Good evening,

The SET Index has finished down 1.5% today, which is a loss of just 10.6 points. All sectors seem to have declined. The President of the SET has been talking of changing the regulations for the initiation of the ‘circuit breaker’ to take place if the Index declines by 5% rather than the current 10%. Recent rapid declines were accredited to rumours concerning HM the King’s health – rumours are difficult to control, of course, especially when the natural approach of the Thai establishment is not to be highly transparent and immediate in revealing what has happened. Meanwhile, the recession in Thailand continues, with a contraction in GDP of 3.5-4% in the third quarter although some government job’s worth is still talking up an increase of 3% in the fourth quarter (about which I am a little skeptical).

The trains are apparently due to start up again in the South sometime tomorrow – although since some are out of place not all services will begin at once. There has also been a near collision between trains as the government’s scab labour ignored signals and nearly drove into each other.

In an entirely coincidental piece of timing for which the government is not responsible, definitely had nothing to do with it, no sirree, nothing to do with us, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra is to be stripped of his decorations and police rank just (and this I must emphasise is entirely a coincidence) just a few days after he completely overshadowed little Abhisit’s big moment with the grown-ups. Only ill-intentioned people could possibly conclude anything else, given the long record of Thai justice.

Back tomorrow.

Yes, I’ll be the judge of that, I’m thinking.