News from Thailand – December 2, 2012
Would rent-a-bike in Bangkok become something? The first two of fifty planned lending points have opened at Siam Square and Sam Yan. Every day, 10 to 20 people use the twice 10 bicycles.
The aim of the project is of course to get residents of Bangkok out of their cars, so that the traffic nuisance is somewhat reduced. The lending points will be located at stations of both the overground and underground metro and on major roads in Bangkok.
All one has to do is buy a membership card for 320 baht: 100 baht membership and 200 baht credit, which can be topped up later. The first 15 minutes are (still) free, after that the tenant pays amounts ranging from 10 (15 minutes to 1 hour) to 100 baht (more than 8 hours). Membership includes accident insurance.
A private company places the lending points, which cost 2 million baht each, in exchange for which it may collect the advertising money.
– They come in every year Thailand 9.470 new cases of HIV infection, 80 percent of which are caused by unsafe sex. In total, the country has 464.414 people with HIV/Aids.
The health authorities are very concerned about the increase in infections due to sexual contacts between men (MSM: men who have sex with men). Between 1987 and 2011, the number of infections increased by 11 percent and continues to rise, said Narong Sahamethapat, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health.
The Thai Red Cross traced 2007 men who had contracted HIV between January 2008 and April 118. Forty percent of them had also contracted the human papilloma virus, which is associated with anal cancer. A low level of CD4 cells (a type of immune cell attacked by the HIV virus) increases the chance of developing anal cancer.
Yesterday on World AIDS Day, dozens of HIV/AIDS patients gathered at Mor Chit (Bangkok). They called for an end to discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients. Just like healthy people, they should have access to education and pursue a career.
Supatra Nacapew, director of the Foundation for Aids Rights, says the Thai people have a better understanding of HIV/AIDS, but there is no improvement in discriminating against people who are HIV positive.
– A large majority of Thai workers have no idea what the Asean Economic Community (AEC) is about and how it could affect them. This is the conclusion of a survey by the Thai Labor Solidarity Committee among 600 people in 8 provinces.
Those who do have an idea believe that the AEC favors employers more than employees. They are concerned about increased competition when the AEC comes into effect at the end of 2015. Companies could then move to low-wage countries, they fear, and there will be an influx of foreign workers to Thailand when restrictions are eased.
The poor command of the English language is a handicap for Thai employees. Skilled Thai workers are moving to countries where higher wages are paid, causing labor shortages, some forecasts say.
– The public schools in the southern province of Pattani, which closed on Tuesday, will reopen on Monday. The closure was a protest against the assassination attempt on a school principal and an encouragement to strengthen security measures for teaching staff.
The teachers living in high-risk areas have asked for an increase in the monthly risk allowance from 2.500 to 3.500 baht, a more flexible policy in grading teachers, tax reductions for teachers earning more than 200.000 baht a year, and special low-interest loans.
Boonsom Thongsriplai, coordinator of the Confederation of Teachers of Southern Border Provinces, says the cabinet approved the 2010 baht back in 3.500, but no baht has yet been paid out.
More than 5.000 people have been killed and 9.000 injured in the past eight years in the four southern provinces, according to Deep South Watch figures. 154 teachers were killed and 151 were injured.
Violence continued yesterday. A roadside bomb exploded in Mai Kaen (Pattani). One soldier was killed, five others were wounded, two of them seriously. They were patrolling in a pickup truck when the 20-kilogram bomb exploded.
– The body of a white man was found in a rubber plantation in Kathu (Phuket). The body, which was placed in a plastic bag, had five stab wounds and three severe head wounds. He had probably been dead for a week. The man has not yet been identified.
– In the province of Songkhla, the bodies of a Malaysian man and his Thai wife were found in a pond on the Thai-Malaysian border. The police suspect that they died on Loy Krathong. The police found their shoes next to the pond and a krathong floated in the pond.
– Contrary to what the government claims, China has not bought rice from the Thai government. The Thai government's claim that 5 million tons of rice has been sold to China has been dismissed as myth by the Chinese ambassador to Thailand. The Chinese government has stopped buying rice from Thailand for some time now, leaving it to private companies, he says.
China does not need to buy large amounts of rice because it is largely self-sufficient; moreover, rice is bought not only from Thailand for consumers who prefer Thai rice, but also from Vietnam, Russia and other countries.
The ambassador's statements, to which the government does not yet want to respond, are grist to the mill of the opposition party Democrats. During the censor debate in parliament, Democrat Warong Dejkitvikrom already broached the issue last week and he did it so convincingly that even MPs from the government camp were shocked.
Central to the discussion is the role of a Chinese company that acted as a front for a Thai exporter. This construction enabled the exporter to sell mortgaged rice domestically and to export it for a good profit of 3.000 to 5.000 baht per ton. An acquaintance of former Prime Minister Thaksin acted as the representative of the Chinese company in Thailand. According to Warong, the transactions give the impression of money laundering.
The Democrats are now demanding proof from the government that China has bought rice from Thailand or that binding agreements have been made about this. The opposition party is considering raising the matter with the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
Warong thinks the days of Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom (Trade), who is responsible for the mortgage system for rice, are numbered. According to him, the facts he has discovered are serious enough to send him home and thus relieve the cabinet of the 'weakest link'.
Some figures about Bangkok
Bangkok has 3,9 square meters of greenery per person, the lowest amount in the world. Paris has more than double, New York has 21,6 square meters and London 33,4, so 10 times as much.
The inhabitants produce 8.900 tons of waste every day, 52.000 cars are added every month and it is estimated that the population is increasing by about 1.000 per day.
Political news
– The debate on the constitutional amendment, which was halted in July, will resume in December, when parliament meets again. This says Pheu Thai MP Korkaew Pikulthong, whose bail was revoked by the Criminal Court on Friday.
Korkaew, also a Red Shirt leader, is charged with terrorism in connection with the Red Shirt protests in April and May 2010. He was free on bail, but the court ruled last week that he had violated bail conditions.
In July, the Constitutional Court halted parliamentary consideration of the amendment proposal. It recommended holding a referendum on amending Article 291. The Court considered that the constitution (of 2007) had also been submitted to the population in a referendum and was given the green light, albeit with a small majority of 57,81 percent.
The government wants to amend Article 291 so that a citizens' assembly can be formed. It would then be tasked with revising the entire constitution. But the current article prohibits amendment of the entire constitution; it may only be changed article by article.
Korkaew says the government must make a choice: review the entire constitution or article by article, which will take considerably longer. He acknowledges that resuming the discussion will encounter fierce opposition from the opposition. The opposition suspects the government of using the procedure to rehabilitate Thaksin and to curb independent organizations (which it suffers from).
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung expects anti-government group Pitak Siam to make itself heard again after the turn of the year. Former leader General Boonlert Kaewprasit, who prematurely halted the November 24 rally, has said he will lead the group again if the government insults the monarchy.
– Prime Minister Yingluck denies reports that Pheu Thai Pongsapat Pongcharoen will run for governor of Bangkok. A new governor will be elected in February. A source at Pheu Thai had leaked the name of Pongsapat, but Yingluck plays dumb.
PT Vice Chairman Jirayu Huangsap would neither confirm nor deny the report. The candidate will be announced this month, he says.
Pongsapat is currently Chief of the National Police and Secretary General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. He would have the support of former Prime Minister Thaksin. PTers in Bangkok have previously put forward Sudarat Keyuraphan, former health minister, but he seems to have little appetite.
The first reports of irregularities in the run-up to the gubernatorial election are also emerging. Brochures about the work of the vice governor have been distributed at train stations, but they are said to be intended to promote the current (Democratic) governor. Pheu Thai wants to bring the matter before the Electoral Council. Never a dull moment in Thailand.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post