The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) vowed to surround the nation’s highest office today as planned, while state-enterprise labour unions said thousands of members would join the protest. (Nation)

While I don’t think this has yet reached the level of a coup, is it only a matter of time? What will today’s protests bring?

The Government House gates were locked yesterday evening, and most personnel were asked to take a leave of absence today, because they may be unable to leave the compound due to the protest, said Loiluan Bunnag, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister. (Nation)

“If they try to break through using flag poles, baseball bats or other objects they will be regarded as using weapons… Police will take action according to international crowd control principles.” - Pol Maj-Gen Surapol Thuanthong, deputy police spokesman. (Bangkok Post)

The protests have got out of hand before and I see no reason why today’s should be any different. There are going to be more people and more flaring tempers than last time.

Pol Maj-Gen Surapol said police would definitely not allow PAD protesters to move to Government House, and said officers would be prepared to use force to stop them. He did not give details but referred to “international crowd control principles,” presumably including riot police and tear gas. (Bangkok Post)

There you have it. A clash is all but set up.

Maj-Gen Chamlong, who has been the leading figure in the current protest, stopped short of saying what the PAD will do, but insisted he would not be pushed backwards. (Bangkok Post)

Samak has moved all his meetings from Government House, so it looks as if he won’t even be there when the building is surrounded. Samak’s comments ring of a man in a desperate situation: “I don’t understand why the PAD has announced that they will take over Government House. There is no reason. Was the election illegal? There were voters who cast their votes, the government was installed and took the royal oath. Is the government illegal? We are not street gangsters.”

He has a point, but try telling that to PAD, who are frantically trying to oust the premier. Even if they do, Bangkok Pundit raises the point about who would replace him.

First, if Samak resigns, the most likely replacement is Somchai, Thaksin’s brother-in-law. If accusations are made that Samak is a puppet, won’t this accusation reasonate more if it is Thaksin’s brother-in-law who is PM?

So, what will happen today?

Things are heating up in Bangkok and around Thailand as people react to the news that arrest warrants were this week issued for Thaksin and his wife, while the imminent referendum on the draft constitution is fast approaching.

It’s been a rollercoaster 11 months since the military coup last September. After ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra failed to show up in court to face corruption charges, Thailand will now seek to have square face extradited from England. Meanwhile, Thaksin has been busy buying Manchester City and giving interviews to deranged military reporters.

Prime Minister Surayud said, “The [Thai] government will help facilitate the process. We have an extradition treaty with Britain. It will just have to follow due process.”

It’s unlikely that Britain will agree to extradite Thaksin at this time, and even if it does, it will be some time before any headway is made. Thaksin’s safety will apparently be guaranteed now, despite Sonthi stating previously that Thai authorities would not be able to guarantee the safety of Thaksin and his wife were they to return to Thailand.

In Bangkok today, more than 10,000 supporters gathered at Sanam Luang, the favored meeting place for those pissed off with authority.

I will be in Bangkok this weekend and will have a snoop around to see what pictures I can get.

Techno’ tags: Thailand, Bangkok, Thai politics

They’re still at it: September 19 Network Again Coup D’etat has announced more protests. In their latest press release, the pro-democracy group informs that there will be demonstrations this Friday from 11.30 A.M. to 1 P.M. and from 4.30 P.M. to 7.30 P.M. in front of CP Tower on Silom Road. There will be yet another march on Sunday at 4 P.M. once again starting off in Sunam Luang. In the current climate, anything could happen, but from their latest press release I don’t think these guys have anything wildly more drastic to say than last time.

Techno’ tags: Coup, Protest, Martial Law, Bangkok, Thailand

Rather than being in the grip of terrorism, at the moment it feels like we are in the grip of confusionism. I’m certainly confused. The Council for National Security (CNS) has created a whirlwind of publicity for the deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The CNS is terrified of Thaksin and they have so little faith in their own abilities to use their power-base to discredit the former-PM’s actions. That’s what is worrying: that the people in charge of Thailand have no faith in themselves.

Thaksin’s actions and words are not without their own misgivings, so it would not be too hard for the CNS to just let Thaksin do what he does and use that against him, rather than pushing him into this victimised position where cube-head is winning more and more support. The corruption that formed the basis of the CNS’s justification for the coup never materialised into an actual court case. The CNS has failed to prove once and for all that Thaksin is the villain that he has been made out to be. This is not to say that he is not a villain, but when you stage a military coup and implicate someone as responsible for terrorist attacks, you should be able to back up what you say.

Thaksin’s government was very good at putting the squeeze on the media. The CNS, while apparently being all for press freedom, is playing into Thaksin’s hands by confusing people. Nobody has been arrested for the New Year’s Eve bombings, but so far Prime Minister Surayud has accused “Those who lost power” and then retracted his own accusation.

The best piece of news I’ve read for awhile came from the Bangkok Post this week:

Assistant national police chief Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak Chuthanont claimed to know perpetrators behind Bangkok bombings that took place on New Year’s Eve. “We know the bombers,” said Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak Tuesday, after chairing a police meeting on the deadly blasts. “They belong to the group that people suspected” - apparently meaning members of the former Thaksin regime. Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak said, however, that police have not arrested anyone yet because they still lacked evidence, especially eye witnesses, to ask the court to issue arrest warrants.

“We need more evidence,” he said.

“Probing officers have tried their best,” said Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak. “But it’s not easy to find evidence to convict wrongdoers.”

I’ve never heard anything quite like this before. It’s not easy to find evidence? Well, at least the police “know” who did it and they are trying their best, bless them. The CNS should start making a point to censor stupid comments made to the press.

Another piece of news that came in today was that Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont may be investigated for a suspicious asset-movement. From The Nation:

The National Counter Corruption Commission will Thursday rule whether to open a graft investigation into the possession of a vacation home by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont. Thursday’s ruling will be based on four factors - unusual increase in wealth, suspicious asset accumulation, sudden drop in assets and suspected illgotten gains while holding office, he said.

The plot thickens.

Techno’ tags: Terrorism in Thailand, Bangkok bombings, Thai politics

I just got back from Koh Chang. I’m sick as a dog. It all started to go wrong when our beloved Leigh had his farewell party. It was a pleasant evening. We’d eaten dinner at To Die 4 and moved onto Bed Supperclub when the it seemed all but over. It was approaching 2 a.m. and Leigh, Gabe, Gnarly Kitty and I decided to have a final beer on soi 11. We were already a little tipsy and what followed was a lot of drinking, shouting, and slurring. Gnarly Kitty even blogged the whole thing.

I got home around 6, passed out, woke up at 7.45, and then hurriedly threw some clothes on to make it to Khaosan for the 8 o’clock bus (which, of course, was an hour late). Koh Chang was pretty as ever; we stayed on Lonely Beach, White Sand is fast turning into Koh Samui. I’m back at home now, burnt, tired, in pain; somehow I have caught the mother of all colds. My body aches.

The democracy protest yesterday, which I nearly stayed in Bangkok for, drew nowhere near the 30,000 people that were predicted. Not much of a surprise, but considering this was meant to be the Big One it’s a little underwhelming. Some of the low turnout, however, can be attributed to government pressure, so it’s not all black and white.

From the Bangkok Post:

Yesterday’s protest began at Sanam Luang before moving on to the Democracy Monument on nearby Ratchadamnoen Avenue after about two hours of speeches criticising the CNS and Gen Surayud’s interim government.

Two hours of speeches? Man, I’d like to make a demonstration protesting boring protests. No wonder only 1,000 people showed up. They are planning to protest every Sunday from now on, most likely until they get bored. As I have said before, I’m really moving towards viewing these protesters as idealists. They just seem to be shouting the same thing over and over again. I’m yet to really hear any real solutions from them to the current political problem. Having said that, the government is clearly worried. Things are starting to heat up.

I really am sick. Time for bed.

Techno’ tags: Travel, Koh Chang, Bangkok, Thailand, Protest, Democracy