On Monday anti-government demonstrators spread throughout downtown Bangkok to encircle the Parliament. Electrical lines were cut forcing legislators to once more take refuge in the old Don Muang Airport in the north of the Thai capitol. The protesters are demanding the immediate resignation of the post-Thaksin coalition on the grounds that the present PM’s links to the ousted leader of the PPP render him a de facto puppet of Thaksin. One of the PAD’s strident demands has been that the members of the Senate should be chosen by the ruling government instead of elected by the people, because the people are too susceptible to manipulation unlike politicians from the PAD, since they are already have amassed their fortunes.
Not satisfied with the closure of government the PAD forces have shut Suvarnabhumi airport. Only in-coming flights are allowed to land. PM Somchai’s plane was diverted to an undisclosed destination by this action, although the Press were told that his non-arrival was due to technical difficulties.
Anyone looking to find out about flights can call the AOT hotline numbers for inquiries: 02-1321882 and 02-1321888. Expect them to be jammed by other irate travelers.
So where does Thailand go from here?
Obviously a cooler head must prevail and only one such person exists in the country.
May he live long.