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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand
- Thread starter Leongsam
- Start date
SRT signs 5 projects worth B40bn
Bangkok-Korat route to open in 2025
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 27 NOV 2020 AT 05:00
Heavy machinery is deployed at a construction site in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima, for work on the high-speed train project's first phase in 2018. (File photo)
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Thursday signed five more contracts, worth about 40 billion baht, for work on the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat).
Chayatham Phromsorn, permanent secretary for transport, presided over the signing of the contracts at the Transport Ministry for the Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed train development.
They were part of the first stage of the project from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima.
The contracts on construction work, covering a distance of 101 kilometres, will take 1,080 days to complete.
The first, worth 4.2 billion baht, is for a tunnel between Muak Lek-Lam Takhong covering a distance of 12.2km. Navarat Pattanakarn Plc was awarded the contract.
The second is for construction work between Bandaima-Lam Takhong, covering a distance of 26.1km and costing 9.8 billion baht. Thai Engineer and Industry Co was the contractor.
The third, worth 7.79 billion baht, is for construction work between Lam Takhong and Sikhiu; and Kudjik and Khok Kruad, with a combined distance of about 37.5km. The contract was awarded to Italian-Thai Development Plc.
The fourth, worth 7.7 billion baht, is for construction between Khok Kruad and Nakhon Ratchasima, with a distance of 12.4km. SPTK Joint Venture Co won the contract.
The fifth, worth 8.5 billion baht, is for construction between Saraburi and Kaeng Khoi covering a distance of 13km. Civil Engineering Plc was the contractor.
The project's first phase, a 253km stretch from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, is part of the Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed railway project, which covers a distance of 608km.
There are a total of 14 contracts involved in the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima rail route, worth 179 billion baht. The route is due to open in 2025.
In a separate development on Thursday, a construction company petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) about alleged irregularities in rewarding the project to another contestant.
Chaithas Tunghirun, representative of ITD-CREC NO.10 JV, said the company won the price bidding for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed train for Contract 3-1 covering 30.2km kilometres according to an SRT announcement on Sept 15 this year.
However, another contender, which was the only one that was considered by the SRT as being under-qualified, petitioned the Comptroller General's Department.
The department on Oct 21 replied that it disagreed with the SRT in disqualifying the company.
His company now wanted the NACC to examine the decisions.
Bangkok-Korat route to open in 2025
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 27 NOV 2020 AT 05:00
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Thursday signed five more contracts, worth about 40 billion baht, for work on the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat).
Chayatham Phromsorn, permanent secretary for transport, presided over the signing of the contracts at the Transport Ministry for the Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed train development.
They were part of the first stage of the project from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima.
The contracts on construction work, covering a distance of 101 kilometres, will take 1,080 days to complete.
The first, worth 4.2 billion baht, is for a tunnel between Muak Lek-Lam Takhong covering a distance of 12.2km. Navarat Pattanakarn Plc was awarded the contract.
The second is for construction work between Bandaima-Lam Takhong, covering a distance of 26.1km and costing 9.8 billion baht. Thai Engineer and Industry Co was the contractor.
The third, worth 7.79 billion baht, is for construction work between Lam Takhong and Sikhiu; and Kudjik and Khok Kruad, with a combined distance of about 37.5km. The contract was awarded to Italian-Thai Development Plc.
The fourth, worth 7.7 billion baht, is for construction between Khok Kruad and Nakhon Ratchasima, with a distance of 12.4km. SPTK Joint Venture Co won the contract.
The fifth, worth 8.5 billion baht, is for construction between Saraburi and Kaeng Khoi covering a distance of 13km. Civil Engineering Plc was the contractor.
The project's first phase, a 253km stretch from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, is part of the Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed railway project, which covers a distance of 608km.
There are a total of 14 contracts involved in the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima rail route, worth 179 billion baht. The route is due to open in 2025.
In a separate development on Thursday, a construction company petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) about alleged irregularities in rewarding the project to another contestant.
Chaithas Tunghirun, representative of ITD-CREC NO.10 JV, said the company won the price bidding for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed train for Contract 3-1 covering 30.2km kilometres according to an SRT announcement on Sept 15 this year.
However, another contender, which was the only one that was considered by the SRT as being under-qualified, petitioned the Comptroller General's Department.
The department on Oct 21 replied that it disagreed with the SRT in disqualifying the company.
His company now wanted the NACC to examine the decisions.
Can't wait to visit Thailand next year (well it's supposed to be this November but Covid is such an ungrateful *&^&). See you soon!
Change is in the hair: Thai royalist turns rebel
Mr Mitree's latest hairstyle shows the Hunger Games salute of the pro-democracy protesters.PHOTO: REUTERS
BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Mr Mitree Chitinunda was such a devoted Thai royalist that he had the King's portrait cut into his hair last year, but politics - like fashion and hairstyles - is changing in Thailand.
Mr Mitree's latest hairstyle shows the Hunger Games salute of the pro-democracy protesters who are demanding reforms to curb the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in addition to a new prime minister and new Constitution.
"I support all of the three demands," said Mr Mitree, 48, who regularly joins the protests.
"The protests happened because people had enough," he told Reuters.
"If we don't get real democracy, we will not stop and I will continue to support and come to protest."
Mr Mitree's change of heart reflects the dramatic transformation in a country where reverence for the monarch is obligatory under the Constitution, but tens of thousands of people have joined protests to demand royal reforms.
The government and royalist groups say loyalists remain in the majority, but there are no accurate opinion polls and protests that began in July have shown the strength of demands for change.
At first, youth protests sought only to remove Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former junta leader, but then broke taboos by calling for changes to the palace.
Protesters say they do not seek to end the monarchy, but to make the King accountable under the Constitution, to reverse moves that gave the King greater powers and to reduce palace spending.
"The King is spending people's tax in the wrong way. That's why we need to reform the monarchy, but it doesn't mean getting rid of the institution because we all love the King," Mr Mitree said.
Asked about the protesters recently, the King said they were loved "all the same".
The palace itself has made no comment.
Mr Mitree, a radiologist, had been a passionate royalist for decades, growing up in a country where the monarchy is promoted from schools to television to the giant portraits on streets.
But he said his mind was changed when he found out more.
"I have received a lot of information via the Internet, television or YouTube channels and weighed whether it's true and it turns out it's true," he said.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Protesters challenge Thai King's military command
Thai protesters move to Bangkok suburbs with a duck parade
Mr Warong Dechgitvigrom, leader of royalist group Thai Pakdee, said some people were being misled by social media, but he believes most Thais support the monarchy.
"I'm not worried about people who are changing sides that much because I believe 80-90 per cent of information on social media is fake," he said.
Mr Mitree is known for his novelty haircuts, which he says help to put patients at ease.
The three-fingered salute of the protesters is on the back of his head while a peace symbol is on the left and dove on the right.
"I have to be a bit more careful wherever I'm going because some ultra-royalist people are ignorant, they don't accept the truth," he said.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Thai protesters move to Bangkok suburbs with a duck parade
Thai protesters target would-be coup makers as rumours swirl
Mr Mitree's latest hairstyle shows the Hunger Games salute of the pro-democracy protesters.PHOTO: REUTERS
- Reuters PUBLISHED
2 HOURS AGO
BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Mr Mitree Chitinunda was such a devoted Thai royalist that he had the King's portrait cut into his hair last year, but politics - like fashion and hairstyles - is changing in Thailand.
Mr Mitree's latest hairstyle shows the Hunger Games salute of the pro-democracy protesters who are demanding reforms to curb the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in addition to a new prime minister and new Constitution.
"I support all of the three demands," said Mr Mitree, 48, who regularly joins the protests.
"The protests happened because people had enough," he told Reuters.
"If we don't get real democracy, we will not stop and I will continue to support and come to protest."
Mr Mitree's change of heart reflects the dramatic transformation in a country where reverence for the monarch is obligatory under the Constitution, but tens of thousands of people have joined protests to demand royal reforms.
The government and royalist groups say loyalists remain in the majority, but there are no accurate opinion polls and protests that began in July have shown the strength of demands for change.
At first, youth protests sought only to remove Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former junta leader, but then broke taboos by calling for changes to the palace.
Protesters say they do not seek to end the monarchy, but to make the King accountable under the Constitution, to reverse moves that gave the King greater powers and to reduce palace spending.
"The King is spending people's tax in the wrong way. That's why we need to reform the monarchy, but it doesn't mean getting rid of the institution because we all love the King," Mr Mitree said.
Asked about the protesters recently, the King said they were loved "all the same".
The palace itself has made no comment.
Mr Mitree, a radiologist, had been a passionate royalist for decades, growing up in a country where the monarchy is promoted from schools to television to the giant portraits on streets.
But he said his mind was changed when he found out more.
"I have received a lot of information via the Internet, television or YouTube channels and weighed whether it's true and it turns out it's true," he said.
Protesters challenge Thai King's military command
Thai protesters move to Bangkok suburbs with a duck parade
Mr Warong Dechgitvigrom, leader of royalist group Thai Pakdee, said some people were being misled by social media, but he believes most Thais support the monarchy.
"I'm not worried about people who are changing sides that much because I believe 80-90 per cent of information on social media is fake," he said.
Mr Mitree is known for his novelty haircuts, which he says help to put patients at ease.
The three-fingered salute of the protesters is on the back of his head while a peace symbol is on the left and dove on the right.
"I have to be a bit more careful wherever I'm going because some ultra-royalist people are ignorant, they don't accept the truth," he said.
Thai protesters move to Bangkok suburbs with a duck parade
Thai protesters target would-be coup makers as rumours swirl
Anti-govt rallies at Lat Phrao, charter court Wednesday
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 1 DEC 2020 AT 17:29
Demonstrators pack Lat Phrao intersection in Chatuchak district, Bangkok, last Friday. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)
Another anti-government rally is planned at Lat Phrao intersection in Chatuchak district on Wednesday, when the Constitutional Court will rule on the legality of the prime minister living in an army house.
The Facebook page of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration on Tuesday invited supporters to gather at Lat Phrao intersection at 4pm on Wednesday. Demonstrators packed the Phrao intersection in Chatuchak district last Friday.
A separate rally is planned outside the court on Chaeng Wattana Road. The court is in the government complex.
The Constitutional Court will on Wednesday deliver its decision on the legality of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s continued occupancy of an army residence since his retirement from the military.
Early this year, the opposition petitioned the court for a ruling, accusing Gen Prayut of conflict of interest by continuing to occupy an army residence in Bangkok since his retirement from the military.
The prime minister and his family reside in a house at the 1st Infantry Regiment, King’s Guard, barracks on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
After leading the coup that toppled the Pheu Thai-led administration on May 22, 2014, Gen Prayut retired as army commander-in-chief on Sept 30, 2014.
A ruling against the prime minister would spell the end of his premiership, and also end the term of his current cabinet.
The Ratsadorn protest group, the People's Movement, has announced a rally outside the Constitutional Court on Wednesday afternoon.
Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said on Tuesday that any demonstration in the court grounds would be illegal.
Three companies of police, behind barricades, would guard the Constitutional Court on Wednesday, he said.
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 1 DEC 2020 AT 17:29
Another anti-government rally is planned at Lat Phrao intersection in Chatuchak district on Wednesday, when the Constitutional Court will rule on the legality of the prime minister living in an army house.
The Facebook page of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration on Tuesday invited supporters to gather at Lat Phrao intersection at 4pm on Wednesday. Demonstrators packed the Phrao intersection in Chatuchak district last Friday.
A separate rally is planned outside the court on Chaeng Wattana Road. The court is in the government complex.
The Constitutional Court will on Wednesday deliver its decision on the legality of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s continued occupancy of an army residence since his retirement from the military.
Early this year, the opposition petitioned the court for a ruling, accusing Gen Prayut of conflict of interest by continuing to occupy an army residence in Bangkok since his retirement from the military.
The prime minister and his family reside in a house at the 1st Infantry Regiment, King’s Guard, barracks on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
After leading the coup that toppled the Pheu Thai-led administration on May 22, 2014, Gen Prayut retired as army commander-in-chief on Sept 30, 2014.
A ruling against the prime minister would spell the end of his premiership, and also end the term of his current cabinet.
The Ratsadorn protest group, the People's Movement, has announced a rally outside the Constitutional Court on Wednesday afternoon.
Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said on Tuesday that any demonstration in the court grounds would be illegal.
Three companies of police, behind barricades, would guard the Constitutional Court on Wednesday, he said.
Quick-thinking wife manages to save her husband from wild elephant attack
National
Dec 01. 2020
By The Nation
A woman’s spontaneous reaction saved a rubber tapper in Bueng Kan province from being killed by a wild elephant late on Sunday.
The woman managed to drive way the elephant by screaming and banging together objects before the animal could stomp her husband, Supat Klonsalab, 33, to death.
Supat is currently being treated in hospital for injuries that are not too severe.
His wife Primanee Chairat, 37, told reporters that the pachyderm took her husband by surprise, adding that the area was not an elephant habitat.
She said when she found the elephant stomping on her husband, she quickly grabbed some objects and banged them together to make a noise and scare the animal way.
Taweep Khamphaengmuang, chief of Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary, offered the couple gifts and some funds to cover Supat’s medical bill.
He also apologised for the accident and said elephants sometimes ventured out of the sanctuary to find food. He said people should place bright lights around the perimeter of their property or burn chillies to drive them away.
National
Dec 01. 2020
By The Nation
A woman’s spontaneous reaction saved a rubber tapper in Bueng Kan province from being killed by a wild elephant late on Sunday.
The woman managed to drive way the elephant by screaming and banging together objects before the animal could stomp her husband, Supat Klonsalab, 33, to death.
Supat is currently being treated in hospital for injuries that are not too severe.
His wife Primanee Chairat, 37, told reporters that the pachyderm took her husband by surprise, adding that the area was not an elephant habitat.
She said when she found the elephant stomping on her husband, she quickly grabbed some objects and banged them together to make a noise and scare the animal way.
Taweep Khamphaengmuang, chief of Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary, offered the couple gifts and some funds to cover Supat’s medical bill.
He also apologised for the accident and said elephants sometimes ventured out of the sanctuary to find food. He said people should place bright lights around the perimeter of their property or burn chillies to drive them away.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Fo...4&pub_date=20201202090000&seq_num=19&si=44594
Japan's sushi chain Sushiro going to Thailand and China in 2021
With population at home aging, group bets on Asia for further growth
A Sushiro restaurant in Tokyo. The chain will slightly decrease the number of its shops in Japan but open many more abroad. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
NANA SHIBATA, Nikkei staff writerNovember 29, 2020 09:30 JST
TOKYO -- Japan's Sushiro Global Holdings, operator of sushi chain Sushiro, will enter Thailand and China next year, betting on Asian markets abroad for further growth as its home market faces a rapidly aging population.
Japan's leading conveyor-belt sushi chain, to be renamed Food & Life Cos. in April, is planning to open its first restaurant in Bangkok next spring. The move is part of the company's strategy to increase overseas sales to about 10% of total sales in fiscal 2021, through next September, from around 0.1% in fiscal 2018. Sushiro plans to open 24 to 28 restaurants overseas in fiscal 2021, up from 20 in 2020, while new eateries in Japan will decrease by three to five.
The Thai opening will be followed by entering the Chinese market. Sushiro will set up its Chinese business unit by December and plans to open one restaurant by next September.
The chain will join other Japanese sushi shops vying for a piece of the lucrative Chinese market, such as Kura Sushi. Although due to the COVID-19 outbreak Kura Sushi has put off its plan announced early this year to enter the market, it still aims to enter China within three years. To double overseas sales to 300 billion yen ($2.9 billion) by 2030, Kura plans to open 1,000 restaurants, mainly in Asia.
A year after debuting on Nasdaq, Kura Sushi listed on the Taipei stock exchange in September to improve its presence in the region. A company spokesperson told Nikkei Asia that expanding in Asia is an inevitable step toward becoming a global brand like McDonald's. The representative added that the region's rising population is another reason for the expansion of the chain, which has already opened about 450 restaurants domestically.
Even before the coronavirus outbreak, Japanese sushi chains were rapidly expanding abroad under pressure from the aging of the population at home, but the crisis pushed them to move even faster. It remains unclear when the industry can get back to normal at home.
A Kura Sushi restaurant in Osaka. © Kyodo
Akihiko Koga, CEO of Japan Food Culture, a Singapore and Tokyo-based consultancy for Japanese food franchises seeking expansion overseas, told Nikkei, "Many Japanese restaurants are now trying to diversify their business after the coronavirus outbreak." Before the pandemic, he said, chains mainly were operating in Japan, offering dine-in and takeout options, but now "they are forced to consider three options: domestic dine-in and takeout businesses and foreign markets," in particular Asian markets.
A complication is that each country and region has different coronavirus measures for restaurant operations. Koga said, "Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong are relatively recovering from the pandemic" in terms of the ease of operating food chains.
Speaking of his reasons for focusing on Asian markets, Sushiro Global Holdings CEO Koichi Mizutome said, "[Asia has] rice culture, and [Asian people] have a higher tolerance for raw fish." He added, "People understand Japan, and many people have traveled to Japan."
In contrast to Sushiro and Kura Sushi, another major Japanese chain, Genki Sushi, opened three restaurants overseas but closed nine from April to September, partly due to the pandemic.
Genki Sushi expanded into foreign markets starting in the early 1990s, almost two decades before Kura Sushi and Sushiro. Genki launched operations in Singapore in 1994 and opened restaurants in Hong Kong and Malaysia in 1995. But the competition is now intensifying.
Political uncertainties could also affect sushi chains. The massive pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong last year had a negative effect on some businesses and restaurants. Student rallies in Bangkok this year led to the shutdown of parts of the capital's commercial center. In South Korea, the nearest foreign market, Sushiro closed seven sushi bars in fiscal 2020 due to anti-Japan consumer sentiment as well as the impact of the pandemic.
But Sushiro CEO Mizutome said political uncertainties are "temporary," adding, "Food is an essential part of our lives."
Japan's sushi chain Sushiro going to Thailand and China in 2021
With population at home aging, group bets on Asia for further growth
A Sushiro restaurant in Tokyo. The chain will slightly decrease the number of its shops in Japan but open many more abroad. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
NANA SHIBATA, Nikkei staff writerNovember 29, 2020 09:30 JST
TOKYO -- Japan's Sushiro Global Holdings, operator of sushi chain Sushiro, will enter Thailand and China next year, betting on Asian markets abroad for further growth as its home market faces a rapidly aging population.
Japan's leading conveyor-belt sushi chain, to be renamed Food & Life Cos. in April, is planning to open its first restaurant in Bangkok next spring. The move is part of the company's strategy to increase overseas sales to about 10% of total sales in fiscal 2021, through next September, from around 0.1% in fiscal 2018. Sushiro plans to open 24 to 28 restaurants overseas in fiscal 2021, up from 20 in 2020, while new eateries in Japan will decrease by three to five.
The Thai opening will be followed by entering the Chinese market. Sushiro will set up its Chinese business unit by December and plans to open one restaurant by next September.
The chain will join other Japanese sushi shops vying for a piece of the lucrative Chinese market, such as Kura Sushi. Although due to the COVID-19 outbreak Kura Sushi has put off its plan announced early this year to enter the market, it still aims to enter China within three years. To double overseas sales to 300 billion yen ($2.9 billion) by 2030, Kura plans to open 1,000 restaurants, mainly in Asia.
A year after debuting on Nasdaq, Kura Sushi listed on the Taipei stock exchange in September to improve its presence in the region. A company spokesperson told Nikkei Asia that expanding in Asia is an inevitable step toward becoming a global brand like McDonald's. The representative added that the region's rising population is another reason for the expansion of the chain, which has already opened about 450 restaurants domestically.
Even before the coronavirus outbreak, Japanese sushi chains were rapidly expanding abroad under pressure from the aging of the population at home, but the crisis pushed them to move even faster. It remains unclear when the industry can get back to normal at home.
A Kura Sushi restaurant in Osaka. © Kyodo
Akihiko Koga, CEO of Japan Food Culture, a Singapore and Tokyo-based consultancy for Japanese food franchises seeking expansion overseas, told Nikkei, "Many Japanese restaurants are now trying to diversify their business after the coronavirus outbreak." Before the pandemic, he said, chains mainly were operating in Japan, offering dine-in and takeout options, but now "they are forced to consider three options: domestic dine-in and takeout businesses and foreign markets," in particular Asian markets.
A complication is that each country and region has different coronavirus measures for restaurant operations. Koga said, "Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong are relatively recovering from the pandemic" in terms of the ease of operating food chains.
Speaking of his reasons for focusing on Asian markets, Sushiro Global Holdings CEO Koichi Mizutome said, "[Asia has] rice culture, and [Asian people] have a higher tolerance for raw fish." He added, "People understand Japan, and many people have traveled to Japan."
In contrast to Sushiro and Kura Sushi, another major Japanese chain, Genki Sushi, opened three restaurants overseas but closed nine from April to September, partly due to the pandemic.
Genki Sushi expanded into foreign markets starting in the early 1990s, almost two decades before Kura Sushi and Sushiro. Genki launched operations in Singapore in 1994 and opened restaurants in Hong Kong and Malaysia in 1995. But the competition is now intensifying.
Political uncertainties could also affect sushi chains. The massive pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong last year had a negative effect on some businesses and restaurants. Student rallies in Bangkok this year led to the shutdown of parts of the capital's commercial center. In South Korea, the nearest foreign market, Sushiro closed seven sushi bars in fiscal 2020 due to anti-Japan consumer sentiment as well as the impact of the pandemic.
But Sushiro CEO Mizutome said political uncertainties are "temporary," adding, "Food is an essential part of our lives."
Thai protests target king's property investments worth billions
The student groups have been protesting since mid-July.PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Thailand's royal family has long been the biggest shareholder in two of the country's most valuable companies, Siam Commercial Bank Pcl and Siam Cement Pcl, as well as vast plots of land in central Bangkok that house luxury shopping malls, high-end hotels and towering office buildings. That portfolio, as confirmed by recent public records, has put the monarchy in business with many of Thailand's tycoons, affirming the king's position at the apex of power.
What's new is the level of public discourse about it, fed by disquiet over legal changes in 2017 and 2018 that were approved by a military-appointed parliament without public debate. Now the issue has become one of the rallying cries for protesters who march regularly through Bangkok's streets, numbering at times in the tens of thousands.
Those legal changes gave King Maha Vajiralongkorn the power to put his name on the assets of the Crown Property Bureau - an agency that managed them for the palace no matter who sat on the throne. They were the first adjustments to the crown property law in roughly 70 years.
The changes made clear the king was one of Asia's wealthiest men, and that he had final say on the holdings. They consolidated management of personal assets and those managed by the Crown Property Bureau, and eliminated the finance minister's role as the agency's ex-officio chairman.
The student groups - who've been protesting since mid-July - include the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, which has produced 10 demands "to resolve the problems with the monarchy." The students are seeking a revocation of the legal changes and "a clear division" between the king's personal assets and other crown property.
"The monarchy's power isn't just limited to politics but also touches the economy," Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak, a protest leader who was recently released from jail, said by phone in September. "The king now holds shares in some of the country's biggest companies, owns assets, and has connections with many big businesses in the country."
Multiple calls and emails to the Crown Property Bureau over a period of several months to Nov 25 went unanswered; an official at the Bureau of the Royal Household reached on Nov 25 did not give their name, but said the bureau did not comment on such matters.
In a note explaining the legal changes in 2018, the property bureau said it "had the duty to return whatever assets of the crown property previously under its charge to His Majesty so that His Majesty may take decisions on all matters pertaining to their charge and management at his discretion."
The royal family is shielded by strict defamation laws that have stifled discussion about palace finances. But with many people struggling economically during the pandemic, the king's wealth has turned into a source of resentment - and a potential risk for some tycoons who do business with the palace.
In September, protesters installed a plaque near the Grand Palace that read: "The country belongs to the people, not the monarchy."
Authorities removed it the next day. On Oct 14, protesters shouted "My taxes!" at a passing motorcade carrying Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, in a rare show of public defiance.
The government has recently stepped up arrests and some protesters face sedition charges, which could lead to as many as seven years in jail.
"The key task for the government is to protect the monarchy," Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told reporters on Oct 19.
In a speech two days later, Mr Prayut - who led a 2014 military coup and won an election last year his opponents describe as rigged - said his duty was to ensure "the prosperity of the nation, the protection from dark forces that may seek to damage our country, and fairness to all in society."
His government has been silent on the demands to reform the monarchy.
"Political expression is guaranteed under the constitution, but the important thing is it has to obey the law," government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said in response to questions.
The Crown Property Bureau's profits in Thailand have long been controlled by the king. While the agency doesn't give a detailed accounting of its assets, it issued annual reports for 2010 to 2016 that included some financial information. It also disclosed previously unreleased figures in the 2011 book King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work, part of which is still posted on the bureau's website.
Over the decades the bureau has held stakes in companies involved in everything from insurance to producing Covid-19 tests. Its most prominent corporate holdings were in Siam Commercial Bank and Siam Cement, which - now in King Vajiralongkorn's name - had a combined value of US$7.3 billion (S$9.8 billion) as of Dec 2.
Since King Vajiralongkorn took the throne, that stake received more than US$1.2 billion in net dividends, according to calculations by Bloomberg. At both companies, the dividend payout to net income ratio has increased in recent years: Siam Commercial Bank announced a special dividend this year after the sale of an insurance unit, while analysts said Siam Cement had more cash on hand due to increased profitability.
Representatives from Siam Commercial Bank and Siam Cement didn't respond to requests for comment. In a 2018 announcement, the Crown Property Bureau said the share transfer reflected the legal changes and wouldn't affect the business operations of the companies.
Even more valuable is the crown's land. The 2011 book estimated the value of the bureau's Bangkok landholdings by area - about one fifth of its total - at one trillion baht (S$44.3 billion) at market prices, while saying the agency booked the land value at less than a third of that figure based on cost.
Since that valuation was published, parcels of premium city centre land have skyrocketed. The former British Embassy, a short walk from some of the crown's most-prized real estate, sold for 420 million pounds (S$751.6 million) in 2018. It's unclear how the pandemic may have affected prices, or how the property bureau's land holdings have changed in recent years.
Over the past decade, the agency has sought to revitalise several plots in the city centre, including its first commercial development project offering "super luxury residences." On other plots, the bureau is leasing land it manages to companies owned by some of Thailand's wealthiest individuals.
One Bangkok, a nearly US$4 billion project that will include one of Southeast Asia's tallest buildings, is being developed in part by a group owned by billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, who made his fortune selling alcoholic beverages such as Chang beer.
Dusit Central Park, another project, is being co-developed by Central Pattana Pcl, owned by the billionaire Chirathivat family. A representative of Dusit Central Park declined to comment on the protests, or the company's links to crown land, "due to the sensitivity of the issue." A representative of One Bangkok was similarly "unable to comment," noting the company and development haven't been mentioned by protesters.
Ownership of the monarch's assets has been a point of contention for decades. After the 1932 revolution, civilian leaders passed a law setting up the
Crown Property Bureau with the status of a Finance Ministry department to manage the monarchy's assets, which were separated from the king's personal holdings.
A royalist administration changed the law in 1948, allowing the bureau to operate independently from the government while retaining the finance minister as ex-officio chairman, and allowing income after expenses to be "paid at the king's pleasure in any case."
While previous governments had differentiated between the king's personal wealth and assets that belonged to the state, one former finance minister said there was no real distinction. Mr Korn Chatikavanij, who served as chairman of the Crown Property Bureau from late 2008 to 2011, recalled once discussing with palace officials how to respond to media reports saying then-King Bhumibol was the world's richest monarch.
The bureau was "huffing and puffing wanting to write a letter of complaint" to clarify the assets belonged to the state instead of the individual, Mr Korn said. But it had no grounds to complain because the law clearly stated that "any benefits derived from the assets - such as dividends and interest - belonged to the king."
Mr Korn said the protester demands should be discussed in parliament.
"These are issues that if approached constructively can lead to better understanding and broader acceptance of the monarchy and the institution."
A key figure pushing for change is Mr Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, whose pro-democracy party was disbanded for breaching financing rules after a strong performance in last year's election, a move he called politically motivated. He's criticised a budget passed in September that allocated 8.98 billion baht for royal affairs, a 16.9 per cent jump over last year, compared with a 3.1 per cent increase in overall spending.
In an interview, Mr Thanathorn said he was "furious" that taxpayer funds for the monarchy are rising at a "dangerous rate" when millions are out of work. He described royal spending as a "black hole" and called for transparency regarding all expenditure.
Citing documents he saw in his role as a member of a committee to vet the budget for the 2021 fiscal year, he said a fleet of 38 aircraft and helicopters used by the palace was set to expand to 47. The government didn't reply to a request for comment.
Any adjustments to the ownership of the assets would be difficult "without a constitutional crisis of some sort," according to Mr Chris Baker, an academic in Bangkok who interviewed officials from the Crown Property Bureau while co-writing the chapter on palace finances for King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work.
"I think the situation now is unsustainable."
The student groups have been protesting since mid-July.PHOTO: EPA-EFE
- Bloomberg PUBLISHED
1 HOUR AGO
Thailand's royal family has long been the biggest shareholder in two of the country's most valuable companies, Siam Commercial Bank Pcl and Siam Cement Pcl, as well as vast plots of land in central Bangkok that house luxury shopping malls, high-end hotels and towering office buildings. That portfolio, as confirmed by recent public records, has put the monarchy in business with many of Thailand's tycoons, affirming the king's position at the apex of power.
What's new is the level of public discourse about it, fed by disquiet over legal changes in 2017 and 2018 that were approved by a military-appointed parliament without public debate. Now the issue has become one of the rallying cries for protesters who march regularly through Bangkok's streets, numbering at times in the tens of thousands.
Those legal changes gave King Maha Vajiralongkorn the power to put his name on the assets of the Crown Property Bureau - an agency that managed them for the palace no matter who sat on the throne. They were the first adjustments to the crown property law in roughly 70 years.
The changes made clear the king was one of Asia's wealthiest men, and that he had final say on the holdings. They consolidated management of personal assets and those managed by the Crown Property Bureau, and eliminated the finance minister's role as the agency's ex-officio chairman.
The student groups - who've been protesting since mid-July - include the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, which has produced 10 demands "to resolve the problems with the monarchy." The students are seeking a revocation of the legal changes and "a clear division" between the king's personal assets and other crown property.
"The monarchy's power isn't just limited to politics but also touches the economy," Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak, a protest leader who was recently released from jail, said by phone in September. "The king now holds shares in some of the country's biggest companies, owns assets, and has connections with many big businesses in the country."
Multiple calls and emails to the Crown Property Bureau over a period of several months to Nov 25 went unanswered; an official at the Bureau of the Royal Household reached on Nov 25 did not give their name, but said the bureau did not comment on such matters.
In a note explaining the legal changes in 2018, the property bureau said it "had the duty to return whatever assets of the crown property previously under its charge to His Majesty so that His Majesty may take decisions on all matters pertaining to their charge and management at his discretion."
The royal family is shielded by strict defamation laws that have stifled discussion about palace finances. But with many people struggling economically during the pandemic, the king's wealth has turned into a source of resentment - and a potential risk for some tycoons who do business with the palace.
In September, protesters installed a plaque near the Grand Palace that read: "The country belongs to the people, not the monarchy."
Authorities removed it the next day. On Oct 14, protesters shouted "My taxes!" at a passing motorcade carrying Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, in a rare show of public defiance.
The government has recently stepped up arrests and some protesters face sedition charges, which could lead to as many as seven years in jail.
"The key task for the government is to protect the monarchy," Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told reporters on Oct 19.
In a speech two days later, Mr Prayut - who led a 2014 military coup and won an election last year his opponents describe as rigged - said his duty was to ensure "the prosperity of the nation, the protection from dark forces that may seek to damage our country, and fairness to all in society."
His government has been silent on the demands to reform the monarchy.
"Political expression is guaranteed under the constitution, but the important thing is it has to obey the law," government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said in response to questions.
The Crown Property Bureau's profits in Thailand have long been controlled by the king. While the agency doesn't give a detailed accounting of its assets, it issued annual reports for 2010 to 2016 that included some financial information. It also disclosed previously unreleased figures in the 2011 book King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work, part of which is still posted on the bureau's website.
Over the decades the bureau has held stakes in companies involved in everything from insurance to producing Covid-19 tests. Its most prominent corporate holdings were in Siam Commercial Bank and Siam Cement, which - now in King Vajiralongkorn's name - had a combined value of US$7.3 billion (S$9.8 billion) as of Dec 2.
Since King Vajiralongkorn took the throne, that stake received more than US$1.2 billion in net dividends, according to calculations by Bloomberg. At both companies, the dividend payout to net income ratio has increased in recent years: Siam Commercial Bank announced a special dividend this year after the sale of an insurance unit, while analysts said Siam Cement had more cash on hand due to increased profitability.
Representatives from Siam Commercial Bank and Siam Cement didn't respond to requests for comment. In a 2018 announcement, the Crown Property Bureau said the share transfer reflected the legal changes and wouldn't affect the business operations of the companies.
Even more valuable is the crown's land. The 2011 book estimated the value of the bureau's Bangkok landholdings by area - about one fifth of its total - at one trillion baht (S$44.3 billion) at market prices, while saying the agency booked the land value at less than a third of that figure based on cost.
Since that valuation was published, parcels of premium city centre land have skyrocketed. The former British Embassy, a short walk from some of the crown's most-prized real estate, sold for 420 million pounds (S$751.6 million) in 2018. It's unclear how the pandemic may have affected prices, or how the property bureau's land holdings have changed in recent years.
Over the past decade, the agency has sought to revitalise several plots in the city centre, including its first commercial development project offering "super luxury residences." On other plots, the bureau is leasing land it manages to companies owned by some of Thailand's wealthiest individuals.
One Bangkok, a nearly US$4 billion project that will include one of Southeast Asia's tallest buildings, is being developed in part by a group owned by billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, who made his fortune selling alcoholic beverages such as Chang beer.
Dusit Central Park, another project, is being co-developed by Central Pattana Pcl, owned by the billionaire Chirathivat family. A representative of Dusit Central Park declined to comment on the protests, or the company's links to crown land, "due to the sensitivity of the issue." A representative of One Bangkok was similarly "unable to comment," noting the company and development haven't been mentioned by protesters.
Ownership of the monarch's assets has been a point of contention for decades. After the 1932 revolution, civilian leaders passed a law setting up the
Crown Property Bureau with the status of a Finance Ministry department to manage the monarchy's assets, which were separated from the king's personal holdings.
A royalist administration changed the law in 1948, allowing the bureau to operate independently from the government while retaining the finance minister as ex-officio chairman, and allowing income after expenses to be "paid at the king's pleasure in any case."
While previous governments had differentiated between the king's personal wealth and assets that belonged to the state, one former finance minister said there was no real distinction. Mr Korn Chatikavanij, who served as chairman of the Crown Property Bureau from late 2008 to 2011, recalled once discussing with palace officials how to respond to media reports saying then-King Bhumibol was the world's richest monarch.
The bureau was "huffing and puffing wanting to write a letter of complaint" to clarify the assets belonged to the state instead of the individual, Mr Korn said. But it had no grounds to complain because the law clearly stated that "any benefits derived from the assets - such as dividends and interest - belonged to the king."
Mr Korn said the protester demands should be discussed in parliament.
"These are issues that if approached constructively can lead to better understanding and broader acceptance of the monarchy and the institution."
A key figure pushing for change is Mr Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, whose pro-democracy party was disbanded for breaching financing rules after a strong performance in last year's election, a move he called politically motivated. He's criticised a budget passed in September that allocated 8.98 billion baht for royal affairs, a 16.9 per cent jump over last year, compared with a 3.1 per cent increase in overall spending.
In an interview, Mr Thanathorn said he was "furious" that taxpayer funds for the monarchy are rising at a "dangerous rate" when millions are out of work. He described royal spending as a "black hole" and called for transparency regarding all expenditure.
Citing documents he saw in his role as a member of a committee to vet the budget for the 2021 fiscal year, he said a fleet of 38 aircraft and helicopters used by the palace was set to expand to 47. The government didn't reply to a request for comment.
Any adjustments to the ownership of the assets would be difficult "without a constitutional crisis of some sort," according to Mr Chris Baker, an academic in Bangkok who interviewed officials from the Crown Property Bureau while co-writing the chapter on palace finances for King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work.
"I think the situation now is unsustainable."
Father's Day exhibition at Temple of the Emerald Buddha
National
Dec 04. 2020
By THE NATION
People witness the beauty of Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, also known as Temple of the Emerald Buddha, in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district on Thursday night.
The temple will be open to the public until 9.30pm during the National Father’s Day exhibition, which runs from December 1-6, while December 5 is the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great.
Interested people can attend the exhibition at the temple by entering via Sawasdisopa Gate of the Royal Palace.
National
Dec 04. 2020
By THE NATION
People witness the beauty of Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, also known as Temple of the Emerald Buddha, in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district on Thursday night.
The temple will be open to the public until 9.30pm during the National Father’s Day exhibition, which runs from December 1-6, while December 5 is the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great.
Interested people can attend the exhibition at the temple by entering via Sawasdisopa Gate of the Royal Palace.
Investigation into possible corruption at THAI reveals 20 suspects
National
Dec 03. 2020
By THE NATION
An investigation into corruption at Thai Airways International (THAI), which started in August, has revealed that 20 people were involved in possible graft that resulted in massive losses to the airline, said Pol Lt-General Saroj Nimjaroen, deputy head of the commission probing internal administration at THAI.
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The commission will meet with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on December 14 to provide additional information regarding the investigation into the possible corruption, he said.
“We had earlier submitted investigation details to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Finance Ministry, which is THAI’s major shareholder, and the NACC president, who subsequently contacted Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam to submit additional documents relating to the investigation,” Saroj said.
“The investigation has so far revealed that there are 20 persons who were involved in corruption at THAI in six different aspects. For example, the commission found that the mechanics department had disbursed more than Bt6 million to 567 staff as overtime pay for 1,500 hours [of extra work] per year,” he said. “This will require further investigation into the reason and necessity of disbursing such a large amount as overtime pay.”
Saroj also said that in the meeting with the NACC on December 14, he would submit the list of persons suspected of being involved in corruption at THAI, as well as a record of complaints that have been filed in court or at related agencies regarding the suspected misconduct of the 20.
National
Dec 03. 2020
By THE NATION
An investigation into corruption at Thai Airways International (THAI), which started in August, has revealed that 20 people were involved in possible graft that resulted in massive losses to the airline, said Pol Lt-General Saroj Nimjaroen, deputy head of the commission probing internal administration at THAI.
ADVERTISEMENT
The commission will meet with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on December 14 to provide additional information regarding the investigation into the possible corruption, he said.
“We had earlier submitted investigation details to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Finance Ministry, which is THAI’s major shareholder, and the NACC president, who subsequently contacted Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam to submit additional documents relating to the investigation,” Saroj said.
“The investigation has so far revealed that there are 20 persons who were involved in corruption at THAI in six different aspects. For example, the commission found that the mechanics department had disbursed more than Bt6 million to 567 staff as overtime pay for 1,500 hours [of extra work] per year,” he said. “This will require further investigation into the reason and necessity of disbursing such a large amount as overtime pay.”
Saroj also said that in the meeting with the NACC on December 14, he would submit the list of persons suspected of being involved in corruption at THAI, as well as a record of complaints that have been filed in court or at related agencies regarding the suspected misconduct of the 20.
13m Thais to be jabbed by mid-2021
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 4 DEC 2020 AT 04:00
The Public Health Ministry said 13 million Thais will be vaccinated to prevent Covid-19, free of charge, by the middle of 2021.
Permanent secretary for Public Health Ministry, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, told the media that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has pre-ordered 26 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca to give out to 13 million of Thais, or half the Thai population, for the middle of next year. He added the vaccines, given by the government, will mostly come free of charge but some, sold by private suppliers, could cost some money.
All vaccines will be registered and inspected by the Medical Sciences Department to test their safety.
Opas Karnkawinpong, acting director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said over 10,000 hospitals will help with vaccinations across the country, while the primary group to receive the jabs will be determined at the discretion of physicians.
"If things go as planned, the preparation period will be this month and May 2021 and campaigning for people to get vaccinated will be between June 2021 and March 2022.
"I can assure that Thais will get free vaccinations without any fake vaccines or profit-making," he said.
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 4 DEC 2020 AT 04:00
The Public Health Ministry said 13 million Thais will be vaccinated to prevent Covid-19, free of charge, by the middle of 2021.
Permanent secretary for Public Health Ministry, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, told the media that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has pre-ordered 26 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca to give out to 13 million of Thais, or half the Thai population, for the middle of next year. He added the vaccines, given by the government, will mostly come free of charge but some, sold by private suppliers, could cost some money.
All vaccines will be registered and inspected by the Medical Sciences Department to test their safety.
Opas Karnkawinpong, acting director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said over 10,000 hospitals will help with vaccinations across the country, while the primary group to receive the jabs will be determined at the discretion of physicians.
"If things go as planned, the preparation period will be this month and May 2021 and campaigning for people to get vaccinated will be between June 2021 and March 2022.
"I can assure that Thais will get free vaccinations without any fake vaccines or profit-making," he said.
Bangkok cleans up its act: Thai capital becomes cleaner,
greener and more walkable
Bangkok's backpacker hub Khaosan Road has been cleaned up, its road levelled with the pavement and removable bollards installed.ST PHOTO: TAN HUI YEE
Indochina Bureau Chief
BANGKOK - Few in their right mind would consider kayaking down a Bangkok canal for fun, but that's exactly what some people have been doing lately.
Ong Ang canal, near the Chao Phraya river, has been transformed from a fetid channel covered by a toy and electronics market to a jade-coloured waterway lined with wide pavements and street art. From Fridays to Sundays, Ong Ang's banks host an evening flea market with buskers serenading the crowd.
The kayaks are free for anyone to use, says Mr Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
"People in Bangkok think canal water is dirty, and they cannot touch it," he tells The Straits Times. "But we have tested the water here and it's very clean."
It's all part of a wider transformation that has seen the city of over ten million gradually become cleaner, greener and more walkable, partly because mass transit options have improved.
Bangkok's steadily growing skytrain and subway network can now deposit visitors right in the heart of Yaowarat - its Chinatown - or as far away as the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan province.
The city has an average of 7 sq m of green space per person, and wants to raise it to 8 sq m, says Mr Pongsakorn.
"When you go to London, you think of Hyde Park. When you go to New York, you think of Central Park. When you go to Singapore, you think of Gardens by the Bay," he said. "We want to create a tourist attraction like that."
A bar owner waits for costumers at her empty shop in Khaosan road in Bangkok, on Oct 12, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS
Mr Stuart McDonald, co-founder of Travelfish, a South-east Asia travel planning website, still recalls his first experience of the city.
"I first arrived in Bangkok in 1993, flying in from Kathmandu, Nepal. I walked out of Don Muang (airport), into air as thick as butter and every single person had a motorbike. That evening, around Phra Athit, near Khao San Road, I ate delicious food off the street. The vibe was amazing - it was love at first sight and bite," he told The Straits Times. "The city was grubbier then, but it felt more real and lived in."
That grubbiness is fast disappearing.
Fresh flower vendors in the famous Pak Khlong market, who used to spill onto the sidewalks with their scented wares, have since been moved indoors.
Khaosan Road, the backpacker hub, now sports smooth new footpaths level with the street and shiny bollards that can be removed whenever the area is turned into a pedestrian mall.
Workers wait for customers at an empty shop in Khaosan road in Bangkok, on Oct 12, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS
It's hard to tell how popular the changes are because most tourists are still shut out by Thailand's entry ban to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr McDonald, for example, thinks some of the revamps like the one in Pak Khlong are ill-considered.
"There is clean and there is sterile. Their character, people, life and energy are being sucked out. For what? To create a contrived and tacky Instagram background," he said.
Local resident Sumrit Paitayatat is not complaining. On cool a Friday evening, he was strolling along Ong Ang canal with his wife and two-year-old son.
"It used to be really messy and crowded. Now it's beautiful and relaxing," said the 49-year-old engineer. "I think I'll come again."
greener and more walkable
Bangkok's backpacker hub Khaosan Road has been cleaned up, its road levelled with the pavement and removable bollards installed.ST PHOTO: TAN HUI YEE
Indochina Bureau Chief
BANGKOK - Few in their right mind would consider kayaking down a Bangkok canal for fun, but that's exactly what some people have been doing lately.
Ong Ang canal, near the Chao Phraya river, has been transformed from a fetid channel covered by a toy and electronics market to a jade-coloured waterway lined with wide pavements and street art. From Fridays to Sundays, Ong Ang's banks host an evening flea market with buskers serenading the crowd.
The kayaks are free for anyone to use, says Mr Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
"People in Bangkok think canal water is dirty, and they cannot touch it," he tells The Straits Times. "But we have tested the water here and it's very clean."
It's all part of a wider transformation that has seen the city of over ten million gradually become cleaner, greener and more walkable, partly because mass transit options have improved.
Bangkok's steadily growing skytrain and subway network can now deposit visitors right in the heart of Yaowarat - its Chinatown - or as far away as the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan province.
The city has an average of 7 sq m of green space per person, and wants to raise it to 8 sq m, says Mr Pongsakorn.
"When you go to London, you think of Hyde Park. When you go to New York, you think of Central Park. When you go to Singapore, you think of Gardens by the Bay," he said. "We want to create a tourist attraction like that."
Mr Stuart McDonald, co-founder of Travelfish, a South-east Asia travel planning website, still recalls his first experience of the city.
"I first arrived in Bangkok in 1993, flying in from Kathmandu, Nepal. I walked out of Don Muang (airport), into air as thick as butter and every single person had a motorbike. That evening, around Phra Athit, near Khao San Road, I ate delicious food off the street. The vibe was amazing - it was love at first sight and bite," he told The Straits Times. "The city was grubbier then, but it felt more real and lived in."
That grubbiness is fast disappearing.
Fresh flower vendors in the famous Pak Khlong market, who used to spill onto the sidewalks with their scented wares, have since been moved indoors.
Khaosan Road, the backpacker hub, now sports smooth new footpaths level with the street and shiny bollards that can be removed whenever the area is turned into a pedestrian mall.
It's hard to tell how popular the changes are because most tourists are still shut out by Thailand's entry ban to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr McDonald, for example, thinks some of the revamps like the one in Pak Khlong are ill-considered.
"There is clean and there is sterile. Their character, people, life and energy are being sucked out. For what? To create a contrived and tacky Instagram background," he said.
Local resident Sumrit Paitayatat is not complaining. On cool a Friday evening, he was strolling along Ong Ang canal with his wife and two-year-old son.
"It used to be really messy and crowded. Now it's beautiful and relaxing," said the 49-year-old engineer. "I think I'll come again."
Was distracted by her looks 
Actress whips up a storm online with caustic questions for PM
Dec 06. 2020
Actress Focus Jeerakul posts a provocative message about flood victims on her Facebook page on December 5, drawing the attention of the public and the government.
By The Nation
A Facebook post by an actress, scathing in its criticism of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has drawn the attention of netizens after she posed: "Apart from praising the monarchy, are you competent on other issues?" The post drew netizens' attention to the severe floods in the South and the intensified political unrest.
In her post, actress Focus Jeerakul questioned the government's allocation of a budget to build a new Parliament building, for use of water cannons and containers to block anti-establishment protesters, but does not seem to have a budget to help people in the South currently suffering from devastating floods. She said she wanted to donate money to support the affected people and wanted to ask "Loong" (referring to Prayut as uncle in Thai) five questions:
▪︎Is it the duty of the people (to help flood victims)?
▪︎What does the government spend its budget on, if it does not have a budget to support the people in the South?
▪︎Could you reduce the military budget, reduce budget spending to counter the protesters, and use the money saved to support flood victims?
▪︎Apart from praising the monarchy, are you competent to deal with other issues?
▪︎Apart from loving the monarchy, do you love the people?
Focus posed her questions on Saturday when the government organised grand events to pay tribute to the late King Rama IX on his birthday.
Her comments come in the backdrop of floods devastating many southern provinces, affecting more than 400,000 people and costing nine lives.
About 100,000 netizens reacted emotionally to Focus’s post, clicking like, love and amused signs, over 3,000 made comments and over 10,000 shared her post.
Focus is known for supporting the youth-led protesters who are demanding reform of the country, including curbing the power of the monarchy.
Mallika Boonmeetrakool Mahasook, adviser to the Commerce Minister, hit back at the actress via her Twitter account, saying Focus should investigate the matter before making a comment, as the government has an emergency budget to deal with floods in the South.
In her rejoinder, Focus said she had asked the questions because she is a citizen and if she knows so much about the issue, she will not ask. Focus also chided Mallika for her retort, saying the questions were not for her to answer.
Others have also posted their critical views about activities on December 5, which is celebrated as Father's Day and National Day.
National Artist Suchart Sawatsi, posting on his Facebook page, demanded that National Day be celebrated on June 24, the day that marked Thailand's shift from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy after the 1932 Revolution.
After the revolution, June 24 was marked as National Day but the dictatorship government under Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat in 1960 changed it to December 5.
Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an academic living in exile in Japan, also questioned the government spending a large budget for organising events to celebrate the late King Rama IX's birthday at the expense of the taxpayers and at a time when people in the South were suffering from severe floods.
In response to Focus’s questions, Rachada Dhanadirek, deputy government spokeswoman, assured on Sunday that the government had adequate budget to support flood victims in the South.
Actress whips up a storm online with caustic questions for PM
Dec 06. 2020
Actress Focus Jeerakul posts a provocative message about flood victims on her Facebook page on December 5, drawing the attention of the public and the government.
By The Nation
A Facebook post by an actress, scathing in its criticism of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has drawn the attention of netizens after she posed: "Apart from praising the monarchy, are you competent on other issues?" The post drew netizens' attention to the severe floods in the South and the intensified political unrest.
In her post, actress Focus Jeerakul questioned the government's allocation of a budget to build a new Parliament building, for use of water cannons and containers to block anti-establishment protesters, but does not seem to have a budget to help people in the South currently suffering from devastating floods. She said she wanted to donate money to support the affected people and wanted to ask "Loong" (referring to Prayut as uncle in Thai) five questions:
▪︎Is it the duty of the people (to help flood victims)?
▪︎What does the government spend its budget on, if it does not have a budget to support the people in the South?
▪︎Could you reduce the military budget, reduce budget spending to counter the protesters, and use the money saved to support flood victims?
▪︎Apart from praising the monarchy, are you competent to deal with other issues?
▪︎Apart from loving the monarchy, do you love the people?
Focus posed her questions on Saturday when the government organised grand events to pay tribute to the late King Rama IX on his birthday.
Her comments come in the backdrop of floods devastating many southern provinces, affecting more than 400,000 people and costing nine lives.
About 100,000 netizens reacted emotionally to Focus’s post, clicking like, love and amused signs, over 3,000 made comments and over 10,000 shared her post.
Focus is known for supporting the youth-led protesters who are demanding reform of the country, including curbing the power of the monarchy.
Mallika Boonmeetrakool Mahasook, adviser to the Commerce Minister, hit back at the actress via her Twitter account, saying Focus should investigate the matter before making a comment, as the government has an emergency budget to deal with floods in the South.
In her rejoinder, Focus said she had asked the questions because she is a citizen and if she knows so much about the issue, she will not ask. Focus also chided Mallika for her retort, saying the questions were not for her to answer.
Others have also posted their critical views about activities on December 5, which is celebrated as Father's Day and National Day.
National Artist Suchart Sawatsi, posting on his Facebook page, demanded that National Day be celebrated on June 24, the day that marked Thailand's shift from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy after the 1932 Revolution.
After the revolution, June 24 was marked as National Day but the dictatorship government under Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat in 1960 changed it to December 5.
Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an academic living in exile in Japan, also questioned the government spending a large budget for organising events to celebrate the late King Rama IX's birthday at the expense of the taxpayers and at a time when people in the South were suffering from severe floods.
In response to Focus’s questions, Rachada Dhanadirek, deputy government spokeswoman, assured on Sunday that the government had adequate budget to support flood victims in the South.
Miss Thailand beauties grace Lampang province
National
Dec 07. 2020
By THE NATION
Miss Thailand contestants stopped off in Lampang province on Sunday as part of their publicity trip to the North.
There they visited the Mae Moh Mine Museum to learn how electricity arrived in Thailand and checked out a field of Mexican sunflowers nearby.
They also visited Wat Phra That Lampang Luang Temple and the Elephant Conservation Centre in Ko Kha district, where they checked out the elephant hospital and even helped out at feeding time.
National
Dec 07. 2020
By THE NATION
Miss Thailand contestants stopped off in Lampang province on Sunday as part of their publicity trip to the North.
There they visited the Mae Moh Mine Museum to learn how electricity arrived in Thailand and checked out a field of Mexican sunflowers nearby.
They also visited Wat Phra That Lampang Luang Temple and the Elephant Conservation Centre in Ko Kha district, where they checked out the elephant hospital and even helped out at feeding time.
Bangkok cleans up its act: Thai capital becomes cleaner,
greener and more walkable
Bangkok's backpacker hub Khaosan Road has been cleaned up, its road levelled with the pavement and removable bollards installed.ST PHOTO: TAN HUI YEE
Indochina Bureau Chief
BANGKOK - Few in their right mind would consider kayaking down a Bangkok canal for fun, but that's exactly what some people have been doing lately.
Ong Ang canal, near the Chao Phraya river, has been transformed from a fetid channel covered by a toy and electronics market to a jade-coloured waterway lined with wide pavements and street art. From Fridays to Sundays, Ong Ang's banks host an evening flea market with buskers serenading the crowd.
The kayaks are free for anyone to use, says Mr Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
"People in Bangkok think canal water is dirty, and they cannot touch it," he tells The Straits Times. "But we have tested the water here and it's very clean."
It's all part of a wider transformation that has seen the city of over ten million gradually become cleaner, greener and more walkable, partly because mass transit options have improved.
Bangkok's steadily growing skytrain and subway network can now deposit visitors right in the heart of Yaowarat - its Chinatown - or as far away as the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan province.
The city has an average of 7 sq m of green space per person, and wants to raise it to 8 sq m, says Mr Pongsakorn.
"When you go to London, you think of Hyde Park. When you go to New York, you think of Central Park. When you go to Singapore, you think of Gardens by the Bay," he said. "We want to create a tourist attraction like that."
bar owner waits for costumers at her empty shop in Khaosan road in Bangkok, on Oct 12, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS
Mr Stuart McDonald, co-founder of Travelfish, a South-east Asia travel planning website, still recalls his first experience of the city.
"I first arrived in Bangkok in 1993, flying in from Kathmandu, Nepal. I walked out of Don Muang (airport), into air as thick as butter and every single person had a motorbike. That evening, around Phra Athit, near Khao San Road, I ate delicious food off the street. The vibe was amazing - it was love at first sight and bite," he told The Straits Times. "The city was grubbier then, but it felt more real and lived in."
That grubbiness is fast disappearing.
Fresh flower vendors in the famous Pak Khlong market, who used to spill onto the sidewalks with their scented wares, have since been moved indoors.
Khaosan Road, the backpacker hub, now sports smooth new footpaths level with the street and shiny bollards that can be removed whenever the area is turned into a pedestrian mall.
Workers wait for customers at an empty shop in Khaosan road in Bangkok, on Oct 12, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS
It's hard to tell how popular the changes are because most tourists are still shut out by Thailand's entry ban to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr McDonald, for example, thinks some of the revamps like the one in Pak Khlong are ill-considered.
"There is clean and there is sterile. Their character, people, life and energy are being sucked out. For what? To create a contrived and tacky Instagram background," he said.
Local resident Sumrit Paitayatat is not complaining. On cool a Friday evening, he was strolling along Ong Ang canal with his wife and two-year-old son.
"It used to be really messy and crowded. Now it's beautiful and relaxing," said the 49-year-old engineer. "I think I'll come again."
K.N.N.
Its truly Clean, very Clean and Tidy.
Betterest than our hawker centres.!!
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