reader

Correction: It should read "upon returning from a domestic trip..." Sorry, Anddy!

From Bangkok Post 'Reopen now or face collapse' Pailin Chuchottaworn, head of a panel steering the economic recovery, on Monday urged the government to reopen the country in order to prevent it from collapsing. He said that despite the lockdown having been gradually eased six times, the country's output would not improve unless the country reopens, albeit with precautionary measures. This year's annual GDP is predicted to fall to minus 8-10%, equating to the country losing 1.5-1.7 trillion baht in a single year, Mr Pailin warned. He said that although the government had spent some time preparing to reopen the country to foreign tourists under the Special Tourist Visa (STV) scheme, Thailand is effectively closed. If Thailand could not find a way to reopen its borders for the upcoming high season in the fourth and final quarter of this year, the STV scheme may have to be scrapped, he said. "Currently, tourism is an important priority," Mr Pailin stressed. If no steps were taken soon to reopen Thailand during the peak season, there would be no time to schedule incoming flights and if it reopened any time after that, it would be too late. Mr Pailin also lamented the number of requirements for foreign travellers to enter Thailand. For example, they not only needed to show they had tested negative for Covid-19, but the test also needed to be taken 72 hours prior to travel. They must also have a medically trained escort with them, though it is unclear where they will find such people. Those foreigners also had to undergo another test upon arrival and yet more while in quarantine, he said. Mr Pailin added that the 72-hour requirement also made it impossible to travel on Monday because of Saturdays and Sundays were non-working days. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn earlier said the first two STV groups from China had been pencilled in for this Thursday but as the ministry still needed to settle some entry processes, those itineraries had to be rescheduled until later this month.

From Bangkok Post No coup, unless... New army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae says the chance of a coup is zero unless conditions deteriorate, urging parties to prevent that. Gen Narongphan, who took the position last Thursday, held his first press conference on Tuesday after a meeting of armed forces and police chief at the army headquarters on the previous day. Asked whether he could assure there would be no coup during his three-year tenure ending in 2023, he declined to reply directly. "Every army chief has been asked this question and he invariably says the chance was zero 'on condition that no one causes a conflict that leads to violence and unrest'," he said. When the question was repeated, he said: "The chance is none. I think that there is no such situation in Thailand because our country is now at its best. It's evident that the country has the most freedom and plentiful resources which guarantee a happy life. "Anyone wants to be in Thailand, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic... Therefore, we must help each other get rid of such conditions," the army chief said. The 57-year-old general said political problems must be addressed by political solutions and he was a government official who had to follow the policies of the government, defence minister and defence forces chief. Asked about the protection of the royal institution, Gen Narongphan said four things were on his mind —the nation, religions, the king and people. "I will do whatever it takes to ensure security," he added.

Please keep in mind that I'm only posting what media sources have reported. But I believe you'll find your answer in the second paragraph of the quote you posted above: "Exceptions are to citizens returning from abroad, permanent residents who meet certain requirements, and senior ranking foreign government officials travelling here on official business." Countries may have closed their borders to international tourists but make many exceptions for diplomatic, medical and business reasons in addition to those mentioned in the article. If you want to get an idea of how much commercial air traffic is going into and out of KL (or any other airport), you could always check tracking websites like Flight Aware. And as Vinapu said, air cargo has experienced a huge surge in demand since the onset of the virus. Many carriers have expanded their cargo capacity by reducing passenger seating capacity. I recall Anddy posting how surprised he was when, upon returning to BKK from an international trip, he observed so many foreign carriers at the terminal gates.

From Channel News Asia YANGON: Outraged over ongoing discrimination in Myanmar, Myo Min Tun decided to stand as the first openly gay election candidate in a country where same-sex relations are illegal. His decision to enter the political fray came after transgender friends told him how they had suffered police harassment. The officers allegedly forced them to remove their bras and kneel in humiliating positions before touching them inappropriately, Myo Min Tun told AFP. "This was a violation of their rights," he said. "And I realised there's no one in parliament to talk about this." So he decided to run for a seat in the regional assembly in his home city of Mandalay. "I'm doing this to be a pioneer for all LGBT people so they know we can be anyone we want." From florist and noodle soup chef to HIV prevention worker, the 39-year-old says he has been lucky not to suffer discrimination in his varied career in Myanmar's second city. But a British colonial era law means same-sex relations are still illegal – even if space is opening up for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the conservative country. Yangon's Pride party in February attracted more than 10,000 people, with many painting their little fingers pink to campaign to decriminalise same-sex relations ahead of November's election. But Myo Min Tun thinks it is too soon to fight that battle. Instead, he vows to tackle the daily acts of discrimination the community faces, an issue thrust into the spotlight with the prominent suicide of a gay man last year. Workplace bullying was widely blamed after the man's final Facebook post displayed mocking comments and photos from colleagues. An official probe concluded, however, the employer was not responsible, saying the man had simply been "mentally weak". "We still have a long way to go," Myo Min Tun said, sighing. Continues at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/myanmar-first-openly-gay-election-candidate-lgbt-13202154

From The Thai Enquirer Review: Sunisa Manning’s ‘A Good True Thai’ is a timely novel Every few years, it seems, Thailand is convulsed by the throes of protest. People fill the streets with waving flags, witty posters, and vicious slogans – sometimes directed at the powers that be, sometimes directed at fellow citizens. Each time, the protests feel unique: the 2010 red-yellow shirt protests distinctive in their polarizing effect, the 1992 protests in their bloodiness, the 1973 protests in their unifying, national character, and the 1976 protests in their geopolitical resonance with the global Cold War. The ‘newness’ of current protests is once again touted by the press: this is the first time we’ve seen open protest of the monarchy! Never before have students so young led protests! No Thai movement has embraced such a progressive agenda! The protests are pivotal and it is the work of the press to capture what is so topical about them. On the other hand, it is the work of political scientists and novelists to reach for the deeper truths of any particular moment – to put into words the traces of frustrations, anguish, heartbreak, and hope. Maybe the most remarkable thing about the current protests is not how new they are but just how much they have in common with ghosts of protests past. In that sense, no book is timelier for the current political moment than Sunisa Manning’s ‘A Good True Thai.’ The book is a vibrant, captivating story about three students navigating the 1973 – 76 protests and brings to life a period that was equally tumultuous and equally pivotal for Thai politics. Written long before the current protests exploded across the country, Manning paints a vivid portrait of a nation gripped with frustration at the tyranny of military dictatorship, of students unafraid of being deeply critical of the systems that created ‘Thainess’, the cross-generational and cross-class fractures of protest politics and, more than anything, the deeply human struggles that meet those willing to challenge the status quo. The struggles are animated by the interpersonal tensions between the novel’s three main characters: Det, Lek and Chang. Det comes from a prominent family, his father the Minister of Education, and his mother a royal descendent with the title Mom Rajawongse. On the opposite end of the social spectrum, Chang grew up in the Khlong Toey slums, living with his single mother who is a factory worker in a leather handbag factory. Lek rounds out their trio, a sharp, beautiful Chinese immigrant and scholarship kid with a passion for literature. Det and Chang become best friends at officer training camp. In Thailand, the military still facilitates the few spaces in Thailand where the rich and poor meet – at ror dor, on draft day. Despite – or because – of this, they are spaces laden with class tension and caste-like privilege. Rattawut Lapcharoensap’s ‘Draft Day’ lays bare the tragedies of being poor in a Thailand where this means all the difference between a two-year conscription sentence and a get-out-of-jail-free card. For Det and Chang, however, the shared experience forges a friendship that forces both outside of their comfort zones. Continues at https://www.thaienquirer.com/19241/review-sunisa-mannings-a-good-true-thai-is-a-timely-novel/

From Coconuts Bangkok Quarantine Dispatch: After 6 surprise months abroad, my costly journey back to Thailand By Lobsang Dundup Sherpa Subirana The room is spacious and habitable. There’s a television, large fridge, an attached bathroom, a balcony with a view to a desolate field and a table with Personal Protective Equipment. Also on it are a booklet outlining the hotel’s quarantine rules and a paper with a QR code guests must scan to contact the nurse daily via Line. The phone rings immediately. “Hello! Welcome to Thailand! Did you have a good flight?” says the operator, who identifies himself as Mac and insists on going through the “Guide Book” together. Just minutes earlier, a car fitted with a protective screen, driven from a barren Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal by a man wearing what looked just short of a full hazmat suit, pulled up before the deserted hallway of an allegedly packed hotel. It all felt like a mix between Chernobyl, a prison ward and a laboratory experiment. “Hotel look empty, but you take last room,” Mac said, adding that nobody was allowed outside until they passed their first Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, swab test, seven days into confinement. That will mean a half hour on the patio, with a day’s notice and a mask on while rooms were being cleaned. Just as other expats became stuck abroad when the country closed its borders in March, this reporter’s Swiss holiday turned into an unexpected six-month stay that just ended last week. After longing to see friends and family over half a year and wondering month after month when a return would be possible, my repatriation ended up requiring great reserves of patience – and money. Amid the seemingly endless extensions of Thailand’s emergency decree and uncertainty among many a farang stranded outside or inside the kingdom, one thing is clear: Allowing the lucky minority who qualifies to come back is being done efficiently, but not easily. Money is a must While communication with embassies abroad is generally free-flowing and efficient, requirements to qualify for repatriation can be costly to gather at once. The hefty price hikes of flights, the cost of insurance and the quarantine facilities alone favor those with larger paychecks, just like providing nine-month visas to a reduced quota of tourists, or mulling a seven-day quarantine to replace the current 14-day one. It all invariably seems a knee-jerk gimmick to allow a select few in while keeping the decree alive and borders shut, despite almost no local cases being recorded in the country for months. A one-way ticket into Bangkok from Europe’s major cities such as Paris, London or Frankfurt is no cheaper than THB15,000 on any given day. Return tickets in March, before the border closure, were about THB18,000. Flights from New York are the cheapest from the United States’ major cities, at about THB25,000. Health insurance – which must specifically state coverage of all COVID-19-related expenses – hovers at about THB30,000. This means returnees have to repurchase insurance if theirs refuses to reissue them a modified certificate. The cheapest approved government accommodation for a 15-day stay is another THB30,000 baht to THB40,000. While they all follow an obligatory standardized package model with meals, airport pickup and tests included, the 14 most affordable venues on a list of 16 hotels two weeks ago all said they had no rooms left for the month. Another had one remaining, but it was windowless. The “last room” this reporter booked at a Samut Prakan hotel, according to Mac, cost THB37,000. Added to this is the cost of the PCR test that must be taken a maximum of three days before take-off to obtain a “Fit to Fly” certificate. It could be free or a couple hundred euros in Europe, but can set people back more than USD$1,000 (THB32,000) in the United States. Add it all up, and it’s THB100,000 some may not have for the Certificate of Entry the government issues applicants when all documents are compiled. Continues with photos at https://coconuts.co/bangkok/features/quarantine-dispatch-after-6-surprise-months-abroad-my-costly-journey-back-to-thailand/ ================================================ From The Thai Examiner Special Tourist Visa a fiasco boss warns Most Western and European tourists are still excluded from Thailand as a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, over the weekend, that only visitors from Covid 19 free countries will be eligible to apply for the visa. The news comes as a top Thai tourism industry leader, Chairat Trairattanajaratporn, castigated the Thai government for failing to listen to his industry and warned that up to 1 million hotel and hospitality workers will have been laid off by the end of the year as disaster looms for the industry despite heroic efforts to keep it alive. A leading Thai tourism industry leader has slammed the Thai government’s efforts to reopen the country to foreign tourism saying that representations from those within the industry were falling on deaf ears. Mr Chairat’s comments came as observers rubbished efforts by the government culminating this week in the announcement of a new Special Tourist Visa as a drop in the ocean compared to what the country is losing every day from 2019 revenues. The boss of the Tourism Council of Thailand said that, so far, only 500,000 of Thailand’s tourist workers have been laid off or let go as Thailand’s hotel and hospitality sector desperately tries to keep the industry open in the face of adversity but fears that at least another 500,000 will be laid off before the end of 2020. Mr Chairat dismissed government efforts at domestic tourism to replace the lost income from foreign tourism and pointed out that many hotels that had reopened on such promises had again been forced to shut their doors after the hoopla fell flat. The hard-hitting comments by the tourism boss come as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this weekend pointed to even further restrictive measures linked with the Special Tourist Visa which is only projected by Thailand’s Tourism Authority to generate a minuscule 1,200 visitors a month and ฿1 billion in revenue, a figure itself questioned by industry analysts as it would represent a massive 1,600% increase in expenditure per tourist per visit.

From the Malay Mail KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 -- British Airways has resumed flying into and out of Kuala Lumpur starting today even as the Covid-19 virus continues circle the globe. Six months after suspending its operations, the flagship carrier for the United Kingdom said it will resume its four flights a week from Kuala Lumpur to the UK and other parts of the world. “After a long period of uncertainty caused by the global pandemic, we are glad to be able to offer four flights a week from Kuala Lumpur to London Heathrow,” Moran Birger, the airlines’ head of sales for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said in a statement. “We know many of our customers in Malaysia have been waiting to be reunited with their loved ones or to travel for business and these flights will give them the opportunity to do that.” Malaysia Airports Group CEO Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said British Airways is one of 33 airlines in operation at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the third flying to Europe. Malaysia continues to close its borders to international travellers. Exceptions are to citizens returning from abroad, permanent residents who meet certain requirements, and senior ranking foreign government officials travelling here on official business.

For readers who wish to gain a better understanding of the arguments surrounding the constitutional debate on going in Thailand, a link to the the discussion (held in Bangkok on Oct. 1) is available on demand below. Panel members present different views and a Q and A session follows. Some of the content is in Thai but an English translation immediately follows to enable non-Thai speakers to easily follow the proceedings. (It is not necessary to log in to Facebook to access the video). Presented by the Foreign Corespondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) Panel discussion: The Battle for the Constitution The 2017 constitution had a troubled birth, its legitimacy tarnished by military oversight, controversial provisions such an appointed senate, and by a referendum in which criticism of the charter was outlawed. Its principal architect Meechai Ruchupan, a man who has helped draft three charters under military rule, described it as ‘strong medicine’, and said he could not promise it would be Thailand’s last. Public pressure to change or replace the constitution has risen quickly both inside and outside parliament with even the government and some senators, beneficiaries of the current charter, now agreeing it can be amended. However, any amendments require the approval of at least one third of the 250 senators, who would in effect be voting themselves out of a job. Opposition parties have disagreed about tactics; should they push to strip the senate of its powers immediately, or join a new drafting process that could take years? And then there is the sensitive issue of royal powers under the constitution; some activists say these should be discussed, while conservative voices say the monarchy cannot be touched. Behind this debate is Thailand’s chronic promiscuity with constitutions, which are written and then discarded far more frequently than in most countries; can this country agree on a charter that will last? Join us for an invigorating discussion at the clubhouse, and live streamed on our Facebook page. Speakers: Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, Associate Professor and the Head of Department of Government, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. Yingcheep Atchanont, manager of the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) Paiboon Nititawan, deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party Rangsiman Rome from the Kao Klai (Move Forward) party, which has pushed hardest for constitutional reform in parliament https://www.facebook.com/FCCThailand/videos/vb.266552830096341/1255331338177351

From Bangkok Post High-risk tourists barred from visit The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday clarified the details of the Special Tourist Visa (STV) for long-stay tourists, saying the most important requirement for all applicants is they must be coming from low Covid-19 risk countries. The STV scheme is a part of the state's bid to revitalise the economy. Prospective STV applicants are being advised to check which countries' citizens are being permitted by the Public Health Ministry to travel into Thailand, said deputy ministry spokesman Natapanu Nopakun yesterday. Citing an announcement by the Interior Ministry on Sept 30 regarding permission for foreigners to apply for the STV, he said holders of this special visa will be allowed to first stay in the country for 90 days and then renew the visa twice for 90 days each time. The programme was launched on Thursday. The ministry has stressed to Thai embassies and consular offices overseas the importance of processing the STV accurately and disseminating information to prospective travellers, he said. Documents required include a certificate of eligibility, proof of payment for state or hospital quarantine for 14 days, full payment for post-quarantine accommodation or ownership of accommodation, a Thai health and accident insurance policy with at least 400,000 baht inpatient coverage and 40,000 baht outpatient coverage, and a health insurance policy with at least US$100,000 (3.16 million baht) coverage for Covid-19 treatment, he said.

From Coconuts Bangkok See and hear Oct. 6 massacre with AR tech at anniversary exhibition A lynched student’s corpse is beaten with a chair as a smiling crowd watches on in a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Neal Ulevich. One of the darkest chapters in Thailand’s history will be revisited next week through augmented reality experiences, politically charged rap, and its survivors themselves. Tuesday marks the 44th anniversary of the Oct. 6, 1976, massacre at Thammasat University, when disinformation and propaganda stoked the flames of nationalism, provoking security forces and right-wing paramilitaries to murder student pro-democracy campaigners by the dozens. A black stain on the national psyche that is little taught or discussed, the event is recognized each year by those keeping the memory alive, including its aging survivors. At an event held on the campus where it happened, technology helps close the gap of time by giving a glimpse of the sights and sounds from that day through augmented reality. Designed by computer engineering professor Priyakorn Pusawiro and her team, the installations will have QR codes attendees can scan. Mime troupe Babymime will perform as well as rap collective Rap Against Dictatorship. Some student activists who survived the massacre, most now in their 60s, will join a panel discussion on Oct. 4. Artifacts on display include from the time including newspaper scraps, photographs, blood-stained jeans, a bullet-ridden megaphone and the infamous “Red Gate” where two electricians were lynched after protesting against the dictatorship of the time. It was a mock hanging staged in response on the campus that led to ultranationalist extremists storming the campus and murdering dozens of students and activists after the media played up accounts an effigy of then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who is now king, had been hanged. The 44th anniversary exhibition runs through Oct. 11 at Thammasat University, Tha Prachan campus. It is organized by CCPC Thai, a group pressing for constitutional reforms based on public consensus, and the October 6 Museum Project. FIND IT: 44th anniversary of Oct. 6 exhibition now until Oct. 11 Thammasat University (Tha Prachan campus) Continues with photos and video https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/see-and-hear-oct-6-massacre-with-ar-tech-at-anniversary-exhibition/

From Reuters Thailand's 'Bad Students' demand education reform BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's "Bad Student" campaigners toured Bangkok high schools in a truck on Friday in a protest cheered on by pupils to demand education reform and an end to the harassment of students and of school rules they say are outdated. The school demonstrations are part of an anti-government protest movement that has been growing since July and is also demanding greater democracy. Some campaigners seek reforms to the powerful monarchy to "Stop the harassment of students, cancel outdated rules, and give us comprehensive education reform," said Laponpat Wangpaisit, an activist from the group that calls itself "Bad Student" outside one Bangkok school. From behind school gates, pupils cheered the protesters, sang songs mocking school rules and gave the three-finger salute of pro-democracy campaigners. At one school, pupils put a sign on the gate saying: "Teachers at this school harass students." The protesters were later due to go to the education ministry to demand the resignation of the minister if he does not agree to their demands. The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the protests. Student campaigners complain that Thailand's school system is geared more towards instilling obedience than education. Concerns over the harsh treatment of pupils have risen this week after the emergence of closed-circuit camera footage of teachers hitting very young children. The clips prompted outrage and calls for measures to be taken against the schools. ---------------------------------------------------------- From Bangkok Post Elite city school 'took tea money' The former director of Triam Udom Suksa School, already undergoing heavy public scrutiny, has revealed the prestigious school he had worked for had been probed for receiving tea money amounting to about 100 million baht a year in exchange for student places. "I have kept quiet as I do not want to ruin the reputation of the school," Sophon Komon, former director of Triam Udom Suksa told the media at the Ministry of Education yesterday. Mr Sophon has been facing fierce criticism recently as teachers and students have accused him of transferring teachers who did not toe his line to other posts two days before he retired. Triam Udom Suksa, a prestigious school known for having ace students, is now embroiled in controversy. During his press conference yesterday, Mr Sophon touched upon the controversial issue of under-the-table payments the school had accepted. Mr Sophon revealed that a group of alumni and teachers had asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to investigate allegations the school had been accepting tea money when he became director in 2018. He said the acceptance of tea money was originally initiated under a special quota admission -- 300 seats annually during 2016-2018. He said the system had been put in place before he accepted the post. "The special quota admissions should have been announced publicly. But they were not," he said.

From Khaosod English Former PM Thaksin Diagnosed With Coronavirus in Dubai ANGKOK — Self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his family were sent to hospital for contracting coronavirus, his aides said Friday. Thaksin, who is residing in the United Arab Emirates, is receiving the treatment at a hospital in the city of Dubai, according to the aides. Members of his family who live in the same mansion in Dubai were also reportedly infected, including his elder sister Yaowapha Shinawatra, a chauffeur, and a secretary. Former PM Yingluck Shinawatra, a younger sister of Thaksin, is said to be the sole resident who was unaffected. It is not immediately clear when and how the 71-year-old billionaire, who headed the Thai government from 2001 until he was toppled in a 2006 coup, caught the coronavirus. Thaksin fled Thailand in 2008 just before a court convicted him of corruption during his tenure. The tycoon-turned-politician insisted the verdict was politically motivated.

From Bangkok Post Newly appointed Suwat does things differently and plans to make big changes Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk, the newly-appointed national police chief, at the police force leadership handover ceremony. Chanat Katanyu The newly appointed national poilce chief does things differently and plans to make big changes. Despite his rather humble personality, he has a very ambitious goal to redesign the national police's five-year strategic plan, which he believes will help pave the way for the Thai police to deal more efficiently with changes to fighting crime in the future. In the next two years, he is determined to speak to all levels of policemen to find out what they want to see the police organisation become within five years. He has pledged to turn their ideas into a strategic plan for developing the police force. The values for "Our Cops", which stand for oneness, are practices that are up-to-date with universal standards, reliability and trust, competency, overall fairness, people-orientation and service-mindedness. These values are outlined in the police chief's vision for the 2021 budget year, he said. He plans to remove all overlapping police roles and to increase the number of patrolling officers. However, the first step is to convince the younger generation about the need for police, he said. Unlike any of his predecessors, the new national police chief started out by sending out an urgent memorandum to all police officials saying that there was no need for them to visit him at the office just to congratulate him on his promotion. "No congratulations or celebrations [for me] on the new promotion, birthday, New Year and Songkran. Be there and do your work. Text me on Line if you want to send your best wishes," he wrote in the memo. Pol Gen Suwat admitted that he had never thought he would become a policeman. After graduating in a science-mathematics programme from Saint Louis School Chachoengsao, he won a place to study at both Triam Udom Suksa School and the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS). He finally chose the AFAPS and the reason was he didn't want to become a medical doctor. His father said he would end up becoming a medical doctor if he chose to study at Triam Udom Suksa School. He studied and graduated in Class 20 at AFAPS. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1995063/new-police-chief-puts-forth-bold-vision ===================================================== Chief halts roadside drink-driving testing The new national police chief has ordered the suspension of drink-driving checkpoints until police can ensure the transparency of the tests. Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk laid down the order at a meeting with 496 senior police officers, commanders and higher, at the Royal Thai Police Sports Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road on Friday. Pol Gen Suwat, who started in his new position on Thursday, said there must be no drink-driving checkpoints until police can ensure transparency in the process. “There must not be roadside examination. It must be done at a hospital, so that people can have confidence that they will not be cheated. Until we can do that, we will set them at zero for now,” the national police chief said. Pol Gen Suwat also said there must be no big gambling dens, online gambling or buying of police positions. He wanted officers at all levels to be well trained in both the law and tactical operations. He ordered that police install 5,000 surveillance cameras in Bangkok in four months, saying detectives could no longer make excuses about the lack of cameras.

From The Thai Enquirer Sompong elected as the head of Pheu Thai Sompong Amornvivat, a close Thaksin ally, has been elected as the new head of the Pheu Thai party. The current head of the opposition will be charged with leading the party out of the doldrums and balance pro-democracy protests with the party’s relationship with Thailand’s conservative institutions. Sompong is seen as close to the party’s patriarch Thaksin and his election could signal the former prime minister’s reemergence and reassertion in the party’s politics. Somphong is a former ministry of industry, labour, transports, justice under previous Thaksin administrations. The long-standing MP from Chiang Mai was a former member of the People’s Power Party that was dissolved in 2008. He was banned from politics for 5 years. ============================================================================== Prayut and government willing to address charter amendment Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha will support the rewriting of the entire charter, the Deputy Prime Minister, Wissanu Krea-ngam, told reporters on Thursday. Prayut and his administration have been under pressure for the past several months as opposition parties in parliament and protestors on the streets push for a rewriting of the constitution. Even coalition partner, Thailand’s Democrat Party, has pushed for amendments to the current military-drafted charter. But so far the government has pushed back on amending the constitution voting last month to delay all motions to fix the charter and instead set up a research committee. The move prompted the opposition to walk out of parliament and drew an angry response from protesters. Some senators, including senator Tuang Antachai, said last week that any attempt to set up a charter drafting committee before a referendum was unconstitutional – possibly delaying mendments further. Paiboon Nititawan, an MP from the ruling party, then double-downed on the claim on Wednesday that a referendum would be needed if there was a proposal to amend the entire constitution. On Thursday, Wissanu said that the prime minister was willing to consider re-drafting the charter and said that the senate’s concern should be brought up with the investigative body. He said that any charter that is re-drafted must also pass a referendum and that would require the drafting of referendum laws as well.

From The Nation As many as 23 hotels in Koh Samui have been proposed as alternative local state quarantine (ALSQ) sites and most of them are expected to pass the grade, the tourism sector said. Thai Hotels Association – Southern Chapter East Cost said of the 23 hotels and resorts proposed to the ALSQ committee, eight had been checked on September 23, while the remainder will be checked in October. Ruengnam Chaikwang, the association’s president, said most of the proposed hotels had pool villas and were a fair distance from main streets and local communities. Hence, he said, it will be difficult for tourists to get away during their quarantine period. Also, he said, tourists’ movements will be monitored by the more than 1,000 CCTV cameras installed around the island. The Tourism Association of Koh Samui also said each of the proposed hotels had more than 70 rooms, and put together, they would have over 1,000 rooms. The association believes at least 90 per cent of the 23 hotels will pass the grade and some 200 tourists will visit Koh Samui initially.

From The Thaiger Viagra is facing stiff competition from the markets in Bangkok. Police last night arrested eight foreigners and five Thais for allegedly selling fake viagra and sex toys during a search of 17 locations along Bangkok’s Sukhumvit strip. Immigration Bureau chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn says the operation took place late last night and into this morning. Crime suppression police and tourist police searched 17 tourist locations on Sukhumvit Road along with Kevin Harrington, a representative of Pfizer, the makers of the erectile dysfunction drug ‘Viagra’. Harrington says that the fake Viagra was potentially dangerous as it was made of powder and dangerous chemicals. The fake Viagra was being sold for just 200 baht a box, compared to 3,000 baht for the real drug from a pharmacy, Surachate said. The operation seized 118 fake viagra boxes, 1,667 items of controlled medicine, 396 sex toys and 345 fake brand-name goods, Surachate said. Just in case you want to know the difference between real and fake Viagra, or were asking for a friend, firstly, you can’t buy real Viagra from street vendors at a market! The packaging is also different.

From Bangkok Post Thailand eyes 50,000 foreign tourists in Q4, down 99.5% hailand is expected to have 50,000 foreign tourists in the fourth quarter of 2020, down 99.5% from a year earlier, an industry body said on Wednesday, as the country tries to support its battered economy by gradually reopening to visitors. Foreign tourist receipts are seen at 4.5 billion baht in the quarter, down 99% year-on-year, Chairat Trirattanajarasporn, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, told a briefing. The council predicts 6.74 million foreign tourists this year, down 83% from a year earlier, after a record 39.8 million visitors last year, he said. Next year's outlook remains uncertain, Mr Chairat said, although the official tourism agency predicts 20 million foreign tourist in 2021. "If there is no vaccine and we still have a 14-day quarantine, I expect only hundreds of thousands of tourists next year," he said.

From Coconuts Bangkok Thailand urged to defend Mekong against Sanakham dam project The Mekong River in Chiang Khan district, Thailand. Photo: Engdao Wichitpunya / Alamy By Ryn Jirenuwat and Tyler Roney “Water rises so fast and drops so fast because the water doesn’t flow naturally… It has huge impacts on us. It’s hard to catch any fish, and the fish cannot lay eggs,” said Prayoon Saen-ae, 62, head of a local fishermen group in Chiang Khan district, northern Thailand. The Mekong River Commission officially began a six-month prior consultation phase for the China-backed Sanakham dam on July 30. Thai activists find themselves fighting against the hydropower project just two kilometers from the border with Laos. The 684MW project is to be developed by a subsidiary of Datang International Power Generation, a state-owned Chinese power company, and is slated for completion in 2028. With seven planned Mekong mainstream dam projects in Laos, excluding the already operational Xayaburi dam, Sanakham is the sixth Lower Mekong dam to undergo prior consultation, a process in which affected nations can weigh in with nonbinding feedback. “We protested against the Xayaburi project, and it is hard to protest because it is on their soil – not ours” said Prayoon, a lifelong resident of Chiang Khan. He said he’s “slightly mad at [the Thai government] because we can’t do anything about it. When we protested against the Xayaburi dam, the Thai government couldn’t help us with anything. They always come up with excuses.” He said NGOs are the only ones who come to talk to him about the dam. The Mekong commission’s Joint Committee Working Group rejected documents for the prior consultation step and sent them back to the Laos government for revision, citing “out of date” information, but neither the MRC nor the Thai authorities can stop the dam. “The villagers are aware of this dam, but they just don’t know what to do about it,” said Channarong Wongla, 50, of the Rak Chiang Khan Conservation Group. “We exchange information and inform the villagers through the messaging app Line and on Facebook groups.” Laos’ use of the Mekong and its tributaries to become the “battery of Asia” has caused difficulties in the transboundary governance of water resources. There are several new dams proposed upstream of Sanakham, including China-backed projects at Pak Lay and Pak Beng, and the Vietnam-funded Luang Prabang dam. On the Nam Ou, a tributary responsible for important sediment reaching the Mekong, Laos has a cascade of seven planned and completed hydropower projects with little environmental oversight. The lack of press freedom and civil society in Laos has put Thailand’s activists in a unique position to speak out against the construction of the $2 billion Sanakham dam. Continues at https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thailand-urged-to-defend-mekong-against-sanakham-dam-project/

From The Diplomat In January of 2020, Fang Tianyu, an employee of a state-owned company in China, moved home to the city of Chengdu because of COVID-19. Fang’s family had made it a point not to speak about her love life since she came out as lesbian two years prior, but quarantine at home changed that. “Since being in quarantine, my dad has had very serious quarrels with me almost every day about my girlfriend or marriage,” she told the authors. As a result of these arguments, Fang broke up with her girlfriend to search for a male partner. “If the pandemic had never happened and we hadn’t broken up, we would be celebrating our three year anniversary,” Fang said at the end of our interview. During quarantine, many people have experienced increased familial tension. However, Fang’s story depicts the unique pressure that members of the LGBTQ+ community have faced in returning home. In an August study, researchers noted that depression rates among British LGBTQ+ people have skyrocketed during quarantine. Not only that, but one in six respondents experienced an increase in homophobia and transphobia. This number doubled if said respondents were closeted. Homosexuality was decriminalized in China in 1997, but gay marriage remains illegal. The picture on trans and other queer rights is mixed. Censorship of LGBTQ+ themes in entertainment is common — but just last month an employee of an e-commerce firm successfully won a case against her employer who had discriminated against her on the basis of sex, specifically for being transgender. However, China is not a common law nation. Technically courts are not meant to interpret law and court precedent does not equal law, although the mechanics of this are vague. Because there are no clear protections against homophobia and transphobia in China’s employment protection legislation, the actual status of trans rights is still unclear, despite the court win. During COVID-19, existing problems have been compounded. The stigmatization of homosexuality in China has made it difficult for individuals living with HIV and AIDS to receive basic medical care. A recent report in the Southern Urban Daily describes one such situation. Shan is a homosexual man living with AIDS who had managed to keep his diagnosis a secret from his family. When Shan returned home for quarantine, he only brought medicine sufficient for a one-week stay and soon realized it wouldn’t be enough. “Hopeless, helpless, and waiting for death,” he responded when asked by Southern Urban Daily reporters to describe his situation. “Every route out of the village was locked, and the only place I could try my luck was at the clinic in the rural marketplace.” As dire as his circumstance was, he was still reluctant to speak about his situation with local doctors. He worried that even if he did, they still might not understand what type of medication he needed. In 2015, 82 percent of new HIV infections in adults age 18 to 24 occurred among what scientists call the “men having sex with men” (MSM) population. Statistics like this fuel the overwhelming social stigmatization of HIV as a “gay” disease. High new infection rates amongst the gay community combined with the perception that only gay people are affected by the disease make it difficult for people like Shan to be open about their diagnosis. A Family Struggle The first wave of COVID-19 in China coincided with the country’s largest annual holiday — the Lunar New Year — which added additional strain to an already precarious situation. Many young people returned home for the holidays and subsequently found themselves stranded away from urban centers when quarantine clamped down. This opened up many young people to be subjected to the tradition of xiangqin (相亲), in which parents arrange for their children to meet suitable marriage partners. Xiangqin creates a uniquely difficult pressure for LGBTQ+ youth, who must navigate either conforming to or resisting their parents’ expectation that they be in a heterosexual relationship. During COVID-19, existing problems have been compounded. The stigmatization of homosexuality in China has made it difficult for individuals living with HIV and AIDS to receive basic medical care. A recent report in the Southern Urban Daily describes one such situation. Shan is a homosexual man living with AIDS who had managed to keep his diagnosis a secret from his family. When Shan returned home for quarantine, he only brought medicine sufficient for a one-week stay and soon realized it wouldn’t be enough. “Hopeless, helpless, and waiting for death,” he responded when asked by Southern Urban Daily reporters to describe his situation. “Every route out of the village was locked, and the only place I could try my luck was at the clinic in the rural marketplace.” As dire as his circumstance was, he was still reluctant to speak about his situation with local doctors. He worried that even if he did, they still might not understand what type of medication he needed. In 2015, 82 percent of new HIV infections in adults age 18 to 24 occurred among what scientists call the “men having sex with men” (MSM) population. Statistics like this fuel the overwhelming social stigmatization of HIV as a “gay” disease. High new infection rates amongst the gay community combined with the perception that only gay people are affected by the disease make it difficult for people like Shan to be open about their diagnosis. The first wave of COVID-19 in China coincided with the country’s largest annual holiday — the Lunar New Year — which added additional strain to an already precarious situation. Many young people returned home for the holidays and subsequently found themselves stranded away from urban centers when quarantine clamped down. This opened up many young people to be subjected to the tradition of xiangqin (相亲), in which parents arrange for their children to meet suitable marriage partners. Xiangqin creates a uniquely difficult pressure for LGBTQ+ youth, who must navigate either conforming to or resisting their parents’ expectation that they be in a heterosexual relationship. Continues at https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/covid-19-is-further-disenfranchising-chinas-queer-youth/

From Thai Enquirer Government coalition rife with rumors about Thaksin comeback Following an audience that was granted by His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn to the ex-wife and children of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, speculation and paranoia has increased in the government about a possible return for the exiled prime minister. For the past six years, the government of Prayut Chan-ocha has tried to eradicate the complicated legacy of Thaksin. The Prayut administration has prosecuted Thaksin allies, rewritten history books to omit Thaksin and has accused the exiled prime minister of trying to topple the country’s revered monarchy system. However, an audience granted by his majesty the king to Thaksin’s ex-wife last week where she donated ambulances to Siriraj Hospital has the ruling government coalition running amok with rumors. Sources inside the Palang Pracharat and Democrat Party told Thai Enquirer that numerous theories have been floating around inside the cabinet and among senior members since the audience was granted. The conspiracy theories have ranged from the plausible, Thaksin might receive a royal pardon, to the incredible, Thaksin might force Pheu Thai to join the government coalition. While chances are the audience was just to receive a generous philanthropic gift, the rumors show that the government coalition are on a knife edge and feeling embattled after three months of pro-democracy protests. That is not to say that the opposition has been free of rumors. The audience has sparked as many rumors as well including students accusing Thaksin and Pheu Thai of abandoning their cause to join the establishment. ====================================================== From Khaosod English Pheu Thai Dismisses ‘Unity Gov’t’ Rumor in Wake of Sudarat’s Resignation BANGKOK — The caretaker of the Pheu Thai Party on Monday said the abrupt resignations of its leaders are strictly a tactical move and not a sign of a “takeover” by any individual. Pheu Thai Party acting chairman Chusak Sirinial said the departures of party leader Sompong Amornvivat and chief strategist Sudarat Keyuraphan, among several others, will open an opportunity for younger politicians to have bigger roles in party leadership. “The new generations will be given a chance in administering the party more than before,” Chusak said. “This will show that we listen to the voices of the new generations.” Chusak also discounted the speculations on social media that the resignations are part of a deal to form a “national unity government, and that Potjaman Pombejra, ex-wife of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, would take over the party.

They didn't think to ask PaulSF, but if they did I think I can hear him say "any Saturday night on Soi Twlight." From The Thaiger When did Bangkok have its golden era? Of course it depends on when you were visiting, how long you were here, where you stayed, and what you were doing at the time. But the city has certainly had some ‘eras’ in the past that people nostalgically and whimsically recall as ‘special’. Here’s a few of the responses about when Bangkok really hit its straps, when we asked people on The Thaiger Facebook page. Everyone falls into the trap of remembering the ‘good old days’, but was there a time when Bangkok really did have a golden era? Denny says that it was definitely in the 1970s when he first came to Bangkok with his wife. He said his friends thought it was a ‘very exotic’ choice at the time. Denny, from Massachusetts in the US, returned in the 1990s to live in the Big Mango but says it had lost a certain visceral appeal and was beginning to be ‘moulded’ as a tourist destination. “Whilst I stood out in the 1970s no one really took much notice of me. By the 1990s some of the ‘ugly tourists’ had already made a reputation and we didn’t feel quite as welcome as we used to. Whilst in the 1970s there were still plenty of bicycles’d been completely replaced by the 1990s by the ubiquitous ‘motorcy’. ‘Simone’ said… “Late 80’s and the beginning of the 90’s, when the highest building was the Dusit Thani and the first disco was The Palace. You could just put a Motorola phone on a table at The Bubble and all girls were yours while the DJ was playing ‘One night in Bangkok’. You can write a book about those times.” Another writer ‘Retire’ thought the golden era was a few decades earlier. “I think Bangkok really came to life in the 60s when it started developing it’s own pop culture style in clothing, furniture, music and cinema. It sort of regressed into a bad version of everything western later or. But there was a bright, glimmering decade when Bangkok was the hip Asian city.” ‘Helmer’ and his wife were posted to Thailand as for a large foreign company in the late 50s. “When I first visited Thailand in the late 1950s I would stand out and people would stop me in the street to take a photo with me. It was very ‘Thai’ then and very few people had any English skills at all. It was a very difficult place to live as a foreigner at that stage and things slowly improved during the 60s until we had to leave in 1969. There was no high-rise in those days and shopping was all at local markets. The only cars driving around those days were all imported and they had just started filling in the old klongs to make new roads.” Continues with photos and video https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/bangkoks-golden-era-according-to-expats

From Chanel News Asia Thailand extends visa renewal grace period for foreigners stranded due to COVID-19 BANGKOK: Thailand on Monday (Sep 28) said it will extend a grace period for visa renewals for foreigners stranded in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of October, as travel restrictions remain in place and new infections climb globally. The extension will allow foreigners to remain in Thailand until Oct 31, a spokesman for the government's coronavirus taskforce Taweesin Wisanuyothin told Reuters. After October, a new immigration regulation will allow foreigners to apply for 60-day extensions to remain in the country if they are unable to leave due to limited flights or other issues, Pornchai Kuntee, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told Reuters. Previously, extensions required documentation from their respective embassies and were limited to 30 days. Authorities on Monday also extended an emergency decree until the end of October.

From Bangkok Post The Satellite Terminal 1 (SAT-1) extension to Suvarnabhumi Airport is now more than 95 per cent complete while its transport link with the existing terminal should be ready by April next year, said Airports of Thailand (AOT) president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn on Monday. SAT-1 will service 28 parking bays and relieve overcrowding by boosting Suvarnabhumi’s capacity by about 15 million passengers per year. “The building [structure] itself is now 100 per cent complete, with only some interior design and landscape work now being finalised,” he said. “AOT is also working on the APM [Automated People Mover] system, whose installation in the Satellite 1 Building is now over 70 per cent complete.”