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Thai politics Thailand

Clashes between red shirts and troops today

Thailand violence flares as red-shirts and troops clash [BBC, April 28, 2010 — includes video footage]

Thai troops and a convoy of hundreds of red-shirt protesters have clashed on the outskirts of Bangkok.

One soldier has died, reportedly from a shot fired by a member of the security forces, and at least 10 people have been injured.

The protesters had earlier left their fortified camp in central Bangkok to drive to a rally 50km (30 miles) away.

Thai troops, protesters clash in Bangkok suburb [Reuters, April 28, 2010]

Thai troops fired live rounds in the air and shot rubber bullets in a chaotic clash with anti-government protesters on a highway in Bangkok’s suburbs on Wednesday that wounded 10 people and possibly killed one.

Stay tuned for more. And don’t forget that for real-time updates, you can consult my Thailand Twitter list.

Categories
Thai politics Thailand

Map of red shirt protest areas in Bangkok

Map of red shirt protests in Bangkok

Above is a map of the red shirt protest zones here in Bangkok. It appears to be accurate as of April 25.

The map shows the areas currently occupied by protesters, and includes details about roadblocks. You can find a bigger version here, or by clicking on the image above.

(The image source is unknown; found via @farangone)

Cross-posted to TopicThailand.com, where I continue to add resources (and fiddle with the graphical design).

Categories
Thai politics Thailand

Red shirt protest updates

Here’s the latest news:

  1. Thais Worry About Lasting Violence [WSJ]
  2. Thailand’s yellows urge action against red-shirts [BBC News]
  3. Thai rallies ditch red shirts in case of crackdown [AP]

And for those of you wondering whether or not it’s safe to visit Thailand, I suggest checking out Staying Safe in Thailand: Streetwise Advice + Twitter, a post from Catherine Wentworth.

Categories
Bangkok Thai politics Thailand

Explosions in Silom

Here are my images from the time I spent at Silom last night. I arrived not long after what authorities say was an M79 grenade exploded near the Dusit Thani hotel, in an area where pro-government demonstrators had been rallying.

This area is across an intersection from the red shirt barricade that I wrote about previously. (Compare this image from April 21 with this one from last night.)

The blast that happened here was one of a series of explosions that killed at least one person and injured at least 75. (Various sources are providing different numbers at this point.)

You can find more details by searching Google News or by checking out this story in the Bangkok Post.

I was concentrating on TV and radio work, so I didn’t have much time to snap many images. But these photos should give you a sense of what the scene looked like in the hours after the blast occurred.

For commentary on the evening, I suggest checking out this blog post from Andrew Marshall, who was there last night.

UPDATE: As Andrew points out, you can find some images from last night in this New York Times slide show.

Categories
Bangkok Thai politics Thailand

Red shirts and pro-government demonstrators in Silom

Red shirt protesters, supporters of the government, and army troops have converged on an intersection in Silom, at the mouth of Bangkok’s financial district.

No violence has taken place, though when I was there, earlier this evening, there was some tension in the air. The red shirts were dancing to loud rock music, while the pro-government crowds across the intersection were themselves chanting and cheering

The red shirts with whom I spoke told me they are “defending” their main protest site, at the Rajaprasong intersection, after the soldiers were positioned in Silom. This came after red shirts leaders announced their plans to march to the area.

The reds have constructed a large barricade made of bamboo and automobile tires on the Lumphini Park side of Silom.

The demonstrators with whom I spoke said they did not possess guns or bombs, and that — as many of them have said to me in the past — they are fighting for democracy.

The anti-government “no color” demonstrators, meanwhile (see the last image below), were positioned on the Silom side of the intersection. They expressed their dislike for the red shirts, and collected money among themselves to buy water and food for the troops.

These “no colors” told me they love the king, and that Thaksin and the red shirts want to create a Thai republic.

Here are some images from tonight. And here’s the full photoset.

As a reminder, you can follow me on Twitter for real-time updates.

Update — April 22: fixed link to full photoset…

Categories
Thai politics Thailand

A quick look at Thai constitutions since 1932

That’s the subject of my newest update over at TopicThailand.com.

Categories
Bangkok Thai politics Thailand

Red shirt protest update: Army soldiers positioned in Silom

Just briefly: The story of the day, from AP: “Armed Thai troops patrol Bangkok business district.” The soldiers took up positions there early this morning after Red Shirt protesters said they’d take their demonstrations to Silom. But that didn’t happen.

Also, an interview with Thai PM Abhisit was broadcast on TV this evening. The Bangkok Post has a brief item, and The Nation‘s Tulsathit provided a real-time translation on Twitter.

I spent some time in Silom and at Rajaprasong, the main rally site, today. I hope to post pics and observations tomorrow.

Categories
Bangkok HOWTO Thailand

More on H1N1 in Thailand — the atmosphere in Bangkok, and how to follow H1N1 developments

A quick note about H1N1 here in Thailand. Infections continue to spread — the Nation newspaper tells today us that there are now 518 confirmed cases, up from just 16 last week. And the Bangkok Post has a breakdown by location within Thailand.

Nevertheless, here in Bangkok — as you might imagine — life continues as usual.

On Tuesday I spent some time talk to people on the street about H1N1. No one was concerned. One woman selling grilled meat told me she wasn’t afraid of H1N1 at all. A motorcycle taxi driver said that he wasn’t worried, even though he has a small child in school. A woman selling lottery tickets told me that she had no fear of H1N1, and besides, she doesn’t eat pork anyway, having switched to fish recently because it’s healthier. (There were — and apparently continue to be — misconceptions that H1N1 can be contracted by eating pork.)

For further H1N1 news, I suggest consulting the following:

You can also follow me on Twitter, as I’ve been relaying some H1N1 news there periodically.

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Thailand

Quick Beach Getaway: Pranburi, Thailand

Here are some pics from a recent three-day beach trip A and I took to the Pranburi region, just south of Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand.


Our stretch of beach


Shell-eye view


Bottle


Vittles


Beach dog


A


Yours truly

Categories
HOWTO Thailand

How to Learn Thai

Many months ago, Newley.com reader Paul D., who lives in California, asked me for advice on learning Thai. While I’m not an expert and certainly not an advanced speaker, here’s a slightly expanded version of what I told him based on my experience as an enthusiastic — but far from talented — student. I invite those of you out there who know more about this than I do to weigh in with a comment below.

1. Get some good books. For non-academic texts, I like the straightforward Teach Yourself Thai. Another book that I’ve found useful is Thai Without Tears, mostly because it lays out an intuitive phonetic system. Another option, if you’re looking for a slim volume, is the Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook, though this is clearly written with the tourist in mind.

2. Take advantage of audio materials. I’ve really enjoyed listening to Pimsleur’s Thai language CDs. My feeling is that some of the phrasing used in the dialogues is a bit proper (and I prefer a more colloquial approach), but I like the emphasis on repetition, and the lessons are structured nicely, with basic elements repeated over and over again. You might even be able to find some Thai podcasts.

3. Naturally, you should arrange for a Thai tutor or enroll in a Thai class. I take one-on-one lessons and, though I should certainly study more, I’ve found this to be invaluable over the long term. Be sure to choose a teacher who’s had experience with foreign students.

4. Try to study at a little bit each day. An hour — or even 15 minutes — every day is more effective, I’ve found, than many hours once a week.

5. Learn the Thai alphabet. It’s not as hard as you’d think. Get some flash cards and some workbooks made for children.

6. Feel free to design your own curriculum. I found it helpful to make a list of the 50 or 100 words that were most important for me to learn for daily use. This would include frequent events like talking to taxi drivers, asking for directions on the street, ordering food in a restaurant, etc. But I’ve also focused on specific words based on my interests. For example, I play soccer and found it interesting to learn some of the vocabulary specific to the game.

7. It’s important to be patient and have a sense of humor. Situations where you’re uncomfortable — where you really need to say something the right way to be understood — are just as important in the learning process as time in the classroom. Talk to taxi drivers about their favorite foods. Ask your neighbors how to pronounce words you’re having trouble with. Ask your friendly local fruit vendor to tell you how to pronounce the name of that strange fruit he or she is selling.

Here’re some resources for further reading:

LearningThai.com has some online lessons and other information.
EnjoyThaiFood.com has a wealth of great food-centric info.
— The Thai language Wikipedia page makes for a good general overview.
— The Learn to Read Thai Web site offers info on the Thai alphabet.
How and Why to Learn Thai contains an overview of Thai syntax, vocabulary, and other elements.
— I’ve heard great things about Stuart Jay Raj’s Cracking Thai Fundamentals course. He takes an interesting approach to demystifying the language for non-Thai speakers.