'A silent struggle for freedom in the streets of Bangkok'
Dusk was falling over Bangkok, pressing down on the city like a warm, heavy blanket. Fon felt the weight of the evening around her, as if the air itself were growing thicker. She didn’t saunter like most students did at this time of day; no, she walked quickly, determinedly, her back straight and her steps purposeful. She was aware of every glance, every passerby who might pay a little too much attention to her. Something inside her told her that this night would be different from all others. She knew it with a certainty that stabbed her stomach like a hot needle.
Her parents had warned her. They had increasingly asked her in the past months to “keep a low profile” and “respect the rules.” Her father had even threatened to antagonize the police if she didn’t choose her words carefully. But her father’s words only made her more rebellious. How could she remain silent, deny a future that was hers, just because she happened to be young and idealistic? Her country seemed stuck in a perpetual loop of fear and conformity. This was not the Thailand she had envisioned in her dreams.
Fon had heard on a secret chat group that there would be a meeting that night somewhere hidden between the university buildings. Not big, not public, but that was the point. She didn’t just want to understand the system, she wanted to change it, and that change would start tonight. The slogans she had in mind, words she had discussed with her friends, texts she had quietly scribbled in her notebook, would not remain just words tonight.
When she arrived at the meeting place, a deserted corner behind the library, the tension was almost palpable. A small group of fellow students had gathered, looking around nervously. The silence hung in the air like a charged current; even a soft whisper felt risky. The faces were tense, a mixture of excitement and fear. Fon recognized some from class, others only by sight, but the sense of connection was stronger than she had ever felt. They were the generation that would no longer be silent.
Her hands felt clammy as she held up her own sign. The words written across it, “Freedom and Democracy for Thailand,” seemed to almost glow in the streetlight. The letters were irregular, hastily written, but the message was clear. It was no longer an innocent plea; it was a challenge. A direct attack on the system that had taught them all their lives to remain silent, not to ask too many questions.
Suddenly, a distant siren blared, a shrill sound that cut through the marrow. The atmosphere changed instantly; fear trembled through the crowd. Students looked at each other, their eyes wide and nervous. Some turned, about to flee, but Fon stood her ground, her gaze fixed resolutely on the night. This was the price of freedom, she thought. This was the line they had to cross. She was aware of the consequences piling up like a dark shadow behind her, but her feet did not move. The anger that had driven her for months smoldered deep in her chest, burning with an intensity that drowned out all fear.
Her hand began to shake slightly, but Fon clenched her fist, forced herself to stand still. “They’re coming,” whispered a boy beside her, a young man with a thin face and wide eyes. His voice trembled, but Fon saw something in his gaze that echoed in hers: a determination stronger than the fear that had held them in check until now.
The sirens came closer, blue and red lights flickering like an approaching storm at the edge of their vision. Fon took a deep breath and let her eyes scan the faces of her fellow students. They were people like her, people who had been silenced, who had been told to conform their whole lives. But here they were, despite it all. They hadn’t come to hide; they had come to claim a future, no matter how elusive it seemed.
Fon lifted her plate a little higher, her gaze fixed on the approaching lights, and felt the power of her own voice, weak but firm, slowly swell in her throat. Her hands stopped shaking. The sirens were close now, their sound deafening, but Fon felt no regret. For the first time in her life she stood upright, fully, in the full sense of what it meant to be free, a freedom that no system would take away from her.
About this blogger
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My age officially falls into the category of 'elderly'. I've been living in Thailand for 28 years - try to do that. The Netherlands used to be paradise, but it fell into disrepair. So I went looking for a new paradise and found Siam. Or was it the other way around and Siam found me? Either way, we were good-natured.
ICT provided a regular income, something you call 'work', but for me it was mainly a pastime. Writing, that's the real hobby. For Thailandblog I'm picking up that old love again, because after 15 years of hard work you deserve some reading material.
I started in Phuket, moved to Ubon Ratchathani, and after a stopover in Pattaya I now live somewhere in the north, in the middle of nature. Rest never rusts, I always say, and that turns out to be true. Here, surrounded by greenery, time seems to stand still, but fortunately life doesn't.
Eating, especially lots of it – that’s my passion. And what makes an evening complete? A good glass of whisky and a cigar. That’s about it, I think. Cheers!
Photos, I don't do that. I always look ugly in them, even though I know Brad Pitt pales in comparison. It must be the photographer, I think.
Read the latest articles here
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CultureJanuary 15 2025'The Mystique of Thai Women'
Freedom of opinion is for me the motivation to live. I hope that people will realize this and want to apply it.
How beautifully written and how true this is, I see this with my Thai nieces and not with my nephew who keeps listening to his father who is also such a wimp who always walked in line. When I told the other story of Thailand he shook his head and said that I should not tell it too loudly, the nieces listened but still do not have the courage to continue with the protest that is in their heads. Yes that is Thailand, sit up and tremble as my mother used to say to us.
A smoothly written story, we must emphasize that.
But yes, everything has its context and its perspectives, certainly in historical considerations. Old tough old fashioned stuff.
Everyone (even historians) seems to be able to twist history to their own advantage time and again.
I do not deny that tragic events happened years ago.
But I don't think that in the last twenty years you will be able to get five students together from the many universities to protest against a puny concept like 'freedom'.
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Sometimes I don't understand things.
To present a country as restrictive and oppressive and at the same time to find it a found paradise. Uhhh? Who or what should I believe? For the falang a paradise (possibly also a sunny paradise, a cheap paradise, a tax haven, a sinful paradise, a cheap sex paradise), but the inhabitants live there oppressed…. Oh well!
I think the Thais would grab you by the throat if you dare to say that loudly on a street corner.
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The reality is that the Thais are not militarily oppressed but financially, with their 330 baht/month and struggling to make ends meet. It is not the generals who enslave their people but the multinationals and neoliberalism that keep the Thais poor so that wages can remain low and profits for the bosses are high.
No, the generals must intervene every time to expose the red and yellow shirts and the blue shirts in their abuse of power and frauds worth millions. The latter use the Thai state as a cash cow. And allowing the Thai billionaires to do what they want is democracy for the West. In the West, the generals are called a military dictatorship. So be it. It provides balance. It provides stability among the population.
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Get used to it and finally put your utopian fantasies aside: only 8,4% of the world's population lives in a (good) democracy. Mostly located in Western Europe, with free health care, free education, stamp duty and free social work. That 8,4% has been propagating for years that the whole world should do as they do. How short-sighted can you be, rich spoiled Western European? Democracy costs a lot of money. China is laughing at us with our budget deficits.
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Look into your own bosom! In the Netherlands, thousands of young people are taking to the streets today, accusing the government of deprivation of liberty. With a police force that strikes mercilessly. At the risk of their own lives, like the girl in the story, they protest against the oppressive laws that restrict their vision, ideals and wishes. Curtailed by Western democratic equality. The Netherlands imposes its laws and regulations on those who think differently. To the Dutch government, you are a rebel, to your fellow sufferers, a freedom fighter.
It's all about context and perspectives.
The world, societies, are full of contradictions. A country can be full of freedom and a little paradise in some areas (tip: financial wealth and connections help a lot with that) and in other respects restrictive and oppressive. It is the struggle of the little man and woman against the bigger powers: the powers that be. There are big politicians and businessmen, who profit the most from neoliberalism, the top few percent against the rest. But apparatuses such as the police, army and judiciary are also an important part of it, after all they have to protect the status quo. In Thailand, the defense even has commercial properties, interests in all kinds of companies, generals on the boards of directors/commissioners and so on. In this way, a limited club profits a lot and the crumbs are left for the people at the bottom of the pyramid. Such inequality creates tension.
Politics and economics go hand in hand, and the big question is who has a say and authority in this. I think there is a lot to be done about this in every country.
Should the rest of the world become like Europe? I hope not, because Europe is not perfect and every country/people has its own unique situation. It is about giving people a say, so that influence, power, capital, wealth and income are distributed in an equal way. Not a utopia of everyone getting exactly the same piece of cake, but at least a lot more equal than now. That is freedom and democracy. Something that people all over the world are still fighting for.
There is no other continent than Europe where there is more freedom of speech than in other continents. Sometimes you just don't know what you're saying. Enough has been written about the US in recent weeks about how fast democratization and respect for human rights are deteriorating. Africa and Latin America leave a lot to be desired, not to mention large parts of Asia. Should the rest of the world become like Europe? No, of course not. All countries should find their own way and identity, but it is not wrong to take Europe as an example. You write: "It is about giving people a say, so that influence, power, capital, wealth and income are distributed in an equal way." Did you think that China or Kazakhstan could take a leading role in this. Or Brazil or Russia. Indonesia perhaps? Xie here https://ap.lc/zGVOY a similar article from De Morgen (free)/De Volkskrant (paid) and just look at the position of the European countries on a democracy index.
Freedom and democracy: something that people all over the world still have to fight for. Your position. But then that fight must be granted to the people, and in the few countries I already mentioned, the gates to oppression are wide open in that case.
Read your own contribution again: https://www.thailandblog.nl/achtergrond/politieke-activist-panupong-mike-rayong-jadnok-is-gevlucht-naar-nieuw-zeeland/
Or is that also the case in Europe? Eventually, Eastern Europe will also reject autocracy. Western Europe needed 2 centuries to do so, and it is still not ready. That is not due to the weather or the wind, but to the forbearance of people themselves. Forbearance: showing willingness to follow the preferences of others. Can you guess in Thailand which groups follow whom!
Thanks Rob, you make a nice synthesis of what I wanted to raise.
The point is that I don't understand how so many/some falang in Thailand come to the earthly paradise of God the Father with bounty islands, perpetual sun and a meal platter for 1 euro to indulge themselves, not being disturbed in anything and certainly not experiencing any lack of freedom...
but then still have to be misplaced critical of the regime.
And to suggest that Thailand is a failed state.
Maybe it's all a facade and they don't want others to discover their guilty pleasures
AW, 330 baht per month is really very little; I think you mean the minimum daily wage.
And what are you claiming now about the NL police? No, that must be meant jokingly. Striking mercilessly? Then you must have missed something of the muddling through policy in Amsterdam. But that falls outside the scope of this blog.
Students are still protesting. And are being arrested and prosecuted under Article 112, the article used to deal with political opponents. The funny thing is that even Thaksin is now being sued under 112 in a complaint about that piece of sea on the border with Cambodia. I wonder how the Court will deal with that.
Bye Eric
of course I meant the 330 bht/day that Thai unskilled people get paid.
That makes about 10 baht/month. No one can live on it, just renting a room costs 000 baht.
For that reason I consider Thai people to be artists of life.
In my opinion, the government keeps wages (and social security) very low in order to be competitive with foreign countries, i.e. other ASEAN countries.
During my travels through Asia I noticed regarding income:
Thailand approx. 250 eu/m / Lao and Cambodia 80 eu/m / Vietnam approx. 320 eu/m / China 440 eu/m. / Malaysia 340 eu/m.
Thanks to these countries we can remain faithful to our overconsumption.
When will you translate some beautiful Thai short stories again…
AW, to start with the last line: I still have a few French stories about Thailand ready and since winter is coming here with the cold and wet outside, the time has come for me to get started on them.
Minimum wage Bangladesh 70 e/month. India slightly higher. That's where the cheapest textiles come from. From China too, and there they avoid the minimum wage by using 'firms' that employ the children for a tip or less. And all that for the greater honour and glory of our consumption pattern...
AW,
1 Healthcare is not free anywhere. In the Netherlands and Thailand it is paid for from general resources, taxes and such. In those two countries it is easily accessible for almost everyone.
2 In 30 percent of all countries there is a good to reasonable democracy, in another 30 percent a less good democracy and in 30 percent a dictatorship reigns. Democracy costs no money, it does provide more happiness and peace.
3 The West does not impose its ideas, laws and regulations on other countries. People in those countries choose for themselves (or not).
4 Thailand is also under military control. Twenty military coups since 1932, most successful. Two in the last 20 years5
5 And what on earth do you mean by 'protesting against a puny concept like freedom'?
Hi Tino
Thanks for your opinion
1 Would you like to be treated for cancer in a Thai state hospital as a poor person? How efficient will the treatment be?
2 Your 30-30-30 rule is ideal, unfortunately, because once you get past 8,4%, a lot of shortcomings start to emerge. Okay, I want to round off good democracies to 20%. But that other 80%…?
3 The Western colonializing countries still do not realize how drastic their predatory rule was. We, Westerners, still think deep down that we have done a lot of good… And the arming of countries by other countries is still colonial rule.
4 Can you compare China's civil government against the Uighurs with the so-called military government in Thailand? Softies, those Thais.
5 Ask people under 40 what democracy is – they will answer: unlimited consumption of abundance.
That is our freedom. As long as that is not compromised, we consider ourselves democratic. Freedom is therefore a tenuous concept. It depends on how you look at it. The Muslim peoples that are flooding into (Western) Europe feel that they are being robbed of their freedom and are second-class citizens, because the Western democracies impose on them that state is above religion, that women are second-class citizens, that headscarves should be mandatory, etc.
The West does impose its ideas, laws and regulations. Under the guise of democracy, a fragile democracy.
The merciless strikes by the Dutch police will probably refer to the indeed extremely violent and merciless strikes at demonstrations against Corona measures. Even a UN representative certainly did not have positive messages about that.
Or perhaps the police shooting at a farm boy on a tractor and then trying to avoid responsibility for it with a lie.
Democracy in the Netherlands and Europe?
Well, the EU, the organization of unelected commissioners who call the shots on a great many policies that are willingly implemented by 'democratically' elected national governments. Certainly there is some protest in the form, but ultimately the dotted line is signed, such as by Van Huffelen for a digital ID.
Then the EU's Digital Service Act, which increasingly curtails freedom of expression.
The only thing democratic about the Western world is the word democracy.
A package of scrap metal with a thin layer of chrome.
Where 'democracy' has indeed ensured that, indeed, the state recently had to admit its powerlessness. Had to admit but that of course does not happen. Another commission will be set up to ultimately do nothing.
And freedom? Well, I find it in Thailand where absolutely no one bothers you, OK you have to request an extension of your stay every year and report your address every 90 days. So what?
But… no whining about meat, CO2, diesel or petrol, skyrocketing energy prices and whatever else can be banned or made impossible.
In any case, you make it crystal clear that you have absolutely no idea how decision-making works in the EU and are just shouting.