Military Coup in Thailand 2006

[diaw]

A man collides his taxi with tank

A taxi driver intentionally collided his vehicle head on with a tank that is guarding at the Royal Plaza on Saturday.
The driver, identified as Nuamthong Praiwan, was taken to a police station nearby. His taxi was sprayed with some sentences which read, "destroying the country," and "suicidal move."
His taxi was totally damaged from the crash, but the tank was unscathed.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30015059

Interesting move...

[dirtydog]

A taxi driver was in critical condition Saturday after slamming his car into a tank in Bangkok's Royal Plaza to protest the military council that seized the power from Thaksin government.


The driver, Nuamthong Praiwan, said he painted the words "Destroy the country" on the side of his taxi, and the word "Suicide" on the trunk, before speeding into one of the tanks parked at the Royal Plaza.
"I did it intentionally to protest the junta that have destroyed our country, and I painted all the words by myself," he said from his bed.
Nuamthong suffered broken ribs and injuries to his chin and his eye.
A police however downplayed the incident, saying the driver was drunk and no message was sprayed on the taxi. "I didn't see any spray-painted words. Initially police suspected the driver might have fallen asleep, or it could have been reckless driving," police said.
The words painted on the car were however visible in photographs and television images of the taxi.
Taxi drivers are among the strong supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's populist policies.
The military deposed Thaksin last month while he was in New York.

the nation

[diaw]

<1 ton car takes on a 22 ton tank... either very brave, or very drunk... a few paint touchups for the tank... wonder how much the taxi fellow needs to pay for the taxi he smashed... insurance won't cover it...

[Little Chuchok]

^ I would say he was very dumb.

I painted all the words by myself

Did he use crayons?

[ChiangMai noon]

during my first week in Bangkok, i was waaay drunk somewhere in sala deng, i opened a taki door on the right hand side and a passing car knocked the fukker clean off.
Was taken to the police station and we arrived at a sort of stalemate.
The police were telling me i should pay 12,000 bht, i was saying I shouldn't pay anything because he must be covered by insurance, I asked for a tourist police lawyer. he took over an hour to arrive.
5 hours of this, while the poor taxi driver was waiting outside smoking.
Finally i said i'd pay 1,000 baht and the driver was all over it. dreadful waste of time.
Are taxi drivers insured for drunken passengers that open the doors against traffic and get them knocked off? They bloody well should be.

[dirtydog]

I really don't believe Thai Taxi drivers get that many drunken Welsh tourists as passengers, why would they insure against that ?

[Thetyim]

Why didn't you just beat the taxi driver senseless with the car door and walk away.

[buadhai]

And the drunken Welshman fled the scene....

[diaw]

Wonder why the taxi driver didn't think to put the child-lock on for the right-hand door? Would've kept the drunk Welsh hooligan guessing for a few hours... taxi could have kept the meter running until the Welshman worked it out.

[friscofrankie]

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

during my first week in Bangkok, i was waaay drunk somewhere in sala deng, i opened a taki door on the right hand side and a passing car knocked the fukker clean off.
Was taken to the police station and we arrived at a sort of stalemate.
The police were telling me i should pay 12,000 bht, i was saying I shouldn't pay anything because he must be covered by insurance, I asked for a tourist police lawyer. he took over an hour to arrive.

"And so go the days of our lives..." (welsh version)

[RandomChances]

Originally Posted by dirtydog

I really don't believe Thai Taxi drivers get that many drunken Welsh tourists as passengers,

You'd be supprised

[hunter]

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

"And so go the days of our lives..." (welsh version)

Chuck a sheep into the equation.

[Mr Earl]

Wow!
Took three days to wade through all 66 pages. ( I landed in the hospital the evening of the 19th for 9 days and just recuperating now)

Aside from drunken welshmen and granny smiths it's been a good thread.
I agree that this coup was necessary. It was also perfectly timed and executed. Very slick it will go down as the model for all coups.

Here's an interesting take on the events:

Thailand's military coup: Lots of smiles, tanks, flowers

By Yusof Sulaiman l eTN Asia


Gulf News
The Thai military leaders who staged the coup last Tuesday did it in the tradition of Thai coups - in the name, colors of the Thai king and people, with lots of smile and flower power from the people.

The new regime has also unwittingly solved one problem: if you keep the guns quiet more tourists will even want to know about how the mysterious kingdom works.

With the exception of tanks which lost their way when ordered to go into Bangkok for “routine exercise to test combat readiness” the mood in Bangkok was more a celebration than fear.

Since the coup, soldiers atop tanks stationed at strategic points around Bangkok have become the city's latest tourist attraction, a “must photo opportunity” not only for foreigners but also for Thais.

In what is seen as a public relations exercise to reclaim their tarnished image, the new military junta has been using its army radio to remind ground troops to be “friendly, courteous and allow anyone to be photographed with them.”

"Soldiers should promote a positive image by smiling and being polite," added the radio station, while on its front page the Bangkok Post published a picture of smiling military policewomen outside the junta headquarters.

Bangkok's crafty tourist guides suddenly found themselves with a great new product to sell.

In addition to the alluring smiles of Thais, their long-dormant staging military coup has become a new tourist attraction.

Said Jackie, a tour guide, "A lot of foreign tourists want to see how a coup is done. Last night I brought a group of foreign tourists here to photograph the scene.

"The tourists are happy, they are not complaining," added Jackie. "They have never seen flowers on tanks before."

Photographs published in local newspapers show Thai families posing for family photographs with soldiers and tanks. Foreigners and civilians have been seen posing for photographs holding M-16 rifles belonging to the soldiers.

The army radio said on Saturday it has been receiving overwhelming support from the people for its action.

"Everybody seems happy and relaxed," said Australian tourist Rick Walkomsaid when interviewed. "What amazes me is everyone is walking around taking pictures and photos. It's very entertaining."

Despite curbs on the media, it has not stopped Thailand's astrologers from interpreting the stars predict “everything is back on the right track after the coup.”

"Thais will enjoy political stability and a healthy economy," said an astrologer. "Thaksin will have to take refuge overseas for a long time."

Even with its commonplace history of military coups, Thailand witnessed its last military coup in 1991 which toppled the then ruling government. The ensuing street clashes resulted in violence, killing some 50 pro-democracy demonstrators.

[stroller]

I landed in the hospital the evening of the 19th for 9 days and just recuperating now

Welcome back, and get better soon!

[Storekeeper]

Good grief!

Thai PM Apologizes to Muslims, Urges Shari'a

Lgf, "The new Muslim prime minister of Thailand, installed by military coup, has apologized to Muslims in the south. And he’s urging the “limited use” of shari’a law."

(AP) PATTANI, Thailand- Thailand’s interim prime minister publicly apologized Thursday for the former government’s hard-line policies against an Islamic insurgency, promising an investigation into allegations of human rights abuses by the administration deposed in a recent coup.
In an unexpected initiative, Chulanont Surayud also said he would urge the limited use of Islamic law in Thailand’s Muslim-majority south to settle some disputes, especially over inheritance and family affairs, he said.

Surayud was accompanied by army chief Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, a practicing Muslim who led the Sept. 19 coup. Previous governments have shown little acceptance of Muslim culture."


Busy exposing the hypocrisy of the left today ain't I ?

You supported the coup didn't you Milkman ?

[William]

E-book on coup to be available from Mono2u.com


Mono2u.com, a leading e-commerce website specialising in VCDs, DVDs and books, has joined with the Nation Multimedia Group (NMG) to enter the digital-download business.

Their first offering is an e-book entitled "Na Chak Lang Chak Yoothakarn Khone Thaksin", revealing the behind-the-scenes strategies used to oust Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mono Generation CEO Soraj Asavaprapha, along with affiliates of the Mono Group, announced the digital download plan Tuesday. It will use the Mono2u website, www.mono2u.com.

He said Mono2u was an e-commerce website that statistics from truehits.net showed was the most trusted by consumers in purchasing VCDs, DVDs, movies, music and books. The main reason the group is now expanding into digital downloads, in collaboration with NMG, is to open up new business opportunities.

"We'll expand upon what we already have," he said. "Mono2u dot com will have a main role in system development and marketing, while NMG will select books for us to develop into e-books. To begin with, we are offering 'Na Chak Lang Chak Yoothakarn Khone Thaksin' as a pilot product."

The target group for the venture will be new-generation Internet users accustomed to downloading and who have confidence in an e-commerce system that is convenient and cost-effective. It will also be aimed at Thais living abroad who have an interest in Thai news and current affairs.

"Nowadays, digital downloading is becoming more favoured by users, because it has developed in terms of user-friendliness and handiness. With e-books, a customer doesn't need to spend time and money commuting to a store. As for stores, e-books will allow us to reduce our costs in many ways, which means they can be sold for about 20-30 per cent less than hard copies."

THE NATION

[Bobcock]

I really don't believe Thai Taxi drivers get that many drunken Welsh tourists as passengers,

they sure do round my way...... never been dumb enough to lose a door though......this bloke must be a jack

[ChiangMai noon]

^
it only happened the once.

[William]

"What Thaksin had done wrong"

Summary of Council for National Security's "White Paper" detailing Thaksin's alleged wrongdoings


Why did Council for National Security overthrow the Thaksin administration?
Corruption/conflict of interests
Changed concessions on mobile phone business as excise tax
Created satellite business to gain promotion from Board of Investment
Corruption at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the purchase of CTX bomb detection scanners
Corruption in the construction of railway Airport Link
Lack of transparency in privatisation of state enterprises
Media interference
Abuse of power
Appointed family, relatives, close aides to highranking positions of the state
Used state budget without seeking approval from the House in projects to promote government popularity
Abuse of power by negotiating with foreign countries for the interest of themselves (Exim bank loans)
Abuse of power by instructing state agencies to investigate assets of government opponents
Infringe on ethics and moral integrity of country leader
Sold satellite concession and television station to a foreign country
Evaded taxes from share sale
Interference in political check system
Interfered with the Senate which appointed independent agencies that checked the government
Interfered with the appointment of Election Commission, Constitution Court judge and National Counter Corruption Commission and AuditorGeneral
Policy flaws that led to human rights violation
Extrajudicial killing of drug suspects
Policy mismanagement and abuse of power in solving violence in the south
Created rift and destroyed unity of the public and instigating confrontation
Blocked information that checked the government and the prime minister
Created confrontation between anti and pro government supporters

[William]

MILITARY / ONE-BILLION-BAHT SECRET FUND

Coup d'etat spending not denied by Sonthi

WASSANA NANUAM
Army chief Sonthi Boonyaratkalin yesterday stopped short of denying that the military spent a billion baht of its secret fund to stage the coup d'etat on Sept 19. ''We certainly needed money for our people's food and other necessary expenses,'' Gen Sonthi said when asked to explain the reported use of more than a billion baht on the coup.

None of the coup participants risked their lives for their own personal interests, he said, at a press conference to mark three months since the overthrow of the Thaksin Shinawatra government .

''We staged the coup to end all conflicts peacefully and bloodlessly,'' added Gen Sonthi, who is also chairman of the Council for National Security (CNS).

Assistant army chief Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, deputy secretary-general of the CNS, added the military's secret fund served a security purpose.

''It's not money diverted from stock transactions or any other form of budget corruption. Our fund was disbursed properly,'' Gen Saprang said.

Accompanied by seven other top brass from the CNS, Gen Sonthi emphasised that the council had no intention of remaining in power.

''We don't want to hang on to power. It's because we want to ensure anxious people in society that we did it [the coup] out of our true good intentions, and for the best interests of the country,'' he said.

The CNS's efforts to reinstate democracy in the country are on schedule, and the council has managed to achieve most of its objectives, he said.

''We said we would draft an interim charter in two weeks. We kept our word and got it done in two weeks. Then, on Oct 1, we appointed the prime minister. Only eight days after that, the prime minister had recruited all members of his cabinet,'' said the general.

On the legislative front, the CNS has given a clear timeframe and kept in step with it. The 242-member National Legislative Assembly was appointed on Oct 11, followed by the 1,982-member National People's Assembly.
On Monday, they selected among themselves a shortlist of 200 candidates for the Constitution Drafting Council (CDC). Then in two weeks time, the CNS will select 100 out of the 200 contenders to sit on the CDC, said Gen Sonthi.