Phuket protesters join Bangkok Siege, demand PM’s resignation
PHUKET: As the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) makes its final drive to oust Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, media in Bangkok have reported that NBT broadcast stations were being raided around the nation.
However, NBT reporter Chaiwut Poungsuwan today told the Gazette that the NBT station in Phuket, located at the top of Rang Hill in Phuket City, is safe and sound.
“NBT in Phuket is located in a peaceful area and the staff are friends with ASTV, the station that belongs to the PAD leader,” Khun Chaiwut said.
“NBT will suffer only in areas where they support the Samak regime,” he added.
Phuket PAD leader Natjarong Ekpermsup said that some 4,000 PAD members from Phuket were protesting in Bangkok, rallying at NBT headquarters, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport.
The protesters from Phuket were moving to government house to demand Samak’s resignation, he added late this afternoon.
The local contribution to massive national anti-government protests continued to gain momentum over the weekend, with flights from Phuket to Bangkok on all airlines fully booked yesterday as PAD members flocked to the capital.
On Friday, a Patong resident and PAD supporter known as “Loong Pim” took to the PAD stage in Bangkok to deliver 100,000 baht that he had collected to support PAD efforts to drive out the current government.
On Saturday, Khun Natjarong went up to Bangkok and told the Gazette, “We are going up to Bangkok for the endgame. We are going to drive Samak from power. I will be back next week, but in the meantime I have to look after the Phuket chapter in Bangkok. A lot of us will fly back to Phuket, too, so return flights will probably also be fully booked.”
On Sunday, the first group of more than 5,000 Phuket-based PAD supporters joined the Bangkok protest after arriving in a convoy of cars, buses and vans.
