For throwing 1,000 litres of blood at Government House is an act so bizarre that even Caligula would have pondered the point. And news that the Nursing and Midwifery Council  could punish nurses who aid in the collection of said crimson weaponry, only makes the cloudy issue murkier.

For is it better to enlist trained medical personnel to assist in a barbaric act and have it administered safely? Or refuse to help and have an army of oozing self-mutilators wandering the capital feeling distinctly light-headed?

It is a question that should surely never be asked in a developed country. In these modern times of AIDS and blood shortages you would imagine more people would think for themselves and abstain from such foolhardy action. But the passion of the red shirts in undeniable, and if it did not raise eyebrows there would be no point. Red paint would create fewer column inches and not be the action of a truly incensed mob.

But should this action actually have the desired effect and Abhisit quits his post as PM, heaven forbid what bodily fluids the yellow shirts are going to fling in response..

Thaksin made his fortune through telecommunications and lost his seat after he apparently abused his power in office to enrich himself and his family. A small bomb was set off at the Bangkok Bank in the capital on Friday, perhaps as a protest against the court’s decision, but maybe now that the arguments surrounding Thaksin’s billions have been legally settled, there will finally be a chance to let the deep wounds heal.

And despite losing $14 billion before the weekend, at least Thaksin’s football team, Manchester City, beat Chelsea 4-2 on Saturday. And with a row between players from each team all over the English press, you can only hope another hatchet was buried that day.

According to the Energy Ministry, solar farms to be built on the elevated plateau of Isaan in the northeast of the country, as this flat, rice-growing land receives the majority of Thailand’s sunshine.

Both coastlines and mountainous areas tend to bring with them a higher chance of cloud coverage and Thailand is apparently leading the South-East Asian pack when it comes to the use of solar energy.

Most of the South-East Asian countries have a couple of things in common. The first is that they have very minimal budgets when it comes to promoting green technologies, and the second is that they are blessed with more than their fair share of sunshine.

And while I am certainly not one for breaking age-old traditions and modernising the few authentic parts of Thai life that remain, this one strikes me as a fool proof idea, as sometimes things have to change in order for them to stay the same.

 Another two men were wounded in the troubled area when two men on a motorbike opened fire in the province on Pattani.

 The 45-year-old Muslim man was killed was on his way back from worshipping at the local mosque.

 The man was also riding a motorcycle and this is just the latest in a string of incidents involving militants on motorcycle targeting other drivers.

 A village leader was also targeted on his way home from the market in Pattani recently and a government volunteers was shot dead at a Pattani bird singing competition.

 The Buddhist soldier, mentioned earlier, had shots fired at his car as suspected militants from Yala hid by the roadside.

 More than 4,000 people have now been killed since separatist militants launched their insurgency in Thailand’s southern region in 2004.

Is anything worth so much bloodshed?

Another two men were wounded in the troubled area when two men on a motorbike opened fire in the province on Pattani.

The 45-year-old Muslim man was killed was on his way back from worshipping at the local mosque.

The man was also riding a motorcycle and this is just the latest in a string of incidents involving militants on motorcycle targeting other drivers.

 A village leader was also targeted on his way home from the market in Pattani recently and a government volunteer was shot dead at a Pattani bird singing competition.

The Buddhist soldier, mentioned earlier, had shots fired at his car as suspected militants from Yala hid by the roadside.

More than 4,000 people have now been killed since separatist militants launched their insurgency in Thailand’s southern region in 2004.

Is anything worth so much bloodshed?

While I’m fully aware that it is no laughing matter, the news out of Bangkok this week that 80 school students were taken to hospital after consuming a large amount of cough relief tablets that they thought would make them high, reminded me a little too much of my own misspent youth.

The kids in this case had overdosed in Dextromethorphan, a cough-suppressant, while in the care of Wat Tha Phra School in the Yai district of Bangkok.

Various symptoms ensued, such as headaches and nausea, and despite 12 having their stomachs pumped, all of the children are said to have now recovered fully.

The student who supplied the drugs to his classmates said he purchased them from a games shop near the school, which is perhaps the most worrying part of this story.

Obviously these kids have come a long way since my time at school and it is an alarming incident.

We used to take too many puffs on our friend’s inhalers or try and get drunk in class by eating an obscene about of brandy chocolates.

In both cases, however, the worst thing that happened to us was feeling sick.

The thought of taking an unknown pill would I’m sure be too scary for us at the time, just as I’m sure it is for these children’s parents and teachers.

Various Asian nations, including Thailand, have this week promised to make a special effort to paws for thought and pander to the needs of our stripy friends.

 And no, this doesn’t been more of the likes of the sleepy cats at Chiang Mai’s Tiger Sanctuary, we’re talking real wild animals here.

 By prohibiting the building of bridges, roads and infrastructure that could put their noses out of joint, these nations are hoping to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.

 As one who greatly appreciates the King of the Jungle and all his big cat cousins, this is great news to me, and having never seen a tiger in the wild, perhaps now one day I will.

 What seems rather backwards, however, is that the declaration is not accompanied by any money to help finance the vital conservation efforts that need to go hand-in-hand with a project like this.

 I just hope that this current quest to save our feline friends is more than just a tiger token.

The few television pictures that there are of the latest tragedy are gruesome, and the fear and confusion and the faces of the people of Haiti will certainly be familiar to anyone who was present in the aftermath of the December 26^th disaster.

The Thai government has promised to pledge no less than $20,000 US dollars to the Haiti, which although ever little helps, I’m sure will barely scratch the surface of the vast regeneration that this already poor country now needs.

The gesture does, however, remind many Thais of the great amount of international help that came their way after the Tsumani, both in the form of monetary aid and man-power.

Meanwhile, I am happy to say that four Thai nationals who were working in Haiti when the quake hit on Wednesday have been found safe and well.

They have been in touch with their relatives here, but in true Thai spirit, they will not be returning home yet, opting of course, to return the favour and do all they can to help to help another nation in crisis.

The increase in refugees is expected to exasperate the strain of both Thailand and China, who are also baring the brunt of the exodus. Of more concern, however, is the overcrowding effect this will in turn have on those already living in squalid conditions among mounds of stinky garbage.

While many may say that life on the rubbish dump beats that of back home, I dread to think what 2010 will bring for them. An even larger army of barefoot children to greet the rubbish trucks each week, looking for broken toys and anything that can keep them distracted from the reality of both their new and old surroundings.

The devout Christian settlement, of people originally descending from Vietnam, celebrate the day vehemently. An estimated 50,000 Catholics will parade through the village for the Stars of David festivities with nativity scenes put on in a genuine context rather than a tourist attraction.

Carol singers and line-up of star performers then descend for an evening concert that adds to the unique Christmas atmosphere with stalls and booths in the street-sides and open-air dining. Villagers all decorate their houses with stars to symbolise the reason behind the festival, and these stay up for the entire season.

Home to a Catholic Seminary, where priests are trained and ordained, the village is filled with Vietnamese Diaspora who settling here after a hurried migration west away from troubled times and persecution. St Michael the Archangel Cathedral is the focal point for religious leaders who guide a flock which extends past Sakhon Nakhon to neighbouring Mukdahan, Kalasin and Nakhon Phanom provinces.

Many people will visit Tha Rae to witness the Star of David festivities. Tha Rae, on the northern shore of Nong Han lake, is just off highway 22 and a popular spot for fishing.