"It's only a protest. It's not a war"

[Chopinist]

Hong Kong tourists are still travelling in Thailand despite a government warning to avoid non-essential travel, with demonstrations by the "Red Shirts" who support fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra beginning today.

Joseph Tung Yao-chung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said 1,200 Hongkongers on about 50 package tours were still in Thailand.

"They all say that it is very calm there, like nothing is happening. And they are carrying on with their travels as scheduled. Nothing has been interrupted," Tung said.

The tour groups are due to return to the city by next week, and all local tours to Bangkok were cancelled on Wednesday after the government issued a red travel alert in response to a Thai government decision to impose a tough internal security law.

This is the first red alert issued by the Security Bureau under the new alert system, which covers 60 countries and started operating in October. A red alert means people are advised to avoid non-essential travel because of a significant threat.

The council has stopped all tours until next Thursday, while Thai authorities began deploying 50,000 troops on the streets of Bangkok yesterday ahead of rallies of between an expected 100,000 to 600,000 anti-government protesters that they fear could turn violent.

The demonstrations begin today, two weeks after the kingdom's top court confiscated US$1.4 billion of Thaksin's assets.

Thailand-based travel writer Roger Wu Wai-chung, who is in Bangkok, said it was business as usual in areas frequented by tourists, such as Siam Square and Silom, though there were noticeably fewer tourists around.

"Overall, the atmosphere is not scary, because the protesters are coming [today]," Wu said.

"I'm not worried about my safety, but I am concerned about the impact it will have on tourism ... With less than a month to go until Easter, people planning their holidays may just decide it's not worth the trouble."

At Hong Kong's airport, British businessman Toby, who declined to give his last name, said he left Thailand for Hong Kong strictly for business, not for safety reasons.

"If it's not safe, I wouldn't leave my wife and four-year-old child there," the four-year resident of Bangkok said, adding that the protests were not aimed at tourists or foreigners.

A Mr Ma, who returned from Bangkok yesterday morning, said: "My family phoned to tell me that there would be mass rallies, so I came back two days earlier than originally planned."

He was not worried before he received the call, but added that the situation looked quite tense, with roadblocks and police checkpoints across the city.

Despite the red alert, some Hongkongers were still planning to head to Thailand, though the number was smaller than usual.

Yoyo Chan and Ken Li were among the few.

"We thought about changing our bookings but decided it should be fine," Li said.

The couple booked a five-day holiday package two weeks ago. Since they had already booked leave from work, they did not want to change their plans.

"It's only a protest. It's not a war," Li said.


Source: South China Morning Post. Hong Kong: Mar 12, 2010.

[mekong]

Hello that's were Thaksins families origin is from....
duh...see many whites or blacks arriving ???


as far as war....its not over yet Thaksin will stop at nothing to regain power to rob billions more from the Tais and their once lovely country before Thaksin was thrown out for his criminal abuse while many or most of these red shirts have been paid to participate in these protest which is unarguable due to video footage across the net proving so,so your most likely right they got their 3,ooo bth and as the 1st round is fired most if not all will flee and enjoy their pay while Thakskis still remains outside looking in as a wanted fugitive of the law.

Funny yet another country just threw him of as cowards where is his other family members hiding as they fled Tailand ?

As know China took over most of BKK of course they want to protect their tour business ,they could care less of the danger its greed as their motivation as thaksins.Bkk has few Tais their most china ~Tai that's a Pure fact along with some from India selling silk suites to westerners . That's from the country's own national census reports

[mekong]

Grenades killed two all ready today ..and if the killer is found to be on the 3 thousand bth payroll list they signed Thaksin could be held responsible for their murder if they can link these funding back to Thaksin as it is being investigated were all these piles of money was set from to those row houses to in able to pay 3 thousand bth to each protester .As the world seen many protesters being paid to join up on CNN ,you tube and on the front pages of many news papers .This money trail could be held responsible for these murder's and that's a factual statement.

[LEFastheysay]

Nobody way killed. This does not excuse the attmpt, but let's not fall into the false propoganda trap, eh? Enough people have been "done up like a kipper" already this week

[mekong]

Nobody way killed. This does not excuse the attmpt, but let's not fall into the false propoganda trap, eh? Enough people have been "done up like a kipper" already this week

Might I add this was some thing I read and far from me passing on propaganda, Im sorry if I made a mistake.
It surely was not propaganda seeing protester's on CNN being paid 3 thousand bth to protest in red shirts .

But since were in a corrective mode Lef note your spelling of the word propaganda, Im sure it was a simple type~o but I just thought I would address your mistake as you pointed out mine as propaganda also note the spelling of the word attempt.
Were also noting many Reds going into retreat.

CHEERS !!!!

[LEFastheysay]

Thanks for the correction, my friend.

But just to clarify, what I meant was what you read was propaganda spin, not what you said. Hence why I referred to it as a trap

[mekong]

but sir I must ask you since I read proaganda where is your finding proof of factual spin of trapping and my reading was wrong? The poo tossing and blood throwing and grenade's is a act of peace not civil disorder and un human order...??
As Tat still claims its safe to come and enjoy the street fest of 80,000 with out portable bath houses for disposal of human discharge
I guess the have reds ran out of poo and rotten fish to toss so now their selling liters of blood for cause.

The robo looking riot police looked a little different than the last reds street riots and bus burnings,

: as many reds retreat with their 3 thousand bth laughing, imagine 4 in same family showed up collected and then turned their back on Thaksin laughing as hes still outside looking in as a convicted fugitive of the law.

Cheers my friend this is a act of peace ,Im sorry I misunderstood again. Actually some of this blood may have aids and some could be charged with attempt of murder knowing their blood is infected with such.Human poo that enters another ones body also can cause gangrene and death...this is not a war of arms but of hate and filth to cause civil disorder and acts of treason.That's not propaganda sir that's medical facts of their choice of weapons to over throw a Government.

[kngdady]

No, it is not just a protest and yes it is a war for people involved in this conflict. Paid red shirts are being sacrificed to do the bidding for a snake that will not stand by the red leaders and lead them. The snake is residing in a safe place so he won't get scratched along with his little snakes that love Thailand so much. The reds accuse the present goverment of corruption from members of the goverment to police and anyone making a buck. I believe that it exist wide scale and something should be done, but it did not start with this goverment Oh No many previous goverments practiced this policy. One former goverment led by Thaksin and his family made billions by his shady deals. Thaksin believed he was the supreme Thai and could do anything his black heart desired. Shady land deals, hidden off shore accounts, currupt business dealing and the disappearence of thousands of people for alleged drug offences. The present goverment may or may not be an ideal goverment thrust into power after a couple of PMs loyal to Thaksin were dismissed. It will take time and patience for this goverment to try and achieve its goal and try to unite the people. Thais protest as much as you want, but when protesting make sure you know what your protesting for.

[notdisappointed]

it seems to me that shopinist is never aware of what's happening. Not a war? Your reds leaders have declared a 'class war' on something called 'amart' and 'prai'. They blame everything on 'amart'; OK so what's 'amart' and who is it specifically they refer to? And isn't thaksin the epitome of the elite/business amart?

[kngdady]

This protest started by the red shirts feel justified in what they do and how they do it no matter who gets in the way. Yes, I hear the words peaceful protest and believe many red shirts believe this. The fact is as the protest prolongs with the hot tempetures and the hot heads that lead the red shirts trouble will break out, just a few incidents such as blocking traffic, disturbing businesses, bomb throwing, disrespect for the law of the land sooner or later trouble will break out. The police and the military are not just going to stand there while they watch the men and women in uniforn being harassed by the protesters. If the red shirts are willing to play they have to be willing to pay no matter what the price may be. I see some leaders of the red shirts talk about this being a peaceful protest but as they push their way to goverment building and disrupting the live of many citizens they are trying to push the goverment to act in a harsh way as to blame the goverment for the use if violence, the violence they created.