News from Thailand – August 16, 2014

The harvest of raids at thirty places in Bangkok yesterday: 18 arrested drug suspects, 13 speed pills, 1,5 grams of crystal methamphetamine, four small packs of marijuana, a small amount of ecstasy, a pack of ketamine, a .38 pistol with 8 bullets and 51.410 baht worth cash. And before that, between XNUMX:XNUMX and XNUMX:XNUMX a.m., four hundred soldiers and anti-drug officials had been on the move.

According to one source, the big boys have not been caught; they had already taken off. The arrested suspects are twelve drug users and six others who had illegal drugs with them.

– What did couple leader Prayuth Chan-ocha mean when he said 'I am thinking of you' at the end of his weekly TV talk last week? There has been a lot of speculation about that sentence; some wondered if the general was perhaps referring to certain politicians or if he was referring to those who had fled abroad.

Yesterday the general spoke the redeeming word. He meant all Thais who have trouble making ends meet. 'That comes from the bottom of my heart and that of all NCPO members. We think of all fellow countrymen who are having a hard time making a living. Most of them are low paid, including farmers.'

Prayuth admitted that the NCPO is unable to meet all the needs of farmers as farmers depend on irrigation and rainfall for their crops. 'They hope for a good harvest and we can see that happiness in their eyes. […] Everyone in the government should try to solve the problems of the farmers. The NCPO will try to ensure that their expectations are met.'

– Even more Prayuth. He called on farmers not to hold protests yesterday. "I don't want you to waste your time." His call was related to the start of the new season and is in response to rallies held by farmers, but the report makes no mention of that.

The farmers are demanding money from the mortgage system for rice that has been abolished by the junta. Prayuth called on companies and intermediaries to help the population and lower prices. Middlemen, he said, should not take advantage of the situation by paying farmers a low price when they buy products from them.

– Nice invention: the wheel clamp. On Monday, that thing will be used by the municipal police of Bangkok, who seem to have awakened from a 100-year sleep. No more compassion for incorrectly parked cars; they are fitted with a wheel clamp. The message does not state what that will cost the owner. Earlier this month, the police went to war against motorists who talk on the phone while driving or, even worse, play a game on their mobile phone.

– Two bomb attacks in Yala and Narathiwat yesterday. A police officer and a ranger were killed and three officers injured. In Kabang (Yala), a bomb exploded when four officers were patrolling on motorcycles. The bomb was hidden in a fertilizer bag on the side of the road and, as always, was detonated by telephone.

The other bomb was hidden in a motorcycle. Three paramilitaries, transporting fuel in a six-wheeler truck, were targeted. The car was damaged and one of the rangers later died in hospital from his injuries.

– Hundreds of leaflets attacking the army were distributed early yesterday morning from a taxi in front of the army headquarters on Ratchadamnoen Avenue (Bangkok). A pink taxi, according to camera images, with which the taxi company that rented the car has been identified. The pamphlet also contained sarcastic remarks about coup leader Prayuth.

– To give children living in remote areas a better chance of being admitted to top schools, new guidelines have been drawn up for the so-called catchment areas. Secondary schools have so far been obliged to accept 50 percent of new students from the immediate area and 50 percent from the suburbs. The first percentage goes to 40 and the second [consult the pocket Japanese in Thai] – correct – 60 percent.

The change reflects the decline in the birth rate and easier transportation options, said Kamol Rodklai, secretary general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec).

The admission procedure for students from their own environment can consist of an entrance exam, drawing numbers or both. Last year only 22 of 100 schools opted for the lottery. Obec is considering scrapping the system.

– In January, the public transport company of Bangkok (BMTA) expects to have access to 489 of the 3.183 buses to be ordered that run on natural gas. The tender for those buses will start next month, the contract will be signed in October and then the first series can be delivered. The other buses must be delivered between April and December next year in a monthly average of 300. So there is work to be done for the (presumably) Chinese manufacturer.

– Four so-called one stop service centers in Bangkok will close tomorrow. Only the centers in Din Daeng and Bang Khen will remain open and a third will open in Bang Mod (Thonburi). According to the Employment Department, most foreign workers have already registered, so those four can easily be closed.

The centers (also elsewhere in the country) were set up after Cambodian migrants fled the country in large numbers, when rumors of a roundup circulated. In the one stop centers, foreigners are given a temporary work permit, after which their identity and nationality are verified in order to obtain a permanent work permit. The centers were set up as a means of combating illegal labor and human trafficking.

Sumeth Mahosot, director general of the Employment Department, denies rumors that officials are taking bribes in exchange for a shorter wait. He promises to punish officials who are caught doing so.

As of Wednesday, 122.652 employers across the country have applied for registration and 678.782 migrants have registered, most of them from Myanmar. The verification process of registered migrants will take place between November 2014 and March 2015.

– The 2-year-old toddler who received an electric shock on August 7 when she touched an ATM (cash machine) at a petrol station in Yan Ta Khao (Trang) passed away yesterday. The family decided to give permission to stop the ventilator after doctors found that there was no longer any brain activity.

According to the grandfather, the same night the girl received the shock, an adult had previously been shocked, but was not seriously injured. After the initial shock, the electricity company came to look, but the inspection had not yet been completed when the girl touched the ATM. There were no problems with the ATM of another bank next door. It turned out that the ATM was connected directly to the electricity grid and not via a transformer. The bank pays for the girl's medical and funeral expenses.

– A boy with a mental disability (as it is called today) was probably beaten with a hard object by his teacher as a result of which he had to be admitted to the Chaiyaphum hospital. He was taken home sick by a neighbour. According to the mother, his condition worsened the next day with blood coming from his nose, mouth and anus. The boy is in Mathayom 1 of a school for disabled children.

– At a printing company in Bangkok, hundreds of false seaman's books (for seafarers) were seized, as well as materials to print another thousand. The printing house was visited by Immigration and Navy personnel. Found were 400 blank, 100 completed seaman's books and a Garuda stamp. Four people have been arrested. According to the owner, he has printed two thousand seaman's books on behalf of a third party in the past two years.

Legal seaman's books are issued by the Marine Department upon presentation of the applicant's ID card (Thai) or passport (migrant) and employment contract.

Economic news

– Coupleider Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday tried to reassure 25 executives of foreign funds and foreign investors. Thailand's political, economic and security situation is stable and favorable for investment, he said.

But his audience was less convinced; they are concerned that martial law is still in place, as it harms the investment climate. They are a little bit reassured, said Paiboon Nalinthrankurn, chairman of the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organisations, about the timeline leading up to the elections.

Prajin Juntong, deputy head of the NCPO (junta), believes martial law can be lifted soon, once the NCPO and the government are confident that the situation is under control and peace has been restored.

– Four public companies, which are in dire financial straits, have been instructed by the State Enterprises Policy Commission (SEPC) to make every effort to improve their financial position.

These are the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank (SME Bank), the Islamic Bank of Thailand, TOT (Telephone Organization of Thailand) and CAT Telecom Plc. The four have already submitted recovery plans to the SEPC. Two others have yet to do so: Thai Airways International and the State Railway of Thailand. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, the public transport company of Bangkok, must also make such a plan.

The SME Bank has already announced that it will divest 20 billion baht in bad loans. Its sale eases the burden of building reserves and reduces the NPL (non-performing loans to the entire loan portfolio) percentage from 38 to 14 percent.

THAI is looking for the solution in reducing the workforce. This year, 1.500 jobs will be lost. A quarter of the workforce must be made redundant by 2018.

The SEPC set up by the junta (the newspaper speaks of a super board) has also cut the investment budget of ten public companies by scrapping overlapping and unnecessary expenditure. THAI and the Government Savings Bank have already ended showers for members of the Board of Directors.

– Thai Airways International (THAI) expects to get out of the red as early as the fourth quarter and that is faster than the earlier forecast of mid-2015. This year 1.500 jobs will be lost; by 2018, a quarter of the staff must have disappeared. THAI has 25.000 permanent employees and 5.000 under contract.

THAI Chairman Prajin Juntong says THAI wants to reduce operating costs by 4 billion baht and increase revenue by 3 billion baht. The national airline expects the number of passengers flying to Thailand to increase now that the political unrest has passed. Japanese and Indian passengers are already returning and European routes are doing better. Only Australia is left behind.

Last year, THAI suffered a loss of 12 billion baht. A slightly higher loss is expected for this year due to lower passenger numbers.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post

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