BANGKOK - The coordinated bomb blasts in downtown Bangkok on New Year's Eve were a violent sign of things to come at the outset of 2007, Thailand's year of living dangerously. The bombings should be seen as a continuation of the prolonged crisis and confrontation begun last year but that has yet to run its full course, as ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra remains defiant and determined to overcome the conservative forces of the establishment who deposed him.
Two overriding issues that will dominate Thailand in 2007 are the aftermath of September 19 military coup and the coup makers' vow to return the country to democratic rule with Thaksin's potential comeback lurking in the background. These events will transpire against the backdrop of the country's grand transition, as the royal succession looms in view of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej's turning 80 and his reign exceeding 60 years.
Full Story: Asia Times Online
Bit of a depressing outlook to the year ahead really.
2007: Thailand's year of living dangerously
2007: Thailand's year of living dangerously
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson