News from Thailand – June 25, 2014

The daughter of the man who led the 1932 revolution that transformed Thailand from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy, has called on the military junta to take good care of the people and restore peace.

Puangkeo Satraprung, daughter of Phrayapahol Pholpayuhasena, leader of the so-called Khanarassadorn movement, said at a memorial yesterday: 'Be kind to the people as if they were your own children. Give them justice and love.' Puangkeo criticized the US and EU for their condemnation of the coup. According to her, Thailand's economy and people are being harmed by the EU's decision to freeze diplomatic ties.

The memorial service at Wat Phra Sri Rattanamahathat in Bang Khen was attended by hundreds of relatives of former Khanarassadorn members.

The Revolution was also reviewed at the Pridi Institute. Prajak Kongkirati, a lecturer in political science at Thammasat University, said during a panel discussion that the current crisis in Thailand has deep roots "because of disagreements over the concept of equality and inequality."

The Khanarassadorn movement has successfully changed the governance of the country, but it has failed to change the highly hierarchical structure of Thai society. That structure is the biggest obstacle to sustainable democratization.' If that structure remains, Prajak argued, Thailand will never achieve true reconciliation.

And there was also a memorial at the Royal Plaza. A group of poets read poems there.

– Apichart Chansakulporn, former director of rice trading President Agri Trading Co, has been sentenced to three years in prison for misappropriation of rice. Apichart, described by the newspaper as a rice trade magnate, is accused of having tampered with 2007 tons of rice from government stocks in 20.000, which was destined for Iran. The 5 percent white rice should have been mixed with 100 percent white rice, but this was not done.

Apichart and the company have also been ordered by the court to return the rice or pay 175 million baht plus an additional 200 million baht in damages. Apichart is appealing against the verdict and has posted a bail of 700.000 baht.

It is not the first time that the company has been guilty of improper practices. In 2004, it won an auction when the Thaksin government was in power, reportedly because of Apichart's close ties to Thaksin and the then Commerce Minister. Apichart is also accused of ties to Siam Indica, a rice trader that cheated in 2011 with the improvement of 15 percent white rice.

– The junta hopes to have made a clean sweep in the taxi world within two months. Yesterday, Nirandorn Samutsakhon unfolded the planned measures during a meeting with 113 taxi cooperatives and 13 taxi exchanges. In phase 1, the influence of 'influential persons', a euphemism for extortionists, is ended. Step 2: revision of regulations, which gives the government a stronger grip on the taxi world. The final step is to ensure that the reforms are sustainable.

Bangkok Municipal Police will go to five next month hotspots deal with street trading. The sidewalks there are crammed with stalls, making it difficult for pedestrians to pass.

Suvarnabhumi Airport expects to have the taxi stand in order in August. There will be an electronic system. Passengers then only have to press a button to receive a ticket with the driver's name and license plate number. Useful when the customer has complaints. The card also tells you how many people are still waiting. If you have a lot of luggage, you can indicate your preference for a larger taxi. A similar system is being installed at the old Don Mueang Airport. It will be operational in half a year.

– Former Police Commissioner Kamrongwit Thoopkrachan steps down as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Thailand. With him, the board members leave with the exception of one. Kamrongwit's resignation is related to his close ties with former Prime Minister Thaksin. Kamrongwit said he expects a new board to be formed within a month.

The chairman of the State Railway of Thailand handed in his gavel on Friday. It is expected that the other members will follow his example next week.

When the junta gives the green light, free (third class) train and bus transport (in Bangkok) will be continued on a number of routes until the end of this year.

– Cambodia supports the junta's efforts to enforce rules for Cambodian foreign workers. The ambassador of Cambodia, Eat Sophea, had this happy message yesterday for Tanasak Patimapragorn, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, whom he paid a courtesy visit.

The junta has promised to take better care of Cambodian guest workers so that they can work legally in the country and benefit from benefits. Procedures must be shorter and more efficient with a view to the entry into force of the Asean Economic Community at the end of 2015.

A large employment agency has proposed to solve the problems with illegal migrants by redoing the entire registration of migrants. According to the company, the annual registration fails in troubleshooting.

Staff member Chackrit Suwannasarn says the junta has done little to solve the problems since the exodus of Cambodians to their homeland. The exodus was in response to reports that the military was conducting a raid. The first refugees are now starting to return. Chackrit estimates that of the two million migrants, only 300.000 work legally. Many employers hire illegal immigrants because they are cheap. They bribe officials and refuse to obey the rules.

Montri Baothong, who works at the Crime Suppression Division, says the database of migrants' names is not up to date, making it difficult for authorities to punish the employers involved. This applies in particular to fishing. Montri said this at a Ministry of Employment seminar on human trafficking. 'A better database is essential to tackle the problem of illegal labor and human trafficking.'

According to Marja Paavilainen of the ILO, agricultural workers and domestic workers are the most abused, as well as workers in factories.

– A large amount of weaponry was found during a raid on a warehouse in Nakhon Ratchasima. A suspect was also arrested who has ties to an armed network that provokes violence in the Northeast. In May, 22 people from that network were already arrested.

Police and army managed to get their hands on four M16 rifles, five other automatic weapons, including an AK-47, an M79 grenade launcher, various types of ammunition and grenades. They were all brand new.

– The junta has approved a budget of 4,79 billion baht for support to rice farmers and shrimp farmers. The rice aid goes to reduce the cost of rice seed, fertilizer, rent of land and lower interest loans. Breeding material is imported for shrimp farmers who are struggling with diseases.

– Former governing party Pheu Thai takes into account that the party will be banned by the junta. This is what a source within the party says. The abolition is said to be part of the junta's plans to end the country's colour-coded political relations.

The Electoral Council has already received requests to abolish both Pheu Thai and former opposition party Democrats. There are still pending cases related to constitutional amendments and the amnesty proposal [which started all the trouble]. The Democrats risk being lifted because MPs have spoken at rallies of the anti-government movement PDRC.

The source believes the junta will use the results of the Electoral Council investigations to ban both parties. The Electoral Council is also expected to reclaim the contributions that both parties have received from the Party Development Fund: 100 million baht from Pheu Thai and 90 million baht from the Democrats. Politicians of Pheu Thai would already be in the starting blocks to set up a new party.

– The battle for the controversial Xayaburi dam under construction in the Mekong in Laos has flared up again. The Supreme Administrative Court is considering a petition from 37 river residents about the reduction of power that the dam will supply to Thailand.

In 2011, the residents (photo home page) received no hearing at a lower court for their complaint, which was directed against the national electricity company Egat, the National Energy Policy Council, the ministries of the Environment and Energy and the then cabinet. The complaint was rejected because the residents were not an 'involved party'.

– Red shirt activist Kritsuda Khunasen and her boyfriend were imprisoned for three weeks; both were released on Monday. Rumors circulated about the detention that she was tortured, but on TV she stated that she was safe and sound.

– In a taxi boat, the body of a man was found in a plastic container, who was left there by a passenger. The driver has told police that the passenger left his luggage in the boat [luggage compartment?], but he had left it behind when he got out at the destination.

– You always have boss over boss. Yesterday the newspaper reported a telephone bill of 200.000 baht, today one of 600.000 baht. Again due to loading computer games. The phone company canceled the bill. Of those 200.000, the newspaper makes 163.405 baht today.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post

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