With an intelligence network so clever that they have been compared to the CIA, Thai street vendors are the first to attend the scene of the “guerrilla” democracy protests in Bangkok, where they sell sour red meat and meatballs. fished to a crowd hungry for democracy.
After a government crackdown last week, protest teams began keeping the places of their protests not easy from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s resignation until the last minute in an effort to thwart the authorities.
But protesters temporarily saw that they are on stage, behind food vendors who assemble their carts and prepare for a night full of dynamic sales.
Meatball trader Rattapol Sukpa says it helps keep off to a good start by tracking Facebook for clues about the newest places and that you are in constant contact with other providers who are giving advice.
“My source of income was smart before, but through promotion at protest sites, you promoted faster than usual,” the 19-year-old told the AFP as he settled near the Victory Monument.
The business has been booming since the protests introduced in July, with distributors now on the sidelines.
A message asking others to gather at a new protest on Tuesday showed an image of a food cart with the caption “Let’s send the ClA there first. “
Providence also gave Rattapol a greater work-life balance, he said, allowing him to sell his entire basket before 8 p. m. instead of the same last time.
Protesters are calling for serious adjustments to Thailand’s quo: a review of the prayut administration, a rewrite of army statutes, and reforms of the kingdom’s impregnable monarchy.
But its talks also provide a gastronomic party atmosphere.
Sour red meat and rice sausage meatballs, a delicacy from the provinces of northeastern Thailand, hang like pearl necklaces from a cart of street vendors, in a position to fry and serve with cabbage in plastic bags.
Also on the menu there are hot dogs, soups, drinks, marinated fruits and satay sticks.
– Cooking for democracy –
Some vendors have their cooking stations connected to their motorcycles, which makes concentration areas less difficult.
Selling food to captive crowds, in tens of thousands, is becoming increasingly lucrative, said Anucha Noipan, a fries seller who made $97 a day.
“But since I’ve been promoating at protest sites, I’ve doubled my source of income to about 6,000 baht ($192) a day,” the 21-year-old said.
New to the scene after giving up a task as a rubber producer, Anucha says he agrees with the movement’s demands and would not sell his crispy fried bird on rival rallies organized by realistic supporters.
“I don’t think he has the same view of politics in yellow shirts,” he said, referring to a term used to refer to the pro-monarchical bloc.
Tensions soared last week, with police deploying water cannons opposed to protesters in Bangkok’s central grocery shopping district, prompting condemnation of Thai society when images of the attack were broadcast on social media.
While his bird thighs sizzle in a frying pan, Nattapol Sai-ngarm said he is aware of the dangers of doing business in such a complicated environment.
But the loose fall of the economy in the face of a coronavirus pandemic left him a choice.