May 19, 2010 – better known as “Black Wednesday” – will be remembered in Thailand as a day of rioting when 92 people died, 1,885 were injured and landmarks were set ablaze. One year on, Bangkok Post photographers revisited some of the areas of the capital worst affected by the violence and arson attacks. Photos by Post Photographers.
May 19, 2010 – better known as “Black Wednesday” – will be remembered in Thailand as a day of rioting when 92 people died, 1,885 were injured and landmarks were set ablaze. One year on, Bangkok Post photographers revisited some of the areas of the capital worst affected by the violence and arson attacks. Photos by Post Photographers.
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Before: Clouds of black smoke engulfed the Bangkok skyline a year ago as arsonists set fire to tyres and buildings following an army operation to forcibly remove red shirt protestors from the Ratchaprasong intersection. Red shirts retreating from government forces lit fires and smashed windows at several economic targets, including banks and the Stock Exchange of Thailand headquarters on Ratchadaphisek Road. Photo by Wisit Thamngern.
After: Superficial damage to the building has been repaired. The SET Index closed 2010 up 40.6% from the close of 2009, the second biggest market rise in Asia. Photo by Patipat Janthong.
Before: Buildings on Rama IV Road show signs of fire damage. The road is impassable to cars due to barricades made of tyres. Photo by Kosol Nakachol.
After: Buildings have been repaired and traffic flows freely down one of the city's busiest thoroughfares. Photo by Patipat Janthong.
Before: Protestors burn tyres on Rama IV Road in an attempt to slow down the progress of the army. Photo by Jetjaras Na Ranong.
After: Traffic flows and Bangkokians go about their daily business. The government distributed 102 million baht in financial assistance to 1,766 people directly affected by the violence of May 19. Photo by Patipat Janthong.
Before: Fire-fighters tackle a blaze at the Center One shopping mall near Victory Monument. About 30% of the mall's space, mainly on the second and third floors, was destroyed. Photo by Apichart Jinakul.
After: Center One reopened in December 2010. 160 million baht was spent renovating the 8,000-square-metre mall. Photo by Patipat Janthong.
Before: Protestors looted shops and set fire to the Siam Theatre as they were forced out of Ratchaprasong by the army. The 1970s era 800-seat cinema was one of only two first-run single screen movie theatres in Bangkok. Photo by Thapanan Thongsabhiran.
After: The former site of Siam Theatre remains vacant. Its owners Chulalongkorn University plan to build a 70,000-square-metre commercial complex here at an estimated cost of 1.5 billion baht. Photo by Patipat Janthong.
Before: Zen Department Store suffered the brunt of arson attacks at CentralWorld, Bangkok's largest shopping mall at over a million square metres. Photo by Thiti Wannamontha.
After: CentralWorld reopened after extensive refurbishment in September 2010, although Zen remains closed. It is expected to reopen in August 2011. Photo by Patipat Janthong.
