Protests continue as the stench and living conditions worsen

Protestors are determined to continue their camping at the Government House until the prime minister resigns even as the conditions worsen with the protest stretching for as long as 12 days. There are thousands camped in mud enveloped by the stench of urine, and the protest organizers had to spray white disinfectant powder over the muddy, stinking ground, which was once a lush green lawn of the Government House.

Situations worsened on Saturday as it rained heavily and made it hard for the protestors to camp under makeshift tents with plastic sheets spread over the filthy mixture on the ground. More than 200 people lined up to get free medicine from makeshift clinics.

“It is a bad smell everywhere, but we can stand it. To get this government out of office we are even prepared to die,” said Mananya Maksukkha, a 54-year-old schoolteacher.

Hundreds of high school and university students joined the protest in the pouring rain.

“This is the beginning of an involvement by students to help pressure the government,” said Pentaka Rakanklang, a sophomore at Thammasat University. “We hope more students will come out to join us and express their views.”

Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondet has been appointed by the Parliament to mediate but where Samak refuses to resign, the alliance said it will hold negotiations with the government only after Samak resigns.

The protesters accuse Samak of being a stooge of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed from power by a military coup in 2006 following months of street protests by the alliance.