[Tom Church]

This is the first time I've really seen a crisis. And let me tell you, the media hypes things up too much. I was in this 'zone', and yes there was a burning bus, and yes the army where there...but 2 blocks down the street hundreds of people were (and still are) spraying eachother with waterpistols and dancing to music.

It's Thai new year, and the whole city of Bangkok is celebrating. In the protests, there are about 100 'revolutionaries' not 300, who mainly just stand around and jeer. Around them the taxi's are still buzzing around, the hawker food stalls are cooking and the kids are still playing. It's a hyped up world in the Media, so never take things too seriously.

The foreign embassies advise all tourists to leave the country or stay indoors. They must be mad. Looking around me now, many foreigners are enjoying an ice coffee laughing and talking in cafe's, restaurants and shopping centres. Although I have seen one tank driving about, the soldiers themselves were carrying water-bombs to throw at the public in the spirit of the moment.

Happiness always prevails, but the media feeds off grief and pain. Never take things too seriously, because there is always another side to the story.