Yesterday the U.S. State Department advised that all Americans should avoid traveling to Bangkok. Looks like Thailand’s turned in hookers and heroin for civil war.
The motivation behind the State Department’s advisory notice is the ongoing battle between anti-government forces and the military in the capital city. Sections of Bangkok have been cordoned off as “live fire zones,” restricted to even medical personnel. These areas have been surrounded by the army and reinforced from within by protesters. Military snipers have been stationed in high-rise office buildings. Protesters have been using the thick smoke from tire-fires for cover, fighting with mostly homemade rockets, slingshots, and Molotov cocktails, although there have been claims that some are more heavily equipped with M-16s and grenades.
RED SHIRTS
One side of the conflict have become known as the “Red Shirts.” Mainly composed of the rural and urban poor, the Red Shirts are generally supporters of the former populist prime minister Thaksin Sinawatra, who was deposed by the military in 2006. In early March, thousands of Red Shirts fortified themselves at strategic points in the city, such as the business district, vowing to disrupt commerce and traffic until new elections are held and power is decentralized.
General Khattiya Sawasdipol
The two-month standoff escalated to the recent level of violence when Khattiya Sawasdipol, a renegade general and Red Shirt supporter, was shot in the head by a sniper during an interview with The New York Times. The military claims no responsibility.
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YELLOW SHIRTS
Photo of current prime minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva, being held above a rally
In accordance with Thailand’s T-shirt-centric politics, on the other side of this conflict are the Yellow Shirts. Pro-government (at least for now anyway) and supportive of current prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Yellow Shirts are made up of middle and upper-class Bangkok residents. Prior to attaining power via Vejjajiva, the Yellow Shirts protested the former government by occupying airports, seizing government offices, and threatening to destabilize the economy by conducting a run on the banks. Despite previously clashing with Red Shirts during public demonstrations, the Yellow Shirts have since backed away from confrontation, replaced by the police and military, who the Red Shirts claim have been on the elites’ side all along.
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Although backroom negotiations are rumored to be going on between leaders of both T-shirt factions, neither side seems to be backing down. Yesterday a small aircraft flew over the protest zone, canvasing the area with leaflets offering free passage to all who decided to leave. The military estimates that 3,000 protesters still remain.
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another great synopsis Arv. SC is becoming boring- thanks.
05.18.10 at 12:11 pm
right, because being aware of what’s going on outside of your own bubble and giving a fuck is so passé. fuck you.
arv, thank you for writing this.
05.18.10 at 12:57 pm
any relation to Frank Sinawatra?
05.18.10 at 1:00 pm
boring!? this is an incredible story and those photographs and top knotch.
05.18.10 at 1:03 pm
Asians using fireworks to protest? Really? That’s like if those Greeks were throwing gyros at the cops. Or if blacks threw watermelons. or if jews threw money.
05.18.10 at 1:06 pm
Wow, not a bad rundown arv, as someone who has spent a lot of time in thailand and does this for a living, you did a good job of breaking it down for someone who probably knew nothing about it two months ago. Yeah, backhanded compliment, but still a compliment. Should have mentioned the king though. Them dudes loves the king.
05.18.10 at 1:09 pm
these have been your best posts, arv. if only the world would collapse a little more often so you could finally become a worthwhile contributor.
05.18.10 at 1:16 pm
I hope this ends soon.
05.18.10 at 2:01 pm
i think arv may have found a niche as the supplier of political cliff notes to short attention span people who are way too busy getting stoned and watching porn to really know what’s going on in the world. now i don’t have to feel like such a total dumbshit when i talk to my anarchist, smack shooting, politics obsessed neighbor that didn’t even graduate high school. i can be every bit as vague yet blow-hardish while rambling non-sensically about “society.” “ah yeah man fuckin elitist yellow shirts. what’s next? telling the people to go eat cake or something? yellow is the color of cowardice maaaaaan.” thank you arv. i sincerely enjoy these articles.
05.18.10 at 2:16 pm
Gary Glitter’s heart weeps for the leetle girls of Thailand.
05.18.10 at 2:19 pm
Arv, keep being our creepy little tight pants wearing escort to armageddon. It’s hawt.
05.18.10 at 2:21 pm
arv: shhhhhhhh – go make some tea for gavin or something.
05.18.10 at 2:21 pm
oh, and if neighbor’s reading this? i want my fucking grow light back!
05.18.10 at 2:22 pm
Wow, bottle rockets as missiles? My friends and I could have taken over America when we were twelve.
05.18.10 at 3:38 pm
I don´t care about latinos. Fuck this people
05.18.10 at 5:32 pm
Love Pinky in the second pic
05.18.10 at 6:25 pm
Man, I just got a craving for Pad Thai, and Panang Curry…
Shit, those bottle rockets look like Beef Satay.
Man I love Thai food.
05.18.10 at 6:51 pm
I’ve officially concluded that if you combine all the facial hair of all the men of Thailand they MIGHT be able to come up with one full mustache.
05.18.10 at 7:45 pm
so wait, they’re fighting the riot police with bottle rockets?? Its odd that their weapon of choice is what we’d fire at each other for shits n giggles for grade 9 halloween…
05.18.10 at 7:57 pm
Once again, Street Carnage delivers the latest breaking news and information on the latest top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics, and more.
05.18.10 at 8:29 pm
Where’s Thailand?
05.18.10 at 8:49 pm
just north of Beltland, amirite!
05.18.10 at 10:11 pm
Are there any places throughout Southeast Asia that isn’t a fucking shit hole?
By the way, a general rule of thumb is “Southeast” anywhere sucks balls.
05.18.10 at 10:13 pm
why don’t you guys write about all the bullshit going on in Nicaragua right now? Government-hired mobs attack students with stolen guns, mortars, metal tubes, etc. while the police watches from afar. Fucking disgusting.
05.19.10 at 1:27 pm
Well maybe the two sides should just call it a Thai?
Amirite?
05.19.10 at 7:41 pm
I am in Bangkok right now and you lost me at heroin and hookers. I really hate when SC does politics. This article was worth it just for this: I’ve officially concluded that if you combine all the facial hair of all the men of Thailand they MIGHT be able to come up with one full mustache.
Thanks Total Scumbag
05.20.10 at 3:35 am
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