Bangkok: February 8, 2014

I've arrived, and Bangkok is as beautifully chaotic as I expected.

After leaving the airport, I was told that I could not be driven to my hostel because it's in a barricaded area (see more about that below).  One taxi driver, however, agreed to drive me as close as he could, so I hopped in.  He seemed oddly calm while driving in the mess of traffic—often coming within an inch of other vehicles while weaving around them. He also did this while gulping a suspicious-looking energy drink, texting, and not wearing a seatbelt. I found this situation to be familiar and oddly comforting (India and China are similar in this regard). The driver and I were mutually ignorant of each others' languages, so we just spoke our own and hoped for the best. I talked about the weather; he talked about whatever he was compelled to discuss. It was a lovely conversation in its own way.

I was dropped off at the end of a long empty road. I immediately wished I had not packed a large luggage, as I had to wheel it into a protest zone with only an address to follow. Fortunately the people here are extremely friendly. Those who couldn't help went out of their way to find people who could.

I intentionally booked a hostel in the middle of a barricaded protest area (sorry mom).   The demonstration was actually very impressive--and like nothing I've ever seen.  Most of the protesters are in their 30s-50s, are over-the-top friendly--despite the fact that they are camped out here, sleeping on concrete.  They even set up security checkpoints so no crazies ruin the message. It got busier as the night went on. 

During the evening, I went out on the town with some new friends from the hostel. We expected the demonstration to be over when we got back, but is was still going. 

Here is one of the many security checkpoints in the protest zone.

I'm not sure what to think of the demonstrations, but I've asked around.  This link provides a good overview of the situation, and it's consistent with what people are saying here:
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-251494

Stay tuned....

UPDATE (Feb 10):  The protests are still going strong.  Demonstrations have been very peaceful, although the speeches were extremely loud at times--- there is a very heavy-duty sound system set up throughout the protest zone.  There was some violence in the days before I arrived, but it was trivial compared to similar events in other countries.  The barricaded area has become a "protesters' market" of sorts.  You can buy anti-government shirts and accessories, other clothes, cell phones, sunglasses, flashlights, miniature blowtorches, soldering irons, rifle scopes, and amazing street food of course. Convenience stores, however, are refusing to sell alcohol in this area until the protests are over.   Most of the protestors don't seem like the drunken-rioter types, but it's a good measure nonetheless. 

I did hear a a couple of explosion-type sounds last night, but it turns out that someone was unplugging the microphones before shutting down the sound system.