I have a friend working with TAT, you may know him - he’s a well known expat and writer. He’s been working with them to try to dispel the myth that Thailand is unsafe at the present time for visitors because of the political situation. He’s helping to create videos for them and marketing to Europeans, Japanese and everyone else that Thailand is safe for visitors as we start the regular visitor high season. I’m a member of a few travel boards where people regularly ask questions about whether it’s safe to go here or there. Lately everyone is asking the same question - is Thailand safe to visit now? Is Thailand safe for visitors now? Here are a few reasons I think it’s safe enough for visitors: 1. I’m completely unaffected by anything happening in Bangkok. If people are dying in clashes there with police - that doesn’t have a trickle down effect causing the rest of the country to be unsafe. In fact, I’d say only if you’re taking part in the demonstration in Bangkok, are you at risk of injury or death. If you’re coming here to visit you’ll be OK. If you’re coming to revolt against the government and incite Thais to rioting on a mass scale, you might be in danger. 2. The entire country - outside of Bangkok is unaffected by anything happening in Bangkok. The rest of the country will continue to remain safe - even though Bangkok might get tense. 3. This...

In the following video, someone tries to back a truck over a wounded Thai police officer. This Thai website offers some screen shots from the video. Included on the page are photos showing spear-wielding protesters, and men carrying and firing guns

The next item that should soon be added to the PAD's (People's Alliance for Democracy) shopping list is yellow tear gas masks. And lets hope it's not going to be from China if it is to be 100% effective. Who knows what's going to be the next deadly gas released by the riot police? It should be easier to distinguish them from any third hand(s). They will also be able to maintain strict code compliance with regard to their existing yellow scarves, yellow head-bands, yellow shirts and all the other yellow demonstration accessories, with Ku-Chart "Salvage the Nation" (Thai: กู้ชาติ) words on them. It's not going to be easy to find yellow gas masks, but the one below should do 0 comments

The deaths of all people diminish us as part of the human race, of course, although some are more Orwellian than others. In some cases, the manner of leaving the world provokes consternation and confusion and can, thinking more positively, represent an opportunity for people to resolve to make the world a better place. , who was killed by a homemade bomb when police tried to disperse an illegal and heavily-armed mob, including Khun Angkhana, from outside parliament by using tear gas. Forensic scientists appear (and there is rarely anything definite in Thailand’s current events) to have determined that it was a small bomb which exploded on her left side which killed her. This is based on the wounds she suffered. Either she was carrying the bomb when it went off or it was in her bag. Alternatively, she was going to ground to avoid the tear gas and the bomb happened to be on the ground beneath her and suddenly exploded (no, me neither but let us wait for a formal verdict, if there is to be one). There is no doubt that PAD mob ringleaders have been looking for martyrs and acts of violence to provoke a military coup and bring about the end of democracy, which they hate (I’m sounding like George Bush here). So what can we conclude from the death of Khun Angkhana – was she one of the PAD goons intent on causing violence and blowing herself up accidentally, was she a suicide bomber...

The PAD mob has started to how its true nature – yesterday, heavily armed mobsters launched a wave of violence in Bangkok and is threatening more. Three police have been shot by PAD mobsters; a dozen more have been hospitalized after a PAD mobster drove a pickup truck into them. Two or three people (the news is still not clear, to me at least) have lost legs, at least one of them because he had a bomb in his pocket. Police have found hand grenades – it is likely that the people who were injured in the initial clearing of the mob from parliament yesterday morning were injured by PAD owned grenades or bombs – there is no proof of this yet, so far as I can see but it seems the most likely explanation. Police continue to maintain they used only tear gas and the events were covered by the international media and I have seen no meaningful suggestion that they acted improperly. This is from the BBC . The situation seems to be reasonably calm at the moment. There are troops on the street to protect various locations and it is said that 30 companies more are ready to join them. Army chief General Anupong Paojinda is currently supporting the government – and PM Somchai is remaining calm, in public at least. However, the military is riddled with factions and it is not certain that there will not be yet another coup. At least most of the top...