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Part III - A hot afternoon
May 18, 1992
(Posted on 2Bangkok.com on May 24, 2004)
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
At 1:00 pm I left work and walked along
Ratchadamnoen Avenue. It was a blazing hot day and people had mostly
retreated to the shade.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
There was quite a bit of debris
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com) |
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Present day:
Ratchadamnoen Avenue is much more touristy now with McDonalds
and other lively restaurants on three corners of the Democracy
Monument roundabout.
In 1992 most of old buildings along Ratchadamnoen were run
down and occupied by long-term lease holders with no shops
that catered to people walking along the street (such as
restaurant or groceries).
The photo above shows Ratchadamnoen Avenue buildings newly
painted for the September, 2003 APEC meeting. An aggressive
program to revitalize the area has been proposed in
recent years.
Right is a screen capture from the 1940s that shows the
Ratchadamnoen Avenue buildings under construction in the
background.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Dinso Road - protesters confronting the
army
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
There were probably 10-15,000 camped out in front
of Phan Fa Bridge.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Above: Sheets of plastic were
spread out over the crowds to provide shade.
Left: Protesters taking a mid-afternoon
nap.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Protesters on the Mahakarn Fort overlooking the Phan
Fa Bridge. |
Present day: Right,
the fort dramatically lit for Loy Kratong 2003 with the Golden
Mount in the background. Mahakarn
Fort and the community behind it are slated to become
a tourist park.
The other extant city fort is Prasumen
Fort. |
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Several sour characters like this
one in the white jacket (left) were taking closeup photos of protesters
in what seemed to be an attempt to intimidate. Whoever this was
has a photo of me. He did not like having his picture taken though.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
| The front lines on Phan Fa Bridge. Since this time
the bridge as been expanded with extra lanes. This makes it much
less of a choke point to prevent people from heading towards the
Parliament Building and Government House areas. |
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Another shot through the front lines. This was one
place I tried to pass by, but was stopped. |
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Protester holding on to ornamental sculpture
on Phan Fa Bridge
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Trees around Phan Fa Bridge had what appeared
to be lookouts or possibly snipers.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Despite the sporadic violence of the previous
day, there was a relaxed atmosphere and no one seemed worried.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Chumlong Sirmuang
- leader of Palang Dharma Party and one
of the protest leaders. Throughout the day as I walked through
the crowds it was as if I was invisible--no one acknowledged me.
When I got up close and photographed Chumlong, he was the only
person who seemed to see me. He at first looked suspiciously at
me and then gave me an uncertain smile and nod.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Present day: What happened
to the Palang Dharma Party?
The Palang Dharma Party was started in 1988 and led by the charismatic
Chumlong Sirmuang. It became a major, but short-lived, populist
movement. Some were put off by the unorthodox teachings of the Santi
Asoke sect (of which Chumlong was a member), but overall Chumlong
is remembered as one of the first modern political personalities
who attempted to demonstrate honesty and integrity as selling points
for his candidacy.
After the events of May 1992, the Palang Dharma Party reached the
zenith of its power by participating in several coalition governments.
However it quickly dissolved--both because of the mercurial and
eccentric Chumlong's uncertain commitment to politics and his choice
to head the party in his stead--a young billionaire named Thaksin
Shinawatra. |
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
As the afternoon wore on, more protesters
retreated to the shade to rest.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Handing out rambutan to refresh the crowd.
A rearguard line of soldiers at Kok Wua intersection
to prevent protesters from returning to Sanam Luang.
Part IV - The
shooting starts
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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