Bangkok 14th April: My cunning plan to avoid the red shirts by staying in the middle of the business district backfired somewhat when they all relocated there on mass, so I ended up pretty much hemmed in on all sides... Fortunately civil unrest was on the back burner for thai new year and class struggle was replaced with getting drunk and throwing buckets of ice cold water at anything that moves.
Writing this a few days later on its clear that new year spirits have waned and everyones back on the offensive. The red shirts are very well prepared (and funded...) here. During a surrepticious wander around one of the camps under Ratchadamri BTS station I spotted a toilet and shower block, a collection of market stalls selling a variety of styles of clothing (all red), and a fully fledged nursery for looking after the younger protesters whilst Mum and Dad are out sharpening bamboo sticks to jab at soldiers.
Overall this whole affair seems to have given a voice to the polictically voiceless masses and started a dialogue on equality that would have otherwise taken 20 years, though you have to wonder about the motivations of those funding and encouraging the movement, and whather all this won't just end up degrading into further sensless violence that ultimately ends up preventing the dialogue turning in to any actual change for those that deservce it.
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