Anything & Everything About Thailand

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BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) -- Last Update : 2006-03-03 / 12:35:30 (GMT+7:00)
Former opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said here on Thursday that he is ready to take responsibility for his decision to boycott the snap election set on April 2, adding that time will prove everything.

Mr. Abhisit affirmed that his decision not to lead his Democrat Party to run for the snap election was right.

He said he did not make the decision for himself--wanting to become a prime minister as alleged by some people--but wants to alert the public to fight for misconduct which is gradually damaging the Thai politics--like cancer--and if not stopped, the Thai politics could be distorted to become a 'corrupt democratic system'.

"I'm attempting to stop the system within a legal framework and under the democratic rule, alerting the public of the emerging threat to the Thai public and telling them to be aware of the threat," he noted.

"Time will prove everything. Just wait and see and the public will then realize whether my decision to boycott the snap election was right or wrong. At the moment, at least the oppostion move has made caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra agreed on the second-round political reform, which is the start of the restoration of the country's full-fledged democracy under the Thai monarch and which meets the core objective of the 1997 constitution," Mr. Abhisit said. "We'll continue", he added.

The opposition leader stressed he did not reject all Mr. Thaksin's policies, admitting that some of them are beneficial to the nation.

He, however, alleged that the good policies are only a 'surface' to cover Mr. Thaksin's misconduct which is detrimental to the Thai politics and national interest.

He cited the recent stock sell-off of Shin Corporation of the caretaker premier's family to Temasek Holdings, Singapore's largest and government-owned telecommunication firm, as an example, saying the sale of Shin Corp shares only benefits Mr. Thaksin's family, but affects national security, as the company is a Thai largest telecommunication business.

Mr. Abhisit said his decision to boycott the early poll was based on his careful consideration and judgement without
any emotionally partiality.

The former opposition leader noted that the current political tension has nothing to do with the Thai parliament or the election, but was caused by a lack of political ethics and legitimacy of Mr. Thaksin, the leader of the ruling Thai Rak Thai (Party).

He said the core problem would never be addressed unless the caretaker premier corrects his mistakes; or the election would be only a 'political laundering mechanism' for him, which is unacceptable for the Democrat Party and other former oppositon parties.

He revealed that the three former oppositon parties, including the Chart Thai and the Mahachon Party would meet Friday afternoon to discuss their joint approaches on fighting for the right things.

He promised that his party would not oppose or do anything to mislead the public in the snap election.

Mr. Abhisit said he believes if the former oppositon parties join the snap election, they would fall to Mr. Thaksin's political trap, leading to a new TRT-led government with policies to press ahead with the privatization of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), free trade area (FTA) agreements with super powers, which could put Thailand into a disadvantage, and even a halt on the planned political reform.

He added he would not, again, propose anything to Mr. Thaksin, but leave the caretaker premier to decide by himself what he should do.

Meanwhile, a group of seven senators on Thursday called for both the caretaker government and the former oppostion to each make a one-step back and made a four-point proposal to break the current political impasse for the sake of national reconciliation.

The proposals include arranging a direct dialouge between the two sides through a meditator, with former respected prime ministers, namely Gen. Prem Tinsulanond, now a stateman and the president of the Privy Council, invited to give suggestions to them; urging Mr. Thaksin to show his sincerity to sign an agreement on the political reform with the oppositon parties; calling for the three former oppositon parties to end their boycott against the snap election after the agreement with Mr. Thaksin is signed and postponing the snap election to a date accepted by all parties.(TNA)--E002

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BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) – Last Update : 2006-03-03 / 13:54:43 (GMT+7:00)
Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will not declare his resignation during his address in a mass rally at Sanam Luan Friday evening, according to PM’s Secretary-General Prommin Lertsuridej.

He said on Friday that the premier would, instead, opt to explain what is his mission for this lection and his party’s agreement for political reform to ease political tension.

The caretaker premier will clarify what people want to listen and ask them to gather peacefully. He will not instigate them definitely in the gathering, which is set to end by no later than 22.00 hours.

Asked to comment on senior citizens’ proposal for the premier to resign and suspend his political role for a while, he said the status of the premier and his cabinet had already ended now. They had just performed duties as caretakers under the constitution.

From now on, it is the duty of people to tell what the cabinet should do because the government had already returned the power to them at the election, said Dr. Prommin.

On mounting concern that the address could lead to more conflicts, Dr. Prommin said it is a duty of the caretaker premier to keep the democratic rule intact and to do what he thought should lead to a solution to problems peacefully.

He reiterated the premier would not declare his resignation definitely during his address.

On whether the premier would set a deadline for the political reform, he said: ‘’you should wait to listen what the premier is saying at the stage.” (TNA) – E005

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709 words
4 March 2006
The Economist
378
English

Immovable prime minister meets implacable opposition

DETERMINED to cling to power despite a growing clamour for his resignation, Thailand's prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has made a series of tactical retreats. First, in January, he sold his family's media and telecoms empire, Shin Corp, to a Singapore government agency, hoping to blunt the opposition's main line of attack—that he was abusing his powers to benefit his businesses. But when it emerged that the Thaksin clan had exploited legal loopholes to avoid tax on the $1.9 billion they raked in from the sale, the calls for him to go only got louder. So he called a snap general election for April 2nd—three years early—arguing that his critics were an unrepresentative bunch and that the Thai people as a whole should be his judge.

But his opponents are proving as implacable as Mr Thaksin is immovable. The three main opposition parties announced on February 27th that they would boycott the elections—which they would probably lose, given Mr Thaksin's continued support among poorer, rural Thais. A few hours later at a rally in central Bangkok, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a supposedly grassroots anti-Thaksin movement backed by business and political barons who have fallen out with the prime minister, issued an ultimatum: if Mr Thaksin did not quit altogether by Sunday (March 5th), it would step up its protests, a move that could lead to blood on the streets. Mr Thaksin countered by announcing a rally of his own supporters, to be held in Bangkok on Friday, heightening the danger of violence.

Mr Thaksin's position has been weakened, and PAD's strengthened, by the defection of the prime minister's former mentor, Chamlong Srimuang, an ascetic ex-general and Buddhist sect leader. He was one of the driving forces behind the bloody but ultimately successful 1992 popular uprising that brought down the then military government. He promises his “Dharma army” of monks and nuns will not start any trouble but his reassurances are not wholly reassuring. There has been talk of a possible military coup, but the commander of the armed forces insists that his men will remain neutral.

Any bloodshed—whoever starts it—may very well be blamed on Mr Thaksin. If so, it might make his downfall inevitable, just as street violence brought down the government in 1992 and, before that, in 1973. So, on February 28th, the prime minister gave ground once again. He said he was prepared to postpone the election if the three opposition parties wanted that; and he offered to discuss their demand that his Thai Rak Thai party sign a pact with them, pledging to create a “neutral” panel of experts to draft constitutional changes (the opposition has been vague on just what changes they want).

The opposition had used Mr Thaksin's initial refusal to sign such a pact as their excuse for boycotting the elections. However, Korn Chatikavanij, the deputy leader of the Democrats, the largest of the opposition parties, says the prime minister's change of mind has come too late and there is now nothing, short of Mr Thaksin's resignation, that would persuade them to call off the boycott. It is better, Mr Korn argues, to stay out of a political process that the prime minister has “corrupted and warped”.

Thai voters, and the outside world, may think rather that the boycott amounts to a dereliction of the opposition's duty to take part in the democratic process. If the election goes ahead, Mr Thaksin will gain an even bigger majority than he has now, and will have to contend only with the few tiny parties that are not joining the boycott. But Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst who notes that the opposition parties have enough money to fight only one election campaign, reckons they may be saving up for yet another election. This one might come soon, after the protesters have finally forced Mr Thaksin out. If the Democrats and their allies do eventually gain power, they can hardly complain if a time comes when violent, unrepresentative mobs one day try to force them out of office.

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632 words
4 March 2006
The Economist
378
English


Thailand risks taking a step backwards

THIS newspaper has never been a great fan of Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's embattled prime minister. His rise to power was fuelled by money, and his money obtained in part by patronage. When, in early 2001, he was on the point of winning his first election, we compared him to Italy's Silvio Berlusconi. It was not intended as a compliment.

In office, Mr Thaksin has been a mixed blessing. He has handled the economy reasonably efficiently, and has therefore managed to afford the extravagant handouts with which he wooed the rural electorate in 2001, and again last year. In other spheres, though, his touch has been much less sure. Sheer governmental incompetence, for example, is the main reason why discontent in Thailand's Muslim south has bubbled over into insurrection and bloodshed.

Mr Thaksin's chief failing, however, is that he has never adequately dealt with the conflicts of interest inherent in his role as prime minister and as Thailand's richest businessman or close to it. Transferring his assets—which include the country's largest telecoms company, an array of media companies and much else—to close family members convinced no one. And when, earlier this year, they decided to sell their main holding company to Singapore's government, the result was not praise but an outcry: the decision came far too late, and the manner in which the deal was struck raised a whole new tangle of questions (see page 67). The affluent Bangkok demonstrators who have been demanding Mr Thaksin's resignation every weekend for months grew more heated, not less.

On February 24th Mr Thaksin responded by calling a snap election, barely a year after the last one and even though he has an unassailable majority in parliament. This may not be popular, but he has every constitutional right to seek a fresh mandate, and if voters do not like it then a simple and effective remedy will be available to them on polling day. What is more troubling for Thai democracy is the response of the main opposition parties and of the demonstrators in the streets. The former have announced that they will boycott the election, and the latter have said that they are not interested in elections at all. Unless Mr Thaksin resigns by March 5th, declares a group of unelected megaphone-wielders, they will organise mass protests to drive out this enemy of democracy.

Democracy is a young and delicate flower in much of East Asia, and despite the odds it has done pretty well. In the past couple of years, the ballot box has produced a smooth transfer of power in Indonesia, a defeat for the most populist candidate in the Philippines and a parliamentary victory for the opposition in Taiwan—all of them countries which, like Thailand, have had a long history of authoritarian rule. The Philippines has just imposed a state of emergency after yet another of its periodic alleged coup plots, but even there the urge to resort to direct action to overthrow an elected government seems at last to be on the wane.

Although the democratic idea is gradually striking deeper roots in East Asia, these could still be plucked up if people and parties refuse to accept the verdict of the ballot box. The danger in Thailand is that Mr Thaksin's foes will try to achieve through “people power” what they do not have the numbers to achieve at the polls, or that the army will revert to its previous habit of interfering in politics. In either case, it would not be Mr Thaksin who is democracy's enemy, but those who refuse to accept that he has won an electoral mandate.

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428 words
3 March 2006
14:21
BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
English

The Network of Senior Doctors joined the growing chorus of government critics for the first time yesterday, demanding caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra not only resign but also take a "pause" from politics to ease social tension. The group is led by senior ex-officials including former deputy permanent secretary for public health Banlu Siripanich, former public health minister Pairoj Ningsanont, former dean of Ramathibodi Hospital's medical school Aree Wallayasevi, Rural Doctors' Foundation head Morakot Kornkasem and former permanent secretary for public health Mongkol na Songkhla.

They issued a statement calling on the prime minister to resign and enter a period of political hibernation.

The statement said the country has slipped into crisis since Mr Thaksin dissolved the House of Representatives to clear the way for a new general election set for 2 April. The pressure has risen considerably after the People's Alliance for Democracy rallied for the prime minister's ouster and the opposition Democrat, Chart Thai and Mahachon parties decided to boycott the election.

The stand-off between Mr Thaksin's supporters and opponents has been heating up and could turn critical. The only way to end the impasse would be for Mr Thaksin to stand down and take a break from politics to allow democracy in Thailand to move forward, the statement said.

If Mr Thaksin resigned, he would not be seen as losing the fight but praised and remembered by the next generation.

Group leader Dr Banlu revealed that members, including social thinker Prawase Wasi, are concerned about the political turmoil. They want Mr Thaksin to leave office before Sunday, when another mass rally against him will take place, and before the situation gets out of hand.

"After Mr Thaksin's resignation, all groups including the opposition parties should stop making any moves. All should have spirit so our country will be at peace," said Dr Banlu. The prime minister should resign not because of his wrongdoing but for the country's sake, he said.

The group was also opposed to the prime minister's public address set for today at Sanam Luang to launch his election campaign and unveil his political platform.

Dr Pairoj said a fine leader would step down and keep clear of politics to make up for the trouble he caused the country.

Source: Bangkok Post website, Bangkok, in English 3 Mar 06

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358 words
3 March 2006
11:32
Reuters News
English

BANGKOK, March 3 (Reuters) - Advanced Info Service PCL (AIS), Thailand's largest mobile phone company, said on Friday new net subscribers dropped 9.9 percent in January from December.

AIS said on its Web site at www.ais.co.th it had about 103,700 net new subscribers in January, down from 115,100 in December but up from 90,100 in November.

It added a net 124,600 pre-paid clients in January, down from 144,900 in December. Average revenue per user from pre-paid clients, who account for 88 percent of its customer base, rose 7.7 percent to 351 baht ($9), it said.

However, AIS lost a net 20,900 post-paid clients in January, the ninth consecutive month of declines. It lost a net 29,800 post-paid clients in December.

AIS, which has a 55 percent share of the market, had 16.5 million subscribers at the end of January, up from 15.3 million a year earlier. It has said it expected to have 17.3 million subscribers at the end of 2006.

AIS is 43 percent owned by Shin Corp , majority owned by Singapore's state-run investment arm Temasak Holdings after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family and relatives sold their 49.6 percent stake to Temasak in January.

Its major rivals are number two operator Total Access Communication , majority owned by Norway's Telenor , and number three True Move, 83 percent owned by True Corp .

Thailand, which has a population of 64 million, has about 30 million mobile users, or 48 phones per 100 people at the end of 2005, against around 67 in Malaysia and almost 100 in Singapore.

In December, AIS said it expected the Thai mobile phone market to grow 7 percent to 32 million subscribers, or 53 phones for every 100 people, by the end of 2006.

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BANGKOK, Mar 3 (TNA) - Last Update : 2006-03-03 / 15:18:42 (GMT+7:00)

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Pol Gen Chidchai Vanasatidya insists that the violence in the three southern border provinces has eased and will not impact on the early election scheduled for April 2.

Gen. Chidchai, who also serves as caretaker Justice Minister, said that the series of insurgent attacks Thursday night were the work of insurgents who wanted to retaliate against the government by torching several government offices, schools, and mobile phone signal towers in Songkhla and Pattaniprovinces.

Pol. Lt-Gen. Adul Saengsingkaew, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, said insurgents launched the string of attacks in retaliation against the authorities for changing their tactics to fight the unrest, Gen. Chidchai reported.

Speaking about the news that the insurgents involved in the series of attacks yesterday crossed the border from Malaysia, Gen. Chidchai said that insurgents seized the opportunity to stage the attacks by catching the authorities off their guard.

He conceded that the insurgents are still active in some local areas and said that the officials are trying to tackle this problem by adopting an proactive approach.

"But it isn't easy to solve the problem," he said.

"We could arrest the key leaders who were involved in the attacks yesterday, Gen. Chidchai said. "Because the work of the authorities is now much better. The situation in the deep south is improving and it won't affect the election."

Gen. Chidchai said that "people turned up to vote in the last election although the violence was more severe than what is happening now. We can better control it now. There was more damage in the past."

Asked why there were more schools set ablaze this time, Gen. Chidchai said "there were 30 schools set on fire in the series of attacks in the past. This time, it wasn't that bad, but more details about the damages need to be checked first."

He said that this time mobile phone signal towers were the targets of suspected insurgents because they were vulnerable and attackers wanted to cause turmoil. (TNA)-E004

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Date : 03/03/2006 To 29/04/2006
Place : Cha-am, Phetchaburi
At the 9 th Thailand International Kite Festival, the unique identity of Thai kites and international kites are showcased. The festival will be held at Rama IV Camp, Cha-am, Phetchaburi Province during 11-15 March 2006.

9th THAILAND INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL
MARCH 11 - 15, 2006. At Rama IV Camp, Cha-am, Phetchaburi

THAILAND ANNUAL KITE FESTIVAL
MARCH 14 - 15, 2006. At Sanam Luang (Royal Field)

At the 9 th Thailand International Kite Festival, the unique identity of Thai kites and international kites are showcased. The festival will be held at Rama IV Camp, Cha-am, Phetchaburi Province during 11-15 March 2006.

Special highlights

“Mega Moon Kite” The world biggest kite from Japan.
“Banner Art Kite, “Giant Flower forms kite” ,“Giant Octopus kite”, “Giant Fish kite”, “Ghost Deltas kite” ,“Devil kites”, “Giant Geko kite”, “Sky Ribbons kite” from United States
Displays and demonstrations of Thai kites from the 4 regions and demonstrations of Chula and Pakpao kites.
An international showcase of kites from Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Newzealand, Australia, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Sweden, Korea and Singapore, featuring exhibits, demonstrations and displays.
Sales of local products and handicrafts promoted under the OTOP (One Tambon One Product)

For more details, please contact:
TAT Central Region Office: Area 2 (Phetchaburi)
Tel: +66 (0) 3247 1005, (0) 3247 1006
Fax: +66 (0) 3247 1502

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Thai democracy at another cross-road

By Peter Janssen

Bangkok (dpa) - On the face of it, Thailand's current political showdown makes no sense.

On the one hand you have an elected prime minister, whose party last year won an overwhelming mandate from the Thai people, being pressured by self-proclaimed champions of democracy to resign and pave the way for an appointed government.

On the other, you have Thailand's oldest political party, the Democrat Party - former overthrowers of military dictatorships and die-hard proponents of the democratic process - leading a boycott of the upcoming April 2 snap election.

What could be more democratic than a general election?

Abhisit Vejjajiva, the young leader of the 60-year-old Democrat Party, has been hard-pressed to explain why his party and two other opposition parties - Chat Thai and Mahachon - have decided to boycott a snap election called by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on February 24 when the premier also dissolved parliament.

Thaksin's decision to seek a fresh mandate from the people was in response to mass demonstrations against his premiership that have gained widespread support, at least in Bangkok, since his family's sale of the clan-owned Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings, an investment arm of the Singapore government.

The January 23 Shin Corp sale outraged many Thais because the 1.9 billion dollar transaction was finessed in such a way as to be tax free and because it amounted to handing over several sensitive industries in telecommunications, aviation and media to a foreign entity.

Another anti-Thaksin protest, organized by the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy, is scheduled for March 5, aiming at forcing him to resign to allow Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej to appoint a new premier and caretaker government.

While the opposition parties have vowed to stay away from the Sunday rally, by boycotting the April 2 polls they have effectively allied themselves to people power and renounced parliamentary procedure.

Asked at a recent press conference whether he wanted to go down in history as the Democrat Party leader who supported Philippines' style democracy in Thailand, Abhisit responded, "The reason some people are taking to the streets is because they have no where else to turn to."

Abhisit blames the current crisis on one man - Thaksin. "Was the problem in the Philippines under (President Ferdinand) Marcos, or the problem now in Thailand under Thaksin, the fault of the people in the streets or the fault of Marcos and Thaksin?" he asked rhetorically.

Those are strange statements from a good parliamentarian, but Thailand's democratic system has arguably entered a strange phase after five years of Thaksin rule.

Thaksin, a former police officer turned billionaire businessman turned prime minister, has brought two new factors to Thailand's political scene, namely his immense personal wealth and his populist policies that have secured him a huge electoral mandate from Thailand's rural and urban poor.

Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party, campaigning on a host of populist promises to deliver cheap health care, debt-write-offs for farmers and village development funds, won the January 2001 general election with the highest majority in parliament in Thai history.

In the February 2005 polls, after delivering on many of the promises made four years earlier, the TRT won 377 out of 500 contested seats, allowing them to form Thailand's first single-party government in Thai history.

With his people's mandate and personal wealth, one thing Thaksin achieved in his first term was the undermining of nearly all the checks and balances put in place by Thailand's very liberal 1997 constitution to counter the growing power it granted elected politicians.

The 1997 constitution was written in the aftermath of Thailand's last political crisis of May 1992, when street demonstrations in Bangkok led to the toppling of the premiership of Army General Suchinda Kraprayoon and the curtailment of the military's involvement in politics.

The new constitution, aimed at bolstering elected politicians over appointed military men, failed to foresee the rise of Thaksin.

"Thaksin has a very limited view of democracy," said Sunai Pasuk, Thailand representative for Human Rights Watch. "For him it is only about electoral victory, which he thinks gives him a mandate to do everything.

"Thaksin has caused so much damage to the democratic process in Thailand, to the principles, the institutions, to the point that when he came back to power last year for his second term there were no checks and balances left," said Sunai.

Thailand's lack of constraints on their populist premier was last demonstrated on February 16 when the Constitutional Court rejected a petition by 27 Thai Senators to investigate Thaksin for shady dealings in his family sale of Shin Corp.

Had the court accepted the case the Thai people may not have turned out on the streets.

"The usual ways don't work," said Sulak Sivalak, renowned social critic and one of the people who will join the anti-Thaksin protests on Sunday. "Parliament is controlled by one man and he controls almost everything so we will use people power to force him out."

A step backwards for the democratic process? "A step backwards in order to step forward," said Sulak. "Why not?"

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Tourists unfazed by political protest

Thailand's ongoing political tension has not yet affected the country’s tourism since hotel occupations and airplane ticket reserves remain booked at a normal level, according to an industry executive.

Vijit na Ranong, President of the Tourism Industry Council of Thailand, said that he viewed the current political situation had dampened tourism climate in some sections of the city because it is a centre of rallies for a demand of political change.

However, the hotel occupations and airplane ticket reserves for various tourist destinations are still booked at a normal level.

There has been no known cancellation of flight or hotel room reservation by tourists.

Still, some government officials had definitely postponed plans to hold meetings, and cancelled or pushed back reservations for hotel and seminar rooms following the dissolution of the House Representatives on February 24, he said.

Mr. Vijit conceded hotel room reserves are likely to drop slightly if the political turmoil drags on since tourists might wait to see when the situation would ease.

Organisers of international conferences may hesitate to choose Thailand as a venue for meetings since they give a priority to the safety.

He said the local tourism would be definitely affected if the political situation escalated into violence and led to riots.

So, he wanted officials concerned to give tourists proper understanding of the current political development to ease their concern.

Anyhow, he said he was confident the country’s tourism this year would grow 10 per cent year on year as earlier targeted with money circulation exceeding 400 billion baht

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Thaksin draws a huge crowd of 100,000

At least 100,000 Bangkokians turned out Friday evening at a rally at Sanam Luang designed to show support and give Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra a chance to justify recent political moves.

The crowds overflowed the Sanam Luang area. Officials set up huge TV screens at three nearby locations, including Democracy Monument. An opposition rally demanding that Mr Thaksin resign was held last week at Sanam Luang, but tonight's crowd appeared to beat the anti-Thaksin rally.

The opposition will have another chance on Sunday, their deadline for Mr Thaksin's resignation. The Prime Minister is not about to quit, however, and for now it is unknown what moves the opposition may take.

The main opposition political parties are boycotting the snap election called by Mr Thaksin for April 2. He has asked them to register, but they will not.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 3 March 2006 :-

Thaksin draws a huge crowd of 100,000

At least 100,000 Bangkokians turned out Friday evening at a rally at Sanam Luang designed to show support and give Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra a chance to justify recent political moves.

The crowds overflowed the Sanam Luang area. Officials set up huge TV screens at three nearby locations, including Democracy Monument. An opposition rally demanding that Mr Thaksin resign was held last week at Sanam Luang, but tonight's crowd appeared to beat the anti-Thaksin rally.

The opposition will have another chance on Sunday, their deadline for Mr Thaksin's resignation. The Prime Minister is not about to quit, however, and for now it is unknown what moves the opposition may take.

The main opposition political parties are boycotting the snap election called by Mr Thaksin for April 2. He has asked them to register, but they will not.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 4 March 2006 :-

200,000 steadfast supporters

Tens of thousands of what appeared to be efficient and well-organised crowds arrived in caravans of buses and squeezed into Sanam Luang yesterday to give Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra his much-needed morale boost.

The crowds quickly formed lines after getting off the buses and chanted ''Thaksin, Fight!'' as they followed group leaders to pre-assigned spots.

They received national flags, dutifully tied headbands saying, ''To Thaksin and Co'' and put up cloth banners emblazoned with the name of the province or the group they belonged to or messages in support of Mr Thaksin.

They were from various central provinces, including Ratchaburi, Samut Sakhon, Ayutthaya, Ang Thong and Nonthaburi.

Some of the crowds travelled from afar. Ten train carriages were chartered from Phrae.

The crowds were told to return to the spots where they were dropped off after the rally. The buses headed off to park near Phra Pinklao bridge and neighbouring areas, paralysing traffic.

Boon Chaichana, 56, from Nakhon Ratchasima, said she came with a caravan of nine buses and that there was enough food and drink to make sure that no one would go hungry.

Trairat Songnam, 37, from Uthai Thani, said there were 17 buses in his caravan. The participants were provided with food, drink and 150 baht in pocket money each.

It was reported that the crowds were paid 300-500 baht, much less than urban residents who gave Mr Thaksin moral support at Government House last month.

The venue became a sea of orange when thousands of motorcycle taxi drivers, wearing orange vests, rode in formation.

The taxi motorcyclists, wearing headbands ''To Thaksin and Co'' and waving flags, gathered at the Royal Plaza before moving to Sanam Luang.

Nanthasat Ngamsiri, from Suthisarn area, said he joined the rally after seeing a leaflet and was not paid anything.

Filling Sanam Luang, which can accommodate 200,000 people, was not too much of a stretch for Thai Rak Thai members and party canvassers.

The government promotional fair called ''From Grassroots to Taproots'' at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani is being visited by 100,000 people a day, most of whom are bussed in from the provinces.

Ten large-screen projectors were put up at Sanam Luang and several at Ratchadamnoen avenue.

As tens of thousands roared in delight when Thai Rak Thai figures took the stage, over a dozen people from the People's Alliance for Democracy continued to camp out, separated from the crowd by steel barriers.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 4 March 2006 :-

PM's rally designed to a fault

Judging from its arrangements, feng shui appears to have featured prominently in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's organisation of the gathering in support of himself yesterday at Sanam Luang.

Take the main stage. It was placed on the opposite side of the park to that where his nemesis Sondhi Limthongkul and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) had staged their own anti-Thaksin really earlier this week. On the other hand, the pro-Thaksin camp had been able to mobilise about twice as many people.

Then consider the colours. Thaksin's stage was painted blue, while his antagonists' was predominantly yellow. All of Thaksin's crew, speakers as well as Cabinet members and MPs, wore white shirts and black trousers or skirts.

Tied to each end of the stage was an orange-and-green balloon, probably also according to feng shui principles.

His opponents had used yellow pieces of cotton with the words "Restoration of the nation" printed on them, while members of Thaksin's crowd sported larger pieces of paper or stickers with "Love Thaksin, vote Thai Rak Thai" emblazoned on them.

Both sides had student representatives on stage and an undertone of religiosity.

Where political veteran Chamlong Srimuang brought monks from the Santi Asok Buddhist sect to the anti-Thaksin rally, last night's event saw followers of the Dhammakaya religious centre passing out free food and water to participants.

Thaksin's supporters arrived in a uniform manner, and just about all of them had a paper national flag in their hands. Some were carrying placards in praise of the embattled prime minister; most were cheering and shouting agreement to just about anything he said, including self-criticism.

A person with a microphone in his hand was in charge of ensuring that people behaved in an orderly fashion. They wore "I love Thaksin" headbands. Individually, each subgroup resembled a group of mainland Chinese tourists milling through the Bangkok International Airport.

In accordance with their uniforms, participants gave uniform answers. "We've come here because we love Thaksin," said many of those asked by The Nation.

An elderly man slipped up and pointed to his village chief, indicating the man responsible for making him come here. He then thought better of it and declared suddenly: "No, no one brought us here or paid us to come here. We all came on our own at our own expense."

One man, reeking of alcohol, complained that he had only been paid Bt200, although his meal and transportation had been free.

About half of the participants at yesterday's event appeared to have come from the provinces, from all four corners of the country. Out-of-town busses and vans cluttered the streets of Bangkok and choked entry points to the capital.

Unlike the anti-Thaksin coalition whose slogan is "Thaksin get out!", yesterday's participants roared their support: "Thaksin, fight, fight!"

The prime minister himself shouted the line shortly after taking the stage.

Where Sondhi relied on his TV crew, Thaksin hired a professional team from VS Service Film and Studio to oversee the broadcast of yesterday's event.


Kamol Sukin
The Nation

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 4 March 2006 :-

New five-star resort set for operations in Chiang Mai

Meritus Hotels & Resorts will welcome guests for the first time to Chiang Mai on August 9 with the opening of Meritus Chiang Mai Riverside Spa Resort, a luxurious five-star resort just 15 minutes from the city's airport.

The 74 rooms and suites, surrounded by 10 acres of landscaped garden, is built in the heart of the city on the bank of the Ping River and close to the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar and the recently opened Night Safari.

The architecture and interior decor is designed to reflect the unique Lanna heritage and culture, offering guests tranquillity in a lush environment.

Equipped with all the features expected of a modern five-star resort, rooms include flat-screen plasma television, broadband Internet access and bathrooms overlooking the landscaped garden.

Along with a choice of the finest Asian and Western cuisine served both indoors and out, the hotel's leisure facilities include an outdoor swimming pool with sunken bar, fitness centre and spa with private treatment suites. Golf, white-water rafting, elephant trekking, hot springs and many more activities are available close by.

The pre-opening rate for Meritus Chiang Mai Riverside Spa Resort Thailand, available from August 9 to October 31, starts from US$250 (Bt9,700) per room per night, excluding tax. For further information, visit www.meritus-hotels.com.