Barkar Nash (Page 1,102)

Plankton bloom pose no harm to humans

CHON BURI: Wastewater discharged from Koh Lan is the major cause of the plankton bloom that turned the sea smelly and green, said the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) on Sunday.

The DMCR inspection at Ta Waen Beach on Koh Lan came after the Facebook page “We Love Pattaya” posted pictures of unusually green seawater around the popular island, which is located 7 kilometres off the coast of Pattaya Beach.

According to DMCR deputy director Apichai Aekwanakul, the phenomenon was first spotted on Saturday and authorities advised against swimming due to the reduced visibility.

Mr Apichai said that the colour change is caused by Noctiluca scintillans, a phytoplankton that is non-toxic and normally found in an annual bloom along the eastern seaboard.

Continuous wastewater discharging into the sea on Koh Lan is believed to be the primary cause, he said.

Mr Apichai explained that the bloom tended to be stronger in the rainy season as downpours tend to wash nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater into the aquatic system and cause excessive growth of the plankton, leading to the green colour and unpleasant odour.

The DMCR and related agencies will investigate and conduct further research possible health problems and the need for warnings to be issued, he said.

The plankton bloom, along with the off-season spawning of leatherback turtles in Phuket, are both oceanic phenomena that lecturer Thon Thamrongnawasawat from Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Fisheries suggested those interested in the environment keep an eye on closely.

According to a post made on his Facebook page, both are symptomatic of changes to the marine environment caused by natural fluctuations and human activity.

Regarding the plankton bloom, Mr Thon said that it was abnormal to see the phenomenon during the period when the impact of El Nino is about to intensify.

Normally a decline in rainfall would lower the chances of plankton bloom occurring, according to Mr Thon, yet the opposite has been observed this year, especially along the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in the upper part of the Gulf of Thailand.

This abnormality is becoming more frequent due to global “boiling”, as defined by the United Nations recently, and Mr Thon added that the plankton bloom might affect tourism, especially in high season.

Pheu Thai PM choice set for Friday vote

The Move Forward Party (MFP) has dismissed speculation it will be excluded from a new government led by the Pheu Thai Party, insisting that unity among the eight prospective coalition parties remains intact.

According to sources, the latest possible configuration of a new government has emerged, still comprising the original coalition allies but with the Bhumjaithai and Chartthaipattana parties also invited to join. The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) would remain excluded.

In this scenario, Srettha Thavisin, a PM candidate of Pheu Thai, would be nominated for the upcoming vote in parliament on Friday.

With the support of 71 MPs from Bhumjaithai and 10 from Chartthaipattana as well as the 312 MPs from the original eight-party bloc, Mr Srettha would get 393 votes which would be more than enough to see him become the next prime minister.

Under the constitution, a PM candidate needs the support of at least half of the 750 members of both the lower and upper chambers of parliament, or 376 votes in total.

However, observers believe that if Bhumjaithai, which is at odds with the MFP, joined the coalition, the MFP would decide to break away from the bloc and become the opposition but would still vote for the PM candidate from Pheu Thai.

The MFP has previously filed complaints against cabinet ministers from Bhumjaithai, accusing them in a no-confidence debate of corruption, while Bhumjaithai has made it clear it will not join a government if the MFP is part of it, citing the MFP’s bid to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law.

However, if the MFP pulls out of the coalition, Pheu Thai may again invite the PPRP, as well as the Democrat Party and the UTN to join the coalition, according to observers.

That said, Rangsiman Rome, MFP list MP and spokesman, downplayed a report that Pheu Thai would let Bhumjaithai take charge of forming a government without the MFP but with the UTN and PPRP asked to take part.

Mr Rangsiman said Bhumjaithai did not win the most seats in parliament and lacked the legitimacy to form a government.

“If Bhumjathai can form a government, this will deviate from normal circumstances…If we discussed politics on the basis of the people’s wishes, Bhumjaithai would not have a chance [of forming a government],” he said.

Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, an MFP list MP, also posted on Facebook that he did not believe a rumour that Pheu Thai would boot the MFP out of the coalition, saying it was meant to undermine the trust and unity among the eight parties.

“I don’t believe that Pheu Thai would force the MFP into the opposition bloc along with the UTN and the PPRP, and forge an alliance with Bhumjaithai, the Democrats, Prachachart, Chartthaipattana and other parties to form a government with a combined 262 members of parliament just to get support from the senators.”

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chantararuangthong said on Sunday the coalition allies will discuss their stance ahead of the PM vote on Friday.

Wisut Chai-narun, a Pheu Thai MP for Phayao, said Mr Srettha is expected to be nominated for the vote and likely to get enough support to become prime minister.

Parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha previously said parliament would convene on Aug 4, but whether the new vote for a prime minister takes place that day will depend on a decision by the Constitutional Court the day before.

The court will announce if it is to accept a petition regarding the rejected renomination of MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister. If accepted, the vote will not occur until the court’s ruling, Mr Wan said.

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s intention to return to the country after 17 years in self-imposed exile on Aug 10 has not changed, according to sources in the Pheu Thai Party and the Royal Thai Police (RTP).

He is scheduled to arrive at Don Mueang airport that day at 10.30am.

The confirmation came after two critics, Jatuporn Prompan and Chuvit Kamolwisit, insisted they had reasons to believe Thaksin’s return plan was nothing but hot air.

The Pheu Thai Party has been running a series of video clips on its Facebook page chronicling the trials and tribulations associated with Thaksin’s long political career, from his rise to the premiership in 2001 to the ouster of the Pheu Thai Party-led administration by a military coup engineered by the National Council for Peace and Order in 2014.

The clips were uploaded apparently to coincide with Thaksin’s youngest daughter and Pheu Thai Party prime ministerial candidate Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s announcement of her father’s homecoming.

Linthiporn Warinwatchararoj, a party list MP and acting party spokeswoman, on Sunday said the clips were meant to educate the public about Thaksin’s political life.

She said the clips also helped straighten out the facts and tackle disinformation about the controversial businessman and politician.

She denied the clips were an attempt to divert public attention away from the party’s struggle to lead the formation of the new government.

She maintained there was no change of heart among the eight parties, led by the Move Forward Party (MFP), which has given the Pheu Thai Party the task of putting together a new administration.

An RTP source, meanwhile, said Thaksin’s family had notified police of his imminent comeback and preparations were underway on the necessary security measures to handle his arrival.

However, the RTP will be closely monitoring events leading up to Aug 10, including the Aug 3 Constitutional Court announcement of whether it will consider reviewing its earlier decision to bar MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat from inclusion in a third parliamentary vote for a new prime minister.

If the court drops the petition, parliament can convene a joint sitting the following day to co-elect a new prime minister.

Should a Pheu Thai Party candidate win and lead the successful formation of a government, Thaksin will feel confident about returning home.

Almost 5 million Thais are travelling during the long weekend and will spend 16.6 billion baht at various holiday locations in the country, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The extended holiday from Friday to Wednesday, made possible by a cabinet announcement last week designating today as a special holiday, is spurring great tourism spending, the TAT added.

The TAT predicts there will be 4.96 million trips with local tourists spending 16.6 billion baht during the holiday.

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the average hotel occupancy rate is expected to be 63% during the period.

During the first two days of the long holiday, tourists made trips to destinations within a 200–300 kilometre radius of where they lived, he said.

“Negative factors continue to be inflation and fuel prices that remain high though it is tending to decline,” he said. “They are major obstacles to Thais spending.”

On Monday, the government suddenly announced a special holiday for today in a bid to stimulate domestic tourism. If the extended holiday period had been announced long before, people could have planned overseas trips to places like Japan as the yen is fairly weak, the TAT governor said.

In Chiang Mai, landmark tourist attractions, including the Tha Pae area in downtown Muang district, were packed with both Thai and foreign visitors.

Paisal Sukcharoen, president of the Thai Hotels Association, Northern Chapter, said the hotel occupancy rate during the long weekend has hit 80%. Half of the guests are foreigners, he said.

Tourism revenue in Chiang Mai earned from Thai visitors is estimated to be 120 million baht.

In Phuket, holiday tourism revenue is predicted to reach 2 billion baht as the island province is teeming with overseas visitors, mostly from Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, India and Vietnam.

Lertchai Wangtrakuldee, director of TAT’s Phuket office, said the hotel occupancy rate during the holiday has surpassed 65%. More than 234,000 visitors, both foreign and Thai, have booked accommodation on the island during the holiday, he said.

Police raided four locations in Bangkok and Loei on Saturday, arresting three suspects for their alleged involvement in online gambling websites.

Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote, deputy national police chief, said yesterday the ️Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT) had arrested the suspects over their links to a number of gambling websites, including betfixroyal.com.

The suspects were identified by authorities only as Suchanan, Oranee and Natthawat.

Officers confiscated 100 bank passbooks, 55 ATM cards, 30 mobile phones, 920,000 baht in cash, electronic devices such as laptops and iPads and a white Toyota car worth one million baht, he said.

Pol Gen Roy said their gambling websites have over 50,000 users with more than one hundred million baht worth of cash flow.

All suspects have been charged with promoting gambling and colluding in money laundering.

Pol Gen Roy also said the suspects were also found to have been involved in online gambling scams in the North, prompting officers to press more charges in accordance with the Royal Decree on Cyber Crime Prevention and Suppression.

Police will notify the Anti-Money Laundering Office to impound the suspects’ assets for further investigation as they widen their probe.

Pol Gen Roy said the arrest followed the capture of Pongsiri Thanratchawongsuek, alias “Boss Than”, the chairman of the Lamphun Warriors Football Club, who is accused of running an illegal online gambling website TS911.com. He was arrested in Phayao on June 20.

An investigation showed his website was designed in a way that allows users to gambling online by scanning a QR code on the Line mobile app.

Pol Gen Roy said Mr Pongsiri’s site had 40,704 users and 7,017 followers on Line. Police also seized assets including his house, land and luxury cars worth about one billion baht.

The Election Commission (EC) plans to take criminal and civil action against a Move Forward Party MP for running in the May 14 election despite having been previously convicted and jailed for theft, according to its chairman.

EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said yesterday the candidacy of Rayong MP Nakhonchai Khunnarong should have been barred by Section 98 of the constitution which sets criteria for those running for parliament. These include a ban on those who have a criminal conviction (with some exceptions).

If a candidate runs in a general election despite knowing he or she is ineligible, that can also be considered as committing an offence in violation of Section 151 of the MP election law.

He or she can be held responsible for any costs incurred during that time in accordance with Section 420 of the Civil and Commercial Code, Mr Ittiporn said.

He said the EC was aware of the MP’s announcement that he would resign by the end of this week. “There is the issue of a criminal offence under Section 151 of the organic law on MP elections and there could also be a civil lawsuit to demand compensation for the cost of a by-election,” Mr Ittiporn said.

Mr Nakhonchai, aka Ice Rayong, announced his resignation on Thursday last week after admitting he had been convicted in a theft case and served 18 months in jail 24 years ago.

The case dates back to October 1999 when he was 20 years old, he said. He was partying with a group of friends when he found a woman’s wristwatch on a table.

He took it to “examine” when the police showed up. He and his friend were arrested. His friend confessed to stealing the wristwatch but he denied it. At the police station, he said he unknowingly signed a confession.

He was sentenced to three years in jail, but the sentence was cut in half due to his confession.

Most people think the MFP failed in its bid to form a government with leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister because of its insistence not to compromise on some of its policies, according to an opinion survey by Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted from July 24–26 via telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country.

Asked which mistakes led to the MFP’s failure, 42.98% said the MFP had refused to drop some of its policies in exchange for more support, while 27.56% said the MFP was defeated by political games in parliament. A total of 30.46% of respondents did not think the MFP made a mistake.

Asked whether protests would erupt if the MFP joined the opposition, 35.19% said there would be major but controllable rallies, 24.81% said there would be small rallies and 23.16% said there would be major rallies that could get out of control.