How Are The Troubles In Bangkok Effecting You Personally.

[dvdlock]

Hello,

I will be moving over to Thailand from UK in due coarse (as soon as my house is sold) and have been monitoring the news regarding the ongoing troubles in Bangkok.

I was just wondering how, as an expat living and working in Thailand, the trouble is effecting your everyday life and business activities.

I would imagine those living and working in Bangkok will have been affected but how about those in the other provinces.

Thanks.

[Lammbock]

As long as all GoGo Bars are not closed i give a shit about the Reds and Yellows and Soldiers and all this BS!

[Spiny]

living any working in Nonthaburi no disruption. Maybe a different story come daylight

[barky]

I could care less about it all really.

However, as I live only one kilometre from the centre (Ratchaprasong) of the problem area, and it lies between my home and my office I have to confront it daily.

The only real effect on me is the inconvenience it all causes (travel,shopping,entertainment etc) and the eyesore it all is.

[HalfSquat]

I live a few stops away on the BTS but has had no real impact on me. Don't really miss the malls that much as there are many others (although smaller).

Main downside has been having to listen to other farangs opinions on this mater most days ;-)

[anon7867763]

I have a wholesale shop in pratunam and business has been slow for the last 6 weeks.many customers have told me that they are not coming to BKK while the troubles or on .Apart from that it hasn´t effected me at all.daily life goes on as allways

[mmushr00m]

Wife works in one of the hotels in the area. Since this started she has had a job offer for a higher position rescinded and with that a B10k a month raise. Now she has been asked to take leave without pay.

[hillbillybob]

In Chiang Mai , All is well so far

[elkangorito]

I could care less about it all really.

How much more could you care less then?

I know that I couldn't care less as I don't live in BKK but nonetheless, my embassy is in Silom & I have many friends around that area. Recently, one of my friends called me & asked, "When are you going to visit BKK?"

My response was, "When the colour 'red' is no longer evident in BKK."

[centrico]

We have family in BKK. No real problems reported although there is always a natural concern for their well being and safety.

Out in the sticks there seem to be few problems, if any.

[thailien8]

Recently, one of my friends called me & asked, "When are you going to visit BKK?"

My response was, "When the colour 'red' is no longer evident in BKK."

Good response. Sadly for me, I've lived and worked in BKK since 1992, and for all this time I hoped / expected to stay in this great city to the end of my time on earth.

Tho I haven't yet been affected (not "effected") personally by Thaksin's redshirt plague upon us Bangkokians, of course it has made me unhappy.

I live two miles from the red area, and have been sickened by the hate speech being vomited by Thaksin's well-paid mercenaries on the red stages, every day.

Knowing that there are hordes of reds not far away, being whipped up to hatred constantly, is unnerving when one remembers what the maddened red peasants from upcountry did to the good people of Phnom Penh in Thailand's unfortunate neighbor, 35 years ago.

The sense of impotence on the part of the government, police, and even the military is emboldening the lunatic fringe that is too tolerated in Thai society.

My current retirement visa expires in August. So personally, I will try to hang in at home in BKK until then. If the situation has not improved, I'll be out of here.

I love Bangkok and Thais, but appreciate having the option to flee this poisoned scene.

[DP25]

It's affecting me VERY heavily and I am getting more enraged by the day. I can't get to Siam Paragon to eat at MOS Burger

[elkangorito]

Could I care less? I suppose I could but essentially, I couldn't care less than I already do.

[Doro22]

I guess the company I am working for is not the only one, but our sales have dropped 25% plus since the mess started. If continues a lot of people will be out of work in many sectors.

In contrast to Sars, Tsunami, coupes etc. This will really hurt Thailand for a long time.I always been very optimistic and happy about life in Thailand, that has change, and the "fed up" feelling gets worse by the minute.

Luckily I have a nice very sweet back up plan, but for many Thais and foreginers future in Thailand does not look good.

Could I care less? I suppose I could but essentially, I couldn't care less than I already do.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The only problem is having to listen to some Farangs rant about it. On a forum it's just a bit sad but no big deal. In real life I just move away from the crazies and haters.

[Stricken]

Now that they got to the GENERAL, I'm ready to join the REDS for the cause !!! REAL DEMOCRACY FOR THAILAND !!!!

Edited May 13, 2010 by Stricken

[somtampet]

RIP BANGKOK.

Maybe this unrest will help the thai and farang elite to realise that you cannot rape Thailand and get away with it.The huge majority have had their say now lets move on and stop this racism and greed from the minority nasty Bangokians

Edited May 13, 2010 by somtampet

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Now that they got to the GENERAL, I'm ready to join the REDS for the cause !!! REAL DEMOCRACY FOR THAILAND !!!!

I don't think it's the time. For too many people right now it's not about democracy anymore. If it was, then Abhisit's very reasonable offer would have been accepted last week. I think I'll wait for a new and more genuine effort, that may very well include people from what is currently perceived as the Yellow side.

I think the lines will be redrawn in the not too distant future. Everything will change.

Edited May 14, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[phetaroi]

I guess the company I am working for is not the only one, but our sales have dropped 25% plus since the mess started. If continues a lot of people will be out of work in many sectors.

In contrast to Sars, Tsunami, coupes etc. This will really hurt Thailand for a long time.I always been very optimistic and happy about life in Thailand, that has change, and the "fed up" feelling gets worse by the minute.

Luckily I have a nice very sweet back up plan, but for many Thais and foreginers future in Thailand does not look good.

I think yesterday for me was sort of the breaking point. I'm just a retiree who has been living here just about a year now. For about 6 weeks now it seems like my world has been shrinking due to the red shirt protests. At first it was a minor distraction. But when things moved to Ratchaprasong it did change my everyday life for the negative. To be honest, when you're retired, sometimes malls are a great place to spend some time browsing, and our favorite restaurants were at or near Central World. At first I would still do my "photo walks", my main hobby. But as things loomed more ominous and there were the daily reports that the army would soon be moving in to shut down the rally, I hesitated to do the photo walks anymore because if I went into old town, for example, what if the transportation back got shut down (BTS or MRT); it just started getting so complicated to go places that were just for enjoyment. Then one day I drove out to Chang Wattana for my 90 day resident report. A day later was the 4 hour gun battle right there on that expressway. I had been having some physical therapy at BNH hospital, and stopped, by coincidence, the day before those hand grenades very, very close to there went off. I need to go to my bank (HSBC)...not desperately...but I need to go there. I've put that off repeatedly.

I guess what I'm saying is this: Mostly it's been a pain-in-the-ass inconvenience. And I admit that I am a bit overcautious. But it just seems like my world keeps shrinking. From last May through sometime in April I could well tolerate the little inconveniences that one constantly finds in Thailand. I could always balance those inconveniences by laughing them off and thinking, "but look at all the fun I'm having" or "it's such an interesting place and I'm discovering so many intriguing sights", and so forth. But now there isn't much to balance those inconveniences. Yesterday morning the internet went down because they said we hadn't paid our bill...although we had. I simply exploded. I can't watch the t.v. news because it's in Thai. And now I can't even get on the internet. My world shrunk again. My partner got that straightened out after about an hour, but in a sense, the damage was done. He couldn't see why I was so upset. And my answer was that I could no longer see the enjoyable part of living in Thailand...all I could see were the inconveniences.

So it has brought me to think about going back to the States. Gonna give it a little time. See if things calm down. See if this country can get back to a semblance of normalcy...or at least normalcy for Thailand . But I'm not going to waste the few good remaining years in a country where live isn't a least balanced out between the good and the negative.

And so, to the OP, I guess that's my bottom line response. Right now the scales are tipped awfully far to the negative side. It's not the Thailand I signed up for. It's not the Thailand I knew since my first trip here in 1987. I hope that balance can swing back to something more normal fairly soon.

[eightsix]

It's affecting me VERY heavily and I am getting more enraged by the day. I can't get to Siam Paragon to eat at MOS Burger

Emporium's got one

[TonyH]

I guess the long term repercussions will be disaster for many companies an the knock-on effect will be loss of employment, I live in Pattaya which is not really affected by the troubles but business is way down compared to last year.

But for retirees and people who don't need to work there is absolutely no problem in Pattaya.

Getting around Bangkok must be very hard right now and I am glad I don't need to go there!

[rubin]

I live in Nana area. I usually take BTS to go to work at Silom. Now BTS stations in the center are all closed. I have to take a taxi now and go via highway. Instead of paying 20 baht for the BTS ticket, I pay 130 for a taxi now.

[jackdawson]

yes i agree

it's over

cancel ur move , in due course i mean

[up-country_sinclair]

I live down south, and so far it has only affected me in one way: it upsets my wife.

Edited May 14, 2010 by up-country_sinclair

[Jimi007]

No problems in Phuket, other than a hand grenade was found on the front door of the ASTV office in Phuket Town the other day. But, I need to go to my Embassy in Bangkok, for an earnings statement to extend my visa for another year. They're closed, due to the red shirt "protest." Hopefully things will calm down soon, but it's not looking very good right now in that area of Bangkok. But the consulate in Chang Mai is open. Just twice as far and over twice the airfare!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

No problems in Phuket, other than a hand grenade was found on the front door of the ASTV office in Phuket Town the other day. But, I need to go to my Embassy in Bangkok, for an earnings statement to extend my visa for another year. They're closed, due to the red shirt "protest." Hopefully things will calm down soon, but it's not looking very good right now in that area of Bangkok. But the consulate in Chang Mai is open. Just twice as far and over twice the airfare!

Air Asia flies to Chiang Mai now. Should be affordable.

Edited May 14, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Centrum]

The red shirts and the army are facing off at the end of my soi, out front of the Indra Square shopping mall.

Looks rather tense at the moment.

[hammered]

Just been all around ther lower north visiting family and now back in Chonburi. Not affected at all. There werne even any roadblocks in operation on the main raod to Bangkok. Up north only saw a few red flags and nobodfy was wearing red and was surprised by how little sympathy there was for them even among farmers. Virtually everybody didnt give a %^&* about the events in Bangkok. Very surprising. Still we are talking about the lower north and notThaksin heartland although methinks weng may be telling fibs if he says he speaks for 30 million people.

[smileplur]

Well, I work in Khlong Toey which is rather close to Lumpini. There are occasional helicopters, and people seem to be on edge. I live in the On Nut area, so the closures of the BTS are a major inconvenience. Last night, I went to have dinner with my girlfriend, and we got to the BTS just to watch them close the gates on us which was rather frustrating! Out of fear that the section of the BTS I take home would close, I had to drive into work. Needless to say, I don't particularly care for driving my motorbike on busy, congested streets like Sukhumvit and Rama IV in rush hour traffic. Today on the drive home, there was a big jam because they have blocked the way any further down Rama IV at the street I turn at. Thankfully, I turn in the other direction.

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

I live in the north, 600km from Bangkok and life has not changed in the slightest. A good friend recently moved home and as such has been without the TV and internet for over 6 weeks. He is blissfully ignorant about everything that goes on outside of his 3 rai world (about an acre) and is all the happier for it. (I keep him up to date with the footy scores, but that's all he asked for).