NAKHON RATCHASIMA — A food vendor in northeastern Thailand is offering a special deal for customers who have had an otherwise bad day: free bowls of noodle soup for anyone who presents a ticket from traffic police.

The noodle stall in Nakhon Ratchasima province, called Tiew Mai Wa, announced the deal on social media several days ago. According to the shop, traffic violators can only claim their free meals on the same day of their ticketed offense, and only 30 free meals will be given out per day. 

Weerayuth Nakhathorn holds up the traffic ticket that earned him a free bowl of soup at Tiew Mai Wa noodle stall in Nakhon Ratchasima province, 2 March 2015.

The stall’s owner, Sirithat Somsangiam, said the promotion is not intended to criticize police or encourage law-breaking. 

"I merely have sympathy for people who were forced to pay fines for traffic law violations," Sirithat told Khaosod. 

More than a dozen of people have already claimed free bowls today, said Sirithat, who opened the noodle stall last month. 

Speaking to a reporter as he ate his free meal, a 21-year-old student from Nakhon Ratchasima Technical College expressed frustration that police in the province appear to have more enthusiasm for fining motorists than arresting criminals and robbers.

"I am thankful for the kind vendor and the promotion," said the student, Weerayuth Nakhathorn.

Traffic police in Thailand are notorious for demanding bribes from motorists who violate traffic laws.

Several Facebook pages have sprung up in recent years to identify the locations of traffic police checkpoints in different provinces. 

NAN — More than 1,000 Buddhists gathered by a temple in northern Thailand yesterday to protest a plan to construct a mosque in Nan province.

The rally came in response to news that a group of local Muslims had purchased a plot of land in Nam Kaen subdistrict, where they said they intended to build a house of worship. 

Buddhists gather at Phra That Chae Haeng Temple to protest the construction of a mosque in Nan province, 1 March 2015.

After gathering  in front of Phra That Chae Haeng Temple yesterday, more than 1,o00 white-clad protesters, who were joined by Buddhist monks and novices, marched to Nan City Hall and submitted a letter urging the provincial government to halt the mosque project. 

The letter insisted that opposition to the mosque was not motivated by "religious persecution," but rather dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and public consultation over the project.

The letter also cited other concerns, such as "noise pollution," "differences in lifestyle and culture" between Buddhists and Muslims, and possible "unrest and violence" that could follow the construction of the mosque. 

One banner held up by a demonstrator yesterday said: "If Muslims want a land of peace, they must go and make the 3 southern border provinces peaceful first," a reference toThailand’s Muslim-majority Deep South, where Islamic militants have been battling security forces since 2004 in an effort to secede from the nation. 

According to a representative from the Muslim group in Nan, the nearest mosque is 130km away in a neighboring province.

"It's not convenient for us to travel, and it's dangerous, because some people have to travel by motorcycles, so I think there should be a mosque as a community center for Muslim brothers and sisters," Imaam Yarin was quoted as saying by Thai Rath newspaper. "Furthermore, tourists from neighboring provinces, including foreigners and individuals who are Muslim, can visit the mosque. It will lead to more spending in the region." 

Yet a Facebook page that helped organize yesterday's demonstration, called "Nan Residents Against Mosque," cast the construction project as a direct assault on Buddhism.

"The religion of Buddha has been bullied enough. The last stronghold of Buddha's religion in Thailand is the city of Nan," read a post that urged others to join the protest. "Our ancestors have established Buddha's religion in this land of Dharma. The children of Nan must defend it. Do not let others trample on it."

Buddhists march to Nan City hall to protest the construction of a mosque, 1 March 2015.

The "Nan Residents Against Mosque" page also cited a series of conspiracy theories to support its cause, such as an alleged plot by Muslims to take over northern Thailand and link the region with the Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar and Muslim Uiqhurs in China. Another post claimed that "Christian and Muslim" officials were conspiring to cut Buddhist lessons from state schools in Thailand. 

The deputy governor of Nan province, Chairat Tharasantisuk, accepted the letter from demonstrators yesterday and promised to "urgently" consult other officials about the matter.

"We will listen to the voice of the people," Chairat said.

The protesters later dispersed peacefully. Security forces did not interfere with the  rally, even though protests remain banned under the ruling military junta, which seized power from an elected government on 22 May 2014.

Muslims make up about 5 percent of Thailand's predominantly Buddhist population.

NAN — More than 1,000 Buddhists gathered by a temple in northern Thailand yesterday to protest a plan to construct a mosque in Nan province.

The rally came in response to news that a group of local Muslims had purchased a plot of land in Nam Kaen subdistrict, where they said they intended to build a house of worship. 

Buddhists gather at Phra That Chae Haeng Temple to protest the construction of a mosque in Nan province, 1 March 2015.

After gathering  in front of Phra That Chae Haeng Temple yesterday, more than 1,o00 white-clad protesters, who were joined by Buddhist monks and novices, marched to Nan City Hall and submitted a letter urging the provincial government to halt the mosque project. 

The letter insisted that opposition to the mosque was not motivated by "religious persecution," but rather dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and public consultation over the project.

The letter also cited other concerns, such as "noise pollution," "differences in lifestyle and culture" between Buddhists and Muslims, and possible "unrest and violence" that could follow the construction of the mosque. 

One banner held up by a demonstrator yesterday said: "If Muslims want a land of peace, they must go and make the 3 southern border provinces peaceful first," a reference to Thailand’s Muslim-majority Deep South, where Islamic militants have been battling security forces since 2004 in an effort to secede from the nation. 

According to a representative from the Muslim group in Nan, the nearest mosque is 130km away in a neighboring province.

"It's not convenient for us to travel, and it's dangerous, because some people have to travel by motorcycles, so I think there should be a mosque as a community center for Muslim brothers and sisters," Imaam Yarin was quoted as saying by Thai Rath newspaper. "Furthermore, tourists from neighboring provinces, including foreigners and individuals who are Muslim, can visit the mosque. It will lead to more spending in the region." 

Yet a Facebook page that helped organize yesterday's demonstration, called "Nan Residents Against Mosque," cast the construction project as a direct assault on Buddhism.

"The religion of Buddha has been bullied enough. The last stronghold of Buddha's religion in Thailand is the city of Nan," read a post that urged others to join the protest. "Our ancestors have established Buddha's religion in this land of Dharma. The children of Nan must defend it. Do not let others trample on it."

Buddhists march to Nan City hall to protest the construction of a mosque, 1 March 2015.

The "Nan Residents Against Mosque" page also cited a series of conspiracy theories to support its cause, such as an alleged plot by Muslims to take over northern Thailand and link the region with the Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar and Muslim Uiqhurs in China. Another post claimed that "Christian and Muslim" officials were conspiring to cut Buddhist lessons from state schools in Thailand. 

The deputy governor of Nan province, Chairat Tharasantisuk, accepted the letter from demonstrators yesterday and promised to "urgently" consult other officials about the matter.

"We will listen to the voice of the people," Chairat said.

The protesters later dispersed peacefully. Security forces did not interfere with the  rally, even though protests remain banned under the ruling military junta, which seized power from an elected government on 22 May 2014.

Muslims make up about 5 percent of Thailand's predominantly Buddhist population.

BANGKOK — The Red Cross Society of Thailand has issued an urgent appeal for blood donations, and insisted that the organization is not affiliated with any political groups in Thailand.

Soisa-ang Pikulsod, director of the Red Cross' blood donation center, told reporters yesterday that blood reserves in Thailand are running perilously low, with over 100 hospitals across the country on a waiting list for the Red Cross blood bank. 

 Protesters with Red Cross flags in Bangkok in Jan 2015 [Prachatai].

She also stressed that the Red Cross is impartial in matters of Thai politics, addressing the belief among many Redshirts that the organization supported the campaign to oust a Redshirt-allied government last year. The suspcision was spurred by widely-circulated photos of medical workers marching under Red Cross flags during demonstrations against then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in January 2014.

"Let me stress that the Red Cross is an organization that is strictly impartial," Soisa-ang said yesterday.

The photos from the march led many Redshirts to call for boycotting the Red Cross, though no Redshirt leaders officially endorsed the boycott.

"Concerning the past usage of Red Cross symbol in politics, the Red Cross has already issued a letter of complaint to the offenders, and explained about appropriate usage of Red Cross symbol," Soisa-ang said yesterday.

After photos of the Red Cross flags in the anti-government demonstration began circulating on social media last year, theThai Red Cross Facebook published a post asking all groups to refrain from using Red Cross symbols in political rallies.

"Every individual and every profession has the right to give support to certain side, but they should not use Red Cross symbols in their activities, because it may cause misunderstanding," said the post, published on 21 January 2014. "The Red Cross is not supporting any side. We are impartial, in accordance with the Seven Principles of the Red Cross. We'd like to urge all individuals not to use Red Cross symbols in a wrong way."

An army checkpoint in Bangkok with a Red Cross flag, March 2014.

In March 2014 the Thai Red Cross also sent a letter of complaint to the Royal Thai Army for using Red Cross flags on its checkpoints in Bangkok. The organization asked the military to remove the flags on the grounds that some of the soldiers who manned the checkpoints were armed – a violation of the international principles on using Red Cross symbols, according to the letter. The army complied with the request. 

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Soisa-ang also dismissed allegations that the "Red Cross does not want peasant blood." 

"The Red Cross cannot forbid certain individuals or groups from donating their blood," Soisa-ang said. "The Red Cross welcomes blood from anyone who is healthy and qualified for the health regulation. Therefore, I would like to make a plea, don't connect the Red Cross to political issues. Saving people's lives are the most important duty of the Red Cross."

She added that the situation has been improving and more people are donating blood after the Red Cross made an appeal on social media.

"After we announced that the Red Cross is in need of blood, many people donated," Soisa-ang said. 

Members of the public who are interested in the blood drive can make the donation at the Red Cross headquarters on Henri Dunant Road on any day of the week, she said.