The political situation in Thailand continues to deteriorate. After forcing the resignation of one prime minister, the opposition has stepped up its fight to unseat the government in Bangkok and take power. This has resulted in the worst violence in nearly two decades, which has left at least one person dead and hundreds injured.
It appears as if the opposition has set out to destabilize the country and force yet another coup. It is a sad commentary on Thailand's opposition, which calls itself the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), but appears to have no respect for democracy or the rule of law.
Bangkok began its descent into chaos in May when PAD launched daily protests against then Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. The opposition party argued that Mr. Samak was a puppet of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had been deposed two years earlier by a military coup following allegations that he, his family and close colleagues were corrupt. In addition, he was accused of lese-majeste. Those protests escalated in late August when demonstrators broke into the grounds of Government House and set up camp, effectively paralyzing the government.