Everyone it seemed was somehow affected - protesters, hapless commuters, people who had no choice but to travel to the Siam area, and business owners, particularly retailers.

Many of the demonstrators said they really liked the new location, because it was in the heart of the city, easy to get to and convenient to stay at.

Pichai Kunpornpakdi, a demonstrator who has been at almost all of the PAD's rallies, said he liked the site in front of Siam Paragon because you could see people massed all the way along the road. And, he said, never in history had a protest been held there.

There were lots of buses servicing the area and the Skytrain made getting to the rally really easy, so it was a big advantage over the PAD's previous locations, said Pichai.

Siam Paragon was just the latest site used for the PAD's efforts to oust the prime minister, after Sanam Luang, Makkhawan Bridge near Government House and Lumpini Park.

Another regular demonstrator, Samroeng Pansamai, said once the demonstrators gathered at the centre they looked far more powerful than before. And when the people simultaneously shouted "Thaksin get out!" the sound reverberated impressively through the cityscape.

And, he said, Siam Paragon provided protesters with a comfortable spot under the shadow of the BTS Skytrain tracks, numerous places to eat and good toilets.

However, some people preferred demonstrating in front of Government House, because there was more room.

Suradej Danchankit, who has followed the rallies since the early days at Lumpini Park last year, said he felt far more comfortable mustering at Government House, because there was more room and the place was associated with politics.

But looking on the positive side, he said Siam Paragon might draw more people, because many companies were based in the area and office workers could use the Skytrain to get there, rather than having to make their way by road to Sanam Luang or Government House.

Suradej said he realised demonstrations in the city area could have a negative effect on the country's economy, but people had to understand that the country was the priority.

Narin Benjathikul said he preferred Government House because the space around Siam Paragon was fairly confined. He said there were so many people on the footpaths that nobody could walk anywhere and he had missed some speeches as a result.

He suggested the PAD should have moved the site to the Pathumwan Intersection, because there was more space.

But he said he could see the advantages of rallying at Siam Paragon because people who had never before turned out could actually see what happened during their rallies.

Narin's wife Kanokwan said

she preferred the demonstrations at Government House and the Royal Plaza because demonstrators there faced a statue of King Rama V and felt as if he was watching over them. What's more, she said, the scenery was better.

Chatchai Kaew-udon said the venue outside Siam Paragon was too small to sleep comfortably.

"I don't like the demonstration in front of this hi-so mall because the site is too confined, there's no air, no space to walk. But it is a centre for many groups of people," he conceded.

For PAD demonstrators, it didn't really seem to matter where the demonstration was, when it occurred or how it was managed. They were galvanised on one point - their resolve to unseat caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan

The Nation