When our window to world was shut

The Suvarnabhumi Airport takeover was largely the work of the Bangkok middle class, a 44-year-old yellow-shirted zealot named Poo told The Nation in the midst of the mayhem yesterday.

Initially, Poo had not given much thought to Chamlong Srimuang's call on Sunday for protesters to bring out their cars. It wasn't until Tuesday, when he joined more than 3,000 cars, that he understood what the key People's Alliance for Democracy leader was saying. The caravan had blocked and effectively shut down Asia's fourth-largest airport.

Normally, Poo would drive his Honda Civic to Government House and park it near Wat Benjamabophit. He would be at the rally until 3 or 4am, dancing in front of the stage every time a band came on. After wearing himself out, he would rush back home in the Taopoon area to catch forty winks before heading for work, and then return to the site again. This daily routine helped him make new friends and share their zeal to bring down the Somchai Wongsawat government.

However, on Monday and Tuesday Poo was one of the many PAD supporters who were lost and confused. They had marched to the Parliament to disrupt legislative function; to the Metropolitan Police Command Centre; to the temporary government seat at Don Mueang Airport; to the Finance Ministry; to the offices of the Chart Thai Party; and even to the Army Command Centre.

Not once did they encounter any police resistance, though there were sporadic bouts of violence between the red shirts and the yellow shirts along the way.

On Tuesday evening, after the rally at the Army Command Centre had dissipated, Poo was told to head for Suvarnabhumi. The PAD was going to shut it down. So, Poo headed for the airport with five other protesters in his car. The PAD had discovered that there were some 3,000 cars at their disposal, so they reasoned that if each car carried five protesters, there would be 15,000 at the airport. At 5pm, Poo raced across Bangkok to get to Suvarna-bhumi. Upon arrival, he saw thousands of vehicles blocking access to terminals. Apparently, the PAD security guards arrived first to subdue the airport security officials, making way for the rest of the yellow shirts.

Poo flashed his lights to signal that he was one of the protesters, and was allowed to join the queue of cars that extended to several kilometres. His car was about 3km away from where the blockade started, and stepping out he saw several thousand fellow protesters rallying outside the terminal - thereby making Suvarnabhumi impassable.

Still the protesters were well provided for - they had access to mobile toilets and were supplied with nourishment in the form of rice and pork. Poo heard the sound of guns being fired, and was warned not to stand too close to the edge of the elevated road in case he too became the target of a random shot.

This firmly shut Thailand's window to the world, catching the government off guard and making the Kingdom's political crisis plunge even deeper.