News from Thailand – December 29, 2012
On the first of the so-called 'seven dangerous days', 33 people died in traffic on Thursday and 322 people were injured. The seven-day period, which always has a record number of road casualties, mainly due to alcohol consumption, runs from December 27 to next Wednesday.
On Thursday, 33 percent of the 314 crashes were caused by drunk driving and 21,6 percent of the crashes were due to excessive speed. Chiang Mai had the most deaths (4), followed by Bangkok (3).
– Suvarnabhumi and Siam Paragon shopping mall are the two places in Bangkok that are most photographed and uploaded via the Instagram app. Last year, 100.000 photos were taken at Suvarnabhumi. Thailand has 187.261 active Instagram users. They have uploaded and shared 11 million photos to date. But Thailand is not in the top ten countries with Instagram users. That list was led by the US in 2011.
– Train passengers must expect delays in the next 3 years, because the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is working on the neglected and outdated rail network during that period. The works will last until August 2015. But after that the travelers a bright future, if we are to believe Nuananong Wongchan, head of the Public Relations Department. The government has allocated an amount of 17,6 billion baht for the works.
During the New Year holidays, the tourist routes Bangkok-Saiyok Noi waterfall in Kanchanaburi and Bangkok-Suan Son Pradiphat in Hua Hin (Prachuap Khiri Khan) are canceled. The two services will resume on January 5.
– The two largest national parks are prohibited for cars during the New Year holidays: Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai and Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation issued the measure to prevent traffic congestion and protect wildlife in the parks. A shuttle bus runs in the parks.
– Thai children not only suffer from obesity, but they also lack nutrients such as iodine and iron. These sounds were recently heard at a seminar of the International Health Policy Program in Bangkok. The speakers attribute the problem to the lack of financial support for school meals.
– Khon Kaen police have arrested a man suspected of setting fire to his former landlady on Tuesday after he was caught stealing money from her shop. The 70-year-old woman suffered burns over 80 percent of her body. After the man's rent was canceled after an argument, he still regularly returned to drink with his old neighbors.
– It is different with the price paid for palm kernels. According to previous reports, the farmers would receive 5 baht per kilo after they demonstrated and demanded 6 baht. But the National Oil Palm Policy Committee decided yesterday to pay 4 baht for kernels with an oil content of 17 percent and 4,35 baht for kernels with 18,5 percent. And now we wait and see what the farmers will do, who blocked the Phetkasem Road in Tha Sae (Chumphon) last week.
– The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD, red shirts) continues to push for a general amnesty for all political prisoners. Chairman Tida Tawornseth said this yesterday when presenting plans for next year. 'That is an important mission for the UDD.'
Tida further elaborated on the referendum ('A trap set by the elite') and the request to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the fighting between red shirts and the army in 2010. But I will leave that unmentioned: old hat.
– The Thai Labor Solidarity Committee gives the Yingluck government an unsatisfactory for its employment policy. It is true that workers welcome the increase in the minimum daily wage to 300 baht on January 1, but countless other problems remain unsolved.
For example, the committee wonders what will happen to the employees who are immediately fired because companies cannot afford the higher wage costs. And how are SMEs helped? The committee opposes the proposal to reduce the employer's contribution to the Social Security Fund, as this could have adverse consequences for, for example, medical care for employees.
Another point of criticism: there are no measures to control prices. When inflation cannot be controlled, workers in the informal sector bear the brunt. The list of complaints goes on for a while, but I'll leave it at that for now.
– This year the 'MP of honour' award will not be presented by the parliamentary press. No Member of Parliament qualifies. Even worse, there are many examples of unprofessional behavior in the House of Representatives, such as childish personal attacks. Members of Parliament were also too concerned with spending funds for the benefit of themselves and their party and money wasted on so-called study trips that were actually holiday were.
The parliamentary reporters find opposition leader Abhisit disappointing, but perhaps this, they think, is because he has been accused of murder and evasion of military service as well as internal party squabbles.
– Not 30, as reported yesterday, but 42 agents have registered for transfer to the South. The remainder of the 150 vacancies are filled by means of a lottery system, but not all agents participate in the lottery. Excluded are female agents, agents over the age of 55, agents who have served in the South for 2 years, agents who are about to be reassigned to other locations, and agents in frail health. The system has been protested by a group of 76 agents. They don't think the lottery is fair to cops who have family obligations.
Political news
– Opposition party Democrats brings the current governor of Bangkok into battle in the gubernatorial elections in February. But heartily it does not go; Sukhumbhand Paribatra has a rather idiosyncratic management style and his record has some blemishes with the futsal stadium fiasco, Sukhumbhand's performance during last year's floods and an investigation into the goings-on of a metro line extension.
The party board nominated him on Thursday with 9 votes, but 6 votes went to Korn Chatikavanij, finance minister in the Abhisit cabinet and currently deputy party leader. Sukhumbhand's nomination is subject to a few conditions: the headstrong governor should listen more closely to the party. In addition, the party assembles its policy and management team and selects the vice-governor candidate and advisers.
Party leader Abhisit said during Sukhumbhand's presentation that he understands the city's problems and how the city functions. "The capital needs uninterrupted management and a governor who knows the problems," Abhisit said.
Sukhumband himself said that the governor's job is demanding and complicated. "A new governor will take time, but if I get re-elected I can continue what I left behind to improve the work of the past 4 years." Sukhumbhand promised to take a more serious approach to traffic, environmental and safety issues.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post