Thai Cabinet reshuffle: New heavyweights unveil their strategies

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CABINET RESHUFFLE
New heavyweights unveil their strategies
Pongphon Sarnsamak,
Chuleeporn Aramnet,
Saowanee Nimpanpayungwong
The Nation



Wichet promises renewed crackdown on encroachers; Chaturon vows to improve education; while Pavena promises to help the public.

BANGKOK: -- Newly appointed Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wichet Kasemthongsri has vowed to launch a renewed battle against those who encroach on forest reserves and has also ordered senior officials to review forest-protection laws.

The minister, who formerly chaired PTT's board of directors has also instructed his officials to monitor forested areas using satellite imagery every three months. He said this would help judge the performance of high-level officials and would also enable officials to better protect national reserves nationwide.

In the past few years, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has been cracking down on encroachers, especially in Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Kheow district, where luxury resort owners and private residents have taken over large tracts of forestland. However, the crackdown lost steam after DNP decided to let these encroachers rent the land instead of prosecuting them.

Wichet said he would consider getting civic groups involved in the management of natural resources in their respective areas and would also put preparedness for natural disasters on the top of his agenda.

The minister added that he would comply with the Central Administrative Court's verdict, in which the government was ordered to conduct environmental and health impact assessments of its water-management scheme. He said he had recently spoken to the Royal Forest Department and the DNP on whether to go ahead with the ministry's plan to plant more than 800 million trees to rehabilitate damaged forest areas.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang vowed yesterday to urgently push for the reform of school curriculum as well as improving teaching and learning methods. He has also promised to push for the development of teachers and improve performance assessment schemes. Chaturon was speaking to reporters after meeting with executives in charge of the ministry's five key agencies.

Chaturon went on to say that the curriculum reform initiated by his predecessor Phongthep Thepkanjana would take at least five to six years to go into full effect.

"Over this period, we will have to change teaching and learning methods as well. They must evolve in line with new developments. For instance, we should encourage children to hunt for knowledge on the Internet, but at the same time, they should be taught to analyse the information. It's not just about accessing information," the minister said.

On assessing academic performance, Chaturon said it was necessary to have standard tests.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed Social Development and Human Security Minister Pavena Hongsakul told her ministerial executives yesterday that all agencies under the ministry need to work proactively, accept public complaints quickly, forward cases, help the affected and implement preventive measures. She said they would initially focus on four issues: unprepared pregnancy, human trafficking, child labour and domestic abuse.

She said she would unofficially open the ministry's 24-hour complaint centre before it is officially launched on July 24, and would also set up four working teams, which would work hand-in-hand with the police. She is also scheduled to meet the national police chief next week and possibly the Foreign Ministry for cooperation to curb human trafficking.


-- The Nation 2013-07-04

[NongKhaiKid]

" Heavyweights " ? Who makes this crap up ? The Nation has become an arm of the Ministry of Propaganda.

The heavies will be obedient little puppets doing what they are told and picking up a baht counted in millions along the way.

[EyesWideOpen]

" Heavyweights " ? Who makes this crap up ? The Nation has become an arm of the Ministry of Propaganda.

The heavies will be obedient little puppets doing what they are told and picking up a baht counted in millions along the way.

You stay Thailand long time....... :-)

[NongKhaiKid]

" Heavyweights " ? Who makes this crap up ? The Nation has become an arm of the Ministry of Propaganda.

The heavies will be obedient little puppets doing what they are told and picking up a baht counted in millions along the way.

You stay Thailand long time....... :-)

Damn, what gave me away ?

[Robby nz]

The new minister has said elsewhere :

New Natural Resources and Environment Minister Vichet Kasemthongsri said the amendment of outdated laws on natural resource protection was at the top of his agenda. He would also try to end disputes over resorts encroaching on national parks.

"I will visit those sites before making any decisions. Whether we demolish those resorts will depend on the law.

But if it [the law] has flaws, we do need to amend it," he said.

Translation:

We will get rid of any natural protection laws that are holding up Govt projects.

I will personally visit all those who have resorts in national parks and if they come up with enough cash I will alter the law so they can stay, if no cash they are out.

[MaxLee]

Same old crap as from the last trillion kachillian decades after decades ago.

[hellodolly]

The new minister has said elsewhere :

New Natural Resources and Environment Minister Vichet Kasemthongsri said the amendment of outdated laws on natural resource protection was at the top of his agenda. He would also try to end disputes over resorts encroaching on national parks.

"I will visit those sites before making any decisions. Whether we demolish those resorts will depend on the law.

But if it [the law] has flaws, we do need to amend it," he said.

Translation:

We will get rid of any natural protection laws that are holding up Govt projects.

I will personally visit all those who have resorts in national parks and if they come up with enough cash I will alter the law so they can stay, if no cash they are out.

Thai Cabinet reshuffle: New heavyweights unveil their strategies

blah blah blah,

Their strategies will be the same as all the former cabinet ministers load their pockets with tax payers money.

Do it fast before the next bunch of suitable people are brought in.

[thhMan]

More like... "Unveils their stupid ideas"... Thailand would be so nice if they could do things better and with more logic

[waza]

New heavyweights unveil their strategies to pull the wool over the public's eye to enable their re-election