Monday, 345 PM.

I definitely chose to come to Bangkok on the craziest day of the year. My hotel is in the middle of all the New Year celebrations so the streets are full of people with water guns, buckets and large pails of flour paste that they dump on anyone walking down the street in honor of the New Year. It is a constant party with techno music blasting everywhere and both children and adults getting drenched with water.

There are major political demonstrations and riots going on here at the same time. In other parts of the city outside of the district where my hotel is (Khao San Road), I've seen burning buses, angry mobs with guns and lots of burning tires. On my way to the ferry boat this morning (I went to see some temples), there were a bunch of guys with walkie talkies assembling rifles on the street, in an alleyway and in the adjacent building on the 2nd floor windows that overlook the street. There are caravans of military troops going by every so often. Kind of reminds me of the LA riots! It is crazy here......

But there are still many foreigners here on vacation and life seems to go on. For example, I am in a mall at a Starbuck's and the atmosphere is very calm; people are shopping and dining. It is a national holiday after all.... I think I will stay here though in this Starbuck's for a while in order to avoid getting soaked and shot at!!! I do have a phone in case things do get worse. I leave for Cambodia in 2 days.

but what the news media don't show is that the majority of people here are trying to celebrate the new year and are so peaceful. The red shirted protesters really appear to be a small faction who is armed and have been planning this for a while....