Last weekend was a major city clean-up. There were thousands of people who volunteered to help clean the former protesting site. I rode by on the sky train and saw all the activity. It was really nice to see and a very positive sense of community was in the air.
So things got back to normal pretty quick. The sky train and subway were both opened on Sunday and the shopping centers around the affected areas were open by Monday. The curfew is hardly worth mentioning since it's only 12:00am-4am. That will finish this weekend.
There are still Thais convinced that the red shirts will surface again and instigate more violence. But for now they are quiet.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Bangkok Bank on Rama 4
Here's one more video that shows the bank nearby that was torched. I took this video between the Rama 4 and Suanben Park videos (just had trouble uploading it last night.)
One thing I learned from being out yesterday was how easy it is for information to be exaggerated or miscommunicated. For instance, I had heard that the Tesco Lotus on Rama 4 had been torched. It in fact wasn't. I heard there was looting at the Carrefour. There were no signs of looting. I think both instances were situations where people were panicking and jumping to conclusions before checking the source. I actually felt a lot better seeing things with my own eyes so I know what really happened.
However, I don't think I need to see the Central World shopping mall burnt to a crisp to believe that. That was the best mall in Bangkok and I'm sure the most visited. A Gap had just opened there, the first one in Bangkok. I was really excited. (Fortunately there's one that opened at the mall nearby.) The loss is incredible and it will take a long time for people to recover from all this.
I really think it's changed Thailand permanently. Thai people have always been known for their friendliness and kindness. And they always had a deep love and respect for their king. That trust seems to be damaged. I guess we'll see the long-term affects of this in time. But one thing is for sure, the face of Thailand has changed.
Check out this article in the Bangkok Post. It has some good photos and a map showing the affected areas. I live on Sukhumvit Soi 22 between Suhkumvit Road and Rama 4. You can locate that on the 2nd map.
One thing I learned from being out yesterday was how easy it is for information to be exaggerated or miscommunicated. For instance, I had heard that the Tesco Lotus on Rama 4 had been torched. It in fact wasn't. I heard there was looting at the Carrefour. There were no signs of looting. I think both instances were situations where people were panicking and jumping to conclusions before checking the source. I actually felt a lot better seeing things with my own eyes so I know what really happened.
However, I don't think I need to see the Central World shopping mall burnt to a crisp to believe that. That was the best mall in Bangkok and I'm sure the most visited. A Gap had just opened there, the first one in Bangkok. I was really excited. (Fortunately there's one that opened at the mall nearby.) The loss is incredible and it will take a long time for people to recover from all this.
I really think it's changed Thailand permanently. Thai people have always been known for their friendliness and kindness. And they always had a deep love and respect for their king. That trust seems to be damaged. I guess we'll see the long-term affects of this in time. But one thing is for sure, the face of Thailand has changed.
Check out this article in the Bangkok Post. It has some good photos and a map showing the affected areas. I live on Sukhumvit Soi 22 between Suhkumvit Road and Rama 4. You can locate that on the 2nd map.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Current state of Bangkok
So there was a lot of action yesterday in Bkk. I woke up to the sound of helicopters all around. The news mentioned how the govt was moving in on the protesters. I considered leaving the area but it seemed risky and maybe more safe to stay put. At about noon several of the Red Shirt leaders turned themselves in. But it wasn't over.
The protesters started rioting and burning different parts of the city. That was when it got scary. They set a huge shopping center on fire (Central World) and several other places in the same area. There was a news channel station that's about a mile away that the red shirts set on fire. And then the power went out. I was really worried that people would panic and begin looting. All the shops in the area (7/11, Family Mart, etc) closed and the streets got quiet real fast. The power came back on within the hour and didn't got out again.
Even though I was never in immediate danger it was quite shocking knowing all that was going on. Today the air was clear, literally and figuratively. I took a walk around to see what the state of things was. I was very cautious and made sure the areas I entered were clear. Here's what I have to report:
Sorry I couldn't combine the videos together. I don't have the right software for that. Hope it's not too much trouble looking at them this way.
The protesters started rioting and burning different parts of the city. That was when it got scary. They set a huge shopping center on fire (Central World) and several other places in the same area. There was a news channel station that's about a mile away that the red shirts set on fire. And then the power went out. I was really worried that people would panic and begin looting. All the shops in the area (7/11, Family Mart, etc) closed and the streets got quiet real fast. The power came back on within the hour and didn't got out again.
Even though I was never in immediate danger it was quite shocking knowing all that was going on. Today the air was clear, literally and figuratively. I took a walk around to see what the state of things was. I was very cautious and made sure the areas I entered were clear. Here's what I have to report:
Sorry I couldn't combine the videos together. I don't have the right software for that. Hope it's not too much trouble looking at them this way.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Schools have been closed...finally
Well, it took live firing to get our school to close. We're closed for the week but teachers have to go in, as long as a full on war isn't on, Wed-Fri. I've been home since Fri. I had to go out briefly Sat because of a problem with my phone which is also my internet connection and the only access I have to the outside world.
Other than that and walking to the park, I haven't left home. I'm deliberating on what to do tomorrow. Things seem to have settled down. There was no fighting today but that could change at any time. I was thinking of visiting a few people on the outskirts of the city and trying to get back by mid-afternoon. We'll see.
In the meantime I've gotten a lot accomplished. In addition to catching up with family on the phone, I cleaned, read a lot and painted a few walls. That was fun and it looks great! It's amazing what a little color can do for a room.
Other than that and walking to the park, I haven't left home. I'm deliberating on what to do tomorrow. Things seem to have settled down. There was no fighting today but that could change at any time. I was thinking of visiting a few people on the outskirts of the city and trying to get back by mid-afternoon. We'll see.
In the meantime I've gotten a lot accomplished. In addition to catching up with family on the phone, I cleaned, read a lot and painted a few walls. That was fun and it looks great! It's amazing what a little color can do for a room.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Keeping my head down
Seen the world news today? Thailand made the home page of CNN. Unfortunately it's about violence breaking out between the military and the red shirts. The red shirts refused to accept the offer made by the prime minister. So the government decided to make an attempt at dispersing the crowds which has led to violence.
Our meeting was canceled for tonight. I'm fully stocked with batteries, water, food and toilet paper for at least a week. I do live right around the corner from a handful of seven elevens so I'm not concerned about lacking anything. I don't plan on leaving my apartment tomorrow just to be safe. I'm keeping updated with www.bangkokpost.com. I'm also in good contact with many of the friends here, locals and foreigners. So no need to worry, mom. :)
Our meeting was canceled for tonight. I'm fully stocked with batteries, water, food and toilet paper for at least a week. I do live right around the corner from a handful of seven elevens so I'm not concerned about lacking anything. I don't plan on leaving my apartment tomorrow just to be safe. I'm keeping updated with www.bangkokpost.com. I'm also in good contact with many of the friends here, locals and foreigners. So no need to worry, mom. :)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Have I been in Thailand too long?
I've described my passion for motorbikes on previous posts. In Bangkok I use motorbike taxis all the time. They're so convenient, especially in the hot season when you just can't handle walking down a long soi and can just hop on a motorbike for 10 baht.
Have I described how whole Thai families can fit on motorbikes? It's common to see a dad dropping off 3 of his kids at school. They're all stacked on the motorbike behind him. Doesn't seem safe but it's certainly efficient.
You also have to be careful of motorbikes as a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk. They will often drive against traffic on the sidewalk expecting everyone to just clear the way. I find them quite annoying.
Well, this week I was with a friend and we wanted to take a motorbike taxi to get somewhere. We were in an area with few motorbike taxis so when a guy finally came around he told us both to jump on. I sat side saddle behind my friend. So there were 3 of us on the bike and guess what...we went against traffic on a 3-lane highway to get to where we needed to go. There was no sidewalk. I held onto my friend's shoulders as cars were coming at us. It was the most efficient way of getting there. Have I lost touch with all that is decent? Or have I just discovered the more efficient way of looking at things? Maybe I've discovered the secret to living in Thailand. Hmmmmm
Have I described how whole Thai families can fit on motorbikes? It's common to see a dad dropping off 3 of his kids at school. They're all stacked on the motorbike behind him. Doesn't seem safe but it's certainly efficient.
You also have to be careful of motorbikes as a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk. They will often drive against traffic on the sidewalk expecting everyone to just clear the way. I find them quite annoying.
Well, this week I was with a friend and we wanted to take a motorbike taxi to get somewhere. We were in an area with few motorbike taxis so when a guy finally came around he told us both to jump on. I sat side saddle behind my friend. So there were 3 of us on the bike and guess what...we went against traffic on a 3-lane highway to get to where we needed to go. There was no sidewalk. I held onto my friend's shoulders as cars were coming at us. It was the most efficient way of getting there. Have I lost touch with all that is decent? Or have I just discovered the more efficient way of looking at things? Maybe I've discovered the secret to living in Thailand. Hmmmmm
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