Demonstrations

Several weeks ago demonstrations began in Bangkok by a group known as the Red Shirts who are not happy with the current administration and who are supporters of an administration that was ousted by the coup in 2006. I thought it would last just a few days but I underestimated the group. While they were unable to rally the numbers they were hoping for the group has been large and persistent. The demonstrations have been mostly festive and non violent but with the Thai new year/water festival aproaching and demonstrators eager to enjoy a week of vacation the heat is slowly being turned up.

This past weekend the Red Shirts took over the downtown area closing several high end shopping centers. Today they are sprawling out into other major streets and setting up demonstrations throughout Bangkok. They've been edging closer and closer to my area of work and my apartment. Today, a number of protestors clogged up traffic outside my office in an intersection of 2 major streets. It was becuause of this that we decided to send everyone home around 11:30. Rumors of military and riot police on their way and not knowing if things would remain peaceful or not sent us all home on what is a Thai holiday anyway. None of the staff complained. :-)

I'm now home doing laundry and planning for my upcoming trip to Korea to visit my sister Ruth and her family and to help her celebrate her 30th birthday.

We are all hoping for a quick, peaceful end to the demonstrations and hoping the refugees are safe in their homes with so many police out on the streets.

For more info here is a link I follow: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local