Mai Pen Rai
What was all the noise and smoke about?! I’ve spoken to dozens of stranded tourists over the past few days and embassies and airlines … and suddenly, just like that, it’s all over? No arrests? More importantly even: No betterment of the political environment? What are they celebrating?
Consider this “sad list” a reader sent who is wondering what the PAD are actually achieved: 1. The disbanded governing party PPP will regroup under the Puea Thai. 2. A new prime minister – most probably from the Puea Thai – will be announced soon. He/she will be another Thaksin-proxy.
3. Several people got killed since the PAD demonstrations started and hundreds were injured, with no one taking or facing responsibility. 4. The PAD don’t have to fear any serious legal action for taking over Government House and two airports.
5. Thai courts seem biased to say the least by enforcing some decisions and evading other with a rule-by-law culture evolving. 6. The armed forced did not perform their constitutional duties by refusing the orders of a democratically elected government.
7. The police did likewise. 8. The kingdom lost if not billions in revenues and incomes. 9. The potential for new conflict ahead is even higher. 10. Thais are infinitely embarrassed for their leaders and country.
11. We’ll most likely witness situations 3.-9. all over again.
Why then did the PAD stop?! They didn’t want to. The only plausible answer is they had to.
Lessons learned? Only the repetition of situations 3)-9) will show.
Or better even: never mind. A bloody nose is just for a start.
The list goes on:
12) Thailand has become a burdon/embarrassment for the region. Not even Burma had to postpone an Asean summit.
A mass class action of foreigners is what is needed to wake the Thais and PAD specifically
.
It’s all very well to snub your nose at fellow Thais but foreigners are a different class of enemy!
How can we make it happen?
I find it very interesting that all options had been exhausted by the police (helicopters dropping leaflets), a major police meeting yesterday, the court decision, then … poof … PAD decides to stop their operation until next week. It is useless to say they are gone because they have made one thing clear. They will be back.
Thailand will be begging for those very foreigners the kingdom treated like they normally treat the Burmese and likewise.
By staying away foreigners will be hurting the kingdom in a much more profound way than any class action suit could.
And don’t expect any “solidarity tourism” as after the tsunami.
Then again, it will hurt the innocent ones and the PAD will continue proclaiming that the “killer” enemy had justifies the harsh means.
The only hope is that Thais start judging their own leaders thoroughly. To dig up the history of PAD leader Sondhi would serve as a good head start.
BangkokDan
@whoopla: Never mind those whose children were sick, had run out of money of lost their jobs because they couldnt get back.
Sick children could have been taken to any one of several international standard hospitals like Bumrungrad and given superior treatment for less cost than your co-pay at some HMO.
As for running out of money: If your budget is in such dire straights that an additional week in paradise constitutes a personal fiscal crisis then you should not have taken the trip in the first place. Furthermore it is irresponsible to your children to subject them to your fiscal irresponsibility.
Any family that does not have a bare minimum of one years salary in the bank should not be spending money on luxuries! Duh! Didn’t your family teach you that?
As for losing your job because of circumstances out of your control: Perhaps working for any jerk that would fire you for this isn’t the best idea in the first place. Were you to have union representation there would be much less to worry about in this area. Perhaps genuflecting at the alter of capitalism hasn’t been in your best interest, hmm?
PAD’s obsequios pandering to muslims. Beyond obvious reasons of fear of direct violent reprisals, can anyone explain why the only two flights allowed out of Thailand’s airport hostage siege were for mecca-bound muslims?
@whoopla:
Cute little play on my user name. Did your wife give you permission to do that?
Middle class elitists? Is that possible?
Stalwart for elite tourism only? Stating the absolute truth that it is irresponsible to your family to spend on luxuries when you don’t have one year of wages in the bank is elitist? I think not. Further you know I am correct because you revealed it when you stated “People do take risks.”
“Your attitude to peoples misfortune”: I did not cause your misfortune. You did. You were irresponsible not me. Stop whining! Stay in Des Moines and save your money. Man up!
I like this one:
The power of money – translated and summarized from Manager, Author; Chaianan Samutwanit, November 30th, 2008
Loads of people I know are currently talking about some suspicious events that occurred. Those suspicious events are the following;
1. A funny man encourages the public to send letters to his Majesty the King to pardon Thaksin.
2. A picture of the XXXXX was defaced with no clues found.
3. Beloved people were given nicknames and dishonored comments on some websites.
4. The role of XXXXX was widely criticized.
5. Missiles, bombs, and grenades were used against PAD without any investigation from police officials.
6. Generals coerce people to bomb PAD and they do not receive any warning from their commander.
7. The fighting of PAD and anti-PAD people on the road at midday.
8. Government House, Parliament House and the national airport can be occupied with ease.
9. There is no attempt to create a coup though many people were killed.
In the battle between fans and foes of Thaksin, it is a surprise to see lots of people still assisting the former prime minister to be pardoned from his many guilty cases.
Furthermore, though today the conflict has gone too far and seems to interrupt the loyalty towards the royal family, police officials do not seriously look into these matters.
Soldier might be forced to intervene in the conflict between two groups or even forced to exercise a coup and take the PM position.
No matter how the situation goes, Thai will face political turmoil problems and on-going economic disaster which might cause a reduction in the price of agricultural goods.
The question of how only one man can create this turmoil in society from so far away can be answered when considering the the power of money.
Thais should teach their children to value another things other than money or the situation may repeat again and again.
@whoopla: If you google bozoj’s moniker you will find the the trail of a troll. The best advice is to not feed him, let him starve.
Krid, didn’t google, but he kept showing up on other blogs I read with the same comments. Figured him to be a troll.
Don’t feed the Troll!
A few corrections. The PAD are facing legal challenges. Their leaders already have court cases hanging over their heads yet they are still acting with impunity.
THAI airways, Airports of Thailand, and many other people are suing them for civil damages in the range of 20 or so billion baht.
For some commentators, the Thai government did actually accommodate stranded tourists. 2,000 baht was given per tourist per day as well as waiving visa expiries if the tourist in question was in fact stranded by the PAD.
The courts, though, are clearly biased and even if the PAD are forced to pay, they won’t ever make enough money in their lifetimes to pay for all the damages, especially when a Canadian man and Swedish woman had to die, not to mention several more injured in car accidents because they fled Bangkok to order to catch a plane in Phuket …
This is the best blog I have been on so far lots of very good links and posts looks like I will have lots to read tonight – great work guys.
The conundrum of “middle class elitists” is very much alive and well in amazing Thailand – where else are adults, who behave like dangerous children, become induced from birth to believe that they are a superior species? btw this observation applies almost singularly to Bangkok or Thai-Chinese brood.