separate, independent armies and police, in everything but name.
4 Volk // Oct 27, 2009 at 11:56 am
Before Thaksin era Chiang Mai was a Democrat stronghold and even many MPs defected Dems still have strong support there, just not enough to match pro-Thaksin parties in elections.
In the latest survey Abhisit got 15.3% in the North – just little less than 17.4% in Bangkok.
In recent by-elections in Isan PTP won easily, but about a third of people voted for BJT, too.
If you want to find a monolithic region, it’s the South, the rest of the country is rather diverse.
5 Chris Beale // Oct 31, 2009 at 2:54 am
Well said Volk. You’ve captured exactly why a civil war would be hugely horiffic : family member fighting family member.
Like what happened in England during the Civil War, like what happened in America during their Civil War, like what happened in France during the “Revolution”, etc. Thailand is better if it can avoid this almost inevitable course of history. Much better off if Thais – and Isaarn Lao – settle their differences through
voting not violence. But will the Palace accept a government they do not like ? And if not, will Isaarn accept that Palace?
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