Thai news in brief – January 9
Big Brother Thaksin Shinawatra has spoken again from Dubai. No change of cabinet after the turn of the year, as previously reported, but only in April or May, according to a source at the ruling party Pheu Thai.
Thaksin wants to wait for 'the right moment', in other words: in May the political ban of 5 former Thai Rak Thai politicians will end after 111 years. Speculations want about 5 ministers to be replaced. A party committee will meet tomorrow to assess the performance of the team of ministers and the party board.
– The economic policy of the Yingluck government is 'dictatorial'. Plans are made without consulting those involved. Korn Chatikavanij, former finance minister in the Abhisit cabinet, gives as an example the transfer of the FIDF debt to the Bank of Thailand. The bank and even the Ministry of Finance knew nothing. The decision was made by a group of people, says Korn, who does not mention names and back numbers.
Opposition party Democrats are equally annoyed about the government's plan to allocate 350 billion euros for water management. There has been no consultation with residents and the plans lack details.
– Once again, opinions are divided on the procedure for amending the constitution. A group of Pheu Thais previously argued against the detour of an assembly of citizens (time-consuming and expensive), now a government committee proposes to have a panel to be appointed by the cabinet prepare the changes. Prime Minister Yingluck thinks that's a good idea, but she also gave her standard answer to a question about this: 'I will accept it for consideration.'
Meanwhile, the party itself sticks to the original idea of forming an assembly with representatives from the 77 provinces and academics. He would have to make a proposal that would then be put to the people in a referendum. And then it will be dealt with by parliament.
– Health activists, united under the banner of Friends of National Health Security, are opposing the government's plan to overhaul the former 30-baht health system. This system was introduced by the first Thaksin government and scrapped after the military coup. The friends also advocate one health insurance system instead of the current three: one for civil servants (5 million people), the Social Security Fund for workers (9,6 million people) and the universal healthcare scheme (gold card) (48 million persons).
According to the Foundation for Consumers, a return to the 30-baht regime would make it more difficult to streamline public health care. [I can't make this post clearer, because I don't know enough about it.]
– Angry residents of Bang Yai district (Nonthaburi) blocked part of Kanchanaphisek Road on Sunday. They demanded that the government speed up the payment of 5.000 baht per affected household. The blockade caused traffic congestion on the main road and nearby expressway. The protest ended after provincial authorities promised to take action.
– The compensation of 5.000 baht per household affected by the floods is too low, say 59,5 percent of those questioned in a poll by Abac; 40,5 percent think the amount is sufficient. 1.738 people were interviewed in Bangkok and seven other provinces. 84,2 percent said they paid for repairs from their savings, the others borrowed money from moneylenders and financial institutions.
– The driver of the minivan that crashed into a truck on Friday and went up in flames will probably report to the police tomorrow, his family said. The accident caused the CNG tanks of both vehicles to catch fire, killing six people and injuring seven. The owner of the van has promised to pay the families of the dead and injured 50.000 baht each.
– The floods in southern Thailand have caused damage of 100 million baht to eight factories in Songkhla province alone. The Ministry of Industry is helping the affected companies with lower interest loans and tax measures.
– According to the Minister of Industry, some factories in Ayutthaya, which were flooded last year, have decided to move to the Northeast.
– The navy has abandoned its plan to buy six German second-hand submarines and now wants to buy four. They have a price tag of 1,3 billion baht, but the total cost is 5,5 billion baht, because of transport costs and because they have to be made suitable for Southeast Asian waters.
– Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat will update Prime Minister Yingluck today on the progress he has made when she visits the ministry. Projects reported to the Prime Minister include the purchase of 3.000 NGV (natural gas) buses for Bangkok's public transport company, the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport and the construction of ten new subway lines in Bangkok.
– Corruption can be eradicated by insisting on integrity and honesty in children, says 31,6 percent in a poll by Suan Dusit. 30,4 percent argue for better enforcement of the law and 26,2 percent think that people with a public function should be closely monitored.
– The study at 5 pilot schools into the effectiveness of tablet PCs in education is a farce, says Amnuay Sunthornchot, head of the Khaniyom Pheu Srang Chat Club. Because regardless of the outcome, the government will continue with its plan to provide all students with a tablet. He also criticizes the selection of the 5 schools because they are all located in urban areas.
Amnuay opposes the release to students of Pathom 1 (our group 3) from next school year, because he thinks that the children will only use the tablet to play games instead of as an aid to lessons.
A poll by the club of 407 parents, teachers, students and pupils showed that 94,1 percent are against the distribution of tablets to Pathom 1 students. Students mainly use the computer to visit Facebook and play Angry Birds.
There are 800.000 Pathom 1 pupils; 470.000 of these students receive such a fun toy at the start of the new school year.
– The cleaning operation in Lower Klity (Kanchanaburi) is at a standstill pending more testing. The Department of Pollution Control (DPC) wants to wait for the outcome before spending money to remove mining tailings, which have contaminated the water of Klity Creek.
Last year, the DPC pledged to remove 28.000 tons of ore waste buried there. Mining company Lead Concentrate Co buried the stuff there in 1999. Many residents have since developed symptoms of lead poisoning from the contaminated water.
The Department of Water Resources goes two check dams moor in the creek to collect sediment. They should be there at the end of the dry season.
– The prediction of the 6-year-old psychic Pla Bu (Goby Fish) that the Bhumibol dam would collapse on December 31 has become known via YouTube. In October, the father appeared in an hour-long video in which he talked about his child's predictions. Pla Bu is also said to have predicted his death, the attack on the Twin Towers, tsunami and earthquakes. The video scored close to a million hits. After Pla Bu's death, the father planted 200 bodhi trees near the house at the behest of his son.
Now that the prediction has not come true, the father says that Thailand also has a Chinese and Indian New Year and Songkran or maybe his son meant the New Year at the end of this year.
(Source: column Andrew Biggs, Bangkok Post Brunch, January 8, 2012. This information is new; previous reports merely said that the prediction somehow ended up on the internet.)
The reintroduction of 30 bath health care is just a stunt to reconnect T. to health. Good for PR, but nothing else. The 30 bath fund was financed with money from the social services of the civil servants. The military made health care free and provided funding from the state treasury.
Incidentally, there is only a budget of less than 2800 baht per insured person per year available. Accidents are not covered. You have to pay for that yourself. You can see the result in the poorly healed bone fractures. That is why I also took out accident insurance for my wife and her daughter. Cost less than 800 baht per year.
Today, a follow-up appeared in the newspaper, in which the Minister of Health says that the introduction of the 30 baht health system will benefit the treatment of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease and obesity. I probably don't think Thai enough, but I don't understand this at all.
The military made health care free, soon people will have to pay 30 baht per consultation. I can't imagine that the common man, whom Pheu Thai says he stands up for, sees this as a step forward.
Yes, unfortunately Dick, you still think that 1 +1 is 2 and that is not the case here. It could just as easily be 1 or 0, but rarely 3. The 30 Baht system led to many problems at the time. The result was privatization of some health centers. They are now owned by a well-known Thai family with a prominent member abroad.