This morning we woke up with the news that the suicide fact of well known Hollywood movie actor David Carradine is disputed. People close to him say David never called a suicide hotline, did not appear to suffer from depression and never mentioned receiving treatment from depression. Thai police says Carradine was not murdered and most likely died from Asphyxiation, reports WashPost.

Swissotel Nai Lert Park in Thailand, one of the luxury hotels in Bangkok, will now be associated among other things with the sad history of David Carradine.

Sporadic gunfire was heard in several parts of the capital of Thailand Bangkok on Monday, as security forces begin to crackdown on anti-government protesters. Thai security forces fire in the air to push anti-government protesters back from a blockade Monday. The mid-day clash in Bangkok was just one in a series between security forces and protesters.

At least 59 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a New Year's Eve nightclub fire in Bangkok, as the rest of Asia welcomed 2009 with subdued celebrations.

Following on from Tuesday night's invasion of Bangkok's new international airport, Suvarnabhumi, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has now taken over the Thai capital's old Don Mueang International Airport, forcing the Thai authorities to shut it down.

Thailand's governing coalition in parliament has chosen former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej as the country's new prime minister. Mr. Sundaravej is a close ally of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Bangkok.

Last year's coup which ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra some 45 million Thais are eligible to cast their ballots as polls opened at 8 a.m. (0100 GMT), today on Sunday, 23 December 2007, with unofficial results expected by midnight,few expect the country's third election in two years will solve the country's problems.

Scientists and other experts from 120 countries are meeting in Thailand this week to discuss ways to respond to climate change. The same group warned earlier this year that global warming poses a major threat to mankind. Ron Corben reports from Bangkok.

Scotiabank announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire 24.99 per cent of Thanachart Bank, Thailand's eighth-largest bank and leading automobile lender, for Bht7.1 billion (approximately Cdn$240 million). Scotiabank will purchase 157,130,216 shares from Thanachart Capital and 276,263,200 new shares issued by Thanachart Bank at Bht16.37 per share.