News from Thailand – July 14, 2012
Airports of Thailand (AoT) is beginning to recognize the urgency of the third runway planned at the opening of Suvarnabhumi. Increasing congestion and some recent incidents, such as the subsidence of the western runway and radar outage, have put pressure on the situation.
The Mekong sub-region has the potential to generate high returns on investments in agriculture and related industries.
208 new animal species discovered in Mekong area
A self-cloning lizard, a psychedelic-colored gecko, and a grease-crested monkey (Elvis monkey) are some of the most remarkable new animal species discovered.
'Postpone construction of Xayaburi dam for 10 years'
When the Xayaburi dam in Laos gets approval from Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, it will mark the start of a doomsday scenario that will see another 10 dams built in the Lower Mekong.
12 Chinese killed and dumped in Mekong
They lay with tied hands behind their backs, blindfolded and with a broken neck in the Mekong: the bodies of the 12-man crew of two Chinese freighters that were hijacked by drug traffickers on Wednesday. The bodies were found Friday and Saturday. The drug traffickers did not have much fun on the ships, because the same day a gunfight took place with soldiers guarding the border. One of them was killed in the process; the others saw opportunity…
Where's the Mekong whisky?
My 52nd birthday – I had only lived in Thailand for a few years – I spent with some friends in a Thai restaurant. One of my friends called in advance to ask if he could bring a befriended couple. Of course this was allowed, especially since this couple was Marion Bloem, writer and painter, and Ivan Wolffers, doctor and writer. Coincidence does not exist, because Marion Bloem turned out to have the same birthday as me. She …