Interesting Red-Shirt Related Happenings in Bangkok
Meanwhile, blatant attempts to freak out the protestors by spreading rumours of A(H1N1) flu-infected Red-Shirt individuals roaming their ranks, ready to spread the flu like wildfire seems to have fallen flat, somewhat. It was revealed that the infected person in question, now hopitalised, wasn’t one of the reds, but an Interior Ministry volunteer monitoring the situation. The medical authorities haven’t yet ascertained or revealed whether this flu-ridden individual caught it at the demos or from his home in Phetchaburi.
It seems that the Bangkok public transportation systems owe a debt of gratitude to the Red Shirts for forcing commuters off the streets and onto the Skytrain and Underground. Underground operator, Bangkok Metro Plc (BMCL) reported a record surge on Saturday from their normal traffic of 80,000 passengers to 200,000, whereas the company that runs the Skytrain, Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC), after reporting a drop of 20% in their ‘ridership’ for the first few days of the Red-Shirt demos, stated that their norm has now recovered and even been surpassed.
Sourced from www.economist.com website
The Thai media apparently can no longer get away scot free with blatant manipulation of the news as they once did, according to Simon Montlake in the CSM, as canny news-addicts turn to the Internet and cable TV and other alternative media sources that are not quite so much the mouthpieces of either of the political parties or the powers-that-be as the big dailies and mainstream TV channels.
The Internet has also helped to overcome the lese majesty news clampdowns about speculation on the succession and other taboo subjects, albeit that that audacious mag, The Economist, was banned from Thailand’s streets when it wrote a succession piece. That makes four times the outspoken but highly objective British magazine has been banned in Thailand.
The government may be able to suppress hard print in this way, but the website of The Economist still carried the story, as did Google News and other web-sources. There’s hope for the country yet!
Taliesin Verity
Chief-Reporter
news@pattayadailynews.com
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Thanks 4 yr reply? U really do exist then? Where did you get the extra character from(no pun intended)? I don't see it in my letter. As 4 yr first comment, balanced reporting is somewhat of a misnomer here in Smile Land, don't you think? I think PDN does a good job considering. I think also U'll find representatives of both sides writing there, too.
Somehow and what i have watched over the last two weeks, the red movement does not apear as you stated "completely disorganized red movement" to me at all. I think they are well organized and yes the Blood splashing was a bit out of "western Lines" but other then this RESPECT! Way to go...
PDN lover, thanks for offering your support language-wise; especially since you seem to have a remarkably strong sympathy to this online mag, it is duly noted that you didn't complain about the actual contents of my comment. ;-) I hope the mag will keep up with its high standards again in the future even though it must be a serious challenge for reporters who are Thaksin supporters to remain publically balanced while his window of opportunity closes and his public support shrinks remarkably.
By the way, it's Valence, not Valance. 8-)
cheers, Rob