Blockades of Thai govt offices disrupt business licensing

[webfact]

SHUTDOWN
Blockades of govt offices disrupt business licensing
The Nation

Upcountry passport offices busy as city besieged

BANGKOK: -- The People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC)'s Bangkok shutdown campaign to seize several government offices, including the Industry Ministry, has left many business owners unable to obtain licences to run their operations.

Meanwhile, thousands of people have lined up at provincial passport offices nationwide to apply for passports and collect their travel documents. The main office in Bangkok’s Chang Wattana Road has been closed for a month by the group of anti-government protesters led by Phra Buddha Issara.

At least two agencies including the Industrial Works Department and Board of Investment Office have been shut down for a month and are not able to issue licences for business owners.

Industrial Work Department director-general Nattapon Nattasomboon said the number of business owners who visit and ask his office to issue licences has dropped to 30 per cent, affecting the establishment of new businesses over the past two months.

From December last year to January 2014, the number of requests to set up new factories was only 254. During the same period between 2012-2013, the number of requests at that time was 331.

The number of new employees also dropped from 6,334 workers to 5,905, while the amount of new investment has decreased from Bt12 billion to Bt8.5 billion.

These reductions have been caused by two factors - the closing of departments and the loss in confidence by investors over the political situation.

Meanwhile, most top level officials in the Foreign Ministry are working at home as the ministry has been closed. They work and communicate with each other online.

At the Consular Affairs Department, Thongchai Chasawath accepts that the process of issuing passports has slowed down.

Bang Na, Pinklao offices not affected

However, people can still apply for passports at Bang Na and Pinklao, and at provincial offices except for Surat Thani and Phuket.

However, he said full operation to provide services for members of the public would be resumed by tomorrow.

Officials at the Interior Ministry have moved to work at other offices after PDRC protesters seized the ministry and held it since November last year. They moved to other offices located near Bangkok, such as Klong 1, Klong 6 and Klong 9 in Pathum Thani.

The ministry's permanent secretary, Wiboon Sanguanpong, said he had moved operations to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, but was unable to enter the department every day. He gives instructions to his officials via mobile phone and uses e-mail or smart-phone messenger applications such as LINE to communicate with officials.

The Labour Ministry, which has been shut down for 22 days, has rented a hotel in Bangkok for officials to work in. Some have worked at home.

The ministry also rented university buildings to use as temporary offices from which to issue work permits for foreign workers.


-- The Nation 2014-02-10

[ShannonT]

More damage being caused by Suthep to small business owners. Now he's even preventing them from opening and running a business.

[chainarong]

Suthep has to decide whether to continue these blockades or back off, my thoughts, back off, Suthep will get more respect / support if he concentrated the protests at senior ministers office complex and without mention the Caretaker Prime Ministers addresses, Suthep needs to win more support to continue on the protest to remove C.P.M. Shinawatra, continualy, by blocking people in their daily business will not gain many supporters, the opportunity is there Suthep.

[ChrisY1]

But..but..Chalerm said they would all be moved on or arrested.......

[noitom]

Surprising to see that Thais think it's important to hire foreign workers. Especially since they are carping that the protests are crippling business.

[tomyummer]

You can't fool anyone. No government officials are working from homes or hotels or keeping in touch online. They're all golfing.

[bobmac10]

Suthep has to decide whether to continue these blockades or back off, my thoughts, back off, Suthep will get more respect / support if he concentrated the protests at senior ministers office complex and without mention the Caretaker Prime Ministers addresses, Suthep needs to win more support to continue on the protest to remove C.P.M. Shinawatra, continualy, by blocking people in their daily business will not gain many supporters, the opportunity is there Suthep.

Suthep is all about himself.

he's a one trick pony, he bet the house on the protests getting rid of the government and it didn't work.

It's clear the large crowds have waned and now it's just a few protesters at each place.

What has he got left in his bag of tricks?

Pretty clear it's nothing.

The only way his ideology and political agenda will hold sway is with nationwide popular support.

Which he doesn't have.

All he's doing now is inconveniencing ordinary Thais.

[mightyatom]

More damage being caused by Suthep to small business owners. Now he's even preventing them from opening and running a business.

Load of rubbish.

You seem to believe everything that goes to print from the mouth of a PTP supporting source.

Ever stop to consider that the reason people are not turning up to start new businesses is because of the damage this government has done to the economy and almost everything they have touched has turned to shit.

Thaksin, Yingluck and the PTP are the main reason confidence is being lost in Thai business. Nothing to do with protests.

My wife managed to open a new business last month with absolutely zero problems. So what gives? More propaganda perhaps?

[Suriya4]

It is OK.

No business these days anyway.

[bobmac10]

More damage being caused by Suthep to small business owners. Now he's even preventing them from opening and running a business.

Load of rubbish.

You seem to believe everything that goes to print from the mouth of a PTP supporting source.

Ever stop to consider that the reason people are not turning up to start new businesses is because of the damage this government has done to the economy and almost everything they have touched has turned to shit.

Thaksin, Yingluck and the PTP are the main reason confidence is being lost in Thai business. Nothing to do with protests.

My wife managed to open a new business last month with absolutely zero problems. So what gives? More propaganda perhaps?

ah the mighty little guy.......

yes I suppose a mob of screaming protesters blocking your admittance at the business registry offices is just what you need to get your new enterprise off the ground.

c'mon little fella, just how tall are you anyway?