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Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand braced for anti-government demonstrations that began Friday and were expected to peak over the weekend with as many as 150,000 protesters on the streets.
In anticipation, the government has mobilized 50,000 security forces.

The "red shirt" opposition protesters include supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006.

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Extra tidbit; the anti-protester loyalist camp's colors are yellow/gold. It's true. I hope the government soldiers set their gear to stun.
I'd be laughing at all this if my brother wasn't going over there two weeks from now, and me joining him in May.

Of course, both the protest leaders and the government have vouched that things will be kept as peaceful as possible, here's hoping.
 

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Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
 
Of course they say that, NIM. they want your money and patronage, after all. Here's my suggestion: Give your concelet (or what ever the equivelant to the State Department is for your homeland) a call and ask if it's safe to travel over there.

I think there has been enough movies made about such travels (usually resulting in jail time, organ havesting, justing Pot cults that usually end badly, spending time in jails that you wouldn't wish to your greatest adversary... you know, the usual things that happen when you least expect it...) to make you think twice or practice a little Risk Management before you travel to 4th world countries.

i mean, the ONLY movie that ended up with a happy ending was Harold & Kumar excape from G-B. any other idea is Midnight Express... or that organ harvest movie from a couple years ago (name eludes me)... ST-V?

hope i didn't spoil your plans (hope i reminded you to be careful, at least)...

at the VERY least, try to avoid taking pictures that -require- you to swirl the image...
 

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Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
 
It's not my first time in Asia, but I appreciate the concern Damar. At this point we're just hoping we don't have to reschedule anything. Crassness aside, I of course hope the poor Thai won't start whacking eachother's brains out.
The largest part of the trip will be spent out on the islands off the east coast, none of which are political hotbeds. But someone needs to care for the redshirts!
 

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Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
 
... Did i just get complimented? o.O is my name now PWD? *giggles*
 

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Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
 

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Crassness aside, I of course hope the poor Thai won't start whacking eachother's brains out.

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Well, the poor Thai have commenced whacking eachothers' brains out.

After the large protests two weeks ago, which left 25 people dead and 800 injured, the Redshirts have continued to regroup and do different stuff every day.

The people from the rest of the country, tired of the Redshirts, are working too;

From Bangkok Post:

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The "volunteering civil network for national protection" on Wednesday announced a mass rally of people who are opposed to the red shirts of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) at the Royal Plaza on April 23 from 4pm-7pm.

Network leader Tul Sithisomwong, a lecturer at the faculty of medicine of Chulalongkorn University, expected the rally to draw up to 100,000 people of different colours, except red.

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Deplomedic Emuenutty.

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