Facebook. What happened to Bangkok's 100km "Smart" flood tunnel? 'Ministry or USA should confirm visa' Former foreign minister Kasit Piromya urged the Foreign Ministry and the United States yesterday to clarify a claim by many figures in the ruling Pheu Thai Party that ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra was given a visa to enter the US a few months ago. Kasit, a party-list MP of the opposition Democrat Party, said the US always says that it is a world leader that respects the law and human rights under democratic principles.
When the US asked Thailand to extradite alleged Russian weapons trader Viktor Bout to face trial in the US, the Thai government led by the Democrat Party adhered to the request, he said. He wondered why the US granted a visa to a fugitive former leader who had fled a jail term at home. "If the claim is true, it means the US does not respect Thailand's justice system but insults the country's law and integrity,'' he said. Kasit said the party had only made an observation and it was not sure what had actually happened, so the US must clarify the matter. Towards Democracy: Thais Rebuilding Thailand. Back in Bangkok Bangkok, I am back in the metropolis of 12 million people. Someone had mentioned that the population could easily reach as high as 14 million with the daily migration of people from other provinces and migrant workers from other countries.
Bangkok is also the hub for refugees from South East Asia and South Asia, and you will find just about any nationality in the bustling city, while many more seek refuge in the other provinces, especially towards the borders. Statelessness is common, people without a home, such as the Rohingya, and without an identity, rooted-out from their ancestral lands and travelling to Bangkok to seek a decent livelihood, away from prosecution. Families, children, spouses, partners or alone. Oh yes indeed, Bangkok is the place to be. The weather has been unpredictable, one moment blisteringly hot and then I would find myself showering under the cool rain and gloomy sky. Thailand's Constitutional Tug-of-War. From ancient times to 1932, Thailand was called the Kingdom of Siam, followed by several flips to the name Siam in the mid-40s, and then back again to Thailand - the Land of the Free.
Besides the fact that the Thai Institution of governance is among the oldest in South East Asia, this name is also a very proud one. Thailand has gone through series of military involvement and coups, protests and political clashes, within the past few decades, but yet the Institution has somewhat maintained itself above the order of societal evolution. The year, 2012, we see the fallout from the party-political chaos. Such agitation has threatened the Institution, and a menace to the pillars of sustainable development. Thailand is a country in turmoil over the right to equality and democracy. Interestingly enough, the 2007 Constitution was directed, drafted and sanctioned by a military junta along with the handful of officials that stood to benefit from such an exchange. Dr.
Bedlamfury : Jaran recused himself from... Court tackles charter brouhaha. จรัญถอนตัวพิจารณาคดีแก้รธน. คมชัดลึก : : | ThaiLaw. "จรัญ ภักดีธนากุล" ถอนตัวจากองค์คณะตุลาการ คดีแก้รัฐธรรมนูญ | ประชาไท | ThaiLaw. Thai Court to Decide Party's Fate | ThaiLaw. ThaiLaw. Thailand, Google and Censorship | ASEAN Beat. A new report argues Google is particularly accommodating over Thai censorship requests. Why? By Joshua Kurlantzick for The Diplomat June 25, 2012 Facebook0 Twitter0 Google+5 LinkedIn0 As reported in Siam Voices this week, Google has released its 2012 Transparency Report, which chronicles requests that Google receives, mostly from governments, to block material online. Overall, around the world last year, Google complied with about 54 percent of requests by governments and copyright holders to take down material.
Gardner identifies a number of clear, pressing problems with Google’s approach, and these problems are only going to be magnified as Thailand’s political conflict, already at the boiling point, gets hotter, or if a coup is launched by the military, not an impossible proposition now. In many countries, such as China, Google has stood out in making a strong case for free expression online, and using its corporate power to support that approach.
Democracy: Today, 80 Years ago, it was the end of Thai “Absolute Monarchy” « Thai Intelligence News Study Center. By Tammy, Thai Intel’s humanity journalist It is only a round plaque, a very small plaque, placed on the ground where cars zooms over it, on the Royal Plaza where a great stature of a Thai Royalism preside, sits the plaque commemorating the “Revolution” that abolished “Absolute Monarchy” in Thailand. The current Thai King, Bhumibol, is considered “Modern” with a Western education, enjoying even a “Ticker Parade” through the streets of New York and having met Elvis Presley. Yet the Thai Ultra Royalist, acknowledge as a Fascist movement, exists even in the USA, the home of Democracy. And foreign press, like Bloomberg, AFP and Reuters, continues to spill out nothing but mostly, anti-Democracy Thai news for the globe.
Today, 80 years ago, it was the end of Thai “Absolute Monarchy” when a group of soldier staged a revolution against the Thai King, and bought “Constitutional Monarchy” to Thailand, under Democracy. How did Thailand ever got to this point? The following is from Wikipedia: Thailand: How the meaning of ‘and’ starts a constitutional crisis – Updated | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education. By Kaewmala Thailand may be heading to its first major constitutional crisis in history.
Thai Constitution Court has performed an interesting exercise in semantics with one of the most basic words: the word “and.” Not that verbal gymnastics is foreign in Thai politics but this case is unusual as it happens in the judiciary, and the ramifications may be explosive and quite significant in the development of Thailand’s political system.
If you follow Thai politics, you must be aware of the latest attempt at a judicial coup. This judicial coup déjà vu is the talk of the town this week. On 2 June 2012 Thailand’s Constitution Court ordered an injunction against Parliament suspending its vetting of the constitution amendment bills* (amending the constitution was one of the winning Pheu Thai Party’s key election platforms). But the Constitution Court injunction is for Parliament vetting of the constitution amendment bills, not the reconciliation bills. However, except for Mr. Mr. A review of the Thai Reconciliation Bills | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education. There are four different reconciliation bills (AKA amnesty bills). The two main ones are those proposed by Gen.
Sonthi, former coup leader and currently MP for the Mathabum party in parliament and a second bill proposed by red shirt leader Nattawut. You can find an explanation and the text of the Gen. Sonthi version of the Reconciliation Bill from the parliament site as a PDF from here and of Nattuwat’s version as a PDF here . This post will only seek to explain the Bills and not interpret whether the provisions are constitutional or not.
If BP doesn’t get time and you can read Thai, see Veerapat’s assessment of their legality as published by . has the name of the Act. Nattawut’s Section 3 differs as it excludes terrorist acts and acts causing death [“การกระทำข้างต้นไม่รวมถึงการกระทำอันเป็นความผิดฐานการก่อการร้ายและความผิดต่อชีวิต”. For Nattuwat’s version, those who commit terrorist acts and acts causing death won’t get off. Red Shirt supporters join 2nd anniversary of protest at Ratchaprasong | Pattaya Daily News. Is Thailand Facing a Coup? | ASEAN Beat. A report suggests the Thai armed forces are currently beefing up their strength. Does Yingluck face a coup? By Joshua Kurlantzick for The Diplomat May 13, 2012 Facebook0 Twitter0 Google+1 LinkedIn0 Recent international media attention related to Thailand has been (quite reasonably) focused on the tragic story of Ampon Tangnoppakul, also known as “Ar Kong,” an elderly grandfather who had been sentenced to twenty years in prison for allegedly sending text messages defaming the monarchy.
Ampon’s death may finally help catalyze a broader movement to reform Thailand’s archaic and now brutal Lèse-Majesté (LM) laws. Though these two writers can be at times hyperbolic and incredibly pro-army in their writings, the news they detail echoes stories from other army sources, and suggests that another coup in Thailand is hardly out of the question after Thaksin’s imminent return. Untitled. Isaanlife. Bird flu feared in Ang Thong. Am. Malaysian PM : Political solution needed in Thailand’s Deep South. After the car bomb in Yala that killed 11 and the car bomb in Hat Yai that killed – the later is of particular importance to the Malaysians as 1 Malaysian died and 11 were injured – the Malaysian PM has commented. Bernama: The prime minister said Malaysia would continue to assist Thailand, its neighbour, in seeking a political solution in the interest of the well-being of the people in southern Thailand.Najib was speaking to Malaysian journalists at Nanning Airport at the end of his one-day working visit here before returning to Kuala Lumpur.
Violence and unrest have plagued southern Thailand for several years. Pic: AP BP: In 2009, Najib visited Thailand’s Deep South, just after his calls for autonomy in the Deep South. First, BP is of the view that some form of substantive autonomy/decentralization would assist in reducing the violence. Then this quote from a Newsweek article in January 2011: The Nation: BP: Although, the surveys cited by Jason above show a different result…. Insurgents' Bombs in Thailand: Bigger and Deadlier. HONG KONG — A string of orchestrated explosions rocked southern Thailand during the weekend, killing 14 people, wounding 340 and raising fears of larger and deadlier bombs being used by Muslim insurgents.
One attack came just before noon on Saturday at a busy shopping and dining area in the city of Yala, the capital of Thailand’s southernmost province: After a large truck bomb exploded, a car bomb went off 20 minutes later as onlookers gathered and rescue personnel began to arrive. The twin blasts accounted for 11 of the 14 fatalities. “This is the worst attack in the past few years,” Col. Pramote Promin, deputy spokesman of a regional security agency, told The Associated Press. “The suspected insurgents were targeting people’s lives,” and chose “a bustling commercial area, so they wanted to harm people.” In southern Thailand, as in most insurgencies, civilians are more often killed than police and military forces. “On average, 32 people are being killed and 58 wounded every month.
Mr. 2nd car bomb kills 5 more in southern Thailand UPDATE: One Malaysian tourist among the fatalities. Bedlamfury: Moui doing her bit for women living with cancer. ภาพคาร์บอมบ์ยะลา. ภาพคาร์บอมบ์ยะลา. ภาพคาร์บอมบ์ยะลา. The Thai dogs that escaped the dinner plate. Thai police arrest Norwegian in girlfriend’s death. Surachai convicted for lese majeste. The court sentenced him to serve a total of 7.5 years in jail for three counts of lese majeste. Red Siam Group leader Surachai's original sentencing was 15 years but the court cited his confession as grounds for leniency to halve his jail term. The verdict was based on Surachai's three rally speeches in Udon Thani, Chiang Mai and Bangkok in 2010. The defence team said Surachai will seek a royal pardon. Earlier Surachai vowed to begin a hunger strike if he is not moved to the new detention centre for political prisoners in Bangkok’s Lak Si district.
His wife, Pranee, quoted Surachai, 69, as saying he was disheartened by the fact that he and another red shirt lese majeste detainee, Somyos Prueksakasem-suk, were not regarded as political prisoners. Forty-seven red shirts sentenced for crimes related to the April-May 2010 clashes were moved to the new detention centre on Tuesday. ThaiLandPlus. Chalerm, Sukhumpol: No coup. We are Thai. #ThailandOnly. วันนี้อ่านบทความออนไลน์ชื่อ′ความเป็นไทย+ความเป็นคน′ โดย เกษียร เตชะพีระ หนังสือพิมพ์มติชนรายวัน ฉบับประจำวันที่ 3 กุมภาพันธ์ 2555 แล้วประทับใจบทกวีเก่า ขอคัดลอกบทกวีเหล่านั้น มาไว้เพื่ออ่านย้อนรำลึกเองอีกครั้งค่ะ ความเป็นไทยที่ประดิษฐ์สร้างด้วยบทกวีของจิตร ภูมิศักดิ์ (พ.ศ. 2473-2509) โดยเฉพาะระหว่างที่เขาถูกอำนาจปฏิวัติอาญาสิทธิ์ของจอมพลสฤษดิ์ ธนะรัชต์ จับติดคุก ขังลืมด้วยข้อหาคอมมิวนิสต์อยู่กับเพื่อนร่วมชะตากรรมกว่า 300 คน ณ คุกลาดยาวหลังรัฐประหาร 20 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2501 จนได้รับการปล่อยตัวพ้นข้อหาเมื่อเดือนธันวาคม พ.ศ.2507 ช่วง หลังจอมพลสฤษดิ์ถึงแก่กรรมด้วยโรคตับแข็งปลายปี พ.ศ.2506 บรรยากาศการเมืองผ่อนคลายลง มีการเปิดโปงทรัพย์สินที่ร่ำรวยผิดปกติของท่านจอมพลผู้รักและรับผิดชอบชาติ แต่เพียงผู้เดียวถึงกว่า 2,800 ล้านบาท จังหวะนั้นเอง จิตรได้ลอบส่งบทกวีชุด “โคลงสรรเสริญเกียรติ กรุงเทพมหานครยุคไทยพัฒนา” ภายใต้นามปากกา “กวีการเมือง” จากคุกไปลงหนังสือพิมพ์ประชาธิปไตยซึ่งมี ล้วน ควันธรรม เป็นผู้คุมคอลัมน์ และได้ทยอยตีพิมพ์ระหว่างเดือน มิ.ย.
-ก.ค.2507 “…แต่คนย่อมเป็นคน บ่คือควายที่โง่งึม ที่มา : มติชน. We are Thai. #ThailandOnly. PAD leaders call for power seizure. PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul, speaking via a telephone call from China, said the military should stage a coup in cooperation with the people in order to wrestle a complete control of the country from Thaksin. "If the PAD is to make a move once again, this time will not just confine to street protesting but a complete seizure of power," he said, pledging a make-or break struggle. Sondhi said he feared for the future of the monarchy if the Thaksin camp had its way. He took part in the talk while undergoing acupuncture treatment in China.
PAD co-leader Bhipop Thongchai said the PAD-led movement did not wane in the past six year but stood ready to step out and fight against the domination of rogue capitalists over the political system. Bhipop argued that the country's ethical standard was being challenged in the face of attempts by rogue capitalists to plunder the country. He said the PAD was ready to lead the people to victory in safeguarding the country. Flying the flag for ladyboys: Thai airline takes on transgender flight attendants | World news. PC Air flight attendants: Chayathisa Nakmai, Dissanai Chitpraphachin, Nathatai Sukkaset and Punthakarn Sringern.
Photograph: Chaiwat Subprasom /Reuters Her eyelashes, and her stockinged legs, are long enough to warrant a double-take from passengers on board. It may seem a form of harassment to others, but Thai flight attendant Punthakarn Sringern, 25, relishes the attention. Sringern – or Mew, as she likes to be called – is one of four "ladyboys" working for PC Air, the first Thai airline to employ transgender people. Finding work beyond the entertainment and cosmetic sectors is difficult for Thailand's "third sex", who are said to be more numerous here than anywhere else in the world – so this job, says Mew, is "a dream come true". PC Air is so named because its founder and president is Peter Chan – the title does not allude to political correctness. "They work as dancers or entertainers or in shops, because society doesn't accept them in other jobs.
" Two suspected Lebanese terrorists arrested: Chalerm. Scales of Devastation. Warning: Heavy rain, flash floods. 9 min ago | Bangkok Post Westerners 'target' of deep South terror... Australia and the United Kingdom have warned their citizens to avoid travel to Thailand's restive deep South as new information has indicated potential terrorist attacks targeting westerners. Trending on the Topix Network 4 hrs ago | Malaysian National News Agency 39 Killed, 402 Injured On First Day Of Songkran Festival Road accidents have killed 39 people and injured 402 others on Friday -- the first day of the seven-day campaign to reduce road accidents throughout Thailand -- as people celebrate the annual Songkran festival or Thailand's traditional New Year, Thai News Agency reported. 8 hrs ago | Bangkok Post One dies in Korat bus accident Highway police in Chumphon guides traffic on Phetkasem road on Saturday to facilitate drivers heading to other southern provinces. 10 hrs ago | Suria Thai forces shoot dead seven drug suspects 11 hrs ago | Albany Times Union Fliers' thoughts, from 'no fear' to 'it's scarier' Fri Apr 11, 2014.
Fighting HIV/AIDS in Thailand: can distributing clean needles ever be as easy as giving out condoms? | Making development work for all. Thailand warns Facebook sharing may slur monarchy. Snapshots of Bangkok and Flood [PHOTOS] Assistance to Thailand for Flood Recovery. Why the U.S. Is Giving Bomb Training to Thai Police. Photos of Bangkok & Flood [3] :: Thailand Tourism Update :: SummaryofUNresponsetofloodinThailand_1Nov11. Thailand, Bangkok, British Embassy. Thailand floods: cartoon captures a bewildered population's imagination | World news. Abhisit admits to going to the Maldives – but he is telling the truth about the reason? Factbox - Thailand's flood crisis in numbers. Embassy of the United States Bangkok, Thailand - Home. Abhisit: State of emergency needed.
Evacuees arrive at university shelter. AM - Bangkok threatened by record flooding in Thailand 08/10/2011. Thailand warns of Bangkok flood threat. Pattaya Flooding After Heavy Downpours Last Night. 513,860 people suffer from flood-related disease - Thailand. United Nations Webcast. The Balance In Bangkok, the poor and the elites. ‘Worst’ Thai floods kill 224, threaten Bangkok. Human Rights Party: WTF is UPR? 11-03-14-UPR-thailand. Comments aren't crimes. Thaksin supporters mark Thai coup anniversary. Troops ‘involved’ in cameraman death (AFP) Krabi Walking Street in Thailand Malaysia Asia. Flood warning for central plains. Thailand launches new war on drugs. Unidentified foreigner found dead in North. Signs Friendship Bridge will re-open « Karen News.
Corruption tops list of Phuket priorities. Thailand: Industrial Change in the Bangkok Urban Region. FCCT event tonight: The Preah Vihear Temple – A Time Bomb Waiting to Explode. Moui.net - Written by Heart. เตือนฉีดฟิลเลอร์-โบท็อกซ์ อาจถึงตาย.