-- Today, (1917oo.hrs.), I took one of the privately-owned & orange #1. 'buses. from ChinaTown and de-bussed at the NEILSON- HAYES LIBRARY on Suriwong rd.,(flat fare just 6.50.Bh.),.
-- Thence I walked along S'wong. & Rama IV rds. to the DUSIT THANI I'sect. where squads of laborers & mcy. were starting the clean-up ops..
-- I walked all the way along R'damri. rd. to just short of the PRATUNAM I'sect.; occasionally I encountered small heaps of smouldrring tyres in the centre of the rd..
-- I saw some of the staff of the ARNOMA HTL. standing in the hotel's ent'ce, and looking-out on the scene of desolation.
- On the way I turned LEFT and walked along Rama I rd. to the beginning of SIAM P'GON., wch. - having heard what sounded like gun-shots from the dir'n. of SIAM DISCOVERY CNTR. - I though to be far enough.
- The ZEN, or windward, end of CENTRALWORLD was afire - standing on the opp. side of the rd. I could feel the heat. Clouds of black & acrid smoke billowed sullenly heavenwards and drifted towards the AMARI W'GATE. HTL. & beyond. As the fires burnt so there were continuous noises from the bldg. as of small fireworks or gunshots; from time-to-time fragments of burning bldg. fell earthwards - unpleasant. I saw no signs of any fire-bde. pers..
_- As it was starting to become dark, and I didn't fancy being a lone farang in that area, I retraced my foorsteps to the DT. I'sect..
- On the way I saw that all of the lights in BTS. R'damri. stn., (S1.), were ON.
-- Walking along Si Lom rd. I noticed that all of the orange & plastic barricades, and their razor wire, had been pulled clear of the carriageways.
-- It was a strange feeling walking along R'damri. rd. and seeing the deserted habitations: sacks of rice, cartons of bottled water, cooking pots still atop burners, clothes hung-out to dry and so on; it was as if there had been some sudden & mass decision to just get-up and go, leaving behind pers. possessions - goods & chattels; even some cars, pick-ups & m/cycles. were left behind. Honest UncleBob. could have set-up in business selling the equivalent of gov't. surplus: food & water, tentage, portaloos, diesel-driven generator sets, bamboo poles for gardeners, tyres - new & used, sun-netting, loud-speaker units, enough second-hand clothing, bedding, bed-mats and so on, plenty of m/cycle. crash-helmets, even a Buddhist monk's consultation space.
-- I sha'n't go sofar as to write that 'It's ended not with a bang but with a whimper.' because I u'stand. that the struggle may be renewed in the Provinces that are pro-red shirts.
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