Pheu Thai PM Candidate

The Nation reported that Ex-Prime Minister Thaksin selected the Prime Minister Candidate for the Pheu Thai Party. Maybe he want to do this Job self, than Thailand may have a Prime Minister with Montenegro Nationality. 😀

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has selected the Pheu Thai Party’s PM candidate, Thai Rath Online report.

Thai Rath Online quoted Deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai as saying that the four candidates earlier mentioned were only decoys. Apiwan said Thaksin would announce the real candidate once the House is dissolved. He said the real candidate is not Pheu Thai chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Pheu Thai party-list MP Mingkwan Saengsuwan, ex-Pheu Thai MP Chalerm Yoobamrung or Yinglak Shinawatra, a sister of Thaksin.

Is Thailand’s Premier British?

As  written in a article in Bangkok Post the Government Opposition lead by Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan announced that PM Abhisit should let everybody know that he is British citizen.

Now in fact PM Abhisit was born in Newcastle and through a British Law everybody born in the country has a right to hold the British nationality or citizenship. Since the parents of PM Abhisit did go to the Thai Embassy and registered his birth there, he got the Thai Citizenship, but not the British one. Nobody seems to have applied for it and so PM Abhisit may have the right to claim a British Citizenship, but he definitely does not have it right now. He has to apply for Visa if he travels to British countries and does not hold a British Passport.

On the other Side the Opposition would like to bring Ex-Prime MInister Thaksin back to Thailand. It is not clear how many different Nationalities Mr. Thaksin is holding now, but it will be quite a few more as only 2.  Nobody tries to trial Mr. Thaksin for his work in Cambodia, which could have direct or indirect have to do with the Border Conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Is the opposition here using a “double-standard” for their own benefits or are they just now aware of it?

There are some other public persons, which served or serve a country in politics:

• Movie Star Arnold Schwarzenegger hold the Austrian and US Citizenship and served as Governor of California from 2003 – 2011.
• Former Cancadian prime minister John Turner, who was born in England, was a dual citizen during his time in office and remains one to this day.

I am not sure how Great Britain handle this, but in many countries you loose the right of citizenship if you did not claim it in an appropriate time. Information about what Dual Nationality or Dual Citizenship is can be found at Wikipedia.

New law on alcohol level

New law on alcohol level while driving enforced in February

BANGKOK, 26 January 2011 (NNT) — The Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation’s proposal to prohibit alcohol consumption among drivers has been officially approved and will come into force on 1 February this year. According to the Ministry of Transport, drivers and passengers of all public transports except taxi, motorcycle and public van drivers will be penalized if the alcohol levels found in their blood exceed 50 milligrams. The new law expects those belonging to the group to stay completely sober while driving. Punishments of 2,000-10,000 baht fine and/or a maximum of 3 months jail term will be enforced to those who have violated the law. Meanwhile, public transport operators who fail to warn their employees will face the maximum fine of 40,000 baht. The Transport Ministry has already launched its mobile units on 4 major routes across the country to monitor drivers who might have been drinking to reduce road accidents.The Foundation has also planned another proposal to the relevant law to lower the existing alcohol level from 50 to 30 milligrams but will consult with the public first.

Double Standard in Social Security Scheme

The social security scheme came under attack this week when members claimed they were the only Thais who have to pay for access to medical care.

“Is this fair?” asked health economist Dr Pongsathorn Pokpermdee. He said the scheme’s members were taxpayers and it was unfair to make them pay for medical welfare while other Thais get it free.

The social security scheme covers about 9.4 million people, mostly company workers. These employees and their employers have to pay monthly contributions into the Social Security Fund (SSF), while the government contributes an additional sum.

The scheme offers medical welfare as well as other benefits, including a pension.

Other Thais, however, enjoy free medical welfare through the universal health scheme and the medical benefit scheme for civil servants and their families. MPs and senators have even better medical coverage under another scheme.

“A sizeable portion of the contributions go into medical services and childbirth benefits,” Pongsathorn said. “If the social security scheme’s members enjoy free medical welfare like other Thais, this money could go into their pension savings.”

Duangjai Deengarm, a worker from Samut Prakan, complained that the scheme represented a double standard.

She urged the government to treat the scheme’s members fairly by channelling the contributions for medical and childbirth benefits into pensions instead.

Many members of the Social Security Fund have also complained about medical services. Some decided not to use the scheme’s medical services again after they were unhappy with the treatment they were given.

“We are treated like second-class citizens when trying to exercise our right to access hospitals under the social security scheme. No matter what illness we have, we are prescribed paracetamol,” Duangjai said.

Pongsathorn said the social security scheme’s members should demand an answer from the government and the Social Security Office (SSO) as to why they have to pay for medical care.

“I think the social security law, introduced more than 20 years ago, has already become superannuated,” he said.

Tula Patchimvet, who sits on a subcommittee of the Lawyers Council dealing with labour rights and urban people’s housing rights, agreed that the social security scheme members should no longer be required to pay for medical benefits.

Now if all this People would look back in Thailand‘s History they would change their Mind. Not very long ago only civil cervants had free health-care. Introducing the Social Security System is not a double Standard, it is a Solution to remove a Double Standard. Unfortunately this cannot be done at once. Changes are done Step by Step, as at the begin there was only Healthcare, than unemployment insurance and pension fund was added. It seems that slow, but steady the “paying” people of Thailand will get the same Benefits as the civil servants. Evolution needs its time.

Hello, We are back !!!

The Greeting to Government yesterday. The yellow Shirts are back on Stage again. The Demonstration at Government House has this Time nothing to do with fugitive Ex-Prime Minister Thaksin and the Red Shirts , but with the Government rejecting the three main demands of the PAD concerning Thailand‘s territorial conflicts with Cambodia. The PAD showed now that they turn back on Ex-Ally Abhisit, since he is not doing what they want.

The Main Demands of PAD was:

• Cancellation of the year 2000 memorandum of understanding with Cambodia;
• Thailand’s withdrawal from the World Heritage Committee working on the Preah Vihear Temple management;
• Push “encroaching” Cambodians back.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said: “We simply can’t yield to their demands.” “The demands will put national security in danger.”  as everybody knows the Border to Cambodia is a dangerous Place and a War with Cambodia could be happen. It is National Security which comes first for the Government and not the Demands from the PAD.

more to read in THE NATION

The new technology may be efficient, but it’s destroying an older, simpler way of life

This week I received a photograph sent to me anonymously through the mail. It appears I’ve been captured on film doing something illegal _ and somebody is demanding money for it.

Minds out of the gutter, please. As if I would allow myself to be photographed in that way. I’m extremely selective about where I’m seen, and make a point of frequenting nocturnal establishments with strict policies of leaving recording devices at the cloak room. Or towel pick-up. Whichever is closer. Anyway, who said the photograph was of me? It was my car, cruising majestically down the motorway in the direction of Chon Buri in the early afternoon sun, highlighting the stark lettering of my licence plate. Yes, all right, I got a speeding ticket. Not the first one I ever got in my life _ that was for hooning down McCullough Road in Sunnybank, at a breakneck 60kph _ but certainly the first I ever got here that was so, so cool! How modern and up-to-date of the police to have this technology. I almost wanted to find a safety pin in my sewing room, and affix the picture-ticket onto my shirt and strut around Siam Paragon. All I had to do was fill out the form on the back of the pic, send it off with a nominal 500 baht fine and that was it. And so I did, pausing to write ”Philosopher” in the space enquiring as to my profession. I was tempted to write ”Bangkok Post columnist” but being dragged out of my house at midnight in my Fly Now pyjamas never to be seen again is not part of my life plan. According to information below the pic, I was doing 130kph in a 120kph zone. Blame the government for that; it was 1.35pm and I had to get to a Chon Buri liquor store before 2pm lest I wouldn’t be able to buy any Bacardi Breezers for another three hours. See? Antiquated liquor laws cause dangerous driving! It seems everywhere you look the Thai police force is stepping into the 21st century with new devices, and not just speed cameras. There’s also a brand new thing called ”e-tickets” that started exactly two weeks ago as an experiment in Thong Lor and Bang Na. It turns out 154 e-tickets were issued to motorists and bikers who parked in forbidden zones, didn’t wear their seatbelts or felt helmets just didn’t do anything for their hairstyles. Speed cameras … e-tickets … Thailand is changing fast. Mind you, if change was what the police want, I personally would have started with their uniforms. The last time I wore zip-up brown polyester shirts was when Ring My Bell was No1. Whoever decided that was a good look? And what work is that person doing now _ designing for Bangkok Fashion Week judging from some of the presentations I saw this year. While all these changes are good, I have to admit I am a little nostalgic for the past, when breaking the law and getting caught was so much more civilised. I’ve been driving in this country for 15 years, and in the pre-E-Ticket-and-Evil-Motorway-Speedcam Era there was a very nice system in place. We’re not talking big crimes here like grand larceny or murdering a Robinson salesgirl for saying one too many ”No haves”. I mean silly driving things like crossing a lane too quickly or forgetting to indicate or, the most trivial of all, doing 130 in a 120 zone. Upon encountering a traffic cop he would announce your misdemeanour and say in Thai: ”Show me your driving licence.” This can be translated as: ”Show me your driving licence and place a folded 100 baht note underneath it so neither of us can see it.” Brilliant. First of all, everybody wins. I don’t have to go through the drawn-out process of going to the local station and paying a fine of at least 500 baht. The officer makes some extra money and on his dismal wage he needs all the help he can get. And best of all, nothing needs to be said. In no time you’re on your way and both parties are happy. I can’t imagine the indignity of a Sunnybank cop if I dared to hand over my driving licence along with the equivalent of A$3.30. I’d be in some dark holding cell at the Cop Shop quicker than I could say Detective Danni Francis. Then I’d be hauled through the courts on bribery charges and incur the steely stares of Sunnybank village elders for years, finally fleeing overseas to start a new life in _ Thailand? And they say Australia’s civilised! My very favourite experience with a Thai traffic cop occurred 10 years ago when a Learn-English book of mine was enjoying time at the top of the best-seller lists here. One day I was hot-footing it along the freeway towards Uruphong when a cop stepped out and waved me over. He was a happy soul, probably around 30, with a growing belly currently undergoing torture thanks to the pervading crush of brown polyester. Nevertheless he was jovial as I wound down the window and he said, in English: ”You! You go fast! No good!” ”Sorry _ won’t do it again khrap,” I replied. ”It’s OK! No problem!” he smiled. ”You give me money!” That’s when the conversation changed into Thai. ”Sir, you can’t ask like that,” I said, shaking my head and looking unhappily down into my lap, as if there was something monstrous there. His smile turned into a quizzical frown. ”What do you mean?” he asked. ”Well, you can’t just blurt out a demand like that. It sounds ugly and doesn’t make you look good. There are far nicer ways to say it.” ”Like how?” he asked. ”You could start with ‘Please give me some money,’ I guess. Or you could even make it into a question, like ‘May I have 100 baht, please?”’ ”May I have 100 baht?” he repeated in English, and I waggled a finger at him. ”Don’t forget the ‘please’ at the end. It makes what you’re saying sound so much better.” ”May I have 100 baht please?” he repeated, and raised his eyebrows. I nodded approvingly, and he thrust out his clipboard and pen. ”Can I trouble you to write it down for me?” ”Sure,” I said. ”You know, we even have some idioms.” Now he was fascinated. ”Like what?” he asked. It took me five minutes to teach ”Please grease my palms,” and ”Please make it worth my while,” and even ”You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours,” although he had terrible trouble pronouncing ”scratch”. It came out as ”scat”, which was unfortunate since someone once told me that was a sexual fetish _ something not normally associated with men in zipper-hugging brown polyester. The officer and I parted soon after. I didn’t have to pay him anything, though I did give him a signed copy of my best-seller, and he came away with all sorts of new words and phrases he could use. I often wonder about that guy. Did he ever employ any of those phrases on the next farang he pulled over? Can you imagine the motorist’s surprise confronting a Thai traffic cop who could hardly introduce himself, but could sail through ”Please make it worth my while”? Those days are long gone, thanks to the scourge of e-tickets and shady photographs of black Teanas breaking the speed limit. What a pity. Technology changes everything … we have merely scatted the surface.

Action on street people planned

Starting in January, a government crackdown on street people, especially those with mental illnesses, will commence across the country. The unfortunate people are to be cared for in various rehabilitation centres supervised by the Department of Social Development and Welfare.

The policy, initiated by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, will focus on beggars and homeless people and is aimed at helping them out with basic welfare conditions. Career training will be available for those still capable of learning and making a living, said DSDW deputy director-general Lertpanya Booranabundit.

He said the persistent problem with homeless people and beggars was that they demand to go out or escape after brief stays, as they perceive the care homes as detention centres. Authorities have had no choice but to comply with their demands. Some people with obvious mental illnesses were compliant to stay on in psychiatric hospitals or centres.

“The Mitr Maitree Homes are intended to be a secondary home to all residents, which provides them with food, shelter and career training, to enable them to make a living once their stay is over,” Lertpanya added.

There are now five Mitr Maitree Homes – in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phuket. Five others are to be built soon in Chon Buri, Phitsanulok, Songkhla, Khon Kaen and Ubon Ratchathani, to accommodate the government crackdown.

Dr Duangta Kraiphasphong, a deputy director of the Galyarajanagarindra Institute, said that in addition to chronic mental illnesses that could cause people to go on rampages and attack others in the public, a sudden surge of sugar in diabetics could cause similar results.

She said people with mental illnesses did not always get away with crimes they committed against people following legal exemptions in general cases. “Liability is binding if their conscience in various preconditions is proven in court,” she added.

She called on people to take notice if family members or people close to them start showing habitual irregularities or symptoms of mental illnesses in the early stages. The initial symptoms include speaking to oneself, laughing alone, stress and depression, signs of absent-mindedness, suicidal manners or frequent speaking of committing suicide.

Attacks on people in the public by “nut cases”, as they are generally thought of among Thai people, are rare, but a recent case near Victory Monument prompted a major concern on risks of this kind. Company employee Cherdsak Faiphet sustained severe cut wounds by a seemingly harmless homeless man who frequented the area after Cherdsak refused to give him some money.

Cherdsak suffered a 12-inch wound on his back that required 44 stitches, when he turned his back on Suthon Thongchote and was heading to get on a bus. Vendors in the site who frequently saw Suthon, 49, said they never thought the harmless-looking man, who usually begged for coins from women and walked away when turned down, carried a razor knife and could turn violent.

Cherdsak complained about inaction by the authorities and police to prevent such attacks, and called on preventive measures to be widely implemented. “From now on I will stay away from them and watch my back when seeing them.”

He also cited an old saying: “Nut cases know no laws, therefore they do no wrong”.

“I want to know if that is correct. I want to know police need to wait for one of them to kill ten people before taking action. Who knows when such an attack will happen next?” he asked.

Pol Major Sitthisak Nakhamart of Phya Thai police, whose jurisdiction covers the Victory Monument and the site, said this attack was a first of its type in many years, and police always take them to mental hospitals and especially the Galyarajanagarindra Institute. He advised pedestrians to avoid such people, or not to give them money directly to their hands, but put it away from them and walk away.

Found At: THE NATION

Civil verdict set on March for PAD’s seizure of airports

It takes over  3 Years to get a verdict at the International Airport seizure in December 2007 by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (Yellow Shirts).

The Civil Court has scheduled March 25 to hand down its verdict after hearing the last defense witness rebutting the demand for Bt245 million damage inflicted by the yellow shirts during their seizure of Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports in November 2007.

The civil litigation is a fallout from street protests led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy culminating in the airports seizure. As plaintiff, the Airport Authority of Thailand has named 13 PAD leaders, including Sondhi Limthongkul, as defendants. Speaking from the witness stand, Sondhi told the court that protesters did not disrupt international and domestic flight since they were not responsible for shutting down the two airports in Bangkok.

The Nation

Loy Krathong Festival

Loy Krathong is a tradition which has been conducted since ancient times. Loy means to float and a Krathong is a small vessel a few centimeters in length usually made of banana leaf.

The Loy Krathong festival is held all over Thailand on the full-moon day of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar or around mid-November. However, the name and celebrations vary from region to region. In the central region, people usually make Krathongs in the shape of a lotus blossom from banana leaves, banana trunks and other natural materials. In the evening people will float their Krathongs on the river with a lighted candle, incense and other decorations. Some people may cut their finger nails and hair and add them to the Krathong to release their bad karma. Some put coins into the Krathong as an alms offering. People in the central region believe that this ritual is to honor the footprint of the Buddha on Nuntha Nathi riverside in Sri Lanka and also to pay respect to the river goddess “ Mae Khongkha”. At every Loy Krathong night on the river bank there will be a night bazaar complete with entertainment, songs, dancing and fireworks.

In the northern region the Loy Krathong Festival is different. In Chiang Mai it is called “Yi Peng” which is a word in the local Lanna dialect meaning the full moon of the 2nd month. It coincides with the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. The northern people will decorate their houses and temples with lanterns and they will also float their Krathong on the river. There are many names for Krathong such as Loy Fai or Long Sapao. Also they follow the Burmese belief of honoring the monk Phra Ouppakutt (Phra Bua Keam) who meditated and practiced merit deep down under the sea. Other practices  are to show gratitude to the King of Hongsawadee.

In Tak province the Loy Krathong festival is called “Loy Krathong Sai Festival” or “Pra Thep Phan Duang Festival” (a thousand floating candles festival). Here, they decorate their alms parade in banana-leaf floats along with coconut shells with candles. Then, they are threaded together and float along with their traditional alms parade. It appears as a long chain of glittering lights, hence the origin of its name, “Loi Krathong Sai”.

In the North Eastern region, the Loy Krathong festival is called “Lai Rue Fai Festival” (the festival of floating blazing boats). The boat is made of banana trunks, bamboo or other floatable materials and decorated beautifully with candles and lanterns. The boat is designed and made into many exquisite shapes; Jedi, swan, Naga (serpent king), Garuda and many more. The size of the boat is significantly large; as it can be six meters in length. The people float them in the Mae Kong River.

The beginnings of the Loy Khratong festival in Thailand are rather unclear. There are many tales about the origin of this celebration. Some say people carry out this ritual to honor the footprint of the Buddha on Nuntha Nathi riverside in Sri Lanka; some say to pay respect to Chulamanee Goddess when she welcomed the Lord Buddha back to heaven; others say to pay respect to the Goddess of the Ganges River in Brahma. Scholars have suggested that this festival is based on the Brahma ceremony, Tam Phratep or Teepa Waree in India in which the Loy Khratong ritual had been included, to worship the Trimuti. The Trimuti, the Brahma’s trinity God head consists of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer, and Śhiva the destroyer. The Thai people have adopted the Brahma ceremony together with Thai agriculture-based culture along with local beliefs. Water is an import part of everyday life and people honor the river goddess “ Mae Khongkha”. The Loy Khratong festival has become a Thai tradition which is well known and loved throughout the world.

Suthep ranked least honest; Abhisit tops poll

By The Nation

New Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban is the least honest politician, but his immediate boss Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is the most trustworthy, according to Bangkok Poll.

Among 1,136 residents of Greater Bangkok responding to the survey, 39.2 per cent consider Democrat secretary-general Suthep as the least straightforward, followed by Newin Chidchob, the de facto leader of the Bhum Jai Thai Party, at 24.2 per cent and Transport Minister Sophon Saram at 8.3 per cent.

The opinion poll on “Believe in Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to solve the corruption problem” was conducted by Bangkok University Research Centre last week.

The most sincere politician is Abhisit at 49.8 per cent, followed by Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai at 30.3 per cent and Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij at 2.2 per cent.

The worst form of corruption is politicians abusing their policy for their own benefit at 40.8 per cent, followed by collusion at 16.4 per cent and double standards in policy and law enforcement at 13.0 per cent.

Despite Thailand’s hosting the 14th International Anti-Corruption Conference from today to Saturday, 72.3 per cent believe the corruption problem in this country won’t change, while only 15.5 per cent think it will improve and 12.2 per cent fear it will increase.

— The Nation 2010-11-10