Barkar Nash (Page 48)

Hours at Chong Sa-ngam checkpoint in Si Sa Ket also extended

Thailand and Cambodia have opened the Thai-Cambodian Friendship Bridge permanent border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province, and also extended the hours at the Chong Sa-ngam checkpoint in Si Sa Ket province to boost trade and tourism.

The Ministry of Interior published the two announcements in the Royal Gazette on Oct 30, with immediate effect, ministry spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Thursday.

The Thai-Cambodian Friendship Bridge permanent checkpoint (also known as Nong Ian-Stung Bot) is located in tambon Tha Kham of Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo, opposite Stung Bot village in Poipet town of Banteay Meanchey province in Cambodia. It is open between 6am and 10pm every day.

The new checkpoint will help to alleviate congestion around the busy Ban Khlong Luek checkpoint, also in Aranyaprathet, facilitating cross-border goods transport and boosting the border trade, said Ms Traisuree.

In Si Sa Ket, the opening hours of the Chong Sa-ngam permanent border checkpoint in Phu Sing district, opposite Anlong Veng district in Oddar Meanchey province, have been extended by two hours. It is now open from 7am to 10pm daily. Previously it closed at 8pm.

Relatives say man may have been stressed due to medical condition

SURAT THANI – A 45-year-old man was found dead after being struck by the Trang-Bangkok express train in this southern province on Wednesday, a day before his housewarming ceremony.

The incident occurred at 7.40pm in Wieng Sa district after train No. 84 left Trang station at 5pm. 

The dead man, identified as Pongsak Du-ngam, was found on the track, 5 kilometres before Ban Song station. His body parts were scattered around the area, according to emergency responders.

Police suspected a suicide, as a resident said they saw the man parking his motorcycle near the scene and walking into the railway area.

His relatives said that he might have been stressed by his medical condition, according to police.

The train was delayed by 45 minutes after the incident. The investigation is ongoing, police said.

New regulation to be enforced in six months

Bangkok’s new garbage collection fee will provide big discounts for households that sort their rubbish before routine collection.

The Bangkok Council approved the new bill with a unanimous vote of 34-0, paving the way for it to become law after publication in the Royal Gazette.

Bangkok deputy governor Jakkapan Phiewngam announced that the draft bill is expected to be enforced in about six months, replacing the previous 2019 flat rate of 80 baht per household, which the current administration considers too high.

Under the new fee structure, households that sort their waste will pay just 20 baht per month, while those that do not will be charged 60 baht. To participate in the garbage-sorting initiative and receive the lower rate, residents must register via an application or at district cleaning departments.

Mr Jakkapan said that officials will visit registered households to verify compliance, although he did not provide details about the app.

Currently, out of over 2 million households in the city, only 50,000 separate their waste before collection, with disposal costs averaging 2,300 baht per tonne, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

‘Accession Process’ formally kicks off

Thailand hopes to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as it sees rising opportunities from a strategic convergence between the two, according to Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.

Mr Maris was speaking on Wednesday during the launch of Thailand’s OECD Accession Process to formally kick off the nation’s journey to join the bloc.

The event was arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).

On June 17, the OECD decided to invite Thailand to start accession discussions, making it an official candidate country.

That marks a monumental step towards membership, for which Thailand submitted a Letter of Intent on Feb 12, observers say.

Looking ahead, Thailand and the OECD will draft an Accession Roadmap to set the goals, conditions and timeframe concerning implementation of various OECD instruments which is needed before it can join.

When the roadmap is implemented, the OECD Council will consider inviting Thailand to become a member.

Mr Maris said Thailand would like to raise its business ecosystem by making it more competitive, making the public sector more transparent and efficient, transforming the economy to be more resilient and sustainable, and creating inclusive growth.

“Simply put, Thailand is ready to take steps to be fit for the future,” he said.

The OECD needs reliable partners and Thailand’s membership would help enlarge the group of like-minded countries that share political and economic values and are ready to elevate cooperation in various dimensions, Mr Maris said.

Thailand would like to enhance its role in global policy making to contribute to peace, prosperity and progress — both for the region and beyond, he added.

OECD secretary-general Mathias Cormann said during his keynote speech that the kingdom had been demonstrating its economic strength and potential for several decades.

Thailand’s income level is narrowing the gap with OECD members in terms of GDP per capita, having jumped from 27% to 38% of the OECD average by 2020.

FDI is also rising as a result of the liberalising impact of the 1999 Foreign Business Act, Mr Mathias noted.

No talks with Cambodia on MoU

The government denied taking action regarding Koh Kut in Trat province while assuring the public that Thailand would not lose it to Cambodia.

The denial by Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Wednesday followed the opposition Palang Pracharath Party’s (PPRP) objection to using the controversial 2001 memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cambodia to pursue joint development of marine resources in the Gulf of Thailand.

Mr Phumtham, also deputy prime minister, said the Pheu Thai-led government had not taken any action concerning Koh Kut and questioned why the issue had surfaced.

He affirmed the government would do its best to safeguard Thai territory, saying protecting the nation’s sovereignty was the government’s responsibility.

Koh Kut was thrust into the spotlight when key PPRP figures held a press conference yesterday to oppose any discussions on joint development of oil and gas resources in the Gulf under the 2001 MoU framework, as it could mean Thailand losing some of its territory.

They said the PPRP would submit an open letter to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra asking her to halt the talks.

The MoU was signed during her father’s government, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, a former finance minister and PPRP chairman of an academic committee, said the MoU’s contents indicated that both countries acknowledged an area in the Gulf of Thailand for joint development.

Based on the maps attached to the document, it apparently accepted Cambodia’s 1972 territorial claim to half of Koh Kut in Trat province.

However, Mr Thirachai said Cambodia’s territorial claim is against the 1907 French-Siamese treaty, making the entire MoU illegal. Under the treaty, the French ceded the territories of Dan Sai and Trat to Siam, including all islands located south of Laem Ling (Laem Sing), including Koh Kut.

“The joint development area in the MoU is against the treaty, and the MoU is thus illegal,” he said.

“I have no problem with the government’s intention to discuss joint investment with Cambodia. But I will object if the government uses the 2001 MoU as a framework for the discussions because not only is it illegal, but it also results in a territorial loss for Thailand.”

ML Kornkasiwat Kasemsri, an executive member of the PPRP, said Thailand and Cambodia had discussed maritime demarcations in 1970.

At the time, Thailand based its boundary on the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Law of the Sea, but Cambodia declared its territorial waters in 1972 without reference to any international law.

To protect its rights, a royal command was issued in 1973 to declare the boundary of Thailand’s continental shelf in the Gulf of Thailand.

He said the action showed Cambodia’s territorial claim encroached on Thai sovereignty, leading to the end of demarcation talks. However, after two months in office, the Thaksin administration started discussions in April 2001 and signed the controversial MoU on June 4 of that year.

ML Kornkasiwat said the MoU resulted in an overlapping claim area (OCA) of 26,000 square kilometres, although no legal document acknowledged the area.

“The PPRP urges the prime minister to revoke the 2001 MoU as soon as possible because a Cambodian map attached to the 2001 MoU included the sea off Trat, Koh Kut and some Thai territory,” he said. “Thailand is at a disadvantage and risks territorial loss.”

Previously, ML Kornkasiwat posted on Facebook that this issue is different from the OCA between Thailand and Malaysia and the OCA between Thailand and Vietnam as the OCA with both countries is in line with the Geneva Convention.

He said that before signing the MOU in 2001, the government should have asked Cambodia to demarcate the border according to international law.

No talks with Cambodia on MoU

The government denied taking action regarding Koh Kut in Trat province while assuring the public that Thailand would not lose it to Cambodia.

Phumtham: No action over Koh Kut

The denial by Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Wednesday followed the opposition Palang Pracharath Party’s (PPRP) objection to using the controversial 2001 memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cambodia to pursue joint development of marine resources in the Gulf of Thailand.

Mr Phumtham, also deputy prime minister, said the Pheu Thai-led government had not taken any action concerning Koh Kut and questioned why the issue had surfaced.

He affirmed the government would do its best to safeguard Thai territory, saying protecting the nation’s sovereignty was the government’s responsibility.

Koh Kut was thrust into the spotlight when key PPRP figures held a press conference yesterday to oppose any discussions on joint development of oil and gas resources in the Gulf under the 2001 MoU framework, as it could mean Thailand losing some of its territory.

They said the PPRP would submit an open letter to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra asking her to halt the talks.

The MoU was signed during her father’s government, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, a former finance minister and PPRP chairman of an academic committee, said the MoU’s contents indicated that both countries acknowledged an area in the Gulf of Thailand for joint development.

Based on the maps attached to the document, it apparently accepted Cambodia’s 1972 territorial claim to half of Koh Kut in Trat province.

However, Mr Thirachai said Cambodia’s territorial claim is against the 1907 French-Siamese treaty, making the entire MoU illegal. Under the treaty, the French ceded the territories of Dan Sai and Trat to Siam, including all islands located south of Laem Ling (Laem Sing), including Koh Kut.

“The joint development area in the MoU is against the treaty, and the MoU is thus illegal,” he said.

“I have no problem with the government’s intention to discuss joint investment with Cambodia. But I will object if the government uses the 2001 MoU as a framework for the discussions because not only is it illegal, but it also results in a territorial loss for Thailand.”

ML Kornkasiwat Kasemsri, an executive member of the PPRP, said Thailand and Cambodia had discussed maritime demarcations in 1970.

At the time, Thailand based its boundary on the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Law of the Sea, but Cambodia declared its territorial waters in 1972 without reference to any international law.

To protect its rights, a royal command was issued in 1973 to declare the boundary of Thailand’s continental shelf in the Gulf of Thailand.

He said the action showed Cambodia’s territorial claim encroached on Thai sovereignty, leading to the end of demarcation talks. However, after two months in office, the Thaksin administration started discussions in April 2001 and signed the controversial MoU on June 4 of that year.

ML Kornkasiwat said the MoU resulted in an overlapping claim area (OCA) of 26,000 square kilometres, although no legal document acknowledged the area.

“The PPRP urges the prime minister to revoke the 2001 MoU as soon as possible because a Cambodian map attached to the 2001 MoU included the sea off Trat, Koh Kut and some Thai territory,” he said. “Thailand is at a disadvantage and risks territorial loss.”

Previously, ML Kornkasiwat posted on Facebook that this issue is different from the OCA between Thailand and Malaysia and the OCA between Thailand and Vietnam as the OCA with both countries is in line with the Geneva Convention.

He said that before signing the MOU in 2001, the government should have asked Cambodia to demarcate the border according to international law.

The cabinet has approved a policy to grant Thai citizenship to over 483,000 migrants and members of ethnic minorities who have lived in Thailand long-term or were born in the kingdom.

This decision, announced by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, seeks to address longstanding citizenship and residency issues while also stimulating the economy by removing red tape stopping these people from working.

Proposed by the National Security Council (NSC), the policy expedites the process of granting legal status to ethnic minority individuals residing in the country. The prime minister said 825,635 such individuals reside in Thailand, with 483,626 of them awaiting status confirmation.

Government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab said the policy update replaces an earlier 2021 cabinet resolution.

He said Thailand has experienced waves of migration into the community, with the first group arriving as early as 1984 and the second between 2005 and 2011.

Additionally, there are Thai-born children from minority groups and unregistered migrants. Without the new measures, processing their status could take up to 44 years, said Mr Jirayu.

This updated framework will simplify eligibility checks, allowing applicants to self-certify their qualifications and criminal history instead of undergoing lengthy investigations by multiple agencies. Furthermore, local agencies, rather than central authorities, will assess and grant status approvals. The policy is expected to bring economic benefits by enabling these residents to legally contribute to the economy, he added.

“These 483,000 people have been living in Thailand for a long time, can work regularly, and hold important documents.

“Therefore, the government believes it is essential to formalise their status so they can travel freely and help stimulate the economy,” said Mr Jirayu. “This is expected to benefit various sectors,” he said.