BangkokPundit

The US Embassy Bangkok has posted ?(cough don't look at related videos cough). Video is available from YouTube here. ? ...
Read more »

MCOT reported in July 2009: The Thai Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Bt1.4 billion (US$ 41.2 million) loan for a highway development project in the neighbouring country of Cambodia, a Thai government spokesman said.The sof...
Read more »

Yesterday, blogged on the details of the history of the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate and the first lawsuit where a court ruled that the Map Ta Phut municipiality was a "pollution control area". This lawsuit is a precursor to the current case. ..
Read more »

Duncan McCargo raised the issue of the violence in the Deep South barely registering compared with conflicts elsewhere in the world in his op-ed syndicated through Project Syndicate:...
Read more »

PAD leader and Democrat MP Somkiat Pongpaiboon is quoted by Prachatai as stating...
Read more »

Boonsong Kositchotethana in an op-ed in the Bangkok Post on the one-year anniversary of the anti-Thaksin PAD's seizure of the international airport. Key excerpt: ...
Read more »

Suranand Vejjajiva in an op-ed the Bangkok Post last Friday on the rhetoric used by both the red shirts and the government. The reds: Jatuporn Prompan, a UDD leader and Puea Thai Party MP, led the attack by alleging that there existed a recording of a telephone conversation by the minister of foreign affairs,...
Read more »

The Bangkok Post: The Supreme Administrative Court on Wednesday ruled that 11 of 76 projects at the Map Ta Phut industrial estate frozen by a lower court injunction because of pollution concerns could proceed.Judge Kasem Comsatyatham said work on the 11 projects could continue as planned because they would not ...
Read more »

Human Rights Watch: Thailand's prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, needs to demonstrate progress in prosecuting security personnel for serious rights violations in the southern border provinces, Human Rights Watch said today.In a November 29, 2009 speech, Abhisit assured the nation that Thai authorities would balance counterinsurgency operatio...
Read more »

UPDATE and bumped: An informed reader e-mails BP as they are having problems commenting and states: "I feel rather uncomfortable about Duncan's totalizing statement, Malay Muslims in Thailand’s southern provinces are demanding their own political space", especially when it is used as the basis for policy recommendations. Who are these "Malay Muslims" who all...
Read more »

The Bangkok Post reports: Bhumjaithai Party de facto leader Newin Chidchob says ...
Read more »

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University is interviewed by ABC (Australia) and states in relation ...
Read more »

While former PM Samak Sundaravej (pictured), who recently passed away, spent part of his time as PM trying to belittle then opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva - including making origami birds in parliament while Abhisit was speaking - Abhisit has been very?co...
Read more »

While former PM Samak, who recently passed away, spent part of his time as PM trying to belittle then opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva - including making origami birds in parliament while Abhisit was speaking - Abhisit has been very?conciliatory with some kind words to Samak.stating that his death ?"was a great loss to Thai...
Read more »

Political Prisoners in Thailand has a post on a new anti-Thaksin website called silence-power.com??which as PPT notes the name of the site is meant to be a reference to the silent majority. The site primarily attacks Thaksin for aligning with communists, has pictures of the Cambodian ransacking and burning down the Thai Embassy in...
Read more »

After HM the King assigned the Crown Prince to speak on his behalf for his annual birthday address last year and the public was notified at the last minute, but for this year we have a earlier announcement as the Bangkok Post reports: ? The traditional birthday-eve address by His Majesty the King, scheduled...
Read more »

Thailand Jumped the Shark has an interesting post looking at The Times (UK) interview where Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra stated he has 10 gold mines in Uganda and wonder...
Read more »

Thailand Jumped the Shark has an interesting post looking at The Times (UK) interview where Thaksin stated he has 10 gold mines in Uganda and wonders whether those gold mines are actually gold mines in Uganda or Congo (where the minerals are funding a civil war). BP: Thaksin has mentioned his investment in the...
Read more »

Bloomberg: Gross domestic product fell 2.8 percent from a year earlier in the third quarter, after contracting 4.9 percent in the previous three months, the government said today. The median estimate of 16 economists in a Bloomberg News survey was for a 3.2 percent decline.The benchmark stock index has risen two straight quarters...
Read more »

The Nation recently had an article with concerns being expressed over relations: "Despite reports of no effects now, the situation could degenerate quickly. Aside from supportive measures, the government should try to end this conflict quickly through diplomatic means," Federation of Thai Industries official Thaworn Techakraisri said yesterday. Matichon Weekly, Page 10, November 13-19...
Read more »

The Bangkok Post reports that the pro-Thaksin Puea Thai will lose one seat for a truly heinous act: According to the petition, on Jan. 2 Mr Kachit went up on the stage for a northeastern-style singing and musical show, which is considered a form of entertainment.? On the stage, Mr Khachit's candidacy was announced...
Read more »

Have already blogged on Deputy Prime Minister Suthep's statement that non-Thais would be protesting at UDD rallies, but Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's personal spokesman Thepthai has suggested the authorities use a shibboleth* as ASTV Manager reports - summary below: Today (November 23) Thepthai confirmed Suthep's statement that there would be foreigners among the red...
Read more »

Before UDD cancelled their rally, concern was expressed that it was not the right time for a political rally - scheduled for November 29-December 2 - as it was too close to HM the King's birthday. So it would be irresponsible to hold an event/stage a protest in late November/early December
Read more »

The pro-Thaksin red shirts have previously stated they would rally in the streets against the Abhisit Vejjajiva government, but now have announced they have postponed the rally on the grounds that Cabinet had imposed the Internal Security Act in Bangkok during the period of the UDD rally as The Nation reports: "The issuing of...
Read more »

Reuters: Some argue that Thaksin's supporters will stick with him because of what he represents rather than out of simple personal loyalty. He may be a billionaire, but he has stood up to the old elites in the military, aristocracy and business sector, who they say acted undemocratically to sideline the former premier. "The...
Read more »

Saritdet Marukatat in the Bangkok Post: Trying to lift those areas, especially Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, out of poverty is a declared policy of the government. The income gap between these three provinces and other parts of the country is seen by officials as a reason cited by separatists to lure the locals to...
Read more »

After former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited Cambodia and the Thai government responded by recalling the Thai Ambassador and an increase in tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, an ABAC poll noted an almost tripling in Abhisit's support up to 69%.
Read more »

Have already blogged on a Thai engineer arresting for passing on national security information to the First Secretary at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh. The Bangkok Post: Cambodia has a taped conversation of Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya ordering the first secretary of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh to get former prime minister...
Read more »

Panel Discussion: Foreign ownership of land & businesses in Thailand ? ? 8 pm Weds, November 25, 2009 (Please see pricing and reservation procedure below) ? The foreign ownership of land and businesses in Thailand, in particular the use of nominee companies, has recently become a prominent feature on the local news agenda. But...
Read more »

Krungthep Turakit quotes the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs as stating that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is now using a foreign passport in the name of Takki Shinegra, so they are needing to amend requests to foreign countries to also seek the return of Takki Shinegra BP: For some reason this is just...
Read more »