Nicola Pierni is a former Italian paramilitary with a law degree. Nico lives right outside of Bangkok and is fluent in Thai, English, Italian, French & Spanish. He has lived in Thailand for over 10 years and operates security networks and personnel in Bangkok. Nico is very much in touch with the security situation for expats: during the last Red Shirt Protests, his old car broke down in the Red Shirt Camp.
So you’re in Thailand, and despite your best efforts to avoid it, find yourself in the middle of a riot. What should you do?
If you’ve found yourself in the middle of a riot, you may not be able to run away immediately, but you can take some measures to protect yourself from harm.
What kind of action plan should one have in place beforehand? Are there any colours to avoid wearing?
[Plan to] Remain calm and avoid confrontation by keeping your head down. Walk at all time. If you run or move too quickly, you might attract unwanted attention.
If you’re not alone, then the first thing you should do is grip the hands or lock elbows with all of the people who are with you.
…about colours to avoid for sure: red , black or yellow; this will secure [that you] do not get connected to any particular political side.
What should you do in an extreme emergency?
If you’re caught in a riot, the last thing you want to do is try to take sides, help out, or stand out.
In fact, you should stand out as little as possible as you move to the outside of the mob and away from the action. To do this, stay close to the walls and other barriers, though avoid bottlenecks, or any areas where a lot of people are squeezing through a small space.
Reassure the people you’re with that you have strength in numbers and that you’ll be fine if you stick together.
If you’re with a child, hold him in your arms so he doesn’t get trampled. Sticking together with your loved ones should be your first priority — your second should be finding a way out.
What do you do if you’re in a car? Leave it? Try to drive out? Stay put?
Unless your car is the focus for the angry mob in the riot, you should stay in the car and continue driving as calmly as possible. Try to keep to the streets that are clear of riots, and avoid the main roads that are more likely to be occupied. Keep moving forward and don’t stop to assess the situation. If someone tries to block your car, honk your car [horn] and keep driving until he gets out of the way (of course, this doesn’t mean you should hit the person.) Drive at moderate speed so they have time to back off and realize that you mean business.
Protests in ThailandWhat about tear gas? Is there a way to get through a cloud of it?
If you’re worried that you may be exposed to tear gas, you should bring a solution of half liquid antacid and half water (spray is better than stream and it’s available in many drug stores and larger stores) and use it to rinse eyes in case you are exposed to tear gas. You can also carry toothpaste with you and smear it under your eyes if tears has is released and you have nothing else available to protect you.
Another good thing to bring is a rag soaked in lemon juice or vinegar in a plastic bag; this can be used to breathe through for some protection against gas. Swimming glasses are also a good help. Last resources will be a lot of water to wash the eyes. However be always careful where you will stop to do all these operations.
What happens if someone gets hurt?
Riots in Thailand most commonly happen outside on the streets, not inside buildings. Just by moving inside a sturdy and controlled building, you can protect yourself from the brunt of a riot. Any building with a basement, or even a sub-basement, can help you hide from a mob. So transfer as soon as possible the hurt person in and after search medical help if necessary.
The good news is, especially for travellers in Thailand, they have the benefit that all the mob zones normally are well noticed and enclosed … These areas normally are presided [over by] nice security guards who smile and survey the outside rings, and ask you to take another direction.
http://battleface.com/blog/bangkok-safety-in-riots-with-nico-pierni/#more-1364
So you’re in Thailand, and despite your best efforts to avoid it, find yourself in the middle of a riot. What should you do?
If you’ve found yourself in the middle of a riot, you may not be able to run away immediately, but you can take some measures to protect yourself from harm.
What kind of action plan should one have in place beforehand? Are there any colours to avoid wearing?
[Plan to] Remain calm and avoid confrontation by keeping your head down. Walk at all time. If you run or move too quickly, you might attract unwanted attention.
If you’re not alone, then the first thing you should do is grip the hands or lock elbows with all of the people who are with you.
…about colours to avoid for sure: red , black or yellow; this will secure [that you] do not get connected to any particular political side.
What should you do in an extreme emergency?
If you’re caught in a riot, the last thing you want to do is try to take sides, help out, or stand out.
In fact, you should stand out as little as possible as you move to the outside of the mob and away from the action. To do this, stay close to the walls and other barriers, though avoid bottlenecks, or any areas where a lot of people are squeezing through a small space.
Reassure the people you’re with that you have strength in numbers and that you’ll be fine if you stick together.
If you’re with a child, hold him in your arms so he doesn’t get trampled. Sticking together with your loved ones should be your first priority — your second should be finding a way out.
What do you do if you’re in a car? Leave it? Try to drive out? Stay put?
Unless your car is the focus for the angry mob in the riot, you should stay in the car and continue driving as calmly as possible. Try to keep to the streets that are clear of riots, and avoid the main roads that are more likely to be occupied. Keep moving forward and don’t stop to assess the situation. If someone tries to block your car, honk your car [horn] and keep driving until he gets out of the way (of course, this doesn’t mean you should hit the person.) Drive at moderate speed so they have time to back off and realize that you mean business.
Protests in ThailandWhat about tear gas? Is there a way to get through a cloud of it?
If you’re worried that you may be exposed to tear gas, you should bring a solution of half liquid antacid and half water (spray is better than stream and it’s available in many drug stores and larger stores) and use it to rinse eyes in case you are exposed to tear gas. You can also carry toothpaste with you and smear it under your eyes if tears has is released and you have nothing else available to protect you.
Another good thing to bring is a rag soaked in lemon juice or vinegar in a plastic bag; this can be used to breathe through for some protection against gas. Swimming glasses are also a good help. Last resources will be a lot of water to wash the eyes. However be always careful where you will stop to do all these operations.
What happens if someone gets hurt?
Riots in Thailand most commonly happen outside on the streets, not inside buildings. Just by moving inside a sturdy and controlled building, you can protect yourself from the brunt of a riot. Any building with a basement, or even a sub-basement, can help you hide from a mob. So transfer as soon as possible the hurt person in and after search medical help if necessary.
The good news is, especially for travellers in Thailand, they have the benefit that all the mob zones normally are well noticed and enclosed … These areas normally are presided [over by] nice security guards who smile and survey the outside rings, and ask you to take another direction.
http://battleface.com/blog/bangkok-safety-in-riots-with-nico-pierni/#more-1364
