Report From A Warzone

[rishi]

People walking by with guns, shooting at each and everybody. Motorbikers driving by with guns, shooting at each and everybody. Truckloads of armed people with guns and heavy duty artillery and plenty of ammution, shooting, bombing, crunching each and everyone. An hour ago the neighbour to the left turned his place into a stronghold, that easily outmatches any of the drive-buy shooters artillery. Now the nighbour to the right is setting up a similar outfit. I feel sieged.

It appears to me, the guns are bigger and more powerful than last year, right?

[Samui Coconut]

Even on Samui the road to the aiport is under siege....impossible to leave.....Chaeng Beach Road is a war zone, even female fighters are out in full force.....yesssss, and even children are forced to fight with guns larger than life .......

[Rinrada]

All quiet here in Enfield,North London this morning.

Beautiful blue skys,sun shining but with just a touch of frost in the air.

Saw a dog pee up against my neighbours fence on the way to work (me that is ...not the dog)but that was it.....

Hopefully will celebrate the start of Song K in our friends pub tonight over in Waltham Abbey..Essex (has Thai wife)with a few jars of the wet stuff and maybe a bowl or 2 of Keo wan gai with crusty french bread to dip in it...init...

Definately not a war zone...nice......

[KhunMarco]

Exceptionally difficult and unstable situation has developed on the Huay Kaew front by the morning of April 12. The Farang troops are persistently trying to take control of the strategic "triangle" Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Center -Orchid Hotel - 7 eleven. At the same time the coalition units are continuing their advance toward Hua Lin Corner, but so far the Farang forces were unable to take any of these strategic spots. To move forward the Farang units are forced to leave behind large numbers of troops needed to blockade the streets remaining under Thai control.

Rough estimates show that the territory "captured" by the Farang forces still contains at least 30,000 Thai regular troops and militia engaged in active combat. Military experts are already warning the Farang command about the danger of underestimating the enemy: doing so may seriously complicate the situation of the attacking forces and foil the coalition's very optimistic plans.

A crisis situation has developed in the area of Suan Dok Gate. Having encountered no initial Thai opposition elements of the Farang 2nd Soaking Unit begun advancing toward the moat but were met with heavy buckets and baloons fire and were forced to assume defensive positions resorting to close combat. The exchange of fire continued for nearly seven hours resulting in up to 12 destroyed Honda Wave and up to 20 powdered Farangs.

[rishi]

Having encountered no initial Thai opposition elements of the Farang 2nd Soaking Unit begun advancing toward the moat but were met with heavy buckets and baloons fire and were forced to assume defensive positions resorting to close combat.

Yeah, these days the moats truly live up to their original purpose. Let the defenders succeed in keeping the dark forces out of the area. Unfortunately, too many trigger-happy maniacs succeeded in entering before the defenses were put up. They're now swarming out, heavily armed, from their guesthouses. Glad my neighbours make them cross to the other side of the street and hurry away, without even considering to return the firing.

[chuchok]

Having encountered no initial Thai opposition elements of the Farang 2nd Soaking Unit begun advancing toward the moat but were met with heavy buckets and baloons fire and were forced to assume defensive positions resorting to close combat.

Yeah, these days the moats truly live up to their original purpose. Let the defenders succeed in keeping the dark forces out of the area. Unfortunately, too many trigger-happy maniacs succeeded in entering before the defenses were put up. They're now swarming out, heavily armed, from their guesthouses. Glad my neighbours make them cross to the other side of the street and hurry away, without even considering to return the firing.

Iced water seems to be in order here..just to give you that edge!!

[daleyboy]

Just told the wife i wasnt going to work today, now you wanna see the warzone in my living room

[Ulysses G.]

I've spent most of the day attacking the defenceless with a contra-band super-soaker from the safety of my 4th floor hotel room near Thapae Gate.

The old and the feeble really pull my heart-strings.

[PeaceBlondie]

Down here on the more southern front, Hua-Hin, there have been several barrages reported, coming directly on the beach. Even some sand! However, these are minor skirmishes compared to the heavy combat in the northern front.

[rishi]

... slosh ... slosh ... slosh ... The defeated back-stabbers have returned to their guesthouse-hideouts. Guns not so cocky.... Now, the streets are safe enough to go out and have some dinner.

[chanchao]

I wrote this on the third day of Songkran... Today, I still haven't recovered fully, but BOY was it worth it!!

---

Four days ago... Retired the office clothes and went from discussing software quality goals to discussing optimum nozzle shapes & sizes on water pipe guns, and being just as serious about the topic.. After the first full day I developed the muscle aches in really really unexpected places, such as the 'songkran-thumb' you get from pressing down hard on the business end of a beer bottle, for several hours, to prevent canal water coming in.. Then the hangovers at unexpected times: 8pm hangover instead of 8am.. Planned to take it easier on the third day, but it just got crazier.. Not just the odd muscle ache now, but feel I lost half the power in my left arm.. Hurt like hel_l, but then there's tiger balm to the rescue. The moat near Thapae gate was incredible.. I like to 'play nice' for a while, with the kids and uncles on the Lamphun road and being very careful about it, but then near Thapae it's ROUGH! It looked like a mid evil battle field scene, with the 'moat people' lined up against the 'town people' on the other side of the road. The moat people have the advantage of an unlimited water supply, the town people have less water, but have ice to seriously chill it down.. Though when everyone is so fired up, you don't feel the cold anymore. Then there would be these periodic 'raids' across the road, splashing the other side, then retreating. One group of Japanese backpackers were particularly fierce & fun. It was awesome!!!!

6:30pm went home when the sun crept behind Doi Suthep mountain, 8:30 went out again for dinner and *EVERYTHING* had come to an end.. Could safely ride in the back of a pickup in clean clothes and go around town for the evening.

Today...................... Fourth day of battle...... I'm not so sure. I'd need a change of weapon because my left arm doesn't work that well anymore.. I could just switch to buckets as the weapon of choice.. Though that implies joining the moat-people. Or I could do another drive-around day, though it's rough on the truck. (Clutch especially, which I need to have looked at after the first drive-day.) Also overheating and electrical problems are common; see loads of truck with the bonnet opened a little using a beer can. But electrical stuff sucks too, when water gets into the wrong places it's easy to blow a fuse, or worse, and lose aircon.. which sucks because you obviously can't open the windows. Ah, decisions, decisions.

Songkran is awesome!!!

Cheers,

Chanchao

[KhunMarco]

yeah, heh lot of fun.

To me the most amazing thing is how the whole "party" doesn't degenerate in a gigantic riot.

It tells a lot about the nature of these people.

3 days of total madness, I didn't see a single act of evilness. It makes you think a lot.

In two months I have to go back to my country and I'm already counting the days in a bad mood

But I'll be back in 3 months yaaayyy

ps.

Oh and watching the cops soaked like rats is always a sight not to miss ..hihi

Edited April 18, 2006 by KhunMarco