Bombs Bursting in Bangkok

[+ Lucky]

Having fallen in love with Bangkok on the first of 13 visits in 1987, I follow the events there with interest, usually no more than wondering how my favorite bar boys are doing. The more one gets to know Thailand, the "Land of Smiles" the more one learns that the smiles are not always deep. Politics there are rough and tumble, with the rich gently holding a foot on the neck of the poor.

But everybody is smiling.

 

The culture defies description for a westerner, not that many haven't tried to describe it. It's just a mess of traffic, heat, shopping, wats, the glorious river and more cars and motorbikes than you would have thought the country could afford. But the hidden wealth in Thailand is deep, just not reaching the provinces of the northeast, where many of the protesters wearing the red shirts come from.

 

 

Lucky for us, Thai Buddhism thinks that all life is suffering, so one should go for the fun that is available when it is available. In that stampede, many get left behind, but not us rich foreigners who can enjoy all that the country has to offer and then leave on a plane. I have been hoping that kjun will give us an up to date, up close and personal view of the current revolt in Bangkok, but until then, this NY Times reporter, who was interviewing the rogue army officer who was gunned down by a sniper as it happened, has written his own observations of the country in crisis- a country that is unlikely to ever be the same as the one I have visited so many times before.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/weekinreview/16fuller.html?pagewanted=1

[+ Lucky]

So little interest in Bangkok? They are shooting rockets at the Dusit Thani Hotel, where I have stayed in a suite with the cutest butler, and eaten in the downstairs dining room so many times. Now it is housing soldiers seeking respite. Silom Road is a ghost town at night, something unheard of, and you can walk down Rama IV Road without being bothered by traffic. Those bullets might not be so nice though.

[MsGuy]

Not lack of interest, just lack of personal knowledge, at least on my part.

[+ Lucky]

The government is finally moving into the protester camp to evacuate them. It's all live on CNN. Lumpini Park, home of the famous Thai bodybuilders, is a staging ground for the troops.

I take the liberty here of moving Kjun's thread on the subject here, as he lives in Bangkok and has an eye on the problem:

 

What's going on in Thailand While the situation here is serious, the news media is, as usual, having a field day with it and their reports are often "interesting". I live here in Bangkok but the action you hear about is 45 minutes from my home.

 

A little background will help you to understand what is going on here. The problem whirls around a man named Taksin Shinawatra. Mr. Taksin (Thais are referred to by their first name in preference to the family name) was prime minister until four years ago when he was deposed by the Thai Army. Their reasons for this coup are many but it was apparently done because the business people and the army became convinced that Taksin was a crook.

 

 

Prior to the coup Mr. Taksin had talked the parliament into granting loans to most of the farmers in the country. Not a great deal of money to each but to a poor Thai farmer any amount was great. Approximately eight months later Taksin forgave the farmers their debt, turning the loan into a grant. Consequently they believe he is great. Reminds me of Huey Long.

 

After the Coup the remaining parliament elected a new prime minister without ever holding an election. There has been no election since the coup. Those you hear referred to as the Red Shirts are composed of some of those farmers who are led by a group of politicians who are Taksin's friends. Their open and primary demands are that the present prime minister resign and that an election be held. Sounds simple doesn't it. Well, not exactly.

 

 

 

Thailand has a population of about 60 million people. The City of Bangkok has a population of 12 million. The next largest city is Chiang Mai with 250,000 and from there populations of other cities go down with much of the population living in the country as farmers. The Red Shirts come from the areas out of Bangkok but not every Thai from the country is a Red Shirt. No one really knows how many Red Shirts there are but many from the country are at least sympathizers.

 

To some degree I do sympathize with the Red Shirt demands. Especially to have an election, I do, however, believe that their ultimate goal is not good. They are misguided by their leaders who want to get themselves into power and bring Taksin back as prime minister. The bastard is nothing but a common thief who stole billions of dollars while he was PM. Having been convicted of his thievery, he is on the run between Dubai, Uruguay and Cambodia. He will not return to Thailand because he is facing a two year prison sentence. His goal is to get a pardon and return to become PM again. The Red Shirts are financed by Taksin who sends money to Thailand to pay the Red Shirts to rally for his cause. This 2000 baht payment is a lot to a poor Thai and, consequently, they continue this demonstration. Also, mixed in with the regular Red Shirts are some hired thugs who have amassed weapons such as hand grenades, rifles, and RPGs. Every now and then they use them.

 

 

The present PM offered to hold elections in a couple of months and some Red Shirt leaders agreed but some did not and this stalemate just goes on and on. They are so splintered that it does not appear that they can agree on what they want. Every concession by the government brings on new demands.

 

Most of the action is in downtown Bangkok and since it is such a large city I would not even know it was going on if I did not see the news. My opinion is that this demonstration has disrupted the city for a month and it is time for it to end. The people of Bangkok are certainly tired of it.

 

 

Hopefully you are able to glean from my ramblings a reasonable picture of what is happening here.

__________________

the Cajun

[Guest greatness]

That's so unfortunate..

 

I hope it gets resolved.. so unfortunate...

[+ glutes]

No lack of interest, total empathy with me Lucky.

The situation is very very sad...

[Guest]

I certainly will not entertain visiting the country until I'm satisfied they've gotten onto the democracy bandwagon. They should elect their leadership, then abide by the leadership's decision until it's time for another election. I have no interest in going to a country which decides its leadership by the point of a gun. Nor one whose citizens can't follow the rule of law of legally elected representatives. And where's the King in all of this. Couldn't he insist on a new election, if the current leaders weren't properly elected?

[+ Lucky]

Unicorn, I too was dissappointed in the absence of the King, given that this was the biggest thing to happen during his rule. True he is gravely ill, but the right words from him could have eased the tensions and put talks on the front burner.

Although the red shirts lost today, in the long run they are a force in Thai politics and must be negotiated with to help the poor who do not share in the rising wealth of Thailand.

 

...and thanks to deej and Cooper for not moving this thread.

[Guest greatness]

Lucky

 

Do you think your previous Avatar boy will be all right? You know that cute artist boy? Anyways, let's keep them in our prayers. Everything is unstable now.

[fedssocr1]

where is the King? He's in the hospital (still). He is basically just a shell of his former self at this point. Anyone who saw his last extended public appearance at his sister's funeral can see how unsteady he was even then. He did appear a couple of weeks ago for coronation day festivities though.

 

The other reasons, of course, are that the red shirts are a direct threat to the monarchy. And indications are that lots of poor people have finally realized that he isn't (and really may never have been) particularly benevolent. So, we can assume that the Palace supports the government (and may even be calling the shots). That's why the red shirts have made so much noise about Gen. Prem and have been attacking Bangkok Bank. He is seen as the real person pulling the strings.

 

My friend in Bangkok tells me that he has never seen such chaos and he lives nowhere hear the protest area. Leading up to the curfew he went out to get some food/supplies. He says traffic was a total jam and people were fighting over food in the market. He is a freelance tour guide and his business is basically dead. He doesn't know what he will do to survive.

 

More and more towards the end this seemed like a cult...all the people singing and dancing at the big stage while the troops were closing in. And we have the hardcore elements in the protesters setting the city on fire. They burned down my personal favorite mall in Bangkok (CentralWorld). They're burning other buildings, banks, a TV station. Word is they are burning down townhall buildings in the North and Northeast.

 

Overcoming these divisions will be nearly impossible. And if they resort to a running guerrilla war the toll will continue to grow. Tourism will certainly be killed off for a long time. Investor confidence will be shaken to its core. And in the end everyone will be poor.

[Guest princeleo]

I have stayed in at the Dusit Thani. Very, very sad what is happening to that beautiful city.