Anti-Govt Protests Greet Prophesied 'Doomsday'

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8 October 2013, 15:30

(8 October) Hundreds of anti-government protesters are occupying the streets around Government House in Bangkok today to await the unfolding of 'apocalypse' that would bring down the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Rumours which have been circulating among the anti-government circles in recent weeks claim that a major political upheaval would take place on 8 October due to a combination of astrological alignments.

A group of anti-government protesters, which have been staging a prolonged rally in Bangkok′s Lumpini Park, moved from their campsite in the park and marched to Government House yesterday evening, where they spent the night waiting for the prophesied events – largely understood to be a military coup or a politcal chaos.

Calling themselves the People′s Force for Democracy to Overthrow Thaksinism (PEFOT), the protesters are hostile to Ms. Yingluck and her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is seen by the group as a corrupt tyrant with anti-monarchy attitude.

Six companies of police officers kept the order around Government House throughout the night, a senior police officer said, while the protesters kept themselves busy with speeches on the stage denouncing the government of Ms. Yingluck and lively music performance.

Mr. Taikorn Ponsuwan, the representative of PEFOT, said his group is opposed to the government′s attempt to amend the 2007 Constitution, which is aimed to pave way for a fullly elected Senate body.

The protesters are still occupying the streets around Government House by late afternoon of 8 October, although the prospect of any divine intervention against the government is fading as the clock strikes toward the end of the day.

The number of the protesters fluctuates by the hours, but the average number is estimated to be 200-300 protesters.

Nevertheless, the police reinforced their numbers around Government House compound, raising the officers to 12 companies. The security checkpoints in the compound are also visibly more stringent throughout the day, our correspondent reports.

Lt.Gen. Paradorn Pattanatabut, the secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC), said the authorities are keeping close watch at the protests even though the size of the rally is relatively small. "The protesters have sent a signal of a long-term rally," Lt.Gen. Paradorn said.
Meanwhile, the commander of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police, Pol.Lt.Gen. Kamronwit Thoopkrachang, said in a press conference that the authorities do not have any plans to impose emergency laws to contain the protests at the moment.

"The only thing we are concerned about is the protesters blocking the traffic," Pol.Lt.Gen. Kamronwit said.

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BMTA Punishes Bus Staff For Arguing With Passenger

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7 October 2013, 21:21

(October 7) Bangkok public transport authority has ordered the immediate expulsion of a bus driver and a bus conductor who were filmed as they shouted abuse at a passenger.

The announcement came after the circulation of the video clip, which showed the staff on a number 8 bus arguing and shouting with a passenger who complained about their poor service.

The clip, which was widely shared on the social network, was seen as yet another evidence of the substandard service provided by the number 8 buses, which belong to the state authority but are contracted to private operators.

Mr. Opas Petchmunee, director of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), said today that an official received complaint about the argument between the bus staff and a passenger on 5 October, and reported the matter to the Authority soon afterwards.

The BMTA has conducted an investigation and discussed the issue with representatives of Sap 888 Company, which operate the bus service, Mr. Opas said.

"The investigation concludes that the staff have committed wrongdoing," the director said, adding that the BMTA has taken immediate actions, ordering the company to immediately fire the bus driver and the conductor.

The bus on which the confrontation took place would also be taken out of service for 10 days, Mr. Opas said, and the BMTA will notify other private bus companies under contract with the Authority not to receive the expelled staff to work with them in the future.Number 8 buses are notorious for rude staff and reckless behaviour of the drivers.

In an online poll organised by the Minister of Transport earlier this year, the number 8 route buses are voted as the worst buses operating in Bangkok metropolis.

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Activist Urges Textbooks To Include 'Oct 6 Massacre'

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7 October 2013, 18:47

The lynching and beating of a student outside Thammasat University which has become the iconic image of October 6 Massacre

(7 October) A prominent activist has called for the inclusion of the brutal 1976 crackdown on student activists in school textbooks in order to teach the younger generation of Thais about one of the darkest episodes of Thailand′s political history.

Mr. Jaran Dittapichai was speaking after a memorial service, which Mr. Jaran along with other activists ad helped organise, held at Thammasat University to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the crackdown.

Dubbed the ?October 6 Massacre?, the incident saw right-wing militias and heavily-armed police force laying siege and later storming into Thammasat University where thousands of students were rallying for an overnight political protest.

The students, branded as Communists or North Vietnamese by the attackers, were accused of plotting to overthrow the monarchy. Official sources listed 46 deaths in the attacks; many suffered gunshot wounds while some others were hanged or burned alive by cheering mobs just outside the university.

It proved to be an end to the triumph of the student activists who had led the ouster of military dictators in October 1973. A military coup followed the massacre at Thammasat University on 6 October 1976, and the subsequent government effectively reversed the political freedom that had blossomed in the country for three years.

Mr. Jaran, who was one of the leading student activists in the 1970s, said the October 6 Massacre shows how "Thai democracy is always crushed under the boots whenever it has signs of flourishing. That is why it is not going anywhere up to this day".

He lamented that it is difficult for the lessons from October 14 Uprising and October 6 Massacre to be learned by the public, as Thailand has not yet concluded or studied the incidents in serious ways.

"Many people don?t even know what both incidents are," said Mr. Jaran, "I believe many people under 40 don?t know about it. They even confuse the two events, merging them together as 16 October".
The activist said he will submit a letter to the Ministry of Education, demanding that the history of political violence be included in school textbooks, such as the uprising in 1973, the student massacre in 1976, the ?Black May? of 1992 – in which the military cracked down on pro-democracy protesters – and the Redshirts protests of 2010.

"Textbooks on Thai history say very little about 14 October and 6 October," said Mr. Jaran, adding that the teaching of these incidents in history classes would help Thailand learn about the lessons of its disastrous past.

Earlier in the day, flowers and wreaths were laid down, and poems and eulogies to the dead read, at the monument of the October 6 Massacre, which is situated at the eastern gate of Thammasat University.

Speaking during the memorial service, Mr. Wat Wanlayangoon, a former student activist who was active during the turbulent years of 1973-1976, expressed his view that "the only one thing that has never changed" since October 1976 is the prevailing dictatorship in Thailand which continued to kill its own citizens.

He cited the Redshirts protests in 2010, which was ended by a prolonged military operation, as an example.

"The victory that the students and the people achieved on 14 October 1973 was in fact a tiny victory, and the freedom they had won was short-lived," Mr. Wat said, "The structure of political power is far from a complete democracy".

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Pheu Thai Stays Firm As 'Apocalypse' Approaches

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7 October 2013, 17:01

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra chatting with Tony Abbott, the Prime Minister of Australia, during APEC summit in Bali, Indonesia

(7 October) Pheu Thai Party spokesman insisted the party is not daunted by the astrological prediction that the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was about to collapse on 8 October.

The rumour of an "major upheaval" on 8 October – the euphemism of a military coup for some – has been circulating among the anti-government factions for over a month following predictions from a number of astrologers.

One such self-professed astrological expert is Mr. Boonlert Pairin, who also happens to serve as an MP of the Democrat Party. Mr. Boonlert told our correspondent the chance for an imminent political violence which would lead to the "upheaval" would begin in the days of 6-8 October, and will reach the climax on 26 November.

"The Saturn is approaching Rahu in the Tula zodiac, which is aimed at Mesa zodiac," Mr. Boonlert said, "This portends a great chaos in Bangkok".
Asked whether the prophesied violence would be as large-scale as 2010 Redshirts protests, Mr. Boonlert said he cannot specify the scale of the violence in October this year.

Nevertheless, Mr. Prompong Nopparit, the spokesman of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, said the apocalyptic prediction of 8 October is "unscientific". "There has been many such prophecies which turned out to be false, such as the Doomsday prediction few years ago," Mr. Prompong said.

He said in a press conference that the leadership and the members of the party are not daunted by the prediction, and added that the party has no plan to conduct any ceremony to ward off the prophesied disaster.

"We believe in doing good, the good for the people and the country," Mr. Prompong said, "And the good deeds reward us with settling us as the government for the past 2 years". However, he noted that party members are not prohibited from arranging their own ceremonies should they feel the need to.

Mr. Prompong also responded to the allegation that Ms. Yingluck is visiting a foreign country in order to avoid the apocalyptic showdown on 8 October by saying that the Prime Minister′s mission has been planned for some time already, and it has nothing to do with superstition.

"I cannot stop anyone from tying it to the [prophecy] but I kindly ask them to look at reasons and facts too, " said the spokesman.

Ms. Yingluck is currently visiting Indonesia to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pinyo Pongcharoen, the chairman of the Astrology Association, said in an interview that although the heavenly signs point to an imminent political chaos, he cannot be certain whether the disaster would fall on 8 October.

Even if the government survived the impending doom on 8 October, Mr. Pinyo declared, it will still face another potential apocalypse, scheduled to take place in 10-13 December this year, according to his astrological predictions.

"An astrologer′s duty is to warn of these dangers so people can be careful," Mr. Pinyo said.

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Army Chief Cautions Media Against Criticism

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7 October 2013, 15:30

(7 October) The chief of Royal Thai Army has advised the media to be strictly cautious when covering the news of court inquests over deaths in the 2010 crackdown.

The inquests have suggested the role played by the military in the crackdown which killed scores of civilians during the Redshirts protests of April-May 2010; the latest inquest, for instance, stated that two Redshirts protesters were killed by gunfire from the military position in the night of 10 April 2010.

The military has denied any involvement in those deaths, and today Gen. Prayuth Chantara-ocha has repeated that stance by claiming that the matter is far from conclusion and that the public should wait for more legal procedures before they come to any conclusion.

"Please don?t conclude things hastily. If you do that, there will be chaos in our country," said Gen. Prayuth.

He also stressed that the media should refrain from providing commentaries about the court inquests as it would amount to "pressuring" the authorities.

"No matter what colour and what side you are on, you cannot pressure the state personnel. You cannot intimidate their children or their wives. I ask you this, is that fair? Or you want to live without legal system? You cannot do that as the country will break apart," Gen. Prayuth is quoted as saying.

Furthermore, the commander in chief called for the media to "be respectful" to the military. He accused an unspecified media agency of unjustly criticising him, before adding that "Don?t use [angry] emotion in your writing. If I have [angry] emotion as well, we won?t be able to coexist".

He insisted that he had been "patient" with the critical coverage from the press but nevertheless warned that the media should take care not to accuse the Royal Thai Army of being politically biased because "the Army has only one side: the country. We defend the nation, the religion, and the monarchy".

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Lawyer Council To Aid Rohingya Refugees

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7 October 2013, 15:03

Rohingya detainees protesting their poor living condition in Phang-nga Province, 8 August 2013

(7 October) Members of the Lawyer Council of Thailand have visited detained Rohingya refugees at the detention centre in Songkhla province on 5 October, following complaints from the detainees about dire conditions of their internment.

Approximately 1,000 Rohingyas have been detained in Songkla, according to Mr. Surapong Gongchantueg, leader of the visiting team, which tours the detention centre as part of their effort to investigate the welfare of the detainees.

Mr. Surapong said he had received many complaints that the living condition in the facilities is sub-standard, and that member of the Muslim ethnic group were not provided with enough space to perform religious pray.

The investigation team of the Council is working in collaboration with Rohingya Humanitarian Group. The team will study whether how there is any human trafficking organisations engaged in the movement of Rohingya people, who had been fleeing ethnic violence from Myanmar to Thailand.

It is also expected to investigate why some Rohingya wished to be transferred from the detention camps.

According to Mr. Surapong, Thailand repeatedly fails to solve the migration problem due to lack of legal works.

The investigative report will soon be proposed to the Lawyer Commission organised by the Lawyer Council, in order to seek legal action to tackle the matter.The Council said they would contact Bangladeshi authority to return those who wish to be deported back to homeland.

Nevertheless, the Council stressed, it is upon the desire of the refugee whether to return to Bangladesh, and it
will seek help from the United Nation to facilitate those who wish to migrate to the third country.

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Officials To Intervene In Veggie Price During 'Je Festival'

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6 October 2013, 15:47

(6 October) As many Thai-Chinese start their celebration of the Vegetarian Festival (กินเจ or Je as the Thais call it), the Ministry of Commerce steps in to fight the price hike of vegetables across the country.

The Festival, which has roots in Taoist belief celebrating the "Nine Emperor Gods", spans for 10 days in ninth Lunar month of the Chinese calendar. Adherents to the festival refrain from consuming meat, poultry, and dairy products out of belief that the forbearance would bring blessing.

The absence of such products naturally stimulated increasing demands for vegetables, which reflected into the annual hiking prices of the product.

The Ministry of Commerce had announced a plan to tackled the price increase, arranging for the cheaper vegetable stalls to be available to the public. According to Mr. Yanyong Phuangrat, Commerce Minister , the vegetable in the state-sponsored markets will be “10-15 THB cheaper that the market price" in order to ease the customers′ burdens.

Many vegetables are sold at the same price before the beginning of the festival, which falls on 5 – 13 October this year. A survey indicates that Chinese Broccoli costs 30 THB/Kg, White Cabbage 50 THB/Kg, Cauliflower 70 THB/Kg, Chinese Morning Glory 30 THB/Kg, Bak Choi 25 THB/Kg, and Dry Shiitake Mushroom 380 THB/Kg.

“The office of commercial affairs in each province were informed to check the price of vegetable at the stalls” said Deputy Minister of Commerce, Mr. Yanyong Puangrach.

Mr. Yanyong said the Ministry has received complaints that the vegetable stalls in Ratchaburi and Chainat provinces had sold the products overpriced. He added, “we will provide cheaper-than-market price vegetables to people in those provinces, if the reports were proven to be true.”

Apart from fresh vegetable trades, Ready-to-eat Vegetarian Food stalls also receive overwhelming attention from the festival participants. Our correspondent reported that many vegetarian food stalls have popped up in many markets all around the country.

Yaowarat, Bangkok′s Chinatown, was filled with crowds in the opening day of the festivals. Many street vendors offer cooked meal, fresh materials and dessert to the Chinese-Thais who visited the area.

It is reported that the food stalls offered a food at the reasonable price of approximately 40-50 THB/meal, despite the floods and rising cooking gas price.

One vendor told our correspondent that they intend to keep the price as cheap as the normal periods, and had only increased prices of some menus. However, as more people participated in the festival, they believed the higher revenue should balance the lesser margin from their sales.

It is another story for meat and poultry traders. Our correspondent reported that meat and poultry traders in Nakhon Pathom province are struggling to make good sales during Je Festival, hence reducing the price of meat products.

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Irishman Wishing To Thank His 'Good Samaritans'

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5 October 2013, 21:38

(5 October) An Irishman is seeking help from Pattaya police to search for a group of individuals who rescued him from a road accident in the region 9 years ago.

Mr. Ronan Bradley, 35, said the ?Good Samaritans? pulled his body out of an overturned Jeep which he crashed his motorcycle into. He was later transferred to Pattaya Memorial Hospital before returning to his home country where he received plastic surgery to fix his facial injuries.

“The accident had altered my appearance, it made me ugly” said Mr. Bradley during a press conference at the police station.

Mr. Bradley said that the act of the rescuers made him feel like he was “resurrected from the death”, and wished to meet the Good Samaritans to thank them for their generosity.

“The most important goal of my return to Thailand this time is to search for those kind-hearted people who had rescued me” Mr. Bradley told the press.

“I love Thailand and I love Thai people,” said the Irish tourist, who planned to visit many places in Pattaya during his stay.

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Chatchart Puts An End To 'Haunted Railroad Crossing'

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5 October 2013, 20:55

Mr. Chatchart Sittipan and Mr. Prapat Chongsanguan departing the train at Nong Khai

(5 October) Transport Minister, Mr. Chatchart Sittipan, has toured the site of the malfunctioning level crossing near Ekkachai Soi 23 in Bangkok suburb area.

The crossing had been a source of complaints from local residents, as the crossing often malfunctioned due to the lack of proper maintenance and continuously sent out warning of oncoming trains in high-pitched sounds for hours, leading many locals to sarcastically name it "the haunted crossing" out of frustration.

The crossing is run automatically and not usually occupied by any railway officer.

On Friday, a woman from the area posed a complaint message on the famous webboard ‘pantip.com’ with a video of the defective crossing. The video uploader explained in the clip that the crossing screamed the warning sounds all night long, and only ended when the first train past the area at 05.00 in the morning.

"It has been going on for 5 nights," said the exasperated uploader, adding that she had contacted the rail authority about the matter but the officials never showed up.

Earlier this morning, Mr. Chatchart, who was in Nong Khai province to promote the project to construct high-speed railways, flew from the province to Bangkok and visited the crossing.

In his facebook post, the minister wrote “I just flew back from Nongkhai province, as I need to monitor flood barrier tomorrow (6 October). After I noticed a post on the internet about the annoying level crossing at Ekkhachai Soi 23, I ordered the fixing and came to see it"

“When I arrived, the mechanic team was fixing the crossing” Mr. Chatchart continued, referring to the Wongwienyai – Mahachai rail route, “the route looks really bad.”

Transport Minister also called out to Bangkok Governor, Mr. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, “There are 34 trains running on this route. I suppose I need to invite Mr. Governor to investigate the rail.”

“Many people might say this is a minor issue, but I believe that if I want the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to take priority for the issue, I must lead by example” said Mr. Chatchart, repeating the phrase he used during an interview withKhaosod.

Mr.Chatchart said he also met with the person who posted the complaint to the internet.

The Transport Minister has previously travelled to Nong Khai on a third class train with Mr. Prapat Chongsanguan, director of SRT. He wrote about the experience on his Facebook, saying a passenger had told him that train services are gradually improving.

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317,000 Thais Out Of Job: Statistic Office

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5 October 2013, 19:39

Demonstrators on 2009 Labour Day in Bangkok

(5 October) The National Statistic Office (NSO) announced that over 317,000 people are unemployed in August, amounting to 0.8% of the national labour force.

According to the NSO, most of the unemployed labours had been laid off from their works, particularly in trade and services sectors, which had dismissed more than 104,000 people.

The southern region is said to yield the most unemployment rates, followed by central, northern, Bangkok metropolitan and north-eastern regions.

The report also suggests that university graduates are the majority of people out of work; about 144,000 graduates still seek jobs, as well as other 49,000 high school graduates, 73,000 secondary school graduates, and 39,000 primary school graduates.

There are also another 12,000 illiterate and less-than-primary educated individuals looking for employment.

So far, 16.22 million Thai work in agricultural sector, while 22.73 million labours in other sectors. Many sectors tend to dismiss more workforces in 2013 than in last year, except in health care and financial sectors.

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