News from Thailand – June 8, 2014

The Karen residents of the village of Bang Kloy Lang fear and tremble awaiting the return of Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn (pictured right) as head of Kaeng Krachan (Phetchaburi) National Park.

The park chief was suspended in April pending an investigation into the disappearance of activist Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen on the 17th of that month and will resume his duties on June 15.

The residents suspect Chaiwat of having a hand in the disappearance of Billy, who helps the residents in their legal battle against Chaiwat. He was the last person to see him alive. The park head is the bitten dog, because in 2011 he ordered the Karen in Ban Kloy Bon to leave their homeland, after which he set fire to their huts (photo home page). Since then they have lived in Bang Kloy Lang on barren soil.

The police have so far heard 29 witnesses about the missing person. Data on telephone traffic was also collected. Superintendent Voradet Suankhlai of the police station in Kaeng Krachan says he has filed a complaint against Chaiwat for dereliction of duty with the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission.

– Rescue workers are having a hard time: the recovery of two fatalities from a truck that plunged into the Kui Buri River in Prachuap Khiri Khan. The bodies of the driver and a woman are trapped inside. The driver is believed to have fallen asleep, causing the car to break through the railing of a bridge.

– Insurgents have tried to kidnap three female students in Yala. A teacher from their school had a conversation with the threesome yesterday with the director of education zone Yala 1. According to them, a gang, kaeng rot tu called, targeting students to sell them into slavery.

The girls were approached by a man on a motorcycle on their way home on bicycles on Monday night and stopped by four or five men in a van. One of the men pulled the headscarf from one of the girls' head. They took off when a local resident arrived on the motorcycle. The next day the girls did not dare to go to school.

The school held a meeting with local leaders and the education committee. It was agreed to tighten security measures. From now on, the school gate will be closed all day. Village defense volunteers will guard the school and patrol the routes students use to and from school. The parents have been asked to pick up their offspring.

– These are nice words, but will they ever lead to concrete actions? Essential for improving education is a change in the mentality of education farmers and civil servants. This was told to the participants of a seminar on the Thai education crisis, organized on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Thammasat University.

Rector Somkid Lertpaitoon recalled that the numerous changes to education in recent years have not led to any improvement, despite the fact that the education sector absorbs most of the national budget. 70 percent of that budget is spent on salaries.

“That group has great influence on politicians,” said former education minister Varakorn Samakoses, “because teachers form an important political base. So they try to be teachers please.Other factors responsible for the poor level of education, he says, are lack of interest on the part of civil servants and poor school management.

– More than six thousand soldiers and agents are today deployed in five places in Bangkok to prevent anti-coup demonstrations. Junta spokesman Winthai Suvaree warns would-be protesters of "serious consequences" if they fail to cooperate with authorities.

Over the past two Sundays, demonstrations have been held in two places in the capital: at the Ratchaprasong intersection and Asok intersection at the Terminal 21 shopping center. The turnout was disappointing: only about a hundred people showed up and made the three-finger gesture as a protest against the coup. The junta had sent XNUMX men to eight locations to prevent trouble.

The rallies were the initiative of Sombat Boonngamanong, the man of Catch me if you can, but he was arrested on Thursday. In a pre-recorded call from him on Facebook, he insists on the continuation of the demonstrations. Possible locations include McDonald's in Ratchaprasong, Siam Paragon, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Victory Monument and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Since the military took power on May 22, the junta has blocked 553 websites and shut down 40 local radio stations.

– Cambodia will not allow former minister and political dissident Jakrapob Penkair and his cronies to organize anti-coup activities from Cambodia. This is what the Cambodian ambassador to Thailand says in response to reports that Jakrapob is planning to form an organization 'in a neighboring country' to fight the coup plotters.

Jakaprob said this to Australian media on Friday. The organization would not be radical and only call for civil disobedience. The organization is said to be led by Charupong Ruangsuwan, former party leader of Pheu Thai, who has been hiding since being summoned by the junta to report. Former Prime Minister Thaksin has no involvement in the organization. Some speculate that Jakrapob will take a Scandinavian country as his home base.

Jakrajob fled Thailand in 2008 after being accused of lèse majesté. He served as a minister in the cabinet of Samak Sundaravej, the prime minister who was forced to resign for being paid for participating in a TV cooking show.

– Party in Nong Chok where the junta organized a 'Return Happiness to the Public' market in the youth sports center yesterday. According to the paper, audiences enjoyed the performances, feasting on free food and purchasing discounted consumer products and sports equipment. But not everyone was positive. A 63-year-old resident said he felt gloomy rather than happy.

“It lacks justice, not happiness. Redshirts are hunted down and legally punished, while the other side of the conflict is happy and rewarded. Leaders of the anti-government movement are spared, but the expelled prime minister and many red shirt leaders have a much more difficult time.'

The party in Nong Chok was the third in the junta's public relations campaign. The two earlier ones were at Victory Monument and Santi Chai Prakarn in Bangkok.

– Junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha has appointed the new Board of Investment (BoI) and himself chairman of the eighteen-member board. There is work to be done for the new board as investments worth 700 billion baht await approval and financial showers. The BoI had been rudderless since October.

– Residents in the South must take into account electricity outages due to maintenance work on a gas field in the Gulf of Thailand. From Friday, the lights may go out every day between 18.30 pm and 22.30 pm. Until when does not say the message.

– Border traffic in Aranyaprathet on the border with Cambodia has risen to unprecedented heights this weekend. Thousands flocked to Thailand's neighboring country to avoid curfews and celebrate in casinos. At one point there was a queue of 150 meters in front of the border post.

– Rumors, rumors, nothing but rumors are the messages on social media that the Electoral Council is going to be dissolved by the junta. So says Electoral Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn.

Yesterday, the junta met with the Electoral Council and other independent organizations. They talked about the obstacles they face because the constitution has been rendered inoperative. The junta has asked them to make an inventory of the problems and to come up with possible solutions. The junta believes it is important that the organizations continue their work, so that public services continue as normally as possible.

– Rice farmers appeal to the junta to help with the low price they pay for their rice paddy and rising production costs. The request was made by eight farmers' organisations.

At present, the farmers receive a price for their rice that does not cover the costs. Production costs are 7.000 to 7.700 baht per ton; the average market price is between 4.000 and 6.000 baht.

The Thai Agriculturists Association believes that farmers should be able to make at least a 40 percent margin; they should get 10.000 to 12.000 baht for a ton.

– Is that lucky. A raid on Wednesday at a hotel in Muang (Phitsanulok) intended to track down anti-coup activists led to the discovery of an illegal casino linked to senior police officers. Four of them have been transferred to an inactive post. They are suspected of having turned a blind eye.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post

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