British tourists attracted to 'carnival-like' Bangkok protests

[stoneyboy]

Thai political protests are best viewed on Channel 3 Thai TV.

[Nynke]

Does anyone know if it's safe to visit the MBK centre? I just arrived 2 days ago in Bangkok and I wanted to go there to buy some stuff (Taking the BTS).

But I don't want to get myself in any trouble.

[Calach]

There's no harm taking a look out of curiosity, as long as they behave properly.

[trogers]

Does anyone know if it's safe to visit the MBK centre? I just arrived 2 days ago in Bangkok and I wanted to go there to buy some stuff (Taking the BTS).

But I don't want to get myself in any trouble.

There is a elevated walkway link from BTS National Stadium to MBK.

[Calach]

I found myself arriving into a protest site with my bike the other day, didn't have a choice with all the roadblocks, I had to go through it. Indeed there is a carnival atmosphere, people weren't agressive and were wearing large smiles and waving flags at me, it was pretty nice and interesting to be there actually.

Would be a shame to miss it as long as you don't dwell there and actually take part in the protests.

[nowork114]

What's wrong with wandering around Siam? Its hardly a war zone. More like a street market.

Sounๆds like there are a few bed wetters who are afraid of their own shadows.

Yes,some posters do seem to be rather miserable, mustn't have fun must we?, perhaps that's why so many UK residents prefer to live in Thailand, they enjoy the sanuk which may be lacking back home.

Regarding safety, walking around the protest site is considerably safer than outside-no buses or motorbikes to run you over.

It is quite obvious from your other comment Siripon that you support Suthep and his protestors. You want to downplay the risks to people.

Unfortunately, people have been killed at the protest sites. One need not to be a participant, on either side to suffer collateral damage.

These people think its carnival. It is not. Present at these sites are large numbers of people with guns. Wherever untrained and unsupervised weapons are found, there are injuries.

Bullets can miss their intended targets or ricochet. Explosives detonated do not discriminate.

These are foolish people who run the risk of serious injury. When it happens, they will expect the embassy to come running to take care of them. Some do not have health insurance that will pay for their medical care let alone medevac flight home.

Yes. It doesn't take too much for a friendly crowd to become an enraged mob, which could bode ill for whitey. Alcohol, a bit of anti-western rhetoric - who knows what could happen. Why take the chance?

To be safe, better stay in a bunker 30m below

[nowork114]

Does anyone know if it's safe to visit the MBK centre? I just arrived 2 days ago in Bangkok and I wanted to go there to buy some stuff (Taking the BTS).

But I don't want to get myself in any trouble.

There is a elevated walkway link from BTS National Stadium to MBK.

No problem at all.

[mervyn yap]

Party on.Newbies falangs .Welcome to Thailand.

[Suradit69]

British tourists attracted to 'carnival-like' Bangkok protests

Hundreds of young tourists in Bangkok - some of them British - are ignoring the travel advice of the Foreign Office to “avoid all protests” in the city following the general election last Sunday

Bright lights and sparkly things tend to attract knuckle-scrapers, but if some of them are British, wouldn't that imply that some were not?

"It's really interesting to see what political disagreement looks like in a culture that's so different from ours.

Well that's understandable. The fevered pitch of British politics is obviously exhausting.

[shiok]

One word.... Idiots.

actually he's telling the truth, it's different from other countries' protest, it's a 'big party'

[Lancelot]

I can understand the draw- seemingly happy locals joking and having fun. What the tourists don't realize is that life in Thailand is not always as it seems and the violence could start in a heart beat.

To each his own but I wouldn't go there

[gemini81]

Haha, the epitome of a banana republic. Carnival indeed.

Edited February 6, 2014 by gemini81

[CIHUAHUA]

I don't live in Bangkok but what is wrong with free live entertainment? When you are at the theater you sit in the seats but never go on stage. If you are not Thai then you are a guest taking advantage of all that the culture has to offer and after 18 coups it is part of the culture. AT least there is more to Thailand than LBFMs, bars and temples and old guys from the UK.

[DocN]

Yeah! It's so nice to see political differences play out in another culture! It's like a carneval!

What tools!!!

Dead, injured, paralyzed people.

Shootings, bombings!

...and a country on the brink of civil war, with thousands of people not getting paid for rice or laid off from their jobs!

Just like carneval!

[bigbamboo]

If you want to be really safe then stay in Dubai.

[reflectionx]

Wait, carnival??? I read here that these protesters were "fascists" and "terrorists".

Them tourists should be consulting our expat experts here in TV for everything! How dare they???

Sent via the app thingy

[tetleythedog]

One word.... Idiots.

Two words..... bloody idiots.

What else would you expect from the backpacker crowd ..................common sense ?

[slipperylobster]

One word.... Idiots.

Br-idiots.

[slipperylobster]

British tourists attracted to 'carnival-like' Bangkok protests

Hundreds of young tourists in Bangkok - some of them British - are ignoring the travel advice of the Foreign Office to “avoid all protests” in the city following the general election last Sunday

Bright lights and sparkly things tend to attract knuckle-scrapers, but if some of them are British, wouldn't that imply that some were not?

"It's really interesting to see what political disagreement looks like in a culture that's so different from ours.

Well that's understandable. The fevered pitch of British politics is obviously exhausting.

Saw the same bunch in Pattaya... Tried to have fun, but the whole place was sleeping.

[Rooney860]

It's about the only exciting thing that will happen in their lives, unless they go for a long weekend in Kabul!!!

[diehard60]

Theds under thirty have no idea of what is going on there and what just might happen to them. If they get hurt or killed it is there own fault.

[sam sen]

there's often a good band playing at ratchaprasong but, as with most of the sites during the week, hardly anyone there.

i never hang around, it would be a foolish thing to do.

[diehard60]

Being downtown lots of tourists naturally pass through the area.Apart from the dancing , friendly folk, stalls and tents providing various services and information, there's also the tasty free food.

No tourist is going to get deported for wandering around, it's when they announce they're going to indulge in arson or looting as the English and Australian red shirt farangs did in 2010 that the authorities take note.

Forward with reform,Lung Suthep!

What English and Australians???? Do you have proof? What are there names?

[starkey_rich]

Yep idiots. They could find themselves being arrested and charged short stint in the Hilton and deported.

Probably do them some good.

All these Garp year idiots on travelling on mommy and daddies credit card.

Would be something to brag about though.

When I did the Bangers riot's blah! blah!

[Cricketnut]

What's wrong with wandering around Siam? Its hardly a war zone. More like a street market.

Sounds like there are a few bed wetters who are afraid of their own shadows.

totally agree.

the protest zones are not dangerous for tourists who behave normally.

its not about behaving properly, rather someone else behaving improperly! But what the heck if some don't mind a bit of Heavy Metal who am I to say.... Bloody Drongos!

[chooka]

Being downtown lots of tourists naturally pass through the area.Apart from the dancing , friendly folk, stalls and tents providing various services and information, there's also the tasty free food.

No tourist is going to get deported for wandering around, it's when they announce they're going to indulge in arson or looting as the English and Australian red shirt farangs did in 2010 that the authorities take note.

Forward with reform,Lung Suthep!

What English and Australians???? Do you have proof? What are there names?

A Briton and an Australian who joined Thailand's anti-government protests were charged with inciting violence and committing other crimes that could lead to two years in prison. Briton Jeff Savage, 48 Australian Conor Purcell, 30.

How's that enough proof.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/7834706/British-man-faces-charges-over-Thai-riot.html

oh then there was this one also

BANGKOK — A second British man has been arrested in Thailand for alleged involvement in violent anti-government "Red Shirt" protests earlier this year, police said Thursday

.

Keith Wayne Bush, 49, from Manchester was arrested on arson charges at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday after arriving on a flight from the United Arab Emirates, according to immigration police.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hyOlrRhPkfSo-JtQoBsBFpVFOLLw?hl=en

Edited February 6, 2014 by chooka

[hawker9000]

Yep idiots. They could find themselves being arrested and charged short stint in the Hilton and deported.

While I don't actually think it's a great idea to be hanging around those areas, I sort of doubt you're in much danger of being arrested simply for being in the crowd. If you know of foreigners being picked up by police simply for that, correct me, but I suspect it takes a more activist posture to attract police attention. 'Such as getting up on stage - yeah, dumb. Participating in a march - probably almost as dumb. From what little I saw, it really was sort of "carnival-like". These are not mobs burning figures in effigy, or screaming angry slogans, or throwing stuff at police, overturning cars, ransacking stores, etc., etc., etc. Were that the case, it really would be stupid for foreigners to even think of doing anything but giving very wide berth.

[Jim walker]

And these are people who probably don’t vote at home so they would have little interest in politics never mind an interest in Thai politics.

[Phatcharanan]

Lets see if they are happy with a bullet up their Bum (as above IDIOTS)

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[fish fingers]

It's a happy peaceful demonstration, full of lovely people who truly represent a decent Thailand. Have visited the Asoke stage area many times, as you have to travel through anyway; it never fails to surprise me how generous everyone is, giving out free food etc.

"idiots!" the red shirt farangs on here are seething about this as they know the 2010 trouble doesn't compare favorably. What can you say.

Edited February 6, 2014 by fish fingers