My week in Bangkok: Thursday

Election signs

Thursday is a very early start. I am out the door at 5.45am for a 7am class however getting up early in Bangkok is not a problem for me. In fact, I really enjoy it. The motorbike taxis are starting to wake up to the day and it doesn't usually take long to find one riding past. The first train is at 5.55am which I take with a few other early risers. Often, as I arrive at the station the security lady is opening the roller doors. I like having the station virtually to myself. Street dogs lay at the entrance; lethargic lumps uninterested in anything around them. They are in the same position when I come back. Dogs in general here are extremely placid which is very different to Vietnam. Perhaps it is the heat or maybe the fact that people aren't staring at them with hungry eyes. Vietnam is not a good place to be a dog.

Street dogs resting

After the train I jump on a local bus and it is a breeze compared to 30-45 minutes later when the roads start to fill. Zooming along I notice sign after sign for the upcoming election; photos of candidates from all parties tied to trees, posts, telephone boxes and anything that lines the cities roads. This form of advertising can be found throughout the city. The topic of the election is at times discussed in class and is becoming more topical with only a few days to go. The election in on Sunday the 3rd.

Yellow shirts in Silom

The election is the first since the unrest that happened last year which resulted in many people killed when the red shirts clashed with the army. I have not had a chance to really understand the situation and get different perspectives depending on who I talk to but what I do know is that Thaksin, the previous prime minister, was kicked out in a coup back in 2006. He then went into exile and is wanted on corruption charges. I think he is now living in Dubai. He owned Manchester City football club at one point. His supporters are the red shirts. His allies won an election after the coup but for legal reasons it was not allowed and the democratic party (the other guys) came to power. Their supporters are the yellow shirts. There have been various degrees of political unrest since, especially last year during the Songkran holiday.

With Thaskin in exile his younger sister is now the leader of the opposition. So, with only a few days to go the election is obviously the hot topic. The front page of the Bangkok post has had articles about the election since we arrived. Around the Sukhumvit area I have seen support for the democratic party (the yellow shirts) with a number of marches through the streets and trucks driving the streets with messages sent out over load speakers. Sometimes local politicians stand in the back waving as they pass. No one seems to know what will happen after the election but I guess that depends on the result. We will see on Sunday.

After an early afternoon class I went home. Instead of taking the motorbike taxis I walked. There are always plenty of things happening on Soi 22 making it an enjoyable walk home. Many small bars line the street but most are empty in the afternoon. They start to fill in the evening. There are also a bunch of massage parlors; some, I am sure, as fronts for other more intimate activities. Street food is always available; things like fruit, meat on a stick and corn. There are at least 4 7-elevens, travel shops, hairdressers, restaurants, local stores, hotels and hostels among many others so there is plenty to keep you busy.

Thursday evening was spent at home eating chicken stir-fry and watching the tennis.