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TO GO WITH Lifestyle-Thailand-society-politics,FEATURE by Amelie Bottollier-Depois This photo taken on July 28, 2011 shows a Thai man (L) taking a motorbike taxi for transport in Bangkok. They zip through the traffic-choked streets of Bangkok, but the capital's motorcycle taxis are more than just a means of transportation -- they are also a potent political force. Officially, there are a little more than 100,000 motorcycle taxis in Bangkok, but Claudio Sopranzetti, researcher in anthropology with Harvard University in the US, believes there could be around 200,000. AFP PHOTO / PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)

TO GO WITH Lifestyle-Thailand-society-politics,FEATURE by Amelie Bottollier-Depois This photo taken on July 28, 2011 shows a Thai man (L) taking a motorbike taxi for transport in Bangkok. They zip through the traffic-choked streets of Bangkok, but the capital's motorcycle taxis are more than just a means of transportation -- they are also a potent political force. Officially, there are a little more than 100,000 motorcycle taxis in Bangkok, but Claudio Sopranzetti, researcher in anthropology with Harvard University in the US, believes there could be around 200,000. AFP PHOTO / PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
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AFP PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL