Prime Minister Yingluck has asked the army to assist the police in enforcing the law and maintaining public order.
"It seems that the country is in a state of lawlessness because people do whatever they want," the prime minister is said to have said, a source at the defense ministry said.
Yingluck is deeply concerned about the plans of the protest movement [People's Democratic Reform Committee, PDRC] to paralyze Bangkok. She has asked army commander Prayuth Chan-ocha (pictured Yingluck and Prayuth) to talk to action leader Suthep or to arrange a meeting between him and the government, and she has asked whether the army will participate in the assembly, which will be tasked with political proposing reforms.
According to the source, Prayuth is not eager to deploy the army. The military has come under heavy fire for its role in 2010. “Soldiers became the bad guys and ended up being persecuted,” Prayuth said, the source said. In 2010, 90 people were killed and just under 2.000 people were injured in skirmishes.
Bangkok shutdown
Action leader Suthep announced the next steps of the protest movement on Wednesday evening. Bangkok shutdown starts on Monday, January 13 at 9 a.m. In preparation, marches will be held in Bangkok from January 5 to 8 to raise supporters for the protest movement.
According to action leader Suthep Thaugsuban, the action can last 5 to 20 days, around the clock. Action podiums will be placed at twenty intersections in the city. Suthep also threatened to cut off electricity and water to ministers' homes and all government buildings on Wednesday night.
The actions will continue until Prime Minister Yingluck and her cabinet resign and the elections are postponed. The protest movement wants the broom to go through politics first. The motto is 'reform-before-election'. Suthep expects to declare victory this month.
PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan denies rumors that the 'shutdown' also extends to public transport (BTS, bus transport, airport occupation). Its sole purpose is to disrupt traffic, hinder the work of the government and hinder preparations for the elections.
Should the shutdown fail, the protest movement will take more aggressive action, according to Akanat, but based on the principle of non-violence. He confirmed once again that the PDRC is not talking to the Electoral Council.
(Source: Bangkok Post, January 2, 2014)
And the traffic around Bangkok? We plan to go to Hua Hin around that time for some warmth, will we suffer from congestion?
Hi Jan
You can go directly from the airport by taxi or luxury bus, which runs several times a day to Hua Hin. And finally, you can also fly from Bangkok to Hua Hin, 2 or 3 times a day. So no problem.
Yes, but I'm going by car. Also no problem? I am from chiangrai.
In a 'government shutdown', government tasks are stopped because the government no longer has funds at its disposal to carry out these tasks. At the time in the US, the government literally 'locked everything down'. See for example: http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/10/01/shutdown-een-feit-overheid-vs-gaat-op-slot-4-vragen-over-wat-dit-betekent/ Bangkok shutdown: in short: Bangkok locked!
However, in the case of BKK, it is not the government that locks things down, but the opposition intends to do so, for reasons other than what is actually customary. The opposition cannot, according to the meaning of the word, actually speak of a 'shutdown', although the opposition is of course concerned about the effects of it. You would then think that the opposition wants to slam the 'doors' to and from BKK in order to drag things along, to thwart, to oppose, to challenge, and so on. (It could turn out that it will soon turn out that they were just smashing their own windows.)
In short: they want to paralyze the BKK, and for the time being they seem to be succeeding, given the duration of the protests, but also given the total absence of any response and/or decisiveness to the events, no answer whatsoever to what was said in the city is going on, with both the government and the BKK authority. After all, it allows the center of BKK to resemble a semi-permanent encampment.
Parading around with the army leadership shows the impasse: no willingness to guide parties towards problem solving with intelligent leadership. Government and protest movement are once again strengthening their positions. No rapprochement at the moment. And this state is going to last for a while.
In addition, she seems to be the boss of the army, but she is not.
In the 'Thai democracy' the army does not listen to the minister.
Dear Chris,
I completely agree with you. Then Abhisit also lied when he said he ordered the army to end the 'red' demonstrations in Bangkok in 2010, didn't he? Who gave that order in 2010 if it could not have been the government?
No doubt you know who the military listens to. Are they only looking out for their own interests or are they perhaps working for the national interest? Please tell us who or what the military is listening to, I think you should know.
According to the 2007 constitution, promulgated and signed by the King, the army should actually listen to the government, isn't that correct or am I mistaken?
Moderator: Please do not chat.
My plane leaves January 14 at 2am that can get exciting if they close everything then I think they will lose a lot of credit with the population and I don't think the army will just stand by.
We land in Bkk on January 17 and want to stay in Bkk for a few days first. I'm starting to worry now, although several Thailand connoisseurs have already said that this is not necessary!
Is it wiser to change plans and leave Bkk immediately?
Follow the news. You can always adjust your plans, maybe it won't be too bad.
What I'm starting to ask myself more and more is where are the red shirts and what will happen if they also get involved? I'm increasingly surprised that they still haven't gotten involved in the conflict, but how long will that be? Are we on the verge of a real civil war?
@ Jaap See Breaking News under News from Thailand.
My wife has to take the plane on January 25 to settle with me in Belgium, I just hope that will be okay, because I'm really starting to worry.
I plan to fly to Bangkok at the beginning of February and from there travel to Korat to pick up my wife and would like to return to Bangkok together?
are travelers also hindered? is this period not recommended or does it not matter to us?
I'm also concerned. I arrive on January 9th. On January 14, I will leave for Krabi with my wife. Hotel has already been booked and paid for. I hope everything goes well. It is quite annoying for the tourists because many tourists go to Thailand in January and February.
@ Pascal and Adje See Breaking News under News from Thailand of January 2: Public transport in Bangkok continues to function normally. At intersections that are blocked, a lane is kept free for buses. Taxis will experience inconvenience.
I will go from Don Muang to Suvarnabumi Airport on January 14th. What transportation should I take to get to Suvarnabumi Airport without any problem?
Is the Sky train an option ? And if so what is the nearest Skytrain station towards Suvarnabumi ?
Or can I just take the shuttle bus on Don Muang towards Suvarnabumi?
BVD for the tips
@ Peter Lenaers A shuttle bus runs between Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi. I've never made the ride, but when I look at the map of Bangkok, the bus doesn't go near the intersections that are blocked. After all, Don Mueang is on the north side of Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi on the east side. The bus will take the Ram Inthra Road and Expressway.
To all travelers coming and going.
From the airport you can drive all the way around BKK in all possible ways, including with your own transport, so that you do not enter the cordoned off areas.
For arrivals who want to stay in BKK for a few days before continuing their journey, a stay in one of the many airport hotels (available in all budgets) is definitely recommended. you can then take public transport or Skytrain or taxi to the heart of BKK, but there is little entertainment or nightlife in this area.
Jan Dekker (by car from North to South) should keep to the west of BKK, without really getting into the BKK traffic, via Nakhon Pathom to Petchaburi and so south.
Good luck and travel pleasure.
We leave next Monday for a few weeks, with a group trip to Thailand. We first stay in Bangkok for 5 days in a hotel near the business district and then cross the country, heading north. There is (yet) no negative travel advice. Can we safely enter Bangkok? And the rest of the country? Travel organization says to keep an eye on it, but we are concerned.
@ Andrea de Boer A bona fide travel organization will not take you to places where you are in danger. Bangkok Shutdown is limited to the central area of Bangkok. Public transport will continue to operate normally. And furthermore: we can't just watch coffee grounds; it's all waiting until Monday.