GRIDLOCK IN BANGKOK
And just as I was saying it's pretty much business as usual, it's taken me more than two-and-a-half hours to get home this evening. The journey normally taken 45-60 minutes.
Protesters have moved to a number of intersections in central Bangkok, including at Victory Monument which is a major transportation interchange. My trip home didn't go within five miles of any blocked roads but the resulting traffic chaos is being felt across the city.
The "red shirts" have certainly upped the ante this afternoon but I truly wonder if they'll have the momentum to continue their protests with the current numbers (and impact) over the course of the four-day Songkran holidays which start on Saturday.
4 comments:
What a nightmare. Hope you had your camera with you! Could do a "Bangkok Taxi Protest Special" or something ...
As you said before, you work fairly close to the protest location. My wife got home (drove) last night at the usual time. She works near Rajadamri. Yes, traffic in the city centre (?) was bad, but for the Post to say the city ground to a halt is an exaggeration. Bangkok has 50 districts - how many were paralysed I wonder?
And the photo of traffic in front of the SET is unimpressive - clearing the Asoke intersection can take 25 minutes on a normal day, leave alone when it rains.
Lana - I did take a few pics but nothing worth publishing. No red shirts at least, just lots of cars and lots of rain.
David. That traffic was the worst I have experienced in almost three years. Rama 3 from Asoke to Sathu Pradit, and Sathu Pradit past Central all the way to Rama 3. It was bad.
I was thinking of something artsy and metaphoric, like taking a shot of the same exact spot in 10-minute intervals for four hours from your unmoved taxi. The result would be dreary as hell, just like a day stuck in Bangkok traffic on a day of protest!
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