Good evening,

The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) apparently believes that there was a concerted and coordinated effort to force the Thai stock market to decline (with a view to making money by those involved – you buy when the market plunges and then sell when it picks up again). This effort involved individuals, juristic individuals, local news agencies and foreign news agencies. Two people have already been arrested and more arrests are being threatened (nice to see employer KT Zmico Securities standing up for its employee in a country in which there is supposedly still the presumption of innocence). So, are all these people in league with Bloomberg with a view to damaging the Thai economy or, given the nature of their jobs, was it just a case that there were discussing press reports already published around Asia and the world? Or perhaps another explanation is possible ….

The SET is down more than 1% again today – time for another Witch Hunt!

Schools are opening again in the southern border region, albeit under the usual high levels of security. The murders continue, meanwhile. Here are two people killed by unknown gunmen near a patrol in Yala. New Pheua Thai star General Chavalit Yongchaiyud was planning to visit the region today as part of his plan to establish a new autonomous region there (‘Pattani City’), which might work if the army can be forced out of its position of secretive authority. Meanwhile, the lack of any kind of talent in the ‘elected’ government was shown again when super-privileged Abhisit announced he was going to have a meeting about human rights in the south, another issue about which he would appear to know and care very little indeed, based on his previous performance.

Back tomorrow.

Blind me, we won. Evidence mounts again: despair is the way forward.