Thailand Live Friday 19 Nov 2010

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Thailand Live Friday 19 November 2010

News, Bits and Tweets

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who wish to follow the news can find it here...

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Related topic: Thailand Live Thursday 18 Nov 2010

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Thais go green on Loykratong this year

KAMPANGPET (NNT) -- More and more Thais are going green. Reportedly, environmentally friendly kratongs will be in huge demand in the upcoming Loy Kratong, the festive yearly event, coming up this weekend.

Retailers from all over Thailand flock over the community of Kosumphee-Nakorn, in Kampangpet Province, to buy special kratongs to be resold to their customers. These special kratongs, made of corn shells, have lately been popular with festival-goers, given they do not pollute waterways the way artificial materials do. Besides, they generate a tidy sum for community members.

Reportedly, over 6,000 corn-shell kratongs, priced between 10 to 300 baht each, have already been sold to retailers, fetching over 100,000 baht for this small community.

As the abbot of Taniyapol temple in Pratumtani has repeatedly encouraged locals to use natural materials for their kratongs in order to help preserve the environment, some of his disciples have turned to using bread for the kratongs, which have since been a big hit.

In the North of Thailand, giant firecrackers which cause a number of serious injuries every year are now banned in Chiang Mai Province; moreover, lanterns are not allowed to be released before 9 pm, as they might disrupt flights landing at or taking off from Chiengmai Airport, given the festive event site is very close to the airport.

-- NNT 2010-11-19

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Sugar shortage causes price hike

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Despite sugar price rise as a result of the shortage producers claim brought on by high production costs, consumers are still unable to buy the sweet substance.

Several department stores and retailers yesterday reported to the Ministry of Commerce that they had difficulty getting refiners to deliver sugar packed in one-kilogram bags to them. Refiners cited high production cost as a reason for not delivering the substance. However, the Ministry said its duty was to control prices of sugar for end-users, and ensuring adequate supplies rested with the Industry Ministry.

The Commerce Ministry also said that there were law and procedures in place to keep sugar prices stable; adding that each provincial governor has the authority to set the prices of sugar. Legal action will be taken against those caught selling sugar at higher prices than those announced.

However, the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board brushed aside claims of shortage, saying that the Ministry of Industry had been maintaining sufficient amount of sugar in the market at 500,000 sacks per week.

-- NNT 2010-11-19

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ABORTION SCANDAL

I care for 8 survivors : abortionist

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AFP: Thai 'Red Shirts' to rally six months after crackdown

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MERCHANT OF DEATH

PM not going to Russia ‘not because of Bout'

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EDITORIAL

Thailand is not ready to start a welfare state

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Thai Red shirt reformer seeks to empower grass roots

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Most red-shirt detainees too poor to seek release, says report

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Most of the red-shirt supporters in jail are garbage collectors, homeless people and the mentally ill who cannot seek legal help or find enough money for bail. The People’s Centre for Information (PCI) revealed its initial investigation on the April-May crackdowns yesterday.

It collected information about 169 red-shirt protesters who are now under detention in the provinces of Maha Sarakham, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Mukdahan, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai over charges of taking part in illegal gatherings as well as arson or terrorism.

PCI discovered that most of the detained red shirts could not find lawyers or enough money for bail. Most of the detainees are garbage collectors, homeless people and people with mental health problems.

Some of the detainees were coerced into confessing to crimes of arson or terrorism, while some were told to pay more than Bt1 million in bail.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission revealed that about 180 red-shirt protesters are in jail, with some suffering from health problems and some needing to continue their education. Most of them do not have access to legal aid.

Krittiya Achavanichkul, a member of PCI, said there was not enough evidence for police to detain the red-shirt protesters and that some were tortured into signing confessions. She called on the government to release the detained red-shirt protesters because the Constitution gives them the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The authorities have already released some protesters under the caveat that they will be put behind bars again if they violate any regulations. This condition is believed to be a tool to suppress opposition.

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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ASK THE EDITORS

Nakhon Ratchasima votes will mean the world

By Somroutai Sapsomboon

Political News Editor

Can one by-election make or break a political party and crush a man’s political ambitions? The answer to this question will come on December 12, when all eyes will be on Nakhon Ratchasima’s Constituency 6, even though there will be five by-elections taking place simultaneously.

The showdown between government coalition partner Bhum Jai Thai and the opposition Pheu Thai party needs to be a must-win situation for both rivals. As for Bhum Jai Thai, defeat would be earth-shattering.

Outgoing Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat, who was disqualified from his MP status under this constituency, will run again under the Bhum Jai Thai banner, while Apicha Lertpatcharakamol, formerly known as Meechai Jitpipat, will run under Pheu Thai’s.

The last time Boonjong won was in a re-election under the now-defunct People Power Party, after the two winners Puea Pandin’s Apicha and Pairote Suwanchawee’s son Phonlapee were yellow-carded by the Election Commission. Apicha lost out in the re-election.

In fact, the constituency is Pairote’s stronghold, but his Puea Pandin is not fielding any candidates. This has raised doubts among political observers.

The observers have come up with two theories. One report has it that Pairote made a “special” deal with his old friend Newin Chidchob, the de facto leader of Bhum Jai Thai, while another report said Pairote decided not to field a candidate because he wanted to pave the way for Pheu Thai. The second report actually sounds more reasonable and likely.

There was a serious conflict between Pairote and Boonjong when the latter, in his capacity as deputy interior minister, transferred officials who were Pairote’s men. That infuriated Pairote, so it’s quite impossible that he would kiss and make up with Bhum Jai Thai.

“Pairote told me that Boonjong had moved all his men. Only the janitors were left untouched,” a politician who is close to Pairote told The Nation. Besides the reshuffle, they were also said to have had conflicts about budget allocation.

This conflict turned into a vengeful situation. Puea Pandin voted against Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul and Transport Minister Sophon Saram from Bhum Jai Thai in a no-confidence motion in June. Puea Pandin was later kicked out of the coalition once Bhum Jai Thai started putting pressure on the ruling Democrat Party. The source agreed that Pairote would help Pheu Thai beat Boonjong. However, there is no guarantee that the Pheu Thai candidate, Apicha, will win or become a favourite.

“We have an edge over them because our candidate is more outstanding. But they have power and money. I think we have a 51:49 chance of winning,” Chamlong Krutkhuntod, a banned Thai Rak Thai politician, told The Nation.

The most important thing is that Boonjong is Newin’s right-hand man, so they will do what they can to win this election, Chamlong said.

Obviously, the by-election will be a very fierce competition and its result will be significant for both rival parties. For Bhum Jai Thai, this by-election will show if it can or cannot get a foothold in the Northeast. Since it was founded in 2008, Bhum Jai Thai only ran in two by-elections one in Sakon Nakhon and one in Roi Et. In the Sakon Nakhon poll, it lost to Pheu Thai, which was using fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra as a highlight of its campaign.

However, the upcoming by-election could be different. Nakhon Ratchasima is Pheu Thai’s weakest political base in the Northeast. But if Bhum Jai Thai were to lose to Pheu Thai in its weakest base, it would mean that its chances of soaring in the Northeast are zero. Of course, Pheu Thai is desperate to win, because this isn’t a contest between Boonjong and Apicha, but a battle between the two parties, which will set the tone for the real war during the general elections next year.

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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DEMOCRAT PARTY DISSOLUTION TRIAL

EC rests its case in Thai Democrat dissolution trial

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SPORTS

Electrifying

By Kitinan Sanguansak

The Nation

Guangzhou

“Dad, I did it. Mom, I want to hug you. Sarita ‘Nong Yin’ Phongsri

A determined Sarita defies odds to win Thailand’s first gold medal at the 16th Asian Games

Sarita Phongsri etched her name among Thailand’s sports heroes, bagging the country’s first gold medal in the 16th Asian Games after a heart-pounding 4-3 victory over Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Hoai in taekwondo at the Guangdong Gymnasium yesterday.

Heading into the quadrennial tournament in the quest to claim what would be the first gold medal in the Korean martial art competition, the Kingdom was dealt a major blow to its prospects after Beijing Olympic silver medallist Buttree Puedpong ended up empty-handed.

Nevertheless, the Thai exponents were still able to claim two bronze medals on Wednesday via Patiwat Thongsalab and Chanapa Sonkham in the men’s lightweight and women’s flyweight divisions respectively.

With the country’s hopes of winning the elusive gold seemingly dashed by Buttree’s premature exit, few had predicted that Sarita, or “Nong Yin”, who kept a low profile before the tournament, could score a groundbreaking success for the Kingdom.

The Bangkok teenager’s campaign nearly came to an end with a semi-final tie against South Korea’s Kwon Eun Kyung, the defending champion, in the women’s under-53kg category. The Thai, a silver medallist in last year’s World Championship in Copenhagen, stayed neck-and-neck with the high-profile opponent until the Korean had to retire in sudden death with a foot injury.

The hype on home soil rose dramatically as Thai athletes had gone “goldless” throughout the first six days in Guangzhou. And the long wait finally paid off in the final against 2006 Asian Games silver medallist Nguyen.

The Thai girl fell behind early at 1-3. Her hopes almost faded in the third round as the Vietnamese unintentionally hit Sarita on the eyes, which saw her lying on the mat in agony. After a lengthy treatment, Sarita struggled to get onto her feet and carried on despite suffering bad vision. Then she took some risk by going for a backward kick to the face of the off-guard Nguyen to score three points for a 4-3 lead that she barely seized towards the end.

“Her fingers hit my eyeballs. It was so painful and my eyes went blurry. However, my coach urged me to keep fighting,’’ said the business management sophomore at Kasetsart University.

“I could hardly open my eyes but I simply told myself I couldn’t lose the fight. Time was running out and I needed to take some risks as I was behind 1-3,” said Sarita, who draped herself with the national flag during the medal presentation ceremony.

It was not the first time Sarita had taken a chance that would change her life. Four years ago, her pursuit of taekwondo almost crumbled due to chronic injuries to her right knee and back. An operation and a year’s break from the sport were the only options a doctor suggested and the young girl with a big dream did not hesitate to take it.

Even her retired father Suwit and housewife mother Jumroonsri had to give in to the strong determination their daughter showed.

“She has had so much energy since she was young, so I took her to a taekwondo class when she was six,’’ said the 45-year-old mother. “Once she trained with boys and ended up having her lips torn. She insisted she was okay because she did not want to quit the sport. After I saw the blood and the cut, I had to drag her to a hospital for stitches,” Jumroonsri said during an interview on Nation Channel.

“Yes, we’re worried about her safety, but what can we do? She’s so determined,’’ Jumroonsri said.

Sarita will hang around Guangzhou to support her team-mates until tomorrow. She will be richer by at least Bt1 million, thanks to the government incentive of Bt1 million for a gold, Bt500,000 for a silver, and Bt300,000 for a bronze.

“I will give all that money to mom and dad,” Sarita said. “I said ‘I really did it’ to my dad on the phone. He was so worried about my eyes. I can’t wait to go home and hug my mom.”

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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LOY KRATHONG FESTIVAL

Be cautious during fest, emergency institute advises

By The Nation

The Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand yesterday issued safety warnings for upcoming Loy Krathong celebrations.

“Revellers should be careful in crowded areas,” the institute’s secretary-general Dr Chatree Charoencheevakul said.

Millions of people are expected to come out to set afloat their krathong (floral boats), enjoy beauty contests and fireworks, and binge on alcohol.

Chatree said that last year, his institute received reports of 82 people getting injured from falls, three drownings, and an explosion on Loy Krathong Day.

Children, he pointed out, faced the risk of being accidentally shoved into water while trying to set their krathong afloat.

“Fireworks can also be very dangerous,” he warned, as he urged parents to keep a close watch on their children during the festival. “If possible, avoid alcohol.”

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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Thailand Chao Phraya Basin needs long-term flood prevention plans

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New fund for migrant workers

By The Nation

The Labour Ministry has issued a regulation requiring migrant workers to contribute to a repatriation fund starting from January 1.

The Employment Department’s deputy chief Pravit Khiangphol said this meant that employers renewing their workers’ work permits have to make six contributions to the fund at the Employment Office on the 1st and 15th of every month. Burmese or Laotian workers are required to pay a total of Bt2,400 at Bt400 a month, while a Cambodian worker needs to pay Bt2,100 at a Bt350 installation. The employer has to deduct the contribution from the workers’ salary or risk getting fined 2 per cent of the contribution every month, he said.

If a migrant worker returns to his home country, he can withdraw the entire contribution. If they don’t, and they come back to work in Thailand, they do not need to contribute again, he added.

Last year, the Army arrested 64,000 alien workers, the Navy nabbed 2,800 and the Immigration Police 270,000. The Employment Department has repatriated 250,000 workers so far.

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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AFTERMATH

DSI report 'ambiguous, unclear'

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

April –May 2010 Crackdowns (PCI)

Group says claims over killings of 91 must be backed up

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) should release a full report to back up its claims about who may have been behind the killings of 91 people during street demonstrations this year, the People’s Centre for Information on the April-May 2010 Crackdowns (PCI) said yesterday.

On Tuesday, DSI director-general Tharit Pengdit summed up the investigations into the deaths that took place during crackdowns on red-shirt protesters in April and May.

He said investigators had divided the casualties into two groups one caused by red-shirt unrest, and the other by unidentified culprits with the suspected involvement of state officials.

In the first group of victims, DSI found the deaths of the eight people resulted from red-shirt unrest. In this group, most were soldiers and police.

The deaths of people in the second group were caused by unidentified culprits with the suspected involvement of state officials.

In the violence at Wat Pathum Wanaram, six were shot dead. Additional checks found three were shot from a high altitude. Security forces conceded that six officers were deployed on the elevated train track near the temple at the time of the incident.

“The results of the DSI’s investigation into the deaths during crackdowns on the red-shirt protesters in April and May ... were ambiguous and unclear,” Krittiya Achavanichkul of the PCI told a news conference at Thammasart University’s Faculty of Political Science.

Previously, Krittiya had produced a report on missing persons, casualties, and people killed during the bloody military crackdown on May 1990.

In this year’s violence, she said the PCI had divided the incidents that resulted in casualties into three periods: April 10, May 13-18, and May 19. But the DSI had not released any information on what really happened in any of these cases in its report.

The PCI also found no details to explain the incidents of May 13-18 in which many people were injured and killed by a sniper’s high-powered weapon. Moreover, there were many video clips showing pictures of a sniper operating during the crackdown. “Why did the [evidence] about this period disappear?” Krittiya queried.

She also asked the DSI to comply with Article 150 of the Criminal Procedure Law and conduct an autopsy and investigate the cause of death of all victims killed during the April-May 2010 crackdowns. The DSI should not conduct autopsy reports merely in some cases that benefit its own position.

“The current government is a party in the conflict. So changes the government can make to ensure justice will prevail are tough,” said Krittiya, adding that those who committed murder may not be brought to justice under the current administration.

“It would be good if justice were served under this administration, however. And I pray for it.”

Krittiya added that the forensic information on those killed was no longer available online.

Also, although DSI chief Tharit Pengdit wanted new autopsies to take place, many bodies had already been cremated.

Meanwhile, Payao Akkahad, whose daughter Kamolkade a paramedic was killed in Wat Prathum Wanaram on May 19, said the government appointed truth and reconciliation committee, chaired by former public prosecutor Kanit na Nakhon, had never visited or contacted her. Neither had it invited her to provide any information about the death of her daughter, even though the committee had said previously the investigation into the deaths of people at Wat Prathum Wannaram on May 19 was its first priority.

Kamolkade’s younger brother, Nattapat, said he wanted the DSI to release all its results, as the case of Wat Prathum was the clearest and yet it had not been solved.

“Or is it that the soldiers can just kill anybody with impunity? Regarding [monetary] compensation, can you really put a price on human lives? The relatives [of those killed] will not give up. We will do our best and will come up with new measures,” he said.

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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Revered abbot shows good recovery

By The Nation

The condition of much revered abbot, Luangphor Khoon Parisutho, has improved and he should be able to return to Wat Ban Rai on Monday, his doctor said yesterday.

After being rushed to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital on the night of November 11 with inflammation of the urinary tract and kidney, high fever and shortterm memory loss, the monk showed signs of recovery yesterday and appeared to be cheerful. Dr Pinijjai Nakphan said the patient’s condition had improved greatly, he had a good appetite, no fever and no sign of infection and should return to the temple on Monday at the earliest. The doctor encouraged the monk’s disciples to stand at least a metre away, because the patient’s immune system was still weak and he was susceptible to infection.

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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AFP: US Captors Of Alleged Arms Dealer Viktor Bout Detail Thailand Sting

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Entries for Phuket King's Cup Regatta near 100 mark

Royal Thai Navy entries (center and right) challenging for the

IRC 2 Class title. File photo by Guy Nowell.

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Reds kick off rally dressed in black

About 1,000 red shirts on Friday’s morning kicked off a day of rememberance of the bloodshed by rallying at the Bangkok Remand Prison to demand the release of their leaders under detention.

The protesters were dressed in black to mourn for those killed and injured in April and May.

The planned activities at the prison rally include the laying of red roses for moral support to remanded leaders and the tying of black cloth around the prison wall as an opposition gesture to injustice.

-- The Nation 2010-11-19

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Metro police deputy chief inspecting Ratchaprasong intersection, venue of Red Shirt rally today; 7-8 companies of police deployed to ensure safety /MCOT

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10 a.m. @bangkokgovernor will be looking into the problems with the BTS Silom line after a string of recent breakdowns /via@RichardBarrow

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,012.20, up 7.48 points /MCOT

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BTS Skytrain, BRT underground connection construction 70% complete with Bt190 mln budget; December soft launch before official opening in January: BMA /MCOT

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Red-shirts have begun to gather at Bkk Remand Prison to mark 6mth anniv of the May rally.Next stop: Dept of Special Investigation /TAN_Network

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Red-shirts Begin to Gather at Bangkok Remand Prison

A number of red-shirt protesters, clad in red and black, have begun to gather in front of the Bangkok Remand Prison to mark the 6 month anniversary of the red-shirt protest in May earlier this year. The protesters have taken up almost all of the lanes in front of the prison, leaving only 1 lane opened to motorists. They are expected to travel to the Department of Special Investigation in 2 hours.

-- Tan Network 2010-11-19

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Ministry of Public Health inspects Wat Phai Ngern after 1,000 more aborted fetuses found in temple morgue, in wake of 300 fetuses discovered earlier /MCOT

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Aussie carrier Strategic Air to launch Phuket services

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UPDATE

AFP: Thai 'Red Shirts' begin rally six months after crackdown

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