Good morning,

Well, it is the start of a New Year and we have the Thai tradition of huge numbers of deaths on the roads. Latest figures show that 300 people have been killed and more than 3,000 injured – the usual suspects are to blame, drunk driving, bad driving, ignorance of proper road use and so forth. Motor cyclists no doubt make up a disproportionate number of the dead and injured.

This year we have witnessed even more needless death with the fire at the Santika Pub, which has killed 62 people so far (there are more people in intensive care who are still at rick). Pub shareholder Visuk Setsawat has handed himself in to the police and has said sorry for what has happened. People are gathering at the site to express their condolences, say prayers and take photographs. Some also indulge in the traditional Thai activity of looking for ghosts and trying to catch them on their mobile phones – people (some people, I suppose) believe that the spirits of the dead return to the place of their demise three days afterwards and some photos purporting to show the supernatural have started to circulate.

Just to complete a miserable start to the year: a man was killed and his wife injured by an unknown gunman (gunperson) in the South, marking five years of injuries, murders and terrorism in that benighted region.

Tomorrow will be back to the disgraceful shenanigans purporting to be the government: news just in, draft dodging is OK if you are a friend of the invisible hand. Of course, it is not expressed that way but, in typical Thai style, a technicality is used to hide the truth.

Back tomorrow.

The FA Cup is of course cancelled this year.