Monday, April 13, 2009

Here we go again


Ho hum, another day, another state of emergency in Thailand. Same place, different coloured shirts. Although I do have to say the mob looks a bit rougher this time around, and the news keeps showing clips of guys in the crowd firing automatic weapons in the air and crawling on top of the two tanks that seems to have rolled down Sukhumvit. Since the soldiers seem to have been given strict orders not to use force, the mob seems to be having their way with them. I can imagine Private Jack thinking quietly but furiously as a red shirter elbows and abuses him ‘You just wait, unknown rioter, once the signal to use force comes, and by heaven come it will, I’ll be shoving that same elbow, broken in three places, down your throat…’ For now, however, the soldiers seem to be displaying admirable restraint.

We have been located in Sukhumvit for the last couple of days, and I’ve been travelling freely up and down. I’ve had to duck a few times during my forays, but only to avoid being sprayed with water by early Songkhran revellers. Moving around today is going to be a bit more of a challenge, what with the emergency as well as Songkhran in full force. I may even have to default on my resolution to not sample the same cuisine twice during my stay in Sukhumvit. The real question is whether I will be able to get a taxi to the airport tomorrow afternoon. Only time will tell. Watch this space (if you have absolutely nothing else to do).

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