Nearly 100 companies and products have been blacklisted by Thai protesters disgruntled over the penetration of Singapore investment into Thailand. All the targets are said to have some link to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ratcheting up the pressure on him to resign.

Following the boycott, some Thais are now unsure what they should do.

What if they buy forbidden items or do businesses with blacklisted companies, would that mean they are not patriots? In a softer version, does that mean they would be branded pro-Thaksin?

That's a tough question, particularly when all the companies and brands are so popular among Thais.

It can be tough, seeing that one man can be the client of many blacklisted companies and consume a whole slew of products. For example, a man leaves home in his Toyota Vios. On the way, he makes a call from his phone which operates on Advanced Info Service's network. During office hours, he drinks Nescafe. That evening, he has an appointment with friends who drink Heineken after dinner. On the way home, he stops by a 7-Eleven.

Traitor?

Nobody knows for sure what criteria were used to compile the list. So if you are punishing Nescafe because of the involvement of Prayudh Mahagitsiri, who is close to Thaksin, you might also need to include Prayudh's company, Thainox Stainless. That way, the list could also be extended to cover all companies buying stainless steel from the country's only producer. Stainless products by Zebra or Seagull brands could also be included.

Because of the boycott, we might have to cook in iron pots and eat food with our hands.

Luckily, the protesters decided yesterday to delay the boycott.

achara_d@nationgroup.com