News in brief from Thailand – December 24
Important Thai investors hope to gain the confidence of other investors with their presentations on the Board of Investment (BoI) stock exchange Thailand to regain. The fair, which was initially scheduled to be held in November, will open its doors from January 5 to 20.
Among other things, android robots, vertical wind turbines, 3D cartoon animations, 3D LED screens of 19 meters, the Toyota Prius and Whee personal mobility are presented. The BoI hopes to attract 5 million visitors.
– Improving weir doors, installing water pumps and dredging canals will be a priority next year. They form a short-term prevention plan against floods and droughts. The plan still has to get the green light from the government's Water Resources Management Committee and the cabinet. The long-term plan includes the construction of new reservoirs, floodways, a third outer ring road around Bangkok and the planting of new forests in the north.
– Assembly or no assembly? In ruling party Pheu Thai, votes have been raised to omit the detour of an assembly in the amendment of the 2007 constitution. According to some core members of the party, it is time-consuming and expensive, and they advocate amending the constitution exclusively through parliamentary consideration.
Originally, Pheu Thai planned to form an assembly of 97 people, 1 per province and 20 academics, to prepare the amendments. But the PTers who have now stood up say that the party has been given the mandate to govern in the elections, which means that the people agree with the constitutional amendments.
The 2007 constitution was drawn up by the military regime after the 2006 coup and protects the coup plotters from prosecution. Critics say the change favors fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin, who could return to Thailand.
– Several politicians of Prime Minister Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party, which was dissolved in 2007, are excited for a cabinet post when their ban ends in May next year. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, the strong man in the cabinet, expects the composition of the cabinet to change. But he adds for the sake of form: 'But all the decisions will be made by the prime minister.' [People might think that all decisions are made by Yingluck's big brother Thaksin.]
– The center is located on the second floor of the police headquarters in Bangkok, which scans the internet 24 hours a day for content that is offensive to the royal family. Until now, the Ministry of ICT and the police have been investigating suspicious websites separately. The center is headed by a committee formed three weeks ago with Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung as chairman and 22 members. Chalerm reiterates that the government has no plans to change lèse-majeste laws. 'I see no point in talking about this issue any further.'
– The takeover of the operation of the famous Chatuchak weekend market by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) starts with an advantage for the merchants. They don't have to pay rent for two months. At that time, the SRT establishes a subsidiary that will carry out the operation. On January 2, the operation of the market will transfer from the Bangkok municipality to the SRT, which owns the land. On Thursday, merchants led by MPs from the opposition Democrats protested against it.
– Ch Karnchang Plc (CK) is certain that construction of the controversial Xayaburi dam in Laos will start next year. Director Plew Trivisvavet considers it unlikely that the Laotian government will break the US$3,7 billion concession contract. Earlier this month, the Mekong River Commission, an intergovernmental consultative body of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, decided to commission more studies into the dam's environmental impact.