Numbers have been reported as 10,000-20,000 and last night I watched TV footage and it looked more like 20,000 people. There were a lot of young people who looked like they would have no idea about politics as they would have been lucky to be 18 years old.
The police reported no real problems but I did see protesters knocking over barriers and some people jumping on them and also police were lined up in areas using riot shields to stop them but there were too many and they simply pushed through the line.
(protesters push against a police line)A former senator Kraisak Chonhavan said Sunday that anti-coup protesters were inciting violence with ulterior motives.
Kraisak said he was speaking to foreign reporters when someone on a mobile public addressing unit shouted that he should go home and leave the rally.
He said he walked over to the person, telling him that he would like to listen to the speakers of the rally but while he was explaining his stand, a group of young men attacked him by kicking and punching him and throwing objects to him.
He said a few policemen rescued him from the scene. I just hope that it doesn’t escalate.
Kraisak story below.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30036478
The current Military prime minister Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin said Sunday that he would not step down as the chairman of the Council for National Security within a week as demanded by protesters.
Sonthi said he had not done anything wrong and he had been serving as the CNS chief for public interest, not personal and vested interests. (Ha ha ha ha)
A demonstration organized by a network led by PTV satellite TV founders demanded Sonthi Saturday night to resign within a week.Sonthi said he doubted whether the protesters had hidden agendas.
So he’s contradicting the other guy’s ideas.He said the situation did not warrant an announcement of the state of emergency yet.
This is the scary thing as if they announce a state of emergency then I believe personally things will become really nasty and many innocent people will get hurt.
So 20,000 this week and next week maybe 30,000 or more, who really knows?
I also read they are worried the new election could be delayed and not held in October earlier than the original December date.
They believe that it could even be held sometime next year but I have my fingers crossed that this is wrong and it takes place in October as Prime Minister Sonthi said before. I wait with baited breathe.
Brunty.
Prime Minister Sonthi report below.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30036475
2 comments:
what really worries me is the rising "value" of the Thai baht. its artificial and its hurting Thailand. i spent more than 2 years developing a supplier in Khonkaen and finally got a first order from a US Customer. by the time i got the order the baht had gone up by 20% but prices didn't come down. it no longer makes sense for me to bring orders to Thailand.... i live in Taiwan and our currency is actually tied to the US dollar. the baht is just jacked up to whatever the government says it is. my guess is that the military iterim goverment is trying to make things look good and perhaps raise the value to where it was before the Asian Currency Crisis. we have Thai workers in Taiwan who (believe it or not) are losing money working here! they want to go back now that the baht is "worth" more than the NT. its a crazy time, putting it mildly.
Yes, I believe that the current government is hiding many things from the Thai people and they are falsly leading the Thai people by saying that the Thai baht is going strong.
I read an article yesterday saying that many foreigners are investing in Thai shares but I find this hard to believe as this is only a caretaker government and an election is meant to be held in September or October or even later.
I remember when I was here in April 2005 and I was getting 33 baht Australian at some money exchanges, now it is around 27-28 baht.
I am pretty sure come election time the baht will weaken.
I am sure that it would be hurting your business and a lot of others at the moment but and the Thai people working in Korea mightn't want to rush home too quickly and maybe wait until a few months after the next election.
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