Gaybutton

Sunday, April 19: _____ Today was the big day. It's also the last day for Songkran in Pattaya. I was pleased at how smoothly the traffic flowed throughout the city. Beach Road was closed off to traffic completely, with only an occasional motorcycle getting through. Of course, the entire city was out there and everybody was having a great time. Well, not quite everybody. One of the sights I enjoyed most was the few sourpuss farangs who were out there, apparently out of sheer necessity, trying to keep dry and looking for all the world as if the last time they ever enjoyed anything was in 1956. Other than that, it was all smiles and fun. Here are a few photos:

This is a photo of Sondhi's car after the assassination attempt. The photo comes from THE NATION, so there is, according to some, every possibility that it isn't really Sondhi's car because you can't rely on anything The Nation or the Bangkok Post publishes . . .

Friday, April 18: _____ Today all the activity has really gotten started, just about everywhere. Even on "The Dark Side" there is a lot of water splashing activity going on, mostly children out there having a wonderful time. If you're out and about today, then you're almost sure to get soaked. That might be a welcome relief. It is HOT out there today! It's like this almost every Songkran - hot temperatures and virtually cloudless skies. If you're going to be out there being part of it, be especially careful of sunburn. Tomorrow, Sunday, of course is the really big day in Pattaya. That's the major Songkran day. From among the Thais, everybody and his brother is going to be out there. Me too! Then, just after sundown, it all stops and those of you who despise Songkran will be safe for another year.

Well, finally something with which we agree. How about that? And I thought it would never happen . . .

First, your link doesn't work. All I see is "The requested resource could not be found." Second, as much as your disappointment brings tears to my eyes, I don't feel that I have to agree with you or your interpretation to have intellectual curiosity. Sorry, but I have yet to see anything that constitutes proof. However, I'll reserve further judgment until your link works and I can read what you believe is proof. By the way, save your insulting remarks. You can call me 'simple minded' or whatever you like, but that doesn't do a thing to promote your case. From my point of view, people who resort to name calling are the simple minded ones. That's also a violation of board policy. If you want to debate the issue, then stick to the issue. If you want to start getting personal, you're going to have a problem. We don't allow things to get personal around here, whether directed at me or anyone else.

For photos, see: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000008940

Have a look here: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000008942

No crystal ball, but I can't help taking note of the timing of it. Are the Red Shirts responsible? We have no way of knowing that yet, but if The Nation and the Bangkok Post publishes that they are, I'm not going to discount it just because it was they who published it.

Friday, April 17: _____ Again today the water splashing was sporadic, but much more than yesterday. Soi Buakhao seems to have most of it going on in town. However, there is still plenty of it along Second Road, Beach Road, and the road leading to the beach. Unless you're sitting up front with the baht bus driver, expect to get soaked. Tomorrow is the prelude to the "big day," so expect everything to escalate tomorrow (Saturday).

The place to make inquiries is at local Buddhist wats.

You may be right about television news. I really don't know. However that doesn't mean the Thais don't have other news sources. You know as well as I do that there are several Thai language newspapers and, of course, the Internet. There are also radio talk shows and many Thais do call in to those. Of course, whether the majority of Thais consult those sources is another question. I do concede, however, that the Thai government never seems to have a problem about shutting down anti-government papers, television, radio stations, and web sites, all under the guise of "emergency." I fail to see how expressing opinions and reporting news is a danger to the country. I also concede that The Nation and the Bangkok Post are biased against the Thaksin forces. Part of the problem is that the media on both sides seems to be biased.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Sondhi is in Serious Condition : Doctor Published on April 17, 2009 Sondhi Limthongkul is in serious condition after being shot as a bullet hit his left skull. The bullet is still in his skull, causing bleeding inside his brain, Vajira Hospital Director Dr Chaiwun Charoenchoktavee said Friday. Doctors are conducting an urgent operation on Sondhi and the operation is expected to finish around noon. Sondhi, a core leader of yellow shirts, known also as People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who seized Bankok airports late last year, has no wounds on his body. His driver, Vayupak Mussi, was also seriously wounded from the attack. Doctors said later that he survived and was now in stable condition. Meanwhile PAD's spokesman Parnthep Pualpongpan said at least two attackers riding on a pickup blocked Sondhi's vehicle who was on Samsen Road, heading to Manager newspaper office in Banglampoo area early Friday morning. The attackers then shot four tyres of Sondhi's vehicle before stepping out of their car and sprayed more bullets on the car. The attack lasted about five minutes and the attackers went back to their pickup which sped away along Tevet Road. Police who rushed to the scene found Sondhi's car riddled with bullets and they could collect more than cartridges of AK-16 and rifles from the scene. Parnthep said Sondhi was informed of reports that he could possible a target of attack, but he simply ignored the warnings. Meanwhile Chamnong Paokorn, 53, a bus driver, said that he was driving his bus past Iamworanut Temple when he saw a blue pickup truck which had no license plate blocked Sondhi's vehicle. Then two men on the back of the pickup then opened fires on the vehicle. Then another vehicle sped to the scene and exchanged fires with the attackers who later escaped the scene.

If I did that you would probably make a donation.

Now that's YELLOW journalism. That proves the Thai newspapers are controlled by the Yellow Shirts? Ok . . .

That's quite a statement. Do you have any evidence of that beyond your personal opinion? The same question goes for the Thai "news machine." You said it's controlled by the Yellow Shirts. Do you have proof of that? If you have proof about what you say, that's one thing. If you don't, then maybe you ought to take another look at who is submitting his thinking to someone else's propaganda.

Directly across the street from the X-yte Disco on Third Road, Soi 18.

If the Thai news media is biased against Thaksin, it would be hard to blame them. While Thaksin preached 'freedom of the press,' it was more like 'freedom of suppress.' You don't need me to remind you of the methods Thaksin used to try to control the press. But since when is the news media unbiased? I give you Fox News, for starters. Actually, the most unbiased news seems to come from, of all places, AL Jazeera. I suppose we can debate about who shot who and who started what, but that's all we can do . . . debate about it. None of us knows for sure. But I'm not going to just assume we're being lied to simply on the basis of the fact that the source of the news is The Nation or the Bangkok Post.

I'll do that under the condition that you do not make the assumption that I'm not thinking for myself. The fact that I believe the Red Shirts were responsible and that I believe what the Thai people tell me doesn't mean that I'm not thinking for myself, does it? Perhaps it means I disagree with your opinion, but I don't see how that translates into someone else doing my thinking for me (although I wouldn't mind at all if someone volunteers to accept that responsibility for me). How does the fact that the Thai people with whom I speak tell me they believe Thaksin will stop at nothing to get what he wants become allowing THE NATION and BANGKOK POST to do my thinking for me?

As a matter of fact, the people I talk to are in my age bracket. Most of the younger ones I've spoken to either don't want to talk about it at all or come across as being indifferent. I think you've made my point for me. The older generation remembers very well what happened before and that's precisely why they feel betrayed now. They thought there would be no more violence, but now they feel that Thaksin will readily resort to it if he gets an opportunity and if nothing else works.

The following two stories appear in THE NATION: _____ Thaksin Flies to Africa after his Passport was Revoked Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra defied Thai government last night by leaving Dubai hours after his passport was revoked. Dubai-based 7Days newspaper reported that Thaksin has refused to accept that his passport is cancelled was due to fly to a secret location in Africa. "The government can talk all they want but it's not going to stop us. Every Thai person is entitled to a passport and it cannot simply be revoked," a spokesman travelling with Thaksin said last night. He said Thaksin was in very good form and relaxed. "He's not all that worried, he's really fine, given all that's going on right now," the spokesman said. He talked to 7DAYS as Thaksin called for calm among thousands of his supporters involved in mass anti-government demonstrations. "Basically, we cannot go into Thailand at the moment but he will travel on his passport to other countries. "We are going somewhere in Africa, obviously I cannot say where," the spokesperson said, adding that Thaksin expected foreign governments to continue to accept his passport. The revocation of Thaksin's passport stepped up the Thai government's campaign against the billionaire former prime minister, who now lives in Dubai's Emirates Hills. He fled Thailand in 2006 after he was convicted of corruption charges and has claimed the trial was politically motivated. This week the government placed new charges of incitement on Thaksin for allegedly stirring up the anti-government protests. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has vowed to prosecute all leaders of the rallies, which largely disbanded on Tuesday after troops threatened to use force against thousands of demonstrators. Government spokesman Panitan Wattana-yagorn said Thaksin's passport was withdrawn for inciting protests that forced the cancellation of a summit of Asian leaders on Saturday. ____________________ And this: _____ Thaksin Holds Nicaraguan Passport Published on April 16, 2009 Fugitive Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is a "special ambassador" for Nicaragua and holds a diplomatic passport issued by the Central American country, the Nicaragua government said on Wednesday. Foreign media reported that Thaksin, who is convicted in absentia on corruption charges in Thai courts, received the passport after a February meeting with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The Thai government stripped Thaksin of his passport this week after finding him behind violent protets that resulted in the cancellation of an Asian summit in Pattaya. The news reported that Ortega appointed him to help attract investment to the impoverished nation. Pro-Thaksin protesters staged violent protests in Bangkok this week, forcing the Thai government to impose emergency laws. Their leaders halted the protest on Tuesday, claiming that they did not want the soldiers to crackdown on the protesters rallying at the Government House.

The banks have started reporting the exchange rate again. Today, Thursday, April 16, the baht is holding steady right where it was before the trouble started. At the moment, 3:50pm, the exchange rate is 35.15 to the US Dollar. Whether it will stay that way remains to be seen, but that's precisely where it was a week ago.

I agree with GaySacGuy. What Soi10Tom is saying used to be the case, but from my conversations with people from the rural north and Issan, The Red Shirts have lost a hell of a lot of support and so has Thaksin. People keep telling me that they never would have dreamed that the kind of violence that took place would ever happen. While they were pleased with what Thaksin did while he was in office, now they see him as a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. They see the violent incidents as a major stain on Thailand and want nothing to do with people who do such things. In short, the people I speak to feel betrayed.

I can't figure this out at all. As crazy as things were yesterday with all the water splashing, today it was like a morgue. There was almost nothing going on at all. The most I saw were a very few sporadic water splashers and here and there a few five year old kids with squirt guns. Here and there a pickup truck full of splashers rolled by, but aside from that, nothing. Zilch. On Second Road there were no water splashers at all, that we saw. Coming down Beach Road I saw a grand total of two people out there splashing water. Down toward Jomtien I also saw virtually nothing, and all this was around noon. Go figure. Meanwhile, at the beach one vendor had a very clever idea and he was selling his wares like hotcakes! He's selling heavy duty waterproof plastic bags, perfect for protecting valuables during Songkran. 50 baht each. Here's a couple photos:

Were you able to determine if this is something they're doing daily or just on certain nights?

They may have done just that. According to the latest news reports, three of the Red Shirt ringleaders were brought to criminal court this morning. No Red Shirt protesters showed up.