Easy for GB to handle its massive debt, just print more GBP to pay. The US did already in the recent financial crisis. The Greeks cannot devalue its currency by printing more Euro, they are not the sole owner of Euro.

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-- Retournons a nos moutons!.

-- Today, (07th.), forenoon - workers were seen dismantling the plyboard barriers & scaffolding fronting SILCOM. along tnn. Si Lom;
- SILCOM. has reverted to its 21.oo.hrs. CLOSING time.
- Noted many MORE people lunching. in the various eateries.

-- A rough & ready head-count of soldiers seen during my walk-back at around 12.nn.:
1.- O'side. SILCOM --------------- 03;
2.- Tnn. Thaniya ----------------- none;
3.- 'tween. the P. Pongs ---------- 24;
4.- Opp. LE MERIDIEN HTL. -------- 09;
5.- O'side. 7/11./tnn. Than Tawan - 06.

-- Possibly a s-l-o-w return to the 'Status quo ante demonstrationem.'?

-- At 17.oo.hrs. we walked from SILCOM. to CHAMCHURI SQ.; this time - noting an INCREASE in the mil'y. presence along the way - I made a rough & ready head-count of the riot-police seen:
1.- O'side. SILCOM. -------------------------- 14;
2.- At i'sect. with Tnn. S'daeng. -------------- 14;
3.- O'side. ZUELLIG BLDG. -------------------- 28;
4.- In the DUSIT THANI HTL. forect. -- possibly 3O+?
5.- Opp. & o'side. former ROBINSON'S - possibly 3O+?
6.- At the Henri Dunant i'sect. ---------------- O5.

-- Walking past BB. INN we were o'taken. by about 5O or so mil'y., who were foregathering in the car-pk. by MRT. Sam Yan.

-- At approx. 2O.15.hrs. we passed-by the DUSUT THANI HTL.
1.- INCREASED mil'y. & police presence on both sides of tnn. Si Lom;
2.- A score or so of mil'y. sitting in the ROBINSON'S car parking exit;
3.- MORE mil'y. o'side. the CHARN ISSARA I. TOWER;
4.- At the start of tnn. S'wong. the mil'y. had set-up lanes separated by water-filled & orange barriers; tfc.was being waved through by mil'y. carrying red-lit batons;
4.- INCREASED presence o'side. the JIM. THOMPSON SHOP;
5.- As we passed-by the a/m. shop a file of some 7O+ policemen - soft & black caps, green neckkerchiefs, white tee-shirts & dk. brown trousers - came-out from the small soi and walked along tnn. S'wong. away from tnn. Rama IV.;
6.- INCREASED mil'y. presence between the P. Pongs;
7.- In Tnn. Than Tawan a small barricade across the st., with the mil'y. waving through tfc. with their red-lit batons.

-- Noted plenty of civilians eating at the side-walk eateries along tnn. Rama IV. & S'wong..

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thanx for the update, sextile hope everything is fine from now

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Although you don't see police and soldiers, I think there are probably a lot of undercover people, hidden cameras, etc. I read somewhere over a year ago where someone posted that there are undercover police in Patpong area (so be careful about going after underage people, etc.).

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Looking on the bright side (and the selfish one), maybe Europe will be affordable to an American again in the near future.

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-- Two items of possibly GOOD NEWS! -
1.- Y'day. an unattributed source within the Nation Gp. reported that after performing rites for the dead the UDD. would be expected to start dismantling their defences and to start the trek back to their home-country on 12 may.
2.- Today's, (O8th.], headlines in the BKK. Post. 'paper.: 'Reds back Abhisit's road map.'.
- But reading further on into the article both the PAD. - (the gp. that illegally occupied S'bhumi. Int'l. Airport not too long ago, and who still have not been brought to Justice!], - and Dr. Tul's No-color party are opposing this road-map for their own reasons.

-- While one, or even two swallows, might not make a summer possibly: 'Hope springs eternal in the human breast.'?

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is it true there was a bomb blast yday which killed two policemen?

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Newspapers say that on Saturday one drive-by shooting killed one policeman and injured a few other persons in Silom Road between Sala Daeng station and Bangkok Bank, and a grenade tossed from somewhere near Sala Daeng intersection killed a policeman and caused other injuries at entrance to Lumpini Park.

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-- Reportedly, at approx. 22.45.hrs. or thereaouts, 1 policeperson was shot in the stomach and killed, two other policepersons were injured as were a couple of civilians.
- Then, approx. 3hrs. later, a grenade was fired into the UDD. encampment in the gen'l. area of the KRVI. statue.
- A BBC. Radio 3. news' b'cast. at 07.oo.hrs.GMT. reported that two policepersons were killed in this a/m. event.

-- Today,(08th.), forenoon tee rak & I walked past the scene on tnn. Si Lom: apart from AU BON PAIN the rest of the ZUELIG BLDG's. frontage was barricaded-off, the KRUNG THAI BANK had one window shattered. Some score or so of riot-clad police were sitting-down in a relaxed fashion o'side..
- An INCREASED police presence o'side. the former ROBINSON's store.

-- An official spokesperson was reported as saying that gen'l. security would be INCREASED; but with both the PM. & the UDD. so firmly committed to the road-plan this latest incident would not derail it.

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-- Today, (O8th.], evening tee rak & I went for a walk in LUMPINI PK.;
- We entered by MRT. ent'ce./exit#1., where a red shirt traffic marshal was controlling the tfc's. flow quite efficiently; we entered the pk. by Gate #4., (behind the KRVI. statue.],.
- Queues were forming-up for the evening's issue of supper: a std. sized p'styrene. container of meat, rice & some veggies.
- Inside the pk. we noted that the police had taken-over the LUMPINI YOUTH CENTRE; but police & red shirts seemed to be co-exisiting quite amicably within the pk. itself.
- Only a few joggers; swimming pool OPEN; people playing tennis on the nearby courts; no aerobics gps. seen.
- We went-out of the pk. by Gate #5. and walked along R'damri. rd. until the barrier compelled us to re-enter the main part of the red shirts' encampment and to go-out as we had entered.
-- Although we saw a few people sweeping-up, and quite a few black & plastic garbage bags put-out, there were still many piles of garbage just swept-up loosely and left in situ. Equally, on entering the pk. proper one could not help but be aware of the strong smell of urine. The red shirts should concentrate on a bit MORE camp-hygiene - there are MORE than enough of them doing nothing in particular who could be MORE usefully employed. Equally, they might regain some public good-will by cleaning-up their own & others' garbage etc. etc. inside the pk. itself.

-- Looking at the generality of the red shirts' faces, body language and suchlike I was not all that struck by an o'all. sense of HIGH morale & purpose - rather a certain amt. of lethargy, hum-drum resignation & acceptance of whatever the future might hold and bring.
- The leaders' rhetoric might still be being played full-blast on the large screens, but we noticed that many people, instead of listening & watching transfixed by the oratory, prefered to lie-back and indulge in relaxation & rest.

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