Living At A Trouble Spot - What To Do?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

So we will have the streets full of red shirts starting tomorrow, and they have decided which spots of Bangkok they will take over. Bangna intersection being on of them.

Now as i live in Sukhumvit soi 70, regardless where i want to go to or come back from, i will need to pass that intersection and be it only to make a u-turn (as the only other possibility would be driving on the wrong side of the road from Udomsuk onwards, or use the expressway which is not quite allowed for bikes).

I can not stop working just because the reds decided to box me in, so what can i do to get across that intersection. I don't know if it is the reds themselves that will do the blocking or the police. If it's the reds - my bike isn't called "Bulldozer" for nothing, i WILL get through. However if it's the police?

Is it sufficient to tell them that i indeed live there (no evidence on paper) or should i try to get a permit from them BEFORE they block it? There is a police station right at the intersection where i could ask.

because i will NOT, under ANY circumstances, leave my bike somewhere in the middle of a red mob and walk home.

Appreciate some advice here.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[ManilaLover]

Go to the police station to inform them in advance you will have to pass there, and what times. Perhaps a guy there you can accompany you and others two times a day, try to get a phonenumber form a cop in case you need help. Don't wear red or yellow shirts, but wearing a small button with T's insane face could save you, if you have to go trough the crowd smile at them like they are your best friends, something like 'yo brada !'

Stack the fridge full of food and booze and if you have a good view, in your free hours enjoy and take some videos from your skybox, post them on TV !

You could even invite foreign journalists to stay at your place. Perhaps you can make some money out of it !

But go to the policestation in advance so they know you !

Edited March 11, 2010 by ManilaLover

[SeanMoran]

Firstly I wish you the best of luck in commuting smoothly over the coming days, and have not much geographic knowledge past the Ekamai bus station, except out the window if a bus.

I am not the one to provide good expert suggestions on this. I just ask whether today might be a good afternoon to go for an exploratory ride down a few sois around the area to see if you can find some alternative thoroughfares to detour along if the need arises over the weekend?

[thaihome]

On the map published in today's Nation it says that UDD leader Weng Tojirakarn said the Bangna Intersection rally point has been moved to Samut Prakan province.

I have not been able to find the map on the web site.

TH

[threelegcowboy]

Go around on your travels or make arrangemnts to stay at work until the heat is off.

You got your priorities. If family is involved then consider taking them to work.

Best of luck cause thats all it is.

[thaihome]

One further thing comes to mind. Going to police will do no good. Any roadblocks will be manned by Army. I suspect the police will have a low profile this weekend…

TH

[bkkjames]

If my memory serves me correct, last April spontaneous protests took place - I remember one at the intersection of Rama 4 and Sukhumvit.

I wouldn't be surprised if more of this type of thing happens again.

The PM is supposed to go on TV tonight and in addition to the usual stuff about protesting peacefully, staying calm etc, I expect that people will be told to stay home tomorrow. Call it a hunch.

[StreetCowboy]

Sukhumvit Soi 70? I understand that is on the Bangkok side of Bangna?

Where does Soi 70 go at the other end? Does it not come out somewhere near the port?

In that direction, you can quite easily (?!?) get to Klong Toie Rama IV. Its quite nice, travelling through the scrublands round the port (depending on your taste in industrial landscapes)

SC

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

Thank you all for the replies. I will go to that police station tomorrow morning as i am now already at work.....

Staying at the office for three days is not really an option for lack of bed etc

As to the location, Sois 70, 70/1 and 70/2 are dead-end sois, with 70 and 70/2 being connected to each other and 70/1 stopping dead at a building. There is no exit from the end of that "block", not even a walkway. The "block" can only be reached from Sukhumvit road. And yes, it is on the BKK side of the intersection, in fact the very first soi on the left after Bangna intersection. To get there one HAS to pass through said intersection one way or another, or come the wrong way up Sukhumvit from Udomsuk (which would probably be possible, it's just a few 100 meters and as the intersection is blocked there would not be on-coming traffic except what comes from the expressway).

Another possibility would be from Bangna-Trat road, using the Bangna intersection overpass that ends right in front of soi 70, but judging by the map that was posted here somewhere that particular bridge would be blocked as well, along with the piece of Sukhumvit reaching from Bangna intersection to Udomsuk junction.

Basically, as per that map, i'd be locked out of my home respectively locked in once i made it back in.

From my building i have indeed a pretty good view towards Bangna intersection, however the expressway and a number of criss-crossing bridges are in the way so i can't see what happens on the Samut Prakan side. However i don't think i would go anywhere near that crowd of thugs just to get photos, i am not a journalist and not crazy enough (remember one topic that said "Thailand will jail foreigners found at political rallies". No thanks).

Best regards.....

Thanh

[Royrex]

Is it as scary as it sounds? Roits and road closures? I am flying into BKK tomorrow Friday morning and Taxi to Sukhumvit soi 22 to visit GF and then fly out BKK the next morning (saturday) Question is; will I get stuck, be unable to get into sukhumvit or be unable to get out? thans to all who will respone

RXR

[quiksilva]

Work from home?

[Thanh-BKK]

Good morning.

9 AM on "D-Day" and not a single red shirt in sight. Traffic is flowing freely through Bangna intersection, no cops or army in sight either. I can hear loudspeaker announcements and music from that general direction, however sounds more like at a wedding or monk ceremony than a political rally.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[davejonesbkk]

Good morning.

9 AM on "D-Day" and not a single red shirt in sight. Traffic is flowing freely through Bangna intersection, no cops or army in sight either. I can hear loudspeaker announcements and music from that general direction, however sounds more like at a wedding or monk ceremony than a political rally.

Best regards.....

Thanh

I think it just starts building up today with the main protest for Sunday.

[NADTATIDA1]

Good morning.

9 AM on "D-Day" and not a single red shirt in sight. Traffic is flowing freely through Bangna intersection, no cops or army in sight either. I can hear loudspeaker announcements and music from that general direction, however sounds more like at a wedding or monk ceremony than a political rally.

Best regards.....

Thanh

I think if you can hire a penguin suit and walk around waving a rainbow flag with a bottle of lao khao in your spare hand,you will be safe!

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

The rainbow flag is universal... it contains, among others, RED and YELLOW By now something IS cooking at Bangna intersection, lots of loudspeaker shouting and crowd cheering but seems to be exclusively on the Samut Prakan side of the intersection, i can't see a thing and traffic is still flowing freely. The cops are in the station (which i can see from my place) and don't seem bothered, 3-4 cops in there as pretty much always.

Sadly i don't speak Thai sufficiently to understand what the loudspeaker is going on about, 20 minutes ago they kept shouting "*something* ook pai" (and NOT "Abhisit"), sounded just like the yellows when they were shouting "Thaksin ook pai" before the coup.

As i can't see a thing that crowd that is without doubt there could as well be yellows.

Well i'll be outta here and off to work in an hour, maybe i'll do a u-turn at the intersection and snap some pics of whatever is going on there.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[bkkjames]

Hi

The rainbow flag is universal... it contains, among others, RED and YELLOW By now something IS cooking at Bangna intersection, lots of loudspeaker shouting and crowd cheering but seems to be exclusively on the Samut Prakan side of the intersection, i can't see a thing and traffic is still flowing freely. The cops are in the station (which i can see from my place) and don't seem bothered, 3-4 cops in there as pretty much always.

Sadly i don't speak Thai sufficiently to understand what the loudspeaker is going on about, 20 minutes ago they kept shouting "*something* ook pai" (and NOT "Abhisit"), sounded just like the yellows when they were shouting "Thaksin ook pai" before the coup.

As i can't see a thing that crowd that is without doubt there could as well be yellows.

Well i'll be outta here and off to work in an hour, maybe i'll do a u-turn at the intersection and snap some pics of whatever is going on there.

Best regards.....

Thanh

Juraket Awk Bai?