The Siege of Tough Guys

Bangkok is entering another week of crisis. The red-shirts remain in charge of the entrance of Lumpini Park. The PM of the reigning elite has rejected the Thaksin supporters' call the dissolution of the Parliament.The Oxford graduate Sunday's announcement that the mob will be dispersed by yet-to-be-determined force was tempered by the military's Supreme Commander countering that the army will not use violence against the remaining protesters. No one is disputing his statement, for during the grenade attack on the Silom SkyTrain the nearby troops responded by running from the missiles. Some media reported that the soldiers didn't want to fire on their own people, however if someone is shooting at you then you're going to shot back. It's a normal reaction. These troops did not respond with return fire.

Discipline had nothing to do with this show of restraint.

The general in charge sent his command to the point of protest without any ammunition to avoid a repeat of the deadly clash earlier in the month, which left 21 dead. No bullets. No bravery. Every man for himself. Thaksin's reach into the mid-ranks of the officer corps has stripped the Thai government of its main weapon.

The army.

Abhisit doesn't have Old Blue Eyes' deep pocket. The people of Isaan love their deposed leader. He gave them hope that one day they could be rich like him. No more poverty. It's a pretty dream until people get killed by thugs.

My friend, the Old Roue, has witnessed the rise of the goon squads.


"There's only about 6,000 actual people left - a small high-school basketball crowd - easy to dislodge now without too much bloodshed. The problem is the 'Men In Black" - a scary bunch of mercenary cut-throats who are hurling the grenades and have clearly been hired by Thingy to kill and maim. I've seen them. Deadly ex-cons / mafia leg-breakers and tattooed Muay Thai thugs - enforcers the like of which I have never seen here before. You get the picture. So Thingy clearly wants blood on the streets, even if it's a rearguard action here. Plus all around the country there are alarming attacks on Petrol refineries, trains and so on. Rocket launchers, grenade-launchers. All taken or stolen from the corrupt military.This is going to go on and on until Boxy gets back in or somebody kills him."

I don't like seeing people getting hurt, but the Thai elite used to rule the people with an iron fist. Speak out and you were killed by the death squads like in 1976 and 1992. Or shoot by gunmen during Thaksin's War of Drugs or his suppression of the South. The Army killed scores of men at the Tak Bai protest in 2004. Killed them with a smile and now the troops at running like dogs with a dick up its ass.

Someone has got a big pay day to let that happened to his soldiers.

Someone close to retirement age.

But also so powerful that he can't be kicked out for fear of losing him 100% to the dark side of Old Blue Eyes.

I know one thing.

If someone starts shooting in my direction while I'm in Thailand in May.

I'm running the other way.

"Feets don't fail me now."