Updates on Thailand Protest

So what’s the latest news? Doesn’t seem like it will be ending any time soon and the worst thing is, it feels like it’s going to be a never-ending saga!

Qualified for a mini organization incentive trip and the destination was supposed to be Bangkok. Was looking forward to the trip as I’ve always enjoyed a good massage (and there’re plenty of cheap and good massage places in Bangkok) and I had wanted to replenish my work clothes with the value-for-money tailoring shops there (getting the tailor shops there to follow the exact dimensions of a Singapore-tailored shirt).

Then the protest got worse and the destination has to be changed to Phuket. Not that Phuket isn’t nice, I was there with my ex-girlfriend (who’s my wifey now) but how much longer is the protest in Bangkok going to take, man?

First it was the Yellow Shirts (supporters of the “elites”), then the Red Shirts (pro-Thaksin). If the Red Shirts get what they want – government disbands and elections-held, and they actually win – it’s going to be a never-ending cycle if the Yellow Shirts protest then isn’t it? Sometimes it is incident like this that you feel Singapore’s political system isn’t THAT bad.

Well, in any case, if you are heading to Bangkok, despite the protest, as what some of my clients and friends are doing (shocking!) be sure to take note of the color codes and pack accordingly. Maybe not bring any color that is “hot” in the protest?

In the Red Shirts corner: Pro-Thaksin (So avoid Red)

In the Yellow Shirts corner: Pro-Elites (So avoid Yellow)

Just when you think you only have to worry about these 2 colours,

In the Pink Shirts corner: People in the tourism industry who just wants an end to it (So avoid Pink as well?)

And just when you think not so bad, only 3 colors to take note of?

In the Multi-Colored Shirts corner: This is where it gets confusing, initially I remembered reading it was for people who just wants an end to the protests, then it became a direction from Red Shirts to abandon their Red Shirts to blend in with the crowd after the crackdown. (So avoid?)

Well, in short, looks like if you are neutral, you just gotta move around naked in Bangkok.

That may not be such a bad idea:

Naked tourists> more tourists who wants to move around naked or who wants to ogle at others who moves around naked> the protestors (regardless of any Shirts) will be too busy admiring these naked people to be protesting> more tourists will come> everything will be back to normal.

This may just be the marketing plan to get the country back on track! Who knows, it’s a crazy world…

--Ginseng Tonic Maker--