Water Cooler

First day back at the office today after a trip to the U.S. and a long series of days off connected to Thai New Year. Politics of course dominated the water cooler conversations. Everyone I spoke to wishes that things would just return to normal, even though they know that there’s no longer such a thing. The balance of power has probably changed forever in Thailand.

Everyone is affected this time, unlike the other tumultuous episodes over the past couple years. There’s a heightened jumpiness, and more black humor than usual. Nobody wants a crackdown, but we all expect it. People’s feelings yo-yo between hope and dread.

Here’s another discouraging side to the standoff: lots of families are split over which side is right. I’ve heard several stories of adult children who can’t stand to talk politics with their parents ever since the protests began in earnest last month. One woman I know decided to go on a week-long meditation retreat rather than face her dad’s rants.

It’s another measure of how passionate people have become about the seismic societal shifts taking place. Everybody in this country is taught to respect mom and dad. Arguments, when they happened at all, used to be caused by money or love or alcohol—not by political affairs.