Thailand | GlobalPost

Thai soapy massages meet politics

Patrick WinnMay 26, 2010 13:03Updated May 30, 2010 13:36

BANGKOK, Thailand — There’s still a dash of kingpin swagger to Chuvit Kamolvisit’s deluxe penthouse: the waxed marble staircase, the slick designer-decorated sitting room, the perfumed secretary wearing a slinky black dress and dental braces. But for a man once cast in headlines as the “King of Commercial Sex,” the brash businessman-turned-political crusader has been uncharacteristically quiet of late. Sinking into a love seat, Chuvit explains his absence.

"The Worst Moment in Thailand's Modern History"

Patrick WinnMay 21, 2010 06:08

That's the grim assessment from two of Thailand's foremost academics, who've neatly summed up this national nightmare for today's Wall Street Journal. It's a frightening superlative. Bangkok now appears to be done counting corpses from this week's political violence between soldiers and "Red Shirt" anti-govenrnment protesters. The body count falls at 85 dead and about 1,900 wounded.

"The Worst Moment in Thailand's Modern History"

Patrick WinnMay 21, 2010 06:08

5 things you need to know about Bangkok's crisis

Patrick WinnMay 19, 2010 16:02Updated May 30, 2010 13:34

BANGKOK, Thailand — Wild battles and torched malls now light up Bangkok, currently suffering one of its most unruly chapters ever. After occupying sectors of Bangkok for 10 weeks, protesters demanding the ruling party’s downfall finally dispersed when soldiers overran their encampment. But while most protesters from the so-called “Red Shirts” faction have returned home, a faceless band of hardliners has remained to wage an arson campaign.

Burning down Bangkok

Patrick WinnMay 19, 2010 10:53

Tonight in Bangkok, the air is bitter. The breeze carries a stinging black smoke, pouring from flaming walls of tires and symbols of power and wealth: the Stock Exchange of Thailand, branches of prominent banks and Central World, Asia's second-largest mall.

Counting Bodies, One Click at at Time

Patrick WinnMay 15, 2010 12:41

As I trudged through the late-afternoon heat Friday, into an urban conflict zone between the Thai military and anti-government protesters, I encountered this man on a pedestrian bridge. Several distressed Thai women led him by the arm to meet me, insisting that I see a morbid image on his point-and-shoot digital camera.

Thailand protests: A battle with no clear victors

Patrick WinnMay 15, 2010 07:33Updated May 30, 2010 13:33

BANGKOK, Thailand — Just one week ago, the political strife crippling Bangkok was poised to end. But Friday, the city’s main thoroughfares were lit by burning tires. Masked men in motorbike helmets yanked soldiers from trucks. Ambulances idled outside conflict zones, waiting for the next protesters to fall dead from live rounds. More than 37 have died and well over 1,000 have suffered injuries. Here's a taste of what parts of Bangkok looked like Friday night:

Video: Molotovs and Machine Guns in Bangkok

Patrick WinnMay 14, 2010 12:33

In Bangkok tonight, anti-government protesters and soldiers remain locked in an ugly standoff. Young Thais, faces cloaked with bandanas, are chucking molotov cocktails at troops. Small caliber bullet holes are punched through street signs. Old tires are set aflame and rolled toward troop positions and barbed wire is strung across what should be busy thoroughfares.

Shot in the head: Thailand's renegade general

Patrick WinnMay 13, 2010 11:31

That's not Maj. Gen. Khattiya "Seh Daeng" Sawisdipol, the renegade Thai army general shot in the head tonight while chatting with reporters. That's one of his many disciples, wearing a mask of his likeness and toting a mock grenade launcher. Tonight, as the general lies in an intensive care and surgeons pick fragments from his skull, many are wondering when — not if — his followers will strike back.

Bangkok: First the protest. Now the hangover.

Patrick WinnMay 5, 2010 15:09Updated May 30, 2010 13:32

BANGKOK, Thailand — At long last, Thai Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and protesters sworn to end his rule are nearing a pact: he cuts his term short to deliver new elections, they abandon a rugged encampment choking off central Bangkok. The truce could end an eight-weeks running struggle that has left 27 dead, roughly 900 injured and the economy sapped of more than $2 billion. It could also return normalcy to a city on edge. The stability, however, may not last.