In the market where I live, activity on what is normally a busy road ceased the other day as police flagged vehicles to the sides of the road.
Pedestrians such as myself were also told to stay put.
No one appeared to mind the inconvenience. In fact, a few residents, who noticed the sudden lull of activity on what is normally a noisy street, walked down to see what was going on.
The street was like a dusty track in a ghost town - at the behest of police, nothing moved.
A few minutes later, the sound of approaching motor vehicles broke the silence.
Two motorcycles with flashing lights led the way. They were followed by - of all things - a bright red Mini-cooper car.
Later, cream-coloured sedans went past, followed by dark vans with their windows blacked out.
Following up the rear, a battered looking vehicle with the word 'police' written on the sides sped past.
Most of the cars carried long, floppy black antaennas on the rear.
Two minutes after the motorcade passed, police told us to get on with our business. Activity on the road returned to normal.
The motorcade impressed the Thais who saw it pass. 'A Mini-cooper!' exclaimed one woman.
'A teenager, perhaps!' enthused another.
At home, boyfriend Maiyuu tried to guess which member of the royal family might have been driving the Mini-cooper. Thais know which royals like driving what kinds of vehicles.
Motorcades are not always so exciting. I saw another one a few weeks before, on a return trip from the airport.
That motorcade was much more solemn: more sedans, vans, and police cars, whizzing past at much greater speed - and not a Mini-cooper in sight.
If the procession of vehicles which went past my market was a frivolous Little Sister motorcade, this one was its serious Big Brother.
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