State of Emergency in Bangkok

[sqdazz]

Man Flyer -

I was very much against the yellow shirt actions of most of 2008.

I do not disagree with people's right to peaceful protest, but both yellow in the past and red presently, have gone way too far. I think the red's have taken it to an even more extreme level though now... and they had basically achieved their goals a few days ago, they could have gone home looking to be the winners... but every day a new ridiculous demand was put on the table. Have a look now... the red leadership has fallen in a massive heap, they are going off in all different directions.

I have plenty of sympathy for people who are innocent, but for those going in to fight the army, attacking police officers doing their job etc... I have no sympathy for them. They are breaking the law.

Please understand that I am not a Yellow shirt, I want to see the disruptions ended and the country moving forward. If the yellows come out and do something like this after the election I will be equally against it.

I dont think sqtalk is a good forum for political debate so I wont say anything more on the issue, I think we have pretty different views and I wouldn't want that to get in between us.

Cheers

[HUGE AL]

I have sympathy for anyone who loses their life in this pointless and uncessary dispute going on between Thai people, started by the Bangkok elite and their yellow shirts. I am afraid even if they disperse this protest, and I have a feeling they will do so very soon as messy as it will be, the problem will not go away and will probably come back a lot worse at some point, probably when the king departs. When that happens I'm staying away for a while.

+1

I really do think the King should at the very least tell them to stop the unnecessary killing.

[HUGE AL]

This situation is getting UGLY.

[lee_apromise]

I never bought a travel insurance till now but I'm definitely getting one for my trip to BKK in July. I hope the civil order will be restored by end of June. What a sad sight in such a beautiful country

[SQ221]

I will be flying to Bangkok on Tuesday.

Its looking very very scary now

My hotel is in the Sukhumvit district, near the Soi Cowboy. I hope this is far enough away from the trouble.

[Kyo]

You'll be fine, SQ221

[SQ221]

You'll be fine, SQ221

Thanks Kyo

[sqdazz]

Fine at the moment sq221 but the events in the last 2 days are quite incredible. Very sad. I'm due in Bangkok in 13 days time. I really have no idea what to expect between now and then.

[MAN Flyer]

I have plenty of sympathy for people who are innocent, but for those going in to fight the army, attacking police officers doing their job etc... I have no sympathy for them. They are breaking the law.

Well yes, but there was no need for the Yellows to attack the army and/or police because they never attempted to move them!, despite them closing the airports.

I think we have pretty different views and I wouldn't want that to get in between us.

Cheers

I agree mate.

+1

I really do think the King should at the very least tell them to stop the unnecessary killing.

And the fact he has said nothing tells you all you need to know. I won't go any further than that on discussing him, other than to say that the best summary of 'that' situation I have seen in a long time is here:

That's the official party line, but it's debatable on both counts: a) how much respect the King actually enjoys and how much is just political maneuvering on the top and going with the flow (in the lower ranks), and b) whether he's actually a force for good or not. The royalty is obscenely wealthy, entirely unaccountable for its actions, and closely tied to the small military-political nexus whose grip on the power has only been challenged by Thaksin and, now, the Red Shirts.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13871210-post450.html

Bang on the money.

I will be flying to Bangkok on Tuesday.

Its looking very very scary now

My hotel is in the Sukhumvit district, near the Soi Cowboy. I hope this is far enough away from the trouble.

As a matter of interest which hotel ?. The area up near Asok and Soi Cowboy (nice landmark...) is away from the current trouble. I was in the SGS last weekend which is next to there and other than the Police outside Chavit Park near the PM's residence and a few soldiers at Nana BTS, you wouldn't know all this was going on.

However, as the army are currently in the process of shooting Thai citizens, have just declared the area a 'live fire zone' and are bringing in reinforcements (the reds are trying to do the same), I personally would give Bangkok a miss this week, and I say that who has been there regularly the last few years with all this sh*t going on. If it carries on the way they are going, it will get very bad in the next few days, and a lot of people are going to die.

Besides, presuming you're not daft enough to be flying BA, the volcanic ash is on it's way back....

[MAN Flyer]

I have moved the discussion about fun in Bangkok over to another thread. As people are currently being shot it's inappropriate for here. We can continue any discussion there:

http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1524

[SQ221]

## EDIT ##

[SQ221]

As a matter of interest which hotel ?. The area up near Asok and Soi Cowboy (nice landmark...) is away from the current trouble. I was in the SGS last weekend which is next to there and other than the Police outside Chavit Park near the PM's residence and a few soldiers at Nana BTS, you wouldn't know all this was going on.

However, as the army are currently in the process of shooting Thai citizens, have just declared the area a 'live fire zone' and are bringing in reinforcements (the reds are trying to do the same), I personally would give Bangkok a miss this week, and I say that who has been there regularly the last few years with all this sh*t going on. If it carries on the way they are going, it will get very bad in the next few days, and a lot of people are going to die.

Besides, presuming you're not daft enough to be flying BA, the volcanic ash is on it's way back....

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I am staying at the Rembrandt Hotel on Soi 18.

BA??? No Way, flying BA once was 1 time to many for me

I am flying SQ from SYD to SIN with a overnight stay, then onto BKK on Tuesday.[/QUOTE]

[MAN Flyer]

I am staying at the Rembrandt Hotel on Soi 18.

I know it very well, stayed there a couple of times before I became a points and status tart!. There was nothing else on the street when I first stayed, it's different now. You're well away from the current problems there. I can highly recommend Rang Mahal, the Indian Restaurant on the top floor.

Not sure why I said to be worried about the volcanic cloud. I know it's spreading, but it will take some to get to SYD.

[kpc]

Have been watching the situation closely as I'm due to fly on SQ in to Bkk for 6 nights in early July. SQ had a note on their website that they will waiver / allow reroutes / postponements of flights to Bkk but this note seems to have disappeared....any one know what is SQs current atititude with flights to Bangkok given the current crisis?

[HUGE AL]

And the fact he has said nothing tells you all you need to know.

Completely agree!

So sad what's happening to one of my favorite places on the planet. The senseless killings are such a waste.

I have moved the discussion about fun in Bangkok over to another thread. As people are currently being shot it's inappropriate for here. We can continue any discussion there:

http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1524