As the “Bangkok Shutdown” demonstrations continue throughout the capital, Coconuts photographers Kajonsak Intarapong and Zanyasan Tanantpapat remain in the field to document the faces and places. These photographs follow protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban from the stage at Pathumwan to Lumpini Park and then Asoke intersection, his last stop of the day.
The crowds at each protest site are mixes of people from different provincial factions and Bangkok locals. At each stage, Suthep asked for money, talked about how much money he raised and discussed the day’s developments. His core messages remain the same: no “win-win” situation, no negotiation. The “shutdown” will continue until Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resigns and “reforms” are implemented before any new elections.
Security is tight around Suthep’s stage presence. More guards were deployed Wednesday compared to Monday, some of which might been the result of Tuesday night’s fake bomb at Sala Daeng, shooting at Pathumwan, bombing of Abhisits home and burning of bus tires on Phitsanulok Road.
There were still numbers of celebrities joining the protesters on the streets but fewer than Monday.
Sitting in the front at Asoke stage, Marcha Wong from Zurich said there are hundreds of Thai people in Zurich who support the protests and meet regularly. She expressed concerns over “distorted” news from international news outlets and hopes that everyone will be able to hear the truth in the news.
