Good morning,

Discussions will take place at the beginning of next month with the Cambodian government with a view to demarcating the water boundary and finding some means of reducing tension between the countries. Thailand’s Foreign Minister is likely still to be PAD supporter Kasit Piromya, who has used his position to issue a string of insults against Cambodian leader Hun Sen. He received his position as part of the shabby deal brokered by the army with the aid of a judicial coup under controversial circumstances. Finding ways to reduce the number of landmines in the land border area will be another important issue.

In another bizarre decision from the unelected Abhisit government, excise is to be placed on exports of tea and coffee because these are harmful to human health. Previous governments have used coffee growing as a successful means of reducing opium production in the highlands. Unaccountable government – let me count the ways.

A senior police officer has apparently been replaced in his post owing to his failure to report violence at the Klong Toey market (which I mentioned previously either here or on the News in Bangkok blog). It seems the officer concerned, according to this report, simply denied all knowledge of the violence – in the last incident, thugs attacked a woman vendor and a guard. There is some suggestion that a land development company would like the vendors to move so that they can do something more profitable for themselves with the land concerned.

I have two new articles at Socyberty: they are An Lushan’s Rebellion and The Decline and Fall of the Ming Dynasty.

A nibble from the UUM re the GMSR is good news for me.

Back tomorrow.

One hour wasted already – someone must be blamed.