Bangkok Unrest

Lately, we have been getting messages from friends stateside about the media reports that use words like "War zone," "anarchy," and "civil war" to describe the crack down on protesters in Bangkok. One relative suggested that we "grab the nearest weapon and get to the airport!" Kat, in an aside to me dryly noted that the only knife she needed was one to butter her croissant. While I certainly do not wish to downplay the seriousness of the situation a la Marie Antoinette, we are fine. It is a strange phenomenon: Citizens are concerned, of course, but despite what one might think, that everyone is locking themselves indoors or huddling around TV sets, that simply isn't the case. One would not have a clue that anything out of the ordinary was happening by the looks of things where we live: everyone is just carrying on normal routines. I went to a party last night downtown (No, not in or even near the "fire zone"), Kat is at a beach resort with girlfriends, and the weekend market was bustling as usual. But, there isn't much else anyone can do anyway.

While the violence is confined to a small area of Bangkok (about 1 sq. mile--Bangkok is about 620 square miles in size), and about 20 miles from where we live, we know that it can spread, so we stay tuned into news reports on the computer, the US Embassy reports to our email addresses and of course by our friend cell phone network.

The prime minister has ordered that all schools in Bangkok close tomorrow, and while no one is sure if that applies to non-Thai schools, my school, as well as many other international schools will not be open, just in case. This of course is for the safety of students and faculty who live or travel downtown to get to school. We may not have school for a longer period, but that won't be known until tomorrow at the earliest. That gives me more time to grade lab reports. Kat's school is not in Bangkok, so it will stay open. As a colleague at another school that is staying open noted wryly, "If any kids are shot on their way to school, at least it will be for a good cause!"

This is a problem for us, as seniors are taking their final exams, and the rest of the students begin theirs on Friday. The seniors are expected to take theirs, as most are externally graded internationally. I assume all schools with students in the International Baccalaureate or AP programs will still give their exams. Who knows? Maybe we will get an early summer break. At least the airport is open. Last time it was the other political party ("yellow shirts") that closed it down. The red shirts instead want to disrupt the elite hotels and business district with all the big malls. And they have, big time.

It's anyone's guess how this will all end. It has no precedent here in terms of the strategies used by the protesters and the government. It will likely change how urban resistance is played out in the future, at least in Thailand, but possibly elsewhere. The British found out about fighting an enemy that didn't play by the rules of war during the American revolution, as did the Bush administration when it declared "mission accomplished" before getting mired down in Iraq and Afghanistan. We'll see what the Thais have learned from history as well. Perhaps they are in the process of adding another chapter to the futility of war.