Holy crap, billytea! And Burrell! Much -ma to the both of you, and your respective small relations.
News From Bangkok: The PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy - which is something of a misnomer, since they are very much NOT all about democracy as we know it) protestors are still occupying the airport. Many of them are old people and small children - they've been camping out and occupying various locations for months now, so they're doubtless happy to stay where they are for the foreseeable future. They are apparently armed with bags of spices, and protected from teargas by...swimming goggles. Bless.
The police and the army are very loathe to do that whole go-in-guns-blazing thing, which I have to say I do admire. But I don't see how this is going to have a happy ending. The police DID try to go in a few days ago, but were vanquished.
Selfishly, I'm hoping that the airport will be working again and I can fly home as planned on December 16th to see my family - however, I'm conscious that if my holiday plans get screwed up, I'm still in the happy position of having an apartment here and friends to visit with over the holiday season. There are a helluva lot of stranded holidaymakers stuck here right now - and if I were in their shoes, I'd be totally screwed. Staying in hotels is not cheap. At this rate they're going to be camping out in Lumpini Park, if they aren't already.
My kids have started talking about it this morning: "There's going to be a war" and "The Thai people are fighting the other Thai people" etc. Hopefully things will calm down - the only thing I can see working right now is if the king comes out and tells the PAD they need to go home. That'll do it. They're all wearing their We