Today I went to Siam Station to see the demonstration. Seeing it on television is one thing, it is more impressive to have a large crowd up close. The atmosphere was festive and when marching someone would yell “Thaksin?” and the crowd would respond “get out!
The slogan is “Thaksin awk pai”, which also translates as Thaksin must go, or Thaksin must leave.
People were smiling and waving flags and banners, and the event looked more like a village fair than a political conflict. But crowd had lots of energy, and I could feel their determination.
A friend of mine send me a message on the mobile phone asking how many people were demonstrating. I replied I could see maybe 5 000. But some sections of the demo were held up by traffic police and could not join the main group, which set up camp (literally) under Siam Station.
At the same time opposition newspaper The Nation published an estimate of 50 000 demonstrators on their web site, which was a bit optimistic I’m afraid. Later in the day, after the offices closed and the crowd swelled in the cooler air after sunset, The Nation estimated that 100 000 people were there.
People were friendly and the demo guards let me through, looking at my camera and maybe thinking I was foreign press. One elderly Thai-Chinese man changed to shouting in English when he saw me.
I saw Chamlong, the tall and thin veteran political figure who led the anti-goverment demonstrations in 1992. He wore his customary blue shirt and sat on a on a truck writing autographs. Chamlong used to be Thaksin’s friend and mentor, but the friendship turned sour a while ago and Chamlong is on the street again, calling for the removal of Thaksin.
Paragon, Siam Centre and others had closed. Only security guards manned the locked doors. Some sultry policemen stood around in small groups, watching the crowds but not doing anything.
The participants were decidedly urban and middle class, but the organisers had made a few farmers and dark-skinned country folks walk in the front of each section.
Now the demonstrators are going to stay at Siam Station for a couple of days. From out of nowhere vendors have appeared, selling mats to sleep on and food. The organisers hand out free water bottles. The city of Bangkok, which is run by the opposition, has brought mobile toilets.
I will try to get a look at the pro-Thaksin camp at Chatuchak later.
Tag: Thaksin