Election Day in Thailand

The day after Thailand’s election, all is calm. The city seems to be back to normal, traffic flowing at its normal snails pace, people smiling.

During yesterday’s elections there were a number of rallies going on around Bangkok. The streets were jammed with flag-waving, whistle-blowing crowds. Live bands rocked the rallies. Speeches droned on and on. The malls were packed as well. It seemed like one tremendous eating and drinking binge for the entire city.

There was some shooting, and seven people were injured at polling places where the protesters tried to shut down the voting. They did shut down 11% of electoral districts, making it impossible to tally final results. These inconclusive results will likely extend the country’s political paralysis well into the future.

The election will do little to alter the political situation here. The political parties will remain polarized with each trying to gain the upper hand, and the rest of the country including most of the capital will function normally.

Herman and I leave tomorrow for the islands in southern Thailand for two weeks of beach fun. Then we travel north to the Golden Triangle area. Our week here in Bangkok has been one of the most interesting times we’ve experienced here.