Operation Shutdown Bangkok -- Firsthand Account!

I did a short trip only a few days ago on the spur of the moment. When I read that the opposition was going to launch Operation Shutdown Bangkok on 13 Jan, I felt that I MUST go take a look! and here are the pics:
(Notice that the pics are all far-angled shots as in my excitement, I left my trusty camera at home  :-( and can only fall back on my Samsung ACE 2, which canNOT zoom!!! For safety reasons, most of the shots are taken 'far away' from the madness, with the exceptions of a few. Luckily, the resolution is not too bad, so u can click ur mouse to zoom into the pics, which may uncover some interesting details that I'd wanted to capture)

One of the blockades set up by the opposition, it's at the major intersection of Ratchaprasong, their equivalent of our Orchard Road, where the major shopping malls gleam like mammoth temples of worship. This used to be a street guaranteed to induce multiple retail orgasm for the hardcore shopaholics out there. But take a look at it now -- swarmed with people seeking to oust the Shinawatra clan (which Thaksin and Yingluck belong) from Thailand.

The protestors gathering outside the Louis Vuitton shop. I felt sorry for LV. People with apparent disregard for fashion were camping outside its 'holy' grounds. Zoom in to the people in the foreground and u will see them having a picnic there! The main stage at this rally point is just a few steps away to the left of the pic, where the Christmas tree is. To keep the huge number of protestors occupied and stave off boredom, there are skits (invariably making fun of Thaksin and Yingluck) and dance and song items to keep the crowd entertained and keep the morale high.....In fact, you can be forgiven for thinking u're at some high-octane rock concerts where singers belt out popular hits, with the crowd lapping up every moment and even joining in to dance and sing along! These are often interspersed with serious political rhetoric and speeches by the major opposition leaders making their rounds through the various rally sites.

The famous four-faced Buddha aka Erawan Shrine in the heart of the shopping district, located just next to the mammoth stage erected by the protest crowd. The only true shrine here, it was locked up on the first day of the protest.

gyrating to the loud music blasting from the speakers nearby....the mood was more carnivalesque and festive than one permeated by a sense of foreboding....

the tents that line the shopping street......holy cow! the entire shopping stretch has been transformed into a camping ground!

it can be awe-inspiring witnessing the scene, esp when the sky train zipped past in the tracks above the protestors....can see the brightly-lit giant monitor screen in the centre of the pic? It serves as a backdrop for the mammoth stage dominating the protest site here.....

This is another rally spot, outside another major shopping mall called Terminal 21. The protest crowd will get progressively denser in the evening, swelling to a climax at night. It can be quite surreal, as many protestors will take the sky train to the protest sites after their work in the evening. You will also see the protestors shopping in the opulent shopping malls during the afternoons when things are slower and the weather is hot. They will also retreat into the malls to use the toilets.....

Major roads were blockaded by the protestors in an attempt to prevent govt officials from going to work so that the city cannot function properly. The cordoned-off streets did not lay idle though. Entrepreneurial yellow shirt protestors sweep into the resultant vacuum to set out their wares for sale. It's like closing off Orchard Road and holding a flea market there!

One of the many creative posters and banners u get to see....In the middle is the reviled Thaksin and his sister, PM Yingluck. being hung up! The small frys on both sides are depicted as dogs and other animals, reflecting their lackey status.

I kind of like this one....Located on the left is Suthep, the brains behind Operation Shutdown Bangkok. He is shown here delivering a mighty kick at Yingluck, as the well-endowed and buxomy care-taker PM dragged her trolley in the style of an SIA stewardess and bade a tearful farewell to Thailand, making her way to Dubai to join her brother Thaksin, who is stuck there in exile.

Another rally site, outside yet another major shopping intersection. For those who've been there before, this is just directly outside MBK! It's like a rock concert with those huge colourful beach umbrellas surrounding the stage. This is near noon time, so it doesn't look that crowded yet. Most of the protestors are still working and will join in later. Those who are there 'full-time' are usually just napping or having a picnic on the grounds, getting massage........others are shopping inside MBK. Trust the Thais to transform something so serious into something so enjoyable.

Same place...with the sky train zipping past above. The stage is just directly below the train tracks....zoom in to see.....

The souvenirs I bought from the protestors. Isn't this shirt design nice? It's a steal for only 180 baht (about S$7). Attached to the colourful band on the right is a whistle, a must-have 'weapon' for all protestors. Each time the political leaders said something (eg. 'Thaksin, Get Lost!; in Thai of course), the protestors will blow at the whistle in affirmation, creating a collective shrill sound that reverberates through the protest grounds! Very electrifying -- and deafening! There's also a badge at the bottom right hand corner. Incidentally, I've got another protest shirt of a different design which I don't mind selling. Interested party can juz drop me an email or let me know discreetly in class. Price negotiable! :-)

This whistle I bought actually has a Hello Kitty head! Once again, trust the Thais to mix fun/cuteness with serious politics.

the rear view of the shirt above...13, an unlucky number. So why choose to launch the Operation on Jan 13? It remains to be seen whether it will be unlucky for the red or the yellow shirt camp.

an interesting design on a shirt on sale.....shows Suthep (the opposition leader) sweeping away the devils that plague the Thai government -- symbolic of the goal of Operation Shutdown Bangkok, which is to purge the govt of corruption and introduce reforms....