An afternoon with the reds

First of all, I would really like to know what this young lady is saying into her phone. Maybe: “Mum, I think we are going to need some reinforcements…”

Yes, the Asean summit has come to Pattaya, and has attracted the red shirts, fresh from bringing Bangkok to a standstill yesterday. Having spent a couple of frustrating hours this morning trying to get home after having coffee, I decided to head out this afternoon to see what all the fuss is about.

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The conference is being held at the Royal Cliff Hotel, and a gang of red shirts had successfully blocked the main entrance. Supplies were being delivered, to loud cheers.

Police were deployed and lined up in front of the protestors, just in case any of them decided they wanted to cross the road, or leave the site.

I went through the barrier and down the road to the main entrance to the hotel. There were red shirts everywhere, with assorted army, navy and police lines denying them entrance to the hotel. Every so often they would have a loosely co-ordinated shove against the human barricade, but it all seemed rather half-hearted.

The occupants of the convention centre were enjoying the view, although the constant chanting must have been a little tiring.

I would like to tell you about the atmosphere of tension and danger, but quite frankly, there wasn’t any. The pushers and the pushees seemed quite happy to chat to each other.

And the protesters seemed relaxed and friendly. I was offered snacks, given a ride on a motorbike from the hotel entrance back to the barricades, and a man who spoke good English (he went to university in the UK) was very willing to tell me how they were not doing this to get Thaksin back, but to restore democracy to the country.

I had such a lovely time I am going back tomorrow with a better camera and a longer lens; at which point I may well be beaten to a pulp. We will see.

Comments 🔗

2009-04-10 | genuine j says

Where had you been for coffee? Kinnaree perhaps?

2009-04-10 | Spike says

;-)

Just Nescafe of course.

2009-04-11 | Camberley says

So what camera/lens was this?

2009-04-11 | Spike says

Sigma DP1, 28mm lens. Takes lovely shots, but it was a bit too gloomy for it yesterday. Planned to go back this morning with a “proper” camera, but then the fighting broke out so I thought better of it.