Thailand on the brink

Thailand on the brink (protests 2010)

Having lived in Bangkok for nearly two years now I have grown to love the beauty and quirks of this country to the point that I can even accept the blatant undertones of being labeled a ‘farang’! The energy in Bangkok carries with it the daily promise of potential adventure and the sublime natural beauty of this country is world renowned. But now there is something different in the air. As i look out of my window the energetic bustle of street life has been replaced by an eerie quiet, punctuated by occasional blasts of gunfire and petrol bombs against a backdrop of unsettling smoky plumes. Soldiers abound, heavily armed and very young, and the air carries with it a heavy and uncompromising uncertainty. This is a young and rather naive democracy which seems to have reached an inevitable boiling point. To the Yellows i say that the ongoing marginalization of the rural masses by the political status quo was bound to have such affects. To the Reds i say, know what you are actually fighting for and realize that laying siege to your capital in this manner is about as democratic as the opposition hijacking the international airport last year. To the leaders and hardliners on both sides, a plea- step back from the brink. There is too much to lose in this magnificent country which is beloved by so many.

 

 

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