Junta Determined to Shut Down Protests

http://bangkokpost.com/news/politics/412517/bids-to-tame-anti-coup-protesters

http://politicalprisonersofthailand.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/human-rights-under-threat/

Thai Curfew Eased Somewhat

Yesterday I flew from Hanoi to Bangkok, cleared immigration very quickly, and bought a seat on the last flight to Chiangmai.

The BCC reported this morning that the army has eased curfew restrictions somewhat from 10pm-5am to midnight-4am.  This is better news for the economy which has been contracting all year because of the political gridlock which led to the coup, and the coup certainly hasn't improved that grim outlook.

Half the TV channels are shut down and replaced by an Orwellian screensaver with the name of the junta, the National Council for Peace and Order (Thai acronym Khor Sor Chor), and its red, blue, yellow, and brown seals.

All active TV channels have the Khor Sor Chor logo stamped on the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Thais are quite used to this sort of thing, but it sure looks awfully "funny" to Westerners.  CNN is still unavailable, but the BBC, for some reason, is allowed to air its reports on "spontaneous" demonstrations.

The opposition PPT website (or at least its "mirrored" version) is apparently unblocked by the authorities.  Maybe that's because the site is in English.  Check out the links below for PPT's newest online reports:

http://politicalprisonersofthailand.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/interview-with-released-political-detainee/

http://politicalprisonersofthailand.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/hrw-thailand-rights-in-free-fall-after-coup/

http://politicalprisonersofthailand.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/national-peace-and-order-maintenance-council-announcement-no-372557/

http://politicalprisonersofthailand.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/prayuths-press-conference/