Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban wants to shutdown indefinitely Bangkok but promises at the same time that it will not affect people’s daily life and will not impact the Thai capital’s economy. It will be difficult to implement both as students already threatened to close down the agency in charge of air traffic control.
BANGKOK – Everyday which passes turns anti-protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban into a more vociferous personality. The claim to reform democracy and the political system in Thailand is certainly a good idea as the Kingdom needs to reinvent itself as a modern nation fulfilling the aspirations of a contemporary society.
Mr Thaugsuban has promised to clean the country from corruption and nepotism, in particularly to get rid of the current caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her family – including the fugitive ex Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Observers and lucid people will certainly raise an objection of seeing Mr. Thaugsuban assuming this role. The old-style ultra-conservative politician is himself a pure product of corruption and nepotism and has been embattled in many scandals including one about rubber selling in the south. He was also Deputy Prime Minister during the killing of over 90 people during red shirt demonstrations three years ago.
The protest method is also questionable. After occupying for weeks a central square in the historical town of Bangkok, the veteran politician is galvanizing his troops to set up a total shutdown of the capital. Seven important cross roads have been blocked, creating chaos in the streets of the capital as they are vital transportation distribution points. By impeaching normal people to go to work or to conduct their business, by creating inconvenience to locals and visitors, it is not sure that the method is perfect. In forums from Thailand’s main newspapers Bangkok Post and The Nation, readers express increasingly their dissatisfaction about the method; certain people even talk about “taking an entire city as a hostage”, a step punishable by law.
Of course, it will be hard to control anti-government protesters and the normal public’s relations as days will pass. Mr. Thaugsuban promised to let people conduct their daily life and said that protests will not impact business, despite telling to protesters on Monday that “we will shut down the city. We will do it all days and we will do it everyday until we win.”
While all government’s offices are targeted, first deviances however were already observed. On Monday, the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) promised to blockade the entrance to Aerothai (Aeronautical Radio of Thailand). The office is coordinating all air traffic movements in Bangkok, breaking Mr. Thaugsuban’s promise not to touch airports or public transport.
Prachak Sajjasophon, President of Aerothai Aerothai appealed on Monday to the anti-government protesters not to shut down or disrupt the agency’s operations saying that it will cause extensive damages to air travel and the country.
They are currently about 2,000 domestic and international in-bound and out-bound flights a day at Suvarnabhumi airport and an additional 1,400 domestic and international flights at Don Mueang airport. Mr. Sajjasophon added that if there is any problem with air traffic control, Thailand’s image would be tarnished while the tourism industry will suffer a lot.
Access to Don Mueang Airport is already paralyzed, forcing busses and cars to either take the tollway or along other roads to avoid the Lat Phrao intersection. Newspapers reported that so far the protest has been very peaceful and that even some tourists participated to the protest.
The protest will go until the current caretaker Prime Minister resigns and the general election cancels. The battle for power is already open. But one already lost the fight: Thailand’s people.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
