Duangjai Dhevaprom: Kwanruetai

CHAPTER 1

Mom Luang Pokket’s return date has been indefinitely postponed due to the political turmoil in Thailand. The incident was caused by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) coup against the government of Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan, citing widespread corruption and the government's attempts to destroy the military.

After seizing power, Mr. Anand Panyarachun was appointed as caretaker minister. A constitution was drafted and a general election was held. However, in the end, General Suchinda Kraprayoon, the supreme commander of the armed forces and an important figure in the National Council for Peace and Order, became prime minister once again. This resulted in widespread public dissatisfaction because the newly drafted constitution was not democratic and General Suchinda’s ascension to the position was an extension of power, which contradicted previous interviews.

A large number of people, including students, gathered at Sanam Luang and the Democracy Monument to protest against the succession of power. There was a hunger strike and protest, followed by support from the opposition parties, the Democratic Party, the Unity Party, the New Hope Party, and the Palang Dharma Party, which did not agree with this event. The protesters demanded that the Prime Minister should resign.

The rally dragged on. The situation became tense because the number of protesters increased. The people moved from Sanam Luang to Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue in front of Government House. Chatklao, as both a soldier and a doctor, was called to report to his unit according to the army’s regulations, which consider military doctors to be part of the military. He had to stay in his dormitory and could not go outside. Many of his fellow doctors and juniors wanted to join the rally to support the people. He did the same. But as a soldier, Chatklao knew that he could not do that. He was a military doctor and had to be on duty and do his job to the best of his ability.

Anxiety made the young Mom Luang follow the situation on the television and radio in the dormitory with others who were called in to be on duty. In preparation for an emergency situation in case of a riot, there was a clash between police, soldiers, and protesters in the middle of the night last night.

Chatklao followed the news all night with anxiety because he knew that both sides clashing were both Thais. A true soldier would not want to hurt the people. At the same time, the people who came out to protest only wanted democracy. The faces of all the military doctors were serious when listening to the news on the radio. Some got information from friends who had secretly gone to join the protest.

Chatklao has medical friends from other institutes who joined the rally, including Siriraj Hospital.

Ramathibodi and Chulalongkorn after hearing the news that the military had brought in forces to disperse the protests.  The gathering also made him even more anxious and worried, especially a junior military doctor named Pramet, a young man who is a sixth-year medical student that is about to graduate, but due to his strong ideals he sneaks out of the hospital. 

Chatklao tries to contact Pramet but does not receive a response. So he sits and waits for his junior friend in the lobby downstairs. As soon as he sees the other person walking into the dormitory, Chatklao rushes to him.

“You disappeared all night. I was very worried.”

This junior is an idealistic person, but he has a rather impulsive personality. Despite being ordered not to leave the dormitory, Pramet secretly joins the rally every day, especially tonight when he disappeared and could not be contacted, which worried Chatklao a lot.

“I was surrounded, Khun Chat. I just escaped.”

The young man's face looked exhausted. The TV news reported that someone had committed a crime. The unrest caused the government office to be destroyed, so much so that force had to be used to suppress it. But the story which he heard from Pramet's mouth was that there was a dispersal of the assembly and suppression used in the area around Democracy Monument.