The Thai Red Shirts turned out in Bangkok this morning for the first show of strength since the bloody crackdown by government forces in May. Several thousand gathered at the Ratchaprasong intersection to mark the fourth anniversary of the coup that ousted former PM Thaksin.

A shrine was also set up to honour those shot on the 19^th May this year when armed forces dispersed anti-government protesters.

The crowd was in good spirits, singing and chanting for the government to get out, with only the occasional skirmish with police when a few reds tried to block the road. The police have said they will allow the Red Shirts to stay at Ratchaprasong until 8 p.m. today. It seems to be an agreement that will be honour by the reds. When I jokingly asked a few demonstrators if they were here for the day or the next two months, they assured me it was only for the day.

The picture above shows a Red Shirt supporter holding up an image of Seh Daeng, a revered leader of the movement who was assinated in May by a sniper while being interviewed by a journalist.

 Several other demonstrations are going on around the country. There is a large gathering in Chiang Mai, a pro-Thaksin stronghold. There have also been reports that the Interior Ministry has called for counter demonstrations with some 50,000 supporters of the ‘Monarchy Defence Network’ taking to the street in several provinces.

As usual, there were plenty of colourful characters – literally – at the demonstration.

Of course, Thaksin also put in an appearance.

Divisions in Thai society are clearly as strong as ever. In all honesty, given the propaganda being churned out by the political machine, constant crackdowns on freedom of speech, and the censorship of over 113,000 websites (more than China), it’s hard to remain positive about Thailand’s democratic future.

The recent Red Shirt demonstrations in Bangkok were centred in the Ratchaprasong area, a crossroads close to the now burnt out Central World Plaza.  At the heart of Ratchaprasong is the Erawan Shrine. Located just steps from the Chidlom skytrain station, the colourful shrine was built in 1956 to appease the evil spirits that were said to be dogging construction of the original Erawan Hotel (now replaced by the Grand Hyatt Erawan).

Once the shrine opened accidents that plagued the building site were said to have ceased. Dedicated to Brahma, the four-faced golden image at the shrine attracts thousands of devotees each day who light incense and make offerings of floral garlands.

Although closed to worshippers during the protests, the revered Erawan Shrine is once again accessible 24 hours a day. It is an excellent place to observe Thais in moments of quiet contemplation and also witness the grace and beauty of traditional Thai dance performed throughout the day for those who make a donation.

The history of the shrine, however, has not been all flowers and meditation. In 2006, a mentally ill man who vandalised the shrine was set upon by two street cleaners and brutally beaten to death. I remember at the time that the incident created outcry and condemnation from politicians for the act of vandalism but rather perversely not for the terrible act of murder.