I dislike that the CNN has followed the Thai government's lead of minimizing the situation and the labeling the PAD as protesters "refusing to end their sit-in" instead of referring to them as what they are, insurgent terrorists. For the last several months they have stolen government busses and used them to form blockades around their strongholds where they have fortified each area with bunkers under the direction of PAD leadership which include former Thai Generals.

The reason the police hasn't yet acted with force is that they are heavily armed. The PAD "Guards" all carry guns, and many also possess military weaponry far superior to that which the police possess. The PAD is not calling for new elections or simply the resignation of the current administration, they are calling for a new system of government whereby state administrators are appointed and not elected.

Anybody who has seen any of the areas where the PAD has carried out its "protests" will quickly discern that they are not in fact "sit-ins" as is evidenced by the burned out shells of busses and the man high piles of tires covered in barbed wire blocking the roads they have targeted.

It is my sad conclusion that one of three events will occur in the coming weeks:
1.) The government will give in which will lead to additional confrontation between pro and anti government forces, the latter of which far outnumber the former however have been reluctant to leave their villages and get involved.
or
2.) The police will attempt to disperse the protesters and arrest their leaders, which will unlock the airports, but lead to widespread anarchy in Bangkok as the insurgents retaliate against the government by "locking down" Bangkok as they have threatened.
or
3.) There will be another military coup met with heavy resistance by pro government forces (not to mention pro government factions within the military) leading to widespread violence and street battles.

It weighs heavily on my heart to see a country that I have come to love over many years of residency having put itself in such a predicament.

I'm here in Bangkok city and I've already noticed less and less foreigners out in the nightlife here, it's pretty sad, this tragedy is effecting everyone here.

I'm stuck here for 5 days now, but I feel fortunate not stuck inside that airport!

As always, excellent insight to go along with excellent reporting by Mr. Rivers.
This is truly a sad time in Thailand's history as the people who truly believe they are saving the country are either blind or ignorant of the fact that they are causing more damage to their fellow Thais around the country than the corrupt government they so fiercely abhor could every do in a term in office.
It is misguided patriotism at its absolute worst.
However, the country will recover; the lure of the charming people, and the beauty of the country combined with an intriguing culture will not be destroyed. People will come back once they forget about this.

It is a real shame that the entire Kingdom of Thailand is held hostage by facist political hooligans, bent on breaking their country like petulant children to get their way.

They say that they oppose Thaksin's supposed corruptness, yet they propose a system that is no better. They trample on the right of the rural poor people to vote for government, and belittle their ability to tell right from wrong.

People all over the world should be opposed to the actions of the PAD anti-government protesters, and should send a clear message of the price they will pay should they roll back democracy in their country.

Should democracy fall there, everyone should shun Thailand like a plague, and avoid buying anything from Thailand (rice, agriculture, flowers, gems, jewelry, cars etc).

The photo CNN posted of the anti-riot just outside the Suvarnabhumi airport is intimidating. The protesters in Yellow shirts (demonstrating at the two major airports) are against the government, the ones in Red (gathered just outside city hall) are pro-government. So far the protests have been non-violent.
I have plans to travel to Thailand this week-end. United Airlines tells me that they have canceled flights into Bangkok up until the the 3rd of Dec. and most likely will not operate through the rest of the week. I was informed this morning by relatives in Thailand that negotiations between the two parties will be taking place in the next couple days... they'll keep me informed.

History is full of anecdotes in which the mass and the oppressed had no choice but to resort to extreme measures or take up arms against the establishment. Think the French Revolution, the triumph of Chinese communists, etc. Is this the case with Thailand? I think not. Of course, there are many grievances against the current government, which is no worse or no better than all the past administrations in that they are all corrupted and came to power through vote-buying. But Thai people are still well fed and enjoy a high degree of freedom. The Thai government isn't killing or persecuting its own people (again, think next-door Burma if one can't imagine what it's like to live in fear and abject poverty) . So for the mob to take over the two airports and hold the whole country hostage is completely uncalled for. Worse, this PAD and its leaders offer no viable solutions to end future corruptions and have nothing contstructive to offer. What is amazing is that the siege has lasted this long, and there are no concrete plans to clear out the mob or end the impasse. In the meantime, Thailand is going down the drain economically and has become the laughing stock of the world.

Good, the tourist industry is all mafia run prostitution and scams anyway, or pirated music or some other kind of criminal activity. Even proper businesses in Thailand are basically parasitic. Do a google search on "Thai scams" and you will get 1.6 million hits.

Really sad to see, but I guess inevitable that at some point the division between the old Bangkok (and mainly Chinese) elite would come to a clash with the rest of the (mainly ethnic Thai) country with it's overwhelming numbers but virtually no political and economic power. All this is separate from and in addition to the muslim/buddhist division between the South and the rest of the country. This is the greatest crisis facing Thiland in modern times

This is really a shame. The Thai people deserves a lot of credit for their openness and a very pleasant spirit for us visitors. Not to mention the good general attitude.
I really hope that the internal issues will come to a resolution _soon_. I really like to visit Thailand again.
Plz. come together and fix this – I'd like visit you once More.
/J

I am due to leave for Thailand Dec 17th. This is a terrible situation and now I am also learning that insurance companies are trying not to pay.

It would be nice if you could provide more coverage both on your blog and on air about exactly what is going on there and why some governments don't seem to be able to do much to help.

I have been trying to get an American friend out for nearly a week. The "travel alert"posted on the U.S. Dept. of State website hasn't been changed since it was posted last Wednesday, November 26. And, as I understand it from my friend, the embassy in Bangkok does little other than to say "stay in your hotel room."

The situation at the military airport is chaotic, and other news agencies are now reporting that even if the main BKK airport were to open, it would take a week to get it ready to be used again. My friend was scheduled to leave Nov. 29th, is now holding a reservation on a flight Dec. 6. It sounds more and more likely that even that date is now questionable. When is someone going to step up and give people some real advice on what to do - for example, should my friend just continue to sit there or should she use all means possible to get out by land. If she has to leave by land to get to the closest airport in another country, can anyone help provide additional overland transportation? Last week I was able to secure flights for her from Singapore for today, Dec. 1. But she would have had to leave immediately by train, since it is a two day train trip to Singapore. from Bangkok. She couldn't get a train reservation before Wednesday, Dec. 3!

Ho Chi Minh City is two days by bus. I understand some flights are now leaving from Chiang Mai and Phuket, in Thailand, but they are 8-9 hour drives from Bangkok. Unfortunately, Bangkok is a long way from other major airports. In the U.S. if a New York City airport is closed down, well, it doesn't take that long, and there are plenty of ways to get to alternatives like Boston, Philadelphia, D.C., etc. That is not the case in Thailand. And like other countries emerging very quickly from third-world status, they rely heavily on air transportation - they have simply never developed the kind of bus and train networks that would help in a situation tlike this.

The respective governments need to get together with the airlines and come up with a way to get foreigners out in some sort of orderly way, communicate with people holed up in hotels (the U.S. Embassy takes phone numbers, but doesn't seem to be able to use them),hire buses or other transportation to get the people to other international airports and get them home.

As the situation is likely to be ok in a few days,it is a mistake to cancell or avoid Thailand. Thais will need us more than ever over xmas,so let s show our support to the travel industry – i just left,but will return in two weeks
Pascal Gerken

I have also my trip set with my family (my wife is Thai) to go to Bangkok. I would prefer the inconvenience of not going than knowing Taksin getting away with becoming the nest Suarto of Thailand. Long live the yellow shirts!

The biggest question, is that his Royal Highness The King of Thailand has been silent during this conflict. Many visitors are probably asking why he has not been vocal during this time of need.

PDA is People's Alliance for Destroy, Domestic and Disgust.
Never "Democracy" . They don't concern about bringing Thailand into disrepute in the global economy, tourism, industory, and Democracy.
That affect Thailand and Thai people severity for next decades.

What to do? I'm booked to go to Thailand over Christmas, we fly in and out of Bangkok and stay the first night there before heading south to Phuket province for the rest of the trip. We don't leave until the 19th Dec. My travel companion remains optimistic about going and doesn't believe in paying much notice to the government travel warnings. However, I am not so optimistic and concerned. Do you think once the protestors leave the airports, it will be safe and stable? I am doubting it very much.

It is tragic what is happening in Thailand. The Thai image for hospitality is grieviously wounded and the economy will decline drastically. Why hasn't the most credible force come forth and say "Enough!!! Dispese and desist such destructive actions!!! "

Demonstration is a right in the democracy. But PDA advocates should concern about global eye. Their requisition, PM resigning, is a domestic matter. But their action is interrupting international activities, travelers, logistics, so on.
I wonder that may bring Thailand into disrepute in global reputation, and affect for next decate.

This Thai situation is a JOKE, in any other country this act of terrorism, would have been knocked down by brute force. Its time the Thai goverment wake up and put an end to this mess, with any means possible.

Those demonstrations only hurt its own economy. It is too bad that the opposition leaders only look for their revenge and their personal revenge against Thaksin so they ignored the democratically elected government. So the politicians both pro and anti governments have to find solution through reconciliation.

No one in the international media has reported that the protesters are being paid from 300 baht up per day for their time. Last night a young man 22 years old from Songkhla was killed in an explosion at Don Muang Airport. At the moment, life is cheap in Bangkok. It is a shame. I have been here since 2004 and love Thailand, but this mob rule is over the top. I hope the gov't can take control of this situation before more people die for ten bucks!

I am a European tourist stranded here and I had never been to Thailand before, nor knew nothing of the place. It is an absolute joke what is going on here – it is mayhem for people trying to get home. The ticketing offices for the airlines are dangerously overcrowded and unruly, as are the check-in offices, as is the military airport. You can queue for up to 20 hours a day here between the 3 obligatory & consecutive venues for tourists trapped here! The police, army and air force appear all to be sympathetic to the yellowshirted PAD occupying the airport. The police half-heartedly attempted to move into the airport and got made fools of. Now the military say they will intervene strongly if the redshirt UDD gather outside the constitutional court – and they probably will. Partisan or what? If the PAD have such a problem with the government, why don't they vote them out in an election? Answer is of course, that the PAD seem to be a powerful minority group, with many sympathisers in the police, army & air force and the truth is that they do not trust the uneducated masses to elect the government. I'm sorry, but this is fascism and meanwhile, we tourists are being held hostage here.

Worth it if it puts a stop to 'Thaksinism'

Saw this comment on the Bangkok Post, completely agree with the original author.

"I'd like to offer a different perspective than the generally anti-PAD letters of Sunday. For what it's worth, my connections to Siam are more religious and cultural than economic.

The key question in the current impasse is whether the long-term imperative to keep Thaksin out of Thai politics trumps the short-term disruption of the PAD protests.

Further, given the skill with which Thaksin has manipulated, abused and weakened an as yet incomplete democratic system, could less aggressive tactics that the PAD has employed bring about a permanent retirement of Thaksin?

Many of my Thai friends answer the first question with a conditional "yes". They have seen where Thaksinism could take the country. Thaksin's version of "democracy" is a sham. His corruption has been unprecedented. He ignores court rulings and lashes out with hypocritical accusations of those who don't do his bidding. His willingness to encourage violence far exceeds that of the PAD. If anyone is responsible for the months of protest and the closure of the airports, it is Thaksin and the gang that works for him.

The second question is open to debate. Nobody can really answer it with certainty. The PAD is doing what it can to effect their goal. The PAD leadership, whatever its weaknesses, has kept its people generally non-violent, despite numerous attacks on it, largely by pro-government rowdies. Violence provoked by govt MPs is worse. Nor do they seek power for themselves. Nobody else has been able to develop a more moderate and successful approach. Such are the realities of Thai society today.

In short, given the Thaksinites' intransigience, the PAD has no better option than what it has been doing. This is most unfortunate, but is a lesser evil than Thaksin returning as Emperor."

This is a real shame. The brains behind these so-called "protests" have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In their desperation they have already concocted the idea of a non-democratic Thailand, virtually turning the country into a monarchy / oligarchy hybrid.

The economic repercussion of their actions will be felt for years to come. Hopefully the monarchy does something this rather than just letting things play out for itself.

Let's hope the Constitutional Court this week will rule against (as it is expected) the governing party resulting into PM's resignation....

Everyone always debates the value of the world community imposing economic sanctions or blockades to pressure a government. Were the sanctions ever going to lead to toppling Saddam?

However, it's always others imposing sanctions. PAD are blockading and imposing sanctions on their own country. Surely the only precedent for that is when unions take such action. However, that is always unashamedly done in the self interest of the union and it's members. They would never close a port and claim it is in the best interests of their country.

I think PAD leaders have to admit their actions are in their own self interest and certainly not in the interests of Thailand. If you are going to cause so much damage – make no mistake, this is now at a huge cost to Thailand – at least be honest about your motives.

My wife and have been planning our honeymoon for 10 months and were supposed to be arriving in Bangkok tomorrow. No chance of that. Refunds are being given back by all but Intrepid Travel tours (horrible company to work with). Luck has it that we have been able to still get to Thailand by just flying to Phuket. It is great to see people so passionate about their politics but this has gone too far. This is effecting surrounding countries (our trip is really meaningless in the big picture). This is a national Thai problem not an International problem. Let the stranded leave!

We are really sorry for uncomfortable from this situation. The little group maid big trouble to Thailand. I think almost Thai people don't want protesters to closed 2 airports but can't do anything 'cause love in peace and law. The protesters not respect in law and private right. I wish every thing will peaceful in soon. Please come back again. We are welcome all the time.

Economy is not the only thing in life! Thaksin was find guilty by the laws of Thailand and should face the consequence-like a man- and not hide like a coward or even worst try to change the constitution of Thailand by means of his mignons so he his exempt of all judicial process. That man doesn't not even respect the King! My guess is he wants to be the first President -for -life of Thailand.

People's Alliance for Democracy ??? If the current government were elected, that is democracy. I agree with the comment below, this is more like a revenge against Thaksin. They need to take the example of president elect Barrack and John McCain. After the election they're still manage to sit in the same table. If you loose you loose and go on with it. Soon the current president term will be up and someone will take his place if he is not good enought.

Having been to Thailand often, as I live close, in Australia, I feel sick about what the protesters are doing to the Thai economy, destroying it. Many Aussies were planning to go to Thailand during our Christmas holidays but all have now cancelled their reservations.

I feel a special closeness to Thailand because the kids school had a sister school in Thailand so we had close contact with the Thai people in the school's cultural exchange programs and to this day, the kids, now in their late 30's, still keep in contact with their Thai friends. Therefore, I feel especially sad about this, how the protesters are destroying their beautiful country.

This will turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory for the PAD which has managed to shut down and isolate their own country, destroy the already fragile Thai economy (which relies on tourist income during an all-important high season) and lose the goodwill of foreign travelers and investors who will now look at Thailand as an unstable country. Mob rule is what we are seeing in the faces of the PAD protesters. But at what cost?

That is so sad but true. Recently, I called one of my cousins whom has her own tourism-based business. She said that it is affecting her business quite negatively.

On the other hand, although I'm not a PAD but I start to feel concerned for those PADs, leaders and followers alike. The backlash toward PAD from other Thais, who have lost something due to airports closing, will be great.

To any potential posters here: What would it take for you to return to Thailand for vacation again? What criteria Thailand would have to meet? Thank you.

The present Thai government is democratically elected through the biggest vote buying spree ever. I am not even Thai but it is obvious, Thaksin is the one that is bent on revenge . He has his own personal agenda and will pay tens of millions to buy back his premiership, be it splitting Thailand into North & South Thailand.

My sister is stranded in Bangkok. I just had a very brief converstaion with her and she is frustrated beyond belief. Kom, I can tell you with all certainty that there is no way in hell she will ever, ever go to Thailand again. You can bet on it that if any of our friends or family tell us they plan on visiting Thailand in the future, we will do our best to talk them out of it.

Yes tourism has been affected but Tuesday afternoon they were proven right. The court removed the PM and him and 30 political leaders were removed from government and banished for five years. They were banished for five years as a result of the voting scam. How many people worldwide would give up so much to make sure your country is run right?

We've been planning to go for Christmas, arriving December 13th. We will wait a few days before deciding whether or not to cancel. Hopefully with the new court ruling banning the current PM, things will settle down.
In the interest of all Thais, the police and army should work together and take control of the situation. Demonstrators on both sides should recognize that Thailand's purported corruptions (government, judges etc.) is no worse than in parts of Europe and elsewhere. However bringing the country to a standstill is in no one's interest.

If this ends ASAP, and the Bangkok Airport "opens" as usual in December, then we are still going to Thailand in January :)

The only criteria we have, is that we want to feel SAFE, and as far as i can se/read, there has been no violence (?) in these demonstrations.

/Serina, Denmark

Once this situation is resolved, I will go back to Thailand. The Thai people, food, beaches, it is still the most wonderful place on earth. I love Thailand!!

And now, everybody suffering any kind of losses, whatever it may be, just file lawsuits against: The Royal Thai Government, for not ensuring that public facilities i.e. the airports operate as they should, the AOT (Airports Organisation of Thailand) for not taking any action to keep the airport open, Mr. Somchai Wongasawat, the ex Prime Minister for not taking any appropriate action whatever it might have been to enable travelers and business people to minimalise their losses; The Royal Thai Police, The Royal Thai Army, including Gen. Anupong Paochinda, the CiC.
Mr. Sondhi Limthongkul, the master mind of the yellow shirts protest and Maj. Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, the main supporter and organiser of the PAD.
Best if such courts would be filed by US citizens in US courts, and motion for injunction of Thai Assets in the US and elsewhere would be made.
Of course lawsuits, for people living and residing in Thailand and for Thai citizens could be made in Thailand, at the criminal courts for all subject to a criminal act and subsequent damages in civil courts.

We would be back there in an instant if work permitted, we love Thailand and have many thai friends there, especially in Phuket. My family survived the tsunami and next trip will be number 28. Will be back and continue to go back. It will be so detrimental to the thai's if we don't all go back, even if a small minority have ruined things for the time being.

i hope all this ends in the next wk as me & me mates fly out there on the 14th for a month!!

Thailands paddy fields havent burnt down "".thais wouldnt be put down afterall when theres alot of paddy.they got something to drive them,not like zimbabweans who cant afford such a thing when they have been totally made hungry by the first world.
sometimes i think the west is more of hypocritical than i been thinking.because they adore tsvangirai,dont they know that even tsvangirais fans are suffering due to the sanctions..its only tsvangirais and mugabes bellies that are paddy filled to drive them

uthiru/tambua,hamisi,kenya

Well, PAD is claiming victory. It is not theirs to claim. The courts worked in a democratic and constitutional way and affected this result. Not PAD. Unfortunately, to many people think they are heroes. They are not. This entire charade was unnecessary, death, dismemberment, et al.. destruction of property, as well as scarring permanently the face of Thailand to the world. PAD wants to revoke voting rights. Is that Democratic? No it is not. They seek the old elitism, causing a further rift between the haves, and the have nots. And now their hired guns, and their hired sheep will go back to the provinces convinced that their 300 baht a day blood money was worth it. Look how far we've come... mob rule, emboldened by hollow claim of victory. Very sad indeed.

Jane, for what it's worth, I'm married to a Thai and have property in the country and have always thought that Thailand and Thai people are marvellous. The last time something similar happened was back in 1992 and I was one of the first back into the country after that blew over, however, it's rather different this time.

I was supposed to be going home to Thailand in a few days for a visit and to meet friends who would have been seeing my wife for the first time in 12 years. They have, on our advice, changed their plans and I have done likewise. I'm sorry to say it but it's not a done deal there yet. There is a power vacuum that could drag on for a very long time. I wouldn't worry too much with regard to safety, Thais are very tolerant of foreigners, however you could fly in and it may all flare up again and you would find yourself stranded.

Having travelled in and around Asia for 25 years, age has taught me to be more prudent than I was even 16 years ago. Despite wanting to support my family and the country, I for one will be waiting a while longer before I go home to see my loved one's who are thankfully safe and well away from Bangkok where they can get on with their lives.

As both sides have faults, I think the airport situation is the worst political action ever taken in history. Thailand is heavily dependent on their tourist industry. These protest are mostly just an anti-Thaksin rally in the pretense that they are fighting for democracy.

I don't think it was worth it, despite the fact that the governnent has been dissolved again. There will be less and less visitors and I believe it will take a couple of years for the country to recover from this blow.

As many tourist-related sites must eventually down-size or shut down, more and more people would be laid off.

I only hope that non-Thais can look at Thailand as oppurtunity for a great deal this Christmas. I don't think the PADs would be foolish enough to pull another economy-crippling act anytime soon, so I think the airports are safe for now. Tourist attractions and luxury hotels will most likely be giving out cheap deals to invite tourists back.

In all honesty, more than half the country is fairly neutral about the power-struggle. These people just want peace and stability back. Let's all hope that demonstrators from both sides will realize just how much they're affecting the country right now and seek to find a compromise to save it from economic disaster.

PAD is acting like hoodlums. They also insulted the Thais who are out in the country as being uneducated and ignorant of how to vote. PAD is not respectful of the democractic system. They should be asham of themelves. GO HOME and apologize to their housekeepers and their servants who are all from up-country and uneducated.

There are many cogent comments here from all sides of the various issues in these comments, a fact to which I can attest as someone who has been a resident foreigner in Bangkok for 14-1/2 years, and a keen observer of the local political scene (if an armchair one).

One contributor did say something I would like to enlarge on; that person's assertion was entirely anti-Thailand on the basis of the local triads (as mafia clans are called here), general corruption, etc. - without giving a single syllable credit to the fact there are indeed many honest, hard-working Thais. I have numerous Thai friends, and no, very few are from the upper classes, hi-so ranks, etc. The majority come from the poorer classes. And they are, for the most part, honest (entirely so, among my friends; otherwise they wouldn't be on my friends list).

I don't dispute there is a lot of triad-run prostitution (with official connivance, by the way), double-pricing (charging a foreigner way more for, say, entrance into a national park or a hotel room than a Thai pays), scams of various types (computer software, music and movie CD's and DVD's, and all sorts of clothing - well, every conceivable consumer good).

But not *all* beautiful Thai ladies are prostitutes, nor does *every* attraction double-prices, and not *all* consumer products are counterfeits.

As for the current mess, which is in a lull since the anti-government protestors have gone home, I don't look for it to end anytime soon. Likely whoever is named the next Prime Minister, even a merely interim one, is almost certain to be seen as yet another proxy for the deposed-by-coup and now fugitive PM, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Which is a shame, a shame for the Kingdom and her people, and a shame for foreigners who love the country but now are afraid to visit.

One last comment, regarding fear. Not *once* in any of the various episodes over my years here - not just this latest, protracted one - has my life nor my friends' lives been impacted at all, with one minor exception when a friend driving in the countryside was stopped at a military checkpoint - by extremely polite and apologetic soldiers, who quickly let him pass. The larger point is, short of wading right into the middle of some protest, which could prove to be terminally stupid, there's little reason to fear going most places.

Today is our King's birthday, who is our "SOUL OF THE NATION" I believe on this and his power will help Thailand becomes "a land of smile" again.

I hope to who are not loyalty to the King will change their mind and remember on:
1. Who save our country from a big country
2. Who did order the rain even not the rains reason
3. Who did change a dry land to be a green rice farm
4. Who reunite Thai People together
5. Who initiates sufficient economy
6. Who initiates alternative energy
7. Who always cares for all his people even though they are in rural area
8. Who is the longest reigning monarch in the world
9. Who is beloved & respected by Thai people
10. Who woking hard for this people and never ask any return
11. Who is very unhealthy but still alway working
12. who has a sense of humour and makes the normal people like us smile and laugh.
13. who you can touch and never mind to touch you.
14. who helps our poor people.
15. who is leading us to be a good person
16. who dedicates his work for his people
17. Who give a freedom to our country

WHO....????????