Royal Decree Sets Oct 15 Election Date

[Ricardo]

PM calls for a meeting to brainstrom on proactive diplomatic plans

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called a meeting with several Cabinet members to brainstorm ideas for issuing a proactive diplomatic strategy, so a policy would be laid out for Thailand to catch up with foreign countries.

The premier chaired the meeting with Foreign Affairs officers, Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai (สุรเกียรติ์ เสถียรไทย), Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva (สุรนันทน์ เวชชาชีวะ), the Secretary-General to the Prime Minister, Dr. Prommin Lertsuridej (พรหมมินทร์ เลิศสุริย์เดช). He said that the government has implemented this project to analyze global trends for five years.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 11 August 2006

I thought this was an interesting, if slightly vague, news-flash.

In what way would the acting caretaker PM consider that, during the past 5 years of his goverment, Thailand had fallen behind or failed already to catch up with certain other un-named foreign countries ? Which countries does he have in mind ?

Which acting-caretaker ministers did he hold responsible for these mistakes, and what action would he plan to take against them, if they're not performing their duties adequately ?

At what point would he accept personal responsibility for his government's failures, and resign his acting caretaker PM role, I wonder ?

[Ricardo]

TRT fears independent media will cost it votes

A Thai Rak Thai executive has expressed concern to party-list candidates that the wider reach of independent broadcast media will cause the party to lose support in rural areas in the Oct 15 election. TRT party executive Veera Musikaphong said Thai Rak Thai was at a disadvantage because opponents, notably publisher Sondhi L. and the PAD, had succeeded in communicating with voters via their cable TV network and community radios. Because a wider audience had access to broadcast media critical of the government, the party needed to adjust campaigning strategies, and would need help from list candidates to campaign in rural areas, Mr Veera added.

''Those who attended the meeting believe that stronger criticism has been communicated via certain media outlets,'' said the source. They pointed to ASTV, run by Mr Sondhi's media group, and the many community radio stations across the country as the main concerns because they are free from state control. Mr Sondhi has broadcast his Thailand Weekly show on ASTV after it was removed from state-run Channel 9. Critics and media freedom advocates have criticised Mr Thaksin for interfering with media outlets, especially for strictly controlling broadcasting, since he came to power five years ago.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/12Aug2006_news12.php

This really is a damning admission, by a TRT party executive, that the media has been controlled in the past, and that this had favoured their government.

Not that any of this will come as a surprise to TV members, given past threads, on the subject.

IMHO it fully justifies the campaign by the PAD to protest the direction in which the acting caretaker PM has been leading the country.

Surely even the most fervent believer, in the priciple of accepting the results of democratic elections, must now agree that a special situation exists, and has done for some time now, here in Thailand ? I hope for example that the journos at 'The Economist' would accept that some of their reporting earlier this year was mistaken.

[Thaising]

PM calls for a meeting to brainstrom on proactive diplomatic plans

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called a meeting with several Cabinet members to brainstorm ideas for issuing a proactive diplomatic strategy, so a policy would be laid out for Thailand to catch up with foreign countries.

The premier chaired the meeting with Foreign Affairs officers, Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai (สุรเกียรติ์ เสถียรไทย), Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva (สุรนันทน์ เวชชาชีวะ), the Secretary-General to the Prime Minister, Dr. Prommin Lertsuridej (พรหมมินทร์ เลิศสุริย์เดช). He said that the government has implemented this project to analyze global trends for five years.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 11 August 2006

I thought this was an interesting, if slightly vague, news-flash.

In what way would the acting caretaker PM consider that, during the past 5 years of his goverment, Thailand had fallen behind or failed already to catch up with certain other un-named foreign countries ? Which countries does he have in mind ?

Which acting-caretaker ministers did he hold responsible for these mistakes, and what action would he plan to take against them, if they're not performing their duties adequately ?

At what point would he accept personal responsibility for his government's failures, and resign his acting caretaker PM role, I wonder ?

No ways will the caretaker, ministers, and government admitted their past mistakes. These would only make their party look bad in the eyes of the rural electorate.

[Ricardo]

No ways will the caretaker, ministers, and government admitted their past mistakes. These would only make their party look bad in the eyes of the rural electorate.

Agreed, if they ever hear about it, which of course is why it is so important to TRT and the acting caretaker government, to maintain as tight a control of the media as possible.

Stand by for more 1 billion Baht law-suits against Sondhi, the Bangkok Post, and anybody else who speaks up with a differing point-of-view.

[John K]

Well if it is his mouth that will bring him down, he said again today on his radio program about the smart and educated people. His actions appear to be becoming more and more irrational and lacking the concept of reality. Right now it seems to be “If I hit it hard enough it will go my way.” Then there is more crying about the press not treating him fairly.

Thaksin blasts media, Bangkokians

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called on newspapers to stop twisting his words and trying to make him look bad ahead of a general election in October.

"I don't mind if they don't praise me but please be fair. Newspapers don't bother to check if something is true or not, they just print the most hurtful things," he said.

Thaksin is fighting for political survival after an April 2 election was boycotted by the main opposition parties and later annulled by the Constitutional Court.

Many middle-class Thais and their newspapers have become vigorously disenchanted by what they consider as 'hot air' government run for the benefit of privileged entrepreneurs. Yet Thaksin's populist policies and optimistic rhetoric still dazzle rural villagers who gave him 14 million votes in April's lop-sided election.

The prime minister is highly irritated by the hostility of the chattering classes who he claims never give him credit for his achievements. He noted that Thailand Gross Domestic Product has grown by approximately 50 per cent since he swept to power in early 2001.

"Bangkok people just don't try to understand me. They will swallow what my critics say without asking themselves if it is fair or not," said over the radio.

Although Thaksin has yet to confirm that he will run in October's election, he appears increasingly to be in campaign mode, making frequent tours of his rural heartland and headline grabbing visits to neighbouring countries.

A key opposition group demanded on Friday that the prime minister's weekly radio show be axed as a mere propaganda vehicle for one individual. The People's Alliance for Democracy, which earlier organized important anti-government street protests, said the show was divisive and an abuse of office.

Thaksin usually tries to portray himself as a humble man doing useful work for deserving citizens and his favourite topic is talking about the good he does for the ordinary people he meets on his tours of the provinces.

http://www.bangkokpost.net/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=112161

[John K]

There are some more comparisons here to events in history. Thaksin seems to now be lashing out at everyone and his actions are anything but subtle. If you go back about a year the things Thaksin did were more or less hidden from public view. Now it seems he simply does not care to hide it anymore. He lacks any and all grace of a politician and has no indication of who works for who. That is not to mention he still has not answered any questions.

[sriracha john]

Suranand Vejjajiva

Suranand 'might quit TRT after poll'

Caretaker PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva hinted yesterday that he might leave the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party after all, but only after the October 15 general election

"I have explained to the prime minister that I'm still working [with him] and will be working until the last day by helping the party until the election," he said.

"After that, my role will depend on the party and the situation, including my convictions, because it's through idealism that I work. If I'm still in agreement with the ideology [of the party], then I am ready to help. If the ideology and mode of thinking do not match, then some consultation is needed."

Suranand reiterated that his future would still be in politics, irrespective of which party he belonged to or whether he remained an MP.

He said he could also see himself playing a role in a non-government organisation or the media. In the meantime, he will do his best to work for Thai Rak Thai, he added.

The Nation

[Martin]

"Thaksin usually tries to portray himself as a humble man doing useful work for deserving citizens and his favourite topic is talking about the good he does for the ordinary people he meets on his tours of the provinces."

I find it difficult to see things without a great big western-centric bias, since I had all my youthful brain-washing done to me by western-centric teachers etc in the West.

But, on this point, I think that West does meet East. The heart of government should always be "doing useful work for ordinary citizens". And those ordinary citizens who are voters can be expected to make this the criterion by which they judge an outgoing government and decide whether to put it back in again.

Churchill spelt this out, when he said (as near as I can remember): "At a General Election, the electorate looks at the state of trade and employment to decide their view of whether to continue a party in office".

I have been unable to accept the view of those on this thread who think that Thaksin is stupid. Although I cannot see things from a Thai standpoint (neither rural Thai nor urban Thai), it just didn't add up to me that a stupid man could get to be owner-CEO of Shin and to be PM.

I think that I am now seeing Thaksin as a businessman-cum-politician who has a good grasp of the realities of Thailand, as it was, and as it is now in this time of 'jockeying-for-position', and how the various Thai power groupings may well react when the unmentionable happens.

I don't think that Thaksin deserves approval for all his actions (though the ones that I disapprove of don't seem to be considered terribly bad by the majority of the Thai electorate), but I am beginning to think that Thaksin may well be asked by Thailand to lead its government again.

[John K]

Martin, I for one don’t think Thaksin is stupid. My feelings first were indicated when I started the Thaksin Returns Thread that you can’t trust his word and because of that I lost all respect for him. Now last week he insulted me and every other educated person going past if they could vote in Thailand or not.

My feeling in a nut shell I am pro Democracy. I may not agree with who is in office but at least they should behave in a democratic way and not as a dictator. My activity in threads of political nature is simply because I now live in Thailand and I want to live in a democratic society. I am hopeful that some influential democratic Thais will read these threads and get some ideas and concepts on ways to restore democracy. Thai politics is not my concern as long as it remains democratic.

Thaksin is a good businessman but he was unable to separate that part of him to become a politician. Politics is a complex game of give and take. Thaksin can only take because that is the job of a CEO to grow a company by inflow of cash. Unfortunately Thaksin has taken perks seeing them as rewards for successfully landing a project. Also CEOs don’t negotiate with their subordinates, they dictate to them. He simply sees parliament as his subordinates. That is reflected in his desire to have a single party government in last years election. In short the desire to fire the people or parties that don’t follow his orders.

I now believe he truly does not see himself as evil because he sees himself as a businessman. He has not realized that his actions are inappropriate for a PM and his arrogance together with his ego keep him from doing that.

Martin you comment that the Thais may ask Thaksin to lead again, I cant help but think that this may be the result of the poor Thai education system. There simply may not be Thais at the level needed to run the county in coming years. Passing students up even if they fail thus giving them worthless credentials when it is all done. Fortunately many if not all high paying companies test their job candidates prior to hiring them to weed out the ones with paper educations.

Edited August 13, 2006 by John K

[lukamar]

Martin you comment that the Thais may ask Thaksin to lead again, I cant help but think that this may be the result of the poor Thai education system.

Martin I agree with you..

John did it ever cross your mind that the rural people like Thaksin and that's why they vote for him and his party. Maybe if they were educated, and maybe if they were rich, and maybe if they had more information, and maybe they would vote another way, and then again maybe they would still like the guy and vote him in anyway.

[chownah]

John K wrote: "Fortunately many if not all high paying companies test their job candidates prior to hiring them to weed out the ones with paper educations."

I have never heard of this. Does anyone have any direct experience with this? Any concrete examples i.e. specific companies and what kind of testing they do?

[Ricardo]

Martin, may I add my name, to those who do not think Thaksin is stupid ?

He may be corrupt, governing for a small group of rich people (which includes himself & his family), lack in integrity (promising to give proper notice of elections then calling one at short-notice , just to save his own skin, or promising not to be PM in the next government and then starting to back-pedal on that too), and prone to say things without thinking them through first.

He may not understand that a good CEO seeks different points-of-view, before making a decision on strategy, and that he fosters & encourages free-speach and thought, rather than censoring it and suing anyone who dares to hold a different opinion. He may not understand the difference between CEO of a company and PM of a democratic country.

But nobody would call stupid the man who saw the potential for, and then delivered, a dominant broad-alliance ('conglomerate' in business-terms ?) political-party, which can control politics here for a long time to come.

I just wish he had the humility & good sense displayed by his boss.

[Martin]

To 'lukamar' and 'Ricardo': thank you for the support.

I have been thinking over what 'john K' posted about what he calls 'the result of the poor Thai education system'.

Personally, I would prefer to use the phrase "the Thai schooling system, as it has been, and is at present". And it has struck me that Thaksin Shinawatra may well have an excellent grasp of this, and, for this and several other reasons, be more able than his political opponents in getting to the leadership position, and being returned to it again.

As I have said before, my western-centric schooling and the mindset that it 'brainwashed' me with, plus the fact that I didn't spend my formative years in Thailand's schools, means that I only see these things as if through a fog. But I have read "Thai Images" by Niels Mulder. I will quote a review that summarises it:

".........At times the writer seems to expect Thai society to adopt a Western social model.

But Mulder can also be quite expressive, and he eventually clarifies his sociological perspective with penetrating analysis. In Mulder's review of school texts, newspapers, popular fiction and the Thai government publication Thailand in the 90s, we are engaged in some of the deepest issues not only of contemporary Thai culture, but also of the field of Asian studies itself. He finds the elementary school textbooks hopelessly moralistic and repetitive. The secondary level texts do aspire to a conceptual grasp of Thai society but are simply inadequate and inconsistent, lapsing into moralism and quoting outdated American texts for legitimation. At the postsecondary level, Chiang Mai University's Reader on Thai Society and Culture comes in for praise and critical evaluation.

This author is too experienced to fall into the simple trap of ethnocentrism. Yet there are passages that leave one with a nagging doubt. Mulder's prescription for Thai society includes democratic patterns, belief in equality, rule of law, and the morally autonomous citizen (p. 175). This admittedly utopian package is a clear improvement over today's Thai society, but must Thai culture be reconstructed on a Western model with the "unassailability of the person" (p. 228; see also pp. 182, 233) as the fundamental principle? The Thai middle class follows the farang (westerners), Mulder argues (p. 175), because as a historically unique social group, they really have no viable Thai models to follow."

It may be that Thaksin Shinawatra has grasped that things have changed in recent years in that so many more voters have had that secondary schooling and are getting a little more 'conceptual grasp of Thai society", but his political opponents haven't.

In the West, there is a saying that "Politics is the art of the practical". That is something that may well be also true in the East, and it may be that the Northern upstart who is anathema to many amongst the Bangkok middle-classes has the art .

I would expect that to make him even more of an anathema to the manipulators of the bureaucratic polity, so they will be hoping that PAD succeeds in 'getting the genie back into the bottle'.

But, somehow, I don't see Thailand ever getting back to being the bureaucratic polity that it was up to a decade ago.

I think we will live in interesting times.

[lukamar]

In the West, there is a saying that "Politics is the art of the practical".

Also the quote, "Politics has a short memory." If Thaksin is reelected, and keeps his nose clean for a while, the Thai populous will slowly just write off all the fighting of the last months as so much political wrangling for position.

[John K]

Chownah, The employment test can be very subtle to very intense. Companies just don’t hire you on looks. Test can be from questions like “We have this problem...., what would you do?” “Have you ever had any problems with this?” , to a regular sit down written test mostly used for engineering applicants. If you can do the job the answers should be easy, of not they will know in a few seconds of your resume is bull. From what I have heard is companies simply don’t trust the Thai documents and with good reason. Thailand is the hub of fake documents is it not? This is not to put Thais down, it is simply a fact. If you think of your last or any job interview, why do they ask questions? Every question is part of a test to see if you can do the job. If a company is ready to cut loose some serious cash to you they will want to know if you can do the job.

Lukamar, yes to your question, I was simply trying to get a read on Martins post.

The Thai education system has become a tool of some politicians to get elected. The razzle dazzle of being educated seems to be all it takes. My Thai counterparts do a lot of hand waving that is totally unnecessary, but because the Thais know little or nothing about hypnosis and view it as magic, it works fine in placing a person in trance. I suspect that Thaksin is good at projecting an overwhelming image to the uneducated that is beyond them to figure out. To them he must appear as some superman. Logic on a simple level, he is rich, he owns a lot of companies, he must be OK for Thailand. This is the image Thaksin projects. The educated people look deeper and that is why he fears educated people hence his remarks last week.

[Plus]

That is certainly true, even Bangkokians might change their minds about Thaksin if he keeps his nose clean. But can he do it?

His latest preaching has become very very divisive, as if he's written off Bangkok and the South completely. He is not even going to check on progress of OTOP, one computer one child program, one family one cow program and what not in the South at all. He stopped even pretending he cares what's going on there.

Judging by his actions, reconciliation with his opponents is not even on his mind. Campaigning in Isan and the North will give him enough votes, but what is he going to do next? How is he going to show up in front of millions of people he called stupid? In the west some parties get a lot of support for anti-immigration policies, but campaign on "anti-half the country" platform is rather unusual.

[lukamar]

Companies just don’t hire you on looks.

That's not totally true. It is well known that companies hire and advance people with better looks over those that are perceived as not as good looking, often with less credentials as well. Companies that tout themselves as equal opportunity employers often hire minorities based on their desk position in relationship to the general public. Job interviews are often based on the interviewers rapport with the interviewee and thus the hiring practices as well. I will agree that some companies do use testing but in the end a good sense of humor and good looks will get you a long way compared to someone with the same qualifications that comes across dry and is not perceived as good looking.

[John K]

Yes I agree there is a sexual and personality element in some cases, but in general if you can’t do the job then simply you can’t have the job. One of the factors is working in proximity of the person that hired you. If a persons sexuality was a factor and that daily dose of eye candy keeps the boss happy.... Well it’s his money. That is one of the reason for the probation period at the start of employment, it is part of the testing process.

Preying on the uneducated for votes is very low. I can remember hearing about one politician in the USA accusing his opponent of being a Homosapien. That remark cost his opponent the election as many did not know that is the term for modern man. When his opponent was asked by the media are you a Homosapien, he had to answer yes. All the uneducated heard was yes and homo. Homo being slang for gay.

Another point I am trying to address is there are a lot of superstitions in Thailand, and I am sure at some level Thaksin is playing that card.

Plus good point, Thaksin is in CYOA mode and the votes are in the north. From what I gather from the posts the new EC is not looking good for Thaksin. His trip to Isaan is viewed as vote buying. A ceremony....please be realistic, if he was truly looking to see how his things were going it would have been down and dirty at farms and villages and not on some stage thumping his whatever. There is a significant difference between sales and evaluation and his trip was all sales. His remarks about the educated not liking him had nothing to do with his intended trip agenda unless he was campaigning. Then to repeat it on his Radio show... it will be difficult to prove other wise. The information he got from Isaan more than likely was from a crony who went and asked then reported back to Thaksin. That could have been done with a phone call to Bangkok. The same with the cows, He did not need to go, he was simply making a visual connection the cows come from me.

By the way what is the correct spelling for Isaan? I have seen it several ways.

[John K]

PM warned to watch his step

Tour of North will be closely monitored

SUBIN KHUENKAEW & CHEEWIN SATTHA

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today begins his controversial tour of the North, his home ground, with his opponents promising it will not all be smooth sailing. The anti-Thaksin groups, including NGOs, lecturers and off-shoots of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), are vowing to keep close tabs on him and alert the Election Commission if he breaks any electoral laws.

Mr Thaksin today heads for Chiang Mai, the first stop on his four-day tour which will also take him to Chiang Rai, Tak, Phitsanulok and Uttaradit.

He visited the Northeast, a stronghold of his Thai Rak Thai party, last week to follow up on the progress of state projects while side-stepping his opponents.

In the North, his opponents are singling out projects he initiated which they feel are politically motivated and counter-productive to local development.

At the eye of the storm is the construction of 20km flood walls along both sides of the Ping river, Chiang Mai's primary waterway.

The levees, thought up by Mr Thaksin during his previous mobile cabinet meeting there, are among the budget-intensive projects sprouting up in Chiang Mai which critics say are designed to bolster Thai Rak Thai's popularity in the province. Chiang Mai city mayor Boonlert Buranakaporn said the flood walls will reinforce areas along the river which are prone to flooding. The city has also evicted people encroaching on the river to improve its flow. He said the project will keep the city dry and said most people support it.

Critics of the scheme cite an in-depth study which indicates that flood water would be pushed to unprotected parts of the province, worsening the flooding there.

Instead of building the walls, the groups say, flood problems could be solved by extensive dredging of the river and an improved drainage system for the city.

The Paki Khon Rak Chiang Mai (Love Chiang Mai Stakeholders) group, made up of local residents, community leaders and academics, plans to present its flood-alleviation proposals to the prime minister.

Mr Thaksin will be briefed on the construction of the flood walls and take a look at the site, where banners with messages criticising him have been erected.

Local branches of the PAD and the Chiang Mai People's Network have warned Mr Thaksin to watch his step.

Suriyant Thongnoo-iad of the Alliance for Political Reform said members will follow Mr Thaksin everywhere he goes.

They will collect evidence which may be used against the prime minister if he breaks the election laws.

Mr Thaksin is accused of using the tour to campaign for votes in the build-up to the Oct 15 general election.

Any evidence suggesting that Mr Thaksin abused his authority by wooing voters will be presented to the new election commissioners, who are to be selected by the Senate tomorrow.

Mr Suriyant said his alliance and other civic networks appealed to the more than 200,000 Chiang Mai voters who cast no-vote ballots in the April 2 general election to help keep a watch on Mr Thaksin.

They are asked to help by taking photos of any state officials ''herded'' to greet Mr Thaksin, or made to help vote-canvassing ploys of any kind.

Any activities which constitute a misuse of state funds during Mr Thaksin's tour should be captured on camera, Mr Suriyant said. ''Every piece of evidence will be collated to prepare a criminal case [against Mr Thaksin],'' he said.

The Democrat party said it will also be watching Mr Thaksin.

The alliance and its partners in the lower North will converge in Phitsanulok on Wednesday to jointly denounce ''Thaksinocracy''.

Nittaya Krakan, coordinator of the People's Network in the Lower North, said Mr Thaksin is clearly out to gain the political upper hand while pretending to be working.

PM's secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej said Mr Thaksin will look at flood prevention in Chiang Mai and observe preparations for the Royal Flora Ratchapruek 2006 exhibition. He will later travel to Chiang Rai to monitor progress in drug eradication. His next stops will be Tak, Phitsanulok and Uttaradit, where he will see how flood prevention programmes are being implemented.

http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/14Aug2006_news01.php

[Jai Dee]

The Democrat Party accuses the government of trying to use the opening of Suvarnabhumi airport for its own political interest

The Democrat Party alleges that the government is rushing to open Suvarnabhumi Airport for its own political interest.

Democrat Deputy Spokesman Sathit Pitutecha (สาธิต ปิตุเตชะ) said the airport is not yet ready for commercial services but the government wanted it opened to enable contractors to disburse their construction payments and get their guarantee money back.

Mr. Sathit said the money allegedly would be handed to some powerful politicians for use in election campaigning.

He has demanded Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra explain clearly why the airport has to be opened when some key systems have not yet been ready.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 14 August 2006

[John K]

Well with the recent events in the UK, I think most people would frown on early opening particularly if it is safety related. We will see.

[Jai Dee]

Veteran politician Sanoh Thienthong wants the election postponed to December 10th

Royal People Party Leader Sanoh Thienthong (เสนาะ เทียนทอง) suggests the general election be postponed from October 15th to December 10th.

Mr. Sanoh said the postponement will give the interim Senate enough time to check backgrounds of all 10 nominees for five seats on the Election Commission (EC) to ensure they have no political ties.

Mr. Sanoh said it is no use going to vote on October 15th as long as the transparency of the election still can not be guaranteed.

He said the new poll commissioners, to be appointed this month, should have a few more months to work to ensure the election is clean and fair so it will be better if the poll is re-scheduled for December 10th.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 14 August 2006

[chownah]

John K wrote: "..........a regular sit down written test mostly used for engineering applicants......"

I am a licensed engineer and have never heard of an engineering applicant being given a "regular sit down written test" as part of the job application process. Has anyone else heard of this and can you give examples of companies that do this and the type of tests they use?

Chownah

[Jai Dee]

John K wrote: "..........a regular sit down written test mostly used for engineering applicants......"

I am a licensed engineer and have never heard of an engineering applicant being given a "regular sit down written test" as part of the job application process. Has anyone else heard of this and can you give examples of companies that do this and the type of tests they use?

Chownah

Our company does this with every engineering applicant.

Our business is in the Oil & Gas sector.

Off topic I know... maybe this subject could be taken up in a separate thread in the General Forum?

Edited August 14, 2006 by Jai Dee

[slimdog]

Well with the recent events in the UK, I think most people would frown on early opening particularly if it is safety related. We will see.

Whilst I understand your point; one of the main findings over the past few days has been that the reliance of x-ray machines to stop terrorist attacks is not sufficient and needs to be urgently re-thought.

One of the few airports in the world which has bomb detecting capabilities is the new Suvarnbhumi Airport, with their much talked about (mostly surrounding corruption) CTX systems.

At the moment I would say they are currently worth their weight in gold...

[sriracha john]

Are the CTX scanners capable of detecting the liquid explosives that were apparently going to be used in the UK bombings?

[John K]

Yes not to get off topic, but it unfortunate that many Thais thinking that they have a sufficient education to secure a job, discover otherwise by hitting this wall. The Thais that truly study in school will prosper. In other threads it was suggested that the no fail policy is because of costs. Thaksin and others like him fear the educated as we are seeing. So is the no fail policy really a tool to keep the uneducated that way so elections can be won? The temptation is very great for young Thais to bust their bottom and get a passing grade or do nothing and get a passing grade.

I hope that brings it back on topic.

Slimdog, the airport has several issues that include marking high objects in the flight paths. As far as x-ray machines, I don’t know the full details but I think this should be in another thread. The issue of corruption is driving the early open date according to the news release and I responded to that. I agree there is a bit of an overlap. If corruption is putting the innocent travelers in unnecessary danger by using the new airport prematurely, then it should not open. I suspect several airlines would agree with this.

[Jai Dee]

Prime Minister Thaksin is currently in Chiang Mai.

News of his trip can be found in this thread.

[Tony Clifton]

PM warned to watch his step

Tour of North will be closely monitored

He can be compared to a drunk when it comes to his "sense of political balance". Watch him trip and fall on his face numerous times.

[Jai Dee]

Mr. Banharn: the polling date should not be postponed

Chart Thai Party leader Banharn Silpa-archa (บรรหาร ศิลปอาชา) noted that the October 15th poll should not be postponed as he believes that selection of new election commissioners can be completed on time.

He said that he disagrees if the new polling date is to be postponed. He added that the last five of new election commissioners will be selected on August 16th, and then, the names will be endorsed to His Majesty the King. The new election commissioners can start their role on August 21st or 22nd which is on time before new poll opens.

He also views that new EC should invite the provincial judicial system to observe the new poll so that illegal activities will not occur. He said that if the new poll can go smoothly, Thailand will be able to gain confidence from foreign investors again.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 14 August 2006