This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
Here Come More US Sanctions: The Full Thai Turmoil Timeline
Thailand is a prosperous nation with strong banks, modern factories, flourishing tourism, a growing middle class and other typical markers of a successful democracy. Which, as Bloomberg explains, is exactly what it lacks. Thailand has had so many coups in its modern history that scholars sometimes refer to the last 82 years as its “coup season.” In between, violent political strife has been chronic. The latest round features deadly street clashes, politically tainted corruption trials and the army taking control after an election derailed by protests. In contrast to political activists almost everywhere, the ones in Thailand are demanding less democracy... and this is the timeline of events that led to the latest 'coup'. What is perhaps more troublesome for a nation desperately seeking allies, under US law, sanctions are triggered if a country receiving military aid suffers a coup.
The Arguments behind the unrest...(via Bloomberg)
Bangkok’s urban middle class and royalist elite have resisted ceding control after Thaksin drew rural voters to the polls, swelling turnout to more than 75 percent in the last two elections. The protesters reject the idea that they’re thwarting democracy, saying the damaged political system can only produce a credible government after it’s swept clean of Thaksin’s influence. His supporters, enraged by the way their repeated victories have been overturned, have joined the cycle of stalemates and sporadic violence. A gradual accommodation might involve more power-sharing with regional governments, though that could take a generation or more.
The worst outcome could be a breakup of the country or even a civil war. While the 86-year-old king, whose portrait hangs in most homes and shops, has intervened in the past to calm his subjects, he’s seen as too ill to do so now.
The Timeline of events...
Thailand’s army chief declares military coup today, the 12th in the country since 1932.
* May 22:
* Army Chief Prayuth announces on national TV he is seizing control of country, detaining leaders of rival political groups at meeting mean to resolve crisis
* 10pm-5am curfew imposed
* May 20:
* Martial law declared; army chief says move isn’t a coup
* May 12:
* Security officials tighten security, say they will arrest protest leaders seeking to install appointed PM
* May 7:
* Constitutional Court removes Prime Minister Yingluck from office, finding her guilty of abuse of power related to 2011 transfer of a top security official; ~10 cabinet members involved in 2011 transfer also step down
* Pheu Thai Party selects Niwattumrong as acting premier until elections
* May 1
* Govt, Election Commission reach agreement to hold new general elections on July 20
* April 2
* Constitutional Court agrees to hear case against Yingluck
* March 31
* Yingluck appears before National Anti-Corruption Commission to defend against charges of dereliction of duty for role in rice subsidy program
* March 29:
* Senate vote held amid low turnout
* March 27
* NACC rejects Yingluck’s request for 45-day extension to March 31 deadline over hearing of rice program
* NACC hit by blast; police found weapons in pro-govt protest camp nearby
* March 22
* Suthep plans nationwide rally to pressure on Yingluck to resign
* March 21
* Constitutional Court rules Feb. election invalid
* New election may take at least 3 mos.
* March 19
* Thai Cabinet lifts emergency decree ahead of expiration on March 23
* March 13
* Yingluck gets additional 15 days to defend accusations over rice program
* March 12
* Constitutional Court rejects PM Yingluck’s 2t baht infrastructure bill
* March 11
* 34-year-old man was injured by explosion near Lumpini park
* March 7
* 31-year old woman was injured by gunshot near Lumpini park, where anti-govt demonstrators camp
* March 3:
* 2 grenades were thrown into Criminal Court in Bangkok, no injuries
* March 2:
* By-election held in 5 provinces without violence
* Feb. 23:
* Blast in Bangkok’s shopping district killed 3 people
* Feb. 22:
* Five-year-old girl was killed in protest site at Trat province
* Feb. 19:
* Thai court ordered govt not to use force to contain demonstrations
* Feb. 18:
* Clash between protesters and police killed 5 and injured at least 69
* Feb. 2:
* Thai voters cast ballots across almost 90% of the country
* Jan. 26:
* Thai protester shot and killed
* Jan. 21:
* Yingluck declared 60-day state of emergency in Bangkok
* Jan. 19:
* Two explosions occurred in central Bangkok, injuring at least 28
* Jan. 18:
* One person died after grenade attack on protest rally on Jan. 17
* Jan. 13:
* Protesters began blocking major intersections in Bangkok on 1st day of “Bangkok shutdown”
* Dec. 28:
* Army chief refused to rule out possibility of coup
* One man shot dead, 3 people hurt during protest outside govt offices in Bangkok
* Dec. 26:
* One person killed and 96 injured as protesters tried to stop candidates registering for election
* Dec. 9:
* Yingluck dissolved house; and elections to be held on Feb. 2 according to royal decree
* Dec. 5:
* King Bhumibol Adulyadej, celebrating his 86th birthday, didn’t directly comment on unrest; protests suspended
* Dec. 4:
* Thai Navy Chief said military won’t stage coup
* Dec. 1:
* Protesters entered Yingluck’s office; four killed in clash
* Govt declared curfew in Bangkok, last was imposed in 2010
* Nov. 30:
* Two students injured from gunshot after clash with govt. supporters
* Nov. 26:
* Protesters blocked access to Transport Ministry
* Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Suthep
* Nov. 25:
* Protesters entered Finance Ministry compound
* Nov. 11:
* Senate voted 141-0 to reject amnesty bill
* Nov. 1:
* Lower house passed amnesty bill
* Oct. 31:
* Opposition said as many as 50,000 people joined protests, police said number was 8,000
* Oct. 28:
* Parliamentary committee approved amnesty bill
* Govt planned to pursue charges against former PM Abhisit and his former deputy Suthep
And here come US Sanctions...
Six months of never-ending political crisis, with street protests which left more than two dozen people dead including three in a gun and grenade attack, eventually led to the powerful generals' decision to seize the reins of power in a coup after imposing martial law and apparently contradicting early claims the move was just an apolitical measure "to keep peace and order".
The problem with 'admitting' it's a coup...
Thailand's longstanding ally the US, has already called for a return to civilian rule, warning it expects the army to "honour its commitment to make this a temporary action to prevent violence and not undermine democratic institutions".
Under US laws, sanctions are triggered if a country receiving American military aid suffers a coup. In a previous Thai military coup (2006), US froze military assistance for a year-and-a-half.
The coup may also push the US to cut military assistance to Thailand. Human Rights Watch criticised the Obama administration for failing to call for the immediate reversal of martial law.
And while the general has already banned media from discussing the coup, he has now introduced another rule...
- THAI MILITARY BANS POLITICAL DEMONSTRATIONS NATIONWIDE.
- THAI CARETAKER PM HAS FLED TO U.S EMBASSY IN BANGKOK
This will not end well...
»
- 12625 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
Wake me when we sanction somebody a bit closer, like Canada. Yawn...
Canadians.....can we really trust them?
The bastards did give us Justin Bieber. I'd say that's worthy of sanction.
sanctions
that will teach those coup-ists a lesson
what are they going to do without us support?
look to some other country?
it's not like there are any other countries for them to borrow from or trade with or bank with.
I was in Thailand in 1975 when there was a similar coup. The govt. had become so corrupt and inept that most people were glad the military had stepped in to restore order. Thailand does not want their relationship with the US to be too close. They are physically very close to China. Being strongly alligned to the US means more border skirmishes with China as well as Laos and Cambodia. The Thai people want the same as most of us, to live in peace and have some control over their daily decisions in life. They know they can't have that by being a US or Chinese puppet. I suspect a lot of the violence is being instigated by the US and Chinese. It sucks to be the size of a toy poodle when their are so many wolves around.
you mean 1976. Not at all similar. That was a sideshow for what is going down here. back then the old boy still had it almost all togther. Now final stage dimentia, and the misses... veggie soup. This is the end game.
TuPhat, whatever you do... whatever you do, do not quit your day job. Especially if it's to become a summarizer of All Things Thai.
1975... really? Wow, I mean, that's so yesterday. I was in Thailand back in May 22, 2014 ('wan nee' if you still remember your Thai). What you said, I really can't use any of it, unless you change coup to soup then maybe I could sell it on Sukhumvit. The US is somehow pushing them into border skirmishes with those other two? Laos doesn't have it in them to win a skirmish with the forces of even say... Pattaya. Hmm, try... boredom. Or "needing a political platform", or "distraction" with regard to Cambodian skirmishes. Sorry, US is innocent on this one.
But since you say "I suspect..." I'll give you a pass. All that may have been valid after the fall of Saigon, but take it from me bud... (I was around back in '75 too...) all that's as you say... ancient history.
Today, it's about that other thing.
Do the sanctions mean that the US won't be sending any more pedophiles?
Even worse, we have ACCEPTED Justin Bieber....
Lets take responsibility here...
"The bastards did give us Justin Bieber. I'd say that's worthy of sanction."
And Celine Dion too. Not to mention that stupid round bacon.
Michael Blueblay too... whew... and all around Asia, the crappy Hotel Lounge cover bands (see Grand Hyatt circuit...) Beating out the Aussies even.
"Like maple syrup, Canada's evil oozes over the United States."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109370/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt
But they gave us crown royal AND the atomic bomb. Doesn't that equalize themselves out?
Nah, your right, Bieber is too egregious.
"Canadians.....can we really trust them?"
Yes you can, trust me.
I feel left out. Where are my sanctions?
"under US law" you lost me there
IRS at your door and in your bank account in 3..2..
The law says that there must be sanctions but what does the Kenyan guy care about the law?
Like that Kenyan ever cared we have a written constitution either.
under US law, sanctions are triggered if a country receiving military aid suffers a coup
Unless its Egypt...we will just redefine "coup"...
Its either time for new dictionaries or new maps.
I guess Ukraine wasn't a coup.
Autocratic, authoritarian governments with quasi-market economies. Wave of the future, baby. Wave of the future. Everyone wants to be like China.
I don't understand why a breakup would be a bad thing, but it is always sold as the end of the world. From the looks of that map (overly simplified) it seems that those in yellow and those in red would be better off parting ways. All this violence and strife just to keep imaginary lines on a map intact is the hight if idiocy.
The US has completely backed this coup as it did the 2006 coup. There will be no sanctions or just cosmetic sanctions:
The United States has endorsed the declaration of martial law, and refused to describe it as a coup. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said she was “troubled by restrictions on the media” but hailed the army for organising “dialogue between the parties.” The Obama administration did not condemn the Constitutional Court’s decisions to annul the February election and remove Yingluck as prime minister.
Washington, which supported the 2006 coup, regards the Thai military as an important ally in its “pivot to Asia,” including the military buildup across the Asia-Pacific region against China. The declaration of martial law followed a visit to Bangkok last month by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, during which he held talks with the government, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and other unnamed “stakeholders.”
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/05/22/thai-m22.html
Partners?
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with Thailand's joint chiefs during a visit in Bangkok, June 5, 2012. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Download screen-resolution
Download high-resolution
shouldn't we be more concerned about the coup that has taken place here in the good ole USSA?
Or maybe hope for the coup that WILL take place?
A coup is general executed by the military. No thank you.
Revolution, where the people say "No more!" and replace and Retribute the criminals is what is in order for the American country.
"My guillotine seconds that."
I haven't seen the beer parties on my street. Not a hooker or ladyboy for miles that I can see. I do see armored SWAT and command control vehicles in the the annual parade though. (maybe the Ladyboys are INSIDE the SWAT vehicles drinking beer and smoking weed?)
I was by the Red shirts and they were in party mode. The whors were plying thier trade, I got offers of Thail stick. and street vendors with booze/beer. Good music too!
Oh the ladyboys could be inside the SWAT vehicles alright. But then they smoking ain't weed. And what they drinkin' ain't beer... with they fine selves...
I live in Pattaya Thailand,
I had business in Bangkok. First day of martial law. Tanks, Marines in full battle gear the whole deal
The traffic was down but everyone acted like it was just another day
So I took a tour over to the protest site. Red shirt group was having a party complete with beer, booze, food, music, weed, hookers and ladyboys.
I lived 15 years in Colombia during the Escobar days so civil war is nothing new to me.
But I was stuck by the calmness of the whole deal. Lots of hot Bangkok ladies taking selfs's with the solders. They seem well liked by the masses.
The Thai's really know how to have a military coup
God I love a war zone. Just like old times!
I traveled (coincidentally) to the Bangkok area during the past two coups. I saw this type of behavior too. Sure they bring out the tanks and troops but theys just sitting around like a bump on a log. And as always, weathers hot as a $2 hooker on the 4th of July.
The Lady boys put on a nice show for the troops. Everybody was laughing. God I love it here. Check me out at twitter Pachanguero2. See the photos and my life story. A Libertarian in Thailand......
You are unlucky!
Thanks for the report, pachanguero. I lived in southern Thailand for 4 years last decade - my wife is Thai - and I miss it every single day of my life.
Hey Taffy,
you bet! Thailand is so much freedom and fun. Would it be wroung to take my gay daughter with me to a strip club? Just saying........
UPDATE
My girlfriend just called me from her hotel room in Bangkok. She works for MertoO, a organic coconut product company. She told me that the Army is going to begin to enforce a curfew upon the people. Which will basically kill all the businesses and nightlife in Bangkok so maybe a good idea is to go short Thai stocks?. For me it makes my cost-of-living increase even more. Again this reminds me a lot of South America, and Colombia. I do have to tell you that I really like this place. It's not only beautiful, fun but the people are really genuinely nice I wonder how Goldman Sachs and the big money center banks are making money off of this deal?
All this revolution shit is okay by me, long as it doesn't interfere with my party lifestyle.
Hope the curfew is lifted by the time me and the lady visit in late July.
pachanguero - have an email? No twitter here.
Oh, this is the end game. One thing you can count on... by July this will be a brave new world. The LAST thing the Military Gens. want is to have this ball in their court for any duration. It's much more fun kickin' back and... just being a cool General.
Having said that, the brave new world could be a bit ugly because this time, this thing cannot end with any room for ambiguity. Methinks this time it's for all the marbles. There are complications we don't (or me rather) want to think about out loud.
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble.
Alien, that happend 100 years ago when the fed was created.
So I take it this coup was not pre-approved by the CIA.
Obama is a sanction - against the US.
So was Nudelman handing out cookies here too?
pods
she was handing out unfortune kinishes
I love the smell of coup in the morning. :P
Mmm mmm good, Campbell's Cup o' Coup (no MSG or USD added)
Krugman explanation: sanctions just delay economic activity so its perfectly reasonable to count forward all the pent up activity as if it actually occurred. Problem solved, party on.
you know how your mind loses the meaning of a word if he repeat it long enough...the rest of the world keeps hearing US sanctions, sanctions sanctions, sanctions, santions, sanctions....at this point is has lost its meaning. although i gotta hand it to our gov, after the massive success with the world "Trillion", why not try it with "sanctions", and maybe even "war".
Maybe we should try it......gov't gov't gov't gov't gov't gov't gov't gov't.....starting to work, gov't gov't gov't gov't gov't.....ahhhh, meaningless. we dont need it.
on another note, i need to start using sanctions in my personal life. sounds fun...kind of like when back in the day someone would curse your life. i put a sanction on you!
You left out Sept.
BANGKOK, Sept 28 - The Bank of Thailand (BoT) on Tuesday signed an agreement to open a representative office in Beijing.
The agreement was made between BoT Governor Tarisa Watanagase and People's Bank of China (PBC) Governor Zhou Xiaochuan to foster relations between the two countries and strengthen cooperation in the financial sector.
The plot thickens. Or at least "dollars."
First thing a friend told me the other day when the news of a "coup" in Thailand broke: "Follow the dollar." LOL
Speaking of coups. The 24 million rounds of "duty ammo" that the TSA has requested should help put down any potential coup we have here:
TSA to Purchase 24 Million Rounds of “Duty” AmmunitionHell I've got more than that myself.
"There are estimates, however. According to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey – the leading source of international public information about firearms – the U.S. has the best-armed civilian population in the world, with an estimated 270 million total guns. That’s an average of 89 firearms for every 100 residents — far ahead of Yemen, which comes in second with about 55 firearms for every 100 people, or Switzerland, which is third with 46 guns for every 100 people."
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/19/how-many-people-own-guns-in-a...
"There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass."
Isoroku Yamamoto
and that's just one agency. There are many that are loading up on ammo.....agencies that shouldn't even be armed.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ali-meyer/dhs-contracted-purchase-704-mi...
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/USPS-ammo-purchase-federal/2014/04/14/i...
Thai Chaos
Thailand's army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha takes control of the government in a coup saying the army has to restore order and push through reforms
Latest Developements:
http://tersee.com/#!q=thailand&t=text
i guess sex tourisim will take a hit
Send Holder there to bloviate about the need for democracy.
If Thailand lives off the US MIC planned obsolescence teat that's the best news: as the military regime will then be financially constrained in trying to reign indefintely in a country under its iron heel.
If Pax Americana runs out of money to support surrogate regimes you can bet the acrimonious red blue divide on Capitol Hill will bring down the "under the carpet" Neo-con militarist knee jerks, now suffering from financial arthiritis, in debt ridden USA.
First the Good News...
The United States "stands with you and supports you"... sound familiar?
Now the bad news...
For our continued disruptive manipulation and engagements in your Country to maintain our "standard of living" 8,791 miles away the United States government will no longer be seeking repayment for our coup loans with USD... We will only be accepting GLD as proper payment from this day forward!
Hey guys (and i do mean guys) Sanctions are in effect and you know what that means- no flying off to pattaya to get laid
I've lived through this before. Cheaper prices are coming...
Can we borrow the Thai Army to clean out the crooks in DC?
Seems our Army is out on a lunch break or something...
I think you misunderstand what is happening in Thailand. Flyover country in Thailand elected a government that supported their interests and not the interests of the cronies in Bangkok (Washington DC), so the later organised demonstrations in the capital to resist the government elected by flyover country. Now the army has conducted a coup that effectively supports the cronies in Bangkok at the expense of flyover country.
The US doesn't need that since Washington always rules at the expense of flyover country anyway.
"Thailand is a prosperous nation with strong banks, modern factories, flourishing tourism, a growing middle class and other typical markers of a successful democracy."
God I hate when Democracy is referred to as a good thing. It's mob rule plain and simple. It's even more tyrannical than a dictator. 51% can vote death for the other 49%. They can also vote themselves all kinds of social programs like in Amerika where the mindless mob is getting free apartments, phones, school, etc. "What have you given us?" "A Republic if you can keep it ma'am"
We couldn't.
CIA has more work to do. Time to erase a few trouble makers.
You may jest, but as I (rightly) pointed out the day martial law was announced, the PM would be out by the weekend. 25 years in TH, and I can tell you this is not going to end well. Low level insurgency coming to a street near you. The place will blow, and no katoey pun intended. For those who actually understand the current situ, the General is a blithering idiot. this time, like it or not, playground SE Asia will blow a gasket, and all will not be the smiley haven for 200kg western sex tourists for a very long time to come. These roayalist-fascists have played their hand. In coming weeks Somchai from NakornNowhere will strike back. Very sad, and difficult to stomach for one who loves the country, but hates the ruling elite of dumb ass ChinkyThai motherfuckers who have as much right to be there as this English lad. Power at all cost. The Thai army couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. They have but one skill. Killing the locals and raping the country, forrests and natural resources for 3 generations. The grand deal struck with the 200 chinky thai families is about to come unstuck. I savour the day. Red shirt adorned it is tomorrow.
Bourbonite you are a complete idiot and fool. The royal faction are in it for themselves of course, but they are a THAI elite, not bought and paid for gangsters doing the bidding of Washington and City of London. Taksin and his puppet government have played the usual game of populism paid for by their regional enemies and the middleclass. They sold the rice farmers to the loansharks by taking their rice, promising to pay them double world price, and skimming 30% of the billions for themselves. Again all paid for by the middleclass. They are hawking the country piece by piece and Mondanto and the hedgies who can't wait to get their hands on Thailands rice lands. You think Taksin - a corrupt Thai-Chinese billionare oligarch owned by DC with a paramilitary private army whose mother is a fucking royal princess loves the little man????? You're a fucking idiot or posting for money. Taksin has so much blood on his hands, from his war on drugs that resulted in the extra-judicial killing thousands (most of which were his enemies and had nothing to do with drugs) to starting a civil war with the Muslims in the south (again his enemies). Plus his red shirt thugs have spent the last 6 months doing drive by shootings and bombings of protesters that have killed innocent women and kids. Want to see the future of Thailand with Taksin in charge - take a look a the Philippines. People are being forced to pick sides and Thailand is in play - looking more like they will join team China than the clueless fucks in DC.
Impeach Obama for sanctioningthe US.
At some point oceanfront condo are going to drop by half. Might even interest me then.....
I like the first hand reports you have, do you need to speak Thai to get by, is English enough. I was in Langkawi last month, not the place I would settle, very much feel out of place with the muslim population there. I do like the Buddist countries - so much warmth from the locals.
Was in Vietnam for 10 days in the villages, you have to know or have someone who speaks Vietnamese to get by, not even French or any Chinese language would work. Out of all Asia I visited (Japan, Beijing, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia), have to say Japan is by far my favorite.
Keep us updated with the happenings over there, fun to read.
I've never had a problem in Thailand speaking English. Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya etc. In the countryside it's probably a bit different, although I went out to the Mekong River area and the waiter in a local restaurant spoke English too.
I pay $600 a month for a kick ass place with a ocean view. Lot's of Russians though and they can be rude like the China inlanders
Hey Pach, I asked above; do you have an email? Heading out in late July with the lady, have a few questions. Seen your twitter, but I dont have one. Would love to pick your brain on some spots to visit.
how much gold do they have to send to NY?
The nation state model make absolutely no sense outside of defense.
They are engines of corruption that can contribute little to modern economies and detract enormously. Local autonomy despite problems is the ONLY way.
The OPM mafias keep peddling grand models, TOEs, collectivist schemes that boil down to pick your poison. But the junkies want the 24/7/365 pandering. They want their fears suppressed and their egos stroked.
Meanwhile ZeroHeroes endlessly rehash accounting fictions and blame game.