Thailand Voice

Supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra break the police line to pour human blood in front of the Democrat Party headquarters in Bangkok March 16, 2010. (Reuters) A Brahman Priest performs a religious ritual in the pool of human blood poured in front of the Democrat Party headquarters in Bangkok March 16, 2010. (Reuters) …

The red shirt protests have been going on in Bangkok for 4-5 days now. Countless thousands of protesters have been camped out along the Royal Avenue. The news hasn’t received that much attention yet in the international press, mainly because there hasn’t been any violence. Thailand is not like other countries …

A Brahman Priest pours a canister of human blood on the gates of the Government house in Bangkok March 16, 2010. Thousands of protesters in Thailand donated blood and poured it later outside the premier’s office on Tuesday, a “sacrifice for democracy” aimed at…

Thai riot soldiers holding army shields take part in a practice at the Government House in Bangkok March 16, 2010. Tens of thousands of protesters pressed ahead with a mass rally in Bangkok on Tuesday, some expressing frustration that four days of peaceful protests had …

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra donate blood during a gathering in Bangkok March 16, 2010. Anti-government protesters will collect one million cubic centimetres of blood to pour outside the Government House in Bangkok, in a symbolic move to denounce the government as part of their demonstration to call …

Over the past few days, the red shirts have been streaming into Bangkok to join the protest site on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue. On Sunday the red shirts from Samut Prakan came together to join the protest. The local red shirt radio had been broadcasting for several days…

Red-shirted supporters of deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra wave flags and shout slogans during an anti-government protest outside a military barracks in Bangkok on March 15, 2010. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rejected an ultimatum by tens of thousands of protesters to…

Thousands of red shirt supporters from Samut Prakan, 30 kms south of Bangkok, make the long journey into Bangkok on 14th March to join the rally in Bangkok. They went on foot, by motorcycle, on the back of pick-up trucks and in …

A total of 5,000 red guards are believed to be deployed at the rally site in Bangkok and at 30 other locations in the area. This includes 200 mobile units on motorcycle. They will be providing protection to the red shirts at the rally and also intercepting…

Supporters of former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra gather on a highway in Bangkok March 13, 2010. Anti-government protesters headed for Bangkok from the countryside on Saturday for what they are calling a “million-man march,” aiming to paralyse the capital and topple a government they say is a…

The city where I live, Samut Prakan, is a red shirt stronghold as they voted for Thaksin. Today there were about 4-5,000 people parading through the town demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit steps down. You can see more of our photos

Supporters of deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra take part in a rally at Victory Monument in Bangkok on March 12, 2010. Tens of thousands of supporters of Shinawatra began to mass in their trademark red shirts ahead of weekend protests in Bangkok aimed at toppling the government. …

The Thai government over the past few years have been so focussed on first the yellow shirts and then the red shirts that hardly anyone has noticed the rampant increase of drug use in Thailand. It is almost getting to epidemic proportions …

It is probably not a good idea to venture outside at the moment if you are living in some areas of Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lumpoon, Maehongson, Nan, Phayao and Chiang Mai due to the bad air quality. You should also consider wearing face masks in Chachoengsao, Nonthaburi, Samut…

A traffic policeman walks past a group of Bangladeshi Jumma Buddhist student monks and novices during a rally outside the United Nations building in Bangkok March 5, 2010. The monks urged the Bangladesh military and Bengali Muslim settlers to stop attacks on the Jumma indigenous people…

A few days ago, a user called “musicxpresso” put up for sale on ebay a wanted poster for Thaksin and his wife for a mere 99 cents. The photo showed the massive banner used as the backdrop for one of the yellow shirts stages while they occupied the Government House area. However, if you read…

One of the most beautiful and also important temples in Lamphun Province in Northern Thailand is Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai. According to legend, the Lord Buddha himself once came to this area to collect alms. A local Lua tribesman offered him some “samor”, a kind of…

One of the most important events in the Thai Buddhist calendar is Makha Bucha Day (sometimes spelled Magha Puja). It takes place on the full moon day of the third lunar month which is usually late February or early March. This year it was today, 28th February 2010. Like many…

This morning I drove over to the 100 Year Market at Klong Suan on the border between Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao. They were having their second annual market fair which will take place this long weekend during the Makha Bucha holiday. Mr. Surachai Kanasa, the Governor of Samut …

BANGKOK THAILAND – FEBRUARY 26: Red shirt pro- Thaksin supporters react as the court announces the final verdict for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s family on February 26, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Shinawatra family should be stripped of more than half a contested $2.3bn fortune, which is …

Deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is shown on a large screen during a teleconference to his supporters at the Pheu Thai Party building in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Feb. 26. 2010. Thailand’s highest court prepared Friday to rule on whether Thaksin should lose part of his…

One of my favourite festivals in Thailand is the Lotus Throwing Festival in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan. A revered Buddha image is placed on a boat and as it is taken up and down Samrong Canal local people throw lotus flowers onto the boat. Original post blogged on www.mythaiphotos.com .

It always made me wonder how the Thai policemen managed to squeeze on their very tight uniforms. They also don’t look very comfortable. Then I discovered the secret one day when I saw a tailor selling police uniforms at a…

The tension is rising in Thailand as we have now started the countdown to Judgement Day on Friday 26th February 2010. The red shirts have already started their protests though so far the yellow shirts have decided to stay at home. If that is true…

The grounds of a Buddhist temple in Thailand have a variety of buildings of all shapes and sizes. At first glance their use might seem to be random. But, there is one building, called the “phra ubosot” which is not only the most sacred but also has distinguishing features that makes it …

One of the famous desserts for Samut Prakan Province is Khanom Jaak. The dessert is prepared inside the leaves of a nipa palm and then roasted over a charcoal fire. The ingredients include sticky rice flour, palm sugar and shredded coconut. A bundle of this costs about 20 baht. Original post blogged on www.mythaiphotos….

(The crime scene of almost every Farang ‘murder’ in Pattaya – the infamous Pattaya hotel balcony) As a Farang in Thailand we have all heard some of the most laughable quack-wack Thailand myths: ladyboys who have coaxed clients back to their rooms only to drug ‘em and cut out …

Undoubtedly the most spectacular Chinese temple I have seen in Thailand is Wat Boromracha Kanchanapisek Anusorn in Nonthaburi Province just north-west of Bangkok. I would say it also rivals anything I saw even in China. Parts of the temple reminded me of the Forbidden Palace. This temple, in Bang Bua Thong District, …

The Phimai historical park protects one of the most important Khmer temples of Thailand. It is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. There are quite a few Khmer temples in this region but this is one of the best preserved. I was…