The only Bangkok chaos planned for today is a Yellow Shirt 'warm up' protest march to perfect the logistics and some road closures during the day to review and finely tune the expected paralysis of the city on the 13th. The Yellow Shirt leader Suthep has said: 'Come to Bangkok, bring your family, bring your kids, have picnics on the major intersections. You are safe and also a part of History.'
The attached map notes the main roads that will be shutdown from the 13th and also the individuals and groups who will be in charge of each 'paralysis point'.
The road closures from the 13th January will be significant and aren't planned to end until the Government resigns...which is odd because for the Government to do so would be illegal/unconstitutional just now, as they only have a caretaker role now anyway until Feb 2 elections.
The purpose of the demonstrators is to de-rail the democratic elections altogether, and to make sure that elections do not happen again until the Yellow Shirts (Bangkok Elite) can actually win an election against the overwhelmingly popular Red Shirts who most folk vote for.
I don't know if anyone else finds it odd that the chaos due to the organised political 'shutdown' or closure of a city of ten million can be so.... organised; and advertised in advance; ....so surgical...and legal. Still, this is Thailand, and it is legal.
There are so many ups and downs in Thailand...20 governments in 30 years, 16 successful or failed military coups, a few bloody purges and about 25 new constitutions. As the cynical Chinese Han note: "Look, Democracy in Action in Asia!"
If you look at the map, at "7" Chaeng Wattana - the main Northern City Military Base area and also the main highway to the North, Chiang Mai etc. The Yellow Shirts have to cut off access from the North because that is where the hundreds of thousands of Redshirts will come from, down the highway from Chiang Mai, in huge convoys of buses and trucks, and indeed the 70,000 car taxi-fleet, to save the Red Shirt Government.
The whole disturbance may all, again, become a mess of silk connections and a continuing political paralysis; which would be the best outcome.
As it is the Yellow Shirts' plan is to oust the Government, enable the military to take over, whilst they go about on an illicit but very comprehensive 'final solution' bloody purge of many thousands of individuals and groups including the current prime Minister, her family, the cabinet, her supporters etc.
So whilst the best that can be hoped for is 'the usual' stymied Thai outcome, the great Fear is that the Army will provide the stability and structure so that the Yellow Shirt militia can go about and kill a hell of a lot of people, which then brings up the prospect of Civil War, just like in Egypt.
With the Prime Minister's multi-billionaire brother on the Cambodian border, and supported strongly by Cambodia's Hun Sen.
Predicted Outcome: A military coup next week.
Thailand: Just like Egypt, just as horrible in terms of making people suffer, only Buddhist. Real Buddhism in Action.
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