Good afternoon,

A new article at the Asia Sentinel further outlines the economic difficulties facing Thailand as a result of the PAD Disaster and the ongoing global financial crisis. Coverage is becoming more pessimistic by the day: unemployment is predicted to treble to three million while the economy is likely to contract next year. The PAD Disaster is responsible for at least one million (projected) job losses and incalculable damage to the people and businesses of Thailand – and they got their way with PAD/army-installed quisling PM Abhisit. No arrests have been brought forward for the airport closure, the seizure of government, the various murders, highjackings, kidnappings and thefts that were conducted by the heavily-armed PAD thugs, protected of course by their celebrity sponsors – and it looks increasingly like the police will be prevented from taking any action against them. Civil action to sue the ringleaders of the thugs may prove more possible.

The Bangkok Post comments on the vapid quisling’s claim that he will prevent another PAD seizure of the airports:

“"We regret the incident and will not allow it to happen again," the newly elected prime minister Mr Abhisit told Thai tourism industry representatives on Wednesday.

During the airport closures Mr Abhisit stayed silent and did not condemn the action by the People's Alliance for Democracy. One of the PAD leaders is a member of his Democracy party, which now controls a majority in parliament.

On Wednesday he defended the military for not intervening to clear the airport because the army had been put in a "difficult position". He did not elaborate.

Mr Abhisit personally gave tacit support to the PAD when he showed up at the funeral of a PAD supporter killed during clashes with police outside parliament on Oct 7. He also visited injured PAD protesters.”

Mr Privilege is unfit for public office.

Young people across the country have welcomed a change in the law that permits them to obtain blood tests for HIV infection without parental permission in government hospitals (it was already possible in private clinics, although these are limited in numbers outside Bangkok and probably expensive). Anything that empowers people, especially vulnerable young women, to take of their sexual health is a good thing.

My review of Stephen Baxter’s Navigator has been published at Bookideas.

Back tomorrow.