The word is spreading quickly through the city of Bangkok and the nation of Thailand that this new round of protests by the Taksin supporters, who wear the red and side vaguely with the communist element, are going to get ugly. My school has already announced that classes will be canceled Friday in order to keep students and staff safe.
You might wonder why would there be such a fear considering we have had protests going on for years here, well the answer is a simple one. Weapons have been stolen in a region of Thailand that is known to be loyal to the Taksin Reds. So perhaps the word STOLEN is not really the correct one. When weapons go missing at the same time as 100's of thousands of poor uneducated people are streaming to the capital to protest, fear will spread.
It really doesn't matter if you are a red supporter or a yellow supporter or one of the millions of neutrals in this country, it is obvious that when you mix a mob of uneducated (nothing to lose) poor with whiskey paid for by their ousted leader, and weapons such as hand grenades and automatic weapons, the fear is well founded.
The last time this mob got out of hand they tried to ram a police barricade with a bus loaded full of gasoline. This act could have resulted in a multitude of deaths and a plethora of retribution, but lucky the bus missed its mark.
Thailand is known for peaceful protesting. The nation has had the best history of diplomacy in S.E. Asia, so we must hope that the past repeats itself here and that everyone -- yellow, red, blue, and neutral -- all are safe.
