Russian Tourism Group Threatens Thailand Boycott

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20 November 2013, 21:18

(20 November) The Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI) has urged the Thai authorities to improve safety for Russian tourists in Thailand or face a boycott from its members.

The Union, which represents more than 5,000 business groups and state agencies related to tourism industry in Russia, has submitted the letter to the Moscow office of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said Mr. Narin Tijayung, director of the TAT branch in Moscow.

The letter followed the road accident which injured more than 30 Russians in Pattaya on 15 November, four of them in serious condition. 51 Russian tourists were on their double-deck bus when it overturned on the highway, which the police believed was caused by the driver was dosing behind the wheel.

There have also been other cases of Russian tourists suffering from accidents or crimes in Thailand. Last month, 1 Russian tourist was killed and more than 30 other Russian passengers were injured when their tour bus flipped over in Kanchanaburi province.

Mr. Narin said the letter submitted by RUTI, which is addressed to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, called for a concise, practical measure to ensure safety for Russian tourists in the kingdom.

The letter specifically names road safety in Thailand as the main concern for the RUTI and its members, Mr. Narin added, such as the training of drivers, the condition of vehicles, and traffic regulations which have been lightly enforced.

The RUTI also reportedly demanded the Thai government to solve these issues within the end of November, otherwise it will consider responses necessary to maintain the safety of Russian citizens by canceling all scheduled charter flights from Russia throughout the period of December 2013 – March 2014.

If the cancellation indeed came to effect, other countries in the region, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam would be picked as destinations instead of Thailand, the letter reportedly warned.

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Redshirts Await Leaders' Response To Court Ruling

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20 November 2013, 16:22

A Redshirt protester holding portrait of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Rajamangala Stadium

(20 November) The official leadership of the Redshirts movements has instructed its supporters to wait for an official response to the verdict of the Constitutional Court which effectively killed the government′s effort to amend the 2007 Constitution.

The National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) told thousands of Redshirts rallying at Rajamangala Stadium that its leaders will address the crowd at 20.00.

The Redshirts have been staging an overnight rally at the stadium in Bangkok to show their support for the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the ruling Pheu Thai Party ahead of the verdict of the Constitutional Court on the legality of the government′s charter amendment.

Earlier this afternoon, the Constitutional Court has ruled thatPheu Thai Party has violated the 2007 Constitution by attempting to amend the charter by illegal methods such as allowing its MPs to cast votes on behalf of their absent colleagues.

It is not immediately clear how the government will react to the court ruling. Ms. Yingluck has refused to take questions from reporters earlier in the day.

Pheu Thai Party and the UDD have firmly expressed their opposition to the court′s ruling even before it was read out, accusing the Constitutional Court of overstepping its constitutional boundary and interfering with the powers of the Legislative Branch.

But Mr. Weng Tojirakarn, a UDD leader, said leading members of the UDD will convene a meeting to discuss about interpretation and responses to the verdict. He said the UDD will make an official announcement at 20.00 today.

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Redshirt Protester 'Stabbed' As He Leaves Rally

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20 November 2013, 15:44

(20 November) A Redshirt protester has pressed charges against unknown individual who reportedly stabbed him as he left the mass Redshirts rally last night in eastern Bangkok.

The Redshirts have been holding an overnight rally in the Rajamangala Stadium to show their support for the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Mr. Prapan Dang-aram, 60, said he was walking toward a bus stop in Soi Ramkhamhaeng 53 when he walked past a young polytechnic student. However, shortly afterwards the man rushed toward Mr. Prapan and attacked him without any provocation, according to Mr. Prapan.

Mr. Prapan said he was stabbed by a piece of sharp iron at his cheek and right thigh and slammed to the ground before the assailant fled the scene. He later reported the incident to policemen at nearby police checkpoint who brought him to hospital.

He added that he was wearing a red shirt at the time of the attack, but police officers said it was still too early to indicate whether the attack was a political hate crime.

Earlier this afternoon, another violent incident occurred the barrier line of riot police facing the anti-government protesters on Makawan Bridge, which links Ratchadamnoen Avenue with the governmental district where Government House is located, when an unidentified type of explosive device was thrown at the police.

The bomb was caught in the barrier net, but its effect has wounded three police officers nearby.

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Court Kills Govt's Charter Amendment Effort

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20 November 2013, 15:30

Riot police barring the entrance to Constitutional Court, 20 November 2013.

(20 November) The Constitutional Court has ruled that Pheu Thai Party′s effort in revising the 2007 charter is unconstitutional.

Pheu Thai has been attempting to amend the 2007 Constitution to replace the current half-elected Senate body with a fully elected one.

The court verdict was read out after two hours of unexplained delay. The judges cited several actions of Pheu Thai Party as illegal, such as its allowing of its MPs to cast votes on behalf of their absent colleagues.

Adopting strong languages, the court also scathingly portrayed the government′s endeavour at constitution revision as a potential "power abuse" of the "dictatorship of the majority". Concluding the verdict, the court announced that it has come to decision by the votes of 6-3 that the charter amendment is unconstitutional.

However, it refused to hand down any punishment toward the guilty party, rejecting the request of the plaintiffs who had asked the Constitutional Court to dissolve Pheu Thai Party.

The decision is the second judicial blow in two years against the effort of Pheu Thai Party to amend the Constitution, which it viewed as undemocratic as it was drafted by a panel appointed by the military in the aftermath of the 2006 military coup.

Last year, the Constitutional Court similarly stuck down an ongoing effort in Parliament to revise the 2007 Constitution, calling it unconstitutional.

After the ruling was announced, Mr. Jarupong Ruangsuwan, Minister of Interior Affairs and chairman of the Pheu Thai Party, told reporters that the court has shown its bias in favour for the military-drafted 2007 Constitution by ruling against the effort to amend the charter.

He said he personally cannot accept the ruling. "The judges focused on petty issues like the MPs who voted for someone else, but that was the doing of a few individuals," Mr. Jarupong complained.

He also insisted that the quest for a fully elected Senate would benefit Thailand′s path toward democracy, claiming that a half-appointed Senate is an insult to the voters of Thailand.

Asked by a reporter how the government will respond to the court ruling, however, Mr. Jarupong simply said the matter is under discussion.

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Vietnamese-Americans Seeking Lost Sister In Thailand

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20 November 2013, 14:35

(20 November) Two Vietnamese-Americans have appealed for information concerning their sister who reportedly went missing in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and is believed to be residing in Thailand.

Yesterday Ms. Famtri Huang Hoa, 55, and Mr. Fong Li, 61 (both names are transcribed from Thai text), met with officials from Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in Songkhla province to request their assistance in locating their sister, Ms. Fam Noch Bichtri (name transcribed from Thai text).

The brother and sister, who hold American citizenship, told the officials they had fled their homecountry in 1981, few years after the Vietnam War came to an end, along with Ms. Fam.

The three boarded a boat with 43 other Vietnamese, Ms. Famtri said, but her sister and two other Vietnamese women were later abducted, while the rest of the refugees safely landed in Malaysia. Ms. Famtri said her family had not heard of Ms. Fam ever since.

However, according to Ms. Famtri, her family has recently been in contact with one of the former abductees who told them Ms. Fam is still alive and possibly living in Songkhla province.

Ms. Fam was 18 year old when she was abducted, Ms. Famtri said, and she is believed to reach the age of 50 by now.

Ms. Famtri added that she has never given up hope on finding her lost sister.

She has also provided the officials with a number of old photographs of Ms. Fam.

Anyone who has the knowledge or possible whereabouts of Ms. Fam is encouraged to either directly inform Mr. Chukiat Suwannarangsi, who is assisting the family of Ms. Famtri and Mr. Fong, via his mobile phone at 081-986-1497, or contact the the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

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Anti-Govt Protests Will Disperse For Royal Celebration

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19 November 2013, 20:44

(19 November) The anti-government protesters have agreed to disperse ahead of the celebration of His Majesty the King′s 86th birthday, according to an official.

Mr. Manit Techa-apichoke, Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), said the authority has planned series of events to mark the auspicious occasion, such as mass candle-lit rally to express the goodwill toward His Majesty the King and merit making ceremony in honour of His Majesty the King.

The ceremonies are expected to take place on both Sanam Luang and Ratchadamnoen Avenue – where the anti-government protesters have been occupying.

He said he has been informed by by Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, former Democrat MP who is now leading the protests, that the protesters will disperse after their major rally on 24 November.

BMA officials would then proceed to clean and area and decorate the avenue with lights, portraits of His Majesty the King, and flowers, according to Mr. Manit. He estimated that it would take 5-7 days to prepare the venue for the celebration.

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Pheu Thai Raises Stakes Against Constitutional Court

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19 November 2013, 19:20

Redshirts at Rajamangala Stadium, 19 November 2013

(19 November) The ruling Pheu Thai Party has affirmed that it will not let the Constitutional Court stand in its way in its effort to amend the 2007 Constitution.

The Court is due to rule tomorrow whether Pheu Thai Party has violated the Constitution by attempting to amend the provision that would pave way for, among other changes, a fully elected Senate body.

The case is seen by some as a struggle between the electoral powers allied to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the judicial establishments, which is believed to harbour hostility toward Mr. Thaksin and his political allies.

There are fears that a judicial punishment against Pheu Thai Party would greatly stabilise the government – many Thais still remember the turbulent year of 2008 when separate court rulings managed to oust two Prime Ministers allied to Mr. Thaksin.

Pheu Thai Party cadets have insisted that they will not quietly go away this time, should the verdict turn out badly for them. Their staunchest move came this morning, when representatives of over 300 MPs and Senators in the government faction announced in a joint statement that they do not recognise the legitimacy of Constitutional Court in hearing the case.

Leader of the group, MP Amnuay Klangpha, said Parliament is guaranteed the rights to amend the Constitution by the Constitution itself. "No section or provision grants the Constitutional Court to scrutinise the [parliamentary] effort to revise the Constitution," Mr. Amnuay insisted.

He also asserted that the Constitutional Court does not have the rights to take up the case in the first place, as Section 68 of the 2007 Constitution indicates that the case would have to be processed by the General Attorney first, whereas the judges have decided to skip the procedure entirely.

Speaking next to Mr. Amnuay, Senator Direk Thuengfang claimed that the Constitutional Court is "dangerously" extending its powers beyond the legitimate boundary by interfering with the powers of the Legislative Branch.

He added, "If we accept the power of the Constitutional Court, the Court will be able to extend its own boundary indefinitely. The result will be like the Constitutional Court operating under its own Constitution".

Amendment of the 2007 Constitution, which was drafted by the military-appointed panel after the 2006 military coup, has been a prominent policy campaigned by Pheu Thai Party. The party insists that revision of the "dictatorship-rooted" Constitution would bear the fruits of democracy for Thailand.

But the effort has not been without controversy. News reports have documented possible frauds committed by some Pheu Thai MPs who allegedly voted on behalf of their absent colleagues. Pheu Thai Party has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Meanwhile, the mass arm of the Pheu Thai Party, the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) has mobilised its Redshirts supporters to stage an overnight rally in Rajamangala Stadium this evening, an event described by UDD as a show of support for the democratically-elected in the eve of the Constitutional Court′s verdict.

Notable Redshirts leaders and Pheu Thai MPs have been taking turn in berating the Constitutional Court′s alleged abuse of power on the stage throughout the night. Over 50,000 Redshirts are expected to attend the rally.

Earlier in the evening, Ms. Thida Tojirakarn, chairwoman of the UDD, told reporters that today′s rally is a "show of strength by the majority population who stands by democratic system. They are here to listen whether the court ruling will be problematic toward democracy".

She also portrayed the rally as a peaceful assembly which has no intention in intimidating either the court or the anti-government protesters who are organising their own rally in Ratchadamnoen Avenue, at the other side of the capital city.

"You can see we assemble in a sports stadium, which is a closed venue," Ms. Thida said, "We are not here to intimidate the Constitutional Court, or to pitch one group of protesters against the other. If we wanted to do that we would have met at Ratchaprasong Intersection".

Nevertheless, if the Constitutional Court handed down a "negative" verdict, the UDD might prolong their rally to 24 November, according to Ms. Thida. "We want to show the protesters at Ratchadamnoen Avenue who want to overthrow Thaksin Regime with their so-called people revolution that the Redshirts are standing by democratic system".

Another UDD leader, Mr. Weng Tojirakarn, added that the Redshirts have agreed to stand firm and wait for instruction from the UDD leadership regardless of how the verdict turns out.

"We will fight with peaceful means, under a political strategy. We will not resort to violence, because there is no point to destabilize our elected government," said Mr. Weng.

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Battle Between Banks And Skimmers Continues

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19 November 2013, 18:51

Police officers in Udon Thani province inspecting an ATM to look for skimming device, following cases of widespread skimming scheme, 19 November 2013

(19 November) The spree of ATM frauds which, according the police estimate, has illegally funneled over 1 billion baht from numerous bank accounts in recent months has unnerved many Thais, reports Prachachart.

The fact that these crimes also took place in the busy, affluent areas of Bangkok such as Lumpini and Phayathai has only compounded the fears shared by many Bangkok citizens that their ATM cards would be at risk anywhere in the city.

The scheme, known as ?ATM skimming?, involved placing device on digit pad and card insertion point of an ATM which would read the card data and passwords punched in by unsuspecting victims. The use of small camera to secretly monitor the victims? passwords is also known in some cases.

Although two Russians and a Thai tourist police officer suspected of skimming in Bangkok and other provinces have been arrested yesterday, the police believe more suspects might be involved in the illicit operation.

For many Thais, the cases raise their awareness about the safety and potential risk of their cards, and the advantages of ?chip and pin cards? which would provide more security for debit and credit cards are once again being suggested by a number of experts.

In fact, the Bank of Thailand, citing these benefits, has previously suggested that every commercial banks in Thailand should adopt the chip and pin system within 2 years.

Many banks are understood to be studying the issues, while some have already applied the new system to their card circulation, such as Bangkok Bank PCL, which is considered to be the first bank in Thailand to import the technology.

Khachornwut Tayanukorn, Deputy Manager of Bangkok Bank, explained that under the chip and pin system, the chip card will contain a small CPU inside the cards. Once a card is inserted into the machine, the information stored in the magnetic tab and the CPU must match each other.

Additionally, the main information about the account will be stored inside the chip and needs another password and a separate system to reach.

"Even if the card is skimmed, the tampered machine will only reach part of the information," said Mr. Khachornwut, "The information stored inside the chip will be unavailable to the skimmers.".

However, he added, the disadvantage of the card is that it can only be used with Bangkok Bang’s machines. "We’ve got 8,300 machines and so far it was more or less ok. But if the entire ATM system changed to the [chip and pin], it would benefit our customers more.”

Kris Chantanotoke, Executive Vice President for the Bank of Ayudhya (Krungsri), said that the bank is currently choosing the appropriate software and possibility to improve the ATM system, and that there is possibility Krungsri ATMs will eventually adopt chip card as well.

But the bank will be required to spend an enormous sum of money to change the operating system, Mr. Kris noted. According to Mr. Kris, each cash machine costs at least 200,000-300,000 baht to replace.

Meanwhile, Pongsit Chaichatphonsuk, Executive Vice President of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), said the bank has previously tried to equip anti-skimming systems to its ATMs, but the skimmers successfully cracked the defence and find ways to skim the users? information afterwards.

“I personally think there is no system that can prevent the fraud completely 100%," Mr. Pongsit asserted, "The conversion to chip card system will not guarantee that it could prevent the fraud neither."

He added, "Also, considering all the potential costs involved, it might take a thousand years to earn the profit".

SCB operates about 9,000 ATMs and 70% of them are incapable of reading chip cards, Mr. Pongsit said, with over 10 million debit and credit cards in circulation. "The overhaul is going to take a lot of time and a lot money, and we cannot push the burden to our customers".

Mr. Khachornwut, of Bangkok Bank, agrees that chip and pin will not be a permanent answer to the problem of skimming.

"The customers should always be vigilant of their account activities regardless of the developed technology in fraud prevention, because the skimmer gangs are also developing their own technologies to reach the money holders? information," Mr. Khachornwut said.

He suggested that the customers can act on their own preventive measures by choosing safe locations of ATMs, e.g. inside or around the bank′s branch, noticing any irregularity of the machine, and changing passwords frequently.

Another option is to sign up for SMS alert to see the movement of the account, only at 10 baht a month, which amounts to less than 1 baht a day in exchange for safer services.

Ms. Chanatip Jariyawiroj, director of Financial Consumer Protection Centre (FCPC) which operates under the Bank of Thailand, also advised the customers to be their own last line of defence.

“Technology has developed rapidly, and we must learn how to prevent the risk”, she was quoted as saying.

Ms. Chanatip said that if the customers notice anything suspicious at the ATMs, they should warn the machine operators as soon as possible.

Debit and Credit card users are also encouraged to check out the latest update to prevent risks of becoming skimmer victims by visiting www.facebook.com/hotline1213 or consult the FCPC call centre at 1213 hotline.

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Another 13 Million Baht Loss For Chao Phraya Express Boats

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19 November 2013, 16:56

(19 November) Chao Phraya Express Boat Company, which operated the public boat routes along Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, is expecting a total loss of 26 million baht at the end of this year.

Mr. Parinya Rakwathin, General Manager of the company, said this morning that his company has lost 13 million baht throughout last year, and is expected to lose the same amount of money by the end of 2013.

He blamed the loss in the company revenue on the refusal of the Ministry of Transport to approve a fare hike requested by the company. In late 2011, Chao Phraya Express – a private company – submitted a letter asking for an additional fare of 2 baht which would be applied to the distance traveled by each passenger.

“Our service fee is currently based on the oil price at 22 – 25 baht per litre,” said Mr. Parinya, “and the Minister of Transport had previously assured us that there will be other compensation, such as subsidy in fuel price, but nothing has yet been done.”

It is estimated that the Chao Phraya Express service receives over 30,000 passengers a day.

Mr. Chatchart Sittpan, Minister of Transport, confirmed that the Ministry has not considered the plan to increase the express boats fare proposed by the Chao Phraya Express, but he insisted that the Ministry will arrange other compensations to support the company.

For example, he said, the Ministry will persuade more customers to use the service by altering other public transport routes, such as public buses, to be connected with the piers.

The piers would also be organised to be easily accessible by cars and other vehicles, while a strict safety standard and an improved service would be imposed on the boat service. This way, according to Mr. Chatchart, would help the boat provider to enjoy more customers and meet their breakeven point.

“Increasing the fare will be our last option” said Mr. Chatchart, “And if it becomes unavoidable, we are considering to increase the fares in the less-popular routes”.

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Omani Man Briefly Detained For Counterfeit Money

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19 November 2013, 15:51

(19 November) An Omani national has been briefly detained by the police in Pattaya after he attempted to exchange a counterfeit US dollar banknote to Thai baht.

The police were alerted by a clerk at Bank of Ayuddhaya Currency Exchange Unit in the seaside town when the clerk discovered that one of the four US banknotes the man would like to exchange was fake.

Mr. Khalid Mohomed Saif, 39, later told the police he had acquired the banknotes from Dubai and was not aware that one of the banknotes was a counterfeit.

After conducting a search in Mr. Saif′s room, the police found no suspicious item, and concluded that it was not Mr. Saif′s intention to use the false banknote, while the bank similarly did not pursue any allegation against him. Mr. Saif was eventually released without any charge.

A police captain in Pattaya said Mr. Saif′s fake money was obtained here in Thailand, and would like to assure visitors there is no known problem of counterfeit US dollars in Pattaya at the moment.

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