A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[yinyang]

Not again, red faced (and lost face too) -2nd wrong bust (after Oct)

Thai police admit 'giant' drug bust found just 1.2g of ketamine
Officials view the seized drugs at a warehouse in Chachoengsao, Thailand, Nov 12, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Office of the Narcotics Control Board/Handout)
15 Dec 2020 02:51PM(Updated: 15 Dec 2020 03:00PM)

BANGKOK: Thai authorities said on Tuesday (Dec 15) that barely more than one gram of ketamine had been found in a seizure that police had initially believed contained more than 12 tonnes of the drug worth almost US$1 billion.
Wichai Chaimongkol, head of the Narcotics Control Board, told a news conference that 12.1 tonnes of the haul contained trisodium phosphate - a chemical which can be used as a food additive and cleaning agent.

READ: Thailand says US$1 billion drug bust was a ‘misunderstanding’
The remaining 301kg was calcium carbonate and just 1.2g of ketamine, he said, adding the seizure was made as part of an international investigation following arrests in Taiwan.
In November, Thai police announced what they thought was the country's largest ketamine drug bust and said it pointed to a multinational drug network.
But authorities later said tests had not shown up drugs and that trisodium phosphate reacted in the same way as ketamine by turning purple in tests.

In medicine, ketamine is used as an anaesthetic or an anti-depressant, but as a recreational drug it is used to induce dreamy or trance-like sensations, and sometimes hallucinations.
Source: Reuters/ad

 

[Froggy]

Late dinner with wife at a roadside shop


Somtam

Boiled beef

Jim Jum

 

[yinyang]

 

[Froggy]

Dinner at Washoku Aji last night

Starters

Fried tofu

Sashimi

Uni from Hokkaido (100g per tray)

and more

 

[yinyang]

Shot of Bangkok pro-democracy protest among Time’s top photos of 2020
National
Dec 17. 2020

By The Nation

An image of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered at Bangkok’s Kaset intersection near Kasetsart University in October has been chosen as one of Time magazine’s top 100 photos of 2020.

The photo was taken by Sakchai Lalit of the Associated Press on October 19.

It shows a crowd of thousands flashing three-finger salutes of defiance against the Prayut government at the Kaset intersection in Bang Khen district.

Time chose the image among 100 photos that defined the year 2020. Others included shots of a Covid-19 victim hugging a doctor, bush fires raging in the US and Australia, the Black Lives Matter protest, and the deadly chemical explosion in Beirut.

 

[Froggy]

Finally, after residing in Thailand for so many years I decided to go get a Thai motorcycle license

It’s time to shop for a real bike

 

[amransan]

i loves thai people they are very humble and friendly people!
and i loves thailand too

 

[yinyang]

Travel curbs to LOS now eased. Singapore's included in list.
Swab test + quarantine still on (latter good chance down to 10 days)

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2037135/thailand-eases-curbs-on-travel

Thailand eases curbs on travel
Bid to boost flagging tourism industry
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 18 DEC 2020 AT 04:00

Chinese tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province in October.(Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

The government is easing travel restrictions for citizens from 56 countries to boost the country's pandemic-hit tourism industry, though visitors will be required to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine.

Tourists from countries including Australia, France and the United States can travel without visas, but would need a certificate to show they are free of Covid-19 72 hours before travel and a booking at a quarantine hotel, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said.

Visitors would then be subject to a two-week quarantine period after arriving, he said, adding the normal 30-day visa would be extended to 45 days.

While in quarantine, arrivals would undergo three Covid-19 tests, up from two required previously, Dr Taweesilp said, adding that more testing could potentially lead to shorter quarantine periods in the future.

The revisions come as the tourism-reliant economy struggles to encourage more domestic activity, but an ongoing travel ban continues to keep most foreign tourists away.
Earlier, each arrival was tested twice during 14-day quarantine, first three to five days days after arrival, and then again on days 11-13.
Each arrival is now tested three times, on day 0-1, day 9-10 and day 13-14, Dr Taweesilp said.

The changed testing process would continue until Dec 31. Health officials would then study the results and assess whether quarantine could be reduced to 10 days, Dr Taweesilp said.
The assessment will begin on Jan 1 and is expected to be finalised by Jan 15, he said.
A shorter quarantine is aimed at attracting foreign tourists, he added.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul previously said the scheme would be for visitors from low-risk countries.
Asked about Christmas and New Year celebrations, Dr Taweesilp said the CCSA was in favour of festivities going ahead and not being banned, as in many Western countries.
However, organisers and attendees must follow disease control measures strictly, he said.
He also said the government was ready to consider companies' disease control measures to allow visiting employees to work during quarantine.

"The entry of tourists will stimulate the economy," Tanee Sangrat, spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said.
Travellers from other countries not included in Thursday's announcement could still be eligible for a 90-day special tourist visa and a certificate of entry.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Thursday that local authorities can order the cancellation of any New Year festivities that fail to follow disease control measures.
"Strict measures must be in place while people enjoy themselves during the New Year celebrations. I don't want people to suffer from Covid-19 after New Year. Everyone must cooperate for the sake of the country's safety," he said.
Mr Anutin said on Thursday that activities that draw large crowds need approval from the authorities.

 

[yinyang]

Pretty mai?

ACTRESS WHO FUNDRAISED FOR PROTESTS FACES 112 CHARGE
By
Khaosod English
-
December 16, 2020 2:30 pm
https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php...who-fundraised-for-protests-faces-112-charge/
https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?te...protests-faces-112-charge/&via=KhaosodEnglish

A file photo of Intira “Sai” Charoenpura.

BANGKOK — A celebrity actress who organized donation drives for the pro-democracy rallies said Wednesday she was charged with royal defamation, a harsh law that could land her in prison for 15 years.

Intira “Sai” Charoenpura announced the news on her Facebook, where she posted a police summons accusing her of breaching Article 112 of the Criminal Codes, also known as lese majeste. She was the latest person to be ensnared in the widening crackdown that saw over 20 people charged under the same offense in recent days.

“OK number one!” the 39-year-old actress wrote in the caption, using a protest lingo.

It is unclear why lese majeste was brought against Intira. She has been donating food, mobile toilets, and other equipment to the anti-government protests since July, as well as fundraising donations on behalf of the activists, but Intira never made any speeches onstage.

The warrant did not specify the nature of her alleged crimes, but simply instructed her to report to Bang Khen Police Station on Dec. 21.
At least 25 people involved in the protest movement have been charged over the past month under the lese majeste law, though details of those cases grow increasingly vague each day.

Just yesterday, news broke that police filed lese majeste against a woman for donning a traditional Thai silk dress at a parody fashion show held by pro-democracy activists in October.
Sombat Thongyoi, one of the volunteers who provided security at the protests, also said on Monday that police have pressed royal defamation against him – without informing him why.
“This is the harshest legal case that any democracy fighter can face. No one wants it,” Sombat wrote online upon learning the news. “But Article 112 has made its way to me anyway. I never expected it. I’ve been sitting here and wondering what I could have done to deserve it.”

Article 112 of the Criminal Codes outlaws any remarks that threaten or insult key members of the Royal Family, though in practice the offense is routinely interpreted to include any gesture deemed critical of the monarchy.
The offense has been on a hiatus for several years – PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said in June that His Majesty the King had requested the authorities not to use it – but made an abrupt return in November.
Abolishing Article 112 is one of the demands put forth by the ongoing protests. The activists insisted on their goal during a rally in front of the United Nations office in Bangkok on Dec. 10, which coincides with International Human Rights Day.
“Article 112 is an outdated law that no other countries have endorsed,” campaigner Somyot Prueksakasemsuk said at the rally. “It prevents people from expressing their opinion freely and the government has used it to destroy its opponents.”

 

[Froggy]

Had a great and wholesome breakfast this morning - Gaeng Kheow Wan & Khanom Jeen

The stall

Boss preparing takeaway breakfast

This is fermented rice noodle "gaeng kheow wan"

Breakfast is served

Very generous with the chicken, this meal is only 50 baht or $2.30.

 

[Byebye Penis]

Hosay riao!!!

Thailand eases curbs on tourists from 56 countries, including Singapore
Can go Poseidon quarantine 14 days!!!
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/s...ourists-from-56-countries-including-singapore

 

[yinyang]

AIR FORCE TO SPEND 54 MIL. BAHT TO REFURBISH ‘VVIP LAVATORY’
By
Khaosod English
-
December 18, 2020 6:30 pm

Royal Thai Air Force's Airbus A340-500 taxis at Don Mueang International Airport. Photo: Alec Wilson / Wikimedia Commons

BANGKOK — Government critics on Friday were outraged by the revelation that the Royal Thai Air Force is set to spend nearly 55 million baht to refurbish a lavatory on board a VIP aircraft.
The 54.43 million baht project is detailed in a document published on a military-run website earlier this week. The air force said the price tag for the flying toilet is “reasonable” since it involves sophisticated engineering, though many remain skeptical at the exorbitant budget.

“If we use 54 million baht to renovate toilets for students, we can revamp toilets at more than 180 schools,” Move Forward MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn tweeted Thursday. “Roughly 20,000 students would benefit from it.”
The proposed refurbishment will take place on the Airbus A340-500 passenger jet with the tail number HS-TYV, according to a procurement document published on the air force’s website.

The force’s spokesman Air Marshal Thanat Chanampai could not be reached for comments as of publication.
But in a statement to the media, the air force said the refurbishment will lay down an entirely new set of plumbing and sewage equipment, employing “highly advanced engineering technology from Germany,” hence the seemingly steep price.

The four-engined airliner was previously used by Thai Airways for long haul flights to Europe before the air force acquired it back in 2016 for a price of reportedly 1.7 billion baht – paid from the state coffers.
The plane was later converted for use in “VVIP” transport missions and entered into service under the 602 Royal Flight squadron.
Another procurement document shows that the air force also awarded Thai Airways a 750 million baht contract to renovate the interiors of a Boeing 777-800 royal aircraft with the tail number HS-MVS.
Little is known publicly about the details of the project or the aircraft itself, though official records said the twin-engine jet entered into service in 2007 and is under direct command of King Vajiralongkorn’s Deachochai 3 Royal Flight Unit.

 

[yinyang]

Good satirical opinion from KhaoSod writer here

OPINION: THE GREAT WALL OF THAILAND,
A REPUBLIC, A TATTOO AND MORE
By
Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer
-
December 18, 2020 5:40 pm
https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2020/12/18/opinion-the-great-wall-of-thailand-a-republic-a-tattoo-and-more/

Security officers place shipping containers on the streets of Bangkok on the night of Dec. 9, 2020.

Objects and symbols have meanings independent of what those behind may intend to communicate.
I thought of four such examples when it comes to the latest development in Thai politics.

The Great Container Wall of Thailand
Could anyone have missed that the latest tactic used by the government of Gen Prayut Chan-ocha to stop anti-government protesters / monarchy reformists from marching from point A to B is to block the streets and bridges with shipping containers?
Most were two layers tall. While its efficacy is debatable, as demonstrators are nimble and change the protest site to avoid being contained, the walls of containers reflect not just a siege mentality on part of the powers that be, but also a symbolic unwilling to have a genuine dialogue and negotiate with the protesters.

Good politics means building bridges. Here, however, the government is literally installing walls and some walls such as the one near the Bangkok office of the UN agencies even blocked a real bridge.
Last week, I even saw one such wall blocking the road leading up to the Grand Palace despite protesters not making any announcement that they would head there. This means the siege mentality is filled with distrust, thus the need to build or install container walls to keep not zombies and the demonstrators out.

Restart Thailand or Republic of Thailand?
The recent announcement by the Free Youth movement, a key faction within the larger protest movement, to introduce the RT or Restart Thailand symbol, which uncannily resembles the hammer and sickle led many to ask whether they were commies or whether RT in fact stands for the Republic of Thailand.
Too many people have weighed in on the matter already and I will spare you my two cents.

What’s clear, however, is that the Thai political system is too restrictive for it’s unconstitutional to change the Thai political system from that of a kingdom to anything else.

In fact, a mere desire to even set up a political party with the word socialist or socialism in its name illegal under Thai law.
Much of what we hear was thus more like innuendo. And whether you are a communist or a die-hard capitalist, a republican or ultra-royalist, the country remains unfree to publicly imagine and suggest an alternative Thailand, as a republic or communist state.

Traditional Thai Dress and a Surprising Tattoo
Is mocking another person a basic human right? In Thailand, the answer likely depends on whom you mock.
Jatuporn Sae Ung, a 23-year-old transgender and a core demonstrator, appeared at a protest site in late October dressed like a noble woman in a splendid pink traditional Thai silk dress, complete with a servant holding an umbrella for her.

As she walked past a long red carpet laid out for her at the protest site on Silom Rd that evening, fellow demonstrators were either kneeling or squatting to have an audience with her. Some exclaimed, ‘Long Live Your Majesty’.

Jatuporn Sae Ung during the “fashion walk” on Silom Road on Oct. 29, 2020.

On Thursday she was charged with defaming the queen by the act of mocking. Since when is mocking a crime, I do not know.
If found guilty, Jatuporn could face up to 15 years in prison under archaic and draconian lese majeste law. At least 31 are either charged or in the process of being charged for violating the law with the youngest being just 16.

The latest person to be charged was identified on Friday as activist Pimsiri Petchnamrob, who has campaigned for LGBT rights and freedom of speech for many years. Like in other cases, police did not make clear what she did to deserve lese majeste.
Back to Jatuporn, while waiting to hear the charges made against her per police summon letter, she summoned me briefly first in front of the Yannawa Police station to show me a tattoo on her upper left chest.

I saw a large traditional thai numeral 9, a symbol of the late king Rama IX, or king Bhumibol, and a tattoo message, part of it read ‘I vow to serve your majesty beneath your few through all my reincarnations’.

King Bhumibol passed away in Oct 2016. Die-hard royalists tattooed themselves after his death and Jatuporn was one of them. She told me her political ideology has since changed.
When I asked if she would remove the tattoo, now that she has been charged with committing lese majeste offence under the reign of a new king, who’s the only son of the late Rama IX. Jatuporn replied saying she will keep the tattoo as “a reminder” of her past.
The royalist tattoo on a chest of a person accused lese majeste offender, I think, is a reminder of a changing time.

 

[yinyang]

World’s biggest food destination
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 18 DEC 2020 AT 16:29

Unleash your culinary art and passion for all precious occasions at central wOrld with 215 restaurants including 100 cafés, from popular street food to Michelin star and Michelin Guide to sky bar

Situated in the heart of Bangkok’s busiest shopping and tourism districts, right at the famous Ratchaprasong Intersection, Central World is now crowned the “biggest food destination in the globe,” hosting over 215 restaurants including 100 cafés, from popular street food to Michelin Star and Michelin Guide to sky bar, to delight each and every taste bud and satisfy all your cravings. With the total food area of 46,000 square metres equivalent to three football pitches, an eatery a day is not only possible but sounds an exhilarating concept.

And exclusive for this approaching holiday season, Central World is welcoming nine distinguished, well-acclaimed Michelin places, including seven restaurants included in the Michelin Guide and two Michelin-starred diners Tsuta (3F), to be opened this 22 December, and Kam’s Roast Goose (7F), to be opened in January 2021. Both are first branches in Thailand.



Swiftly sweeping over the list of diners, bars and coffee shops, you will not miss the fact that they are well-curated. Mr. Isareit Chirathivat, Senior Vice-President of Leasing, Central Pattana Plc, took us behind-the-scenes to see how a restaurant can join the biggest food destination:

“The food scene is always changing and thus the test and trial is inevitable. Central World, in particular, has a dynamic personality and we truly wish to offer a rich variety of food experiences to our customers, taking everything into account from taste and branding to price and value as well as seeking rising stars and hidden gems, and supporting up-and-coming chefs.”
“For a smaller popup store, it might take as few as two weeks and they are ready to serve. For others, we do a full loop, making use of our extensive database in helping a new restaurant settle. For example, we have worked together with the world-renowned largest Chinese mala hotpot chain Haidilao for over two years and now they have opened their first branch in Thailand with us at Central World.”
Mr. Isareit emphasised Central Pattana’s philosophy in selecting a partnered restaurant: “We serve what is best for our customers.”

It is no exaggeration to say that “endless discovery world of food” is awaiting life enthusiasts and savour-seekers to experience here at Central World, catered to every personalised gourmet passion and lifestyle. Here are some tips of the iceberg:

Everyday Hangouts & Exquisite Bars
The renowned Groove at Central World is legitimately the ultimate hangout destination landmark, featuring highly selective multinational food outlets right in the heart of Bangkok.

Winner of the prestigious Ospitalità Italiana Gold Seal Award, iO Italian Osteria (1F) serves the authentic taste of Italy with fine-dining menus of fine ingredients from 20 Italian regions. Faithful to its name (“io” meaning myself), iO Italian Osteria takes pride in its home-made culture, from bread, cheese, and pasta to wine and beer. The home-made “Porchetta” seasoned with Italian spices in the style of Ariccia, a small town close to Rome, offers juicy meat and ultimate crispy skin. Meanwhile, the Naples-style pasta “Cartoccio” featuring juicy seafood and stunning Carabineros prawn is warmly baked before served wrapped in paper in a traditional fashion. Also not to miss is the “Mixed Seafood Platter” that highlights the true flavour of premium ingredients with no added water or oil. This respect for culinary nature and tradition, along with cosy ambience, are why many Italian customers say they feel at home.

Good news for all party lovers looking for a night-out spot to unwind with friends or colleagues after a hustling day! The world-class Groove corner recently welcomed the advent of Brangus by Bluegold (1F). This stylish steakhouse with its own dry aging refrigerator (the special seasonings include spirits and butter truffle) will electrify your senses with “Pastarmi Beef Carpaccio,” a savoury starter of molasses-refined tenderloin topped with refreshing Yuzu sauce served with organic veggies and edible flowers with honey balsamic dressing. Then try “Brangus Beef Risotto,” yellow-tinted and aromatic with craft beer and parmesan cheese. And immerse yourself in a one-of-a-kind specialty “Coffee Rub Beef Striploin with Musk Coffee BBQ Sauce” where the sauce’s sweet-bitter aftertaste from the coffee shot blends harmoniously with juicy A-grade beef marinated in powdered musk coffee beans. Once the lid is lifted, the smoke makes a splendid Instagram post, not to mention the chic décor, live band, and photogenic butlers who will pamper you all night long.

Asian Lifestyle, Thai Taste, and International Delicacy
Japanese food aficionados need look no further than Sushi Cyu (3F). This omakase sushi house boasts delectable menus such as “Tokujyou Nigiri” that features quality seasonal produce imported from the best markets in Japan. This delicate invention by well-experienced Japanese chefs ensures superior freshness and unrivalled taste. This family-friendly restaurant also serves non-sushi for members who cannot eat raw fish, including “Omi Wagyu Bara Chirashi,” a rice-bowl dish with simmered A5 Wagyu served with creamy uni and house-fermented salmon roe that isn’t close to ordinary saltiness. Sushi Cyu is also a perfect place for a proper business lunch with a private, curtain-enhanced space for up to 12 people.

An outstanding Thai eatery committed to the traditional authentic Thai specialty, Talinping (3F) passes on the well-preserved recipes from generation to generation. Reminiscent of grandparents’ dishes, the meticulous cooking and superb selection of raw materials never fail to impress visitors.
Another remarkable place for a family dinner, sophisticated party, or business evening hangout, the spectacular view of the Bangkok skyline at UNO MAS (54F) and Red Sky Restaurant (55F) at Centara Grand at Central World offers a good vibe to socialise over Spanish-imported ingredients cooked by Spanish chefs and international cuisine of old world dining where culinary artists prepare their eye-pleasing and mouth-watering dishes with great finesse.
And don’t miss Jok’s Kitchen (7F), the legendary shop from Chinatown serving yummy quick meals, the first of its kind in a shopping mall, only at Central World.

Voguish Café Society
With over 100 cafés – Starbucks alone has four stores – and the most bubble tea shops of all the shopping malls in Thailand, café hoppers are no strangers to Central World. Honoured as one of The World’s Best Coffee Shops in 2016 by The Telegraph, the Michelin Guide recognised The Coffee Academics (2F) from Hong Kong is now serving its specialty coffee beans from 12 countries worldwide for Bangkokians. Besides the well-recognised coffee in a cone, this coffee house is offering its signature menu “Iced Java” with the Palmyra palm sugar sauce and medium-body, nutty-flavoured house-blend coffee shot topped with soft milk foam and sprinkled with coconut sugar. If you want to feel festive this upcoming holiday, try the brand-new “Cranberry White Mocha” that combines perfectly the sweet and sour taste of cranberry juice and dried cranberries with aromatic coffee and white chocolate sauce. Also available for this time of year is “Santa’s Berries” with squishy body cake inside red berry jelly.

Or if a friendly atmosphere filled with hip-hop music and barista smiles sounds more appealing to you, visit the slow bar at Red Diamond (5F & 7F), where the expert baristas will take you through their wide selection of seasonal, house-roasted coffee beans. Enjoy intimate conversation over body, acidity, roast levels, flavour, and aftertaste to discover the right cup of coffee for you. While the barista is brewing, hors d’oeuvres are not to be missed. Try the special “Mexican Taco” where pork shoulder is stewed for 4-6 hours in rich gravy served with crispy cos lettuce, red cabbage, refreshing orange pulp and zest.
Last not least, Central World elevates the Thai food scene to another level for the ultimate love of cooking, hosting the Ivy League-equivalent of Le Cordon Bleu Dusit (17F-19F, Central Tower) for aspiring professional chefs as well as ABC Cooking Studio (3F), the largest cooking studio in Japan with over 200 branches across Asia. During a lovely two-hour session at ABC Cooking Studio, you can make your own ramen from scratch while your kids are learning how to make a maccha roll. Or you can take a trial lesson with “Christmas Berry Chantilly Cake” this December. Come bare-handed and get your own portion today!
Many more first-in-Thailand restaurants, Michelin places, and international eateries, including Korean, Chinese, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Indian, and Thai cuisines are ready to serve you on all occasions at Central World. Discover our food bible – the ultimate comprehensive food guide – by scanning the QR code:

 

[yinyang]

A deafening silence
New year, new rallies but holiday break could see protesters' momentum lost, argue observers - Contenders for the vacant role of chief whip begin whispering campaigns, with outspoken MP Veerakorn Kamprakob among favourites

Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 19 DEC 2020 AT 04:00
NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS

Several predictions have been made about the country's political climate remaining placid at least for another month or until after the New Year.

Prayut: Trusted to defend monarchy

The nation has not witnessed a mass anti-government rally since the Constitutional Court handed down its ruling on Dec 2 that cleared Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of a charge of conflict of interest arising from his tenancy of the army house he has been occupying since before the May 2014 coup which he led.

At the rally, its co-leaders told the protesters they would meet again after the New Year and the appointment was confirmed recently by a protest co-organiser who promised a prompt return of the rallies at the beginning of next year. He said protesters would come back more robust and be ready to "escalate" their demands to a level so high they would "shoot through the roof".

Some analysts, however, were left wondering why the protest steered by the Ratsadon movement has to wait for weeks before making their next move, which marks a departure from their usual pattern where they staged frequent mass rallies throughout Bangkok over the past several months.
Theories abound which might explain why the protest organisers are taking a break. One theory said that organisers needed time to sort out an internal conflict which opponents of the gleefully speculated had reached boiling point last week when protest co-leader Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak announced on his Facebook page on Dec 11 that volunteer security guards at the rallies will be replaced with professionally trained ones.
He said professionals would better protect protesters from the authorities, describing security guards as the "main weapon" in their political campaign.
Various groups of volunteer guards were deployed at previous rallies including the "We Volunteer", aka Wevo, as well as the outfit known to comprise vocational students and members of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.

However, some of the guards from different units or even within the groups themselves did not get along and many also felt since the protesters have declared that there is no ultimate leader commanding the movement, they had no one to report to, according to a political observer.
A red-shirt figure who took part in providing security to the anti-government protests was quoted as saying he suspected professional guards may be hired from a firm set up ahead of time to specifically supply personnel at rallies.
However, the guards may be the least of the protesters' concerns. Some critics said by being absent from the political scene, protesters were letting Gen Prayut and the government score points from the hugely popular co-payment scheme which subsidises half the cost of purchases at small shops, known as Kon La Krueng. The programme recently entered its second phase and is expected to inject 45 billion baht into the economy from January to March next year, according to the Fiscal Policy Office.
The observer said the more strength the government gains, the tougher the time the protesters will face in maintaining their movement's momentum.

The movement, according to the observer, may not be moving in the same direction with a number of sub-groups, most notably the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration and the Free People, working under the Ratsadon umbrella.
Any rally that does not present a unified message loses its leverage, said the observer.
However, it may not be so much the composition of the movement as its strategy that is causing a setback.
The protesters have made three core demands -- that Gen Prayut step down as premier, the constitution be rewritten and reform of the monarchy be pursued.
The observer said protesters were appearing to attach more priority to reforming the monarchy than their other demands, and this was a major blunder.
According to the observer, the demand for reform by the protesters has drummed up large-scale support not only for the higher institution but for Gen Prayut too.
This is because pro-monarchy camp is tacitly rallying behind the prime minister as they believe him to be the best person to protect the crown.

Wirach: Could face trial next month

Job opening for PM's 'bodyguard'
The search for a new chief government whip is said to be under way after the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) decided last month to indict Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) MP and incumbent chief government whip Wirach Ratanasate over a graft-tainted deal to construct futsal courts at schools in the Northeast.
The OAG has up to 60 days in which to complete drafting the charges before indicting the politician in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
Speculation is rife that the case will be brought to court some time next month.
Once the court accepts the case for deliberation, Mr Wirach -- who stands accused of engaging in policy-oriented corruption by unlawfully interfering in budget matters and diverting funds meant for school repairs to futsal field construction -- will be suspended as an MP.
That means he can no longer serve as the chief government whip and PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon is reportedly looking for someone to replace him if and when Mr Wirach is forced to step aside and stand trial.
Many PPRP members expect to see one of the party's old hands with solid experience in the parliamentary system succeed Mr Wirach who is known to be close to Gen Prawit.
Mr Wirach defected from the Pheu Thai Party and led his group to join the PPRP in last year's general election.
Among the potential candidates Gen Prawit may be looking at is Nakhon Sawan MP Veerakorn Kamprakob, a former PM's Office minister who serves as chair of various House committees, according to a highly placed source in the party.
The chief government whip's job is to ensure good communication is maintained with and between the coalition parties as well as the smooth handling of parliamentary business.
The post requires its occupant to be in command of exceptional political skills and finesse. And it will be even better if the person is well-versed in law and parliamentary regulations.
It has been reported that another PPRP MP for Nakhon Sawan, Nirote Sunthornleka, has emerged as a front-runner for the post.
The three-time MP drew public attention in September when he rose to defend Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from a grilling from opposition MPs in a general debate.
The MP raised eyebrows when he criticised the choice of clothing worn by Move Forward Party MP Amarat Chokepamitkul at one point in the debate. He claimed her attire did not conform with House rules and suggested that she go home and get changed.
From this debate, he became known as Gen Prayut's "defender".
However, critics and many PRPP members doubt that he would be a good fit for the role of chief government whip.
Some ruling party members liken his outward character and speaking style to those of controversial PPRP MPs Sira Jenjaka and Pareena Kraikupt and critics wonder whether he will be up to the job especially when the opposition is gearing up for another no-confidence motion against Gen Prayut early next year.
The planned censure motion -- the second such move in parliament against the current administration -- is expected to focus on the government's handling of the faltering economy and alleged corruption.
The opposition has already vowed to be merciless with the government.
Sutin Klungsang, chief opposition whip and an MP for the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, insisted the opposition bloc was preparing the no-confidence motion for submission to parliament next month.
In the meantime, the opposition parties are compiling ammunition to be used in the grilling of cabinet ministers to be targeted.
Mr Sutin was tightlipped on who will be in the crosshairs this time. However, it is expected Gen Prayut will be the prime target on account of him being government leader. Knocking him out will also bring down the entire cabinet.
Other possible targets are Deputy Agriculture Minister Capt Thamanat Prompow over his handling of the land reform programme.
The debate is predicted to be another tough session for the government and will need a strong chief whip to help it survive the onslaught.
But with a blessing from Gen Prawit, Mr Nirote is strongly tipped to walk away with the chief whip job.

 

[yinyang]

Special Report-The last taboo. A new generation of Thais is defying the monarchy

By Panu Wongcha-um, Kay Johnson
24 MIN READ
Pls view pics from link
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...f-thais-is-defying-the-monarchy-idUSKBN28S1AQ

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Songphon “Yajai” Sonthirak had been a boxer for most of his young life and knew how to face down a stronger opponent: Keep your guard up, stand tall, stay focused. So he was shocked to discover, on the day of his arrest, how little his training mattered and how fear seized him.

Yajai, meaning “balm for the heart,” is a 21-year-old law student with a mop of dyed blue-green hair. He’d volunteered to help with security at a small anti-government protest in the heart of old Bangkok.

It was Oct. 13, a Tuesday, the start of 11 days that would change Yajai’s life and shake Thailand.
For three months, thousands of young Thais had been pouring onto streets in protests of growing size and boldness, largely unimpeded by police. They were demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a retired army chief who seized power in a 2014 coup. Far more remarkably, they were publicly criticising King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who is protected from insult by a strict lese majeste law. The young demonstrators were thus risking criminal prosecution and tearing up the rules of a society centred on devotion to its monarch, who is still revered by many as semi-divine.
Yajai and his friends were gathered around a pick-up truck that doubled as a sound stage. Reuters reporters witnessed the scene. It was the end of the rainy season, overcast and drizzling. Dancing on the truck was Yajai’s friend Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa. Pai had previously served two years in prison for sharing a critical article about King Vajiralongkorn on Facebook, so falling foul of Thailand’s lese majeste law. Today, Pai was gyrating his hips and singing a satirical song about the king.
“Don’t love him, don’t love him, don’t love him, don’t love him
Then be careful you’ll go to jail, to jail, to jail...”
Other protesters sang along or held up three-fingered salutes, a gesture of defiance borrowed from the Hunger Games movies.
Yajai watched the police. Since late morning, there’d been a few cops. Then, around 3 p.m., hundreds of officers swarmed the intersection where the protesters were gathered. King Vajiralongkorn, on a rare visit to Thailand from Germany, where he has spent much of each year, would soon pass in his motorcade on the way to a nearby temple.
Normally when a royal motorcade approaches, Thais sit on the ground or even prostrate themselves, in silence. Now, for the first time, openly disrespectful protesters would be within shouting distance of the king. And for the first time since these protests began, police were moving in to break up the demo.
“Form a line! Form a line!” Yajai shouted, linking arms with others to hold back the police.
The police lines moved closer, slowly throttling the protest. Yajai later recounted how, in the confusion, he saw a policeman grab one of his friends and he ran to help. After the briefest of scuffles, he was pinned down and carried off by four or five officers, then bundled into a police van.
“I’d always thought my boxing experience meant I could protect myself, but it turns out I couldn’t do a thing,” Yajai said. “I’d never been more frightened in my life.”
In the van, Yajai said he was guarded by six policemen. “Who do you all think you are?” he recalled one of them sneering. “Did you think you could win?’”
Modern Thai history is littered with failed street protests, many of them crushed by the military. Most recently, in 2010, more than 90 people died in clashes when the army ended pro-democracy protests by the populist “Red Shirts.”
This time is different, say the young protesters, who continue to pour into the streets. They portray their movement as more inclusive, incorporating diverse political and social grievances. Three demands unite them: They want Prayuth’s resignation; a new, more democratic constitution; and curbs on the monarch’s powers, though not his overthrow.
They have learned from the tactics of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and built alliances with anti-China activists in Taiwan. This new generation threatens to upend Thailand’s conservative, predominantly Buddist establishment. And they are complicating U.S. hopes of drawing Thailand, America’s oldest ally in the region, away from China’s growing sphere of influence. Some Thai officials suspect Washington is aiding the protests, despite U.S. denials.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri told Reuters the authorities need to do a better job of explaining to young people “why the monarchy is important and why it has been with Thailand for centuries.” Prayuth’s government, he went on, was democratically elected and any challenge should come from parliament, not the street.

The palace didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Yajai and Pai were among 21 protesters arrested that day. Deputy police spokesman Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen said the force was following standard operating procedure faced with an illegal gathering that was blocking the road.
In the days that followed, there would be bigger demos, more arrests, and harsher responses as the government tried to contain the unrest.
The damage to the monarchy’s lustre was already done. After Yajai, Pai and several others were arrested, dozens of protesters remained on the street, their hands raised in three-fingered salutes. When the king’s limousine went past they shouted a new battle cry.
“Free our friends! Free our friends!”
“WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS”
While Yajai spent his first night in a police cell, Patsaravalee “Mind” Tanakitvibulpon was worrying about portable toilets. And also about her parents. Again.
Mind, a 25-year-old engineering student from Bangkok, was helping to organise a bigger protest for the next day, Oct. 14. Thousands would march to Government House, home to the prime minister’s office, and occupy the surrounding streets for five days. They would need trucks, tents, all sorts of supplies – including portable toilets, which Mind was struggling to rent.
She was also trying to convince her parents that everything was going to be okay. “I give my mother such a headache,” she told Reuters.
Mind has a tiny frame, a disarming smile and a habit of greeting people with a cheerful, double-handed wave. She had worked mostly behind the scenes as a protest organiser. The youth movement is often described as “leaderless” when it is actually hydra-headed, with new leaders emerging with every arrest. It would soon be Mind’s turn.
There were already hints at the firebrand she would become. At a big protest outside parliament in September, she had climbed onto a truck.
“We will not stop until we have a constitution that comes from the people,” she thundered. “We will not stop until the dark forces disappear!” When she got down from the truck, she was still so nervous her legs were shaking.
Many student protesters use the Thai phrase taa sawang – literally, “eyes brightened” – to describe their political awakening. Mind’s eyes brightened in 2015, on the first anniversary of Prayuth’s coup. A dozen or more young people protested against military rule in central Bangkok. In a video, Mind saw police officers and men in civilian clothes drag away protesters.
“I was shocked and thought, ‘Why can’t we talk about the coup? What kind of democracy is this?’” said Mind. “That was it. That was the beginning.”
Like most Thais, Mind was taught from an early age that the king is the centre of Thai identity. Gold-framed portraits of the monarch hang in all classrooms and look down on city streets. Cinema audiences stand for the royal anthem.
Mind began to question the things she’d learned. She went online to study the history she hadn’t known at school. She listened to lectures by outspoken Thai scholars and watched radical documentaries. She thought about the duelling protests that dominated her childhood, pitting Thais clothed in the colours of their movements: the populist Red Shirts against the royalist Yellow Shirts. And she reflected how any challenge to the military establishment was branded anti-monarchy.
She began to see a straight line through her country’s turbulent past. It drew through dozens of coups and attempted coups and popular uprisings and military massacres, right back to the 1932 Siamese Revolution that ended the centuries-long reign of Thailand’s absolute monarchs.

But despite the shift to a constitutional monarchy that revolution was unfinished, and today the military and monarchy exist in an unhealthy alliance, Mind thought. She believed that the only way to avoid future violence was to talk more about the monarchy, not less.
“We don’t want to topple the monarchy, but we want to talk about these problems,” she said. “For too long, no one has dared.”

A HEARING
The next morning, Oct. 14 – the day of the big protest – Yajai appeared at a hearing in a Bangkok court. According to Yajai and his lawyers, he faced 10 charges, including illegal assembly, damaging property and blocking traffic. The offenses were fairly minor and Yajai had no criminal record. He was confident the court would grant him bail and he would still make it to the protest.
Yajai not only studied law; he believed in it.
Growing up in northeast Thailand, where his parents ran a market stall in a small town in Roi-et province, he thought little of politics; he barely remembered the 2014 coup. His activism began at university, where he joined an environmental group. In 2019, he met his friend, Pai, newly released from prison, in the university’s law department.
There was a general election in March 2019, the first since the coup, and Yajai hoped for a return to democracy. Like many young Thais, Yajai supported Future Forward, a new progressive party. It came third, and General Prayuth remained prime minister. The opposition complained the election was designed to favour military-backed parties. Prayuth said the vote was fair.
Less than a year later, in February 2020, Future Forward was dissolved by a Thai court on the grounds the party received an illegal loan from its founder, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. Future Forward’s supporters were outraged. The student protests began.
Today’s protest in Bangkok would be the biggest Yajai had attended – if only the court would grant him bail.
But Yajai was denied bail. “I was in deep shock. I couldn’t even form a thought,” he recalled. He was driven to Bangkok Remand Prison and locked in a squalid cell packed with two dozen people. He was relieved to see that Pai was among them.
A spokesperson for the Court of Justice said of the case: “The court is impartial and independent and all the decisions it makes are based on the law.”
“THEY CAN TRY TO SHUT OUR MOUTHS BUT WE WILL REFUSE”
Mind arrived for the big protest after noon with an oversized white bow in her hair and wearing one of her favourite T-shirts. It read, “Love Cat, Hate Coup.”
The protest was layered with symbolism. Democracy Monument, where the protesters gathered, commemorates the 1932 end of absolute monarchy. Oct. 14 was the anniversary of a 1973 student-led uprising that propelled the military dictators of the day into exile and ushered in a brief period of democracy.
The march was aimed at occupying the streets surrounding Government House, around a mile away. Mind was riding on one of three main sound trucks. She looked at the crowd and felt her adrenalin pumping. There were tens of thousands of people.
Attached to Mind’s truck was a German flag, a reference to the king’s frequent extended visits in Bavaria. A protester on another truck was wearing a crop top with a bare midriff, a more daring reference to the king. Photos of King Vajiralongkorn dressed this way had appeared in several European tabloids and had circulated online in Thailand.
The march set off. The trucks played songs or led the crowd in chants of “1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Asshole Tu!” Prime Minister Prayuth’s nickname is Uncle Tu.

The march soon ground to a halt. The road to Government House was blocked by buses and riot police. Hours went by at a standstill. Then, at dusk, the protesters swept through the barricades and occupied the surrounding streets.
It was now Mind’s job to help organise for the planned occupation. Groups of people set up stages, sound systems and tents. The portable toilets were en route. Food vendors wheeled in carts and sold grilled chicken and pancakes. Within an hour, a tent city had sprung up with a festive atmosphere.
Mind was confident. “If we can maintain a large enough crowd, I don’t think the police will take drastic action,” she recalled thinking.
She was wrong. At 4 a.m. Prayuth declared a state of emergency, citing “turmoil” and “acts affecting the Royal Motorcade” after a few dozen protesters jeered Queen Suthida’s car on Oct. 14. All political gatherings of more than five people were now illegal, and the police had wide powers of arrest and detention.
Just before dawn, riot police surged back into the area, ripping down protesters’ barricades and tents. Thousands fled. Police arrested dozens of people, including 18 protest leaders, but not Mind. She slipped away into the night, only to reappear hours later to address a protest in central Bangkok, near the national police headquarters.
With so many leaders now behind bars, Mind was stepping up. “Hello, all democracy-loving brothers and sisters!” she told the crowd. “More than 30 of our friends have been arrested. Is this appropriate? Is this right? Our friends are fighters. They fought bravely to challenge the dictatorial power of the government.”
Her legs weren’t shaking this time. “They can try to shut our mouths,” she cried, “but we will refuse!”

A FAMILY DISPUTE
As the Oct. 14 drama unfolded, 18-year-old student Raroengchon “Kaen” Rattanavijai was watching the protests on television at her grandmother’s house in Bangkok’s eastern suburbs.
She had always been close to her grandmother, and had chosen to spend the day with her rather than alone in the dormitory. The protests were about to tear her family apart.
Three televisions in her grandmother’s house were tuned to Nation TV, whose commentators have described the protesters as “nation haters.” Kaen’s grandmother and aunt watched in outrage.
“They’re a disgrace to our country,” Kaen recalled her grandmother saying. “I wouldn’t be against the idea of shooting them dead.’”
Kaen fumed but said nothing. She had already attended some protests but knew it was pointless to argue with her grandmother. She also knew that, a few years ago, she too might have condemned the protests.
Kaen, a budding artist, speaks in near-flawless English picked up during a year in Alaska on a high school exchange program. Reverence of the monarchy runs deep in her family. She had marched with her mother in pro-royalist demonstrations in her earlier teens. Her grandmother had been fostered by an aristocratic family and grew up inside the grounds of a royal palace in Bangkok. Kaen and her mother went to an elite girls’ school.
“We had to write essays about why we love the king,” said Kaen. “I was taught you cannot question this one person.”
The turning point for Kaen came in 2016 with the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the current king’s father. King Bhumibol had ruled for so long – 70 years – that most Thais had no memory of a time before. For many Thais, he is the archetypal monarch: kind, wise, frugal, dutiful, despite the crown’s vast wealth.
King Vajiralongkorn’s style was different. He took control of the Crown Property Bureau, which manages the monarchy’s holdings, from the country’s finance ministry. The government transferred two bodyguard units in Bangkok to the king’s personal command. King Vajiralongkorn ordered the creation of a new volunteer corps, millions strong, whose members salute his portrait.

In May 2019, shortly before his coronation, the thrice-divorced king married one of his longtime bodyguards and named her Queen Suthida. Three months later, he elevated another bodyguard to be his “Royal Noble Consort,” a title that hadn’t been used since 1921. Soon after, the consort was stripped of the title for what the palace called her “very evil behavior,” only to be later restored and publicly declared “untainted.”
By then, the student protests were gaining momentum, and criticism of King Vajiralongkorn was blossoming online. Kaen read some of this and taa sawang – her political awakening began. Or, as she put it in American English: “I was like, ‘All my life, was it all a freaking lie?’”
Kaen started attending protests. Her family knew this, which made their comments in front of the television so hurtful. “My aunt said if I was to hold up three fingers, I might lose them,” she recalled.
Kaen silently resolved to defy the emergency decree and join the next protest.
“I thought the justice system would help protect us”
The morning after his arrival at Bangkok Remand Prison, Yajai’s green-blue hair was shaved off by a guard.
Anti-coronavirus measures meant prisoners weren’t allowed to leave their cells. Yajai’s overcrowded cell had no beds. Prisoners slept on mats on the hard floor. The lights were left on 24/7. In one corner, open to the room, was a toilet and water barrel. Yajai shut his eyes while washing in case he saw anyone watching him.
A spokesman for the Department of Corrections told Reuters that prisons were quarantining new arrivals for 14 days because of the coronavirus, and this was leading to more overcrowding. It is government policy to treat all prisoners in accordance with international standards, he said.
The cell had a television but it mainly aired prison information broadcasts or the Royal Bulletin – a reverential daily round-up of royal activities shown on most Thai channels. There was nothing on the protests.
Yajai battled despair. “I thought the justice system would help protect us,” he said.
Seventeen of the 20 protesters arrested along with Yajai now shared his cell. Reuters interviewed several of them, including Pai, who was the oldest at 29. He’d been in jail before. He helped his friends prepare their beds, cracked jokes and urged them to eat and exercise.
Yajai encountered another political activist – a well-known Red Shirt called Nattawut Saikua, imprisoned for his role in the 2007-2010 pro-democracy protests. Yajai and several others recounted how Nattawut lifted their spirits, telling them they were fighters, not criminals.
“Just changing this mindset made things better,” Yajai recalled.
Nattawut had access to information about what was happening on the streets. He told them tens of thousands of people were still protesting. Soon, said Yajai, a new thought punctured his gloom about being jailed: It was worth it.

LEARNT FROM HONG KONG
Just after 5 p.m. on Oct. 16, Kaen arrived at that day’s protest site – Ratchaprasong, a busy intersection in central Bangkok – to find that police had sealed it off. It was the third straight day of mass protests and police were growing more forceful.
Kaen pulled out her phone and checked Telegram, the latest messaging app used to organise the protests and confound police. The protesters had seen in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement the value of last-minute changes of plan and tactics.
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Sure enough, there was a message announcing a different venue: another busy intersection nearby, flanked by giant shopping malls and crisscrossed with elevated train tracks and pedestrian walkways.
Thousands of protesters had occupied the intersection, bringing rush-hour traffic to a halt. Among them were high school students in their uniforms. A loudspeaker on a truck pumped out chants of “Prayuth, get out!” Food vendors moved in to sell to protesters. Reuters reporters were at the scene.
Kaen was sitting in front of a makeshift stage when she heard someone say, “The police are coming!” She stood and saw a line of riot police edging towards the protest, a big truck behind them. Only when Kaen saw drenched protesters run past did she realize the truck had a water cannon.
A cry went up: “We need umbrellas!” Kaen watched as people on the walkways threw down umbrellas. Hands reached out to pass them to people on the front line facing the water cannon. This human conveyor belt was a scene straight from the Hong Kong protests.
As the water cannon broke through, the crowd turned and fled. Kaen ran with them, fending off calls from her mother, who was watching live TV coverage of the protests. ”Mom, I don’t have time for you right now!’ Kaen thought. A few hours later, her mom would pick her up, along with another student who’d been kicked out of her royalist home.
The Royal Bulletin that evening showed the king on a visit to a university. He told a group of subjects sitting at his feet, “Right now, the country needs people who love the nation and the royal institution. We must teach the new generation to understand this.”
But it wasn’t just the new generation that was asking questions. The use of water cannons on non-violent protesters, many of them school kids, shocked many people. One was Kaen’s mother, Patcharee. When the family’s messaging group erupted in an argument, Patcharee took her daughter’s side and called for the monarchy’s reform.
Kaen’s grandmother left the chat in disgust. So did Kaen’s aunt, who later shared a Facebook post, seen by Reuters, that read: “I cut ties with anyone who supports the protests insulting the monarchy, whatever our relationship.”
Kaen stopped going to her grandmother’s house. When her grandfather had a birthday party, she and her parents weren’t invited, Kaen said.
“WE WILL STILL BE OUT HERE FIGHTING”
Yajai was released from prison the following Monday, Oct. 19, after seven days behind bars. Mind was arrested on Wednesday night and charged with breaching the emergency decree, but was released the next morning. The next day, she led a rally outside Bangkok Remand Prison to call for the release of Pai and the remaining jailed protesters.
Pai walked free on Friday and immediately resumed his activism. “Send our voices to those locked up inside,” he told a cheering crowd at the prison gates. “No matter how many leaders they arrest, we will still be out here fighting.”
The fight, all three agreed, had barely begun. The protests continue. And no one can predict what will happen next.
The king has extended his stay in Thailand indefinitely. He attended gatherings with loyalists in yellow shirts – the monarchy’s colour – and posed for selfies or signed autographs. Millions of mostly older Thais still passionately believe that devotion to the king is the core of Thai culture and identity.
The government has barely budged either. Prayuth promised to consider changes to the constitution, the process for selecting the prime minister, for example, but not to the sections that deal with the monarchy’s powers. He also said in late November that all laws would be used against the protesters, including Article 112 – the lese majeste law – which remained on the statute book but hadn’t been applied for the past two years. At least 30 protesters have since been questioned by police on suspicion of breaching the lese majeste law. Charges have not so far been laid.
There have also been signs of violence as protests ground through November and into December. On Nov. 17, protesters marching on parliament clashed with police firing water cannons and tear gas. That evening, six protesters sustained gunshot wounds after they fought with royalist counter-protesters.
But Pai, Yajai, Mind and Kaen continue to hope. Speaking in early December, they said their movement continued to grow. They believe the change they helped set in motion is seismic. And now that the taboo about criticising the king is gone, they say, everything about the future is up for discussion.
“I can create change,” Mind said. “It’s a powerful feeling.”
(additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat)

 

[yinyang]

Samut Sakhon locked down as new cases top 500
Covid surge detected through testing of migrant workers but most are asymptomatic
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 19 DEC 2020 AT 23:40

A medical worker takes a test swab from a migrant worker at a seafood market in Mahachai district of Samut Sakhon on Saturday. (Reuters Photo)

Samut Sakhon has been put under lockdown with a curfew from 10pm to 5am in effect until Jan 3 following a surge of more than 500 Covid-19 cases on Saturday.

People’s movements out of the province are also banned.

Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the 12 local infections initially reported earlier in the day had surged to 548 following the testing of 1,192 people in the province. Most of them are migrant workers from Myanmar.

“The rate of infection is 43% from tested people and 90% of them are asymptomatic,” he said during a televised briefing at 9pm Saturday.

“While there is a likelihood of finding more infections in crowded foreign communities around the shrimp market, they are low-risk groups because they are working age and healthy.”
The Ministry of Public Health, he said, had the capacity to handle the patients since the area was limited.
Dr Opas urged people in Samut Sakhon to refrain from going to other provinces.

Anyone who has visited the shrimp market since Dec 1 is also being advised to self-isolate for 14 days.
“If they develop a fever, cough, sore throat or lose their sense of smell or taste, they should seek medical help immediately,” he said.
The seafood processing hub just west of Bangkok had been free of coronavirus cases for 250 days until this week.
Samut Sakhon governor Weerasak Wijitsaengsri said the latest increase in infections was beyond expectations.

The Covid-19 alert level would remain elevated until Jan 3, with the Talad Klang Kung or Central Shrimp Market and Sri Muang dormitory designated as off-limits areas so that disease control operations can be carried out, he said.
Other locations in the province that will be closed temporarily include all kinds of entertainment venues, sports stadiums, boxing stadiums, schools and other educational institutions, tutorial schools, shopping malls, cinemas and spas.
Restaurants and other food venues will be allowed to sell takeaway only, while convenience stores will be closed between 10pm and 5am, the order said.

However, the local election would go ahead on Sunday as planned, along with other provincial council polls nationwide.
The spike in the province was the biggest one-day total by far in Thailand since the pandemic began. As of Saturday morning, the country had reported a cumulative total of 4,331 cases, ranked 152nd in the world.

The first of the new Samut Sakhon infections was detected earlier this week in a 67-year-old Thai woman who owns a shrimp wholesale business at the market. She had not travelled out of the country. Eight other infections have been linked to her, including three family members and five market workers, both Thai and Myanmar nationals.

The seafood industry in Samut Sakhon employs thousands of migrant workers from Myanmar. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul suggested on Friday that the infection could have originated in the local migrant community, given that Myanmar has seen a surge in Covid cases since September.

As of Friday, the neighbouring country had reported 114,000 infections and 2,400 deaths.
Moe Kyaw Thu from the Raks Thai Foundation, which is coordinating testing, said it aimed to screen 4,000 people over the weekend in Mahachai, the location of the giant seafood market.
“The population in Mahachai is roughly 70% Thai and 30% migrant workers, which means the source of the virus spreading could come from migrant workers, particularly Myanmese workers,” he said.
Just hours before the jump of 500-plus cases was reported, the spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) had said a lockdown was not needed yet but but steps would have to be taken if cases keep rising.
“If the number of cases won’t come down [on Sunday] or the day after and become a cluster with unfound origins, we will choose measures from light to strong to handle it,” said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin.

 

[yinyang]

‘Thailand & centralwOrld bangkOk cOuntdOwn 2021’
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 20 DEC 2020 AT 06:41

Central Pattana celebrates international new normal countdown at the heart of Bangkok and nationwide

Central Pattana plc, the operator of centralwOrld, CentralPlaza, CentralFestival, Central Phuket and Central Village, is joining hands with partners including the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Advanced Info Service plc, Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Mastercard, Singha Corporation Co., Ltd., Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd., Chang International Co., Ltd., Plan B Media plc, LINE Company (Thailand) and ONE 31 Co., Ltd., to organise ‘Thailand & centralwOrld bangkOk cOuntdOwn 2021’, highlighting its reputation as ‘Global & Thailand’s Best Entertainment Countdown Destination’. Central Pattana invites people to the unprecedented format of countdown at its 11 shopping centres nationwide with strict measures 'Central: Hygiene & Safety’, aligning with CCSA, at all participating branches. Be amazed by the first-ever 5G interactive digital experience countdown style at centralwOrld through the panOramix and digital screens both inside and outside the shopping centre, covering over 5,000 m2. Enjoy a spectacular five-minute continuous display of 6,000 fireworks, and for the first time, the AIS 5G Interactive Wall will deliver your New Year wish images onto the panOramix in the heart of the city to welcome in 2021, all helping to fulfil centralwOrld’s reputation as the ‘Times Square of Asia’. On the night of 31 December, the event will go live on the LINE TV app from 18:00 - 00:15 hrs., Channel ONE 31 from 22:15 - 00:15 hrs., channel 3 from 23.45 - 00.05 hrs.



Dr. Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, Executive Vice President of Marketing of Central Pattana, said that Central Pattana, as a leading organiser of national and global countdown events, has been organising countdown events throughout the country continually for many decades and we have adapted the events to changing times and situations. This year, we would like to invite everyone to join the countdown in the unprecedented format, the new normal countdown, focusing on self-disciplined, social distancing, and because of the situation this year, we aim to reduce crowding by extending the period of celebration starting from 24-31 December 2020:

Pre-Countdown Events: 7 days 7 nights of fun until the year-end

To fulfil centralwOrld’s reputation as ‘The Greatest Celebration Landmark in Asia’. Enjoy a spectacular full orchestra performance in the grand Christmas concert 2020 from Mahidol university’s Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra which is internationally renowned and a full line-up concert from top artists such as Nont Thanont, Golden Song by Channel One, Season Five, V-Violette, Rooftop, Mother Funky, which will be held under the winter-welcoming atmosphere surrounded by hundreds of thousands of decorative lights with the gigantic, tallest Christmas tree in Southeast Asia. Also enjoy a shopping vibe, similar to that overseas, where you can shop for gifts and souvenirs from all over the world at ‘The World Festival & Gift Market’ and a premium gift event at the ‘YWCA x centralwOrld Bazaar’ throughout the shopping centre.

31 DEC 20: centralwOrld bangkOk cOuntdOwn 2021, enjoy entertainment extravaganza for every target group from midday to midnight.
Some zones of centralwOrld will extend its operating hours until midnight. Come to shop, enjoy leisure time and have fun into the New Year with all-day entertainment activities to spread happiness, throughout the shopping centre. Enjoy an international jazz band in the shopping centre, and at Groove, a mini concert from artists such as Musketeers, Fellow Fellow, Wanyai x Monic, and Tu-Popthorn. There are also concerts at centralwOrld square, with popular top-charting Thai artists such as Jetset'er, Cocktail, BNK48 CGM48, J-Jetrin and Jaonay Jinjet, Nadao artists (Ice Paris, JJ Kritsanapoom, Nana Sawanya, Praewa Nichaphat, Billkin Putthipong and Phi Phi Krit), Trinity and Palmy. Countdown to witness ‘The Great Firework Display’ for five continuous minutes with over 6,000 fireworks. The special highlight is the very first 5G Interactive Digital Experience countdown through the panOramix, and digital screens both indoors and outdoors, covering over 5,000 m2 in order to reflect its reputation as the ultimate entertainment countdown landmark of all times. Strict measures on social distancing and crowding will be applied, with limited seats and seating areas set up for the concert. The doors will open at 15:00 hrs. and visitors will be treated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Strictly implemented of ‘Central’s Hygiene & Safety’ measures with full alignment with government and ‘CCSA’
According to CCSA’s recent announcement that gives permission to hold entertainment events under some conditions required. Hosts and organisers of any events must strictly follow the measures with event format proposed such as numbers of audience restriction, participants coverage limited to 50% of the venue capacity, personal space of attendee: at least 1 sq.m. each. The focus is on the density of the crowd. No matter how large the venue is, the social distancing must be the priority.

The shopping centre strictly applies safety measures under the 'Central: Hygiene & Safety' master plan in order to handle the COVID-19 situation as well as focusing on discipline following new normal social distancing. ”There is no need for our visitors to worry about transportation because centralwOrld is located in the heart of the city with convenient transportation, easy parking, no road closures and is very safe. It is very convenient ¬– only a ten-minute walk to the BTS sky train (Siam or Chidlom station); there is no need to for hassle with bus or boat transits. There are abundant parking spaces, clean toilets and a solid standard security system, while
Countdown landmarks at 11 Central shopping centres nationwide:
In addition to centralwOrld, Central Pattana is also organising the Thailand Countdown 2021 events in another 10 provincial countdown landmarks at 10 branches of our shopping centres nationwide:

• CentralPlaza WestGate – enjoy shopping and chilling out at the Winter Market in the midst of a relaxing countdown atmosphere. Be dazzled by wonderful photo spots and beautiful lights, and meet popular artists such as Atom Chanakan (29 Dec 20), Earth Patravee (30 Dec 20) and Mean (31 Dec 20).
• CentralPlaza Salaya – shop and taste shrimp dishes from popular restaurants and famous dishes of Nakhon Pathom province while counting down to the New Year with the band Pause (31 Dec 20).
• CentralPlaza Mahachai – discover the greatest end-of-the-year food festival in Mahachai and live music from popular artists Season Five (24 Dec 20), Kong Huayrai (25 Dec 20), Big House Band (26 Dec 20), Aliz, Yinglee (31 Dec 20).
• CentralFestival Chiangmai – enjoy the music festival among the most chilled-out camping atmosphere, with a troop of indie artists such as Kian Kai Lae Wanich, Jun Holan, Som Maree and Taitosmith and end the year beautifully with the most spectacular fireworks.
• CentralPlaza Phitsanulok – celebrate for 7 days 7 nights with concerts from quality artists: Wanyai x Monic (27 Dec 20), Som Maree (28 Dec 20), Jun Holan (29 Dec 20), The Rube (31 Dec 20) and 2,000 spectacular fireworks.
• Central Korat – have a great time with a troop of artists: Whal & Dolph (30 Dec 20), Rooftop, Sprite X 1 Mill (28 Dec 20), Chris Singto (30 Dec 20), Mos Patipan (31 Dec 20), Paradox (31 Dec 20) and artists from Channel One 31 such as Dome Jaruwat, Tum Warawut, R Anataphon, Tao Sethaphong, March Chutavuth and young actress Inter-Rungrada (31 Dec 20). Enjoy a cool Korat Winter Market with temple fair rides, Ferris wheel and 80-meter long Star Light Tunnel.
• CentralPlaza Udon Thani – visit the Night Market amidst a chilled-out countdown vibe while listening to live music and a mini concert from popular artists Indigo (27 Dec 20) and Ebola (31 Dec 20).
• CentralPlaza Nakhon Si Thammarat – Have fun into the New Year with popular artists such as Zoom, Max Jenmana and Yes'sir Days and a great display of 1,000 fireworks.
• CentralFestival Pattaya Beach – Countdown on the beach for 9 days 9 nights to enter the New Year with ten well-known artists: Klear (23 Dec 20), Som Maree & Rooftop (24 Dec 20), Boy Peacemaker (25 Dec 20), Season Five (26 Dec 20), Ink Waruntorn (27 Dec 20), Zeal (28 Dec 20), Silly Dax (29 Dec 20), J Jetrin (30 Dec 20), and Ae Jirakorn (31 Dec 20).
• CentralPlaza Rayong – discover the food festival at Box Market and enjoy delicious drinks and fun music from top artists Ebola (29 Dec 20), and Tono & The Dust (31 Dec 20).

 

[Froggy]

Went to a few bike shops to shop for a bike and compare prices it seems all are one price anyway settled on a ship that sells multiple brands -

Aa foreigner to buy a bike in Thailand all you need are

1. Passport and stay permit for me it’s work permit
2. Motorcycle driving license
3. Money for the bike

After that you can simply drive the new bike off.

Finally settled on the Honda ADV150

 

[yinyang]

Samut Sakhon to suffer huge financial losses
New lockdown forecast to cost province 1 billion baht per day
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 21 DEC 2020 AT 04:30

Myanmar workers wait to be tested for Covid-19 in Muang district of Samut Sakhon on Sunday. (Photo by Arnun Chonmahatrakool)

The lockdown of Samut Sakhon due to a new surge in Covid-19 infections will cause about 1 billion baht a day in economic damage, says Amphai Harnkraiwilai, chairwoman of the Samut Sakhon Chamber of Commerce.
She said the province's seafood industry with sales amounting to 400 to 500 million baht a day, as well as other related businesses, have now been forced to stop as a result of the lockdown.

Beset by various problems in 2020, Thai people have been taking better care of their health, according to an opinion survey conducted by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.

"This could cause estimated economic damage of about 1 billion baht a day," she said.

However, major damage will be limited only to businesses that employ migrant workers while there will be little impact on businesses that do not hire them, Ms Amphai said.

"Initially, local businesses have agreed to comply with disease control measures fully and screen migrant workers to prevent the spread of the virus to other areas," Ms Amphai said.
"Regarding remedial measures to help other operators who are not in the infection zone and have been affected by the lockdown, the provincial chamber of commerce will raise the issue with the Thai Chamber of Commerce which will then forward the matter to the government," she said.
Commercial and state-run banks announced the closure of their branches in Samut Sakhon in the wake of the lockdown effective from Saturday until Jan 3. Bank branches in shopping malls were also closed.

Amporn Pinasa, secretary-general of the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec), said that she has ordered the closure of schools under the supervision of the Obec in Samut Sakhon and for Obec officials there to work from home.
"The Obec will assess the situation based on the announcements from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). All schools have been instructed to comply with health safety measures from the Public Health Ministry," Ms Amporn said.

Several schools in Bangkok were also closed yesterday out of fears of new Covid-19 cases including an infected woman who lives on Pracha Chuen Road in the capital.
The woman reportedly went to Talad Mahachai in Samut Sakhon to buy seafood early this month.
Bangkok Christian College announced the school's closure from today until Jan 3, while Wattana Wittaya Academy will close from today until Jan 3 and reopen on Jan 4.
Assumption College Thon Buri announced that students and personnel who live in Samut Sakhon are allowed to stay home from today and return to school on Jan 4.

Joseph Upatham School in Nakhon Pathom also announced the suspension of class from today and will reopen on Jan 4.
Meanwhile, the Samut Songkhram governor, with the consent of the provincial chamber of commerce, on Sunday ordered the cancellation of the last day of the Mackerel Eating and Mae Klong Famous Products Festival out of fears of the spread of Covid-19 from neighbouring Samut Sakhon.
The festival was originally scheduled to run from Dec 10 to Sunday.