Sunday, July 11, 2010: Devices on the Go

Devices to baffle airport security the world over

Korg Kaossilator Pro, Korg Mini-Kaoss Pad, Hardwire Delay/Looper, and my trusty old Zoom MSR8

Saturday, June 19, 2010: Kaossilator Pro

I went by Music Concept today and got my Kaossilator Pro. I spent much of the day messing with it. It has a double the number of patches as my original Kaossilator and a bigger (and flashy) control surface. It also has a few features like a looping function as well as some effects. It's built like a tank compaired to the plastic toy like original.

My newest pretty toy

Sunday, June 13, 2010: Music Concept

I've had contact with staff from both Music Concept and Rock Planet and have learned that both stores managed to get their merchandise out before the Red Shirt Rampage.

Music Concept has reopened in the part of Siam Square that the Red Shirts didn''t burn down. The temporary store is a quarter of the size of the old one. I went by it this afternoon and checked it out. My Kaossilator Pro should be in this week. Huzzah!

Music Concept's temporary location

Saturday, June 12, 2010: Return of the Sky Walk

It was once possible to walk on the elevated "sky walk" that is suspended under the Sky Train tracks from Paragon all the way over to Chitlom BTS Station. My usual route to Central World, and the various shops I frequented there was along this walk way. The walkway has been closed but now it's been reopened giving a better view of the damage to the area. I took a stroll along it today and got some more photos.

I have yet to get up to Pantip or go by Big C where I've had a MBE Mailbox. Big C which I shopped at many times, ate Mk at many times and so forth was also set on fire by the Red Shirts. So I now have a key for a mail box that no longer exists.

The remains of Zen

Another view of Zen

Looking from the Sky Walk

Debris

Looking towards Chitlom BTS

A view from the Sky Walk

Detail of the damage

Zen sign, or what's left of it

Another view of the Zen sign

Side service door

More damage

Central World

The Zen tower from the Sky Walk

Another view

Battle damage

More damage

Ground floor damage

More damage

A destroyed shop

Looking north into the Zen Store

The Buddha is covered

A view from the Sky Walk

Sunday, May 23, 2010: Clean Up

This morning I went over to Black Swan for a full monty fry up. Afterwards I took the BTS over to National Stadium station and began to walk back towards Central World, or what was left of it. Seeing photos or news footage of the destruction is one thing. Seeing it first hand was another.

I saw something I didn't expect though. A true testament to the nature of the people here in Bangkok. There were hundreds of folk out cleaning up the mess. Scrapping the Red Shirt's posters off of things or scrubbing away the slogans they'd spray painted everywhere. Gathering up the litter they'd left and washing and sweeping the filth and ash off of the road in front of Siam Discovery all the way over to Chitlom. Some of the people seemed to be part of some civic group but many were just folk out to see the damage for themselves who joined in.

The roof of Siam Square from the Siam BTS

Note that above these buildings are little apartments

No time has been waisted replanting

Soldiers around but keeping a low profile

Cleaning up the Siam Center

Cleaning

People scrapping off Red Shirts posters

Another view

More fire damage

And more

A Red Shirt poster depicting the PM as a vampire

The destroyed Theatre

Another view of the Theatre

Cleaning up

Formerly someone's shop

What was once a restaurant

What might have been an apartment

Another shop

Damage

A view from the Sky Walk

What was a bank

People cleaning

Walking towards Central World

Central World

Another view

Walking East

Clean up continues

Cleaning the filth off the street

Sweeping the water into the drain

Buddha survives the fire at Central World Trade

Clean up

Garbage collected

Central World and the Zen Department Store

The collapsed portion of Central World

Cleaning the intersection

Still smoldering

A view from the street

Battle damage

Fire Truck

Hosing down the ruins

Another view

And another

Ambulance

Damage and a Fire Truck

Former advertising

Food donated to the Security and Fire Crews

Damage done

Heading back towards MBK

Damage

Another view of damage

And another view

Close up

Looking back at Central World

Across from the Paragon

Destruction

More destruction

ATMs

Near Siam Square

Another view

Someone's little shop

The collapsed roof of the Theatre in Siam Square

Another view of the Theatre

The Theatre

All staff now unemployed

One of the hundreds of small budget clothing stores destroyed in Siam Square

Another look at the Theatre

The roof

How many times did I go up these? Many times.

Cleaning in front of the Siam Center and Paragon

Heading back from The National Stadium BTS Station

Saturday, May 22, 2010: Quiet

There was a huge thunder storm last night. I have never been even remotely afraid of thunder and lightening however after the storm woke me I found myself flinching with each boom.

This morning it is sunny for the time being. It looks like there might be rain later. Thai TV is playing Saturday morning cartoons and Power Ranger type nonsense which suggests things are returning to normal.

8:10 pm

Today was pretty quiet. The BTS is supposed to be operational but it certainly isn't anywhere near me. There were Cops up by the Seltzer building but they were keeping a low profile. The curfew has been lifted else where in the country but remains in here from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am.

They are still finding weapons and such like as well as bodies in the burned out buildings. At this point it's unknown if they are looters or Red Shirts who got caught in the fires or if its shop owners or mall employees who got trapped.

One thing to keep in mind is that many of the shops and banks that were attacked where in four or five story walk ups. Setting them on fire resulted in what ever offices or apartments were above the targets going up as well. It is a miracle the fires didn't spread more than they did.

Pool

Bird

Friday, May 21, 2010: Bangkok Weeps

Cloud

Morning Sky

7:00 am

So much damage and destruction.

One thing that is becoming clear to everyone here is that these fires weren't just the acts of an angry mob on a rampage. They were planned in advance and some very specific places were targeted.

The TV News is showing a photograph of a Fire Fighter laying on the ground who'd been shot. Most of the fires came with snipers. What kind of a person shoots at a Fireman?

Now it is interviews with weeping shop owners who lost everything. These folk aren't "elites". They are just people who were trying to make a living like everyone else. Little family businesses completely destroyed.

I keep wondering about the people who owned and worked in the two musical insturment shops I frequented in what was the Central World Trade. I have been buying gear from one for many years. Much of my Korg gear, my Mirco Korg, my mini Kaoss Pad, and Kaossilator as well as some pedals came from a shop called Music Concept. The Hardwire Delay was the last purchase I made there. I never would have thought that the last time I went in there would be the last time I went in there.

The wonderful Electric Mandolin that I got for myself on the 30th anniversary of my 16th birthday came from a store called Rock Planet which had an amazing selection of pedals and stompboxes. The staff at both of these shops were just the best examples of why I love living in Thailand. Friendly, warm, polite and no pretensions. It just breaks my very heart to see what has happened to them.

And these are just two of the hundreds of stores and shops now gone.

The death toll as of last night was at 51.

12:12 PM

This morning at around 10:00 am I could hear a gong or bell tolling to the North East. I've never heard that before.

6:14 pm

The curfew remains but it would seem the worst of this is over for the time being. The Red Leaders kept threatening that if their demands weren't met or if they were moved out from the protest sites that civil war would follow. I think that was the civil war. With out funding, with the leaders detained, and with Seh Daeng dead and Thaskin on the run I think the Red Shirts are done. At least that's what I hope.

They are still arresting folk and the investigations and forensics begin. Snooty people from the first world should not snear at the concept of Thai Police Forensics. Their Chief of Forensics, Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan, has been a thorn in the side of the Police in the past because of her loyality to the truth.

They are still finding bombs and weapons that belong to the Red Shirt Guards. Those arrested are not getting bail. All the regular folk who were in the protests but not part of the Red Shirts Gladiators have been transported home for free. There is going to be funds to help those who lost businesses in all the mayhem.

The new crazy rumour is that the people who did all the shooting, looting and mayhem were speaking Khmer and Burmese. I think it might be difficult for Thais to admit that Thais can hurt other Thais.

One of the best pieces I've read on this whole thing was in the Globe and Mail online of all places. It gives some excellent background and lays the blame exactly where the blame belongs. On Thaskin.

Curfew