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... a different and less palatable type of mongering. Is Thailand really heading towards a disastrous civil war? Maybe not but this article does clarify the issues and future potential dangers.
[url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/7629019/Oxford-educated-Prime-Minister-Abhisit-Vejjajiva-faces-Bangkok-Red-Shirt-turmoil.html[/url]
[QUOTE=AndyBKK]And Nana Review
... The house will end up making money on the Bar fine.[/QUOTE]
that is why it is called bar fine..:) to have the bar making money!
Thank you so much Giotto for updating Bangkok situation, but I have to few questions need to ask you and other senior members urgently.
Is Rajpasong area fully closed or still walkable, skytrain like chitlom station still open to public or not, the reason is I need to visit Erawan Shrine on Tuesday, I don't know it still open or fully close these days.
I realize the risk and danger there and I am willing to take it in certain degree but if whole area is closed to non-red and unable to walk through then I don't see any point going there.
Thanks in advance
[b]The Nation: Crackdown expected within 48 hours: Reds[/b]
[URL]http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/04/25/politics/Crackdown-expected-within-48-hours-Reds-30127890.html[/URL]
Please note: The Nation is not really a newspaper that you would call "independent" in your home-country.
Giotto
[QUOTE=Benjamin Be]Thank you so much Giotto for updating Bangkok situation, but I have to few questions need to ask you and other senior members urgently.
Is Rajpasong area fully closed or still walkable, skytrain like chitlom station still open to public or not, the reason is I need to visit Erawan Shrine on Tuesday, I don't know it still open or fully close these days.
I realize the risk and danger there and I am willing to take it in certain degree but if whole area is closed to non-red and unable to walk through then I don't see any point going there.
Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]
You wold be foolish to head there in my opinion. You'd be about 10-15 meters from the stage at Rajprasong and you have no idea when things will get nasty. All of the hotels in the area have vacated their guests and shut down. When I was there 3 weeks ago (before the deaths) you couldn't go further on the bridge than the entrance to the mall attached to the Hyatt.
[QUOTE=Jojosun]I agree with you on the Lady drink being an ice breaker, and could lead to a deal sealer for later.
But what pisses me off, is the habit of some girls in some clubs to hit you with quick rounds of lady drinks at expensive prices.
It is not a good idea to appear as a cheap Charlie, or Flash Harry when it comes to buying lady drinks.
A combination of a reasonable no of lady drinks and a reasonable tip, might strike the right balance.[/QUOTE]indeed!
common sense is always the best, from both parties, but we know WG have little common sense (in general)
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[i]Thank You![/i]
Jackson[/blue]
[QUOTE=Benjamin Be]Thank you so much Giotto for updating Bangkok situation, but I have to few questions need to ask you and other senior members urgently.
Is Rajpasong area fully closed or still walkable, skytrain like chitlom station still open to public or not, the reason is I need to visit Erawan Shrine on Tuesday, I don't know it still open or fully close these days.
I realize the risk and danger there and I am willing to take it in certain degree but if whole area is closed to non-red and unable to walk through then I don't see any point going there.
Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]
I were there last Friday. BTS from Nana to Chitlom was still possible, only Silom line to National Stadium were not working the counter girl at Nana Station told me.
At Chitlom I walked the Skyway in direction Siam Square. At Gaysorn it was blocked and so I went to street level. At Street level, every traffic was death. All around red shirts, mostly laying in the shade, or eating. I found it easier to walk than in normal times. No traffic everything calm.
I had not looked to erawan, but I suppose it's closed.
The Ganesha Temple at Siam Square was death, so I guess for Erawan the same.
Thanks to those updating us with the latest info.
Can anyone tell me if the latest situation is having an impact on where to get the best exchange rates between $US and $AUD against the Baht? Currently in Australia the best I have been able to see is buying the Baht at 26 and selling at 33 to the $AUD. What can you get in BKK at the moment?
Thanks.
Styk
[QUOTE=Allover]I'm planning to be there in June. Up to now I wasn't worried about visiting BKK. But if there is action around the Nana area and Soi 7, I'm beginning to think about alternate plans. I have the Thai Air non stop from LAX-BKK using FF miles. I've wanted to fly that route for a few years. Darn it.[/QUOTE]
I'm on that same flight in may. My 4th. 2 in business class and 2 in premium economy. Absolutely the best way to get to SE Asia.
[QUOTE=Jojosun]I agree with you on the Lady drink being an ice breaker, and could lead to a deal sealer for later.
But what pisses me off, is the habit of some girls in some clubs to hit you with quick rounds of lady drinks at expensive prices.[/QUOTE]I agree. I've seen some bg's MO, and am familiar with the type. She's a butterfly herself, flitting around, and if there's no nectar on IMMEDIATE offer, she moves on to the next [i]flower[/i]. And it takes sequential lady drinks to pin her to you, and that only lasts while the lady drinks do. Then it's off to the next sucker.
Sure, I understand lady drinks, and how it's part of their income, the share they get, and if they don't turn in enough, the salary is docked. Fair enough, that's why I'll provide a few while enjoying her company.
I also understand [i]insurance[/i]: the occasional request to buy her friend [b]A[/b] drink tonight, so tomorrow, if the situation is reversed, she might benefit from the reciprocity. But that's 1, infrequently.
But if the "you buy me lady drink?" pops up in the 1st 3 questions or within the 1st 5 minutes of conversation, the answer will be no. When she moves on, fine with me, just leaves the landing slot open for the next circling flight.
I'm looking for the one who sits down, engages in some light banter, flirts, and waits for you to offer her one. Which I will, perhaps 1 per dance shift IF she's a good dancer (and there are more than 2 dance shifts :)). If I'm not going to pull, just stopping in for a drink before heading home, I'll tell her that up front. Up to her if she wants to stay or move on to better [i]potentials[/i]. No harm, no foul if she moves on, but that will be sans drink. If I am going to pull, then I'll leave sooner rather than later, better [i]entertainment[/i] at home, one would hope, anyway.
I'll also note that even at the Soi7 Bier Garten, you might get hit with an "indirect" [i]lady drink[/i] - the bar tab for that drink she's been nursing while waiting for you... but at least it's a true drink...
Guys,
After the tense situation from yesterday things are calming down a bit right now.
- Today there was a pre-recorded (yesterday night) weekly talk program with PM Abhisit and General Anupong shown on TV.
- This morning the Red Shirts visited the PMs house in Soi 31. We saw around 200 - 300 red shirts, but a MASSIVE presence of troups and police. MASSIVE! Now (2 pm) - the red shirts have left, and the army/police presence is down to nearly zero. Lower than yesterday.
- There was an important incident yesterday behind the scenes. The Red Shirts threatened to storm Central World (ex World Trade Center), and got the immediate message from the security forces: You storm, we have the right to shoot!
- The actor Methi's arrest and confession (red shirt leaders have given orders to use weapons) turned things during the negotiations of the past few days. Though I expect this to be a propaganda trick it is right now strengthening the position of the Government.
- The Red Shirts are distributing non-red shirts to the crowd, to avoid being easily identified as red shirts.
For that (and many more reasons) I expect the following development:
- There will most likely be NO USE OF FORCE to dissolve the demonstration at Rajprasong Intersection. But - the pressure will be kept up to shrink the number of people there.
- If the demonstrators move anywhere else they will face MASSIVE numbers of soldiers / police and forced back to Rajprasong Intersection.
- Road blocks / checkpoints everywhere around the demonstration site try to block red shirts from getting to the demonstration site.
That's all good so far, now the risks:
- There is the risk of more Grenade attacks.
The Government obviously feels strengthened by the development of the past few days. The grenade attack at Silom, said to be fired from the red shirt area, the "singing-like-a-bird" actor Methi and the developing Multi-Color movement creates significant support for the Government right now.
It now seams to be an advantage for the Government to keep the demonstration running for some more days/weeks, to damage the economy more, to have more people losing their jobs, shops having no businesses and hotels / restaurants without customers to create an anti-red sentiment for the next elections - which will most likely take place end of this year.
The reason that the hardliners cannot accept new elections before October is the yearly re-shuffle within the army: The hardliners want to make sure that a falcon will be the head of the army before the elections will take place.
Back to the conclusions for this board, restrictions for the following areas (as mentioned yesterday):
- Rajpasong, from Ploenchit to MBK
- Pratunam / Panthip Plaza / Sri Ayuttayua
- Silom / Rama IV / Sathon (including Patpong)
- Lumpini Park
If you see a road block / presence of police / army somewhere --> LEAVE the area!
Dress Code (now it gets difficult):
- No red shirts
- No yellow shirts
- No pink shirts
- Avoid blue shirts
- Just - go naked :)
As for the question to visit the Erawan shrine:
Take the skytrain exit Chitlom ... if it is open you can try to walk there, staircase down on the left hand side of the road. You will most likely be checked by some red shirt guards. Stay 2 minutes and leave. Be aware, you are definitely in the center of the main demonstration site. But - nearly all of them are buddhists, you should be safe there.
If exit Chitlom is closed (I think it is right now) - forget it, don't go there.
Giotto
[QUOTE=Giotto]Guys,
After the tense situation from yesterday things are calming down a bit right now. ...
Dress Code (now it gets difficult):
- No red shirts
- No yellow shirts
- No pink shirts
- Avoid blue shirts
- Just - go naked :)
...
Giotto[/QUOTE]
As the world tends to go green, what about GREEN shirts:)
I think ISG readers and BKK mongerers can't thank you enough, Giotto, for these field reports, aiming to safety rather than to politics!
I am currently staying in the Nana area. Just pigged out at the Bukhara Indian restaurant in front of the Landmark. Talked to some chicas on the day shift working that part of Sukhumvit and they are pissed off at the lack of farangs and resulting zero business situation. Here in monger central, everything is quiet except for the diminished Soi Nana farang flora and fauna. A buyer's market IMHO.
[QUOTE=David_33]Talked to some chicas on the day shift working that part of Sukhumvit and they are pissed off at the lack of farangs and resulting zero business situation. Here in monger central, everything is quiet except for the diminished Soi Nana farang flora and fauna. A buyer's market IMHO.[/QUOTE]
How do you figure it's a buyers market? Street girls going for 500ST? Top notch go go girls giving it up for 1000ST? Gentlemans club girls flocking to Siam Hotel, or Nana Parking lot?
I haven't seen a true buyers market since the airport closure.