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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand
- Thread starter Leongsam
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https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/A...=1&pub_date=20201110190000&seq_num=2&si=44594
Thailand's untouchable monarchy comes under unusual scrutiny
King Maha Vajiralongkorn talks of compromise but calls for reform unlikely to go away
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerNovember 10, 2020 06:47 JST
BANGKOK -- Early on Sunday morning, Arnon Nampa, 36, a human rights lawyer whose calls for reform of the monarchy date back over a decade, posted a long letter of rebuke to the king on social media from Chiang Mai, where he faces prosecution.
It was Arnon who punctured the royal cocoon in July when he broke a long-standing taboo by advocating reform of the once inviolable monarchy at a student rally. The call was amplified the following month in a 10-point reform agenda read out at Thammasat University.
The seemingly nonnegotiable message that has emerged from the rash of youth-led protests in recent months is that there cannot be meaningful political reform in Thailand until the monarchy - which its critics say is unaccountable and self-serving -- is brought back under the constitution.
King Vajiralongkorn's constant absence is a major issue. Since his accession in 2016, the king has continued to reside in Bavaria in southwestern Germany. His father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, did not leave Thailand at all after 1967, apart from a fleeting visit to Laos in 1994, and for many decades spent eight months of the year outside the capital moving between four provincial palaces. His son's visits home usually last less than 24 hours.
"He likes Germany because he can be free from ceremonies," Sulak Sivaraksa, 87, Thailand's leading social critic, told Nikkei Asia. Sulak had a 90-minute audience with the king in 2017, when they discussed the future of the monarchy.
The other two key demands of the protesters are that the military-drafted constitution be amended in consultation with representatives of the people, and that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the former army chief who seized power in 2014, resign along with his cabinet.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn receives a wilting red rose at a royalist rally -- red is the colour of the opposition, while yellow is a royal color. © Reuters
On Saturday, key pro-democracy groups Free Youth and Free People posted a message to the king on social media: "If your words, 'We love them all the same,' are true, you should accept letters from everyone, not just those in yellow shirts who shout loudly 'Long live the king.' Treat everyone the same."
Protesters were earlier told to write personal letters to the king. At about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, riot police halted over 10,000 of them with two water cannon blasts when they tried to deliver their messages. The protest was moving toward the Grand Palace and the Privy Council Chambers where a protest note to the king was delivered by student leaders on Sept. 19. Police later described using water cannons as a mistake.
A prepared statement was meanwhile issued online, and signed simply "People."
"This kingdom is a land of compromise and love, not of cruel power and brute force," it said. "The three demands from the people are the utmost compromise."
No officials were sent to receive the letters, and organizers described the protest as "symbolic" -- encouraging speculation that secret backchannel talks are already underway.
Organizers maintained that officials remain unresponsive. The letters were left behind in four red wheelie bin mailboxes that police said would not be forwarded to the king because protocols had been ignored.
Pro-democracy protesters flash trademark three-finger salutes as they pass a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Oct. 14. © Reuters
Sunday's protest started at nearby Democracy Monument, and followed a small royalist gathering there. "Let's gather at Democracy Monument on Nov. 8 to observe whether there's anyone who would insult the monarchy," one social media post read. The royalists sang the national anthem and dispersed, and a feared clash did not happen.
The letter campaign followed some rare public comments made by the king on Nov. 1, the night after a blue moon. The roads outside the Grand Palace were shimmering belts of gold as an estimated 8,000 royalists dressed in yellow waited for a chance to meet the king -- normally the most elusive man in his own kingdom.
The king had on an earlier occasion stepped away from his motorcade to mingle with ordinary royalists, and even posed for palace-approved selfies. The Thai press invariably maintain a respectful distance, but the king's relative accessibility has opened cracks. A smart foreign correspondent emerged from the crowd to perform a classic "doorstep" maneuver.
"Your majesty, these people love you, but what do you have to say to the protesters?" asked Jonathan Miller, a correspondent for Channel 4 News in the U.K. and U.S.-based CNN.
"I have no comment," the king initially responded looking somewhat bemused. But he rallied: "We love them all the same," he repeated three times.
"Is there any room for compromise, sir?" Miller asked.
"Thailand is the land of compromise," the king said, before moving away uncomfortably with Queen Suthida shouting back, "We also love you."
King Maha Vajiralongkorn supported by Queen Suthida as they mingle among royalists outside the Grand Royal Palace on Nov. 1. © Getty Images
The king returned to Thailand on Oct 10. for what was to have been a week to mark the fourth anniversary of his father's death. That would have been among his longest stays since his accession, but with the youth-led protests continuing, and Germany going into lockdown, his stay has been extended to the end of December -- providing rare opportunities to engage with him.
On Oct. 14, a royal motorcade carrying Queen Suthida and the king's fifth son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, 15, briefly encountered a protest march heading for Government House. The still unexplained close encounter was a justification for the elevated "serious" state of emergency declared on Oct. 15. -- Thailand has been ruled under a state of emergency since March to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Police used water cannons, tear gas and skin irritants the following day against peaceful demonstrators who were about to disperse -- an action that attracted widespread criticism.
There has also been a foreign twist. On Oct. 26, the German embassy was the scene of arguably the most serious diplomatic incident in Bangkok since Palestinian terrorists seized the Israeli embassy in 1971. A smaller group of royalists delivered a letter, followed a few hours later by students who read out a detailed communication in Thai, English, and German.
Among other matters, they wanted Berlin to investigate whether the king conducts Thai affairs of state on German soil, and whether he is liable for inheritance tax in Bavaria. As the embassy circulated a letter defending the right to peaceful demonstrations, and stuck resolutely to a middle path between the two groups, many were reminded that the king's desire to reside in Germany could exert some unusual external restraint on how the young protesters are handled.
"Germany is currently holding the presidency of the EU Council, and is thus in a key position," Felix Heiduk of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs told Nikkei.
On Oct. 31, the king boldly went ahead with a two-day graduation ceremony at Thammasat University, the very epicenter of recent student rebellion. Almost half of the 9,600 recent graduates opted not to receive their degrees from him -- foregoing a cherished rite of passage during the last reign. Throughout, the young protesters have stuck to their demand for royal reform.
The political ruckus has many reasons according to Kasit Piromya, 75. The retired foreign minister and former leading Yellow Shirt believes there is a chasm after the 70-year reign of King Bhumibol, and that military government has not delivered on its promise to tackle political corruption. The economic crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated everything.
The king has attracted public ire by his absence in Germany, transferring Crown Property Bureau assets to his own name, and placing himself in the military chain of command when he is already titular head of the armed forces. "The king cannot just fly in from Germany, do royal activities, and fly back," Kasit told Nikkei.
"These protesters are the generation that has been raised by their families to think outside the box," Kanokrat Lertchoosakul, an assistant professor at Chulalongkorn University specializing in student activism, told Nikkei. "They are not hesitant to argue or question."
Protesters flash three-finger salutes inspired by the Hunger Games films. © Reuters
But discussions stir tensions. "I tried to raise the debate about the monarchy's role when we were having lunch with my parents and grandmother," a 16-year-old protester nicknamed Noey told Nikkei. "At first, my parents were willing to talk, but we had to stop because the conversation made my grandmother uncomfortable."
Sulak thinks the youth unrest is justified. "This is the first time with not only college and university students but also schoolchildren," he told Nikkei. "They are very articulate, and what they say also makes sense."
On Nov. 4, over 20 protest leaders called a press conference at Sanam Luang to reiterate their three main policy planks. Student slogans reflect exasperation with the military interference in politics -- ostensibly in defense of the monarchy: "Down with feudalism! Long live democracy! End it in our generation!" they chant. Prayuth's coup in 2014 was the second this century, and the 13th since Thailand's absolute monarchy was notionally replaced by a constitutional variant in 1932.
There is also deep suspicion of the compliant judiciary. In February, the opposition Future Forward party won 16% of the vote with major support from first-time voters and young urbanites, making it the third largest party. It was dissolved by the constitutional Court for accepting a large loan from its former leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, 41, who was also barred from politics for 10 years. But youthful rebelliousness is unlikely to dissipate. Schoolchildren who participated in recent pro-democracy protests will vote in 2023, adding to the youthful reformers who voted for Future Forward in 2019.
Official efforts to reassert authority over the once relatively submissive majority Buddhist population have so far failed. More people came out on the streets after police first used water cannons. Attempts to shutter news organizations and social media sites have foundered. A court order to shut down VoiceTV was rescinded, while an anti-monarchy Facebook group, Royalists Marketplace, defied a shutdown order by slightly renaming itself. It rebounded with over two million members.
On Wednesday, Prayuth signed a motion to go before parliament regarding constitutional reform, which requires a national referendum. Paiboon Nititawan, deputy leader of the Palang Pracharat party in the ruling coalition, supported the idea of a referendum. "I believe that majority of Thai people would disagree with rallies that violate the monarchy," he said.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha looks on during a two-day special parliamentary session in late October that failed to resolve Thailand's political deadlock. © AP
"The youth calls for structural reforms are not possible because the elites cannot see the entrenched structural problems," Puangthong Pawkapan, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, told Nikkei. "Even if the elites do see them, they will not bring change to the system -- the stakes are too high."
Sulak has always argued that constructive criticism is the best way to protect and perpetuate the monarchy. "People already feel that the monarchy may not even survive," he said, "if the monarchy is not accountable, if there is no criticism and unless it benefits people."
"This is the bet of their life for the next 60 years," Kanokrat said of the protesters. "Changes have to take place. It is the time to hold serious discussion so that we can live together," she added.
Additional reporting by Marwaan Macan-Markar and Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat.
Thailand's untouchable monarchy comes under unusual scrutiny
King Maha Vajiralongkorn talks of compromise but calls for reform unlikely to go away
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerNovember 10, 2020 06:47 JST
BANGKOK -- Early on Sunday morning, Arnon Nampa, 36, a human rights lawyer whose calls for reform of the monarchy date back over a decade, posted a long letter of rebuke to the king on social media from Chiang Mai, where he faces prosecution.
It was Arnon who punctured the royal cocoon in July when he broke a long-standing taboo by advocating reform of the once inviolable monarchy at a student rally. The call was amplified the following month in a 10-point reform agenda read out at Thammasat University.
The seemingly nonnegotiable message that has emerged from the rash of youth-led protests in recent months is that there cannot be meaningful political reform in Thailand until the monarchy - which its critics say is unaccountable and self-serving -- is brought back under the constitution.
King Vajiralongkorn's constant absence is a major issue. Since his accession in 2016, the king has continued to reside in Bavaria in southwestern Germany. His father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, did not leave Thailand at all after 1967, apart from a fleeting visit to Laos in 1994, and for many decades spent eight months of the year outside the capital moving between four provincial palaces. His son's visits home usually last less than 24 hours.
"He likes Germany because he can be free from ceremonies," Sulak Sivaraksa, 87, Thailand's leading social critic, told Nikkei Asia. Sulak had a 90-minute audience with the king in 2017, when they discussed the future of the monarchy.
The other two key demands of the protesters are that the military-drafted constitution be amended in consultation with representatives of the people, and that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the former army chief who seized power in 2014, resign along with his cabinet.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn receives a wilting red rose at a royalist rally -- red is the colour of the opposition, while yellow is a royal color. © Reuters
On Saturday, key pro-democracy groups Free Youth and Free People posted a message to the king on social media: "If your words, 'We love them all the same,' are true, you should accept letters from everyone, not just those in yellow shirts who shout loudly 'Long live the king.' Treat everyone the same."
Protesters were earlier told to write personal letters to the king. At about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, riot police halted over 10,000 of them with two water cannon blasts when they tried to deliver their messages. The protest was moving toward the Grand Palace and the Privy Council Chambers where a protest note to the king was delivered by student leaders on Sept. 19. Police later described using water cannons as a mistake.
A prepared statement was meanwhile issued online, and signed simply "People."
"This kingdom is a land of compromise and love, not of cruel power and brute force," it said. "The three demands from the people are the utmost compromise."
No officials were sent to receive the letters, and organizers described the protest as "symbolic" -- encouraging speculation that secret backchannel talks are already underway.
Organizers maintained that officials remain unresponsive. The letters were left behind in four red wheelie bin mailboxes that police said would not be forwarded to the king because protocols had been ignored.
Pro-democracy protesters flash trademark three-finger salutes as they pass a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Oct. 14. © Reuters
Sunday's protest started at nearby Democracy Monument, and followed a small royalist gathering there. "Let's gather at Democracy Monument on Nov. 8 to observe whether there's anyone who would insult the monarchy," one social media post read. The royalists sang the national anthem and dispersed, and a feared clash did not happen.
The letter campaign followed some rare public comments made by the king on Nov. 1, the night after a blue moon. The roads outside the Grand Palace were shimmering belts of gold as an estimated 8,000 royalists dressed in yellow waited for a chance to meet the king -- normally the most elusive man in his own kingdom.
The king had on an earlier occasion stepped away from his motorcade to mingle with ordinary royalists, and even posed for palace-approved selfies. The Thai press invariably maintain a respectful distance, but the king's relative accessibility has opened cracks. A smart foreign correspondent emerged from the crowd to perform a classic "doorstep" maneuver.
"Your majesty, these people love you, but what do you have to say to the protesters?" asked Jonathan Miller, a correspondent for Channel 4 News in the U.K. and U.S.-based CNN.
"I have no comment," the king initially responded looking somewhat bemused. But he rallied: "We love them all the same," he repeated three times.
"Is there any room for compromise, sir?" Miller asked.
"Thailand is the land of compromise," the king said, before moving away uncomfortably with Queen Suthida shouting back, "We also love you."
King Maha Vajiralongkorn supported by Queen Suthida as they mingle among royalists outside the Grand Royal Palace on Nov. 1. © Getty Images
The king returned to Thailand on Oct 10. for what was to have been a week to mark the fourth anniversary of his father's death. That would have been among his longest stays since his accession, but with the youth-led protests continuing, and Germany going into lockdown, his stay has been extended to the end of December -- providing rare opportunities to engage with him.
On Oct. 14, a royal motorcade carrying Queen Suthida and the king's fifth son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, 15, briefly encountered a protest march heading for Government House. The still unexplained close encounter was a justification for the elevated "serious" state of emergency declared on Oct. 15. -- Thailand has been ruled under a state of emergency since March to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Police used water cannons, tear gas and skin irritants the following day against peaceful demonstrators who were about to disperse -- an action that attracted widespread criticism.
There has also been a foreign twist. On Oct. 26, the German embassy was the scene of arguably the most serious diplomatic incident in Bangkok since Palestinian terrorists seized the Israeli embassy in 1971. A smaller group of royalists delivered a letter, followed a few hours later by students who read out a detailed communication in Thai, English, and German.
Among other matters, they wanted Berlin to investigate whether the king conducts Thai affairs of state on German soil, and whether he is liable for inheritance tax in Bavaria. As the embassy circulated a letter defending the right to peaceful demonstrations, and stuck resolutely to a middle path between the two groups, many were reminded that the king's desire to reside in Germany could exert some unusual external restraint on how the young protesters are handled.
"Germany is currently holding the presidency of the EU Council, and is thus in a key position," Felix Heiduk of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs told Nikkei.
On Oct. 31, the king boldly went ahead with a two-day graduation ceremony at Thammasat University, the very epicenter of recent student rebellion. Almost half of the 9,600 recent graduates opted not to receive their degrees from him -- foregoing a cherished rite of passage during the last reign. Throughout, the young protesters have stuck to their demand for royal reform.
The political ruckus has many reasons according to Kasit Piromya, 75. The retired foreign minister and former leading Yellow Shirt believes there is a chasm after the 70-year reign of King Bhumibol, and that military government has not delivered on its promise to tackle political corruption. The economic crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated everything.
The king has attracted public ire by his absence in Germany, transferring Crown Property Bureau assets to his own name, and placing himself in the military chain of command when he is already titular head of the armed forces. "The king cannot just fly in from Germany, do royal activities, and fly back," Kasit told Nikkei.
"These protesters are the generation that has been raised by their families to think outside the box," Kanokrat Lertchoosakul, an assistant professor at Chulalongkorn University specializing in student activism, told Nikkei. "They are not hesitant to argue or question."
Protesters flash three-finger salutes inspired by the Hunger Games films. © Reuters
But discussions stir tensions. "I tried to raise the debate about the monarchy's role when we were having lunch with my parents and grandmother," a 16-year-old protester nicknamed Noey told Nikkei. "At first, my parents were willing to talk, but we had to stop because the conversation made my grandmother uncomfortable."
Sulak thinks the youth unrest is justified. "This is the first time with not only college and university students but also schoolchildren," he told Nikkei. "They are very articulate, and what they say also makes sense."
On Nov. 4, over 20 protest leaders called a press conference at Sanam Luang to reiterate their three main policy planks. Student slogans reflect exasperation with the military interference in politics -- ostensibly in defense of the monarchy: "Down with feudalism! Long live democracy! End it in our generation!" they chant. Prayuth's coup in 2014 was the second this century, and the 13th since Thailand's absolute monarchy was notionally replaced by a constitutional variant in 1932.
There is also deep suspicion of the compliant judiciary. In February, the opposition Future Forward party won 16% of the vote with major support from first-time voters and young urbanites, making it the third largest party. It was dissolved by the constitutional Court for accepting a large loan from its former leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, 41, who was also barred from politics for 10 years. But youthful rebelliousness is unlikely to dissipate. Schoolchildren who participated in recent pro-democracy protests will vote in 2023, adding to the youthful reformers who voted for Future Forward in 2019.
Official efforts to reassert authority over the once relatively submissive majority Buddhist population have so far failed. More people came out on the streets after police first used water cannons. Attempts to shutter news organizations and social media sites have foundered. A court order to shut down VoiceTV was rescinded, while an anti-monarchy Facebook group, Royalists Marketplace, defied a shutdown order by slightly renaming itself. It rebounded with over two million members.
On Wednesday, Prayuth signed a motion to go before parliament regarding constitutional reform, which requires a national referendum. Paiboon Nititawan, deputy leader of the Palang Pracharat party in the ruling coalition, supported the idea of a referendum. "I believe that majority of Thai people would disagree with rallies that violate the monarchy," he said.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha looks on during a two-day special parliamentary session in late October that failed to resolve Thailand's political deadlock. © AP
"The youth calls for structural reforms are not possible because the elites cannot see the entrenched structural problems," Puangthong Pawkapan, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, told Nikkei. "Even if the elites do see them, they will not bring change to the system -- the stakes are too high."
Sulak has always argued that constructive criticism is the best way to protect and perpetuate the monarchy. "People already feel that the monarchy may not even survive," he said, "if the monarchy is not accountable, if there is no criticism and unless it benefits people."
"This is the bet of their life for the next 60 years," Kanokrat said of the protesters. "Changes have to take place. It is the time to hold serious discussion so that we can live together," she added.
Additional reporting by Marwaan Macan-Markar and Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat.
FUTURE IN THE CARDS: THAI POLITICS REIMAGINED
IN TAROT SYMBOLISM
By
Khaosod English
-
November 10, 2020 4:33 pm
“2020” and “The Leader” cards. Images: Thai Political Tarot / Courtesy
BANGKOK — Flip over The Empress card – it’s a young female student protest leader. Wheel of Fortune becomes the replica of the missing 1932 revolution plaque. The High Priestess is a bald Buddhist nun. Three of Cups pays homage to an ‘alliance’ with activists in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Elements of the Thai political and social conflicts are being illustrated as tarot cards by a 29-year-old female artist on the Thai Political Tarot page – one of the thought-provoking and creative fanarts born in the student-led protests that gripped Thailand throughout 2020.
“I like both politics and tarot,” the artist, who goes by the pen name Summer Panadda, said in an interview. “ So when the protests started, I started thinking how many scenes in real life were like the story of tarot.”
“Tarot has elements from the experience of humanity, and I also think tarot makes the political situation easier to understand as well,” she said.
Summer drew the cards from the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana and reinterpreted them to fit the Thai context.
Nearly every issue that made the news in 2020 is covered, from the anti-government protests and the snail-pace investigation into Red Bull heir’s hit-and-run to kindergarten violence, fights for gender equality, and the viral “Milk Tea Alliance.”
“It’s a year where everyone’s eyes are being opened in all aspects,” Summer said, adding that some astrologers even approached her with a request to use her decks for tarot reading sessions.
The organic, crowdsourced nature of the pro-democracy movement is a ripe ground for memes, internet artworks, and other tributes created by online artists and netizens.
The last major demonstration took place on Sunday, when thousands of protesters marched to the Grand Palace to submit their petitions asking for monarchy reforms to His Majesty the King.
They were blocked en route, and riot police turned water cannons against the protesters close to their destination.
IN TAROT SYMBOLISM
By
Khaosod English
-
November 10, 2020 4:33 pm
“2020” and “The Leader” cards. Images: Thai Political Tarot / Courtesy
BANGKOK — Flip over The Empress card – it’s a young female student protest leader. Wheel of Fortune becomes the replica of the missing 1932 revolution plaque. The High Priestess is a bald Buddhist nun. Three of Cups pays homage to an ‘alliance’ with activists in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Elements of the Thai political and social conflicts are being illustrated as tarot cards by a 29-year-old female artist on the Thai Political Tarot page – one of the thought-provoking and creative fanarts born in the student-led protests that gripped Thailand throughout 2020.
“I like both politics and tarot,” the artist, who goes by the pen name Summer Panadda, said in an interview. “ So when the protests started, I started thinking how many scenes in real life were like the story of tarot.”
“Tarot has elements from the experience of humanity, and I also think tarot makes the political situation easier to understand as well,” she said.
Summer drew the cards from the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana and reinterpreted them to fit the Thai context.
Nearly every issue that made the news in 2020 is covered, from the anti-government protests and the snail-pace investigation into Red Bull heir’s hit-and-run to kindergarten violence, fights for gender equality, and the viral “Milk Tea Alliance.”
“It’s a year where everyone’s eyes are being opened in all aspects,” Summer said, adding that some astrologers even approached her with a request to use her decks for tarot reading sessions.
The organic, crowdsourced nature of the pro-democracy movement is a ripe ground for memes, internet artworks, and other tributes created by online artists and netizens.
The last major demonstration took place on Sunday, when thousands of protesters marched to the Grand Palace to submit their petitions asking for monarchy reforms to His Majesty the King.
They were blocked en route, and riot police turned water cannons against the protesters close to their destination.
Home sweet home?
The prime minister's future could rest on a ruling by the Constitutional Court next month on his continuing
to live in an army house despite having retired from the military.
Prayut awaits charter court ruling on his living in army residence
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 11 NOV 2020 AT 12:26
WRITER: WASSANA NANUAM AND ONLINE REPORTERS
The decision is scheduled for Dec 2, but the prime minister refuses to be drawn on the issue
"I am leaving that to the court," Gen Prayut said on Tuesday when asked about it.
The prime minister and his family reside in a house at the 1st Infantry Regiment, King's Guard, although he is no longer a member of the army's top brass, having retired after ending his career as army chief.
His use of the army residence was heavily criticised by the opposition bloc during the no-confidence debate in February. Pheu Thai Party leader Sompong Amornvivat later asked the court to rule on the constitutional legality of the prime minister continuing to stay there. He also has an official residence.
Pheu Thai's main point for the court to rule on is whether Gen Prayut has a conflict of interest in staying in an army house, having retired from the military in 2014 after leading the coup. The state still had to bear the cost of all his public utility bills.
After the court completed the inquiry process, it announced on Nov 4 that it would rule on the petition on Dec 2 as "the case has sufficient grounds for a ruling". (continues below)
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha arrives at the podium for a press conference after a cabinet meeting at Government House on Tuesday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
Gen Prayut may be forced to step down from office if the court rules in favour of the opposition petition.
The army has argued that the designation of the house where the prime minister lives was changed from an army welfare residence to a guesthouse in 2012.
It cited safety reasons for the prime minister needing to live behind the army barracks.
The prime minister's future could rest on a ruling by the Constitutional Court next month on his continuing
to live in an army house despite having retired from the military.
Prayut awaits charter court ruling on his living in army residence
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 11 NOV 2020 AT 12:26
WRITER: WASSANA NANUAM AND ONLINE REPORTERS
-
The exterior of the house owned by the 1st Infantry Regiment, King's Guard, where Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his family live. (Photo: Wassana Nanuam)
The decision is scheduled for Dec 2, but the prime minister refuses to be drawn on the issue
"I am leaving that to the court," Gen Prayut said on Tuesday when asked about it.
The prime minister and his family reside in a house at the 1st Infantry Regiment, King's Guard, although he is no longer a member of the army's top brass, having retired after ending his career as army chief.
His use of the army residence was heavily criticised by the opposition bloc during the no-confidence debate in February. Pheu Thai Party leader Sompong Amornvivat later asked the court to rule on the constitutional legality of the prime minister continuing to stay there. He also has an official residence.
Pheu Thai's main point for the court to rule on is whether Gen Prayut has a conflict of interest in staying in an army house, having retired from the military in 2014 after leading the coup. The state still had to bear the cost of all his public utility bills.
After the court completed the inquiry process, it announced on Nov 4 that it would rule on the petition on Dec 2 as "the case has sufficient grounds for a ruling". (continues below)
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha arrives at the podium for a press conference after a cabinet meeting at Government House on Tuesday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
Gen Prayut may be forced to step down from office if the court rules in favour of the opposition petition.
The army has argued that the designation of the house where the prime minister lives was changed from an army welfare residence to a guesthouse in 2012.
It cited safety reasons for the prime minister needing to live behind the army barracks.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-no-evidence-against-thailand-s-king-dpa-says
Germany Finds No Evidence Against Thailand’s King, DPA Says
By Randy Thanthong-Knight
November 11, 2020, 12:12 PM GMT+7
The German government has found no evidence that Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has done anything illegal while living there, the German Press Agency DPA said, citing a Foreign Ministry statement.
Vajiralongkorn has spent the majority of his time over the past several years in the European nation. In October, thousands of Thai protesters, who are demanding more accountability and transparency from the monarchy, submitted a letter to the German Embassy in Bangkok, asking the authorities to probe whether he has exercised royal authority during his time there in violation of the country’s law.
“The German government has no reliable evidence that the Thai king has taken any such decisions during his stay in Germany,” the Foreign Ministry said in a written answer to a parliamentary question. The ministry also said it expected Vajiralongkorn not to make decisions that “contravene the German legal system, international law or internationally guaranteed human rights” while on German soil.
For nearly four months, Thailand has seen an escalating pro-democracy protest movement that has called for the government’s resignation, a rewriting of the constitution, and reform of the monarchy -- the most powerful institution in the country. The protesters are breaking deeply entrenched taboos in Thailand, where insulting or criticizing top royals can lead to long jail sentences.
Demands for reforms in the monarchy include that the king no longer endorses coups and getting rid of laws that stifle discussion of the royal family. On Sunday, the protesters attempted to deliver letters they’d written asking for reform directly to the king. The police used high-pressure water cannons to disperse them before they could reach the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The king said recently that Thailand is a “land of compromise” and that he loved everyone “all the same.” So far, the government hasn’t been able to quell the protests, and the demonstrators have rejected the olive branch and vowed to continue their movement until all demands are met.
Germany Finds No Evidence Against Thailand’s King, DPA Says
By Randy Thanthong-Knight
November 11, 2020, 12:12 PM GMT+7
The German government has found no evidence that Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has done anything illegal while living there, the German Press Agency DPA said, citing a Foreign Ministry statement.
Vajiralongkorn has spent the majority of his time over the past several years in the European nation. In October, thousands of Thai protesters, who are demanding more accountability and transparency from the monarchy, submitted a letter to the German Embassy in Bangkok, asking the authorities to probe whether he has exercised royal authority during his time there in violation of the country’s law.
“The German government has no reliable evidence that the Thai king has taken any such decisions during his stay in Germany,” the Foreign Ministry said in a written answer to a parliamentary question. The ministry also said it expected Vajiralongkorn not to make decisions that “contravene the German legal system, international law or internationally guaranteed human rights” while on German soil.
For nearly four months, Thailand has seen an escalating pro-democracy protest movement that has called for the government’s resignation, a rewriting of the constitution, and reform of the monarchy -- the most powerful institution in the country. The protesters are breaking deeply entrenched taboos in Thailand, where insulting or criticizing top royals can lead to long jail sentences.
Demands for reforms in the monarchy include that the king no longer endorses coups and getting rid of laws that stifle discussion of the royal family. On Sunday, the protesters attempted to deliver letters they’d written asking for reform directly to the king. The police used high-pressure water cannons to disperse them before they could reach the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The king said recently that Thailand is a “land of compromise” and that he loved everyone “all the same.” So far, the government hasn’t been able to quell the protests, and the demonstrators have rejected the olive branch and vowed to continue their movement until all demands are met.
The pressure cooker that is Thailand
JOHANNA SONFILIPINA JOURNALIST
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 11 NOV 2020 AT 04:00
A homeless man loiters in front of Hua Lamphong railway station where he takes shelter as dusk falls. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Thailand finds itself in a pressure cooker these days, dealing with pre-Covid-19 economic weaknesses, the lack of longer-term responses to the economic and social crises from the pandemic, and uncertainty about how much longer people can hold on before falling into poverty, losing jobs or closing small businesses.
This is the picture of Thai society that emerged from a recent World Bank discussion on vulnerable populations in this middle-income country, one whose success in managing Covid-19 is well-known globally.
Less known, though, are pre-existing conditions in Thailand that weakened its immunity against shocks such as the pandemic, and threaten to reverse major development gains in a country whose poverty rate fell from 65.2% in 1988 to 8.4% in 2019.
Among these pre-Covid-19 conditions are high levels of household debt on top of savings rates that have been falling since 2007, the large number of people dependent on welfare cards and disturbing indicators on children's well-being.
In late 2019, the ratio of household debt to income was 148.8%, the highest since 2015, Bank of Thailand figures show. That makes for a household debt-to-GDP ratio of 79.1%, among the region's highest.
Since the welfare card scheme of cash transfers began in 2017, its coverage had grown to cover 71.5% of the poorest one-fifth of Thais as of 2019, World Bank data showed. Even before the pandemic, 35% of the heads of poor households were out of the labour force.
From 2015 to 2019, the percentage of children with stunting (13%), wasting (8%) as well as overweight (9%), had been rising, going by Unicef data. A total of 18% of upper secondary-aged children were out of school. Only 57% have basic reading skills and 51% basic numeracy skills, United Nations Children's Fund data show.
These chronic weaknesses have been around for at least the past five years, a period marked by economic and political changes and crises, including coups.
"Covid has caused problems for Thailand, but Thailand's economic problems preceded Covid. It's been the laggard in the region, and it's very much stuck in a middle-income trap," Patrick John Barron, World Bank adviser on fragility, conflict and violence, said at the Oct 27 discussion on vulnerable groups during Covid-19. "That suggests much larger structural issues in the country that need to be addressed."
Long-term roadmap needed
Development analysts have a shared prescription at this point: Thailand should unleash on the ailing economy the same systematic approach it has used to control Covid-19 infections.
"We are probably falling victim to our own [disease control] success story," said Somchai Jitsuchon, research director for inclusive development at the Thailand Development Research Institute. "We probably moved too close to the health issue, we should somehow move closer to the economic concerns as well," he said.
That the Thai government listened to public health experts is not in any doubt. But Mr Somchai says the government needs to have a long-term economic plan since Covid-19 will be around for some time -- and get a local public that is strongly against opening borders to buy into the idea of easing up on this to give the economy breathing room. "Now it is time to find a balance, how we should open, how much we should open," he explained.
Already, Mr Somchai said, Thailand's income inequality is rising. The graph he used at the World Bank event showed projections of its Gini coefficient, a measure of income distribution that was 36.4 in 2018, exceeding 50 in 2020.
Thailand's economy is expected to contract by 7.7% this year, the biggest in Southeast Asia. Of late, its growth figures have been going down too, from 4.2% in 2018 to 2.4% in 2019.
"Overall income levels had a shock and they're mostly not recovering [after the end of lockdown in May]. In some cases, they're getting worse,"
Thomas Parks, Asia Foundation chief for Thailand, said, citing results of a survey of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in manufacturing and tourism in June and September.
Only 8% of workers reported improvement in incomes since May. From March to May, individual incomes fell by 47% and those of informal workers -- which make up over half of workers -- dropped by 63%.
Twenty-three percent of tourism MSMEs and 21% of small-scale manufacturers surveyed by the Asia Foundation in June "have likely closed for good, or are on the verge of closing in September", Mr Parks added.
Surveys by Unicef in April to May confirm similar trends, including 90% of respondents reporting a fall in household income. Unicef specialist Tomoo Okubo added that 88% of households are in debt, and over a third reported having a lesser amount of food in each meal compared to pre-pandemic times.
What has worked in East Asia has been huge public spending to inject activity into economies at a scale that only states can do at this time, says World Bank country manager for Thailand Birgit Hansl. "It is something we would strongly advise the government to think about," she said.
"When we look at which countries we see recovering fast, it's China and Vietnam," she pointed out. "And it is because of public spending, massive public spending at this point, and massively in infrastructure, while [in] countries that have a lesser impact on public investment in infrastructure spending, including Thailand but also countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, we expect a much slower recovery."
Thailand's unprecedented pandemic relief package totals 2.2 billion baht. That makes up 12.9% of GDP, which the World Bank says is among the biggest in Southeast Asia.
But analysts identified problems such as people left out of the cash handouts for informal workers that ended in June, slow fund disbursement and banks' lukewarm reaction to the soft-loan package.
Mechanisms like the 400-billion-baht fund for economic revival are hobbled by a mismatch between the fund's aims and proposals sent in by state agencies, Mr Somchai said. Seventy to 80% of proposals "have nothing to do" [with restructuring]".
"The Thai government is still stuck with the idea of trying to solve day-to-day, short-term issues. They focus more on mitigation," said Mr Somchai. "There are many sectors that cannot be revived, cannot come back. (But) there's nothing on the table yet" as a medium and long-term economic roadmap, he added. Officials managing the health situation and the economy do not talk enough to each other, he said.
Public buy-in
As important as an economic plan is public acceptance of it, a crucial factor in Thailand's health response. Nearly a year since Thailand's first Covid-19 case, public sentiment is "inclined too much to the so-called zero domestic transmission", Mr Somchai said.
"The Thai economy is going to have to open up at some point. There will be more resistance against the state if the economy continues to do poorly," said Patrick John Barron, World Bank adviser on fragility, conflict and violence World Bank.
Mr Somchai suggests that the government step up tracking and testing capacity and allot funds to get vaccines in the future. Then, he says, it can assure Thais that there is a solid, safer system in place that allows more economic activity and open borders.
Poverty figures fell, but there are other worrisome poverty trends. Poverty rates in Thailand's poorest provinces, all located near its borders, are 49.1% in Mae Hong Son and 39.3% in Pattani. NESDC figures show. As of 2018, "most provinces had poverty rates that were higher than 2014", said World Bank senior economist Nadia Belhaj Hassine Belghith.
She adds that the decline in national poverty figures in 2017 and 2018 was actually not due to better wage incomes, but to income from state welfare assistance. From 2015 to 2017, poverty reduction reversed as market incomes fell, but "social assistance income buffers households", she said.
This means that Thailand's 8.4% poverty rate for 2019 would have been higher without welfare support, Ms Belghith explains. (She said 7.2% of the richest 20% of the population are on the welfare list too, reflecting "targeting problems" ).
Thailand's achievements in cutting the poverty rate thus "remain very fragile", Ms Belghith said. They rely on "public assistance rather than dynamic changes in terms of the economy", she added, stressing that Thailand's widening fiscal deficit (negative 2.3% in 2019 and seen to reach negative 4.1% this year) "questions the sustainability of the social assistance programmes".
"Yes, it is about balancing [health and economy], but it's also about prioritisation," said Ms Hansl, "and perhaps doing things a bit differently than in the past decades that worked very well in the past decades, but might not work at this time".
JOHANNA SONFILIPINA JOURNALIST
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 11 NOV 2020 AT 04:00
Thailand finds itself in a pressure cooker these days, dealing with pre-Covid-19 economic weaknesses, the lack of longer-term responses to the economic and social crises from the pandemic, and uncertainty about how much longer people can hold on before falling into poverty, losing jobs or closing small businesses.
This is the picture of Thai society that emerged from a recent World Bank discussion on vulnerable populations in this middle-income country, one whose success in managing Covid-19 is well-known globally.
Less known, though, are pre-existing conditions in Thailand that weakened its immunity against shocks such as the pandemic, and threaten to reverse major development gains in a country whose poverty rate fell from 65.2% in 1988 to 8.4% in 2019.
Among these pre-Covid-19 conditions are high levels of household debt on top of savings rates that have been falling since 2007, the large number of people dependent on welfare cards and disturbing indicators on children's well-being.
In late 2019, the ratio of household debt to income was 148.8%, the highest since 2015, Bank of Thailand figures show. That makes for a household debt-to-GDP ratio of 79.1%, among the region's highest.
Since the welfare card scheme of cash transfers began in 2017, its coverage had grown to cover 71.5% of the poorest one-fifth of Thais as of 2019, World Bank data showed. Even before the pandemic, 35% of the heads of poor households were out of the labour force.
From 2015 to 2019, the percentage of children with stunting (13%), wasting (8%) as well as overweight (9%), had been rising, going by Unicef data. A total of 18% of upper secondary-aged children were out of school. Only 57% have basic reading skills and 51% basic numeracy skills, United Nations Children's Fund data show.
These chronic weaknesses have been around for at least the past five years, a period marked by economic and political changes and crises, including coups.
"Covid has caused problems for Thailand, but Thailand's economic problems preceded Covid. It's been the laggard in the region, and it's very much stuck in a middle-income trap," Patrick John Barron, World Bank adviser on fragility, conflict and violence, said at the Oct 27 discussion on vulnerable groups during Covid-19. "That suggests much larger structural issues in the country that need to be addressed."
Long-term roadmap needed
Development analysts have a shared prescription at this point: Thailand should unleash on the ailing economy the same systematic approach it has used to control Covid-19 infections.
"We are probably falling victim to our own [disease control] success story," said Somchai Jitsuchon, research director for inclusive development at the Thailand Development Research Institute. "We probably moved too close to the health issue, we should somehow move closer to the economic concerns as well," he said.
That the Thai government listened to public health experts is not in any doubt. But Mr Somchai says the government needs to have a long-term economic plan since Covid-19 will be around for some time -- and get a local public that is strongly against opening borders to buy into the idea of easing up on this to give the economy breathing room. "Now it is time to find a balance, how we should open, how much we should open," he explained.
Already, Mr Somchai said, Thailand's income inequality is rising. The graph he used at the World Bank event showed projections of its Gini coefficient, a measure of income distribution that was 36.4 in 2018, exceeding 50 in 2020.
Thailand's economy is expected to contract by 7.7% this year, the biggest in Southeast Asia. Of late, its growth figures have been going down too, from 4.2% in 2018 to 2.4% in 2019.
"Overall income levels had a shock and they're mostly not recovering [after the end of lockdown in May]. In some cases, they're getting worse,"
Thomas Parks, Asia Foundation chief for Thailand, said, citing results of a survey of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in manufacturing and tourism in June and September.
Only 8% of workers reported improvement in incomes since May. From March to May, individual incomes fell by 47% and those of informal workers -- which make up over half of workers -- dropped by 63%.
Twenty-three percent of tourism MSMEs and 21% of small-scale manufacturers surveyed by the Asia Foundation in June "have likely closed for good, or are on the verge of closing in September", Mr Parks added.
Surveys by Unicef in April to May confirm similar trends, including 90% of respondents reporting a fall in household income. Unicef specialist Tomoo Okubo added that 88% of households are in debt, and over a third reported having a lesser amount of food in each meal compared to pre-pandemic times.
What has worked in East Asia has been huge public spending to inject activity into economies at a scale that only states can do at this time, says World Bank country manager for Thailand Birgit Hansl. "It is something we would strongly advise the government to think about," she said.
"When we look at which countries we see recovering fast, it's China and Vietnam," she pointed out. "And it is because of public spending, massive public spending at this point, and massively in infrastructure, while [in] countries that have a lesser impact on public investment in infrastructure spending, including Thailand but also countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, we expect a much slower recovery."
Thailand's unprecedented pandemic relief package totals 2.2 billion baht. That makes up 12.9% of GDP, which the World Bank says is among the biggest in Southeast Asia.
But analysts identified problems such as people left out of the cash handouts for informal workers that ended in June, slow fund disbursement and banks' lukewarm reaction to the soft-loan package.
Mechanisms like the 400-billion-baht fund for economic revival are hobbled by a mismatch between the fund's aims and proposals sent in by state agencies, Mr Somchai said. Seventy to 80% of proposals "have nothing to do" [with restructuring]".
"The Thai government is still stuck with the idea of trying to solve day-to-day, short-term issues. They focus more on mitigation," said Mr Somchai. "There are many sectors that cannot be revived, cannot come back. (But) there's nothing on the table yet" as a medium and long-term economic roadmap, he added. Officials managing the health situation and the economy do not talk enough to each other, he said.
Public buy-in
As important as an economic plan is public acceptance of it, a crucial factor in Thailand's health response. Nearly a year since Thailand's first Covid-19 case, public sentiment is "inclined too much to the so-called zero domestic transmission", Mr Somchai said.
"The Thai economy is going to have to open up at some point. There will be more resistance against the state if the economy continues to do poorly," said Patrick John Barron, World Bank adviser on fragility, conflict and violence World Bank.
Mr Somchai suggests that the government step up tracking and testing capacity and allot funds to get vaccines in the future. Then, he says, it can assure Thais that there is a solid, safer system in place that allows more economic activity and open borders.
Poverty figures fell, but there are other worrisome poverty trends. Poverty rates in Thailand's poorest provinces, all located near its borders, are 49.1% in Mae Hong Son and 39.3% in Pattani. NESDC figures show. As of 2018, "most provinces had poverty rates that were higher than 2014", said World Bank senior economist Nadia Belhaj Hassine Belghith.
She adds that the decline in national poverty figures in 2017 and 2018 was actually not due to better wage incomes, but to income from state welfare assistance. From 2015 to 2017, poverty reduction reversed as market incomes fell, but "social assistance income buffers households", she said.
This means that Thailand's 8.4% poverty rate for 2019 would have been higher without welfare support, Ms Belghith explains. (She said 7.2% of the richest 20% of the population are on the welfare list too, reflecting "targeting problems" ).
Thailand's achievements in cutting the poverty rate thus "remain very fragile", Ms Belghith said. They rely on "public assistance rather than dynamic changes in terms of the economy", she added, stressing that Thailand's widening fiscal deficit (negative 2.3% in 2019 and seen to reach negative 4.1% this year) "questions the sustainability of the social assistance programmes".
"Yes, it is about balancing [health and economy], but it's also about prioritisation," said Ms Hansl, "and perhaps doing things a bit differently than in the past decades that worked very well in the past decades, but might not work at this time".
Tom yam noodles from this ah pah (old aunty) stall in Bangkae bt30-35 today. Missed her generous bak mee kaew hang (dry, piset bt35-40).
Somethings don't change (in name of progress). She's a strong old lady, walks and lugs a trolley basket to/from market 1km away.
That useless son of hers just lepak2
Somethings don't change (in name of progress). She's a strong old lady, walks and lugs a trolley basket to/from market 1km away.
That useless son of hers just lepak2
41 per cent of Thais barely make ends meet: poll
National
Nov 14. 2020
By THE NATION
More than 41 per cent of Thais have no savings and are living pay cheque to pay cheque, a new poll shows.
Bangkok Poll by Bangkok University Research Centre on Saturday published a survey on “Thai people’s financial status in 2020”, saying that 41.1 per cent of respondents lived pay cheque to pay cheque and had no monthly savings, while 28.3 per cent said they had to borrow just to support their families. Some 17.6 per cent said they earned adequately, but their savings this year had been reduced.
The survey was conducted among 1,221 respondents from all regions of Thailand.
The majority of respondents (61.3 per cent) listed the reason for their reduced earning/savings as the soaring prices of consumer products, while 36.8 per cent said they had to pay mortgage for house or car, while 29.3 per cent said their businesses had seen fewer customers this year.
When asked how they coped with financial problems, 81.7 per cent said they had to become more thrifty and think before spending, while 55.7 per cent said they had to cut back on dining out and travelling, 22.7 per cent opted to seeking supplementary income, such as selling items online and becoming a delivery person.
When asked what expenses were still the top priority even in this economic situation, 80.8 per cent of respondents said utility bills (water, electricity, internet, telephone), followed by food (73.3 per cent) and educational expenses for their children (43.8 per cent).
National
Nov 14. 2020
By THE NATION
More than 41 per cent of Thais have no savings and are living pay cheque to pay cheque, a new poll shows.
Bangkok Poll by Bangkok University Research Centre on Saturday published a survey on “Thai people’s financial status in 2020”, saying that 41.1 per cent of respondents lived pay cheque to pay cheque and had no monthly savings, while 28.3 per cent said they had to borrow just to support their families. Some 17.6 per cent said they earned adequately, but their savings this year had been reduced.
The survey was conducted among 1,221 respondents from all regions of Thailand.
The majority of respondents (61.3 per cent) listed the reason for their reduced earning/savings as the soaring prices of consumer products, while 36.8 per cent said they had to pay mortgage for house or car, while 29.3 per cent said their businesses had seen fewer customers this year.
When asked how they coped with financial problems, 81.7 per cent said they had to become more thrifty and think before spending, while 55.7 per cent said they had to cut back on dining out and travelling, 22.7 per cent opted to seeking supplementary income, such as selling items online and becoming a delivery person.
When asked what expenses were still the top priority even in this economic situation, 80.8 per cent of respondents said utility bills (water, electricity, internet, telephone), followed by food (73.3 per cent) and educational expenses for their children (43.8 per cent).
Are you in Thailand now? Congratulations on getting in. Great if you can continue reporting before and after Covid effects. Thanks
Sawasdi. I'm still on remote (on my sights)
The was "live" via my close khun thai friend. Same as with the earlier post with restaurant singer Kate
Last edited:
Good luck with your future plans to enter the Kingdom then. Looking forward to read your adventures and thanks for posting all the news snippets.
Thai anti-government protesters scale Bangkok monument
A crowd of several thousand turned out for a carnival themed rally dubbed "Mob Fest" at the Democracy Monument. (Photo: AFP/Jack TAYLOR)
14 Nov 2020 06:55PM(Updated: 14 Nov 2020 10:36PM)
BANGKOK: Thai protesters scaled a Bangkok monument on Saturday (Nov 14) night to unfurl a giant banner scribbled with anti-government slogans and calls to reform the monarchy.
The country has for months seen massive student-led demonstrations calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Chan-o-cha who rose to power in a 2014 coup as well as a new constitution and changes to how the royal family operates.
A crowd of several thousand turned out for a carnival-themed rally dubbed "Mob Fest" at the Democracy Monument, a major intersection in Bangkok.
In the afternoon, high school students and other anti-government demonstrators wrote in marker pens and spray-painted messages on giant white sheets.
A person writes on poster during a rally to call for the ouster of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government and reforms in the monarchy in Bangkok, Thailand, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
"You have been stealing my bright future," one message said. "Democracy will win."
Bangkok graphic designer Pearl, 25, watched as a group of protesters used ladders to climb up the 3m-high central turret of the Democracy Monument, as musicians played a drum beat.
"This is a symbolic act of free speech," she told AFP.
People write on poster during a rally to call for the ouster of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government and reforms in the monarchy in Bangkok, Thailand on Nov 14, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)
Protesters sang a Thai version of Les Miserables' Do You Hear the People Sing? and the crowd raised their hands in three-finger salutes - a pop culture reference to the Hunger Games movies.
The crowd raised their hands in three-finger salutes - a pop culture reference to the Hunger Games movies. (Photo: AFP/Lillian SUWANRUMPHA)
Earlier they turned their backs and did the same gesture as the royal motorcade drove past.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were en route to open a new train line elsewhere in the city - with thousands of royalist supporters wearing yellow turning out to show support.
In the afternoon angry high school students calling themselves the Bad Student movement rallied outside the Thailand education ministry before marching to join the main rally.
They want Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan to resign and staged a fake funeral for him.
"He has failed to reform the education system so he is dead to us," Anna 15, told AFP, as she put flowers into a wooden coffin, next to a picture of the minister.
The students are calling for an overhaul of the school system, curriculum, strict rules, dress codes and standardised haircuts.
Thai authorities deployed 8,000 police to patrol Saturday's protest, which is expected to go until midnight.
Police used water cannon against demonstrators at a rally last Sunday. It was only the second time such tactics were used.
Source: AFP/gs/ic
A crowd of several thousand turned out for a carnival themed rally dubbed "Mob Fest" at the Democracy Monument. (Photo: AFP/Jack TAYLOR)
14 Nov 2020 06:55PM(Updated: 14 Nov 2020 10:36PM)
BANGKOK: Thai protesters scaled a Bangkok monument on Saturday (Nov 14) night to unfurl a giant banner scribbled with anti-government slogans and calls to reform the monarchy.
The country has for months seen massive student-led demonstrations calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Chan-o-cha who rose to power in a 2014 coup as well as a new constitution and changes to how the royal family operates.
A crowd of several thousand turned out for a carnival-themed rally dubbed "Mob Fest" at the Democracy Monument, a major intersection in Bangkok.
In the afternoon, high school students and other anti-government demonstrators wrote in marker pens and spray-painted messages on giant white sheets.
A person writes on poster during a rally to call for the ouster of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government and reforms in the monarchy in Bangkok, Thailand, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
"You have been stealing my bright future," one message said. "Democracy will win."
Bangkok graphic designer Pearl, 25, watched as a group of protesters used ladders to climb up the 3m-high central turret of the Democracy Monument, as musicians played a drum beat.
"This is a symbolic act of free speech," she told AFP.
People write on poster during a rally to call for the ouster of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government and reforms in the monarchy in Bangkok, Thailand on Nov 14, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)
Protesters sang a Thai version of Les Miserables' Do You Hear the People Sing? and the crowd raised their hands in three-finger salutes - a pop culture reference to the Hunger Games movies.
The crowd raised their hands in three-finger salutes - a pop culture reference to the Hunger Games movies. (Photo: AFP/Lillian SUWANRUMPHA)
Earlier they turned their backs and did the same gesture as the royal motorcade drove past.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were en route to open a new train line elsewhere in the city - with thousands of royalist supporters wearing yellow turning out to show support.
In the afternoon angry high school students calling themselves the Bad Student movement rallied outside the Thailand education ministry before marching to join the main rally.
They want Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan to resign and staged a fake funeral for him.
"He has failed to reform the education system so he is dead to us," Anna 15, told AFP, as she put flowers into a wooden coffin, next to a picture of the minister.
The students are calling for an overhaul of the school system, curriculum, strict rules, dress codes and standardised haircuts.
Thai authorities deployed 8,000 police to patrol Saturday's protest, which is expected to go until midnight.
Police used water cannon against demonstrators at a rally last Sunday. It was only the second time such tactics were used.
Source: AFP/gs/ic
Tear gas solution fired at protesters outside parliament
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 17 NOV 2020 AT 15:36
Demonstrators in protective gear take cover behind concrete barriers as riot police shoot water cannon to deter them from breaking through a barricade erected to block access to the parliament building, on Tuesday, in Dusit district of Bangkok. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Police on Tuesday deployed water cannon to fire tear gas solution at demonstrators trying to cut through razor wire erected outside parliament.
A group of demonstrators wearing helmets and other protective gear reached the line of concrete barriers and razor wire placed near Bang Krabue intersection in front of the parliament in Dusit district at about 2.30pm. They then attempted to cross the barricade, throwing smoke bombs and bags of paint towards rows of riot police on the other side.
Police used a water truck to fire salvos from water cannon in order to force them back.
After the brief confrontation ended, police tried to open negotiations with a representative of the approaching men, who were apparently acting as an advance guard for the demonstrators.
Pol Col Kissana Phathanacharoen, deputy police spokesman said police had warned demonstrators not to destroy the barricades. When they did not back off, police fired four rounds from water cannon.
The first two rounds consisted of plain water. When that failed to deter the demonstrators, he said, police then used the water cannon to fire a liquid that included tear gas solution.
Rally leaders earlier announced a plan to stay overnight at the parliament while waiting for MPs to accept for deliberation a proposed constitutional amendment drafted by civil group Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw). It was one of seven charter change drafts submitted to the parliament, with other drafts sponsored by government and opposition parties.
On Tuesday morning the parliament started its debate on a constitutional amendment. Lawmakers are expected to discuss the issue for two days before voting on whether to accept any of the proposed drafts for deliberation.
Demonstrators cut razor wire placed to block road access to the parliament in Dusit district of Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 17 NOV 2020 AT 15:36
Police on Tuesday deployed water cannon to fire tear gas solution at demonstrators trying to cut through razor wire erected outside parliament.
A group of demonstrators wearing helmets and other protective gear reached the line of concrete barriers and razor wire placed near Bang Krabue intersection in front of the parliament in Dusit district at about 2.30pm. They then attempted to cross the barricade, throwing smoke bombs and bags of paint towards rows of riot police on the other side.
Police used a water truck to fire salvos from water cannon in order to force them back.
After the brief confrontation ended, police tried to open negotiations with a representative of the approaching men, who were apparently acting as an advance guard for the demonstrators.
Pol Col Kissana Phathanacharoen, deputy police spokesman said police had warned demonstrators not to destroy the barricades. When they did not back off, police fired four rounds from water cannon.
The first two rounds consisted of plain water. When that failed to deter the demonstrators, he said, police then used the water cannon to fire a liquid that included tear gas solution.
Rally leaders earlier announced a plan to stay overnight at the parliament while waiting for MPs to accept for deliberation a proposed constitutional amendment drafted by civil group Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw). It was one of seven charter change drafts submitted to the parliament, with other drafts sponsored by government and opposition parties.
On Tuesday morning the parliament started its debate on a constitutional amendment. Lawmakers are expected to discuss the issue for two days before voting on whether to accept any of the proposed drafts for deliberation.
Demonstrators cut razor wire placed to block road access to the parliament in Dusit district of Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
ECONOMY SHRINKS 6.4% IN Q3,
GOV’T INKS DEAL TO BORROW FROM ADB
By
Xinhua News Agency
-
November 17, 2020 11:30 am
https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php...-6-4-in-q3-govt-inks-deal-to-borrow-from-adb/
V
Vendors at Lotus shopping center in Krabi province put up signs about their financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic on March 18, 2020.
BANGKOK (Xinhua) — Thailand’s economy improved in the third quarter after the government eased COVID-19 restrictions and then rolling out a series of stimulus measures, said Thailand’s economic planning agency on Monday.
Thai gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 6.4 percent in July-September from a year ago, recovering from the prior quarter’s revised 12.1 percent contraction at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said.
The council also raised its 2020 outlook for a contraction of 6.0 percent from the previous forecast of 7.3 percent to 7.8 percent.
The NESDC said it expects exports to fall 7.5 percent this year instead of 10 percent fall as earlier predicted.
All the economic indicators, except for tourism, improved in the third quarter, said Danucha Pichayanan, NESDC’s secretary-general on Monday’s press briefing, adding that his council forecasts a growth of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent in 2021.
However, he warned that the strong Thai baht currency, as well as high level of unemployment will remain obstacles for economic growth next year.
Danucha recommended that measures to accelerate economic rebound should focus on managing COVID-19 infection risks, helping the tourism sector, disbursing public spending, promoting private investment, as well as preparing mitigation for a pending drought season to come.
Loans to Revive Post-Virus Economy
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) inked an agreement on Monday for Thailand to secure a loan of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars to salvage an economy badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The 1.5 billion U.S. dollars loan was part of Thailand’s 1 trillion baht (33 billion U.S. dollars) emergency borrowing scheme to combat the impact of the pandemic,” said Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, after he signed the loan deal with Hideaki Iwasaki, ADB country director for Thailand.
The loan for the COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program will mainly focus on securing public health, compensation for those affected by the virus, and economic stimulus packages to revive the economy, said the finance minister.
Public Debt Management Office director-general Patricia Mongkhonvanit said that the Thai government had already made a loan of 338 billion baht (11.1 billion U.S. dollars) out of the proposed 1 trillion baht (33 billion U.S. dollars) loan.
GOV’T INKS DEAL TO BORROW FROM ADB
By
Xinhua News Agency
-
November 17, 2020 11:30 am
https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php...-6-4-in-q3-govt-inks-deal-to-borrow-from-adb/
VVendors at Lotus shopping center in Krabi province put up signs about their financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic on March 18, 2020.
BANGKOK (Xinhua) — Thailand’s economy improved in the third quarter after the government eased COVID-19 restrictions and then rolling out a series of stimulus measures, said Thailand’s economic planning agency on Monday.
Thai gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 6.4 percent in July-September from a year ago, recovering from the prior quarter’s revised 12.1 percent contraction at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said.
The council also raised its 2020 outlook for a contraction of 6.0 percent from the previous forecast of 7.3 percent to 7.8 percent.
The NESDC said it expects exports to fall 7.5 percent this year instead of 10 percent fall as earlier predicted.
All the economic indicators, except for tourism, improved in the third quarter, said Danucha Pichayanan, NESDC’s secretary-general on Monday’s press briefing, adding that his council forecasts a growth of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent in 2021.
However, he warned that the strong Thai baht currency, as well as high level of unemployment will remain obstacles for economic growth next year.
Danucha recommended that measures to accelerate economic rebound should focus on managing COVID-19 infection risks, helping the tourism sector, disbursing public spending, promoting private investment, as well as preparing mitigation for a pending drought season to come.
Loans to Revive Post-Virus Economy
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) inked an agreement on Monday for Thailand to secure a loan of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars to salvage an economy badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The 1.5 billion U.S. dollars loan was part of Thailand’s 1 trillion baht (33 billion U.S. dollars) emergency borrowing scheme to combat the impact of the pandemic,” said Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, after he signed the loan deal with Hideaki Iwasaki, ADB country director for Thailand.
The loan for the COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program will mainly focus on securing public health, compensation for those affected by the virus, and economic stimulus packages to revive the economy, said the finance minister.
Public Debt Management Office director-general Patricia Mongkhonvanit said that the Thai government had already made a loan of 338 billion baht (11.1 billion U.S. dollars) out of the proposed 1 trillion baht (33 billion U.S. dollars) loan.
Abortion in first 12 weeks to be allowed
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 17 NOV 2020 AT 18:06
WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS
If approved by the House of Representatives early next year, the bill will let such women have abortion if they “insist on terminating the pregnancies”.
The amendments also decriminalise doctors who perform an abortion if such conditions are met.
The bill amends two sections of the Criminal Code.
The new Section 301 allows women with pregnancies of not more than 12 weeks to get abortion. In the current version, abortion is not allowed in all cases.
The 12-week period is based on the opinions of the Medical Council of Thailand and the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which view it as the safest period with fewest risks, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said on Tuesday.
Moreover, penalties are also reduced for women getting abortion when the pregnancies are beyond that period by taking into account the pains they have already endured from the procedure.
Under the amended Section 301, any woman who has had a self-induced abortion or allowed others to do it for her shall be punished with not more than six months in prison and/or a fine not more than 10,000 baht, compared to a three-year jail term and/or a fine of not more than 60,000 baht in the current version.
The other section to be amended in the bill is Section 305, which lists the exceptions.
A clause will be added to allow any woman with a pregnancy not more than 12 weeks to get an abortion if she insists on terminating it.
The other exception added is when there is a high risk of serious fetal impairment.
The current clause only allows abortion in the event of medical conditions or risks to life for the women, or when the pregnancies are the result of rape, deceptions or coercion.
Earlier, the government instructed the Council of State to draft the amendment bill after the Constitutional Court had ruled in February the two sections were unconstitutional because they violate Section 28 of the charter, which endorses the rights to life and body.
The bill will be sent to the House and is expected to take effect before Feb 12 next year. The Constitutional Court wrote in its ruling that if the laws were not changed within 360 days, they will automatically be repealed because they were in breach of the constitution, Ms Rachada said.
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 17 NOV 2020 AT 18:06
WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS
-
(Bangkok Post file photo)
If approved by the House of Representatives early next year, the bill will let such women have abortion if they “insist on terminating the pregnancies”.
The amendments also decriminalise doctors who perform an abortion if such conditions are met.
The bill amends two sections of the Criminal Code.
The new Section 301 allows women with pregnancies of not more than 12 weeks to get abortion. In the current version, abortion is not allowed in all cases.
The 12-week period is based on the opinions of the Medical Council of Thailand and the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which view it as the safest period with fewest risks, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said on Tuesday.
Moreover, penalties are also reduced for women getting abortion when the pregnancies are beyond that period by taking into account the pains they have already endured from the procedure.
Under the amended Section 301, any woman who has had a self-induced abortion or allowed others to do it for her shall be punished with not more than six months in prison and/or a fine not more than 10,000 baht, compared to a three-year jail term and/or a fine of not more than 60,000 baht in the current version.
The other section to be amended in the bill is Section 305, which lists the exceptions.
A clause will be added to allow any woman with a pregnancy not more than 12 weeks to get an abortion if she insists on terminating it.
The other exception added is when there is a high risk of serious fetal impairment.
The current clause only allows abortion in the event of medical conditions or risks to life for the women, or when the pregnancies are the result of rape, deceptions or coercion.
Earlier, the government instructed the Council of State to draft the amendment bill after the Constitutional Court had ruled in February the two sections were unconstitutional because they violate Section 28 of the charter, which endorses the rights to life and body.
The bill will be sent to the House and is expected to take effect before Feb 12 next year. The Constitutional Court wrote in its ruling that if the laws were not changed within 360 days, they will automatically be repealed because they were in breach of the constitution, Ms Rachada said.
According to protest group
@FreeYOUTHth
the youngest protest injured by security forces is in elementary school. #ม็อบ17พฤศจิกา #รับทุกร่างคือทางออก
@FreeYOUTHth
the youngest protest injured by security forces is in elementary school. #ม็อบ17พฤศจิกา #รับทุกร่างคือทางออก
ROYALIST PROTESTER ARRESTED WITH GUN AFTER 6 SHOT AT RALLY
By
Khaosod English
-
November 18, 2020 5:00 pm
Rescue workers wheel an injured protester away from clashes between reformist protesters and hardline royalists at Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
BANGKOK — Police on Wednesday said a man was arrested on firearm charges for bringing a handgun and ammo to yesterday’s protest, where at least six people were shot by unidentified assailants.
The suspect was identified as Kasidit Leelamuktanun, 35. Police said Kasidit was arrested on Tuesday night, hours after gunshots were heard at the protest close to the parliament, which escalated into clashes between pro-monarchy hardliners and activists urging reforms of the monarchy.
Police reports said soldiers at an army base close to the protest site saw Kasidit trying to hide his firearm and bullets. He was soon apprehended with a .357 handgun and 10 rounds of ammunition.
Reformists and hardline royalists throw projectiles at each other close to Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
Kasidit reportedly told investigators he carried the firearm to the royalist rally on Tuesday because he was concerned about his safety. He was charged with illegal possession of firearms and carrying weapons into residential areas without reasonable causes.
Yesterday’s protest saw the most serious violence since the student-led demonstrations broke out in February. Police launched water cannons and teargas at protesters attempting to besiege the parliament building.
Pro-democracy activists also skirmished with the hardline royalists into the night at Kiakkai Intersection in absence of the police force. Loud bangs of gunshots and fireworks echoed throughout the area.
Reformist protesters scuffle with riot police at Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
At least 55 people were sent to hospital throughout the day, the city hall’s Erawan Medical Center reported. Many more were given first aid at the protest site.
Among the most alarming injuries were six people who were found with gunshot wounds, though none was in serious conditions.
Police denied any involvement; they said only teargas and water cannons were deployed on Tuesday, and no live ammunition was used on the protesters.
Reformist protesters and hardline royalists clash at Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
By
Khaosod English
-
November 18, 2020 5:00 pm
Rescue workers wheel an injured protester away from clashes between reformist protesters and hardline royalists at Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
BANGKOK — Police on Wednesday said a man was arrested on firearm charges for bringing a handgun and ammo to yesterday’s protest, where at least six people were shot by unidentified assailants.
The suspect was identified as Kasidit Leelamuktanun, 35. Police said Kasidit was arrested on Tuesday night, hours after gunshots were heard at the protest close to the parliament, which escalated into clashes between pro-monarchy hardliners and activists urging reforms of the monarchy.
Police reports said soldiers at an army base close to the protest site saw Kasidit trying to hide his firearm and bullets. He was soon apprehended with a .357 handgun and 10 rounds of ammunition.
Reformists and hardline royalists throw projectiles at each other close to Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
Kasidit reportedly told investigators he carried the firearm to the royalist rally on Tuesday because he was concerned about his safety. He was charged with illegal possession of firearms and carrying weapons into residential areas without reasonable causes.
Yesterday’s protest saw the most serious violence since the student-led demonstrations broke out in February. Police launched water cannons and teargas at protesters attempting to besiege the parliament building.
Pro-democracy activists also skirmished with the hardline royalists into the night at Kiakkai Intersection in absence of the police force. Loud bangs of gunshots and fireworks echoed throughout the area.
Reformist protesters scuffle with riot police at Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
At least 55 people were sent to hospital throughout the day, the city hall’s Erawan Medical Center reported. Many more were given first aid at the protest site.
Among the most alarming injuries were six people who were found with gunshot wounds, though none was in serious conditions.
Police denied any involvement; they said only teargas and water cannons were deployed on Tuesday, and no live ammunition was used on the protesters.
Reformist protesters and hardline royalists clash at Kiakkai Intersection on Nov. 17, 2020.
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