Bangkok: Current Events

March 12, 2010

As I ride into the city in a taxi from the bus station I am in awe of how big, bustling, modern, and commercial Bangkok is. It is an amazing city. I knew it was big but I wasn’t expecting this level of consumerism and business. The transportation seems good too; I observe a sky train and a metro system, plus many busses. Everyone is out shopping on Friday. Every chain I can think of in America exists here, plus they have their own franchises to support, resulting in every blocked packed with stores. Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, Starbucks, McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, it’s all here, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Then there’s the fashion, I pass shops of high end names that I could never afford. As we get closer to the tourist district we pass a main street that seems to lead to some government buildings, on 2 corners I notice some crowd control looking police man stationed. Maybe there was a protest earlier.

I plan to go salsa dancing my first night in Bangkok. It’s been ages since I’ve danced and I miss it badly. Plus I’m really curious about the salsa scene here; it’s supposed to be pretty good. I’m excited to find some internet and figure out where the dancing will be tonight. When I do look it up I discover that tonight’s dance is at Dream Hotel. Judging by the website it’s a very posh place. I don’t think it would be fitting for me to show up in my travel pants and dance in my socks as I originally planned. Unfortunately, the tourist street of Koh San is a circus. It’s packed with street vendors selling everything for Westerners at ridiculous prices, loud music blasting bars, and cheap crummy guesthouses. But I’ve decided to stay in this part of town because I feel safe here. Bangkok is an intimidating city and there is a large sex-trade/tourism scene. I figure I’d rather be around the bars blasting Black Eyed Peas than the local “nightlife.”

I head onto the street in search of something to wear. I’m immediately overwhelmed by the selection. I’ve just walked into a street version of Forever 21. Not only because of the ridiculous amount crammed into the street, but because everything they sell here is exactly Forever 21 merchandise. This is where it all comes from. And I quickly discover that the prices here are nearly the same as Forever 21 at home as well. I know the prices are ridiculous, but the tourists here (mostly European) are willing to pay them because the clothes are still cheap to them. It’s frustrating to know that I could be getting the same deals at home. I settle on a $5 pair of leggings and a $15 pair of heels to dance in, surely I’ll get blisters breaking them in. I head back to my guesthouse feeling outlandish that I just spent $20 to go dancing, but excited to get dressed up. Did I say earlier I didn’t miss my closet at home? Ok, well I miss it as much as I miss going out salsa dancing.

A cab to Dream Hotel costs another $3.25. This is going to be an expensive night. The hotel and lounge is beautiful. I sit down to watch the couples on the floor and scope out the place. The music is good and it feels so good. Soon I get asked to dance and it’s wonderful. I quickly discover that the leads here have a wonderful calmness and consideration to their lead. They don’t push and pull or over-direct you. Though there seems to be little independent styling for the ladies, the leads are kind and advanced and I have a blast dancing.

Taking a break, I begin talking to a German man I was sitting next to. He lives in Bangkok and noticed I must be from out of town because he didn’t recognize me. This is what I love about salsa communities. No matter where in the world, a salsa dancer is always welcome in a new community, and everyone in the community knows each other. It’s one of the best ways to network and find your way around a new city. I tell him I’m from Seattle and he says that it is the only city he has been to in the USA.

“Why did you go to Seattle, for work?” I asked.

“Yes, I was there for the WTO convention.” He tells me about walking in the rain at night past the hundreds of policemen to find his way through the city to the salsa club after a day of work in conferences. Ironic, considering what I’m about to learn.

He apologizes that tonight is so quiet. Is it quiet? Apparently this is only 1/3 of the normal turnout he says, because of everything happening in the city this weekend. What’s happening in Bangkok I ask, excited. He’s shocked I don’t know and I quickly feel quite stupid for being so horribly uneducated about the current events.

I’ve been very happy with the route my trip has taken and the places I’ve gotten to seen, but I have been disappointed by how my schedule has resulted in me missing nearly every major festival possible. I left Hanoi 2 weeks before what would have surely been one of the largest Tet (Chinese New Year) celebrations on the city’s 1000 year anniversary. I left Luang Prabang just before the Elephant Festival began. I missed an amazing Buddhist pilgrimage to Champasak, Southern Laos, by about 1 week. I’ll be missing the incredible Thai New Year / nationwide water-fight by less than 1 month. I’ve missed the amazing Holi celebrations in India by 2 weeks. Atish & I will be in India during Kumbh Mela but we won’t be able to reach it with our schedule. Yet somehow I’ve managed to arrive in Bangkok just as one of the nation’s largest protests ever for a political coup is about to begin, when hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into the city to voice their discontent. And I had no idea.

The Red-Shirts want the previous prime minister to be reinstated. He was ousted in a military coup several years ago for embezzlement. My understanding is he represents a more socialist movement. He’s currently in a self-imposed exile. His supports have picked this weekend to migrate from every corner of the country and fill Bangkok wearing their iconic red shirts. They are quoted in the news for wanting a peaceful march on the capital. They say they hope their numbers alone will instill a need for change. Jost, the German salsa dancer, says there are rumors of planned violence. He tells me to be careful, that they have no real knowledge as to how many Red-Shirts there will be, estimates range from 100,000 to 1 million. I’m worried about my flight on Tuesday morning and ask him if there is a chance this could interfere with the airport. It could he says, but most likely it will blow over before then. Oh dear, please let this pass quickly. I flash back to 9th grade when I waited with 15 of my fellow classmates in the Houston Bush International Airport for 3 days when the air-traffic controllers had gone on strike in Guatemala. We were so excited to reach Guatemala when we finally were able to fly, but the wait had been horrible. Would the strike end today, tomorrow? No one had any idea. Socio-political conflicts are the worst uncertainties to encounter when traveling.

As I head back to my guesthouse at midnight I see what I missed on my ride into the city. There are police everywhere. The center of the protests will take place near Koh San Road. As we get closer I see SWAT teams lining corners carrying large plastic shields, there are police cadets on other streets, a military truck is stopped and soldiers in camo are unloading. But I don’t see any Red-Shirts, yet.

The next morning I get online to research the issue and read the latest about the protesters. BBC says that 40,000 troops have been mobilized to protect the city. Everything around me seems to be running normally. I wonder how many tourists actually know about this. When I head out for my walk through the city I am shocked to discover that my perception of where the center of the protests would be was a bit wrong. They are 2 blocks from my guesthouse, on the street parallel to Koh San road. Large canopies are set up and there are a few Red-Shirts setting up resources and a stage. I ask one of them and they say that everyone is supposed to be entering the area late tonight and the main event would be Sunday. The sooner the better, I think. Let’s get this over with so I can make my flight.

My walk through the city is uneventful and wonderful. I have fun exploring the markets, waterfront, and temples near the river. I have fun trying different foods I see. I stop at a mum & pop restaurant and order Phad Sei Ew. I ask if I can watch them cook it. Atish and I are constantly trying to figure out the best order for frying all the ingredients together in the wok. The women are happy to let me stand in the kitchen with the cook and I film the whole process. To think I almost signed up for $100 cooking course just to learn how to make Phad Sei Ew. I just got everything I needed for free :)

I take a taxi back to Koh San Road. I had nearly forgotten about the Red-Shirts when my cab driver is frustrated because roads are blocked off. We have to take a large detour. Down different streets I see red in the distance. There are definitely more of them than this morning.

In Koh San Road I feel safe. The road is blocked by police men and the protesters would have no reason to come into this touristy area. But while I’m showering I start to hear a lot of chanting and yelling in the street outside. And it’s really loud. Could people be marching down the road? I get dressed and run outside to see what it is. In front of my guesthouse is a huge crowd of tourists pressed together watching something. I squeeze to the front and find a team of children break-dancing. They are putting on an incredible show and everyone is cheering them on energetically. They finish and I head back to my room. I’ll have to wait to see what tomorrow brings.