19:30 p.m. Two and a half hours of meetings. No resolution. Government wants amending the constitution first and then dissolution. Reds want dissolution and then for parties to propose amendments & then amend with the new parliament. We will have talks again tomorrow at 6pm once Abhisit returns from Brunei.

It is easier to do on twitter. See twitter.com/bangkokpundit Will do a summary of everything here later.

16:20 p.m. Both the reds and the government negotiation teams have arrived at KPI, an academic think-tank on the outskirts of Bangkok, for the negotiations. We are still in the pre-negotiation stage on what should happen next (should talks be televised, what is the framework for the talks).

The government team consists of Prime Minister Abhisit, PM’s secretary-general Korbsak and Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Chamni. The government team is wearing blue (blue shirts?). The reds are represented by Veera, Jatuporn, and Weng.

Now, we have video of the negotiation room. Mostly they are smiling and exchanging a few words with each other.There are lots of journalists here. All 6 (red 3 & govt 3) are posing for photos & even holding hands! (one red to one govt) to show their committment to negotiations.

16:00pm. Thanong (yes, yes, it is Thanong) in The Nation on why Abhisit changed his mind abruptly and agreed to talks:

Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, the defence minister, and Gen Anupong Paochinda warned Abhisit that he has to step forward to hold talks with the Red Shirts. Otherwise, the Military would abandon their support of the Abhisit government and the Coalition would be asked to form a new government with Pheu Thai Party as a core.

The prime minister must have felt that he is being forced into the corner.
…
The Democrats’ bargaining power appears to be eroding. The soldiers, who come out of the barracks under the Internal Security Act, are getting tired and feeling very edgy. If the Red Shirts provoke the Military further, there could be accidental shooting by one of the soldiers. The Military are afraid that if their soldiers were to shoot the Red Shirts first, they and the government would immediately lose legitimacy.

BP: Actually, given that Defence Minsiter Prawit (who is not really a govenrment Minister, he is much closer with the army than the government) and Army C-in-C Anupong, Army C-in-C in waiting Prayuth, and 1st Army Region Commander Kanit were with Suthep earlier in the morning, it is certainly plausible what Thanong states as Abhisit very abruptly changed his mind.