There MIGHT be some way to access CW directly by vehicle, or go there and park somewhere nearby... But, the main roads bordering CW are entirely blocked by protest activities there, those being Rama I and Ratchadamri.

AFAIK, it would be a lot easier to drive to a BTS location somewhere and take the BTS Sukhumvit Line to the Childom Station, and just a short walk from there. CW really doesn't seem a very car friendly location right now.

Chaeng Wattana Update - Short version: AVOID!

Sorry for the delay. Got back home this morning and got totally side-tracked by the family

Muang Thong Thani to Laksi @ 07:00
I did wonder en-route what changes would have happened considering the attention the police have been lavishing on this site for the past 48 hours. As I approached the entrance to the site where we have been re-routed right I noticed the lane was blocked and we were being pushed into the u-turn. I decided to press on (easy on a motorbike) and asked the PDRC guard at the entrance if I could go to Laksi. He indicated I could. The "improved" route is now CLOSED and ALL traffic is being forced on past Thailand Post and onto Chaeng Wattana 5. From here you come up to Chaeng Wattana and join traffic from Bang Khen to the u-turn where everybody is forced to turn round.

Return @ 08:00
A little easier as I slipped back down 5 from Laksi. If you are approaching from Bang Khen you will have to go up to the u-turn, then back down to the u-turn under the bridge and then onto 5. Not too bad at 08:00 on a Sunday but at other times this is going to be hellish. Once through the site I noted that traffic was flowing but only 1 lane in either direction at the West edge of the protest site. I guess they are slowing the flow to allow for better monitoring.

Basically put avoid like the plague for now. I will report back on Thursday when I try to make the same trip again....if it hasn't been cleared.

Other than the traffic issues, what did it look like out there morning time?

Protest crowd large/small and visible or not visible. And what about presence or absence of police?

Other than the traffic issues, what did it look like out there morning time?

Protest crowd large/small and visible or not visible. And what about presence or absence of police?

The same, no crowds visible at all. Everybody there, that I can see from my glimpse in the entrance, has a job (i.e. vendor, motorsai, security, army, etc). There are no visible "crowds" (i.e. Thai picnic or tents) from either side. That said I can imagine if I was in there I would be placing myself in the middle of the site to allow for me to react to any "attack". It is hard to tell but I have seen no evidence of any real numbers for the past 2 weeks.

today Grung Kasem road from Nang Lerng to Tawet is closed off. Whatever the police "cleared" on Friday is now back X5.

Today at around 3 pm Ploenchit between Langsuan and Wittayu. Open again to traffic. Unfortunately traffic along Wittayu both ways very slow, presumably affected by arterial roads.

Needless to say, don't come anywhere near Rattanakosin area today. If you must pass to the west, maybe going through Chinatown would work, but I think anything south of Ratchawiti down to Ratchadamnern, from Rama VI over to the river will either be blocked or really congested.

I just heard from a colleague that a bomb went off near the parlament. Anybody that has some insight to what's going on in that area?

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I don't see any smoke.

Edited February 18, 201412 yr by taony

I know Silom is blocked to traffic, is Sathorn still clear?

Yes, Sathorn is open, but the traffic is very heavy, especially cars going into Convent and then on through to Silom, and on Saladaeng, behind Silom Complex onto Convent and on to Silom.

Edited February 18, 201412 yr by samtam

Thanks!

Anyone know about the situation at the Ploenchit / Wireless area?

I know Rama I is blocked in front of Central World but is it still possible to come down Sukhumvit / Ploenchit all the way to the Erawan Shrine and make a left on Rajdamri?

Patrick

Anyone know about the situation at the Ploenchit / Wireless area?

I know Rama I is blocked in front of Central World but is it still possible to come down Sukhumvit / Ploenchit all the way to the Erawan Shrine and make a left on Rajdamri?

Patrick

During day time: YES

At night: NO

Anyone know about the situation at the Ploenchit / Wireless area?

I know Rama I is blocked in front of Central World but is it still possible to come down Sukhumvit / Ploenchit all the way to the Erawan Shrine and make a left on Rajdamri?

Patrick

During day time: YES

At night: NO

Best way to get to Rajdamri if coming from Sukhumvit/Ploenchit is to turn left onto Wireless then turn right down Sarasin and then down to Rajdamri. You could also go down to Lang Suan and do the same thing, but that's a bit of a gamble.

If I get a sleeper train to BKK and arrive in the morning, will I have trouble getting to Pinklao? To be honest I don't even know where the Train station is. I am looking for up to date info if possible.

If I get a sleeper train to BKK and arrive in the morning, will I have trouble getting to Pinklao? To be honest I don't even know where the Train station is. I am looking for up to date info if possible.

From Hualamphong going to PinKlao is doable without going near any protest sites. You have to assume that any taxi driver is going to want to avoid the protest sites and will know a good route.....or they just love tutting too much!

Chaeng Wattana Update

Muang Thong Thani - Laksi - 07:30
This morning the traffic heading into the site was dreadful and the queues started back at the overpass outside Healthland. On a motorbike it was just "a pain" but doable. Entering the Government Complex it is back to 2 lanes in either direction but the route is bottle necked as it heads up past Thailand Post Office as the road here is very narrow for 2 lanes and there are a lot of big vehicles using it. Once through there was quite a bit of traffic queuing to go down to Viphavadi-Rangsit but a lot of this was the protestor's trucks.

Laksi - Muang Thong Thani - 08:00

Just as bad and for the same reasons.

Basically there is more road access than last week but there is a HUGE amount of traffic trying to use it and the Muang Thong crowd heading to Viphavadi makes it much worse. Still try to avoid, at least during rush hour.

I'm heading to see mate in Soi 6 Sukhimvit tommorrow. I stay in Phanat Nikhom. I head to the 3 expressway cut off at Sukhimvit. I then go through the hospital onto Soi 3 and across the cross road to 4 and then from 4 onto 6. Do any of you lads expect delays. We are heading there for around lunch time. Cheers

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So, with the departure of the Monk, is CW open again for Visas etc? Or is this a temporary departure?

According to recent articles here today, the rice farmers are on the way to Bangkok with their slowy-dowy tractors,... any reliable update would be very much appreciated...

I believe I read that they are staying around Ayuthada and will come into the city tomorrow.

Asoke at 13:00 today (saturday).

Recorded speech and recorded crowd sounds playing... nobody at all except people passing through

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Asoke at 13:00 today (saturday).

Recorded speech and recorded crowd sounds playing... nobody at all except people passing through

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Was there last night about 9PM. Maybe 200 people, 400 if you included the vendors, guards and protest tourists. Suk seems to be permanently blocked with sandbags at the entrances to their site.

Just went through Muang Thong Thani IMPACT outside CMPO. Nobody there, not 1 visible protestor, just the usual suspects. Haven't been to Chaeng Wattana today but there has been nobody visible there for weeks now.

Just back from National Stadium. A lot of protesters were there. Maybe that's where they sleep?

You mean... like this? (Taken from the National Stadium BTS Station walkway last weekend)

This map seems to have been updated with the latest tragedies.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210550963008557722983.0004ea041241da07d86cb&msa=0&ll=13.758894,100.548248&spn=0.107544,0.184364&dg=feature

Cantral World at noon Sunday: Nobody.

Edited February 23, 201412 yr by ExpatOilWorker

Just seen anti government protesters going past Eastin Hotel on New Petchburi Road. I don't know how many or where they're going but I assume someone will see where they end up.