Instability, confusion and bloodshed. What's this, another day in Iraq? No, it's a possible scenario for Thailand post the December election. Reuters article on the subject follows:
Candidate registration closed on Friday for Thailand's December 23 election, a poll meant to usher in a revitalized democracy after last year's coup but which looks set instead to sow instability and confusion.
Opinion polls point to the People Power Party (PPP) run by supporters of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra winning, but falling short of an absolute majority.
Analysts say the generals who ousted Thaksin will do anything -- including launching another coup -- to stop his proxy from forming a coalition and making a government.
"No matter how the PPP fares on election day, the likelihood is that it will end up on the opposition benches," said political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak at Bangkok's Chulanongkorn University.
"The military and interim government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont will do everything in its power to ensure a non-PPP government," he wrote in the Bangkok Post.
With the PPP excluded by fair means or foul, analysts say the Democrats -- the main opposition party during Thaksin's five years in office -- will be in the driving seat.
However, PPP and Thaksin loyalists are unlikely to sit idly by, suggesting that a Democrat-led coalition would probably not complete a full four-year term, top politicians told Reuters.
The worst-case scenario envisages bloodshed as Thaksin's friends and foes face off in the streets, making military intervention inevitable, according to a lawmaker in the army-appointed parliament who predicted the 2006 coup three weeks before it happened.
Others did not predict violence, but agreed the election would cause more political problems. [via Reuters]
Sierra Tangos
- The next James Bond girl is rumoured to be Thai mod, Jewel. It's in The Sun so it must be true.......
- CB Richard Ellis, the leading international property consultant in Thailand, remains confident about the long-term prospects for the Pattaya property market and has decided to establish a full service office in Patttaya which will open on Saturday November 17.
"Pattaya has well developed infrastructure, good hospitals, and a range of retail outlets and entertainment. This lifestyle package makes Pattaya attractive," according to Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, Managing Director of CB Richard Ellis Thailand.
"We believe that Thailand has a significant competitive advantage in the leisure sector which includes retirement and second homes, which is why we have opened offices in Thailand's major resorts. CB Richard Ellis has focused the expansion of their business on servicing the hotel and resort, and luxury residential property markets and the Pattaya office will be the fourth CB Richard Ellis office in Thailand."
According to the CB Richard Ellis Research & Consulting Services teams, the total condominium stock in Pattaya including Condotels was about 24,800 units at the end of 2006 and is expected to reach 27,800 units by the end of the year. Less than 10% of the total condominium stock is the luxury supply. [via The Nation]
- Fortress Britain - Another neo-con achievement
"Train passengers face routine airline-style bag checks and body searches as part of a new counter-terror crackdown announced by Gordon Brown.
More than 250 busy railway stations, airports and seaports as well as 100"sensitive" installations like power stations and electricity substations will be given extra security.
This could include screening luggage at major stations like London King's Cross or Manchester Piccadilly using mobile checking devices that can be moved around the country" reports The Daily Telegraph.
Two questions need to be asked:
1. Why are all these steps necessary now, when they weren't deemed necessary during the height of the IRA's campaign of bombing on the British mainland in the 1970s and 80s?
2. Why is Britain the only country in Europe that is taking such steps? Other countries in Europe have large Islamic populations: Belgium, France and Germany, for example. Yet none of them feel the need to screen luggage at major railway stations or turn their countries into fortresses. It couldn't just be that Britain's aggressive, neo-conservative foreign policy has made us more of a target, could it? [via Neil Clarke]
- Get unlimited local and long-distance calling for 20 bucks a year
Need a second phone line? How about a dedicated business line for your home-based enterprise? A cheap way to make calls while traveling the world? Look no further than the MagicJack, quite possibly the coolest gizmo of 2007.
All you do is plug the little guy into a USB port. It automatically installs its own software: a nifty little dialer/address-book app. (During the initial setup, you get to choose your own local number for inbound calls.) Now just plug any corded or cordless handset into the MagicJack's standard RJ-11 jack and presto, you've got a dial tone. And voice mail. And three-way calling, caller ID, etc. You can also use a headset if you're traveling and don't want to schlep that bulky old Princess phone.
The MagicJack costs $40, which includes a year's worth of unlimited local and long-distance calls. (Free international calls to other MagicJack users, too.) After that, you'll pay just $20 per year. It's way easier to use than Skype, way cheaper than Vonage, and way cool to boot. [via Crave]
- Microsoft releases free Office Accounting Express 2008 - Microsoft has updated its Office Accounting software, and just like last year, the company is offering free and paid versions. Office Accounting 2008 will set you back $199, while the slimmed down Office Accounting Express 2008 is available for free for US version or UK version.
If you run a small business with international clients, you might want to shell out a few bucks for the professional accounting package with support for things like multiple currencies and multiuser access. But if you're self employed and are just looking for a way to manage accounts, track invoices and bill payment, and a few other basic business features, the free version looks pretty nice. The 2008 edition also includes integration with new online banking services. [via DownloadSquad] Ed. It's a 287mb download.
- Taking a wee break from the golf course, Tiger Woods drives his new Mercedes into an Irish gas station. An attendant greets him in typical Irish manner, unaware who the golf pro is... "Top O the mornin to ya". As Tiger gets out of the car, two tees fall out of his pocket. "So what are those things, laddie?" asks the attendant. "They're called tees," replies Tiger. "And what would ya be usin 'em for, now?" inquires the Irishman. "Well, they're for resting my balls on when I drive," replies Tiger. "Aw, Jaysus, Mary an' Joseph!" exclaims the Irish attendant. "Those fellas at Mercedes think of everything."
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