PAD: Thaksin may have derived business benefits in exchange for Thailand's support of Cambodia's efforts to register the Preah Vihear

A protest by any other name: PAD gathering turns multi-lingual

Thursday June 19, 2008
Thanida Tansubhapol
Bangkok Post

The People's Alliance for Democracy knows how to adapt its strategy to make sure its message hits the right target.

In a demonstration in front of the Foreign Ministry yesterday by about 2,000 protesters, the anti-government group began what PAD members called an "international rally".

"Today, we come to the Foreign Ministry. Anybody who can speak foreign languages, please show up," Anchalee Paireerak, a PAD member, said.

Protesters in the crowd took up her invitation. Normally, their protest message is delivered in Thai.

But yesterday it was in seven languages - Cambodian, German, English, French, Japanese, Chinese and even Bahasa Malay.

All foreign-language speakers had their messages translated into Thai.

The substance was basically the same in that they wanted Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama sacked from his job.

A statement handed to permanent secretary for foreign affairs Virasakdi Futrakul by PAD member Somsak Kosaisuk, explained why Mr Noppadon, formerly a legal adviser to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is no longer suitable for his job.

Mr Noppadon, who was not at his office during the demonstration, had ordered ministry officials to return Mr Thaksin's red official passport, which was seized after the coup.

That annoyed PAD members, as did his failure to send his former client a warning after Mr Thaksin's name was widely seen, printed on a Thai flag at the Manchester City stadium in England last month.

Mr Thaksin may have derived business benefits in exchange for Thailand's support of Cambodia's efforts to register the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site, the group said.

The PAD said they backed ministry staff who had tried to protect the "national interest", and called on them not to follow orders from politicians if they believe they are unlawful.

"Ministry staff must protect Thai sovereignty and reveal the facts about oil and natural gas found in the overlapping zone in the Gulf of Thailand, as well as not allow conflicts of interest to benefit former prime minister Thaksin's investments," said Mr Somsak.

Megaprojects 'a top priority' for new [Thai] govt

Big plans for diversion of water from Mekong

Monday February 04, 2008
ANUCHA CHAROENPO
Bangkok Post

The incoming government will make megaprojects worth at least 500 billion baht its top priority soon after the new cabinet members take office, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said yesterday.

The projects include an ambitious plan to build an underground pipeline to divert water from the Mekong river to the northeastern region and the extension of the skytrain by more than 100 kilometres to reach the outer suburbs of Bangkok.

The newly-appointed prime minister said the ambitious water project aimed at helping farmers in the Northeast, the country's poorest region, would probably not be completed under his government's four-year term due to the scale of it. But it was a good start and future governments should continue it, he said.

He said the project had received the full backing of northeastern MPs.

Under the plan water from the Mekong, which runs about 700 kilometres from Chiang Rai to Ubon Ratchathani along Thailand's northern border, will be diverted through underground tunnels to Loei and Udon Thani, where reservoirs will act as distribution centres to send the water on to farms in other provinces during the dry season. The water will be transported through small pipelines.

Mr Samak said the project was realistic, given what Israel had done by turning its arid areas into fertile farmland, and vowed to make it possible even though he could possibly face criticism from environmentalists.

''I am not too ambitious. State agencies involved, especially the Royal Irrigation Department, must seriously help us undertake it,'' he said.

''Were I not prime minister, I would not have an opportunity to push for this project,'' he added.

He said he did not care about opposition from non-governmental organisations.

Past governments tried to divert water from the Mekong but faced strong opposition from other countries sharing the river. The Mekong starts in China and flows through Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Water use for the lower basin, comprising Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, is regulated by the Mekong River Commission.

The People Power party leader also pledged to complete the extension of Bangkok's skytrain system within three years. He said the present network was not extensive enough to serve commuters across Bangkok and its nearby areas.

The planned extended lines will start from Mor Chit station to Lam Luk Ka district in Pathum Thani, and from the Taksin bridge station to the Om Noi area in Samut Sakhon.

Other mass transportation development projects include the planned construction of nine more train lines and a plan to expand dual railway tracks from 3,700 to 7,400 kilometres.

The prime minister also said he was confident he could handle all the megaprojects as he had taken on several administration-related jobs with the transport system.

Mr Samak's plans for the skytrain could put him at loggerheads with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), which owns the project. The present two routes from Taksin bridge to the National Stadium and from Onnuj to Mor Chit are operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc under a 30-year concession which started in December 1999.