28th February 2007

M.R. Pridiyathorn's shock resignation is likely to trigger a major cabinet reshuffle to clean up the image of the government as slow, ineffective, overly cautious and lacking in vision. M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula dropped a bombshell Wednesday morning by announcing his resignation as deputy prime minister and finance minister effective tomorrow, March 1. "I'm resigning because I've already fulfilled my responsiblities," said M.R. Priyiathorn, noting that he had successfully stabilised the baht currency and thus supported Thai exports, the main engine of the economy.
Speaking to the media, M.R. Pridiyathorn cited the main reasons for his shock resignation from the government of General Surayud Chulanont.
He said the prime minister's recent decision to bring in Somkid Jatusripitak, former finance minister of Thaksin regime, as a special envoy to explain the sufficiency economy to the international community was done in a manner showing lack of transparency in the government's administration.
Secondly, "a certain minister" - apparently referring to PM's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan - had acted in a way beneficial to a certain medium in total disregard of the fact that such an act went against the law. M.R. Pridiyathorn added the minister's actions gave the impression that the government was under the influence of that particular medium.
"I do not want to work in an atmosphere of hidden motives," he told reporters after walking into the press room at Government House.
The reference was taken to mean the Manager Media Group, whose chief Sondhi Limthongkul was recently given the right to open a talk show on the government mouthpiece Channel 11.
The Manager Group on Tuesday announced that they would end Sondhi's show which was often critical of Pridiyathorn's performance during its 10-day run.
There was no immediate reaction from the prime minister or Mr Thirapat about M.R. Pridiyathorn's abrupt resignation.
Analysts said the resignation could lead to a major cabinet reshuffle given the poor performance of the government for the past five months, following its appointment by the military council which staged the Sept 19 coup.
Opinon polls have shown a steady downhill popularity swing against the prime minister and the government.
M. R. Pridiyathorn's criticism against Thirapat, even though no names were mentioned, and the failed decision to bring in Somkid were also seen as snubs of Prime Minister Surayud.
M.R. Pridiyathorn was sharply criticised by the international business community for permitting the Bank of Thailand (BoT) to enforce capital controls on December 19, last year, in a bid to stabilize the baht.
The controls sparked a 15 per cent collapse of the stock market the next day, forcing the finance minister to reverse many of the measures for different transactions, raising questions about the policy-making skills of the government.
Reuters reported that analysts felt M.R. Pridiyathorn's departure was a major setback for the government, although it may bring some stability to a fractured cabinet criticised for its lack of action.
"There has been infighting within the government and that has resulted in a bit of a power struggle behind the scenes," said Frederic Neumann, a regional economist for HSBC in Hong Kong.
"By removing one of the protagonists, you might actually get more coherence in government policy," he said.
"The crucial question is: Who are they going to replace him with? There have been some rumours that Somkid might replace him, which could potentially be received positively by the markets, given his previous market-friendly policies."

27th February 2007

Business operators joined around 2,000 people from all walks of life in a march for peace as violence continued in the deep South, and intelligence reports warned of a new flare-up in the region and possibly in Bangkok in the coming weeks.
The demonstrators called on the state to provide more arms and communications devices, and funds so communities can strengthen and defend themselves.
Made up of people in the hotel and production industries, community and labour representatives, the demonstrators marched from the Yala municipality to the provincial centre to submit their proposals to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont through provincial governor Thira Mintrasakdi.
Municipality mayor Pongsak Yingchoncharoen led the demonstration. He said the violence showed no sign of abating despite efforts by the government. The continuing attacks damaged the local economy and threatened the lives of people, he added .
The demonstrators, mainly wearing yellow T-shirts to show their loyalty to the King, also called for the tenure of village and tambon chiefs in the troubled provinces to be extended from five to 10 years.
The march for peace coincided with intelligence reports about a large shipment of explosive materials being transported by boat from a neighbouring country.
The reports said an estimated 20 people from the insurgents' "united front" were posted to receive the shipment which was being ferried up the Bang Nara stream in Cho Ai-rong district of Narathiwat.
From there, the plan called for the explosives to be carried into target areas by motorcycle. A man identified as Anwar Mahama, suspected to be a hired gunman from Muang district of Narathiwat, was said to have organised planning sessions at his home.
In the wake of these reported movements, security units in four districts of Narathiwat _ Ra-ngae, Sungai Padee, Sungai Golok and Muang _ had been instructed to raise their guard from Feb 25 on, sources said.
Moreover, intelligence reports said a group of about 10 rebels from the South had infiltrated Bangkok. This group was believed to be preparing to launch a major attack in Bangkok from March 13-15.
The alert called special attention to March 13, the anniversary of the BRN (Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Pattani), and March 14, a day of prayers. The insurgents, said the sources, planned to plant explosives in strategic places in Bangkok and nearby provinces .
In Bangkok, Victory Monument was a target. Others were similar to those hit in the Dec 31 bombings, the sources added.
Amid continuing violence in the deep South, and warnings of more, social thinker Prawase Wasi proposed the use of police and military commando units to beef up existing forces.
In an article entitled The Prime Minister and Strategies to Build Unity in the in the Deep South, Dr Prawase said the commandos should be deployed as police and soldiers posted in the deep South were not enough to curb the unrest.
Dr Prawase also suggested that young men aged between 18-25 be organised in an unarmed peace corps.
The so-called santisena units would recruit local youth in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces so as to prevent them from being drawn into insurgent networks, he added.
Dr Prawase also proposed the establishment of a large special administrative zone empowered to manage the economy, education, society, communications and residents' safety in ways consistent with the local culture.
Three bombs went off in Yala and Narathiwat yesterday morning, wounding six soldiers while a Muslim villager was killed in a drive-by shooting in Narathiwat on Sunday night.
In the first attack, a home-made bomb exploded around 8 am at a roadside in Yala's Muang district, slightly injuring a soldier. The bomb, hidden under a flower pot, went off when a team of seven soldiers providing protection for teachers arrived.
In the province's Than Tho district, another bomb went off around 11 am yesterday, wounding a soldier. The bomb was hidden in a suspicious box left in front of a healthcare centre in tambon Banhae. It exploded when troops were called into the area to inspect the box.
On the same day, a bomb went off in Narathiwat's Sri Sakhon district, wounding four soldiers. The 5kg bomb, believed to be targeting soldiers providing protection for teachers, exploded around 8.20 am when a protection team arrived.
In Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district, Soree Hami, 39, a Muslim resident, was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle while returning home from a market on Sunday night.

26th February 2007

Former Fourth Army commander Kitti Rattanachaya said he agrees with the "commendable" push for southern peace talks but recommended both Thai and Malaysian governments should discuss the sensitive issue of possible talks or negotiations behind closed doors.
Gen Kitti has warned the government to watch its step in asking Malaysia to mediate peace talks with armed separatist groups behind an increasingly violent insurgency in the southern border provinces.
The government must also have a clear set of guidelines for the peace process, otherwise it might be put at a disadvantage politically, he warned.
"Discussion [with Malaysia] is a commendable effort, but it must be backed by a detailed action plan. Most importantly, it must be held in secret," he said.
Malaysia's Bernama news agency on Saturday quoted Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak as saying that Kuala Lumpur had yet to receive a formal request from Thailand to mediate the ongoing conflict in the violence-plagued southern border provinces.
Gen Kitti, who played a key role in ending armed hostilities between the defunct Communist Party of Malaya and the Malaysia government in the late 1980s, expressed disapproval of the report.
He said the issue was too sensitive to be discussed in the media limelight.
He said the government would be better advised to keep a low profile in making moves towards peace talks and should set up a working group to coordinate efforts with Malaysia.
"The government should not jump the gun and act too soon. It should keep its cards close to its chest," he said.
Malaysian security agencies had been informed of the movements of militant groups operating along the Thai-Malaysian borders, he said.
When militants finish their missions in Thailand they cross over and take refuge on the Malaysian side of the border, he said.
"If Malaysia is sincere towards us, it must pressure the militants, in a covert manner," Gen Kitti said. He believed key figures of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) Coordinate were still in hiding in Malaysia.
He said the southern insurgents consisted of about 60 separate, small groups of teenagers, who operate independently of one another.
Meanwhile, a "Happy Family" campaign has been launched to curb divorces among young Muslim couples in Narathiwat, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Satun.
Chalor Kingthong, deputy director of the Thaksin Pattana project, said a large number of young Muslim couples in the South were living together, without getting properly married in accordance with Islamic teachings.
Many of them end up divorcing, leaving their children vulnerable to social problems including drug abuse, he said.
Maj-Gen Chalor said he hoped the campaign will help foster the bonds of love among young couples and their children, which in turn will strengthen their communities and reduce social problems.

Chon Buri - Police have offered a reward of 100,000 baht ($3,000) for the capture of the gunman who killed two Russian women tourists on Jomtien beach in Pattaya on Saturday.
Pol Lt-Gen Assawin Kwanmuang, chief of the Provincial Police Bureau 2, said the tourists, Livbov Svirkova, 25, and Tatiana Tsimfer, 30, were on a package tour and arrived in Pattaya on Feb 16. It was their first trip to the resort town.
They checked in at a hotel near the spot on the beach where they were found dead in their deckchairs. Each had been shot several times.
Thai News Agency reported on Monday that police investigators have produced some clues suggesting that a gang of foreigners may have been involved in the murders.
Pol Lt-Gen Assawin said he had instructed detectives to seek an early arrest of the culprit after close examination of the victims' holiday snapshots taken while visiting some tourist attractions as well as security camera images which found that a gang of foreigners, in particular "The Chopper Gang", a local group in Pattaya, may have been involved in the killings, according to the TNA report.
The police officer did not provide more details about the so-called gang, but indicated that mobile phone records of the two women are being thoroughly checked for further evidence as they used local simcards to call in and out prior to the killings.
Pol Lt-Gen Assawin said records showed the two women were self-employed overseas and had nothing to do with any illegal businesses in Pattaya. They spent their entire time as tourists and there was no evidence they were involved in any business dealings here.
The commissioner said police investigators were looking to find out if they had become involved in a conflict with anyone in Pattaya.
Security cameras recorded what appeared to be an Asian man shooting the women from a distance. The killer did not touch the women's belongings.
The pictures needed to be examined more closely as the image of the man was taken from afar and was quite fuzzy, Pol Lt-Gen Assawin said. A reward of 100,000 baht was being offered for information leading to the capture of the killer.
Tens of thousands of Russian holidaymakers visit Pattaya every year.

25th February 2007

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told the Malaysian news agency Bernama that like an old soldier he will just fade away once the military manages to organise elections, which might be behind schedule. "I will take a rest. For me, I am not going to get involved in politics," he was quoted by Bernama this morning as saying, when reporters asked what were his plans once he retires as the 33rd prime minister of Thailand.
Surayud became the prime minister on Oct 1 last year when former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a bloodless coup on Sept 19, 2006. He was a career soldier, rising to the rank of army commander and then supreme commander before he retired in 2003.
"I received this job with a strong mandate from the people that I have to be here to serve (and to attend to) the political and security problems in Thailand," he said in an interview with Bernama at his office in Bangkok on Friday evening. "So after this, if they can have an elected government from the people by the people, I think that's it."
Asked whether he was confident that the elections would be held," the 63- year-old Surayud replied, "Sure, I am confident." But he hedged on whether the general elections would be held by October this year as military coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and supporters have promised. "I cannot say at the moment," Gen Surayud told the Malaysian visitors. "It still depends a lot on the [constitution] drafting committee, like when it is able to provide the first draft for a referendum on when we can set a timeframe for the referendum. After the referendum, we will proceed with the general elections."
Asked how the interim government has been performing since the coup, he avoided the question, and said instead that ministers had been listening to comments and suggestions from all sectors.
"I believe in working together with the national legislative body and political parties even though they are not at full participation at the moment," said Gen Surayud.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s Northeastern Office in Khon Kaen has launched a cultural tourism project that is hoping to transform expatriates married to Thai women from the Northeast into spokesmen for the region's tourist attractions. The office plans to wow the expatriate husbands with the region's tourist attractions in the hope that it will prompt them to spread the word about Isan to their friends and family back home.
The married couples will be taken on a tour of famous attractions and will be shown traditional activities in Roi Et, Khon Kaen and Maha Sarakham between March 3 and 4.
Nuan Sarnsorn, the director of the TAT's Northeastern Office Region 3, said the number of participants is limited to 15 couples.
Each couple will be charged 1,101 baht to go on the trip and translators will be on hand to help the foreigners.
''In the future, we hope the foreigners, who are sons-in-law of Isan people, will volunteer themselves as spokesmen for our tourism campaign.
''They will gain first-hand experience during the tour, and hopefully they will tell friends and families back home to visit Thailand,'' Mr Nuan said.
The tour itinerary begins with a visit to the famous Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon pagoda at Wat Nong Waeng in Khon Kaen's Muang district on March 3. The couples will be taken to an exhibition hall where historical information about Khon Kaen and artifacts are on display.
They will then visit Ban Phaeng in Maha Sarakham's Kosum Phisai district, famous for its top-quality reed mats.
The couples will also be invited to participate in Roi Et's annual merit-making festival called Boon Pha Wet, among a number of other activities.

24th February 2007

Activists have slammed the government's decision to set up a new company to operate the much-criticised Chiang Mai Night Safari project, saying it will only worsen the problems plaguing the zoo. Nikom Phutta, of the Wildlife Fund Thailand's Chiang Mai office, said the government's decision to set up a company to run the Night Safari in a bid to salvage the zoo's business was wrong. The Surayud Chulanont government will repeat the mistakes of the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra administration if it allows the zoo to continue the business, Mr Nikom said yesterday. The activist's comment came after the cabinet resolved on Tuesday to continue the project by setting up a new state company to take over the zoo operation from the Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) to improve management. The company and the zoo will come under the supervision of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, according to the cabinet. Mr Nikom said the government was passing a ''hot potato'' to the ministry by transferring the project from Dasta. The ministry, he said, would have to shoulder a huge loss caused by the poor management of the zoo. Instead of establishing a new body to run the zoo, the government should set up an investigation committee to probe the alleged irregularities surrounding the project as well as Dasta chief Plodprasop Suraswadi, who supervises the zoo, said Mr Nikom.
Chaipant Prabhasvat, director of the Chiang Mai-based Institute for Community Rights, an independent research group, urged the government to scrap the Night Safari as the government might have to use taxpayer money to subsidise it. He said the government should turn the 1.15-billion-baht zoo into a forest plantation and distribute the more than 2,000 wild animals to other state zoos.
Petipong Pungbun na Ayudhya, the Natural Resources and Environment permanent secretary, said he was still confused over Tuesday's cabinet resolution and needed to study further what the government wanted from the newly set up firm.
Deputy director of the Chiang Mai Night Safari, Preecha Ratanaporn, said it was too soon to conclude whether the project was worth the investment and yielded sufficient income or not because it had only been open a year so far. ''What I can say is that the zoo business runs as it should do,'' he said.
The Chiang Mai Night Safari was initiated by ousted prime minister Thaksin in 2002 as part of his ambitious plan to transform Chiang Mai into a world-class tourism destination.

23rd February 2007

Insurgents in the deep South can draw on the support of an estimated 10,000 young people they have moulded into a "united front", and could threaten the security of Bangkok, Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said yesterday. Gen Boonrawd said insurgents previously could count on less than 100 people and he attributed the dramatic increase to long-term neglect of the region.
The defence minister was fielding questions at the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) about the bombings in the deep South on Feb 18. He affirmed that students from the South were free to move to Bangkok, and that intelligence units were watching suspected militants believed to have entered the capital. He admitted the authorities in the South still could not bridge the gap between locals and the state, despite considerable resources, including 10,000 soldiers, 10,000 policemen, and another 17,000 people the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) could call on. "We do not know them. We do not know who is working against us. As long as they mingle with ordinary people, it's difficult to tell them apart," he said. For more than 10 years, the insurgents had been selecting young people for training. The new recruits were taken when they were about 12 years old, he added.
Pranai Suwannarath, head of the SBPAC, was among the first to attribute the Feb 18 explosions to young people. The SBPAC has been trying to access remote villages since it resumed operations on Jan 1. In the South, sources said the Fourth Army was trying to build bridges with religious leaders in particular in a bid to form its own "united front". The army was also working with defectors to shore up knowledge about the insurgents' networks, operational methods and structure. But he said the army had so far only learned about low-level supporters, such as those who attempt to hinder authorities by laying spikes and other obstructions. "So far we have not been able to reach the leadership and their thinking. So prevention is difficult. We learn only that there will be an attack but not where or how," a source said. Defectors do not tell all because they have sworn an oath of secrecy, he added. So far, the Surayud Chulanont government's political offensive had been successful, including the cooperation with his Malaysian counterpart Abdullah Badawi. But on the ground, there had not been as much progress as there should have been, said the source.
At the NLA, Lt-Gen Waipot Srinual, commander of the National Intelligence Agency, slammed the government's failure to curb the violence that was demoralising operational officers and local people. At the same time, he said the gap between state authorities and local people was being perpetuated by instigators working to widen the divide. They formed a "third group" in the region, besides people who are for and against violence, he said.
Prime Minister Surayud yesterday admitted that the government had done little to curb the violence in the South over the past four months. Local cooperation was key to stamping out the insurgency and help would be sought from Malaysia to turn the situation around, he said. Any idea of making the troubled region a special administrative area should be taken up by the next government, he added.
Defence spokesman Maj-Gen Pichasanu Putchakarn said the Defence Council was concerned the debate on a national religion may be used as a campaign against the government. He said the defence minister had emphasised the need to be more active in intelligence gathering.
Meanwhile, the interior minister described Wednesday's gun attack against an entourage of humanitarian fund raiser Thanpuying Viraya Chawakul as random.

22nd February 2007

Wanchai Wimuktayon, managing director of ACT Consultants Co, part of the designer consortium MJTA, admitted that the Suvarnabhumi airport terminal violated the Building Control Act of 1979 but that the flaws were not serious, and could be fixed.
The passenger terminal of Suvarnabhumi airport breaches the building control law but its defects, including a number of substandard fire escapes, are not serious and can be resolved, according to its designer, the Murphy Jahn/TAMS/ACT (MJTA) consortium.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Wanchai said, according to the law, a building of this size in theory must have at least 10,000 toilets but this is not practical.
The terminal must also have a fire exit every 60 metres and should have airlift fire escapes given its height. But these are also impracticable, he added.
Mr Wanchai suggested the Transport Ministry issue a special announcement to exclude the passenger terminal from the law in these areas.
Pichaya Chantranuwat, general manager of Fusion Consultants Co that has done a safety report on the Suvarnabhumi terminal for Airports of Thailand Plc, said that more than 10 fire escapes at the airport were substandard. Some fire exits were 90-100 metres apart, which is too far according to the law. However, the problem could be solved.
He was concerned about some fire exits being locked for security reasons. The AoT should make opening instructions available to the public in case of emergency, he said.
He agreed with Mr Wanchai in terms of allowing special building control leniency for the airport terminal. Otherwise, the building would remain illegal forever, he said.
Chatchai Pamornsutr, a senior engineer of MJTA, confirmed that the passenger terminal of Suvarnabhumi airport had been designed to cope with fires. Designs of such facilities as the automatic hydrants and smoke control systems were made with public safety in mind.
Moreover, there are as many as 200 fire exits that can evacuate people between three and 10 minutes, better than evacuation standard in other buildings.
He also dismissed fears about electrical control cabinets that might get overheated and catch fire because they were installed just under the terminal's glass roof. He said the cabinets could withstand temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius and current temperatures peaked at 50 degrees. In case of emergency, the cabinets would shut down automatically to prevent short circuits. Mr Chatchai admitted that access to the cabinets was still difficult and it would be solved.
In another development, Don Muang airport director Pinit Saraithong said only domestic services of Thai Airways International, Nok Air and One-To-Go Airlines had confirmed they would return to Don Muang on March 25. PB Air will not follow because it connects with international flights at Suvarnabhumi.
The Don Muang airport director held talks with domestic airlines yesterday and also confirmed that there will be some 160 flights, or 20,000 passengers, using Don Muang daily. They will be served at the old domestic terminal while the first international terminal will continue to cater to chartered flights.
The final figure is way off the calculation made by AoT last Wednesday. The airport agency said that only 77 flights would fly in and out of Don Muang.

Somkid Jatusripitak resigned yesterday as the chief of a government panel to explain the sufficiency economy to the international community, citing the need for national reconciliation. Mr Somkid's resignation came less than a week after his appointment, which was denounced by critics of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Somkid was deemed unfit by them to promote the sufficiency economy concept because he is perceived as an architect of Thaksinomics and its populist schemes.
The former deputy prime minister said he decided to resign to avert any further divisiveness, which society could ill afford. "I feel uncomfortable when there is a misunderstanding. If my good intentions to help the country are deemed to cause further rifts, I want to end it before it gets out of hand," he said. Mr Somkid insisted he did not resign under government pressure and expressed confidence that Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont would have supported him if he had decided to stay on. He also said that his approach was different from that of Mr Thaksin and this had been the case long before the Sept 19 military takeover. "It caused distrust, which resulted in a cabinet shake-up and several more, which you already know about," he said.
Gen Surayud said he respected Mr Somkid's decision, while noting the committee set up to support him would now have to be suspended. Neither his supporters nor his critics believed Mr Somkid's resignation would be a setback to the government. "Since he had yet to begin his work, there will not be too much confusion among foreign investors," said Pramont Sutheewong, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
Kiat Sittheeamorn of the Democrat party welcomed Mr Somkid's resignation saying the former deputy Thai Rak Thai (TRT) leader had championed populist policies and extreme capitalism. "He once discussed capitalism in many countries. His talking about the sufficiency economy would cost us credibility," Mr Kiat said.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) urged Mr Somkid to clear the air with the public by explaining what had gone wrong with the Thaksinomics that he had helped create. "Too bad that he has yet to explain what damage Thaksinomics, the worshipping of extreme capitalism, trade liberalisation, state enterprise privatisation and consumer spending, has done to the economy," said Suriyasai Katasila, PAD coordinator and secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy.
Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said Mr Somkid had a lot to explain including the alleged irregularities in the rubber sapling procurement project in which he is implicated. Mr Abhisit said Mr Somkid's case should serve as a lesson for the government to be more sensitive to public concerns.
National Legislative Assembly president Prasong Soonsiri criticised the government for suspending the self-sufficiency committee, saying it gave the impression that it was not serious in its intent. Sqn-Ldr Prasong said there were other people who could fill the slot.
TRT deputy leader Suranand Vejjajiva said Mr Somkid was likely to set up his own political party once the political clouds had dissipated. For the time being, Mr Somkid would retreat from the political front, he said. Later, he would probably hit the lecture circuit to share his ideas at academic forums, Mr Suranand added. He said Mr Somkid would probably set up his own political party using "well-accepted principles" to draw supporters.
An informed source said Mr Somkid was unlikely to "lean on" the Matchima group, despite being linked to it, as he wants his own support nucleus.

21st February 2007

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont suspended the new economic advisory committee Wednesday, after its chairman Somkid Jatusripitak resigned from the post.
Mr Somkid, former deputy prime minister to deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was appointed six days ago by Gen Surayud to head a panel responsible for explaining sufficiency economy to international communities.
"The panel will be suspended for the time being because Somkid has quit," Gen Surayud told reporters.
The premier said the government now had to start to think how to restore investors' confidence.
Mr Somkid's resignation came after anti-Thaksin groups pressed him to step down. They also called on Gen Surayud to reconsider the appointment.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the coordinated insurgent attacks in the deep South on Sunday, Fourth Army chief Lt-Gen Viroj Buacharoon said yesterday.
The suspects, one from Songkhla's Thepha district and two from Narathiwat's Bacho district, have admitted to having a hand in the Feb 18 attacks, Lt-Gen Viroj told a press conference.
There were more than 50 bombings or arson attacks in Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla. Seven people died and scores were injured.
Lt-Gen Viroj said the suspects received training from Runda Kampulan Kecil (RKK), and that some of those involved were also behind a spate of attacks on April 28, 2004 which led to scores of people being killed by security forces.
He urged parents to take care of their teenage children, because some have been lured into joining the insurgency.
He said rebels plied them with stimulant-laced drinks before sending them out on bombing and arson sprees.

Southern insurgents on Wednesday set alight Thailand's largest rubber warehouse in the troubled deep South, sparking a 12-hour conflagration that blanketed Yala City in a cloud of black smoke. Insurgents threw firebombs to set the fire. Eventually, firemen from 30 fire trucks fought to control the flames.
The arsonists scattered spikes on the road leading to the warehouse to slow down firefighters and emergency workers going to the site, on the rim of Yala City, which is 760 kilometres south of Bangkok.
Kiart Kittikulsereekam, a Southland Rubber manager, said the warehouse was the largest in Thailand's deep South, which comprises Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces.
The fire destroyed an estimated 5,000 tonnes of rubber sheet intended for export, with total damages estimated at 400 million baht ($11 million), said fire and police officials.
The fire enveloped the building rapidly, feeding on the 1,000 tons of rubber sheet inside. According to police, more than 100 tons of rubber sheet had already been destroyed at this 8,000-square metre warehouse compound.
About 10 workers who were staying inside the building fled for their lives and no casualties were reported.
The arson attack comes on the heels of a spate of coordinated bombings, murders and arson on Sunday night in the three provinces, and also in neighbouring Songkhla, that killed seven people and left more than 50 injured.
Sunday's attacks appeared to target the Sino-Thai business community, deemed the backbone of the southern economy.
Rubber plantations, most of them owned and managed by Sino-Thais, are one of the main sources of employment and income for the region, which has witnessed escalating violence over the past three years that has already claimed more than 1,900 lives.
Experts on the deep South say the separatists have been increasing efforts to terrorise the Chinese business community as a means of further destabilising the economy and driving non-Muslims out of the three provinces which border Malaysia.
Meanwhile, a bomb went off at Sai Buri's district of Pattani, injuring two patrol soldiers on Wednesday morning.
They were rushed to Phra Yupharat Hospital in the district.

20th February 2007

Shin Satellite's concessions with the state could be revoked if Temasek Holdings is found to have used illegal nominees to buy telecoms giant Shin Corp last year, Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said yesterday. Dr Sitthichai said Shin's contracts could be voided if holding vehicle Kularb Kaew acted as an illegal nominee for Temasek to break foreign shareholding limits. The ICT Ministry would propose that the cabinet set up a special committee to consider the options. "A buyout is just an idea at this stage. What needs to be considered is whether (the government) will buy Shin Corp or Shin Satellite," Dr Sitthichai said. "If it is Shin Corp, then the money required would be upwards of 100 billion baht, but for Shin Satellite, perhaps just 10 billion. [State-owned] TOT Corp or CAT Telecom could be the buyers and operators afterwards."
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, head of the Council for National Security, said last week the satellites were "national assets" that should be held by Thais.
Shin Satellite controls four satellites, including iPSTAR, the world's largest broadband satellite. The satellites are state property and operated by Shin Satellite under 30-year contracts expiring in 2021.
Dr Sitthichai said the government could not just cite national security to revoke Shin Satellite's concessions. But the ICT Ministry could offer new satellite concessions to a new operator, or refuse to extend the current contract due to the ambiguity of Shin Satellite's shareholding structure, he said. Five operators have already shown an interest in applying for licences, he added.
A Shin Corp executive said the government should consider that Shin Satellite was heavily indebted to creditors, including the US Export Bank and France's Coface. "Singapore probably is the smallest shareholder here, followed by the 16,000 Thai investors who control the remaining 59% after Shin," the executive said. "Shin Satellite's equity is not even 10 billion baht, while the debt is over twice as much. If any problems occur, Thailand won't have a problem only with Singapore, but with the US and France as well. " Shin Satellite said it has paid 3.69 billion baht to the state since its 1991 founding.
While the legal grounds for seizing Shin Satellite are questionable, the political risks have soared following recent signals from policymakers, analysts say.

The Department of Special Investigation has evidence linking police to four extra-judicial killings during deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's war on drugs in 2003. Ex-premier Thaksin could face charges of incitement. DSI director-general Sunai Manomai-udom said on Monday that all four cases were transferred from the police to the DSI which began its investigation in December 2006 following complaints lodged by victims' families.
The four cases were the death of a nine-year-old boy, alias Nong Fluke, on Feb 23, 2003 and the subsequent disappearance of his mother; the killings of Nikhom Ounkaew and his wife Khanraya, in Nakhon Ratchasima's Khon Buri district on March 28, 2003; the deaths of Pongthep and Ampaiwan Rukhongprasert in Tak's Mae Sot district on May 18, 2003; and the killing of educator Samarn Thongdee in Tak's Muang district in April 2003.
"The DSI will query the officers who were on duty at that time [of the killings] in order to ascertain the reasons they killed the victims," said Mr Sunai.
He said if the DSI found evidence that police procured fake witnesses or evidence in the death of Nong Fluke, the officials involved would be prosecuted on many counts including contempt of court, giving false evidence, providing fake witnesses and malfeasance of duty.
He said he has assigned his deputy, Tarit Pengdit, to collect the speeches by Mr Thaksin on drug suppression, to find evidence that may link the former prime minister to the extra-judicial killings.
In one well-known case, Mr Thaksin was heard mentioning an "iron-fist" method in approving brutal measures for drug suppression. In particular, he said it was not uncommon for people to die during a war on drugs.
A source said the DSI may bring in criminologists as witnesses to Mr Thaksin's "iron-fist" approach to determine if this constituted abuse of power.
He said if the evidence is clear, the DSI will bring it to Justice Minister Chanchai Likhitjitta and Justice permanent secretary Jarun Pukditanakul to discuss if there are sufficient grounds to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Thaksin on charges of supporting or inciting officials to kill suspects.
At least 1,164 people were killed during the three-month war on drugs.
However, Mr Sunai said cases of extra-judicial killings could not be forwarded to the International Criminal Court, as urged by human rights activists, so Mr Thaksin could not be prosecuted there since Thailand is not a party to the court.

19th February 2007

Seven people are dead and more than 60 wounded in the biggest wave of coordinated bombings, terrorism and murders ever reported across the four southernmost provinces. A bomb this morning in Yala town raised the death toll to eight.
At least 28 bombs and three murders targetted foreign tourist sites, Thai-Chinese celebrating the Lunar New Year, hotels, karaoke bars, power grids, telephone lines and commercial sites in the country's southernmost provinces. Two public schools were torched. "They use the (Chinese) festival time to show that there is not peace in the three provinces in the south," said national army spokesman Col Acar Tiproch on TV news broadcasts. In Yala town alone, 17 bombs exploded, and another six went off in Betong district town, a tourist-friendly site helping to celebrate Chinese New Year for local residents and Malaysian tourists. Three people were killed in the Betong blasts, directed at night spots and karaoke parlours. Entertainment venues and convenience stores throughout Yala province have been closed for the duration of the holiday. A bomb exploded on Monday morning in Yala, killing Army Maj Prasarn Natthang as he left his home.
Col Akra told government-controlled TV Channel 9 on Monday morning that the death toll stood at four, with 53 persons wounded. One of four seriously injured person died in hospital on Monday morning. In a separate report, the Public Health Ministry said 62 people had been treated for bomb wounds at southern hospitals reporting to the ministry. Another three persons were gunned down in so-called drive-by murders on Saturday night just before the offensive. He said the army now had control of the situation.
The Internal Security Operation Command, which is in charge of the lack of security in the South sent helicopters to survey the areas around Yala town. "Special armed forces have also been dispatched to hunt down the culprits," Isoc said.
The bombings across the four provinces began at about 7.00 p.m. Pattani's governor Panu Uthairat told Thai television that three blasts there had hit the power plant. A blackout ensued in Pattani town, but said that 95 per cent of the power had been restored early on Monday morning.
Police said three Thai-Chinese were gunned down in Pattani province on the New Year. Two villagers in Pattani were also shot dead in an ambush Sunday night. The central mosque in Narathiwat was also torched.
Five bombs exploded in the border town of Sungai Kolok and seven others in Betong, the two most popular destinations for Malaysian and Singaporean tourists. Two bombings were reported in Songkhla province, normally outside the insurgents' operational area.
Pol Maj-Gen Yongyut Chareonwanit, the Narathiwat police commander said at least two schools in the province had been torched.
Bombings also took place in Chana and Thepha districts of Songkhla, but no injuries have been reported.
Col Wichai Thongdaeng, a military spokesman, said the army has sent additional troops to the region. "We believe that the attacks were planned to cause division, create fear among the people. They want to show that they are still capable (of carrying out attacks)," he said.
Similar regionwide bombings and arson attacks have occurred in the past as a show of strength and operational coordination among the various groups waging a separatist struggle against Bangkok.
Over the past three years, more than 1,900 people have died in the deep South, comprising Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces,where a long-simmering separatist struggle has escalated into a major security problem for Thailand.
Thailand on Friday agreed to allow neighbouring Malaysia to play a mediator role in setting up negotiations with the various groups behind the mounting campaign of terror against the region's non- Muslim population. The problem is that neither Thailand nor Malaysia has a clue who is ordering and conducting the killings.
More than 80 per cent of the two million people living in Thailand's deep South are Muslim of ethnic Malay decent, with closer cultural affinities with neighbouring Malaysia than with the predominantly Buddhist Thai state.
The region was an independent Islamic sultanate known as Pattani for hundreds of years before it was conquered by Bangkok in 1786. The border provinces came under the direct rule of the Thai bureaucracy in 1902.
A separatist struggle has simmered in the three-province region for the past five to six decades, fuelled by the local population's sense of religious and cultural alienation from predominantly Buddhist Thailand. The movement took a more militant turn in January 2004 after Muslim militants attacked an army arms depot and stole 300 rifles.

18th February 2007

Police are reportedly preparing to seek the Criminal Court's approval for the arrest of six more suspects in the New Year bombings at two shopping malls in Bangkok. The move comes after the court approved an arrest warrant on Friday for the arrest of a suspect believed to be involved in one of the nine bombing attacks in Bangkok and Nonthaburi on New Year's Eve. The suspect was caught on a surveillance camera dropping a plastic bag at a plant pot shortly before the explosion near a police booth in Saphan Khwai.
The six new suspects are believed to be involved in the bomb attacks at Seacon Square shopping mall on Srinakarin road and Major Cineplex in Ratchayothin.
According to a police source, one of the suspects is Thawansak Paenae, a suspected member of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional separatist group active in the southern border provinces. Mr Thawansak is thought to have been identified from footage recorded by a surveillance camera at Major Cineplex in Ratchayothin.
Pictures captured from surveillance cameras formed much of the evidence that police used to secure the warrant for the arrest of the suspect in the Saphan Khwai bombing.
However, the recent leak of images from the security camera footage to a newspaper has caused new worries for police who have struggled to find conclusive evidence to press charges against anyone for the unprecedented bombings in Bangkok over New Year. ''The footage is our secret,'' said the frustrated assistant national police chief Jongrak Juthanont, who is responsible for questioning suspects in the case. Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak said yesterday that another police team might be set up to find who leaked the footage to the press. Any police officer found guilty of leaking evidence linked to the investigation would be severely punished, Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak said, adding that leaking of such information could harm the ongoing investigation. Acting national police chief Seripisuth Temiyavej has called a meeting with police investigators tomorrow to discuss the issue and to consider whether to allow the media to publish pictures of suspects captured on surveillance cameras.

17th February 2007

The government changed direction yet again in mid-stream on Friday, agreeing to allow Malaysia to act as a mediator to negotiate a solution to the mounting security problem plaguing the South. "Malaysia will act as a mediator in the negotiations," Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told reporters in Bangkok.
His remarks directly reversed a statement on Wednesday by Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram that there were no plans to allow a Malaysian hand in any future negotiations - and claiming that the Malaysian premier had been misquoted on the subject by his own news agency.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on his visit to Bangkok earlier this week suggested that Malaysia could mediate between the Thai government and separatist rebels in its three southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattanai and Yala, where the majority of the population is Muslim, Malay-speaking and has strong historical and cultural ties with Malaysia.
"Whether or not the situation improves depends on negotiations," Gen Surayud said. "Negotiations are the best way to solve the problem." He praised Malaysia for acknowledging that the security problem in the deep South was an "internal issue" and for not supporting the separatists. Mr Abdullah, during his visit to Thailand, also praised Surayud for adopting a conciliatory approach to the conflict, which has been marked by clashes, revenge killings, bombings and beheadings.
Gen Surayud's conciliatory approach has yet to bear fruit. Violent attacks on Thai Buddhists and officials living in the three provinces have intensified since he was appointed prime minister by a military junta that ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19.
On Friday morning, insurgents attacked an army patrol in Bannang Sata, Yala province, and set off a bomb under an armoured personnel carrier, injuring eight soldiers.
Thaksin was widely criticised for using strong-arm tactics to suppress the insurgency that failed to end the insurgency and further alienated the local population from the predominantly Buddhist Thai state.
The current separatists are thought to comprise many different groups, young and old, who have achieved an unusual level of cooperation in their struggle against the central government.

Another u-turn involves the return of flights to Don Muang airport which will now serve only non-connecting domestic flights during the first six months of its reopening, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said. The government would decide later if it could serve more, Gen Surayud said in his capacity as chair of the committee on operating policies for Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports, which met yesterday.
The go-ahead for the initial reopening of domestic services followed opposition from the Board of Airline Representatives which disagrees that its members should have to split services between Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi. The board represents over 60 international airlines. Part of Bangkok's air traffic would return to Don Muang to allow repairs at Suvarnabhumi airport, Gen Surayud said. After the first six months, the Transport Ministry would study whether more flights could follow suit, in addition to non-connecting domestic flights, he said. Airports of Thailand Plc would have to ensure Suvarnabhumi airport continued to provide safe services while it was being repaired, the prime minister said. "The return to Don Muang airport must be voluntary and limited to domestic flights. In addition, other nations must be informed that it is possible for Suvarnabhumi airport to undergo repairs and operate simultaneously," he said.
Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen will propose Don Muang's service for non-connecting domestic flights for cabinet approval next Tuesday. Adm Theera said the return would reduce traffic at Suvarnabhumi by 17%, or 71 flights a day. Nok Air and One-To-Go airlines will move back completely while Thai Airways International will deploy part of its domestic routes to Don Muang. According to the minister, the return will be permanent and airlines will be responsible for their own transfer costs. The renovation of Don Muang airport will be completed by March 25 but its re-opening date has yet to be set.
A source at the Transport Ministry said some international flights would have to return to Don Muang eventually so as to help ease air traffic at Suvarnabhumi in the future due to likely delays in its expansion plan.
Yesterday's decision was met with a protest by Thai AirAsia. Tassapon Bijleveld, the airline's chief executive officer, does not want to split the service between two airports. He said Thai AirAsia would not return to Don Muang, even after Suvarnabhumi became heavily congested.

Council for National Security chairman Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin yesterday vowed to recapture national assets sold to Singapore following Temasek's takeover of telecom giant Shin Corp. Likening national assets to territory, Gen Sonthi said it was the military's duty to protect and salvage them. "For soldiers, we will not tolerate a loss of territory, not even a square inch. It is the same with natural resources. I want to get back the national assets that were bought for 140 billion baht, particularly satellites," Gen Sonthi said, referring to satellite concessions held by Shin Satellite Plc. He was addressing 1,000 territorial defence students, mostly high school children, at the army's auditorium to open a seminar on patriotism. "We'll see if we can retrieve our assets," he told the young audience.
ShinSat, the operator of Thaicom 1, 2 and 5, and iPSTAR satellites, is now owned by Temasek Holdings, an investment arm of Singapore. The Shinawatra family sold Shin Corp to Temasek in January last year. Gen Sonthi, however, admitted that he still had no idea how to take those assets back. "I want them back because it is my duty to salvage the country and its assets. But I still don't know how to do it."
Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said an inquiry into the ShinSat concession contract is under way. Headed by Dr Suthee Aksornkit, the investigation could lead to litigation, he said. Mr Sitthichai said the ministry was aware of what the CNS wanted.
A source on the Shin Corp board, however, warned the CNS and the government that any attempt to take back satellite control would backfire if it was not based on correct principles. According to the source, there are three things to consider. ShinSat is 41% owned by Shin Corp, so it is still a Thai-owned firm. The company has signed a Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) contract, so satellites and orbital slots are considered state-owned. The company only has the right to provide services. The management and staff are also Thai. According to the source, if the government is serious about taking back control of satellites, it has two choices, it could accuse the company of a breach of contract and revoke it, or pass a law to confiscate the satellite.
The source denied any phone-tapping allegations, saying 60% of customers are business operators who never raised concerns about the matter. The source was referring to the CNS chairman's earlier concerns that mobile phone calls made by the military and graft-fighters could have been tapped by the mobile phone operator.
Telecom expert Anuparp Thiralarp agreed with a bid to take back control of satellite operations, but warned it would not be easy. Mr Anuparp, who is president of the Thailand Telecommunication Management Academy, said a contract could be revoked where there was a breach of agreement. He cited eavesdropping and unlawful foreign shareholding as example cases - of which the latter is being investigated. ShinSat's concession was amended to allow Shin Corp to reduce its stake from 51% to the minimum 40%. The original contract required Shin Corp to hold at least 50% shares for the 30-year contract. The change was criticised as an attempt to help foreign investors avoid telecom laws that limit foreign shareholding in telecom firms to 49%. Mr Anuparp said even though the Thai government could attempt to revoke the contract in the name of national security, it would still have to talk with the contract partner. Another possibility would be to buy back the satellite concession, but this also required the partner's consent. He said whichever approach the government took, it must respect its partner.

Singapore wants Thailand to clarify remarks made by Council for National Security chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin that he plans to take back control of satellites run by a firm sold to the city-state's Temasek Holdings, the foreign ministry said late Friday. "Singapore is surprised at what Council for National Security Chief Sonthi Boonyaratkalin was reported to have said about getting back Thai national assets which have been sold to foreigners," a foreign ministry spokesman said. "We should wait for the Thai government to clarify what those remarks meant."
The Thai foreign ministry on Saturday downplayed the remarks of junta leader Gen Sonthi. "I think what General Sonthi said has to be taken in the context," said foreign ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinondh. "The remarks were made for the consumption of that particular audience. I think the whole issue will just fade away."

16th February 2007

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont announced yesterday he will take over the handling of problems related to Suvarnabhumi airport, as airlines threatened to halt flights to Thailand if they were forced to move back to Don Muang airport. Gen Surayud, in an interview with the Bangkok Post, said fixing Suvarnabhumi's problems was now among the top priorities of the interim government, and he would take charge personally to streamline the decision making process. While addressing the new airport's problems, his government would keep in mind that it must protect national interests and ensure passenger safety, he said. The matter would be discussed today at a meeting of the committee on operating policies for Suvarnabhumi and Bangkok airport, better known as Don Muang. Gen Surayud is expected to make a decision today on the future of the two airports after a briefing on conditions at Suvarnabhumi by teams that have examined the problem-plagued airport.
Representatives from airlines and airline organisations threatened to withdraw from Thailand over the reopening of Don Muang as they met with representatives of the Transport Ministry in Bangkok. ''Some members are going to review their commitment to continue their services from Thailand if they are forced to split operations to serve two airports,'' Brian Sinclair-Thompson, president of the Board of Airline Representatives, a group of over 60 international carriers, was quoted as saying by AFP.
However, Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said the government would stick with its announced policy on Don Muang _ that is to reopen it as an international airport next month, even though most airlines would prefer Don Muang be used for domestic flights only. After a meeting with representatives of airlines, the Airport Operation Committee and the Board of Airlines Representatives, Adm Theera said he would report the airlines' preference to the committee chaired by Gen Surayud today.
The Murphy Jahn/TAMS/ACT (MJTA) consortium said yesterday its Suvarnabhumi design was in accord with the terms of reference it signed with Airports of Thailand. However, the design had been modified during construction to cut costs. The consortium was confident that the new airport was safe enough for all passengers and staff working in the facility, said Wanchai Wimuktayon, managing director of ACT Consultants Co, which is part of the MJTA. Mr Wanchai said that his company would clarify 31 out of 61 construction-related problems in the area of airport design after having gained permission to do so from the acting president of AoT, Kulya Pakakrong. The 61 problems were identified by AoT board member Yodyiam Theptranont, an engineer whose working group has examined Suvarnabhumi airport. According to Mr Wanchai, only 31 of the 61 problems were related to his consortium's work. Documents detailing the clarification would be released. He would hold a press conference on Feb 21 at which industry experts and the media would be invited to discuss the 31 problems with the consortium's representatives. Each problem arose from different causes, he said. Some were caused by modifications of the design, others by the misuse of equipment. He was confident, however, that all the problems could be fixed and the repairs would not require the airport to be completely closed.

The morale of city police has been shaken with the move to transfer 23 senior officers in an unseasonal shake-up to pave the way for the appointments of those who can work well with acting national police chief Seripisuth Temiyavej. A source said the unseasonal reshuffle came after Pol Gen Seripisuth decided to put his trusted officers in the Metropolitan Police Bureau. The reshuffle is expected to go ahead after the appointments of a deputy police chief and two assistant police chiefs on Feb 21.
In another development, Pol Gen Seripisuth yesterday assigned his lawyer to file a suit against army specialist Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, alias ''Seh Daeng'' and four other people, demanding 500 million in damages for defaming him. In the suit filed with the Civil Court, Maj-Gen Khattiya, his lawyer Sukit Poolsri, Ms Pianjit Khammung, Capt Nathawan Krairit and Mrs Waree Pirakmas were named as the defendants. The suit said Maj-Gen Khattiya and his lawyer had made defamatory comments about Pol Gen Seripisuth on various websites, accusing him of receiving protection money from some gambling dens.
Maj-Gen Khattiya yesterday filed a 600-million-baht libel countersuit against Pol Gen Seripisuth for defaming him in accusing him of involvement in a gambling den operated by Phaijit ''Por Pratunam'' Thammarojphinij. The suit was filed with the Criminal Court, which set April 23 as the date for the first hearing.
Meanwhile, Pol Gen Seripisuth confirmed that police will today request that the Criminal Court issue a warrant for the arrest of another suspect in the New Year bombings in Bangkok and Nonthaburi. The suspect is believed to have planted a bomb near Saphan Khwai, one of the nine explosion spots.The move has upset the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which accused the police of breaching an agreement that it would coordinate with the agency to ensure transparency. The agreement was previously made between DSI chief Sunai Manomai-udom and Pol Gen Seripisuth's predecessor, Pol Gen Kowit Wattana.

15th February 2007

The recruitment of Somkid Jatusripitak represents a win-win situation for both the government and the Council for National Security. Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's appointment Thursday of Somkid Jatusripitak, former deputy prime minister and finance minister of the ousted Thaksin regime, as the government's mouthpiece on the sufficiency economy came as a total surprise to the public. Not even Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula who is responsible for clarifying the philosophy of sufficiency economy to the foreign community was aware of the appointment in advance.
The prime minister admitted that it was Somkid himself who approached him and voluntarily offered the service for the government. However, several political observers believed it was the government which approached Somkid to solicit his service.
But whoever made the first move did not matter as much as the fact that the choice of Somkid was a plus for the government in several aspects. Given Somkid's credibility and reputation in the international community, he is in a good position to clarify to the international community, especially foreign media, about sufficiency economy philosophy that it is relevant with globalisation although while serving in the Thaksin regime he often preached capitalism and ''leap forward'' economy. Honest speaking, the Finance Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry have not been successful in clearing up doubts held among foreign businessmen about sufficiency economy. Politically, Somkid's recruitment to serve the Surayud government lends credence to the government's call for national reconciliation. Viewed in a different context, Somkid's appointment will deal a blow to Thai Rak Thai party which is now breaking up with several factions already jumped ship. Diehard members of the party may have to reconsider whether it is worthwhile to put their political future with the party or to find green pastures elsewhere.
As far as Somkid is concerned, he is yet to make known his political ambitions although one political faction, the Matchima, which comprises mainly of former Thai Rak Thai MPs, has rolled out a red carpet for him to lead their party which is to be set up in the future.
Last but not least, Somkid's recruitment to serve the government in the capacity as the government's spokesman on sufficiency economy with the international community represents a win-win situation for both the Surayud government and the Council for National Security. It is regarded as shrewd move amounting to ''shooting two birds with a single shot''. The only drawback is that Finance Minister Pridiyathorn's feelings might get hurt because he was not consulted in advance and that he might be seen as failing in his job to clarify the sufficiency economy philosophy.

Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram denied on Wednesday that Thailand was seeking help from Malaysia as a go-between with insurgents, or planning to ask Kuala Lumpur to take any such mediation role. Immediately after he arrived back in Kuala Lumpur from a three-day trip to Thailand, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Malaysia probably would act as a mediator in arranging talks between insurgents and Thai authorities. Mr Abdullah said he expected a formal request from Thailand.
Mr Nitya said the remarks by Mr Abdullah as carried by the Bernama news agency on Tuesday may have been misquoted. "We are checking with Kuala Lumpur. We believe His Excellency the Prime Minister of Malaysia has been misquoted. There is no plan for such mediation that would necessitate any request," he said in a statement issued by the foreign ministry. "But, otherwise, we can say with no reservation whatsoever that Thailand values all the cooperation that Malaysia can extend to us in our effort to bring peace and normalcy to the three southern provinces, particularly in joint development projects along the common border," Mr Nitya said.
According to Bernama, Mr Abdullah said that "Malaysia is well-placed to mediate in negotiations between Thailand and Muslim separatists" in the South. The Bernama report continued: "He said Malaysia had the capacity and ability to mediate in the issue as it understood the situation in Muslim-majority southern Thailand and the Thai government's stand to end the continuing violence. 'Moreover, we know the separatist groups, in the sense that they are Muslims, of Malay descent and that Malaysia has good relations with Thailand,' he told a news conference with Malaysian journalists at the end of his three-day visit to Thailand."
But the Thai side appeared surprised. "We are checking with Kuala Lumpur. There is no plan for such mediation that would necessitate any request," the Foreign Ministry's statement quoted Mr Nitya as saying.

14th February 2007

The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (Perc) said yesterday in its latest survey that "risks are rising sharply in Thailand as a result of the continuing domestic political problems and the possibility of social unrest." It added that "conditions could deteriorate in 2007."
The survey of expatriate business executives rated Singapore as Asia's least risky economy and Indonesia as the most precarious.
Thailand's military ousted the twice-elected prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup last September. The junta has promised to hold elections and a return to democracy by the year-end.
Of the 14 economies surveyed by Perc, "Thailand is the one that foreign investors should perhaps monitor most closely in the months ahead for changes that could affect business risks", it said.
Thailand's recent moves to impose currency controls and limit foreign stakes in Thai companies have shocked foreign traders and business people.
In a best-to-worst ranking from zero to 10, Singapore received an overall score of 2.74, beating Japan, which finished second with a grade of 3.13, Perc said in the survey obtained by AFP.
Singapore's score was lower than Australia's 2.69, but better than the United States at 3.15. Australia and the United States were included in the Asian survey as a basis for comparison, Perc said.
Excluding those two nations, Hong Kong came in third after Japan with a score of 3.33, followed by Malaysia at 4.66, Taiwan 4.76, South Korea 4.78 and Vietnam 5.36.
China was in eighth place with a grade of 5.44, followed by Thailand at 5.49, the Philippines at 5.74, India at 6.24 and Indonesia at 6.79.
To get an average overall ranking, the survey measured risks relating to domestic politics, social instability, institutions, human resources, physical factors and external developments.
Perc said that while Indonesia received the worst score overall, perceptions had improved over five years due to lower domestic political and social disorder risks.
Among Asia's developed countries, the risks were highest in South Korea, largely due to the socialist North, Perc said.

Four months after taking office, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont admitted yesterday the government has yet to win the hearts of people in the deep South as part of its efforts to end violence in the region. "From my trips to the South, most of the locals still have no confidence in government authorities who travel there to listen to their opinions and help them in the villages and tambons," Gen Surayud said at Government House. "We're looking for solutions to deal with this problem."
Putting an end to the problems in the deep South was one of the main tasks Gen Surayud set himself after he was picked by the coup makers in October last year to succeed ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. His strategy includes regaining southerners' trust in the government after they were antagonised by the previous administration's heavy-handed policy. Gen Surayud visited Pattani in November to apologise to local leaders for the previous government's mishandling of the situation. The government also gave amnesty to suspects in the Tak Bai protest and is fostering ties with Malaysia and seeking help from Kuala Lumpur in efforts to end violence along the border.
Gen Surayud and his Malaysian counterpart Abdullah Ahmad Badawi have talked many times, the latest being in Bangkok on Sunday and Monday. Malaysia now has offered to mediate in talks between the government and Thai-Muslim separatists. It expects Bangkok to make a formal request for its participation. Mr Abdullah said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that Malaysia shared religious and cultural ties with the separatists and had the ability to act as a mediator. "We know the separatist groups, in the sense that they are Muslims, of Malay descent and Malaysia has good relations with Thailand," Mr Abdullah was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency. He said Thailand would issue a formal request for Malaysia to act as mediator.
In Songkhla province, Thai and Malaysian authorities also agreed to replace a 10km section of the double fence in Sadao district which demarcates the common border. Thailand and Malaysia each erected fences, leaving in the middle a no-man's land where illegal activities - from drug dealing, gambling and trading in contraband goods - prosper. There will now be a single fence and no space in between which can be misused, said Fourth Army chief Lt-Gen Viroj Buacharoon, who led the Thai side in a joint regional border meeting in Hat Yai district. The single fence will stretch 5km east and 5km west of Thailand's Dan Nok border checkpoint, opposite Malaysia's Kedah state.
In Bangkok, the government yesterday approved a draft bill on the setting-up of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, to make it a permanent body coordinating government efforts to restore peace in the deep South. Deputy government spokesman Nattawat Suthiyothin said the bill would be forwarded to the National Legislative Assembly for consideration soon. Mr Nattawat said the government had confidence in the law, which would give the centre's director full power to administer the southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat effectively. The director would have full authority to initiate policies on development, personnel and budget matters without having to seek prior approval from the Interior Ministry, he said.
Meanwhile, the violence continued in the deep South yesterday. Paramilitary ranger Nawee Samoh, 47, and a woman identified as Suraya Waesagi, 29, were shot and wounded by motorcycle gunmen in Raman district of Yala. In Than To district, latex tapper Kulchai Pinthong, 30, and his wife Wanlee Duangtem were injured by assailants who beat them with wooden clubs before running off with Mr Kulchai's shotgun. In Narathiwat's Bacho district on Monday night, Useng Dengsa, 57, was shot five times outside his house. He died in Bacho Hospital. In Rangae district, ranger Jesama-ae Kadeh, 39, was shot and seriously wounded on Rangae-Dusongyo road.

13th February 2007

The complete closure of Suvarnabhumi airport is unnecessary as cracks on the runways and taxiways are only superficial with the underground structure found to be safe, investigators led by engineer Tortrakul Yomnak said yesterday. He was disclosing the results of his committee's investigation into cracks at the new airport. The inquiry was launched on Jan 26 under the orders of the Airports of Thailand (AoT) board led by Saprang Kalayanamitr.
Closing the entire airport for repairs has never been planned by the AoT or the Transport Ministry, but is being favoured by a National Legislative Assembly committee looking into the problems at Suvarnabhumi, led by Bannawit Kengrian. They are concerned for the safety of planes and passengers.
The decision on the fate of the airport still rests with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and his cabinet. Gen Surayud has said he will announce a decision tomorrow. But a source on the AoT board said the cabinet might decide on the matter today if Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen can forward the report in time for the weekly meeting. The decision will be mainly based on the findings in the report by Mr Tortrakul and his team, the minister said.
Mr Tortrakul said complete closure of Suvarnabhumi would be unnecessary as the repairs to damaged areas should take only two to four weeks. However, one of the two runways would be closed to free up space for repairs to take place. The airport could remain operational while the cracks were being fixed, he said, rejecting reports it could take six months or even a year to fix them. Mr Tortrakul said the problems existed only on the tarmac made of asphaltic concrete. Asphaltic concrete forms the surface of runways, taxiways and taxi lanes which are adjacent to aprons. Highways Department experts have tested the underlying concrete structures and found they measured up to high safety standards, Mr Tortrakul said. Most of the damaged areas were on the taxi lanes and taxiways with the remaining small portion at the ends of both runways, he said. The cracks were caused by underground water that had seeped up from the sand blanket, he said. The water naturally weakens the tarmac. Mr Tortrakul blamed designers for failing to incorporate drainage to cope with rises in the level of underground water, which were natural for airfields developed on swamp land. The existing drainage could cope only with normal rainfall. The taxi lanes and taxiways could be temporarily repaired for use and holes drilled in the walls of existing channels inside the airport for immediate drainage of underground water, he said. A permanent solution would require an in-depth study of the nature of the underground water at the location to design an appropriate underground drainage system. He was also concerned about issues affecting the terminal. An initial inquiry under AoT board member Yodyiam Theptranont found problems in 30 spots.
Gen Saprang, also assistant secretary-general of the Council for National Security, expected the report by Mr Tortrakul to end worries about the safety of the new airport, and agreed with him that Suvarnabhumi could remain operational.
Adm Theera said there will be no change in policy announced by Gen Surayud last week. Bangkok will have two international airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang.

The Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) will file tax evasion charges against Potjaman Shinawatra, wife of deposed prime minister Thaksin, her stepbrother Bannapot Damapong and her secretary Karnchanapa Honghern with the Office of the Attorney-General, ASC member Sak Korsaengruang said yesterday. The case is the first of 13 corruption cases involving the previous government and Mr Thaksin's family to be filed with the OAG for prosecution. If found guilty in court, the three will each be liable to up to seven years in jail and 200,000 baht in fines.
The decision was made yesterday after the ASC inquiry team chose to dismiss statements in defence given by the three. The team found the statements "unconvincing", Mr Sak said. The ASC's findings show that a transfer of 4.5 million Shin Corp shares in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in 1997 between Khunying Potjaman's maid, Duangta Wongpakdee, and Mr Bannapot was not a real trade. This is because Khunying Potjaman paid 738 million baht for the shares for her stepbrother and then received the money back from the maid. The inquiry team found Mrs Karnchanapa was ordered by Khunying Potjaman to arrange the deal this way, he said. The three are charged with a criminal offence, under Article 37 (2) of the Revenue Code, for allegedly arranging to set up the transfer as a trade in the SET so Mr Bannapot could evade taxes, Mr Sak said. A Ministry of Finance regulation provides tax exemption for share trading on the SET.
Mr Thaksin's wife and her stepbrother are also charged with another criminal offence, under Article 37 (1) of the same code, for allegedly lying to authorities who questioned them about the deal four years later, Mr Sak said. In 2001, when authorities found out about the trade, they informed tax authorities that the transfer was a "gift" and therefore entitled to tax exemption. But the ASC ruled late last year that the deal was taxable. Mr Bannapot was subsequently ordered to pay 273 million baht in tax plus a fine of the same amount. He has appealed the ruling.
In defending the two actions, the siblings insisted the transfer was entitled to tax exemption because it was income from a SET trade. They also said it was given as a gift and was thus tax-free, Mr Sak said. The ASC rejected the explanation because the transaction could not be regarded as both a trade and a gift, he said. The three are also charged with collusion under Article 83 of the Criminal Code. If the three are judged guilty by the tax court, they can still appeal to the Supreme Court, Mr Sak said.
Three other people involved in the case, Mrs Duangta, Pranee Wetchapruekpitak and Wanchai Honghern, were cleared of all charges, he said.

12th February 2007

A drain should have been put in place to take water from beneath the taxiways and runways of Suvarnabhumi airport, says an expert investigating problems there. Foreign engineers might not be aware that the airport's site was once a swamp, said the expert, who asked not to be named. "The panel investigating problems at the airport must look into what was known about water levels," he said. Sand had been used to fill swamp during construction of the airport, but an embankment around the airport, which was built later, complicated the problem as it in effect held water inside the enclosed area, stopping it from draining out.
A member of the inquiry panel, Suebsak Prombun, said his group was investigating the cause of problems there, but was not responsible for bringing those responsible to justice. At this stage the committee believed that cracks and subsidence in the taxiways had been caused by underground water which had existed since construction of the airport began. The committee proposed installing an efficient drainage system, and digging shallow wells in the airport to hold and drain water. Thiti Paveenachana, an expert from the Engineering Institute of Thailand, said one study found that 80% of damage had been found on the northern taxiways. Underground drainage systems should be checked to see if they were clogged. Clogged pipes could cause trouble to the surface areas. Mr Thiti suggested standard construction materials be brought in to repair the runways, and solutions to the water problem should be hammered out at the same time. Another source from the investigation panel said damage was still being found at taxiways T15 and T17, despite repairs having already being made. The damage was caused by ruts left on the surface by aircraft wheels. The committee linked the damage to substandard materials used as components for paving the surfaces, the source said. The panel would propose strengthening areas that have to bear the weight of aircraft. The source added the panel's study indicated that some water in the sand layer under the airport was natural underground water. However, rain water was also seeping through holes in the runway into the sand layer beneath. A source from IOT Joint Venture said the wheel ruts problem was linked to the quality of asphalt, which was "too soft". IOT is the consortium that comprises Italian-Thai Development Plc, Obayashi Corp Ltd and Takenana Corp Ltd. It was responsible for designing and building the south airside tunnel and airfield pavement at Suvarnabhumi airport.
Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said the ministry was waiting for the findings of the committee headed by Tortrakul Yomnak, a board member of Airports of Thailand Plc. The ministry would then decide which parts of the airport should be repaired.
Bannawit Kengrian, chairman of the National Legislative Assembly's committee on Suvarnabhumi airport, said the airport should be completely closed for repairs. Don Muang airport was fully prepared and low-cost airlines were willing to move there. Adm Bannawit said Suvarnabhumi would eventually close for repairs as no airline would dare use airports with cracks. He said he would discuss the relocation of low-cost airlines, and domestic and international flights at the next cabinet meeting, if damage were found at both runways at Suvarnabhumi. The government will decide the airport's fate on Wednesday.
Earlier, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said he would prefer the airport to remain open while the problems were corrected.

11th February 2007

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the decision whether trouble-plagued Suvarnabhumi airport will be closed entirely during repairs will be made on Wednesday. Gen Surayud said he would prefer another option, keeping the airport open and functioning while correcting the problems. ''In my view, we should not close the airport [completely]. We ought to look for options that allow us to fix the problems while keeping the airport functioning at the same time,'' he said yesterday. The prime minister declined to go into detail, but suggested the relevant authorities should not give up searching for the most viable way out of the debacle. He was informed by Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen that the Airports of Thailand (AoT) board will meet tomorrow to debate how best to handle the issue. The meeting will determine if the airport will need to close completely for a specified period.
A thorough investigation is necessary to establish the extent of the damage, the prime minister said. He said the extent of repairs needed is a technical issue requiring a precise answer that can only be provided by the relevant authorities investigating the problems. The government is explaining the situation to the international community to shore up the airport's reputation, Gen Surayud said.
Meanwhile, a committee investigating runway and taxiway problems has found the structure of the runways and taxiways strong and up to standard, said a source close to the panel. Cracks have caused damage to the surface only, said the source. Initially, the panel concluded damage to runways and taxiways was caused by water in the sand layer and substandard materials used in the asphalt which weakened its strength. Hasty construction of the airport and the engineers' ignorance of the airport site, which was once a swamp, might have also contributed to the damage, said the source. The findings are based on an inspection of the taxiways and runways on Thursday and Friday by a committee chaired by Tortrakul Yomnak and the Highways Department. The inspection was to test runway strength and to find out the cause of uneven surfaces on the taxiways. The problems can be solved by draining water in the sand layer and paving the aprons with standard asphalt, said the source. Underground water affects the taxiways, but not the runways which are 1.4 metres above sea level. The taxiways are 0.75 metres above sea level.
The source said the committee is split over whether or not the entire airport should be shut down to facilitate repairs. A source at the AoT said yesterday it is likely the government will opt for partial closure, as suggested by the committee's findings. ''It is likely that parts (of the runways and taxiways) will be closed. There is no need to shut down the entire facility. Since some flights will be transferred to Don Muang airport, repairs will be easier,'' said the source.
Don Muang, which is being renovated, is expected to open in a few weeks. Mr Tortrakul said the committee would report the findings to AoT board chairman Saprang Kalayanamitr tomorrow. He said a press conference will then be held tomorrow afternoon to release details of the investigation.

A severe, ''third-degree'' drought has spread to 16 districts in nine provinces mostly in the Central Plains, according to the Land Development Department. The worst level of drought, where moisture in the soil is so scarce that plants cannot transpire, causing ground temperature to rise, has hit 60,053 rai of mostly farmland in 16 districts of Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phetchabun, Prachin Buri, Chachoengsao and Chon Buri.

10th February 2007

Foreign embassies in Bangkok plan to lodge a series of diplomatic protests with the Foreign Ministry next week against the government's move to amend the Foreign Business Act (FBA). The European Union and the Canadian embassy yesterday submitted a letter to the Finance Ministry asking the government to rethink its position. Sources said similar letters from the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Australia and South Korea would be delivered to Pridiyathorn Devakula, finance minister and deputy prime minister. The complaints represent the first formal diplomatic efforts to protest against the proposed changes, which stiffen the penalties for nominee shareholders and add the criterion of voting rights in the definition of foreign companies.
Under the amendments, a company would be considered foreign under the FBA if 50% or more of its shares are held by foreign entities, directly or indirectly, or 50% or more of the voting rights are in foreign hands. Companies in violation of the voting rights have one year to report their structure to the Commerce Ministry. Existing firms operating under List 3 of the FBA, covering mainly service firms, would be ''grandfathered'' under the law, but firms operating under Lists 1 and 2, which include mass media, domestic transport and land trading firms, would have two years to restructure to meet the voting rights limit. Firms violating the shareholding ceiling would have 90 days to report their operations and one year to restructure their operations.
The Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce has complained against the proposed changes, which stemmed from last year's investigation into the takeover of Shin Corp by Singapore's Temasek Holdings. The Commerce Ministry last year found that Temasek violated the FBA in using nominees to control shares, and the case is now under police review. ''(The foreign governments) are submitting their petitions separately, but they all share common ground and are calling on the government to think twice about the consequences,'' one foreign businessman said.
The government has said that the changes would affect few companies, as exporters, manufacturers and firms receiving Board of Investment privileges are exempt. But foreign investors and analysts are more sceptical, saying the changes dampen the investment climate.When asked about the diplomatic action, M R Pridiyathorn said only that he had yet to receive any formal notice from the EU or the Canadian embassy.

Thai authorities have been warned to prepare for an influx of illicit drugs as traffickers in Burma are anxious to rush top-grade heroin to international markets offering record-high prices, a Shan rebel leader said. Lt-Col Kornchuen, leader of the Shan State Army's Kengtung Front, said heroin produced from last year's quality opium crop was fetching the highest prices in 10 years. A measure of 1.6 kilogrammes was selling at 230,000-250,000 baht, he said.

A separatist group calling itself the ''Ratfah Yohnee fighters'' has distributed leaflets in Yala telling Muslim Thais not to buy property from Buddhist villagers who are fleeing the violence. In the leaflets circulated in Yaha district yesterday, the group wrote in Thai claiming a ''state of war'' existed to liberate the deep South and it was within its right to ''seize'' private belongings including property, farmland and vehicles.

9th February 2007

Thai Rak Thai party leader Suwat Liptapanlop and a group of about 30 party members decided to resign from the membership of the party on Friday, which is also Mr Suwat's 52nd birthday. The "resignations" came just as the Bangkok Post reported that Council for National Security chairman Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and the council's secretary-general, Gen Winai Phattiyakul, have admitted to meeting with key Thai Rak Thai members forming a new party. The move was seen as an attempt to block the return of the party established by Thaksin Shinawatra. "I've discussed about this with other leading figures, including Phinij Jarusombat, Suwit Khunkitti and Preecha Laohapongchana," Mr Suwat told reporters. "Many former MPs support our decision." He said the Sept 19 coup caused confusion among party members but "we try to shore up until now that there are people taking care of the party." He said the resignation came after he had analysed the political situations in the country. He said he believed the move would help ease political tension, including the undercurrents problems and the division in the society. Mr Suwat vowed to help restoring unity in political arena for now.

8th February 2007

Charter writers have decided to seek the public's views on whether a prime minister or cabinet ministers found guilty of a criminal offence should be sacked, and on the barring of people even facing a suspended sentence from assuming these posts. Charan Pakdithanakul, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Assembly's subcommittee on political institutions, said this question will be added to the 20 the CDA has already set.
Several years ago the Constitution Court ruled in favour of Newin Chidchob keeping his job as deputy agriculture minister after a court of justice handed down a one-year suspended jail sentence for defamation. The 1997 charter then in force made it clear that a minister's term ends when he receives a prison sentence.
Campaign for Popular Democracy secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila yesterday welcomed the idea, saying it would prompt politicians to control themselves. But he said such a rule should apply to serious criminal offences only. ''It should not apply to defamation cases because libel happens all the time. It should also be stated in the charter that the rule takes effect as soon as the first court hands down the verdict,'' he said. He said judicial reform must also be undertaken simultaneously, otherwise there would be attempts to have criminal charges withdrawn at the police or the prosecution stages.
Meanwhile, charter writer Krirkiat Pipatseritham said the panel has come up with two options on the selection of the Senate, which would depend on its powers and responsibilities. If the Senate is to retain its powers to impeach political office holders, it should be indirectly elected by delegations of provincial ''voters'', who should themselves be chosen by local people, he said. The selection of the ''voters'' and senators must be held almost simultaneously to avoid lobbying. If the Senate is limited to screening legislation only, it should be appointed, but by a group of non-partisan and well-respected people from various professions, instead of by a prime minister, he said.

A bomb blast at a bus stop in Yaring district, Pattani, slightly injured two police officers yesterday morning while they were on patrol an hour before the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at a nearby sports stadium. Police believe the blast was an attempt to disrupt security preparations for the visit of the Princess, who was scheduled to arrive by helicopter at the stadium at around 8.30am. The bomb went off about 100 metres from the stadium. Despite the blast, the Princess arrived at the stadium as planned before continuing on to visit Ban Pata school in tambon Talokapo in the same district. The bomb left Pol Sub-Lt Tongchai Kamkaew and Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Waehami Nihae slightly injured.
The violence continued yesterday. In Yala's Than To district, a villager was shot and seriously injured. Police said Jirapot Tepso, 30, was shot by two or three unidentified gunmen while riding a motorcycle to a rubber plantation.
Yala police are also searching for a rebel group suspected of attacking a border patrol police unit in the province and severely injuring its deputy commander Pol-Col Wanna Boonchai last Thursday Warrants have been issued by local police for the arrests of seven suspected members of the group in connection with the killings of security officers in July 2005. They are identified as Romuedee Naepaeroh, 45, Hubaideela Romeulea, 30, Ebaraheng Pohtae, 38, Mahayaruding Karem, 26, Marolee Saleh, 38, Mkata Hama, 55, and Saleeming Masan, 50. Pol-Col Wanna, who was shot in his neck and chest, is being treated at the Prince of Songkhla Hospital in Hat Yai, where doctors said yesterday his condition remained critical.

7th February 2007

Acting national police chief Seripisuth Temiyavej said yesterday that finding the culprits behind the New Year bombings, arson and violence in the deep South are his top priorities. After a meeting with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to discuss the government's public security policy, Pol Gen Seripisuth said he intends to highlight the three issues. ''The prime minister told me that this year marks the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King, so he asked me to do my best in honour of His Majesty. ''Several problems such as bomb attacks and other crimes like drugs and dark influences were brought up. These happen to be on the prime minister's mind and he told me to go on with it,'' he said.
He said he had summoned Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan, the deputy police chief who is in charge investigating the New Year blasts, and his investigators for a meeting today. The acting police chief said he was confident he can bring the culprits behind the New Year bombings to justice. ''I think I can do it,'' he said.
He said he discussed restructuring the police force with the prime minister, but reshaping the force will take time.
Pol Gen Seripisuth said he will pay a courtesy call today on Council for National Security (CNS) chairman Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and use the opportunity to thank the council for his appointment.
He was about to be ''booted out'' of the police force by former police chief Kowit Wattana in last year's reshuffle, but the CNS stopped this. Pol Gen Seripisuth was retained and made an adviser attached to the Royal Thai Police Office. He then sued Pol Gen Kowit for alleged malfeasance in connection with the reshuffle. The acting chief said he will withdraw the suit when Pol Gen Kowit resigns from the police service. At a meeting with about 100 senior police officers yesterday to issue guidelines, Pol Gen Seripisuth promised fair transfers. ''Relax,'' he said. ''There will be no revenge or any kind of bullying. Any transfers will be based on individual performance. I'll have an explanation for every transfer I order.''
In a move that raised some eyebrows, Gen Sonthi yesterday sent a letter to the Prime Minister's Office asking that Pol Gen Kowit be allowed to work at the CNS secretariat as an adviser until his retirement in October. Gen Sonthi said that the former police chief had done nothing to warrant his removal from the CNS. However, he said, the CNS and the government agreed that he was not fit to remain as the national police chief. ''We have an agreement on this matter. If not, he wouldn't have been removed.'' Gen Sonthi said the CNS had yet to consider whether to appoint Pol Gen Seripisuth to be a member of the CNS, but it would be unlikely to make any difference. ''The CNS is in charge of security and calling the shots for security. I believe we can give orders to police,'' he said. Gen Surayud said yesterday that Pol Gen Kowit was sacked because he failed a performance appraisal. ''I discussed it with the CNS chief and we agreed that a change was needed to shore up the work of the police,'' he said.
Campaign for Popular Democracy secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila yesterday called on the acting police chief to address urgent problems. Pol Gen Seripisuth must show how to restructure the police force, overhaul the investigation process in the three southernmost provinces and resolve the bombings and mysterious arson, Mr Suriyasai said. He must also rid the police force of ''Thaksin's remnants'' and the police mafia, and ensure good governance. Mr Suriyasai said the change of the national police chief should not simply be a shift of power, but pave the way for a genuine revamp of the entire force.

The government has decided that Don Muang will be re-opened for international flights, operating in conjunction with Suvarnabhumi, to ease air traffic congestion at the new airport where some facilities will be closed for repairs. It tentatively set the reopening to be in effect within 45 days, with details to be worked out by the Transport Ministry. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont after the cabinet meeting yesterday, goes beyond the position of the Transport Ministry and Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT). The two agencies had wanted Don Muang to service only domestic flights which had no direct connections to overseas routes. Gen Surayud said the closure of some facilities at Suvarnabhumi could cause it to become overcrowded as the number of passengers passing through has been mounting. Suvarnabhumi was built to handle 45 million passengers a year. The ministry's projection for its first year was 40 million. Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said Gen Surayud was the person who suggested that the cabinet consider reinstating Don Muang as an international airport.
Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen expected it would take about two weeks for the authorities to decide which airlines should move back to Don Muang, which currently serves only charter flights. Don Muang serviced almost 39 million passengers a year before the capital's airport was moved to Suvarnabhumi on Sept 28 last year.
Built to be a regional aviation hub to rival airports in Singapore, Malaysia and even Hong Kong, Suvarnabhumi is now plagued by a host of problems, including cracks on its runways and taxiways and lax security. A source in the ministry believed Thai Airways International (THAI), the national carrier, would be required to remain at Suvarnabhumi. Other airlines would make decisions based on their business interests. AoT acting president Kulya Pakakrong said the airport agency, which is under the ministry, will benefit from the relocation, as it could delay the costly construction of a new terminal for low-cost carriers at Suvarnabhumi. Don Muang airport director Pinit Saraithong said he was awaiting a clearer direction on the airlines and the number of passengers to be diverted back to Don Muang so he can judge the right number of staff and amount of equipment whichwill be needed for the reopening.
THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said the airline will review its operational plans and accommodate the cabinet's decision.
Executives of low-cost airlines yesterday welcomed the cabinet's decision. Udom Tantiprasongchai, chief executive officer of Orient Thai Airlines, which runs the One-Two-Go budget carrier, said his airline was willing to return to Don Muang. He expected several other airlines would also want to move back to the old airport, but warned that it could lead to confusion among passengers. Two other budget carrier CEOs, Tassapon Bejleveld of Thai AirAsia and Patee Sarasin of Nok Air, also said that they were ready to move back to Don Muang. Mr Tassapon added that his airline earlier asked the government to relocate low-cost carriers back to Don Muang.
Nevertheless, Sopin Deangteth, president of the Airlines Committee, said she did not want Bangkok to have two international airports as it would confuse passengers and cause inconvenience if those at one airport had connecting flights at the other. The transportation facilities linking Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi were not yet ready to serve passengers who need to travel between them, she said.

6th February 2007

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont transferred national police chief Kowit Wattana to an inactive post yesterday and appointed Seripisuth Temiyavej as acting national police chief. Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalap said the immediate transfer of Pol Gen Kowit to the Prime Minister's Office was a joint decision by the prime minister and Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, chairman of the Council for National Security (CNS). Mr Yongyuth rejected speculation that Pol Gen Kowit's transfer was a sign of a rift between the police and the military.
Pol Gen Seripisuth projects the image of an outspoken and incorruptible police officer who enjoys widespread recognition among the public. The decision followed strong rumours that Pol Gen Kowit would be sacked because the CNS was disappointed by the lack of progress in the police investigation into the New Year bombings in Bangkok and Nonthaburi province.
The police source said the anticipation that Pol Gen Kowit would be removed from the post of police commissioner-general had been in the air since Mr Thaksin was removed by the Sept 19 coup d'etat. That was because the police general was perceived as a friend of Mr Thaksin. Right after the coup, when Pol Gen Kowit was given the authority to appoint and transfer police personnel, he was criticised for promoting those with close connections to him and to Mr Thaksin to several significant posts. But he survived the moment and remained national police chief. That was until police investigators failed to come up with new evidence on the people behind the bombings at nine spots in Bangkok and Nonthaburi on Dec 31 and in the early hours of Jan 1. Then came what was seen as the last straw for the CNS and the government, when grenades were fired from an M-79 launcher into the compound of the Daily News office building and the parking area of the adjacent Rama Gardens hotel.

The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) has decided to seek the public's views on 20 issues, most of which deal with political institutions. CDC deputy spokesman Pakorn Preeyakorn said the committee has submitted a 20-point list to the Constitution Drafting Assembly for processing. He said the list deals more with political institutions than anything else because the matter is highly controversial. Of the 20 issues, 16 involve political institutions, three are about people's rights and freedoms and the other concerns decentralisation of power. Mr Pakorn said the 1997 charter laid strong foundations for issues concerning people's rights and the CDC would ensure these materialised again.
The 20 points are as follows:
Whether the number of MPs should be reduced.
Whether the party-list MP system should be retained.
Whether the prime minister should be an elected MP.
Whether the prime minister should be barred from serving more than two terms.
Whether the prime minister and his cabinet ministers should be barred from having any conflicts of interest during and after leaving office.
Whether an MP must have at least a bachelor's degree.
Whether senators should be selected from people of all possible professions.
Whether there should be a set of morals and ethics for politicians and punitive measures for not following them.
Whether a censure motion against the prime minister should be allowed more easily.
Whether MPs should be required to be a member of a political party.
Whether MPs should be given a free hand in proposing and voting on draft legislation.
Whether an Election Commission decision to disqualify a candidate should be cross-checked by a court.
Whether independent agencies should be absolutely free from politicians.
Whether organic laws should be promulgated promptly.
Whether a constituency should be represented by a single MP or three MPs.
Whether senators should be empowered to remove political office holders.
Whether the decentralisation of power to local administrative bodies should increase.
Whether a community should be given more power to protect and manage resources and the environment.
Whether rights and freedom should be further expanded and whether use of rights and freedom should be promoted.
Whether people's participation should be clarified in the constitution to ensure real public participation.
Apichart Damdee, spokesman for the committee on public relations, said public views will be gathered during February and March. The first draft of the charter will be completed in late April while public hearings and proposed amendments will be made during May and June.
Wutthisarn Tanchai, spokesman for the committee on the national referendum, said the panel has agreed that people have a right, instead of a duty, to take part in the national referendum. He said a referendum is considered to have ''passed'' if a simple majority of voters vote ''yes''. The committee has also agreed that there can be no objection to the actual result of the referendum but that an objection may be lodged against a polling unit where irregularities are suspected.

The Assets Scrutiny Committee has filed criminal charges against four companies and their executives it says colluded with politicians and officials in the procurement of Suvarnabhumi's "overpriced" baggage-handling system, which included the CTX bomb scanners. Three of the four accused are companies partnered in the ITO Joint Venture, a major contractor for Suvarnabhumi. They are Italian-Thai Development Plc, Takenaka and Obayashi. The fourth company is Quatrotec Inc, according to ASC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said. Mr Sak said the ASC recently found that these companies had conspired with officials and politicians through dishonest performance of duties in the procurement. The firms are charged with criminal offences under articles 3 and 11 of the Act Governing Wrongdoings of Officials in State Agencies, and Article 157 of the Criminal Code for conspiracy. The companies' executives charged with the same offences are Tawatchai Suthiprapa of ITO, Shiro Osada of Takenaka, Masahide Kuniyoshi of ITO and Woravit Wisutchai of Quatrotec. The ASC will soon officially inform the accused of the charges and will allow them to oppose appointment of any members on its inquiry sub-panel, Mr Sak said. The accused then will be asked to defend themselves against the charges. According to the ASC's probe findings, the board of Airports of Thailand Plc hired ITO in 2003 to design the baggage-handling system for the airport and, consequently, contracted Quatrotec to verify the design despite the latter only being established shortly before the deal. ITO was also found to have overcharged AoT for providing and installing the system. The ASC has already filed criminal charges against deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and 21 other officials for dishonest performance of duties involving the hiring of inexperienced contractors and accepting their overpriced quotations. Yesterday's accusations mean the inquiry process into the case will be lengthy as the number of the accused - both individuals and firms - totals 31, and each will have to mount a defence against the charges, either in writing or before the sub-panel. Testimony from more witnesses could also be needed.
The ASC will submit a letter to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont by tomorrow requesting a cabinet resolution to force state agencies to fully cooperate with its probe teams, Mr Sak said. This is because certain teams have encountered difficulty in obtaining documents related to graft cases from state agencies, he explained. Despite a meeting between the ASC, the government and the Council for National Security last week resulting in the premier ordering ministries to coordinate, the problem has not been solved, he added. A cabinet resolution will eliminate the difficulty as all state agencies will be informed in writing of the policy, he said. The panel will also ask Gen Surayud to push for amendments to the anti-graft law to remove the requirement that criminal charges can be filed against politicians only if there is a complaint from a damaged party, he said.

5th February 2007