The news of the hour is that a State of Emergency has been declared “in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and some districts of Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya”. Surat Thani’s favourite son, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, now has even more authority to attempt to deal with the Red protests. It is still very early and, no doubt, the situation will evolve over the course of the evening and into tomorrow. As we have seen in the past, a State of Emergency could mean many things…

To help clarify matters, reports from readers on-the-ground are, as ever, very welcome. Please feel free to post your information, anecdotes and helpful links in the usual way.

Update: If you are inclined to digest a range of off-the-cuff commentary on the State of Emergency then here are two strong options. Firstly, Thai Visa already hosts an enormous thread just a couple of hours after the announcement. In general, it provides a certain perspective on events and their implications, with many of the Thai Visa regulars voicing their strong approval of a forceful government response. Secondly, over at Pantip there is even more discussion of the unfolding events; among its many threads this is one place to start.