Trouble in Bangkok

All frivolity aside, the security situation in Bangkok has become more serious over the last 48 hours as the military and police continue to crack down on the Red Shirt protesters. The U.S. Embassy (including USAID's offices) has been closed since Thursday afternoon of last week. We've been told to stay at home, which is exactly what we're doing. The situation is very fluid here, so we're checking the TV and Internet for continual updates.

The streets outside our apartment are quieter than usual, but there is still some normal life going on out there. When Patrick came in from the airport at 1:00am on Monday, he saw police and soldiers stationed around main intersections in the neighborhood, including the entrance to our street. Here is a map of the protest zone; our apartment is between the "U" and "K" in "UK Embassy."

This blog is not really the place for us to air our opinions on the politics of Thailand, but we can tell you that the situation is very complicated. A friend of ours who recently left Thailand told us, "After four years of living in Thailand, the only thing I understand is that I don't understand anything here." We -- like many -- are surprised at how violent the situation has become, and how quickly that has happened. We are sad for Thailand and the vast majority of peaceful, fun-loving people who make this country their home, and ours.

For some background reading, you can read the following:

BBC World News: Q&A and a basic timeline and analysis

The Economist: a provocative article and the Thai government's response and background on the region where many of the Red Shirts come from

Time magazine: more analysis

For current events, the Bangkok Post and the Nation are the two English-language newspapers here in Bangkok.

Here are some picture galleries of events over the last few days from the Boston Globe's Big Picture and LIFE magazine.

As always, you can get in touch with us through our personal e-mail addresses -- we'd love to hear from you. Rest assured that we're doing fine.