I have already blogged on the threats that Sondhi L's made at his press conference to foreign journalists on Saturday:
Sondhi L also said the reason the PAD closed down the airport is that they wanted to signal exactly what they were capable of doing. He further said that they could also get wealthy PAD followers to withdraw their money from banks simultaneously [trying to create a run on banks ?]
Strait Times:
At the same time, Mr Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said his people would not back down either and threatened to step up the pressure until Mr Samak is toppled.
He raised the possibility of a massive withdrawal of money from banks by wealthy PAD supporters.
'The whole financial system of Thailand will go down the drain,' he told reporters.
He also said the PAD, which overran terminals and tarmacs at Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai on Thursday, closing down the airports, could do it again 'any time'.
'We closed the airports to tell the government that we can do this on a much, much larger scale if you do not listen to us,' he said.
Yesterday, although Hat Yai airport reopened, both Phuket and Krabi airports remained shut, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.
Asked when the PAD protest would end, Mr Sondhi said: 'When Mr Samak resigns.'
Asked how far he was willing to go, he replied: 'As far as it takes.'
FT:
Yet in a weekend press conference, Sondhi Limthongkul, a key PAD leader, hinted at even greater havoc, suggesting the closure of the airports was just to demonstrate how the protestors could paralyse the country. “We could do this on an even greater scale,” he told journalists.
BP: So direct threats. Where will they put their money?
Why don't we just have a one-on-one gun duel between Sondhi and Samak, so that we can be done with it!
My mind reels at this threat and the implications on who is really behind the Yellow Shirts.
I can't imagine a run on that bank in Ratchayothin would be tolerated.
That bank on Silom and that other bank on the river have been silent for the past 3 years about the crisis. Haven't they? BP, if there's anything to explain here, please do so.
Or he might be referring to the bank near Soi Nana, the one whose former CEO forgave Sondhi those billions and who sparked the crisis in the first place.
"duel between Sondhi and Samak"
I think it would have to be between Thaksin and Sondhi. That is who Sondhi is really pissed off at.