Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In 1861 Bangkok's European diplomats and merchants delivered a petition to Rama IV requesting road-
ways so they could enjoy horse riding for physical fitness and pleasure. The royal government acqui-
esced, and established a handful of roads suitable for horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws.
Many of the PM's most highly placed supporters also turned against him. Most promin-
ently, media mogul and former friend, Sondhi Limthongkul organised a series of anti-
Thaksin rallies in Bangkok, culminating in a rally at Bangkok's Royal Plaza on 4 and 5
February 2006 that drew tens of thousands of protesters.
Thaksin's ministers responded by dissolving the national assembly and scheduling snap
elections for 2 April 2006, three years ahead of schedule. Thaksin initially claimed vic-
tory, but after a conference with the king, announced that he would take a break from
politics.
THAILAND'S COLOURS OF PROTEST
Most Thais are aware of the day of the week they were born, and in Thai astrology each day is associated with a
particular colour. However, in the aftermath of the 2006 coup, these previously benign hues started to take on a
much more political meaning.
To show their alleged support for the royal family, the anti-Thaksin Peoples' Alliance for Democracy (PAD)
adopted yellow as their uniform. This goes back to 2006, when in an effort to celebrate the 60th anniversary of
Rama IX's ascension to the throne, Thais were encouraged to wear yellow, the colour associated with Monday,
the king's birthday. A couple of years later, pink was added to the repertoire when protesters wore the colour as a
nod to a previous occasion when the king safely emerged from a lengthy hospital visit wearing a bright pink
blazer.
To differentiate themselves, the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) began to
wear red, and soon thereafter became known colloquially as the 'red shirts'. To add to the political rainbow, dur-
ing the riots of April 2009 that disrupted an Asean summit in Pattaya, a blue-shirted faction emerged, apparently
aligned with a former Thaksin ally and allegedly sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior. And during the politic-
al crisis of 2010, a 'no colour' group of peace activists and a 'black shirt' faction, believed to consist of rogue ele-
ments of the Thai military, also emerged. During the protests in 2013 and 2014, antigovernment protesters ditched
yellow shirts in favour of the Thai flag, the red, white and blue stripes of which were co-opted on ribbons, but-
tons, shirts and iPhone cases.
The Coup & the Red/Yellow Divide
On the evening of 19 September 2006, while Thaksin was attending a UN conference in
New York City, the Thai military took power in a bloodless coup. Calling themselves the
Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarch, the junta cited the
TRT government's alleged lèse-majesté (treason), corruption, interference with state agen-
