The claim that some red-shirt leaders or protesters have made money from taking part in the anti-government rally has yet to be clearly proven. But if you come to the rally on Rajdamnoen Ave, it's obvious some people are profiting as the protest goes on.
They are street vendors who sell products ranging from daily necessities, such as food and beverage and toiletries, to items necessary for protesters, such as red T-shirts with political messages and mats.
Some vendors are red-shirt sympathisers and supporters while others are just people who struggle to make ends meet. Some of the latter said they also sold goods during protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy, or yellow shirts.
But this time they wear red, to blend in better with the mob.
Wilaiwan Thien-ngoen, 58, a red shirt from Phitsanulok, set up a shop at the protest site to sell "People Red" freshly brewed coffee. She said she got the idea when she joined a red-shirt protest recently at Khao Yai Thieng in Nakhon Ratchasima.
"I wanted to drink fresh coffee that day but I couldn't find any. There was just canned coffee. So I told my husband we will have to sell fresh coffee next time," she said.
Her pickup truck was modified to become a mobile coffee shop. She also sells basic products needed by the protesters, such as soap, toothpaste, mosquito coils and tobacco.
"Instead of joining the protest and making no income, we sell things. It's like turning a crisis into an opportunity. Join a protest and you make money too," she said, adding that she made Bt500-600 profit a day.
Wilaiwan's husband Natchapoj Kacharitworaroj said he previously sold squid in bulk, but after the coup of 2006 his business was in trouble over a lot of debts unpaid by his customers. "I am not sure if that resulted from the coup but I think it did," he said.
Wilaiwan, formerly a teacher, |said she and her husband admire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra because of his policies that helped the poor, such as the Bt30 healthcare programme.
Yasothon resident Somkiat Chaithaweep, 41, is another red shirt making money from the rally. He sells mats for protesters to sit on while listening to speeches and performances on the street.
"I am a red shirt. I sell mats during the day and listen to Thaksin and other leaders speak at night," Somkiat said while showing a membership card for the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship.
"Normally, during the off-season for rice growing, I sell mats in Bangkok . Here, at the protest site I can make a profit of more than Bt3,000 a day, compared to Bt500-600 normally," he said displaying banknotes from his pocket.
Another red-shirt vendor was Anuwat Suwannachai, 24, from Chon Buri, who sells silk-screened T-shirts. He said the most popular items were those with the messages: "Daeng Tua Phor" (Red Daddy), "Daeng Tua Mae" (Red Mommy), and "Daeng Tua Look" (Red Baby).
However, some vendors have no clear preference for any political colours.
"When there was a protest by the yellow shirts, I also came to sell. I have no political colour. I just want to make a living," said Kanyalak Ngamchalee, 26, from Phetchaburi.
Her makeshift shop sells snacks, fruit and prepaid cards for mobile phones and offers charging service for mobile phones. "I make a profit of Bt500 to Bt600 a day," she said.
There are a number of shops selling snacks such as deep-fried meatballs but the business is not good. "It doesn't sell well, unlike during the yellow shirt protests. People from the provinces bring their own food and they don't like snacks as much as Bangkok people do. But at least it's better than selling nothing at all," said a vendor of deep-fried meatballs.
Thaksin's idea of turning the protest site into a walking street is close to a reality. Shops have sprung up along Rajdamnoen Avenue from the Transport Ministry to the Royal Hotel. Popular items include "red-shirt products" such as T-shirts, caps, key chains and foot-shaped clappers.
