A terrifying tale as journalist and photographer Nick Nostitz reports from the riots in Bangkok, where the army opened fire on the protesters, killing 33 and injuring 239. Be warned, some of the photos are graphic.
Thailand
Meet Thailand’s rogue “Commander Red”
Renegade Thai General “Seh Daeng” (Commander Red) was shot on the streets of Bangkok yesterday, adding further fuel to an already bloody battle. The BBC profiles the divisive Red Shirt leader and cult figure who likens himself to Mel Gibson in Braveheart.
Why Bangkok is about to get a lot bloodier
Rogue Thai General “Seh Daeng” — “Thailand’s scariest bogeyman” — was shot in the head yesterday. A lot of angry Red Shirts are about to get a lot angrier.
Thailand: election won’t solve problems but it will let tempers cool
In remarkable scenes across the city, Red Shirt protesters have been driving around Bangkok in convoys, chanting political slogans and calling on the government to resign — but also joining in the New year festivities, writes Gavin Brown.
Eric Campbell to be banned from Thailand after Foreign Correspondent report
Tonight’s Foreign Correspondent will almost certainly lead to reporter Eric Campbell being black-banned from the country under its punitive lèse majesté laws.
Thailand needs a new capital
If Thailand’s red shirt protesters won’t leave its capital city, Bangkok, the government should, says Todd Crowell: just pack their bags and move the whole operation to Issan.
Video of the Day: Live from the Bangkok protests
Watch as the red shirt protests in Thailand turn from peaceful to violent in a matter of seconds, as the military opens fire. WARNING: Violence and naughty words
Thailand: blood in the streets and in the markets
The violent clashes between protesters and government forces in Thailand could have dire consequences for the country’s recovering economy, as locals stop shopping and tourists stop arriving.
Thai-a-betes: Thailand’s new epidemic
Thais are getting richer — and fatter. The country’s love of sugar, mixed with rising income levels, has been a recipe for disaster: one in 10 Thais now suffer from diabetes.
PHOTO GALLERY: The blood washing down Thailand’s streets
A rather gruesome but fascinating photo gallery of the anti-government demonstrators in Bangkok donating their blood on mass and then literally spilling their blood at the gates of Government House in protest.
Bloody-minded promises in Bangkok’s sea of red
There will be blood in Thailand, with protesters from the Red Shirt movement preparing to donate their blood and then throw it on Government House. The tension belies a largely carnival atmosphere, writes Simon Roughneen from Bangkok.
Inside Asia’s Dog Meat Mafia
A look inside Asia’s shady and highly-lucrative dog meat trade — a multi-million-dollar black market operating from Thailand to Vietnam, feeding the region’s increasing appetite for the taste of feral dog.
Political snippets: Forget about boat people: it’s still the economy, stupid
A new Morgan poll says it’s still the economy and environmental issues that Australians think are the most important, soccer match-fixing in China, and Thailand takes the stealing of religious artifacts very seriously.
Political snippets: A neighbourly disinterest
Two of Australia’s near neighbours are close to a state of war and what can you read about on the home web pages this morning of Australia’s newspapers? Not a word at all about the frightening deterioration in relations between Thailand and Cambodia.
Treatment of asylum seekers in Thailand
Reports continue to appear of dreadful conditions and treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, writes Andrew Bartlett.
Thailand censors The Economist
Thai magazine distributors have blocked an edition of The Economist from even entering the country due to an article about the Thai government’s censorship of internet sites said to be critical of the royal family.
A big step backwards in the Middle East
A week after Lebanon’s elections were won by the moderate, pro-western forces, Iran has gone the other way, writes Charles Richardson.
“Beer mat Mum” follows media script to perfection
The latest tabloid beat-up suggests the Australian media will grab any chance it can to condemn the authorities of our Asian neighbours, especially if it involves beer.
Curbing Thailand’s gruesome front pages
A group of Thai academics are calling for the country’s newspaper editors to stop peppering their front pages with gory pictures of dead bodies.
Birth in a time of death
In light of Mother’s Day, an exploration of motherhood, third world disasters and giving birth in a Bangkok hospital.
Thai PM may not see out the year
Thailand PM Abhisit Vejjajiva is a “novice among the tigers” and may not even last in power beyond August, writes Thanong Khanthong.
The Media Monitors' Top 20: It’s the Ruddnet, not the Conroynet
To Joe Public it’s the Ruddnet, not the Conroynet, with Stephen Conroy remaining low on the media radar this week.
Crikey wrap: Chaos in Bangkok
The eruption of violence during the Thailand protests has sparked debate on issues such as economy, terrorism, tourism and possible outcomes and solutions.
Stranger than fiction: who the f-ck is Harry Nicolaides?
The Melbourne writer has been famously jailed in Thailand, but surely he must have seen the trouble coming, writes Neil Walker.
Letter from … Bangkok
While people still went about their daily business this week, the colour of their shirts betrayed a deeper concern among the population of Bangkok, writes Gabriella Haynes.
