Photo of the Day: Dowsing with the Fourth Army

For those following the GT 200 scandal and the military's continued use of the million-baht-coat-hanger, this photo might be amusing.

It is an actual dowsing rod from the Sufficiency Village training center across the road from the Sirindhorn base in Yala province and was being used to show local villagers how to find water. I guess they might as well have been looking for explosives.

Gen Pichet Wisaijorn is observing. November 2009.

Photo of the Day: Orwellian Thailand

*All Images Copyright* (this means that newspapers like the Seoul Times should not be stealing my photos!)

Photos from this evening's national anthem ceremony at the National Stadium.

The whole ceremony was Orwellian in the sense that it felt like "an attitude and a policy of control by propaganda, surveillance, misinformation, denial of truth, and manipulation of the past...[which is] practiced by modern repressive governments." (thanks wiki!)

Photo of the Day: General Pichet Wisaijorn

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In a Blackhawk helicopter with LT General Pichet Wisaijorn, ISOC Area 4 Commander, over Narathiwat province. November 12, 2009.

Also, the following FCCT announcement is particularly relevant:

Strategies for Combating the Southern Insurgency

An Evening with Lt Gen Pichet Wisaijorn, 4th Army Regional Commander

8pm Weds, November 18th, 2009

(Please see pricing and reservation procedure below)

The seemingly intractable insurgency in the Thailand's southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat is in its sixth year with a death toll of more than 3,500. Separatist violence against civilians, security forces and government officials continues to make the news on a daily basis.

As chief of the Royal Thai Army in the deep South for the past one year, Lt Gen Pichet Wisaijorn commands respect for his dedication to stop the violence once and for all. He focuses not only on military methods but also on development issues, including agricultural and environmental strategies, to improve for Southern residents who are among the country's poorest.

Lt Gen Pichet started his military career in Isaan and maintains a special position in the Queen's Guards [Special Force Military for Queen Sirikit]. He also commanded Thai troops in East Timor in 2000.

Please join us for what will no be fascinating insights into the country's counter insurgency tactics and a discussion of the challenges ahead for Thai government in the restive South.

Photo of the day: Ramadan at the Pattani Central Mosque

* All images copyright *

Ramadan and the Central Mosque in Pattani City. August 26, 2009