It is really difficult at times to figure out what is going on in a place far away (like Thailand for some folks) when there is a big photogenic crisis.  Great photos and great video of a protest, burning tires, or other chaos don’t always capture what is really going on.

This is especially the case with the protests and government crackdown in Bangkok.  Bangkok is a HUGE city of 12 million people.  While the protests cover several square kilometers, for most people in the city there is little direct impact.  In other places, like Chiang Mai, there is even less apparent impact.  People everywhere are aware of what is going on, and share the concerns people elsewhere in the world have for the violence and rioting that is going on in Bangkok.

But watching CNN and the BBC gives a distorted picture of what life is like (not even to get into the bias that has crept into their reporting).

However, CNNGo has had some great articles about what is going on in Thailand, behind the scenes, and for the “normal life” that most of us living in Thailand are going through daily.  It is worth a read.

Here are some excerpts from their latest article, Thailand struggles as Bangkok burns

Images of flaming tires, blood-covered bodies, armed soldiers and grenade riddled buildings may dominate local and international media these days, but in the rest of the Thailand — and even most parts of Bangkok — life is carrying on without any signs of the clashes.

That’s not to say residents aren’t suffering, particularly in the country’s major resort areas where international tourists are scarce…“It’s such a shame that travel alerts don’t always distinguish between the safe parts and the spots where snipers and tire-burners do their thing,” he says, referring to the many government advisories that warn their citizens to avoid travel not just to Bangkok, but Thailand on the whole. “Rates at four- and five-star resorts on Phuket and along the Andaman coast are likely to be fantastic for travelers in the next few months. If you’ve ever wanted a luxury holiday with all the extras, now’s the time to plan it.”

Chiang Mai: No national crisis here

Up north in Chiang Mai, where support for self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is prevalent, there is none of the civil unrest found in Bangkok, says long-time Chiang Mai resident and business owner Andrew Bond.

“Even the usual ongoing protest forum behind Phra Singh Temple by the UDD has been abandoned as most [red shirts] have gone to join the Bangkok group,” Bond explains. “The city is going about its business and uninformed tourists wouldn’t suspect there’s a national crisis.” … Thai Chiang Mai resident Therapat Poomstitpong agrees with Bond, saying that the only evidence he’s seen of the protests is what appears on TV screens and the front pages of the daily newspapers, but unfortunately the tourists are staying away.

“It’s sad, as there aren’t many foreign tourists. Everyone is so tired of the violence, most of us want it to stop,” the ice cream vendor says.

Jump over to their site, and check out what they’re saying.  It is a good look behind the headlines.