Re: This is some scary stuff.
Absolutely.
I honestly had no idea there was tension stretching back so far. My parents went to Thailand in the summer of 2007, and they brought back no stories of visible tension from any of the cities they visited, and the tour guides the College Music Society gets are very well-versed in the culture and current events and don't placate the group because they aren't just tourists, they're also academics and study what goes on around them. I do remember my mom mentioning that they had great love and respect for their king, and that every house and shop or restaurant they visited had his picture in very large format on at least one wall, if not more. I do vaguely remember a mention of Thai airports shutting down sometime in 2008, but I didn't know the reasons or any of the details at the time.
The timeline and these articles were certainly a wake up call me for me, and very saddening, because my parents had an absolutely lovely time there and I have heard nothing but good stories from others who are familiar with the culture. To see a country like that come to this current state of affairs is very shocking and sad, indeed. I wonder how it will end, and if it will be as bad as I imagine it will be?
My other wonder is, will the U.S. feel the need to get involved? I certainly hope not, because I'm not sure which side they would take, or if they should take either side, and that a U.S. presence or even hint of presence could make things far, far worse. I guess we'll just have to see what happens...my thoughts and best wishes are with all those who are fighting, and I wish for the simplest and least painful resolution possible.
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