Salary Cat For Thai Mp's And Senators

[george]

Thai MPs and senators have salaries cut to assist victims of regional disasters

BANGKOK: -- Thai members of parliament (MPs) and senators have agreed to join forces with their counterparts from other countries in the region to have their salaries cut to assist victims of natural disasters.

The move was part of a regional parliamentary agreement clinched at a recent assembly of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP), according to Thailand's House Speaker Bhokin Bhalakula.

"I called a meeting of all House and Senate commissions yesterday to let them know the AAPP's agreement and I also informed the House session of the agreement today," Mr. Bhokin told journalists.

"All the Thai MPs and senators are willing to join the regional forces by contributing their one-day salaries--Bt3,000 each--to assist the victims of the regional disasters, particularly those affected by a strongest earthquake in Pakistan and India recently," he noted.

Mr. Bhokin said he would send a letter to other AAPP's members to inform them of Thailand's contribution and to call for a similar action or other forms of donation as agreed at the AAPP's assembly.

--TNA 2005-11-30