News from Thailand – December 13, 2012

News out Thailand – December 13, 2012

That was bad luck for many couples who wanted to register their marriage yesterday on 12-12-12. The computers in Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok, among others, did not feel like it and sometimes even gave up completely, so that hours and hours had to be waited.t.

The culprit was the software of the central computer of the Bureau of Registration Administration of the Ministry of the Interior.

In the district office of Bang Rak (Bangkok), the grapes were quite sour for half of the 100 pairs. They didn't turn at all. Bang Rak is a popular place to get married as the name means 'district of love'.

– Presumably from January 1, the sale of alcoholic beverages on sidewalks, in public parks and public spaces is prohibited. The Ministry of Health hopes for that date, because on New Year's Day there is always heavy drinking.

The leadership of the Ministry of Health approved the new scheme yesterday. If the Board of National Alcohol-Related Policy also agrees, the regulation can take effect. According to Minister Pradit Sintawanarong (Public Health), the ban helps to reduce the number of traffic accidents because there are fewer outlets.

Saman Footrakul, director of the Alcohol Beverage Office, said several polls last year showed that most people supported a ban on street alcohol sales. Enforcing the ban is a responsibility of local authorities. "The big question is how we can persuade the local authorities to enforce the law," says Saman.

The message also mentions a ban on retail sales, but I think that already applies. Sales are only allowed from 11 am to 14 pm and 17 pm to midnight.

– Again teachers in the South go on strike. Today and tomorrow, 1.200 schools in the three southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat will keep their doors closed in protest against three recent assassinations.

The closure will allow security services to evaluate their performance, make plans to protect teaching staff and track down the perpetrators, said the Confederation of Teachers in the Southern Border Provinces, which ordered the closure. Chairman Boonsom Srithongtprai says that better security measures must be on the table by Monday at the latest. The confederation reiterates its call for Muslim and Buddhist teachers working in high-risk areas to be relocated to safer locations. If her demands are not met on Monday, more actions will follow.

Prime Minister Yingluck will travel to Pattani today to assess the situation and provide support to those affected by the violence. The government has given permission to station more police officers in the South, but according to Yingluck this is not enough to solve the personnel shortage. According to the National Security Council, 4.000 agents will be gradually deployed starting in April.

Thongthong Chandrangsu, secretary of the prime minister's office, says a working group is being formed to deal with education programs for the South. The Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center will propose to the Ministry of Education to encourage graduates from the region to teach there.

– A villager injured in an attack on a tea house in Rangae (Narathiwat) on Tuesday has died of his injuries, bringing the death toll to six.

A 20-year-old man suspected of the theft of a pickup truck in October has been arrested in a raid on two villages in Rangae. Authorities believe the car was to be used in a bomb attack.

The lifeless body of a 24-year-old man was found yesterday on a road in tambon Na Tham (Yala). He was lying face down under his motorcycle.

– The TV broadcast on channel 11, in which Thaksin gave a speech, continues to occupy the minds. The Green Politics Group has asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission to take legal action against Prime Minister Yingluck, Minister Sansanee Nakpong (PM's Office) and Thirapong Sodasri, director of Channel 11, who allegedly committed violations of the Penal Code.

Thaksin opened a kickboxing event in Macau on Sunday. In his speech, he lashed out at the 2006 military coup and defended himself against the allegations leveled against him. Channel 11 is government owned and under the responsibility of the Public Relations Department. The contested broadcast, which was also broadcast on the TV channel of the red shirts, took place on airtime rented by the organizers.

– The government wants more than 1 million drug addicts to follow a rehabilitation program next year. Other measures against drug use include sealing the border in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Song, where drug trafficking is brisk. In particular, the government wants to make the smuggling of pills containing pseudoephedrine impossible. They are used in the production of methamphetamine.

All provinces are asked to monitor places where drugs are used. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who is responsible for the anti-drug campaign, has asked the provincial governors, in cooperation with schools, to focus their attention on students of Prathom 5 (5th grade primary school). They would be a favorite target of drug gangs.

– The Nongtom market in Phrom Phiram (Phitsanulok) went up in flames on Tuesday evening. About thirty houses were also reduced to ashes. The damage is estimated at 70 million baht.

– Four hundred agents have been summoned today to protect former Prime Minister Abhisit and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban when they report to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). Both are charged with murder because in 2010 they gave the army permission to use live ammunition during the red shirt riots.

According to the DSI, two groups, red shirts and supporters of the two Democrats, are planning to come to the DSI headquarters. The red shirts previously demanded that Abhisit and Suthep be jailed. Yesterday the DSI received a visit from red shirts. They gave flowers to DSI head Tarit Pengdith as a sign of support.

Abhisit once again pointed out the strange position of the DSI head, because at the time he was a member of the CRES, the body responsible for maintaining the state of emergency in 2010. Suthep was its director. The CRES gave the army permission, so Abhisit says, Tarit is also responsible.

Army commander Prayuth Chan-ocha says that the CRES did not order to kill people, but gave permission to use weapons against armed people. He further pointed out that soldiers were also killed and injured during the disturbances.

– Two youths aged 16 and 17 were acquitted by the Juvenile Court of arson in CentralWorld and Zen on May 19, 2010. On that day, the army ended the weeks-long occupation of the Ratchaprasong intersection by red shirts. The court found the evidence insufficient.

At the time of their arrest, they had only been charged with theft, but later arson was added. The two have previously been acquitted of theft. The Public Prosecution Service may appeal against the judgment of the Juvenile Court. It has asked for an extension of the appeal period.

– Government party Pheu Thai throws another populist measure against it. Graduates can borrow an amount of up to 3 million baht to set up a business. Prime Minister Yingluck gave the starting shot yesterday. For 2013, the government has allocated 5 billion baht.

The lucky ones receive a loan of 70 percent or an amount of up to 2 million from a bank and 1 million from the Tang Tua Dai (self-sustained) fund. The loan amount must be repaid within 7 to 10 years. Eligible are students from vocational schools and universities and those who have graduated within the last 5 years.

Political news

– Prime Minister Yingluck supports holding a referendum before proceeding with constitutional revision. She said so on Tuesday, but now Pirapan Palusuk, Pheu Thai MP and a member of a panel that has studied the issue, says a referendum to determine whether the constitution should be revised could violate the constitution.

According to him, this goal is not mentioned in Article 165 of the constitution, which deals with referenda and determines which subjects are suitable for it. So he argues, this article should be changed first, before holding a referendum.

The referendum law (a so-called organic law with an elaboration of Article 165) further prescribes that at least half of the eligible Thais must cast a vote. A simple majority is sufficient for the result, but it is not binding.

[Ladies and gentlemen, can we all still follow the bickering or are you going to get dizzy?]

Economic news

– Dissatisfied members of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) will make a second attempt on December 24 to depose the chairman. Last month they elected a new chairman in a 'wild' meeting, but he has withdrawn. The dissatisfied members believe that the chairman has not made himself hard enough to postpone the increase in the minimum daily wage to 300 baht on January 1.

Lawyers familiar with the case say the chairman cannot maintain that he is still chairman because 139 of the 182 committee members present (a kind of general board) ousted him during that meeting. The chairman's claim that only 2/3 of the 7.000 FTI members can impeach him does not make sense, they say.

Although the FTI law does not contain rules about removing the chairman, the lawyers believe that similar rules about a chairman election apply. So only half of the votes of the committee members is needed. The committee consists of 347 members.

Chairman Payungsak Chartsutthipol has asked the Ministry of Industry to investigate the matter. He says that his opponents should bring the case before the administrative court, a procedure that will take at least 3 years. One of the lawyers says that those involved should sit around the table to end the conflict through negotiations.

– So far, 720.000 people have applied to be eligible for a tax refund on the purchase of a first car. The scheme, which was created by the government to stimulate the economy after last year's floods, expires at the end of the year.

The tax authorities expect the counter to be at 800.000 by the end of the year. On Tuesday alone, 4.000 people applied. The great interest in the tax refund means that the scheme will cost 60 billion baht, double what has been budgeted.

Thirty thousand people who have owned their car for a year have now received a refund of the tax paid. They must keep the car for 5 years. If it is sold in the meantime, they must return the shower.

– The organizers of the Thailand International Motor Expo 2012 look back with satisfaction on the fair that ended on Monday. A total of 85.904 orders have been placed, which is a new record and significantly exceeds the forecast of 50.000.

– Bangkok and some major provinces will have 3G from early next year. Yesterday AIS, Dtac and True Move collected their permits, about which there was so much to do. Half of the population must be able to use it within 2 years and a coverage of 4 percent must be achieved within 80 years.

The three providers have asked the licensing authority NBTC to lower the interconnection rate if the NBTC requires them to reduce the rates for data and sound transmission by 15 percent. The interconnection rate is the rate that the providers pay each other for mutual calls.

Besides 3G, there is another advantage coming. The expiration date of prepaid calling cards expires. The Central Administrative Court ruled last month that the providers must scrap them. The Telecom Service Regulation Act of 2006 banned all such practice.

– Companies that benefit from investment privileges from the Board of Investment may no longer employ foreign employees from 1 January. The companies resist; they warn that 'thousands of factories will close and exports will be hit hard'.

"The big problem is that we don't have Thai workers who are willing to do the work that foreign workers do," says a source working in the export industry. The companies are calling on the government to relax the rule.

Another problem faced by the companies is the verification of foreign workers, especially from Myanmar. Friday is the last day they can do so, but many cannot prove their nationality.

The Myanmar authorities have asked Thailand for an extension. They do not believe that Thailand will manage to complete the verification of 400.000 workers from Myanmar on time. Officially, illegal migrants will no longer be allowed to work in Thailand from next year. But in construction, most of the workers are from Myanmar. The Housing Business Association is concerned that the sector will be hit hard if the soup is eaten hot. An estimated 1 million Myanmarese work in Thailand.

– CEO Agrifood Co, one of Thailand's largest producers of rice bran oil, will expand its range with nutritional supplements and beauty products, based on rice bran. Today, the company produces raw rice bran oil and bran extract, and recently added snacks.

The nutritional supplements market is worth 24 billion baht and competition is increasing. Agrifood plans to conduct an educative marketing campaign because consumers have insufficient knowledge of the benefits of bran products. There is also a lot of misunderstanding about broken husked rice and other rice parts. The company hopes to do something about this by means of special promotions at points of sale, samples and road shows in department stores and hospitals.

Agrifood's bran oil products are currently available at Health Up Group, Drug Square, U-Care and Health Choice. Boots, Watsons and various drugstores in Bangkok will be added next year.

– Sugar-producing countries should stop with export subsidies, says the Thai Sugar Millers Association. The association says it has evidence that some EU countries subsidize their sugar exporters, which has consequences for the world market price. Thailand is the world's second largest sugar exporter. It hopes to be able to increase exports when those naughty countries stop their sneaky business. The Global Sugar Alliance will put pressure on the EU to comply with WTO guidelines.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post