Suddenly, books about Nostradamus’s prophecies have become big best sellers. The French astrologer and physician of Jewish descent, Michel de Notredame, or Nostradamus (15031566), was credited with apocalyptic predictions of the rise of Nazi Germany, the Challenger space shuttle explosion and the Aids epidemic.

The 16th century soothsayer was a contemporary of Siam’s warrior queen Suriyothai.

After the terrorist attack on America last Tuesday,

Nostradamus has become even more famous. An email message was widely circulated on the Internet about his prediction of a horrifying event.

“In the year of the new century and nine months, from the sky will come a great King of Terror.

The sky will burn at fortyfive degrees. Fire approaches the great new city.

In the city of York, there will be a great collapse. Two twin brothers torn apart by chaos, while the fortress falls.

The great leader will succumb.

Third big war will begin, where the big city is burning.”

Then more of Nostradamus’ apocalyptic prophecies, this time about a mysterious land known as the Golden Land, have also surfaced.

His writings are naturally full of riddles.

Historians are still trying to locate this Golden Land and to decipher the real meanings behind Nostradamus’ prophecies.

“In the first year of the new millennium, a talkshow man will commit blasphemy. He will become his own enemy.

He who lives by his words will die by his words.

A pigfat bomb will explode over his head before he can send it to the Taleban warlords.

A heartbroken father from Thonburi will grieve over his two dear sons. Never will they return to police uniforms and carry guns.

Like father, like son, they will be dished out. But never ever will they part with their cafe bouts.

The leaders, who caused the first crisis, will be condemned to rule again. They will create a second crisis.

In the Golden Land, money will have no value. A mountain of debt will come due.

The noble will lose their faith. The dharma people will be put to death.

The debtors will be honoured. Rogue people will be harboured.

The farmers will grow rice. But they will harvest black tiger prawns for a higher price.

The rice bowl will be flooded with seawater. From a dark corner, there lies a CP order.

More merchants will fall. The banks will face a big fireball.

In the vast land of the Northeast, a desert will replace a big forest.

There will be flood in the high plateau. In the Valley of Death, bodies will be lying low.

Local tears will drop for the York tragedy. The death in Lom Sak will earn no sympathy.

Everywhere there will be a devil. People cannot differentiate between good and evil.

The youth will not read and will not write. But they want to get to a new height.

Drugs are everywhere. Then nobody dares to care.

From the sky will come a cult leader. He will promise miracles in broad daylight.

The 11 million Golden Landers will make big bets. In return they will get handsets.

By mixing with charlatans, he will lose his vision. His economics will become a religion.

His quick promise will be made in the day and then denied at night. Recovery will be nowhere in sight.

Without governance, the merchants will not invest. In the job market, there will be a big social unrest.

A banker will be stoned for the sin of his magic wand. He will predict eight years of damnation for the Golden Land.

For eight years the White Knight will want to enjoy his sumptuous picnic. But his ruling will be plagued by a sushi epidemic.”

Thanong Khanthong