Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by Singapore Sexpat
there is ZERO chance of having your holiday "ruined" if you don't go near them.
So far it has been contained to Bangkok, although I must admit to avoiding a couple of colors in my wardrobe. I came straight to Pattaya from the airport and so far this trip has gone smoother than the first.
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlomker
Quote:
Originally Posted by Singapore Sexpat
there is ZERO chance of having your holiday "ruined" if you don't go near them.
So far it has been contained to Bangkok, although I must admit to avoiding a couple of colors in my wardrobe. I came straight to Pattaya from the airport and so far this trip has gone smoother than the first.
It is not just "contained to Bangkok". It is contained to the protest sites.
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by Singapore Sexpat
It is not just "contained to Bangkok". It is contained to the protest sites.
Are their protest sites outside of Bangkok or are you just being an ass?
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlomker
Are their protest sites outside of Bangkok or are you just being an ass?
Yep. They even took over Chiang Mai city hall for a bit.
Not sure about today, but I know they were pretty pissed off outside of Khon Kaen's city hall yesterday. I would imagine the same goes for pretty near every city in Issan.
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlomker
Quote:
Originally Posted by Singapore Sexpat
It is not just "contained to Bangkok". It is contained to the protest sites.
Are their protest sites outside of Bangkok or are you just being an ass?
No, I am simply pointing out that all of Bangkok is not a war zone, as might be implied by a statement such as "the problem is contained to Bangkok".
It is actually limited to a very specific, very easily avoided protest area. Life outside of those small areas are nearly completely unaffected. And completely safe.
PS: do you have to be so rude?
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachlover
I think it's just soldiers, protesters and a journalist so far. Not civilians who stay away from the action. As long as you don't get a situation where someone is innocently standing on, say Silom Road where it's nice and quiet, then suddenly a rampaging mob charges through and he gets killed by soldiers chasing them... I would say it's semi-ok to be in Bangkok.
"just" ??
When the troops are firing live rounds (not blanks) over the protesters heads, (or so they say), then anyone in the area up to around 3 kilometres away could be shot - that's not "semi-ok" with me, and its certainly not "ZERO chance", SS. It happens regularly where "celebrating" involves firing live rounds into the air.
..... and mlomker (long time no see!) there are protest sites outside Bangkok. Pattaya's is located on North Pattaya Road outside City Hall; generally small and loud but peaceful with minimal police presence, they nevertheless closed North Pattaya Road and access to Beach Road from there and from the Big 'C soi for a while last night.
..... oh, and krobbie, although to me the "reds" are no better or worse than the "yellows", it is probably worth mentioning that the offer to hold elections in 9 months only came some time after the protests started.
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gone Fishing
..... oh, and krobbie, although to me the "reds" are no better or worse than the "yellows", it is probably worth mentioning that the offer to hold elections in 9 months only came some time after the protests started.
Looks like I need to do a bit more reading. Thanks for that. Now I think of it, the yellows only came in after the airport sit-in. It was about October/November last year. Crikey. As much as I like PM Abhisit, he better get cracking on those reforms.
WEe will see what today brings. It is a holiday (of sorts) in BKK and Songkran starts tomorrow. Hardly a case of "Happy Songkran".
Cheers
Krobbie
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by krobbie
..... I like PM Abhisit .....
Plenty of farangs seem to - possibly more than the Thais do, in spite of his being the third biggest spender on advertising in Thailand (more even than Toyota). That's a lot of spin!
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
Safe to say I know nothing about Thailand and their uprising. My experience with mobs was at university and when the US was protesting for "peace" during Vietnam, and the action of groups of excited protesters, especially in the proximity of groups with alternate opinions, is so unpredictable it seems consideration of employment in Thailand isn't a great idea. Some people on the ground are probably completely comfortable and probably almost no one gets hurt, but perception is reality, not news or eyewitness reports (this is what I manipulate for a living) and 5 or 6 bad uTube videos and a couple days of social network media and people will think Thailand is having WWIII. Don't know that'll happen -- we have it here in the U.S.
I was in the capitol city of my state during Vietnam & was surprised that so many people found guns. "We" blew up one building, killed about 10-11 students, trashed the downtown completely and scared the hell out of the residents, many who left. I don't know the Thais but I know they are as unpredictable as anyone else, and it does not seem that this fracas even has boundaries yet, let alone clear objectives for mediation.
I don't even know what the battle is about but it is likely no one's going to be going to Thailand for "medical tourism" (I would be going for a related job) but obviously people will be going to India & Malaysia for awhile (med tourism is supposedly a fairly large part of the Thai economy). The Thai economy was already faltering (as is the U.S.) so tourists, medical or not, avoiding a country with a civil disturbance of whatever magnitude would be likely to kill property values, tourist dollars, international business, retail, restaurants, etc. And since Thailand seems in the middle of its disagreement there's no telling what will happen. America is having a much worse political time with an ultra-right wing racist party (Tea Party) making up about 20% of the population and advocating killing most of the federal government and successfully disrupting govt programs, like unemployment, healthcare, senior care, all of which are out of money and the Congress can not contribute more. It all sucks but chances are things will turn out OK at some point; it's what happens after these things. But chances are also it'll be years. Good luck to those in the area and I wish you a better outcome than I see in the U.S. I may try Saudi Arabia.
Re: I won't be going to Bangkok :(
You're going to go and live in Saudi Arabia instead of Thailand just because of this crisis? I think you might want to get your head checked.
Thailand has had this kind of thing happening for many decades now. It fluctuates. Residents and expats just deal with it. Like in California you have to deal with earthquakes.
Don't let it put you off, especially if the alternative is such a hole (come on TOAT/FF... sing it... it's your favourite topic :blackeye: ).