Loyola Loves Bangkok.

On April 27th, 2015 riots broke out in Baltimore, Maryland due to the arrest and subsequent death of Freddie Grey.  Riots and protests were started throughout the city, but mostly on the west side where Grey was arrested.  Everyone at Loyola sat and watched in complete shock instead of studying for finals.  All of our families, states away, reached out in panic.  Were we safe?  Was there looting and rioting near campus?  What was the security like on campus?  All of us contacted home saying we were fine, staying on campus, and watching it all unfold on the TV knowing fully that it was all happening just minutes away in the same city.

On Monday night, myself and three friends were walking back from the local night market down the street from school when we all were bombarded with texts.  All of us were being contacted by our other friends who were in class wanting to know where we were, if we were safe, and telling us to stay on campus.  The four of us were clueless.  We had no idea what was happening.  We were still in bliss over the coconut and sticky rice dessert we had just consumed.  We got back to campus hearing that there was an explosion downtown in front of the Erawan Shrine.  We didn't know much, but we knew that it was fairly bad, and that there were deaths already.  That night we had a group meeting where we learned that 20 people were reported dead, and to stay close to campus.  

Clueless as to what exactly happened, we all turned on CNN and read articles on the internet.  We learned that the Erawan Shrine is a Hindu site of worship that is located close to Siam Paragon and Central World, the two largest malls in Thailand, and one of the hubs of tourism in Bangkok.  In many ways, Central World is the Times Square of Bangkok.  

On Tuesday, all of the elementary schools were closed however, ABAC was still in session.  We all went to class like any normal day as all of our parents and friends reached out making sure that we were all okay.  Unlike Baltimore though, this time we were 8,000 miles and 11 hours ahead making all of our families even more on edge. 

Another bomb went off on Tuesday.  However, this one didn't hurt anyone.  The bomb was thrown into the Chao Phraya River beneath the Taksin Bridge, near one of the docks where boats take tourists from the mainland to their hotels.  The Chao Phraya River is the main waterway that goes through Bangkok.  Along the river are all of the 5 star hotels, the Millennium Hilton, the Oriental, and the Shangri La to name a few.  All of these beautiful hotels make the Chao Phraya another central point of tourism in Bangkok.

On Tuesday night, we had another group meeting.  We were told that many of the people that were killed by the bomb on Monday night were tourists.  Chinese, Malaysians, Indonesians, and residents of Hong Kong were all killed.  However, not much else was known about who planted the bomb, or what their motives were.  We were told again to stay close to campus, and not go downtown or anywhere too far from campus.  Simply to be smart.

Over the course of this week, more details have been shared, and police are gaining more insight into the situation.  Thai police believe that it is a group of people behind the bombs, not just one person.  Initially, it was thought that it was an international terrorist attack.  However, after some more investigation, police now believe it was connected to people inside Thailand.  Slowly more details are becoming known, but as of today, nothing is completely certain about who the bombers were and their motives.  The scariest part is that there was months of planning for this to happen, and that the areas that were targeted were the big areas of tourism in Bangkok.  

All of our families have been concerned and reaching out to us.  However, as I sit here on campus and reflect, I think that the US has made it a much bigger deal then us here in Bangkok. We have all felt safe and been smart.  Being here, just like being in Baltimore during the riots, has had a very different feeling then how it seems to be portrayed by the media to my friends and family at home.  When the riots in Baltimore were going on, I knew that all of it was happening in my city however, it felt very distant.  The bomb that went off on Monday has felt very similar.  I know that I am in the same city as a bomb that killed 20 people however, I feel safe and comfortable.  I feel as if I am in a bubble inside a city experiencing dangerous things.  Continually, I think to myself how lucky I am to feel so safe among this craziness.  Through all of this, I have been able to feel safe because I am an American and because I am a student at a well known university in the city, and for that I am lucky and grateful.  

This article does a nice job in explaining some of the situation.  

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/663460/police-believe-at-least-10-behind-blast

Love love love,
Kate