Mourning Glory

I previously posted some incredible images of Bangkok in flames during the most chaotic part of the recent political unrest in Thailand.

After finding this video from I found the video below from Rupert James (thanks to Dwight) and had to share it. It's called Mourning Glory.

Mourning Glory from The Human Eye Corporation on Vimeo.

Thoughts post battle of Bangkok

It's nearly 1pm (close to 1.30 at time of publishing) and things are beginning to come to a close in Bangkok today.

Earlier this morning the army finally breached protester lines and entered the red shirt camp in numbers, Al Jazeera estimated around 200 or so soldiers made up the first wave.

Right now red shirt leaders are beginning to face up to the end of their 7 week occupation of Bangkok. While Veera, a key figure, left some time ago, Arisman has reportedly just fled the camp though the others are waiting to be arrested and receive their fate.

All in all it is a sad ending and I can't help thinking things could (and should) have ended better for the red shirt protesters.

They have held talks with Abhisit and leading government officials a number of times but failed to agree on a compromise. It is sad, but somewhat inevitable, that developments have seen more than 30 people lose their lives (with two more deaths rumoured today already) when the reds could have walked away with what they (allegedly) came for.

By pure chance that the missus, little fella and I road into Bangkok with the protests when they first came to the city back in March. We didn't join them on their quest to overthrow the elite and force an election but, like many, my recollection of meeting them was that they were friendly.

I wonder just how many of those whom I met remain in Bangkok now, where the mood is more defiant and edgier than ever.

Placing the blame

There is no doubt that both sides (subscribing to the two sides theory for simplicity) are culpable for what has happened, albeit to different levels.

In a bid to end the protests the government has killed more than 30 civilians.

Whilst, to any sane person, firing on your own people is madness, let's put ourselves in their shoes for a second. They want to end the protest, they are prepared to fire live ammunition...why then have seemingly innocent civilians lost lives while (Sae Daeng aside - there is enough debate as to who fatally shot him for a post alone) none of the key, strategic red shirt leaders were threatened?

This arbitrary, senseless shooting of innocents saw the red shirt protests engage and return shots, though not with far more basic weapons and not the military issued heavy weapons many journalists have claimed.

This escalation of violence marked the beginning of the end. "Red shirts return fire" simply fanned the flames giving the army legitimate reason to fire live rounds in 'self-defence'.

Assigning culpability for escalating violence, one must also look to the red shirts.

I can't help but wonder what could have been had they been able to remain non-violent, as the banner draped across their main stage proclaimed them to be.

Of course, as an anti-government movement, membership of the reds is loose, that is to say its membership comprises a range of different viewpoints and aims for the protest. For some the agreement of an early election was enough, while others seek more extreme aspirations such as the return of Thaksin Shinawatra's funds, while others seek the former Prime Minister's physical return to Thailand and an overthrowing of the institutions.

For that reason alone their supporters have reacted in different ways, some of which has been violent which, with considerable news coverage, has painted a very different view of the protest which was originally all about peaceful change.

To use game show terms, let's look at what they could've 'won'.

No agreement

Prime Minister Abhisit, having wiggled himself a little more power than many said institutions have until now granted him, went out on a limb with his peace roadmap.

Talks with the reds shirts came epically close to a conclusion, which could have avoided bloodshed (particularly of the last week or so), yet they failed and the rest is as reported. Thais and foreigners have lost their lives, Bangkok has been shut down, millions of lives (mine included) have been affected.

The irony of these failed talks is that the reds could have walked away with the prize - a much sought after (and at one point unlikely) early election date. Yet they insisted on near radical conditions which compromised the reaching of their goal of an election date.

They demanded that Deputy Prime Minister Suthep should hand himself into police - just as red-leaning police chiefs responses for deaths relating to the PAD's occupation of Suvarnabhumi airport were forced to - an act that would show his responsibility for the deaths at the hands of the army.

Suthep did subsequently hand himself into, but such is the fragmented nature of Thailand's police force, the reds deemed this to be the 'wrong' police station and thus the deal and ceasefire was off...game on.

That the reds assumed Suthep would glady hand himself in is strange. After all, they did not hold all the power in this situation and thus misjudged their strength against the government.

A fair better and more productive approach might have been to take the agreement and work on Suthep separately/at a later date. This would allow them to walk away, hands held high...PR rhetoric claiming they had influenced this government, got their way and come home to work on electoral success.

As it is, going back to game show-isms, they (most likely) leave with nothing.

What is next?

The next chapter is yet to unfold but you can be sure this will not the end of the red shirt struggle.

What started off as a reasonable request (and one which I supported, given that the Prime Minister does not hold direct democratic legitimacy - he was voted in by parliament (representing the people) rather than the electorate itself) has ended with everyone losing.

People have lost lives, families have lost loved ones, the reds have lost their battle, the army has lost (further) credibility but, by far and away, the biggest loser has been Thailand. The full estimates of financial cost are yet to come in (though this post gives some insight), but given the country is still recovering (financially and reputation wise) from the PAD protests at Suvarnabhumi, the cost will be significant.

UPDATE

TumblerBlog has a number of quotes from The Economist summarising the close of the protests. The one I've chosen from below sums up my long, rambling thoughts above in a far more succinct statement - this is what I should've written to save time.

Mr Abhisit may deserve credit for offering a plausible compromise to the red shirts. That the leaders of their United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) failed to grasp this olive branch is tragic. They must bear some responsibility for the lives lost, as do the soldiers who marched into downtown Bangkok.

Red zone, Bangkok

I'm increasingly spending more time in Bangkok for work - whether that be writing, digital media or arranging my visa. This week it was a day trip on Thursday (on my own) and a return trip on Friday with the missus and little fella in tow.

Given it was Friday we decided to stay overnight to allow us to take the little fella around Bangkok both in the evening and for most of Saturday too.

Next day we headed down to the area-former-know-as-Central-Chidlom, now home to the main red shirt camp in Bangkok, around noon. With me the designated baby carrier (now that we're expecting again) photos are courtesy of my better half.

Before you ask, yes that is a red-shirt clapper in the little guy's hands.

Part out of fun, part out of the missus' sympathy for the reds (her mother is a fairly ardent supporter though my wife generally feels sorry and is understanding of the reds cause) we bought him a clapper.

Does this make him/us reds? Well...he is wearing a yellow t-shirt in red shirt HQ Bangkok...that should answer the question.

Yours truly on carrying duty (most definitely not my, or his, best picture)

Essential products for your average anti-government kitchen...I should probably add that we didn't buy either.

Last time I was here was for a (very) corporate press conference...couldn't be any different now.

There were plenty of monks around like this one with his holy water on wheels set-up.

The queue for a free lunch was unsurprisingly never ending around midday.

Pure contrast

Happy clapper

Board with messages, photos and letter of support

A rare English-language banner for the attention of international press like the camera man in shot.

A woman finds some shade whilst eating her lunch.

The main headline is dissolve parliament, which is supposedly the main focus of the protests (though this varies based on who you speak to)

Bonus pic...Bangkok's youngest Tuk Tuk driver...

British government warns against travelling to Thailand

Earlier this week the British government out travel advice statement for anyone travelling it Thailand.

We advise against all but essential travel to the whole of Thailand due to the increasingly volatile and tense political situation. Violent incidents of an unpredictable nature are occurring in many parts of Thailand.

While it is true that there have been incidents in certain parts of Bangkok it occured to me this was a somewhat heavy handed statement.

Before I got round to turning my tweet into any kind of post I spotted Mike from My Thai Friend's summary, written on his British Expat Directory (an excellent addition to his burgeoning collection of blogs), which hit the nail on the head...meaning I didn't have to.

Bangkok remains largely free of trouble apart from the upmarket shopping area. That said the protesters are waging a very mobile campaign against the Thai Government and may well strike in unexpected places. While these mobile protests remain mostly peaceful there have been several explosions over the last few days in and around the capital.

Travel outside Bangkok is subject to occasional delays by illegal red shirt road checks. There have also been several attempts by protesters to block police and troops being sent to Bangkok. As such the main tourist areas continue to operate as normal and are free of protests.

There have been some well publicised travel delays at BKK but this has nothing to do with the state of public order in Thailand.

Basically the country remains open for business.

Of course, this statement is clearly a backside covering statement from the embassy and diplomatic staff to ensure that, should something go horribly wrong for a British citizen out here, they had made the necessary strong announcement in advance.

What a shame those outside of Thailand may mistake this for the reality.

Reds and Yellows: dining at the last chance saloon

With the yellow-shirted PAD protesters now joining the red-shirted UDD supporters in taking to the streets of Bangkok a compromise certainly looks distant.

Perhaps that would chance if we could get the leaders together at a table.

Well look what I found at a recent event at my local วัด (aka temple).

It took these two chaps a while to figure out why we were laughing, look over and photographing them. Too busy eating their food, how typically Thai.

Fellas, maybe next time a quick phone call before leaving the house would avoid this mix-up.

4,000 Hmong "Voluntarily" Evicted From Thailand

Monday saw Thailand send more than 4,000 Hmong refugees to Lao with soldiers in riot gear escorting the convey over the Mekong river where the two countries boarder.

Many will ask the question why these people are being sent back to a land which they fled in fear of the country's communist regime since it came to power in the 1970s. The US Goverment has been particular vocal on the subject of Hmong repatriation with the State Department quoted in the NY Times:

“We deeply regret this serious violation of the international humanitarian principles that Thailand has long been known for championing. The United States strongly urges Thai authorities to suspend this operation.”

Most shocking is Prime Minister Abhisit's declaration that the Hmong have left Thailand "voluntarily":

The Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said yesterday the repatriations were voluntary and were carried out without incident or violence.

[Via New Mandala]

Cell phone lines out of the camp where the refugees were held were jammed while journalists, human rights workers and UN officials were forbidden from being 12km from the camp.

Sadly this is the latest in a long line of incidents which reflect the Thai government's heavy handed policy of dealing with refugee and political asylum seekers in the region. Just last year Thailand was heavily criticised for sending 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar out to see on boats, which subsequently caused the death of many of the group.

That Man and That Article

Note: I've waited a while before posting as other bloggers' posts has drawn a line of acceptability for reporting this news.

That said, the goverment has blocked certain links to the article in question, as well as threatening legal action on anyone reporting it, so you will find no outgoing links here.

If you wish to read the article, please Google for it yourself, at your own risk.

Here's to freedom of speech.

Thaksin Shinawatra's interview with The Times has been talk of Thailand with blogs, Twitter and the web in general abuzz with discussion of the fall-out from the piece.

The article is likely to bring charges of lese majeste, a law which prevents criticism of the monarchy, brought against the exiled former Prime Minister who was already in the news for accepting an economic advisor position with Thailand's hostile neighbour Cambodia.

From reviewing both the article and the full interview (in fact an "edited transcript") the article's headline appears to be the primary offending element.

There is also likely to be controversy over the suggestion that Thaksin endorses reform of the monarchy and the fact that he openly talks about the King's death - despite both topics having validity and relevance to the future of Thailand.

Referring to the transcript, however, it is clear that the headline and many quotes attributed to Thaksin have been taken out of context and are not reflective of the entire interview.

At no point is Thaksin critical of the King or the Thai monarchy.

Instead, he criticises the "royal institution" - advisers and consorts who work with, and around, the monarchy.

Yet he is likely to fall foul of the law.

There are two schools of thought.

From a Western perspective it is crazy that one headline can be responsible for this level of chaos. Particularly when it is clear Thaksin has gone to great and careful lengths to voice support for the monarchy (regardless of whether it is believed it or not) and brought up the very relevant issue of succession and modernisation of the monarchy.

The headline used for the article does not fit with the context of the interview. It is deliberately controversial to stoke interest in the story/newspaper/journalist (successfully achieved) though, as Asia Editor, Lloyd Parry would have been aware of lese majeste laws in Thailand and the impact the story/headline could have.

Should the article have carried a more suitable, less controversial, headline in line with the gist of the interview?

Another perspective, accepting (but not agreeing with) the workings of the media and laws in Thailand, is to criticise Thaksin's naivety for openly discussing contentious and controversial issues with a foreign journalist.

Foreign media do not adhere to the local rules and specifics of the Thai press, they have no allegiance and will publish content regardless of any waves subsequently generated in Thailand.

Either way lese majeste charges, which carry a maximum 15 year prison sentence, are likely to have little impact on a man already in exile (the fate of some lese majeste authors) from existing criminal charges.

The danger for Thaksin is that his comments, unlikely to affect ardent Red Shirts, may turn sympathisers of his cause against him.

On the other, as one leading blogger argued yesterday, with Thai translations of the article circulating across the country, many of the natives will read Thaksin's open and honest comments.

In a land where discussion of certain subjects is taboo, Thaksin's comments on controversial but increasingly pressing matters, which his foes cannot discuss, is unlikely to win supporters but it may help him begin to re-establish his credibility.

Then again, this is Thailand, anything could happen next.

There are a host of bloggers whose takes on this development are interesting - worth digging around for as I won't publish links.

UK politics heats up

Thai politics is a subject I've written about partly because, as a politics graduate living in Thailand, it is of natural interest and, secondly, it's quite a unique and interesting system.

For once though, I find UK politics to be a little more interesting (probably because I'm currently in London) - of particular interest is the coming appearance of the far-right British National (BNP) leader Nick Griffin on leading political show Question Time

Griffin's appearance on the show tomorrow (Thursday) evening has certainly ignited a few arguments with many calling for him to be barred from the show. Griffin himself, no stranger to absurd lines (for example Churchill would have been a BNP member), has claimed the publicity as a major boost, even saying thank you to the BBC for the opportunity.

The appearance certainly raises an interesting issue.

In the UK, more than Thailand (which sits 130th on the World Free Press index), there is universal freedom of speech .

However should this extent to the leader of a racist, fascist party whose appearance on a respected program may make his party all the more credible?

Many have argued that BNP views are such that the party is likely to be shown for exactly what it is on live TV, suggesting Griffin's self-proclaimed boost in the spotlight will ultimately be his downfall.

I agree with this line of thought although there is no doubting that, for the BNP's cause, "any news is good news".

The BNP may get a membership spike but it is likely to lose what little mainstream credibility it has and the new members, with such extreme views, would have joined regardless of Griffin's spot on Question Time, which will hasten their arrival rather than cause it.

The show is likely to receive higher than usual viewing figures and I'll be one watching as British politics will rival the craziness of Thailand - just for a night and no longer, we hope.

Photo credit BBC

An evening with the Red Shirts

A couple of weeks ago, I got word of an event from Thailand's UDD political party, referred to as the Red Shirts, that was taking place in Saraburi that Friday evening.

My keen interest in Thailand politics, coupled with the mother-in-law’s passion for the Red cause, saw us take a family outing to the event (cladding The Little One in red was not my idea, honest).

In the UK and the West, political parties keep in touch with their core supporters at grass-roots level using meetings, luncheons, newsletters and drop-in surgeries – here in Thailand it’s a whole different ball game.

The best way to describe a Thai political event is 'roadshow', it's an event geared towards entertaining whilst party officials, discuss and debate their key topics.

The event included a busy market, selling all things red, many things Thaksin and the usual market goods - food, drink, etc.

The main event was the on stage speeches from a host of senior (so I’m told) Red Shirt officials – although I don't know their idenitifes - props to anyone who can identify them below.

There was, of course, the obligatory sing-song which saw most party official take to the stage in song. I’d pay good money to see British MPs singing on stage – perhaps there's potential for a horrendous, car-crash celebrity talent show: Westminster Idol.

Unsurprisingly I was the only foreigner there. Not wearing red, along with The Missus, I stuck out like a sore. I need not have worried though.

Despite initial thoughts that I’d be instantly disliked for being a foreigner who was photographing and videoing his way through an event designed for Thais, those I came into contact with were friendly and welcoming.

Political rallies are not renowned for being interesting and well attended at home, unlike the Red rally in Saraburi. The sizeable audience was comprised mainly of families and groups of friends who sat eating and drinking whilst watching the events and speeches on stage.

Though everyone was wearing red, I noticed that many were not supporting official UDD wear, some to have just threw on something red - take for example the woman wearing a Rooney 10 Manchester United shirt.

In one respect it is refreshing that so many people take an active interest in politics; however, from what I know about the types of speeches and rhetoric from both the Reds (UDD) and Yellows (PAD) the content is heavily slanted and rarely objective.

Unfortunately my level of Thai is not sufficient for me to translate the content and my translator, The Missus, has no interested in helping out on this one, alas.

My biggest complaint was the location of the event, which required navigating an dangerously busy dual carriage way route. That said, hardened expats will be used to this sort of thing.

A couple of videos I took from the evening are below.





Apologies for the somewhat jittery video quality. This is down to a combination of unsteady hands, the sound and using my Sony Ericsson as my interim-camera while I wait to get a new one.

Just another day of news as 16 year old is burnt to death

Living in Thailand can make one immune to some shocking news stories.

Atrocities, bribery, gang wars, government coups, police brutality and more, the news in Thailand regularly produces the type of news that would hold the attention of the press. Yet here, tragic news is often just another tragic story.

Take for example this story from The Nation, a newspaper which I readily admit to having little time for, reporting that Thai soldiers shot a teenage Cambodian boy before burning him to death.

What crime could possibly produce such a 'punishment', if you can call being shot and killed in the most inhumane way, that is.

Did he kill a man? Perhaps he shot at a soldier? Maybe he was carrying a bomb, or a terrorist.

It is alleged that the boy, who was just 16 years old, was chopping down trees on the Thai side of the border with Cambodia.

The governor of the Cambodian border province has rightly asked why the boy was burnt alive when he had already been arrested?

There has been no response from the Thai embassy in Cambodia, and none is likely.

This may be news those who do not live in this part of the world but Thai society is incredibly class and race oriented. Foreigners from neighbouring states like Cambodia and Burma (Myanmar) are considered to be the lowest of the low - typified by their dark skin which, in Thailand, is a sign of poverty as it indicates the individual has had a life of working outdoors and is, therefore, poor.

Of course, immigrants from neighbouring countries are not saints. But they are humans, they come to Thailand illegally, yes, but the motive is to better their lives and the lives of their families. There is no justification for what happened to this 16 year old boy.

There should be a public investigation and punishment should be given to those responsible for this atrocity.

But this is Thailand, a country in which racially motivated killings occur almost daily on the southern border, a country which is engaged in a political civil war, a country which has failed to convict activists who sieged the country's main airport plunging the country in chaos.

This news is likely to receive little attention with the country focused on Saturday, the 3rd anniversary of the coup which ousted then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai foreign policy 101

I don't often hat-tip to other blogs but I just had to post a link to Thailand Jumped The Shark for this post.

If you are not aware of it, the blog is an insightful Thai politics blog which, alongside stalwarts Bangkok Pundit and New Mandala, decontructs the hype and spin of the media to show exactly what is happening in Thai politics.

The particular post I want to highlight is a break down of a recent Bangkok Post article comparings the foreign policies of current PM Abhisit Vejjajiva and Thanksin Shinawatra.

The blog post cuts the Post article to pieces and is an excellent read for anyone wishing to learn about Prime Minister Abhisit.

The blog itself is highly recommended - stick it in your RSS feed.

Illegal workers in Thailand to be legalised

The Nation has the news that 2 million illegal migrant workers will be allowed to stay in Thailand until February 2010 when they will need to register legally to remain.

Illegal immigrants are not just a problem for the West, Thailand is plagued with illegal immigrants in areas near the country's borders. Many arrive to work in labour industries for wages which, although low for Thailand, represent a better opportunity than at home.

Northern areas have particular issues with visitors, often from Burma, who play cat and mouse with police trying to avoid the vehicle stop-searches which check visas to root out illegal stayers.

This move is interesting as it is an acknowledgement that the problem has become unmanageable. Rather than working to turf out existing illegal workers AND stop more joining, the police will just focus their efforts on preventing more entering the country.

The article has further info:

Once registered, the around 2 million or so migrant workers will be allowed to work in the sectors of fishery, marine food processing, farming, livestock, construction and domestic services. Getting them registered is a move to stop more from entering Thailand and working illegally.All workers will be allowed to work illegally in Thailand until February 28, 2010. 

After that they will be required to register with provincial labour offices, apply for medical checkups and pay health insurance fees, before applying for a work permit. A national joint effort by police, the military and civilian authorities will begin before the deadline to keep more migrants from entering Thailand.

Controlling the internet - Director Thailand

Here is a short piece I wrote following about the Thai government and the internet for Director Thailand. The magazine's blog is a recommended daily read for anyone working, or interested, in the business world in Thailand.

- - -

Controlling The Internet

Bangkok Senator Rosana Tositakul sparked controversy on Friday when she lamented the difficulties of controlling new media on the internet.

The blogosphere and social networking sites were a hive of activity with discussions revolving around why the government would want to control social media, a domain where people freely express themselves to the world.

The Senator’s comments are hardly surprising when you consider the state’s distrust of the web.

This is a country which banned access to 50,000 websites in February, once banned YouTube and has government offices devoted to locating and blocking ‘unsuitable’ websites.

The government’s failure to understand the internet was further shown when it ordered the closure of 72 websites after the suicide of a 12 year old boy whose father had banned him from computer games.

Blaming the internet, it seems, is the easy answer.

While it is accepted that bad content does exist on the internet, its capacity to do good far outweighs the few rotten apples that have grown.

Just a glance at the West gives the Thai government examples of the benefits.

Last year saw (now) President Obama fight a ground-breaking Presidential campaign using social media to drum up funds, communicate ideology, listen to America and mobilise his voters.

In Britain too, where politics is increasingly seen as out of touch with the public, the main parties use the internet to better listen and communicate with the country.

Given the recent political and social problems in Thailand, the internet could be used to increase communication, educate and promote peace. Yet the government is more concerned with control and a ‘we know best’ attitude.

The next issue of Director Thailand discusses the growing influence and benefits of social media for businesses in Thailand.

One leading figure interviewed suggested that “social media will be embraced by Thailand, even if it is forced upon the market”.

The government appears to be the resistance that the internet and social media is up against; a head on collision seems imminent.

Red Shirt newspaper launching end of May

I've often lamented the bias of the media in Thailand, however there is a new addition to the scene, one which pulls no punches on its political bias.

The Red News is a soon to launch daily devoted to Red Shirt (UDD) news and views with an emphasis on national and regional politics. The first issue set to hit the shelves on 29 May.

Further detail can be found on Suthichai Yoon's blog and The Bangkok Post:

"Promoters of the new paper, mostly core leaders of the red-shirted movement, say they don't have any "financiers" behind the new daily publication. In fact, they will be holding a fund-raising dinner to kick-start the launch."

Only time will tell if this will encourage the Yellows to introduce a similar newspaper.

ASEAN Summit rescheduled - no risk from PM

Ten days or so ago I wrote about the rescheduled ASEAN conference and it's importance to the Prime Minister who is in a tough spot at the moment.

[To refresh your mind] PM Abhisit finds himself stuck in the middle of the struggle between the PAD (Yellows) and UDD (Reds). The polarised position of these two rivals combined with his objective position, independent of both camps, is beginning to isolate him. Neither group sees him as being 'on their side'.  

Abhisit's cabinet, close staff and the man himself have confidently told the media that there will be no problems with ASEAN, thereby completing the necessary preparation for a fall from grace should there be trouble.

Not a big surprise then that, with speculation/inevitability of fresh UDD (and even PAD) protests at ASEAN Phuket, the government has decided to postpone the summit until October. The official reason is that 'government leaders of several countries found the June schedule to be inconvenient' - draw your own conclusions.

By my reckoning, this is the third time the summit has been rescheduled. Who'd bet against further delays and it rolling into 2010 when, by rights, another ASEAN member should host the 2010 meeting.

The uncertainty, dilly-dallying and loss of face around the summit is costing Thailand's regional reputation dearly. Abhisit and his government (including the PAD-supporting foreign minister, Kasat) will have their work cut out convincing its neighbours (yet again) that Thailand has 'still got it'.

Perhaps PM Marky Mark read my blog and decided that, with the risk of another Pattaya, rescheduling and hoping for increased political stability is the better option. 

I'd like to think I've played a part.

Why Thai PM Abhisit needs the ASEAN summit to go smoothly

Prime Minister Abhisit has stuck his neck out and told the media there will no be a repeat of the ASEAN summit protests (in Pattaya) last month when the reschedule meeting takes place in Phuket.

Whilst he is under pressure as the shambles in Pattaya (why oh why was it held there, a place hardly renowned for its security) which hugely dented Thailand's already wounded reputation, comments to the media simply draw emphasis to the event, almost challenging protests to take place.

Abhisit may well be right, I hope for his sake he is, I sound like a stuck record when I continually endorse him as a politician (which I do, by the way) but his ice is thinning and another disaster would be...well...disasterous for his tenure.

The pressure is mounting with the PAD (Yellows) disagreeing on government policy, they are also unhappy with the Abhisit's handling of the UDD (Reds) and the recent shooting of Sondhi, a senior PAD member. Indeed, the PAD is so disgruntled it is considering forming a political party of its own.

Then there is the Red corner, the UDD are unlikely to ever take to Abhisit as his rise to PM was helped in no small way by last year's airport protests and chaos caused by the PAD, the arch-nemesis. Just to prove it, at last month's Bangkok protests the UDD repeatedly called for Abhisit to go.

It's got to the stage where I'm struggling to see who actually supports the PM - he really needs the ASEAN summit to go well.

Why all Thai expats should be on Twitter

As an expat in Thailand it can be difficult keeping up with the latest news. There are few English language TV stations available and the English daily newspapers are, feankly, low on quality and high on bias.

Yesterday Thailand witnessed the ASEAN conference in Pattaya, a state of emergency in Bangkok, the continuation of Red Shirt protests in Bangkok, tanks mobilising in Bangkok, two Red Shirts shot dead for attempting to enter the Prime Minister's car, the closure of a major shopping mall, the arrest (without a warrant) of Arisaman, a leading member of UDD (Red Shirts) and, as-yet-unsubstanciated, reports of Thaksin Shinawatra arriving in Thailand via helicopter. 

Today the situation has got progressively worse with allegations of Red Shirt firing at the army and TV pictures of Thai soliders opening fire at protestors and continuous TV footage of the Thai soldiers on the streets of Bangkok.

As events continue to evolve Twitter stands on its as the web's most effective real-time news gathering resource.  I've long resisting writing about Twitter but I genuinely believe it will be useful to all expats, and even those in the UK and the rest of the world.

Updates are often personal and not official but websites like Twitter Search and Breaking Tweets analyse popular topics and trends on the service to give a bigger picture of what is hot. For newsgathering purposes, these two websites offer invaluable insights into breaking developments.

So it was using Twitter,  images on TV and select updates from The Missus, which allowed me to build a detailed picture of events unfolding in Bangkok.

Twitter is not just a news service, it is a dexterous messaging service which I would recommend all expats - particularly those who blog - to sign up to.

On its homepage Twitter asks 'what are you doing' and this is the basic premise of the service - to let people know what you are doing within 140 characters - also the length of an SMS. In reality, Twitter usage is more sophisticated than just ME-ME-ME-ME-ME.

If you're still not convinced, here are 10 benefits I get from Twitter:

1. Communicate with friends accross the world
2. Stay in touch with breaking events - such as the developments in Bangkok
3. 'Meet' new people in Thailand 
4. Find news - most news outlets circulate article links
5. Share interesting information
6. (Sometimes) circulate JF blog posts 
7. Network - much of my freelance work can be traced to Twitter in one way or another
8. Talk about what I'm doing- only when it is interesting, of course
9. Stay in touch with the media/PR industry in the UK
10. Ask questions or seek opinion

As I have mentioned, Twitter is extraordinarily useful for expats but the key to getting value from the service is your network, which in Twitter terms is the people whose updates you follow and those who follow your updates. 

Here is a selection of Thailand-based Twitter users I recommend following. Without a network of followers/following the service is useless but a lot of connections makes Twitter an incredible useful resource.

@jonrussell (yours truly - my feed is visible on the right-hand side of the blog)

@smartbrain

@sajal

@luke_bkk

@travelhappy

@newley

@thai101

@vanalli

@jfxberns

@thaicam

@charlesfrith

@simplyshimona

@insearchofsanuk

@codymckibb

@myeggnoodles

@chariya

@nnatta

@thomascrampton

@baramunchies

@tbarrett

@brianjanderson

@wjaegel

@andrewspooner

@mscofino

I also recommend listing yourself at WeFollow,  a Twitter directory to help like-minded individuals connect, there is an entry for Thailand which can be used to find more Thai-based Twitter users.

The Lost Boy recently urged expats to join Twitter - so take his advice and mine and sign up to the service at www.twitter.com.

The public holiday gamble

Abhisit's latest move was to make today a public holiday across Thailand. The surprise announcement was made late last night as part of the Thai PM's televised address to the nation. Contrary to regular public holidays, banks and some businesses are working today.

There's no such thing as a free lunch but what about a free bank holiday? You must be joking, everything comes at a cost or for a reason.

Songkran, Thai New Year, is next week meaning most have a week off work returning back Monday 20 April - so this extra day of holiday strings the New Year break a little longer.

As most of the hardcore Red Shirt protesters are from outside of Bangkok it appears the Prime Minister is aiming to tempt the out-of-towners back home for an extended new year holiday period.

Abhisit is undoubtedly a skilled politician but this manoeuvre is a risk.

There is danger that the extra day will encourage more protesters to journey into Bangkok to join the Truth Today demonstrations. I expect most protesters to spend the whole of next week's holiday period in Bangkok, meaning continuing chaos for the city over New Year. It will be particularly disastrous if key transport hub Victory Monument remains closed from the Red Shirt blockade.

This move could be crucial to the future of Abhisit's tenure as Prime Minister.

Will he be forced to act by the protesters or will the previously obedient Red Shirt protests see the Bangkok public turn on them for the chaos they are causing?

The right to protest

So Thailand is back making global political headlines again - can you say it ever stopped though? This time the spotlight in on the Thaksin Shinawatra supporting Red Shirts, rivals in chief to the PAD mob.

It was the PAD who, back in December, opened my eyes to the right to protest, Thai style, when they rolled into Suvarnbhumi airport en mass to protest against then acting Prime Minsiter Somchai Wongsawat - believing him to be a puppet of Thaksin. Eventually Chaovarat gave in to the pressure, a new Prime Minsiter was chosen, all was happy ever after and we come to the present day...

The protesters are the Reds with their Truth Today campaign. The object of their protestations is Prime Minsiter Abhisit Vejjajiva and their objective is his resignation and an election.

The Red Shirts are pushing for change in Thailand.

Those are the basic facts distilled down for simplicity's sake. In what seems to a quickly establishing hallmark of Thai democracy, the anti-Abhisit Reds have taken to the streets of Bangkok to apply their pressure.

Around 2/3 weeks ago Red Shirts began their occupation of land near Government House. Their presence escalated today when a group of taxis drivers - an industry known for its unwavering support for exiled, former PM Thaksin - parked cabs to abstruct all entrances to Victory Monument, one of central Bangkok's busiest transport hubs.

It's inevitable, when you look at it. The Yellow Shirts (PAD) got what they wanted by causing chaos and closing the national airport so the Reds (significantly made up of a strong presence outside of Bangkok) took this marker and went for the heart of the capital - closing roads and massively inconveniencing the city.

This evening Abhisit addressed Thailand with a national TV broadcast in which he stood his ground by refusing to resign. He warned that the government would proceed with legal action against anyone deemed to be acting against national security.

PM Abhisit owes his very position to a protest

He is deadly serious but there is an irony about Abhisit and his statement of legal action which will be lost on few. 

To this date, no arrests have been made in connection with the PAD's occupation of the airport which led to his appointment as PM. Surely closing the national airport is detrimental to national security?!

Yet no arrests and no come uppance for the PAD protestors.

To me this is clearly the crux of the problem, and one of the justifications for the Red Shirts..."the Yellows got what they wanted and suffered no consequences, why should we?"

The right protest is an essential part of democracy but it is has grown out of control in Thailand.

For the sake of the nation a compromise must be found and actions must be taken to strongly discourage such protests in the future. If this sets the standard the retaliatory protests may never stop.

At this stage it is difficult to see who will win out - The Reds or Abhisit? The one hope is that things don't get ugly.

The Economist...again

Hot on the heels of its recent insight into the Thai monarchy, this week's issue has a concise overview of the current political situation here in Thailand.

Recommended reading for any latercomers looking to get up to speed.

It's available here online.

No reports of the issue being banned.