Red Shirts for sale
A friend of mine woke up Monday morning and decided to head down the street for some breakfast. He had not been following the news so he was totally oblivious to the developments overnight. And they say ignorance is bliss….
There he was, sitting in a small soi (lane) off Soi Rang Nam, merrily tucking into his Khao Moo Daeng (rice with red pork), when suddenly shouts of “Ma leaow! Ma leaow!” (“They’re coming! They’re coming!”) erupted, accompanied by gunfire.
Download the Google Earth placemark for Soi Rang Nam here.
The restaurant owner instantly drew down the steel shutters but before he could finish closing them, my friend, shouting “Hold on! Hold on! Wait for me!” also gained admittance to the house.
Many parts of Bangkok will no doubt have produced similar stories from both Thais and foreigners.
In this case, the Army was trying to push back UDD protesters who had been maintaining blockades at various points along Rajprarop Road, which is some twenty metres from this soi.
UDD protesters control Rajprarop Road
Download the Google Earth placemark for Rajprarop Road here.
UDD positions a commandeered bus as a blockade along Rajprarop Road
Download the Google Earth placemark for the location of this bus on Rajprarop Road here.
Protesters later moved the bus to a position closer to Soi Rang Nam and next to an Esso gas station. The orange bus can now be seen in the background of the picture below.
Army stands at the end of Soi Rang Nam, near a bus UDD has positioned as a barricade
The Army is advancing on protesters as firefighters try to douse the burning bus.
The Army has pushed UDD protesters down the road, firefighters have extinguished the burning number 73 bus, and locals sit on the kerb in Rajprarop Road.
Thai Army soldiers rest after having pushed UDD protesters down Rajprarop Road.
[...] after the widely televised, blogged, Tweeted, emailed, YouTubed and flickred (is that even a word?) Red Shirt Songkran debacle; less than a year since the various battles and sieges involving the PAD ended the reign of the [...]
Posted by a view from bangkok — Land of $un, $miles, $anook & $illy $hooting $imiles on May 8th, 2009.