*Satire*

BANGKOK – After suffering another weekend of lost sales due to large-scale UDD protests, the vendors of Bangkok’s Rajprasong shopping district have assembled for their own protest, demanding that future gatherings of red-shirts promise to buy more handbags, accessories, and high-end fashion items.

Calling themselves the Patriot’s Rajprasong Anti-Demonstration Association, or PRADA, the vendors asked for a “fair balance” between the political rights of the UDD and the mercantile rights of luxury retailers.

“We proudly serve this nation’s richest and most influential people and their need to pay 300% markups on ostentatious designer brands,” said Suksana Meechaiprap, the PRADA spokesperson and co-owner of Zenith watch shop in Gaysorn Plaza. “Our way of life, which is a cornerstone of traditional Thai culture, is under threat.”

According to the group’s calculations, each UDD protest costs area vendors Bt30-60 million in lost sales. While not arguing the legality of the protests, PRADA members are asking for the tens of thousands of anti-government working-class persons to at least pick up some of the slack.

PRADA’s list of demands includes a minimum Bt500 purchase of goods or services by every red-shirted protestor who occupies Rajprasong for more than three hours. In return, protestors will receive a stamp on a special Rajprasong Spenders Club Card for every Bt500 in receipts, with a full-stamped card redeemable for a free entrée at the Intercontinental Hotel Bistro.

“We’ve got some really great brands here at Rajprasong, not to mention some fabulous F&B options,” said Suksana. “Would it kill these farmers and factory workers to browse around a bit?”

Additionally, PRADA wants to make it mandatory that UDD leaders buy at least one high-end accessory for every protest, with a minimum value of Bt150,000.

“We happen to know that Veera, Jatuporn, and the rest of Thaksin’s cronies are not at all poor,” said Suksana. “In fact they’ve been shopping at Gaysorn for years. Now it’s time to show some loyalty to the shops that stood by them before they decided to style themselves heroes of the working-class.”

UDD leaders declined to comment on PRADA’s demands. However, some of the rank-and-file red-shirt members seemed intrigued by the idea.

“I have a pair of Chanel sunglasses I bought off a table at the Udon Thani night market,” said one woman who declined to give her name. “I had hoped the Chanel shop might tighten the screws for me. But the security guard wouldn’t even let me in.”

source - http://notthenation.com/2011/01/rajprasong-vendors-demand-reds-buy-more-handbags/

satire but according to the better of the english language papers they did actually stage a protest yesterday at rajaprasong, protesting about protests. they say every time there is a protest they can not make money, so they protested by protesting at the same place where the other protesters protest, therefore costing themselves money.

Why not take out the middle man and just have Thaksin buy the red shirts accessories from the Ratchaprasong vendors? Seems like a good use of his ill-gotten gains.