In a large study in Thailand, an experimental vaccine protected about a third of those who received it against the AIDS virus. Jessica Justman of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health discusses prospects for the future. If an AIDS vaccine were available, would you take it? Tell us what you think.

A Worldfocus contributing blogger based in Bangkok describes her encounter with Karen refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border. In the wake of Myanmar army attacks on ethnic Karen rebels, thousands of Karen refugees have fled to Thailand and some half a million others are displaced within Myanmar.

In Malaysia, some immigration officials have been accused of involvement in selling refugees from Myanmar, also known as Burma, to gangs in Thailand.

Thailand's Skytrain opened in 1999, in an effort to relieve the country's crowded roads and frequent traffic jams. A Worldfocus contributing blogger writes that despite continued economic and political troubles, Thailand has worked to improve infrastructure and its mass transit system sets an example for neighboring Asian countries.

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is in a state of chaos after a major escalation of political violence and the cancellation of an Asian summit meeting over the weekend because of protests. Fighting took place across the city as thousands of troops fired warning shots and tear gas at anti-government protesters.