Mai Krap

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009...25/1245aaa62d65

WHO calls emergency meeting on flu outbreak

25 April 2009

The World Health Organisation is convening an emergency committee to advise on whether a new strain of influenza in Mexico and the United States constitutes an international public health threat.

Sixty people have died in Mexico and hundreds of others have fallen ill, mostly in and around the capital, Mexico City.

The flu is believed to have mutated from pigs and then been transmitted to humans.

People in California and Texas have contracted the virus, but no-one in the United States has died from it so far. The White House says it is monitoring the situation closely.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl says that 12 of 18 samples taken from victims in Mexico showed the virus had a genetic structure identical to that of a swine flu virus found in California.

However the said more epidemiological information is needed before any change to the organisation's pandemic alert level, currently at 3 on a scale of 1 to 6.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...0dzkNynGPxEVeGw

Obama fully briefed on swine flu: aide

WASHINGTON (AFP) — President Barack Obama is being fully briefed on an outbreak of deadly swine flu blamed for scores of deaths in Mexico and seven infections in Texas, an aide said Friday.

"The White House is taking the situation seriously and monitoring for any new developments. The president has been fully briefed," said Reid Cherlin, a White House spokesman.

The World Health Organization in Geneva said 60 people had died from suspected swine flu in Mexico, and Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said officials were probing 45 deaths and 943 possible infections.

The virus mutated from pigs and was transmitted to some humans, raising fears it could evolve into a pandemic type virus.

US medical authorities earlier expressed strong concern as seven known cases were reported in the southern United States, and underlined that the virus included strains from different types of flu.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...zMM_EQD97P008G2

Mexico flu deaths raise worries of global epidemic

By MARK STEVENSON – 12 minutes ago

MEXICO CITY (AP) — At least 16 people — and possibly dozens more — have died from a swine flu virus in Mexico, and world health officials worry it could unleash a global flu epidemic. Mexico City closed schools across the metropolis Friday in hopes of containing the outbreak, and tougher measures were being considered.

Scientists were trying to determine if the deaths involved the same new strain of swine flu that sickened seven people in Texas and California — a disturbing disease that combines pig, bird and human viruses in a way that researchers have not seen before.

The World Health Organization counted at least 57 deaths in Mexico, but said it wasn't yet clear what flu they died from.

"We are very, very concerned," WHO spokesman Thomas Abraham said. "We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human."

WHO raised its internal alert system Friday, enabling the agency to divert more money and personnel to dealing with the outbreak. "It's all hands on deck at the moment." Abraham said.

President Felipe Calderon cancelled a trip and met with his Cabinet to coordinate Mexico's response. The government has 500,000 flu vaccines and planned to administer them to health workers, the highest risk group.

There are no vaccines available for the general public in Mexico, and authorities urged people to avoid hospitals unless they had a medical emergency, since hospitals are centers of infection. They also said Mexicans should refrain from customary greetings such as shaking hands or kissing cheeks.

But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans need not avoid traveling to Mexico, as long as they take the usual precautions, such as frequent handwashing.

Mexico's Health Secretary, Jose Cordova, said only 16 of the deaths have been confirmed as the new swine flu strain, and that government laboratories were testing samples from 44 other people who died. At least 943 nationwide were sick from the suspected flu, the health department said.

Cordova said samples also were sent to the CDC to look for matches with the virus that infected seven people in Texas and California.

Cordova called it a "new, different strain ... that originally came from pigs."

Epidemiologists are particularly concerned because the only people killed so far were normally less-vulnerable young people and adults. It's possible that more vulnerable populations — infants and the aged — had been vaccinated against other strains, and that those vaccines may be providing some protection.

"We certainly have 60 deaths that we can't be sure are from the same virus, but it is probable," Cordova told MVS radio in Mexico City.

Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC said "at this point, we do not have any confirmations of swine influenza in Mexico" of the kind that sickened seven California and Texas residents. All seven recovered from symptoms that were like those of the regular flu, mostly involving fever, cough and sore throat, though some of the seven also experienced vomiting and diarrhea.

Scientists have long been concerned that a new flu virus could launch a pandemic, a worldwide spread of a killer disease. A new virus could evolve when different flu viruses infect a pig, a person or a bird, mingling their genetic material. The resulting hybrid could spread quickly because people would have no natural defenses against it.

The most notorious flu pandemic is thought to have killed at least 40 million people worldwide in 1918-19. Two other, less deadly flu pandemics struck in 1957 and 1968.

Nobody can predict when pandemics will happen. Scientists had been concerned about swine flu in 1976, for example, and some 40 million Americans were vaccinated. No flu pandemic ever appeared, but thousands of vaccinated people filed claims saying they'd suffered a paralyzing condition andother side effects from the shots.

In recent years, scientists have been particularly concerned about birds. There have been deaths from bird flu, mostly in Asia, but the virus has so far been unable to spread from person to person easily enough to touch off a pandemic.

Closing the schools across the metropolis of 20 million kept 6.1 million students home from day care centers through high schools, and thousands more were affected as colleges and universities closed down. Parents scrambled to juggle work and family concerns due to what local media said was the first citywide schools closure since Mexico City's devastating 1985 earthquake.

Authorities also advised capital residents not to go to work if they felt ill, and to wear surgical masks if they had to move through crowds. A wider shutdown — perhaps including shutting down government offices — was being considered.

"It is very likely that classes will be suspended for several days," Cordova said. "We will have to evaluate, and let's hope this doesn't happen, the need to restrict activity at workplaces."

Mexico's initial response in its overcrowded capital brought to mind other major outbreaks — such as when SARS hit Asia. At its peak in 2003, Beijing was the hardest-hit city in the world. Schools, cinemas and restaurants were shuttered to prevent the spread the deadly respiratory virus, and thousands of people were quarantined at home.

In March 2008, Hong Kong ordered more than a half million young students to stay home for two weeks because of a flu outbreak. It was the first such closure in Hong Kong since the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Lillian Molina and other teachers at the Montessori's World preschool scrubbed down their empty classrooms with Clorox, soap and Lysol on Friday between fielding calls from worried parents. While the school has had no known cases among its students, Molina supported the government's decision to shutter classes, especially in preschools.

"It's great they are taking precautions," she said. "I think it's a really good idea."

Still, U.S. health officials said it's not yet a reason for alarm in the United States. The five in California and two in Texas have all recovered, and testing indicates some common antiviral medications seem to work against the virus.

Schuchat of the CDC said officials believe the new strain can spread human-to-human, which is unusual for a swine flu virus. The CDC is checking people who have been in contact with the seven confirmed U.S. cases, who all became ill between late March and mid-April.

The U.S. cases are a growing medical mystery because it's unclear how they caught the virus. The CDC said none of the seven people were in contact with pigs, which is how people usually catch swine flu. And only a few were in contact with each other.

CDC officials described the virus as having a unique combination of gene segments not seen in people or pigs before. The bug contains human virus, avian virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

Health officials have seen mixes of bird, pig and human virus before, but never such an intercontinental combination with more than one pig virus in the mix.

Scientists keep a close eye on flu viruses that emerge from pigs. The animals are considered particularly susceptible to both avian and human viruses and a likely place where the kind of genetic reassortment can take place that might lead to a new form of pandemic flu, said Dr. John Treanor, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The virus may be something completely new, or it may have been around for a while but was only detected now because of improved lab testing and disease surveillance, CDC officials said.

The virus was first detected in two children in southern California — a 10-year-old boy in San Diego County and a 9-year-old girl in neighboring Imperial County.

It's not known if the seasonal flu vaccine Americans got this winter protects against this type of virus. People should wash their hands and take other customary precautions, CDC officials said.

Associated Press Writers Maria Cheng in London, Traci Carl in Mexico City and Mike Stobbe in Atlanta, Georgia, contributed to this report.

I got hit at Siam Commercial Bank yesterday, 150 TB extra for a 10,000 TB withdrawal. I think they were going to charge a extra 20 Baht for a receipt.

This really sucks as we were getting screwed by the exchange rate, Visa, and now this, What a load of horse manure.

No worries on the writing, It was not intended as a insult to red shirts. What I saw that day, what I have seen before, and what I worry about is rioting, not peaceful protests. Things seem pretty quiet on the surface but I suspect Isarn at the moment is similar to a big river, beware the undertow. The fight is far from over but I hope there is no more gun play, probably just wishful thinking on my part.

For the record I was in Nong Khai when Taxin was ousted, There were armed security people out in places, one guy with a Uzzi comes to mind as I happened upon him quite accidentally. I was also there 2 years ago when a huge crowd of very intimidating red shirted people alongside trucks with loud speakers marched through the center of town, not the thing you like to see when you drop by to see a friend and get caught up in a protest march.

My purpose for writing here is not commentary on politics. Its a strong desire to not ever end up in the middle of any Thai protest right or wrong. I figure since nobody has asked me what I thought or offered to register me as a Thai National so I can vote, I will happily sit this one out.

How many more people will be killed in alcohol fueled idiotic accidents because they have extended this holiday?

Earlier there was live feed of burning tires and hundreds of Police at the city gates of Khon Kaen in front of the new Central Plaza which is under construction. There are rumors that Mitrapop road has been blocked and I received a phone call earlier from Nong Khai saying the friendship bridge into Laos was closed till further notice. I'm trying to find out what the situation is in case things get worse as some are predicting. There is not much if any news available in English so any information that can be confirmed is great, first hand accounts are better.

No politics needed by the way, I only want to know the facts about what is going on. Most of us have already made up our minds about who we like or not, not that any Thai cares what a Farang thinks anyway.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewi...ticleid/3145671

iStockAnalyst Breaking News

PHNOM PENH, Mar. 25, 2009 (Kyodo News International) --

(Editors: UPDATING)

As many as 100 fully armed Thai soldiers have entered Cambodian territory near a disputed border temple, a spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers said Wednesday.

Phay Siphan told Kyodo News the Thai troops crossed into Cambodia at 1:45 p.m. at a site known as Eagle Field where the Cambodian and Thai militaries had a tense confrontation last year.

Eagle Field is located about 2 kilometers west of Preah Vihear Temple.

Initial reports said the Thai troops plan to reoccupy the area, but the Cambodian side is trying to convince the Thai troops to return to their previous position about 800 meters away.

However, Thai army sources in Bangkok rejected Cambodia's accusation.

In late February, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met with his Thai counterpart on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Thailand, during which the two leaders reaffirmed their intent to solve the seven-month-old border dispute but set no deadline.

The area near the temple was the scene of a tense standoff between Cambodian and Thai armed forces that left several dead on both sides. The situation has since eased but the military presence remains.

The Cambodian government insists that Thai troops have deployed on Cambodian soil, while Thailand says its troops are only in a disputed zone.

Since the border issue erupted last year, many rounds of talks at different levels including defense and foreign ministerial levels have been held but a concrete agreement or solution has proved elusive.

(Source: iStockAnalyst )

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/...nt_11071868.htm

Cambodian spokesman: At least 80 Thai troops with arms enter border area of Cambodia

www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-25 18:08:04

PHNOM PENH, March 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 80 Thai troops entered the Cambodian territory near the 110-year-old Preah Viheartemple, spokesman of the Council of Ministers said here on Wednesday.

They arrived in our land about 01:40 p.m. (0640 GMT), with weapons in their hands, Phay Siphan told Xinhua by phone.

"Our army commanders have been discussing with them to ask them to go back to their own lands," said the spokesman, who is also secretary of state at the Council of Ministers.

There was no fighting so far, but both sides were on alert, he said.

The area they entered was called Veal Intry, about 900 meters to the northwest of the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, he added.

Thai soldiers once trespassed this area in July 2008 and exchanged fire with the Cambodian troops, causing death and casualty on both sides.

Rounds of senior-level talks have been conducted since then to seek peaceful solution for the long-standing border issue, but resulted in no major achievements.

Editor: Xiong Tong

At first I though this was a joke, now I see the story breaking on the AP. This could literally blow up in Thailand's face.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectas...03/s2520600.htm

Thai government mulls Sharia law proposal

Updated March 19, 2009 12:39:07

The Thai government is considering the introduction of Sharia law in parts of the Muslim dominated South - according to an internal government review obtained by Radio Australia.

The final review is due next month and canvasses policy options for the largely Muslim border provinces, where an insurgency has claimed over 3500 since 2004. Options before the government include greater autonomy for local communities and a reduction of the military's influence.

Present: Ron Corben

Speakers: Panitan Wattanayagorn, Government spokesman; Kraisak Choonhavan, member of the governing Democrat Party; Angkhana Neelapaichit, wife of the missing Muslim lawyer, Somchai Neelapaichit

* Listen:

* Windows Media

*http://www.abc.net.au/ra/connectasia/stories/m1718009.asx

CORBEN: The internal review on the Southern Provinces is part of the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's efforts to end the violence and insurgency in the largely Muslim provinces. The review says a pure military solution to the insurgency will fail and calls for more attention to Muslim cultural influence, more regional autonomy including a specially elected chamber to oversee local government.

It also calls for partial application of Islamic Sharia laws through Islamic courts and for administrative organizations to be based on Muslim community leadership. Final details of the plans are expected in April.

Thai Government spokesman, Panitan Wattanayagorn, says the plans are part of a more coordinated approach to the Southern border regions.

PANITAN: The National Economic and Social Development Board is now completing a master plan; for the first time integrating all aspects of economic and social development programmes together. They work on the ground, with the military also - the ISOC - the Internal Security Command Centre - to get information from more than 200 villages. And they are integrating that approach - of military, civilian and non-government organization - NGO - together with a single master plan. After that a civilian organization could be up and running to implement this. Until then, the Cabinet ministers in the southern council will have to overlook that first.

CORBEN: Some reports suggest the introduction of Sharia Law and a strengthening of local institutions.

PANITAN: They are in consideration already in the proposals. There are at least two different proposals - legislative proposals - proposed by the members of parliament (MPs). We don't know what will be adopted by the parliament yet - but yes - these are the considerations.

CORBEN: Thailand's southern provinces have been gripped by increasing insurgent attacks since early 2004. The review paper in part blames the rise in violence over the past five years on the Government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose administration dismantled special combined civilian, police and military units in 2002, leaving local security in the hands of the police. The military is now in full control of the South with the stationing of up to 40,000 troops through emergency decrees.

But the daily violence goes on. One of the latest victims is a nine year old Muslim boy, now in a coma and paralysed after being caught in cross fire during a clash between an army unit and insurgents.

Kraisak Choonhavan, a member of the governing Democrat Party, who also calls for the military to end human rights abuses and killings in the South, remains cautious over the policy plans.

KRAISAK: The government has a plan - it calls itself the Southern Cabinet in which in theory the military will be part of a civilian rule in the South and that eventually the emergency law would be lifted. But considering the pace of this implementation is just frustrating for me to wait for them to come to the decision.

CORBEN: Angkhana Neelapaichit, wife of the missing Muslim lawyer, Somchai Neelapaichit, chairs a group which monitors human rights abuses in Southern Thailand. She says as a priority the people are seeking justice.

ANGKHANA: I don't that autonomy could solve the problem or not. What I have found is the people are under educated. I don't know that if they have autonomy and they have direct representative are Malau but if the local people are still under educated I don't know if they could access to justice, they could access to political, or the economic themselves or not. Many of the elite people are talking about autonomy. But the local people are not used to talking about that.

CORBEN: How do you see the way forward? Do you see this government being able to wrest some of the power from the military in the South?

ANGKHANA: I don't know if the government could do it or not because I think the government - Khun Abhisit (and) Democrat Party (sic) - became government with the support of the military. So I don't know for sure that they could change the Southern problem without the military or not.

CORBEN: What do they want? What do the local people want?

ANGKHANA: First priority; they want justice. They want to live peacefully. If you saw the local people - I think they are very poor. They want to have a good job; they want to send their children to go to school, to have a good education, good job. But I think they couldn't.

http://www.jakartanews.net/story/479405

Thai government works on Muslim problem in the south

Jakarta News.Net

Wednesday 18th March, 2009

The Thai government is considering granting greater local autonomy in its Southernmost states to give local Muslims more say.

A policy review of the largely Muslim southern provinces has suggested the introduction of Sharia Law through Islamic courts, amongst other concessions.

Southern state policy makers, acting with the Thai government, have completed a master plan for development of the region.

The new proposals will be part of a coordinated approach to the Southern border regions, for which the Thai prime minister is known to favour setting up a special office headed by a minister in charge of affairs in the Southern provinces.

The strategy is part of an effort to bring to an end a five-year insurgency that began when former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, disbanded joint military, police and civilian commands, leaving the south open for insurgents.

The resultant conflict cost more than 3,000 lives.

While Thailand's 63 million population is overwhelmingly Buddhist, there are more than six million Muslims, largely living in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia.

People in the region consider themselves Pattani Malays rather than Thai.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-18-voa36.cfm

Thailand Explores Greater Autonomy for Largely Muslim Provinces

By Ron Corben

Bangkok

18 March 2009

A Thai government policy review of the largely Muslim southern provinces is considering granting greater local autonomy with reforms including introduction of Sharia Law through Islamic courts. The strategy is part of efforts to bring to an end a five-year insurgency that has cost more than 3,000 lives.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Foreign Press Club in Bangkok, 14 Jan 2009

The policy review began soon after the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to office in December. Speaking to foreign correspondents earlier this year, Mr. Abhsit set out the government's policy goals. "The only long-term solution must be done through a comprehensive package that covers well beyond the security dimensions, but also addresses the issues such as economic development as well as addressing education and cultural diversity in the provinces," he said.

'Total development concept'

The government plan includes setting up a special office headed by a minister in charge of affairs in the Southern provinces. An interim committee of ministers has examined what the government calls a 'total development concept' directed to the three provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala. The region is among the poorest in Thailand, heavily reliant on agriculture, especially rubber, as well as mining.

While Thailand's 63 million population is overwhelmingly Buddhist, there are more than six million Muslims, largely living in these provinces bordering Malaysia. A Thai government review paper, an English translated copy of which was obtained by VOA, says people in the region consider themselves Pattani Malays rather than Thai. The review paper calls on government to adopt a strategy that is largely peaceful and suggests a military solution will fail to win local community support, even if it succeeds in imposing control. Insurgencies in the 1970s and 1980s came to an end through a process of military action, negotiation and amnesty.

Thai police officers and soldiers examine the wreckage of cars that was exploded after insurgents detonated a bomb hidden inside in Narathiwat province, southern Thailand, 04 Nov 2008

The paper says policy changes in 2002 under the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, with the disbanding of joint military, police and civilian commands, had led the way open for the insurgency to resurface. The first major attack occurred in January 2004 on an army depot. Since then the violence has escalated. Thai government spokesman, Panitan Wattanyagorn, says the new proposals are part of a coordinated approach to the Southern border regions.

A state economic think tank, the National Economic and Social Development Board - or NESDB - has completed a master plan for development. "For the first time - integrating all aspects of economic and social development programs together; they work on the ground, with the military also - the ISOC - the Internal Security Operations Command Center - to get information from more than 200 villages," said Panitan. "And they are integrating that approach - of military, civilian and non-government organization, NGO - together with a single master plan."

'Southern cabinet' policy

Policy review options include a specially elected local chamber of government, the partial application of Islamic Sharia Law through Islamic Courts and local administrative organizations based on Muslim community leadership. It also calls for security forces and government officials to be selected from the local Southern community or have language, cultural and knowledge of local customs and traditions before being posted.

Panitan says the empowerment of local communities and application of Sharia law is an option under consideration. "They are in consideration already in the proposals," he said. "There are at least two different proposals - legislative proposals - proposed by the members of parliament [MPs]. We do not know what will be adopted by the parliament yet but yes - these are the considerations."

Angkhana Neelapaichit and Kraisak Choonhavan at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT)

A member of the governing Democrat Party, Kraisak Choonhavan, has been an outspoken critic over the militarization of the Southern Provinces where up to 40,000 troops have been stationed to curb the violence. "The government has a plan - it calls itself the Southern Cabinet in which in theory the military will be part of a civilian rule in the South and that eventually the emergency law would be lifted," he said. "But considering the pace of this implementation is just frustrating for me to wait for them to come to the decision."

Escalating violence

Violence has escalated during the five years. More brutal attacks by the insurgents; drive by killings, beheadings of victims to spread fear through local communities, the torching of schools, killing of teachers, state officials and Buddhist monks, as well as Muslims. The response by the military has often led to accusations of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and heavy handed security crackdowns into villages. Kraisak says the government must take action to end state-backed violence. "I have evidence, pictures, witnesses you name it of all the perpetrators - hundreds of perpetrators - and they all belong to the state security," he said. "How does one go about bringing justice as we understand it?"

Justice for all

Angkhana Neelapaichit, chairs a group that monitors human rights abuses in Southern Thailand. She says rather than autonomy as a priority the people of the southern provinces are seeking justice. "First priority; they want justice," said Angkhana. "They want to live peacefully. If you saw the local people, I think they are very poor. They want to have a good job; they want to send their children to go to school, to have a good education, good job. But I think they could not. "The Thai Cabinet this week endorsed a plan to streamline the judicial processes in Southern Thailand concerning the legal treatment of suspected insurgents. The overnment says the changes are designed to ensure fairness and boost confidence in the justice system and a further step towards ending the five-year cycle of violence.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinio...global-meltdown

Battling global meltdown

Asia scrambles to fight recession

By Noel Adlai O. Velasco

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 04:53:00 03/01/2009

Filed Under: World Financial Crisis

BANGKOK, Thailand—Barely eight months ago, Asian governments were too preoccupied with curbing double-digit inflation, as oil and commodity prices surged to levels not seen in decades.

Central banks across Asia had to implement a series of interest-rate increases to rein in inflation.

Now, Asia’s economies are fighting a different kind of battle: recession.

In an effort to stimulate their economies, Asian central banks have been cutting key interest rates, with some rates already reaching zero levels, a sharp reversal from the tight monetary policies they adopted just months ago.

With exports plunging and millions of workers losing their jobs, governments across Asia and around the world are rushing to come up with economic stimulus packages to shore up their faltering economies, stimulate growth and avoid slipping into recession.

The effects of the global financial crisis, which intensified last September with the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers, have spilled into the real economies of Asia, most of which project lower growth rates this year.

Weak exports have already pushed Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore into recession. Other Asian countries like Taiwan and South Korea are teetering on the brink of recession.

Experts warn that the current global financial turmoil may take a bigger toll on emerging Asia than the 1997-1998 regional crisis, despite its enhanced financial muscle.

Economic growth in Asia has been severely affected by the global collapse in demand for goods.

Asian exports plunged at double-digit rates in January as a result of weaker European and American consumer spending. Exports account for about 32 percent of Asia’s GDP, according to the World Bank.

The sharp drop underscores the vulnerability of Asia’s export-driven economies during global downturns and points to more cuts in jobs, production and profits in the coming months.

To counter the global slowdown, the International Monetary Fund has urged governments to “stimulate their economies.”

Japan

Japan’s parliament passed in January a 4.8 trillion yen (US$52.2 billion) stimulus plan that includes a cash payout of 12,000 yen ($133) per taxpayer.

Japan is considering additional measures to shore up the economy with fresh spending likely to top 10 trillion yen ($109 billion).

Its economy shrank 12.7 percent in the fourth quarter, the steepest drop in 35 years amid an unprecedented collapse in exports and production in the world’s second-biggest economy. Its exports in January fell 45.7 percent.

The drop in Japan’s GDP in October-December far outpaced declines of 6.2 percent [revised] in the United States and 1.2 percent in the Euro zone.

Economy minister Kaoru Yosano says Japan now faces “the worst economic crisis” in the postwar era.

Japan’s economy has contracted for three straight quarters.

Due to weak global demand, Toyota, Toshiba and Hitachi have fired thousands of workers. The firings have intensified in the past weeks, with Nissan, NEC and Panasonic announcing combined job cuts of 55,000.

Singapore

Singapore’s government has unveiled a multibillion dollar plan to boost spending and cut taxes in an effort to ease the worst recession in the city-state’s history.

It also lowered corporate taxes, subsidized wages, guaranteed bank loans and spent more on infrastructure as part of the S$20.5 billion (US$13.6 billion) stimulus package.

Singapore slipped into recession in the fourth quarter when real GDP contracted 3.7 percent, following a decline of 0.2 percent in the preceding quarter.

“Our key objective in this package is to help Singaporeans keep their jobs,” Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam says. “We have to expect many more jobs to be at risk this year.”

The number of workers who lost their jobs last year soared to about 16,000, a five-year high.

Singapore has slashed its 2009 growth forecast, saying the economy could shrink as much as 5 percent as global demand for the country’s exports collapses.

The ruling People’s Action Party is hoping the stimulus package’s array of tax cuts and rebates will put cash in the pockets of consumers and resuscitate domestic demand.

The government will spend S$5.1 billion to help companies avoid layoffs, highlighted by a cut in the maximum corporate tax rate to 17 percent from 18 percent.

It also plans to subsidize 12 percent of the first S$2,500 of each employee’s monthly wages, hike cash handouts to low-income workers by 50 percent, and increase public sector hiring.

South Korea

Its economy is slipping into recession amid a sharp fall in exports and domestic consumption.

Exports in January plunged a record 32.8 percent from a year ago to $21.7 billion, sending the trade balance swinging to a deficit of $2.97 billion.

Falling exports and wobbly financial markets have taken the steam out of Asia’s fourth-largest economy, Korean officials said.

“The economic downturn is sharper than what we had predicted in mid-December, as exports, corporate profits, household income and domestic spending are all going downhill under the impact of the worldwide recession,” says Choi Choon-shin, an official at the Bank of Korea.

In the fourth quarter, the economy contracted 5.6 percent, its worst performance since the Asian financial crisis 11 years ago.

The government has allocated about 140 trillion won (US$102 billion), or 15 percent of GDP, in liquidity injections, tax cuts and stimulus packages.

Incoming Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun says the government will revise the official 2009 growth target of 3 percent set in December as fears grow that the country’s GDP may contract this year.

The IMF says the Korean economy would shrink 4 percent in 2009. Lee Sun-young/The Korea Herald

Taiwan

Total exports, equivalent to about three-quarters of Taiwan’s economy, tumbled by a record 42 percent in December compared with the same month in 2007.

To boost domestic retail spending, President Ma Ying-jeou’s administration has issued NT$85.7 billion (US$2.5 billion) worth of shopping vouchers to encourage consumers to spend. Each of the island’s 23 million citizens, as well as foreign spouses, received NT$3,600 (US$105) worth of shopping vouchers. The government expects this program alone to add 0.6 percent to this year’s GDP.

The government also announced earlier an additional NT$200 billion on top of the current NT$500 billion stimulus package aimed at creating 150,000 new jobs in 2009 to combat Taiwan’s rising unemployment rate, which climbed in December to its highest level since 2003. The China Post

China

The Chinese government has announced a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) fiscal stimulus package to spur domestic demand and boost the slowing economy until 2010.

All provincial and municipal governments have also come up with their own stimulus packages, amounting to no less than 20 trillion yuan.

China’s economic growth has been slowing for five consecutive quarters. It dipped to 9 percent in the third quarter of 2008, the first growth rate below double digits in five years.

China reported an unexpectedly sharp 17.5 percent drop in January exports, the steepest decline since records began in 1993.

Due to weak demand for exports, companies have closed shop in China, rendering millions of workers jobless.

The government allocated 100 billion yuan for investment in the fourth quarter of 2008 and 20 billion yuan for reconstruction projects this year. These are expected to trigger an overall investment of up to 400 billion yuan.

China’s year-on-year GDP growth weakened to 9 percent in 2008 from 13 percent in 2007.

Analysts widely believe that the first and second quarters of this year will be the worst for the Chinese economy. It is predicted to gain strength starting the third quarter.

India

India’s economy began 2008 in robust fashion but ended on a note of mixed sentiments.

Exports fell in October for the first time in seven years. Industrial production, which was among the main drivers of the economy, fell 0.4 percent. The rupee fell perilously close to 50 to a dollar in November, an all-time low. And, as per the government’s own admission, some 65,000 jobs were lost between August and October.

Two key sectors, agriculture and industry, were affected by the global economic slowdown. This will have a serious effect on India’s overall growth, says the National Council of Applied Economics Research, an economic think tank.

India has unveiled a 300 billion rupee ($6 billion) package to bail out the corporate sector. It has stepped up public expenditures and has given various tax concessions to industry to combat economic slowdown. RC Rajamani/The Statesman

Thailand

Like most export-dependent countries in Asia, Thailand is suffering from a collapse in demand from the United States and Europe—the top buyers of Asian goods—as they slip deeper into recession.

Thailand’s exports fell 15.7 percent in December from a year earlier, after a 17.7 percent drop in November.

Atchana Waiquamdee, Bank of Thailand (BOT) deputy governor, believes the kingdom will experience a quarterly contraction but not a recession.

She also believes this year’s economy will even show continued growth, albeit at a very slow pace.

The BOT has revised the economic growth target this year to 0-2 percent, the lowest since 1988, citing the impact of the global credit crisis on exports.

BOT Assistant Governor Duangmanee Vongpradhip has projected that the country could contract for three consecutive quarters—beginning last year’s fourth quarter. [The economy contracted 4.3 percent in the fourth quarter.]

“Thai economic growth could be lower than zero percent but there is a very low probability of 5.5 percent,” says Duangmanee.

The new Abhisit Vejjajiva government has introduced two economic stimulus packages aimed at restoring confidence, boosting income, and improving quality of life and security.

The government’s first package (18 measures) has earmarked 116.7 billion baht (US$3.3 billion) for social welfare and infrastructure. It is providing 2,000 baht for each Thai earning less than 15,000 baht. The seven measures in the second package are aimed at bolstering the property sector, small- and medium-sized enterprises and venture capital, and at restructuring debt. Anoma Srisukkasem/The Nation

Malaysia

The Malaysian government has released a 7 billion ringgit ($1.9 billion) package to stimulate the faltering economy.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has promised a second stimulus package.

More than 10,000 Malaysians have lost their jobs since Jan. 1, according to Malaysian Employers Federation executive director Shamsuddin Bardan.

He says more are expected to lose their jobs in the days ahead as companies, particularly in the manufacturing sector, struggle to stay afloat.

The economic slowdown this time is much worse than the one in 1997 because it is more widespread globally, says Shamsuddin.

Malaysia has set a target of 3.5-percent growth for this year but it is likely to be revised downward due to the uncertain outlook.

Several economists and government officials say the worse-than-expected trade figures and slumping industrial production and export figures indicate the government will have little choice but to hope for growth of 1 percent to 2 percent.

In the last three months of 2008, 1.5 million lost their jobs as economic output shrank by 6 percent.

The Philippines

The IMF says the global economic turmoil can affect the Philippines more severely this year, projecting that weakening demand and job cuts abroad will cause foreign exchange remittances and export earnings to decline.

Exports plunged 40.4 percent in December, its steepest fall in more than two decades, according to the government’s statistics office. Shipments of electronics, the country’s main export, dropped 47.6 percent during the period.

Since October, some 39,000 workers have lost their jobs, many of them in the electronics sector.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque has warned that up to 200,000 Filipinos could lose their jobs in the first six months of the year, mainly in the electronics and garments industries.

To pump prime the economy and generate three million jobs by yearend, the Philippine government plans a P330 billion ($6.9 billion) economic stimulus package. [An economic adviser to President Macapagal-Arroyo claims that only P7 billion is new spending.]

The government has also set up a P1 billion livelihood fund for overseas Filipino workers who could lose their jobs. The fund can be used to provide loans for returning workers who want to acquire new skills, undergo retraining or start a business.

Indonesia

Indonesia has set aside a 71.3 trillion rupiah ($6.31 billion) stimulus fund to boost the economy amid the crisis.

The package includes the 27.5 trillion rupiah stimulus previously announced.

The new stimulus revolves around tax savings worth 43 trillion rupiah, waived taxes and import duties for businesses and certain households worth 13.3 trillion rupiah, and subsidies and spending of 15 trillion rupiah for businesses.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati says the stimulus is aimed at increasing people’s purchasing power, improving the competitiveness and sturdiness of businesses and hiking spending for labor-intensive infrastructure projects.

The incentives include paying the income taxes of employees (now paid by businesses), subsidizing diesel, and increasing infrastructure spending.

Indonesia’s economy expanded 6.2 percent in 2008, slowing slightly from 6.3 percent in 2007.

In December, exports plunged 20 percent from a year earlier as overseas demand shrank. The decline overshadowed a 20-percent rise in full-year exports from 2007.

Indonesia’s exports slid to $8.7 billion in December from $9.6 billion the previous month.

Real GDP growth of selected

Asian countries (in percentage)

Country 2008 2009**

Japan -0.7 -2.6

Singapore 1.2 -5.0

South Korea 2.5 3.0

Taiwan 1.87* 2.12

China 9.0 8.0

India 6.8 6.0

Thailand 3.6* 0-2.0

Malaysia 5.8* 3.5

Philippines 4.6 3.4-4.7

Indonesia 6.2 4.5-5.0

Vietnam 6.23 4.0-6.5

Laos 7.9 8.0

Bangladesh 6.2 6.0

*Preliminary estimates

**Forecast

I would think that a lower Thai baht would be good news to everyone. Certainly to those who get paid in foreign currency (such as myself) as well as to Thai businesses which do export (such as my uncle's company).

I see it as a positive for those of us who have American Dollars. For those who recently brought money into the country and converted it, they have lost a chunk of change in the process on top of the normal loss when converting currencies legally in Thailand.

What many have feared was ever letting this snowball go down hill in the first place, now that its gone, there is no way to predict how far it can go. The banks in Thailand are withholding much information to this day regarding their solvency as many western banks have already come clean and are allowing properties to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

This has happened to some extent with the Auto Industry in Thailand concerning repossessed vehicles put on the auction block but has not happened with property. Second hand trucks have lost somewhere around 50 percent of their value in the last 6 months if you have watched the real markets. I see trucks being offered for 250,000 that nobody will even look at when two years ago they would have sold quickly for 400,000. What remains to be seen is a scenario where the Baht hits 40 and Americans start buying condos again but any way it goes the market is heading down hill quickly. Its possible the baht will crash this time to 50 to 1 Dollar as the Euro also takes a hard loss on the Dollar.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...&refer=asia

Thailand Will Probably Cut Key Interest Rate Further, Korn Says

By Daniel Ten Kate and Suttinee Yuvejwattana

March 1 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand’s central bank will probably cut its key interest rate further this year to boost growth as the country faces its first recession in 11 years and 1 million job losses, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said.

The central bank cut its benchmark interest rate on Feb. 25 for a third straight month to 1.5 percent to buoy demand after consumer prices fell and the economy shrank in the fourth quarter for the first time since 1999.

“Given where inflation is and given where economic growth is, I’d be surprised if last week’s was the last reduction that we’ll see,” Korn said in an interview yesterday in Cha-am, Thailand, where leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting for a summit. “There’s probably more to come if I had to bet.”

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who took power 10 weeks ago following months of violent protests, has pledged fresh stimulus measures to stem the economy’s slide. Manufacturing production contracted the most on record in January, the central bank said Feb. 27. The current account surplus widened to the most in two decades in January as oil costs fell and demand for raw materials dried up.

“The way things are looking, we’re going to see some nasty figures for at least the next month or two,” Korn said. “February will be pretty mean, and March probably the same.”

Stimulus Package

A 116.7 billion-baht ($3.3 billion) package of training programs, cash handouts, property tax breaks and public works will enter the economy in April, Korn said. The government is also designing a second package worth 1.9 trillion baht over three to four years consisting of small-scale infrastructure projects that are “as close to being immediately executed as possible,” he said.

The spending will help reduce job cuts expected to be “at least one million” this year, Korn said. “The worst thing that could happen to any government is rising unemployment,” he said.

The largest contraction since 1982 in the U.S. economy, Thailand’s biggest single overseas market, has prompted exporters such as Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl and local units of Toyota Motor Corp. and Seagate Technology Inc. to predict lower sales and cut jobs. Overseas shipments, which amount to 70 percent of GDP, plunged 26.5 percent in January from a year earlier, the government said.

“We are heading into a recession,” said Somprawin Manprasert, an economist at Tisco Securities Ltd in Bangkok. “The central bank still has room to cut rates, but I don’t think they will cut the rate to zero because they are still concerned inflation may come back.”

Entering Recession

Thailand’s gross domestic product in the first quarter may shrink more than the fourth quarter’s 4.3 percent contraction, the government’s planning agency said this week, putting the economy into its first recession in a decade. For the year, GDP may miss its 0 percent to 2 percent target, Korn said.

“Achieving growth this year all depends on how the economy reacts to the stimulus packages that we put forward and more importantly how the world economy settles down toward the latter part of the year,” Korn said. “Government spending was always designed basically to keep things ticking and buy us time in order for the rest of the world to recover.”

Commercial banks are projecting net loan growth this year of 6 percent to 7 percent, Korn said. The government may inject funds into state-run banks such as the Islamic Bank of Thailand and the Government Housing Bank, and “would be happy” to provide more funding than the 8 billion baht allocated last month to the Export-Import Bank of Thailand and the Small Business Credit Guarantee Corp., both state-run institutions.

Thai banks cut 75 basis points on lending rates and 1.31 percentage points on deposit rates after the central bank reduced the rate in December and January, Duangmanee Vongpradhip, a Bank of Thailand assistant governor, said Feb. 25. Siam Commercial Bank Pcl cut lending, deposit and savings rates by 25 basis points on Feb. 27, the first commercial bank to react to the central bank’s latest rate cut.

Dominant Banks

Siam Commercial, Bangkok Bank Pcl and Kasikornbank Pcl accounted for more than 50 percent of revenue from 11 Thai banks last year. The average profit margin for the three was 21 percent, compared with 12 percent for all lenders, based on Bloomberg data.

The central bank’s rate cut will ease the decline in average net interest margins at Thai banks this year, Sugittra Kongkhajornkidsuk, a DBS Vickers analyst, wrote in a Feb. 26 note to clients. They are forecast to fall 0.34 percent this year to 3.25 percent, she wrote.

Baht’s Loss

Net interest margins at Thailand’s banks are “clearly wider than regional peers, and banks need to provide a clearer answer to society as to why this remains the case,” Korn said. “I haven’t yet received an entirely convincing argument as to why it needs to be where it is.”

Thailand’s baht in January had its biggest monthly loss since October as overseas investors dumped the nation’s stocks. Foreign investors sold $207 million more Thai stocks than they bought this year, according to stock exchange data.

“The balance has probably tipped to the scale of those who want the baht to be weaker rather than stronger,” Korn said. “The baht is pretty close to where it should be and I know that the central bank is keeping a close eye on it.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at [email protected];

Last Updated: February 28, 2009 12:01 EST

Grim economic news gives dollar and yen a boost

NEW YORK ; -- Grim economic news from around the world sent the US dollar mostly higher on Friday while the yen regained favor as a safe haven investment, analysts said.

Jittery traders rushed into the greenback and yen after news of a dismal 6.2 percent annualized fourth-quarter contraction in the US economy and more troubling economic data from Europe.

The euro fell to US$1.2671 at 10pm GMT from US$1.2743 late on Thursday. The dollar dipped to ￥97.65 from ￥98.46 on Thursday.

The market action came after news of a sharper-than-expected 6.2 percent contraction in the US economy in the fourth quarter, highlighting the stunning meltdown in activity late last year.

In late New York trading, the dollar stood at 1.1701 Swiss francs after SF1.1644 on Thursday.

The pound was at US$1.4310 after US$1.4322.

Asian currencies fell this month, with South Korea’s won tumbling to an 11-year low and the Indian rupee dropping to a record, on concern sliding exports and shrinking economies will deter investment.

The Bloomberg-JPMorgan Asia Dollar Index, which tracks the region’s 10 most-active currencies excluding the yen, slumped to a four-year low on Friday as global funds favored safer bets than emerging-market assets. Government reports this week showed India’s economy expanded at the slowest pace since 2003, Singapore’s had the biggest quarterly contraction in at least 33 years, and Hong Kong’s exports fell the most in half a century.

The won fell 1.1 percent to 1,534 against the US dollar on Friday, according to Seoul Money Brokerage Services Ltd. It reached 1,544, the weakest since March 1998. India’s rupee declined 1.3 percent to 51.15, extending its loss this month to 4.4 percent.

Eight of the 10 most-active Asian currencies dropped against the dollar this month. China’s yuan and the Hong Kong dollar, which is pegged to the greenback, were little changed.

The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index of regional shares slid 7.4 percent this month, taking its loss for the year to 16 percent. The benchmark plunged 43 percent in 2008.

India’s economy, Asia’s third-largest, expanded 5.3 percent from a year earlier in the last quarter, the government said on Friday. Singapore’s gross domestic product declined an annualized 16 percent during the three-month period and Hong Kong’s exports in January tumbled 22 percent, separate reports showed.

The New Taiwan dollar dropped as low as NT$35.008 on Friday, the weakest since April 2003, according to Taipei Forex Inc. The NT dollar closed 0.3 percent lower versus the greenback at NT$34.95 on Friday, capping a 3.3 percent drop for the month.

Indonesia’s rupiah dropped 4.5 percent this month to 11,980 to the dollar, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The rupiah had a seventh weekly decline, the longest losing streak since November 2007.

Malaysia’s ringgit declined 2.6 percent this month and reached 3.7065 per dollar on Friday, the lowest since March 2006.

Thailand’s baht sank to a two-year low of 36.18 per dollar on Friday, having lost 3.3 percent this month. The Philippine peso slid 2.9 percent to 48.798. China’s yuan was little changed for the month at 6.8398.

-- Bloomberg/AP 2009-03-01

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic..._oB1nfbYyasGewg

Thai royal insult no publicity stunt, says Australian writer

MELBOURNE (AFP) — The family of an Australian writer jailed then pardoned for insulting the Thai monarchy Monday denied a claim he had sought literary fame by deliberately provoking authorities.

Melbourne's The Age newspaper Monday published allegations by a former colleague of Australian Harry Nicolaides that he had discussed breaking the law of lese majeste, or slandering the monarchy, while writing his novel "Verisimilitude".

"Before the book's publication, in fact, Harry rather cavalierly suggested that going to prison for lese majeste could bring him literary fame," Heath Dollar, who once taught with Nicolaides at the Mae Fah Luang University in northern Thailand, told The Age.

Nicolaides, 41, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to slandering the Thai royal family but received a royal pardon after spending five months in prison and was released last Friday.

Dollar claimed Nicolaides once showed him the offending passage of his self-published novel. Dollar advised the writer to remove it but his advice was ignored.

"Harry believed it best to create a sensation, a publicity stunt to land an author on the literary map," Dollar told the newspaper.

Nicolaides' brother Forde denied the allegations, saying the novel's manuscript was submitted to Thai authorities before its publication and no officials had indicated it may be offensive.

"He says it's certainly no publicity stunt, he certainly wouldn't have taken any such risk for an offence that carries 15 years jail," Forde Nicolaides told Sky News.

"He has no recollection of speaking to Heath about the book."

He said his brother was catching up on sleep after flying home to an emotional family reunion in Melbourne Saturday and was still "in a state of shock" at his abrupt release from a Thai jail.

"With the benefit of hindsight, he probably has some regrets," he said.

"At the time he wrote the book, he didn't realise it was offensive."

Thailand has some of the strictest laws in the world protecting revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his family from insult, but media freedom groups have accused authorities of abusing the law to suppress dissent.

Thai authorities have banned nearly 4,000 websites in recent months for allegedly insulting the monarchy. Police said last week that more than 17 criminal cases of insulting the royal family are currently active.

HB, Sorry to hear about this. Many of us have a fear of something happening to our family as we go off to earn money. The police will not do anything and average person here will not take a stand against anything or anyone, truly sheep to be slaughtered.

I look forward to getting back to the States where I Open Carry a sidearm at all times to deal with dope heads and other oxygen thief's. The entire world has become dump where politicians have armed guards and make laws that further the impossibility of the little man protecting himself and family.

When I left the Philippines I told friends I would be happy to go back and live well armed and legal. I have lived in Thailand for 6 years and not until recently did I feel naked without a sidearm, how things have changed. The economy is gone to Hades and the government is nothing more than a puppet show for the ignorant and in no ways serves the people. Occasionally the government pacifies the people but that is it, a rubber tube with one thousand hastily patched holes at the beginning of a very long journey.

(the I-129F fee is $455 but is waived for K-3 applicants)

Can anybody confirm this fee is waived for K-3? I have never heard this but I sure would like to save the money as this is getting expensive with all the add on costs.

Its rare to find a gated community that has decent maintenance. Half the people where I live refuse to pay anything and with good reason. The security is a bunch of old piss artists who ride bicycles around the neighborhood and never see anything. They are scared to keep order or tell anyone anything and lately houses have been broken into, its suspected they get payed off but who knows.

The surrounding land around our neighborhood is now being developed by other companies and they have back filled one meter higher so this place will be flooding everytime it rains in the future. In general I do not have anything positive to say about how things are taken care of, any decent manager would fire the lot of em. Then again the management is focused on their own motivations, not customer satisfaction. Good luck to anyone buying a new house now, things seem to be getting worse and worse and with less money floating around those digging for coin will only dig harder.

UDD asked not to obstruct summmit

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 21/02/2009 at 12:03 PM

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Saturday called on the Thais who are patriotic not to obstruct Thailand's hosting of Asean summit.

"The event will benefit Thailand because it will bring good image of Thailand to the world," Mr Suthep said. "So I would like to ask for cooperations from all the Thais."

Police, soldiers and volunteers from both public and private sectors will join hands in maintaining peace and order during the 14th Asean summit, which will begin from February 27 to March 1, he said.

According to the deputy prime minister, the government has not set up special command unit to monitor the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) rallies planned to be held in Hua Hin where the summit will take place.

This situation was a absolute outrage from A to Z. The only question now is who is next?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02...n=entertainment

Nicolaides freed from Thai prison

An Australian author who has spent five months in a Thai jail is on his way home after being given a royal pardon.

Harry Nicolaides, 41, was arrested last August and was sentenced to three years' jail last month for insulting the Thai monarchy in his 2005 book, Verisimilitude.

His lawyer, Mark Dean, says the pardon was granted on Thursday night and Nicolaides was deported from Thailand at midnight.

"The Australian Government and the Thai Government have been working together very closely on the resolution of Harry's case," he said.

"The various steps that had to be taken in Thailand were expedited in this case, resulting in the King being able to grant the pardon last Thursday."

Nicolaides was sentenced on January 19 by a Thai criminal court over Verisimilitude, which contained references to an unnamed crown prince.

He was arrested in late August as he boarded a flight to Melbourne and was repeatedly denied bail.

TV images of a deeply distraught Nicolaides led to widespread concern in Australia, with his family shocked as he was brought to the court in prison garb and chains.

He described his time in prison as "torture" and "a bad dream" and has expressed remorse over the publication.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...-thailand-image

PM worries about Thailand image

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 20/02/2009 at 10:07 AM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday expressed concerns about Thailand's image as the red-shirt supporters plan to hold rallies during the 14th Asean Summit.

He, however, said he is confident that the summit will serve as an opportunity for Thailand to restore confidence as it is serving as the host of the summit.

The premier said he is not worried that the planned rallies of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will make the Asean leaders to skip the summit.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/2...-tourism-sunray

Thailand launches national cocktail to lure tourists

* Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok

* The Guardian, Friday 20 February 2009

When tourism has taken a self-inflicted battering, the temptation might be to have a drink to drown your sorrows.

Thailand is going a step further: it has invented a new national cocktail, which it hopes will help visitors forget the hangover from the disastrous airport shutdowns late last year.

Intended as an answer to Singapore's slings, Cuba's mojitos and the many manhattans downed in New York, the Siam sunray is intended to give tourists an instant taste of Thailand's charms.

At the very least the drink's ingredients are far from bland: a shot of vodka, coconut liqueur, a dash of chilli pepper and sugar, lime juice, a few slivers of lemongrass and ginger, with the whole mixture shaken then strained into a glass with ice and soda water.

Thailand's tourism authority formally rolled out the drink yesterday, grandly styling the concoction "Thailand in a glass: the new punch in Thai tourism."

Perhaps it is a long shot. But with the country's export-led economy taking a beating in the global slowdown and the vital tourism sector that once drew 14 million visitors to jungles and pristine beaches still suffering, anything is worth a try.

The hope is that the heady brew will ease the pain caused by 300,000 stranded foreign travellers at the start of the peak season when Bangkok's main international airport was closed by anti-government protesters for eight days. Thailand's tourist resorts and hotels - major contributors to the economy - are still feeling the effects.

But perhaps the Siam sunray - coined to evoke Thailand's ancient name - may leave a better taste and instil a collective amnesia among the travelling public.

"Thailand's new signature drink is based on very Thai ingredients," said the tourism authority. "Successful signature drinks are one way to fast-track holiday destinations on to the world tourism map."