Bangkok: Last Photos from Silom Road Today

I returned to Silom Road in the afternoon and took a few more photos. A few small details had changed, but otherwise everyone still seemed rather bored. Speeches were being broadcast again from the Red Shirts but not with the unnerving intensity of some of them over at Ratchaprasong. Everything was peaceful despite the buildup of soldiers. One of the elements that had changed, however, was the camouflage screen that had been hung along the pedestrian walkway bridge so that soldiers could look out but were difficult to see from the direction of the Red Shirts. Some sandbags had been brought in to give them some cover should there be any shooting.

This soldier posed for an all too eager crowd of shutterbugs — some journalists, other tourists — and continued to crouch with his rifle toward the protesters until his commanding officer came over and put an end to it. Silom Road was fully loaded with photographers today.

When I stopped to take a photo of some resting troops, this soldier flashed me the peace/victory sign (a very Thai thing to do for photos) without even opening his eyes.