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Published: April 9th 2006
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Good afternoon from a hot hot hot Bangkok! Typing may be slow today as even my fingers are sweaty ( ugh!) and keep slipping off the keyboard!!
I went to a political rally the other night. Unbeknown to me. I thought it was a rock concert.
I was on my way to the Buddhist centre by the Grand Palace to attend a talk on life, the world, universe etc when I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by loud music and a big video screen. Being naturally curious, I followed the crowds to this large fenced off area. I wandered past the police guard and through the turnstiles, where tickets were being handed out. I had one pressed into my palm; It had what looked like a blind man with a guide dog and the number '41' printed on the ticket. I nodded appreciately, wondering 'what the hell is this all about?'. Once inside the arena, it had the feel of Glastonbury festival. Flags waving, people standing (and further back seated) on the grass, stalls selling food and people selling wares and in the middle of it all, a big stage flanked by video screens. I congratulated myself on
If it gets boring you can always sleep anyway.........
Check out the guy sleeping lower right while a big political demo goes on!! how lucky I was to have found a free mid-summer rock concert in the middle of Bangkok!
Almost as soon as I arrived, the music stopped and the 'presenter' went up on stage. He spoke a few words, and the crowd cheered appreciatively and waved flags. Just like Glastonbury again. I started to believe that the Thais and British were actually more similar than I had thought..........
Ten minutes later, with lots more rhetoric, cheering and flag-waving, and no more rocksongs to be heard, I started to re-evaluate. I was the only Westerner to be seen, and my mind flicked back to the Foreign Office website I had read a few days earlier. ' April 7th, political rally planned. Avoid large crowds, as risk of riot and public disorder'. Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!
So, I had walked potentially straight into trouble! I wandered out of the 'arena', and along the adjacent street. Row after row of policemen, tucked away in the shadows, waiting to be called........
They looked bored,so I engaged a couple in conversation; If you can call it conversation, that is. Most Thais only speak very limited, if any, English. As usual, the topic turned to football ( universal leveller!)...well the words 'Manchester United' were uttered, and the policeman proudly pointed to himself. " He, Liverpool ", he uttered, pointing and condemning his mate to the lesser status of supporting another team. Bizarre! There I was outside a political rally in central Bangkok, and the policemen all supported UK teams! Gesticulating as if I was going to shoot somebody, I made a 'bang bang' sound, then pointed to the policemen. Yes, they were carrying guns, it emerged. 'Ok, I be good girl then', I stuttered in that pigeon English one stupidly adopts when speaking to foreigners . They seemed to find it funny, and soon I had a few around me, laughing and joking, checking out their English skills . Always helps to get the local cops on your side, I reckon....
Anyhow, I gleaned from them that it was a rally of the opposition party to joust the Prime Minister from power. Of course, while I've been here, the Prime Minister has promised to step down, so there's a lot going on politically. Joking aside, I wasn't quite as naive as I make out; I stayed at the periphery and kept a close eye on the mood of the event. Any trouble and I'd have been outta there like a shot!
Been up to loads else since I last wrote. Spent a fun evening and morning trying to stop Clinton ( the Aussie) giving away his lifesavings to the Thais and to me!! It turns out Clinton had been in Bangkok for several days with his workmates and had frequented most of the bars in town, and not much else. He was nursing the world's worst hangover and was thus struggling to get brain into gear. Thai money was like Monopoly money, to be given away at whim, and Thai prices were so cheap they didn't make sense so he decided to pay Western prices anyway ...'they have to make a living like everybody else'. Having explained the economics , and how the general cost of living was so much lower, Clinton began to understand but didn't care anyway!! So began 24 hours of spending like there was no tomorrow ( Clinton's money of course!!)
Gonna sign off quite abruptly, lots of thunder overhead and police sirens. Don't trust the Thai electrics and don't want to get electrocuted!!!! more soon....
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