Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrat prime minister in 2010, was just today indicted for murder for ordering the police to break up the red-shirt protests in 2010. So one problem is the government is being careful not to leave itself open to that after pushing for Abhisit’s charges.
I think the protesters are running out of ideas. This morning (Friday morning), they wrapped a giant flag around Government House, trapping police inside. I thought they wanted the police to leave?
Come on, guys. You can come up with something better than that. BO-ring.
Yeah, but think of it as the guy who had a ~mile long flag in the basement, and wondered if he would ever be able to use it.
It’s pretty much a standoff for now, but here’s a good background piece on the two army generals who are behind the protesters.
And don’t believe anyone’s claim of neutrality. No one – and I mean NO ONE – is neutral in this. There’s much going on behind the scenes and underneath the surface. That’s pretty much true anywhere in the world, but it’s taken to an art form here.
Don’t you ever want to live in some nice, safe place like New York, Chicago, or Levy, Arkansas?
Well, I did live in Fort Smith, Arkansas as child, before we moved to Texas. The place was just way too tough! 
Yeah, place went to hell when Issac Parker left.
The US Embassy here in Bangkok is beefing up security after the protesters threatened to storm and seize it.
WTF??!?! 
Big mass rally planned for this Sunday. They really, really mean it this time. With a Big March and everything.
But that’s not all. Excerpt from the link: “Mr Suthep also asked female protesters to be prepared to join a separate march on Sunday night to the prime minister’s residence ‘to ask her to leave the post nicely’. ‘We will need female volunteers. Women only. No katoey [transvestites] please. This is between women. The women will give flowers to Ms Yingluck and ask her to have some pride and resign,’ he said.”
So there you have it. Ladyboys, stand down! Suthep’s also going to hold dress rehearsals for the Big March, on Thursday and Friday. Why the dress rehearsals are not considered actual marches, I’m not sure. But expect traffic chaos.
More info on city coverage of the rallies here.
Oh, and no one tried to storm the US Embassy the other day. Apparently, cooler heads prevailed. Or what passes for cooler heads.
The US Embassy is not completely forgotten. Some 500 student-led demonstrators rallied outside it today, denouncing US support for the February 2 general election. But no one tried to storm it. Good luck if they had! The place is a fortress.
To give the coverage some perspective I’ve been here a week now and travelling in central Bangkok every day for meetings and seen zero sign of the protests or any disruption to normal life here. You wouldn’t know there was anything going on if you didn’t check the Bangkok post.
They’re like the Scarlet Pimpernel. Seek them here, seek them there, seek them everywhere.
You might see more evidence of them this Sunday if you’re out and about. Or even now, with their dress rehearsals for Sunday. Friday traffic is bad enough anyway though, so you might not be able to tell if it’s worse.
There are times when I am glad to live in North Little Rock (AKA Argenta), Arkansas, armpit of the South, cesspool of the world.
No, that would be Plains, Texas.
I’ve been to Plano, Texas, albeit at a very young age, but I’ve never heard of Plains.
You don’t want to either. No, that’s not where I grew up, but I know the place, and it has scarred me.
Clearly you’ve never been to Detroit.
Thanks for keeping us posted, Sam!
Although Poipet, Cambodia is definitely in the running too.
I’m supposed to have a colonoscopy on Sunday afternoon, close to the route. These marching bozos had better not interfere with my getting to the hospital! :mad:
They’re expecting 2-3 million protesters at the rally/rallies tomorrow. Both sides are no strangers to making grandiose attendance predictions that don’t pan out, but clearly this will be another major event. They’re setting up five additional main rally stages tonight including one at the Asok intersection, a stone’s throw from the Soi Cowboy red-light district. Hope business won’t be hurt.