Some of you followed my posts from Bangkok in late Nov & early Dec 2008 during the airport closures. Things never cooled off all that much, and really heated up in April. Now they’ve cooled a bit but the prognosis is far from healthy or clear. These articles are worth a look, despite the pro-Thaksin bias of the 2nd and the lack of acknowledgment of how bad Thaksin has been, how fake his democratic credentials,  and how violent his supporters:

http://www.feer.com/politics/2009/april55/After-the-Uprising

http://www.feer.com/politics/2009/april55/thailand-needs-new-elections1

This article is the most balanced of the bunch:

http://www.feer.com/politics/2009/april55/Orange-Revolution

It is important to recognize that the traditional elite has failed to look after the disenfranchised (as all of these articles say) but a mistake to see Thaksinism as a legitimate way of righting that long-standing wrong. There are many democracy activists who sacrificed much for decades who do not buy the money-based electoral shenanigans of Thaksin & his cronies. Bringing back Thaksin would be a huge mistake but it’s also a mistake to disregard those of his supporters who have legitimate grievances.

Sadly, all the main players are driven more by their egos than love of country.