What the hell is going on in Bangkok?

I recently received an email from one of my friends working in China who was planning a trip to Thailand at some point during the long Spring Festival holiday break. His question was, “What the hell is going on in Bangkok?” This is not something that is easily answered in an email but I did my best! As a recent retiree to Thailand, I have no history here and very little knowledge of the current situation other than what I read online and in the English papers.  And you soon learn that some type of bias taints almost everything you read and hear.

I have lived through my share of political strife. As a baby-boomer, I grew up in Quebec as an English teenager in the 60s (with a very French name!) and witnessed the FLQ bombings, the hostage takings, and the kidnappings. I was a good little 20s- something Anglo and took part in marches to protest the attempted takeovers of various English institutions. All these years later, the province still remains a part of Canada but the political battles carry on between the French nationalists and the rest of the population.

Living in Scotland during the 90s brought me face to face with the separation issues that still plague that “nation”. However, this time there was no taking sides. I have learned to stay out of politics as an expat in a foreign country, especially when there for only a short period of time. Every culture has its own political beliefs and power players.  And, let’s face it, politics is all about power. I found a lot of similarities between Scotland’s quest for independence and that of Quebec’s.  And deep, entrenched, emotional feelings were abundant in both political factions.

Moving on to China for the past six years brought me into contact with a totally communist regime. The irony was that it was probably the quietest country I have ever lived in regarding politics.  Despite its lawlessness and blatant corruption,  things got done and people lived their daily lives fairly uneventfully. Suffice it to say, for the sake of brevity, that it was a very interesting and mind-opening six years.

And now Thailand…  Well, we have only been here for six months. Not exactly enough time to get any kind of handle on the political situation. But I can say that emotions are running very high and that is the scary part. It takes a black and white political confrontation to bring out the worst in people.

Suthep basically wants to overthrow the government and put his People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCA)  in place as a governing body.  There has been a warrant out for his arrest for weeks but, apparently, nobody is going to take it on themselves to approach him and say, “Hey, you are under arrest.”. Always being surrounded by hundreds of emotional supporters probably has something to do with that.

Yingluck refuses to step down as Prime Minister. The army has not yet taken sides, at least publicly. There will supposedly be an election on February 2, but the main opposition is refusing to take part. And here the country sits, waiting for the “Occupy Bangkok” demonstrations to begin on Monday.  As the day approaches, both camps are digging in their heels and the rhetoric is becoming more and more heated.

Fortunately, Occupy Bangkok is just what its name implies.  For the most part, only Bangkok will be affected. And only certain sections. Tourists are probably still safe traveling around the city if they stay away from the major intersections where demonstrators will be gathering. For now, anywhere outside the major Bangkok metropolis is probably not going to be affected. And for God’s sake, don’t wear red or yellow, wherever you are in the country. These have always represented the two sides. If you are just passing through, it is probably wise to stay at the airport. If you need to get to a hotel or back, people are being told to give themselves four hours starting on Monday.

It’s like waiting for a football match. The teams are ready and raring to go. The problem is that there are no rules and the field is the vibrant, capital city of Thailand, with a population of millions. There are no big salaries for the players, but a lot of big money behind the scenes is funding many of the major participants.  It is supposed to be a non-violent protest but in the days leading up to it, police weapons have gone missing, buses have been seen transporting demonstrators to the capital, and violent skirmishes have already broken out in some areas in and outside of the city.  From my experience, a mob mentality is almost a certainty wherever you have thousands of emotional demonstrators congregating. And there is absolutely no logic to a mob’s behavior.

It is a powder keg waiting to explode.

Here is a selection of recent quotes from around the Internet regarding the situation.

Embassies

“We advise you to plan ahead. It is prudent to ensure you have a week’s supply of cash, keep your mobile communications devices charged and stock a two-week supply of essential items such as food, water and medicine.” U.S.Embassy

“Participating or showing support in any form to any of the parties is strongly discouraged. Philipines Embassy

“as many as 45 countries had issued warnings for their citizens to stay away from large crowds, rally sites and avoid travelling during the shutdown. Thailand Foreign Ministry

Suthep

“the PCAD only aims to occupy Bangkok′s 7 intersections to pressure the government. There will be no occupation of airports, train stations, docks, or any other transport hub in Bangkok.”

“We will not be tempted into anger, even though the other is recruiting people to wage war on us. If we can do this, I guarantee you, we will win fair and clean. And the world will record this”.

Source:http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNNE9UTTFOVFEwT0E9PQ==

 Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

“[She] told the press that she expected Monday’s demonstrations to be carried out in a peaceful manner, despite reports of third-party interference on the day.” National News Bureau of Thailand

“her administration is forging ahead with the February 2 general election, as it is part of a democratic process and a way towards national reform.  National News Bureau of Thailand

Tourism

“…Last year, 100,000 tourists from China visited during the New Year festivities…. The number of Chinese tourists visiting the resort island of Phuket will plunge 40 percent in January, the president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Piyaman Tejapaibul, told reporters yesterday. The picture is even worse for Bangkok; the capital will likely suffer a 70 percent fall in Chinese tourist arrivals this month, China’s People’s Daily reported today. BloombergBusinessweek 2014-01-11

Free SMS Alerts

Stay safe and stay up-to-date with the latest news concerning the Occupy Bangkok demonstrations. To sign up for free breaking news SMS Alerts sent straight to your phone for the next two weeks, click here.