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[halfway inn]

Croc meat offered to flood victims



AYUTTHAYA crocodile farmer with a big heart and a lot of meat has started sharing it with those less fortunate.

This week Wichian Rueangnet, owner of the Sri Ayutthaya Crocodile Farm about 100 kilometers north of Bangkok, started giving away tail meat to people displaced by the floods.

“We hope our crocodile meat can be used in the preparation of food for flood victims and we will be ready to supply the meat to the campaign as long as they want,” Wichian said.

Although the farm raises them for their leather, crocodile meat sells for nearly twice as much as staple such as chicken or pork.

[halfway inn]

Department of Health warns of pathogens after flood



BANGKOK, 18 October 2013 (NNT) 
Director General of the Department of Health Pornthep Siriwanarangsun has warned citizens to be cautious of pathogens emerging from filth carried in by flood waters.

Mr. Pornthep has urged everyone to properly clean and disinfect their homes after being hit by the flood; doing nothing will only cause the spread of harmful germs.

He suggested people clean the areas of their homes where water residue can mostly be found: floors, walls, wallpaper and furniture.

Some items that are used in the home should also be thrown away to prevent the spread of pathogens or growth of fungi.

Mr. Pornthep suggested throwing away items that can hold water such as, pillows, bed mattresses and wallpaper.

In order to clean areas with growing fungi, he suggested to use some thick damp tissue and wipe the surface clean in one direction.

Promptly after, one should use soap and water to re-wipe the area clean.

Lastly, in order to disinfect the area, use 5% vinegar or concentrated alcohol to wipe clean.

[halfway inn]

TV SOAP OPERA

Psychopath Husband Kills Wife For Being Addicted To A Soap Opera



A woman was killed by her husband in Nakorn Pratom for being addicted to a TV soap opera.

NAKORN PRATHOM – October 18, 2013 [PDN];

Nakorn Chaisri Police were able to arrest 26 year-old Surachai Maisila.

He was arrested for killing his 25 year-old wife, doctors at the hospital were not able to save her life.

Police stated that the suspect admitted that he did use a hard object to beat her to death.

He claimed that he did that because his wife wouldn’t shut down their television as she was addicted to a soap opera.

This made the suspect extremely mad which lead to the incident.

Mr. Surachai is now in police custody and will now be charged for assault and murder

[Oytopikos]

(20 November) The Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI) has urged the Thai authorities to improve safety for Russian tourists in Thailand or face a boycott from its members.

The Union, which represents more than 5,000 business groups and state agencies related to tourism industry in Russia, has submitted the letter to the Moscow office of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said Mr. Narin Tijayung, director of the TAT branch in Moscow.

The letter followed the road accident which injured more than 30 Russians in Pattaya on 15 November, four of them in serious condition. 51 Russian tourists were on their double-deck bus when it overturned on the highway, which the police believed was caused by the driver was dosing behind the wheel.

There have also been other cases of Russian tourists suffering from accidents or crimes in Thailand. Last month, 1 Russian tourist was killed and more than 30 other Russian passengers were injured when their tour bus flipped over in Kanchanaburi province.

Mr. Narin said the letter submitted by RUTI, which is addressed to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, called for a concise, practical measure to ensure safety for Russian tourists in the kingdom.

The letter specifically names road safety in Thailand as the main concern for the RUTI and its members, Mr. Narin added, such as the training of drivers, the condition of vehicles, and traffic regulations which have been lightly enforced.

The RUTI also reportedly demanded the Thai government to solve these issues within the end of November, otherwise it will consider responses necessary to maintain the safety of Russian citizens by canceling all scheduled charter flights from Russia throughout the period of December 2013 - March 2014.

If the cancellation indeed came to effect, other countries in the region, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam would be picked as destinations instead of Thailand, the letter reportedly warned.

http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNNE5EazFPREV3TXc9PQ==

[halfway inn]

"DON'T THAI TO ME"

It is reported that there is a new English slang term being used by people in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The phrase is "Don’t Thai to me". It means don’t lie to me or cheat me.
 
"Don’t Thai to me" is not good English, so it might make more sense that a Thai came up with it. But then again, does  slang have to be in proper English?

Furthermore, perhaps the poor usage of English is an intended irony, after all, the butt of the joke is the Thai people – our English-language skills are like our traffic skills, we don’t know and we just don’t care.

An article taken from a Thai newspaper and posted on the popular Pantip.com web board heads the discussion on the use of the slang phrase, "Don't Thai to Me".

So we lie and cheat, plus we have poor English language skills. Sounds about right? Sadly, yes. The good news is that reactions from Thai people have, by and large, been positive.
 
On the radio and website forums, there is some of the usual nationalistic outrage.

Most people seem to accept the truth of it and urge Thailand to instead make a change, so that we will no longer be the butt of the joke and guilty of the accusation.

It doesn’t matter that much where the slang originated. It’s already here and people are talking about it. So let’s discuss it.

First, let this column concludes that "Don’t Thai to me" is about all of us, rather than just one group of people or another.

We are all Thai, after all.

Second, let’s understand that we cheat and lie for a good cause. It’s a matter of cultural perception. We lie because it’s polite. Our social norm is based on "face value".

We must give face, even if it means lying. To lose face is a great embarrassment.
 
In a world of duality, the truth helps and it also hurts. So at least half of the time the truth will cause the loss of face. Therefore we lie, at least half of the time.

We don’t like the hurt, so we look the other way, mai pen rai, sabaai sabaai, and live a lie instead.
 
In the traditional Thai environment, try being that one person on a team, or in an office, who tells the truth, even if you tell it politely. You’ll still be the black sheep.

The truth is inconvenient in our culture.
 
In addition, we cheat because how else are we to get anything done? The system that runs this country, from top to bottom, is generally incompetent.

There are many forms of cheating that are a cultural norm and all are a form of corruption. We all do or have done it.
 
Searching for the Holy Grail would probably be easier than trying to get anything done in Thailand if we follow rules and procedures.

So we cheat by offering a gift basket to the bureaucrat in charge. This is but one example.
 
A childhood recollection: It took six months to just get a phone number for the house – and that’s after a nice gift basket, plus the use of connections by a person of influence.

In general, things are much better at the present time, but we still carry the baggage of incompetence.

There you have it. In the extreme, people lie and cheat with ill intent. But as a cultural norm, we Thais lie to be polite, to save face, and we cheat just to get things done.

Therefore, "don’t Thai to me" isn’t just a slang. It’s a fact of life.
 
Third, to evolve from this is to educate in new values, which will take time and will require shiny examples to lead us.

The latter, we simply do not have, at least not in politics, but that doesn’t mean we never will.
 
The truth may hurt, but the wound will heal, and we will learn from it. That’s progress. On the contrary, ignorance is bliss, so we lie for the sake of face value.

The result is that collectively we are blissfully stupid. That’s the slow death of human civilization.
 
Furthermore, if we cheat to get things done, no wonder our politicians also cheat. Politics is simply a by-product of society.

Corrupt politicians are but a reflection of corrupt people. Then we whine about it. Stop whining and start doing.

In addition to demanding politicians and civil servants end their corruption, we should ourselves stop cheating by circumventing, bending or breaking the rules in everyday life.
 
We also must build a system we can trust and create rules we can rely on. Don’t look for other people to change the world. We can all change the world by first changing ourselves.
 
Truth and trustworthiness, those are the values we should aspire to.

But admit it, even if there are many exceptions, that slang term is currently an accurate depiction in general:

"Don’t Thai to me" is "don’t lie to me"  and "don’t cheat me", but do give me "good time" long time. 

[halfway inn]

Export to grow 4-5% this year



The Center for International Trade Studies of the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce forecasts export growth this year to increase 4-5% but under condition that the current political turmoil ends as soon as possible.

The center director Dr. Aat Pisanvanich said export growth for 2104 was expected to be 2.1-5.6% or an average 3.8% a year, a recovery from last year’s minus growth of 0.25%.

For the first quarter of this fiscal year, he forecast minus growth of 1.9-1.5%, an average 0.15% minus growth for the fourth consecutive quarter from the second quarter of last year as it was in the period of the start of the global economic recovery.


pbs
But he said that although improvement was seen in several markets, Japan remains in slow pace growth when its government imposed a 5-8% tax increases that has forced its people to spend less.

He forecast Thai export to turn positive in the second quarter because of the full recovery of the world economy, particularly Thailand’s trading partners, and stronger baht of 32.07-34.24 baht to a dollar or an average 33.16 baht to a dollar, the lowest level in five years or a devaluation of 7.7% from last year.

Thai export remains at risk from the economic recovery, fluctuation of the baht currency, inflation rate of developed countries and domestic political instability.

But he was optimistic that if the internal political situation eases, exports in the second to fourth quarter would return on a positive trend with the second quarter growing 4% and 7% in the third quarter, and 10% in the fourth quarter, making total growth this year to around 4-5%.

He also said that although the current political turmoil still has not affected exports when there is no closure of airports and seaports that could wreck foreign investors’ confidence, the government should assure investors that Thailand is still in the capable position to export on schedules even there is internal problem to avoid affect future’s orders.

[halfway inn]

WARNING FROM CIMB THAI

Baht 'could come under severe pressure'

BANGKOK: -- CONTINUING political unrest set to culminate in next week's "Bangkok shutdown" campaign by opponents of the government is adding to pressure on the baht, which amid other factors could weaken to 34 against the US dollar if there are violent clashes.

Sutee Losoponkul, first executive vice president of CIMB Thai Bank and head of its treasury group, said yesterday that the bank saw no immediate prospect for large capital inflows, and the baht was unlikely to regain strength before the political situation is resolved.

But even if the immediate political conflict is calmed down, until there is assurance that the previously planned infrastructure mega-projects will get back on track, the economy will not be on a firm growth path.

This is despite the fact that Thailand remains a good place to invest in terms of strong economic fundamentals and strategic location, Sutee said.

CIMB Thai expects the baht this year to average 33.5-33.6 against the greenback but could hit 34 if the US Federal Reserve ends its bond-purchasing programme. And that 34 mark could arrive much more suddenly if riots erupt on Monday, he said.

He also noted that the weaker baht was not yet having much effect in terms of fuelling an export recovery.

Meanwhile foreign tourists are starting to take their vacations elsewhere, fearing violence in Thailand, adding another unwanted blow to the baht.

CIMB Thai warns traders to pay serious attention to foreign-currency forward contracts to mitigate risk.

"It is not only Thailand that is facing currency depreciation, neighbouring countries such as Malaysia are also.

Therefore, gaining margins from the baht's depreciation is not the right solution for exporters.

They should think seriously about hedging tools and focus on improving operational efficiency to compete with traders in neighbouring countries," Sutee said.

Meanwhile HSBC Global Research says in its "Asian FX Focus 2014" outlook that the house is cautious on the baht on a number of fronts, both domestic and external.

Last year Thailand's forex cover fell to its lowest level since 2006. While the ratio was still higher than others in Asia, and the Bank of Thailand is ready and able to intervene to reduce foreign-exchange volatility, the weak growth outlook may curb efforts to contain baht weakness. Indeed, the central bank could cut the policy rate again in light of slower growth potential and political pressures, the house said.

Sentiment is likely to remain cautious going into the February 2 election, it said, which the main opposition party is boycotting.

While political headwinds are not new for the baht, they are now having a larger impact on the currency.

The Fed's tapering of its quantitative easing programme has also made foreign investors more selective, and Thailand's narrower current-account deficit has meant that capital flows are having a larger direct impact on the baht than in the past.

Roong Mallikamas, BOT director of macroeconomic policy, said the baht's depreciation encouraged importers to increase their forex-hedging volumes.

In November alone, importers' hedging volumes increased to 27 per cent from 17 per cent in October, while hedging activities by exporters in November increased to 34 per cent, from 30 per cent the previous month, she noted. Yet, trend of hedging by exporters is lower than the average volumes of 30-40 per cent.

"We expect the trend of baht depreciation will make hedging attractive to importers because currency volatility is [a major] risk for trading businesses."



The Nation
11-01-2014

[halfway inn]

Radical reds 'stocking arms' for city fight

Militant cells ready to act if poll delayed



Published: 16 Jan 2014 

Violence by armed red-shirt militants against anti-government protesters is possible but remains a distant scenario unless the military or other agencies force a delay in the Feb 2 election, red-shirt sources said.

Independent red-shirt militants and former supporters of the Pheu Thai Party from the lower Northeast region told the Bangkok Post that weapons and ammunition have been hidden in Bangkok and surrounding areas for some months.

"This is not to hit the protesters but to retaliate against a coup and anyone who forces the public and government agencies such as the Election Commission [EC] and the judiciary to postpone the election," said a red-shirt source in Ubon Ratchathani.

He said the underground wings of the red-shirt movement were beyond the control or command of any single boss.

"There are strong anti-coup and anti-court sentiments among the red-shirt mavericks who are  familiar and experienced with weapon use," he said.

Thaksin Shinawatra, widely viewed as the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai Party, disagreed with arms stockpiling for fear of being unable to control the militants and their actions, said the source

He said the red shirts have access to heavy arms through sources in the North and Northeast.

Cherdchai Tontisiri, a red-shirt core leader in Khon Kaen, said many people back the Feb 2 election.

If the military and other agencies intervene in the dispute, red shirts would travel to Bangkok and challenge them.

Dr Cherdchai said the law must be upheld.

"If the EC cannot do its job, let them resign and a new commission will be appointed.

"If we cannot have as many MPs as we need to convene the House after Feb 2, re-elections can be arranged until we meet the legal requirement to convene parliament," he said.

Soldiers and police could volunteer to help provide the venues for registration, balloting and counting, he added.

Pichit Likitkijsomboon, a Thammasat University economics associate professor and a red-shirt supporter, said concerns over bloodshed should not be considered from only the protesters' perspective.

"People fear if the government doesn't postpone the election, there will be a civil war. Conversely, if there is no election as announced on Feb 2, there will also be anger.

"Those remaining underground will come out to chart their own course," said Mr Pichit.

Such a fatal and insecure situation would benefit no one when lawlessness and violence prevail, he said.

Mr Pichit admitted there are conflicts within the red-shirt movement as there are a number of splinter groups, opportunists and elements which cannot be controlled.

He said he believes these red shirts will reunite if they are called to arms.

"The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship [UDD] needs to stop pretending to be a white-shirted group calling for the election while the anti-government protesters are dragging the country down into hell," he said.

The former left-wing strategist said the UDD should stop mobilising people in the Bangkok suburbs.

Radical local leaders such as those in Chiang Mai, Pathum Thani and Udon Thani should not block anti-government rallies in provinces or march into the capital.

"Stop doing anything that will create an undesirable public image for the whole red-shirt movement," said Mr Pichit.

The morality of the pro-Thaksin movement was affected since the Rajamangala Stadium clash between individual members and students around the Ramkhamhaeng University campus in late November.

The violence resulted in the deaths of three red shirts and one student and dozens of injuries.

"The red shirts need to keep campaigning against a coup and for the election.

They should allow neutral groups to express their opinions.

You don't have to blend in with them or try to steal the show," said Mr Pichit.

Coalition parties such as Bhumjaithai have enthusiastically campaigned for the election in the Northeast.

They also target their campaign directly at the media and certain constituencies in Bangkok for the party list candidates.

"The two sides are playing for time and are trying to win public sympathy," said another red shirt in Udon Thani.

Those who cause the election to be delayed would have to take the blame for any unrest that might follow, he said.



Bangkok Post

[halfway inn]

On Alert 18 Provinces

Public Health officials told to be on alert

21 January 2014

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry has instructed its officials to be on the alert for violent incidents ahead of the February 2 election.

Dr Narong Sahametapat, the ministry's permanent secretary, Tuesday ordered the heads of provincial public health offices in 18 provinces to be on the look out for clashes and be ready to provide emergency medical attention to the injured.

The Public Health Ministry's deputy permanent secretary, Dr Wachira Pengjuntr, said he had been monitoring the rallies led by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) in 18 provinces and so far, no casualties had been reported, although in Phatthalung, public health officials have had to move to another office.

"Some provincial public health offices have been shut, while some officials have moved to work in other places. The protesters are just making symbolic moves," he said.

Dr Narong Apikulwanich, chief of the ministry's emergency medical services operation, said his agency has not received any reports of violence during the PDRC rally to shut down several government offices in Bangkok, such as the Government Savings Bank and Export-Import Bank.

As many as 272 people have been injured and four killed in violent clashes since December 26.

Up to 25 of the injured are still being treated in hospital.


The Nation

[KHWAMYUTITAM]

 
Singapore   1996   In February 1996, Japan’s Tomen Corp. and Marubeni Corp., Germany’s Siemens AG, Britain’s BICC Cables plc and Italy’s Pirelli Cables, along with some subsidiaries, were debarred from Singapore government contracts.
“Appeal in cases involving corruption is normally not allowed,” the ministry said. The ban stretched from January 27, 1996 to January 26, 2001.
A consultant working for the firms allegedly gave bribes to the Public Utilities Board Deputy Chief Executive, in exchange for confidential information on public tenders.   ü   
 
FT, Reuters [2/16/1996] ‘SINGAPORE BLACKLISTS SCANDAL-TINGED FIRMS’ [Source ID = 538]
World Trade News: Financial Times [2/16/1996] ‘BICC appeals over contracts ban – Singapore penalises five foreign companies caught up in bribes scandal:’ by TIM BURT and WOLFGANG MUNCHAU FRANKFURT [Source ID = 6708]


η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΤΙ ΘΑ ΚΑΝΕΙ ?

[halfway inn]

Drugs, phones airdropped by 'drone' into Thai prison

Thailand's drug smugglers, the same inventive people behind amphetamine-filled catfood, meatballs, shoes and tampons have seized on the latest fad for innovation.

A remote-operated drone with a mounted camera dropped yaba and some mobile phones into a prison in Khon Kaen province yesterday.

The helicopter soared over the prison walls and dropped its illicit cargo near a bathroom area, according to provincial governor Somsak Suwannajarit.

Inside the box were the four kilograms of speed, three mobile phones, some SIM cards, battery chargers and shanks.

Authorities say sensors designed to detect radio transmissions near the prison picked up the drone's signal.

The air drop probably missed its mark, said prison commander Withichai Jenwiriyakul, who added that it was probably the same aircraft which dropped phones into the prison in January.

One phone can sell for THB100,000 inside the jail, he said.

A search discovered the helicopter about 150 meters from the prison but no suspects were found.

Officials estimate the helicopter's cost to be upward of THB1 million.


bangkok post

[halfway inn]

It's all Greek,
 
$1K offered to decipher strange notes in Homer's 'Odyssey' University of Chicago hopes to solve mystery of margin text in 1504 edition


A page from Book 11 of Homer's Odyssey with unidentified margin notes. (University of Chicago)

Once upon a time, somebody read this 1504 edition of Homer's "Odyssey," and, apparently taken by it, wrote in the margins of Book 11, which describes the journey to the underworld of Hades.

The man who donated the book to the University of Chicago wants to solve the mystery of what was handwritten around the text, and is offering $1,000 to whoever can successfully decipher the notes.

The unidentified donor suspects the script is a kind of 19th-century shorthand, possibly French, but "he acknowledges that this hypothesis remains unsupported by any evidence offered to date," according to the University of Chicago. The notes appear on only two pages.

It may be worth noting the University of Chicago is the same institution where, in 2012, a mysterious package arrived, addressed to "Henry Walton Jones, Jr.," better known as Indiana Jones.
It turns out the item was a replica from the 1989 film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." The piece of memorabilia had apparently been sold online and fell out of its outer packaging en route to its buyer.

This mystery is sure to be a lot tougher to crack.

We broke out our secret decoder ring but were immediately stymied when we realized the book's text is written in Greek.

Perhaps there is somebody out there with the time and expertise to break the code.

If so, there's a $1,000 waiting, as well as an unprecedented amount of nerd cred.

So, what are you waiting for? Spread the word and let's solve this thing.

[halfway inn]

THE "ROAD OF SAKURA"

Chiang Rai to grow Sakura to attract tourists



Udon Thani’s rubber duck should worry because Chiang Rai is preparing its own marquee tourist attraction, the “Road of Sakura.”

Chiang Rai officials have agreed to buy 1,000 cherry blossom trees from Japan to line its roads and create an iconic, selfie-friendly tourist destination, Governor Pongsak Wangsamer announced Sunday.

The trees will blossom alongside about 20 kilometers of road running from Chiang Rai’s international airport.

Local officials traveled to Kumamoto, Japan, to make the deal, which will cost THB3,000 per tree for the project. Delivery of the trees is expected in December, Pongsak said.

Chiang Rai has also contracted landscapers to plant the trees and hope the project will recoup its cost in three to four years, Tnews reported.


Coconuts Bangkok (30-04-2014)

[halfway inn]

ATM MACHINE POWER LEAKAGE

2-year old girl in coma after being struck by an electric shock at an ATM



BANGKOK: A two-year-old girl is fighting for her life at an intensive care unit of a hospital in Trang province after she was struck by an electric surge at an automatic telling machine of the Siam Commercial Bank.

The girls’s mother, 39-year old Mrs Sukalaya Nupinit, said that she was told by a doctor at the hospital to be prepared for the worst as her daughter had only 40 percent chance of survival because a brain stem had stopped functioning.

The victim has been living with the help of life-supporting machine in the hospital since she was admitted to the hospital August 7 when she was struck by the electric surge from an ATM where her father took her to withdraw some cash.

Mrs Sukalaya said electricity was leaked to the machine for several days and the problem was not fixed until several people were given electric shocks, including her two-year old daughter.

Siam Commercial Bank’s regional manager, Mr Prasarn Lohajarikul, said in a statement issued to the media that the bank felt very sorry for the incident and promised to provide full support to the victim’s family.

As for the ATM in question, bank officials and police had examined the machine to find out the problem and source of power leakage.

The machine was also put out of service pending the investigation.


thai pbs (14-08-2014)

[halfway inn]

A LONG WALK WITH HOPE

A 60-year-old woman has started walking from Udon Thani to Bangkok, pushing along her 20-year-old Down Syndrome daughter in a cart.

Pornpimol Rue-opart said she has no relatives in Udon Thani after her husband died.

So she would like to return to stay with her relatives in Bangkok and find a way to make her living and taking care of heir helpless daughter.

She said she could not afford the travelling cost so she decided to walk.

She has walked for three days at the average speed of 11 kilometres a day and has not yet exit Udon Thani.


The Nation (24-09-2014)