News from Thailand – November 1, 2014

The anti-government movement PDRC commemorated the start of the protests a year ago at Wat Than Namlai (Surat Thani) yesterday.

To commemorate the dead during the protests, 136 men were ordained as monks. They plan to go to Siriraj Hospital on November 9 to wish the king, who is recovering from gallbladder surgery, a speedy recovery. In the evening they participate in the Wat Bowon Niwet Aphitham prayers for the deceased Supreme Patriarch.

In July, action leader Suthep Thaugsuban was ordained as a monk at Wat Than Namlai. Since then he has been known as Phra Suthep Prapakaro.

The red shirts also made themselves heard yesterday. They commemorated the protests against the 2006 coup. At a memorial pillar, the widow and daughter of a taxi driver laid flowers in memory of his death. He hanged himself from a pedestrian bridge over Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road on 31 October 2006 in protest against the coup. Red shirt leaders also laid flowers there.

– During his visit to Cambodia, Prime Minister Prayut did not propose to jointly develop the Hindu temple Preah Vihear, so that the squabble over the 4,6 square kilometers at the temple, which is disputed by both countries, will end.

On October 30, the newspaper reported that Prayut would present the idea to his counterpart Hun Sen. Yesterday, Prayut said the topic has not been raised. There has been talk mainly of the promotion of border trade. The Prime Minister did not raise the subject because it is rather sensitive. “We are not discussing issues that could lead to conflict at this time,” said Prayut. "Those who want to visit the temple can do so from the Cambodian side."

– The southern province of Pattani was rocked by three bomb attacks last night. One person was killed and two others injured. The attacks were committed in/near a restaurant in Rusamilae, a restaurant 500 meters away and a restaurant in Bana.

– Train traffic between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai resumed yesterday. It became blocked on Thursday after a truck and a train collided. Cleaning up the devastation and repairing the rails took six hours.

The collision killed five people [previously four] and injured 42 passengers. Twelve injured are still in hospital. The others had minor injuries.

– Yesterday was the last day on which guest workers could register to obtain a temporary work permit. In Mae Sot, a thousand migrants reported to the so-called one stop service center (established after the exodus of thousands of Cambodians to their motherland). The high turnout was partly due to a reduction in the registration fee from 3.000 to 1.900 baht. The Tak Industrial Council has asked to move the deadline to March 31.

It was also busy in Buri Ram. Since registration started on August 1.659, 4 migrants have registered there.

So far, 1,48 million workers plus family members have registered nationwide. Most come from Cambodia, followed by Myanmar and Laos. The procedure continues with a verification process. If they roll through, they will receive a work permit that is valid from April 1 next year to March 31, 2016. They are then also entitled to benefits from the Social Security Fund.

– The Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA) and 45 village representatives did not get their way from the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC). Prime Minister Yingluck and three government departments have not committed a malfeasance by approving the 350 billion baht water management plan, the highest administrative court ruled.

The judge also reversed the Central Administrative Court's verdict, ordering the government to hold more public hearings. The association can oppose individual projects when they are final, the SAC said. Furthermore, the judge rejected the reasoning of the SGWA that the hearings already held were not credible because they were held by the contractors. No problem, the judge thought, because they were under government supervision,

One of the most controversial projects is the construction of the Mae Wong dam, the reservoir of which will be located in Mae Wong National Park. According to the opponents, this will destroy 17,6 square kilometers of low-lying forests, which will also destroy the habitat of animals. As far as I know, the construction of a super channel is also quite controversial, but the report does not mention that.

– The first DNA test pleads the son of the village chief on Koh Tao, who owns the AC bar, clear of murder of the two Brits. He has been accused of this on social media. The DNA doesn't match the semen found at the British. Today, the results of the studies by three other hospitals will be announced. The son voluntarily submitted to the tests to debunk the rumors on social media.

Two guest workers from Myanmar who worked in the AC Bar are suspected of the double murder. They say they confessed to being tortured. They have since retracted their confession. The suspects have not yet been charged.

– Following the example of Chiang Mai airport, Suvarnabhumi airport has also canceled and rescheduled flights due to the Loy Krathong festival that will be held from November 5 to 7. Revelers then leave lanterns on and airplanes don't like that. Two return flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai have been cancelled. Three flights depart at a different time.

– Fun party: Loy Krathong? Keep in mind that between 2004 and 2013, 436 people drowned during the festivities. One hundred and fifty were children, and of those, 40 percent were between the ages of 5 and 9. According to statistics, twice as many people drown during the party as the average per year.

– Follow-up to the murder of two Japanese men, partners of Pornchanok Chaiyapa. You know: one pushed down the stairs, the other suffocated and chopped to pieces. The Thai ex-partner says he has done that.

The police have now asked the Japanese embassy for information about three other Japanese who also had a relationship with her. Pornchanok has admitted to having known those three. The affair is starting to look like serial murders. Exciting and bizarre.

– The parents of 20-year-old Laotian Tai Daohuang, who was found in July in front of an apartment building in Huai Khwang and allegedly fell from the seventeenth floor, have asked the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the police investigation. They're calling her death "suspicious" because of bruises on her wrists. In addition, the police found her fingerprints on the balcony railing, which would indicate that she had clung to it.

– Nakhon Ratchasima airport seems to be the best location for the aviation industrial park and maintenance center planned by the Ministry of Transport. This is what the highest official boss at the ministry says, who is also chairman of a steering committee that must implement the plan. The steering group does not happen overnight, because the choice of location is based on studies by three panels. The advantages of Nakhon Ratchasima airport are that it can be reached by train, that it can be connected to other major cities by constructing highways and that there is sufficient space.

– The five men 'in black', who were arrested by the police in September, get help from lawyers of the Free Thai Legal Aid. They have urged the DSI, which has taken over the suspects from the police, to treat the five fairly.

According to the police, they were involved in the 2010 violence (red shirt riots) and used weapons of war against soldiers and demonstrators.

They initially confessed, but later retracted their confession. They would have been tortured.

An FTLA lawyer says he is not sure if they were involved in the violence at the time. "The facts must be established in the ongoing investigation." The lawyer does know that they were present at political meetings.

– Prison directors have been given by the director-general of the Corrections Department until November 10 to clean up. There must be an end to the smuggling of drugs, mobile phones and other prohibited items in prisons, and the use of drugs by prisoners. After 10 November, the department will carry out surprise checks. If things are not in order, the relevant director can be suspended or dismissed. On Monday, the minister gave notice to the directors.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post

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