Tensions may have run high and emotions swelled during the weekend’s protests throughout the capital, but that didn’t stop people from finding lulz at every turn.
One protester captured a billboard message that seemed to speak to their moment Friday at Pathum Wan Intersection, where a rally was forcibly dispersed by water cannons mixed with chemical agents. “Crazy uncle, the people will definitely win this game,” it read. Top male officials are commonly referred to as “uncles.”
ป้ายโฆษณาคือ5555555555555555 #16ตุลาไปปทุมวัน pic.twitter.com/aBfCfDQMuj
— ♡คุณแพรlll (@pearasii) October 16, 2020
Last night, one group of men angrily denounced Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for failing to supply them with weed.
“Where the fuck are my six weed plants?! For patients! ANUTIN!” they shouted, in reference to his campaign promise last year to allow all households to grow six marijuana plants for profit.
เดือดจัด
กัญชา 6 ต้นกูอยู่ไหน!
อนุทิน!5555555555555555555555555555555555555555#ทุกคนคือแกนนอน#ให้มันจบที่บ้องเรา pic.twitter.com/sVFQXlEFIb
— พี่อ้อรู้ พี่อ้อมันเฬว (@aorwiki) October 18, 2020
Thailand is known for its easy access to food and the rallies have been a boon for struggling vendors. Somehow they appeared at sites decided at the last minute over the weekend, prompting people to say the police should learn from them in order to keep up with the protesters.
Several vendor stalls selling things like fried chicken, meatballs and water were spotted being swept away in the human tide last night at the Victory Monument.
ช่วงชุลมุนขบวนรถเข็นอาหารเคลื่อนตัวอย่างเป็นระบบ pic.twitter.com/2Gnzcp9l2f
— Kam Phaka (@kamphaka) October 16, 2020
Several stars were born from rally interviews including a protester, stall vendor and English-language reporter.
One expat who joined Sunday’s Victory Monument rally got his moment. Interviewed holding an empty picture frame, the unidentified man said in Thai, “Prayuth doesn’t like farangs, but nevermind. Farangs don’t like Prayuth either!”
ชอบมาก pic.twitter.com/0PiufY5MI6
— ||| (@nHeUDYErXKjqWml) October 18, 2020
An stall vendor outside the MBK Center got the meme treatment after a television interviewer asked her Saturday if she had been affected by Friday night’s chaos at Pathum Wan Intersection.
“Yes, very affected,” she said “It was also a Buddisht holiday, but I couldn’t do the selling because people kept running in and out. I had to quickly collect my things and close.”
But it took a turn when the reporter asked what she would do if the protesters returned to her location.
“OK!” she said firmly, adding that she would make a “No. 1” appearance there. Asked if she was afraid of her merch getting damaged, she declared “I don’t mind!” People praised her for her ferocity.
A field reporter was in the spotlight for having fun with his live translation. Patpon “Artie” Sabpiton of the Bangkok Post went viral Friday after his audience remixed short clips from his live English coverage of Thursday’s protest at Ratchaprasong Intersection. He was caught putting some soul into his translation of a song being sung. In another clip, he had to cut off an interview after his subject responded to a question by yelling “Prayuth is a dick! Get out!”
“Sorry … yeah … that’s just about it,” Patpon said.
He resigned from the newspaper, which was widely condemned for reporting that protesters shut down the mass rail system, saying it should explain the coverage.
“Please address this immediately @BangkokPostNews,” Patpon wrote, saying he had quit and wasn’t fired.
Please address this immediately@BangkokPostNews pic.twitter.com/qVlMrbsXxX
— Artie (@1artie1) October 18, 2020
The newspaper printed an apology in its Monday edition, saying its reporting had been in error.
เนี่ย ควรเรียกว่า #สื่อมวลชน ตั้งแต่เกิดมาเพิ่งเคยเห็น นักข่าวยืน Live แปล+ร้องเพลง เก็บทุกคำ ทุกประโยค แปลให้ต่างชาติเข้าใจแบบนี้#BangkokPost #15ตุลาไปราชประสงค์ pic.twitter.com/rSRDpxUz9x
— งงงงงงงงงงงงงงงง🏳️🌈 (@StayShante) October 15, 2020
นักข่าว Bangkok Post: Why are you here today? You cannot just pop up and do this. You have to give interview ด้วย
คนเสื้อส้ม: …………Yeah…that’s just about it. pic.twitter.com/6EKDjqCKLk
— ต้าวแจ้ม 🍰 (@golferic1) October 15, 2020
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