2 Mar, 2014
In Pictures: The Great Bangkok Bounceback Begins
BANGKOK – Six weeks of anti-government protests that severely crippled businesses in the central business district have now come to an end.
All the protest stages erected at three major inner-city intersections have been dismantled, allowing normal traffic flow to resume and all the offices, shopping complexes, department stores, hotels and dozens of small and medium sized enterprises to reopen for normal business as of 3 March. Protest leaders have been quoted as saying that the extended stand-off was having a severe financial impact on both the protestors as well as all those in the protest areas. Hence, the protestors are regrouping to only one spot within the city, at Lumpini park. However, all roads will be open and no more intersections will be blocked.
The news has come as a great relief to the travel & tourism industry, especially the sellers heading for ITB Berlin. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is now well placed to announce full-steam-ahead recovery campaigns. Although the political stand-off continues, and will take several weeks to come to a permanent solution, the great city of Bangkok is now back in business. The next few months will see mouth-watering deals being put into the market, making it a perfect time to visit.
On the morning of March 2, a little more than 24 hours after the announcement was made, I hopped on my motorcycle to see the clean-up under way. The following photographs speak for themselves.
The clean-up under way at the Asoke-Sukhumvit intersection. The green trucks are municipal vehicles removing all the garbage.
The protest stage is no longer there the Asoke-Sukhumvit intersection.
The garbage trucks rolling away from the Asoke-Sukhumvit intersection.
The all clear at the interchange of the Asoke station at the BTS and the Sukhumvit station of the Underground, one of the most important interchanges in the city’s mass-transit systems.
No more protest stage in front of Central World complex.
Protestors joining the clean-up at Rajdamri Road, in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan.
The anti-government protests will now relocate to Lumpini park, the sole site in the inner city. However, all roads will be open, as the pictures below indicate.
No more protest stage at the intersection of Rama 4 and Silom roads, in front of the Dusit Thani Hotel. Lumpini park is just across the road to the left.
Lumpini Park, where the new protest site is being set up, within the park perimeter, without obstructing the public road.
Final clean-up under way at the Rama 4 – Silom road intersection. That is the Dusit Thani hotel with the spire on the left.
All clear Rama 4 road right at the gate of the Dusit Thani hotel.
Another shot of the all clear Rama 4 road in front of the Dusit Thani hotel.
No more protest stage at the Rama 4 – Silom intersection.
Another shot of Rama 4 road, Lumpini park is to the right.
Garbage trucks clearing the mess from the site. Lumpini Park is to the left.
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