Once a pristine park popular for morning jogs, yoga and kendo, Lumpini Park has been transformed into a tent city.
After the shutdown of the Bangkok Shutdown left the park as the last place for protesters – many from out of town – to camp, Bangkok officials say they’ve dispatched staff to try to protect the park’s natural environment.
Tents sit right up to the edge of the park’s artificial lake, where usually majestic monitor lizards can be found basking in the sun or chewing on a frog.
Bangkok Governor Sukhumband Paribatra ordered officials sent to the park yesterday to ensure cleanliness and that the park’s animals and ecosystem are not damaged by protesters, NNT reported.
Some pictures of damage from Twitter user Justine Dunne:
#LumpiniParkShutdown is complete. BKK’s once grassy area is now covered with dead leaves n broken septic systems. pic.twitter.com/YPPaO2BTlH
— Justin Dunne (@justindunne) February 25, 2014
And look what’s happened to the trees. #OccupyLumpini pic.twitter.com/GxTXOWczeH
— Justin Dunne (@justindunne) March 3, 2014
