Walking Streets Planned In Bangkok

 

 

BANGKOK : -- More walking streets to promote tourism and help vendors to have spaces to do businesses. 

 

The plan for walking  streets  was revealed today by Pol Maj-Gen Vichai Sangpraphai, the assistant to the advisor of Bangkok governor.

He revealed the walking streets in Bangkok while inspecting the reorganisation of sidewalk vendors on Thanam Prannok pier in Bangkok Noi area under the policy of the military junta’s to return busy sidewalks to pedestrians.

The governor’s advisor said that after the sidewalk reorganisation and vendors were evicted, they should have places to sell otherwise they would be in trouble.

He said he planned to launch walking streets on Saturdays and Sundays so that these vendors would  be allowed to trade to made their living.

For example, China Town or Yaowaraj road which is well-known for Chinese food might be turned into walking streets for people to shop and dine on weekends, or Silom as a haven  for miscellaneous items will be turned a walking street for shopping, or Narng Lerng as a walking street for seafood dining.

He said vendors will then have rooms to sell, and it will also help promote tourism.

He added that the next target for sidewalk reorganisation will be on Silom road next week after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration received numerous complaints of vendors occupying sidewalk for trade thus forcing pedestrians to walk on the road instead causing safety concerns.

2010 Unrest: Japan Again Demands Answer Over Reporter's Death

BANGKOK — The Embassy of Japan in Thailand is still seeking answers from Thai authorities over the killing of a Japanese reporter during the 2010 political unrest in Bangkok.

Hiroyuki Muramoto, a camera who was working for Reuters, was shot dead while he was filming the clashes between Redshirt demonstrators and soldiers near Democracy Monument on the night of 10 April 2010.

Taishi Akimoto, first secretary of the Japanese embassy in Bangkok, met with Thai police yesterday and discussed the development of the inquiry into the reporter's death. The discussion took place at Crime Suppression Division HQ and lasted about 30 minutes.

According to Pol.Col. Prasopchoke Prommool, deputy commander of CSD, the Japanese diplomat wanted to know whether the recent arrest of five suspected “Blackshirt” militants has yielded any helpful information about Muramoto's death. The so-called “Blackshirts” are a group of gunmen allied to the Redshirt movement who were seen exchanging gunfire with security forces during the 2010 unrest.

"I have told the First Secretary that based on the investigation into the Blackshirt suspects, there is no evidence that they are involved in Muramoto's death," Pol.Col. Prasopchoke said.

The police officer also informed Akimoto that the CSD is only responsible for the criminal investigation into the alleged possession of military-grade weapons by the arrested Blackshirt suspects, while the Division of Special Investigation (DSI) is launching a separate inquiry into the death of the Japanese reporter and other casualties during the crackdown.

200 Policemen Deployed To Guard Two Myanmar Men On Koh Tao

KOH TAO: -- About 200 policemen were deployed to guard two Myanmar suspects during a reenactment of their alleged murder of two British tourists. BANGKOK, Oct 3 -- National police chief Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmoung is scheduled to take two Myanmar nationals suspected of murdering two British tourists nearly three weeks ago for a reenactment at the crime scene on Ko Tao, the small island in the Gulf of Thailand and off the coast of the southern province of Surat Thani, on Friday.


About 1,000 residents of Koh Tao turned up to look at the suspects during the reenactment at 11 am. Police had to stand surrounding the suspects to guard them.

More than 200 anti-riot and plainclothes police will be deployed during the reenactment which will be held after a press conference.

Police said a third Myanmar man, believed to be a close friend of those two suspects, will be asked to stand as a witness because he did not join in the rape and murder.

The reenactment of the crime will be held after police said results of DNA tests on semen found on Hannah Victoria Witheridge, 23, matched with the two suspects.

Ms Witheridge and David William Miller, 24, were brutally murdered on a Ko Tao beach early on September 15.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan told journalists that the suspects were "not scapegoats" and evidence obtained by police showed that they were connected with the murder.

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said he had received information from the police that three Myanmar nationals had been arrested by police.

Deep South The Graveyard Of Thai Leaders' Ambitions

BANGKOK: -- For whatever strange reasons, the Thai media keep getting it wrong, according to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Prayut says the media misunderstood him when he stated that how a woman dresses could leave her vulnerable to a crime like rape. He later apologised to anyone who might have been offended by the "bikini" remark.

Just days ago, he pledged to bring peace to the restive southernmost provinces, where a decade-old insurgency has claimed 6,000 lives. The vow came as part of a prepared statement delivered to troops at the Vajiravudh Army Camp in Nakhon Si Thammarat as he bid farewell to his career in the military and turned his full focus to running the country.

But a day later, Prayut backtracked, saying he had again been misunderstood. What he meant to say, he explained, was that he hoped a peace process would be in place by the end of next year.

To be fair to the junta chief, the clarification had a positive ring to it. After a decade of almost daily violence, any gesture towards peace is welcome.

However, we should not lose sight of the fact that peace efforts in the South are nothing new. The Thai military has been talking to separatist groups on and off for years, depending on the circumstances and the level of conflict.

Until a decade ago, peace efforts were exclusively the work of the Army, but the latest wave of insurgency in Thailand's Malay-speaking deep South has seen civilians become more involved in peace initiatives, albeit without much success.

In 15 months Prayut is hoping all the separatist groups will join Thai government representatives around the table to make progress on securing peace. Thailand will enter the Asean Economic Community in 15 months and Prayut is aware that it would be a major embarrassment for the country if the Muslim-majority South were still in turmoil at the time of regional integration.

However, wishful thinking won't be enough. A lasting solution requires some understanding of the nature of the problem on the part of the national leaders involved.

Prayut has expressed worry over the possibility of Islamist movements entering this highly contested region. Such concern is welcome, since it shows he is sensitive to how events in other parts of the world, like the Middle East, could have an impact on Thailand.

But to demonstrate that he truly understands the nature of the conflict, he could say something about the fact that its roots lie in the issue of state-minority relations.

A comfort level was established between the state and the Malay-speaking residents of the South during the five decades after the region came under direct rule of Siam/Thailand. But, since then, a series of ultra-nationalist policies has shattered that mutual accommodation.

Moreover, declaring a deadline for the peace process could result in the state making unnecessary compromises and premature agreements that cannot be sustained in the long run.

This has always been a problem with Thailand's leaders, whether elected or not: They are eager to bring an end to the conflict while they're in office, yet they ignore the fact that a long-term outlook is needed if genuine peace is to be achieved.

Turkey's Beko Eyes Thai Hub For Asean

BANGKOK: -- TURKEY-BASED BEKO, the second-largest home-appliance player in Europe, is setting up business in Thailand with an eye to making this country the brand's regional manufacturing hub in Asean. "We are seriously considering investing in Thailand to manufacture major home appliances such as refrigerators, air-conditioners and washing machines. The plant will cost about US$100 million initially, and the decision will be made by the end of this year," Levent Cakiroglu, chief executive of Arcelik, the owner of the Beko brand, said yesterday.

The company is studying options for the region, he said.

It researched the Thai market for about three years before coming here.

Thailand has many strengths as a potential manufacturing centre for Asean, including a central location, developed transport and infrastructure, established supporting industries, business-friendly environment and sizeable domestic market.

Thailand is also one of the most attractive investment locations in the world, he said.

Beko operates about 14 factories in Europe, China and South Africa.

The brand's debut here would spearhead its regional ambition to become a favourite brand of consumers in the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

It aims to replicate in the AEC its phenomenal success throughout Europe, where its washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers and cooking appliances have become market leaders.

"In the coming three years, we expect to achieve a 5-per-cent market share in the region, including Thailand," he said.

"We also aim to achieve $500 million in sales in the Asean region in the next three years, of which 10-12 per cent will be from Thailand."

Beko has been active in more than 100 countries. In Asean, its products are already available in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as farther away in Australia, New Zealand and China.

It plans to market in other countries in Asean by next year, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

"The Asian consumer is as sophisticated and demanding as the European consumer. Our cutting-edge technology and responsiveness to consumer needs have enabled Beko to grow rapidly in Europe in a market that is crowded with well-established global brands.

"We are confident that the demanding Thai consumer will respond positively to Beko's sensational offer to do more, and to do it better with the best technology," Cakiroglu said.

Ebola Crisis: Liberia To Prosecute Man In US Hospital'

The Liberian authorities say they will prosecute the man diagnosed with Ebola in the US, accusing him of lying over his contact with an infected relative.

When he left the country last month, Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan filled in a questionnaire saying that none of his relatives were sick.

But Liberia's assistant health minister said he had taken a sick relative to a clinic in a wheelbarrow.

Mr Duncan is in a serious condition in a Dallas hospital.

His is the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed on US soil, where as many as 100 people are being checked for exposure to Ebola.

More than 3,330 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in four West African countries.

Hong Kong Protests: CY Leung Refuses To Quit As Leader

(BBC) Hong Kong's Chief Executive CY Leung says he will not resign, but has offered talks between his government and pro-democracy protesters.

The leaders of mass demonstrations have welcomed proposed talks, but still insist that Mr Leung should step down.

The protesters are angry at China's plan to vet candidates for elections in 2017, and say they want full democracy.

They have surrounded two Hong Kong government buildings, but have been warned not to try and occupy them.

At a news conference shortly before the protesters' midnight deadline for his resignation, the chief executive said attempting to occupy building would lead to "serious consequences".

He said the territory's top civil servant, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, would open a dialogue with student leaders as soon as possible.

"Tonight, the Hong Kong Federation of Students issued an open letter asking for a meeting with the chief secretary, representing the Hong Kong government, to discuss one item - and this is the constitutional development of Hong Kong," Mr Leung told reporters.