Bangkok Dangerous?

A blog about Thailand wouldn't be complete without some discussion about the political instability. My arrival to Thailand was drastically altered because Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok airport) was closed due to protesters storming it and occupying it for over a week! Soon after, the ruling government party was found guilty of electoral fraud and a new government was established.

I won't go into details about the different political parties and their stances (they all claim to be fighting for democracy), but it is apparent that they aren't happy with the way things are. Coups and changes of government aren't a new thing in the land of smiles. Since the last military coup in 2006 the Thai government has changed hands four times. There have been 18 coups since the constitutional monarchy was established in 1932.

At first, I was a bit concerned about my safety and the state of the country, especially with the events that unfolded during Songkran (Thai New Year) of 2009. However, since then anti-government protesting has been common place - typically occurring every month. The continuous civil unrest eventually became a normal part of living in Thailand. Yeah, we got the notices from the US embassy about imminent danger and the response would be, "meh, there they go again with the protesting". In reality, there wouldn't be very many protesters and they would conduct peaceful demonstrations.

The latest round of protests in March created a new benchmark regarding tactics. The 'red-shirt' anti-government protesters announced their rally about a month in advance. They claimed that a million people from all over the country would unite in Bangkok to show their displeasure at the current government and cause havoc in the capital city. This allowed both the government and the citizens of Bangkok to be prepared for their arrival. The government had tens of thousands of troops and riot police stationed throughout the city during the rally weekend. Businesses chose to close down during the weekend and some people left the city for those few days to avoid the situation.

The red-shirt protesters did make their way to Bangkok but rather than a million people it was more like 100,000 people - still an impressive figure. The government allowed the peaceful protests continue through the weekend as long as things wouldn't turn violent. They even closed roads in the city to allow the protesters to parade through.

The protesters causing a lot of traffic at Asok Rd and Sukhumvit Rd.

One of the parade routes passed in front of my place of work (in the elephant building). There was a long expanse of cars as far as I could see in both directions with people hanging out the windows or riding in the back of trucks sporting their red clothing and flags. The atmosphere was very festive and cheerful. The street was dotted with supporters wearing red and cheering their fellow party members in the parade. It felt more like a homecoming parade than a political rally.

Near the end of the protester's motor parade on Paholyotin Road

The next day I encountered the protesters again. This time I was riding my bicycle. I rode my bike alongside the protesters and captured video and pictures of the festive atmosphere with my iPhone.

Riding with the red-shirts on Silom Road

Red-shirt protesters on Silom Road

Silom Road

Lots of traffic on Silom Road

Waiting at the light

After a peaceful weekend of protesting, the leaders of the red-shirts wanted change. They demanded the current government to step down and conduct new elections. If the government didn't dissolve within 24 hours, then a "blood bath" would occur. The 24 hour deadline passed without any change - the government was staying pat.

This is when things got really interesting...and really, really grotesque. True to their word, the protesters created a blood bath - of their own volunteered blood. The protesters donated a little bit of their own blood so that it could be splashed on the gates of the government complex and on the property of the Thai Prime Minister. As the blood was splashed, a blood curse was performed against the current government. Below are graphic videos and pics of their work.

Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images

Photograph: Sukree Sukplang/Reuters

Photograph: Sukree Sukplang/Reuters

Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images

It appears the government will not step down. The protesters are still in town, but their numbers are dwindling. Life has returned to normal in Bangkok, but I'm sure that in the not-so-distant future another rally will be held. Could they possibly do another stunt to outdo the 'blood bath'? Regardless of party affiliation, all this instability greatly damages the image of Thailand to outsiders. Who would want to come to Thailand based on the images above? Sadly, the tourism sector takes a hit after each incident. Thailand has a lot to offer to tourists - wonderful beaches, excellent cuisine, charming people, but unfortunately political unrest is part of their culture as well.