Foreigners in Thailand Closely Watching Thai "Shirts" Reaction to Arab Protesters

Thai protest groups opposing the current Thai government watch closely and joyfully at the success of centralized protest movements as both Egypt, the largest, most populace Arab nation on Earth and also the nation of Tunisia protest to remove government leaders by organizing huge crowds of protesters in the capital cities.

Egyptian President Mubarak has ruled the country for 30 years and his party has ruled for 60 years, so his removal by organized protesters would be a toxic elixir to Thai protesters calling for a new government in Bangkok.

An Australian businessman working in Bangkok, Adrian Lang, says, "Why should the Abhisit government resign? The economy here is among the best in the world."

It is unclear how much Thai politics affects the Thai economy, regardless of what the Red Shirts or Yellow Shirts do separately, but what will happen if they join in their efforts to call new elections is unclear. Also, as the protest movement grows, so do the number of groups protesting in Bangkok against the government.

Last year only the Red Shirts staged such a protest calling for the Thailand government to resign. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva responded with an agreement to resign and dissolve his cabinet and call for new elections in February or April of this year.

The Thailand government has not resigned and has made no overt movement towards calling new elections anytime soon.

Now the powerful and sometimes violent Red Shirts are joined by their former nemesis, the elite Yellow Shirts. Additionally, the Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts are joined by yet another group. The powerful religious sect called Blue Shirts are also protesting. All three groups are in Bangkok now and a fourth group called the Human Rights group made up of refugees has their own agenda and are protesting in Bangkok as well.

Under the current government, the Thai economy and international tourism are indeed booming, despite political unrest and major protests since 2006 when the current Thai government took power after a military overthrow of the elected government.
 
In between the Yellow Shirts' 2008 take over of the international airports crippling tourism and international travel and the Red Shirts' 2010 burning down of a major section of Bangkok including Central World Mall, In 2009 The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) was the highest appreciating stock market in the world.

Today Thai unemployment is lower than one percent and the domestic growth rate is eight percent. Figures just in show tourism for 2010 was the highest year ever at 17 million tourists spending money in Thailand.

For an explanation of Red Shirts, Yellow Shirts and Blue Shirts and Human Rights group and what they want, who are their leaders and what is their makeup see the Pattaya Times newspaper article "Protest Mounts Against Thai PM."