The political situation in Thailand is starting to heat up and is coming to a big showdown tomorrow, Friday. The protests that are being arranged tomorrow in Bangkok are going to be big, no huge maybe in excess of 20,000 people, and the potential for it to turn nasty is very high.

The two opposing groups, the supporters of the government and those against are talking a war of words at the moment but tomorrow the words will cease and they will more than likely come face to face. If this confrontation happens and emotions are high, it wouldn’t take much to make people go over the top and start a violent clash.

I hope this doesn’t happen, I am hoping that these two groups pull their heads in. All people have a right to protest and express their opinions in a democratic society but there comes a time when it goes too far, and this is now happening here in Thailand.

Depending on what actually happens tomorrow it could cause major problems for Thailand, other countries already have little faith in the Thai government and the little bit of faith that does exist is dwindling quickly. I personally am disgusted in the behaviour of all these people. For supposed well educated people, they could be using the parliamentary system to voice their concerns, using the courts of law for their grievances. This is a people elected government, the PAD need to swallow their medicine and allow the current government to run its time and then challenge at the next election, if they are doing such a bad job then the people of Thailand will vote them out of power.

This is what has happened just today here in Thailand.

The government supporters of the People Power Party (PPP) have now warned the opposition supporters the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that they will mobilise a counter protest to their threatened protest of Government House on Friday to besiege the seat of the government.

Tomorrow being Friday the Anti-PAD protesters will congregate at Sanam Luang a large park near Government House, to assess the situation should police fail to deter the PAD protesters from moving to Government House,”

Police have now warned motorists to avoid roads surrounding Government House starting this evening, Thursday, as a;; roads are being closed down, to brace for the Friday’s protest by the PAD. Police will set up road blocks to check vehicles passing the seat of government.

The Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Thursday pledged he would not resort to a violent crackdown or invoke the security law to suppress the mass protest organised by the PAD. This is a far cry from what he had said a few weeks go.

He said “I will not exercise my mandate to involve the military and the Internal Security Operations Command but let police handle the situation,” The Security Office of Government House has asked government officials to take a day off on Friday. Schools around Government House have also been advised to close on because of traffic concerns.

Supporters of the PAD, including members of state enterprise labour unions in other provinces, are heading for Bangkok to help lay siege. They have left in private vehicles, buses and trains in groups of 10-20 to avoid being prevented from travel at police checkpoints. They have said that if they are stopped from travelling to Bangkok to join protests, they will block the Friendship Highway.

The southern labour union of the State Railway of Thailand, said railway staff would simply give a free ride if over 100 demonstrators showed up for a Bangkok-bound train because the union had already resolved to support the PAD’s rally.

The Interior Minister said some people had brought weapons to Bangkok to stir up trouble and police should set up more checkpoints to screen them out. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declined to comment on PAD’s rally, saying it was not his business.

The Police deputy spokesman vowed to block the PAD from moving to Government House. The police approach would start with negotiations then move to the use of water jets and tear gas if the protesters kept moving.

So there you have it, will start with negotiations and then they will let loose. I am watching the goings on with a lot of interest.