Quote: from quack quack on 11:14 am on May 18, 2010 Bro Smegma; thanks for displaying your pedantic self
Why thank me? Nothing new in my post. I display that in every post I make. Don't you read? I will let you ponder that one. Well, I will give you one clue or you may take forever, look down; no, not at your feet, I mean here in the screen.
Quote: from quack quack on 1:02 pm on May 18, 2010 Maybe that bro Smegma can now take the Duck's place & enlighten ignorant souls ?
Nah, I like the ignorant to stay ignorant; they are more entertaining that way. Why else do you think we find you amusing.
Political unrest is expected to cost Thai tourism at least 100 billion baht in lost revenue this year, as only 12 million to 13 million foreigners holiday here.
The Tourism Council of Thailand today cut its projection for foreign visitors to no more than 13 million, with income of 480 billion baht.
Foreign arrivals had been projected at between 12.7 million and 14.1 million, earning Thailand about 580 billion baht.
Kongkrit Hiranyakit, the president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said political violence had battered the entire tourism industry, not only by deterring foreign tourists but also by sapping sentiment in domestic tourism.
"Several tourism entrepreneurs have now liquidated, as they had failed to rehabilitate their business after being caught up in several years of troubles,'' he said.
Thailand's tourism industry started to feel the global slowdown in the middle of 2008, before being hit in late November the same year by the forced closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport by yellow-shirt protesters.
The industry was dealt another blow when red-shirt demonstrators invaded the East Asia Summit in Pattaya on April 2009, closing the summit and sending world leaders scurrying to safety.
Riots followed over Songkran last year, triggering the declaration of a state of emergency by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, which was lifted on April 24 as protesters withdrew.
But Charoen Wangananond, spokesman for the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (Fetta), said the impact this year was much more severe.
"It would be more than happy for the Thai tourism industry if foreign visitors this year reach 12 million,'' said Mr Charoen.
In 2009, Thailand attracted 14.14 million foreign visitors, down by 3% from 14.58 million in 2008.
Chumpol Silpa-archa, the Tourism and Sports Minister, admitted that arrivals were unlikely to reach the target of 15.5 million, after protests in Bangkok turned violent.
Australian News Flash at 10am Wednesday shows a strong presence of Army Tanks ready to use Force, Many Soldiers take position on the BTS
Looks like today many more Life's will be lost.
One thing this time they won't be able to cover up the truth on the death toll, That Lawyer in BK'S you tube post is a Typical Stranger to the Truth, yesterday the death toll was over Sixty and rising.
Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 19 May 2010 :-
Forces gather near Ratchaprasong ==========================
Hundreds of police and army, backed by armored vehicles, are converging on the perimeter of an anti-government protest camp in Bangkok, reporters saw early on Wednesday.
Twelve armoured personnel carriers (APCs) with machine guns mounted on top arrived in the Silom business district, where several trucks dropped off troops wearing balaclavas and carrying weapons and riot shields.
Thailand's army spokesman declined to comment on whether a crackdown was imminent on the protesters, who are defying a Monday deadline to disperse after occupying Bangkok's main retail district for six weeks.
"I will not answer any questions," spokesman Col Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said.
Hundreds of armed police were forming lines in Sukhumvit Road, a main thoroughfare leading into the protest zone, backed up by some 20 police vans on the roadside.
Leaders of the red shirts warned late Tuesday that they were concerned a crackdown would be launched at dawn, after the government ruled out negotiations until they abandoned their heavily fortified rally base.
Security forces had battled with protesters since Thursday as they attempted to seal off the protest site, triggering clashes that have left 39 dead and hundreds injured.
The violence, which eased Tuesday with only sporadic gunfire, turned parts of the city of 12 million into no-go zones as troops used live ammunition against protesters, who fought back mainly with homemade weapons.
Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 19 May 2010 :-
Reds set fire to ONCB in Din Daeng ============================
The red-shirt protesters had at about 7am on Wednesday set fire to the three-storey building of the Office Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) located at Din Daeng intersection, reports said.
The blast took place at the building’s 2nd and 3rd floors and was spreading to other floors as fire fighters could not go into the area because it is unsafe zone.
Pol Maj Gen Krisana Polanand, secretary general of the ONCB, said in a television interview that he had received report about the arson attack and had contacted fire fighters to put off the fire.
He was reported that men on several motorcycles set fire to his office building.
It was reported that the red-shirts had set fire to piles of used tyres in front of Century Park hotel on Ratchaprarop road after learning that more troops and amoured vehicles were reinforced in Silom and Saladaeng area.
The reds also set fire to a large number of used tyres on Rama IV road.
Clouds of smokes were seen to have covered areas in the capital.
n:twit:bigpic