It's 2009 in Thailand

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AFP
The "red shirts" who support Thaksin Shinawatra and the opposition Puea Thai called for bigger crowds and predicted a peaceful rally by 30,000 people at parliament on Monday. The public has been advised to avoid the area.
The main Thai celebration was in Bangkok at the CentralWorld complex, where thousands gathered to watch a New York-style ball fall to the new year at Countdown 2009.A record crowd of up to 1.5 million Australians and tourists watched a massive fireworks display alongside Sydney's world-famous Opera House Thursday, four hours before the Thai New Year celebrations.In Bangkok, across Thailand and nearby countries, the difficulties of the past year were forgotten as the party mood took hold, giving hope for the new year.More than 250,000 people crowded Singapore's waterfront Marina Bay area for a fireworks show, while authorities in the Philippines braced for traditional New Year's Eve festivities, often marked by setting off gunfire and firecrackers.Manila hospitals were on alert for injuries while the police and military were being warned against firing their guns into the air.A few hours before the clock hit midnight in Thailand, His Majesty the King delivered a New Year's wish to Thai people, asking them to think and act for the good of the country and be conscious of their actions.The King wished the public happiness and prosperity. In order to lead a happy and prosperous life, he said people must not be imprudent but be fully aware and cautious of their actions and consequences.He wished that Thai people will enjoy good health, happiness and success in an atmosphere free from troubles in 2009.However, as a sometimes gloomy 2008 gave way to 2009, not all New Year celebrations were spectacular.India was set for a subdued New Year's Eve, with the country still coming to terms with the trauma of November's Mumbai terror attacks that left 172 people dead.Tight security was planned in the vast city, with police keeping an especially close watch on the traditional boat parties along Mumbai's famed waterfront.Some Muslim countries did not officially celebrate the New Year because it fell on the second day of the mourning month of Muharram, which marks the death of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson in the seventh century.