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Hey chaps!
A few people have been wondering about the trouble in Thailand. Not sure what's been on the news but basically there was a corupt ex prime minister (Thaksin) that was loved by the poor (he bribed them with mobile phones and gave solar panels to the hill tribes like on the photo I posted) but he has sold the thai satellite system to Singapore and was planning to lease the Thai paddy fields to sri lanka so that the Thai people would have to buy the rice back at a premium. As you can imagine the more educated people and the middle classes could see the long term effects of this. Anyway there were protests by PAD group against Thaksin, a bloodless coup and the military over threw Thaksin. He was extridited and is now in UK.
The current prime minister (PPP party) was legitimately voted in last year but its said that its a reincarnation of Thaksins old party and that Thaksin is pulling the strings from the UK. This is corroborated by the fact that PPP are trying to get an amendment to the constitution that will see the corruption charges dropped against Thaksin and allow him back to rule again.
This is why PAD have started protesting again. It's purley political and they are trying to get media attention hence closing the airports down the other week (You were still able to travel on the ferrys as its mainly locals that use them not the rich foreigners!). They also got into the government buildings and are refusing to leave till the prime minister steps down. The state of emergency that was declared was not because they're rioting on the streets - without it the police/military have limited powers to remove the protesters so it was declared so that the police could get the protesters out (the police & military have still refused to remove the protesters even with the extra power in support of PAD).
An added twist was that on Monday the courts ruled that the prime minister had to step down as he hosted a TV cookery show for which he received 800,000 baht which is against the constitution - these people are bonkers!!!!!!!
In conclusion - so far as we can all tell here it's not dangerous unless you walk into the protests in the specific areas in Bangkok. The only thing we know of it in Surat is a large screen by the pier showing the rally talks - which is annoying because its opposite Milanos so we've had to strike that off our list of restaurants till the protests are over because the screen volume is so loud!
This blog entry was supposed to be a quick update - I feel like a BBC correspondent!
Obviously this is only the view of how we're seeing it here. We'd probably be the last to hear any different!!!
Hope you are all wellxxxx
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