Barkar Nash (Page 985)

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, living in self-exile in Dubai, posted on social media again on Tuesday saying he wants to return home to Thailand by July, before his birthday, to care for his grandchildren.

He wrote on Twitter: “Once again, I would like to ask for permission. I am determined to return home by July before my birthday to take care of my grandchildren. It has been nearly 17 years since I was parted from my family. I am already old.”

Thaksin’s message reiterated his wish to be home for the second time this month. July 26 is his birthday.

On Tuesday he posted again on Twitter at 10.26am: “Don’t worry that I will be a burden for the Pheu Thai Party. I will enter the legal process. On the day I return, the caretaker government of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha would still be where it is. It’s all my own decision – with love and attachment to my family, my homeland and our high-up.”

This follows an earlier post on May 1, when he he tweeted that he was delighted that his daughter Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra had just given birth to his seventh grandchild, a boy nicknamed Thasin.

He said he will be 74 in July and asked for permission to return home to see his grandchildren, saying all seven of them were born after he left the country.

Thaksin’s second message came as political parties are fiercely canvassing for votes ahead of the May 14 general election.

His first tweet drew mixed reactions. Critics said it was his last push for his Pheu Thai Party to achieve its goal of winning the election by a landslide as the Move Forward Party’s popularity was growing fast and threatening.

The second is certain to draw even more reaction.

On Oct 21, 2008, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to two years in jail, after convicting him of violating the National Counter Corruption Act in the Ratchadapisek land purchase case.

Thaksin fled the country shortly before the court handed down the sentence.

Although the statute of limitations of the land case has expired, Thaksin has also been sentenced to  prison terms of more than 10 years in total after the court found him guilty in many other corruption cases.

Continue Reading

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, living in self-exile in Dubai, posted on social media again on Tuesday saying he wants to return home to Thailand by July, before his birthday, to take care of his grandchildren.

He wrote on Twitter: “Once again, I would like to ask for permission. I am determined to return home by July before my birthday to take care of my grandchildren. It has been nearly 17 years since I was parted from my family. I am already old.”

Thaksin’s message reiterated his wish to be home for the second time this month. July 26 is his birthday.

On May 1, he tweeted that he was delighted that his daughter Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra had just given birth to his seventh grandchild, a boy nicknamed Thasin.

He said he will be 74 in July and asked for permission to return home to see his grandchildren, saying all seven of them were born after he left the country.

Thaksin’s second message came as political parties are fiercely canvassing for votes ahead of the May 14 general election.

His first tweet drew mixed reactions. Critics said it was his last push for his Pheu Thai Party to achieve its goal of winning the election by a landslide as the Move Forward Party’s popularity was growing fast and threatening.

The second is certain to draw even more reaction.

On Oct 21, 2008, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to two years in jail, after convicting him of violating the National Counter Corruption Act in the Ratchadapisek land purchase case.

Thaksin fled the country shortly before the court handed down the sentence.

Although the statute of limitations of the land case has expired, Thaksin has also been sentenced to  prison terms of more than 10 years in total after the court found him guilty in many other corruption cases.

Continue Reading

Representatives of the Democratic Party have urged the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) to speed up the opening of the Yellow Line service.

The 30.4-kilometre monorail, which stretches from the Lat Phrao area in Bangkok to the Samrong area in Samut Prakan, was 99% complete as of last month.

However, the MRTA said last week that its trial run and commercial launch would be delayed, saying that its system testing is not complete and is now waiting for global standardisation on safety.

The Yellow Line had been scheduled to be fully operational in June, with the trial run penned in for May 21–31. It is unclear how long it will be postponed.

Samart Ratchaphonlasit, the Democratic Party deputy leader, visited the Yellow Line construction site on Monday with members from those districts where the monorail will be in service.

Samart: Surprised about delay

Mr Samart said he was disappointed to hear about the delay as it would help ease traffic congestion on Lat Phrao Road, Srinakarin Road, and in the Samrong area.

He said that the contractor has at least 20 years of experience in the railway system, so he was surprised by the delay.

Mr Samart then urged the MRTA to speed up the Yellow Line service operation, especially as many schools will start the new semester next Monday.

He said the Yellow Line service will connect with the Blue Line service at Lat Phrao Station, the Orange Line at Yaek Lam Sali Station and the Green Line at Samrong Station, which will help move commuters around Bangkok and its vicinity faster.

He also suggested the MRTA expand the Yellow Line service to link with the BTS Green Line at Ratchayothin Station in the future.

Regarding the Pink Line, Mr Samart also suggested that the construction be sped up, as it might help the people entering the Muang Thong Thani area in Nonthaburi.

The Pink Line, linking Khae Rai in Nonthaburi with Min Buri district in East Bangkok via Ram Intra Road, was now 96% complete as of last month.

The MRTA said in the same statement that the Pink Line’s system trial run is expected to take place in January next year, with the launch of commercial operations earmarked for June of the same year.

Continue Reading

The Move Forward Party (MFP) has downplayed its lack of experience in government, saying it has proven itself during the last four years of working in the legislative branch.

Addressing a campaign rally in Hat Yai district of Songkhla on Monday, party leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, compared the current situation the MFP finds itself in to that faced by the Future Forward Party (FFP), the MFP’s predecessor when it managed to get into parliament as a newcomer party in the previous 2019 election. Despite having zero experience working in parliament, the FFP was able to perform effectively in its legislative capacity and gained relevant experience in the process.

“Likewise, if you want the MFP to have that experience, you should vote for us,” he told the crowd of supporters.

Mr Pita reiterated that people should vote for the party in both the constituency and list systems so it can deliver all its 300 campaign policies without a hitch. Also, he would need enough support in parliament to be able to lead the country as the MFP’s sole prime ministerial candidate.

The party has drawn up a “Hat Yai declaration” containing election pledges tailored exclusively for southern constituencies, which include turning the Sor Por Kor land reform papers into title deeds.

He insisted the party would not allow any cabinet ministers to abuse their authority by letting their cronies procure land they knew in advance will be developed as part of a state project and then sell the plots at high prices to the government.

Mr Pita also promised to change the face of Songkhla from a resource-based economy relying on tourism and cross-border trade to a creative economy with vastly improved transport connectivity.

No Uncles

The Thai Sang Thai Party has erected campaign posters to underscore its message of resistance against the “Uncles” and political conflict.

The posters have been put up throughout Bangkok, the party’s primary turf, in the final week leading up to Sunday’s general election.

Trirat Sirichantharopas, the TST deputy secretary-general and the party’s MP candidate for the capital, called on voters to support the party if they are apprehensive about politics controlled by the “Uncles”, a reference to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, and want to get away from ongoing political conflict.

He added the TST believes the party was fully capable of tackling the bread-and-butter issues and narrowing social discrepancies without having to endure political conflict.

Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, the TST leader and its sole prime ministerial candidate, has insisted the party upholds the constitutional monarchy and is steadfast in its principle of being anti-dictatorship.

She added the party works for the benefit of the “little people”.

Dems ready for final push

The Democrat Party is mobilising its manpower to organise major rallies to cover as much ground as possible, including its strongholds in the South, in the coming days.

Following a speech at an election rally in Satun on Monday, party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said the party will go all out to address supporters in a series of major rallies until almost the last day of the campaign.

Also on Monday, the party was scheduled to hit the campaign trail in Hat Yai district and two other locations in Songkhla. Turnout was expected to exceed tens of thousands at each venue.

Mr Jurin said the Democrats were an established political institution that could be depended on in terms of its handling of the economy, politics and government.

As deputy prime minister and commerce minister, he said he and his party had pushed exports to an all-time high, generating tremendous revenue for the country.

The party has been a positive force for sustaining democracy and has no record of corruption, he said. “People should consider carefully. Sunday’s election will decide the country’s future,” Mr Jurin said.

Dark horses in Phuket

The Chartpattanakla Party is hoping its candidates will emerge as dark horses in Phuket, with its pledge to materialise micro-economic changes to benefit small-scale borrowers.

During the campaign team’s visit to the See Kor market in Kathu district, the party met with people at the market who expressed particular interest in the policy to scrap the blacklisting of people by the credit bureau, said leader Korn Chatikavanij.

The proposed blacklist abolition has been the party’s most talked about policy, he added. Vendors said the pandemic had seen many who were blacklisted by the credit bureau turn to predatory lenders for high-interest loans.

The abolition would enable them to regain access to proper loans with affordable rates of interest.

Mr Korn said he was confident the party’s candidates in Phuket’s two constituencies would win their races.

Continue Reading

The Move Forward Party (MFP) has downplayed its lack of experience in government, saying it has proven itself during the last four years of working in the legislative branch.

Addressing a campaign rally in Hat Yai district of Songkhla on Monday, party leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, compared the current situation the MFP finds itself in to that faced by the Future Forward Party (FFP), the MFP’s predecessor when it managed to get into parliament as a newcomer party in the previous 2019 election. Despite having zero experience working in parliament, the FFP was able to perform effectively in its legislative capacity and gained relevant experience in the process.

“Likewise, if you want the MFP to have that experience, you should vote for us,” he told the crowd of supporters.

Mr Pita reiterated that people should vote for the party in both the constituency and list systems so it can deliver all its 300 campaign policies without a hitch. Also, he would need enough support in parliament to be able to lead the country as the MFP’s sole prime ministerial candidate.

The party has drawn up a “Hat Yai declaration” containing election pledges tailored exclusively for southern constituencies, which include turning the Sor Por Kor land reform papers into title deeds.

He insisted the party would not allow any cabinet ministers to abuse their authority by letting their cronies procure land they knew in advance will be developed as part of a state project and then sell the plots at high prices to the government.

Mr Pita also promised to change the face of Songkhla from a resource-based economy relying on tourism and cross-border trade to a creative economy with vastly improved transport connectivity.

No Uncles

The Thai Sang Thai Party has erected campaign posters to underscore its message of resistance against the “Uncles” and political conflict.

The posters have been put up throughout Bangkok, the party’s primary turf, in the final week leading up to Sunday’s general election.

Trirat Sirichantharopas, the TST deputy secretary-general and the party’s MP candidate for the capital, called on voters to support the party if they are apprehensive about politics controlled by the “Uncles”, a reference to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, and want to get away from ongoing political conflict.

He added the TST believes the party was fully capable of tackling the bread-and-butter issues and narrowing social discrepancies without having to endure political conflict.

Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, the TST leader and its sole prime ministerial candidate, has insisted the party upholds the constitutional monarchy and is steadfast in its principle of being anti-dictatorship.

She added the party works for the benefit of the “little people”.

Dems ready for final push

The Democrat Party is mobilising its manpower to organise major rallies to cover as much ground as possible, including its strongholds in the South, in the coming days.

Following a speech at an election rally in Satun on Monday, party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said the party will go all out to address supporters in a series of major rallies until almost the last day of the campaign.

Also on Monday, the party was scheduled to hit the campaign trail in Hat Yai district and two other locations in Songkhla. Turnout was expected to exceed tens of thousands at each venue.

Mr Jurin said the Democrats were an established political institution that could be depended on in terms of its handling of the economy, politics and government.

As deputy prime minister and commerce minister, he said he and his party had pushed exports to an all-time high, generating tremendous revenue for the country.

The party has been a positive force for sustaining democracy and has no record of corruption, he said. “People should consider carefully. Sunday’s election will decide the country’s future,” Mr Jurin said.

Dark horses in Phuket

The Chartpattanakla Party is hoping its candidates will emerge as dark horses in Phuket, with its pledge to materialise micro-economic changes to benefit small-scale borrowers.

During the campaign team’s visit to the See Kor market in Kathu district, the party met with people at the market who expressed particular interest in the policy to scrap the blacklisting of people by the credit bureau, said leader Korn Chatikavanij.

The proposed blacklist abolition has been the party’s most talked about policy, he added. Vendors said the pandemic had seen many who were blacklisted by the credit bureau turn to predatory lenders for high-interest loans.

The abolition would enable them to regain access to proper loans with affordable rates of interest.

Mr Korn said he was confident the party’s candidates in Phuket’s two constituencies would win their races.

Continue Reading

The Customs Department has adopted the use of sniffer dogs to detect narcotic drugs hidden in imported and exported goods, saying its practices are now fully upgraded to meet international standards.

The department on Monday held a ceremony marking the beginning of the construction of the Thai Customs Canine Training Centre in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district. The ceremony was also attended by international customs attaches.

The technologies currently used to detect drugs and other illegal products hidden in imported and exported goods still have their limitations, while the use of sniffer dogs in customs handling is believed to help transcend these limitations, said Patchara Anuntasilpa, director-general of the department.

Countries that use sniffer dogs in their customs handling and have formal dog training centres include the US, Japan, South Korea and Australia, he said. Before setting up the Samut Prakan centre, the department consulted these countries as to how to effectively use dogs to aid in detecting illegal products, he said.

South Korea, for instance, offered two Labrador Retrievers to the department upon learning it was setting up its own training centre, he said, adding that the dogs were handed over on April 27.

Currently, two customs officers are attending a training programme on working with sniffer dogs at an institution certified by the KCS Detector Dog Training Centre in Incheon, he said.

The construction of the dog training facility, a one storey-building plus an outdoor dog-training ground situated on a two-rai plot of land, is expected to be completed around the end of next month and be fully operational in August, he said.

The importance of using sniffer dogs in customs handling was highlighted at a recent World Customs Organisation forum, he said.

Continue Reading

City Hall is preparing for summer storms this week over concerns that possible floods could damage polling stations on Election Day on Sunday.

According to the Thai Meteorological Department, Bangkok will see increasing levels of rainfall all this week, with many areas predicted to be hit by thunderstorms.

Surat Charoenchaisakul, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) Department of Drainage and Sewerage, said that his department had prepared water pumps in many locations, as well as cranes and mobile units for emergencies to drain water from flood-prone areas.

He added that four main water tunnels, 193 pumping stations, 248 floodgates and 368 pumping wells would be ready to operate this week when needed.

Mr Surat also said that the department had prepared a flood prevention and solution action plan to facilitate people in the capital until Election Day.

Supakrit Boonkhan, director of the Department of Law Enforcement, said municipal officials in all 50 districts would be deployed if Bangkok sees flash floods, especially in the days before Sunday.

He said that municipal officials are also assigned to secure the MP candidates’ and political parties’ printed details at the polling stations in case of heavy rain.

Supoj La-chamsin, director of the Department of Administration and Registration, said that Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt had assigned the district office directors to prepare for potential thunderstorms on Election Day.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department said on Monday that scattered thunderstorms with gusty winds, some hail, and possible lightning strikes are likely in northern Thailand until tomorrow.

People should be aware of possible dangers and avoid big trees, unsecured structures, and billboards during severe weather. They are advised not to wear or carry metal while outdoors.

From Monday till Sunday, a low-pressure cell over the lower Bay of Bengal will likely develop into a tropical storm, which is expected to move from the middle of Bengal Bay and upper Andaman Sea to Myanmar’s coast.

This will lead to a stronger southwesterly wind prevailing across the Andaman Sea and Thailand. Heavy to very heavy rain is possible in some areas, the weather office said.

Last week, the Rangsit University’s Climate Change and Disaster Centre announced that there was a 30% chance that the general election would see thunderstorms, especially in the South.

Centre director Seri Suparatit said heavy rain on Election Day could ruin ballot papers and boxes, as well as cause heavy traffic.

Continue Reading

The Bhumjaithai Party is asking the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) to clarify an article it released recently, which said the party’s campaign promises would place the most burden on the state’s coffers compared to other parties’ pledges.

Party registrar, Supachai Jaisamut, said the TDRI article was based on distorted information, which could hurt the party’s chances of winning the election, so the institute must immediately move to rectify the problem.

He said the party would submit an official complaint to the TDRI to urge it to correct the article, which was posted on the TDRI’s website, in order to prevent any misunderstanding.

Mr Supachai went on to say that the party’s 21 campaign pledges are meant to ease the public’s financial burden by increasing their income, without putting pressure on the country’s treasury.

“All of our policies were developed by an academic team in an effort to ensure they won’t undermine the country’s financial discipline. We are closely working with the Innova Foundation and its economic team to ensure our policies are practical and financially viable,” he said.

“The TDRI is a prestigious agency, so any information it puts out should be based on facts. However, we’ve found some inaccuracies that could harm our voter base, which we want the TDRI to correct.”

The TDRI article, which was based on the political parties’ own report to the Election Commission, said Bhumjaithai’s pledges will cost the most, as they require about 1.86 trillion baht to finance, followed by Pheu Thai (1.77 trillion baht), the Move Forward Party (1.28 trillion baht), Palang Pracharath (996 billion baht), the Democrats (685 billion baht) and the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party (250 billion baht).

Mr Supachai said the TDRI shouldn’t have included the 1.7-trillion-baht southern land bridge project as one of its pledges, as the project will be carried out under a public-private partnership model, as is common with state megaprojects. He added the southern land bridge project would generate 1.3 trillion baht for the economy.

Bhumjaithai is also aiming to transform the country into a health and wellness hub to generate more income for the country. The revenue, he said, will go towards improving the living conditions of Thailand’s senior citizens.

Continue Reading