Worrisome development

The situation in Thailand is disturbing: the over two-month long crisis has escalated into armed clashes since last week instead of showing signs of abating.

With the Thai government continuing its crackdown on the anti-government "red shirts", there is fear that the violence may spiral out of control, causing further damage to the country's economy. The crisis has already claimed many lives, mainly as a result of clashes between the army and the protesters. This is a worrisome development.

The chaos is also turning away tourists and foreign investors. According to the country's tourism department, the number of foreign tourists plummeted by 30 percent last month.