Protest and Not a Police in Sight

Out with the Shins

Since the weather has been so great this season, I decided to join the crowds at Asoke intersection the Sunday passed. This, just to see for myself the ongoing protest that had been going on for some time. Got there by MRT, it was so crowded. MRT reported record breaking Sunday commute, normally a day when travelers are few. Pack like sardines my journey to Sukhumvit station, passengers had whistles hung off their necks. They were all going to the various protest sites scattered in the heart of Bangkok. Finally reaching, the ascend to road level was more than peak hour traffic, the sound of whistles from above ground could be heard through the passage.

Just out of the MRT

As I emerged, the atmosphere was a concert, not a protest. All smiles, and of course all the constant whistling in a relentless effort to blow the Shins out of the country. Bumped into some friends who were there since the early noon, they sat on the road, enveloped in the cool winter air beneath the clear skies. The babbling from the speakers echoed off the surrounding buildings, the sight of news helicopter reflected off the glass facade. Was there danger, no. There could be snipers I don't know. No one threw ping pong bombs, the nearest ping pong are the ejected ping pongs from ping pong shows at Soi Cowboy or Soi Na Na. No tear gas fired, strangely, not a police in sight, they didn't care or came they did not dare.

They came on Bikes

Cars and motorcycles parked everywhere on the roads that lead to Asoke, caretakers were there to watch over them. On bicycles some came, they had Thai flags and more tied to show their support in the fair. The cafes were filled, the tourist sat there. Watched the activities and with Thai flag stickers on their faces some had. It was an awesome sight. The spirits were high, the music played. There was singing as a thousand people and more their Thai flags waved in the air. Free drinks and food were distributed, all an act of voluntary effort. There was a first aid section set up, a drinks station setup, and I could see public cleaners at their corner waiting for their turn to sweep the grounds. It was well organized.

We can all Pee Now

A mobile toilet, which was just toilet in a bus, came to the relief of the many participants who were already overloading the public toilet of the many shopping arcades surrounding. This Sunday, central Bangkok could also had experienced record breaking toilet flushes and sewage flow.  More than 3 million the turnout throughout, just tens of thousands the news reported came out. Peaceful it was, chaos said some media source. There were some teens seen on noisy modified scooters riding about, whistle blowing, potential trouble causing, but part of the crowd they were not. These were the "third-hand" of the activities that should be caught. But where were the police? What to believe and what not, social media, public media, information of all sorts. You just have to join one, and then after that the answers you will have got.

All over and Above

Sitting on the Roads

Koreans? Japs?

Free Drinks from the Sikh

Flags and more Flags

Drinks Station

First Aid

Terminal 21 Overan

Good Business

For the Hair

Cleaners on Standby

 

Cold Spell 2013 in Thailand

Enjoying my Morning Tea

This year end, Thailand is now experiencing one of her best hidden weather system mother nature has to offer. It has been a long time since we experienced prolonged cool winter months for several years now. For the past many years, we could only mark out a few calendar days where in December and January, it was cool. But not this year of 2013. Ever since the end of Nov, the cooling phenomenon had stayed till now. Fantastic outdoor dining experiences, gulping drinks in chilly beer gardens through the night. Warm out in the morning having my hot tea as I blogged away had been truly enjoyable. Gardening in the afternoon when the breeze brought the wind chill was like working in an air conditioned room with thermostat set comfortably right. Especially if it rained the day before, the skies would be a saturated blue contrasting the lighter buildings in the foreground sight. With occasional clouds above so white, the scene is of canvas colors, it resembles the opening prelude of The Simpsons I so like. In the night, the motorcycle taxi drivers congregates around small fires fueled by wood and dry withered leaves. An orange glow wraps the shed, the seasoned faces and their scooters. The shadows casted ever so wobbling behind, this scene unseen for the many years that had passed.

Enjoyng Working Outdoors

Great for strolling abouts where normally one would not, it's time for Chatuchuk shopping where usually hot and sweaty one gets I have not forgot. The anti government protesters are having a great time not needing to break much sweat. Cool weather is great for everything, it makes everyone's mood just that tad lighter and brings about smiles just that bit brighter. Great for outdoor BBQ, great for coffee alfresco. Great for sports such as golf, jogging, badminton, but okay not too good for nipple hardening swim. Great for dragging lazy dogs out for walks, even accidentally stepping on dog shit in the weather is great. I had been sleeping without air conditioner and just my windows opened, it was great. My house late few days had temperatures never exceeding 26 degrees C in the afternoon and the seasonal winds brings it to a good 17 low in the night, I so love it very much. Neighbor's Persian cats kept warm by their fluffy fur coat, my rabbit hops happily mad in the garden in his fancy dress coat. News just this morning, this climatic system will be here to stay till mid January of 2014. Lets see, lets hope it does.

Giant Ladybug in Cool Garden

A Malay Wedding in Bangkok

A Happy Occasions

Just looking at this picture, anyone would have thought I had arrived in Malaysia. I will start to get phone calls from friends for "let's go party" or "let's go eat what you like" and maybe even, "please come to our office, we really need your help". No.... I am not in Malaysia. This was actually in Bangkok, at a mosque, for a wedding I was to celebrate a friend's happy occasion. It was a rather weird experience for me. I am used to hearing Malay conversations where there are congregations of Malays but here, Thai was spoken out aloud clear and muffled all through the crowd. They said Singapore is multi-cultured with the four races (now it has gone more than just four with the flood of foreign talents), but here, Thailand is a land that is of the same too. In fact, the infusion here is even better, all races speak the same language - Thai.

The Open Air Dinner

Mosque in Bangkok

Hey Look, a mini Arabian

And of course, the Happy Couple

Celebrating His Majesty's 86th

I stay in the so called rural areas. I was told that during Thai's Father's day (the King's birthday on every 5th Dec), it's good to visit this mysterious "tae-sa-ban" thing that goes on near the local sub-district office. And so I did. Finding it was not difficult. For some strange reasons, it seems people in the local community were given yellow shirts splashed with a dash of blue. There were hordes of them streaming into a small soi well decorated with colorful neons, much like moths attracted to lights. Just follow them we did. Parking was impossible, so we parked far out on the main road and took a brief walk in the cool winter weather towards to congregation at a temple.

The Crowd

There, we found a large gathering, a well lit stage with projector screens put up. Free drinks and food flowed, there was no need to pay for them. There were of course some other makeshift stalls set up in the vicinity where we could pay for food if we did not want the standard free food stuffs. There was a reception, kind of setup like a wedding one, where we signed our names and was issued with yellow candles which will be lit later on.

Later on means some specific timing, at 7.19 pm I was told, 19 because it had a 9 in there and 9 is a lucky number in Thai. Government officials, both men and women, dressed in their white attire soon took on the stage and started to address the crowd with their welcome speech. They looked dressed like sailors from teenage Japanese fantasy comics. And then, when the time was right, we were told to lit up our candles. Not all of them are smokers, they got no lighter in their pockets. And so as we lit up, we passed on the flame, candle to candle, for those who requested. There was a kid in front of me, it was quite pack and I had to be cautious all the time not to set his head on fire.

Then, the stage played the royal music, the same one that is played in cinemas before the show starts. We all stood on attention. And then my hair stood on attention too thanks to the middle aged sailor moon dressed lady addressing us who went on to sing aloud. They should have at least screen who can sing normally and who sings like a chicken being slaughtered. Soundtrack.. ... where is the original soundtrack.. . I looked towards the Buddha and prayed for original soundtrack. .. . . .

We lit our Candles

After the ordeal, the real show began with the onset of what sounded like a series of loud low resonating crack of cannons. The backdrop of night sky saw several trails of red phosphorus shooting up into heights before they exploded into a thousand streamers in an effect like a fast blooming flower. The crowd cheered, more fireworks followed and the show went on for a good 15 minutes or so. In between, we held our candles high in synch with the cheers that went on. We looked into the skies that was then a continuous kaleidoscope of luminescence. Each bloom of lights seemed impressively getting larger and larger. We tilted our heads high and it was hypnotizing when there was no reference of ground in sight, it was like we were traveling into the heart of display as the growing blossom of lights extended beyond the vision our eyes could cover. Then I realized, the fireworks were indeed getting closer and above the entire crowd.

Fireworks

The launch pad was a mere 50 meters behind where the stage was, I am not sure if having fireworks detonated above our head, even at heights, was a good idea. I am sure in some other countries there did be strict safety regulations, but here, getting the show as near to the audience as possible is more important. Minute flickering compounds of the display were seen descending onto the crowd occasionally, but no one was complaining, and no heads full of hair was on fire. So I supposed that's what's the free drinks were for too, just in case.

After the arsenal of impressive fireworks were exhausted, the stage was cleared for the live band and dance on stage. The entire place was then fogged up and the smell of gunpowder was rather suffocating to me at least. Many did stay on to enjoy the show. Thais are quite accustomed with smoky environments after the recent spate of police firing tear gas at the protestors. However, we decided not stay on because I did not bring along my anti-gas chamber mask. We left on the same well lit soi we came, the celebrations continued in the temple.

Candles Issued

Free Drinks

Fireworks Above

Very Smoky Aftermath

Well Lit Narrow Soi

The Protest, The Cool Weather, The Nice Traffic

The escalating protest seemed to be building up and headed towards absolute mayhem when suddenly, it was interrupted by peace. Yeah, you read correct - PEACE. For some reasons, the police made a surprising move to allow the protesters to encroach on both police and government compounds, clapping and welcoming the protestors in the process. Opposition caught completely off guard with the turn of events. It's kind of a "if they want it then let them have it easily". What followed for the protestors was "ok... so we got in.... and then what.. .. ??". They protestors ended up hugging and shaking hands with the law enforcement officers in contrast to the fights that went on for two to three days since the recent Saturday. The outcome is definitely a welcome relief. At least no more lives will be lost and no more injuries on both parties.

No Traffic!!!

So what have my clients been doing? One reported that he went chameleon, brought some red supporters items and wore it on his wrist. He went in to the stadium where the red congregation were. "Why you do that?" I asked. "To see the truth because we cannot trust the media" he replied. What he saw in the compound was a party, alcohol and beer sold and many people enjoying. See, the party spirit of Thais will always be there no matter which side. The only negative thing that he mentioned was a conversation he had with an elderly he spoke to buying food. The elderly lady mentioned, she will never come again because they were not allowed to go home. Anyways, they all went home already since the shooting began. An engineer of my client who joined the mob also told me of some rather interesting details. Testosterone packed teenagers from different institutes who would normally taunt and kill each other on sight were actually holding hands going against the police. This is the proverb "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" in action.

So Cool

Some of my clients had been at the protest almost every day after work, thus coming in late always the morning after. Now I know why the traffic is so good in the morning. I had been wondering why the morning traffic these few days was so terrific, no jam, so fast to get to work. But yet in the evenings when heading back home, it was terrible as usual. In fact these few chaotic days, mornings have been absolutely wonderful. I need not go work two and a half hours in advance, the weather is a cool 20 degrees as I have my hot tea in the garden.

What are Thais Doing in the Midst of Protest?

Well, it's well known all over the world now. With the turn of events yesterday in which an anti government protestor, whom is a student, was shot dead, things are getting from bad to worst. This marks the end of peaceful and cheerful protest. Smiles had definitely be wiped off faces and anger is the rising sentiments taking over. Violence erupted between university students and red shirts who were stirring up trouble where Ramkhamhaeng University is located. More rural red shirts engaged are streaming in from provinces, strength of anti government protestors remains strong and growing in Bangkok. More protestors invaded government offices (government officials within actually carried big welcome signs). What are we coming to?

So amidst all this, what is really happening with our everyday lives? Well, we still work for sure. But we are told to avoid protest sites, and if we do attend, do not wear company shirts. Office may end up burnt to the ground if company names are identified. Thais are rather fond of burning things.

Party Party

Party mood of the people will never be doused among news of shooting and explosions going on. I was at a great new pub and restaurant on Rama 5 called Three Days Two Nights yesterday and it was filled to the brim. The illegal parking along the road spoke for itself. We ate, drank and partied. Food was great but required a bit of lengthily waiting. So in between moments of eating, we watched live soccer match on the big screens, not live Bluesky channel where protest ongoing are broadcasted. For those not interested in soccer, we stared at the line between shorts and white thighs of the numerous attractive "pretty" doubling up as waitress. This is one good reason why this restaurant is so popular.

Look, although people may be divided here, but we all (ok guys only) have a common interest that will halt us in our tracks of whatever political driven actions we are about to embarked - coyotes. What if, as violence is about to erupt somewhere, the police suddenly release a large flock of bikini clad coyotes gathered from the entire Thailand? Firstly, the angry crowd will be diluted (we really have many many many coyotes here in Thailand) and then feelings will turn from that of aggression to immediate erection. Ask the leaders to step aside with their babbling and channel LMFAO over the air. Then whichever side you are, everyone will suddenly be throwing away their weapons and be busy grappling boobs and doing LMFAO!!! And we all live happily ever after.

Name of Restaurant in Thai

Parking Full