may i know are you using phone to take these photo? which model? very nice and attractive photo !Relaxing dinner at Water View restaurant tonight
Cuttlefish
Pork jerky
Crab fried rice
Cabbage
Pork ribs
Stir fry mimosa
-
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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand
- Thread starter Leongsam
- Start date
Day 1: 43 dead, 466 injured in New Year road accidents
Drink driving remains major cause, motorcycles affected the most
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 28 DEC 2019 AT 13:34
Seven people were injured when a pickup truck crashed into an electrcity pole on Sukhumvit Sai Kao Road in tambon Bang Poo of Muang district, Samut Prakan on Friday. A total of 12 poles were pulled down, damaging eight vehicles, with damage estimated at not less than 20 million baht. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
Forty-three people were killed and 466 injured in road accidents nationwide on Friday, the first day of the so-called “seven dangerous days’’ of the New Year holidays. Drink-driving remained the major cause.
A total of 464 road accidents were reported on Dec 27, with 43 deaths and 466 injuries, according to the Road Safety Directing Centre.
Last year, there were 45 deaths and 428 injuries in 419 road accidents on the first day of the dangerous period across the country. (continued below)
Drink driving was the major cause, accounting for 30.4% of the crashes so far this year, followed by speeding at 24.78%. Most of the vehicles involved in the accidents were motorcycles, same as previous years.
Surat Thani recorded the highest number of accidents with 20. This southern province also had the highest number of injuries at 22. Chiang Rai and Prachuap Khiri Khan had the highest number of deaths, at four each.
Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said authorities had focused on stricter rules and law enforcement as most accidents were caused by drink driving.
A total of 12 electricity poles were pulled down when a pickup truck crashed into an pole on Sukhumvit Sai Kao Road in tambon Bang Poo of Samut Prakan province on Friday.
Courts of Justice also said 1,865 traffic offence cases, mostly drink-driving, were sent to courtson Friday, spokesman Suriyan Hongwilai said on Saturday.
Of the total, the courts had already ruled on 1,528 cases, accounting for 81.9%.
Bangkok saw the highest number of cases, (159), followed by Chon Buri (158), Chiang Mai (112), Rayong (111) and Nakhon Ratchasima (86), said the spokesman.
The top three offences involved drink driving by 1,369 people, driving under the influence of drugs (257) and driving without licences (224).
Isan-bound traffic is slow on Mittraphap Road in Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the Northeast, on Saturday as New Year revellers got out of Bangkok during the long holidays. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)
Drink driving remains major cause, motorcycles affected the most
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 28 DEC 2019 AT 13:34
Seven people were injured when a pickup truck crashed into an electrcity pole on Sukhumvit Sai Kao Road in tambon Bang Poo of Muang district, Samut Prakan on Friday. A total of 12 poles were pulled down, damaging eight vehicles, with damage estimated at not less than 20 million baht. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
Forty-three people were killed and 466 injured in road accidents nationwide on Friday, the first day of the so-called “seven dangerous days’’ of the New Year holidays. Drink-driving remained the major cause.
A total of 464 road accidents were reported on Dec 27, with 43 deaths and 466 injuries, according to the Road Safety Directing Centre.
Last year, there were 45 deaths and 428 injuries in 419 road accidents on the first day of the dangerous period across the country. (continued below)
Drink driving was the major cause, accounting for 30.4% of the crashes so far this year, followed by speeding at 24.78%. Most of the vehicles involved in the accidents were motorcycles, same as previous years.
Surat Thani recorded the highest number of accidents with 20. This southern province also had the highest number of injuries at 22. Chiang Rai and Prachuap Khiri Khan had the highest number of deaths, at four each.
Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said authorities had focused on stricter rules and law enforcement as most accidents were caused by drink driving.
A total of 12 electricity poles were pulled down when a pickup truck crashed into an pole on Sukhumvit Sai Kao Road in tambon Bang Poo of Samut Prakan province on Friday.
Courts of Justice also said 1,865 traffic offence cases, mostly drink-driving, were sent to courtson Friday, spokesman Suriyan Hongwilai said on Saturday.
Of the total, the courts had already ruled on 1,528 cases, accounting for 81.9%.
Bangkok saw the highest number of cases, (159), followed by Chon Buri (158), Chiang Mai (112), Rayong (111) and Nakhon Ratchasima (86), said the spokesman.
The top three offences involved drink driving by 1,369 people, driving under the influence of drugs (257) and driving without licences (224).
Isan-bound traffic is slow on Mittraphap Road in Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the Northeast, on Saturday as New Year revellers got out of Bangkok during the long holidays. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)
Huawei P30 Pro
as I expected . Thank you for reply
Bangkok turns quiet after New Year exodus
Dec 29. 2019
By The Nation
Bangkok fell under a quiet spell as thousands of Thais and foreigners left the capital to other provinces to usher in the New Year.
Most streets wore a deserted look, in stark contrast to the heavy traffic since Sunday morning on outbound roads.
Dec 29. 2019
By The Nation
Bangkok fell under a quiet spell as thousands of Thais and foreigners left the capital to other provinces to usher in the New Year.
Most streets wore a deserted look, in stark contrast to the heavy traffic since Sunday morning on outbound roads.
Spectacular fireworks at Iconsiam 2020 countdown
National
Jan 01. 2020
By THE NATION
A riot of colours and lights ushered in the New Year on the Chao Phraya River. The highlight of the “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2020” event was a light show by boats on the river as well as 20,000 fireworks that went off at midnight.
The fireworks had a radius of 1,400 metres. The event, held under the theme “7 miraculous blessings”, was organised by Iconsiam Residence Corporation Ltd in collaboration with Tourism Authority of Thailand, True Corporation Plc and Kasikorn Bank at Iconsiam Shopping Complex.
Photos by Prasert Thepsri of Nation Photo
National
Jan 01. 2020
By THE NATION
A riot of colours and lights ushered in the New Year on the Chao Phraya River. The highlight of the “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2020” event was a light show by boats on the river as well as 20,000 fireworks that went off at midnight.
The fireworks had a radius of 1,400 metres. The event, held under the theme “7 miraculous blessings”, was organised by Iconsiam Residence Corporation Ltd in collaboration with Tourism Authority of Thailand, True Corporation Plc and Kasikorn Bank at Iconsiam Shopping Complex.
Photos by Prasert Thepsri of Nation Photo
Thought this was an interesting insight on junta
Thailand: Land of a thousand generals
Generals in actual command positions represent only a fraction of the total
DOMINIC FAULDER, Nikkei Asian Review associate editorDECEMBER 31, 2019
Many Thai generals busy themselves with tasks that are often performed by those of lower ranks in other military forces. © Reuters
BANGKOK -- By September each year, virtually all Thailand's newly promoted generals, air marshals and admirals have been confirmed in their new positions.
2019 was fairly quiet with just 789 appointments, well below the 980 seen in 2014 and 944 in 2017, according to the Royal Gazette, the official organ in which new laws are promulgated and public sector appointments announced.
Thailand's epic number of flag officer promotions amounts to more than double the 400 or so managers Tesco employs for stores larger than 1,000 sq. meters.
In a 2015 paper for the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt, U.S. academic Paul Chambers, a leading authority on Thailand's military, reported 306,000 active duty military personnel and 245,000 reserves for a total of 551,000 -- about 0.8% of the population. It also reported that there is one general for every 660 lower-ranking members.
In comparison, the troop-based ratio for the U.S. Army, where the number of generals is capped by Congress, is about one general to every 1,600 enlisted personnel. There are only a half dozen four-star generals left in the British army, which has been severely depleted by budget cuts. Equivalencies are inexact, however; Thai officers, for example, rarely retire early.
One foreign observer estimates that Thailand has between 150 and 200 four-star generals in actual command positions. "A lot of what four stars do here would be done by a colonel or lower elsewhere," he told the Nikkei Asian Review.
The number of generals in Thailand ceased to be based on troop numbers in the latter part of the 1980s. (Photo by Manit Sriwanichpoom)
Mismatched duties led to protocol problems in the late 1980s and '90s, when there was increased contact between the Burmese and Thai militaries, particularly along the border. The Burmese 'tatmadaw' followed a British model from colonial times that made them more parsimonious with promotions; counterparts sent to meetings with Thai generals were sometimes majors or colonels.
Official salaries based on rank are not high -- around 60,000 baht ($2,000) a month for a two-star general. Senior officers in command positions do better, however, because they receive additional payment for the position -- an arrangement that means a promotion in rank, but to a less active or noncommand position can result in a loss of income. Underemployed senior officers often become "experts" or "advisers."
Senior officers without exception retire at 60, like all Thai public servants. They have both time and reason to seek second jobs while serving. Some of the most lucrative sinecures are in over 50 state enterprises, including national flag-carrier Thai Airways International. The military controls more land than any other entity in the country, and owns many businesses outright, notably television and radio stations, ostensibly for national security reasons.
Under the constitution, the armed forces exist to protect the monarchy, national integrity and sovereignty, just as they do in many other countries. However, the military has traditionally been assigned an additional role that is almost buried at the end of Section 52 of the constitution: "Armed forces shall also be deployed for the purpose of developing the country."
Military development divisions continue to fill roles that elsewhere would be assigned to local civil authorities: agriculture, forestry, constructing public buildings and remote infrastructure, even schools. "Thais have soldiers who spend some of their time farming," a military observer told Nikkei. "That gives them a footprint all around the country."
General Saiyud Kerdphol, the former Supreme Commander of Royal Thai Armed Forces, speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review on Dec.13 in Bangkok. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
The question of whether the military is fit for its main purpose -- national defense -- is moot in the absence of any credible external threats. Thailand's main security issue is three restive, Muslim-dominated provinces in the far south where tensions flared up again in 2001. The unrest has since claimed more than 7,000 lives but has been contained and had a negligible impact on other parts of the country.
Thailand's oldest general, Saiyud Kerdphol, will be 98 in March. He saw service in World War II and Korea and retired in 1983 as supreme commander. On his watch, top brass numbers were still based largely on the number of troops under their command.
"They are my sons, but I am not happy," Saiyud told Nikkei. "If we can take the military as an institution away from politics, that would be a first step. Everybody being a general is unbelievable. Full generals don't have a seat to sit in or a job to do."
Thailand: Land of a thousand generals
Generals in actual command positions represent only a fraction of the total
DOMINIC FAULDER, Nikkei Asian Review associate editorDECEMBER 31, 2019
Many Thai generals busy themselves with tasks that are often performed by those of lower ranks in other military forces. © Reuters
BANGKOK -- By September each year, virtually all Thailand's newly promoted generals, air marshals and admirals have been confirmed in their new positions.
2019 was fairly quiet with just 789 appointments, well below the 980 seen in 2014 and 944 in 2017, according to the Royal Gazette, the official organ in which new laws are promulgated and public sector appointments announced.
Thailand's epic number of flag officer promotions amounts to more than double the 400 or so managers Tesco employs for stores larger than 1,000 sq. meters.
In a 2015 paper for the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt, U.S. academic Paul Chambers, a leading authority on Thailand's military, reported 306,000 active duty military personnel and 245,000 reserves for a total of 551,000 -- about 0.8% of the population. It also reported that there is one general for every 660 lower-ranking members.
In comparison, the troop-based ratio for the U.S. Army, where the number of generals is capped by Congress, is about one general to every 1,600 enlisted personnel. There are only a half dozen four-star generals left in the British army, which has been severely depleted by budget cuts. Equivalencies are inexact, however; Thai officers, for example, rarely retire early.
One foreign observer estimates that Thailand has between 150 and 200 four-star generals in actual command positions. "A lot of what four stars do here would be done by a colonel or lower elsewhere," he told the Nikkei Asian Review.
The number of generals in Thailand ceased to be based on troop numbers in the latter part of the 1980s. (Photo by Manit Sriwanichpoom)
Mismatched duties led to protocol problems in the late 1980s and '90s, when there was increased contact between the Burmese and Thai militaries, particularly along the border. The Burmese 'tatmadaw' followed a British model from colonial times that made them more parsimonious with promotions; counterparts sent to meetings with Thai generals were sometimes majors or colonels.
Official salaries based on rank are not high -- around 60,000 baht ($2,000) a month for a two-star general. Senior officers in command positions do better, however, because they receive additional payment for the position -- an arrangement that means a promotion in rank, but to a less active or noncommand position can result in a loss of income. Underemployed senior officers often become "experts" or "advisers."
Senior officers without exception retire at 60, like all Thai public servants. They have both time and reason to seek second jobs while serving. Some of the most lucrative sinecures are in over 50 state enterprises, including national flag-carrier Thai Airways International. The military controls more land than any other entity in the country, and owns many businesses outright, notably television and radio stations, ostensibly for national security reasons.
Under the constitution, the armed forces exist to protect the monarchy, national integrity and sovereignty, just as they do in many other countries. However, the military has traditionally been assigned an additional role that is almost buried at the end of Section 52 of the constitution: "Armed forces shall also be deployed for the purpose of developing the country."
Military development divisions continue to fill roles that elsewhere would be assigned to local civil authorities: agriculture, forestry, constructing public buildings and remote infrastructure, even schools. "Thais have soldiers who spend some of their time farming," a military observer told Nikkei. "That gives them a footprint all around the country."
General Saiyud Kerdphol, the former Supreme Commander of Royal Thai Armed Forces, speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review on Dec.13 in Bangkok. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
The question of whether the military is fit for its main purpose -- national defense -- is moot in the absence of any credible external threats. Thailand's main security issue is three restive, Muslim-dominated provinces in the far south where tensions flared up again in 2001. The unrest has since claimed more than 7,000 lives but has been contained and had a negligible impact on other parts of the country.
Thailand's oldest general, Saiyud Kerdphol, will be 98 in March. He saw service in World War II and Korea and retired in 1983 as supreme commander. On his watch, top brass numbers were still based largely on the number of troops under their command.
"They are my sons, but I am not happy," Saiyud told Nikkei. "If we can take the military as an institution away from politics, that would be a first step. Everybody being a general is unbelievable. Full generals don't have a seat to sit in or a job to do."
It’s been like that since the 90s.
The report did not count the police generals....there are thousands of them around
The report did not count the police generals....there are thousands of them around
Folk in capital struggling to stay afloat
As Bangkok enters world's top 50 most expensive cities, residents bear the brunt
Bangkok Post 5 JAN 2020 AT 05:01
Slowdown: Even though the government has tried to stimulate spending, business in Bangkok's Chinatown remains tepid.
The recent global cost of living survey sees Bangkok for the first time among the top 50 most expensive cities in the world due to the baht's appreciation.
The index was announced in December last year by ECA International, which publishes cost-of-living data for over 480 cities around the world to help companies calculate proper allowances for their employees working abroad.
Bangkok has leapt 43 places to 47th while its Asean counterpart Singapore ranks 13th. Ashgabat, Tokyo, and Zurich are the priciest cities in the world respectively.
In line with the findings, people on the street interviewed by the Bangkok Post lamented that the city is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEETS
Wutthipong Lertchaipat, a 22-year-old graduate, said it is tough for him to make ends meet, not to mention save money on his monthly wage of 18,000 baht.
"The city's cost of living has gone out of hand. While one-third of [my salary] goes on accommodation, the rest comprises 400 baht for daily expenses, which include fares of more than 100 baht. It is difficult for those who are unemployed now the economic slowdown has forced companies to slash job offers. How can they survive?"
His sister, Jiraphorn Lertchaipat, a project coordinator, 28, echoed the views of her brother, especially when it comes to transport.
"BTS and MRT fares should be more affordable. I have no choice but to use them and I have to pay an average fare of almost 100 baht to travel back and forth between Mor Chit and Siam each day," she said.
Pattarika Aoi-Un, a 29-year-old kindergarten teacher, said city residents have no choice but to spend their hard-earned salaries on public transport if they don't own a car.
"I think the BTS and MRT should adopt a rate at 25 baht for all stations and distances," she said.
Ms Pattarika said she wanted the government to look into the rising costs of living for the middle class to help the working-age population build a secure and sustainable life in the city.
"It is difficult for our generation to make lives for ourselves, not to mention acquire property or even build our own businesses. We are just trying to make ends meet day in and day out, and we are struggling to keep our heads above water," she added.
Natthapat Wangvanichaphan, a freelance magazine writer, 28, complained higher costs of living don't bring with them a better quality of life.
She said she feels ripped off every time she uses mass transit.
"I had to pay more than 100 baht each day to commute to work. Now I am driving my own car I find that it saves me a lot of money. But having said that, people should have equal access to affordable, reliable public transport so they can channel their energy into other activities," she said.
Ms Natthapat said the government should create a level playing field for its citizens by providing standard infrastructure and reducing business monopolies.
"[Financially] I feel like I'm hanging off a cliff and might fall some day. Poverty is not a case of what goes around comes around, but a structural problem."
SENIOR WELFARE
The soaring cost of living has taken its toll on people from all walks of life, including the elderly. Nookai Daengpoomee, a shopkeeper, 68, said the poor are the hardest hit.
"Without money in our pockets, we have to keep our needs in check, but my medicines are very expensive. I wish the government would solve bread-and-butter problems more efficiently," she said.
Ms Nookai is entitled to the government's welfare scheme, but she said it does not help low-income people in the long term because they simply withdraw cash to buy consumer goods.
Thanawan Srimonta, a fruit vendor, 66, said the Chim, Shop, Chai (taste, shop, spend) campaign, an attempt to stimulate the economy, only had a short-term effect.
"I only get few hundred baht to spend, but the problem is that people are tightening their belts. I sell less fruit than I did five years ago," she said.
Meanwhile, Lek Saetiao, a street vendor, 75, said the recession and unemployment are to blame for stifling consumption.
"I sell fewer herbal ointments even though I get the best location behind the bus stop free of charge. I wish the premier knew how to run the country," he said.
When asked what would be an ideal New Year's gift, he asked the government to expand the welfare scheme for the elderly.
"After all, it is better than nothing," he added.
COMPARATIVE POVERTY
Boonlert Visetpricha, a lecturer on anthropology at Thammasat University, said poverty in Thailand is undergoing a transformation.
The number of people living below the poverty line might be fewer, but "comparative poverty" has intensified over the years.
"The increase in the quality of life of the poor is smaller than that for the mid- and upper classes. Many people realise that even though they can access basic needs, they know that those in the upper echelon get more and live more comfortably. So what Thailand is experiencing is a sense of discontent from economic inequality, not purely poverty, because poverty in absolute terms has been more or less reduced," he told the Bangkok Post.
Mr Boonlert warned that it is not only poor people who feel the impact of higher costs of living and comparative poverty.
"In my experience, 20 years ago, I could pay for a small condo in instalments. But I cannot do it now because its price has gone up unreasonably," said Mr Boonlert, an expert on urban poverty and settlement.
The government, he said, is facing an uphill battle to reduce inequality and unreasonable rising living costs.
Mr Boonlert wondered whether the same old-style economic stimulus plans that governments have traditionally relied on can tackle what has become a structural problem.
"Most economic stimulus packages are a quick-fix to push up economic figures and stimulate spending.
"However, structural inequality will remain and deepen as long as the government fails to generate new jobs and eradicate poverty in the long run," he said.
As Bangkok enters world's top 50 most expensive cities, residents bear the brunt
Bangkok Post 5 JAN 2020 AT 05:01
The recent global cost of living survey sees Bangkok for the first time among the top 50 most expensive cities in the world due to the baht's appreciation.
The index was announced in December last year by ECA International, which publishes cost-of-living data for over 480 cities around the world to help companies calculate proper allowances for their employees working abroad.
Bangkok has leapt 43 places to 47th while its Asean counterpart Singapore ranks 13th. Ashgabat, Tokyo, and Zurich are the priciest cities in the world respectively.
In line with the findings, people on the street interviewed by the Bangkok Post lamented that the city is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEETS
Wutthipong Lertchaipat, a 22-year-old graduate, said it is tough for him to make ends meet, not to mention save money on his monthly wage of 18,000 baht.
"The city's cost of living has gone out of hand. While one-third of [my salary] goes on accommodation, the rest comprises 400 baht for daily expenses, which include fares of more than 100 baht. It is difficult for those who are unemployed now the economic slowdown has forced companies to slash job offers. How can they survive?"
His sister, Jiraphorn Lertchaipat, a project coordinator, 28, echoed the views of her brother, especially when it comes to transport.
"BTS and MRT fares should be more affordable. I have no choice but to use them and I have to pay an average fare of almost 100 baht to travel back and forth between Mor Chit and Siam each day," she said.
Pattarika Aoi-Un, a 29-year-old kindergarten teacher, said city residents have no choice but to spend their hard-earned salaries on public transport if they don't own a car.
"I think the BTS and MRT should adopt a rate at 25 baht for all stations and distances," she said.
Ms Pattarika said she wanted the government to look into the rising costs of living for the middle class to help the working-age population build a secure and sustainable life in the city.
"It is difficult for our generation to make lives for ourselves, not to mention acquire property or even build our own businesses. We are just trying to make ends meet day in and day out, and we are struggling to keep our heads above water," she added.
Natthapat Wangvanichaphan, a freelance magazine writer, 28, complained higher costs of living don't bring with them a better quality of life.
She said she feels ripped off every time she uses mass transit.
"I had to pay more than 100 baht each day to commute to work. Now I am driving my own car I find that it saves me a lot of money. But having said that, people should have equal access to affordable, reliable public transport so they can channel their energy into other activities," she said.
Ms Natthapat said the government should create a level playing field for its citizens by providing standard infrastructure and reducing business monopolies.
"[Financially] I feel like I'm hanging off a cliff and might fall some day. Poverty is not a case of what goes around comes around, but a structural problem."
SENIOR WELFARE
The soaring cost of living has taken its toll on people from all walks of life, including the elderly. Nookai Daengpoomee, a shopkeeper, 68, said the poor are the hardest hit.
"Without money in our pockets, we have to keep our needs in check, but my medicines are very expensive. I wish the government would solve bread-and-butter problems more efficiently," she said.
Ms Nookai is entitled to the government's welfare scheme, but she said it does not help low-income people in the long term because they simply withdraw cash to buy consumer goods.
Thanawan Srimonta, a fruit vendor, 66, said the Chim, Shop, Chai (taste, shop, spend) campaign, an attempt to stimulate the economy, only had a short-term effect.
"I only get few hundred baht to spend, but the problem is that people are tightening their belts. I sell less fruit than I did five years ago," she said.
Meanwhile, Lek Saetiao, a street vendor, 75, said the recession and unemployment are to blame for stifling consumption.
"I sell fewer herbal ointments even though I get the best location behind the bus stop free of charge. I wish the premier knew how to run the country," he said.
When asked what would be an ideal New Year's gift, he asked the government to expand the welfare scheme for the elderly.
"After all, it is better than nothing," he added.
COMPARATIVE POVERTY
Boonlert Visetpricha, a lecturer on anthropology at Thammasat University, said poverty in Thailand is undergoing a transformation.
The number of people living below the poverty line might be fewer, but "comparative poverty" has intensified over the years.
"The increase in the quality of life of the poor is smaller than that for the mid- and upper classes. Many people realise that even though they can access basic needs, they know that those in the upper echelon get more and live more comfortably. So what Thailand is experiencing is a sense of discontent from economic inequality, not purely poverty, because poverty in absolute terms has been more or less reduced," he told the Bangkok Post.
Mr Boonlert warned that it is not only poor people who feel the impact of higher costs of living and comparative poverty.
"In my experience, 20 years ago, I could pay for a small condo in instalments. But I cannot do it now because its price has gone up unreasonably," said Mr Boonlert, an expert on urban poverty and settlement.
The government, he said, is facing an uphill battle to reduce inequality and unreasonable rising living costs.
Mr Boonlert wondered whether the same old-style economic stimulus plans that governments have traditionally relied on can tackle what has become a structural problem.
"Most economic stimulus packages are a quick-fix to push up economic figures and stimulate spending.
"However, structural inequality will remain and deepen as long as the government fails to generate new jobs and eradicate poverty in the long run," he said.
Air unhealthy in much of Bangkok
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 8 JAN 2020 AT 10:30
Small particle dust returns to Greater Bangkok, with the air quality worsening since Monday. (Photo by Varuth Hirunyatheb)
Small particle dust was at unsafe levels in 38 areas in Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces on Wednesday morning, prompting the Pollution Control Department to warn against non-essential outdoor activities.
The department and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reported that levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and less (PM2.5) in diameter were in the orange zone in 38 areas, with levels measured from 40-71 microgrammes per cubic metre of air.
Muang district of Samut Prakan was the worst polluted with 71, followed by Krathum Baen district in Samut Sakhon and Bung Kum district in the capital with 70.
Other unhealthy areas in Bangkok were Bang Khuntien, Bang Na, Pathumwan, Thon Buri and Wang Thonglang districts. Muang district of Nakhon Pathom, Pakkret district of Nonthaburi, Khlong Luang district in Pathum Thani, Phra Pradaeng district of Samut Prakan were also among the worst areas.
The PM2.5 levels have worsened since Monday. The government considers readings of 51 or more unsafe for health. Elsewhere in the world the safe level is usually much lower.
The department advised people in affected areas to stay inside if possible and wear a mask when they do go outside.
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 8 JAN 2020 AT 10:30
Small particle dust returns to Greater Bangkok, with the air quality worsening since Monday. (Photo by Varuth Hirunyatheb)
Small particle dust was at unsafe levels in 38 areas in Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces on Wednesday morning, prompting the Pollution Control Department to warn against non-essential outdoor activities.
The department and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reported that levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and less (PM2.5) in diameter were in the orange zone in 38 areas, with levels measured from 40-71 microgrammes per cubic metre of air.
Muang district of Samut Prakan was the worst polluted with 71, followed by Krathum Baen district in Samut Sakhon and Bung Kum district in the capital with 70.
Other unhealthy areas in Bangkok were Bang Khuntien, Bang Na, Pathumwan, Thon Buri and Wang Thonglang districts. Muang district of Nakhon Pathom, Pakkret district of Nonthaburi, Khlong Luang district in Pathum Thani, Phra Pradaeng district of Samut Prakan were also among the worst areas.
The PM2.5 levels have worsened since Monday. The government considers readings of 51 or more unsafe for health. Elsewhere in the world the safe level is usually much lower.
The department advised people in affected areas to stay inside if possible and wear a mask when they do go outside.
Thousands rally against Prayut at Suan Rot Fai
Thousands of people gather at Suan Rot Fai on Sunday for a run against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. (Photo by Patpon Sabpaitoon)
Thousands of people joined a rally at a park on Sunday to protest against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government, and call for more political freedom, less than a year after a disputed general election.
The demonstrators gathered on Sunday at Suan Rot Fai, or Vachirabenjatas Park, for an early-morning protest jog against the administration led by Gen Prayut. The former army chief seized power in a coup in 2014, headed a junta for five years and returned as premier after the March election.
“We want a true democratic government, not a dictatorship in disguise,” Tanawat Wongchai, a student activist and one of the organisers of the so-called “Run Against Dictatorship,” said ahead of the event.
Gen Prayut’s opponents question the fairness of last year’s poll under a military-backed constitution. The demonstration, the second notable anti-government rally in a month, evokes memories of Thailand’s history of sometimes destabilising political protests.
Such turbulence contributed to slower economic growth in Thailand compared with neighbours such as Indonesia and Vietnam, but the political tension for now remains lower than during those past episodes of unrest.
While there was no official count of the numbers at Sunday’s fun-run style gathering, a rough tally at the site indicated thousands of people, many wearing T-shirts and bibs made for the event. Organisers earlier said 10,000 had registered, adding parallel events would take place in other provinces.
‘Fed up’
“I’m here to show that we’re fed up,” said Paphatsara Netsang, a Thai who lives in Singapore but flew in for the rally. “Nothing changes. Everything is still the same. There’s no economic improvement.”
Mr Tanawat, the student activist, said authorities must tackle the economic slowdown, amend the charter to give people more rights and end harassment of the opposition. Otherwise, more protests will be organized, he said.
Future Forward, the highest-profile opposition party, drew thousands to a demonstration on Dec 14 to protest against its looming dissolution in court cases. Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, already banned from parliament, also faces charges he’s rejected for calling that rally.
Gen Prayut received a boost on Saturday when the House of Representatives approved the annual budget after a months-long delay, providing a fillip for the struggling economy. The bill was viewed as a test of his ability to shepherd key legislation through a bitterly divided legislature.
Thousands of people gather at Suan Rot Fai on Sunday for a run against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. (Photo by Patpon Sabpaitoon)
Thousands of people joined a rally at a park on Sunday to protest against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government, and call for more political freedom, less than a year after a disputed general election.
The demonstrators gathered on Sunday at Suan Rot Fai, or Vachirabenjatas Park, for an early-morning protest jog against the administration led by Gen Prayut. The former army chief seized power in a coup in 2014, headed a junta for five years and returned as premier after the March election.
“We want a true democratic government, not a dictatorship in disguise,” Tanawat Wongchai, a student activist and one of the organisers of the so-called “Run Against Dictatorship,” said ahead of the event.
Gen Prayut’s opponents question the fairness of last year’s poll under a military-backed constitution. The demonstration, the second notable anti-government rally in a month, evokes memories of Thailand’s history of sometimes destabilising political protests.
Such turbulence contributed to slower economic growth in Thailand compared with neighbours such as Indonesia and Vietnam, but the political tension for now remains lower than during those past episodes of unrest.
While there was no official count of the numbers at Sunday’s fun-run style gathering, a rough tally at the site indicated thousands of people, many wearing T-shirts and bibs made for the event. Organisers earlier said 10,000 had registered, adding parallel events would take place in other provinces.
‘Fed up’
“I’m here to show that we’re fed up,” said Paphatsara Netsang, a Thai who lives in Singapore but flew in for the rally. “Nothing changes. Everything is still the same. There’s no economic improvement.”
A separate rally was due on Sunday in Lumpini Park as a show of support for Gen Prayut. He’s downplayed the demonstrations against his ruling coalition as involving a comparatively small number of people.
Mr Tanawat, the student activist, said authorities must tackle the economic slowdown, amend the charter to give people more rights and end harassment of the opposition. Otherwise, more protests will be organized, he said.
Future Forward, the highest-profile opposition party, drew thousands to a demonstration on Dec 14 to protest against its looming dissolution in court cases. Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, already banned from parliament, also faces charges he’s rejected for calling that rally.
Gen Prayut received a boost on Saturday when the House of Representatives approved the annual budget after a months-long delay, providing a fillip for the struggling economy. The bill was viewed as a test of his ability to shepherd key legislation through a bitterly divided legislature.
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