Thewa Sritawan’s Unique Fish Sauce Protest at Cambodian Embassy Captivates Bangkok

In the bustling city of Bangkok, a spectacle unlike any other unfolded on a seemingly ordinary Monday morning, July 7th, catching both commuters and onlookers by surprise. A 69-year-old retired tennis coach by the name of Thewa Sritawan turned the streets into the stage for his peculiar protest, leaving an indelible mark on all who bore witness. Armed with nothing more than a portrait of Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen and a bottle of potent fermented fish sauce, Thewa embarked on a mission that was as unorthodox as it was smelly.

Setting out from his home in the tranquil suburb of Pak Kret, Nonthaburi province, while most people were still curled under their blankets, Thewa began his barefoot journey at the break of dawn. “I left at 6am,” he recounted with resolute determination. His singular aim was to showcase his displeasure against Hun Sen’s perceived aggression over the contentious Thai-Cambodian borders.

Five arduous hours and a quick ride from a compassionate motorcycle taxi driver later, he found himself at the Cambodian embassy on Pracha Uthit Road, with the clock barely registering 11 am. Thewa, displaying an unwavering tenacity, placed Hun Sen’s portrait on the pavement with the careful precision of an artist and doused it liberally with fish sauce, the aroma swirling through the air like an invisible rallying cry. Such was the spectacle that embassy security guards, initially baffled, apprehended Thewa and promptly called in reinforcements from the Wang Thong Lang police.

At the police station, Thewa’s spirit remained unbroken. “I am angry that Cambodian troops patrol land that belongs to Thailand,” he passionately declared, pointing to a similar feat from his past—walking ten days to the contested borders to show unity with Thai soldiers. Surprisingly, despite the pungency of his protest, the Cambodian embassy chose a conciliatory path, deciding against pressing charges. The authorities, catching a whiff of the situation’s uniqueness, fined him a mere 100 baht for littering—the equivalent of a cup of coffee—and released him back into the clamorous Bangkok streets.

This wasn’t Thewa’s first episode with fermented fish sauce diplomacy. Back in July of 2023, he had staged an equally odorous demonstration at the Election Commission office, aiming his pungent disapproval at what he termed electoral incompetence, capturing the attention of the Bangkok Post and readers alike.

After squaring his modest fine, Thewa set off once more into the city’s embrace, legs determined, heart unwavering. “I will keep protesting against Cambodia’s aggressive policies. And if any Thai government agency reeks of corruption, I’ll be back with more fermented fish sauce,” he vowed, like a modern-day Don Quixote with bottles of sauce as his sword. Bystanders described the scene unfolding before them as both comedic and utterly surreal. “At first, I thought he was feeding stray dogs,” one observer chuckled, hardly believing their own experience. “Then I smelled the sauce and realized something strangely humanly significant was happening.”

As Thewa disappeared into the throng of the city, like a folk hero of old carrying his cause on sturdy bare feet, his story seemed to linger in the air—a potent reminder of one man’s quest against perceived injustice, riddled with ferocious odors of fermented determination.