The victims of the tsunami disaster may now find themselves victims of politics

VENUS'S VISION: Pornthip serves Thailand exactly as needed

If forensic pathologist Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand chose to enter politics in the upcoming general election, she could expect a comfortable win in any constituency in this country. Pornthip has always been ranked at the top of opinion polls as one of Thailand's most popular persons. Recently her popularity has skyrocketed, thanks to her devotion to the gruesome task of trying to identify the decomposing bodies of tsunami victims in the South. Rumours had it that she was at one point a would-be candidate to represent Thai Rak Thai in the Bangkok governor election last year.

An insider's account of work in the morgue at Wat Yanyao

The dry-ice blocks spill their white vapour day and night. In the beginning, the blocks were arranged haphazardly. Some were even laid directly on top of the bodies until someone realised that they could damage the corpses and that tattoos were fading away, and they were placed between the bodies.