Anusorn Iamsa-ard of the Pheu Thai Party warned that Suthep promised to “shake the mango tree so the fruit will fall down.” But Anusorn said that the whole tree might fall if it is shaken too hard.

“I’m a bit confused. I thought the problem with the Shinawatra regime is that they don’t just take a few fruits from the tree, but take the whole tree,” said one protester at the Silom PDRC Rally site. “But now Suthep is saying the tree is still here, we just need to shake it.”

The association of mango tree growers then promised to seize the airport if anyone came near their trees, let alone shook them. In reaction, PDRC supporters vowed to boycott mangoes.

“Mangoes belong to Thaksin,” a fifty-year-old housewife explained as she conspicuously shopped for farang and chompoo while wearing a red-white-and-blue headband. “So I don’t want fruits from these crooks.”

In Nakorn Ratchasima, UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan had to be hospitalized after he ate 19 raw mangoes in a fit of rage. Suthep shrugged off the stunt and suggested he switch to popcorn instead. This led to escalating accusations of violence along with detailed infographics shared on Facebook which showed trajectories of mangoes falling from trees depending on whether the tree had been shaken by the police or by the men in black.

Embassies then issued several advisories recommending people avoid consuming mangoes, which could be seen as taking sides, although it was unclear which one. But by Thursday, mangoes could be seen returning to a few supermarkets under heavy guard and with labels on each fruit: THIS MANGO NO LONGER BELONGS TO THAKSIN SHINAWATRA OR ANY MEMBER OF THE SHINAWATRA FAMILY. 

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