Barkar Nash (Page 1,048)

Thaipakdee Party representatives went to the Department of Corrections on Monday morning to oppose the expected application for a royal pardon for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

They were led by treasurer Anant Sakhoncharoen. The party has no MPs.

Mr Anant said Thaksin had been found guilty of corruption and malfeasance during his tenure as prime minister, had fled the country and had not bowed to court rulings.

The party submitted a letter asking the Department of Corrections, which is under the Justice Ministry, to maintain the rule of law.

The demonstrators cited the policy of former justice minister Paibul Khumchaya, who held the portfolio  from 2014-2016, of opposiing a royal pardon for convicts serving corruption sentences, to protect good governance in the country. He is now a privy councillor.

They also doubted that Thaksin was seriously ill.

Bangkok Remand Prison governor has confirned that Thaksin has the right to apply for a royal pardon.

Other representatives of Thaipakdee showed up at the Office of the Attorney-General, asking that it resume prosecution of Thaksin on outstanding cases of defamation and lese majeste. 

The Royal Thai Army accused Thaksin in the Criminal Court of defamation and violation of Section 112 of the Criminal Code (the lese majeste law) nearly a decade ago. The court accepted the case for trial in 2015 and issued a warrant for Thaksin’s arrest, who was overseas and did not appear at the court as ordered.

After 15 years of self-imposed exile, Thaksin returned to the country on Aug 22. The Supreme Court ordered that he serve a term of eight years imprisonment for previous and finalised legal cases.

On the first night of his stay at Bangkok Remand Prison, corrections doctors decided he should be  transferred to Police General Hospital because of chronic illnesses.

The management of Police General Hospital denied authorities had done any favours for Thaksin.

Thaksin Shinawatra appears in front of the private jet terminal at Don Mueang airport on his arrival back in the country on Aug 22. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

The emergency decree imposed in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat will be extended for another three months, from Sept 20 to Dec 19, 2023.

The decision was made on Monday by the committee for administration of the emergency situation during a  video conference chaired by caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon from the office of the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation.

Lt Gen Pacharasak Patirupanon, Gen Prawit’s assistant spokesman, said the emergency decree is currently in force throughout in the three provinces, except for Si Sakhon, Sungai Kolok, Waeng and Sukhirin districts of Narathiwat; Yaring, Mayom Mai Kaen districts of Pattani; and Betong and Kabang districts of Yala.

The committee resolved to extend the emergency decree in the southern provinces for another three months, from Sept 20 to Dec 19. The extension, the 73rd, is for the continuation of government operations to cope with the insurgency and maintain peace and security for the people’s lives and property, he said.

The resolution will be forwarded to the National Security Council and the cabinet for further approval.

The meeting also approved the Internal Security Command Region 4’s proposal to remove Kapho district of Pattani from the area under the emergency decree.

CHON BURI: A man from Finland was found dead in a house in Bang Lamung district by neighbours late on Sunday night.

Pol Lt Siriporn Kongphetsak, a Nong Prue investigator, said police and a rescue team were called to a house at Pattaya Rung Ruang housing estate at Moo 5 village in tambon Nong Prue about 11.30pm.

They found a naked man lying dead on the bedroom floor. He was believed to have died several days earlier, based on the condition of the body. There were no traces of physical violence. The house had not been ransacked.

The man was identified as Tim Jhani Muhonen, 54, from Finland.

The neighbours who called police said they had noticed a foul smell eminating from the house for a few  days. The stench had become so strong they had trouble sleeping on Sunday.

They said five or six days earlier a Thai woman came to visit the man. Before she left, she was overheard telling the man not to lock the door.

Police were investigating.

Indonesia has launched a three-month plan to promote people’s diplomacy in Thailand.

Speaking at the launch of the “Indonesia Fair: Know Indonesia Better” event hosted by the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok over the weekend, Ambassador Rachmat Budiman said Indonesia will organise a series of activities during the next three months to boost trade and tourism and enhance people-to-people diplomacy.

Held at Central Court in Central World as part of the Indonesia Trade, Tourism, Investment and Culture Forum, the event also showcases Indonesian premium products such as Batik textiles, clothes, woven fabrics, crafts, culinary delights and travel fairs.

On Sept 15, the Indonesia-Thailand Business Forum will be hosted at Centara Grand at CentralWorld to attract investors and boost the bilateral economic activity between the two countries, he said.

At the same time, the forum also aims to urge Thai investors to invest in Indonesia’s new capital city named Nusantara in East Kalimantan on Borneo. Thai investors being targeted include those with involvement in the basic infrastructure, medical and wellness sectors, he said.

On Sept 17, a wide range of Indonesian cultural performances and showcases will be hosted at Pic Ganesha Theatre Siam Square.

From Oct 4–29, the Indonesia-Thailand Collaborative Painting Exhibition will be hosted at the National Gallery on Chao Fa Road in Bangkok.

“I hope this series of programmes can serve their purpose of connecting and further strengthening trust, confidence, and people-to-people contact between the two countries and will bring mutual benefit to our communities,” he said.

The Finance Ministry has denied it will raise the Value-Added Tax (VAT) by 3% to reserve more money for elderly savings.

Ministry spokesman Pornchai Theeravej said the ministry has no plan to increase VAT from the current 7% to 10%.

Mr Pornchai, who also directs the ministry’s Fiscal Policy Office, was responding to reports that a raise was being considered by the ministry to fund elderly savings.

On Friday, Worawan Plikhamin, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council, told a seminar that various models for elderly savings were being discussed at the ministry.

One model, proposed through the council and the Social Reform Committee, suggests raising VAT to 10% via a special law. The increment would go to an elderly fund to be used during retirement.

Ms Worawan said that normally, a VAT hike is bound to spark public opposition. However, it was believed that such a tax increase would boost elderly savings and eventually be accepted by the general public.

She said people would enjoy greater financial security in their old age while the government would also have a clear source of income to create a safety net for the elderly. Financial security will become increasingly vital in the future as the elderly population grows, she said.

Ms Worawan added the government’s proposed replacement of the universal welfare payment with the elderly allowance scheme should come with a clear set of criteria to establish who would be eligible.

The government has defended its new requirements for those receiving the elderly allowance, a move that replaces universal welfare payments for seniors. It said universal welfare payments were too great a burden on the state coffers and that some targeting is needed.

Ms Worawan said that before the criteria are introduced, the government must ensure they are suited to the needs of the elderly.

She said a survey of incomes earned by the elderly showed that 34% were retirees who still worked, including those below the poverty line.

Most had an income of less than 100,000 baht per year and relied on financial support from their children or the monthly old-age allowance, Ms Worawan said.

Focus on welfare, not pay, experts say

Labour advocates are urging the new government to focus on protecting workers’ rights and finding a solution to control the prices of consumer goods before raising the minimum daily wage to 600 baht.

As part of its election campaign, the Pheu Thai Party pledged to raise the nation’s daily minimum wage to 600 baht, along with a 25,000-baht a month starting salary guarantee for graduate workers.

However, now that the party has formed a government, labour advocates are saying the administration needs to focus on improving access to welfare benefits as it settles down to work.

Chalee Loysoong, deputy chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Confederation, said the new government needs to work harder to protect workers’ rights and safeguard their general welfare. The government should focus more on controlling the prices of consumer goods to help low-income earners, he said.

Meanwhile, Wichai Narapaibul, manager of the Thai Labour Museum, said Pheu Thai’s wage policy might be difficult to implement.

He said it is more important to have a system that promotes improvements in labourers’ skills, which will in turn help them improve their quality of life.

As such, he said, the government should not focus on promoting Thailand as a source of cheap labour for basic industries, but as source of skilled labourers capable of manning advanced industries.

Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the new government needs to focus on reining in utility prices.

Employers have also voiced their concern about the minimum daily wage pledge, with some fearing they might not be able to sustain their businesses once the new standard comes into effect.

Direk, 71, who owns a stationary shop in Phimai district, Nakhon Ratchasima, said the policies benefit foreign migrant workers instead, as a significant chunk of Thailand’s daily labourers come from neighbouring countries.

“Those migrant workers send their earnings back to their families in their hometowns, so it will not help stimulate the economy,” Direk said.

He said the policy might lead to inflation, which would harm low-income earners even more.

Yupin, a restaurant owner in Pathum Thani said she fears the new daily minimum wage rate will add to her operating cost.

The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) is urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Fisheries to tighten measures on imported seafood from Japan after several countries banned the products following the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

TCC official Panuchot Tongyang yesterday said China, Hong Kong and South Korea have suspended imports of Japanese seafood including live sea animals, frozen and dried seafood, sea salt and seaweed due to concerns about contamination.

Mr Panuchot said the radioactive material from the nuclear disaster in 2011 shut down Fukushima, and other adjacent cities were reported to have experienced abnormal radioactivity levels, making seafood unsafe to eat, despite assurances to the contrary.

“The FDA and the Department of Fisheries should impose precautionary measures as concerns have grown that consumers might face contaminated seafood,” he said.

Mr Panuchot also suggested that state agencies advise the public about safety steps they can take when buying seafood. “Even though side effects from contaminated food are not instant, long-term health impacts are possible,” he added.

Meanwhile, the FDA is maintaining a wait-and-see stance on the matter.

FDA deputy secretary-general Lertchai Lertvut said the FDA and various agencies will double the amount of seafood samples collected for testing to boost consumer confidence.

He said the first batch of Japanese seafood after the wastewater release will arrive in mid-September and will be inspected by both FDA and fisheries officials.