Is it starting to affect you?

[Guest Patexpat]

Having lived here for long enough to have lived thru coups, civil unrest, dodgy elections et al, it has never really bothered me ..... sailed thru it all ... until now.

 

NOW I am feeling worried. NOW I am feeling very unsure and uncertain about the future.

 

For those of you who have lived here and also experienced these things before, how are YOU feeling?

[Guest cdnmatt]

Ask me tomorrow, and I'll tell you how I feel, as it appears today is going to be a very telling day. Thai military and protesters are clashing with each other as I type. The red shirts have more than crossed the line now, the government is more than justified in a crackdown, and has used some pretty harsh language in the past week.

 

So there's a good chance we'll find out today if the government is actually capable and willing to quelsh the protest, or if they are actually useless, and the red shirts do in fact have free reign over the country.

 

Personal safety though? Not worried, or at least not yet. But then you have to remember, it was just a simple 35 years ago, and a few hundred kms down the road, Pol Pot was in charge of Cambodia and killing millions of his country men. I mean, alot of these red shirts are beginning to act a little senile, and it seems as though they despise anyone who has more money than them. We'll see what the future holds though, but as it stands, not worried.

 

Does sadden me a bit though, mainly because of the BF. He's having a nap right now, but I already know when he wakes up, he'll flip to the news. Then more than likely, I'll watch him shed a few tears, as he watches his fellow Thais kill themselves, and watches his fellow countrymen getting killed by his own government, the Thai military & police. Then he'll probably rush out, grab a bottle of whiskey, and stay glued to the TV all night.

 

You know, if the same was happening in Canada, and I flipped on the news only to see my fellow Canadians at each others' throats and murdering each other, I'm sure I'd be pretty saddened too. I have to give him credit though, because he's taken this all in with an open mind. A couple weeks ago he was one of the most ardent red shirt supporters you would find, but he's become much quieter about it now. He knows the red shirts have crossed the line too, and isn't liking it. So kudos to him for keeping an open mind. :-)

[Gaybutton]

That's a very good question, Patexpat. Several farang friends have expressed anxiety over what may happen. Some who reside here, but are currently out of the country are delaying their plans to return.

 

My own feeling is I'm not feeling any anxiety at all. Here in Pattaya you would hardly know any of this is happening without reading about it in the media or watching it on television. I don't feel that I am in any danger and so far I have no reason to believe it will come to that even if things escalate further.

 

I know of no indication that this unrest includes any of the opposing parties having any ill feelings toward farang. Indeed, from what I have read farang who do venture into those areas have been treated with great courtesy. I have seen no reports of farang being intentionally mistreated in any way.

 

If anything, I feel inconvenienced because I think despite the orders to crack down on the Red-Shirt roadblocks and illegal searches, they're going to defy that and block roads and force searches anyhow. They seem to be defying just about everything else, so I think there's a good possibility of them defying that too. The inconvenience for me is delayed travel plans because I don't want to get stuck in the traffic jams.

 

Other than that, I feel fine and other than delayed travel plans, my life hasn't been affected one iota. I'll start getting nervous if and when something occurs to cause it.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I still feel very safe here in Ubon...but am concerned about the effect on the country by the battles taking place in Bangkok.

 

I am scheduled to travel to the US in mid May, and have some concern about traveling to Bangkok to catch my flight out...but so far the airport is no problem at all. However, domestic travel will be a problem soon if they don't sort things out at Don Muang airport.

 

My boyfriend is still unconcerned about any danger, and he is pretty perceptive.

[Guest fountainhall]

I still feel very safe here in Ubon...but am concerned about the effect on the country by the battles taking place in Bangkok.

Until I left Bangkok early this morning, I felt quite safe - and I live only a couple of kilometers from the Silom/Rama 4 intersection. I am now en route for a long planed trip to Europe and will not be back till around May 23. I really do hope it's all over by then. If not, then I know it will be a very different city I return to.

[Guest HeyGay]

I also have been here for years and seen my way through 3 Coups, this one is no different than the 1992 Coup, I would not worry it will not affect you.

 

 

BUT if the BIG MAN passed away 100 days after that I would worry, the battle for being the President will begin, and you may find The Prince may side with the Reds I have been told, from those in the know strange but true.

 

 

[Guest fountainhall]

BUT if the BIG MAN passed away 100 days after that I would worry, the battle for being the President will begin, and you may find The Prince may side with the Reds I have been told, from those in the know strange but true.

I suspect this tangent is not one which we can or should be exploring on a public Board IMHO

[Gaybutton]

I suspect this tangent is not one which we can or should be exploring on a public Board IMHO

That is correct. We have a strict policy about that. Even skirting around the reference is potential trouble, so I do intend to get rid of any further references on this or any other thread.