When most Singaporeans think of Bangkok, they think shopping malls, food, and tourism. But Thailand’s currently grappling with something else at the moment.
Following pro-democracy protests, Thailand’s prime minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha issued an emergency decree at about 4am on 15 Oct, banning protests.
But this was met with an even larger gathering in the streets and city, and as of 9pm the protests are still ongoing.
In the early hours of 15 Oct, the Thai government passed emergency measures banning gatherings of more than 5 people.
They cited damage to the economy and risk of spreading Covid-19 for the measures, aimed at ending protests.
Thailand’s most recent local Covid-19 case was detected on 11 Sep, after 100 days with zero local cases.
Following the government measures to ban protests, leading to arrests of 3 leaders, protesters took to Ratchaprasong district in even greater numbers.
They camped outside Central World mall, filling the Skywalk as well.
This led to the temporary closure of the Skywalk leading to some BTS stations, and traffic, predictably, was blocked too.
Protesters were seen holding up a 3-handed salute, inspired by the Hunger Games films.
Police and the army were deployed to block out major routes.
However, protesters remain on the streets, chanting for democracy and the release of protest leaders, including human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa and student leader Parit Chiwarak.
The blockades led to one incident where someone was denied entry to the hospital.
A netizen claimed that the woman was going into labour, but this cannot be verified.
But after pleas from the crowd to let the woman through, they finally relented, and someone took her to the hospital on the back on a motorcycle.
You wouldn’t know that the protests had been ongoing for 3 months, as they were largely peaceful.
However, on 14 Oct, an incident involving a motorcade carrying Queen Suthida was used as a reason for the government to take action.
Claiming that protesters blockaded the motorcade, preventing it from moving, the government banned all gatherings with over 5 people and arrested more than 20 protest leaders.
According to netizens, however, protesters didn’t actually block the motorcade.
Thailand may be known as the Land of Smiles, but the current situation in Bangkok merits anything but.
Hopefully the situation doesn’t escalate to the point of violence as innocent lives may be lost due to this.
May peace return to the Land of Smiles soon.
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Featured image adapted from Twitter.
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