Netizens Angered by Motorcade Traffic Woes

A traffic blockade for a royal motorcade on Sep. 27, 2019. Image: @luckynuchie / Twitter

BANGKOK — Commuters frustrated with police’s traffic blockade during Tuesday’s evening rush hours are taking to social media to air their complaints.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are seething with anger over the blockade, which shut down a number of key roads and intersections in downtown Bangkok for a royal motorcade to pass through.

Although roads are routinely cordoned off to make way for royal motorcades in Bangkok, eyewitnesses’ accounts on social media suggest congestion caused by Tuesday’s blockade were particularly serious even by Bangkok’s standard.

The hashtag “royal motorcade” was still trending on Thailand’s Twitter by Wednesday morning.

Advertisement

Most of the complaints vented their anger at being stranded in traffic for nearly an hour. Some also alleged that they saw police officers approaching an on-duty ambulance and telling the driver to turn off the siren.

It was unclear which Royal Family member was traveling in yesterday’s motorcade. Bangkok metropolitan police have yet to make any comment on the controversy.