Krung Thep : Glooom, Boom, Doom
This video got shot around mid of March 2010 shortly before the Bangkok crisis turned violent. In the next 2 months almost 100 people on both sides died, the military “ending” the red shirt protest with an armed crackdown on May 19th, storming the red shirt base camps. Beside from the human tragedy of people losing their lives, getting wounded or suffering emotional pain from family victims, Bangkok lost its largest shopping mall Central World which had been the biggest of South East Asia. It got burned by the red shirts shortly before the military crack-down happened. If the red shirts had not fled the sites many more might had been killed, it was doomed. The Dusit Thani hotel has large holes in 2 of their flors which got targeted by the red shirts with an RPG. A military sniper had shot Seh Daeng from there before, the international press having been right there. A few more sites got damaged. It is important to mention that resistance from the government was strongest to protect the city’s wall street and Bangkok Bank which didn’t got harmed. The key institution was protected best. Do you believe in the system ?
A military crack-down cannot solve problems. The conflict isn’t ended, it only disappeared into the non-visible like before. One thing is for sure : who controls the army, controls Thailand. The real decisive moment of Thailand’s future will come when the king dies. His son and Thaksin will then become the figures to look at again.
In the video you see a beginning scene at Lumpini park, it was shocking to see before the video from K. Todd Ruiz, reporterinexile, when the heavy armed Thai troups marched through the gate during the crackdown, May 19th.
Bangkok now probably gets a break from visible conflicts for a while which is good for business and tourism, not sure if you can call it justice. Everyone can/should have his own opinion. It is sad but pretty clear that the events of the last 2 months will hurt Thailand’s tourism, the country’s money machinery, for approximately maybe 2 years. This was worse than the tsunami, December 26th, 2004. People tend to forget natural desasters faster than political ones.
I still hope for Thailand that it recovers quickly, the land of smiles has so much beauty to offer. Like always, the conflict is hurting the wrong people. Bangkok, Krung Thep, is the world’s coolest city in my eyes. You cannot destroy its spirit. I will always love this town and its people…
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