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How would you like to be a guest at the Royal Cliff Hotel today? The Red Shirts have actually managed to break into the hotel itself, with some of the foreign dignitaries already present. The Thai government keeps threatening to escalate their security steps, but so far there are no reports of any serious violence, although the Red Shirts did have some minor scuffling with the Pattaya police, who were unable to hold them back. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Pro-Thaksin Protesters Break into Pattaya Hotel By The Nation Some pro-Thaksin protesters broke into compound of Royal Cliff Beach Hotel which is hosting Asean Summit plus dialogue partner countries in Pattaya, Chon Buri on Friday. They are now siting close to stairs of the Conventional Hall which is the meeting venue. Their leaders; Arisamun Pongruengrong, used megaphone to criticise Abhisit Government. Asean meeting is besieged by at least 2,000 pro-Thaksin protesters who are now reportedly at the gate of the Royal Cliff Hotel and within 200 metres of the convention hall. Deput Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban was seen heading to see protest leaders in order to negotiate, reporters at the scene said. However, no negotiation has taken place and Suthep was later seen retreating into the hotel. Protester leaders later told reporters that they would pave the way for foreign leaders to get in and out of the hotel. The summit begins this evening with a working dinner. Lateron in the afternoon Suthep pledged to ensure security for the Asean Summit and Related Summits to proceed as planned. Suthep said he would try to reason with the red shirts to end the blockade of the meeting venue in Pattaya. He did not specify the next step if talks failed. He only said certain procedures might have to be adjusted in order to open up access for government leaders to enter the meeting venue. Government leaders are on their way to the Summit. They are scheduled to arrive at U-Tapao airport before proceeding by motorcade to the meeting. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has already arrived earlier in the morning before the red shirts reaching Pattaya close to noon. Earlier in the morning, around 100 Thai anti-government protesters broke through an army cordon and marched towards the hotel hosting a summit of Asian leaders and their dialogue partners here Friday. The main crowd briefly clashed with police before some forced their way through a group of soldiers deployed about 500 metres (yards) from the luxury hotel. A police deploying at an entrance of the hotel said that there were three police cordons to prevent the protesters from reaching the hotel. As of noon, the protesters could break through the first cordon and are about 500 metres away from the hotel's entrance, police said. Television footage later showed riot police and red-shirted protesters angrily pushing each other on a road leading to the hotel. The protesters shouted slogans against current premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, demanding him to step down and dissolve the House. "Abhisit get out! If this government does not accept our demands we will not go home," shouted the protesters. In Bangkok, traffic turmoil continued with protesters continuing to occupy the Victory Monument. Concerns have been growing about several hospitals in the area. The protest has left severe constraints for patients, visitors and transport of medical supplies. Protesters have blocked Sukhumvit 71 and a Vibhavadi highway-Suthisarn Road junction. Protesters have retreated from the Democracy Monument to the main rally site in front of Government House. Police reported heavy traffic jams on several roads but the situation has not been as severe as Thursday since the government declared Friday a national holiday to counter the red shirts' aggression.

Unfortunately, according to last week's Pattaya Mail, the project is running into delays due to land disputes. See: http://www.pattayamail.com/818/news.shtml#hd3

I think it may be a good idea to use this thread to keep track of traffic and transportation problems, both in Bangkok and Pattaya. As most of you know, the Red Shirts managed to break through the barriers and police and have reached the gates of the Royal Cliff Hotel, where the ASEAN summit is taking place, which is creating a traffic nightmare in that area. Lvdkeyes posted, earlier today: I just received a message from a friend who lives in Bangkok that bus service from Bangkok to Pattaya has been suspended. I have no word as to whether there is bus service from Pattaya to Bangkok. Along the Jomtien Beach Road, forget it. Don't even try. Meanwhile, out on Sukhumvit Highway, in Pattaya, the traffic is light and flowing beautifully. While yesterday there was massive police presence along Sukhumvit, today there are no police out there at all. Maybe they moved them all to try to deal with the Red Shirts. Along Sukhumvit the police have posted portable "no parking" signs along the areas at which people do normally park, so that is making traffic even more smooth. This morning I went to the Big-C on Sukhumvit and Pattaya Tai. There was no problem at all and Pattaya Tai seemed to be clear. If anyone has anything to add, please do.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ TURMOIL IN CITY Abhisit Refuses to Budge, Declares Friday National Holiday Published on April 9, 2009 Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has declared Friday a national holiday as he stands firm against the red-shirt protesters who caused traffic turmoil in Bangkok on Thursday. Prime Minister Abhisit had flown back from Pattaya for a national TV address in the evening, as pro-Thaksin protesters blocked all entrances to Victory Monument and drastically raised the already-high political tension. Abhisit, admitting that the anti-government protest involved as many as 100,000 people at its peak on Thursday, said 70 per cent of them had returned home, leaving about 30,000 encamped near Government House. The remaining protesters, he said, carried out some activities that could be deemed illegal. He said the government remained committed to exercising restraint and tolerance but would proceed to take legal action against any act deemed detrimental to national security. Abhisit was adamant that dissolving the House now would not do the Thai democracy any good, given the extreme political split and unusual situations. He also asked why the protesters are demanding his resignation while at the same time declaring that a government was "non-existent". He said TV Channel 11 will now serve as a station to monitor "what really happens" and inform the public of the government's decision and action regarding the current turmoil. Red-shirted protesters, who are taxi drivers of of the community radio clubs, parked their vehicles on all roads leading to the Victory Monument which is one of the busiest centre of Bangkok. The anti-government protesters also onto the roads circling the monument, causing chaos. More red-shirted protesters are planning to move from the residence of Privy Council head Prem Tinsulanonda to the Victory Monument soon. They vowed to block the access for three days if Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva did not agree to the protesters' demands for him to resign and dissolve the House. "Everything happened quite fast," said a man who called The Nation in the afternoon. "When I came to the Victory Monument in the early afternoon, there was nothing. Then all of a sudden, I am now trapped and I can't go anywhere." Taxi radio earlier in the day called on a gathering at the Vibhavadirangsit Soi 3, a taxi radio headquarters, "to receive instructions." Ramathibodi Hospital bore the blunt of the blockade, with its director going on TV asking those who planning to come to the hospital to go to other hospitals instead. She also said some patients wanting to go home were having difficulties leaving the hospital. Red-shirted protesters also appeared at the Hua Lampong train station in the afternoon, another busy and key logistic area of Bangkok. It was not immediately clear if the intention was to stop train service. There has been no report of untoward incident at Hua Lampong Thursday night. The red-shirted movement also held a big gathering on the Rajadamnoen Avenue around the Democracy Monument. "Very symbolic," an observer said. "After "victory", now "democracy". Many red-shirted protesters were leaving for Pattaya Thursday night with an aim to disrupt the Asean summit with dialogue partners being hosted by Thailand in the resort city. Protest leaders said they would consider it a major triumph if the summit was prevented from taking place. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in the afternoon his government learnt in advance that red shirts protesters will block access to the Victory Monument. Arriving in Pattaya where he would host Asean Summit plus six, Abhisit said that the government already prepared how to solve the problems. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Theugsubhan echoed what Abhisit said, saying the government knew in advance of the movement. Suthep said in Bangkok that police will use tow trucks to tow taxis as many as possible from the roads. BTS allowed stranded travelers to use the skytrain service without having to buy tickets at the Victory Monument stations. The passengers were instructed to pay at their destination stations. Government sources said it was feared the blockade could be just the beginning, and that security forces were on alert for potential bigger trouble in the evening. Reporters were trying to locate the last remaining members of the "Shinawatra" clan after Thaksin Shinawatra's ex-wife Pojaman, their three children, his brother Chaisit Shinawatra and brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat had left the country. Somchai, however, appeared at the Government House rally Thursday night to address the crowds. He said the other Shinawatras only left the country "temporarily". Unconfirmed reports said Thaksin's sisters _ Yaowapa Wongsawat and Yingluck Shinawatra _ may have also left the country. The unconfirmed departure would leave the red-shirted movement with virtually no immediate, on-hand guidance, the sources said. This could either weaken or, on the contrary, galvanise the movement and things could get out of control.

And yet despite all this, the exchange rate is holding steady as a rock.

I kind of like the idea that the Bangkok police are going to use cranes and tow trucks to remove the taxis. According to the article, 20,000 taxis are blocking the streets. But the police are going to remove them with cranes and tow trucks . . . 20,000 of them! Great! That may even cure some of Bangkok's usual traffic problems. After all, if 20,000 taxis are damaged to the point that they can't be driven at all, that's a lot less cars on the roads. Oh well, if you don't like motorcycle taxis, start walking . . .

The Prime Minister will address the nation tonight. Also, in Bangkok reports are coming in that protesters are beginning to appear at various BTS and Metro stations. It is not yet clear whether they intend to block access to those modes of public transportation. Photo from THE NATION - showing taxis blocking the Victory Monument intersections The following appears in PATTAYA ONE: _____ Pattaya in “lockdown” as the ASEAN Summit Begins Pattaya is in “lockdown” at the moment as the City hosts the second phase of the 14th ASEAN Summit and related summits at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Peach Convention Center. As part of the massive security operation involving over 9,000 Police Officers, Police Checkpoints have been set up around the City and some roads in the South Pattaya area which were two way, have now become one way roads to allow for easy access for delegates to the Royal Cliff. For those that reside in Pattaya it may be a frustrating time as traffic jams will become the norm over the next week and some may be subject to security checks. Our advice is to remain patient and appreciate the fact that some of the regions top politicians will be here in Pattaya and therefore security must be tight, especially with threats from Red Shirt Protesters who may bring their fight down to Pattaya which may see tens of thousands of protesters converge on the area. ____________________ The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ ‘RED SHIRT‘ PROTESTERS BLOCK BANGKOK‘S MAIN INTERSECTIONS, TRAFFIC PARALYSED ( photos can be seen at: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/n...eid=1&id=45 ) BANGKOK, April 9 - In a bid to intensify pressure on the Democrat-led government, the anti-government ‘Red Shirt‘ protesters on Thursday blocked key intersections in Thailand‘s capital, paralysing the traffic in the city. Demonstrators led by Jakrapob Penkair, a leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), marched from the residence of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda to the Victory Monument, the city's largest traffic and transport hub, to join about hundred taxi drivers who parked their vehicles blocking roads around the area. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier dismissed the UDD's ultimatum announced Wednesday afternoon to three privy councillors and himself to quit their posts unconditionally within 24 hours, otherwise it would announce raising the level of its anti-government protest. Metropolitan police negotiated with the taxi drivers to open traffic but to no avail. Responding to Parliamentary queries over the road blockade by taxi drivers, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban, who supervises security affairs, said that police towing vehicles will remove the parked taxis as early as possible to reopen traffic. The authorities are making helicopter-based traffic inspections from the air, report traffic conditions to the public to avoid blocked areas, Mr. Suthep said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit said that his government has prepared measures to handle the situation. The premier himself board a Chonburi-based helicopter to inspect Bangkok's traffic bottlenecks and get a better understanding of the overall scene. The protest leaders have changed their tactics, after announcing earlier that the UDD would remain at Gen. Prem's residence for at least three days. (TNA) ____________________ The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Police Ready Cranes to Clear Roads Published: 9/04/2009 at 05:12 PM The police threatened to use cranes and trucks to move taxis parked on roads all over Bangkok if cabbies who support the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) do not stop blocking the streets. The red-shirt protesters began blocking key roads across the capital on Thursday afternoon to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to resign. They gathered outside the the Constitution Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government House and Democrat party headquarters in Bangkok, and in Pattaya where the 14th Asean Summit is to begin on Friday. Bangkok's traffic police commander Weerapat Tansrisakul said his men were trying to negotiate with the taxi drivers who blocked all traffic lanes around the Victory Monument. If the talks failed police may have to use cranes and trucks to remove the taxis and clear the roads, he said. The UDD leaders said about 20,000 taxis would block roads around Bangkok for another three days if the government does not meet their demands for a general election and the resignation of the foreign minister and three privy councilors.

The following appears in PATTAYA ONE: _____ Pattaya Songkran Festival 2009 Announcement On Wednesday Night at the Central Festival Pattaya Beach, a press conference was held to announce the Pattaya Songkran Fesitval which will take place at the Bali Hai Port located at the south-end of Pattaya Beach between 14th and 18th April. The 5 day event is organized by the Rangsi Noppadon Foundation, Pattaya City Hall, RKY Company Ltd and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The 5 day event will feature International Muay Thai Boxing where Thai and Japanese Female Boxers will compete. There will also be a free pop concert every day and top Thai Singers and Bands signed with RS Promotions will be attending including Girly Berry and Lydia and Black Vanilla. For more information of the event please call the Pattaya City Call Center on 1337.

Apparently, if you want to go anywhere, then you need to go either very early or very late. Out in my area, "The Dark Side," there are no traffic problems at all. It's 1:45pm now. I just got back from running a few errands. I was on Sukhumvit Highway, but had no need to venture into the city. Traffic on Sukhumvit Highway is heavy, but flowing smoothly. However, someone is expecting something because there was a hell of a lot of police presence on Sukhumvit. It would be quite helpful if those of you in various locations in Pattaya would keep us informed of any traffic problems. In Bangkok, the Red Shirts apparently intend to disrupt traffic and cause traffic chaos. Of course, given the usual state of traffic in Bangkok, who's going to even notice . . . . ? I hate to bring this up, but I can't help wondering if there is going to be an attempt to blockade the airport again or at least block access to the airport. Those of you who plan to fly elsewhere to avoid Songkran or have other flying plans might want to give some thought to going to Bangkok before things get out of hand, staying at a hotel close to the airport, and making sure you can get out if it comes to that. Unfortunately, there's no telling what the fanatics are going to do, but I'll bet they're giving plenty of thought as to how the Yellow Shirts managed to bring down the last "Government-of-the-Month." Here's the latest information: _______________________ The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Taxi Drivers Block Roads at Victory Monument Some 20 taxi drivers used their cars to block two roads at the Victory Monument at noon Thursday to pressure the government to resign. They started blocking the inbound Rajvithi Road in front of the Center One shopping mall at 12:30 pm and later on blocked the inbound Phayathai Road. The members of the Taxi Community Radio Club said if the government refused to resign by 4 pm, they would use 20,000 taxis to block all roads in Bangkok. ____________________ The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Red Shirts Look to Crank up their Campaign Published: 9/04/2009 at 12:17 PM Red Shirt protest leaders are looking to step up their campaign, with possible rallies in Pattaya to disrupt the Asean+3 Summit and traffic chaos in Bangkok, after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva spurned their ultimatum that he resign by 4pm on Thursday. In an interview with TV Channel 7 on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would definitely not step down, as the leaders of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship had demanded on Wednesday afternoon. He said all demands except the demand for the restoration of democracy were unacceptable. The prime minister said he believed most of the protesters were for democracy, but a handful were exploiting democracy to advance their own political agendas. The demand for the resignation of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda and two other privy councilors, Genl Surayud Chulanont and Charnchai Likhitjittha, has also been rejected. The 4pm deadline was likely to pass without any untoward incidents and a new deadline was expected to be set by the protest leaders. Sources close to the UDD leadership said they might decide on new measures to put more pressure on the government to bow to their demands. This could include an attempt to disrupt the Asean+3 summit in Pattaya this Saturday, the sources said. Another possibility was for the protesters to scatter and reform in various places, including the Democrat party head office and the Constitution Court, with the intention of causing traffic chaos in the capital city. The government is determined the summit will go ahead as scheduled. Assurances have been given to leaders of Asean and dialogue partners China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand that they will be safe during the meetings this weekend in Pattaya. Early on Thursday morning there was a minor incident in front of the residence of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda. A woman wearing a yellow shirt drove a Toyota Saloon into a group of red shirt protesters camping out there. One protester was slightly injured. The driver, whose identify was not known, escaped by driving her car towards Suan Amporn park. Police have asked that she report to police.

It's a very brief 'breaking news' article that appears in THE NATION, but it certainly says enough! Traffic in Pattaya yesterday flowed smoothly and was relatively light. Today (Thursday, April 9) however, from what I'm hearing, the closer you get to the beach area, the more it all becomes chaos. A few minutes ago (11:45am, Thailand time) I received a call from a friend who lives close to the beach and his report is that it's an absolute nightmare down there. He can't even go anywhere on his motorcycle. He says that he's running into streets that are blocked and/or traffic at a complete standstill and gridlocked. Meanwhile, regarding the US Dollar to Baht exchange rate, the baht has actually strengthened slightly so far today. As of 11:50am the exchange rate is 35.15. Go figure . . . _____ Red Shirts Threaten Pattaya Rally if Demand Not Met By The Nation Jatuporn said the political struggle has moved into a final showdown which there must be a winner and a loser. "Anything can happen today or tomorrow," he said. The red shirts may move the rally site to Pattaya, coinciding with the Asean Summit, after today's deadline on their demand for the prime minister and privy councillors to step down, rally co-organiser Jatuporn Phrompan said on Thursday. ____________________ Obviously, the Prime Minister and other Thai government officials have no intention of resigning. The ASEAN conference is scheduled to begin tomorrow, April 10 and is scheduled to end some time on Sunday, April 12 (just in time for the Songkran 'activities' to begin the next day). If the Red Shirts do move tens of thousands of protesters to Pattaya, you're guess is as good as mine as to what will happen both during and after the ASEAN conference. One thing is clear. If it does happen, those of you who are anywhere near the goings on are likely to be stuck right where you are. If you live in the areas likely to be under virtual siege, then today, before anything happens, it might be a good idea to stock up on groceries and other essentials. Those of you here on a holiday might want to consider going elsewhere, or at least away from the beach area, if we start hearing about massive movement of protesters on their way to Pattaya. If this does happen, I can easily envision the local restaurants and entertainment venues in the affected areas being forced to close if the staff can't even get there.

Gentlemen, I don't know what I need to say to make it clear. I just had to delete two posts from this thread. I've said it before and I'll say it again: There will be NO posts permitted that make any kind of reference to any member of the royal family at all, not even by subtle hint, innuendo, or anything else. I ask all of you not to place me in a position in which I end up wearing the black hat by deleting posts. But if you put me in that position anyhow, I'll wear it.

Correct me if I'm wrong,folks, but I believe this topic was supposed to be about Citronella and mosquito repellents. Let's get back on track.

Meanwhile, according to news reports, the Red Shirts are waiting for another link-up to a live speech from Thaksin. If he incites a riot, I think this would be the first time in history someone incited a riot remotely, while present in another country. Rumor has it that Thaksin is now in Cambodia, which is infuriating the Thai government, especially in light of the temple dispute going on at the Thai-Cambodian border. In Pattaya, a high level government meeting was held yesterday, which caused such a traffic nightmare. The Prime Minister's car was attacked and damaged, with him in it! ( See: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/04/08...cs_30099865.php ) Obviously the police were not able to do much to prevent or stop it. And the ASEAN conference begins in Pattaya two days from now. The weather forecast is for heavy rains both in Pattaya and Bangkok today. As of noon, Thailand time, no rains have yet started in Pattaya, but it is clouding up heavily and rapidly. I don't expect all that much in the way of protests in Pattaya today anyhow. I expect to see a new round of it on Friday, when the ASEAN conference is scheduled to begin. I had to go to a few places in Pattaya this morning and so far traffic seems to be flowing normally. As a matter of fact, traffic was unusually light, at least where I was.

Not very much, and sometimes they will refuse to provide service to people who come in dressed like slobs. Immigration is an official government agency, one that is vital to farang. People would be well advised to dress appropriately when going there. It is appreciated and would certainly cast farang in a better light.

I guess it's no fun to go out and protest in the rain . . .

You might find the following thread helpful: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3758

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MCOT also published the following: _____ UDD Red Shirts Block Entrance to Pattaya Cabinet Venue PATTAYA, April 7 (TNA) - Red-shirted anti-government demonstrators blocked access to a top hotel in this seaside beach resort where Thailand's weekly Cabinet meeting is being held on Tuesday, launching verbal attacks against the nearly four-month old government. Hundreds of shields-equipped police have been deployed around the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel to ensure security. Carrying the ongoing political protest into the heart of the kingdom's tourist industry, the protesters reasserted the seriousness of their challenge to the government. Chonburi governor Suraphol Pongpitakgul urged the protesters to remain peaceful and not break into the hotel premises. Protesters assaulted the government with truck-mounted loudspeakers, demanding that the prime minister and foreign minister resign. Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, whom the pro-Thaksin protesters accuse of being behind the 2006 coup ousting prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was also a prime target. The hotel is also the venue of this weekend’s three-day summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners from other regions including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand starting on Friday. Thailand currently holds the chairmanship of ASEAN under a rotating system. ASEAN's 10 members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (TNA) _________________________________________ Actually, the goings on in Pattaya are much more far-reaching than the news articles would make you think. I've never seen anything like it before in Pattaya. Entire areas of the city are blocked off, barricaded, set to forced one-way, etc. Remember the phrase "you can't get there from here"? Well, you really can't. All I can say is I'm sure glad I live on "The Dark Side." Out here, you wouldn't know anything is going on at all. Everything is functioning normally out here and there are no more traffic delays than usual. But once you get into the city, look out!

I wish they would hold their meetings at the Ambassador Hotel, which is on Sukhumvit a few miles south of town and is set up for just such meetings, where protests or anything else would have little or no effect on the people of Pattaya. I find it very annoying when a relatively small group of politicians don't have any problem at all about snarling traffic and inconveniencing the people of an entire city.

Plot to assassinate Obama foiled in Turkey By Ed Henry CNN Senior White House Correspondent ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- U.S. officials have taken "very seriously" a plot to assassinate President Barack Obama involving a Syrian man who was arrested late last week in Turkey, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. But the officials strongly cautioned that American presidents are frequent targets of threats that are all watched very carefully, and in this case the alleged plotter did not appear to get anywhere close to Obama during his European tour. The officials also noted that while Obama gets more threats than usual as the first African-American U.S. president, this particular threat did not force any change to his schedule. "Life goes on," said one of the officials familiar with the matter, who suggested the threat may be getting more attention because there has been a heavy international focus on Obama's first overseas trip since taking office. White House officials declined to comment on the matter, citing a policy of not talking about security and threats around the president. U.S. Secret Service officials spoke only briefly about the case. "We work closely with the host country whenever there is an arrest, which we are doing in this matter," Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said. The plot was first reported by the Saudi Arabian newspaper al-Watan, which revealed that Turkish security services arrested a man of Syrian origins Friday in connection with a plan to kill Obama during his visit to Turkey. Obama was in Strasbourg, France, on Friday for a NATO summit and did not arrive in Turkey for the final leg of his trip until Sunday. The Saudi paper reported the suspect, who was carrying an Al-Jazeera TV press credential in the name of "M.G.," confessed to authorities after his arrest that he and three alleged accomplices plotted to stab Obama with a knife during the Alliance of Civilizations Summit in Istanbul, which Obama attended on Monday evening. The U.S. officials confirmed those allegations, but stressed to CNN that the information provided by the man is still being verified. Al-Jazeera's bureau chief in Ankara, Turkey, Yucef al-Sharif, told the newspaper his news organization knew nothing about the man and suggested he may have obtained a forged press credential. According to U.S. officials, it's unclear whether the man, a permanent resident of Istanbul, had obtained a real press credential. On Sunday, U.S. and international journalists covering Obama's trip did face more extensive searches of their baggage than usual by the U.S. Secret Service before boarding a press charter flight from the Prague, Czech Republic, region to Ankara. The same extensive searches were conducted Monday before a flight from Ankara to Istanbul. But U.S. officials downplayed the possibility the more extensive searches were done out of concern that plotters may have infiltrated the media. Instead, the officials suggested that since Turkish security officials had not necessarily handled such a large crush of media before, U.S. Secret Service officials simply wanted to go the extra mile in their searches.

For those of you who wish to post a poll, but don't know how, you have two options. One is to send your poll to me and I'll be happy to post it for you. The other is to click on "Poll Options Click here to manage this topic's poll," which you'll find just under the "Topic Title" when writing a post. You can also put a poll in place or edit your poll when editing your post.

Wednesday, April 8 is "D-Day" for the Red Shirt Thaksin supporters. Prime Minister Abhisit says there will be no bloodshed or use of force, but the government also will not tolerate rioting. Meanwhile up to 500,000 protesters are expected in Bangkok. Thaksin has said there will be no civil war. We'll see. The Bangkok Post says, "On the eve of mass rallies by red-shirt protesters, the prime minister promises in a special TV speech to the nation that there will be no civil war on his watch: 'State officials will not use force against the people, but at the same time they will make sure the situation does not get out of hand.'" The following appears in THE NATION: _____ A Lot at Stake on D-Day Published on April 7, 2009 Tomorrow is D-Day for the red-shirted protesters' version of the "people's revolution", with their leaders expecting at least 300,000 to 500,000 protesters. The government as well as the police and the military will not block the protesters. Instead, they will use existing laws to handle the matter. The government and concerned agencies have made it clear they will not use violence to crack down on the protesters or disperse them as they realise that acting first might put them at a disadvantage. The government understands that if it blocked the protesters, it might be accused of having double standards, and there will be comparisons with the yellow-shirted protesters. The police do not want to be much involved and are merely doing their duty of maintaining law and order. They are afraid of a repeat of the violence of last October 7. On that day, police fired tear gas at People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters when they besieged Parliament to block the Somchai Wongsawat government from delivering its policy address. The incident led to two deaths and hundreds of injuries. And police were blamed for the violence. The military are also too worried about taking any action now as it might be viewed as interference in politics, lending credence to recent accusations against them by fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. So, they may choose to remain still until the situation goes out of control. More importantly, soldiers are now severely divided into groups. They are allied with different groups in the political conflict. Despite claiming it is confident of handling the D-Day protests, the government has its share of worries, especially that of a strong red-shirt movement. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is in charge of keeping order and security, seemed to be mobilising support from citizens loyal to the monarchy by urging them to stand up against and help protect the institution. "Those who think of overthrowing the constitutional monarchy are dreaming. I'm confident that Thais will not let anyone overthrow the revered monarchy or touch the King. I can speak for the rural people because I used to serve as a village head and have been an MP for 30 years, so I'm not concerned. I believe that when the majority takes a clear stance on this matter, a smaller group of a few tens of thousands will fade out," Suthep said. Suthep's remark came after Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda said that Thaksin's motive in attacking people who serve His Majesty the King was likely to sabotage the revered institution. When Prem was asked by reporters whether he believed Thaksin wanted to sabotage the monarchy by attacking people who serve the King, the Privy Council chief said "probably". The battle is likely to be prolonged and unlikely to end easily. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva showed his optimism by pleading with Thais to be patient and wait for the full truth to be revealed, then the situation would eventually ease. Earlier, the PAD, which staged its protests for about three years and successfully brought down Thaksin's regime, vowed to reunite its yellow-shirted supporters and renew its massive rallies if the red-shirted protesters caused any violence. If the threat is realised, the capital risks becoming a battleground for the reds and the yellows.

Good or bad, that's the way the law works in Thailand and the Thai people are aware of the law. So am I. In my position I am compelled to abide by the laws whether I like it or not. It is extremely difficult to understand just where the line is drawn. For that reason I cannot allow any discussion of this issue on this web site. No offense, but I'm not willing to risk, even remotely, being imprisoned and/or deported for allowing people to post their opinions about the lese majeste laws in Thailand. For that reason I am locking this thread and will delete any posts discussing the royal family or the lese majeste laws. I'm very sorry, but those who wish to discuss those issues will have to do so on another web site, and this thread is now locked.

I agree with that. Frequent changes of the photos and keeping the staff photos current would be a good idea. I think people will visit the web site much more often if there are new photos and announcements on a frequent basis. As it stands now, it's still the same photos and same announcements that have already been there for months. In other words, it's getting to be old news.

That's really a shame. A brand new hotel ought to be far better than that. It just goes to show that people ought to have a look at hotel rooms before deciding to stay. Of course, in your case there wasn't much choice after a long flight. Based on your report, I guess the best that can be said is the fact that you can get an early morning breakfast there. I hope that, at least, is worthwhile.