Thai airports to reopen after government falls

yahoo/AP ^

[nuconvert]

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand's prime minister was ousted Tuesday after weeks of protests closed the capital's airports, stranding 300,000 travelers. Protesters promised to lift their siege, and international flights were expected to resume Friday.

The government of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was doomed when the nation's Constitutional Court dissolved Thailand's top three ruling parties for electoral fraud in the 2007 vote that brought them to power. Somchai was banned from politics for five years.

[Red Badger]

Thailand?...............

[killjoy]

PAD lost. They had to back down. They had no choice. The takeover of the airports was a really dumb move and cost them a majority of their supporters. This was the excuse they needed to bow out gracefully. They are also screwed since Chart Thai was also dissolved and the Democrats now can't form a coalition government.

If Sondhi and Chomlong were really interested in doing anything constructive, they would form a political party, which they don't. They are useless bottom feeders who can't do anything besides criticize. That is to put it politely.

...but don't worry. Give them a few weeks, maybe less, and they will be back to their fascist selfs terrorizing the population.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Did the Army take over ?

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

Alliance supporters ..... argue that the rural majority — the Thaksin camp's political base — is not sophisticated enough to cast ballots responsibly. They have proposed discarding direct elections in favor of appointing most legislators, fostering resentment among rural voters.

I expect Democrats to sit up and take notice of this. Sounds like just the kind of government they would love to have in the US.

[killjoy]

Did the Army take over ?

No, Anupong wouldn't even do his job and help with the state of emergency declared at the airports. Useless.

[Cicero]

I hope you’re right about PAD losing. These “populist” revolutions are seldom benign.

One of my sons is in Bangkok and was planning to fly home for Christmas. Hopefully now he’ll be able to do it on schedule.

[Larry Lucido]

Mmm, I could go for some PAD Thai today.

[weegee]

Democrats in America have insisted this is the case for the past 3 elections:

“Alliance supporters ..... argue that the rural majority... is not sophisticated enough to cast ballots responsibly.”

Here in America, it’s known as “Jesusland”, flyover country, where people vote against their own financial self interest because of religious superstition and bigotry, where they cling to God and guns.

[Red Badger]

In the Nipa Hut?..........

[JimSEA]

Yeah, putting one million people who live from payday to payday out of work does a lot for PAD’s popularity.

[dirtman]

Those PAD whiners sure messed up big this time. I read that 50% of holiday bookings to Thailand have been cancelled because of their anarchist behavior. The financial impact from this has yet to be seen.

[jedi150]

I live in one of the cities designated a exit point for stranded tourists. A friend lives in a tourist dependent hotel apartment and on a normal year the place, 400 rooms is full at this time and there is no one there now. They have damaged the Thai economy severely and will take years for it to recover if it even can.