[Merv and Sharon]

Thailand is becoming a problem since their political troubles.

Bali and Indonesia - well, I have been working their for more than 30 years and most recently in (indonesian) West Papua. I have never had a problem in all that time. The establishment of a national crime and corruption commission has made big changes. The old way was if you wanted to a new law you could try to slip each provincial parliamentarian an amount of money and you usually had your law. Police could be bribed and so on. Recently, a whole government of over 300 elected members in one province was arrested and jailed in a 'sting' operation.

Things are pretty tight there now and, aside from some extremists around the place, I am heading back next month.

Merv