State of anxiety

This week, I am in Bangkok. I thought the worst thing may be the heat. It's 100 degrees and humid. But turns out, I was venturing into political instability.

Red Shirts are a group of rural poor who are faithful
to the last PM who was overthrown in 2008 and want him reinstated.
They have been protesting in central Bangkok for the last six weeks,
but peacefully, and as such, the PM declared them a legal
demonstration and vowed no violence which the army and Red Shirts also
vowed. They then stepped up the protest and stormed Parliament on
Wednesday. As such, the PM declared a state of emergency, but no one
really knows what that means. They are trying to shift the Red Shirts
out of Bangkok and the PM has now declared them an illegal protest. He
is still vowing no violence, but has said that the march on Parliament
was an act of violence itself, although no one was hurt. There's a
feeling on all sides that the media is playing it all up but everyone
is watching what's going on. The PM is seen as being very by the book
and cautious and the Thais I spoke to don't think much will come of
it.

Saturday starts the nine-day celebration for Thai New Year and all
parties want it to be resolved by then so that the Red Shirts can go
home to celebrate with their families. People feel tomorrow therefore
will either be a climax or the end of it. We're being told to stay
away from the centre of town and have been assured by Global Unilever
that we are safe where we are (not being near any government or army
areas and, being a laundry detergent conference, not likely to be seen
as very political. Luckily, I didn't pack anything red). And like I
said, no one seems anxious about it including the British Consulate.
And the two Brits who have lived here for a while.

If things do escalate tomorrow, they are almost sure to close the
airport (they did it last year for five days during a similar
protest.) which means I may not be going home on Saturday and may
instead be lounging by the pool.

I think the worst thing that's going to happen is that I won't be able
to go shopping at Siam Paragon which everyone recommended. And as the
5-star hotel is a fort-like complex with six restaurants, two pools
and a cheeky Thai Jazz star named Lilibeth playing in the bar it seems
utterly civilised. It would be a shame not to get to sight see, but
better to be safe for the time being.

So, little apparently to fret about besides which Thai curry to try
next. I'll keep you updated but in the meantime don't worry. No one
here seems to - they haven't even interrupted the TV with it.

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State of anxiety

I came all the way to Bangkok and all I got was a stay at a 5-star hotel.

Bangkok, as you may know, is under a state of emergency. Delcared yesterday by the Prime Minister,