Thai Unrest
Thai anti-government protests could be devastating blow to tourism and economy
Tens of thousands of Thai anti-government protesters occupied central Bangkok this weekend in their latest move to topple the Government, raising fears of a potentially devastating blow to tourism and the economy.
The Red Shirt protesters moved into Bangkok's main shopping district on Saturday and seized control of a major intersection, paralysing traffic and forcing a number of Thailand's biggest shopping malls, normally packed with weekend shoppers, to close.
More than 50,000 demonstrators ignored a warning to clear the area by 9pm, choosing instead to sleep in the streets and the doorways of luxury hotels on Saturday night. However, their leaders agreed to meet authorities later today.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce said that the economic losses from the takeover of the shopping and hotel area could reach 500 million baht a day.
The Government said that the Red Shirts' latest rally was illegal because it was blocking a major business area, and that the protesters could each face up to a year in jail and a 20,000 baht fine if they did not leave.
"The protest at the intersection is no longer legal because it is a major business area, causing a lot of damage socially and economically," Sathit Wongnongtoey, the Prime Minister's Office Minister, told local television late on Saturday.
Mr Sathit said that there was no immediate plan to disperse the protesters with force.
The mostly rural and working-class demonstrators, who support the ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, have been protesting for weeks. They have said that they will not leave until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Government dissolves Parliament and calls elections. Last week Mr Abhisit offered to dissolve Parliament in December, a year early, but the Red Shirts said that it was not enough.
Veera Musikapong, the protest leader, said that the demonstrators would remain until at least Monday, but that they would negotiate with authorities today to allow some traffic through.
"We have no choice but to step up civil disobedience until the Government listens," he said. "We are here because this area is a symbol of Bangkok elite. We want to show them they cannot rule without consensus of the people."
The occupation of one Bangkok's biggest commercial districts has raised concerns about a rippling impact on tourism and the economy ahead of Thailand's two-day Songkran holiday on April 13.
"We have nothing against peaceful democratic protests, but this has affected the normal way of life," said Apichart Singka-aree, director and former president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.
"Out of some 100 previously booked flights for Chinese tourists to fly in for the Songkran festival, over 60 have been cancelled. We are trying to save the remaining 30 something flights," he said.
Suvarnabhumi airport remains on high alert as the authorities are determined to avoid a repeat of 2008, when pro-government Yellow Shirts seized the airport to force political change. The airport occupation led to the cancellation of scores of flights and cost the country millions of dollars in lost tourism.
Comments
The educated, informed yellow shirts overthrown a democratically elected government with the help of the army. I certainly don't want that kind of people in Europe :)
For me the difference is that if the red shirts had to choose between the corrupted king of Thailand (who doesn't even allow free speech to criticize him) who gave them nothing and the corrupted politician who was making a personal fortune but who helped them to send their children to school, they chose the later: they at least got some basic benefits that most people take for granted (basic health care, help for education, etc) and the king only gave them beautiful pictures (but increasing his fortune every day -he's already the richest monarch on Earth in one of the poorest countries-)
Red shirts are not stupid, but the world isn't black and white. They must choose the best option since right now they don't have a perfect one.
I was speaking with many red shirts who are involved in the rally or that show sympathy for them and they are not uninformed or stupid at all -and by large-. It's very easy to say that they receive economic help, but they are *extremely* poor and without it they could have never been able to move to Bangkok, let alone stay here for more than 8 hours.
Regards,
Juan ( http://www.DestinoTailandia.com )
The difference is that the yellow shirts were educated, informed people who acted on what they believed in (and against corruption). Everybody knows that the red shirts are largely motivated by greed and getting paid to participate in the protest (funded by arguably the most corrupt politician in Thai history). It's not rocket science.
The strange thing is: when the yellow shirts seized the airport they were received as heroes in Bangkok. Now that the red shirts are paralyzing the shopping centers, they are the villains.
The media here is heavily against them. And people in Bangkok are starting to get tired of this (and they are also consumers of that media).
Regards,
Juan ( http://www.DestinoTailandia.com )
Post new comment