News from Thailand – August 8, 2013
GMM Tai Hub Co (GTH), Thailand's largest film studio, is teaming up with China's Stephen Cao to produce a horror film. GTH has made a name for itself with this genre thanks to the movie Pee Mak Phra Khanong, Thailand's biggest blockbuster with 1 billion baht in ticket sales in Thailand alone. That film also did well in Myanmar; 150.000 tickets were sold.
The company's films are now also beginning to gain exposure in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, which is why GTH is looking to spread its wings and strengthen its brand by co-producing films with partners in other Asian countries. Film studios in China, South Korea and Singapore have already expressed interest.
In addition to horror movies, GTH wants to build an international base of fans and make them aware of other genres such as lovestories en comedies.
GTH is the producer of the TV series hormones, described by some, especially the elderly, as a scandalous series because it gives a realistic picture of high school students (photo). But the teens themselves run away with the series. Thailandblog wrote about it before; see: https://www.thailandblog.nl/background/geen-condoom-geen-seks/
– Harry de Willigen from Vlaardingen, currently on holiday in Thailand and appointed for the occasion as 'special correspondent in Koh Samet', writes to us:
Well, where shall I even begin. Approx. 2 months ago we booked rooms on our favorite island Koh Samet. However, a week ago we saw on telegraaf.nl that an oil platform had leaked with disastrous consequences for the environment.
Now we are not so quick to panic, certainly not after a Telegraaf message, but we saw more and more about this on the Thai news channels. My wife called her friend on the island anyway and she told me that the oil stench was unbearable and that everyone walked around wearing face masks. We then decided to possibly go to Hua Hin. However, a few days before departure I had my wife call again and she told me that it was completely clean on the beach and that the smell had disappeared.
So we went there after all and saw large groups of journalists and television channels come and go. Helicopters from the various stations flew over the beach. The island now appears to have been declared “clean”.
But the psychological effect is again enormous for the economy on the island. It is still massively avoided. But that is absolutely not necessary, the "bounty feeling" is completely back.
Greetings from paradise Koh Samet!!
– Contrary to previous reports, oil company PTT Plc has not yet started paying compensation to companies affected by the oil spill off the coast of Rayong. We are waiting for the victims to be registered by the Rayong town hall, which coordinates the payments. The message does not state how many victims and what amount is involved.
– 'Servants! Servants', MPs from the opposition Democrats shouted in unison when Worachai Hema presented his controversial amnesty proposal in parliament. But it would take until eight o'clock in the evening before parliament started to consider the proposal.
The Democrats pulled out all possible procedural tricks to avoid treatment. Ultimately without success, but most of yesterday's meeting was therefore about other matters and bogged down in bickering.
Nevertheless, there was also serious debate. Opposition leader Abhisit referred to the concerns of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She has asked the government to ensure that those who have violated human rights are not granted amnesty.
Abhisit: 'There is still a chance of talks about reconciliation, but then the government must first stop pushing through the amnesty proposal. Reconciliation cannot be achieved when one side forces a solution, which is decided by a majority. If the government goes ahead with the proposal, I don't see how other parties can participate in the talks.'
Today, parliament continues to debate the proposal and it is expected to be adopted by a large majority. Then a so-called 'scrutiny committee' gets to work. Supachai Jaisamut of the opposition party Bhumjaithai expects that committee to need three months and then another two terms in parliament. Supachai believes the whole process will take at least six months due to a number of obstacles, such as a possible review of the proposal by the Constitutional Court.
That Court may also be called in by the Democrat. For example, Nipit Intarasombat (Democrats) wanted to know from Prime Minister Yingluck yesterday whether she intends to vote for the proposal. If she does, he says she is guilty of a conflict of interest, because her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin, benefits from the proposal.
– As I reported yesterday in an Update, there was no demonstration at the parliament building yesterday. About XNUMX demonstrators (photo home page) marched with Democratic MPs from a sports field in Uruphong to the parliament building, but they encountered a police cordon. Around noon, the Democrats called off the demonstration.
Deputy party leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who spearheaded the rally, said the Democrats will resume the rally if the government doesn't listen to the people.
The only incident reported by the newspaper was the throwing of water bottles and berating Commissioner Khamronwit Thoopkrajang of the Bangkok Municipal Police at the barricade for refusing to let the protesters through. There were also some skirmishes with ten demonstrators after the MPs had passed the barricade. Five persons were arrested.
Some protesters would say Bangkok Post be disappointed that the demonstration was disbanded. Some say they are willing to come back and some want to sleep on it again or show up again.
– Did red shirt leader Kwanchai Praipana, who stood at parliament, wear a police uniform or did he wear – as he says himself – the uniform he wears as a volunteer when he assists the police in his hometown of Udon Thani. The Bangkok municipal police are investigating whether the former is the case, because then he has a problem. Because impersonating a police officer is not allowed.
A bomb exploded at Kwanchai radio station in Udon Thani around 18pm yesterday. A 45-year-old security guard was injured. Kwanchai says he has no idea of the motive.
– The Department of Special Investigation (DSI, the Thai FBI) will ask Kuala Lumpur for the extradition of an Iranian, who was arrested in Malaysia on Saturday. He is suspected of forging passports for terrorists and human traffickers.
The Iranian was already arrested in Pattaya in June 2012, but he fled after being released on bail. He is also believed to have provided passports to the suspects of a botched bombing in February 2012 in Bangkok. It would have been aimed at Israeli diplomats. Two men are on trial in Thailand and a third is still in pre-trial detention in Malaysia. Two other suspects are said to have returned to Iran.
– About 40 billion baht was transferred from abroad to the World Peace University, the now defunct fake university that sold university degrees. The Department of Special Investigation is looking into where the money came from.
– The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), with which Thailand is conducting peace talks, continues to bombard Thailand with protest letters and messages. Now she has written a letter accusing the government of not adequately protecting Muslims in the South during Ramadan. As a result, eleven Muslims have died, says the BRN. The BRN is also disappointed that the government is unable to reduce violence in the South.
According to the BRN, she has nothing to do with Thursday night's arson attacks. Fires were set in businesses at twelve locations in Yala, Songkhla and Pattani.
BRN delegation leader Hassan Taib denies media reports that he intended to withdraw as a negotiator due to the failure of the agreed ceasefire. He says he still supports the peace talks. The BRN does not attack 'soft targets', such as teachers, says Hassan.
Four defense volunteers were injured in a bomb attack in Muang (Yala) yesterday. They were in a pickup and were on their way to mosques to deliver supplies. The bomb was hidden in a sewer pipe under the road. It created a crater 2 meters deep and 3 meters in diameter. The truck ended up upside down 20 meters away.
– Trang airport has been closed since Tuesday, after a Nok Air aircraft skidded off the runway in heavy rain on departure. [The newspaper has not previously reported this.] Last night the aircraft was to be removed using equipment from Thai Airways International sent to Trang. Air traffic is expected to resume today.
The crew and 142 passengers were unharmed in the skid. An attempt to remove the aircraft on Tuesday failed because the wheels were stuck in the sand. Heavy rains also caused delays.
– A German who fell from a ferry 7 km off the coast of Chumphon was found after 9 hours. The man had fallen overboard when he was smoking a cigarette on the aft deck at night when the boat suddenly rocked on its way to Koh Tao. The man has been sought by two patrol boats from the police and the Marine and Coastal Resources Center respectively. When the man was pulled from the water, he was exhausted and shivering, police said.
– Eleven riot police officers have been suspended for gambling at Government House yesterday. They were caught because a photo of the gambling session was posted on Facebook. If an investigation shows that they have indeed gambled, they can expect a tough disciplinary punishment.
– The skywalk between Makassan station of the Airport Rail Link and metro station Phetchaburi is open. The elevated footpath measures 166 metres. Prime Minister Yingluck officially opens the skywalk on Saturday.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post