Monday, May 17, 2010

Bangkok Normal

I had plans to go to Bangkok this summer. It would have been Randy’s first trip to Thailand, but I’ve decided to cancel my trip because of the Red Shirt political protests that have been going on there.

I honestly think I would be perfectly safe going there, but traveling to the places I would want to go would be inconvenient. I thought about going to Thailand without Randy. It would be interesting to see for myself what’s been going on there and I would still get to see my friends and family, but I might as well wait until things calm down again.

My friend Matt wrote, “for friends not in Bangkok: Just so you know exactly what's happening. points in the city are becoming chaotic. the situation is serious but I am safe at my home and schools are closed so I have no reason to put myself in a dangerous situation. Don't worry for me. Pray for an end to the madness.”

Other friends post about normal things: going to work; having dinner out with a significant other; attending a friend’s child’s birthday party; baking carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, praline chocolate cake and coffee French butter cream chocolate cake; etc. Yes, they all want to see an end to the fighting, but when they mention the protests it seems more like an inconvenience rather than an actual threat.

Another thing I’ve noted is that not a single one of my friends sympathize with the Red Shirts. Most people I’ve heard from believe former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is just paying people to protest and cause chaos.

While reports from CNN makes Bangkok seem like a war zone right now (and parts of it probably are), reports from my friends in Bangkok via Facebook seem to indicate, for the most part, the city is fine.

It’s important to see the other side. Here are some pictures my friends in Bangkok have posted over the past few days.

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