Good morning,

We are back to army leaders claiming that there will not be another coup. People who should know better (and some that evidently do not) are beginning to talk all kinds of inflammatory nonsense. Consider Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, who supported the violent occupation of the international airports by the anti-democracy PAD mob, which he thought was ‘fun,’ and whose descriptions of Cambodian leader as a ‘gangster’ and all kinds of bad person have seriously damaged relations between the two countries, has again lived up to his reputation as a dangerous buffoon (how did he get his cabinet seat? Cannot say, of course) by describing ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra as a ‘childish, cowardly demon.’ In a wild and undignified rant, brought on by the revelation that he had accepted money from Khun Thaksin in the past, Khun Kasit shows himself once again to be wholly unfit for even the lowliest public office.

The Ministry of Labour is planning to accept another 400,000 foreign workers on an official basis. The migrants, mostly presumably from Burma , Laos and Cambodia, will work in the fishery, construction and cold storage sectors, which Thai people do not want – might the jobs be more attractive as long-term unemployment starts to affect the workforce later this year?

More than seven million people in two million households have been affected by the current drought. It is not quite as bad as last year, apparently, but people across the Kingdom will be looking forward to the monsoon season replenishing reservoirs and irrigation systems.

If I may draw your attention to: Walsh, John, “Die verflixte Abhängigkeit – Thailands Energielücke,” Südostasien, Jg.25, Nr.1 (2009), pp.38-9. The magazine is available for just eight Euros, although I am not sure where one might buy it. Additional information is at http://asienhaus.de.

Back tomorrow.