Musicians escape
TWO Shetland musicians were caught up in Thailand’s protest troubles on Wednesday.
Bryan Gear and Colin Sutherland were some of the last passengers to manage to fly out of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bankok, before it was shut down by protesters.
The demonstrators were from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (Pad). The group are dedicated to bringing down the current Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, and replacing the Thai constitution with an appointed parliament, dominated by bureaucrats and the military. They believe corruption and ineffective government is a result of Western-style democracy.
The closure of the airport marks one of the most disruptive measures Pad has taken in six months of protests, which have resulted in four deaths so far in a “final battle” to oust the prime minister.
Bryan and Colin, who had been performing in Thailand with band members David Little and Graham Geddes, managed to catch one of the last planes out after bluffing their way past security guards.
