Good morning,

Seven people have been wounded by the latest bomb explosion in the south (http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=119612). Meanwhile, a Malay-Thai military summit appears to have done little or nothing to improve co-operation between the two countries (http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=119608). The army is asking for yet more money – 800 million baht this time (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/22/business/business_30037509.php).

Chin Peng, once the most wanted man in the British Empire and the former leader of the Malayan Communist Party has his day in court as he seeks his return to his home country from exile here in Thailand (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IF22Ae01.html). Chin Peng led the full-scale guerrilla war against British and Commonwealth forces in the 1940s and 50s.

The money spent by Senior General Than Shwe and his numerous family and cronies on a recent junket would feed 10,000 of Burma’s malnourished children for a year (http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7548).

This is The Irrawaddy on Thaksin’s approach for massive football club Manchester City (http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7546). This is what the Bangkok Post has to say (http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=119603). Khun Thaksin is reported t ofavour Sven-Goran Eriksson as the new manager of City, who will be given fifty million pounds to buy some much-needed new players. City, under Stuart Pearce, were rubbish last season.

There is another report that Bangkok will be underwater within a couple of decades, just in time for me to finish paying the mortgage (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/22/national/national_30037517.php).

Next week I will be accompanying the high-so diplomat to her new posting in Singapore and so will post infrequently at best. I should be back full-time on Monday, July 2^nd.