By Jay Scott Kanes
Political protest has become routine in Thailand, much of it pitting yellow-shirted government critics against red-shirted supporters of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and his People’s Power Party. The country’s problems arise from its culture of corruption – in business, in politics, in law enforcement, everywhere.
HOW corrupt is Thailand?
After a scuffle with political rivals and baton-waving policemen, two yellow-shirted protesters shared a park bench in Bangkok. The common color of their clothing gave them an instant bond, almost a kinship.
The younger man, a muscular guy in prime physical condition, panted while toweling sweat and blood off his face. “No pain, no gain, huh?” he remarked.
Approvingly, the older protester nodded. Despite the afternoon heat, he, a bald man with spectacles and a flabby belly, didn’t sweat.
“How did you avoid most of the trouble?” asked the younger man.
“That’s easy,” his companion replied. “I’m prepared for anything. When a policeman raises his baton at me, I wave a 100-baht note. He grabs the money and lets me go. That always works.”
“But what if the red-shirts see that happen and pay the policeman 200 baht to return and beat you senseless?”
The bald man chuckled. “Don’t be silly. That’s why I always keep another 300 baht ready in my pocket.”
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