PM Prayut wants space at Wat Phra Kaew for Thais to conduct religious activities

[webfact]

PM wants space at Wat Phra Kaew for Thais to conduct religious activities

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Sports and Tourism has been told by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to set a new order at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew so that there will be a space for Thais to conduct religious activities and space for tourists to tour the famous temple, said Colonel Athisit Chainuwat, assistant government spokesman on Tuesday.

 

The prime minister also expressed concern over the possible impacts from the recent crackdown on zero-dollar tour operators and associates and wanted the Ministry of Sports and Tourism to find out whether the crackdown had impacted on tourism promotion plan as a whole, he added.

 

Colonel Athisit went on saying that the prime minister wanted the ministry to investigate a report, claiming that some Chinese tourists had done something improper at Wat Phra Kaew.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-wants-space-wat-phra-kaew-thais-conduct-religious-activities/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-09-14

[Thechook]

What has the operations of temples got to do with the sports and tourism ministry.  Wouldn't they be better off concentrating on sports and organising more pokemons to be released.

[PatOngo]

Who better than the sports and tourism minister. She has an alleged track record for luring tourists in staggering numbers, let's see her weave her magic on religious activity.

[NongKhaiKid]

So what happens if some religious activities are underway and a herd of tourists arrive, starting taking pictures and making noise etc ?

Bound to be complaints about foreigners bad behaviour.

 

[debate101]

Must... stick.... nose... into...... everything... EVERYTHING

[jamesbrock]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The prime minister also expressed concern over the possible impacts from the recent crackdown on zero-dollar tour operators and associates and wanted the Ministry of Sports and Tourism to find out whether the crackdown had impacted on tourism promotion plan as a whole

 

• AMLO seize ... 13.2 billion baht assets from zero-dollar tour operators - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/942102-amlo-seize-7-billion-baht-assets-from-siam-indica-and-co-and-132-billion-baht-assets-from-zero-dollar-tour-operators/

• Illegal Chinese tour guides face extended "stay" in Thailand - could be five years - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/942302-illegal-chinese-tour-guides-face-extended-stay-in-thailand-could-be-five-years/

It's a bit late to "express concern" don't you think?

 

Perhaps one should have asked the Ministry of Sports and Tourism to find out whether the seizing of 13.2 billion baht is assets and imprisoning tour guides for 5 years would possibly impact tourism promotion plan as a whole before actually doing it?

Edited September 13, 2016 by jamesbrock

[NongKhaiKid]

2 minutes ago, jamesbrock said:

 

• AMLO seize ... 13.2 billion baht assets from zero-dollar tour operators - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/942102-amlo-seize-7-billion-baht-assets-from-siam-indica-and-co-and-132-billion-baht-assets-from-zero-dollar-tour-operators/

• Illegal Chinese tour guides face extended "stay" in Thailand - could be five years - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/942302-illegal-chinese-tour-guides-face-extended-stay-in-thailand-could-be-five-years/

It's a bit late to "express concern" don't you think?

 

Perhaps one should have asked the Ministry of Sports and Tourism to find out whether the seizing of 13.2 billion baht is assets and imprisoning tour guides for 5 years would possibly impact tourism promotion plan as a whole before actually doing it?

Thinking things through first isn't a particular trait here.

[Brer Fox]

3 hours ago, debate101 said:

Must... stick.... nose... into...... everything... EVERYTHING

Everything except matters that might offend his rich fat cat friends.

[daveAustin]

Wat Phra Kaew? Get the dogs and drugs off the streets, mucker. Far more pressing!

[ratcatcher]

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

What has the operations of temples got to do with the sports and tourism ministry.  Wouldn't they be better off concentrating on sports and organising more pokemons to be released.

"What has the operations of temples got to do with the sports and tourism ministry. "  ??

In this case, everything. Wat Phra Kaew also known as The Temple of The Emerald Buddha in the grounds of The Grand Palace is probably one of the most visited tourist attractions in Thailand aka The Magic Kingdom. Its images are world famous and magical in appearnce.

It is a huge money magnet, visited by  thousands of tourists every day. Prayer and meditation are the least important aspects and thusly need to be relegated to a quiet corner away from the hordes of clicking, chattering tourists.

Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Notre Dame & St.Peter's Rome are similar cases, except these countries probably already have quiet areas cordoned off from tourists where the faithful can be at peace.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2016 by ratcatcher
details

[soalbundy]

How much room do they need to play cards

[GeorgeCross]

"The Ministry of Sports and Tourism has been told by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to set a new order at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew so that there will be a space for Thais to conduct religious activities"

 

all thais are buddhist therefore all buddhists must be thai 

[gandalf12]

I guess there is not enough temples in Thailand for all the religious people.

[halloween]

5 hours ago, jamesbrock said:

 

• AMLO seize ... 13.2 billion baht assets from zero-dollar tour operators - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/942102-amlo-seize-7-billion-baht-assets-from-siam-indica-and-co-and-132-billion-baht-assets-from-zero-dollar-tour-operators/

• Illegal Chinese tour guides face extended "stay" in Thailand - could be five years - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/942302-illegal-chinese-tour-guides-face-extended-stay-in-thailand-could-be-five-years/

It's a bit late to "express concern" don't you think?

 

Perhaps one should have asked the Ministry of Sports and Tourism to find out whether the seizing of 13.2 billion baht is assets and imprisoning tour guides for 5 years would possibly impact tourism promotion plan as a whole before actually doing it?

 

PTP are no longer in power. Under the current government, laws are enforced even if they affect cash flow. Some see that as an improvement.

[NongKhaiKid]

17 minutes ago, halloween said:

 

PTP are no longer in power. Under the current government, laws are enforced even if they affect cash flow. Some see that as an improvement.

Laws are enforced ?

Well some are and selectively at that depending on who is involved.

[whatproblem]

1 hour ago, GeorgeCross said:

"The Ministry of Sports and Tourism has been told by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to set a new order at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew so that there will be a space for Thais to conduct religious activities"

 

all thais are buddhist therefore all buddhists must be thai 

The only time Thais are Buddhist is when in the temple

[jamesbrock]

46 minutes ago, halloween said:

PTP are no longer in power.

 

Pointless and utterly irrelevant comment in response to my post.

 

46 minutes ago, halloween said:

Under the current government, laws are enforced even if they affect cash flow. Some see that as an improvement.

 

 

My point is not that (some) laws are being (occasionally) enforced, nor the laws in question being enforced, but the PM expressing concern over the possible impacts from the laws being enforced after seizing of 13.2 billion baht is assets and imprisoning tour guides for 5 years. Some see that as shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

[BlindMagician]

Meddling, micro-managing, no delegation.

No boundaries between roles, job descriptions.

State, religion, military, judiciary.

Cabinet meetings full of endless head bobbing and neck pain.

Crack pot hichahorhip.

[Wilsonandson]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7u1cpDiI3A&app=desktop

The PM wanted the Ministry of Sports and Tourism to find out whether the crackdown had impacted on tourism promotion plan as a whole, he added.

 

Colonel Athisit went on saying that the prime minister wanted the ministry to investigate a report, claiming that some Chinese tourists had done something improper at Wat Phra Kaew.

[ratcatcher]

3 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

"The Ministry of Sports and Tourism has been told by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to set a new order at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew so that there will be a space for Thais to conduct religious activities"

 

all thais are buddhist therefore all buddhists must be thai 

Except those that follow Islam and the handful of Christians.

[silent]

6 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Thinking things through first isn't a particular trait here.

 

Are you saying he should worry more about replacing a worn knee than another brainstorming group of cabinet Ministers?

[longtom]

It's a pitty they never consider the non-Thai Buddhists (like me), maybe the would even charge the Dalai Lama for visiting Wat Phra Keow. 

 

On the other hand, the same happens the whole world over. Always tricky when a national 'religous' site is also a tourist attraction. Cordoning off a part for 'real' worshipers seems to be the best solution. 

[NongKhaiKid]

1 hour ago, BlindMagician said:

Meddling, micro-managing, no delegation.

No boundaries between roles, job descriptions.

State, religion, military, judiciary.

Cabinet meetings full of endless head bobbing and neck pain.

Crack pot hichahorhip.

Selectively micro-managing but when there'a major issue such as the farce involving a certain monk making a mockery of the law it's a giant pace to the rear and an announcement the PM will not interfere and will leave it to the appropriate agencies to do their job.

Haven't seen or heard anything about the so called investigation for a while now.

[halloween]

1 hour ago, jamesbrock said:

 

Pointless and utterly irrelevant comment in response to my post.

 

 

 

My point is not that (some) laws are being (occasionally) enforced, nor the laws in question being enforced, but the PM expressing concern over the possible impacts from the laws being enforced after seizing of 13.2 billion baht is assets and imprisoning tour guides for 5 years. Some see that as shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

Pointless and utterly irrelevant to comment on your link, which included PTP carrying out "business as usual" enriching themselves at the expense of the Thai people? Perhaps you don't see the contrast of one government enforcing the law even if there is a cost, and the prior breaking the law with their corrupt scams.

The PM has every right to express concern over the  possible loss of tourism, and no right to condone illegal activity, even if it makes some people richer.

 

[halloween]

2 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Laws are enforced ?

Well some are and selectively at that depending on who is involved.

As I said, some see that as an improvement - over minimal enforcement  and active participation in illegal activity.

[jamesbrock]

36 minutes ago, halloween said:

Pointless and utterly irrelevant to comment on your link, which included PTP carrying out "business as usual" enriching themselves at the expense of the Thai people? Perhaps you don't see the contrast of one government enforcing the law even if there is a cost, and the prior breaking the law with their corrupt scams.

The PM has every right to express concern over the  possible loss of tourism, and no right to condone illegal activity, even if it makes some people richer.

 

Again, my comment was purely in response to the PM expressing concern over the possible impacts from the "zero-dollar" laws being enforced after seizing of 13.2 billion baht is assets and imprisoning tour guides for 5 years, and how stupid that lack of foresight appears.

 

It was not a comment on the enforcing of the laws themselves, positive or otherwise, and I was certainly not making any comment on the PTP - which just happened to be a part of the story I linked to, but in no way related to the point I was making.

 

That you failed to comprehend that the PTP was not not even a part of the point I was making—even though I removed the irrelevant reference to the PTP in the title of the article, as that was not the point I was making—but felt the need to mention them speaks volumes.

[halloween]

1 hour ago, jamesbrock said:

 

Again, my comment was purely in response to the PM expressing concern over the possible impacts from the "zero-dollar" laws being enforced after seizing of 13.2 billion baht is assets and imprisoning tour guides for 5 years, and how stupid that lack of foresight appears.

 

It was not a comment on the enforcing of the laws themselves, positive or otherwise, and I was certainly not making any comment on the PTP - which just happened to be a part of the story I linked to, but in no way related to the point I was making.

 

That you failed to comprehend that the PTP was not not even a part of the point I was making—even though I removed the irrelevant reference to the PTP in the title of the article, as that was not the point I was making—but felt the need to mention them speaks volumes.

And as I pointed out, his foresight or lack of it, is totally irrelevant, unless you want to take a cheap shot. He has NO right to stop prosecution of criminals because of the financial cost.

And the contrast to the previous government, who decide the law was theirs to ignore or break, is quite relevant.

[jamesbrock]

19 minutes ago, halloween said:

And as I pointed out, his foresight or lack of it, is totally irrelevant, unless you want to take a cheap shot. He has NO right to stop prosecution of criminals because of the financial cost.

And the contrast to the previous government, who decide the law was theirs to ignore or break, is quite relevant.

 

Oh for crying out loud. It was a cheap shot, a cheap shot specifically at his lack of foresight - what part of that didn't you get?

 

For you to ignore/not comprehend that, then dig out an irrelevant part of a link—that had zero to do with my cheap shot at the PM's lack of foresight—and spend the next few posts repeating the relevance of an argument—whether I agree with it or not—that has zero to do with my original cheap shot at the PM's lack of foresight beggars belief!

 

For the umpteenth time, I feel the same about the previous criminal dynasty as I do for the current one; in my opinion they are just as bad as each other - but there are many reasons why I dislike the current mob more.

[Kasset Tak]

Wat Yai in Phitsanulok has a sign saying "Entrance fee 40 Baht" in English but I have never payed that. The day they tell me that I as a foreigner must pay then I will tell them to go to hell because over the years I have spent more money there than most Thais visitors!

 

I have been tho Wat Phra Kaew once and payed the 500 Baht entrance fee. I had to pay even though I was there as a Teacher on field trip with 200 of my students but the guide just said "Farang is farang, must pay!". So I said never again and even the school district said that the schools should avoid Wat Phra Kaew after that!