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News and Views - June 2008
(Photo: Confidential)
Photo of the incident on June 21, 2008Municipal Works hunting down person who placed black bag over CCTV - PRD, June 23, 2008
Municipal Works Director Theerachai Tiensanchai spoke of an incident in which an unknown person placed a black bag over a closed circuit camera of the city positioned in front of the Government House...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)The graffittied Thai Rak Thai 111 Foundation sign - June 23, 2008
The TRT Foundation building is located on Nakon Sawan Road. The sign reads (literally, from left to right) Foundation 111 Thai Rak Thai
Graffiti at far left: Thaksin a tyrant
Graffiti at middle left: Anti-Thaksin regime - Anti-bad money - Anti-republican movement - Anti-constitutional amendment to protect group members and serve the needs of the tyrant
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Because of love... - June 28, 2008
The billboard reads: Because of love, please let me measure the alcohol content in your breath. [at bottom] Concentrate… before starting a car - from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.SEA Field Trip: It's called Bangkok for a reason - jaunted.com, June 24, 2008
...More common than spicy street food and heavy foot traffic in Bangkok is the sight of a balding, middle-aged man with a pockmarked face, potbelly and ponytail striding alongside a beautiful young Thai woman.
Their arrangement is apparent and immediate. Rather than get horrified, saddened or disgusted (and at times, my boyfriend, who co-wrote this travelog, and I felt all of the above), you'll have to accept if not embrace Bangkok's most common trade in order to enjoy the city...
Gone was the sexually liberated guise of Western strip clubs. Instead, women with limited options stood before a crowd of ogling men, as Johns pointed out their choice and bought their companion for the night.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Have morality… before it is too late - June 25, 2008
Left side: What do you think of the things people like to do? Anybody like to…
Kill animals - Commit adultery - Drink alcohol
Right side: The School of Life
Right side (largest white letters): Have morality… before it is too late
Power of sacred rules that is unexpected - By Atcharawadee Wongsakol
On top right red band: Available at book stalls nowThe rule of law lives to fight another day - The Nation, June 26, 2008
...The Supreme Court's ruling will be a big setback to Thaksin and Pojaman in their fight against corruption and tax-evasion charges. The pair will have to find a new team of lawyers since Pichit and Thana are likely to face disciplinary action from the Lawyers' Council of Thailand. Their licences could be revoked.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the ownership of the money. As observers, we only want to ask who owned the Bt2- million that was put in a gift box intended to bribe the court. Did Pichit or Thana withdraw Bt2 million from their own bank accounts and wrap it as a gift? Or did either one of them take the Bt2 million from someone else in order to attempt to bribe the court? If the latter, who was that someone else?
Baiyoke LED - June 30, 2008
Alexander writes: I've been on Baiyoke last week and took a picture close up of the LED's that have been installed recently
(Photo: Alexander)Thai national loses belongings to chatmate - Philstar, June 28, 2008
A middle-aged Thai tourist from Phuket lost his luggage containing personal belongings, money, visa, mobile phones, Rolex watch and laptop to a Filipina acquaintance whom he met through the Internet site Friendster inside a hotel in Butuan City...Thai police keep a close eye on nude Chinese fundraiser - EARTHtimes, June 28, 2008
Thai police are keeping a close eye on the nude photos of Xiao Yun, a 19-year-old Chinese girl who has allegedly been using her enticing website to raise funds for Sichuan earthquake victims, media reports said Sunday...Thai tycoon snaps up Sydney hotel - Calcutta News, June 28, 2008
TCC Land, owned by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, is to fork out $76 million (USD 73 million) to buy a 4 star hotel and tavern in Sydney...Siamese method - Wikipedia, June 2008
The Siamese method, or de la Loubère method, is a very simple method to construct any size of n-odd magic squares...Democracy in Asia? Beware of Thailand - Lastampa.it, June 28, 2008
...It is absolutely clear: The protesters represent a minority. As such, they should be allowed to voice their grievances but only as far as they do not interfere with the government functioning.
...This is not happening—the police seem powerless, the military refuses to intervene, and the demonstrations grow bolder by the day. The protesters insist on the same old thing: The prime minister must quit. Why should he quit? Because a mob said so. Then who should appoint the new government? Who knows. Or does somebody?...
What's at stake? The power to change Thailand’s old ways. A group of entrenched interests opposes the radical reforms brought by Thaksin. He wants to foster new entrepreneurs, create new small and medium enterprises, give credit to new companies, and let old inefficient ones go bust. But those old companies hate to lose their privileges to newcomers and are trying to cling to their monopolies by any means. Three elections prove that the majority of Thailand is with Thaksin...
If Thailand's democracy fails again, Burma, with its military regime, will be lost forever. What's more, the militaries that just went back to their barracks in the Philippines and Indonesia may be tempted to come out of them and seize power. The effort to push reforms and disarmament in North Korea would lose steam.
Western drive for democracy and human rights in China would lose credibility if America’s firm ally in the region were to slip back to chaos or military rule. Who could believe the West wants really democracy in China when it allows democratic Thai government to be toppled by a raging mob? In sum, the whole Asian political balance would be at stake...On hold, as usual - Bangkok Post, June 30, 2008
Thailand's telecommunications industry continues to be a casualty of politics, to the point that poor neighbours Laos and Cambodia today can even boast some technologies and services that Thailand lacks...Norwegian Doctors: Sex Is Risky In Thailand - ScandAsia, June, 2008
The statistics are clear: Thailand is the country where most Norwegian men infected with the HIV-infection...Proposed new broadcasting law regressive, waters down prior commitments to community broadcasters, warns AMARC - IFEX, June 18, 2008
On 10 June 2008, the Cabinet approved for submission to Parliament a draft bill titled "Independent Organisation for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Bill". The draft bill is intended to replace the provisions of the Allocation of Telecommunications and Broadcasting Frequencies Act 2000. AMARC considers the draft Bill to be regressive in several key respects. In particular, AMARC is concerned that...
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants - June 21, 2008
Their 2008 report on Thailand - This year Thailand scores an "F" in all categories except one.
(Photo: Sadartu for 2Bangkok.com)“Thai people’s power to stay away from drugs” - Mae Sa Rieng Kindergarten (Ban Pong)
Anti-drug parade in Chiang Mai - June 30, 2008
(Photo: Sadartu for 2Bangkok.com)Left: Thai people should stay away from drugs
Center: Never ever try drugs - For good life, think carefully - Please stop smoking - It is very difficult to make money
Right: His Majesty the King is in our heart, we should stay away from drugs.
(Photo: Sadartu for 2Bangkok.com)Left: We will help prevent drugs.
Center: Love the King, Care for Kids, Help prevent drugs
Right: Drugs are dangerous and harmful to the society. Stay away from drugs.
(Photo: Sadartu for 2Bangkok.com)We will help prevent drugs. - Use drugs and go to jail - Don’t smoke
Higher Bangkok taxi fares to be enforced next week - TNA, June 20, 2008
...The existing fare which has been in effect since November 1996 has been adjusted due to soaring fuel prices in Thailand, he said.
Mr. Chairat said the new taxi fare would see the Bt35 flagfall remain as before, but the fare will increase by 50 satang for every kilometer travelled...
Thailand's elected PM under attack from all sides - AFP, June 18, 2008
Just four months after forming a government, Thailand's elected Premier Samak Sundaravej is under attack both in the streets and in parliament, raising new fears about the nation's stability...
Truckers call off blockade after government agrees to help - TNA, June 19, 2008
Thailand's truckers decided Thursday "at the eleventh hour" not to go ahead with their threat to choke traffic in metropolitan Bangkok by halting their rigs and blockading roads leading to the Thai capital after the government at the last minute agreed to respond to their demands for help in response to soaring fuel prices...
Anti-government demonstrations in militarised Bangkok - AsiaNews.it, June, 2008
Press freedom vanishing from Thailand - Phuket Gazette, June 20, 2008
In his speech before the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand on Wednesday, Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan delivered what might best be described as a severe reality check for Thai citizens. Citing statistics from Freedom House, the New York-based monitor of media freedoms around the world, he noted that less than a decade ago Thailand ranked 29th out of 194 countries surveyed, putting it among the top 15% in the world. In its data released last month, however, the agency's 'Freedom Index' saw Thailand in 127th place...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Advice to drivers? - June 4, 2008
Signs at the entrance to the expressway at Din Daeng.Thread on the forum
Gas leak won't harm community: Disease Control Department - TNA, June 10, 2008
Thailand's Department of Disease Control said the Tuesday morning gas leak from a plant in the eastern province of Rayong won't affect the communities nearby the factory, but some 20 persons who inhaled the gas remain hospitalized under observation...
Leaking gas at PTT factory injures over 50 workers - PRD, June 10, 2008Gas leak at a Rayong factory injures 52 - The Nation, June 10, 2008
Cumene Gas Leaking from Phenol Factory (owned by PTT) at Huay Pong, Rayong - 2 Dead 42 Seriously Injured ... from 112 injured workers - Manager, June 10, 2008
PTT Phenol contains gas leak at Rayong plant - The Nation, June 11, 2008
PTT Phenol has contained the gas leak at its chemical plant in Rayong.
Those injured in the incident have returned home, and no damage was incurred to the plant, which is still under construction.
The company said the leak of cumene gas, occurring during a test run of machinery, caused 112 people to become ill.
Toxic fumes sicken over 100 workers - Bangkok Post, June 11, 2008
More than 100 workers were admitted to hospital after inhaling a toxic gas which leaked from a new PTT Phenol Co plant in Rayong province yesterday morning. The gas was contaminated with cumene, an organic compound used in the production of phenol, which can be harmful if ingested...
Most of the injured people were later released, but about 20 were in a serious condition and were admitted for three days of monitoring...Come clean over toxic agents, say residents - The Nation, June 12, 2008
Their call came after an accident on Tuesday when toxic gas leaked from a partly built PTT Phenol factory and badly affected 120 workers...NRI in Bangkok kingpin of fake currency racket - Gulf Times, June, 2008
Mystery surrounds whereabouts of Nepal's ex-crown prince - AFP, June, 2008
He was last seen boarding a plane to Bangkok a day after Nepalese newspaper Nata Patrika (New Paper), quoting family sources, said he could be planning to go to Singapore as early as Tuesday...
(Photo: Sadartu for 2Bangkok.com)It reads: If corruption is eradicated, Thailand will prosper.
Some banners from a PAD venue in Chiang Mai - June 30, 2008
(Photo: Sadartu for 2Bangkok.com)It reads: Legal process is the core. Politicians must not interfere. (Bottom) Don’t be unreliable in governing the country.
(Photo: Sadartu for 2Bangkok.com)It reads: PAD in Khon Kaen - Broadcast by ASTV - Stage for democracy
U.S. tells Thailand it wants democracy, not coup - Reuters, June 1, 2008
A new museum puts a Thai imprint on Angkor - IHT, July 3, 2008
...Anxious to promote the museum as a "learning cultural institute," the Thais are easily stung by such criticism. "We want to educate Cambodian people about their own history," said the museum's managing director, Sunaree Wongpiyabovorn. There are those "who know little about its monuments, and even less of the progress of Buddhism and what led up to it," she added.
Wongpiyabovorn insists there is no fortune to be made from the Angkor National Museum. Given that Vilailuck had to triple its original investment of $5 million due to the cost overruns, the company said it didn't expect to see a profit until at least a third of the 30-year lease has expired; under its "build, cooperate and transfer" contract, the management and financial control of the collection will then revert to the Cambodian authorities and the Ministry of Culture...Leader of demolishers shot dead at Chatuchak Sunday Market - The Nation, June 4, 2008
[And just a note that it seems that Chatuchak Market is being slowly converted into a "modern" shopping area section by section.]
...The market was owned by Thanasarn Sombat, which has been unsuccessfully trying to evict vendors.
The gunfire frightened the men who tried to flee the scene but they were rounded up by police who happened to arrive at the scene.
They admitted that they were hired by Samlee between Bt200 to Bt500 each to demolish the shops.Ousted PM Thaksin retakes center stage as Thais resume street protests 2 years after coup - IHT, June 4, 2008
...The protests may just be a tip of the iceberg of a fundamental conflict between "the old establishment" represented by the coup leaders and Bangkok's traditional power-brokers and "the new establishment" of Thaksin and his allies.
Thaksin transformed Thailand by bringing the once largely silent rural population into any future political equation. His return to power, officially or behind the scenes, would likely put populist politics back on track along with other hallmarks of his regime — crony capitalism, corruption and centralization of power...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Bangkok Revolution - June 8, 2008
It reads: Bangkok Revolution, must do it quickly. 9 June - all together
This is possibly an ad for a new mobile phone service that capitalizes on the current political unrest. At the bottom right corner are the words "Triple T"
Earlier examples of Thai "scare advertising":
The threatening billboard - Ghost Game poster 2519-2549 - The return of...? - Eat somtamForeign capital leaving Thailand 'in certain amount': BoT - TNA, June 3, 2008
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Sign at expressway entrance - June 11, 2008
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday
Drunk -> Pray for funeral -> Kid’s ordination -> Cremation
I already told you, but you wouldn’t believe “Don’t drive drunk”
["Kid’s ordination" refers to the practice of a son briefly becoming a monk to honor his deceased father.]Gaudy pink millipede gets world recognition - Bangkok Post, June 11, 2008
And here is the actual listThailand: Failure Rate For Condos Nears 50% - Sin Chew Jit Poh, June 9, 2008
The chance of failure for condominium developers in Bangkok has grown to almost 50% as competition heats up amid a glut of fresh supplies, warned Aquarius chief executive Yongyuth Chaipromprasert...
Thailand faces possible capital outflows - cenbank - Reuters, June 9, 2008
Thailand will face possible capital outflows triggered by slowing global economic growth this year, Deputy central bank governor Bandid Nijathaworn told reporters on Tuesday...
Thailand confirms intervention to slow baht fall - Reuters, June 9, 2008
Thailand's central bank said on Tuesday it had intervened to slow the baht's fall and would continue to defend the currency if it remained volatile...Thai buffalo - TNA, June, 2008
...Students at Ban Nam Tieng school in the northeastern province of Udon Thani sing a song called "Where're dung beetles gone?". Dung beetles are a local food during time of famine and can be easily found in buffalo dung. But they disappeared when farmers switched to using tractors...
From a press release - Cancelled - June 5, 2008
[UPDATE: We have just received word that this program has been cancelled.]
Hard Talk: Extrajudicial killing with Mr. Kasit Piromya, formerThai Ambassador to Washington, DC
Thursday, June 5, 2008, 6.00-6.30 p.m. at People's Alliance for Democracy's rally grounds at Makawan Bridge
The more than 2,500 of cases of narcotics extrajudicial killings committed during the Thaksin Shinawatra regime remain unresolved.
Instead of bringing drug-related suspects to justice through the judicial process, the police are said to have been told to 'do away' them and then shift the blame to drug gangs silencing their own members. Some of those extrajudicial killing victims were later revealed to not have been related to the drug trade.
This controversy has garnered attention from international rights agency such as Amnesty International, as well as the foreign media, but no answers were provided by the Thaksin administration.
However, until now, none of the thousands of cases have been solved and suspects be identified. Wrongdoers may forever not be brought to justice due to the efforts by the current administration to amend the 2007 Constitution to do away with the Assets Examination Committee, which is investigating this case to push it into the judicial system.
Journalist and democracy activist Sarosha Pornudomsak talks to Mr. Kasit Piromya, former Thai ambassador to Washington, DC, as well as other distinguished speakers, to clarify the many unanswered questions that surround this controversial issue on the PAD stage at Makawan Bridge
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Views of Sanam Luang - June 7, 2008
Above: At the south side of Sanam Luang is the crematorium structure of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana
Below: At the north side of Sanam Luang is the "permanent" stage for the “Anti-Coup d’État People’s Forum” which seeks to counter the ongoing PAD protests. The wording behind the stage reads: We love the King. Sanam Luang council against the dictator alliance system and unfairness - Sanam Luang anti-dictatorship
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)New trafficking law for Thailand - BBC, June 4, 2008
...Thailand already has an anti-trafficking law - but it does not work very well.
The police often refuse to recognise abused migrants as victims of trafficking.
A case in point is that of the survivors of an incident two months ago in which 57 Burmese migrants suffocated in a container smuggling them into Thailand.
The police argued that they were illegal immigrants, jailed and then deported them.
The UN defines a trafficking victim as anyone who is transported for purposes of exploitation...
The Met under construction on Sathorn Road - June 12, 2008
Project websiteEXCLUSIVE: Dr Thaksin gives an amazing insight into his City dream - thisislondon.co.uk, June, 2008
...Just now, my wife asks me to stay away and, if I have to go to Thailand, not to stay for long,' explains Thaksin. 'We have intelligence that there may be more danger.'
He has survived three car bomb attacks and six assassination attempts. 'I should be a man who drives around in a nice sports car, not an armoured car,' he adds with a smile.
...What about the reports of almost 3,000 killings in an aggressive offensive against drugs? 'Sometimes, as a leader you must have an angry face. In the past, I have ignored these allegations published in the Thai media, with whom I have no relationship. The foreign media has since picked them up and this is damaging. Now you are asking me these questions and I am happy to answer.
'These figures you have read are not true. They are figures created by the military. I was not a ruthless dictator. No. There have been investigations: The Premier League, for example, has ways of investigating these matters, I welcomed the Fit and Proper Persons Test for new owners for that reason...'"President" Surayud - June 7, 2008
Thanks to Pklykoom for pointing this out.The world's 50 most powerful blogs - June 6, 2008
On the Guardian list of 50 most powerful blogs is London-based Thai who blogs about Thai food.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)"How to win death" - June 6, 2008
It reads: How to win death - The Graduate School, together with the Life and Death Section, the Psychology Department, Faculty of Humanities, Maha Chulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University, holds the academic seminar entitled “How to Win Death: Social Dimension Today” on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 8.30am-4.30pm at the conference room of the Srisudaram Temple, Bangkhunnon, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok - Leading lecturer: Buddhist monk, Prof. Dr., Rector of the Maha Chulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University...
"Very cold" metal pieces retrieved after UFO explosion over Koh Tral Island - Tien Trinh Thanh Nien News, June 02, 2008
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Hair banner - June 13, 2008
It reads: Prohair image - 90% of men suffering from hair loss or thin hair are caused by genes. Stop D H T, reduce hair loss, grow new hair - Advise with medical doctor or pharmacist at leading drugstores or www.askprohair.com - The presenter’s name is “Man” Supakit Tangtasawat - Prohair 02-686-9191Thailand should learn 'bitter lesson' from Vietnam, says central bank - TNA, June 12, 2008
Thailand should be prepared to learn a bitter lesson its neighboring Vietnam had got from a short-lived and unsteady economic boom boosted by an inflow of foreign capital in large amount, according to the Bank of Thailand (BoT)...Air America - June 14, 2008
Graham notes: Pretty interesting site with heaps of photos from the 60s and 70s in Thailand
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)"Designed by L&G" and "Hello Pippy Jung" - June 13, 2008
Henrik reports: Ian Fuller took photos of the advertising display at the top of Baiyoke Tower.
Earlier: Baiyoke II lights - June 10, 2008
The top of the Baiyoke appears to have a new light display encircling the top. Anyone know anything about this?Thai Airways increases Fuel Surcharges; to Suspend Bangkok-New York Flights - AsiaTravelTips, June 13, 2008
Lawyer identified - The Nation, June 13, 2008
[This lawyer may be identified, just not by this article...]Another troublemaker missing in Thailand - UPI, June 12, 2008
The authorities in Khon Kaen probably did not like Kamol Laosophaphant. His campaign to expose corrupt council dealings over state railway land, among other things, reportedly had a group of police ready to beat him up just last year...
Kamol, as it happened, had cause for concern. On Feb. 7 he went to the Baan Phai station to lodge one of a dozen criminal complaints that he was preparing against local officials. He never came back to his house only a few hundred meters away...
A thread about disappearances is here.Illegal immigrants from Myanmar account for three-quarters of Thailand's foreign workers - Aljazeera, June 14, 2008
Pressure is mounting on Thailand to give greater protection to illegal migrant workers from Myanmar. Human rights groups say they make up around 75 per cent of foreign workers in Thailand, and that number is expected to rise in the wake of Cyclone Nargis..."Thai Brides" on Little Britain - YouTube, June, 2008
US Congress Appeals to King of Thailand to Help Save Hmong Refugees - RushPRnews (press release), June , 2008
...The legislation was introduced and spearheaded by U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA), Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) to seek to urge the Lao government and military to stop the ethnic cleansing campaign and mass starvation of thousands of unarmed Lao and Hmong civilians as well as to appeal to the King of Thailand and the Royal Thai government to work to stop the forced and involuntary repatriation of nearly 8,000 Lao Hmong refugees from Thailand back to the communist regime in Laos that they fled...Thaksin Shinawatra wants to change Manchester City's club crest to remind him of home in Thailand - Sunday Mirror, June 15, 2008
Manchester City's billionaire owner Thaksin Shinawatra is changing the club's crest... to remind him of home in Thailand.
It means City's golden eagle could be replaced by an elephant or even a mythical half-bird half-human garuda, which are both national symbols in Thailand...US blogger charged with insulting Singapore judge - Breitbart, June 16, 2008
And the blog: Singapore Dissident
Thai prosecution of 'Merchant of Death' illegal - lawyer - RIA Novosti, June 16, 2008
...I am an American blogger who had intended to remain in Singapore only from May 25th 2008 to no later than June 3, 2008. My being charged for criminal offenses for writing a blog criticizing a Singapore Judge on May 29, 2008 is forcing me to remain in Singapore much longer than I had expected. This is causing me untold misery by my inability to attend to my law practice in the US and other financial difficulties including my inability to attend to my house mortgage and other financial affairs. Regardless of what I have to undergo, I refuse to surrender to this punishment by the Singapore authorities...
..."The Thai criminal case was opened in breach of the law... It is a serious crime, even by Thailand's own legal standards," the counsel said.
"It is simply outrageous - a complete violation of due process. We will take this matter up - there is no question about that," he added...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Purse grabber in the Suthisarn area - June, 2008
It reads: Please beware! of snatch theft!
Find incident or clue, please inform Suthisarn Police Station
02-275-9125
Sign donated by Charnthawee Engineering Partnership Limited.Thaksin urges Thais to put their faith in the stars - AFP, June 16, 2008
Thailand's ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Monday urged Thais to put their faith in the stars, blaming the alignment of planets for the current economic and political woes...
"Be patient with this headache of a situation until July 2. When Mars leaves, the current situation will ease up," he said.
Like many Thais, Thaksin puts great stock in the predictions of fortune tellers who dispense advice on everything from business deals to the precise time of day couples should get married...Reborn Thai - Bangkok Post, June 13, 2008
The descendants of the Kuomintang army from China are finally getting their Thai citizenship, and it's been a long and sometimes dangerous process, but now they can truly become part of the country they fought for...
Ads for "Thaksin, Fight" energy drink pulled - AP, June 17, 2008
Earlier: New energy drink: Thaksin... fight! - Matichon, April 11, 2008
Right: Ad for the new Thaksin-themed drink from Sunspark Company.
It reads: Give moral support - Give.. Thaksin Soo [Thaksin, fight]
At the bottom: Don't give moral support more than two bottles per day.Thai woman arrested for refusing to stand for royal anthem - AFP, June 16, 2008
...Other theatre-goers became angry when she refused to stand, and Ratchapin began shouting "impolite words" as a group confronted her, police said.
Ratchapin was allowed to watch the movie before police took her away.
Major Charoen Srisalak, deputy chief investigator of the Bangkok police, said the suspect refused to answer any questions during interrogation.
"She said only that she did what she wanted to do. Police charged her with insulting the monarchy," he said...Cross-dressing students get own bathrooms at rural Thai school - Sin
Chew Jit Poh, June 17, 2008
...Most rural Thais are conservative in many ways, but the trailblazing toilet initiative at Sisaket province's Kampang school reflects another aspect of Thai society: its acceptance of the country's very visible transsexuals and transvestites.
After a survey showed that more than 200 of the school's 2,600 students considered themselves transvestites, it decided to set up restrooms for them.
The signs on the doors depict a human shape split into half a male in blue, and half a female in red...Police foil attempt to smuggle cooking oil, sugar into Thailand - Bernama, June 17, 2008
ASEAN+3 nuclear safety forum kicks off in Bangkok - Chinaview, June 16, 2008
...According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), among ASEAN countries, governments in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia have already launched plans for building their first nuclear power plants.
The Thai government has planned to build nuclear power plants with a total generating capacity of 4,000 MWs in 13 years from now, with the first plant put in operation in the year 2020, accounting for about 10 percent of total power generation.
Panels have been set up to conduct a detailed study of the project from 2008 to 2010, after which a final decision will be made whether to implement the nuclear program based on assessment of Thai public opinion...Another Thai government on the way out?- UPI, June 2, 2008
...PAD leaders read several announcements from their affiliates in southern provinces. The first was from the popular tourist resort of Phuket: “If the police force the PAD demonstrators in Bangkok to disperse, we will close the airport!” Immediately after, another airport closure warning was received from Krabi, then another from Songkla, and a fourth from the southern province of Hatyai. Thailand’s political chessboard pieces were on the move, blocking off a knight, preventing a rook from moving...When Indians in Bangkok went berserk over Bollywood stars - Thaindian, June 9, 2008
...She said: “It’s like a dream come true for us. We usually see them (stars) in films and admire them. But the experience of meeting them in person is ecstatic. I can’t explain in words how I am feeling right now...Turmoil in Thailand - Lompoc Record, June 8, 2008
...On Wednesday, May 22, Laura Lo Xiong wrote in an e-mail: “Right now at this moment, the camp is on fire and more likely the whole camp will be burning down by tonight. Its horrible. I cannot sleep since May 16, 2008.”
The next day I learned that the huts had all burned.
I called Pastor Tia, minister of the Hmong Christian Alliance here in Lompoc, to ask if he knew of any Lompoc Hmong with friends or family in the camp. My call reached him in Minneapolis. He did not know of anyone in Lompoc, but someone in Minneapolis had just received a cell phone call from the camp. Their shelters gone, people were sitting in the sun and the rain. Someone dressed in black clothes had been seen setting the fire, but no one knew for sure who it was...Press release from the PAD - June 9, 2008
From a press release: referring to last night press conference held by students groups on their stances against the samak administration and for the people alliance of democracy at the stage on makkawan bridge, here is to inform you more about this by sending a relevant statement as attache herewith.An Announcement of Ratchadamnern Makkawan Demonstration School
Attention please,
This is an announcement regarding the status of the Kingdom of Thailand. Our nation is being devoured by an evil force contained in an angular-faced being. If you are not alert, aware, and very concerned by this development, our country may be completely engulfed in a sea of darkness called Thaksinocracy. Immediate action must be taken to halt this progress.
We must use our flame of knowledge to bring light to darkness. We cannot and will not allow evil to hide behind false legality. We, as individuals loyal to the Kingdom of Thailand, must stand together and bring down a twisted system that people call a nominee government.
We stand here as representatives of the Ratchadamnern Makkawan Demonstration School, which consists of students from colleges and universities in Thailand and abroad. It is not important who we are or where we come from, but why we are here. To recognize the importance of the political debate conducted here at the University of Rachadamnern, we have established our own school for all school children of Thailand.
In our Demonstration School, free debate and thinking is encouraged, and we are given the liberty of expressing our opinions.
We are here today because the current government does not have the mandate of governance. They exist not for the people, but for themselves. They are doing nothing to deal with the current high food and oil prices. They are ignoring the problems of youth and education and instead concerned only to act out every command of the puppeteer. 100 days have passed, and the only notable activity was this government’s attempt to twist our constitution so the puppeteer and his peers may escape from justice.
It is impossible to guess what rules we will have to play by in the future. Judging from current events, we can only guess that the rules will be continuously mutated so long as criminals are given the strings of this puppet show.
We have decided that it is time for us youngsters to come out and support the People’s Alliance for Democracy. The current government has lost is mandate of governance. This government does not exist for the people, by the people. Instead, it exists to continue with the legacy of Thaksinocracy – a legacy that is solely concerned with draining out every drop of this country’s resource for the benefit of a selected group of businessmen and politicians. One does not need to look beyond the transmutation of State Enterprises and the systemized corruption to know that this government no longer deserves our support.
Thus, as free, law-abiding citizens of Thailand, it is our duty to voice our dissatisfaction in the form of this peaceful and legal demonstration. We may be young, but we have the same right as everyone else to make choices. We are the future of our country, and the future does not want this government. What the future wants and needs is a Kingdom of Thailand that still belongs to the people.
As the current youth and the future leaders of this country, we make the following 4 demands:
1. To our peers: It is time for us to be responsible citizens. We must make consciences choices, and this requires a firm grasp of knowledge presented from both ends of the spectrum. We must make the right choices, using our values and morals to separate what is right from what is easy. We cannot let incorrect information govern our choices. We must not allow the problems of our country to slide by uncorrected. We have to stand up, take a stance, and help set things back on the right track. We cannot allow society to dictate our future.
2. To the adults; parents, teachers, and the greater society: Do not try to silence us or shelter us. We want to make our stance, as you did when you were our age. This is our country as much as it is yours. Do not try to protect us from harm, for the danger to our country is greater. Free us from limitations, and let us make our own decisions.
3. To the media and the press: Remember your responsibility of presenting all aspects of news. Be unbiased, as the media should be, and gives us the freedom of choice.
4. To the government, and the police: You must not forget that it is our constitutional right to participate in demonstrations, especially ones as peaceful as the PAD’s. The PAD has never used force to attack, and if you carry out your threats of using force to dispel this rally, you are proving to the international community that you are indeed an authoritarian government in disguise.These are our four demands drawn up with good and pure intentions. We stand by our older students in the fight for the preservation of our country, the Kingdom of Thailand. We will assist in the mission to spread truth to those who have not yet enrolled in our Demonstration School. With perseverance, the truth will prevail.
The Students of the Ratchadamnern Makkawan Demonstration School
