Information on Protest Sites

[Familyonthemove]

Largest evening crowd I've seen so far at Central World. And the 'market' along Rama 1 is getting bigger - now has several seated restaurants and a bar with juggling cocktail waiter serving 'mobtails'.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks for the latest protest site photos and posts... I was wondering how things were looking at the other sites....

It is the weekend, so I'd expect places like Asoke and CentralWorld to have increased crowds.

Sure like to see something from the ChaengWattana site and all the closed govt. offices there. Haven't seen anything on the level of activity there in many days.

[MaxLee]

Excuse me fellows. I wanna go to St. John's University Vibavahdi area Lad Prao, for me girl friend's sister's commencement day.

Will there be any mob in that area?

Thanks in advance...

[draftvader]

Charan Sanit Wong, Bang O, Bang Phlat blocked to cars - Sunday 26th January

I have just received a call from friends that we were supposed to be visiting today to let me know that Charan Sanit Wong is, at present, blocked to cars. This will be between Tesco Lotus (soi 70) and Yanhee (soi 90).

[taony]

There are a couple protest trucks in front of ratchatewi district office right now (loud of course). This is just north of phayathai intersection, northbound side of phayathai (phaholyothin) road. One lane seems to still be open, but passing very slowly. Some of cars passing are protesters too, so who knows how long it will stay open.

Edit: and right now there is a group coming north on phayathai, just reached bts. Its parade formation with banners and everything. Entire northbound side blocked for once.

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Edited January 26, 2014 by taony

[taony]

Hard to see, but the people with the banners are blocking entire northbound road north of ayuthaya road. To the south of the intersection, all the marches have filled the street under bts. Northbound phayathai completely blocked.

Looks like they are starting to go inside the district office right now.

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[MaxLee]

Anything at St John university at Ladprao??? Anyone???

[taony]

Ok, they formed and re-formed. The parade and most of group moving north towards victory monument now. Noise still arriving loud and clear into my apartment though even with the windows closed.

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[TomTao]

I'm going to Swampy today to fly to Oz for a couple of months, I will be coming from Wat Nakhon Cheunchum, as far as I know the way should be clear from here, but I just want to check to be certain.

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[Robby nz]

Asia Rd is closed by farmers at Inburi, Mrs has just gone to take more water for them

[Robby nz]

Asia Rd is open again at Inburi, farmers have gone home, say they will be back on 30th if not paid by 29th.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What a difference the DAY makes at the Asoke intersection, today:

1:45 pm

6:30 pm (sorry for the blur)

To my eye, the crowd tonight at Asoke looked a little bit smaller than the average weeknight crowd during the past week.

Daytime, with the sun beating down, pretty much all the activity seemed to be underneath the big tent set far back from the Asoke intersection heading toward Petchburi Road.

Still no bus traffic visible in either direction along the Nana-Asoke portion of Sukhumvit Road.

During the day, inbound traffic on Sukhumvit is being forced to turn left onto Asoke and head toward Rama IV.

During the day, outbound traffic on Sukhumvit is being forced to turn left onto Suk Soi 19 at Terminal 21 heading toward Petchburi.

During the day, traffic coming up Asoke from Rama IV is being allowed to turn left onto Sukhumvit Road heading toward Nana.

During the day, no traffic is being allowed coming down Asoke heading toward the Sukhumvit intersection.

[Prbkk]

The crowd at Ratchaprasong is significantly lower. I counted 78 protesters at 1630 today. The crowd may increase after office hours but it is certainly not impeding access to any of the malls or hotels in the vicinity ( including Centralworld, Amarin, Central Chitlom, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and others). The BTS and Skywalk are functioning normally, all exits

[GrantSmith]

The crowd at Ratchaprasong is significantly lower. I counted 78 protesters at 1630 today. The crowd may increase after office hours but it is certainly not impeding access to any of the malls or hotels in the vicinity ( including Centralworld, Amarin, Central Chitlom, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and others). The BTS and Skywalk are functioning normally, all exits

Are you referring to pedestrian access?

Because vehicular access is ridiculously impeded, with Motocy riders and Somchai Citizens doing traffic police duties around those areas... Took me 30 minutes to drive the length of Sarasin from Wireless to Rajadamri, taking the BTS or walking - whilst conveniently quicker - was not an option...

This hasn't changed since Friday when it took the same time to get down Wireless from the Sarasin intersection down to the Ploenchit intersection...

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[Prbkk]

The crowd at Ratchaprasong is significantly lower. I counted 78 protesters at 1630 today. The crowd may increase after office hours but it is certainly not impeding access to any of the malls or hotels in the vicinity ( including Centralworld, Amarin, Central Chitlom, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and others). The BTS and Skywalk are functioning normally, all exits

Are you referring to pedestrian access?

Because vehicular access is ridiculously impeded, with Motocy riders and Somchai Citizens doing traffic police duties around those areas... Took me 30 minutes to drive the length of Sarasin from Wireless to Rajadamri, taking the BTS or walking - whilst conveniently quicker - was not an option...

This hasn't changed since Friday when it took the same time to get down Wireless from the Sarasin intersection down to the Ploenchit intersection...

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Sorry, yes...pedestrian access. Motor access still impossibly difficult....wouldn't even try

[draftvader]

Just come back from my ride to Foodland (Laksi) and back (Muang Thong). En-route I went via Impact and saw approx 100 riot police in FULL gear with shields (and I would imagine, though didn't see, batons) and a couple of prison vans on the south side of IMPACT Challenger between the roundabout (traffic circle) and CMPO.

At the actual site the traffic was VERY heavy this morning, backed up further than it has been in the past few weeks as all the cars have to squeeze into 1 lane to get to use the diversion round the back of the Government Complex. Similar story on return. Avoid unless necessary.

In the actual site it is as it has been for a week now with only vendors and guards (seemingly) inside the site itself. If CMPO heads over there with 100+ riot police and semi-decent tactics this could be over by the end of the day....if they move today.

My advice, take an alternative route today.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Somewhat busier crowd at the Asoke protest site tonight, compared to yesterday. And, perhaps more meaningfully, when I compare tonight's crowd with the crowd from the same time one week ago last Tuesday, I don't see any meaningful difference -- certainly not any big dropoff in participation, as some government backers here keep claiming.

Tonight/Tuesday about 6:45 pm

Same location/same time a week ago, Jan. 21:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/685198-information-on-protest-sites/?p=7324728

Edited January 28, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[praglen]

Does anyonw if there will be a Chinese New Year in Bangkok Friday and Saturday?

[LadPhrao123]

Somewhat busier crowd at the Asoke protest site tonight, compared to yesterday. And, perhaps more meaningfully, when I compare tonight's crowd with the crowd from the same time one week ago last Tuesday, I don't see any meaningful difference -- certainly not any big dropoff in participation, as some government backers here keep claiming.

Tonight/Tuesday about 6:45 pm

2014-01-28 18.48.42.jpg

Same location/same time a week ago, Jan. 21:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/685198-information-on-protest-sites/?p=7324728

Jan 21.jpg

Quite a co-incidence, passed through Asoke BTS/MRT exchanges at the same time 18:45 tonight. Not packed but they were spread out all the way back to the arched tent across the highway. A man on the stage with a soothing and sincere voice delivering a message and makes some points to brief applause (okay, rattles and whistles).

But passing through again at 20:00 the crowd was down to a few hundred at best near the stage and some music.

Around 22:00 a few people in front of the stage and the skywalk was fenced off, closed with a cardboard sign wedged in. Party over for Tuesday.

Going back to 18:45 at Asoke station the MRT was under heavy, heavy traffic with people forced to wait upstairs behind a fence until the preceding crowds moved onto the trains or through the turnstiles above. Then the next waiting group was allowed to advance. Had never seen it so crowded.

[oldthaihand99]

Is the Vietnam embassy in BKK closed for Chinese New Year holidays?

Is the Suthep crowd protesting in that area?

[oldthaihand99]

Is the Vietnam embassy in BKK closed for Chinese New Year holidays?

Is the Suthep crowd protesting in that area?

Closed till the 6th for the Tet offensive, er, New Year.

No indications anywhere thereabouts that BKK has a single protestor, let alone is "paralyzed" by them. Still waiting for that, Suthep. Maybe next year, eh?

The trip had planty of eye candy, though.

[LadPhrao123]

Asoke rally site today around 2 p.m., 6 people in front of the stage wearing white polo shirts. NO one else except pedestrians walking across Asoke. At 4:30 p.m. the number of interested parties looking at the stage had doubled.

MRT and BTS traffic seemed normal. No one I saw passing through the MRT or BTS stations today with protestor colors or accessories.

[samtam]

Is Ploenchit, (approaching from Wittayu) open to vehicular traffic, and exiting on Langsuan?

[GrantSmith]

Is Ploenchit, (approaching from Wittayu) open to vehicular traffic, and exiting on Langsuan?

It's open, but as you can see from the below image, it's a shit fight!

That's Langsuan and Ploenchit..

Edited January 29, 2014 by GrantSmith

[samtam]

Thanks. Is that Langsuan?

[samtam]

Also, if anyone knows where the polling stations are in Bangkok, it might be useful to post them, (so that they can be avoided on Sunday).

[GrantSmith]

Also, if anyone knows where the polling stations are in Bangkok, it might be useful to post them, (so that they can be avoided on Sunday).

I think Bangkok should be avoided on Sunday, not just polling stations...

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[samtam]

Is Ploenchit, (approaching from Wittayu) open to vehicular traffic, and exiting on Langsuan?

It's open, but as you can see from the below image, it's a shit fight!

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1390997522.036754.jpg

That's Langsuan and Ploenchit..

I was planning to go tomorrow, but I saw a tweet that Suthep will lead a march along Sukhumvit from Onnut to Silom, so I guess it will all be closed off again, as it was when I went last Thursday. &&** it!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Don't know if it's a trend, or just a one-off night... But tonight at Asoke was one of the smallest protest crowds I've seen on any weeknight since the beginning, and markedly smaller than even last night.

I was a bit earlier tonight, but only by about 10 minutes, compared to all my other photo posts, including yesterday's. So that's not going to account for this kind of difference.

Tonight at Asoke intersection about 6:15 pm.

[GrantSmith]

I was planning to go tomorrow, but I saw a tweet that Suthep will lead a march along Sukhumvit from Onnut to Silom, so I guess it will all be closed off again, as it was when I went last Thursday. &&** it!

Well.. If you can leave the car at home and take the BTS then you shouldn't have too much trouble during the day... Then again, if you're driving, it would depend where in Bangkok you're coming from, it's doable i.e coming down Narathiwat..

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