Weblog for Andrew Biggs

For the second time this week, I have been asked what color shirt I will be wearing when I stand up on a stage and talk about … learning English.

I have lived in Thailand for 19 years, and this is the first week I have been asked what I will be wearing when I speak. No, it’s got nothing to do with my dress sense (not extremely sophisticated, I can tell you, but I do know how to dress politely, thank you). Instead, the organizers are worried. Will I be wearing a yellow shirt? Will I be wearing a red shirt? And, the most important of all: “Khun Andrew, please wear any color except for red and yellow … na ka? Na ka?”

You can “na ka” as many times as you like, but my answer was the same for both speaking engagements: “I will be wearing orange. Because that’s a combination of yellow and red.”

What amazes me is this; our whole beloved country is about to split apart in bloodshed and violence, and STILL we want to choose to wear red or yellow? Six months ago it was cute. Those opposing the government wore yellow, and they held those cute little clappers in the shape of hands. Wasn’t that adorable? And their enemies, the government supporters, started wearing red and carried clappers in the shape of feet. Now wasn’t that cute, too? How funny … and how very Thai.

But it aint funny no more.

There is nothing funny about a group of people overtaking an international airport and forcing 150,000 guests in our country to remain here as if they are in jail. We have become Hotel California … you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. But worse than that, we are the laughing stock of the world. And don’t even think that once the airport opens again, everything goes back to normal. What is “normal”? A healthy tourism industry? I would say we are two or three YEARS away from that.

What has happened to my beloved Thailand? Today we heard news that the yellow-shirts were coming here to Channel 3 to protest comments made by Sorrayut this morning on his TV show. Apparently he said something that wasn’t supportive of the PAD. Wait a minute. The PAD is calling for freedom and democracy. Well, isn’t free speech one of the most important aspects of democracy? Is it that the PAD is calling for free speech and democracy — unless the comments are negative ones about them?

Meanwhile the red shirts are gathering at the Giant Swing, adding more fuel to the chaotic fire, with men who should know better stirring up the masses with calls to fight. And still we have a Prime Minister who doesn’t understand that his resignation will make the yellow shirts pull out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Does Somchai understand about making a sacrifice for the future of the country? If it means he has to go to get rid of the proestors at the airport, then he should go, at the very least temporarily.

And please, don’t make yourself stupid by asking me “Which side do you support?” It is beyond that now. Don’t treat me like I am an idiot; I am too intelligent to think that supporting one of those sides is going to be the best for the future of Thailand. If you truly love Thailand, you should not be wearing yellor or red. We are past that. It was cute six months ago but it is deadly now. It doesn’t matter if you hate or support the government. Let’s stop this madness. Somchai, resign. PAD, get out of the airport.

And as for the politicians, maybe you DO need to take a good look at yourselves and ask if you are in it for your own pocket or the country. If your pocket wins, then your actions are worse than overtaking an international airport.