News from Thailand – July 5, 2013

King Bhumibol visited Bangpu (Samut Prakan) yesterday to inspect a water management project initiated by him.

The king, who wore an orange jacket (not an unimportant observation, because smart businessmen often play on it by selling shirts of the same color), first visited the Srichan Pradit temple and then traveled to the Bangpu Recreation Center for relaxation. Princess Sirindhorn joined him later in the afternoon.

According to the newspaper, the monarch looked healthy and smiled at the people who had gathered to catch a glimpse of him.

– The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) has called on the government to sell its rice stocks quickly and to do so in a transparent manner. ACT president Pramon Suthivong believes that the government should provide all information about the mortgage system, including the amount of rice in storage, sales volumes and G-to-G (government to government) sales.

According to Pramon, the private sector is willing to accept losses if the government shows that the program is being implemented transparently. The ACT wants independent observers to keep an eye on the drafting of the Terms of Reference, the setting of the standard price and the selection of the bidders.

Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan (Trade) is willing to disclose many details, but not the prices captured for the sales. “It is normal in the trade that buyers do not want others to know what they are paying. It's a competitive market.' The minister announced that an auction will be held before the end of the month.

– Heavy flooding and landslides have wreaked havoc in some southern provinces after days of heavy rain.

In Phangnga, three districts were flooded. In some places the water reached a height of 1,5 meters. Houses were damaged and roads became impassable.

In Krabi, parts of the city were flooded. About a hundred houses near the fresh market were hit. The water in two large canals rose rapidly.

In Satun, the water gushed from the Bantan mountain range. Two districts were flooded. Two schools in Langu were forced to close; four hundred houses were hit. Fishing boats could not sail because of the high seas.

– The Ministry of Health wants to encourage neighboring countries to provide free healthcare. Phnom Penh (Cambodia) is already planning to subsidize the health care of Cambodians living along the Thai-Cambodian border. Chanwit Tarathep, permanent secretary of the ministry, hopes the plan will go ahead. Cambodia wants to allocate 930 baht per person per year.

Thailand provides free health care to some 450.000 migrants and stateless people in border areas on the Thai side. An annual budget of 450 to 900 million baht is available for this, which is supplemented by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The contribution will be reduced within two years because Thailand is now considered one upper middle income country is considered.

According to Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, a researcher at the ministry, much work remains to be done to improve health care for migrants and stateless persons. Many do not have access to medical care. Moreover, a study shows that the number of hospital visits by migrants and stateless persons is low, despite the fact that care is free. In Tak province it is 0,8 per person per year. The number of recordings is also very low. Possible causes are distance, limited hospital capacity or communication problems.

– The Department of Special Investigation (DSI, the Thai FBI) ​​has launched an investigation into World Peace, an online university that sells honorary degrees. The DSI has acted in response to a complaint from a businessman who accuses the rector of the university of doing so. But he denies. An initial investigation has shown that World Peace cannot call itself a university. The organization is registered as a 'Limited Partnership'.

World Peace approaches people who have committed to society to receive a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree. For this, 15.000 to 350.000 baht must be paid.

– The prisoner (50), who took a prison guard hostage last year, hanged himself in his cell in Khao Bin Central prison in Ratchaburi. The custodian was held hostage by him and two others at the time, after catching them stealing an excavator. They wanted to make a hole in the prison wall. The two other prisoners slit the guard's wrists and neck and shot him dead.

– Three volunteer rangers were injured yesterday when a bomb, hidden in a fertilizer bag, exploded in Chanae (Narathiwat). Two are in serious condition. The bomb exploded while a squad of nine soldiers was on patrol.

– One day after the V for Thailand group (white masks) has announced that it will suspend its actions in Bangkok, it has called on its supporters to come to Lumpini park on July 14. She will then 'celebrate' that the Yingluck government has been in power for two years.

– Eleven crew members of a cargo ship from Bangladesh are missing after the ship sank. The navy rescued six crew members from a life raft with a helicopter.

– A 15-year-old boy was found dead in front of his computer after hours of playing computer games. According to the father, his son had no health problems, but a doctor said the boy weighed more than 135 kilograms. He probably had an acute heart attack.

– A school in Muang (Ang Thong) was closed for two days after a second case of foot and mouth disease broke out within a week. The school will be disinfected and will reopen on Monday. The building had already been disinfected after the first case of illness, but that apparently had no effect.

Political news

– Watch out for the ice cream going ahead, Minister Chalerm Yubamrung warned Prime Minister Yingluck yesterday on his first day as Minister of Employment. With that term he meant politicians 'around her', who could get her into trouble.

“There is a group of politicians in Government House who are making her job as Prime Minister more difficult. A political leader needs a "tiger" to shadow him or her everywhere. Leaders who choose a “dog” to follow them face disaster.”

Chalerm said he has the right to comment on the reshuffle of the cabinet, given his popularity in various polls and his role in combating drug trafficking when he was deputy prime minister. He said he does not hold any grudge against Yingluck because she relieved him of his position as deputy prime minister in charge of security policy in the South.

“I admit that I have not been able to end the violence in the three southern provinces. But although I was director of the Southern Command Center, I was not authorized to issue orders.'

Chalerm was (conspicuously) absent on Tuesday during the first meeting of the new cabinet - he had to go to the doctor for a check-up - and he will also not be there next Tuesday because he is having an operation on his eyes. "But don't take my absence as a protest."

Chalerm cannot be accused of any modesty. For example, he promised to change the Ministry of Employment from a 'no grade' ministry to an 'A+' ministry. After his speech to the ministry staff, he left for Hong Kong, where (coincidentally?) Former Prime Minister Thaksin is also there.

The term 'ice cream gang' was first used by Pheu Thai party members. They were referring to politicians and aides of Abhisit when he was prime minister.

Economically new

– New brooms sweep clean, the newly appointed Deputy Minister of Commerce, Yanyong Phuangrach, must have thought. On Tuesday he had an idea: we are going to sell Hom Mali (jasmine rice) as a souvenir, including on Suvarnabhumi. Can we tell international consumers that Hom Mali is a premium product and has rich nutritional value. At the same time, the packaging can be improved.

But Yanyong's idea gets few hands. "That's easier said than done," said Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA). 'Ministers should think twice before venting ideas.' According to ATTA, Hom Mali is only of interest to Asians, but long-distance tourists will avoid it because they don't eat rice.

Kriengsak Chareonwongsak, a senior fellow at Harvard University's Center for Business and Government, thinks the rice could only appeal to Asians and Africans. But they probably won't buy the rice as a souvenir, because the rice packs are relatively heavy and because they already have their own rice. 'Moreover, rice is not a product with an identity. The Department of Commerce should think twice before making such a proposal.”

The only support Yanyong receives comes from Somsak Pureesrisak. But that is also a fellow minister from Yanyong with the Tourism and Sports portfolio.

– The Islamic Bank of Thailand (IBank) thinks this year her capital adequacy ratio to have in order. The bank follows the guidelines of the Ministry of Finance rather than the stricter rules of the Bank of Thailand. Specialized financial institutions have that choice. This means that the Ibank must reserve 9 to 10 billion baht for losses on loans instead of 15 billion baht. And that works.

As of December 31, the non performing loans from the bank 38,5 billion baht or 34,2 percent of the total loans issued. Of this, 8 billion baht has been eliminated and a debt settlement applies for 7 billion. The bank expects that in November performing are. About 10 billion baht is being legally wrangled. Half of that can probably be settled out of court, the other half will be restructured.

The Ibank is one of eight specialized financial institutions supervised by the Ministry of Finance. The others include the Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank, and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperation.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post