A Country Destroyed

Update since last night:  The 17 story Zen Department Store which includes a roof top restaurant and True Fitness has been burned and is now collapsing.  Central World Shopping area, 500 stores through 8 floors is now burned and destroyed.  The Channel 3 Television station is now burned and had staff on the roof trapped until a helicopter rescued them.  There were 32 fires around the city last night, mainly banks.  The Army is finding grenades and bombs still set on the roads and periodically we hear the explosion.  Reds are reported to be surfacing tonight and moving in small groups so we are staying in.

This is an updated look back at the last 4 days.

An oldie but a goodie

In April 2009 when the protestors ended a 3 day riot in the streets of Bangkok, I used the old line from Gone with the Wind, "It's over, it's really over".  Here we are a year + later and I want to use the same phrase.  Unfortunately, it is only the first step to being over.  Here is the sequence today:

6:30am     The Army came in, taking down the barricades
11am        The Army had made it to Rajadamri Road and was moving toward the stage
1:30pm     The Red Shirt leaders surrendered and walked to the police headquarters to turn themselves in
2:30pm     Bangkok erupts in fire as the Reds plan to burn the place down

So, thus far we have seen Chidlom, Ploenchit, Rama IV and now Sukhumvit all ignited.  They are now targeting media companies, Channel 3 is on fire.  A mob group just arrived to NBT, another television station and a group is heading to The Nation newspaper HQ.

Remember this is the Land of Smiles...my ass it is.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood... Mr. Rogers schadap!

As the conflict continues here in Bangkok, we are forced to stay indoors as much as possible, no food delivery, no grocery stores and the street lights are all turned out in the neighborhood at night.  I'm not trying to dramatize the situation by adding more photos but it is something I have not gone through before and find it quite fascinating.

If you have been to this neighborhood, you will recognize some of the landmarks in the background of the photos.  Credit to the Boston Globe, great shots.  I know the music makes it over the top.

Bangkok Violence Continues

About 13 months ago I wrote a small piece on Dan the Man from CNN.  How he was a bit on the emotional side of the reporting compared to the ABC (Australian).  Now we are faced with the same but worse situation.  Here is a piece that I think he has done pretty well in that the emotion is out and may be even a bit flat.

As you watch the grocery store in the piece that is Villa Market which is about 100 meters from us and our main shopping store.  The battles you see are about 200 meters from us and there are reports that there are bullets strikes in the buildings at the end of our driveway.  Anyway, we are safe and have food and of course rum for a week should the shit really hit the fan.