Reds and yellows fight
Farang S told me over lunch Tuesday that prime minister Samak had declared a state of emergency in Bangkok. I had not checked the news before I met him so I did not know the reds and the yellows had clashed. The reds support the current government and the yellows are against it.
I had expected the two groups to clash. In 2006 (during the protests which led to the last military coup) the reds were kept out of Bangkok but this time, by accident or design, the two rival groups are side by side in Rattanakosin. More reds are on the way from rural areas, I hear.
The disturbance is in the historic district of Bangkok near the Grand Palace, where the major government buildings are, and where broad roads allow large crowds.
Everything is normal in the Silom area where I live.
Chalerm said his university Rajapat will be closed for three days. It seems most other schools are closed too.
Chalerm talked about a curfew but I don’t think that one is announced. Chalerm thinks the army will appear on the streets here like they did in 2006.
The yellows (PAD) want to disrupt public services such as electricity, transport and airports. So far they have done this in other parts of the country but I have not noticed any difference in downtown Bangkok.
I am not too concerned about the situation. I believe it is more controlled and orchestrated than it looks.
However, much as the Thai ‘heart’ beats in favour of closing...
Well, the...
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:02 am
I hope they are able to orchestrate it with a little more finesse, since the current maestro cracked one guy’s head open with his baton and killed him.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
A friend in Thailand told me that people had gone to his village outside Bangkok offering 300 Baht a day to people who would join the pro-government protesters. This certainly is a very dirty business and does not bode well for the future of Thailand.