Rioters burn 27 buildings

[grantcart]

Source: Bangkok Post

1. The area on Rama I Road around Paragon shopping mall and Siam Square. Siam Theatre was completely gutted.

2. Parts of Centara Grand Hotel at Ratchaprasong

3. Parts of the Stock Exchange of Thailand building on Witthayu Road

4. Mahathun building on Ploenchit Road

5. Bangkok Bank and Krung Thai Bank Asok branches

6. Parts of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store in Din Daeng area

7. Bangkok Bank and Government Savings Bank Din Daeng branches

8. Maleenont Building on Rana IV Road which houses Channel 3 television station

9. Bangkok Bank's Rama IV branch and Tesco Lotus superstore on Rama IV Road

10. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority in Klong Toey

11. Central World shopping mall

12. Bangkok Bank's Victory Monument branch

13. Century Park hotel in Din Daeng area

14. Center One shopping mall around Victory Monument



Read more: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/178453/rioters-burn-27-buildings

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It appears that some of the targets were selected because of the families who owned them rather than being the random targets of spontaneous demonstrators.



edited to add video of Central World Shopping Mall fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erdiy3NM5hA


edited to add video of Red Shirt Leader instructing Red Supporters to go out and burn the country to the ground if they don't get their way. (in Thai)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i74jX8rPcTM

He is giving very specific instructions - "a million red shirts each get a gallon of petrol and set a million fires".

"Everyone get one grenade and walk into a group of Army soldiers, one can take out three - easily"

This is Arisamen who replaced Seh Daeng. It is reported that he has been arrested.

Almost certainly he will face a firing squad.

[Frank Booth]

1. Can someone please explain to me why Thaksin inspires such devotion?

From what I've read, he appears to be a corrupt scion of a wealthy ethnic Chinese family who looted the country of billions of dollars. He doesn't really seem like a logical hero of the rural poor.

[grantcart]

2. When he was PM he was seen as a white knight

It was like Bill Gates was coming to the rescue and everyone thought that he would be clean because he was already filthy rich.

Like Peron and others he advocated a new economic system that would alleviate poverty. He passed some legislation for free health care.

He also cut taxes and stole billions.

Even his anti drug campaign was popular. Over night 3,000 'drug pushers' were killed by police. Afterwards people realized that most of the killings were corrupt police settling old scores under the guise of killing drug pushers.

At one point he was at 90% in the polls.

Slowly he revealed that he was really a meglamaniac.

He maintains some bases of support by paying off some political outcasts. His vote buying was more generous than anyone else and for some rural poor he seems like the only one who ever listened to them.

It is very similar to the rural poor here who cling to their guns and religion as they vote against their own economic interests and support the powerful economic interests that exploit them. A Thai version of the Tea Party with millions of dollars in support.

[Frank Booth]

3. Thank you.

I've spent some time in Thailand though not nearly as much as I would like. This whole incident is just such a shame. I'm sure the protesters have valid grievances, but I don't see how any good comes out of burning such a beautiful city.