Good afternoon,

The Labour Court, which handles employment related cases (Thailand has courts for all seasons), anticipates the number of cases it will be asked to adjudicate will rise from 12,000 (as in the last two years) to more than 20,000 this year. The cases are likely to revolve around proper payment of compensation in the event of redundancies and bankruptcies. The Ministry of Labour is introducing a low cost loan scheme for businesses in distress which it is hoped will defer (at least) another 2-300,000 lay-offs.

The new PADemocrat government is promising not just the moon on a stick to gullible journalists but dedicated teachers who will be devoted to the children, be of high moral fibre etc and so on and so forth. Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit does not appear to have explained how he will be paying for all of this.

Tigers are to receive their own ID cards, based on their skin patterns. Owners of tigers are already supposed to register births and deaths of the animals (and this is true of some other endangered species) and they are also supposed to have a microchip inserted under the skin to keep track of them. However, there is suspicion that many are still unreported and, therefore, subject to trafficking and bush meat buffets.

Back on Monday.

We go to slay the disreputable Swans, O Play Up you diligent Biscuitmen.