NEWS AND VIEWS
SEPTEMBER 2004
Ruling
party spokesman claims coup plan against Thai
government - AP, September
30, 2004
A spokesman of Thailand's ruling party
created a stir Thursday by claiming that a
group of people opposed to Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra's government are planning
a military coup.
Suthin Klangsaeng, a member of Parliament
and deputy spokesman of the Thai Rak Thai
party, did not name anyone but hinted that
the group consists of military officers close
to a London-based businessman who recently
made corruption allegations against the government.
"The group of people who have long been
opposed to this government are planning to
stage a military coup," Suthin told reporters.
Speaking separately, Thaksin refused to confirm
or deny the allegation.
"Let it be the internal matter of my
party," Thaksin replied cryptically when
asked by reporters to comment on Suthin's
remarks.
When Thaksin was in Europe on an official
trip, rumors were swirling in political circles
last week about an alleged coup attempt, linking
it with the London-based tycoon, Ekkayuth
Anchanbutr. He was not immediately available
for comment...
However, observers discount the possibility
of the military mounting a coup and jeopardizing
Thailand's reputation in the international
financial and business community as a stable
investment base.
Aviation
in Thailand - October
1, 2004
Jeremy points out this fascinating site:
...There is some confusion over whether Prince
Chakrabongse or Prince Purachatra was the
first Thai to leave the ground in an airplane,
though the newspaper accounts suggest that
it was the latter, on a test flight the day
before the demonstrations officially opened.
In any event, both certainly flew - "in
uniform with riding boots and spurs",
according to Lords of Life by Prince Chakrabongse's
son - and so did numerous others, paying 50
baht for the experience. The first foreigner
to glimpse Bangkok from the air was identified
as a "Mr. F. Bopp" and the first
Thai woman appears to have been the Princess
of Nagorn Chaisri.
...Further developments in Thai aviation proceeded
rapidly thereafter. Don Muang was ready for
occupancy within a few months, and the first
plane, a Nieuport, landed there on March 8.
(Bangkok's airport, it might be noted parenthetically,
is the oldest in the world still being used
in its original location; no road connected
it with the city in the early days, the only
access being by railway on the northern line,
which passed the site.)...
Curry
leaves may help control diabetes, scientists
say - The Guardian,
September 30, 2004
Thanks to Anonymous for pointing out this
article: Ancient herbal remedies used for
centuries in Indian cooking and in preparing
dishes in the far east have the potential
to control diabetes and treat cancer, according
to a team of London scientists...
What
choice do we have? - Bangkok
Post, September 29, 2004
A candid and insightful editorial from the Post
that even takes a swipe at The Nation:
...Some newspapers, drawing courage from others,
are manufacturing "opposition to Thaksin
growing'' articles.
My favourite is about a "major'' rally at
Sanam Luang recently, which turned out to be organised
by one disgruntled and very bankrupt tycoon, who
is about to lose control of his empire because
the government has done the right thing and forced
through a restructuring programme that the country's
banking system desperately needed, and one very
failed pyramid financing engineer who recently
returned to Thailand after the statute of limitations
had expired. These two gentlemen and their rent-a-crowd
do not in any way reflect public opinion or a
growing opposition to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
In fact, their anger is more a measure of Mr Thaksin's
effectiveness, if anything...
Tired of being kept away from the feeding trough--I
mean, out of power--and convinced that Mr Thaksin
will serve another four years as prime minister,
Maj-Gen Sanan, the archetypal old guard politician,
decided to break away from his long-time Democrat
friends to stitch together a new "coalition
party-in-waiting''...
Thai
speakers map - September
30, 2004
Select 'Thai' from the list and see where in the
U.S. Thai-speakers live.
Thai
backed for top job at U.N. -
Washington Times, September 29, 2004
Ten Southeast Asian nations yesterday endorsed
Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai to
succeed Kofi Annan as the next UN secretary-general,
an early and unusually public announcement that
likely will pre-empt other candidates from declaring
their interest...
Also: ASEAN
names Thai FM as candidate for UN chief -
TNA, September 29, 2004
Four-hundred-year-old
giant vines are a new tourist spot -
TNA, September 27, 2004
Local authorities are promoting a four-hundred-year
old vine in a national park in Thailand's northeastern
province of Ubon Ratchathani as a new tourist
spot.
The giant clump of vines, near a waterfall in
the Ubon Ratchathani's Pha Taem National Park
is more than two metres wide...
The King Chulalongkorn Memorial Building
- September 28, 2004
Enis on the forum
pointed out this
site: In 1897, King Chulalongkorn of Siam (present-day
Thailand) visited Sweden and Ragunda municipality. Almost
exactly one hundred years later, the construction of a
memorial building in honour of the King was commenced...
Poll
shows Thai prime minister's popularity slipping -
AP, September 23, 5:30 PM
...The survey conducted by ABAC University in Bangkok
shows Thaksin's popularity dipping below 50 percent for
the first time in two years. The poll had a margin of
error of 2.18 percent.
About 5,300 people were surveyed, with 48.1 percent approving
of Thaksin, compared to 61.6 percent just two months earlier.
It was Thaksin's lowest rating since August 2002, when
it plunged to 44.2 percent...
Burma
in the Thai press - The Irrawaddy,
October, 2003
Interesting article from last year: The Thai-language
press must be less emotional and more responsible and
objective when covering Burma...
Press releases as news stories
- September 25, 2004
This is not uncommon, but we thought we would point out
this this Accor press
release running as a news story in The Nation:
Sofitel on Phi Phi Island - The Nation, September
25, 2004
Sofitel Phi Phi Villa and Spa will open in early 2005
on picturesque Phi Phi Island, featuring a unique all-inclusive
concept for guests seeking to get away from it all and indulge
themselves...
Swedish
PM rejects jets-for-chicken trade
- AP, September 24, 2004
This will surely be a story of the international 'weird
news' columns: The Swedish government cannot negotiate
a deal with Thailand to trade jet fighters for raw chicken
meat, Prime Minister Goeran Persson said Thursday...
Personality
clash comes to a head - The Nation,
September 24, 2004
...While Chamlong’s turnaround was no surprise,
Thaksin’s latest move was never anticipated. The
land encroachment charges that have been levelled at the
charitable Chamlong Foundation is perhaps one of the biggest
ironies of Thailand’s modern political history. Chamlong’s
campaign against allegedly illegal land grabs in Phuket
by Democrat politicians, known as the Sor Por Kor scandal,
brought down the Chuan government in 1995 and paved the
way for his rich tycoon friend to make further inroads
into politics.
Following the collapse of the Chuan administration, Chamlong
allowed Thaksin to take over his Palang Dharma Party,
which the businessman ran a few years before forming his
own Thai Rak Thai...
More
on the highest bridge in the world -
September 20, 2004
Peter sent this info
on the incredible French bridge construction.
Obese
children become weighty problem -
Health India, September 16, 2004
A child weighing over 140 kg is admitted to the intensive
care unit of a hospital in Thailand every month given
their high-calorie food intake.
In fact, statistics show that more than 10 obese children
were put on respiratory support in the past year...
Four choices for the new Stadium in
Thonburi--mangrove forest the first choice
- translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from
Siamturakij, September 15-18,
2004
Four choices for the new stadium:
1) Mangrove forest near the southern section of Kanchanaphisek
Outer Ring Road (Bang Bon - Suksawat)
2) The area near Mall Tha Phra
3) The area near Rommaneeya Park
4) The area along Rama 2 Highway in Bangmod Commune
The criteria for the land:
1) At least 1000 rai
2) More than 300 rai for the main stadium (from the 1000
rai total)
3) Parking lot space
4) Good connection with highway and mass transit system
So far, the preliminary analysis said the mangrove around
Bang Khunthian District near the Southern Kanchanaphisek
Outer Ring Road is the first choice due to the ability
to expand even though the cost for landfill will definitely
be higher than other places as well as the fact that is
further away from the proposed mass transit lines.
The area near The Mall Tha Phra is not a good choice due
to the cost of land expropriation and the limited available
land. The area along the Rommaneeya Park (Sanam Luang
2 near Phutthamonthon) and Rama 2 Highway also suffer
from the limited ability to expand and the high cost for
the land purchasing.
Commentary by Wisarut: Environmental concerns and
the distance from the proposed routes of the new mass
transit system may put the mangrove forest near Southern
Kanchanaphisek Outer Ring Road out of bounds for the new
stadium despite the cheap price for the land purchase
and the ability to expand.
Thai sites
- September 23, 2004
Thanks to don Entz for pointing out: Maesa
Elephant Camp (It has ISO!) and Thai
mythological creatures database
Thailand's
dirty little secret: Phuket's coral reefs are dead
- Cyber Diver News Network, September 21, 2004
Two-thirds of spectacular coral reefs ringing Thailand's
top holiday island have been destroyed because of overzealous
development...
30-day student
pass for Car-Free Day - translated
and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Manager
Daily, September 15, 2004
[The Car Free Day is on September 22. The website
is here.]
BTS is issuing a new 30-day pass for students--40
trips in 30 days for 400 baht to support the government
policy for mass transit systems. The selling of this
pass will start on September 22, 2004. This pass is
a 6-month experiment from October 2004 to March 2005.
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The day it snowed
in Thailand
Right: "Snowfall caresses Chiang Rai" on January
8, 1955 at 18:00. -
(Upper right) This is a photograph of winter in Chiang Rai in 1955. On that day, January 8 at 18.00 after rain, small hail and ice flakes that looked like snow fell and made a white color on the ground. (Lower right) This was taken on the next day 14 hours after the snow fell ther was still snow on the ground. After 38 hours the snow melted.
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Corruption
rife in construction projects, says prominent
engineer - TNA,
September 16, 2004
...Many of the owners and contractors involved
in country's construction projects have paid enormous
kickbacks to government officials for building
approval, amounting to as much as 30% of the total
costs, the president of the national engineering
institute, Totrakul Yomanak said on Wednesday.
Getting approval for the project's designs usually
requires the biggest kickback payment...
Thailand
or Taiwan? - September
14, 2005
A
student report about a trip to Thailand included
this photo (right). Apparently someone has a hard
time differentiating Thailand and Taiwan (as well
as spelling Taipei). |
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A tale of two
newspapers: Chamlong's land grab charge -
September 22, 2004
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A typical tale of two newspapers:
The Nation plays up the fact that Chamlong
is an opponent of PM Thaksin (right in the headline
of the story). Note that the Thai-language papers,
like Matichon (above), also mention the
Thaksin/Chamlong conflict. The Bangkok Post
blandly announces that Chamlong's charity is encroaching
on reform land and does not mention accusations
of politics.
Foundation
sitting on encroached land - Representative says
land was donated - Bangkok Post, September
21, 2004
The charity foundation founded by former Palang
Dharma party leader Chamlong Srimuang has been
found to have encroached reform land for agriculture.
The Chamlong Srimuang Foundation, known for promoting
alternative educational development, is sitting
on about 50 rai of reform land, or so-called Sor
Por Kor land, in Suphan Buri province's Dan Chang
district...
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CHAMLONG:
Land grab charge levelled at PM critic
- The Nation, September 21, 2004
Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob yesterday
alleged that a foundation founded by veteran politician
Chamlong Srimuang had encroached on a 500-rai plot
designated for land reform in Suphan Buri.
Newin’s allegation comes in the wake of Chamlong’s
harsh criticism of the man he once mentored, Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
...One of Chamlong’s close aides, Wichan Jiravejbovornkit,
said yesterday that the land Newin referred to was
donated to the foundation in 1994.
" ”I think this has something to do with
politics. Let’s hear clarification from Chamlong
himself when he comes back from an overseas trip
soon,” Wichan said... |
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