Gaybutton

Friday, April 17: _____ Again today the water splashing was sporadic, but much more than yesterday. Soi Buakhao seems to have most of it going on in town. However, there is still plenty of it along Second Road, Beach Road, and the road leading to the beach. Unless you're sitting up front with the baht bus driver, expect to get soaked. Tomorrow is the prelude to the "big day," so expect everything to escalate tomorrow (Saturday).

The place to make inquiries is at local Buddhist wats.

You may be right about television news. I really don't know. However that doesn't mean the Thais don't have other news sources. You know as well as I do that there are several Thai language newspapers and, of course, the Internet. There are also radio talk shows and many Thais do call in to those. Of course, whether the majority of Thais consult those sources is another question. I do concede, however, that the Thai government never seems to have a problem about shutting down anti-government papers, television, radio stations, and web sites, all under the guise of "emergency." I fail to see how expressing opinions and reporting news is a danger to the country. I also concede that The Nation and the Bangkok Post are biased against the Thaksin forces. Part of the problem is that the media on both sides seems to be biased.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Sondhi is in Serious Condition : Doctor Published on April 17, 2009 Sondhi Limthongkul is in serious condition after being shot as a bullet hit his left skull. The bullet is still in his skull, causing bleeding inside his brain, Vajira Hospital Director Dr Chaiwun Charoenchoktavee said Friday. Doctors are conducting an urgent operation on Sondhi and the operation is expected to finish around noon. Sondhi, a core leader of yellow shirts, known also as People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who seized Bankok airports late last year, has no wounds on his body. His driver, Vayupak Mussi, was also seriously wounded from the attack. Doctors said later that he survived and was now in stable condition. Meanwhile PAD's spokesman Parnthep Pualpongpan said at least two attackers riding on a pickup blocked Sondhi's vehicle who was on Samsen Road, heading to Manager newspaper office in Banglampoo area early Friday morning. The attackers then shot four tyres of Sondhi's vehicle before stepping out of their car and sprayed more bullets on the car. The attack lasted about five minutes and the attackers went back to their pickup which sped away along Tevet Road. Police who rushed to the scene found Sondhi's car riddled with bullets and they could collect more than cartridges of AK-16 and rifles from the scene. Parnthep said Sondhi was informed of reports that he could possible a target of attack, but he simply ignored the warnings. Meanwhile Chamnong Paokorn, 53, a bus driver, said that he was driving his bus past Iamworanut Temple when he saw a blue pickup truck which had no license plate blocked Sondhi's vehicle. Then two men on the back of the pickup then opened fires on the vehicle. Then another vehicle sped to the scene and exchanged fires with the attackers who later escaped the scene.

If I did that you would probably make a donation.

Now that's YELLOW journalism. That proves the Thai newspapers are controlled by the Yellow Shirts? Ok . . .

That's quite a statement. Do you have any evidence of that beyond your personal opinion? The same question goes for the Thai "news machine." You said it's controlled by the Yellow Shirts. Do you have proof of that? If you have proof about what you say, that's one thing. If you don't, then maybe you ought to take another look at who is submitting his thinking to someone else's propaganda.

Directly across the street from the X-yte Disco on Third Road, Soi 18.

If the Thai news media is biased against Thaksin, it would be hard to blame them. While Thaksin preached 'freedom of the press,' it was more like 'freedom of suppress.' You don't need me to remind you of the methods Thaksin used to try to control the press. But since when is the news media unbiased? I give you Fox News, for starters. Actually, the most unbiased news seems to come from, of all places, AL Jazeera. I suppose we can debate about who shot who and who started what, but that's all we can do . . . debate about it. None of us knows for sure. But I'm not going to just assume we're being lied to simply on the basis of the fact that the source of the news is The Nation or the Bangkok Post.

I'll do that under the condition that you do not make the assumption that I'm not thinking for myself. The fact that I believe the Red Shirts were responsible and that I believe what the Thai people tell me doesn't mean that I'm not thinking for myself, does it? Perhaps it means I disagree with your opinion, but I don't see how that translates into someone else doing my thinking for me (although I wouldn't mind at all if someone volunteers to accept that responsibility for me). How does the fact that the Thai people with whom I speak tell me they believe Thaksin will stop at nothing to get what he wants become allowing THE NATION and BANGKOK POST to do my thinking for me?

As a matter of fact, the people I talk to are in my age bracket. Most of the younger ones I've spoken to either don't want to talk about it at all or come across as being indifferent. I think you've made my point for me. The older generation remembers very well what happened before and that's precisely why they feel betrayed now. They thought there would be no more violence, but now they feel that Thaksin will readily resort to it if he gets an opportunity and if nothing else works.

The following two stories appear in THE NATION: _____ Thaksin Flies to Africa after his Passport was Revoked Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra defied Thai government last night by leaving Dubai hours after his passport was revoked. Dubai-based 7Days newspaper reported that Thaksin has refused to accept that his passport is cancelled was due to fly to a secret location in Africa. "The government can talk all they want but it's not going to stop us. Every Thai person is entitled to a passport and it cannot simply be revoked," a spokesman travelling with Thaksin said last night. He said Thaksin was in very good form and relaxed. "He's not all that worried, he's really fine, given all that's going on right now," the spokesman said. He talked to 7DAYS as Thaksin called for calm among thousands of his supporters involved in mass anti-government demonstrations. "Basically, we cannot go into Thailand at the moment but he will travel on his passport to other countries. "We are going somewhere in Africa, obviously I cannot say where," the spokesperson said, adding that Thaksin expected foreign governments to continue to accept his passport. The revocation of Thaksin's passport stepped up the Thai government's campaign against the billionaire former prime minister, who now lives in Dubai's Emirates Hills. He fled Thailand in 2006 after he was convicted of corruption charges and has claimed the trial was politically motivated. This week the government placed new charges of incitement on Thaksin for allegedly stirring up the anti-government protests. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has vowed to prosecute all leaders of the rallies, which largely disbanded on Tuesday after troops threatened to use force against thousands of demonstrators. Government spokesman Panitan Wattana-yagorn said Thaksin's passport was withdrawn for inciting protests that forced the cancellation of a summit of Asian leaders on Saturday. ____________________ And this: _____ Thaksin Holds Nicaraguan Passport Published on April 16, 2009 Fugitive Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is a "special ambassador" for Nicaragua and holds a diplomatic passport issued by the Central American country, the Nicaragua government said on Wednesday. Foreign media reported that Thaksin, who is convicted in absentia on corruption charges in Thai courts, received the passport after a February meeting with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The Thai government stripped Thaksin of his passport this week after finding him behind violent protets that resulted in the cancellation of an Asian summit in Pattaya. The news reported that Ortega appointed him to help attract investment to the impoverished nation. Pro-Thaksin protesters staged violent protests in Bangkok this week, forcing the Thai government to impose emergency laws. Their leaders halted the protest on Tuesday, claiming that they did not want the soldiers to crackdown on the protesters rallying at the Government House.

The banks have started reporting the exchange rate again. Today, Thursday, April 16, the baht is holding steady right where it was before the trouble started. At the moment, 3:50pm, the exchange rate is 35.15 to the US Dollar. Whether it will stay that way remains to be seen, but that's precisely where it was a week ago.

I agree with GaySacGuy. What Soi10Tom is saying used to be the case, but from my conversations with people from the rural north and Issan, The Red Shirts have lost a hell of a lot of support and so has Thaksin. People keep telling me that they never would have dreamed that the kind of violence that took place would ever happen. While they were pleased with what Thaksin did while he was in office, now they see him as a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. They see the violent incidents as a major stain on Thailand and want nothing to do with people who do such things. In short, the people I speak to feel betrayed.

I can't figure this out at all. As crazy as things were yesterday with all the water splashing, today it was like a morgue. There was almost nothing going on at all. The most I saw were a very few sporadic water splashers and here and there a few five year old kids with squirt guns. Here and there a pickup truck full of splashers rolled by, but aside from that, nothing. Zilch. On Second Road there were no water splashers at all, that we saw. Coming down Beach Road I saw a grand total of two people out there splashing water. Down toward Jomtien I also saw virtually nothing, and all this was around noon. Go figure. Meanwhile, at the beach one vendor had a very clever idea and he was selling his wares like hotcakes! He's selling heavy duty waterproof plastic bags, perfect for protecting valuables during Songkran. 50 baht each. Here's a couple photos:

Were you able to determine if this is something they're doing daily or just on certain nights?

They may have done just that. According to the latest news reports, three of the Red Shirt ringleaders were brought to criminal court this morning. No Red Shirt protesters showed up.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ More Rallies 'As Soon as Decree Ends' By THE NATION Published on April 16, 2009 Movement will Regroup and Hit Back Stronger, Pheu Thai MP Vows The red shirts were likely to regroup after the government lifts the state of emergency, sources from security forces said yesterday. Although life in Bangkok appears to have returned to normal, intelligence officials have had tips that supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra plan more rallies as soon as the state of emergency is discarded. Red-shirt leaders such as Jatuporn Promphan, Jakrapob Penkair had earlier announced they were ready to stage an underground movement. Informants claim the new round of rallies were intended to be more dramatic than those that took place in recent days. The government has been warned to check D-Station carefully and take legal action against taxi drivers' local radio stations as they were a media allegedly instigating an uprising and anarchy. Pheu Thai Party Udon Thani MP Lt Col Surathin Pimanmekin said the red shirt movement would continue although they had been told by the leaders to suspend the protest. "People who are treated unfairly still want to demonstrate their protest in their own way. They do not need leaders. Having leaders does not necessarily ensure victory." He said provincial people would come to Bangkok to issue demands to the government. Democrat Party adviser Banyat Bantadtan believed the red shirt movement would revive after regrouping to try gather more strength. However, he said the longer the rallies went on, the more public opposition the red shirts would face before finally dying down. "Thaksin fears that it would reach that point and that's why he has been calling for a mediator to bring reconciliation,'' he said. Banyat, formerly a Democrat Party leader, gave three reasons that would drive Thaksin to compromise: first he doesn't want to go to jail. The Supreme Court's Political Division for Political Office Holders had sentenced him to two years in prison over a land deal by his ex-wife. Secondly, he did not want to lose his assets (courts are due to rule on $2 billion of family money that has been frozen in Thai banks). And third, he wanted to return to power. Banyat said it would be hard to find people who would act as a mediator for Thaksin, as the former PM wanted the government to throw 13 graft cases, worth Bt200 billion in damages, out of the court. "Thai society has developed to the point that people will not allow a few people to settle this problem because it goes against moral and legal grounds,'' he said. Meanwhile, a former Roi Et MP for the pro-Thaksin People Power Party, Nisit Sinthuprai, claimed the riots this week were the work of a third party and not the red shirts. He also claimed the military crackdown on the protesters on Monday led to deaths and that he would find evidence and relatives of people supposedly killed to present to the press. He said the red shirts had not lost the war; they were just taking a recess. "We will actually steal a small victory by breeding red-shirt seeds in the heart of people. Once we blow the whistle, a bigger number of red shirts will turn up." He said he would be a second-generation leader for the red shirts and would lead a rally to call for the resignation of three privy councillors and the PM.

There are no gay bars in Sukhotai, but if you cruise around the markets you have a good chance of finding someone. If you're staying at a hotel, a discreet tip to a bellboy might produce results. He probably knows someone or may be willing himself.

Apparently they've taken their we site offline or let it lapse. Their phone number is 038 720 688. The office is located 1 block west (toward the beach) of the Third road intersection on Central Road (Pattaya Klang).

The Thai banks have not reported the exchange rates online since April 10. The best I can come up with is what is showing on the Oanda site, that the current exchange rate is 35.66008 baht to the US Dollar. The following article says the baht has been downgraded. I have very little understanding of economics and I don't have any idea what this means or where it will lead. Perhaps someone who understands these things can post a reply. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Baht Downgrade 'Understandable' Published: 15/04/2009 The downgrading of the baht's credentials from "A" to "A-" by Standard&Poor's was understandable in the wake of the Songkran holiday riots and the country will just have to live with it, Thai Chamber of Commerce adviser Arch Taolanont said on Wednesday. Foreigners now saw increased investment risks, he said. The S&P downgrade would increase the cost of the government’s planned bond issues and and foreign loans it enters into. This also applied to the business sector, Mr. Arch said. He expected Thailand’s rating would prove with a speedy restoration of both the economic and political scenes by the government. Lifting the state of emergency as soon as possible would allay investors’ worries and boost confidence in the country. he said. The international ratings agency lowered Thailand's local currency rating to "A-" from "A'' on Tuesday and said the outlook for the rating was negative, meaning it could be downgraded again. The country's foreign currency rating was left unchanged at "BBB+" with a negative outlook.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Thaksin's Passport Revoked, Retains Citizenship Published: 15/04/2009 The passport of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been revoked for his role in inciting the protests that caused the cancellation of the weekend Asia summit in Pattaya and subsequent rioting, the chief government spokesman said on Wednesday. Thaksin still retains his Thai citizenship. ''The foreign ministry has cancelled his passport,'' spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said. ''The incident on the 11th [of April] is the reason. ''The decision to cancel his passport was based on passport issuing regulations, which state that the ministry can cancel or recall a passport if it can prove that a person has caused damage to the country,'' he said. "The cancellation will hinder Thaksin's foreign travel as a Thai, although his Thai citizenship remains intact," the spokesman said. Thaksin's diplomatic passport, issued to him as a former prime minister, was revoked on Dec 12 last year, days after the Abhisit Vejjajiva government came to power. Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for a corruption conviction. He has made a series of speeches to his red-shirted supporters in Thailand by videolink and phone in recent weeks urging them to overthrow the government . A Thai court issued an arrest warrant for Thaksin and 12 of his key supporters on Tuesday over the anti-government protests in Bangkok that left two people dead the previous day. The demonstrators abandoned a three-week vigil outside Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's offices at Government House on Tuesday after troops cleared rioting protesters from the streets on Monday. The withdrawal of his ordinary Thai passport is the latest in a series of actions against the outlaw politician, who fled Thailand to avoid a conviction and two-year jail sentence for abuse of power while in office. His assets in Thailand, worth an estimated 76 billion baht, were also frozen. He faces additional corruption charges if he returns, and arrest for inciting the unrest which led to the holiday weekend riots and cancellation of the Pattaya summit. The government spokesman said the Foreign Affairs Ministry had not reported canceling the passport of any other person wanted over the Songkran riots. ____________________ And this, from THE NATION: _____ Thaksin's Passport Revoked The Foreign Ministry has terminated an ordinary passport held by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra since his traveling right might hurt the country, spokesman Tharit Charungvat said Wednesday. Thaksin's revoked passport is his last Thai traveling document after his diplomatic passport was terminated in the middle of December when the government under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva took office. His ordinary passport was revoked April 12 after he used video link a abroad to provoke a group of red shirted protesters to disrupt the Asean summit last Saturday. The foreign ministry has authority to recall any passports which the traveling holders could exploit it to facilitate their movement to hurt the country, Tharit said. However, the termination of his passport did not affect Thaksin's Thai citizenship, he added. Thaksin could no longer travel with Thai passport but he can ask for temporary traveling document from any Thai embassy or consult office in abroad if he wanted to return to Thailand, Tharit said.

Wednesday, April 15: _____ Today I drove down Beach Road, from the Dolphin Roundabout to the new Central Festival shopping mall. Almost as soon as you get as far as the Hard Rock Hotel, that's where the traffic backs up. It might as well have been the big Songkran day. Lots of people at the open air bars giving free ablutions to passers by, especially anyone on a baht bus or motorcycle. There were also lots of pickup trucks filled with revelers and their water barrels. Most of it was squirt guns, but some people were splashing people with full buckets of water. Need I tell you that almost all of that was drunken farang? Second Road was just as "busy." Once I reached Central Road (Pattaya Klang), all of it stopped. So it seems most of the goings on is taking place along the beach and the first couple of roads parallel to the beach roads. Other than that, I really saw nothing at all.

Ok, "it ain't true."

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thaksin Has Been Found Out, and Out-Maneuvered Published on April 15, 2009 Before noon yesterday, key red-shirt leaders like Veera Musikapong and Nattawut Saikua, among others, realised it was time to cave in. They understood that it would be futile to continue fighting because their boss, Thaksin Shinawatra, had been finished. Yes, the plug had been pulled and the fugitive former PM was completely routed. It will be difficult for Thaksin to seek asylum because most countries would not want to welcome him now that they have witnessed the riots and subversive tactics used by his supporters in Bangkok. Thaksin was caught telling blatant lies on CNN and BBC, feeding false information to the global audience that his red-clad supporters were fighting for democracy - when in fact they were burning Bangkok to pave the way for his return. He was reading a script, telling the international news channels that the military had killed many of his pro-democracy protesters, when in fact there was not a single such case of death reported. The only two people who died, had done so during clashes between Bangkok residents and the protesters. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was wisely exercising restraint, allowing Thaksin to make blunders. Thaksin, who bet all his political fortune on April 13, has failed miserably. He had his red shirts set fires around Bangkok just as Neptune overshadowed the Sun - a bad omen. He thought he had big military and police bosses on his side, as well as some politicians on the government wing. He remembered to move his family out of Thailand a few days before the Songkran inferno. Khunying Pojaman is currently shopping in Dubai, still with plenty of money in her pocket. Thaksin thought he could hold Thailand hostage as he bargained for his return, his amnesty and his Bt76 billion in assets. He thought he was entitled to a royal pardon because he had Thailand in the palm of his hand. But his strategy backfired. Thaksin failed to get critical mass support. On the contrary, Bangkok residents rose against his red-shirt supporters, who were burning Bangkok while he - just as Nero fiddled while Rome was burning - was singing on his karaoke machine. The subversive tactics being used by the red shirts appalled the global audience. This was a critical factor. If most Thais were to rise against the red-shirt movement, then Thaksin could only go under. Thaksin thought that the burning of Bangkok would force the country into lawlessness and the military would step in to intervene in his favour. The plan did not work. The whole world realised that Thaksin had duped it all along, and many Thais were disgusted by his ability to destroy the nation in exchange for his return to power. Bangkok was ravaged all Songkran Day, before the security forces brought the situation under control. By then Thaksin must have realised that the game was up. Now all the red-shirt leaders will be going to jail under treason charges. If you plant gas tanks and threaten to set them ablaze, you are committing an act of terrorism and subversion against the state. It is not too difficult to trace who ordered the trucks to be brought onto the streets. Now Abhisit has emerged as a strong leader. He has almost transformed overnight from a lame-duck PM who was forced to cancel the Asean Summit in Pattaya into a leader who can defuse a political crisis in a subtle and artful way. There were no deaths during the authorities' crackdown against the red shirts. Only two persons were pronounced dead, both as a result of shooting by the red shirts. Abhisit has prevailed despite the military, the police, the security people and his own political partners plotting against him. Though we have no evidence to substantiate doubts that these top people are linked to Thaksin, we did not see Army chief General Anupong Paochinda or police boss Patcharawat Wongsuwan show up while the red shirts were ambushing the Asean Summit. The security forces were not doing their duty, standing by idly as the protesters wreaked havoc in Pattaya. So far none of Thailand's top security people have come out to admit that they failed to provide security for regional leaders and Thailand's guests. Abhisit is known to have sought advice from a special unit, set up in haste under his command. As Thaksin played his cards one by one, the advisers countered each hand effectively until Thaksin lost his bet. At this hour, with the power of the emergency decree in his hand, it is Abhisit - not the Army chief - who is the most powerful person in Thailand. He must use this occasion wisely by controlling the red shirts and dealing with the failure of the security apparatus, which has been undermining national interest and the government's stability. We expect to see a reshuffle of top security and peacekeeping personnel soon. However, if Abhisit resorts to his image of a timid Oxford graduate, he would be missing out on an opportunity to take the country forward. Now is the time for him to stand tall and be the prime minister of Thailand. ____________________ The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Thaksin Needs Change By: Atiya Achakulwisut Published: 15/04/2009 These past few days have felt like a nightmare, like groping for the way out in a deep, dark tunnel full of pitfalls. But one thing has become clear: we now know why fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra made sure his children left Thailand. He did not want his kids, who recently claimed in a book that they'd suffered horribly from political harassment, to be in harm's way. Let other people's children face the mayhem. Has anyone ever looked into Thaksin's eyes? Could they tell anything about his soul? Does he have one? As the tension and mayhem subsided, one voice remained in my head. It was that of a Nang Lerng resident. It sounded so young, full of anxiety and ambivalence; yet it was obvious the young man was trying his best to do his good citizen's job of calling the TV station and recounting the day's incident to the two anchorwomen. His 19-year-old brother had been hit when drive-by shooters sprayed bullets into the neighbourhood, whose members had banded together to fight off red-shirted rioters who tried to set fire to tyres near their wooden houses. As he finished giving his account and the two anchors were about to cut him off, the young man made one last plea. "Phi khrub," he said, "I still don't know how my little brother is doing. If you'd please check on him for me, could you?" The genuine anxiety in his voice made the whole thing even more tragic. This was a young voice you'd associate with what is bright and beautiful in life, with a future and its many promises. The kind of voice you wouldn't want broken by tragedy. The anchorwomen promised they would and asked him his brother's name. Yuthakarn, the youth replied. Soon after, the breaking news came up. Two deaths had been confirmed from the Nang Lerng clash. One of them was a 19-year-old male named Yuthakarn. I want to say that Thaksin, who instigated the mob and whipped them into this frenzied state so that they'd smash things down enough to pave way for his return to power, is responsible for the young man's death and for the melee that essentially turned Bangkok into a war zone. How does he intend to redeem the lives lost? He cannot. And that makes what he's done hideous. Was the Sept 19 coup bad for Thailand? Definitely. Was it wrong for our democratic development? Certainly. Does it offer justification to incite people, rouse them with hate speeches and blatant lies and then let them loose to wreak havoc on ordinary citizens and public property? Absolutely not. Was the coup necessary as a wake-up call for the all-too-powerful army to realise that the age of their intervening in politics through staging coups d'etat was over? Maybe. We haven't had another coup, despite the prolonged political tension and open rioting. It may have taken a long time, probably longer than many are willing to give it, but if the Sept 19 putsch serves as the last nail in the coffin of military coups in Thailand, would it have been worth it after all? Instead of trying to redo the past and get tangled in all its complexity, would it be wiser to use it to put a final stop to the practice and think of it as a stepping stone to a more democratic future? Isn't that what demonstrators of every colour want? Everybody can blame a bad childhood. Those who are smart, however, waste no time moping. They gather up the pieces and move on. The Abhisit administration may have won the first major battle with the red shirts but the seeds of discontent have taken root. The strength of the resistance - both those who support Thaksin for who he is and those who support him for what he is fighting against - should prompt whoever is thinking they can control it by force, to think twice. These people can't be dismissed. The government must find a way for their grievances to be taken into account, their cries for change heard and heeded, or it faces a long and belligerent war. Democracy is ultimately about fair compromise. It is obvious now that Thaksin neither knows nor respects that philosophy. He wants it all. If he can't have it his way, he'd rather destroy and burn it all. That is who he is. It will be a long road to rebuilding the country, bruised and burned in the Songkran skirmish. Again, the future might appear like walking in a deep, dark tunnel not knowing which direction to go and where the snags and perils are. But without the pixelated apparition of demagogue Thaksin Shinawatra inciting people and misleading them about what democracy is - now that his selfish motive and cruel intention have been laid bare - at least we won't feel so haunted. * Atiya Achakulwisut is Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post.