Walk Down Ratchaprasong

[Insight]

Had an appointment at Amarin plaza this morning we absolutely couldn't reschedule. We parked the car at the top of Lumpini park and walked up Ratchaprasong from there towards Pratunam.

There must of been images of Thaksin every 10 metres or so, either hanging from tents or featured on the red shirts the people wore. At the time it wasn't that busy, but many people were milling about. Plenty of people selling various red paraphernalia, others crashed out on the hard ground or taking cover from the rain under tents. Say from one end of Ratchaprasong to the other say 1,000? Again, appreciate this is due to the rain and time of day.

The extensive PA system was broadcasting what was being said on the stage. The guy currently on the mic was accusing the military of doctoring the video evidence televised on national TV. Closer to Pratunam you could hear the cheers of the crowd to his accusations.

We seen several fly all posters of Abhisit with his eyes darkened and demonized. Below his images are three pictures of gruesome red shirt deaths from last Saturday. Walking down the road we seen a large plastic banner saying "stop erosion of law" in English, large capital letters.

I wish I could say I seen something that help me to see the big red light, but in reality the experience filled me with sadness.

[desi]

I was there yesterday. It was a tent village with food stalls, sales in red t-shirts, people sleeping everywhere. And like you said, speeches being piped around, with a smattering of an audience.

What's up with the blackening of the eyes? I saw the same at Democracy Monument.

[Insight]

^ I think the blackening of the eyes is an attempt to portray him as evil.

Plenty of foreign journalists report on the numbers of people attending these rallies and the opinions of the people who attend, yet fail to report what exactly is being preached on the stage. Can anybody give an impartial reason for this?

I'm sure if what was reported on stage was translated and broadcast to the world people would find fault with this movement very quickly.

[Soutpeel]

Actually you have picked up on an interesting point, having watched the BCC/CNN etc noticed a lot of the banners/posters are in English, now considering this is a Thai on Thai thing....why would they make up signs in English ??....Obviously (in my mind) that these banners have been done using English using emotive words such as democracy, freedom etc as they know they are on the BBC/CNN etc and are trying to gain support from western goverments, especially the US... just a thought...

[desi]

^ I think the blackening of the eyes is an attempt to portray him as evil.

This is a photo I took yesterday at Democracy Monument.

It's pretty much the same all the way around.

Edited April 17, 2010 by desi

[Jingthing]

Actually you have picked up on an interesting point, having watched the BCC/CNN etc noticed a lot of the banners/posters are in English, now considering this is a Thai on Thai thing....why would they make up signs in English ??....Obviously (in my mind) that these banners have been done using English using emotive words such as democracy, freedom etc as they know they are on the BBC/CNN etc and are trying to gain support from western goverments, especially the US... just a thought...

This has been part of Thaksin's plan for years now, paint his side as being pro freedom and democracy and the "elite" as being like Burma. He is very good at propaganda. It is all quite intentional.

[desi]

It's not just Thaksin. The Pink Shirts at Victory Monument had one of their banners translated into about 6-8 languages.

[Insight]

Here's the Abhisit poster. Have blurred the images below for the sake of decency. RIP the victims.

[desi]

Here's a Thai-English combo taken yesterday....

(apologies for it being a little out of focus - I did not feel like walking around so it was taken from the backseat of a car)

[Jingthing]

Here's a Thai-English combo taken yesterday....

(apologies for it being a little out of focus - I did not feel like walking around so it was taken from the backseat of a car)

And of course justice for them means caving into all of their demands, without any room for negotiation. Very reasonable folks.

[Jingthing]

Here's the Abhisit poster. Have blurred the images below for the sake of decency. RIP the victims.

I have also seen Abhisit's photo feminized by the reds, in keeping with the red record of anti-gay bigotry. All very pro freedom and democracy that.

[DP25]

Plenty of foreign journalists report on the numbers of people attending these rallies and the opinions of the people who attend, yet fail to report what exactly is being preached on the stage. Can anybody give an impartial reason for this?

I'm sure if what was reported on stage was translated and broadcast to the world people would find fault with this movement very quickly.

Uhh, because none of them are able to. And their red handlers certainly aren't interested in doing so. They're not really interested in reporting on the conflict, simply in getting their story printed.

As for the pictures, reds have been been using photoshop to make Abhisit appear evil for months. Hitler photoshopped with Abhisit's head has been a staple in red publications.

[Insight]

Plenty of foreign journalists report on the numbers of people attending these rallies and the opinions of the people who attend, yet fail to report what exactly is being preached on the stage. Can anybody give an impartial reason for this?

I'm sure if what was reported on stage was translated and broadcast to the world people would find fault with this movement very quickly.

Uhh, because none of them are able to. And their red handlers certainly aren't interested in doing so. They're not really interested in reporting on the conflict, simply in getting their story printed.

Disagree. I'm under the impression a lot of the people there have very limited English skills so presume any dialogue with reporters will be in Thai, especially when people are quoted using words such as "tyrant".

So the original question still stands - why choose not to report what's being said on stage?

[rixalex]

Plenty of foreign journalists report on the numbers of people attending these rallies and the opinions of the people who attend, yet fail to report what exactly is being preached on the stage. Can anybody give an impartial reason for this?

I'm sure if what was reported on stage was translated and broadcast to the world people would find fault with this movement very quickly.

Uhh, because none of them are able to. And their red handlers certainly aren't interested in doing so. They're not really interested in reporting on the conflict, simply in getting their story printed.

Disagree. I'm under the impression a lot of the people there have very limited English skills so presume any dialogue with reporters will be in Thai, especially when people are quoted using words such as "tyrant".

So the original question still stands - why choose not to report what's being said on stage?

Insight, there are many aspects to the way that the international media reports on matters in Thailand that confuses me. This is also one. The contradictions are everywhere you look at the protests. Are the reporters not seeing them or ignoring them?

[Curt1591]

"There must of been images of Thaksin every 10 metres or so"

Interesting. I was there Yesterday and saw very few images of Thaksin. Must have put them up last night ....

[Insight]

"There must of been images of Thaksin every 10 metres or so"

Interesting. I was there Yesterday and saw very few images of Thaksin. Must have put them up last night ....

That's Pratunam. Take a walk from Ratchaprasong (the road behind the stage) down towards Lumpini, you'll see a few.

[DP25]

Disagree. I'm under the impression a lot of the people there have very limited English skills so presume any dialogue with reporters will be in Thai, especially when people are quoted using words such as "tyrant".

So the original question still stands - why choose not to report what's being said on stage?

The farang reporters most certainly can not speak Thai. They interview English speaking reds, who are obviously not the poor farmers they pretend to be, or use handlers to communicate. Either way they are unable to find out anything said on stage and aren't interested anyway.

[Slip]

Then why doesn't the government get it translated and offer it to the international media?

[TAWP]

Then why doesn't the government get it translated and offer it to the international media?

Since in the PR way they are leaps and bounds behind Thaksin's camp. Hence they disproportional reporting in the western media regarding this 'struggle'.

[Jingthing]

It is a very good idea that the translated text of the red hate speeches be widely distributed. Clearly, the reds are winning big time in the propaganda department. Clearly, their message to the international press is very very different to the red meat hate speech they use to inspire their own crowds.

[Slip]

^^ This is my point. It would be a brave news editor who ignored the hateful content of the speeches. Once aware they would no doubt get their own translations. But why hasn't it happened already?

[RussellHantz]

Interestingly, before the events last week, foreign reporters said the red protests were party / carnival like, and noted the degree of compassion and friendliness shown.

I suppose after a dozen of your fellow protesters have had their brains blown out, things might get a little more tense, and thats what we are seeing.

Keep things in perspective folks.

[TallForeigner]

Except in the propaganda speeches the mood down there is still much more party or carnival like than it is tense. Please tell me where and how do you see the mood of the people down at Ratchaprasong getting more tense. Just this early afternoon between the propaganda speeches they had two Ladies on the stage singing and performing some music and dance from Issan for a while and many people down there also started dancing. The degree of friendliness and compassion I experience down there is still unique and overwhelming.

I live in an apartment right in the middle of the Ratchaprasong area and I am down there on the streets and among the reds several times daily. I have to unvoluntarily join the Red Shirts if I want to go out shopping or eating or whatever. From my apartment I can also see and hear very clearly what is going on down there. Even with closed windows the noise level is still overwhelming.

I keep a neutral attitude and neglect all the political lies and propaganda no matter from which side it comes. To be honest I see far too many deviations from the truth and too much propaganda from all sides involved in the conflict.

In the beginning it was more of an open street party and now it is developing more and more into something like an independent village in the heart of the city. People are installing themselves more and more comfortably and their own infrastructure is developing. The markets down there are getting more diverse, the selection of street food is getting better by the day, the number of tents, shelters, street pharmacies, open air massage parlors and so on is increasing constantly.

I keep capturing what is going on down there with my camera regularly and I opened a website with my photos from around my neighborhood: Ratchaprasong

Edited April 17, 2010 by TallForeigner

[Jingthing]

They don't get to keep that street. They don't own it. They have illegally occupied it. Don't get too used to the new "party market" atmosphere. It won't last.

[enginerevision]

So you don't like seeing Thaksin's face everywhere, [deleted - MiG16]

[desi]

I keep capturing what is going on down there with my camera regularly and I opened a website with my photos from around my neighborhood: Ratchaprasong

Thank you for reposting your url. I forgot where your photos were and tried to find them, but failed. They are absolutely beautiful.

I took photos of the Red Shirts until right before the blood letting. In the past week plus when I went out (before the deaths on Saturday) I felt a marked change in the atmosphere in the Red Shirts areas. It is only a feeling, but for me there is a change. A pity that I can't give naught more than a feeling though (and I realise that it's not good enough).

[sbk]

Party-like perhaps, but I recall reading somewhere that this occupation is costing the economy something like a billion baht a day. Believe webfact posted yesterday that hotels in the area are reporting about 35 million baht a day losses each hotel each day.

Between hotels, shopping centers, vendors and restaurants lost revenues, employees lost days, suppliers not having any one to sell to etc etc it doesn't seem unfeasible.

[TallForeigner]

They don't get to keep that street. They don't own it. They have illegally occupied it. Don't get too used to the new "party market" atmosphere. It won't last.

No one is so stupid not knowing that one day they will disappear. I just keep praying that there will be no more bloodshed and that finally some people will show the wisdom needed to find and realize an acceptable and peaceful solution to the crisis.

[Jingthing]

They don't get to keep that street. They don't own it. They have illegally occupied it. Don't get too used to the new "party market" atmosphere. It won't last.

No one is so stupid not knowing that one day they will disappear. I just keep praying that there will be no more bloodshed and that finally some people will show the wisdom needed to find and realize an acceptable and peaceful solution to the crisis.

Agreed. Peace brother. However, it takes two to tango and the reds won't dance. What is the government supposed to do with that?

[TallForeigner]

Agreed. Peace brother. However, it takes two to tango and the reds won't dance. What is the government supposed to do with that?

You have got your opinion and I respect that. However I mentioned earlier that I keep a neutral approach and you will not get me involved into political haggling. Only one thing: what I have learned here is that nothing is black or white...there are endless shades of gray and colors and here in Thailand one can even join a Tango without dancing; anyways a Tango is far too simple to be used as an example to explain the reality of what is going on here.

That was my first and last time that I was getting involved in political discussions...