Bangkok Protesting and Songkran

I just wanted to inform you all of what is going on in Bangkok. First off, we are all safe and okay. Most of the protesting is happening a few miles west or north of us. Yesterday began the first day of Songkran (Thai New Year) and it was a little unsettling to see the news in the morning. Things seemed pretty chaotic and everyone we talked to had been told by their employers to stay in and not go out on the streets. We heard that Songkran celebrations had been canceled and no one could get anywhere because the streets were blocked by protestors. So, we spent the morning and most of the afternoon indoors watching the news. Throughout the day things began to quiet down a bit and I received a call from a friend that there were many Thai people celebrating Songkran on a street not far from us. We called a few people and decided to meet up at a pub to see the sights. It was INSANE! As we stepped off the train there was music and people everywhere! People were shooting water guns, throwing buckets of water, rubbing white powder on each other and spraying hoses in the streets. Needless to say, we didn't' stay dry very long but had a great afternoon watching people soak one another. Even with the terrible things that have been happening here the past few days the Thai's still managed to make the best of this holiday and tried to forget about the political situation for a day. John and I, as well as everyone around here, are hoping that the prime minister is able to do something about this situation soon. It is giving Thailand bad press and is not great for tourism around the country. We appreciate those of you who have sent messages concerning our safety. Know that we are safe and will try to keep you all informed if there are any other updates.

We celebrated Songkran at the Siam PVS plant on Wednesday. I have included a few pictures that I was able to take before putting my camera away so it wouldn't get soaked.