News from Thailand – February 11

The gala dinner in honor of the Froc staff has angered the victims of the floods, because the Froc was not that successful. It did not warn residents in time that water was approaching and it failed to coordinate measures. Many victims have not yet received the promised compensation of 5.000 baht and compensation for repairs.

"I can't understand why the government wants to flaunt its own failures in fighting the floods," said a resident of Don Muang, whose home was flooded for weeks in October and November.

On Friday evening, the government hosted a gala dinner for the staff of the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), the government's crisis center during last year's floods. The five hundred guests feasted on smoked salmon and wine and were treated to performances by two orchestras. Before the start of the dinner, about a hundred people demonstrated against the gala, which cost 10 million baht.

- King Bhumibol donated 10 million baht to 50 schools in 10 central provinces that were flooded last year. The amount that the king donates is equal to the amount that the gala dinner in honor of the Froc employees cost. That can hardly be a coincidence. Each school receives 200.000 baht. In the past, the king has already warned against the construction of industrial estates in areas that traditionally served as flood storage areas. Last year, seven industrial sites were flooded.

– The water level in the Lop Buri river in Bang Pahan district (Ayutthaya) rose by a meter yesterday after large amounts of water flowed into the river from the Chao Praya. The water level of the Chao Praya had risen sharply in recent days due to additional discharges from the Bhumibol and Sirikit reservoirs, forcing the Royal Irrigation Department to push water into the Lop Buri. [The message does not say how.] The Lop Buri easily handled the extra water.

- Because it's 5 star hotels Aetas Bangkok in Soi Suam Rudi was built in violation of building regulations, the demolition hammer has to hit it. The Bangkok City Council has instructed the Pathumwan District Office to order the owners to demolish the hotel, which is located on one of Bangkok's five most expensive streets. But it will take years before the time has come and all appeal procedures have been completed.

On Thursday, the Administrative Court ruled that the hotel is too large and too high for the road on which it stands. According to the Building Control Act (1979), the road must be wider than 10 meters, but Soi Suam Rudi is narrower. In 2008, local residents brought the case before the court. They accuse the then governor and district chief of issuing a certificate exaggerating the width of the street.

– What was Prime Minister Yingluck doing on the top floor of the Four Seasons hotel for an hour and a half on Thursday? We will probably never know, because the prime minister only says that as prime minister she has the freedom to meet anyone. 'The hotel is a public place. If counters I would never do anything shameful.'

Yingluck's visit became known because businessman Ekkayuth Anchanbutr, known opponent of Thaksin, was punched in the face 10 minutes after Yingluck left the hotel. He reported the incident on his Facebook page. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said the government and the prime minister's bodyguard had nothing to do with the attack.

– The announced increase in the diesel price by 1 baht per month until September may be postponed if the government fails to increase the income of people with the lowest incomes. This is what Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong (Finance) says. When diesel becomes more expensive, transportation costs increase and, as a result, products become more expensive. But the government does not intend to limit diesel prices indefinitely, Kittiratt said.

The Abhisit government cut the excise duty on diesel in April last year to keep the price per liter below 30 baht. The Excise Department has asked the Ministry of Finance for permission to gradually increase the excise duty, so that it will return to normal levels in September. Around that time, the price of crude oil is also expected to fall.

– He made 22 students of Assumption University 300 million baht lighter by enticing them to invest money in the import and sale of iPhones. He was arrested in November and now the Anti-Money Laundering Office has confiscated Phruet Charuphokhakun's assets. But this is probably not enough to fully compensate the victims.

– A 74-year-old rubber farmer was bitten to death by four pit bulls in Chachoengsao. Twenty deep bite wounds were found on his body. According to local residents, the dogs have already injured two people. The owner keeps the dogs to guard his house.

– Zone 5 of the Khao Bin Central Prison was visited by police and guards yesterday. They seized pornographic magazines, a mobile phone, eight hundred packs of cigarettes and weapons made of spoons and toothbrushes. Although the prison has jamming equipment, the telephone appeared to function normally in some places.

– The number of buildings in Phuket where swallows are kept for the benefit of bird's nest soup, runs out of steam. Keeping the birds causes air pollution, noise nuisance and the risk of diseases. The authorities will draw up a zoning plan.

– In a raid on a warehouse in Samut Prakan, 50 to 70 blocks of rosewood and processed wood were seized. No one was present, so no arrests were made. It was the second time this week that rosewood was found. Four people were arrested in the earlier raid.

– 14 tons of paddy smuggled from Laos has been seized by the police in the district of Na Tan (Ubon Ratchatani) in a shed on the banks of the Mekong. The rice would be sold to a miller who is related to a well-known local politician. The rice was bought in Laos for between 8.000 and 9.000 baht per ton and would be sold for 19.000 baht per ton.

– Eight Cambodians were killed and three injured when the minivan they were in crashed into the back of a parked truck in On Nut. The passengers were en route from Pathum Thani to Rong Klua market in Aranyaprathet. The driver may have fallen asleep. He took along with one ภาษาไทย the legs after the collision.

– Thawil Pliensri, former Secretary General of the National Security Council, threatens to take the government to the Administrative Court over his forced transfer. Thawil believes that in his current position as adviser to the Prime Minister he is 'under-employed' and has to deal with tasks below his level. Thawil was transferred last year, reportedly to facilitate the appointment of Thaksin's brother-in-law as chief of the national police. He is now contesting his transfer with the Civil Service Commission's Merit Protection panel.

– The 400 kilos of tiger meat found in Sam Wa (Bangkok) did not come from two tiger zoos in Chon Buri. Research by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has shown this. The department continues inspections, taking pictures of the stripes on both sides of the body and forehead. According to Wildlife, 21 tigers are kept in 888 tiger gardens across the country.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post