Graphic photo set from two nights ago. n People Dead is just a headline until it’s there in front of you. Khao San Road is barricaded. These two twitter feeds are key: newley, Journotopia MORE: Tourists party on Khao San Rd near shrines for Bangkok protest dead

The Big Picture covers the red shirts clashing with police and military. This is the unrest I referred to when we visited the US embassy two weeks ago. And yes, the consulate was again chosen as a protest site after we left, so… Baby luck was on our side. UPDATE: Some people have asked me if the reds are paid to gather. Yes, we know of people from around here who went to Bangkok to make money demonstrating both this time and the last time when the yellow shirts overran the airport. (thx Mark)

We spent this morning getting Max and Mina’s Thai passports. The only reason this is remarkable is that the passport office, located at city hall in Khon Kaen was the most clean and efficient government office I have seen in a long time. There was ample staff, and they were friendly and helpful. The offices were well-equipped and modern, and they completely obliterate the usual Thai bureaucratic need for duplicate signed copies and other such nonsense – it’s a totally paper-free operation (well, except for the end product, of course)! The passports take about a week to get to you by mail and cost a thousand baht ($30 US).