Daily news from Thailand

[Oytopikos]

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, who was re-elected in October, announces his resignation at his City Hall office in the Thai capital November 12, 2008, a day after an anti-corruption panel implicated him in a controversial fire trucks and boats purchase from Austria. A new election will be held in mid-January, 2009, officials said (Reuters)

[lostromos]

Pattaya prepares for the final cremation ceremony for Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Wattana.

Pattaya, along with the rest of the Kingdom of Thailand are preparing for the official funeral ceremony for Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Wattana who passed away in January of this year. The country will enter a period of official mourning from 14th November until 19th November. Between 14th and 16th, people are asked to wear black shirts and entertainment venues will either close or will open with no music or other entertainment as a mark of respect. The cremation of Her Royal Highness will take place on 16th November. Here in Pattaya local markets have reported an increase in sales of black shirts as the people of Pattaya prepare for this solemn period. Entertainment venues and tourists are bracing themselves for 3 days when many bars will close and others will offer no music or other forms of entertainment

[Oytopikos]

Western tourists and Thais gather at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, to celebrate Loy Krathong. Small, highly decorated rafts are set adrift during the festival in believe that sins and bad luck will be carried away. The celebration is similar to the Hindu festival of Deepavali where floating lanterns of thanksgiving are launched on the Ganges. Thailand officially adopted the festival under King Rama IV as a way to honor Buddha.





Boonrawd, a 11-year old elephant, and its mahout float a giant Krathong, or flower boat, in a ceremony to the Loy Krathong Festival at Dusit zoo in Bangkok. The festival held annually to apology to the goddess of the river.

[Oytopikos]

Thais wearing black clothes during a visit to the Royal Funeral Pyre of Thai Princess Galyani Vadhana at the start of a six-day funeral ritual at Sanam Luang in Bangkok



A visitor selects pictures of Thai Princess Galyani Vadhana at a stall near the Royal Funeral Pyre at the start of a six-day funeral ritual at Sanam Luang in Bangkok

[Oytopikos]

Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant tees off on the first hole during the second round of the Barclays Singapore Open golf tournament November 14, 2008

[Oytopikos]

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej lays a kind of wood flower to be placed on the site of cremation during the Symbolic royal cremation for his late sister Princess Galyani Vadhana at the Royal Crematorium in Bangkok on November 15, 2008. Tens of thousands of Thais gathered in old Bangkok on Saturday for the cremation of Princess Galyani Vadhana, who died of cancer in January. In the central ceremony of the 6-day, $9 million funerary rites that provided a rare glimpse of the pageantry of the House of Chakri, the king lit symbolic candles in front of his sister's sandal-wood casket at an ornate Buddhist pavilion.



The Royal Crematoriun where the late Princess Galyani Vadhana was creamted is illuminated in front of The Royal Palace on November 15, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. Princess Galyani Vadhana passed away on January 2 this year at the age of 84 after a long battle with abdominal cancer.

[Oytopikos]

Thai royal officials and military personnel pull the royal chariot during the funeral ceremony for the late Thai Princess Galyani Vadhana in Bangkok on November 15, 2008. Tens of thousands of black-clad Thais massed in Bangkok for the lavish cremation of the king's elder sister, a brief moment of unity for the Buddhist kingdom at a time of political crisis.







A Brahmin priest sits next to the royal urn, containing the remains of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's late sister Princess Galyani Vadhana, during her funeral procession in Bangkok November 15, 2008. Tens of thousands of Thais gathered in old Bangkok on Saturday for the cremation of Princess Galyani Vadhana, who died of cancer in January. In the central ceremony of the 6-day, $9 million funerary rites that provided a rare glimpse of the pageantry of the House of Chakri, the king lit symbolic candles in front of his sister's sandal-wood casket at an ornate Buddhist pavilion.

[Oytopikos]

This handout picture released by the Royal Bureau shows Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn presiding over a ceremony to collect the royal relics and ashes of late Princess Galyani Vadhana at the Royal Funeral Pyre in Bangkok on November 16, 2008. Thailand's royal family collected the ashes of the king's sister, ending the main phase of an elaborate six-day funeral that has briefly halted months of turbulent politics in the country.



Thailand's Princess Sirindhorn takes part in a procession carrying the royal urn, containing the royal relics and ashes of late Princess Galyani Vadhana at the Royal Crematorium on November 16, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. Princess Galyani Vadhana passed away on January 2 this year at the age of 84 after a long battle with abdominal cancer.



Thai royal officials carry the royal relics and ashes of the late Princess Galyani Vadhana outside the Royal Funeral Pyre in Bangkok on November 16, 2008. Thailand's royal family collected the ashes of the king's sister, ending the main phase of an elaborate six-day funeral that has briefly halted months of turbulent politics in the country.

[Oytopikos]

Thai competitor Thaloengkiat Phusa-at vies in the final against the French team, on November 16, 2008 in Dakar, of the 44th World Championship of Petanque. France won 13-0.

[Oytopikos]

Bangkok and neighbouring provinces are at risk of being swamped as sea levels rise, according to warnings at the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting. The capital rests about 3½ to 5 feet above the nearby gulf, although some areas already lie below sea level. The gulf's waters have been rising by about a tenth of an inch a year. But the city, built on clay rather than bedrock, has also been sinking at a far faster pace of up to 4 inches annually as its population and factories pump some 2.5 million cubic tons of water out of its aquifers. This compacts the layers of clay and causes the land to sink. The capital could be under the sea as early as 15-20 years. These pictures were taken at Samut Prakan this morning as high tide flooded the city center. There has been no rain for the last several weeks.

[tas67]

Τι γίνετε ρε παιδιά  ?

από την μια πλημμύρες  από την άλλη τυφώνες  ?   πφφφφφφφ

δεν πάμε καλά μου φαίνεται .......

για προσέχετε λίγο όσοι είναι για να κατεβείτε.......

(TRANSLATION)
What 's happening guys?  ?
on the one hand, floods on the other hurricanes ?
things don't go well i think .......
for those of you who are going these days be careful .......

[trelamenos]

για ζεσταμα παντως σημερα το απογευμα ο Πειραιας ηταν οτι επρεπε ετσι για να μπαινουμε στο κλιμα

 


(TRANSLATION)
Conserning the heat thow, Piraeus this evening was perfect to get eased into the climate
 

[Oytopikos]

This handout picture released by Thailand's Royal Bureau shows Thai King Bhumibol Adulayadej lighting candles during the enshrinement of the Royal Relics ceremony on the fifth day of the six-day funeral for the late Thai Princess Galyani Vadhana at the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in Bangkok on November 18, 2008. Princess Galyani the only sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on January 2, 2008 from a cancer at the age of 84.



This handout picture released by Thailand's Royal Bureau shows Thai royal officials transferring the royal urn containing the relics on a palanquin (bottom) before their enshrinement at the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall.



This handout picture released by Thailand's Royal Bureau shows Thai royal officials transferring the royal urn containing the relics before their enshrinement at the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall.

[Oytopikos]

An injured anti-government protester is treated by medic officials after the blast at their protesting ground of government house in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008. A grenade attack on anti-government protesters occupying the Thai prime minister's office killed one person and wounded at least 23 early Thursday, an army official and protesters said.



Security staffs of the anti-government protesters examine the site where a bomb exploded at their protesting ground of government house in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008.

[Oytopikos]

Piyachar (L), the wife of Janekit Kratsakhon, her son Sirachat (C) and her daughter Lipikar cry in front of the coffin of Janekit Kratsakhon who died after a grenade attack on protesters outside the metropolitan police headquarters in Bangkok November 20, 2008. The leader of a long-running anti-government street movement in Thailand called for a major rally on Sunday to oust the "murderous" administration after one of its supporters was killed in a grenade attack.