Thai news in brief – January 17
On the instructions of the Swedish-Lebanese man who was arrested on Suvarnabhumi on Thursday, the police have found a warehouse in Samut Sakhon containing chemicals used for making explosives. They were hidden in boxes that were destined for foreign countries.
According to a source at the Immigration Bureau, the US wants, Thailand use it as a base for combating terrorist networks, something the Thai authorities would not be happy about.
Experts from Chulalongkorn University are afraid that Thailand will now come into conflict with Hezbollah. The suspect should have been quietly deported from the country, says Surachart Bamrungsuk of the Faculty of Political Science.
Prime Minister Yingluck has appealed to the US to withdraw its warning of terrorist attacks in Thailand, now that the Lebanese has been arrested. But according to the spokesman for the US embassy, the warning remains in effect.
– Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has made his honeymoon trip to Thailand. He told about a hundred children, who yesterday received a 10-minute English lesson from him at the Ministry of Education. Blair visits Bangkok for three days to attend a forum of the Ministry of Industry and the Board of Investment.
The Prime Minister was invited by the Ministry to teach the children some English in the context of 2012 English Speaking Year.
– The Central Administrative Court has rejected the request of a senator and the Foundation for Consumers to prohibit the price increase of CNG (compressed natural gas) and LPG as of January 16.
Termchai Bunnak, vice president of producer PTT Plc, argued in court that the subsidies on CNG and LPG are unfair to other users because the State Oil Fund (from which the subsidies are paid) imposes a levy on other fuels.
– The Northeastern Chamber of Commerce will advocate a double track Bangkok-Ubon Ratchatani and Bangkok-Udon Thani-Nong Khai as well as a dual carriageway connecting the northeastern provinces. The House has pinned its hopes on the cabinet, which approved 128 projects in the North this weekend. According to the Chamber, good logistics are the key to economic growth in the 20 northeastern provinces.
– Four Vietnamese trawlers were intercepted by the navy 15 km from Koh Kut (Trat) yesterday. They fished in Thai waters. Last year, forty fishing boats were intercepted.
– About a thousand members of a savings cooperative for teachers from Pathum Thani demonstrated yesterday in front of the provincial government. They suspect the cooperative of having misused 290 million baht to buy lottery tickets and resell them, but no one has seen a contract for that purchase. Earlier, the teachers complained to the Ministry of Education, but that did not help. Now they are asking the provincial governor to intervene.
– Did Boonjong Wongtrairat (Bjumjaithai) buy votes ahead of the December 2010 by-election? The Election Cases Division of the Supreme Court is considering this question at the request of the Electoral Council, which has banned Boonjong from political office. Yesterday, a first witness gave a statement in favor of Boonjong.
– The board of the Chinese Buddhist temple Wat Leng Nei Yi is concerned about a hotels and entertainment complex near the temple. It thinks the complex will hinder monks, novices and visitors. The Lawyers Council of Thailand offers assistance and checks whether the project has a permit. A complaint may be filed with the Administrative Court.
– Yesterday, with a traditional dance performance, the starting shot was given for the construction of a crematorium on Sanam Luang. Princess Bejraratana Rajasuda will be cremated there on April 9. The princess died on July 27 at the age of 85.
– A six-storey apartment building in the Bang Phlat district (Bangkok) under construction literally fell over on Sunday. Miraculously, only two people were injured. An initial investigation indicates that the hull collapsed when leftover water from the floods was pumped out of the basement.
– It was tense again at the border with Cambodia when Thai soldiers encountered Cambodian soldiers in the Phu Ma Khua area. Both groups refused to withdraw and each requested reinforcements. But after consultation between the commanders of both units, the air was cleared. As a precautionary measure, the Pha Mor I Dang cliff was closed to tourists and more Thai soldiers were brought into the area, but the ban was due to be lifted today. The government has asked Army Commander Prayut Chan-ocha to consult quickly with Cambodian military leaders about the incident.
– The Democratic party wants the Central Administrative Court to put a stop to the compensation scheme for victims of political violence between 2005 and 2010. The government has allocated 2 billion baht for this last week. The Democrats call the scheme unfair because it does not apply to victims of previous incidents, such as Black May 1992 and the unrest in the South. According to the petitioners, the scheme distributes tax money among its own supporters.
– The father of the president of the provincial administration organization (PAO) in Samut Sakhon, who was murdered last month, will run for office in the midterm elections on February 19. Monthon Kraiwatnussorn was previously Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture. He must face a former head of the Samut Sakhon PAO. Monthon is a member of Pheu Thai, his rival is Democrat.
– A Senate panel is considering the firing of a operations manager from Urbana Estate Co. He says he was fired because he is gay, the company says because he was absent for three days without informing anyone.
– My men have done nothing wrong, says the head of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department following the arrest of 5 forest rangers from Kaeng Krachan National Park. The forest rangers are suspected by the police of being involved in poaching elephants. 5 elephants were reportedly killed in the park last month, 2 of which were found.
The head of the department went to Padeng in person yesterday to collect evidence. There, on January 1, the carcass of a dead elephant was set on fire after the tusks had been removed. A witness wonders why officials who protect the forest are in prison, while those who killed the elephants are still at large.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post