Violent night as "shutdown" continues

15 มกราคม 2557

At least three incidents of violence increased tensions last night, but the Bangkok shutdown continues, beginning with a march from the Asok intersection. We'll be watching throughout the day.

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Updates

17:18

I was just outside for a couple of hours watching Mr Suthep Thuagsuban and his friends walk by. I hadn't realised just how long and how big these marches can be. The people in my neighbourhood began lining up almost two hours before the first marchers arrived and it was like a big neighbourhood party.

Here is the star of the show:

12:25

The STR (Students and People’s Network for Thailand’s Reform) are on the move again today. At the moment, they are outside the Office of the Attorney General, demanding that a representative be allowed to go inside to see if any civil servants are working there today. An official says there are not, but the STR want to see for themselves. Their leaders, of course, are facing several criminal charges filed by government prosecutors.

As I mentioned yesterday, the STR are considered to be the most aggressive of the protest groups. Today is their deadline for the prime minister's resignation and people are watching nervously to see if teh STR will carry out their threat to close off the Stock Exchange and Aerothai, which is in charge of controlling air traffic, not just at Suvarnabhumi Airport, but throughout the country, the Transport minister says. Thus, such an action would be worse than shutting down the airport and it carries stiff criminal penalties, he warned.

Meanwhile, Mr Suthep and his very large "mob" have only made it as far as the Thong Lor BTS station. It looks like it will be quite a while longer before he visits us at the end of Ekamai.

11:20

People here on Ekamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) are well aware "Kamnan" Suthep, PDRC secretary-general, will soon be leading his march up our street to Petchaburi Road and they are making plans to be at the road-side. I'm charging my camera battery. The route map above was just released by the police spokesman. I suspect it will still be an hour or more before the marchers reach us, however.

10:45

PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thuagsuban is now leading his march up Sukhumvit from the Asok rally site on the way to the Ekamai, Phetchaburi road, Thong Lor and back to Asok. The crowd is very large for this march, because protesters from nearby rally sites have joined in. They have just passed the Emporium.

Meanwhile, protesters from Lat Prao have gathered at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on Paholyothin Road to check out reports that about 2,000 forestry officials have been brought into Bangkok to carry out unspecified but suspicious activities.

Violent night as "shutdown" continues

Rescue workers wait for the all-clear signal near Hua Chang bridge, the site of last night's midnight shooting incident. POST TODAY photo.

At least three incidents of violence increased tensions last night. A midnight shooting incident near the Pathumwan rally site injured at least two, one seriously.

About the same time, a bomb was thrown into the compound of Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, causing damage but no injuries. About an hour later a bus used to transport protesters was torched outside the Royal Turf Club at Nang Leong.

The shooting took place at the Hua Chang Bridge (Chalerm Laa 56 bridge) over the Saen Saeb canal about 500 metres from the Pathumwan rally site. Many bullets and possibly ping pong explosives were fired, reportedly from a high building in the area, but former Democrat MP for Uthai Thani Kuldej Puapattanakul, who oversees security at the Pathumwan rally site, said multiple gunshots were heard coming from the Ratchathewi BTS Station. Tossapol Ngamlamai, 35, a native of Ang Thong working as a Bangkok city garbage collector, received serious a serious ankle injury either from a gunshot or shrapnel and also received a head wound in the incident. At least one protester, a 55-year-old woman from Surat Thani, was was also shot in the right arm. The injured were initially taken to a medical tent at the rally site and, after the shooting stopped, an emergency vehicle transported them to a hospital.

Video taken during shooting incident uploaded to YouTube by bygon kingdom

Some of the bomb damage in the Democrat leader's family compound. Photo via twitter @teamKorn

Also around midnight, an explosive device was thrown at the Sukhumvit Soi 31 housing compound of Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday, but no one was injured.

The blast damaged the roof and shattered windows of a house belonging to Mr Abhisit’s father, Athasit who shares the compound with him, Thong Lor police said.

Mr Abhisit and his family were not at home at the time.

Finally, about 1:30am, a parked bus from Phatthalung province that had transported protesters from Songkhla to the Bangkok shutdown rally was torched by unknown assailants. The bus driver, who was resting in the bus, tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire, but fire fighters did succeed a little later. A video of the incident indicates there was a loud explosion, but that might have been a tire which was completely shredded. The outside of the bus in the area of the wheel was severely damaged.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok shutdown protest continues. The morning's main activity is likely to be a march led by PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thuagsuban from the Asok intersection, up Sukhumvit to Ekamai (past my home) to Petchaburi road and back to Asok. As of 9:35am, protesters at Asok were still waiting for Mr Suthep to arrive.