Khon Kaen Railway Land Considered For … Theme Park?

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8 January 2019, 15:46

Original photo: Si Ri Wat Yupin / Facebook

KHON KAEN — Land by Isaan’s rail hub could be developed into condos, offices – or even a theme park, according to railway officials.

A plot of 108 rai (17 hectares) near the Khon Kaen Railway Station, currently used for golfing and residences, will be leased out by the state railway, which is brainstorming possible ideas to entice developers to enter a long-term lease.

At a Monday session spitballing ideas for the land, a railway finance officer said he envisioned an amusement park that travelers would flock to.

“The park could be a tourist destination for the province, and have rides like roller coasters and water parks,” Worawut Mala said. “We would apply the model of a movie theme park, like Movie World or Universal Studios.”

The area slated for development has been divided into five zones: 16.2 rai for residential and commercial use, 26.5 rai for a possible hotel and convention center, and another 8 rai for office and residential use.

The largest section, a 58.6-rai area currently used as a golf course and employee housing, could be made into a theme park, of the state railway said Monday.

Pouring cold water on Worawut’s dream was project property manager Jitlekha Detcharoen – she says it’s too small.

“Maybe the land doesn’t have that potential yet. Theme parks overseas are huge and all on one piece of land. So this land could be about half a park,” she said.

Still, there’s hope, if the right investors pulled through.

“The investors probably saw that there’s no full-fledged theme park in Isaan yet, with rollercoasters and carousels. So they think one would draw a lot of people,” she said. The train station receives around 20,000 to 38,000 travelers daily.

Whatever the outcome, Jitlekha said that there’s little chance of it becoming a mall.

“This land isn’t adjacent to the main road, which malls need,” she said, laughing. “And Central Khon Kaen is right by.”

She said the most realistic and profitable plan would be chosen.

“When it comes time to take bids, an investor might say they could make 100 million with a theme park, but then another investor can defeat them by saying they could make 200 million with a hotel,” she said. “It’s up to the investors what this will be; what will earn the most profits.”

The cash-strapped and debt-saddled state enterprise has been seeking to leverage its extensive land holdings through development deals for years. Those efforts have run into opposition to the development of green areas such as a large plot in Bangkok’s Makkasan area.

The land in Khon Kaen is already partially developed.

“It’s not an empty area. It’s where some employees’ homes are, so investors will need a course of action for relocation,” she said.

Jitlekha said that more fully fledged proposals would start pouring in by the middle of the year, with one selected around mid-2020 at the earliest.

Prasertsuek Saipawan, who’s also involved in the railway’s development projects, said the land will be leased 30 to 50 years to a project he expects will cost 5 billion baht to 8 billion baht to build.

Saudi Officials ‘Satisfied’ by Handling of Rahaf: Big Joke

By

Associated Press

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8 January 2019, 14:59

Rahaf Alqunun shakes hand with immigration chief Surachate Hakparn, at right, Monday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Photo: Immigration Bureau — Rahaf Alqunun shakes hand with immigration chief Surachate Hakparn, at right, Jan. 7 at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Photo: Immigration Bureau

BANGKOK — After meeting Tuesday with officials from the Saudi Embassy, the head of Thai immigration said they told him they are satisfied with how the case of a young Saudi woman who claims to be fleeing her abusive family has been handled.

Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn explained the Saudi reaction to reporters after a meeting with its diplomats. The embassy issued a statement Tuesday denying accusations that it had requested the extradition of Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun or seized her passport, as the 18-year-old woman had charged several times. The statement said the case is a “family affair but yet, it is under the care and attention of the Embassy.”

“The position of two countries on this matter is the same — that the priority is to provide her safety. We are both concerned for Miss Rahaf’s safety and well-being,” said Surachate. “The Saudi charge d’affaires said he is satisfied and expressed confidence on the work of Thai immigration, of the Thai government, and of the Foreign Ministry yesterday.”

Read: Saudi Woman Leaves Bangkok Airport Under UN Care

Alqunun grabbed global attention when she sent out pleas for help via social media, saying she feared for her life if she were put on a plane back to Kuwait, where she had slipped away from her family, or her homeland.

Instead, she was given back her passport and allowed to enter Thailand temporarily under the protection of the U.N. refugee agency, which was expected to take about five to seven days to study her case and her claim for asylum. The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said in a Tuesday statement that it would look into Alqunun’s case “to assess her need for international protection.” She has said she wants to go to Australia to seek refuge there.

Surachate said Alqunun’s father and brother were due to arrive soon in Bangkok, but that it was her decision whether to meet with them. On Twitter, she has expressed fear of such a meeting. The father had previously been expected Monday night.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch called on the Australian government to allow Alqunun’s entry into that country.

Alqunun said she had a visa to continue her journey to Australia, but media reports say the Australian government has now canceled it. Australian officials have not responded to multiple requests for comment.

While Surachate claimed Alqunun never had a visa to enter Australia, Human Rights Watch’s Australian director, Elaine Pearson, said she had seen electronic confirmation of the visa, shown by Alqunun to HRW’s Asia deputy director, Phil Robertson.

But, Pearson said, Alqunun could no longer access her visa page on Australia’s immigration website on Tuesday, sparking concern that the document had been canceled. An Australian visa is usually processed electronically and not stamped in one’s passport, but confirmed by a document that the visitor can print out.

Though refugee status would mean a different form of visa would be needed, Pearson said Australia’s apparent cancellation of Alqunun’s tourist visa was a worrying sign.

“It’s extremely concerning if it is the case that the visa has been canceled,” she told The Associated Press, adding that Australia should allow Alqunun entry in any case.

Since Australia has expressed concern in the past about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, it should “come forward and offer protection for this young woman,” Pearson said.

For runaway Saudi women, fleeing can be a matter of life and death, and they are almost always trying to escape male relatives.

In 2017, Dina Ali Lasloom triggered a firestorm online when she was stopped en route to Australia, where she planned to seek asylum. She was forced to return to Saudi Arabia and was not publicly heard from again, according to activists tracking her whereabouts.

Despite efforts by the Saudi government to curtail the scope of male guardianship laws, women who try to flee their families in Saudi Arabia have few good options inside the kingdom. They often are pressured to reconcile with their families, sent to shelters where their movement is restricted, or face arrest for disobeying their legal guardian.

Opinion: Unequal Thailand a Daily Struggle

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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8 January 2019, 13:50

A worker at Bangkok's Khlong Toei Market. Photo: Mark Fisher

That Thailand is one of the most unequal societies on earth should be a concerns for all Thais, from those at the top all the way to the lowest echelons.

Last month, the National and Social Development Board vehemently denied that Thailand has the world’s largest income gap as reported by Credit Suisse Bank.

Days before Christmas, Al Jazeera claimed Thailand “has the greatest wealth gap in the world” with 1 percent of the population controlling more than two-thirds of the nation’s wealth.

This is not new news. Back in mid-2016, Credit Suisse claimed that Thailand was the third most unequal country in the world, with 1 percent owning 58 percent of the kingdom’s wealth, behind only Russia and India.

After the 2018 report came out, economist Varakorn Sarmkoses argued that only 35 countries of 133 ranked have complete data for making such computations and thus the results may be inaccurate.

Let us not be too pedantic about whether Thailand is truly the most unequal society on earth. Personally I think it’s not, although the inequality is rather severe.

There are different ways to measure inequality. Here are some aspects that reminds us of the situation:

Let us start with the deserted Bangkok during the just-concluded New Year’s holidays. Bangkok’s streets were near empty as the majority of people working in the capital escaped to visit their home provinces. It means Bangkok is what sociologists call a primate city, a singularly large urban center where most functions – and jobs – are concentrated. Bangkok, which is at least 10 times larger than the next biggest city, Chiang Mai, is concrete testimony to the country’s unequal opportunities. If you were born in the province and had the benefit of a good enough education, you will mostly likely come to Bangkok to seek jobs commensurate with your abilities or try your luck in a nation with a more developed economy.

Don’t think the middle class in Bangkok are not struggling, however.

A friend told me she has to hire tutors for her 4-year-old boy because, by mid-2019, he will have to compete for a kindergarten seat at a well-known state university’s demonstration school. She said on average, there are 4,000 applicants and the school only admits 200. What’s more, 100 out of the 200 places are reserved for either big donors or children of alumni.

The school, she said, is the only way for her son to get a quality education without paying the exorbitant tuition of other schools like international schools or top private schools.

She said money will have to be saved for her boy’s piano and other private tutorials.

While the middle class in Bangkok tries hard to ensure that the next generation will at least be able to maintain the same lifestyle of a middle class.

What about the poor?

It’s tough when you are at the bottom and don’t read or speak English (or increasingly, Chinese). Many pretentious restaurants in Bangkok and other cities don’t have menus in Thai, and if you can’t read English, you simply feel out of place. This may not be a big issue as dinners at such establishments easily cost a week’s worth of minimum wages.

This is why when new political party Future Forward wanted to be as friendly to the poor as possible, it reluctantly decided to reduce annual party membership fees from 200 baht to 100 baht. A hundred baht may be loose change for the middle class, but definitely not for the poor. Thus the adjustment.

Societies that are too unequal cannot expect to be at peace or happy. The inequalities confronting us on a daily basis are a daily struggle for many, who consider winning the lottery their best hope for a truly better future. This is a reminder that we have failed to bring many on board.

Govt Quietly Halts Election Preparations Nationwide

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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8 January 2019, 13:12

Protesters flash the anti-junta ‘three-finger salute’ during a rally to protest another election day Monday at the Election Commission in Bangkok.

BANGKOK — The interior affairs minister confirmed Tuesday a leaked memo instructing officials across the country to halt election preparations is genuine.

The leak sparked fresh outrage among opposition activists, some of whom are set to gather today to protest yet another delay to the poll, while the government and the Election Commission trade blame for not settling on an Election Day.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Gen. Anupong Paochinda said the memo was issued after the government failed to enact legislation that would have set Feb. 24 as the date.

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“Let me confirm again that there will be an election, 1 million percent, no matter which day it would be, and whether it would be sooner or later than we expected,” Anupong said. “We haven’t seen the Royal Decree for this election yet, so we have to wait for clarity.”

The leaked order appeared on social media Monday night. It appears to be an internal memo addressing voting officials in every province. The memo cited the absence of the Royal Decree for its order to declare that “all preparations for elections are hereby halted.”

Many expected the decree to be issued just after New Year’s Day, but the government did not enact it and gave no explanation why.

Anupong went on to say the government is waiting for a cue from the Election Commission on what to do next.

“The Ministry of Interior Affairs is ready to do whatever the [commission] informs us. There is no other agenda,” the general said.

On the same day, commission president Ittiporn Boonprakong said his agency must wait for the government to enact the Royal Decree before Election Day can be set.

“The EC will deliberate and designate the election date as soon as possible, but there is no particular date at the moment,” Ittiporn said. “It’s up to the date [set] by the Royal Decree.”

Although the junta has insisted since early last year that elections would be held Feb. 24, officials in recent days have walked back that promise. Key government leaders suggest the vote might be postponed to make way for a ceremony to crown King Vajiralongkorn, set to take place May 4-6. Election law stipulates voting must happen by May 9.

The growing uncertainty will likely fuel protests such as one planned at 5pm today at Ratchaprasong Intersection. Activists say they want to send a message that another delay is unacceptable.

2 Hungarians Die in Central Bangkok Car Crash

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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8 January 2019, 12:39

Rescue workers at the scene of a car crash Monday night in Bangkok that killed two Hungarian men.

BANGKOK — Two Hungarian men died Monday night in downtown Bangkok after crashing their motorcycle into a van with enough force to topple it, injuring a Japanese passenger inside.

Police said the accident occurred at about 10:30pm at Ratchadamri Road in the Pathum Wan district. One 30-year-old man died on the scene, while another, 35, died later at a nearby hospital. The Japanese van passenger sustained serious injuries.

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>The victims, all expats working in Bangkok, were found unconscious inside the overturned van, police said, including the motorcyclists.

Poemsak Yainoi, the van driver, told police that he was taking his Japanese boss home and was hit by a speeding motorcycle while turning right into an alley. He said the two men on the motorbike were propelled into the van through the windows after the crash.

NKorea Leader Arrives in China for Summit

By

Associated Press

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8 January 2019, 11:34

In this Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, photo provided on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019 by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks with his wife Ri Sol Ju at Pyongyang Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, before leaving for China. Photo: Korean Central News Agency / Korea News Service via AP

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is making a four-day trip to China, the North’s state media reported Tuesday, in what’s likely an effort by Kim to coordinate with his only major ally ahead of a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that could happen early this year.

Kim departed for China on Monday afternoon with his wife Ri Sol Ju and other top officials, the North’s Korean Central News Agency said. It said Kim is visiting China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A long motorcade including motorcycle outrides reserved for state leaders has left a Beijing train station at about noon, shortly after the arrival of a train believed to be carrying Kim.

The train consisting of 20 to 25 cars — most of whose windows were blacked-out — pulled by two locomotives arrived in Beijing’s North Station along tracks lined by police and paramilitary troops. That followed the arrival of a three-car advance North Korean train.

South Korean media reported earlier that Kim’s distinctive armored train was expected to reach Beijing on Tuesday morning, which happens to be Kim’s birthday.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency issued a nearly identical report, while Beijing’s North Railway Station was cocooned in security, with dozens of police and paramilitary troops patrolling outside. What appeared to be official cars were seen driving past the security cordon into the station, although journalists on the scene were too far away to identify them clearly.

Kim is expected to stay at the highly secure Diaoyutai State Guest House in the capital’s west, with meetings held at the Great Hall of the People, the hulking seat of the legislature that sits next to Tiananmen Square.

The trip marked a further break with past practice in that it was announced in advance of Kim’s arrival, a possible sign of growing confidence on the part of North Korea and its most important ally, China.

After years of cool relations following Kim’s assumption of power 2011, ties have improved remarkably over the past year as Xi seeks to maintain his influence in the region.

Kim’s trip comes after U.S. and North Korean officials reportedly met in Vietnam to discuss the location of a second summit between Kim and Trump as the two nations look to settle the North’s decades-long pursuit of a nuclear arsenal.

Washington and Pyongyang seemed close to war at points during 2017 as the North staged a series of increasingly powerful weapons tests that got it tantalizingly close to its nuclear goal of one day targeting with pinpoint accuracy anywhere on the U.S. mainland

Possibly fearing the economic effect of crushing outside sanctions imposed because of his weapons’ tests, Kim abruptly turned to diplomacy with Seoul and Washington last year. Three times he visited China, which is North Korea’s most important trading partner and a key buffer against pressure from Washington.

But even after what was seen as a blockbuster summit between Kim and Trump in Singapore last June — the first-ever between the leaders of the war enemies — there’s been little real progress in nuclear disarmament.

Washington is pressing the North to offer up a detailed accounting of its nuclear arsenal, while Pyongyang says it has already done enough and it’s time for the U.S. to ease harsh international sanctions that hold back the North Korean economy.

Despite Trump’s repeated assurances that another summit will allow he and Kim to make a grand deal to settle the nuclear standoff and change a relationship marked by decades of animosity and mistrust, outside analysts are highly skeptical that the North will easily abandon a nuclear arsenal constructed in the face of deep poverty and likely seen by Kim as his only guarantee of regime survival.

Story: Foster Klug

Saudi Woman Leaves Bangkok Airport Under UN Care

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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7 January 2019, 20:23

Rahaf Alqunun, at center, is escorted by immigration chief Surachate Hakparn, at right, Monday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Photo: Immigration Bureau

BANGKOK — A runaway Saudi woman who barricaded herself inside a room at a Bangkok airport rather than be deported back to her family has left safely in UN care.

Thai authorities will allow 18-year-old Rahaf Alqunun into the country while the UNHCR processes her case after agency representatives were allowed to meet with her late Monday afternoon, according to Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, immigration bureau chief.

After being allowed to meet Alqunun, the UNHCR on Monday agreed to place her under its care and process her for travel to another country, during which Thailand will allow her entry to the country, Surachate told reporters just after 8pm.

“She has left the airport with the UN,” he said. “She’s not being held by the immigration any longer.”

Read: ‘We Won’t Send Someone to Their Death,’ Thai Immigration Chief Says

He said that UNHCR had taken Alqunun from the airport to other accommodations in Bangkok and it will take about five days to find a country to accept her. Although she’ll be under care of the UN, Surachate said Thai authorities will also provide additional security to guarantee her safety.

He said if Alqunun’s father comes to Bangkok, she will be asked if she wants to see him. He added that Thailand will later hold talks with the Saudi Embassy regarding the situation.

The act of apparent cooperation with the UNHCR on behalf of Thailand is a break from routine policy. Requests for asylum cannot be made in Thailand as it is not a signatory to international conventions on refugees, nor does Bangkok recognize the legal status of those entering the kingdom.

Alqunun has gripped headlines around the world since she began tweeting Saturday that she had her passport taken while transiting through Suvarnabhumi Airport on her way to Australia. She said she had escaped years of abuse and feared for her life if returned to her family, which she fled while on vacation in Kuwait.

Thai immigration officials initially said they were cooperating with the Saudi government to return Alqunun to her family. After she resisted deportation this morning by barricading herself inside a hotel room at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Surachate came out to reverse course and say Thailand would not deport her against her will.

This is a developing story and may be updated without notice.

Students at Elite Bangkok School to Ditch Uniforms – For Now

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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7 January 2019, 19:13

Soon a thing of the past? Bangkok Christian College students pose for a photo in their uniforms in 2014. Image: Fivemorningtalk / Facebook

BANGKOK — Starting Tuesday, students at an all-boys school in Bangkok will be able to leave their uniforms at home and come to class in the clothes they want – once a week.

Bangkok Christian College announced Monday that the new policy is part of an experiment to see whether dress codes – or the lack thereof – would affect students’ ability to study and socialize.

“We’ve been discussing this for more than 10 years,” school director Suphakit Jitklongsub said. “There are studies from overseas that wearing private clothes can reduce pressure and encourage students to be more expressive.”

The experiment is set to repeat every Tuesday for a full semester, after which officials will assess the impact. The new policy applies to all Mathayom-level grades, he added. Supakit said some alumni have opposed the change but he stressed that they are a minority.

Acceptable clothing includes long-sleeve shirts and T-shirts, polo shirts, denim jackets and shorts. Tank tops are forbidden.

Uniforms are enforced in schools across Thailand, including even the “international schools” where Thai and foreign students follow non-Thai standard curricula. Education officials have long argued that uniforms are necessary to maintain order and promote equality, whereas critics say they promote conformity and stunt creativity.

Student activist leader Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, who has called for uniforms to be abolished since his high school years, welcomed the news.

“I’m happy to see that such thing could happen in this era,” Netiwit, who now studies at Chulalongkorn University, said in an interview. “I didn’t know what changes would come this fast.”

The Sathorn Road campus of Bangkok Christian College – the country’s first private school – isn’t the first to come up with the groundbreaking policy, but it’s the highest-profile institution to take it as far. Satit Thammasat Secondary School started allowing its students to wear private clothing in 2014 but still mandated them every Monday and Thursday.

Chalam Attatham, a government education official overseeing private schools, said Bangkok Christian College is free to make its own policies, though he also urged the school to monitor the consequences of the new approach for any possible negative effects.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly asserted that the uniform-optional policy was planned for every school day through the semester. In fact, it is only on Tuesdays for the duration of the current term.

Army Chief Appointed to Crown Property Board

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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7 January 2019, 16:45

A file photo of Gen. Apirat Kongsompong.

BANGKOK — His Majesty the King has named the current commander-in-chief of the army to the body overseeing royal properties, according to an order published in the royal gazette.

The order, signed by King Vajiralongkorn on Saturday and published yesterday, appointed Gen. Apirat Kongsompong and another longtime civil servant to the Crown Property Bureau’s executive board, which will now number 11 people.

The other appointee is Ampon Kittiampon, a former Thai Airways executive who served as an economic advisor to at least seven past governments.

The bureau is in charge of managing His Majesty the King’s vast wealth and assets. It has undergone several legal changes in recent years. The latest legal amendment made His Majesty the King the final arbiter in disputes over what is considered royal property.

New Crown Property Law Comes Into Effect

‘We Won’t Send Someone to Their Death,’ Thai Immigration Chief Says

By

Todd Ruiz, Editor

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7 January 2019, 16:05

Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun in a still image from a video. Photo: Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun / Human Rights Watch via Associated Press

SAMUT PRAKAN — The head of Thailand’s Immigration Bureau said a Saudi woman who fled her family to seek asylum in Australia will not be forcibly deported.

Speaking at the Bangkok airport where Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun refused to board a flight this morning back to the family she fled, Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn said just after 4pm that Thailand has reversed course and will not deport her against her will.

“If deporting her would result in her death, we definitely wouldn’t want to do that,” he said. Asked if about Saudi Arabia’s death penalty for renouncing Islam, he said “their laws are like that.”

“Since Thailand is the Land of Smiles, of course we won’t send someone to their death,” he added.

Representatives from the UNHCR would be able to talk to her at 5pm, he announced.

Thailand’s relations with Saudi Arabia – the two kingdoms have not enjoyed full diplomatic status since 1989 – were important considerations, Lt. Gen. Surachate said.

Update: Saudi Woman Leaves Bangkok Airport Under UN Care

“The important thing we have to keep in mind is maintaining diplomatic relations, and also her safety as well,” he said.

Police have cordoned off the Miracle Transit Hotel at Suvarnabhumi International Airport after Alqunun this morning refused to leave her room and board an 11:15am Kuwaiti Airlines flight.

Alqunun’s father was said to be on his way to Bangkok and expected to arrive tonight.

“Fifty-fifty her father is coming,” Surachate said. “If she doesn’t want to go with her father, we cannot force her to go.”

At 4:50pm, Rahaf live streamed video on Twitter showing the room where she has barricaded herself inside.

I wil still here until UN helps me https://t.co/HUFiSodcFC

— Rahaf Mohammed رهف محمد القنون (@rahaf84427714) January 7, 2019

This morning, Pruettipong Prayonsiri, commander of the Immigration Bureau’s airport division, said police were working with Saudi Arabia’s embassy to send her back to her family.

“Wherever they came from, they have to go back there. If someone came from China, then they have to return to China. If they came from Japan, they have to come from Japan. They can’t go to a third country,” Maj. Gen. Pruettipong said.

Alqunun says she was fleeing years of abuse at the hands of her family and faces death if she is deported. She began tweeting late Saturday after Thai authorities stopped her in transit from Kuwait. She possesses a visa for Australia, where she was planning to seek asylum.

“She’s not a refugee. She’s a child, and her guardians want her back,” Pruettipong said. “The embassy did all the work with us.”

Reporting Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Jintamas Saksornchai

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