I walked around Silom this afternoon . Except for an Army presence, it is pretty much back to normal. Barricades, wire etc are all gone except for a few spots where it has been rolled up but not removed.

Skytrain is normal and everything is open. Traffic is back to normal flow but very light at least at 1pm.

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as the backpackers in Khao San Road on April 10 will tell you, a "normal" looking street situation can change very rapidly

as the official focus has changed from "show of force to stop the red shirts trying to occupy Silom" to "holding pattern" to now "isolate and force out of Rajprasong" the visible presence in Silom has changed but the army and police are still there and as last Friday shows the risk of spill-over and related violence in Silom is still very real and the situation is still very far from "normal" - both the Skytrain and subway operators have publicly announced they are continuing to monitoring the situation carefully over the next few days and will cancel/change services if the situation deteriorates or if requested by the authorities

I am not trying to be chicken little here but the fat lady is a long way from singing so I think you still need to be checking the breaking news reports before rushing out to DJ Station each night - but I will see you on the dance floor when you get there!

bkkguy

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Here's what I heard from someone who lives near Silom:

Moving to a hotel in a few minutes. The army is cutting power, water, mobile phone lines, etc. in a last effort to disperse the Reds. If this doesn't work, hopefully they'll use the armour.

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-- Today, (12th.), I left SILCOM. at approx. 19.hrs. and walked along tnn. Si Lom to its i'sect. with tnn. Rama IV..
- The ply board hoarding partially replaced in front of SILCOM.;
- Possibly a small INCREASE in the number of armed soldiers seen at BTS. Sala Daeng, (S2.),;
- Some half-a-dozen or so riot police, looking quite relaxed, standing-around nr. to COFFEE SOC'Y.;
- The usual poor but honest side-walk vendors' stalls set-out for business;
- A few Black Marias, (aka. Paddy wagons.), o'side. the ZUELLIG BLDG.;
- No riot-police or mil'y. seen o'side. the former ROBINSON'S;
- Not much signs of life seen or heard from the red shirts' encampment across the i'sect.;
- A couple of armed soldiers between the PAN PAC. HTL. & CHARN ISSARA I TWR.;
- Not all that many people eating at tnn. Rama IV's. side-walk eateries;
- A small gp. of armed soldiers on the corner o'side. THE ROADHOUSE at the Henri Dunant i'sect.;
- P. Pong I. night mkt. set-out.

-- But, as others have noted, the sit'n. can change in an instant: all that it would require would be just one or two ill-intentioned people on a m/cycle.!

-- As for the cutting-OFF of electricity, wouldn't CHULA. HOSP'L. have its own emergency generators? Or, failing that, do what the red shirts have done - hire generators!

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-- According to a rpt. in >The Baht Stop < some embassies' staff have gone aweeping and awailing to the concerned auth'ys. to complain that they would be affected by any cut-offs, too.
- So the auth'ys. are considering other options that would cause LESS public disruption in that area but would still put pressure on the demonstrators.

-- As for any suggestion of '... hopefully they'll use the armour.', reminds me of TIANAMEN SQ. - remember?

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A bloody crackdown must be on the cards after the sniper shooting of Seh Daeng (apparently on life support) and death of another red shirt last night.

Stay safe guys. Or at least be back home for your milo before the sun is over the yard arm!

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-- Y'day., (13th.], morning and over cups of coffee in SILCOM. a farang acquaintance told me that a couple of nights previously he was chatting with some of the staff who work in one of the popular bars in Silom 4. who told him that after closing time they found time to meet members of the mil'y.; one employee mentioned that the previous night he had satisfied three soldiers!
- Obviously life goes-on, doesn't it?

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How did they connect with the three soldiers? I can't wait to arrive on my next trip.

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