South-East Asia (Page 1,968)

The Pheu Thai Party should focus on mustering enough support for its bid to form a new government rather than bringing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra back home, said Assoc Prof Phichai Ratanatilaka Na Bhuket, an academic with the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).

Drumming up as much support as possible for Srettha Thavisin, who is expected to be nominated for a new prime ministerial vote on Friday, should be Pheu Thai’s priority, Assoc Prof Phichai said.

However, if Pheu Thai’s candidate can’t secure enough votes, the party should return the right to lead the bloc to the Move Forward Party (MFP), he said.

The so-called old powers — political parties in the caretaker government and their allies — are pressuring Pheu Thai into ditching the MFP after earlier seeming reluctant to engage in talks with parties outside their alliance, he said.

The change of tack follows a statement made by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s daughter, that her father planned to return to Thailand on Aug 10, said Assoc Prof Phichai.

Rumours have also swirled that Pheu Thai and its red-shirt supporters have united with their opponents, yellow-shirt supporters of the caretaker government, in a new deal reached to prevent the MFP from succeeding in taking office after the party won the May 14 election with the highest number of House seats, said Assoc Prof Phichai.

A secret deal reportedly reached as part of the bid to help Thaksin return to Thailand has abruptly been aborted, dashing the hopes of those who expected to see Thaksin return as he had vowed to, Assoc Prof Phichai said.

Jatuporn Prompan, former chairman of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), said he did not believe Thaksin would return on Aug 10 because if he did, he would be put in jail instead of enjoying the privilege of winning a royal pardon on the day he arrives.

Mr Jatuporn said the instant pardon hope — where Thaksin is allowed to go home — was “highly unlikely” to become a reality.

“If he doesn’t show up at 10.30am on Aug 10 as claimed, let me find another excuse for him. Maybe he is sick this time,” said Mr Jatuporn.

The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) on Monday apologised to a small hotel owner in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui district for miscalculating her usage and sending her a bill for more than 11 million baht last month.

Thanaphan Tiasuwan, director-general of PEA’s Communication Affairs Division, said the agency discussed the error in the bill calculation with Apassanant Pattharapisithorn after the story went viral on social media.

Ms Apassanant originally posted a picture of the bill for July for the eight-room hotel on a dedicated Thai consumer protection website.

In the image, she is seen showing her horror at the news the hotel had consumed a shocking 5,099,939.87 units of electricity and racked up a bill of 11,780,004.62 baht.

Ms Apassanant said that her hotel normally only pays between 30,000–50,000 baht for its electricity so she immediately rang the Koh Samui PEA call centre but was diverted to an answerphone message asking her to call back on Thursday following the holiday weekend.

Anxious, she took to Facebook to air her grievance.

“[Koh Samui PEA’s] call centre said that I have to wait until Aug 3 to hear back from them. I’m really concerned,” she posted.

Eventually, the PEA apologised and explained that it was an employee keying a digit into the wrong row, which had jacked up the total charge.

The Koh Samui PEA has also assured Ms Apassanant that her amended July bill will be for 46,878.20 baht.

1 of 3 legal options could decide fate

Any resolution to Ashton Asoke condominium’s legal tussle rests with three applicable sections of a related law, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Deputy Bangkok governor Wisanu Subsompon outlined Sections 40, 41 and 42 of the Buildings Control Act 1979, which apply to the Ashton condo saga.

One of the sections may hold the key to saving the condo from being demolished following last Thursday’s ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court retroactively invalidating Ashton Asoke’s construction permit granted to the already finished 6-billion-baht condo project in Watthana district.

Section 40 authorises relevant officials to suspend the use of or bar unauthorised personnel’s access to a building which has been constructed, modified, demolished or relocated in violation of the act.

Section 41, however, allows for an owner of a building ruled to have defied Section 40 to rectify the situation by taking steps to obtain a needed permit within a specified, extendable deadline. Mr Wisanu said on Saturday that the owner of the luxury Ashton Asoke project may resubmit a request for a construction permit with the BMA, provided it has a clear plan to address the entrance problem.

He said the BMA will allow the project owner time to resubmit their request on the condition that it must have at least one entrance of at least 12 metres wide connected to a public road of 18 metres in width, as per the ruling.

Ashton Asoke’s main entrance joins with Asoke Road. However, part of the entrance space belongs to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), which expropriated the land to build an underground train station entrance right on the project’s doorstep.

The MRTA space cannot be counted as Ashton Asoke’s land, which means the requirement for at least one 12m-wide entrance cannot be met.

Mr Wisanu said on Monday that Ashton Asoke’s legal wrangle also involves Section 42 of the Buildings Control Act.

The section stipulates that related authorities may order a dismantling of the building in whole or in part if no action is taken or the building owner refuses to rectify the problem.

The BMA’s Department of Public Works has written to the Watthana district office instructing it to order the Ashton Asoke project owner to address the building issue under the act.

On Monday, Mr Wisanu indicated that if rectification under Section 41 failed, the BMA would be left with the option of enforcing Section 42, which would likely seal the fate of the project.

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit) has joined hands with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to promote “astronomical tourism”, with 18 stargazing locations designated as dark sky reserves this year.

Narit director Saran Poshyachinda said the institute and TAT launched the Amazing Dark Sky in Thailand Season 2 project to introduce 18 stargazing locations nationwide that have been registered as dark sky reserves where artificial light can’t reach.

The TAT and Narit initiated the Amazing Dark Sky in Thailand project in 2020 to promote dark sky tourism, raise awareness of light pollution, and the preservation of quiet and dark skies, which are perfect photography spots for stargazers, he said.

Narit had held astronomical activities more than 150 times, attended by at least 100,000 stargazers over the past three years.

This year, 26 locations across the country were proposed for endorsement as dark sky reserves, but only 18 met the criteria, Mr Saran said.

They consist of five national parks and 13 properties.

The parks are Mae Wong National Park in Kamphaeng Phet, Ta Phraya National Park in Sa Kaeo, Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima, Si Nan National Park in Nan and Namtok Pha Luang Forest Park in Ubon Ratchathani.

The 13 properties include Khon Kaen Zoo, Mela Garden Retreat Cottage Resort in Saraburi, Khirimala Eco Camp in Ratchaburi, Saengsuk Farm in Rayong, Rai Khao Noi Sawana in Nakhon Ratchasima and Ao Toh Li Viewpoint in Phangnga.

There are also seven properties in Chiang Mai, which are Ton Khao Hom Ban Aom Doi (Chill Chiang Dao), Villa De View Chiang Dao, Chiang Dao Farm Stay, Ban Suan Pa Pong Doi, the Teak Resort, Putoh Chiang Dao and the Summit Green Valley Chiangmai Country Club.

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) plans to recruit pharmacies nationwide to offer medicine listed for 16 minor ailments for subscribers of the universal healthcare (UHC), also known as the “gold card” scheme.

Dr Jadet Thammathat-aree, secretary-general of the NHSO, said the office and the Pharmacy Council of Thailand (PCT) launched the project last November with 1,090 pharmacies across the country.

As of July 14, 189,035 gold card holders had registered to use the service.

Dr Jadet said the most-requested medicines are for flu, joint pain or muscle pain, skin irritation such as rashes, stomach pain and eye irritation.

The NHSO is currently working with the PCT to recruit 17,000 more pharmacies to join.

In 2024, the NHSO expects over 5,000 pharmacies will be part of the scheme and have medicines for 16 minor ailments ready to distribute, Dr Jadet said.

He added that every district will have at least one pharmacy in the NHSO scheme to administer basic medicines for subscribers. Ultimately, the NHSO wants all pharmacies to join.

Pharmacies that do so will also be able to provide annual basic health screenings for gold-card holders free of charge, which covers BMI, blood pressure, diabetes, and risks from smoking, drinking and drug use.

Dr Jadet said preventive medicines such as birth control, birth control for lactating women, emergency birth control, condoms, pregnancy tests and pregnancy supplements will also be available.

Subscribers to the scheme can show their national ID card to receive services.

The Rayong Provincial Administrative Office (PAO) is spending 70 million baht building a new pier linking the mainland to the resort island of Koh Samet.

The pier is expected to be fully open in 2025.

Rayong PAO chief, Piya Pitutecha, said a new pier is needed as the current pier is in a run-down condition. Currently, the pier is rented by a private company that operates a ferry service to the island.

After receiving 76 million baht from the Budget Bureau, Rayong PAO immediately initiated the first phase of work by demolishing wooden structures on the pier.

During the second phase, restaurants and shops will be removed from the pier area. Construction of the pier using reinforced concrete will follow in the third phase. The pier will be the province’s first modern pier built according to industry standards.

Mr Piya said the pier would offer facilities for locals and tourists wanting to take ferries to Koh Samet. The pier will also host state agencies’ offices, including the Marine Department’s regional office, the Marine Police Division and Tourist Police.

“Work is proceeding with the second phase. Once it is completed, the pier will become Rayong’s next landmark to welcome people to and from Koh Samet,” he said.

Mr Piya and other Rayong officials recently visited the location of the new pier, along with tambon Ban Phae mayor Pairat Arunwessaset.