Waited a long time, kept silent, never thought, got it anyway. That expression seems to apply to the 800.000 tablet PCs for Prathom 1 students in education zones 1 and 2, the 402.889 tablets for Mathayom 1 students in zone 4 and the 426.683 tablets for zone 3. After a year's delay, they will arrive in June , when the students have already moved up a class.
The first group should have received the tablets in December, but the Chinese supplier has withdrawn. There will now be an auction for a new supplier. Delivery in zone 3 (central and southern Thailand) has been delayed because the supplier has been accused of inflating prices.
The fact that students in zone 4 (North and Northeast) have not yet seen a tablet was not reported in previous reports. However, there were no problems in this zone. Why they have not already been distributed is not clear from the message. The first 18.000 will be delivered next month. [With reservations, because the newspaper might mess it up again.]
– The oracle from Dubai, former Prime Minister Thaksin (sentenced in absentia to 2 years imprisonment, fled in 2008) has spoken again through his mouthpiece Noppadon Patama. He wants the political conflict to be resolved at the negotiating table. Thaksin, who is currently in Myanmar, is concerned about the damage being done by the protests to the economy, investment and tourism.
According to Noppadon, Thaksin visits the neighboring country for merit making and not, as the well-known contrarian group of forty senators claims, to do business there. Some Pheu Thai MPs have visited their great hero. According to one of them, Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin only stayed one day. He attended a religious ceremony at Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
– The statement by former Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Governor of the Bank of Thailand (now we have completed all his former positions) Anand Panyarachun that Thailand is heading for a recession when the political deadlock continues to fester, evokes mixed reaction.
Ekniti Nitithan, deputy director of the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO), believes that chance is extremely slim, 'unless the global economy explodes. Technically speaking, a country is in recession when economic growth has been negative for two consecutive quarters. However, the Thai economy recorded zero percent growth in the fourth quarter.
Ekniti has pinned his hopes on 2,5 trillion baht budget spending this year. However, when it takes a long time for a new government to form, the economy does take a hit because government spending is the only economic engine. The FPO forecasts economic growth of 3,1 percent this year and 2,8 percent if the problems drag on into the fourth quarter.
Narongchai Akrasanee, member of the Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee, agrees with Anand. "If the problems continue, there is a chance that we will face a recession."
– In a camp on a mountain top in Rangae (Narathiwat), the police yesterday found a whole arsenal of materials with which bombs can be made. In eleven makeshift shelters, police found XNUMX items for the production of at least XNUMX bombs.
On Sunday, military rangers clashed with insurgents near the mountain. Some insurgents were injured. Arrests have not been made. The police suspect that the items found were intended for revenge. Thursday marks one year since XNUMX insurgents were killed when they attacked a military base in Bacho (Narathiwat).
– A temporary passport office has been opened in the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center since yesterday to ease the pressure on the two branches. The headquarters on Chaeng Wattana Road is still under siege by demonstrators.
At 4 o'clock in the morning, the first applicant already came to the convention center. The office can process XNUMX requests a day, but that was not enough to serve all those waiting on the first day. Many returned home disappointed. The production of a passport in Bangkok takes six days and eight days in the province.
– The government is letting the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade run this week because of the political problems at home. The conference is only attended by the ambassador to England on behalf of Thailand. The conference aims to combat the illegal trade in ivory and the poaching of rhinoceroses and tigers.
– In August, the expansion of Suvarnabhumi will start with a new terminal that will bring the capacity to 65 million passengers per year. The expansion of Don Mueang is expected to be completed in the third quarter. The new check-in terminal at Phuket Airport is already up and running, increasing its capacity from 3 to 8 million passengers per year. Chiang Mai will be operational 24 hours a day from next month.
Despite the political turmoil, the number of passengers at Airports of Thailand is still growing, but less than the target. The regional airports, on the other hand, are doing very well. Chiang Rai: plus 15 pc, Chiang Mai: plus 14,5 pc.
Common abbreviations
UDD: United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (red shirts)
Capo: Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (body responsible for applying the ISA)
CMPO: Center for Maintaining Peace and Order (responsible body for the State of Emergency that has been in effect since January 22)
ISA: Internal Security Act (emergency law that gives the police certain powers; applies throughout Bangkok; less strict than the Emergency Decree)
DSI: Department of Special Investigation (the Thai FBI)
PDRC: People's Democratic Reform Committee (headed by Suthep Thaugsuban, ex-opposition Democrat MP)
NSPRT: Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (radical protest group)
Pefot: People's Force to Overthrow Thaksinism (ditto)
Bangkok shutdown
– The first of the nineteen protest leaders, against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for violation of the emergency ordinance, was arrested yesterday. Sonthiyan Chuenruthainaitham was arrested not when he was having lunch in the food court of Lat Phrao mall, as BP's website reported yesterday, but when he was walking outside the Centara Grand Hotel.
He has been transferred to the police station in Khlong Luang (Pathum Thani) where he is being held in custody for seven days for questioning. Tarit Pengdith, head of the Department of Special Investigation, says police will apply for a 30-day extension after that.
Sonthiyan is in charge of the T-News Agency and satellite TV station. At first he is accused of violating the emergency ordinance; later a charge of treason is added. A presenter of FM101 managed to speak to him by phone after he was arrested by the police. His voice sounded okay. He was in a good mood.' Sonthiyan was allowed to use his phone until he reached the police station.
[Some data is taken from yesterday's Breaking News item on the BP website, but is missing from the newspaper report.]
– The DSI will apply for an arrest warrant for another thirteen PDRC members. They also violated the emergency ordinance. They have accompanied protesters in the siege of government buildings. According to the DSI head, 136 individuals and legal entities have supported the activities of the PDRC.
The Royal Thai Police say it has 119 pending cases against PDRC leaders. They obstructed elections in Bangkok and other provinces. The DSI is also investigating 80 election officials who deliberately left their post at a polling station. The court has already approved 37 arrest warrants.
– Six municipal street cleaners were injured in a bomb explosion on Ratchadamnoen Avenue at the end of the morning yesterday. Two are in serious condition. The six were cleaning part of the road, which was recently cleared by Pefot protesters. The bomb was placed in the median.
PDRC leader Somsak Kasaisuk says the PDRC will organize a big rally to force the resignation of the Yingluck government. He expects more bombings now that the PDRC is ramping up the pressure. “The PDRC can't dance the “ramwong” [?] all the time. We are organizing a decisive campaign to end the Thaksin regime. The time is ripe for that. Reports of the Thaksin regime's evil have reached the entire country, even people in remote areas.'
– UDD supporters in Chiang Mai accuse Luang Pu Buddha Issara, the monk in charge at the Chaeng Wattana protest site, of building luxury homes on public land. About three hundred UDD people gathered on Monday morning to discuss the monk's actions.
According to UDD leader Picht Tamul, a man who identified himself as Buddha Issara had bought several plots from villagers, for which there was no land deed. The monk claimed that he was going to build a temple on it, but villagers believe that the large building in tambon Mae Win is a luxury residence. In fact, the land would be public property. Some villagers have already reported the matter to the police.
– CMPO director Chalerm Yubamrung gets the wind from the recalcitrant red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan because he fails to dislodge the demonstrators at government buildings, such as the Ministry of the Interior and the government complex on Chaeng Wattanaweg. Chalerm seems reluctant to use the powers that the emergency order gives him, Jatuporn said on TV channel Asia Update on Saturday.
Talks with demonstrators at the Interior Ministry ended yesterday. Chalerm says the police still do not want to intensify their measures against the demonstrators.
The NSPRT yesterday besieged eight government buildings, including the Ministry of Industry and the nearby Department of Mineral Resources. In both, protesters called for officials to stop working. Anyone who came out was searched. The message does not state how large the response was.
PDRC leader Thaworn Senneam has gone to Civil Court. He says the government is ignoring a court ruling that it should not seize supplies from the anti-government protest or obstruct supplies. For example, a bank account has been blocked from which injured protesters are being compensated. The government also allegedly threatened the managers of two hotels where protest leaders spend the night and where meetings are held.
– If you can't catch the father, grab the son anyway, ruling party Pheu Thai must have thought. The party has asked the Department of Special Investigation (Thai FBI) to investigate irregularities in the purchase of land in Nakhon Si Thammarat by one of the sons of action leader Suthep Thaugsuban. The DSI is investigating the case because Suthep's son has participated in actions of the PDRC. PT is suspicious because the land deal was struck the day protesters closed the provincial Land Office. She wonders if donations to the PDRC were used for the deal.
– At the protest location Chaeng Wattanaweg, two plainclothes officers were arrested yesterday by order of protest leader Luang Pu Buddha Issara. Issara suspects they were involved in attacks on the site. Coincidentally, the agents drove cars of the same make as from which the bombs were dropped. An arrest warrant has been issued against the monk. According to the Sangha Act, he can be expelled from the monastic order for that reason.
Elections
– The new government will have the same composition as the current one, says Pheu Thai chairman and caretaker interior minister Charupong Ruangsuwan. With the current coalition partners Chart Pattana, Chartthaipattana and Phalang Chon it is still cake and egg.
– The Electoral Council offers itself as a mediator in discussions between all parties. The offer is yet another attempt to end the political conflict and break the deadlock surrounding the elections.
Without talks, it is impossible to complete the election process and get the House of Representatives back on track, says Electoral Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn. He urges urgency before the conflict deepens and affects the elections of (half of) the Senate on March 30. Somchai points out that many people have already warned that the conflict is no longer a political problem, but an economic one.
Today, the Electoral Council is talking to officials from the southern provinces to gauge their willingness to hold a new round of voting.
Former governing party Pheu Thai threatens to sue the Electoral Council if it does not take action against the protesters who thwarted the registration of district candidates in 28 constituencies in December. The Electoral Council is wrong with the statement that there were no candidates. There were, says PT, but they were stopped. The duped candidates have submitted a complaint about this to the police and the Electoral Council.
Economic news
– Use the old rice that is now stored to make ethanol or animal feed, because exporting that rice in the short term is hopeless. Korbsook Iamsura, former president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA), believes that the government should not focus solely on accelerating exports.
"It is impossible to sell 10 million tons of rice and earn 100 billion baht so that the farmers can be paid." Get rid of the old rice instead of selling it. "That may be hard to swallow emotionally, but it's better than doing nothing," he says. The newly harvested rice is not a problem, because buyers prefer it.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the TREA, thinks it will take the government 5 years to get rid of its stockpile, which is estimated at 20 million tons. It won't be easy to get rid of the rice, as the quality deteriorates when stored for more than three years. In addition, several countries are increasing their exports.
Chookiat expects current world market prices to fall further. Thai 5 percent white rice now costs $430 per ton and is expected to drop by $30 million per ton in the first quarter of this year. Aged Thai rice does $370 a ton.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post
Just back from Bkk, and luckily back in the isaan.
WHAT a display Sukhumvit and surroundings.
A hand full of 'little kids' who enjoy making music. MUST, otherwise they will be completely monkey.
WHAT inspires those guests:
are responsible for deaths and injuries
- are responsible for many many law violations
-are responsible for economic grave mood in Bkk and surroundings, talked to 3 people who speak separately about the 'yellow bangkok mafia'
-are responsible for treason
-obstruct the commute to and from work of other compatriots
- impede voting behavior of compatriots
-destroy the income of the protest region
- Meaningless Joker display.
-People who are unable to fix themselves behind political differences where and how they should be.
- Mentally and politically poverty-stricken people.
Glad it's just a splinter group.
We will arrive in Bangkok next Sunday evening. As Monday we will then travel directly south by night train. So a short stay in Bangkok. Things are getting quieter about the Bangkok shutdown. Does this mean that we as tourists will also have less and less to do with the demonstrations and that we can stay here with peace of mind?
@ René Pluk You can stay in Bangkok with peace of mind. Advice from Min. from BuZa: Avoid the protest locations.
The government has placed itself above the law on a number of occasions and now has to sit on its hands. During the day, Asok is very quiet because the protesters are now in Lumpini and Patumwan. There will be another large protest march on Friday and Saturday. Rice farmers may join in. More and more Thais are becoming politically aware.
Hi Peter, we also wanted to avoid the Lumpini park. However, we wanted to visit the MBK in Patumwan. Is this accessible?
@ R. Pluk. All protest locations are easily accessible. Suthep gives his speeches in Pathumwan. It is better to avoid the protest location in the evening even if everything seems to be peaceful. Incidentally, Bangkok has several malls that are worth a visit.