Anything & Everything About Thailand

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 7 January 2006 :-

Wives to get right to claim infidelity


Thai Rak Thai men MPs led by chief whip Pongthep Thepkanjana have thrown their support behind an amendment to the divorce law which would allow a wife to file for divorce against a husband who has had sex with another woman. The amendment was drafted by the Women’s Affairs and Family Development Office of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and will be put before the House during its March session.

The divorce law is Article 1516 of the Civil Law and states that if a wife sleeps with a man who is not her husband she commits adultery, giving her husband grounds to file for divorce. According to the law, however, a woman is unable to reciprocate if her husband sleeps with another woman, except if she can prove that he supports the other woman or regards her as being on the same level as herself.

“We propose to amend the law to allow wives to file for divorce against a husband who has had sex with another woman, even once,” said Kingkaew Inwang, deputy director of the office.

There was concern that male MPs would not support the proposed amendment, but many from the ruling party yesterday promised they would.

Thai Rak Thai chief whip Pongthep Thepkanjana said the law should be amended in the interest of equality between the sexes.

“The amendment aims to put women on an equal footing with men and will not create chaos in our society, though it is still one where many men are licentious,” he said.

Pongthep added that even with the amended law it would take a lot for a wife to sue an adulterous husband.

Thai Rak Thai MP Ardhasit Sappayasit said he had thought for a long time about amending the law because it would relieve family problems caused by a husband’s infidelity and make husbands thinking about being unfaithful realise the possible repercussions.

“I would encourage other MPs to support the amendment,” he said.

Democrat MP Ongart Klampaiboon also agreed with the proposal, saying it would make husbands think twice.

However, Chart Thai MP Chuvit Kamolvisit disagreed, saying sexual equality was of little use in a society filled with massage parlours peddling sex to men.

“If society’s fundamental values are not changed, the amended law would be bound to create chaos. Many men would be sued by their wives, and the courts would be overloaded,” he said.

Among female politicians support for the amendment was strong.

Thai Rak Thai MP Ladawan Wongsriwong said she and other female MPs agreed with the proposal and she had recommended TRT male MPs to support it.

“Most MPs agree and will vote for the law,” she said.

She said she was not concerned about how hard it would be to prove whether a husband had cheated on his wife, because at least it was better than doing nothing.

Senator Rabiabrat Pongpanich said she was delighted by the proposal with all the laws passed by male politicians that favoured men at the expense of women, though she was not sure if the male MPs making up the majority of the House were broad-minded enough to pass it.

“Article 37 of the Constitution is about sexual equality, but many organic laws still flout it,” she said.

However, she quipped, if the amendment is approved over half the men in the country may end up being sued.

Feminist activist Supensri Pungkoksung of the Friends of Women Foundation said amending the law was not enough and costs should be abolished for women because many faced financial difficulties when they took their husbands to court.

Chatrarat Kaewmorakot,
Sucheera Pinijparakarn
The Nation

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 8 January 2006 :-

More trying to learn Chinese in Chiangrai : Business students see it a big plus to master the language

Story by Wassayos Ngamkham – CHIANG RAI

Increasing number of students in Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district are signing up for Chinese language courses being promoted by the state as an important communication medium for conducting trade with Chinese merchants. Ratree Saiwichai, 26, a Chinese language lecturer at the Chiang Saen Wittayakom School, said as trade with China was booming, Chinese is becoming a must for business students aspiring to master the language in the hope of bringing the acquired skills to assist their family businesses.

She said Chiang Rai's office of Education Zone 3 has introduced both at the Chiang Saen Wittayakom School and Ratchaprachanukroh School the curriculum of the Chinese language as an optional course for students of the Mathayom 2-6 levels and as a obligatory course for Mathayom 5 and 6 (Grade 11 and 12) students.

The two schools are located in the Mekong river's economic zone which has become a major trading point with mainland China.

She said currently there are only two state schools and a private school that offer Chinese language courses, which were not enough to meet the rising demand.

''Now our schools have more than 200 students majoring in Chinese, but most have a lot of hard work ahead of them to improve their skills. Only a few are expected to master the language and that too because they come from families who use the Chinese language to do business with Chinese people,'' Ms Ratree said.

Ms Ratree is also offering two special Chinese language courses to members of the general public.

The fee is 1,000 baht per person. Each is a 16-hour course.

She gave assurances that on completing the two courses, the students would be equipped with enough necessary skills to communicate with the Chinese.

''Most students in my crash courses are females who want to go into the shipping business as it has the brightest prospects in the region,'' she said.

Phanthip Chiwongwiang, 15, a Mathayom 3 (Grade 9) student at Chiang Saen Wittayakom School, who always scores top marks in the subject, said the population of Chinese immigrants was growing in Chiang Saen.

Her father is also working for a Chinese-owned trading company.

''I want to follow in my father's footsteps and set up my own business in future.

''I find the Chinese language much easier to learn than Thai. I can now communicate in Chinese fairly well,'' she said.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 8 January 2006 :-

No smoking in trains, hotel lobbies

The Ministry of Public Health is planning to enforce a law banning smoking by the end of January in all hotel lobbies, train and health service establishments including spa.

Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat said the move, which he hopes could be enforced by the end of this month, is part of the Ministry’s policy direction that emphasises disease prevention. The number one cause of death for Thailand at the moment is cancer, which kills 45,759 people a year, or five every hour. Smoking or second-hand smokers by inhaling cigarette fume constitute one major cause of death and there are currently 11.3 million smokers in Thailand.

Mr Pinij said he has just signed two ministerial orders on to designate more types of smoke-free areas and to increase the size and visibility of no-smoking signs.

Once announced in the Royal Gazette, these two orders will prohibit smoking in all hotel lobbies that are air-conditioned; all establishments that offer traditional medicine and health related services including spa, massage and beauty retreatment parlours. All train carriages will also be smoke-free. Prior to these orders, smoking is banned only in air-conditioned compartments. (TNA)

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 8 January 2006 :-

KARAOKE BARS IN CHIANG SAEN DECRIED : Residents call for action as seedy nightspots catering to Chinese traders spring up, threatening ancient cultural and historic values

Story by WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM – CHIANG RAI

Magnificent historic sites in Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district stand in stark contrast to seedy karaoke bars and massage parlours which cater to the needs of Chinese traders who arrive in the district town by the Mekong river. Chiang Saen, its port as a main gateway for Thai-Chinese trade, has become a red-light district serving crew members from Chinese cargo ships around the clock.

Niti Yaprasit is one of 200 villagers in a conservation group called Rak Chiang Saen formed to protect the ancient town's cultural, historic and religious heritage from being spoiled by nightlife businesses.

He said Chiang Saen was the cradle of Lanna culture and tradition. It used to be a port for trading with towns in the upper parts of the river. As a tourist attraction, Chiang Saen was known for its religious, historical sites and the unspoiled way of life of various ethnic peoples here.

The inner district has 80 temples, mostly deserted.

But there are 12 massage parlours standing side by side, and 10 small karaoke bars. Their customers are mostly crew members from Chinese cargo ships docking at Chiang Saen port.

''We fear our children will get used to all this, and embrace it as a normal part of life,'' said Mr Niti.

He urged the temples to play a more active role in persuading children to become moral citizens.

Mr Niti said some massage parlours were set up as a front for sex services for Chinese traders, and accused Chinese of spoiling Chiang Saen's culture.

''We can easily tell them apart from local people. The Chinese like to shout at each other on the street,'' he said.

Chinese were also involved in gambling and some managed to take a tour bus to sneak into Bangkok, which could lead to illegal immigration problems.

''I want the government to consider relocating the port in Chiang Saen and to review the construction of the second port in Ban Sob Kok, 10 kilometres away from town,'' said Mr Niti.

''Local people are working with agencies to develop Chiang Saen into a more pleasant place to live. The Culture Ministry should lend a hand,'' he said.

Many land plots in Chiang Saen were owned by Chinese businessmen, some taking control of longan farms by marrying local women.

Amporn Piyaphan, 49, a shopkeeper living on the Mekong river bank, said some Chinese had set up shop to compete with local shopkeepers for customers.

''They are always regular buyers of the goods and services of their compatriots, but rarely visit Thai-owned shops except for massage parlours,'' said Ms Amporn.

Patchareeya Kawilo, 38, owner of Tata karaoke bar, said her bar caters to the Chinese because they have more purchasing power than local people.

Jang Chiew Ying, a Chinese woman who runs a grilled beef restaurant, denied her business had snatched customers from local counterparts.

''It is normal that Chinese people prefer Chinese food to Thai food,'' she said.

As for the burgeoning massage parlours which have masseuses aged under 20, Pol Lt-Col Chak Onnim, deputy police chief of Chiang Saen district, said most operate legally. Boonsong Chuejedton, mayor of the Chiang Saen municipality, admitted Chiang Saen has too many massage parlours and said the Public Health Ministry has been urged to inspect them, as some may be a front for sex services.

Pol Lt-Col Preecha Suwannasorn, chief of the Chiang Saen Immigration Office, said no illegal entry problems had been reported as measures were in place to control the movement of crew members aboard Chinese cargo ships. Pipat Sarangern, chief of the district's Land Registration Office, said Chinese land owners are few in Chiang Saen. Most land transactions are conducted among Thai businessmen.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 8 January 2006 :-

KARAOKE BARS IN CHIANG SAEN DECRIED : Residents call for action as seedy nightspots catering to Chinese traders spring up, threatening ancient cultural and historic values

Story by WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM – CHIANG RAI

Magnificent historic sites in Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district stand in stark contrast to seedy karaoke bars and massage parlours which cater to the needs of Chinese traders who arrive in the district town by the Mekong river. Chiang Saen, its port as a main gateway for Thai-Chinese trade, has become a red-light district serving crew members from Chinese cargo ships around the clock.

Niti Yaprasit is one of 200 villagers in a conservation group called Rak Chiang Saen formed to protect the ancient town's cultural, historic and religious heritage from being spoiled by nightlife businesses.

He said Chiang Saen was the cradle of Lanna culture and tradition. It used to be a port for trading with towns in the upper parts of the river. As a tourist attraction, Chiang Saen was known for its religious, historical sites and the unspoiled way of life of various ethnic peoples here.

The inner district has 80 temples, mostly deserted.

But there are 12 massage parlours standing side by side, and 10 small karaoke bars. Their customers are mostly crew members from Chinese cargo ships docking at Chiang Saen port.

''We fear our children will get used to all this, and embrace it as a normal part of life,'' said Mr Niti.

He urged the temples to play a more active role in persuading children to become moral citizens.

Mr Niti said some massage parlours were set up as a front for sex services for Chinese traders, and accused Chinese of spoiling Chiang Saen's culture.

''We can easily tell them apart from local people. The Chinese like to shout at each other on the street,'' he said.

Chinese were also involved in gambling and some managed to take a tour bus to sneak into Bangkok, which could lead to illegal immigration problems.

''I want the government to consider relocating the port in Chiang Saen and to review the construction of the second port in Ban Sob Kok, 10 kilometres away from town,'' said Mr Niti.

''Local people are working with agencies to develop Chiang Saen into a more pleasant place to live. The Culture Ministry should lend a hand,'' he said.

Many land plots in Chiang Saen were owned by Chinese businessmen, some taking control of longan farms by marrying local women.

Amporn Piyaphan, 49, a shopkeeper living on the Mekong river bank, said some Chinese had set up shop to compete with local shopkeepers for customers.

''They are always regular buyers of the goods and services of their compatriots, but rarely visit Thai-owned shops except for massage parlours,'' said Ms Amporn.

Patchareeya Kawilo, 38, owner of Tata karaoke bar, said her bar caters to the Chinese because they have more purchasing power than local people.

Jang Chiew Ying, a Chinese woman who runs a grilled beef restaurant, denied her business had snatched customers from local counterparts.

''It is normal that Chinese people prefer Chinese food to Thai food,'' she said.

As for the burgeoning massage parlours which have masseuses aged under 20, Pol Lt-Col Chak Onnim, deputy police chief of Chiang Saen district, said most operate legally. Boonsong Chuejedton, mayor of the Chiang Saen municipality, admitted Chiang Saen has too many massage parlours and said the Public Health Ministry has been urged to inspect them, as some may be a front for sex services.

Pol Lt-Col Preecha Suwannasorn, chief of the Chiang Saen Immigration Office, said no illegal entry problems had been reported as measures were in place to control the movement of crew members aboard Chinese cargo ships. Pipat Sarangern, chief of the district's Land Registration Office, said Chinese land owners are few in Chiang Saen. Most land transactions are conducted among Thai businessmen.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Sunday 8 January 2006 :-

Smoking ban to be extended to cover hotel lobbies, trains, spas

The Public Health Ministry is going to extend smoking-free zone to hotel lobbies, Thai-medicine service places, health spas, and to all train compartments.

Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat Sunday disclosed that he expected the new rule to take effect before the end of this month.

"Smoking is a main cause of cancers that kill about five people each hour," Pinij said. He said his ministry intended to focus on disease prevention this year because many serious diseases were in fact preventable.

According to him, the country has 11.3 million smokers while some 52 million other people are non-smokers and should be protected from smoking fume.

Since 2002, the Public Health Ministry has issued the regulation that requires various types of places as smoking free. The smoking-free zone already covers buses, aircraft, elevators, public-telephone booths, air-conditioned shopping centres and department stores, school buses, public piers, air-conditioned restaurants and theatres, etc.

Pinij said the new rule would add hotel lobbies, Thai-medicine service places, health spas, beauty salons for health, massage parlours for health to the list.

"Also, we are going to make all train compartments smoking-free. Currently, the regulation bans smoking in air-conditioned train compartments only," he added.

Aside, Pinij said business owners would be allowed to design their own smoking-free logo based on basic requirements set by the ministry.

"Also, we will allow them to produce smaller signs. From the minimum of 10 centimetre diameter, we will allow the minimum of five-centimetre diameter," he said.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 9 January 2006 :-

4,000 new buses, shorter routes : Transfer ticket plan should cut congestion

By Amornrat Mahitthirook

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) will start revamping bus routes this month and deploy 4,000 new air-conditioned buses in a major exercise to provide Bangkok commuters with a more convenient and safer bus service. Opas Phetmunee, BMTA acting director said routes will be shortened from 35-40 kilometres to 20 kilometres each to form a web that will consist of inner, central and outer loops as well as routes to link the loops, the network of expressways and other mass transit services.

Nodes or bus terminals will be established to function as connecting points of the shortened routes to enable passengers to change buses at terminals without being repeatedly charged.

Terminals for the inner loop will be developed at Mor Chit 2, Victory Monument, Sanam Luang, Wong Wian Yai and Klong Toey.

Those for the central loop will be at Bang Khen, Happy Land, Bang Na, Keha Rama II, Bang Khae and Rama V, and those for the outer loop at Rangsit, Pakkret, Bang Buathong, Om Yai, Samut Sakhon, Paknam, Samrong, Suvarnabhumi and Min Buri.

The city bus state enterprise will acquire 4,000 air-conditioned buses to implement the re-routing scheme. It will deploy 592 buses in the inner loop, 768 in the central loop, 751 in the outer loop, 640 on expressways, 402 on circular routes and 847 on old routes.

Passengers will be charged a flat fare of 10 baht once and can change buses at will for one-way trips.

Mr Opas said that the re-routing plan will reduce the duplication of bus routes, thus cut the number of buses on streets and relieve traffic congestion.

Shortened routes will lead to safe service because drivers will not have to endure long routes. The conditions of new buses will also contribute to passenger safety.

The re-routing system will keep passengers waiting for only five minutes for a bus thanks to the shortened routes that will improve the frequencies of arriving buses.

Passenger convenience will also result from the freedom to change buses with the 10-baht flat fare and from re-routing because there will be new routes to reach suburbs and send commuters to electric train systems.

Electronic transfer ticket cards will be introduced to allow commuters to change buses smoothly.

As the new buses will be natural gas vehicles, the re-routing scheme will also be an environmentally-friendly project.

Mr Opas plans to try the re-routing system this month.

The BMTA supervises the service of almost 16,000 buses that operate on 430 routes. They consist of 3,623 buses of the BMTA as well as 3,485 ordinary buses, 1,113 minibuses, 2,179 small-street minibuses, and 5,512 passenger vans of concessionaires.

The BMTA has 4.9 billion baht in assets in the form of its own buses, land, garages and depots while suffering an annual loss of over five billion baht.

Along with the re-routing project, the BMTA plans to gradually replace its ailing 1,969 buses including ordinary buses that charge less than 10 baht with the new air-conditioned buses.

It plans to stop asking for a government subsidy of four to five billion baht a year to support its loss-making operation because it expects the re-routing system to make money.

To implement the re-routing scheme, the bus agency will require the government to pay about 8-12 billion baht to buy 2,000 air-conditioned buses or half the number designated for the new scheme.

The agency plans to gradually introduce the new buses on streets, with the first 500 to be deployed within eight months.

The new buses will have door sensors to prevent the mechanical doors from closing on passengers. They will also be equipped with global positioning system equipment to allow supervisors to manage the appropriate number of buses on duty on particular routes and monitor bus speeds.
The BMTA will let their concessionaires operate on the inner and central routes that do not duplicate its routes.

It will also open new routes on the outskirts of Bangkok for private operators. Suburban routes will also be assigned to its staff who may be interested in buying ailing buses from the BMTA and operating them.

The BMTA will encourage its staff to do the business because it will reduce its workforce through the introduction of the electronic ticket card system.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 9 January 2006 :-

Bus-only plan for luxury store area : Traffic worse since Siam Paragon opening

Traffic police in Pathumwan are planning to ban private vehicles on part of Rama I road between Pong Pra Ram and Ratchaprasong intersection to ease traffic congestion on the road, which is flanked by several popular luxury department stores. Pol Maj Phairat Pookcharoen, a traffic inspector at Pathumwan police station, said he would propose the plan to the Metropolitan Police Bureau for consideration. If approved, the area in question, including Charoen Phon, Pathumwan, Chaloem Phao to Ratchaprasong intersection, would only be accessible to public buses.

He said traffic police had been collecting traffic data since Dec 9, which marked the opening of the luxury Siam Paragon department store. It revealed that traffic had become heavier from noon until closing time, particularly at weekends and during public holidays.

During weekdays, traffic was not so heavy during the afternoon and evening, he said.

The Ratchaprasong area is a famous upmarket shopping district where the majority of customers drive to the malls in their own cars, rather than relying on public transport.

Pol Maj Phairat unveiled his plan after the road ground to a standstill on Saturday. The congestion was so bad Pathumwan police decided to close the area to private vehicles.

Pol Maj Phairat blamed the traffic chaos on cars queuing up to enter department store car parks.

Moreover, traffic police and staff working in department stores are forced to allow cars coming from Ratchaprasong intersection to make a right turn to enter Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery, cutting the traffic flow.

''This is because each department store has a limited parking area. Drivers have to keep driving in order to secure parking space for their vehicles in the malls.

This causes heavy congestion within the parking lots, making it hard for other vehicles to enter, and as a result the vehicles are stuck in a jam on the road,'' he said.

He said the proposed ''public bus lane'' would help considerably in easing traffic congestion in the area.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 9 January 2006 :-

Former communists get ID cards : Offer to help govt solve separatist strife

By Wassana Nanuam

Members of the former Communist Party of Malaya became Thai citizens after they received their Thai ID cards in Yala province yesterday, almost two decades after laying down their weapons and stopping their rebel movement against Malaysia. Yala Governor Boonyasit Suwannarat presented Thai ID cards to 253 members of the former communist party. They received smart ID cards embedded with microchips.

They are among 498 members of the former communist party who ended their fight against Malaysia, left their jungle battlefields and handed their weapons to the Thai government in 1987.

They live in Yala province and were given the status of aliens.

''I feel I was a Thai the very first day I came to live in the Piyamit village in Betong district of Yala almost 20 years ago because we took refuge on Thai soil.

''Although we were Malay, when we came to Thailand, we became Thai,'' said Herng-u sae Loo, 50, who used to lead a company of the former communist party.

He could sing the Thai national anthem clearly at the ID card presentation ceremony. In return, he promised to help the government solve violence in the far South.

''As a Thai, I am now ready to help solve problems, especially the unrest situation. If the government needs help from me, I am ready to do anything,'' he said. He also expects Malaysia to help Thailand end violent movements in the southern region.

''Malaysia already believes that we won't do anything against it because we have promised the Thai government that we have laid down our weapons and will stay away from politics. This proves Thailand's sincerity with Malaysia, so Malaysia should help Thailand solve the unrest,'' he said.

Yungfu sae Shai, 78, the former secretary-general of the communist party, said he too was keen to help the government handle the southern situation.

''The southern situation concerns us. We are ready to help by keeping an eye on border movements and promoting peace in the village,'' he said.

Another former communist member, Yuekfad sae Lin, 55, attributed southern violence to separatists, whom he and his colleagues do not know.

He said they were ready to supply information and clues if they found anything unusual.

''We are worried about everyday violence, especially in Yala. We always discuss how we can help.

''We are ready because we are Thai now and are supposed to take care of Thai soil,'' he said.

On Dec 24, 2002, cabinet endorsed Thai citizenship for the former communist members.

The process of nationality presentation together with the production of smart ID cards was not ready to start until Nov 9 last year.

Nationality and smart ID cards first went to the 253 people who live in Piyamit 1, 2, 3 and 4 villages in Betong and Bannang Sata districts.

The process is under way for the other 245 people now living in Chulabhorn Pattana 9, 10 and 11 villages in Than To and Betong districts.

The people who received their ID cards yesterday made a vow to be loyal to Thailand, Thai law and the royal institution and to help protect Thai sovereignty.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Monday 9 January 2006 :-

Home-stay haven in Chiangmai

With villagers’ cooperation in conserving the environment and promoting local culture, Mae Kampong village in Chiang Mai has become a renowned home-stay destination for both local and foreign tourists who help create Bt100,000 in monthly revenue.

Phrommin Phuangmala, president of the Mae Kampong home-stay business in Mae On district, said that the village accommodated about 300 tourists a month on average, 40 per cent of them Thais.

“They want to experience local life, and they come here to stay with villagers around the clock,” he said.

What interests the tourists most is the making of the local chewy snack called miang, which is a tradition of the villagers, who sell the product in the eight northern provinces. They still make it while earning additional income from the home-stay business, Phrommin said.

“We included miang-making as part of the home-stay package, and it has proved successful. We have been voted one of the top five home-stay villages in the North, and we are drawing a host of visitors from government agencies and private operators,” he said, attributing success to the harmonious integration of environmental preservation and cultural promotion.

Wasant Phongmanee, a tour-operator, noted that the villagers were friendly and foreign investors liked mingling with them, despite some communications problems.

“The foreign tourists are impressed with the unique identity of the village, especially the miang-making, which we hope encourages the villagers to keep it up,” he said.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 10 January 2006 :-

Online cross-culture romance buoys cafes : In their quest for love across the globe, some Thai women are willing to pay Bt20,000 a year for a translation service at an Internet cafe in Udon Thani in order to keep in touch with their foreign boyfriends.

Kingkaew Prajantrasen, owner of DK Translation Shop, one of many Net cafes in front of Udon Thani Rajabhat University, said many women were looking for foreign boyfriends but their English skills were poor and they needed translation help.

For non-regular customers, the shop charges Bt30-Bt40 per translation. Regular customers can take out membership for Bt20,000 a year to get help from the shop staff in writing a resume for online match-making services, replying to e-mails in English, getting information about visa applications as well as love problems, Kingkaew said.

“We function as a translator of letters between two people – we are not a match-maker,” she said, adding that most of her customers were women aged over 40 who were poor and had previously been married. “We choose customers who need foreign partners to take care of them, not those wanting to rip off foreigners,” she added.

Besides translations, the shop also assists the women with long-distance phone calls and even sends staff on dates – at Bt200 per time – with a couple when they meet in Udon Thani, Kingkaew said.

The value of the service is passed on by word of mouth after a client successfully finds a foreign boyfriend. The reasons why more Thai women were turning to foreign partners are that Thai men are womanisers, drink too much and are lazy, plus the women were also saddled with debts, while foreign men were looking for women to take care of them, she said.

“There are many whose wishes have been fulfilled and many who have been disappointed and fooled by foreigners,” she said.

A customer calling herself Duan, 41, said she had been talking to an Australian man over the Internet for over a month using the shop’s translation service.

“He’s warm, kind and caring. We’re planning to get to know each other for two years before going further. He said if I cannot stay with him abroad, we can stay in Thailand because he’s interested in doing business in Phang Nga or Phuket,” Duan, a widow, said.

And if the marriage does not go as expected? Duan said she could only pray that she meets a good man because she does not want to deceive anyone for money. “It’s not that I am looking for a foreign boyfriend because of money. I just want a good and simple life with a good companion. We have discussed it and he wants the same thing,” she said.

Somtam vendor Riem, 27, said she moved to Udon Thani over a month ago with her two children after her husband assaulted her.

She met a 50-year-old Australian man and after he went home, she went to the Internet shop to keep in touch via e-mail and long-distance phone calls.

She said she was reluctant to remarry if the man asks her to because of her previous painful experience. “It’s good that I ran away from a bad experience. I met a good person who wants to help me,” she added.


By Athittaya Wichitanurak & Poramet Saenubol
The Nation
UDON THANI

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 10 January 2006 :-

Mega-business centre planned

International bids will be called later this year for the development of a transport and business complex costing up to 300 billion baht on the 400-rai Makkasan workshop compound of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said yesterday. He said he has ordered the SRT to publicise the Makkasan Complex project internationally and call for tenders once the bidding for the 10 mass transit routes in Bangkok has been completed.

Mr Pongsak described the project as a mega-business centre and gateway to Suvarnabhumi airport through a special railway airport link.

He wants a single contractor to develop the complex, saying he believes that more contractors would lead to complications. The contractor will receive a concession to operate the complex for 30 years and the contract will be renewable for 30 more years.

Contractors will have freedom in designing the complex, which could include a department store, a hotel, an office building and a hospital, he said.

The SRT will select a bidder with financial stability who offers profit sharing and pays high rent for the land.

Mr Pongsak estimated the SRT should be able to earn at least 10 billion baht from the project which would help it to repay long-standing debts. A source at the SRT said that developers in some European countries were interested in the Makkasan Complex project and have already contacted the SRT for details.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 10 January 2006 :-

Chiang Mai's mass transit system a failure

A new city mass transit system in Chiang Mai has failed miserably as only an average of 3,000 people are using the service daily, causing Chiang Mai Municipality a monthly loss of more than one million baht. Chiang Mai mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn admitted yesterday that few people were using the services of the 26 city buses, offered by the municipality to relieve the growing traffic congestion and to replace the traditional red minibuses known as ''song taew.''

The new service, launched in May, needs to earn more than 100,000 baht a day in order to stay in business, but Mr Boonlert said so far it has earned only 50,000 baht a day.

On top of that the municipality is also required to pay daily compensation to 100 song taew drivers, who feared the new city buses would draw passengers away from them. The buses have so far run on only two routes. The service will later be extended to cover nine routes.

[U-Need]

BANGKOK (AP)--Hundreds of residents of a Thai resort island angrily protested the killing of a British tourist, with some waving wooden clubs as police escorted the two Thai suspects back to the scene of the crime on Tuesday.

Besieged by protesters, police were forced to cancel a planned reenactment of the murder of Katherine Horton, a 21-year-old student from Wales, whose battered body was found the morning of Jan. 2 by a jet skier in the Gulf of Thailand.

Two Thai fisherman confessed Monday to killing Horton, who was vacationing on the island of Koh Samui, and DNA tests indicate the suspects raped the victim, police said.

Under questioning, the fishermen told police they spotted Horton while she was walking alone on a beach talking on her cell phone. One of the men, Bualoi Posit, 23, told police he grabbed Horton's arms, while the other man, Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, confessed to hitting her several times with a stick before they raped her and then threw her body into the sea, police said.

The brutality of the crime has shocked this Southeast Asian nation, which makes billions of dollars a year from its tourism industry.

National police spokesman Lt. Gen. Ayiravid Subarnbhesaj said that residents and shop owners on Koh Samui "hate the suspects for causing severe damage to the reputation of the country."

Police had initially planned to reenact the crime Monday but were thwarted by a crowd of hundreds. Some protesters broke through a police barrier and began punching the suspects, said Ayiravid. A similar scene greeted police Tuesday morning.

"We had to cancel plans to reenact the crime for fear of violence," he said. Police want to stage a run-through of the crime to back up the suspects' confessions.

Police said that despite the DNA findings, Wichai denies having raped the victim.

If convicted of murder, the men could face the death penalty.

The arrests Monday followed an unusual public appeal last week by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to find the killers, saying that the slaying hurt the country's image and could damage its tourism industry, already suffering a downturn from last year's tsunami and the bird flu scare.

"I feel somewhat relieved that police have made the arrests," Thaksin told reporters Tuesday, calling for stern punishment if the men are found guilty. "I hope the family (of Horton) feels a little better, because we are doing our best."

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The Thai baht has considerably strengthened in the same direction with other regional currencies, particularly Japanese yen, boosted by an inflow of foreign capital, according to the Bank of Thailand (BOT).
Bandid Nijathaworn, BOT's Deputy Governor, said here on Monday that the Thai currency had appreciated since early this year because other regional currencies, especially the yen, had strengthened significantly.
As well, the appreciation has stemmed from the foreign capital inflow into the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) directly. He said the central bank would supervise the baht movements to ensure that the local currency is neither too volatile nor strong. He warned investors to be cautious about investing in the Thai stock market, saying he was uncertain whether the foreign capital had flown in the country in a short run. He said BOT would monitor the baht movements on a daily and monthly basis.

He conceded the central bank could not determine at which level the baht should stay. However, the local currency has strengthened less significantly than other regional currencies. SET President Kittirat Na Ranong said the strengthening of the Thai baht showed that the country had enjoyed a steady economic growth. He believed the baht would continue to appreciate in the long run. Under the scenario, there might be complaints by some exporters that prices of their export products are higher, he said. The baht on Monday closed at 39.78 to the US dollar, up 0.73 per cent from last Friday. The Japanese yen, South Korean won, Indonesian rupiah, and Singapore dollar strengthened by 1.77, 1.06, 1.16, and 0.75 per cent respectively.