Bangkok is a political hot spot right now, as anyone who pays any attention to international news will know. As a result, multiple locations in the city are rally or protests sites. Currently, those are centred around the main shopping area - Siam Centre, MBK - the BTS station at Asoke, and up north at Lad Prao near Chatuchak Market. Until the shutdown started 2 weeks ago, there were also two major rally sites near our hotel - one at Democracy Monument (near KhaoSan road) and then along Ratchadamnoern Road, a major thoroughfare at the north end of which you can find Ratchadamnoern (Raja) Muay Thai stadium. The stadium has been closed for many weeks as a result of the protest activity, and was hosting major fight cards at Lumpinee instead. I feel sad walking past the deserted stadium.
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| Razor wire near the UN building. |
Last night, I decided to take Dermot, Susan and Rory, along with Henrik, our colleague from the Oslo Geologic Museum, and his wife, for Isaan food out by Raja stadium. I knew that the area had once been a major rally site (the UN building is 2 doors down from Raja stadium), but also knew that it was not longer active. What I didn't expect was that although it is not truly active, it is still barricaded and looks a bit like a summer music festival... but with razor wire, tire and sandbag barricades, and the ever-present threat of danger due to tension and an emotionally-charged crowd. There was music, there were protest stages with one man doing a shadow puppet show, there were PDRC protestors walking about, blowing whistles. Although not the screaming, chaotic mess that the current "active" protest sites are, it was still occupied. And at night, although it did not feel dangerous, it definitely felt like a place you didn't want to hang out at.
Walking along the road, I must admit I did do an internal check - is this a smart idea? It was dark, I was leading 5 people who have never been to Bangkok or Thailand before, and maybe this wasn't the part of the culture that they wanted or needed to see! The thought of charcoal-grilled chicken and som tam won out.
I'm reading "Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales and just today was reading about how an emotional response giving a certain feeling, positive or negative, can cause you to do things that aren't necessarily "smart". I think the highly positive emotional response of eating Isaan chicken, the feeling of pleasure that this gives, overrode the rational thought of "don't bring Thailand newbies into a war zone"!! The really important thought that went through my head was "This place had better still be open!!". Sure enough, it was.
We were the only farang in the restaurant and enjoyed a plethora of Isaan food - grilled chicken, som tam, laab moo, grilled pork neck, etc. A good time was had by all! Given my coma-like state due to sleep deprivation, I stayed away from beer, much to the surprise and disappointment of my mineralogy colleagues who are used to me being able to stand toe-to-toe with them on the beer front. But it just wasn't happening. I would have been a snoring mess underneath the table.
This morning, I decided to take my running route back past this site and see how extensive it was, bringing along my phone to take some photos.
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| Monks out for morning alms, walking along the bridge road. |
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| Monks during morning alms walking through the PDRC protest site. I like the last one smiling at me. |
The site extends the full extent of the road from the UN to Democracy Monument and is a rabbit warren of pup tents, portapotties, food vendors, stages for speeches and meeting areas. Everyone was milling around happily, eating breakfast, relaxing, talking. It certainly did not have the air of danger that the news would have you believe - and much more relaxing than it was the previous evening in the dark. No one took much notice of a farang in Thai shorts running past. I actually spent about 15 minutes talking to one protestor about Muay Thai and then stood around for the Thai national anthem at 8am. Not hostile environment.
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| PDRC protest site, 8am. |
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| Democracy Monument - empty. |
Our hotel is 2 doors down from an advanced polling station. Advanced polls for the February 2nd election started today, with protestors shutting many of them down and not allowing people to vote. Around 10am, just after the polls opened, a large congregation of protestors showed up on our soi and started with singing, blowing whistles and speeches. There was a bit of pushing and shoving between protestors and the police present - not a good sign. It didn't have a good feel. Unlike talking the protestors 2 hours before hand, who were very pleasant, the ruckus on our soi was nothing of the ilk. We were headed out to Chatuchak Market so did a detour the long way around to avoid walking through the noisy cluster. Better safe than sorry.
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| PDRC protestors outside advanced polling station on Samsen Soi 3 |
I don't know why particularly, but I am glad that I went through the mostly inactive Ratchadamnoern site today. Knowing that a random grenade was unlikely, it was interesting to talk to those directly involved, camped out for weeks at a time for something they believe. Although I don't necessarily agree with their actions, I have to give them credit for sticking up for what they feel is right.
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