A brief history-
Thailands Prime Minister used to be a man named Thaksin (say- Toxin) Chinawatra (say - Shin-a-wot). In2006 in a military coup, he was ousted from the government. He was charged with corruption as he lived in exile in the UK. He has now been sentenced to 2 years in prison when he comes home. He has a lot of supporters, mostly low-income villagers, to whom he has given a lot of money. In turn for this money, he has created loyalty amongst his supporters (red shirts) and unrest amongst those who oppose him because of his corruption and dictatorial tendencies.
Recently, a group of anti-government protesters (yellow shirts) has gathered in Bangkok and staged various rallies, protests and most importantly, an occupation of the government buildings because Thaksin's brother-in-law was chosen as PM. They say this new man, Somchai Wongsawat, is simply a puppet for Thaksin while he is away.
These protests have escalated to a new level as of this last weekend, where they have taken the Bangkok international airport, stopping functions at Thailand's only major airport. People who were somewhat supportive of the anti-government movement are starting to get annoyed. The military has refused, so far, to step in and unseat the government, and the police are trying their best not to use violent means to subdue the protesters. The protesters themselves, however, have become somewhat violent, although on the violence scale, these are all relatively low-key. A few people have been killed in the incidents, but only amongst red/yellow clashes (anti vs pro government).
This is where we come in. We are in the far north of Thailand, whereas Bangkok is in the South. These protests are all happening in Bangkok, including disruptions and any violence that might happen excepting one isolated incident here in Chiang Mai. People here tend to support the government, as we have seen on one particular corner with lots of people wearing red shirts. Beyond that, it is hard to find strong opinions here. Seeing as how the people who are strongly in support of one side or the other only have problems with the other side, a foreigner, with a little common sense, can easily avoid any trouble and never be considered a target.
Just be aware of what color you are wearing.
1 comment:
Thank you, Luke. This is really helpful, especially the history behind the violence. It is easy to see, from halfway around the world, that you would not be a likely target for any unrest. It isn't America, or the West, that they are angry with - only one another. As you say, just be careful what color you are wearing and stay away from the protesting crowds.
We appreciate your awareness of how we would worry over here, so thanks again for the clear picture of what's happening on your side of the world.
We love you,
Mom & the gang
P.S Great Skype call.
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