News from Thailand – Sunday, March 22, 2015
This page contains a selection from the Thai news. We list headlines from major news sources including: Bangkok Post, The Nation, ThaiPBS, MCOT, etc.
There is a web link behind the news items. When you click on it you can read the full article at the English source.
News from Thailand – Sunday, March 22, 2015
The Nation opens with the Sunday edition about the smog in northern Thailand. The burning of corn fields in particular would have caused the air pollution. According to the Chamber of Commerce in Chiang Mai, 5.000.000 rai of agricultural land has been burned. The situation is particularly serious in Chiang Rai (Mae Sai and Muang districts), Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai. The air pollution here is so high that there is damage to the health of humans and animals: http://goo.gl/n0tpog
Bangkok Post opens on Sunday with an article about Nattatida, the lady suspected of being part of a group that planted bombs and wanted to carry out several attacks. Her lawyer, however, comes up with a completely different story. Nattatida would have wanted to prevent the attacks precisely because she did not agree. The mastermind behind the attacks, a woman named Dear, is said to be planning a series of bomb attacks in support of former Prime Minister Thaksin. Nattatida was against this because 'Thaksin does not want violence and would never support it'. She therefore says she left the group before February 1 because she did not agree with the actions. Through a loan from one of the group members, she nevertheless came into the crosshairs of the police and military who were tracking the group. Nattatida was subsequently arrested on March 11. She says she was mistreated to force such a statement. Four other members of the group also say they were tortured. The military calls the accusation false and libelous: http://goo.gl/q5KKoC
– In Bangkok, the authorities are looking for a taxi driver who has put a family with a small child on the highway from his taxi. A photo of the incident has been circulating on social media. According to reports, the driver missed the turn and the family was not willing to pay for the extra kilometers, so the taxi driver ordered the tourists to get out: http://goo.gl/zHVAld
– A 22-year-old British tourist shot himself in the head at a shooting range on Phuket. The man first shot several times at the target of the track he had rented, then shot himself in the head with the same gun. The incident was recorded by the shooting range's surveillance cameras. Police are investigating the matter and have informed the British Embassy: http://goo.gl/KXteFi
– A secondary school teacher in Ramkhamhaeng (Bangkok) is said to have sexually assaulted four boys during a school trip to Singapore. The parents of the children reported this and filed a complaint. The Thai minister of education is also involved in the matter and the teacher has been suspended pending the investigation: http://goo.gl/6Quxc
– You can read more current news on the Twitter feed of Thailandblog.nl: twitter.com/thailand_blog
Several times already I have on ,,Thailandblog. nl” comments from people who also enjoy Thailand because of the fact that there are fewer laws and regulations here than in the country of origin. Even when rules and laws exist, often the corruption is too great, or the control too small, to ensure enforcement.
You see an example every year in the north of Thailand, where they burn corn fields on a large scale, without thinking about the enormous health risks. In the months of February and March, you often don't see the sun for days because of the thick smog. The waiting rooms at the doctor's office are full of coughing people at this time every year, many of whom don't even know what rubbish they suck into their lungs every day. This air pollution is only ONE problem that arises in a society where the absence or non-compliance with laws and regulations is desired. I could make this list of problems related to the lack of rules and laws much longer, but I am sure that the fantasy of the Thaiblog. nl.reader is sufficient, to supplement this further.
Kicked out of taxi on turnpike. No taxi number? Strange story we always remember the number of taxi.
Was it a fixed price including toll road and airport or did the taxi run on a meter. I miss that in the story.
I'll give the taxi driver the benefit of doubt, she may not have wanted to pay the toll road or the 50 baht airport fee if he drove on the meter. With a fixed price this should not happen and the driver has to sit on his hands. Almost experienced the same thing, agreed on a fixed price to Pattaya, we were almost there and he wanted more money but we did not give in and he delivered us promptly. Only his tip was not what we normally give. I was told because he spoke reasonable English that his number had been noted.
My wife had the same experience the first time she saw me off at the airport. She took - not familiar with the airport - a taxi that had just dropped off a customer and therefore picked her up subject to a fixed price. She had to pay immediately (don't the Thai trust each other?). After a few kilometers she was put out of the car and the taxi drove on. She then called the police who sent another taxi. Fortunately, she had enough money in her pocket. She knew nothing about the whole system and now also knows that she has to write down the number. But there is little chance that she will live to see it, because in the meantime we have a regular driver who always drives for us when we are in Bangkok, day and night, it doesn't matter. We call him few days before coming to Bangkok and he is always there for us.
The story takes a different turn.
http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/03/23/officials-doubt-over-farang-family-dumped-taxi
Yes, the story takes a different turn. Bangkok.coconuts.co are very reliable in their reporting.
I'll just wait for the investigation.
Cor van Kampen.
Yes, because that research is certainly reliable….
Strange story.
At the airport you can get all the information you want.
I find the photo in Coconuts more disturbing, by the way.
A small child in the bright sun, without any sun protection.
This story about that family dropped off on the expressway by a taxi is a lie from A to Z. Whoever posted this message on Facebook has already removed it. These people were traveling with 13 other passengers from Sa Kaeo Province to Khao San Road. At the Asoke 4 toll boat, they asked the driver to stop and he thought to go to the toilet ( located there ). There they took all their luggage out of the van, over the protests of the driver who said that people were not allowed to get off on the expressway. The toll boat attendant has taken them down some stairs to get off the expressway. The van driver also received a fine of Baht 2000-