Yes, you read that right. Batman (or at least a fast-thinking guy dressed like Batman) saved the lives of hundreds of Din Dang flat residents from a possible fiery explosion from an LPG gas truck, hijacked and driven into the riot area, with the valve left opened, by the red-shirted Thaksin-backed demonstrators.

      In the incident involving a popular comic book superhero, the red-shirt protesters hijacked 3 LPG gas trucks which all of them, oddly enough, was owned by Siam Gas PCL, a gas company with Chaiyasit Shinawatra, Thaksin's cousin, as president. At Din Dang location, the protesters drove the truck and parked it next to Din Dang flat residential area, a heavily-populated low-cost apartment complex where a number of protesters were gathering. Worse, they left the valve open, virtually taking the residents there as hostage. They were hoping that by doing so, the soldiers wouldn't dare to open fire in the area.

      The flat residents soon smelled the gas and gathered up and argued with the protesters, who refused to move the truck away, starting many quarrels with the residents. There was water-truck spraying water to cool down the gas truck. Tensions were rising and no solution is yet found. (Taksin's BBC interview features a clip from this incident just across the corner, where a flat resident quarrels and drag a red-shirt women by her hair. BBC link at the end.) A similar situation in Nanglerng ends with a fight between protesters and residents broken out, leaving 2 residents shot dead, being the only dead casualty of the crisis.

      Then came Batman to the rescue! Out of nowhere, a person in the crowd, wearing a Batman suit and holding a video camera, jumped out and ran towards the truck, as seen in this video from Channel 3 news. The running Batman brought much-needed laughs and amusement to the stressed-out residents and protesters alike. The tension in the scene was lowered significantly.

      The Batman then climbed on the back of the gas truck and yelled, "Batman is here!", distracting the protesters in the area and brighten up the atmosphere.

      An official then use this opportunity to sneaked behind the water truck, and made his way into the driver's compartment, and successfully drove the gas truck out of the area to safety and close the opened valve.

      The Batman then made his exit by hitch-hiking on the water truck and, again shouted "The Batman is here!" at the enjoyment of the flat residents. No violent were reported in the area after the removal of the gas truck. The identity of the Batman and other official is yet to be known.

      Strangely, the hero of the day made an incorrect flying pose when riding away, though. That pose is more associated with Superman, not Batman.

      Hmm..... perhaps he wasn't a real Batman, after all.

                   reported by Donny.

Taksin BBC interview link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/far_east/7996781.stm

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On a Batman-unrelated note, the 4-days crisis obviously originated from just one man's wish to return to power. This major attempt has finally failed. Judging by the scale of it, the resourced used, and the loss in faith and hatred of the Thai majority, this attempt is probably the last of its kind. The event should probably put the country at its lowest point, and as Taksin probably gives up or lessen his interference, the country's path ahead should be brighter from now on, as speculated by Thai academics. There should not be any reasonable fear that this kind of violent will occur again anytime in the near future now.

(If you're a Thai, feel free to spread the word by promoting and linking to this page.)

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