map of Bangkok

[ejm]

I found the following map at "Richard Barrow in Thailand" (Richard Barrow is a part-time school teacher.)


Google maps: Bangkok Dangerous: Street Battles May 2010

URGENT: Wednesday 19th May 1.30 p.m. - Red Shirt Leaders give their surrender speech and the red shirts leave the rally site at Ratchaprasong. But, this doesn't mean it is all over.

[...snip...]

All banks, schools in Bangkok are closed. All MRT and BTS train services are closed until further notice. Most big shopping malls in central Bangkok are closed too.

[...snip...]

We will update this map if and when things develop but the situation is really confusing now.

The situation in Bangkok took a turn for the worse last night. It all started when the Thai Prime Minister cancelled the proposed elections for November and sent the army in to surround the Red protest site (see google map "Bangkok Dangerous"). If you study the map, you will see that the Red Zone covers a large area that includes Bangkok's main shopping district at Siam Square and Ratchaprasong. With the elections now cancelled, the Reds had nothing to lose. We are not sure yet exactly what happened last night.

[... snip ...]

The situation at the moment is that all BTS skytrain stations and MRT underground stations in or near the Red Zone are closed today. All shopping malls in this area are also closed. The US, UK and Dutch Embassies are all closed today.

The Embassy of Canada to Thailand is also closed.

Today, May 19, 2010, our Travel Report was updated to advise Canadians to avoid all travel to Bangkok. [...snip...] Due to the continuing violence in the immediate area of the Embassy of Canada, the Embassy remains temporarily closed to the public until further notice. The security situation remains dangerous in that area.

-excerpt from canadainternational.gc.ca - Canadians Should Avoid all Travel to Bangkok and Non-Essential Travel to Thailand

[CAM]

I found the following map at "Richard Barrow in Thailand" (Richard Barrow is a part-time school teacher.)


Google maps: Bangkok Dangerous: Street Battles May 2010

Things are settling down now in Bangkok. Richard Barrow's map is one of the best services anyone has offered to people here. I check it before I go out. But I haven't been outside at all since the day the military went in to clear occupied zones with violent force, violently resisted. People in Bangkok are very shaken (foreigners, too).

My signature is not appropriate in this case -- much more than dinner is required.

[CAM]

Well, Thailand is in the news again with the violence that erupted after the election in Myanmar (Burma) that sent many thousands of people across the river from Myawaddy (Myanmar) to Mae Sot (Thailand). Apparently they've all been sent home again after the Myanmar government said they were in control again.

I doubt the journalists covering the election expected this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtdpmOyMLYQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHN2cJxyR5Y

Mae Sot looks like quite a nice town, but imagine having to pack up to cross a border like this...

BTW, the stuff on the kids/women's faces is Thanaka paste. Virtually all kids and women wear this all the time in Burma. Good for the skin, and I think it acts as a sun screen.