For those of you who are not aware, Thailand is expecting a large political protest this weekend. Supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra are taking to the streets of Bangkok this Friday - Sunday in hopes of ousting the current prime minister and instilling political change.The airport is restricted, police and military checks are in place... protesters are expected to be between 100,000 - 1 million people in Bangkok. Supporters of this movement - called red shirts - have been very active online in social media to gain attention and support.

While many expect the protest to be peaceful, both red shirt supporters and yellow shirt supporters have been encouraging followers at the rally to post videos, photos and tweets of any police or protester brutality.

This will be a profound political and social movement that will further define Thailand's utilization of social media. I expect further adoption of Twitter and other mobile enabled social media tools.  I'll be monitoring social and traditional media throughout the weekend as well as blogging about the experience.

As for safety, we've been advised to stay at home, not to travel and to keep a low profile (and not wear red or yellow - politically charged colors). Fortunately, my hotel has a really nice mall, pool and wireless access :) I have moved hotels for the weekend so i'm no longer in the heart of the protest and registered with the US Embassy and have taken necessary precautions in unlikely case of government overthrow or violence.

I encourage you to follow the discussion and debate online! Praying for a peaceful demonstration!