[ambiddetcat]

I did not think the events were worth posting-however this is interesting in a sort of cynical way.


PM Abhisit Vejjajiva sends birthday blessing to fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra via Twitter, saying "if you're enlightened and understand dharma, you'll be much happier." Thaksin replied by offering to help PM solve the problems of the country.

[Misespimb]

Why some of them hide their faces? dose anyone do like that when coming to BD party?

Betti, I will not be surprised if you will be attacked by Red Shirt supporters in this forum!

Thanks for the exceptional thread.

Peace.

[QuidQuoPro]

Haven't had time to check the Nation, nor would I have cared to. Busy doing better things.... I wouldn't have gone anywhere near the temple if I had known. Sounds like they were everywhere - but hope the photos are still interesting :-)

[QuidQuoPro]

I dropped in at Wat Phrathat Haripunchai today as a rest stop on the way to somewhere else, and I bumped into the very end of a red-shirt event.
There was a HUGE poster of Thaksin, which I wanted to take a photo of, but while I went around to see what was happening, they wrapped it up. Then they loaded the chairs unto trucks and the crowd dispersed.

Nevertheless, I took some photos of people, trying to look really stupid about what I was seeing. Luckily I look like a loser tourist anyway when I am on these daytrips.

The golden chedi is heavily scaffolded, by the way. There were people paying their respects - everyone except me looked like part of the red crowd. One of the t-shirt slogans went "truth today" - that's what the little boy is wearing in the last photo.

lamphun1.jpg lamphun2.jpg

lamphun3.jpg lamphun4.jpg

lamphun5.jpg lamphun6.jpg

Just two things I had really really strong feelings about seeing the little that I saw:
- Why is the Buddhist church getting involved in this by allowing red-shirts to use a temple area? Surely there are other vacant areas in Lamphun? And it looked to me that they were from Chiang Mai anyway.
Even if it is making merit on a birthday, a normal custom, it is just not right. Then there shouldn't be megaphones and banners and other paraphernalia of a political rally, just candles and other wat-related props.
I had never seen politics on temple grounds before and I was quite surprised. I strongly believe that all religious organisations, especially strong and respected ones like the Sangha, or the Catholic church, should remain impartial in filthy political battles and concentrate on the spiritual development of people.

- Why do people involve children in their political agendas? I know we all have millions of influence on our children as we raise them - their religion, morals, acquaintances - but for me, dragging teenagers and even younger kids into filthy political battles, however harmless, is totally unacceptable. They are so vulnerable and susceptible. I am saying this irrespective of colour or ideology - whether we are talking about reds, yellows, purples, the paramilitary right-wing youth organisation in my country, etc etc.

[QuidQuoPro]

Why some of them hide their faces? dose anyone do like that when coming to BD party?

H1N1 prevention campaign is emphasising masks, especially for teenagers. they are just a miserable-looking school band, playing horribly and without a smile. they were heavily suffering. probably drafted by a teacher and they had no choice.

by the way, someone from my school was recently removed for getting involved in political rallies and trying to recruit students. serves him right.

[TOD4wDTQ]

How dissapointing Betti,

I was hoping u would get some free drinks

[QuidQuoPro]

It's all your fault Sved. You and Marie held me up in the chatroom so I didn't get there on time

[ambiddetcat]

Over 100 red-shirts attend merit making ceremony for Thaksin in Lampang


Lampang - Over 100 red-shirt people gathered for a merit making ceremony to bless former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at a temple here on the occasion of his birthday.

They gathered at the Wat Srichum Temple in Muang district at 10 am to perform a ceremony to cast Thaksin's bad luck away.

The Nation

[ambiddetcat]

The Nation is full of events all over the country to celebrate Thaksin's 60th birthday-"sae yid"-most of these are merit making ceremonies for him.