- An interesting evening:.
- In Soi Than Tawan, at approx. 20.oo.hrs. both COCA & MANGO TREE REST'Ts. were OPEN; but PRIME MASSAGE and DEE's EATING HSE. were CLOSED;
-- In Si Lom 6 only the Ch. eating hse. & MARSALA ZONE were OPEN for food; so tee rak & I chose the cheaper Ch. eating hse., where such an attentive young man looked-after us!
-- Walking along a nigh on and eerily deserted Si Lom rd. about the only signs of life - apart from the mil'y. - were provided by the Thai TV3. & MCOT. vehs ..
-- In P. Pong 2. ELECTRIC BLUE girlie bar was OPEN, as were FOODLAND and the adjacent 24./7.cafe./rest't.; also OPEN were a few girlie bars and SCREWBOYS!
-- In Soi Twilight, at say 21.3O.hrs., only DICK'S. CAFE., The POOL BAR and BANANA BAR were OPEN; possibly one or two massage parlors might have been OPEN, but no masseurs seen out on the soi;
-- Apart from a couple of merry young men no-one else seen seated on the Suriwong rd's. K'KORN. BANK's steps.
- Strangely the small 7/11. shop opposite to the TAWANA HTL. was CLOSED. *
-- Finally back in Soi Than Tawan, at around 22.hrs., TAWAN BAR, INDRA MASSAGE and MANGO TREE REST'T. were CLOSED .

--* today, (17th.], it's Re-OPENED for business.

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-- Today, (17th.), and after my morning's cup of coffee,(only 20.oo.Bh.!), in the DERBY KING eating hse. on P. Pong 1. I walked-around:
-- On Si Lom rd. all FAMILY MARTS were CLOSED, but some 7/11s. were OPEN;
- In Si Lom 4 a barman was seen working in SOUVLAKI Greek rest't.;
- Along Si Lom rd. NOODI, BUG & BEE and SILOM MASSAGE had their street-doors OPEN , but MORE to air the places than for business, I supposed.
-- All quiet from the red shirts' encampment by KRVI. statue.
-- Along Rama IV. rd. TAKE-A-NAP HOSTEL was CLOSED but BBB INN was OPEN.
- In Soi T'light. the small eatery that's tucked behind CLASSIC BOYS BAR was OPEN, as were DICK'S. CAFE. and BKK. MASSAGE.
-- Along Suriwong rd. both FAMILY MARTS were CLOSED, as was the small POST OFFICE opp. to Le Meridien Htl., (it might RE-OPEN on the 19th.); PROUD 66 MASSAGE was OPEN.
- A few poor but honest side-walk vendors doing business.
- Both 7/11s. were OPEN, as were the three massage parlors in the gen'l. area of the TARNTAWAN HTL..
-- Along soi Than Tawan the small pharmacy on the corner was OPEN, as were the Ch. eating-hse., INDRA MASSAGE and RAMENTAI, COCA & MANGO TREE REST'TS..

-- Cent'l. BKK. is starting to smell from the piles of uncollected garbage - but possibly the rats & other vermin aren't complaining? Not even the mil'y. seem to be too concerned in keeping their immediate areas clean & trash-free.

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-- Today, (17th.), a'noon. I walked along Rama IV. rd. to HUA LAMPHONG rly. stn., ('buses. & other rd. tfc. running normally; people walking on the pavements; shops OPEN and so on and so forth.), to see if the BOOKAZINE there had any copies of the WE. Fin. Times? 'All sold-out.', I was told.
- Passing-by the spot where y'day. there had been a gathering of people I saw a smaller gathering there today - no-one appeared to be doing anything extra-ordinary, people just standing-around and just doing nothing in particular.
- However, on the way back - I left HLP. at approx. 17.15.hrs. - the IN-bound carriageway was blocked at the tee-junc. with Banthat Tong rd., (HLP. is 700m. away and WAT HLP. is 950m. away.), by a makeshift barricade manned by maybe a score or so of men who were not dressed in any particular uniform - mainly working clothes. A motley crowd of local & mainly working people of all sexes was gathered around listening and nodding in apparent approval to some male speaker, dressed in a purple tee-shirt, who was shouting himself hoarse with emotions. On one side of the truck were the flg. messages, (in English!),:
PLEASE STOP KILLING.
ARMY! STOP MASSACRE; BACK TO YOUR REGIMENT NOW..
- Some half-a-dozen police were observing the scene discreetly in soi Chula 5.; enquiries in my basic Thai, and pointing towards the men at the barrier: "Kohn, seu-uh chuht daeng?' elicited a POSITIVE nod from one of the policeman.

-- I walked-back, passed-by the DUSIT THANI I'sect., (all quiet from the red shirts' encampment.),. Apart from the mil'y. & the police, who were looking as comfortable as one can in such circumstances, about the only others on Si Lom rd. were members of the Fourth Estate. Passing-by the front line at P. Pong 1. stopped to watch some young, pleasant & Ch.-looking media-person, dressed in helmet & black flak.-jkt., giving a report, (a pix. of himself on a small monitor.), wch. he interupted to ask me if I wasn't scarey? "No.". 'Why not?'. "Well, you're a young man with yr. life ahead of you, but I'm an olde man and thus have fewer worries.". After wch., and shaking his head, he ret'd. to giving his report.

-- Back in Soi Than Tawan PRIME MASSAGE did not appear to be OPEN. MANGO TREE was OPEN, RAMENTAI and COCA were CLOSED, several JP.-style girlie bars were OPEN, as was INDRA MASSAGE, wch. had one customer. On the corner both the pharmacy and the 7/11. were CLOSED.

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-- Today, (18th.), after my morning's cup of 20.Bh. coffee in P. Pong 1. it was time for my 'constitutional.'.
-- On Si Lom rd. A&F. TOURS and the large 7/11. on the corner with Convent rd. were OPEN - no baked goods on the 7/11's. shelves.
-- FAN CLUB MASSAGE PARLOR's front door was not locked - I looked-in: gloomy & with possibly a couple or so boyz asleep therein. I chatted with the F. owner of LA BOUCHERIE who admitted that business was bad, so I asked him why he stayed open? An expressive shrug of the gallic shoulders.
- Farther along Convent rd. a masseuse of a certain age outside CASSANOVA MASSAGE called across the rd. to me to join her for a massage. BECCAFINO REST'T. was CLOSED.
-- I walked along N. Sathorn rd. all the way to the i'sect. with Rama IV. rd.; a few rather ineffective baricades of razor-wire and/or orange barriers on both carriageways. Both Sois Suan Phlu & JUSMAG. looked to be OPEN to me?
- About 40 policemen o/side. the F. Embassy;
- Opposite to S. Sathorn soi 1 another gp. of about 40 or so riot-policemen was being briefed by an officer.
-- Around the cnr., Rama IV. rd., some 50 soldiers eating & sleeping.
- At MRT. Silom I chatted with an american lady who lives along Convent rd.; she told me of some other American lady-friend who lives in a small soi nr. to Victory M'ment. who's been kept awake & terrified out of her life these last few days by the incessant sounds of detonations & of shots, the smell of burning tyres, the shouts etc. of the red shirts and so on and so forth - I replied that it all sounded rather OTT. to me. Also there I saw some elderly & Thai lady,pushing her 'cycle. and being i'viewed. by two members of the Fourth Estate toting TV.-type cameras and some young lady assiduously taking notes.
- The red shirts' encampment was quiet.
-- In Soi T'light. DICK'S. CAFE was OPEN, as was YELLOW MASSAGE, where I was invited to enter for a massage; seeing the three masseurs I enquired about a six hands' massage and for how much? In reply much good natured laughter! The other three massage parlors were CLOSED.

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I saw on youtube clip that Sukhumvit Rd (at least at On Nut) is closed.

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Sextile - I've never heard of Yellow Massage. Where exactly is it in Soi Twilight? I walked through the soi a week ago and didn't see such a sign.

I don't suppose you know how the gogo bars are doing? I'd imagine they might not even open for business. I feel sorry for the boys and the general lack of business.

I'm reading that armoured personal carriers moved in this morning (Wed 19th) and have successfully reoccupied the Saladaeng and Silom intersections.

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Oh another thing: Why is Silom Complex boarded up? It's one thing to be closed for business, it's quite another to erect wood hoardings as if the building has been condemned.

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[QUOTE = sloot; 677292].
[COLOR = "RoyalBlue"] [i] I've never heard of Yellow Massage. Where exactly is it in Soi Twilight? I walked through the soi a week ago and didn't see such a sign.
... .
I'm reading that armoured personal carriers moved in this morning (Wed 19th) and have successfully reoccupied the Saladaeng and Silom intersections. [/ QUOTE]. [/ I]. [/ COLOR].

-- YELLOW MASSAGE is operating out of the same premises as the pool bar, roughly opposite to DICK'S. CAFE.; Khun Yannawa mentioned it in a previous posting of his.
- One presumes that SCSP. is boarded-up to protect it against any forced entry, windows being smashed by missiles or whatever else - probably a CMA. for the benefits of its insurers.

- Passing-by the DUSIT. THANI I'sect. at approx. 190930.hrs. I saw two APCs. under the Thai-JP. flyover; a water-cannon truck was directing its jet at and flattening a section of the red shirts' bamboos' & tyres' barricade nr. to the MRT. ent'ce./exit. So an APC. or two may well have gone-in afterwards.

- At approx. 1130.hrs. I walked-along R'damri. rd. as far as the i'sect. with Sarsin rd., (where I was stopped by some armed mil'y. - maybe, were I wearing a press helmet. &. flak.-jkt., or even a green & media brassard, I might have been allowed to proceed?).; I saw the fire-brigade dealing with burning tyres & piles. of garbage - while the men were doing their best their eqpt. wasn't performing so well.
- I might suggest that most of the smoke that one sees comes from other such piles.
- Several. small detonations heard, maybe small arms' fire? A couple of persons were being wheel.ed-away on gurneys, eagerly, pursued by some members of the media.

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To protect it from being burned and looted!

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-- 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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Absolutely amazing that Central World shopping mall is now destroyed. Didn't they have sprinklers? What was the army doing? I saw that they also set Century Park Hotel (near Victory Monument) on fire--but no details about how much damage.

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Big C, Ratchadamri, is now burning. Set ablaze early this morning. Can see smoke from my hotel window.

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-- I was afoot earlyish today morning, (2OO7oo.hrs.], on Si Lom rd. by the BKK. XTN. HOSP'L..
- No stalls selling b'fasts. seen, although there was one PU. unloading.
- Several small piquets of mil'y. and/or police seen.
- The mil'y. had a barrier across R'damri. rd. at its i'sect. with Sarsin rd., (northern end of LUMPINI PK.], and my progress was stopped.
- No signs of any mass clean-up operation underway.
- A large & red painted fire-truck & a PU. were making their way slowly along R'damri. rd. towards the R'prasong. I'sect..
-- Signs of normalcy returning, albeit slowly: on Suriwong rd. a street-cleaner seen at work; a man on a m/cycle. delivering the morning's 'papers. to the TAWANA HTL.; SARIKA CAFE. had staff inside; fresh laundry being delivered to the SIAM HERITAGE HTL.. Although no stalls seen providing b'fasts., just one stall selling cold drinks.

-- But I suppose that it will take the good citizens of BKK. many days to recover from the recent & traumatic events; doubtless those well-known twins called Health & Safety will be invoked & propitiated by having to checkout & certify the BTS., the MRT. and heaven alone knows what else?
- Maybe next monday, 24th., might see Cent'l. BKK. essaying to return to a MORE business type of life?

-- Life has been restored to my DTAC. cell-'phone., (possibly a mixed blessing?],.

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On information available at time of my posting would you recommend travel to BKK.I have a transit ticket and have kept my 4 day reservation.

I think CFS would have a different view from media and government warnings perhaps.

A suggestion has been made to me that Sukhumvit Soi 13 region may be able to be accessed.

Also what is the airport taxi situation ?

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I note that on April 12 someone posted within this thread this, "My Thai contacts in BKK are confident that the demos are running out of steam (and probably money.)" So much for predicting a revolution!

I'm sure our friends in Bangkok can offer very informed opinion, but for this worldly traveler (and I've been around!), I would NOT venture to Thailand right now unless it was essential for work or family. Certainly not to have fun! Instead, rent "The Year of Living Dangerously" and see for yourself what a revolution looks like in an Asian country.

For starters, the locals don't need to have to tend to the needs of outsiders right now. It appears that the stability of the nation is at risk. The Thai are so welcoming and I assume they'd be that way even now, but one doesn't always want to take advantage of hospitality just because custom dictates it.

I also have heard numerous comments from media and others that it would soon be over, the government will put it down, etc. Civil unrest just doesn't get turned off like a faucet. And to put this down will likely require far more bloodshed before it is over. And even when it is put down, what will be left could be a repressive regime doing all sorts of things to locals. Not exactly an atmosphere to enjoy yourself.

Let these people figure out how they want to be governed and then you can visit and share your hard earned money when they, too, can enjoy your company. It isn't safe, there are curfews in place, often sex joints come under greater scrutiny when the military gets worked up, and what if it really gets out of hand and you have to leave? Can you afford the cost of emergency evacuation?

Just my thoughts.

Keith

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