Red Shirt Demonstrations in Bangkok
[b]The Sky Train has closed down[/b], since more than two hours already.
Major accumulations of police around Ploenchit, army in Sri Ayutthaya.
Lots of rumours about a possible crackdown of the demonstrations.
Giotto
Thanks for the report and excellent photos
Am coming back in a month. Presume all will be "same same". All my friends seemed surprised when I write expressing concern. Just goes to show you. Thailand is definitely a different place.
[QUOTE=Fon Tok]There's a lot of conflicting reports right now (as of midnight in Bangkok). PM Abhisit was just on the TV saying that demonstrators used guns and bombs to incite the violence. The 'red shirt' protesters fought back the combined army police riot officers at several locations and held their ground
The [i]Bangkok Post[/i] is reporting 9 dead. And, "at least 100 soldiers were reportedly wounded."
For the complete article see: [url]http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/174321/govt-seeks-seeks-talks-for-truce[/url]
Early this afternoon I walked from Silom over to Siam, and then followed a moving crowd of 'red shirt' guards up to Phloenchit. I was at the Phloenchit BTS Station at about 3:00pm when I saw and photographed a lot of pushing and posturing at one point by both sides, but then the police riot brigade pulled back and regrouped. Generally, it felt half serious as there were more than a few smiles. But it was very hot, the police were getting tired in their riot gear, and the brass were looking on. The 'red shirts' were not giving an inch. Sounds like the order was given by the Police and Army to kick some ass a little later on.
Along Phloenschit, there was a helicopter hovering overhead and an unmanned drone with a VDO cam. The drone got a lot of attention!
I ran out of memory space for my cameras, and the BTS was closed, so I walked up to Sukhumvit Soi 7 and caught a taxi up to Soi 22. Tired and hot from the day, I went for a massage at a Washington Square shop called Wonderful Massage (next to Sazanka). The little gal there gave me a nice shower, a good back rub, and then screwed my tired brains out. She told me it was her first day and I was her first customer! OK, it worked for me.
After the massage, I stopped by the Bourbon Street restaurant for a tasty plate of fajitas and a couple of Beer Laos. The food was great!
I saw pickup truck loads of red shirts heading back down Sukhumvit when I caught a taxi home to Silom. I stopped in Patpong for a beer and to collect my GF, (she was playing dominoes for money all day). I also poked my head in the Safari Bar to say hello to a dancer there. Looked like business as usual in Patpong tonight.[/QUOTE]