Michael Yon
Bangkok: Official Protestor Estimates from Today?
I have no idea what the estimates are on how many people came out because I have been out at the protests all day.
But I will say this: if anyone estimates the maximum at 500,000, I will start my minimum guess at 555,555. That is a Thai humor, but also serious. Must have been a million or more.
There are still countless thousands out and it is after 10PM Bangkok time.
I witnessed no instances of violence. Never saw police arrest anyone or any fights, etc. (I only saw a few dozen police in uniform all day.)
It is impossible to accurately estimate the number of protestors. Firstly, they were/are spread over a huge area in many parts of town. Secondly, many people come and go all day. People might stay only for a few hours then go, to be replaced by others.
Thirdly -- they were typically not in wide open places that were easy to photograph (though many were, like at Victory Monument). Also, there are thousands of shops and many malls, plus the miles of covered walkways -- many of the protestors were either on trains, on the walkways, or taking a break in restaurants or in the malls. (But they could be identified by the garb, such as the whistles -- I will never look at a whistle the same way again.)
The protestors did not seem tired toward the end of the day -- as I said, countless thousands are still out. They seem more like satisfied that they are making progress with their goals.
My two cents.