BP saw a similar photo in the papers the other day and have been meaning to blog on it. It is of a group of journalism students at Thammasat University protesting against Nitirat as seen from the below photo: Caption: Former and current journalism students rally at Thammasat University against (!) proposals of the Nitirat’s group to reform the constitution and the lèse majesté law. (Source: Facebook) BP : Saksith has the context and has translated the posters: First off, let me express my astonishment that of all people, journalists and those striving to become one, should know better than anyone how important the subject of lèse majesté is and how threatening it is to their creed – the more mind-boggling and revealing it is to see these people rallying with posters (see above) like  “Journalism [Faculty] against Nitirat” ,  “Nitirat is not Thammasat, Thammasat is not Nitirat” and  “Don’t let knowledge distort morality!* BP : Indeed. It is the last poster which BP found the most astonishing. It seems seeking the truth and knowledge won’t be the priorities of these student

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Don’t use knowledge to distort morality

Manchester United came from three goals down to draw 3-3 at Chelsea in a pulsating Premier League match at Stamford Bridge early Monday (Thailand time).

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United comeback stuns Chelsea

Former Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has a abominable  record on freedom of expression. His government banned more media outlets than any other government in Thailand’s history. His government also threw more political prisoners in jail than at any time in recent history and this included the politicized use of Article 112. That’s why it is expected that he would oppose the right of Nitirat to publicly discuss lese majeste and would set his Democrat Party buddies and spokespersons after Nitirat, making all kinds of bogus claims. Par for the course.

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Abhisit: no free speech here

From the excellent  Circuit blog: Last week Thailand became the first country in the world to endorse Twitter’s new censorship policy. Despite the fact that this policy may not be as draconian as it first appears, the Thai government’s speed in applauding it is telling. It speaks to both the government’s appreciation of the political power of the internet and its understanding of the fact that it cannot control the relationship between its citizens and the internet alone but needs the assistance of social media giants like Twitter. Access Contested: Security, Identity and Resistance in Cyberspace , the third edited volume published by the OpenNet Initiative (ONI) , deals precisely with this issue of ‘co-constituted’ control of the political impact of the internet. ONI’s brief is to ‘investigate, expose and analyse Internet filtering and surveillance practices in a credible and non-partisan fashion’, and the first two volumes in the series, Access Denied and Access Controlled , analyse government filtering and censorship practices the world over

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Internet access denied, controlled and now contested

The majority of people are pleased with Rak Thailand Party leader Chuwit Kamolvasit’s disclosure of information he has obtained on illegal gambing dens which have been opened and expected to be opened in Bangkok, Suan Dusit Poll revealed on Sunday.

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Poll: Chuwit’s disclosures commended

This is the fourth of our posts on Human Rights Watch and the events that unfolded following the 2006 coup. Wikileaks has 58 cables mentioning HRW in Thailand, the majority related to events in the South. In this post, as in the previous instances, we look at cables related to the political struggles. Our earlier posts may be found here , here and here . We begin with a cable from November 2006 , which is mostly about an investigation into the deaths associated with the War on Drugs.

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Wikileaks: more on HRW and the coup III

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The opposition to Nitirat and discussion of the lese majeste law has been reported extensively. It has been pretty threatening, not least because some of the comment from high levels has been meant to strike fear and to silence people. That’s why it is so encouraging to see some of those supporting freedom of expression speaking out and being reported. We acknowledge that doing this is a brave act as those speaking out risk public scolding and out of the limelight, threats and worse. Hate emails are especially common, and these usually include threats.

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Royalist minds

The opposition to Nitirat and discussion of the lese majeste law has been reported extensively. It has been pretty threatening, not least because some of the comment from high levels has been meant to strike fear and to silence people. That’s why it is so encouraging to see some of those supporting freedom of expression speaking out and being reported. We acknowledge that doing this is a brave act as those speaking out risk public scolding and out of the limelight, threats and worse.

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Royalist minds

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The challenge of approaching ‘Dialogue’ Next, I would like to raise three concerns on the way we approach the question of interfaith relations with the aim to clarify how we may understand the challenge of inter-religious dialogue, and specifically Christian-Muslim dialogue in the case of Malaysia.  These concerns are pertinent because often we may not be talking about the same thing even if we use same terminology. First, in the discussion on religious dialogue, perhaps we need to clarify what are we describing by the word ‘dialogue’? Which level of ‘dialogue’ are we discussing? Is it at the  ground level – a personal neighbourly dialogue between Uncle Ali and Grandfather Surin?

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Religious dialogue: whose responsibility? – Part 2

Unions representing French aviation workers, including pilots, flight attendants and baggage handlers, voted Friday for strike action on February 6-9 that is expected to disrupt air travel. The unions are protesting a draft law that will require individual aviation workers to give 48 hours notice before taking strike action. The bill was approved by France’s lower house last week and is being studied in the Senate. It was unclear how much disruption the strike will cause as unions have not provided details about what form it will take, but union leaders called for nationwide action that would affect all French airlines. Air France has already announced that passengers with tickets booked for February 6-9 can reschedule without charge

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French aviation unions call strike for February 6-9

emperatures plunged to new lows in Europe where a week-long cold snap has now claimed more than 220 lives and forecasters warned Friday that the big freeze would tighten its grip at the weekend. People have been found dead on the streets in some countries, while thousands have been trapped in mountain villages in Serbia. Even Rome was dusted in snow, and Venice’s canals started freezing over. In the last seven days, a total of 222 people have died from the cold weather, according to an AFP tally, with Ukraine suffering the heaviest toll. The lowest temperatures recorded were in the southwest of the Czech Republic, where the mercury dropped as low as minus 38.1 degrees Celsius (minus 36.5 Fahrenheit) overnight

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Big freeze tightens grip in Europe as death toll tops 220

Hacker group Anonymous, in an embarrassment for law enforcement, released a recording Friday of a conference call between the FBI and Scotland Yard discussing operations against the hacking collective. The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the authenticity of the nearly 17-minute recording posted on YouTube and other sites and said it was “intended for law enforcement officers only and was illegally obtained. “A criminal investigation is under way to identify and hold accountable those responsible,” the FBI said in a statement. Along with the audio recording, Anonymous also posted online the email invitation from an FBI agent setting up the call for January 17. Source:   http://www.france24.com/en/20120203-anonymous-posts-audio-fbi-scotland-yard-call

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Anonymous posts audio of FBI, Scotland Yard call

Results of a Suan Dusit poll released yesterday show that the Yingluck Shinawatra government has outpaced, trailed behind and been on par with the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration on several different factors. This government is said to be outperforming the previous one on three issues, namely the Bt15,000 starting salary for all civil servants with a bachelor’s degree; the Bt300 daily minimum wage; and the drug-suppression campaign. However, the Abhisit government was seen to be superior on two counts – the Cabinet line-up and paddy-price intervention scheme. The only issue both governments are on a par with is education, while both of them have failed to end the political conflict and quelling violence in the South. Meanwhile, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday that he was willing to drop his lawsuits related to the two financial decrees provided the government can outline its spending plans on water management and flood control.

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Govt ahead on 3 issues but behind on 2: poll

Victims of violence by security officials in the deep South and those killed or injured during political protests since 2005 will be compensated equally by the government, Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said yesterday. The government is drafting guidelines on the compensation for the victims of violence in the deep South, Yongyuth said yesterday after chairing a meeting of a committee on development in the region. Innocent victims of violence at the hands of security officials, such as five local Muslims killed by Army rangers over the past week, would qualify for compensation, he said. Rangers killed five villagers on Monday as they were on their way to a funeral in Pattani’s Nong Chik district. Authorities said the rangers mistook them for insurgents who had launched M79 grenades at a ranger outpost earlier

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Victims of state violence in South to be compensated

NBTC expects more than 100 channels to be on air in the next five years The spectrum-management and broadcasting master plans will drastically change the landscape of the Thai television industry with up to 100 digital-TV channels being available for public viewing in the near future. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission aims to grant digital terrestrial TV broadcasting licences late this year and expects to see the number of digital-TV channels grow to 100 within the next five years, NBTC broadcasting committee chairman Natee Sukonrat said yesterday. About 50 licences are expected to be handed out in the first lot by early next year. The move is in line with the NBTC draft of the spectrum-management master plan aiming to take radio and TV broadcasters to the digital era within four years after the master plan takes effect. After a long delay plagued with disputes stemming from political and business motives, the NBTC came into full existence just a few months ago

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Revolution looms for Thai digital television

A public transport van skidded off a road and plunged into a ditch in Sukhothai yesterday killing four people and injuring 14 passengers. Of those injured, nine were in critical condition at press time. Driver Ratchanon Intanon, 31, who did not sustain any injuries, told police that one of the tyres burst while the van was moving, which made him lose control of the vehicle. The van provided transportation services between Phitsanulok and Tak. Ratchanon has been detained for further questioning and will face legal action if he is found guilty of reckless drivin Source:   http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Van-plunges-into-ditch-killing-4-injuring-14-30175156.html

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Van plunges into ditch killing 4, injuring 14

Narcotics sales among inmates to be stamped out in a year, minister vows Prison commanders will face drastic action if they cannot cope with the government’s strict policy on drug dealing in prison, which is now a national priority that will be completely tackled within one year, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said yesterday. He did not offer details of the action such commanders would face, but said they would need to “consider their future under the ministry”, and that efficiency in implementing the policy would be the main criteria for evaluating their performance. Five hundred highprofile drug convicts from all prisons will be sent to Khao Bin Prison in Ratchaburi and a few other maximumsecurity facilities next week. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said revenge killings or “silencing” murders among drug dealers was a possibility, but that no violent or extrajudicial measures would be used by police or other authorities. A search at highsecurity Bang Khwang Prison in Bangkok conducted by 400 officials yesterday turned up a large number of contraband items, including 39 mobile phones, homemade knives and short pikes, gambling paraphernalia and moonshine alcohol.

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Pracha puts commanders on notice over drug trafficking

Among major policies issued yesterday after yestesday’s meeting of a central government committee is that water is drained from all major dams as earlier as late May – to prevent the dams’ over-capacity during the peak of rainwater volume which resulted in panic releases of water and subsequently massive flooding in the plains south of the dams, said PM’s Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal, a panel member. As part of the government’s preparation for water and flood management this year, a tour to survey major waterways across the country will be conducted on February 13-17, Interior and Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Vichaidith said yesterday. The Tour of Happiness will be conducted in all key river basins covering provinces and areas which are origins and ends of rivers and waterways, which would inspect restoration plans in place, measures implemented under a central government committee and flood and evacuation plans in provinces involved in addition to a contingency plan in Lop Buri, Yongyuth added. The committee, the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM), estimated that the water situation would be better than last year, if the rainwater volume was the same or not much more than last year. The SCWRM has worked with the Royal Irrigation Department to directly deal with dam operators to make sure the release of water would be done on a daily basis starting from late May – before the wet season’s peak in June or July

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Dam water to be released from May

After an 18 percent tourist drop in November owing to the national floods emergency, passenger traffic through Suvarnabhumi airport boomed in the recent holiday period.  Anirut Thanomkulbutra, president of the Airports Authority of Thailand, said that January 2 2012 was the busiest day on record with a 24.2 percent increase on last year. “The extra traffic during the holiday season pushed Suvarnabhumi beyond its 45 million passenger capacity.  Some provisional figures suggest that the country might have achieved its tourist arrival target of 19.5 million for the whole year 2011,” Anirut added.  He agreed that the closing of Don Muang airport had caused additional pressure at Suvarnabhumi as regards domestic and charter  flights. Meanwhile, marketing experts are urging the government to focus on big extravaganzas this year to maintain tourist confidence whilst avoiding new political conflict which could lead to a return of mass demonstrations.  It is being noted that China built up its brand image by sponsoring events at the international level, such as World Expo in Shanghai 2010, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou. A survey of Pattaya Today readers suggests a number of common-sense approaches to boosting tourism in 2012.  The research was conducted on a random sample basis of readers during the period December 24 to January 3.  The majority of respondents were British, American and Russian and staying in the Pattaya area. Surprisingly perhaps, the biggest recommendation – supported by 82 percent of the respondents – was to reform immigration regulations so that those arriving with a 30-day stamp at the airport could simply extend their stay for a further month on payment of a fee rather than having to face a visa run to the Cambodian border.  “Many people decide not to extend their stay once they realize the complications,” said 40-year old London-born Anne Walker.  “It’s usually said that people should obtain a longer visa at a Thai embassy before they get here, but not everybody is aware of the ins and outs.  Make it easy is my recommendation!” Other suggestions for attracting a greater number of international visitors for a longer time included more sports and music festivals, an end to tourist scams such as the jet ski menace, a police complaints procedure which led to results and an urgent addressing of the problems of grid-locked traffic.  Russian tourist Andrei Andropov, 23, said “I have been coming to Thailand for three years but the traffic is definitely getting worse.” City Hall commented that many facilities for family tourists had been improved in recent years, particularly the opening of first-class malls and premier hotels, and a complaints procedure was in place by phoning 1337 day or night.  Massive improvements in infrastructure, including roads, were in the pipeline with the aim of doubling tourist numbers and revenue in Pattaya by 2017.

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Thai tourism surges in January

Vera Zvonareva and Daniels Hantuchova, former Pattaya tennis champions, will be in Pattaya’s Dusit Thani hotel for the US$220,000 PTT Pattaya Open, scheduled for February 5 to 10.  World number 7, Zvonareva from Russia will be chasing titles again after her triumphs in 2009 and 2010.  Hatuchova, from Slovakia, who defeated her Russian rival in last year’s Pattaya semi-final, went on to win in 2011 after crushing Sara Errani of Italy in the final. The tournament this year is involved more with the local community and will host a luncheon for deprived children and orphans as well as launching a beach reclamation project and tennis clinics.  After two days of qualifiers, the tournament proper begins on February 7 and runs daily until the 12th.  Tickets at 33, 500, 800 and 1,200 baht are available at www.PentanglePromotions.com or 02 3113 414 and at www.Thaiticketmajor.com or 02 262 3456.  Britons will be looking out for teen sensation Heather Watson from UK who will be making her Thai debut after a most successful twelve months.

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Tennis stars head to Pattaya

Kiatnakin Bank Plc. has agreed to finance the 800 million baht Acqua Condominium project in Jomtien, which will comprise 309 units in two buildings over 24 rai. Photographed at the signing ceremony are Tawatchai Sudtikitpisan, chief executive officer and president of Kiatnakin Bank, and Saksit Teerapornsathanon and Sompop Vanichsenee, directors of  Jomtien 9 Condominium Co., Ltd.

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Bank funds Acqua Condo in Jomtien

Irish Drunken Duo Stab Two Thais In Pattaya Beer Bar

Pattaya Hit By Rain & One Meter Flash Floods

In a democratic country, the relationship between the government of the day and the military is usually one that is governed by constitutional rules and practice. This has never been the case in Thailand. Never. The Thai military is essentially a lawless institution in the sense that it does what it pleases on politics, orders governments and people even ordinary about and if it is really upset, it intervenes in politics. It has done this time and time again, virtually on a daily basis.

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General out of line

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Wine-makers take their label fight to Thailand

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Camille’s Samui Info blog: Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 4th February, 2012 [del.icio.us]