Bomb blast near financial centre

[Muso]

Just been on news....Anyone on the ground there can supply more lads???

[tigerstail]

Just seen on news as well..Crackdown begin???

[padfoot]

One does not want to be at Sala Daeng right now. Apparently four people have been arrested. Also, this evening the Thai court said the government may not use any force against the red shirts. I was in the area this afternoon. My Thai language school is in the Chaarn Issara building. It was quite a shouting match across Rama IV between the red shirts and the pro government protesters. The PM has called an emergency late tonight here. One can only guess at what we will wake up to.

[kansuwan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8637855.stm : Description, a bit of analysis and a clip of Silom/Saladaeng BTS immediately after the blasts.

 

No serious analysis yet of the 'don't use force' injunction granted today.

[ratchada]

I've been following the Twitter reports of a Nation reporter. (twitter.com/tulsathit)

 

The Reds apparently fired five M-79 grenades from their position behind the Rama VI statue in Lumpini Park.

 

It's now 75 injured, 3 dead. When news of the injuries reached the larger Red gathering at Ratchaprasong, they cheered. Though the Red leaders are denying responsibility for the attacks.

 

The Reds at Ratchaprasong have also been shooting fireworks at army helicopters there.

[qqwert]

RTE news have added that there are 4 foreigners among the injured!

[Expat46]

2 foreigner in the area was reported dead on Thai TV, before midnight.

Haven't seen it reported elsewhere.

Looks really serious on TV, and things might heat up in Pattaya as well, the coming days.

(Yellow versus Red's - Pattaya One News)

[FIGO_0710]

Stay safe you guys out there..volcanoes ,grenades..you cudnt make it up if you feckin tried..thoughts to the families of the people caught up in this tradegy in bkk

[Muso]

Foreign office advising only "essential" travel to BKK ....

[marko456]

Well KRAP I just booked a months trip starting mid May.

I hope it settles down by then.

Stay safe out there.

Mark

[thatguy750]

Foreign office advising only "essential" travel to BKK ....

 

That's a rare recommendation for an allied country. I would take heed if you're not there already. If you are, please be safe.

[Cerberus]

This is getting extremely messy, the red shirts are denying it and blame it on the coloured shirts, (Yellow shirts in disguise ) In some-ways that make sense, as should the red shirts be allowed to continue this mass people disturbance in a peaceful manner they will eventually bring this appointed government down and force an election.

[Al.]

Because of the censorship it is hard to know what is actually going on the only news we get is the official government view so you sometimes have to read between the lines.

 

A few things I have picked up on both from reading the newspapers and from what I already know or from friends in other parts of Thailand.

 

The Red Shirts in Bangkok are only the tip of the iceberg there are millions more in Thailand especially in the north and north east there are also a large number of Red Shirt sympathisers amongst the police and army.

 

The government issued orders to the provincial authority's to prevent more Red Shirts from travelling to Bangkok this resulted in road blocks etc.

 

There have been demonstrations and the Red Shirts have taken over government buildings in other parts of the country Chiang Mai and Udon Thani to name just two.

 

The Red shirts detained soldiers and seized trains in Khon Kaen The provincial police have requested reinforcement of riot forces though I would have though most of them are already deployed in Bangkok or in the south of Thailand where so far this year 115 people have been killed and 174 injured.

 

My personal view is that orders have already come down from the top to stop all this but it has to be done the Thai way in other words not lose face as would happen should Abhisit and the government give in to the demands which would also create a dangerous precedent .

 

So what is the answer this should give you a clue Democrat Party dissolution case to reach court before April 26 were the party dissolved the parliament would also be dissolved resulting in fresh elections which is what the Red Shirts want.

 

Al.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Al.

[Muso]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hlvvGQ_c9EPUo1Mx6UiBQZQy0A8A

 

Update...

[hazze]

bad news :(

 

 

It does seem counter-productive to the reds cause to use violence in this way when they are already winning..

There best positions seems to be to contine with blockades and protests that will eventually force the govenment to yield and reserve violence for attempts to move them.

Still its always possible a few red hotheads did it. I guess we'll never know.

 

Theres to much brinksmanship going on.

While neither side wants to back some and loose face they are pushing the country slowly into increasingly dangerous territory. I suspect that neither side can fully control their followers, and I just hope this thing doesn't spark into something bigger than the ambitions of the goverment and the protest leaders. :(

[lostagain]

Well KRAP I just booked a months trip starting mid May.

I hope it settles down by then.

Stay safe out there.

Mark

 

Ugh ... My flight leaves Sunday morning.

Have appointments to keep in both Bangkok and Singapore.

Do any of the indian tailors on Suk specialize in "protective" clothing ?

[Temujin]

The Reds apparently fired five M-79 grenades from their position behind the Rama VI statue in Lumpini Park.

 

A more accurate sentence friend might be "Some-one fired five M-79 grenades from among the Red shirts crowd from a position behind the Rama VI statue in Lumpini Park."

 

It seems odd that after all this time that the Red Shirts would get violent.

 

But there is also a militant group claiming ties to the Red shirts... which the Red Shirts have gone out of their way to distance themselves from.

 

"The truth is a 3 edged sword. Your side, their side and the truth."

 

It does seem counter-productive to the reds cause to use violence in this way when they are already winning..

 

Agreed. Which makes me wonder where the affiliations of this nut job with the M-79 really reside.

 

Do any of the indian tailors on Suk specialize in "protective" clothing ?

 

Kevlar Armani... I'm sure there would be a market for this all over the world

[rock39286]

So.................... Which ones are the "Good Guys" and which are the "Bad Guys"????????????????

[US-Farang]

Foreign office advising only "essential" travel to BKK ....

 

Same same from the U.S. Department of State. A warden message hit my email today recommending against all nonessential travel to Bangkok. And it's in effect until late July! I guess that means I can forget about traveller's insurance, since it would surely be void under those circumstances. I am/was planning on moving to Bangkok in about 5 weeks time, but I guess now I'll continue to monitor the situation and might wind up cooling my heels in Pattaya for a while instead.

[Al.]

So.................... Which ones are the "Good Guys" and which are the "Bad Guys"????????????????

 

The "Good Guys" are on Addicts the "Bad Guys" are on that other forum.

 

Al.

[ratchada]

It seems odd that after all this time that the Red Shirts would get violent.

 

But there is also a militant group claiming ties to the Red shirts... which the Red Shirts have gone out of their way to distance themselves from.

 

 

 

WTF? What rock have you been hiding under? The black-clad thug carrying an automatic rifle, photographed among the Red Shirts in the April 10 melee, was also clearly seen in another photo on the Red Shirt Ratchaprasong stage being introduced to the crowds by the Red leaders!!! This was in all the Thai papers.

 

I'm not doubting that many of the rank and file of the Reds truly believe they're striking a blow for the little guy, giving a voice to the poor. Sadly, this is not the goal of the Red leaders. They're using the rank and file as human shields, and they're employing the black shirts (mercenaries). This has been clearly established in documentary evidence.

 

I have sympathies for many of the Red rank and file, but this is FAR from a black and white (as it were) issue. There are sleazy thugs on both sides. Welcome to Thailand.

[lostagain]

I have no idea who the good guys are but I am relatively certain that I would have to count the guys with the grenade launchers among the bad guys. I am far too ignorant to guess what color shirt that they ware or who pays 'em.

 

Is the sky train still running?

[US-Farang]

I have no idea who the good guys are but I am relatively certain that I would have to count the guys with the grenade launchers among the bad guys. I am far too ignorant to guess what color shirt that they ware or who pays 'em.

 

Is the sky train still running?

 

From what I understand, BTS is running today but will close at 6pm. (According to The Nation)

 

Edit: Whoops. Just learned that the Silom line is not running from National Stadium to Chong Nonsi.

Edited April 23, 2010 by US-Farang

[Tony12522]

That's a rare recommendation for an allied country. I would take heed if you're not there already. If you are, please be safe.

 

 

I am from Boston MA USA every time the slightest thing happens in Thailand or Asia, bird flu, other type influensa, civil unrest ect the Governemnt says oh don't go there. Way over reaction . Plenty of places to travel not have to stay in Bkk. For nitelife can go to Pattaya, Phuket ,Chiang Mai, Krabi and areas they are not demonstrating in.

[QuotaMan]

While I think it's still relatively safe to travel to Bangkok or other areas of Thailand, for now this may put a hamper on summer travel plans unless it improves.