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Thailand en democratie…. Is Thailand nog lang niet aan toe, zo lang ze stemmen en demonstraties blijven kopen,.

De gemiddelde Thai weet geeneens wat het woord betekend.



Despite the red-shirt leaders' promise to mobilise up to a million people, less than 10,000 protesters showed up at the sites.

Many sources say the number of protesters from the provinces will not be huge. In fact, one of them said the number being mobilised from the Northeast was 30 per cent lower than expected.

"Many locals have backtracked because they were being paid less.

Initially, they were each promised Bt2,000 plus free petrol, but when they were ready to head for Bangkok, they were told that they would only get Bt1,500 and would have to pay for the petrol themselves," a source said.

Yet, red-shirts were busy across the country yesterday, with several Pheu Thai MPs seen facilitating the protesters' trip to Bangkok.

In Si Sa Ket, Pheu Thai MP Thanet Kruarat reportedly allowed the red shirts to fill up their vehicles for free at his petrol station. Each of these vehicles was emblazoned with a sticker that proclaimed: "We Will Reclaim Democracy".

"We will rally peacefully," Si Sa Ket red-shirt leader Dr Sawai Sodsai said, adding that his province alone would provide at least 3,000 demonstrators.

So far, more than 1,000 protesters each from Maha Sarakham and Ubon Ratchathani have shown up, along with more than 3,000 from Khon Kaen. In the North, hundreds of vehicles were filled up yesterday, which took them as far as Nakhon Sawan last night.

Leaders insisted that the number of protesters would swell to more than 100,000 by the time they leave for the capital today.

Supporters from the South, which is considered a Democrat stronghold, included 200 people from Krabi and 100 from Phatthalung.

"We will fight with the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship until the end to help Thaksin Shinawatra return as prime minister. But if the DAAD retreats, we will do so as well," Sukij Singto said in his capacity as leader of the Krabi 53 Group.

He added that his group would cover travel expenses for the protesters before it is reimbursed in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, the red shirts booed Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban when he showed up in Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district to inspect the police checkpoint.

Authorities have put up numerous police checkpoints between Bangkok and seven other provinces.


-- The Nation 2010-03-13