BANGKOK – Chaos is gripping the city of Bangkok. The Thai government is doing what they can to control it!
The Thai government has issued a curfew in Bangkok from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. as rioting and violence spread across the capital. The curfew will be imposed on Wednesday night, defense minister General Prawit Wongsuwon said after a military offensive against anti-government protestors in the capital.
Army Spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said that the offensive had successfully yielded the surrender of “Red Shirts” protest leaders and that authorities can “control the situation overall.” The thousands of protestors now leaving the rally zone in central Bangkok, which they have occupied for six weeks, would be assisted in returning home, he added.
Bangkok had become a raging battleground in the aftermath of an army crackdown on protestors. Television footage showed fires burning across the city, which has a population of nine million. Thailand’s stock exchange was substantially damaged by fire, Thamon Onketpol, an advisor to the governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, told Thai PBS television. A blaze in the building where Channel 3 is based had trapped “many people,” he added.
Although the army has gained the surrender of protest leaders, gunfire and explosions continue to rock the city. Demonstrators shot out windows and set fires in the Central World and Siam Paragon shopping malls.
The Red Shirt demonstrators view Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s rule as illegitimate.
“We will continue to fight for democracy, this is not our day,” Nattawut Saikur, one of several Red Shirt leaders, said as he arrived at a local police station. “We have been trying to do our best for the country to be truly owned by the people.”
Seeing the fires and I am sure the bodies there–such a sad story.
Tiger World är en av de klara självklarheterna om man besöker Bangkok. Verkligen att rekommendera.
Bangkok is a great city … it's such as shame that there cannot be peace there in other places in the world that are affected by violence …
Bangkok is the capital of the smiling country. I do like going here twice a year. I usually stay two days in bangkok. Have visited Tiger Temple a couple of times. And MBK numerous amount of times.
As someone who now lives permanently in Thailand we take such things as the troubles of last spring in our stride and you certainly should not let this occasional political unrest put you off visiting a truly beautiful country.
@Richard Vantage
The government is doing their best to resolve this chaos of curfew implementation. I don't want to sound anti-curfew but we can't blame the government since their concern is the welfare and common good of the people.
I'm just glad all of this is over. Thailan is once again the country so welcoming and hospitable. I hope it will just stay that way!
Amiel, Hookahset.com
Hookah Set: Real Taste of Adventure
Thailand is a tourist hot spot. If the government could not handle the chaos, they will waste potential income for their country.
Indeed. So there should be concrete efforts from the government to ensure that the country will remain peaceful and inviting to the world outside.
Amiel
Bangkok is known to be the smiling city. Hopefully they would live up to that name. Bangkok is one the loveliest cities I've traveled. With the chaos that they have, many would fear going to Bangkok.