State of emergency rules announced!!

[Admin]

Thai language:

[Admin]

Buriram does not have any effect of the problems in Bangkok.
Buriram city and province is quite and businesses are working as usually. 

Update on the road traffic:(19/5/2010) 
Buriram-Bangkok suvarnabhumi airport way is open and all the traffic is as normal.
The are few police/army borders to slow down the cars but not more than this.

Good song with pictures from the conflict area in Bangkok:
Listen to the song and hopefully this situation will end up in a better way for all of us and all the Thai people across the country.
PEACE.

[Admin]

Curfews extended to 21 Thai provinces after Bangkok riots
Wed May 19, 2010 9:05am EDT.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE64I0MM20100519

May 19 (Reuters) - An overnight curfew was announced in 21 provinces across Thailand on Wednesday following riots and arson attacks in Bangkok that erupted after a military offensive against anti-government protesters, authorities said.

The curfew extension was posted on TV channels, now under the control of the government, and said it would be in place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. in provinces under emergency rule. The provincial curfews followed arson attacks and protests in at least seven provinces, which included the torching of town halls in three major cities, all of which were strongholds of the anti-government protest movement.
(Reporting by Ambika Ahuja; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Michael Perry).

-----------------------------------

List of provinces under the curfew:

Sor or chor stated 20:00 - 06:00 curfew in Bangkok and the following provinces start from tonight UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
List of 24 provinces under emergency law as of now:
Added today (19/5/2010) at 18:00:
Kalasin.
Mukdaharn
(Source: The Nation)
Added 16th May:
Ratchathani.
Mahasarakham.
Roi Et.
Sakon Nakhon.
Nong Bua Lampu
(Source: Xinhua)
Added 13 May:
Chonburi.
Samut Prakan.
Nonthaburi.
Pathum Thani.
Ayutthaya.
Khon Kaen.
Udon Thani.
Chaiyaphum.
Nakhon Ratchasima.
Si Sa Ket.
Chiang Mai.
Chiang Rai.
Nan.
Lampang.
Nakhon Sawan.
(Source: Bangkok Post)

[urleft]

This is really helpful to me getting back to the LOS  (NOT).

 

[Admin]

Red shirt rioters take battle to the provinces
Govt offices set alight in North and Northeast
Published: 20/05/2010 at 03:29 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News

Chaos broke out in several provincial strongholds of the red shirt protesters after the government moved to disperse the main rally at Ratchaprasong, forcing red shirt leaders to turn themselves in to police.



City hall offices in several provinces in the North and Northeast were burned by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship supporters after the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation launched its operation to break the red shirt barricades at Sala Daeng and Sam Yan. The move forced UDD leaders to disperse the rally and surrender to save protesters’ lives.

More than 600 demonstrators in Udon Thani gathered at Thung Sri Muang grounds and lashed out against the government’s actions, after violence between the sides led to several deaths.

Authorities tried to calm protesters before they moved to the city hall office and broke the gates and glass doors before flocking inside.

Angry protesters broke and damaged assets including vehicles and set alight the city hall’s old building. Fire trucks could not access the areas because they were blocked by protesters.

In Khon Kaen, red shirt protesters set fire to the old wooden city hall building and burned it to the ground while the new building was burned at the west site.

About 2,000 enraged protesters broke the gates and damaged anything in their path.

They also set fire to a pile of old tyres in the city hall compound.

The situation was the same in Chiang Mai, the hometown of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Protesters burned the house of a senior provincial officer located in the compound of the provincial governor’s residence.

A number of old tyres were also burned at the compound.

Upset protesters also flocked to Bangkok Bank’s Tha Phae branch.

Meanwhile, pro-Thaksin supporters in Mukdahan broke into the city hall compound and burned the building. Fire trucks that responded were attacked by protesters, though some red shirts disagreed with such actions.

In Ubon Ratchathani, about 1,000 protesters clashed with security officers at the city hall compound before they set fire to the Provincial Culture Office located in the compound. Some protesters then moved to the second floor of city hall and set fire to the provincial governor’s room, damaging it severely.

[Admin]

Fires almost out, curfew extended 
The Nation: 20 May 2010
Curfew extended in Bangkok, 23 other provinces

The Centre for Resolution of Emergency Situation announced the extension of curfew in 24 provinces, including Bangkok, by three days until Saturday.

The curfew time will be changed form 8 pm to 6 am, to 9 pm to 5 am.

*Buriram is NOT under the curfew rules as for today (20/5/2010).

 

[dave the dude]

There are no problems in Surin either. 

[Admin]

Just for security reasons, there are police and army in front of the city hall of Buriram city. (Jira road near the roundabout).
There is also a fire truck there, again, just for any case.

Buriram is very quite and there are no signs of the problems in Bangkok.

From what I understand also,the red shirts leaders surrendered so all this saga is hopefully going to end soon. 

---------------------

More red leaders surrender, call for end to rioting
Published: 20/05/2010 at 02:09 PM
Bangkok Post: Online news: Local News

Three more core leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) surrendered to police at the Crime Suppression Division on Thursday afternoon.

The leaders are Veera Musikhapong, Weng Tojirakarn and Korkaew Pikulthong.

Mr Korkaew issued a statement calling on the red-shirts nationwide to stop rioting and for troops to stop shooting at people and to return to barracks.

Another UDD core leader Arisman Pongruengrong, who was earlier reported by the local media to have been arrested at a skytrain station on Wednesday evening, was still on the run.

Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Amnuay Nimmano said that there was no confirmation from any unit  that Mr Arisman had been arrested or detained at the Naresuan military camp as reported.

Another group of red-shirt leaders turned themselves in on Wednesday -- Natthawut Saikua, Jatuborn Prompan, Wiphutalaeng Pattanaphumthai, Nisit Sinthuprai and Kwanchai Praipana.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported on Thursday that buildings at 35 locations had been set on fire since Wednesday, including the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority's Klong Toey office, CentralWorld shopping complex, Siam Theatre and Center One shopping mall.

Big C Ratchadamri was also set on fire early Thursday morning.

Fires at all of these locations had been extinguished, but four of the buildings -- Big C Ratchadamri, Center One, CentralWorld and Siam Theatre -- have been declared danger zones because of the gutted buildings could collapse.

The arson around the capital and in other provinces after the surrender of some red-shirt leaders on Wednesday had been planned ahead, Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Thursday.

Some of the red-shirt leaders had urged the protesters to burn down buildings and loot, he said.

"In Bangkok, there have been attempts to set fires at 39 places including government offices, private properties, television stations," Col Sansern said.

Efforts to put out the fires had been hampered by  gunmen attempting to attack the firemen, he said.

Col Sansern then showed a video clip showing red-shirt leader Natthawut Saikua telling protesters, "Burn them, brothers and sisters. I will be the only one taking responsibility."

Col Sansern also said that there were attempts to attack protesters taking at Wat Pathumwanaram, in Ratchaprasong, where more than 5,000 red-shirts took refuge on Wednesday.

Six bodies were found inside a Thai Red Cross Society tent inside the temple grounds, he said.

According to reports, the victims were killed  by war weapons as they  tried to leave the temple for Pathumwan intersection, where the CRES had prepared buses for protesters to go home, Col Sansern said.

It was believed they were killed between 5pm and 6pm on Wednesday. Security personnel and police were still unable to enter the area at the time, he said.

[Admin]

WHAT IS HAPPENING EXACTLY IN THAILAND?
YOU CAN SEE THIS VIDEOs AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND!

Video from TODAY 6:00am in Bangkok. THAI LANGUAGE:
Bangkok after the red mob.


News review from today in English:

[TBWG]

Anyone you recognise?

Just what we farangs need! Another excuse to make our lives difficult and who can blame them with retards like this about, a Brit as well!

       


TBWG

PS NOT the guy in the first few shots!!!!

[dave the dude]

Rumour is this Animal is called either Barry or Geoff and comes from Chang Mai.
Hope Immigration & Police have copy Video

[Admin]

Wounds will take a long time to heal
Published: 21/05/2010 at 04:05 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News

77 deaths. Over 1,400 injured. Hundreds of billions of baht in losses. Our country’s image stained with blood and smoke and flames.

No one knows how long it will take to close the deep divisions that have opened within Thai families and society. No one knows if we can heal the deep wounds suffered over the past several years. The past five years have changed us — the country and its people — irrevocably.



But whatever our future, there is no doubt that all Thais — no matter what our personal beliefs and views — must play a role in ensuring that such a dismal state of affairs never happens again. We owe it to ourselves and our children to heal the wounds and feelings of injustice and inequality widespread within society.

The Red March — which rapidly grew into the Red Crisis — comprised of many elements. There were those who genuinely and passionately felt that for so long they had been abused. They believed — erroneously — that Thaksin Shinawatra had a magical elixir that would cure them of their of inequality and injustice, perceived or real. So heated was their passion they were prepared to fight and to die for it in the name of “democracy”.

Then there were the opportunists, who selfishly and without care of the results of their actions, acted on Thaksin’s behalf. Some felt the time was ripe to overthrow the Monarchy and usher in a new regime. Others marched due to lingering resentment of the 2006 coup.

If there is anything we must learn from the nightmare of the past five years it is that it will take years, if not a generation, to tend to the wounds, right the wrongs and reduce the gaps that have so divided us. Let us never forget — for Thais do easily forget.

But just as we should not forget the task ahead, we also should not forgive. The actions of some among the red shirts of the past several weeks were unconscionable, actions taken with full knowledge of their leaders and tacit approval by Thaksin to wreck havoc and destabilise the government, the country’s image and economy for their own aims.

Red shirt leaders have repeatedly, and conveniently, said they had no control over the unruly elements. But as leaders, they cannot deny responsibility for the protesters – whatever faction they belong to.

While it may be argued that some of the violent incidents can be attributed to inflamed passions over principles and beliefs — the torching of buildings, the shootings to prevent rescue operations and use of war weapons are heinous acts which are planned — someone organised it, someone funded it and someone supported it. And they must be punished.

[swimming pizza]

looks like it ended just the way it started............... enough said.

[Admin]

Subway to resume operation Sunday 
Finance Asia: 22 May 2010
Subway to resume operation Sunday

* Published: 22/05/2010 at 09:02 AM


The MRT has announced on Saturday morning that it will resume subway services on Sunday, from 8am to 8pm.

The MRT will provide subway full scale service as usual on Monday.

BTS said it needs times to assess damage and the system’s readiness for resuming providing services.

The BTS expects it would be able to resume skytrain service of both Silom and Sukhumvit lines on Monday.

-------------------------

The crisis is over for now.
All transportation like usual, luckily Buriram didn't had any effect from this problem in bangkok and hopefully both sides will come up with a result satisfy the majority of the people.
After all we want to have peace and stabillity in thailand.
Good for life and for business.
 

[Admin]

Curfew on a `day-to-day' basis
CRES SAYS NO IMMEDIATE END TO EMERGENCY RULE, MASSIVE CLEAN-UP UNDERWAY
Published: 23/05/2010 at 12:41 AM
Bangkok Post: Online news: Local News

Bangkok and some provinces will be under curfew today from 11pm to 5am and the Centre for the Resolution for the Emergency Situation (CRES) has no immediate plan to repeal the emergency decree, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday.

The curfew would remain in place today and the decision on whether to extend it would be made on a day-to-day basis, said Mr Suthep, who is the centre director.

Yesterday a curfew was declared between 9pm to 5am. The curfew was lifted in Pattaya. The centre had no plans to lift the emergency decree for the time being, he said.

The CRES believed that a large amount of heavy weapons were still in the possession of radical red shirt groups and vowed to find them to prevent further violence, he said.

``The CRES will press ahead with our operations to search for weapons and arrest those who took away the authorities' arms,'' Mr Suthep said.

According to the CRES, 85 people died (74 civilians and 11 security officers) and 1,402 were injured (991 civilians and 411 security officers) in a series of violent clashes and bomb attacks since April 10.

During the CRES briefing, officials displayed weapons and ammunition seized from the red shirt rally site, including M79 grenade launchers,  AK47s, handguns, several types of grenades, Molotov cocktails, bullets for automatic weapons and firecrackers.

``These are solid evidence to prove that the red shirt leaders instigated their people to torch businesses and state premises,'' said CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

More weapons were found behind the rally stage at Ratchaprasong intersection and in the basement of the torched CentralWorld building yesterday.

As security officials continued their search for more weapons and other UDD members, work was underway to get the capital back on track.

All government agencies, offices and schools in the city open today.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) expects to return clean streets to Bangkokians tomorrow after a massive clean-up operation at six red shirt protest venues today.

Deputy Bangkok governor bornthep Techapaiboon said the BMA would today mobilise about 3,000 city workers and volunteers to sweep, clean and help to beautify areas of the city left filthy by the week's events.

The areas are:
1) Ratchadamri Road-Ratchaprasong area;
2) Silom-Narathiwat Ratchanakharin-Sathon roads;
3) Saphan Lueang, Sam Yan intersection, Siam Square and Henri Dunant Road;
4) Witthayu-Sarasin-Lang Suan roads and the Chidlom area;
5) Rama IV Road and areas in Bon Kai, Klong Toey and Channel 3 TV office;
6) and Ratchaprarop-Sri Ayutthaya intersections and the Din Daeng area.

As the two-month rally ended on Wednesday with widespread arson and looting in several spots in Bangkok as well as in northern and northeastern provinces, efforts now are geared towards the rehabilitation of damaged private and commercial properties.

The CRES set up a panel to assist small business operators and others affected by the rally.

PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey chairs the 16-member committee to assess damages incurred by small businesses and individuals as a result of the political chaos.  Apirak Kosayodhin, an adviser to the prime minister, serves as the deputy chairman, according to the CRES order.

Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutharak yesterday said the party is concerned about three risk factors that could impede the government's national restoration and reconciliation process.

These factors are the movement of the radical Siam Red group, the movement of terrorist militants, and the political actions overseas of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, said Mr Buranat.

 Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, a young UDD leader, was interrogated by police yesterday after being arrested at a  Big C superstore in Lat Phrao.

Mr Somyot, leader of the June 24 Democratic group and the editor of Thai Red News newspaper, was apprehended by officers from Chokchai police station after he had set up a display of photographs of red shirt protesters killed during violent clashes between protesters and security forces.

Mr Somyot was later released because no arrest warrant had been issued for him under the emergency rule decree.

Mr Somyot said on Friday in front of the 111 Thai Rak Thai Foundation that red shirt mass rallies would resume next month and in July. Mr Somyot also told the press conference that his faction would unite with other red shirt groups to form the Democracy Assembly, which aimed to continue to campaign for democracy and justice.