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Thailand Live Wednesday 4 Jun 2014

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Drug therapy for Yasothon addicts being trialled

YASOTHON, 4 June 2014 (NNT) - Niran Somsamna deputy governor of Yasothon province has presided at a revitalization camp titled “Kham Khuean Kaeo United for HM the King” which is a camp to revitalize drug addicts with therapy.

Kham Khuean Kaeo district sheriff, Pisit Raethong says that the revitalization camp, for drug addicts who are willing to be cured, is being introduced. Since the drug problem has spread among teenagers and young adults, it affects safety of life and property, as well as the harmony of society.

The district, therefore is cooperating with the Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO), the municipality and village leaders to closely monitor the spread of drugs in the local area. To cure the addicts and gain good people back into society, this camp is starting with 32 people willing to join.

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-- NNT 2014-06-04 footer_n.gif

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Interpol to be asked to help track down pirates who hijacked Thai tanker

CHONBURI, 4 June 2014 (NNT) – Police in Chonburi are working to finalize their case documents on the hijacking of the Orapin 4 tanker, so Interpol can be asked to help track down the pirates who took off with close to 4 million liters of diesel oil.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/731534-interpol-to-be-asked-to-help-track-down-pirates-who-hijacked-thai-tanker/

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AFTER COUP
Elizabeth's birthday celebration in Bangkok cancelled
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- In line with the United Kingdom's reaction to the military coup, the British Embassy in Thailand announced yesterday that it had cancelled the reception to celebrate the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II on June 11 at a Bangkok hotel.

We regret to inform you that the reception to celebrate the Official Birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday, June 11, at the Grand Ballroom, Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, has been cancelled because of the current situation," said the statement from the embassy.

The UK reacted strongly to the military coup last month, voicing concern about the "deterioration of the democratic environment in Thailand"

Minister of State for Southeast Asia Hugo Swire said earlier that "in view of these negative developments, the UK is reviewing the scope of its cooperation with Thailand".

Swire also voiced concern over the limitations on freedom of expression and assembly in the country imposed by the military junta after the coup.

"Arbitrary detentions, restrictions on local and foreign media, and limitations on freedoms of expression and assembly undermine trust in the intentions of the military leaders," he said.

The UK urged the military authorities to provide a clear timetable for the restoration of a civilian government through elections.

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-- The Nation 2014-06-04

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EDITORIAL
Much more needs to be done for rice farmers
The Nation

Yes, they have been paid, but the threat to sustainable livelihood remains

BANGKOK: -- The smiling faces of farmers as they received long-overdue payments for their rice are a positive sign. The money came just in time for them to celebrate tomorrow's National Rice and Thai Farmers Day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/731541-much-more-needs-to-be-done-for-rice-farmers-thai-editorial/

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STOPPAGE TIME
Red shirts are down, but Thaksin is out
Tulsathit Taptim

BANGKOK: -- Some suggest electric shocks may have been applied, while others point out that the red shirt leaders' post-coup transformation from wild animals to teacher's pets is a familiar charade.

Anyway, anything can happen if you spend several days in the custody of the National Council for Peace and Order. Just look at the two former Pheu Thai ministers who reportedly killed time by playing cards and nearly got into a fist fight after one of them lost Bt4 million.

Jatuporn Prompan, who had pledged bloodshed on an unprecedented scale if a coup happened, emerged from detention with a timid smile and a vow to do his best to help the NCPO restore peace. Militant Suporn Attawong went straight to the Ya Mo statue after his release to tell her he would never be involved in politics ever again. Another "hardcore" red, Preuk Prueksunan, better known as Lungyim Tasawang, has taken to Facebook and slammed the "cowards" who keep running while urging others to fight. Mind you, even a high-profile red-shirt admirer like Cambodian leader Hun Sen has joined, if you will, the kool-aid party, asking the Shinawatras to find a location for a possible government-in-exile elsewhere.

America has reacted to the coup strongly, albeit in textbook manner. The European Union's response was also harsh, although it looked like a "template" might have been used, too. The Western media have been all over Thailand, or, more specifically, the Victory Monument, where anti-coup gatherings took place for a couple of days last week. Australia has come out late, but certainly is determined to make up for lost time. The Kingdom, once again, became a punch-bag for anyone wanting to display political correctness.

What matters, though, is what the red shirts do next. Their strength or lack of it had been dictating Thailand's political course over the past decade. The movement was a fledgling one - some may say not even born yet - when Thaksin Shinawatra was kicked out of power in 2006. It reached its peak in 2010 when it shut down Bangkok for weeks and propelled his sister to office months later. When its confrontation with the anti-Thaksin protesters loomed a few weeks ago and threatened Thailand with a civil war, another twist in the Thai political tale occurred.

So, as far as the NCPO is concerned, Washington and Canberra can suspend more aid, the EU can issue statements condemning Thailand on a daily basis and the global media can say whatever they like. As long as the red shirts are tamed, that is. Which is why the junta must be happy to see US Secretary of State John Kerry occupying the headlines, because the less said about searches of red leaders' homes and seizures of "weapons", the better.

The red shirts are very different from the "whistle mobs", who along with the judiciary softened up the Yingluck administration before the military unleashed the knockout punch late last month. The grass-roots are harder to mobilise without clear-cut, charismatic leaders, well-organised transportation and good funding. While the whistle mobs made "appointments" through LINE, Twitter and Facebook, the red shirts could only wait for what Jatuporn had to say. While the red shirts sought money in exchange for having to abandon their sources of daily income, the whistle mobs showered Suthep Thaugsuban with every denomination of banknote.

This is why what Jatuporn, Nuttawut Saikuar and Thida Thavornseth are saying is a lot more significant than all the American and EU statements combined. And we can't dismiss the role of transportation either. For an eye-catching mega-rally to materialise, all the whistle mobs needed was for the Skytrain and subways to function properly. The red shirts needed plenty of buses and a lot of help from local authorities and community leaders.

The coup has taken away the buses and much of the help. Funding must be dwindling, too, following a series of post-coup summonsing, threats and legal actions. All in all, it would now take a miracle for a major red rally to occur in Bangkok in defiance of the coup makers. If the tables are turned against the NCPO, it's unlikely to be in the near future.

Of course, the red shirts are in disarray. But their muted response to the coup could be deceptive. Flexible yet determined, the red shirts have been a real political force - and they always will be. But their relationship with the Shinawatras must have reached another crossroads. You can say the Shinawatras and their crumbling political apparatus can no longer motivate the red shirts, or you can say the red shirts can no longer motivate themselves to fight for the Shinawatras. Either way, it has become extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Thaksin and Co to plot their return to power through the grass-roots movement.

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-- The Nation 2014-06-04

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EC says there are no political parties in Thailand now

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BANGKOK: -- Thailand is currently without a single political party because the political party act has already been automatically scrapped through the suspension of the Constitution by the military junta, according to Election Commissioner Mr Somchai Srisutthiyakorn.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/731545-ec-says-there-are-no-political-parties-in-thailand-now/

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BURNING ISSUE
Life as a 'guest detainee' of the military
Pravit Rojanaphruk

Why did the Thai military junta keep us as their "guest detainees" for up to a week without charges?

BANGKOK: -- Is it about intimidation, punishment, a show of power, a psychological ploy, a mere warning - or all of the above?

One Army colonel at the military camp in Ratchaburi province, where a dozen of us ended up under military detention, said it was like handing us a football yellow card but not yet a red card. His boss, the camp's commander, who holds the rank of major-general and who called us "older brothers", said we should think of the "stay" as a sort of "vacation". Most of us couldn't fail to see who was the real "Big Brother", as we were being observed, our phones taken away and not knowing when we might be able to leave, if at all.

They treated our group, which included two former deputy prime ministers, the leader of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy, Sondhi Limthongkul, the legal adviser to former premier Yingluck Shinawatra, red-shirt leaders, myself and others with respect and politeness. Make no mistake, it was like being in a surreal Big Brother Reality Show where, instead of voters making the call, it was the military junta calling the shots. Most of us simply wanted to get the hell out of the camp as soon as we could instead of being the last man held.

I had the "honour" of being the only detainee at the camp to have stayed alone for eight hours the day before I was released. In the period of six days at the camp, some cried, some cracked, while many others begged to be released as soon as possible.

Not that the food or the conditions were particularly bad - in fact it was much better than I had expected and the major-general as well as his five deputies, mostly holding the rank of colonel, were all very friendly. We had air-conditioning in our bedrooms. We could walk around the camp. We even played a friendly football match against our "captors' on one afternoon where I, as a goalkeeper, failed to prevent our opponents from scoring four goals.

All the niceties and friendly exchanges during meal times - at breakfast, lunch and dinner - with these senior Army officers couldn't cover up the fact that we were being kept as political detainees with no habeas corpus. One detainee, an academic, tried to laugh things off but his laugher sounded more hollow and fearful as the days passed.

Some were "interrogated" in Bangkok a few times. Two fellow detainees faced a seven-persons-to-one interrogation. I was lucky to have not been interrogated, but all of us had to sign an agreement that we would not join, lead or aid anti-coup protests.

I was released on Saturday, but some 26 hours later I received a call from one unnamed colonel who asked me to stop tweeting and criticising the junta, now calling itself the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO). He said the generals wanted a period of time free from my criticism.

Then another colonel, this time from the camp where I was detained, rang me up a few minutes after telling me frankly that I was being monitored. Big Brother is watching me.

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-- The Nation 2014-06-04

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The 'right man' tasked with reconciliation
The Nation

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Lt-General Kampanart

BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order has put "the right man on the right job" by appointing Lt-General Kampanart Ruddith, an assistant army chief of staff, to head the new Reconciliation Centre for Reforms (RCR), observers say.

The RCR is tasked with the key mission of "dissolving political colours" in order to bring about national unity and reconciliation, a major reason for the NCPO seizing power.

Kampanart graduated from the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School or Pre-Cadet Class 16 and the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Class 27. He was awarded the best personality student.

Being in the powerful "Wong Thewan" group, he rose through the ranks and possessed a good track record.

He served as commander of the 31st Infantry Regiment (King's Guard) that directly reports to the 1st Division (King's Guard). He headed the Narathiwat special Task Force before assuming the post of commissioner of the 1st Division, which played an important role in crowd-control operations during red-shirt protests.

He was later promoted to become the First Army Region deputy commander and assistant Army chief of staff, respectively.

Even though he has been in charge of the war units through his military career, his strength lies in his ability to work with the masses and provide public service, which is regarded as important for psychological operations in any modern war. At the same time he is decisive and bold.

Kampanart's ability will be put to the test because the mission of dissolving political colours will not be easy, as the country has been hit by a deep political divide for more than a decade now.

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-- The Nation 2014-06-04

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Low-cost airline Nok Air has received approval from the telecom regulator to offer in-flight broadband connectivity and voice calls for passengers. /Bangkok Post



Phuket, Samui, Pattaya crowded with tourists on first night that curfew is lifted; more visitors are expected /MCOT


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Forces in pursuit of insurgents who murdered volunteer rangers in Pattani

PATTANI, 4 June 2014, (NNT) - A combined security force was dispatched across the Saiburi District of Pattani after two volunteer Army rangers were shot dead by a group of unidentified perpetrators as the two were riding motorcycles to patrol the Narathiwat-Pattani Route.

Officials conducted searches of residences in the district within a 1 km radius from where the shootings took place, while also contacting various medical facilities in the area to be on the look out for the suspects as they were reportedly wounded in the assault.

Several rangers patrolled various routes in Kapho District and discovered a couple of 3 meter deep holes on Tungyangdaeng - Saiburi Road. Authorities suspects separatists were behind the earth works, reckoning that the holes were to be used by separatists to conceal bombs.

Meanwhile in Yala, officials reported a man killed in his home in Bunnungsata District. They suspected the incident was an attempt by insurgents to intimidate the local people but did not rule out a personal conflict as the cause of his death.

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-- NNT 2014-06-04 footer_n.gif

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Motorists urged to avoid Phetchburi Road following major accident

BANGKOK: -- Police on Wednesday recommend motorists avoid motorists to avoid Phetchburi road after a trailer truck get stuck a pedestrian flyover.

The flyover was so damaged and has to be removed, the procedure will take about three hours. The accident worsened the heavily-congested traffic on the road and nearby.

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-- The Nation 2014-06-04

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Early Wed. rain storm fell 20 electricity poles along outbound side of Bang Na-Trat expressway at 29th-31st km. mark section /The Nation


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