The red shirt protests have been going on in Bangkok for 4-5 days now. Countless thousands of protesters have been camped out along the Royal Avenue. The news hasn't received that much attention yet in the international press, mainly because there hasn't been any violence. Thailand is not like other countries as the citizens are mainly Buddhists. Their protests are largely symbolic. The picture above from Reuters is probably something similar that will run on the front pages tomorrow with the headline "Blood Spilled at Government House". But, no-one was hurt or injured. Thousands of red shirt supporters donated blood today for this Brahman ritual to curse the Thai government and to force the prime minister to dissolve government.

I attended both the yellow shirt and red shirt rallies to take pictures and I was impressed with their behaviour and general mood. Many people commented it was like a carnival atmosphere. There were even stalls selling souvenirs and bands playing songs on the stages. Some foreign tourists probably mistakenly thought that it was another colourful Thai festival. Despite this, and the fact that there has been no serious act of violence on the streets of Bangkok in the last five days, is is strange to hear that 35 countries have so far released travel advisories about Thailand. Some have even warned their citizens not to travel to Bangkok at all. I am not going to pretend that street fighting will never take place, but the odds of it happening is very small. In addition, foreign tourists have never been targeted in any protest.

Thailand and Bangkok are safe and there is no reason for you to cancel your holiday:

• Both city airports (Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi) are operating as normal
• All other international and domestic airports in Thailand remain fully operational
• Tourist attractions in the city remain open for business
• Shopping malls are open
• MICE venues are open

I will be posting regular updates of breaking news on Twitter @RichardBarrow

Be safe by keeping an eye on the news and staying away from the main protest sites that I have marked on this google map. If you face any problems them use the 24 hour tourist hotline 1672.

Over the past few days, the red shirts have been streaming into Bangkok to join the protest site on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue. On Sunday the red shirts from Samut Prakan came together to join the protest. The local red shirt radio had been broadcasting for several days the schedule for going into Bangkok. A total of 60 coaches had been arranged to pick up the protesters from ten different locations around Samut Prakan Province from 7 a.m. on Sunday morning. They were told to bring along some water, food, change of clothes, a mobile phone and a camera. The phone was to report to the radio station anything suspicious that they saw. The camera was for taking pictures of any troublemakers. They were also given advice not to give their i.d. cards to anyone.

Our local meeting place was the Old Paknam Prison. As it is only five minutes from the Paknam Web office I went down to take a look shortly after seven. By this time there were about eight coaches there with several hundred red shirts. There were supposed to be ten coaches but the local radio were saying that a government department had sent letters out to all coach companies saying that they would face trouble if they rented their coaches out to the red shirts. Looks like at least eight here disobeyed them. By eight o'clock five of the coaches were full and they all left. The half empty coaches went too as all the coaches from around the province were going to come together at 9 a.m. at the Bang Na intersection.

As our office is only 20 minutes away from Bang Na we went back to have a quick breakfast and then headed out in our car to try and catch up with the coaches. The road was clear for most of the way but became more congested the nearer we got to the intersection. We were now following pickup trucks with red shirts and there were also more of them walking along the side of the road. Everyone heading the same way. The atmosphere reminded me of a football match in the UK. Everyone dressed in the same colours and singing songs and chants and blowing whistles. It could have easily been a Liverpool or Man United match we were going to. This carnival atmosphere continued for the entire day.

We didn't really know what to expect once we had arrived at Bang Na. We thought there would be a long line of coaches. We were expecting to take a few shots here for our local newspaper and then follow them into Bangkok. Maybe even going on ahead to meet them there. However, there were no coaches in sight. What we did find was that two lanes of Sukhumwit Road were full of red shirt supporters. There were also many pickup trucks and motorcycles. We soon realized that this was going to be the start of a long parade into Bangkok. Unbelievably, many of them were doing the journey on foot. The distance must have been something like 25 kilometers at least. So, we ended up going with them up Sukhumwit Road, stopping every now and then to take pictures and to send out live reports and photos on twitter.

Despite reports in the newspapers about checkpoints and lengthy searches by the police of red shirt vehicles, nothing could stop this parade. In fact, some policemen seemed to be waving and giving the victory sign as the convoy passed them. Many local people also came out to clap and cheer. I didn't see any hostility at all. Some of them even handed out bottles of water to the walkers. So, we continued like this all the way up Sukhumwit following the sky train route and blocking two lanes. On one long stretch of road I got up on a pedestrian bridge and I could see that the parade stretched back as far as the eye could see. Rally organizers were claiming 10,000 red shirts though I think it was more like 3,000. But, as we continued our journey, red shirts standing by the side of the road joined the parade. After a few hours we were passing Central World Plaza and Siam Square.

The hours ticked by as we crawled into Bangkok. Finally, after nearly six hours we finally reached our destination. The main rally stage at Phan Fa Lilat bridge. Although we had done the red march in a car, we were just as exhausted. But the sight that welcomed us here was enough natural adrenalin to keep anyone going. We parked our car and walked the final fifteen minutes to Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue. As expected, it was a sea of red in every direction. Loudspeakers had been set up in various locations and people were sitting or lying down listening to the speeches all over the place. We went to the media tent to register and then got our passes to go up onto the stage. It was a great vantage point from up here. Our journey was over. We had made it! We stayed for a while taking pictures, but our main story for that day was the long red march that brought us here. You can find about 600 of our pictures over at www.paknamphotos.com.

You can follow me on Twitter @RichardBarrow. We also have links to blog articles about the red shirt rally at our sister site www.ThailandVoice.com. If you are in Bangkok or going there soon, then check out our Google Map of the Danger Zones which we are continually updating during the day.

A total of 5,000 red guards are believed to be deployed at the rally site in Bangkok and at 30 other locations in the area. This includes 200 mobile units on motorcycle. They will be providing protection to the red shirts at the rally and also intercepting anyone trying to make trouble. The red shirt leaders know that if there is any violence by a red shirt (or someone pretending to be a red shirt) then they will lose support.

The guards at the mini-rally in Samut Prakan yesterday were dressed in Black with either cap or hard hat. It looked like they were wearing bullet proof jackets but I doubt it. They also wore a red and black scarf, armband and had an i.d. card around their neck. In Thai and English they are calling themselves "Defenders". The badge on the sleeve says "The Democratic Defender". On the i.d. the slogan in Thai says "Defender of the People".

You can find all the latest links to blogs about the Red Shirt Rally over at our sister blog Thailand Voice. We also have a google map of Bangkok Dangerous - Red Shirts Rally March 2010 which has had over 10,000 hits in 48 hours. The Samut Prakan red shirts will be going into Bangkok tomorrow morning and we will be going with them. You can follow us live on Twitter @RichardBarrow.

The mass red shirt rallies organized to topple the Thai government have now started. Today, red shirts from provinces surrounding Bangkok took part in mini rallies in their local areas. Tomorrow, they will march into Bangkok to be joined by countless thousands of red shirts from every region of Thailand for the big rally starting on Sunday.

These are pictures that I took of the red shirt rally in Samut Prakan this morning. There was an estimated 4-5,000 people there. The rally started at the City Hall area where the people listened to speeches. They then paid respect to the statue of King Rama V. I believe they were doing this for good luck as tomorrow they will be heading into Bangkok.

These are some of the red shirt security guards that surrounded the mobile stage. They were protecting the red shirt leaders. They all wore special id cards because there have been reports of people pretending to be red shirts in order to cause damage to their reputation.

Some of the red shirts posing in front of the statue of King Rama V. Everyone was very friendly and relaxed. There was no danger here at all despite reports from the government that the rallies might turn violent.

The red shirts are paying respect to statue of King Rama V. In the background is the provincial hall. The entrance was blocked off by police wearing riot gear. THe red shirt leaders announced that the Governor must be on their side as he let them rally at the City Hall Plaza.

They next left the city hall to parade through the town to the City Pillar to again wish for good luck on their journey tomorrow into Bangkok. Here they are passing the police station and the courthouse. Both of them had riot police guarding the entrances. However, there was no danger.

They must have blocked traffic for about an hour as they marched through town. I was running on ahead of the parade. Some shopkeepers quickly closed up shop. Maybe worried of potential violence as we have been brainwashed by the government. One classic Western movie scene I saw was a mother running out from a shop house and shouting at her young child to get in quickly.

Along the way we passed Bangkok Bank. Last week two branches in Samut Prakan were bombed. The police here were guarding the entrance. Maybe expecting problems. But, again, the parade passed by with no incident.

We were posting live from the rally and parade on various sites. Mainly on Twitter @RichardBarrow. But, I also managed a couple of moblogs at www.mythailandblogs.com. You can also see several hundred pictures over at www.paknamphotos.com. We are now about to leave to go to the big red shirt rally at the Stadium in Bang Phli. We will post live pictures via twitter.

Anti-government rallies are being planned by the red shirts in Bangkok from 12th-14th March 2010. They are hoping for a million protesters though the final figure is expected to be less than half that. However, it is still a sizeable protest and precautions should be made by both residents and tourists. Normally, when we get questions posted on our Paknam Web Forums asking "Is it safe to visit Thailand?" I usually answer "Yes, Thailand is mainly a peaceful nation." Nothing has really changed about that, but after the violent crackdown last April in Bangkok and the rumours coming out of government offices, I think we should all be very cautious this time round.

Security reports are suggesting several major bomb explosions being planned for Bangkok this weekend. Key government members are now driving around in bullet proof vehicles and this weekend they will be hiding out in safe houses. As they are also starting to evacuate certain areas of Bangkok then I think we should follow their example. I strongly urge you not to travel to Bangkok this weekend unless your journey is absolutely necessary. That may sound a bit dramatic, but why run the risk of getting caught up in the protests or a bomb explosion? I am not so much worried about the red shirts but the unseen elements that are intent to stir up trouble.

The Thai government have approved the use of the draconian Internal Security Act B.E. 2551 (2008) in the areas of Bangkok and certain districts of seven nearby provinces from 11 to 23 March 2010. These include all of Bangkok and Nonthaburi Province; Thanyaburi, Sam Kok, Lam Luk Ka, Khlong Luang, Lad Lumkaew and Muang Districts in Pathumthani Province; Kra Tum Ban and Muang Districts in Samut Sakon Province; Bang Phli, Bang Sao Thong, Bang Boh, Phra Pradang and Muang Districts in Samut Prakan Province; Phutthamonthon, Sam Phran and Nakhon Chai Si Districts in Nakhon Pathom Province; Muang District in Chachoengsao Province; and Bang Pa-in, Bang Sai, Lat Bua Luang and Wang Noi Districts in Ayutthaya Province. This law restricts movement and actions of people in the affected areas.

Foreigners have never been targeted in any of the political rallies in the past. However, it would be wise if you make an effort to be aware of the main protest sites and to leave an area immediately if it is occupied by protesters. Tourists should be careful of any abandoned bags that could contain bombs. Litter bins and telephone booths have been targeted in the past. The Tourist Police are advising foreign tourists to avoid the following areas:

• Ratchadamnoen Avenue (Royal Avenue)
• Vibhavadi Rangsit Road
• Rama 9 Road
• Samsen Road
• Victory Monument
• Rama IV
• Silom Road
• Ratchadamri Road

In addition, police reports suggest that the red shirts might have rally points in the following areas around Bangkok. They are suggestiong that tourists avoid these areas too:

• Klong 4 in Thanyaburi district in Pathum Thani
• Klong 4 Rangsit in Pathum Thani
• Laksi democracy monument in Bangkhen
• Thung Song Hong police station
• Nonthaburi City Hall
• Tha Phra Chan Pier
• Thailand-Japanese Sports Complex in Din Daeng
• Lumphini Park
• Wongwien Yai, Thonburi
• Bang Na intersection
• Samut Prakan City Hall

If you are in Bangkok this weekend then it is important that you keep up with the latest developments. We will be posting updates on our Paknam Web Forums. You can also visit our Google Map of Danger Zones in Bangkok which we will update over the weekend as events unfold. According to the latest rumours, people should now rush out to fill up with petrol, empty their bank accounts and stock up with food. Sometimes it is difficult to know what exactly is rumour, but we have heard petrol stations in Bangkok will close, red shirts will glue up all ATM machines and there will be a food shortage. There are also rumours of a coup. Obviously you cannot believe everything you hear. Even from government sources. But, please be safe this weekend. Either stay at home or go away for the weekend.

The Thai government over the past few years have been so focussed on first the yellow shirts and then the red shirts that hardly anyone has noticed the rampant increase of drug use in Thailand. It is almost getting to epidemic proportions as nothing much is being done to bring it under control. The drug of choice is "yaba" which is the Thai version of amphetamine. It is highly addictive and, like the Thai name suggests, it changes your personality and can send you crazy. The number of yaba addicts have increased greatly over the last year mainly due to the reduction in price. During the height of the Thaksin Drug War the price of a pill went up from 60 baht to as much as 300 or even 350 baht. Dealers laid low and addicts sweated it out. For a period of time there was hardly any drug activity in my neighbourhood. But, that has now all changed as prices have dropped to about 200 baht a pill. It now seems that every second person is a drug dealer as there is quick and easy money in it.

Drive around late at night, or even sometimes during the day, you will see teenagers on the back of motorcycles doing drug deals. I have seen it with my own eyes. There are usually two motorcycles involved. The first goes on ahead to check to see if the coast is clear. If it is, then the second motorcycle, with the drugs, will come to do the drop off. What many people don't realize is that drugs can change hands quite a few times before they reach the drug addict. The guy at the top of the chain never gets his hands dirty. He will telephone someone and give him instructions to pick the drugs up at one place and then deliver it to another. That person himself will then re-sell the drugs to another person until it reaches the small-time dealers at the bottom of the food chain. This is the guy that takes the biggest risk as he will be coming into contact with many of the drug addicts. Any of them could point the finger to who supplied them.

Dealers higher up in the chain will make the most money for the least amount of work. For example, they will be buying in bulk and probably pay something like 50 baht a pill depending on their contacts. On the other hand, the average local drug dealer will be buying in much smaller amounts. The present going rate for 200 yaba pills is about 21,000 baht which works out at only 105 baht per pill. This price will change due to police activity and whether there has been any major drug hauls lately. As it turns out, around here the police have recently confiscated over three million pills. You would think that would have shut down the whole operation. But, the prices only fluctuated for a short time up to about 23,000 baht for 200 pills. But, a new shipment has just come in from Chiang Rai so the prices have started to go down again. These dealers only sell to 3 or 4 people at a time. They never actually do it themselves. They have "assistants" who they telephone with instructions.

In comparison, the small-time dealers have to do everything themselves and then they can only sell one or two pills at a time to the drug addicts. They probably bought the pills in packs of about 50 pills for say 150 baht per pill and then sell them for about 200 baht each. So, he gets a profit of about 50 baht per pill. Eventually he will make 2,500 baht profit after selling yaba to 20 or so people. But it is hard going as there is a lot of competition out there. Compared to the time of Thaksin, everyone now wants to be a drug dealer. Many of these are drug addicts who need to make extra money to fuel their habit. Even if they bought the drugs for the normal street price of 200 baht, they will try and sell them to friends at school for say 220 baht or more. However, once that school kid becomes more experienced, he will learn where he needs to go to buy at a better price.

It is not really fair to say that the police aren't doing anything about the problem. However, their hands are partly tied by laws that treat drug addicts as criminals and not as patients. During the night, the police set up mobile checkpoints at various points around our city. They stop motorcyclists and do random urine tests. If anyone is found with drugs in their system then there is a high chance that they will be sent to the local prison for a period of 45 days. After that, they are assessed and they could be allowed to go home or, if they are unlucky, they are sent to an army boot camp. If the police found a small amount of yaba pills on that motorcyclist at the checkpoint they would then be sent to court to pay a fine if it was their first offence. If it was 15 or more yaba pills then it is a jail sentence of at least three years. It doesn't matter if the amount of pills was only enough for personal consumption. In Thailand they automatically charge you with intent to deal. As a consequence, the majority of prisoners in Thai prisons are there for drug offences.

Prisons are not the best place for drug addicts. Prison guards are not equipped or even qualified to take care of them. The ones whose urine tested positive for drug use are left to cater for themselves through the pains of withdrawal. There is no counselling. In prisons that I have visited they are kept in separate areas. But, because of overcrowding, that might not be the case in other prisons. For the small-time dealers caught with a few pills, they are thrown into a hot pot of murderers, rapists and big time drug dealers. They too don't receive any counselling and certainly there is no rehabilitation. However, what they do gain from their few years in prison is invaluable knowledge. To start with, they can learn from others on how not to be caught by the police. They also gain tips from the drug dealers on better and easier ways of selling. For example, they are told not to handle drugs for too long, never keep them in your home and to get other people to do the dirty work for them. Most importantly, they gain contacts.

Once that small time dealer or drug addict is out of prison, it isn't long before he starts to deal drugs again. It is the only thing he has been trained to do. He is introduced to a local big time drug dealer and a short time later he starts to buy and sell in greater quantities than before. It doesn't matter if he didn't have any money when he came out of prison. He can buy on credit which is a little trick the big drug dealers use to keep them selling. And don't think for a moment that the drug lords giving all the instructions are here on the outside. Many of them are giving instructions from inside the prison itself by using secret mobile phones which they bury in the ground. These are often smuggled in by prison guards who buy cheap second-hand phones down the market for about 500 baht and then resell to the prisoners for at least 5,000 baht each. They also don't need to pop down to their local 7-Eleven to top up their sim card. All they have to do is phone an accomplice on the outside to buy this for them and then phone them back with the code.

The government recently announced that they will send 300,000 drug addicts for treatment this year to special drug camps. Will this actually work? I have always said that we need to start at the school level in educating the students on the dangers of drug use. Maybe use past students who were drug addicts to tell them how easy it is to become addicted. But, most schools don't want to admit that their students have had drug problems as they want to stay a "white school". Best to expel immediately anyone taking drugs. The other problem is that there are very few effective drug rehabilitation centers in Thailand. Most of them just give the addicts medicine to make them sick. They only do detoxification and not proper rehabilitation. The addicts sent to army camps are just given discipline and are often beaten up which just makes them more resentful.

What I am most concerned about now is that we have just entered the most dangerous period of the year for Thai students with the long summer holidays. Are they really prepared enough to stay away from drugs? With so many young drug dealers out there, the chances are high that we will see a large increase of drug addicts over the Songkran period. The chances are also high that it will be someone either you know directly or a son or daughter of a friend. In my next article, I will be giving you some extracts of interviews I have done with drug addicts and also some good tips on how to spot if your child is taking "yaba". This will be an important read for all teachers and parents.

It is probably not a good idea to venture outside at the moment if you are living in some areas of Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lumpoon, Maehongson, Nan, Phayao and Chiang Mai due to the bad air quality. You should also consider wearing face masks in Chachoengsao, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Saraburi. The chart above is released by the Pollution Control Department and shows the air quality index for yesterday. The column of interest is PM10. It's a measure of parts per million that are smaller than 10 microns and therefore able to lodge in the lungs. The acceptable maximum is 120. The locations which have dangerous levels are marked in red. You can check air quality for yourself at their website for Bangkok and the Regions of Thailand. Looks like we should all be heading south to the islands or even, apparently, to Pattaya in Chonburi!