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Thailand Travel News - Index

First railway connection between Thailand and Laos opens

ETB News Monday, 9 March 2009

HRH Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has introduced a rail link over the Mekong, which will connect Thailand and Laos. The new line runs for 3.5 kilometres from the Thai border town of Nong Khai, across the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River, to the Laotian town of Thailand.

The rail link is part of the UN-backed Trans-Asian Railway, which now has nearly 74,700km of working track serving 29 countries, and estimates for completion range from 10 to 15 years. Both countries are describing the new rail link, which is scheduled to run two passenger trains a day, as an important step forward.

For Laos, it is the country's first ever international rail connection and one that will help considerably reduce export costs. The ultimate aim is to "unlock" a country with no direct access to the sea, Lao Railway Authority spokesman Sompong Pholsena told the Lao News Agency.

The track over the Friendship Bridge took 20 months to complete and was funded by Thailand at a cost of about 197m baht ($5.5m; £3.8m). The bridge is a key part of the region's transport development, extending road links from Singapore to Shanghai.

Decades of regional conflict and poverty have delayed plans to connect Asia with a continuous rail network– a plan which was conceived in the 1960s- until now.

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Thai don accused of insulting king flees

The Straits Times 10-02-2009 Nirmal Ghosh

Prominent leftist political science professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn fled Thailand over the weekend, ahead of a police hearing on a case accusing him of lese majeste - insulting the monarchy. Now in Oxford, England, Giles has also released a stinging attack on Bangkok's royalist establishment, in a 'manifesto' e-mailed on Sunday night. Referring to the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), he wrote: "The enemies of the Thai people and Democracy may have army, courts and prisons. They may have seized and rigged Parliament and established the government through crimes like the blockading of the airports and other undemocratic actions.

"Yet those that love democracy, the red shirts, have strength in numbers and are waking up to political realities." The 54-year-old professor, who lectures at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, is half British and apparently has dual nationality. He comes from a prominent Thai family. His brother is former senator Jon Ungpakorn. Their father Puey Ungpakorn was a winner of Asia's prestigious Magsaysay Award for Public Service, governor of the Bank of Thailand for 12 years, and also dean of the faculty of economics as well as rector of the elite Thammasat University in Bangkok. The charge against Giles, centring on his 2006 book titled A Coup For The Rich - a critique of the military's September 2006 coup d'etat against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra - could have landed him in jail for 15 years.

The professor said he would not receive a fair trial. "The courts in Thailand have become instruments of the army and the Democrat Party. There is no justice, " he told The Straits Times yesterday (February 9). "There is no media freedom and the old civil society groups have surrendered to the dictatorship." He said the charge against him was aimed at preventing discussion about the relationship between the military and the monarchy, in order to protect the Thai military's "sole claim to legitimacy: that it acted in the interests of the monarchy". In his statement, Giles called for wide-ranging reforms in Thailand, including in the justice and taxation systems.

"Stop dreaming that ex-PM Thaksin will lead the struggle to free society," he wrote. "We cannot rely on the politicians of Puea Thai, either. They will fight only within the confines of present structures of society while thousands of citizens wish to go further." He added: "Fighting outside the confines...does not mean taking up arms. It means arming ourselves and the masses of pro-democracy people with ideas that can lead to freedom." Puea Thai is a reincarnation of the Thaksin-backed People Power Party that was dissolved by the Constitutional Court last year. Giles called the royalist, yellow-clad PAD - which had paralysed the previous government and laid the ground for the takeover of the Democrat Party - "dinosaurs of Thai society...seeking to cling to their privileges at all cost".

Thais, he said, need "freedom of expression and the freedom to choose our own government without repression and fear". "Politicians must be accountable to the electorate, not to shadowy conniving figures beyond popular control." The charge against Prof Giles is one of the more recent of a spate of lese majeste cases, along with the blocking of thousands of websites with content allegedly disrespectful of the monarchy. Police spokesman Lieutenant-General Wacharapon Prasatrachakit yesterday denied the charge that Prof Giles would not receive a fair trial. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga have said that there is an emerging movement to undermine the monarchy, with the justice minister identifying it as a national security threat which required the assistance of the army.

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Thai minister resigns over scandal

The Nation (Thailand) 04-02-2009

Witoon Nambutr yesterday tendered his resignation as Social Development and Human Security Minister, assuming responsibility for his involvement in the distribution of substandard relief supplies to flood victims in Phatthalung. Witoon said he did not want to become a burden on the government and that he wanted to uphold the integrity of the Democrat Party. His departure took immediate effect.

"I have done everything with the best intention and I am in pain for what happened," he said, insisting on his honesty and denying alleged irregularities. He said his exit would ensure the government could move on without having his scandal as a distraction. He thanked his Ubon Ratchathani constituents for their unwavering support and pledged to continue serving them. "I have been elected MP for 24 years in seven re-election bids and served two terms as provincial councillor," he said, vowing not to abuse the trust placed in him. He said he had decided to quit now instead of waiting for the probe outcome in order to pave the way for authorities to get to the bottom of the matter.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said Witoon had no choice but to quit because evidence linking him to the distribution of rotten canned fish was incriminating. "What Witoon did was not a show of responsibility; he was confronted with evidence," Prompong said. He said Witoon sacrificed himself in order to protect the identity of a powerful Democrat who is the real owner of the canned fish manufacturing plant. Prompong said in his capacity as MP, Witoon was involved in suspected irregularities relating to fragrant rice research and in a development project conducted last year in Ubon Ratchathani.

Walailak University's lecturer Lertchai Sirichai said Witoon had set a new precedent for political standards. In the past, a large number of political problems festered and intensified because politicians tried to cling to office by refusing to accept responsibility before the completion of the judicial review. "By volunteering to quit, Witoon has helped to upgrade political standards," he said. He called on authorities to continue the probe in order to dispel lingering doubts about the scandal.

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Thaksin vows to retake Thai prime minister post

The Nation (Thailand) 03-02-2009 Naya Jaikawang

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday vowed to return to Thailand and fight his way back to the post of prime minister. He made the announcement in a 20-minute phone-in to a Pheu Thai Party seminar held at a resort outside Khao Yai National Park, Nakhon Ratchasima.

During the phone-in, he affirmed to the MPs and executives of Pheu Thai that he would fight his opponents in his quest for justice. "I would like to tell the people that I'll be ready to return to the post of prime minister again if the people are also ready," Thaksin said. "But if the people give up, it will be tantamount to my defeat as well." Thaksin left Thailand in August 2008 right before the Supreme Court sentenced him to two years in jail in a case of abuse of power relating to a Rachadaphisek land deal. He is now living and travelling in Asia.

Thaksin drew big applause when he said he would definitely not die abroad. "Although I'll live in exile for a long time, I'll definitely not die abroad. Although I cannot return to the country, I'll sneak back to die in the northeast," he said. However, he said that if the public wanted him, he would immediately return to carry out his political duty to serve the people. "I'll try to stay healthy. Yesterday, I had a blood check and I am still strong. I am still healthy mentally, because all in Pheu Thai always provide me with moral support," the ex-PM said.

He also thanked the red-shirted movement for serving as his main force in fighting against his opponents. "No matter what happens, I'll fight with all-out effort." The Pheu Thai Party yesterday kicked off a two-day seminar designed to prepare its lawmakers for the opposition benches. The event was organised and financed by Yaowapa Wongsawat and Yingluck Shinawatra, sisters of Thaksin. Party bigwigs and banned executives from two disbanded parties, Thai Rak Thai and People Power, turned out in full force to assist in honing the skills of opposition MPs. Among those seen at the seminar were Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth Wichaidit and his two key advisers, Chettha Thanajaro and Plodprasop Suraswadi. Deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai and chief opposition whip Withaya Buranasiri were also present.

Also in attendance were banned party executives, including Sompong Amornwiwat, Noppadon Patama and Pongthep Thepkanchana. One of the seminar panellists was former charter writer Kanin Boonsuwan. Kanin distributed his article questioning political legitimacy in the wake of the 2006 coup. Plodprasop said that at the conclusion of the seminar today, opposition lawmakers would issue a declaration to highlight their resolve to check the government. In a separate development, Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan said the 'red shirts' would hold a rally on February 14 to raise funds for the anti-government movement.

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Thai PM to decide on MP scandals this week

The Nation (Thailand) 02-02-2009

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, upon his return from the World Economic Forum yesterday, vowed to decide within three days the fate of two scandal-plagued ministers, who are under pressure to abandon their posts. Social Development and Human Security Minister Witoon Nambutr, a Democrat MP for Ubon Ratchathani, has been accused of involvement in irregularities surrounding the purchase of rotten canned fish.

Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat, a Bhum Jai Thai MP for Nakhon Ratchasima, was suspected of vote buying by distributing Bt500 bills and his business card to his constituents in the northeastern province. Abhisit said he would make his judgement by putting the country's interest first and upholding the nine principles of good governance that he had promised to follow during his term. He said there was no need to take action in Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban's case. Suthep did not need to step down because the case was not yet clear, he said. Suthep has been charged with violating election laws by issuing scholarships to help a candidate campaign for the election of the president of the Surat Thani Provincial Administration Organisation.

Abhisit said the case would be under the consideration of the Appeals Court so he would let it proceed according to the justice system. Suthep has yet to give testimony before the EC, he said. The EC resolved last Thursday to call a new election after the winner, Thani, Suthep's younger brother, was accused of violating the election law by distributing scholarships during the election campaign. EC secretarygeneral Suthipol Thaweechaikarn had said the EC would seek the Appeals Court ruling on whether to affirm the EC's decision to call a byelection. If the court approves, the EC would take criminal action against the Thaugsuban, otherwise it would drop the case.

Suthep denied that he distributed the scholarships during the election campaign in Surat Thani's Kho Samui during the Songkran festival. He admitted he had earlier awarded scholarships to 48 students but after the election law became stricter, he stopped giving out scholarships. Suthep said he would fight the case through the three courts and that would take a long time. He dismissed calls for him to resign to set a political precedent since he could be facing a criminal charge. His case was different from former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin because the firefighting equipment scandal involved state funds, he said.

Suthep also responded to the call by the opposition to remove Witoon, who is said to be close to Suthep, saying he would not protect wrongdoers. Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the party was now gathering evidence to file a complaint with the National AntiCorruption Commission against a woman MP with the initial "B" who was an influential person at the Social Development Ministry. She would be accused of violating Article 266 by having a conflict of interest as an MP. The party will also take legal action against a political office holder for violating Article 157 of the Criminal Code for malfeasance over the rotten canned fish scandal, he said.

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Bangkok postpones repatriation of Rohingya refugees

AsiaNew.it 01/29/2009 by Weena Kowitwanij

The 78 refugees will be treated for wounds caused by Myanmar soldiers. Prime Minister Abhisit says he is not going to change policy on repatriation. A Myanmar official denies that a Rohingya ethnic minority even exist in his country Bangkok (AsiaNews) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjachiva has postponed the repatriation of 78 Rohingya refugees picked up last Monday off the south-western coast of Thailand in the Andaman sea. He ordered forensic experts to examine their wounds, but according to preliminary results, burn marks and cuts are more than 10 days old and so could not have been caused by Thai officials.

Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan, the director-general of the Institute of Forensic Science, said that the refugees confirmed that the signs of torture "were caused by Burmese soldiers." She added that the refugees will be treated in Thailand until they recover before deportation. In fact postponement does not mean that Bangkok is going to change its policy vis-a-vis Rohingya refugees. For Mr Abhisit, the Rohingya are a "security problem" and that it is still "necessary to force the illegal migrants out of the country", albeit without "mistreatment." In saying so the prime minister, who is also the leader of the Democrat Party, seems to be reneging on what he had said when he was leader of the opposition.

"Morality on human rights is of the utmost importance to the Thai people and inherent in its character. Defending human rights must remain a prominent feature because Thai society is sensitive to the matter," he had said. The government's current policy is backed by the army, which has justified the treatment meted out to Rohingya refugees landing on the country's coasts. "The report that naval officers mistreated the Rohingya is not true," said Admiral Kamthorn Phumhiran, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy. "Imagine 200 Rohingya illegally entering Thailand with only 18 officers to take charge of them," he explained. "It is necessary to have them take off their shirts to see if they have a weapon [on them] and have them lay face down. Otherwise there is no way 200 people can be controlled".

The United Nations has intervened in the matter, urging Thailand to launch a "full inquiry" into the alleged mistreatment of refugees, voicing none the less doubts about the its "transparency" and "speed". The regional head of the UN's refugee agency, Raymond Hall, has in fact asked for permission to see the latest group of migrants, but so far Thai authorities have not granted it. An unnamed Myanmar official said there was no evidence to suggest that the Rohingya were from Myanmar. "There is no so-called Rohingya ethnic minority group in our history before or after our independence," he said. "It is totally unacceptable to say the Rohingya are from Myanmar."

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Thai Cabinet drafts law against seizing airports

The Nation (Thailand) 29-01-2009 Piyanart Srivalo

Any individual caught after attempting to seize control of an international airport will face a fine from 500 baht up to 10,000 baht (US$14 to $286) under a draft law approved by Thailand's Cabinet yesterday (January 28) to protect airports from intruders.

"It's primarily for civil cases, as criminal cases could be prosecuted under criminal laws including the anti-terrorism ones," deputy director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Wing Commander Prateep Wichittoe, said. The name of the law would be changed to encompass all international airports across the country, he added. The law will empower airport security officers to disperse intruders, without having to wait for police. Aside from penalties for any damage, wrongdoers would also face criminal charges. A draft of the Security and Security Measures for Suvarnabhumi Airport Act, will be sent to the Council of State for screening to prevent any exploitation of power by airports' security officers and police. It will then go to parliament for approval. The transport ministry, which oversees the Airports of Thailand, the operator of five international airports plus Don Mueang Airport (now a domestic facility), proposed the law following the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)'s seizure of Suvarnabhumi Airport for 8 days in November and December. The drama rocked the confidence of investors and tourists.

The Bank of Thailand said direct and indirect damage exceeded 200 billion baht ($5.7 billion). Thai Airways International alone claims it lost up to 20 billion baht ($573 million). Investors and tourists were shocked as Suvarnabhumi was closed for 10 days, and hundreds of thousands tourists stranded in Bangkok and overseas. Several industries, particularly frozen food and electronics, were hit hard by disrupted export activities. Many countries condemned Thailand for lack of preventive measures, even after protesters seized Phuket and Hat Yai airports in last August. "We haven't yet finished with an estimate of damage," Prateep said. He insisted the authorities were collecting evidence to file charges against the PAD. He said the move was slow because it involved several agencies.

Prateep said the law would also empower AOT in handling illegal tour guides and taxis, which operate within the airport. Under the draft law, the transport ministry said that shutting down airports resulted in serious damage to the economy and national image. Preventive security measures were necessary to prevent damage to lives, passengers' and airports' assets. The transport minister will be empowered to issue ministerial regulations, as guided by the law, to protect airports. The Airports of Thailand chairman and directors, plus security officers will be able to detain violators, who must be sent to police within 24 hours.

The law allows the AOT to implement urgent measures, which require the installation of checkpoints to investigate and prevent outsiders from entering airports. Long-term measures include the installation of permanent checkpoints, as well as contingency planning and drills. "These measures endorsed by the cabinet today will help us to regain the confidence of international investors," said Panitan Wattanayagorn, the government's spokesman.

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Thai Airways To Shift All Bangkok Service To 1 Hub

MySinchew 2009.01.22

BANGKOK, THAILAND: Thai Airways International will move all its Bangkok flights to the capital's main airport, as it struggles to overcome losses from last year's airport siege and the global economic slowdown, its president said Thursday (22 Jan). Thailand's national carrier currently operates some domestic flights out of the capital's smaller Don Muang Airport but will move those flights to Suvarnabhumi, the main international airport, by April, said acting president Narongsak Sangapong.

"The move to one airport will reduce operational duplications from working out of two airports and save us management cost," Narongsak said. Thai Airways said Wednesday (21 Jan) it was seeking up to 34 billion baht ($974 million) in loans from financial institutions for working capital and debt refinancing. Like other airlines, Thai Airways was hit hard by last year's surge in fuel prices and the global economic slowdown. Its problems were compounded by recent political turmoil in Bangkok that culminated with the weeklong shutdown of Bangkok's two airports by protesters at the end of Nov _ an event that stranded more than 300,000 travelers and scared off many tourists to Thailand at the start of the high season.

Raj Tanta-Nanta, the airline's vice president, said Wednesday the closure of the airports cost the airline about 5 billion to 6 billion baht ($144 million to $173 million) in lost revenue. Thai Airways is currently offering up to 55% off certain routes as part of promotions to woo travelers back and fill vacant seats. Don Muang Airport remains the Bangkok hub for several low-cost carriers, including Nok Air and One-Two-Go. (AP)

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Lese majeste laws 'a problem' for Thais

The Straits Times 22-01-2009 Leslie Koh

Thailand's strict lese majeste laws cause the nation "a lot of problems", a former Thai minister and career diplomat acknowledged yesterday (January 21), and pointed to increasing pressure to amend them - especially the parts that allow anyone to accuse others of insulting the monarchy. Dr Tej Bunnag, also a former adviser to the Thai King's principal private secretary, defended the need for legislation protecting the royal family, and noted that under the law, the police and courts had to act on any accusation of lese majeste.

"There are always lese majeste cases before the Thai courts. It takes up a lot of people's tim", he said. "It causes Thailand a lot of problems, we are fully aware of this." The frank acknowledgement by a veteran diplomat who has headed Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry and served briefly as foreign minister last year, came at a public lecture at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies yesterday. While Dr Tej's talk focused on King Bhumibol Adulyadej's contributions to Thailand's development, hot issues such as the lese majeste laws and the country's political turmoil dominated the question-and-answer session that followed.

The nation's harsh lese majeste laws came under the spotlight again recently when an Australian author was sentenced to three years' jail for insulting the monarchy and a Thai academic had to face charges over similar claims. The author's family yesterday said they have appealed to King Bhumibol for a pardon. The Thai authorities have also blocked thousands of websites for allegedly insulting the country's revered monarchy, drawing criticism from rights groups and media organisations, which say that the law could be abused by those who use it as a tool to harass their opponents.

"There is no question...of how revered the King is to Thai people, but to non-Thais, the severity of the laws is striking," said one participant at the forum. Dr Tej replied that there were 'moves' to amend the laws but he did not elaborate. But he also pointed out that Thailand's lese majeste laws were not unique. Countries like Singapore, he noted, had laws protecting people from slander. "Certain institutions in certain countries are very sensitive," he said. "You cannot compare the members of the royal family of the United Kingdom with members of the royal family in Thailand."

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Aussie writer jailed for insulting Thai royalty

The Straits Times 20-01-2009 Nirmal Ghosh

An Australian writer, Harry Nicolaides, was sentenced to three years' jail for insulting the Thai royalty yesterday (January 19), as possible slurs against the monarchy come under closer scrutiny here. Nicolaides, 41, had pleaded guilty to the charge that arose from a 103-word paragraph in an obscure novel, self-published in 2005. The judge said that the accused had slandered 'the King, the Crown Prince of Thailand and the monarchy' and sentenced him to a six-year term, which he cut by half because of the writer's confession.

It is still not known who filed the complaint in March last year. Before his arrest, Nicolaides was a regular visitor to Thailand and used to teach English at a university in Chiang Mai. He was detained as he tried to leave the country on a routine trip last August, unaware of the warrant against him. Yesterday morning, an emotional Nicolaides told reporters outside the courtroom: "This is an Alice-in-Wonderland experience. I really believe that I am going to wake up and all of you will be gone. I would like to apologise. This can't be real. It feels like a bad dream."

He added: "I respect the King of Thailand. I was aware there were obscure laws but I didn't think they would apply to me." Nicolaides looked gaunt as he appeared in court in prison garb and his legs in shackles. In his nearly five months in jail, he was refused bail four times. The presiding judge yesterday said that parts of Nicolaides' book "suggested that there was abuse of royal power". Only 50 copies were published of the book in question - a novel titled Verisimilitude. Only seven were sold. A copy is reportedly still available in the National Library in Bangkok.

The case was brought under Thailand's lese majeste laws, which are the harshest in the world and call for a jail term of up to 15 years for anyone who defames, insults or threatens the monarchy. Any person can file a lese majeste complaint, and under the law the complaint cannot be rejected but must be followed up by the police. Media reporting on such cases is muted, partly because repeating the basis of the charge also leaves one open to being accused of lese majeste.

Analysts and critics have noted that the law is open to abuse by people who use it as a tool to harass opponents, and Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej himself said in a 2005 speech that he was not against criticism. The King has also routinely pardoned most people jailed for lese majeste, including a Swiss man who defaced portraits of him in Chiang Mai and was jailed as a result in March 2007.

The Thai government has recently issued warnings that it would get tough with people who insult the monarchy. At least 2,000 websites deemed critical of the monarchy have been blocked in recent weeks, and lese majeste cases have been filed against several people, including activist Sulak Sivaraksa and academic Giles Ji Ungpakorn. The crackdown comes at a troubled time for the kingdom. Thailand has gone through months of political turmoil which saw the allies of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra accused of being closet Republicans out to undermine the palace.

King Bhumibol, who turned 81 last month, is in frail health. Nicolaides' Melbourne-based brother Forde said yesterday that his family is "extremely distressed with the outcome and we will now do all that we can to ensure that Harry remains strong, healthy and positive in the circumstances. "Harry does not intend to appeal against the decision but rather wishes to focus efforts on considering an application for royal pardon." He also urged the Australian government to help in efforts to obtain his brother's early release.

 

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