PART IV Lido: Red Shirts Riot 2010 - เสื้อแดง2010 - 2010年红衫军暴动

The famous legendary Lido Cinema burned to the ground. It is one of the oldest and most memorable venue for older Bangkokians.

Taken from the nearby skytrain station

Looking beyond the protection screen

This is the end of the 4 parts series on the red shirt report. In fact there were far more burning sites that I didn't have a chance to record the history, among them are Channel 3 headquarter.

No photo on the actual site, but I did manage to snap the final second before it returns to air. (The channel was unable to broadcast due to fire)

PART III Central World: Red Shirts Riot 2010 - เสื้อแดง2010 - 2010年红衫军暴动

The worst hit area - Rachaprasong Intersection: This is the stronghold of red shirts on the few months long demonstration.

One of the biggest shopping mall in SEA was burnt down by a network of gas cylinder installed inside the building. It was not an accident or an act of anger but a well planned crime.

A police post near the intersection

A closer look

Nothing left except the mess

Central World Tower

Central World Shopping Mall - a lost of almost 15 billions baht

The damages - almost resemble those of by Al-Qaeda

Moment of silence

Serious of explosion brought down even the strongest structure

Used to be a cinema

The nearby Big C hypermarket - another collateral damage (?)

A moral support to the peacekeeping army

PART II Bon Kai: Red Shirts Riot 2010 - เสื้อแดง2010 - 2010年红衫军暴动

After the crack down on May 19, Bangkok final declared clear of red shirt. Even though there were still report of explosions, like most bangkokian who left home to clean up the city, I took up my camera and walked to the used to be red shirt strongholds to witness and capture the crime committed by a group team of people.

Crime Scene 1: Bon Kai (or literally "Cock Fighting Ground")

This is very closed to where I stay.

Tesco Lotus Express burnt down to ashes

The tyres burning mark - used by red shirts to create dark smoke.

Besides acted as a bunker, it was designed by red shirts strategist to keep the air surveillance away.

Cooking the signboard on stacking express way

The unrecognizable Kasikorn Bank - alleged to be one of the government supporters by the red shirts insurgent

From another angle

CIMB, a malaysian bank was not the target of the red shirt but unfortunately situated next to the Kasikorn Bank.

城门失火，祸及池鱼 Ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee

PART I From Condo: Red Shirts Riot 2010 - เสื้อแดง2010 - 2010年红衫军暴动

This is a crazy city.

Voted one of the best cities, one of the best travel destinations in the world..., the tourist-favorite "City of Angels" has been raped by its citizens who labeled themselves the Red Shirts.

When it got started, it was generally believed that the demonstrations would not be lasted long. Tight resource and unorganized (compared to the Yellow Shirts), lack of a charisma leaders in their camp are among the reasons. Its spiritual tycoon leader (and suspected to be their biggest sponsor), Mr. T, who are on self-exiled, is too powerless to assert his influences from thousand miles away. Newspapers has continued to play down the organizing capability of the red-shirts and is just a matter of time the strength of demonstrators would diminished.

I naively believed that everything would be okay after I returned from Europe. It actually turned worse after a 15 days holiday from another corner of the earth.

Started largely peacefully in March 14, situation deteriorated in April when people got killed. Causalities did not stop the crazy demonstration but add fuel to the fire.

More violences reported in May while the unrest spread wider. Government announced state of emergency and followed by curfew hoping to curb the demonstration. All measures were proven ineffective in a country that practice street democracy. More people died during the face off, and reportedly a group of armed red shirts were shooting to the crowds to create the chaos.

Closure of office forced me to stay at home. I actually started to stockpile foods and drinks. It was a real joke when my colleague had actually advised me to stock cooking gas just in case of power cut off.

Smoke scene taken from my condo on 16/5/10

Believed to be the same smoke broadcast in TV on the same day

Another day Bangkok was covered under smoke on 19/5/10

Taken from my condo

The same smoke captured from live TV news

See the armored vehicle marching to the epicenter on the right

More armored vehicles

Seagull นกนางนวล 海鸥

The migratory Seagull is flying to Thailand during winter season, from roughly Nov to March each year. Thousand of these lovely birds gather at Bangpu (around 1 hour from Bangkok) and making the place a famous tourist spot for birdwatching.

The Erawan Museum พิพิธภัณฑ์ช้างเอราวัณ 爱侣湾博物馆

Erawan is the Thai Version of hindi "Airavata", or Three Headed Elephant.

From the photo, at first glance, you may think that it is a large statue. But it is not ,it is actually a 3-storey building. Entering from the base, first floor is an exhibition hall displaying some archives showing past events of the Museum and Thai Culture. Also displaying are a number of priceless antiques, rare collections of ancient religious objects belonging to the museum owner. Designed in accordance to the Hindu-Thai concept of three-tiered cosmology (tribhumi), first floor depicting the underworld.

Walking up, second floor representing human world, it is decorated with a dome-shaped stained glass ceiling. The architect has cleverly used western interior decorative showing western element can be harmonically co-existed with eastern culture.

Climbing up to the highest level, entering into the elephant's belly and it is where the Heaven located. Third level is a spacious chanting room housing some fine and superb Lord Buddha images.

Overview

The "underworld"

The "Human World"

The "Heaven"

Some illusive blue colored flowers presented to the heaven

It is huge, isn't it?

http://www.erawan-museum.com/eng/main.html