The Bangkok Post reports almost a million voters turned out across the country yesterday to cast advance votes for the general election, defying earlier speculation of public apathy towards the long-awaited polls marking a symbolic return to democracy following the military coup in Sept 19 last year which toppled then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his elected government.

Analysts have said that yesterday’s high turnout can be seen as representative of the mood around the country towards the election and that it shows that the general public is anxious to get the country back on the democratic track.

A total of 893,659 people turned out for the first of two days of advance voting yesterday – 43% of the 2.09 million people who registered to cast advance ballots outside the constituencies where they have house registrations. Advance voting ends at 5pm today.

A total of 415,803 people from other provinces who registered for advance voting cast their ballots in Bangkok yesterday. Another 94,536 voters registered in the capital also took the opportunity to get in their votes early.

The government is hoping for at least a 70% overall voter turnout.

Meanwhile, to maintain law and order, sales or serving of alcoholic drinks was prohibited throughout Thailand until midnight (1700 GMT) Sunday. Violators face a maximum fine of 10,000 baht or six years imprisonment.

This is what we have all been waiting for – and this will hopefully get Thailand back on track, and will hoepfully be good for the Thai property market. Thailand Property News will keep you posted with the results. For the full report,see:

http://www.bangkokpost.net/topstories/topstories.php?id=124448

The temperature is dropping, the sky is clear and local jazz fans are as excited as they always are at this time of year. It’s time once again to luxuriate in warm and soothing jazz tunes while sprawling on a soft green lawn underneath the moonlit sky.

A spiritual treat that people have come to yearn for after a long year of hard work, the 5th Bangkok Jazz Festival, which kicks off next weekend, guarantees to indulge the audiences’s soul with three evenings of world-class acts like Shakatak, Matt Bianco, Laura Fygi, Kitaro and Blood Sweat & Tears.

This year, the jazzy affair that expects to draw more than 15,000 music-lovers each night will be held from December 8-10 on the lawn of Ror Nueng Phan Nueng Ror Or, a 32,000-square-metre military field on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road; the venue having changed from its usual home of Sanam Sua Pa royal park.

The 5th Bangkok Jazz Festival runs on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, December 8, 9 and 10. A one-day ticket costs 1,200 baht while a three-day pass is priced at 3,000 baht. Tickets are available at Thaiticketmajor (tel 02-262-3456). For more information, please call 02-203-1240.

Thai Property News is looking forward to this summers’ film festival.  Not to be mistaken for the Bangkok Film Festival, the Bangkok International Film Festival was first organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in 1998, and is now an established world player on the cinematic festival scene.

In the Official Competition there is one film every night, while the festival is topped and tailed with premières on the opening and closing nights. Prizes – the Golden Kinnaree Awards – are given for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematographer and Best Screenwriter, and there is a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The festival takes place in a number of cinemas in close proximity: both the EGV Grand and Metropolis, the Major Cinemplex in the World Trade Center Tower, three screens at the Apex (Lido 2, Scala and Siam) and SF Cinema City in the Mah Boonkrong Center.

The full programme is available on the Bangkok International Film Festival Website

In May, Thai TV Channel 5 (Thai Army Channel) reported at least seven, 30cms long, cucumber shaped alien objects with the consistency of jellyfish had been found within the city borders of Bangkok. Scientists hired by the Thai government are still not able to establish the origin of the objects or to classify the organic looking material.  

Meanwhile,  about ten villagers from Huay Nam Rak in Mae Jan district’s Tambon Janjawa reported seeing ET in a rice field outside their village.  The ‘extraterrestrial’ was said to have a small body, a large head and didn’t leave any footprints.   Sawaeng Boonyalak, 35, who was among those who rushed to see it, said: “The alien was about 70 cm high and has light yellow skin and a flat chest. Its mouth is very tiny. It had a bald big head with big eyes and big ears.”

Sawaeng said the alien wandered around in the field for about an hour  before floating  into a “bright light.”  Villagers did not find any foot prints of the being in the area.  

Officials have denied any connection with the extradition warrant for Mr T….