Thailand

[Silent Hunter]

Armed protestors have stormed the airport and as there's now Britons involved, it's jumped from a small piece to a whole-page story in the UK press...

[opebo]

Yes Suvvanaphum (the main Bangkok airport) is apparently shut down by thousands of protesters occupying it.  There are several thousand foreigners stuck here due to this.  I think Don Muang (the old airport, only recently replaced by Suvvanaphum) is more or less not functioning either. 

Pretty funny stuff - some acquaintances of mine here cancelled trips to Bangkok (by bus), simply because they fear getting caught up in traffic jams, as some highways are also blockaded.  I'll be going on a trip next week, but I will probably avoid transitting through the Capital.

[danny]

Yesterday the prime minister ordered police to deal with the protesters and today he's firing the head of police, apparently someone isn't doing their job properly...

[opebo]

Yesterday the prime minister ordered police to deal with the protesters and today he's firing the head of police, apparently someone isn't doing their job properly...

Everyone's afraid to move against these thugs, because if any of them get killed then the army has an excuse to stage a coup. 

I read that around 100,000 foreigners are stuck in Thailand because of the airport closure!

[Jake]

What are they doing with the holiday situation opebo? Seems like they stand to lose billions this month alone.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I thought opebo would consider the protesters Freedom Fighters.

[opebo]

What are they doing with the holiday situation opebo? Seems like they stand to lose billions this month alone.

Yeah, the tourism industry is decimated.  The only thing in their favor is there are 100,000 foreigners stuck in hotels.  But no more arriving.

This will be a huge blow to Thailand's economy not only right now but over the next months and years as many people will choose not to visit in future for fear of getting stuck or getting caught in violence.

I thought opebo would consider the protesters Freedom Fighters.

Well, they haven't stated any position on the issue of prostitution, so I can't say I see any reason to support one side or the other.  On the whole though I do dislike the current government (and all Thaksin and post-Thaksin offshoot governments), so I wouldn't mind the PAD/military winning.  But that doesn't change the fact that they are a bit thuggish.

[danny]

The protests are over after the courts sided with the protesters and ruled that the governing coalition forged the elections.

[opebo]

The protests are over after the courts sided with the protesters and ruled that the governing coalition forged the elections.

Utter nonsense of course - the courts are just in the pocket of the Royalist/Army elite.  Even if the ruling coalition sometimes tipped poor voters $10 or so to get them to the polls, the fact remains that those people support them enormously.  Its like giving inner city African-Americans a 20 for voting - it is just a get out the vote strategy, not something that proves they would have otherwise voted for the opposite side.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

I'm no expert on Thai politics, but the political crisis in Thailand could potentially turn into something else due to the Constitutional Court's decision to dissolve the current coalition Government, which consists of the PPP, CTP and NDP, in addition with the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

[Dan the Roman]

Bets on the Thai monarchy going the way of Nepal's sometime in the next decade?

[Hash]

Bets on the Thai monarchy going the way of Nepal's sometime in the next decade?

The monarch is overwhelmingly popular.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Bets on the Thai monarchy going the way of Nepal's sometime in the next decade?

That could be a possibility, but I doubt King Bhumibol Adulyadej would be too pleased giving up his title of the world's longest reigning monarch. Nonetheless, and interesting idea, but one which probably wouldn't pass, considering the popularity which the Thai royal family has.

Anywho, when I first saw your post Dan, I thought you wouldn't be surprised if King Bhumibol Adulyadej playing the role of Prince Dipendra would go on a killing spree and massacre his entire family, similar to the Nepalese Royal Massacre of 2001. Why when I think of Nepal I never think of happy thoughts?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Bets on the Thai monarchy going the way of Nepal's sometime in the next decade?

Only if the current king dies and his son turns out to be just as awful as Gyhendra or whatever his name was. To call the current king insanely popular would be the understatement of the millennium.

[Jake]

Bets on the Thai monarchy going the way of Nepal's sometime in the next decade?

I'd rather buy a citrus farm in Antarctica.

[Dan the Roman]

The Thai Monarchy is popular now, as is the King. But other members are not so well-liked, and its pretty clear that the Queen has been instrumental in some of the troubles afflecting the country politically. Remove the King, and have the Queen and other members of the family making blatantly political moves that alienate Thaksin's constituency, and things could go south quick.

I wasn't saying it was imminent. I was saying this is the sort of behavior that eventually led to the fall of the Nepalese throne. Well that and an insane murdering spree as was pointed out.

[Хahar 🤔]

I wasn't saying it was imminent. I was saying this is the sort of behavior that eventually led to the fall of the Nepalese throne. Well that and an insane murdering spree as was pointed out.

I think the mass regicide spoils any comparisons that could be made.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The Thai Monarchy is popular now, as is the King. But other members are not so well-liked, and its pretty clear that the Queen has been instrumental in some of the troubles afflecting the country politically. Remove the King, and have the Queen and other members of the family making blatantly political moves that alienate Thaksin's constituency, and things could go south quick.

I wasn't saying it was imminent. I was saying this is the sort of behavior that eventually led to the fall of the Nepalese throne. Well that and an insane murdering spree as was pointed out.

The difference is the Thai King has made no effort to actually seize power like the Nepalese King. He has no real power and hasn't for his whole rule. The Nepalese King did seize power and was later forced to relinquish it, resulting in him being stripped of the throne. The Thai king would never do so. The military ousting the Thai government every once in awhile is really just a historical fact of it that's happened with the king never truly involved, often even silently opposed but not able to do much. I believe once in the 70s he opened the Royal Palace to provide refuge to protestors being slaughtered by the military. The Nepalese King was involved in the messy dealings there, the Thai one never has.

[opebo]

Good points all.  I do think any Nepalese outcome is fairly unlikely, though the crown prince is strongly disliked by most Thais, and said to be a rather erratic, foolish character.  Also, interestingly, there is a pervasive rumor that his health is not so good due to hiv/aids.  In addition his mother, the wife of HM, is not at all well liked as she has throughout her life rather openly supported right-wing death squads and paramilitaries.

The sister of the crown prince.. can't remember her name off hand, but the chubby lesbian one, is by contrast well liked and seen as close to HM rather than the queen.  Of course under current law she may not become monarch as she is 'female'. 

Anyway BRTD is correct that the key to the prestige of the institution is that the current occupant of the throne has always been careful to appear to be powerless and not directly involved in politics.  This is not really a fiction - a proper understanding of the system is that he is just a part of and the figurehead for the brutal right-wing military/economic elite that has ruled for many generations.  He in no way controls them..

[opebo]

Good Economist article about the King in Thai politics.  Quite critical.

[opebo]

UPdate -

Abhisit and the Democrats have formed a new government (Abhisit will be PM).

People upcountry (north and northeast), and poor people in Bangkok are quite peeved by this.  Academics as well - I know people who have put up protest signs in their offices.  Very anti-democratic result..

Personally of course I don't care, as long as the sex biz is not molested.

[opebo]

Our new PM is such a beaut:



I rather like him, though 'democracy' sure got shat on to put him where he is.  I especially find amusing the smirk he can't seem to wipe off his face.