CHIANG MAI, Thailand, 2 Dec 2008 – It’s a long held truism that in order to win a war, a protagonist must know their enemy as well as, or better than, they know themselves.

Intelligence gathering, and application of the knowledge it yields, has for millennia made the difference between smaller forces winning a battle or campaign, and being overwhelmed and becoming margin notes of history, rather than lauded as heroes.

In the current battle of wills being conducted within Thailand’s capital, between – pro and anti government groups, the government itself, and alleged conflicting loyalties within the military and police forces, one of the key questions of the day remains unanswered – who is bombing the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protest sites and members? And is it the PAD who have begun retaliating in a like manner against pro-government groups?

CHIANG MAI, 13 Nov 2008 – Tourists visiting Thailand should not be put off by news of the latest bombing in the capital, Bangkok.

This latest incident appears to be the result of a commercial dispute regarding new landlords of the capital’s largest market venue, and predictions of increased stall rents that have caused many of the traders to mount a public protest. As such it would seem to be an action between two vested interests with no intent to escalate it to the wider public and visitors.

The explosion occurred at Ratchadamri Road – Rama IV Road Intersection intersection, where vendors of the Klong Toey Market were rallying in protest against new landlords, injuring fifteen of them, two severely, at about 1:00 am Thursday 13th November. The injured were rushed to the Kluay Nam Thai and Chulalongkorn hospitals. The severely injured are Yakob Lohmoh, 51, and Penthiwawan Kaewsuk, 37.

Police quoted a witness as saying a bag was dropped from the flyover over the Ratchadamri-Rama IV Intersection, causing the explosion.