News from Thailand – April 8, 2012

To remain competitive when the Asian Economic Community comes into force in 2015, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will need to invest abroad and explore new opportunities in the region.

Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of Asean, said this yesterday at a seminar of the chambers of commerce of Nakhon Ratchasima and other northeastern provinces.

Surin pointed out that as of 2015, Thai companies no longer serve only the domestic market of 64 million people, but a market of 600 million consumers in Asean as import duties on most products are eliminated. He urged SMEs to increase the skills of their workforce and focus on higher technology sectors, as low-wage countries will become a formidable competitor in Asean.

According to him, the government should create a fund to explore new opportunities for SMEs. He further suggested that large companies that already operate abroad should guide SMEs, as well as banks and other financial institutions that have branches abroad.

– There will be no dialogue with people who disagree with the reconciliation proposals that parliament has forwarded to the cabinet after a debate of two days. "That would be a waste of time," said Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit. “We have to rely on the elected representatives of the people who are fairly elected. We must listen to their voices.'

A dialogue had been proposed by the King Prajadhipok Institute (KPI), which produced a report on reconciliation and indicated various options. Yongyuth points out that the Yingluck government came to power through the votes of 20 million voters. Referring to the fear that the entire operation is intended to amnesty Thaksin, he says: 'Would these 20 million people let the government do something just for one man? I don't think the decision will cause more conflict as nobody wants a civil war.'

Prime Minister Yingluck has proposed instructing a committee to review the reconciliation report. The KPI report's most far-reaching proposal would result in Thaksin avoiding prison and going to prison with his head held high. Thailand can return.

– Who is lying: Thavee Sodsong or Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit? Thavee says she was in Malaysia to discuss work permits for Thai workers; Yonguth says Thavee, secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center, has spoken with representatives of the separatist movements in Malaysia. That would have angered those responsible for the bombings in Pattani, Songkla and Pattani last week, according to army commander Prayuth Chan-ocha.

– Priewpan Damapong, Chief of the National Police, has announced that the police will set up 46 checkpoints in Songkhla to prevent further incidents. Seven safety zones are also being created, populated by Buddhists, where outsiders are not allowed to park their cars. If this measure is successful, it will also be introduced in the three southernmost provinces.

– Tourism is already recovering, more than a week after the bombing and fire in the Lee Gardens Plaza hotels in Hat Yai? Seven hundred Malaysian tourists, brought in by 20 coaches, arrived yesterday to spend the weekend.

The hotel is expected to reopen on May 1, although four cars in the underground parking garage have not yet been picked up by the owner. The bomb was in one of those cars.

– The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, Bangkok's public transport company, will run free buses on six routes on Monday to transport people who want to attend the cremation of Princess Bejraratana Rajasuda.

– A warehouse with illegal supplies of petrol in Sungai Kolok district (Narathiwat) burned down yesterday. It took firefighters 2 hours to extinguish the fire. The cause was a short circuit in an electric motor. The damage amounts to 10 million baht.

– The huts of 100 families, which belong to the Four Region People Network, were razed to the ground yesterday by five tractors and about a hundred people. The families camped there to prevent the previous owner from selling the plot. But that happened anyway and the new owner was not happy with the illegal occupation.

– The police shot dead a drug suspect during a gunfight in Bang Khen (Bangkok) yesterday and seized 140.000 speed pills and 3 kilos of crystal meth. The gunfight ensued as police chased a drug ring in three cars. Two cars took off, the third was stopped. The driver would have been the first to open fire, hitting an officer in the leg.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: The Nation (Bangkok Post was sold out)