Will the red shirts kick off in Pattaya?

This weekend is the start of the Asean Summit shite in Pattaya, we have had police every where for the last few days, loads of streets turned into 1 way and no parking, really is a pain, and a couple of days ago the red shirts kicked off at royal Cliff hotel.

Today out of the blue some of the girlfriends family have turned up to stay, they live in Phuket but joined the protest in Bangkok a couple of days ago, seems they are avid red shirt supporters, have their own foot clappers and red shirts, seems they are all off out in Pattaya this weekend to do some protesting, wonder how widespread this is and if it is orgainised in any way at all......

^ Bugger. I was planning a visit this weekend. :(

I drove from Bangkok to Pattaya this evening and there were police barriers set-up up stopping heaps of people just past the elevated tollway exit ramp just north of Chonburi.

Saw some red shirts standing on the side of the road but could not confirm that the police were barring some Thais from entering the eastern seaboard.

Whats with these foot clappers, is it supposed to show a sign of disrespect?

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Originally Posted by Gerbil

^ Bugger. I was planning a visit this weekend.

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Aparently the police has largely blocked off all roads leading to Pratumnak Hill in Southern Pattaya.

My mate told me that other places are quite clear (central and north Pattaya) so I expect no real problems if you don't go anywhere near South Pattaya or North Jomtien.!

Soi Thepprasit is one way, Jomtien beach road is oneway, no parking on Thepprasit or, I think, Thappraya road :(

They have a load of tanks in Sattahip they could bring in if it comes down to it, would make a nice change if a coup started off in Pattaya for once, could put Pattaya on the international map so to speak :)
Better get some of my camera batteries charged up :)

It's not that I wish for the Red Shirts to descend on our "fair city" but they would be stupid if they don't, their protests would be on every news media in the world, the propaganda value would be immense, and it would be an absolute major face loss for Abhisit if the Asean summit is overshadowed by Red Shirt protesters and the summits agendas and time tables disrupted, remember that several of the Asean members have voiced concerns whether Thailand could provide the necessary security in light of the recent airport blockades, and Abhisit then gave his personal guarantees for the security.

We must assume that the Red Shirt tacticians are aware of this, with Sonkran on top the town is going to be a traffic nightmare Friday and Saturday :(

I think the Dark side is the best option for beer, and bird watching this weekend :)

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Originally Posted by dirtydog

could put Pattaya on the international map so to speak Better get some of my camera batteries charged up

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Always the eternal optimists DD! :)

I reckon Larvidhr has the right option.....The dark side and if your back is up to it.

Might be safer to move the Asean summit to Utapao

Bugger. Looks like I chose the wrong weekend to be in Pattaya then.

And the agent is telling me the hotel room he has booked for me is US$200 a night. It had better be a good one at that price.

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Originally Posted by slimboyfat

the hotel room he has booked for me is US$200 a night

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is it the royal cliff ? you're going to learn to enjoy those cavity searches every time you want to duck down to soi 6.

pattaya as a tourist destination anyone ? the world media will cement pattaya in the minds if the media induced as the riot capital of thailand.

have we got some board members in condos with views of the action ? photos , photos , photos

It is an elite conspiracy to destroy the image of Pattaya as a fun loving sex city for ever!

What an amazing day, I just woke up, opened the balcony doors and put the kettle on, sat down here wondering why I could hear birds singing, then a couple of kids talking down the road, more birds singing, someone sweeping outside the front of their building, and then I realised, they have stopped all traffic from coming into the area, normally all I hear is the roar of lorries and bikes without exhausts, its quite a nice change to wake up to the sound of birds and that.

should happen more often

Apparently 2-5000 protesters have clashed with police in pattaya (Baht&sold) they got through the 1st cordon but were pushed back...let's hope the police have got their teargas canisters loaded for this lot as well....

'Did you see that Panit..did you see his leg come off?' 'Wow I love demo's...better than southern Thailand Joy

:fire:

Red-shirts gather at summit venue

About 1,500 anti-government protesters have arrived at Pattaya's Royal Cliff Beach Resort where the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Plus Three and the East Asian summits are being held.

The protesters, led by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) core member Arismun Pongreungrong, gathered in front of the venue, demanding for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Mr Arismun said Mr Abhisit was not democratically elected.

Navy personnel formed lines to prevent the red-shirt protesters from breaking into the venue.

Bangkok Post

Pro-Thaksin protesters confront police at Asian summit in Pattaya

Around 100 Thai anti-government protesters broke through an army cordon and marched towards a hotel hosting a summit of Asian leaders here Friday.

The main crowd briefly clashed with police before some forced their way through a group of soldiers deployed about 500 metres (yards) from the luxury hotel.

A police deploying at an entrance of the hotel said that there were three police cordons to prevent the protesters from reaching the hotel.

As of noon, the protesters could break through the first cordon and are about 500 metres away from the hotel's entrance, police said.

Television footage later showed riot police and red-shirted protesters angrily pushing each other on a road leading to the hotel.

The Nation

Wife went into town this morning to have a new tower built for her new desk top and said that the town from end to end is solid cops hanging around but don't seem to be doing much and Hyway Patrol cars and pickups parked everywhere.

She went in to pick up her new puter awhile ago so might have some news as to whats going on when she gets back and I have a load of salmon in the smoker so I had to stay here and miss what the fuck ever is going on.
I sure would like to see some cops thrashing on some of these brain dead rioters.

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Originally Posted by blackgang

the town from end to end is solid cops hanging around but don't seem to be doing much

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Probably a combination of red shirt control and the usual lead up to songkran police presence. Red shirt issue is minor compared with the carnage we have every songkran.

My girlfriend has just got back from Royal Cliff, she reckons around 5,000 red shirts there, suprised me as they all had to walk there and we know how Thai's love walking, they have ripped down the flags of the different nations from the flag poles for the Asean Summit, aint nobody dead yet though, supposedly the yellow shirts are going to turn up but I assume thats just a rumour they ran through the crowd to liven things up.

5,000?
Saw on the six o'clock news there was a couple of hundred.
Looks like more than a few got through the police road blocks.

Abhisit and Co will need to stir up some violence in order to justify sending in the army.

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Originally Posted by Mr Time Traveller

Saw on the six o'clock news there was a couple of hundred.

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Posted at 4.57pm, quite an amazing feat if you ask me.

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Originally Posted by dirtydog

Posted at 4.57pm, quite an amazing feat if you ask me.

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Not if you live in Japan.:)

^So how old was the news?