News from Thailand – January 29, 2013

And again a group of Rohingya refugees has come to Thailand by sea. 108 men, women and children have reached the shore of Surin Tai after their boat sank 1 kilometer from the island. On Friday, the water police already arrested a group of 96 Rohingya near the island of Ra.

The National Security Council (NSC) has proposed building three detention centers in Songkhla and Rayong provinces to house what the government considers to be “illegal immigrants” for up to six months. Then they are repatriated to Myanmar or go to a third country. Thailand will not allow longer stays because this would attract other Rohingya, the NSC believes.

"We must now contact the countries that want to help us with the Rohingya and ask them if they are willing to take them in," said Lieutenant General Paradon Pattanathaboot, secretary general of the NSC. 'I have already met the ambassadors of many countries. They have asked Thailand to help. I have told them that we are willing to do so, but these countries must also accept Rohingya themselves.'

For the Rohingya, Thailand is not the final destination, because they want to go to a Muslim country, preferably Malaysia or Indonesia. Thailand is also going to ask the US, Australia and European countries to take them in. The government continues to view the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and not as victims of human trafficking, as in that case it would be difficult to deport them, Paradon said.

– The consumer magazine Chalard Sue warns against coffee-based slimming drinks. The magazine refers to a study in Germany showing that the drinks imported from Thailand contain the banned sibutramine. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the nine drinks tested in Germany were not made in Thailand, but were smuggled into Thailand and then exported to Europe.

– The police suspect that the employee who died in the fire at the Grand Tower Inn hotel on Sunday, started the fire. The man worked as a waiter in the hotel restaurant and was at odds with management. Witnesses heard him promise to die with the hotel two days before the fire. Arson seems likely because the fire broke out in nine different places almost simultaneously.

– The St Gabriel Foundation, overseer of Assumption College and thirteen other Roman Catholic schools, has suspended Assumption College principal Anat Prichavudhi pending an investigation into financial mismanagement. On Friday, about three hundred teachers and (former) students protested against the proposed merger of the primary school on Sathon Road and the secondary school in Bang Rak (Bangkok).

– Jittanart Limthongkul, director of the ASTV-Manager Group, thinks that the shooting of the newspaper's four company cars ASTV Manager the work may be of "a close associate of a political figure with influence on the police force."

According to the head of the municipal police, the investigation into the perpetrator is making good progress. Three people have already been heard: a taxi driver, a passerby and a motorcyclist. They deny any involvement. Two company security guards were also questioned.

On Friday night, an unknown man fired at the cars, once at each car. The newspaper, founded by Yellow Shirt leader Sondhi, father of Jittanart, was recently at odds with the army. But there is also denial. "I do not support such acts of violence because they are against the law," said army commander Prayuth Chan-ocha. According to him, a soldier could not have fired.

– The national police has ordered a new investigation into a police officer who was arrested along with eight others because they had been hunting in Kaeng Krachan National Park (Phetchaburi). The eight are prosecuted, the policeman is not, although he has been transferred to an inactive post. There would be too little evidence against him.

– Veera Somkomenkid, the coordinator of the militant Thai Patriots Network, who is imprisoned in Cambodia, is being held in solitary confinement and is not allowed to read and write, says Senator Jet Siratranont, who visited him on Friday. He has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help Veera.

Veera is serving an 8-year prison sentence for illegal entry into Cambodian territory and espionage in December 2010. He recently received a six-month reduced sentence. He may be eligible for a prisoner exchange this year.

His secretary, who had been sentenced to six years, will be released on Friday. She has been pardoned.

– Half of the teaching staff of the Ban Tanyong school in Narathiwat has asked for a transfer, after a teacher was murdered in cold blood by insurgents there on Wednesday during lunch break. Yesterday, the 378 schools in the province reopened after they closed their doors in protest after the murder. Only seven of Ban Tanyong School's XNUMX teachers showed up yesterday.

The murdered teacher is the 158th teacher killed since 2004. Two suspects in his murder were arrested on Thursday and yesterday police raided tambon Ba Rae Tai (Bacho district) looking for four other suspects. The mastermind behind the murder managed to escape.

Army commander Prayuth Chan-ocha visited Narathiwat yesterday where he was briefed by commanders on the safety measures for teachers.

In Pattani 17 surveillance cameras were set on fire and in Nam Dam a bomb exploded near a bridge. There were no injuries.

– The quarry operators in the district of Chalerm Prakiat (Saraburi) pollute the air with dust at night, so the Pollution Control Department has ordered the provincial authorities to put an end to this. The highest concentrations of dust particles were found between 16 and 8 pm.

The deputy governor has invited the 27 operators for a meeting, but he says he has no legal options to limit working hours. "I can only ask for their cooperation." In 2004, the district in question was designated as a 'pollution control zone'.

A hazardous dust level was measured for 24 days this month. Residents have been warned to stay indoors between 16 and 8 p.m. According to one of the operators, only a few quarries work at night.

– Next month, the so-called 'medical service fee' of government hospitals will increase by an average of 5 to 10 percent. The rate applies to services that use complicated technology, such as radiology. On the other hand, other rates are going down again, because the required technology is more readily available.

The increase must be covered by the three health insurance companies that Thailand has. Only foreigners and some Thai patients are affected by the increase because they are not covered by those insurances.

– In mid-March, a ferry crossing from the Chao Phraya Express Boat Co will be 2 baht more expensive. The rates then vary from 12 to 22 baht.

– The police in Nakhon Ratchasima have seized a hundred motorcycles from street racers. It is suspected that some were staged with stolen parts. Police intercepted motorcycles and riders at a highway checkpoint in Pho Klang.

– Three hundred meters of a concrete dike along the Pa Sak river in Ahyutthaya collapsed on Sunday. The dike in front of a temple has collapsed because the water receded and because of the heavy traffic on the water.

Political news

– Suharit Siamwalla, DJ, music producer, businessman and now independent candidate for the post of governor in Bangkok, is running a dissenting election campaign. He does not use banners and billboards, but only campaigns through social media. In doing so, he focuses on young voters and those who have had enough of politics.

Suharit's Facebook is already used by 2 million voters, his Twitter account has 60.800 followers. By comparison, the Pheu Thai candidate's Twitter account has 3.324 followers, Sukhumbhand Paribatra's has 114.00, but it has been up and running for 4 years since he was elected governor 4 years ago.

Suharit also emits a different sound. “Bangkok residents should vote not on loyalty to political parties, but on policy. I want to show them that they can elect a governor by freeing themselves from political influence.”

According to Suharit, the city needs a comfortable and comprehensive public transport system to get people out of their cars. The bus for short distances, the monorail for longer distances. He also pleads for the recycling of the 9.000 tons of waste that the city produces every day. The proceeds must be used to create green areas.

On Saturday, Suharit will give the starting gun for his election campaign. He will take '1 million steps', photograph problems along the way and upload them on social media. On March 3, the people of Bangkok go to the polls.

Economic news

– Thailand could capitalize on the Asean Economic Community, which will come into effect in 2016, by minting coins for other countries. When the AEC enters into force, labor mobility, trade, financial flows and transport in Thailand and the region will increase and, as a result, the demand for coins and banknotes will also increase, expects Tassanee Ponglamai, deputy director general of the Treasury Department. She points out that traders along the border with Cambodia and Laos are already using the Thai currency.

The Royal Thai Mint produced 2012 billion coins in 1,64 and expects to mint 1,87 billion coins this year. The Mint also has the capacity to mint coins for other countries.

– From April, the price of LPG will increase monthly by 50 satang from the current 18,13 baht per kilo to 24,82 baht. Then comes an end to a period of more than 20 years in which LPG was subsidized.

In 2008, Thailand became a net importer of LPG when the world oil price hit a record high of $140 per barrel. Since then, many motorists have switched from petrol to LPG. LPG was also smuggled to neighboring countries where it is more expensive. A study by the Energy Policy and Planning Agency found that demand for domestic LPG is increasing on average by 10 percent per year compared with 3 to 4 percent for other fuels.

To prevent protests against the increase, street vendors of food and low-income households using less than 90 kilowatts per hour will be compensated. The price of LPG for industrial use has already been increased and is now 30 baht per kilo; in the transport sector, the price rose to 21,38 baht in the first four months of last year, but further price increases were scrapped after protests.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post