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Saturday 18th of January 2014 and they had thrown a bomb at the protesters yesterday afternoon. About the same time we landed in Tokyo and I read about it this morning in Bangkok Post. I decided to go check out the protest site at Asoke, just around the corner from my place. But first we had to finish the boxing. I called my Teacher this morning and he will be here at 12 o'clock for some boxing exercise.
And while we're in the squash room you can study some of the history from Bangkok Post and BBC.
From Bangkok Post

Political crisis timeline from Bangkok Post
— 2006 —
— Sept 19. The army topples Shinawatra in a bloodless coup while he is overseas. The takeover follows months of protests led by the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who accused Thaksin of corruption and abuse of power.
— 2007 —
— December: The People's Power Party, a proxy for Thaksin's disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, easily wins elections and later chooses veteran politician Samak Sundaravej as prime minister.
— 2008 —
— May: The yellow-shirts launch protests against Samak, accusing him of being Thaksin's puppet.
— August: Thousands of yellow-shirts take over the Prime Minister's Office compound and stay for three months.
— september: Samak is removed from office after a court rules his appearance on a TV cooking show constituted conflict of interest. Parliament elects Somchai Wongsawat — Thaksin's brother-in-law — as his successor. Protesters call him the ousted leader's puppet.
— October: The Supreme Court convicts Thaksin in absentia of corruption, sentencing him to two years in prison. Thaksin had fled to Britain two months earlier to avoid the conviction.
— November: PAD protesters take over Bangkok's two airports, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers for several days.
— December: Protesters vacate the airports and the prime minister's office after a court finds Somchai's party guilty of electoral fraud and dissolves it. With the backing of the military, opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva is chosen prime minister.
— 2009 —
— April: Pro-Thaksin red-shirt demonstrators swarm a regional summit in Pattaya, forcing the evacuation of Asian leaders. Several days later, demonstrators riot in Bangkok, leaving two people dead before the army restores order.
— 2010 —
— March: Pro-Thaksin red-shirt protesters pour into Bangkok in a bid to drive Abhisit from power, kicking off weeks of protests that shut down parts of the city. Mysterious armed "men-in-black" serve as a militia for the protesters.
— May: Soldiers storm the demonstrators' camp, ending the protest. More than 90 die and around 1,800 are wounded during the weeks of protests, mostly demonstrators.
— 2011 —
— July: The Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party wins election by a landslide. Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, becomes Thailand's first female prime minister.
— 2012 —
— June: Protesters and the Democrat Party seek to block a government bill to seek reconciliation through changing the constitution, fearing it is designed to facilitate Thaksin's return from exile without punishment.
— July: The Constitutional Court rules that the bill was procedurally flawed, and cannot be passed as drafted.
— December: Former prime minister Abhisit and his deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban, are charged with murder for approving the May 2010 crackdown on red-shirt protesters.
— 2013 —
— August: The government introduces an amnesty bill covering political offenders since the 2006 coup, but excluding leaders. The bill is met by minor street protests and passes its first reading in the lower house.
— Nov 1: The house passes a second reading of the amnesty bill, which was amended to include political leaders and cover Thaksin. Democrat lawmakers walk out and public anger builds. The anti-Thaksin movement quickly gains strength, and the government instructs its allies in the Senate to vote against the bill, killing it for at least six months.
— Nov 20: The Constitutional Court says ruling party lawmakers acted illegally in passing another bill to amend the constitution, bolstering the morale of Thaksin's opponents.
—Nov 24: Anti-government rallies in Bangkok draw well over 100,000 people. Suthep resigns from the Democrat Party to lead protests.
— Nov 25: Tens of thousands of hardcore opponents besiege several government ministries and offices.
— Nov 26: Mr Suthep demands that the government be dissolved and an unelected "people's council" be established to administer the country and pick a new leader. Protesters say they want to eliminate all vestiges of Thaksin's political machine.
— Nov 30: Red-shirts begin a pro-government rally at a stadium across Bangkok from the anti-Thaksin protests, but violence breaks out after they are attacked, leaving at least four people dead and dozens hurt.
— Dec 1: Protesters fail to attain their declared "victory day" goal of seizing the prime minister's offices and police headquarters. Heavy street fighting continues the next day.
— Dec 3: Police withdraw from their defensive positions, allowing protesters to make a symbolic occupation of the Bangkok police headquarters and prime minister's offices. The government says it sought to avoid further violence ahead of His Majesty the King's 86th birthday on Dec 5.
— Dec 8: Prime Minister Yingkluck announces she will dissolve the lower house of Parliament and call new elections. An estimated 100,000 anti-government protesters march through Bangkok streets demanding that the country be rid of the Shinawatra family and its influence.
— 2014 —
— Jan. 7: Thailand’s state anti-corruption body rules that 308 pro-government lawmakers acted illegally in passing a bill to make the Senate an all-elected body. The ruling calls for further investigation of the lawmakers, and could eventually result in their being banned from politics.
— Jan. 13: The protesters occupy seven major intersections in Bangkok in what they call an effort to shut down the capital and force Yingluck’s caretaker government to step down. They also cut electricity and water to several government ministries, and vow to stay until they obtain their goal.
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BBC is also having a chronology of key events in Thailand stretching from 7th-10th cent AD until 2013. So click here to read BBC's chronology of key events in Thailand
I decided to go check out the Asoke protest site after the boxing and my friend dropped me off at Terminal 21 on Sukhumvit Road. I told my friend to turn left when we reached Asoke, but the road was blocked with sand bags and there were guards. So we continued across the Asoke and my friend dropped me outside Terminal 21 on Sukhumvit Soi 19
Asoke Road blocked from Soi 1 - Road block with guards
Same road during the curfew 19 May 2010
Picture taken from almost exactly the same spot
Sukhumvit Soi 19 outside Terminal 21
So far, the only difference from a normal day on Sukhumvit is that the “Sukhumvit Refugee Camp” market is extended to reach all the way down to the Asoke intersection. The market normally ends at Soi 17 at Robinson
Normal day at Sukhumvit Road, impossible to move along
The whole area is an eyesore looking as a refugee camp
Sukhumvit Road 19 May 2010
I don't know for how many years I have been in Bangkok, but this is the first time I have seen everything closed on Sukhumvit Road
Sukhumvit Road 19 May 2010
I don't know for how many years I have been in Bangkok, but this is the first time I have seen everything closed on Sukhumvit Road
Sukhumvit Road 19 May 2010
Robinson covering their windows obviously expecting the worst
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They say it is a peaceful protest this time, let's hope it stays peaceful. I remember the redshirts back in 2010. Early 2010 and it was almost like a party feeling when the redshirts was driving along Sukhumvit Road. People standing along the Sukhumvit road waving flags and cheering. And it was almost the same party/ carnival feeling when they started to build Little Issan at Ratchapasong. Of course, the party/ carnival feeling was gone as soon as Little Issan turned in to Fort Issan
Red shirts rolling down Sukhumvit Road April 2010
Red shirts rolling down Sukhumvit Road April 2010
Fort Issan 2010
Fort Issan 2010
Fort Issan 2010
Fort Issan 2010 - Observe the rocks stand-by to be thrown at the police
Fort Issan 2010 - Rocks stand-by to be thrown at the police

Selling stuff at the Asoke Intersection
Looks almost like Little Issan back in 2010
Selling stuff at the Asoke Intersection
Looks almost like Little Issan back in 2010
Selling stuff at the Asoke Intersection
Looks almost like Little Issan back in 2010
I could not help myself, I asked why they didn't had any red shirts for sale as red looks nicer than white or black. They were just laughing
A box to collect money
I saw a girl with 5000 Baht at the collection box for cash. She held the money in the slot and she had her friends to take pictures while she was posing. But she never dropped the money. Suddenly she was busy talking on the phone. And it seemed like she forgot to drop the money, but I'm sure she got plenty picture of her with 5000 Baht “almost” going down the box
If you would have removed all the tourist and people selling stuff I doubt that there would have been more than 50 people remaining at the Asoke/ Sukhumvit intersection. I was surprised but my friend had told me that there were plenty people in the nights when it was cooler.
There was a few enthusiasts protesting
There was a few enthusiasts protesting
People talking from a stage
There was a few enthusiasts protesting
Tents for protestors
Tents for protestors
Where are all the protestors?
Have your picture taken with the flag
This was fun! Maybe something for Paradise Cove in Honolulu to make their Luau party a wee bit more exciting.
Well, the parrots was more fun!
I'm on my way back home a few hours later
There is a band playing and a little more people at he protest site
I passed the protest site in the evening when I went to pay a bill. My friend was right, there was more people protesting in the night.
Passing the road block to Asoke Road
Still selling stuff
Still selling stuff
More people in the evening
More people in the evening
Not much more money in the box
Ratchadapisek from Asoke sky train station
Asoke Road from the sky train station
Sukhumvit Road
One of the protestors buying new shoes
Asoke Road
Free food and drinks at the protest site
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I went to pay my bill at Sukhumvit Soi 15 and I passed through the protes site, arriving in the middle of a silent minuted for the man died in the bomb blast. And after the silent minute there was a prayer. I could sense that it was not the right moment for Porky to plunge down the crowd so it took a while longer to pass through the crowd.
On my way back home they asked if I wanted free water, soft drink and food. I told them that I was on diet.
- ลดความอ้วนครับ
This was obviously funny because the girl pissed herself laughing. I could hear them when I was walking down the street. “The Farang is on diet” and laughs.
But seriously, free food and Yingluck should considering to hire me eating Suthep Thaugsuban and the protesters out of town. For how long can they afford to feed me?
Peacfull, but I had never understand how people can bring their children to demonstartion. The kids don't understand what it is all about and children stating a political view by wearing a sign or banderol. What does the children understand? Responsible parents?
It is like religion, you have not met Jesus. But you're automaticly beleiving the same thing as you parents thought you to believe. Not all, but most educated peopel and people living where you're free to think what ever you want to have a more relaxed atitude towards religion.
Well, I walked back home and I bought a whistle as a souvenir from the protes to put with my 2010 red shirt souvenir. The people were friendly just as the start of the 2010 protests. I just did the same jokes, only a few tweaks, now I asked them why the red shirt girls was much more beautiful than the yellow shirts.
But the situation is very bad and there is violence around Bangkok and I just hope it don't turn in to a war. Or as the 2010 protest did, turning in to war on the streets of Bangkok and the final day Bangkok was burning. I had a fire burning just down Asoke on Sukhumvit Road outside Sheraton.
I really hope we don't have to experience a situation like this again. But it dosen't look good, it looks bad. But now I'm off to buy a GIANT whistle at Ratchapasong. They told me to go there when I asked for the GIANT whistle at Asoke yesterday evening.
I had asked them for both red shirts and the whistle. I was told that I could found the GIANT whistle at Ratchapasong
- Where to find a red shirt!
Tomorrow I will go to Ratchaprasong to see if I can find the whistle. SO HANG ON!


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