News from Thailand – January 2, 2013
Today the 'seven dangerous days' end, a period that claims a sad number of deaths and injuries in traffic every year. On the fifth day, Monday, the number of deaths rose to 254 and the number of injuries to 2.454 in 2.351 accidents.
Chiang Mai had the highest number of accidents with 104 and Nakhon Pathom had the highest number of fatalities with 12. As always, alcohol abuse was the main cause.
Last year, in 3.093 accidents, 335 people lost their lives and 3.375 people were injured. Most deaths occurred in Buri Ram and Nakhon Sawan provinces; Chiang Rai had the highest number of accidents and injuries. 37,28 percent of accidents were due to alcohol; 20,63 percent to speeding. Motorcycles were involved in 81,46 percent of accidents, followed by pickup trucks.
– King Bhumibol in his New Year's speech expressed the wish that Thais show compassion and sympathy towards each other and provide each other with moral support. That binds people together, as family and friends. The king also thanked the population for the massive turnout at the Royal Plaza on his birthday. "The moral support I received from the people at that time was unforgettable."
As for years, the king has had a New Year's card made again. The card shows the monarch, dressed informally, and flanked by his two dogs. The text consists of a poem and a royal benediction.
– Good health for the king is the number 1 wish of 51 percent of respondents in a poll by Suan Dusit. 26 percent want social conflicts to end and 21 percent want better economic prosperity.
Respondents were also asked about their views on politicians. 60 think they should stop arguing, 25 percent demand they stop corrupt activities and 14 percent think they should do more to improve the image of politics and gain people's trust.
– On June 15, 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled that the Hindu temple Preah Vihear (built from the ninth to the eleventh century) is on Cambodian territory. The ruling sparked demonstrations Thailand which lasted two weeks and spread over 15 provinces.
This year, the Court will rule on the ownership of the 4,6 disputed square kilometers at the temple. Cambodia has approached the Court to elicit a ruling on the matter. In April, both countries will have the opportunity to explain their position orally. The verdict is expected in October.
Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul (Foreign Affairs) has a heavy head. “It's a no-win situation for Thailand. If we lose the case, we lose territory. Even if we don't lose the case, we go back to the beginning. Namely: that the temple belongs to Cambodia and that the surrounding area remains as it is.'
Surapong is afraid that 'some groups will provoke people to do wrong things if they disagree with the verdict'. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is therefore going to launch a campaign to inform the population about the case, with the aim of preventing it from being politicalised.
“The judgment of the ICJ must be respected. Ignoring the verdict means Thailand will be in trouble. We have to explain to the people what the previous government did that led Cambodia to go to the ICJ.'
– And again the media get the black piet from Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul (Foreign Affairs). Paying too much attention to the violence in the South could provoke more bloodshed, he says. Surapong wants the international community to pay less attention to the problem and instead condemn those who attack innocent civilians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a letter to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with "facts about the region". The letter is in response to a statement from the OIC issued in November.
In it, she noted that Thailand has made little progress in curbing unrest in the South. She expressed disappointment that the state of emergency still applies in the South and denounced the slow introduction of the local Malayu language into the curriculum of Southern schools. According to the OIC, the constant presence of the army has a negative impact on the daily life of the population.
– New artificial reefs to prevent trawlers from fishing in coastal areas reserved for small fishermen. That plan has been worked out by a group of fishermen and academics and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources is now going to work on it.
Nai Yang beach in Phuket has been designated as a test area. There, two reefs are being constructed about 3 kilometers off the coast. By law trawlers are not allowed to come closer than 3 km from the coast. Fish can then spawn in this area and small fishermen are allowed to fish there.
Artificial reefs are not new to Thai waters. They are already in a thousand places, says Sakanand Plathong, adviser to the maritime service. They appear to have a beneficial effect on the marine population.
– A group of 74 illegal Rohingya from Myanmar has settled on the island of Koh Bon in Muang (Phuket). The refugees were discovered yesterday. Most were exhausted because they hadn't eaten or drunk anything for the past two days. According to one of the refugees, they were on their way to Malaysia and Indonesia, but accidentally ended up in Thailand because their boat got caught in a storm. The Rohingya asked for provisions and fuel so that they could travel can continue. The municipality of Rawai has taken care of that.
– A 21-year-old Australian fell from the eighth floor of a hotels jumped on Patong beach in Phuket and died. The man had sought psychiatric help at Patong Hospital on December 30, but he later disappeared.
– A 23-year-old Briton was hit by a stray bullet 4 hours after the New Year in a bar on the island of Koh Phangan and died. The police already arrested a 26-year-old suspect on New Year's Day. He had hidden in the mountains and was in possession of a self-made weapon, with which the fatal shot was probably fired.
The Brit was present with a group of friends and about three hundred other tourists at a Countdown party, where two groups of Thais got into a fight. After one group ran out of the bar, a man from that group turned and fired a shot into the bar. It hit the Briton in the chest. He later died in hospital.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post