Back in Bangkok

Five days after our scheduled arrival date, flights resumed into Bangkok and we finally began our trip. We arrived on a flight, about two-thirds full, from Tokyo to a pretty quiet airport in Bangkok.

The anti-government protesters who barricaded themselves in the main terminal for almost a week were all gone. They even claim to have cleaned-up after themselves before they left. Indeed there were no visible signs left from the protests. All went well, according to the protesters. Only the body of one protester was found stuffed in a closet at the airport.


Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is quite an efficient looking airport, although I think it does lack some passenger conveniences.
I do think it's one of the coldest airports I've been to. It's all full of metal and glass which adds to the coldness but why does the air conditioner have to be turned up so high? All the seats in the waiting areas are hard, metalic, and cold as well.

We missed arriving for the king's birthday but the city is still decked-out with enormous birthday displays for the beloved king.

The streets of Bangkok are all quiet at the moment. For the first time in over three years, the daily anti-government, and sometimes pro-government demonstrations are all gone. Threats of more unrest are made daily if groups are not happy with what will happen next.

In the meantime, everything else seems to be back to normal. Or as normal as it could be in this "global economic downturn".

Bangkok, Thailand time: