Live, Blog, PAD, Protests

21:10pmThat is it for me unless there is some breaking news.

19:55pm In relation to Chavalit's comments that Samak should resign which The Nation newspaper is reporting. The Nation Channel reports that Chavalit denies he said this and even called Samak to explain. Former Supreme Commander Ruengroj and PPP member was also apparently concerned about this.

BP: Chavalit doesn't want to upset the PPP applecart too much as he wants to be the next PM.

19:50pm Bloomberg:

Thai police attempted to block off five main roads surrounding the government's headquarters, and officers were equipped only with shields and helmets, said Surapol Thuanthong, a deputy Royal Thai Police spokesman. "Our job is to ensure the safety of the people,'' he said.
...
"This government is trying to get rid of our king,'' said Adam Rojanasthien, a retired designer of medical equipment who joined today's protest.

BP: Samak wants to get rid of the King?

19:30pm The Manager reports that Snoh Thienthong, Pracharaj Party leader, asks the PAD "what do you want?" and "how exactly is the government illegitimate?", "who do you want to be the next government?". Snoh also says that Samak should speak to the people about what the government has done and that Thaksi is not involved.

The Manager also quotes from the deputy government spokesman who says that he has spoken to Samak and that no force will be used at all including tear gas. He also said that Samak will serve out a full 4 year term.

BP: It will be interesting to see if we can get some answers to Snoh's questions. How long will PAD stay at there new temporary place? The government and the police seem to be adopting the "leave them and ignore them". If they are still there on Monday, traffic in the Dusit area will be asful. Actually, the more protesters on the road and the further they are spread out, the more roads will be blocked.

18:30pm The Nation:

5.17pm : PAD sets up two stages; at Nang Lueng Intersection and Chamai Mayurachet Bridge and were attended by a total of 50,000 protesters.

Chamlong Srimuang is leader of the stage at Nang Lueng Intersection while Somsak Kosaisuk at the Chamai Mayurachet Bridge

BP: This is the highest tally I have seen so far, but still short of the claimed 300,000. The 50,000 figure is probably about the right amount and could increase by 10,000 or so tonight as people attend the rallies after work.

18:20pm VOA reports:

Thepchai Yong, managing director of the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, says the country is deeply divided between those who support Mr. Thaksin and those who oppose him.

"In the past we had some figures - some respectable figures - who can intervene. But now it seems that there are two opposing forces going at each other's throat and we don't see anybody that can come between and make peace between these two forces," said Thepchai. "It's a very dangerous time, very, very dangerous."

Many political analysts here say it is unlikely there will be a repeat of the 2006 military coup.

"The military will try to be neutral towards this kind of increasing conflict," said Sompob Manaragnsan, a director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn University. "I don't think that they are going to intervene, if they are not going to have a serious confrontation or uncontrollable violence."

However, military commanders say the army is ready to take action if the demonstrations turn violent.

BP: Yong, the analyst. Actually, if the military were to intervene, I doubt Anupong wants to take over and Samak would still be PM.

From TV, PAD are outside Government House, they have kind of surrounded it, listening to rallies. The police seem to be content for them to sit there listening to the rallies.

18:00pm The Post:

First Army Commander Prayuth Chan-ocha said after the meeting that it was aimed at informing the premier about the rallies, and that Mr Samak did not give any special orders.

"Nothing much," he said. "We just reported him about current situation."

BP: To play devil's advocate, why declare a state of emergency? Just leave the PAD there.

17:50pm: Chavalit denies he said Samak should resign. I should note that Chavalit will be PM once PPP has been dissolved. He has been touring the Northeast recently giving lectures and meet Thaksin.

17:40pm: Thai Rath reports that Samak has held an urgent meeting with Army C-in-C Anupong and First Army Region Commander Prayuth (the two most important people in the Army) and the Police Chief at the Army Club on Viphawadee-Rangsit Road. Samak is preparing to go on the air to make a live broadcast.

From the radio, Suriyasai, one of the PAD leaders states that some 300,000 protesters have shown up, the most for a PAD rally ever. He claims "victory". There was talk of setting up a stage.

BP: So with PAD having surrounded and "taken" Government House what will Samak say? And what will PAD do now? What have they won?

btw, at 4:30pm the police had estimated 25,000. I would say around 60,000 although it is hard to say as we don't get aerial shots.

16:40pm: Slight divergence, but about 10 people died when an army helicopter crashed. 5 are apparently forensic staff. Matichon has the details and the names. Army Spokesman Col. Akara states it was a mechanical failure.

16:30pm: Someone I know who was at the protest earlier today:

Well things were pretty tense as one PAD sub group tried to kick down the barricade in front of police on the Makkwan Bridge in front of UN. My stomach started to churn when we watched them put on their gas masks. Protesters started distributing cold towels and surgical masks in case they deployed tear gas, but the police held back and the protesters kicked the barricade and shouted. Ranking police officers telling the police to stay ready
...
Police were saying "We have already allowed you protestors to come this far, but you can't come any further."

BP: More reports to come.

16:00 The Nation:

3.10pm : Four police sergeants are slightly injured during the clash with protesters on Nakhon Pathom Road.

The police, including two female police, are now receiving medical treatment at Police Hospital. They are Pol Sgt Ponpiroon Tohlamjorn, 20, Pol Sgt Pojana Kaewketsri, 22, Pol Sgt Komsan Srikam, and Pol Sgt Sarawut Lertpon, both 40.

3.05pm : Chamlong Srimuang takes the stage in front of Nang Lueng Horse Racing Stadium, telling the protesters to stay calm and conflicts with each other. He tells the crowds to say "Thank" police for allowing them to move the protest.

2.35pm : After achieving in surrounding the Government House, the protesters try to move police trucks that formed the barricade in front of the Government House. However, police told the protesters that they will move the trucks themselves.

BP: After this the police seem to have been overwhelmed and removed the blockades. If it was the Nor Por Gor rally last year and 4 police were taken to the hospital for medical treatment, would these have been called "slight injuries"?

15:00 AP has a good article on the protests so far pulling together many different snippets of information:

A protest leader, Chamlong Srimuang, said some 10,000 protesters were converging on Government House in Bangkok from five directions. Their numbers could not be independently verified.

One group of about 1,000 protesters broke through a line of around 200 police officers at barricades, but were stopped just short of entering the Government House compound by other security forces. Other demonstrators staged sit-ins in front of police at four locations, but said they would later attempt to penetrate the cordon.

Another group of about 2,000 pushed against police equipped with shields and clubs. Reporters saw about a dozen protesters sustain minor injuries during the scuffles.

Earlier, police spokesman Maj. Gen. Surapol Tuanthong said about 5,000 police were blocking all roads to stop "the mob" from getting near Government House.
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The protesters pledged to peacefully besiege Government House until Samak and his coalition government resign.

Samak was not expected to be in the building on Friday.

Earlier, Suriyasai Katasila, an alliance leader, said the protesters would split up into smaller groups in order to confuse police and get through their cordon, which included lines of heavy trucks, water cannons and tear gas.

Some of the police had donned their gas masks. Others were wielding shields and clubs but no guns.

About 20 boats were being prepared by the demonstrators for crossing a canal which runs past Government House.

Government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat said schools and government offices around the building were ordered to close Friday for safety reasons and "to allow police to work smoothly."

The demonstrators -- claiming their ranks would swell to 100,000 as reinforcements converge from across the country -- have been in Bangkok's streets for the past three weeks.

During a meeting televised on the evening news Thursday, Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej urged Samak to keep his pledges to do good for the nation.

"I expect that you will do what you have promised and when you can do that, you will be satisfied," the king said.

"With that satisfaction, the country will survive. I ask you to do good in everything, both in government work and other work, so that our country can carry on and people will be pleased."

BP: Samak promised yesterday not to use force. Is this the promise? Or has another promise been made? If anyone has a link to the Thai version please e-mail me it or post in the comments with a working link.

14:40 Manager website is back to all-yellow. The slogan is "Protect the 2007 Constitution. Topple the Thaksin System/Thaksinocracy. Expel the Puppet Government"



BP: Click on image for full screenshot

The Nation

2.13pm : Protesters have all but circled Government House, with police commandoes making ways for their advance. However, those standing guard inside Government House walls vow there won't be any compromise and nobody will be allowed to cross over.

2.12pm : Protesters achieve in breaking the police line on Nakhon Pathom Road and move closer to the Government House. They are now besieging the Government House.

From Matichon:



Absolutely Bangkok and Manager frontpage reports a 5pm showdown.

BP: Is this to lull the police into a false sense of security?

BBC, Reuters on the key players.



13:30pm : Absolutely Bangkok is liveblogging. PAD have pushed through a police barrier at a temple.

BP: It seems from reports that PAD have dispersed into smaller groups and this suggests will take many different routes to Government House. Gen. Panlop, of Kru Se mosque "fame", assesses that the PAD protesters will pass through police barriers.

12:30pm: The Nation has live updates at this page.

Not sure how much time I will have to blog on them, but will try to have some text updates here and/or in Twitter (see the sidebar or my Twitter page - much easier to blog on the phone using Twitter than Blogger).

Post any useful info in the comments.

BP: My prediction is there is 50% chance of a serious confrontation. All the rhetoric from PAD is that they won't step down so I can't see how we can avoid a confrontation. The police won't let them move to Government House so we will have to see what PAD have up their sleeves.