A tale of two cities
What has happened to Thailand?
Thailand's reputation around the world has been hurt recently. The PAD which at one time I thought was the party of the intellectuals and educated urban middle class has occupied the Government House since August. Thousands of people have been there everyday. And they did so with little resistance from law enforcement or army. This picture is kindof the image Thailand has now in the media (both local and international).
The root of the problem is that the PAD believes the current government is a puppet controlled by the former PM who was removed forcibly in a coup a few years ago. At the time of the coup, most of the Thai people I knew (urban, Bangkok, well-educated) were very supportive of the coup. Today? Not so much.
While my friends seem to agree with the PAD that the current government is too close to Thaksin (former PM) and they agree that means the current government is hopelessly corrupt and bad for the country. They are unhappy about the tactics being used.
There are all sorts of other ethical questions too. Who is funding the protests? Thousands of people just stop working for months at a time? Someone is taking care of them. Feeding them. Providing for family needs. Who? In some ways the government response to just take a step back allow them to protest and occupy government buildings with little resistance is brilliant. The longer this goes on the more expensive it gets for whoever is backing the thing financially. Perhaps that's why we are getting this sudden sense of urgency.
There are lots of rumors about the recent bombings of PAD protests. One rumor has it that the PAD bombed themselves to get in the news and create sympathy. Another one said it was the army trying to escalate tensions so they can justify taking action. Who knows? Perhaps it was really the police (as the PAD claimed). I have no idea.
Up to now - Thailand has been pretty resilient. The country has remained amazingly peaceful and prosperous. I think the shutting down of all major Bangkok area airports will change that. This can/will have a negative long term effect on the economy and image of Thailand. And that's a shame because the country is still a wonderfully charming place to live and work. This picture was taken last night outside a supermarket near our house. You can see lots of people out enjoying the evening. Christmas lights. And just a general peaceful, easy feeling. It's an image you won't see in the news.
Pray for Thailand. It's a strange time and one that might be more important than we think.
Thailand's reputation around the world has been hurt recently. The PAD which at one time I thought was the party of the intellectuals and educated urban middle class has occupied the Government House since August. Thousands of people have been there everyday. And they did so with little resistance from law enforcement or army. This picture is kindof the image Thailand has now in the media (both local and international).The root of the problem is that the PAD believes the current government is a puppet controlled by the former PM who was removed forcibly in a coup a few years ago. At the time of the coup, most of the Thai people I knew (urban, Bangkok, well-educated) were very supportive of the coup. Today? Not so much.
While my friends seem to agree with the PAD that the current government is too close to Thaksin (former PM) and they agree that means the current government is hopelessly corrupt and bad for the country. They are unhappy about the tactics being used.
There are all sorts of other ethical questions too. Who is funding the protests? Thousands of people just stop working for months at a time? Someone is taking care of them. Feeding them. Providing for family needs. Who? In some ways the government response to just take a step back allow them to protest and occupy government buildings with little resistance is brilliant. The longer this goes on the more expensive it gets for whoever is backing the thing financially. Perhaps that's why we are getting this sudden sense of urgency.
There are lots of rumors about the recent bombings of PAD protests. One rumor has it that the PAD bombed themselves to get in the news and create sympathy. Another one said it was the army trying to escalate tensions so they can justify taking action. Who knows? Perhaps it was really the police (as the PAD claimed). I have no idea.
Up to now - Thailand has been pretty resilient. The country has remained amazingly peaceful and prosperous. I think the shutting down of all major Bangkok area airports will change that. This can/will have a negative long term effect on the economy and image of Thailand. And that's a shame because the country is still a wonderfully charming place to live and work. This picture was taken last night outside a supermarket near our house. You can see lots of people out enjoying the evening. Christmas lights. And just a general peaceful, easy feeling. It's an image you won't see in the news.Pray for Thailand. It's a strange time and one that might be more important than we think.
