The Reds Drop By

Oh la la, I just arrived in sweltering BangCock after having been crowned Miss Chenelyn Boom-Boom 2009 in Phuket earlier this week.

And who do I find welcoming me right at my doorstep but swarms and swarms of them lovely people in red shirts.

Gosh, I could not be more flattered than this. I have never, and I mean never, before been welcomed in such epic proportions.

But no. Apparently those lovely folks, who put on a standstill blocks and blocks of the area surrounding my building, are not here for my homecoming.

The red mob, as what these supremely passionate people are called, are here for a humongous political demonstration - or whatever you call these events.

This is part of the continuing saga of political rifts happening in Thailand for years now. If you remember, our spotless Suvarnabhumi Airport was occupied by the rival yellow mob last November, which I wrote about here and here.

Now it's the turn of the opposing red mob, who for the past weeks have camped in front of the Government House. Yes, that's the same building that the yellow mob invaded for a number of months last year.

But aside from the Government House, the red mob also moved to our area this morning to voice out their concerns to one of my neighbors, a rather long-standing and prominent figure in Thai politics. Reportedly there were thousands of them around.

I'd save you the details of the political circus in this country, ok? What do I know of it anyway? I recommend you check the BBC instead.

The point is, this afternoon I walked in the midst of the crowd on my way from the airport. The tuk-tuk could not bring me right into my soi (alley) as the streets had been blocked. When I reached the canal I had to carry my luggage all the way to my soi. Imagine!

What else is there to do but take pictures, chai mai?

Thank God them red shirts have not turned violent yet and I certainly hope they stay that way. Instead, I found some makeshift stage with a man spewing what sounded like political attacks and the crowd sitting on the ground would regularly cheer using their clappers in the shape of a foot.

Gosh, how do I explain the uniqueness of Thai protests?

The rest of the crowd looked exhausted, perhaps from too much shouting, but most probably from the oppressive summer heat. They honestly look bored sitting on mats they laid in the middle of the pavement. Many were even taking their afternoon siesta or munching on some snacks, totally oblivious of the political speeches broadcast from large speakers.

A large crowed were in my soi but the highest concentration of protesters were in front of my controversial neighbor, not less than 150 meters from my building.

As I type this tonight, I could still faintly hear the speeches and shouting of the protesters. I wonder if they'd leave tomorrow or perhaps at least for the Songkran Festival, the Buddhist New Year.

They have disrupted our lives for so long na ha. Hay, this is not funny anymore, I swear.