Political Unrest in LOS

[Steff]

I have been reading via the internet about the Red Shirt rallies in Bangkok this week and wondering how bad it is and if it is impacting the quality of life there as we know it. Would appreciate some on the scene news if someone is there and can oblige.

Thanks

[rxpharm]

Check this thread: Red Shirts March in Bangkok March 12-14

[Bumpa STIKKA]

There's not a lot happening. There is a noticeably higher presence of the military and police but no real damage and anarchy that the government was hoping for... sorry, worried about!

The main rallies start tomorrow... Sunday!

[fleeing]

 This all appears to be, at least up to now, a media driven circus.

I was warned Thursday evening that it would be impossible to travel from Pattaya to Bangkok on Friday. Actually the only problem appeared  to be slow traffic on the motorway due to checkpoints, that were easily avoided by using the normal roads.
Friday I was told that it may be difficult to leave Bangkok for Pattaya due to 'massive' demonstrations across Bangkok. Well the normal bus service from Bangkok made the trip in normal time!

All I saw of any 'red shirts' in Bangkok itself was a few pick-up trucks cruising around with red flags on the back.

So it would appear to be. yet another, media non-event. But I'm sure it gives people something else to talk about and helps fill some empty minutes on CNN et al.

Here's hoping that Sunday is just as much a non-event.

[f0xxee]

I have heard yesterday from my man on the street that the reason there was so few Reds around was:

1. They were originally promised 2500baht to show up, but that was reduced to 1500baht,
and,
2. They had to sign up each day to get the full 1500 baht rather than get it up front as before
and,
3. They had to pay thier own petrol out of the 1500 baht.

Politics has fallen victim to pragmatism: It was not going to be financially rewarding to load up the Vigo from Baan Nok and head down to the Big Smoke for 4 days.

[TTChang]

I had a couple of very interesting taxi rides in BKK yesterday.  No, nothing threatening, just conversations with taxi drivers.

One driver asked me and my LB whether we wanted to go to the rally, as he would take us 'for free' (he was going there after he had dropped us off).  Told us that 'over half the Bangkok taxi drivers would be there later'.

The other taxi driver mentioned almost exactly what Foxee said above! Including the fact that the err ... 'delegates' didn't get the full amount anyway .... because of various commissions payable to the local organisers (alias gangmasters).  He waved a 10 baht coin in the air, and said 'Thaksin same as this coin ... have two faces!'   And that no Reds from Isaan would have raised themselves out of their hammocks ... unless transport, gasoline, and 'incidental expenses' were provided. (Same same TTChang when working  )

Quote from the man in Dubai, Cambodia, etc: 'Keep the protest going. When I return, I will pay you back'  

[Snick]

[TTChang]

2000 baht?

[f0xxee]

Note that it is, in fact, a Toyota Hilux Vigo.

In Aussie politics A certain Joe Bjeke Petersen, Premier of Qld for many years and a role model for Thaksin-esque politics coined the phrase "rent-a-mob." How accurate.

[guydesavoy]

BBC reports 80,000 there now. More to come.

Small change to Mr Thinskin

[Ishywishyonastar]

(Steff @ Mar. 13 2010,22:17) I have been reading via the internet about the Red Shirt rallies in Bangkok this week and wondering how bad it is and if it is impacting the quality of life there as we know it. Would appreciate some on the scene news if someone is there and can oblige.

Thanks

Yes, the whole red shirts and yellow shirts thing has had a big impact on the quality of my life and, with the stress this has created, looks like killing the relationship I have with my partner. Closing the airport, storming the Royal Cliff and, the weekend thing in Bkk is putting people off coming to Thailand. This means there are less people coming to Pattaya. This means my partner, who has a shop in one of the big Pattaya Shopping Centers, is not making any money. This means she is continually angry. Which, means no sex for me!!! So, can you wonder why I have to keep going else where (see I didn't mention where) for short time. So, Ishy Wishy Washy is paying twice to get a shag and, is pissed off.

[pacman]

Ishy? Is that you? A regular post no less...    

As for your partner, I am sure she isn't alone in not making money at the Mall. This may be the silver lining of all the political unrest. All development intended to turn Pattaya into one giant shopping destination may now be in doubt. No one wants to invest in building white elephants that don't offer a return.

Tell your partner to lobby the centre to drop her rent until things improve. They may not be interested but the major tenants won't be paying rent. And the centre can't afford to have too many empty shops.

If she has no success with that, tell her to break her lease. The mindset of the average Thai Buddhist is incompatible with the avaricious demands of hungry landlords. She doesn't need the daily grief of sitting in her shop waiting for customers who never come.

And then she wins & you win. This will save you from visiting that bar that cannot be named in pursuit of gorgeous LBs who you can take upstairs for unbridled sex in that hotel we don't talk about...

[thegame925]

I heard from an LB called Koko who used to Freelance during the day near th Nana BTS but who is now working as a cook in a restaurant (not sure where) in Bangkok - she wrote on Sunday that the restaurant had been closed for 3 days because of the protests and she was not getting paid.

I also heard from my LB friend, Tee, who runs a bar in Queens Plaza - she wrote that the F*****g Red Shirts were killing her business.


Strange, because I thought that both LBs would be the natural constituancy for the Red Shirts.

[Snick]

To summarize, the yellows shirts protested and got Thaksin and later his supporters out of power, the Red shirts then tried to get Thaksin back in power, the Blue shirts showed up once to fight the red shirts and then disappeared, the white shirts said they were sick of the whole thing expressed their apathy and were never heard from again, and last week Thaksin blamed the whole thing on the Purple shirts.

Still waiting for the Pinks and Greens to chime in

[ezflip]

Cindy (Cascades) told me today that her sister is making record profit because of the red shirts. Her sister sell street food.

The loss for one is the gain for the other.