Anything & Everything About Thailand

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228 words
21 March 2006
12:35
Reuters News
English

BANGKOK, March 21 (Reuters) - About 5,000 people marched on the Singapore embassy in Bangkok on Tuesday to press a campaign to oust Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as the Election Commission said it could not postpone a snap election he called.

"Thaksin get out," they chanted as leaders called for the reversal of the tax-free $1.9 billion sale by Thaksin's relatives of Shin Corp, the telecommunications empire he founded.

"On behalf of the Thai people, we politely request you stop colluding with Thaksin Shinawatra in raping the assets of Thailand," campaign leader Sondhi Limthongkul said through loudspeakers aimed at the embassy building.

Singapore has shrugged off two previous, smaller demonstrations and said they would not affect the relationship between the two countries.

Meanwhile Election Commission chairman Wassana Permlap, who had promised a decision this week on whether to postpone the April 2 election Thaksin called three years early, said that decision was not within its powers.

Only Thaksin, who has spent most of the last two weeks campaigning in the countryside where his support is solid, could make that decision, Wassana said.

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By Suttinee Yuvejwattana
300 words
21 March 2006
The Wall Street Journal Asia
English

BANGKOK -- Thailand's Supreme Administrative Court said it will rule Thursday on whether state-owned power producer EGAT PCL can proceed with a planned initial public offering.

The court held its first hearing on the case yesterday after accepting a petition by 11 civic groups late last year to halt the IPO pending a review of the legality of two decrees authorizing the partial privatization of the country's largest power producer. The civic groups believe that if the IPO proceeds, the country's electricity business will be monopolized.

EGAT had planned to sell 1.245 billion shares to the general public to raise 31.1 billion baht to 34.9 billion baht ($801.4 million to $899.3 million), based on an indicative range of 25 baht to 28 baht a share. The IPO, a record for Thailand, was suspended by a court order just one day before the beginning of the subscription period, Nov. 16 to Nov 17.

If EGAT's IPO is canceled, it may affect EGAT's investment in the country's power-generating capacity, according to Areepong Bhoocha Oom, deputy director-general of the State Enterprise Policy Office.

EGAT has planned to build four new power plants, which will be completed during 2007-2011. The plan requires a total investment of around 200 billion baht, or around 40 billion baht a year. Half of the money is scheduled to come from EGAT's profit, but the rest will have to be raised elsewhere if the IPO doesn't proceed.

The civic groups have accused Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of trying to sell EGAT's national assets for the benefit of government-related parties.

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203 words
21 March 2006
Xinhua News Agency
English

Bangkok Post:

-- About 65,000 tourists have canceled trips to Thailand due to political factors, according to Juthamas Siriwan, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

The Nation:

-- A 27-year-old man was lynched to death early Tuesday morning after he completely destroyed the much-revered statue of Brahma god of creator or Pra Prom at Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok.

Police said the man used a hammer to break apart the statue at midnight and tried to flee but was caught up by taxi drivers and other people in the area. He was assaulted and killed about 50 meters away from the shrine.

Sing Siam Yet Pao

-- Thailand's former prime minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has given a cool response to the call for a royally-bestowed prime minister under Article 7 of the constitution. He said, under the current circumstances, there is no need for a "middleman" to step into the picture as the people in government still deserve a measure of respect, although the government should also take heed of its critics.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 21 March 2006 :-

China beckons for Central Retail : Asian expansion picks up pace for top chain

Central Retail Corp, one of the country's largest retailers, is considering expanding into China even though its attempts to expand into Southeast Asia have yet to bear fruit.

"Department stores are where we have an opportunity to expand in such a massive market. We believe that Asian department store operators can do better than Western ones [in China]," said Tos Chirathivat, the CRC chief executive officer.

He said that CRC had successfully competed in the local market against Japanese retailers, considered to be among the best retail operators in the Chinese market.

Mr Tos said the company was studying the feasibility of establishing a retail presence in China in 10 cities, including Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. The results could be known in two or three months.

The investment would be around one billion baht per location, with the company possibly leasing space from existing outlets or developing its own centres.

Finance would come from existing cash flow, with 10 billion baht already in hand for growth. CRC would consider a listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand to finance overseas investments if needed.

"We consider China as an important market because the Chinese economy will overtake the US to become the world's biggest within the next 20 to 30 years," Mr Tos said.

"We believe that whoever can become number one in China will become number one in the world too."

CRC was recently named the top retailer out of 14 countries in the Asia Pacific by Retail Asia magazine and Euromonitor, a European consultancy. Criteria examined in the survey included customer service, merchandise, store operations, marketing communications and technology.

The new Chinese expansion strategy comes two years after Central announced plans to expand throughout Southeast Asia.

Negotiations between CRC and four separate Asean partners have collapsed, but a successful overseas deal was announced last week when CRC purchased a 39.1% stake in Singapore-based Page One Holdings, a bookstore operator.

Mr Tos said CRC was also negotiating two other deals worth around one billion baht that were expected to be finalised by the end of the year when it would also decide whether to pursue a venture in Vietnam.

To support its overseas expansion drive, CRC plans to launch a Central Retail Academy to train staff.

Meanwhile, CRC has budgeted 5.3 billion baht to expand and renovate its operations in Thailand, an 85% increase from 2005.

Plans include opening a new Central Food Hall at CentralWorld and launching a new Tops supermarket format called Tops Daily. It also plans to launch its 20th Robinson department store at Ayudhya Park later this year.

Also, Zen, located at CentralWorld, will close on Sunday for renovations and reopen by the end of the year.

Other speciality stores operated by CRC include B2S bookstores, Office Depot, HomeWorks, Supersports and Power Buy.

CRC projected its total outlets nationwide would grow to 400 by the end of the year from 357 at the end of 2005, despite the downturn in the economy.

"Political uncertainties will not have a significant impact on the retail sector if investors maintain their investment and consumers continue spending," Mr Tos explained.

But a protracted dispute could affect consumer confidence and ultimately CRC sales, he added.CRC projects 78 billion baht in sales this year, up 12% from 70 billion last year.

Gains would come from the positive performance of Tops, which generated an extra 500 million baht profit in 2005 for the firm. It was the first sign of a turnaround in the business after CRC took over the chain from NV Ahold.

Meanwhile, Central Plaza Hotel, another listed company under the Central Group, yesterday announced a 2005 dividend of 1.25 baht per share, payable on May 23.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 21 March 2006 :-

China beckons for Central Retail : Asian expansion picks up pace for top chain

Central Retail Corp, one of the country's largest retailers, is considering expanding into China even though its attempts to expand into Southeast Asia have yet to bear fruit.

"Department stores are where we have an opportunity to expand in such a massive market. We believe that Asian department store operators can do better than Western ones [in China]," said Tos Chirathivat, the CRC chief executive officer.

He said that CRC had successfully competed in the local market against Japanese retailers, considered to be among the best retail operators in the Chinese market.

Mr Tos said the company was studying the feasibility of establishing a retail presence in China in 10 cities, including Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. The results could be known in two or three months.

The investment would be around one billion baht per location, with the company possibly leasing space from existing outlets or developing its own centres.

Finance would come from existing cash flow, with 10 billion baht already in hand for growth. CRC would consider a listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand to finance overseas investments if needed.

"We consider China as an important market because the Chinese economy will overtake the US to become the world's biggest within the next 20 to 30 years," Mr Tos said.

"We believe that whoever can become number one in China will become number one in the world too."

CRC was recently named the top retailer out of 14 countries in the Asia Pacific by Retail Asia magazine and Euromonitor, a European consultancy. Criteria examined in the survey included customer service, merchandise, store operations, marketing communications and technology.

The new Chinese expansion strategy comes two years after Central announced plans to expand throughout Southeast Asia.

Negotiations between CRC and four separate Asean partners have collapsed, but a successful overseas deal was announced last week when CRC purchased a 39.1% stake in Singapore-based Page One Holdings, a bookstore operator.

Mr Tos said CRC was also negotiating two other deals worth around one billion baht that were expected to be finalised by the end of the year when it would also decide whether to pursue a venture in Vietnam.

To support its overseas expansion drive, CRC plans to launch a Central Retail Academy to train staff.

Meanwhile, CRC has budgeted 5.3 billion baht to expand and renovate its operations in Thailand, an 85% increase from 2005.

Plans include opening a new Central Food Hall at CentralWorld and launching a new Tops supermarket format called Tops Daily. It also plans to launch its 20th Robinson department store at Ayudhya Park later this year.

Also, Zen, located at CentralWorld, will close on Sunday for renovations and reopen by the end of the year.

Other speciality stores operated by CRC include B2S bookstores, Office Depot, HomeWorks, Supersports and Power Buy.

CRC projected its total outlets nationwide would grow to 400 by the end of the year from 357 at the end of 2005, despite the downturn in the economy.

"Political uncertainties will not have a significant impact on the retail sector if investors maintain their investment and consumers continue spending," Mr Tos explained.

But a protracted dispute could affect consumer confidence and ultimately CRC sales, he added.CRC projects 78 billion baht in sales this year, up 12% from 70 billion last year.

Gains would come from the positive performance of Tops, which generated an extra 500 million baht profit in 2005 for the firm. It was the first sign of a turnaround in the business after CRC took over the chain from NV Ahold.

Meanwhile, Central Plaza Hotel, another listed company under the Central Group, yesterday announced a 2005 dividend of 1.25 baht per share, payable on May 23.

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BANGKOK, March 21 (TNA) – Foreign investors remain confident of Thailand’s economic growth and view the current political turmoil as normal under the democratic system, according to caretaker Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon.

He said on Tuesday that the ministry had prepared to explain the country's current political situation and the upcoming snap election on April 2 to foreign ambassadors to Thailand on Wednesday at their request.

The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) would join the meeting to explain the process of the election and details of the constitution.

“Many countries want to enquire about a program to modernize Thailand with the implementation of mega-infrastructure projects.

Several companies want to know whether the projects will be postponed.

“We have already informed them of the 4-month postponement of the projects as requested by potential bidders through an e-option. Originally, the opening of the bidding is set on April 28. But they view it is too early. So, we agree to postpone it and will inform the embassies of the matter in this occasion so that they can explain to the private sector,” he said.

Asked how foreign investors view the country’s snap election in which the former opposition parties fail to participate, he said the investors and ambassadors give an importance to the democracy in Thailand.

They view the current political movement as part of the democratic system unless it turned violent.

They remain confident that the Thai economy will continue to expand and are ready to participate in the development of the Thai society structure.

“Many foreign investors see the Thai economy grow steadily in the past 5 years and view the current economic fundamental is very strong. So, they are still enthusiastic about becoming partners with local companies," he said.

"The image of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra remains good in the eyes for the investors. No one mentions about morality. What they are interested is the growth potential of the economy and policies of the post-election government," the caretaker foreign minister noted. (TNA) – E005

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 21 March 2006 :-

NCC aims for top spot in Mice market : Queen Sirikit Center operator to expand

Ho Chi Minh City : NCC Management & Development Co has announced an ambitious plan to become the leader of the Mice event organising and consultancy business in Asia-Pacific.

Its first step is to become one of the five leading exhibition organisers in Southeast Asia, and later on, to expand its business in the region.

"NCC has been quite successful in the Mice (meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition) market, operating Queen Sirikit National Convention Center for the past 15 years. It has proved to be popular among premium customers and state agencies," said president Rirkmai Sukhum.

Currently, NCC - owned by whisky tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi - operates three domestic convention venues: the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center covering 22,000 square metres in Bangkok, the 4,000-sq-m Khon Kaen convention hall and the 10,000-sq-m Science Park convention hall in Pathum Thani province.

Mr Rirkmai said that the company was seeking a broader regional role. "It's not that tough domestic competition is forcing us to go overseas," he added.

Currently, Thailand's exhibition services market is worth between eight billion and 10 billion baht and growing by between 20% and 30% each year.

NCC grew by about 30% in 2005, but it is likely to grow by between 10% and 15% this year.

NCC's consultancy services cover convention-hall construction and operations. The company has already won its first consultancy contract abroad, details of which were not disclosed.

In a proactive approach to the international market, the company recently appointed senior vice-president Mike Kelly to oversee this area of the business.

With 20 years' experience in Mice business, Mr Kelly aims to increase the number of international Mice activities at the Queen Sirikit Center between 2008 and 2011 by 15% a year.

To meet the target, he said that NCC would need to improve management to meet international standards, and lift efficiency and image to gain wider recognition in the international market.

Mr Kelly said there were around 17,000 Mice-related associations, 60% of which were located in European countries.

The company also plans to promote its subsidiary, NCC Exhibition Organizer Co (NEO), in the international market, after many years of success organising exhibitions at home.

NEO has staged several successful recurring events, including the livestock exhibition VIV Asia from 1995 to 2005; Thailand Best Buy (1999-2004), Wedding Fair (1995-2004), Pet Expo (2000-2004) and Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Grand Service (2000-2004).

This year, NEO has been busy organising its first two exhibitions abroad. It staged the International Livestock and Dairy Expo (Ildex 2006) in Ho Chi Minh City from March 16 to 18. Some 80 exhibitors, contributing 120 booths, from overseas participated in the event.

It will also hold Ildex India in New Delhi from Aug 27-29, which will feature a total of 400 booths, as well as Ildex China in 2007.

Before joining NCC, Mr Kelly was the chairman of the Asia Pacific Exhibition Convention Council and chairman of the International Association of Assembly Managers of the US. He was also an executive director of NCC New Zealand Co, which operates three convention centres in New Zealand.

NEO has organised VIV Asia, a livestock industry exhibition, seven times in the past 13 years. This had developed its expertise in livestock events, a valuable commodity at present, given concerns about bird flu, said NEO general manager Ladda Mongkolchaivival.

She said the company expected 40% of its revenue to come from the domestic market and 60% from the international market.

Ms Ladda said that the company's operations had only been slightly affected by the current political problems, adding that the schedule for events at its venues remained the same.

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News analysis by Paul Wiseman, USA TODAY

BANG LUANG, Thailand — Shopkeeper Aree Rengruang struggles to understand why thousands of educated city folks are out in the streets of Bangkok, 50 miles south of here, demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. "We picked a good guy," says Aree, 53. "Why do they want to kick him out?"
After all, she says, Thaksin's nationwide anti-narcotics campaign three years ago crushed the village drug trade. "Our youngsters now play sports, football, instead of taking drugs," Aree says. And Thaksin's $1.7 billion Village Fund gave her a $500 low-interest loan to buy merchandise for her store, where villagers come for fresh papaya salad and cans of iced coffee.

Rural voters such as Aree helped drive a landslide electoral victory for Thaksin's party, Thais Love Thais, in February 2005.

Barely a year later, the urban middle class, outraged by a murky January deal involving the tax-free sale of Thaksin's business empire, is determined to throw him out of office. Thaksin called for a snap election April 2 to renew his popular mandate. The vote could be scrapped if the opposition refuses to participate. Thousands of demonstrators began a second week of protests Monday at Thaksin's Bangkok office. They say they won't leave until he resigns.

Thailand could follow the lead of other young democracies in Asia that have changed leaders without bothering to hold an election — the way the Philippines ousted corruption-tainted President Joseph Estrada in a 2001 "People Power" coup, says Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. "There has to be a limit to street protest."

Worrisome trend

Across East Asia, young democracies are struggling with street demonstrations, impeachment drives, autocratic and erratic elected leaders and political battles that have nothing to do with the challenges of governing complex, changing societies.

"I am frankly worried" about the fragility of democracy in the region, Diamond says. Consider:

• The Philippines continues to struggle with the legacy of two People Power revolutions — one that overthrew dictator Ferdinand Marcos and established democracy in 1986 and one that ousted Estrada in 2001 and replaced him with his technocratic vice president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Now Arroyo, facing allegations of corruption and electoral fraud, is fending off calls for her resignation. She declared a weeklong state of emergency Feb. 24, charging that her opponents in the military and on the far left were planning a coup.

• In Taiwan, which emerged from martial law in 1987 and held its first free presidential election in 1996, opposition parties want second-term President Chen Shui-bian impeached. About 20,000 people turned out Sunday in Taipei to challenge his policies and legitimacy.

The president's party suffered big losses in local elections in December. He has responded by trying to rally his base in the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Most recently, he closed a government office dedicated to working toward eventual reunion with China — a move that risked conflict with China and defied warnings from the United States. Chen also has played up divisions between "mainlanders" who fled across the Taiwan Strait after communists took over China in 1949 and "native" Taiwanese, who support his party. "The deep, polarizing division over national identity ... has retarded the process of democratic maturation in Taiwan," Diamond says.

• South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae Chan resigned last week after coming under fire for playing golf during a national railway strike. The episode blew up into a scandal when it was revealed that Lee's golf partners included a man with a criminal record. Even so, "the way he was shot down did not involve a substantive issue," says Byung Kook Kim, director of the East Asia Institute, a Seoul think tank.

The incident was typical for the region, where weak and immature political parties focus on exposing opponents' supposed ethical lapses instead of on policy. South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun was impeached in March 2004 (and reinstated by a court ruling two months later) on minor charges of illegal electioneering.

"There's a culture of partisanship, even hatred," Kim says. "When you cannot have a constructive discussion (about policy), politics becomes very moralistic. In the world of ethics, there are only two guys: good boy and bad boy. In the politics of ethics, it's ... very hard to find the middle ground."

• The Philippines has deliberately weakened political parties, limiting them, for example, to no more than three seats in the country's 236-seat House of Representatives. The result: Voters choose candidates based on name recognition, mainly celebrities and scions of wealthy and powerful families. In rural areas, powerful politicians buy votes and employ thugs to intimidate opponents and critics. Philippine elections are governed by what Bruce Van Voorhis, spokesman for the Asian Human Rights Commission, calls "the three G's: goons, gold and guns."

Last year was the deadliest for political activists and journalists in the Philippines since the overthrow of Marcos, says the Asian Human Rights Commission, an advocacy group based in Hong Kong. The Committee to Protect Journalists and the free-press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders say only Iraq was more dangerous for journalists in 2005. The intimidation is taking a toll: The non-partisan group Freedom House announced in December that the Philippines experienced "the most significant" decline in the world last year in the levels of freedom its people enjoy.

Bright spots exist

Neil Englehart, a political scientist at Bowling Green State University, wonders why the anti-Thaksin forces in Thailand are so eager to follow the Philippines' example. "Some of the protest organizers are looking at the Philippines as a model, which is ironic and a little alarming when you consider how much more stable and successful Thailand has been," he says.

Then again, perhaps not all is lost. A survey by Thawilwadee Bureekul at Bangkok's King Prajadhipok's Institute and Robert Albritton at the University of Mississippi found that the percentage of Thais who say they are satisfied with democracy rose to 94.4% last year from 77.6% in 2001. For all Taiwan's problems, Freedom House upgraded its assessment of the island, largely because the judiciary is increasingly independent. South Koreans remain active voters, and the Philippines enjoys a rambunctious civil society.

Even Indonesia — long poor, corrupt and badly governed — chose its first president in a direct election in 2004. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is "a John F. Kennedy figure. He's young (56). He's tall. He's attractive. ... He has a vision for the country. He's zeroed in on what Indonesia really needs: good governance and economic growth," says Donald Emmerson, an Indonesia specialist at Stanford.

Indonesia's political institutions — ministries, courts and parliament — still need a lot of improvement, Emmerson concedes. However, he adds, "You've got to start somewhere."

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BANGKOK, March 22 (TNA) - Anti-Thaksin demonstrators led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) gave an ultimatum Tuesday evening that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resigns within 48 hours, or faces a decisive action to be ousted of office.

Sondhi Limthongkul, local media mogul turned arch critic against Mr. Thaksin, announced the ultimatum after a meeting of the PAD's core members.

"We'll give Mr. Thaksin this last chance to step down to pave the way for the country's second political reform. If he still insists to stay on, we'll take a further decisive action to oust him," he said.

Suriyasai Katasila, a coordinator of the Anti-Thaksin coalition, stressed that the PAD had a resolution to call for the embattled premier to step down within 48 hours.

“Unless Mr. Thaksin resign within 48 hours as demanded, we'll unveil a clear measure for a further major movement at 10:00 pm on March 23,” he said.

“For this moment, we'll assign a working group to gather opinions from academics and experienced persons toward ways to break the current political impasse so that they will be used to wrap up for a common approach in our next mass rally planned on March 25," he added.

Earlier, Maj. Gen. Chamlong, one of five core members of the PAD, invited members of the public to sign in a petition to be submitted to His Majesty the King, requesting the revered monarch to replace Mr. Thaksin with a new caretaker prime minister.

When rallying in Silom area and at the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Tuesday morning, the PAD's core members also invited members of the public to take part in the planned mass rally at Makhawan Bridge on March 25, from 02:00 p.m. onward, to show a strong people's power to force embattled Mr. Thaksin to resign.

Mr. Suriyasai conceded that Maj. Gen. Chamlong Srimuan raised the possibility of appealing for the royally appointed premier for discussion at the meeting. But it was not a main topic of the discussion.

He added that a proposal to move the anti-Thaksin demonstrators to Baan Chan Song La, a city residence of Mr. Thaksin, is also only a personal opinion of Maj. Gen Chamlong.

"We still stand firm to press for the resignation of Mr. Thaksin and the second political reform," he said.

The anti-Thaksin demonstrators plan to rally at the National Stadium here on Wednesday before moving to the headquarters of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC).

They have resorted to the new strategy of launching a roving campaign at many downtown areas since earlier this week to invite more people to join the PAD.

Meanwhile, a group of people calling themselves the "network of people who love peace", comprising of Bangkok residents and representatives of the private sector, demonstrated at the capital's downtown areas as well on Tuesday, calling for the anti-Thaksin groups to stop their rallies while inviting eligible voters to turn out for the early poll on April 2 to help determine the country's political direction within the democratic framework.

The network is a newly-formed one, separating from pro-Thaksin groups led by the "Caravan of the Poor", which have staged their rallies at Chatuchak Park and at some other areas in the city. (TNA)--E002, E005

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10.40AM, Tue Mar 21 2006


Kate Moss has lent her face to a charity campaign set up in memory of a friend and her baby lost in the Asian tsunami in 2004.

Samantha Archer Fayet, 37, and her six-month-old baby Ruby Rose were swept away from a beach hut in Khao Lak, Thailand. Husband Patrice survived.

Moss spoke to model booker Sam just hours before tragedy struck.

Special roses sold in aid of the SamandRuby appeal will help fund a school project in Thailand.

Kate, 32, said: "If my support helps kids get a better education and start in life, it's the least I can do in memory of Sam and Ruby Rose. "

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134 words
22 March 2006
11:16
Associated Press Newswires
English

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A 10-wheel truck crashed into a passenger train Wednesday in central Thailand, killing at least five people and injuring about two dozen others, rail officials said.

The train, which originated from northern Malaysia, was headed to Bangkok with more than 400 passengers, said Montakan Sriwilas, a spokeswoman for State Railways of Thailand.

The victims included three people aboard the truck and at least two passengers on the train, all of Thai nationality.

The truck drove through a barricade alongside the tracks and collided with the passing train at about 9 a.m. (0200 GMT), as it sped through the town of Ratchaburi, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Bangkok.

The injured were being treated at a nearby hospital.

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300 words
22 March 2006
10:55
Dow Jones International News
English

BANGKOK (AP)--Police identified a 27-year-old man who destroyed a world-famous statue of a Hindu deity as a Muslim and said Wednesday they were investigating whether he had ties to extremism.

The man was beaten to death by enraged onlookers Tuesday after breaking into the Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok and shattering a golden four-headed statue of Brahma with a hammer. Police said the man, Thanakorn Pakdeepol, had a history of mental illness.

When his body was autopsied, doctors found Arabic characters tattooed on his back and arms, said police Col. Suphisal Pakdinarunaj.

The discovery prompted police to inquire about his religion and launch an investigation into whether the attack had a religious motive.

"We are investigating whether he did it by himself or if somebody put him up to it," said Suphisal, adding that police were also looking into whether he and his family had ties to "religious extremism."

An continuing Islamic insurgency in southern Thailand has left more than 1,300 people dead since violence flared in January 2004. Bombs and gun attacks occur almost daily in three southern provinces that are the only Muslim-dominated provinces in Thailand, which is mostly Buddhist.

Two street sweepers were arrested for beating the man to death, Suphisal said. They could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The shrine, located next to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in the middle of an upscale shopping district, has long been a prime tourist destination in the capital. It draws thousands of Thai and foreign tourists daily.

The shrine was originally built in 1956 to ward off bad luck during the construction of an earlier hotel, which was later torn down.

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The China Post Staff
364 words
22 March 2006
The China Post

Tests of Chinese as a foreign language will be given in Thailand in May, the Ministry of Education announced yesterday.

Developed by the Mandarin Training Center of the National Taiwan Normal University, the Chinese Proficiency Tests (CPTs) will then be given in South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, an MOE spokesman said.

"They will be the Chinese version of the TOEFL," said the official.

Like the tests of English as a foreign language given students desiring to study in the United States, the CPTs try to find out the Chinese proficiency of foreign students who want to come to Taiwan.

Those who apply for government scholarships have to take and pass the CPTs.

No dates have been fixed for the first CPTs in Thailand. The results of the tests would determine whether applicants could receive scholarships.

The results of CPTs to be administered in the other four countries would not be considered for that purpose, said the MOE spokesman.

Certificates of proficiency in three grades would be awarded successful candidates.

For the Grade One certificate, successful candidates should have a vocabulary of not fewer than 1,500 words. They would be considered to have the proficiency of a student who has studied Chinese in Taiwan from 360 to 480 hours.

Grade Two proficiency requires a vocabulary of 5,000 words. Successful candidates would be regarded as having a proficiency of those studying Chinese from 480 to 960 hours in Taiwan.

A proficiency equal to more than 960 hours of Chinese study in Taiwan would be granted those who pass the Grade Three CPT.

They should have a vocabulary of more than 8,000 words.

Candidates would be tested on hearing, vocabulary and syntax, and reading. There will be 120 questions. The CPT lasts 110 minutes.

CPT Grade One is roughly equal to HSK (hanyu shuiping kaoshi) Grade One Classes A and B, CPT Grade Two to HSK Grade Two Classes C and B, and CPT Grade Three to HSK Grade Three Classes B and C.

HSK tests are given by China.

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BANGKOK, March 22 (TNA) - Demonstrators against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra campaigned in front of the headquarters of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) Wednesday morning, calling for the election watchdog to cancel the April 2 snap election.

The caretaker prime minister's opponents, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), rallied at the National Stadium before moving to the EC's headquarters in Pathumwan area.

Alleging that the forthcoming general election would be non-transparent as only Mr. Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party and a few minor political parties contest in the early poll, the PAD-led demonstrators called for the EC to cancel the election.

The opponents also accused Mr. Thaksin of lacking political ethics in a tax-free sale of Bt73.3 billion shares in Shin Corporation, his family's business and the nation's largest telecommunication firms, to Temasek Holdings, Singapore's state-run telecommunication company, in late January; and so losing political legitimacy to head the government.

The PAD Tuesday evening gave an ultimatum that the caretaker premier resigns within 48 hours, or faces a decisive action to be ousted of office.

Earlier on the day, the demonstrators rallied in Silom area inviting members of the public to join their new mass demonstration planned at the Makhawan Bridge on Rajadamneon Nok Avenue on March 25.

They also demonstrated in front of the Singapore Embassy here, reiterating a call for the Singapore government to cancel the Temasek-Shin Corp deal.

During the PAD's rally in front of EC's headquarters, a group of people calling themselves the "People's Power for Thailand" also gathered in the area calling for the anti-Thaksin demonstrators to end their rallies, saying that the continuing demonstrations are damaging the peaceful society and the national economy.

The group called on all eligible voters to, instead, turn out to exercise their right in the April 2 snap election to retain the democratic system in the country.

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RATCHABURI, March 22 (TNA) - A truck and a passenger train collided on Wednesday at a railway crossing in the central province of Ratchaburi, killing at least six people and injuring more than 40 others.

At least 22 people were seriously hurt and taken to Ratchaburi hospital.

A number of foreigners are said to be among the injured.

The dead included three occupants of the 10-wheeled truck and at least two people on the train.

The train, with more than 400 passengers aboard, was heading for Bangkok’s Central Hua Lum Pong station from the northern Malaysian town of Butterworth, Penang, when the accident occurred.

Witnesses said the truck, carrying animal feed, drove through an automatic barrier at the crossing.

They said the driver was apparently distracted, focusing on the passengers of the truck rather than the road, when the deadly accident occurred.

The force of the collision caused three of the train's 14 cars to derail and plunge into a rice field.(TNA)-E003