News from Thailand – October 15, 2012

Thailand is heading for economic collapse, warns former finance minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala.

The impact of the mortgage system on rice and other populist measures could be much more serious than expected because future financial obligations are not taken into account.

Thirachai, who managed the finance portfolio at the start of the Yingluck cabinet, makes the pessimistic forecast on his Facebook page. He calls on the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Thailand to take a closer look at the policy.

Because the mortgage system and other measures drive up the national debt, Thirachai believes this could theoretically lead to the country's bankruptcy, similar to what happened in Greece. The defense of the government that the country can still borrow enough because the current national debt is only 40 percent of the gross domestic product, Thirachai parries with the comment that the Ministry of Finance calculates the national debt on a cash basis.

That percentage is unrealistic. It means that the indebtedness of those projects, including future debts, is not included in the national debt until the accounts of those projects are closed. Therefore, the debt percentage is not up to date and does not give a realistic picture of the total financial burden.'

– Two weeks after Don Mueang was taken into use with much fanfare as the second international airport in Bangkok (with the move of AirAsia), the electricity went out early Sunday morning. About 15 planes had to be grounded. The blackout was caused by heavy rain and a thunderstorm. The airport switched to the backup system, so that the lights came on again after 30 minutes.

– The National Security Council (NSC) proposes to replace the soldiers of the three army units, now stationed in the South, with soldiers of the 15th Infantry Division. The cabinet gave the green light for the formation of this division in November. The division will consist of soldiers coming from the South.

The entire operation will take a year, says NSC Secretary General Paradorn Pattanathabutr, who has been in office since October 1. According to Paradorn, the soldiers from the South understand the needs and problems of the inhabitants better than the soldiers who come from elsewhere. The soldiers should be responsible for all security tasks, so that the local authorities, police officers and defense volunteers can play a more prominent role.

Paradorn says efforts to curb violence in the South will improve as Prime Minister Yingluck understands the problems. The government's strategy is now moving in the right direction. "It is a participatory process, involving all responsible services, especially the military." According to Paradorn, the NSC and the army have no conflict, although the NSC advocates for an end to the state of emergency and the army is opposed.

– The ministers of finance from Asia and Europe are today at the tenth Asia-Europe Finance Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok to discuss how trade and investment can be promoted. Yesterday, top officials from 43 member countries already agreed that trade promotion between the two continents is of great importance. The only question is how to encourage business to invest back and forth, especially from Asia to Europe.

Today's meeting is expected to be attended by 46 of the 49 members and representatives of the European Central Bank, the IMF, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

– The pursuit of an alleged drug trafficker by the police ended yesterday in Bang Khae (Bangkok), where he was killed in a gunfight. The man was driving a pickup belonging to a charitable foundation, which police had been tipped off about. At the Bang Pruek intersection, he fled into a residential area, which he later tried to leave in a hijacked taxi disguised as a taxi driver. Ten bullet shots ended his life. In the pickup, the police found 2 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

– On Saturday, a woman from Mozambique was arrested on Suvarnabhumi, who was in possession of drugs worth 21 million baht. She had hidden it in the bag of her laptop. The drugs were destined for customers on Patong Beach. The woman was from Malaysia.

– The rally of the opposition party Democrats on Sunday did not go down well with red shirts and human rights activists. During the rally, the Democrats called attention to the so-called 'men in black', heavily armed men dressed in black who are held responsible for the deaths of soldiers during the disturbances in April and May 2010. They are said to have been affiliated with the red shirt movement.

According to the rally's critics, the Democrats are trying to cover up that the (Democratic) government of Abhisit is responsible for 91 deaths. They legitimize the use of excessive force against the people. But it was the Democrat-led government that ordered violence to be used," said Social Move member Chaiwat Trakarnratsanti.

– Four hundred thousand illegal foreign workers run the risk of being deported if they do not register by December 14. Of the 1,7 million migrants, 1,3 million have completed the so-called 'nationality verification'.

To be able to work here legally, permission from the country of origin is required and the employer must cooperate. For example, the Ministry of Employment has encountered 99.000 workers from Laos who do not have permission from their own government.

When workers have struggled through the paperwork, they can stay for 2 years with an extension option of 2 years. The entire procedure costs the migrant 3.000 baht plus often also travel costs to the verification center.

– The animal shelter in Nakhon Phanom is in need of money because of the large number of dogs it has to care for. It now houses 1.300 dogs, after 1.626 dogs were adopted and 2.202 dogs received an injection. Recently, the shelter housed 300 dogs that were confiscated in Mukdahan. They were heading for a Vietnamese food plate.

– From the end of the year, the army will have 100 Ukrainian-made armored personnel carriers (APCs) at its disposal. Fifty have already been delivered, the rest will arrive later. Another 121 APCs are on order. They will be delivered in 2014.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post

Dutch Film Festival in Bangkok

Journalism is a profession and that also applies to press relations. The editors of thailandblog received a press release about the Dutch Film Festival that will be held in Bangkok in November. Although it does contain a list of the films that will be screened - feature films, documentaries and short films - it is missing information about the dates, times and locations.

Which club hides behind 'Dutch Film festival in Thailand' is also not mentioned. Whether the films are subtitled for non-Dutch speakers: guess what. The press release refers to the website, but I know my pappenheimers. A press release that does not meet the applicable requirements will make a single travel towards the circular archive.

That's a pity, because the program looks attractive with films like Meet the Fokkens by Rob Schroder and Gabrielle Provaas; father and daughter, a poetic cartoon by Michael Dudok de Wit and Forever by the talented documentary maker Heddy Honigmann.

All information seems to be available at www.dutch-film-fest-in-thailand.com, but I haven't checked that because I'm such a pappenheimer.