The old guy who promised he would never stage a coup and did, promises he will never interfere with a parliament debate, and might.
Hello world and other solar regions, it's February 16, the dawn of a new day.
THAILAND POLITICS
Prayut assures debate won't be sabotaged
Debate has turned into a barn-burning no-confidence session
Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted the government remains firmly united and that it will not be subject to sabotage in a two-day general debate starting on Thursday.
Prayut said there are no "moles" bent on breaking the government up.
He was responding to media questions over concerns made by some that the government may be vulnerable to a possible attack during the debate.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2264691/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2262983/
The steely minded opposition Pheu Thai Party, Prayut's main political enemy, has promised to blame Prayut's "Stop & Go" tourism policy for spreading the Chinese coronavirus infections - now back to record levels.
The near-panicked Prayut 'government' has postponed its plan to colled $10 from every single foreign arrival from April Fool's Day until June. Or so.
Pheu Thai spokeslady Treechada Srithada told the press that the debate in parliament will begin with rhetorical fireworks.
She said Test & Go allowed incoming travellers to spread the disease around the kingdom before even a second test result.
It is likely that this charge will not end well for Prayut.
https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/02/15/opposition-targets-test-and-go-entry-scheme/
THAILAND HONK HONK
Junta forced to cut diesel tax in half
Truckers hurting from gobal price surge
Prayut's government agreed on Tuesday to cut the excise tax on diesel by three baht per litre, from the current 5.99 baht, for three months to help ease the impact of high energy prices on the cost of transport and consumer goods.
Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the cabinet had approved halving the price until May 20 as soon as the order is published in the Royal Gazette.
As a result of the reduction, the Excise Department [aka taxman] will lose some 17 billion baht in tax revenue, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said. He added that the cut was another measure to ease the impact of high oil prices on people, in addition to the Oil Fund being used to help cap oil prices at 30 baht a litre.
However, drawing money to subsidise retail prices has already led to a lack of liquidity, Arkhom said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2264559/
THAILAND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Junta puts AI's fate in question
Human rights group faces the boot - on the neck and in the arse
Labour Ministry has power to deny renewal of operating licence
The Labour Ministry says it is considering whether to refuse Amnesty International Thailand a new operating licence after determining the rights group had failed to comply with certain legal requirements.
Boonchob Suthamanaswong, the permanent secretary, yesterday said Amnesty International Thailand had submitted a renewal application with the ministry following the expiry of the old licence on Jan 20. Licence renewals take place every two years. The request will be looked at by a ministry panel tasked with enforcing regulations regarding operating licences granted to international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The panel's job is to ensure NGOs comply with Labour Ministry regulations.
A decision to grant or renew a licence depends on certain criteria, including the organisation not working for profit or being driven by a political agenda that threatens national security, Mr Boonchob said.
PHOTO: The heated issue of Amnesty Internation is now completely political, and involves both the ruling junta and the Thai monarchy.
https://www.thaienquirer.com/36644/royalists-say-theyve-gathered-one-million-signatures-to-call-for-amnesty-international-to-leave/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2264811/
Politics 'returns to normal'
Gunmen killed two and wounded one person in Nakhon Nayok province on Tuesday.
Police are certain the killings were all about politics.
[Report is in Thai]
https://www.komchadluek.net/news/505400
THAILAND ENVIRONMENT OIL SLICKS
Rayong beach billed unsafe
Don't even THINK of swimming here!
Second oil spill 'doubles' damage to Rayong coast
[NOTE: Rayong province is just east of Pattaya]
The seawater around Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong has been contaminated by two recent oil spills and is unsafe for recreational activities, according to the Rayong Pollution Control Centre.
After collecting samples from February 3-4, the centre reported the seawater in two of six areas near the beach in Mueang district had been found to be contaminated with amounts of petroleum hydrocarbon that exceeded the level deemed safe for swimming or other water sports and activities.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2264715/
Covid cases keep on coming
The bad news from Tuesday: 27 more Covid-19 fatalities and 14,373 new cases
This compared with the 26 coronavirus-related fatalities and 14,900 new cases reported on Monday morning.
The 27 new fatalities were between the ages of 39 and 95 years.
PHOTO: A health official takes a nasal swab during mass testing to curb the spread of Covid-19, at IT Plaza in Korat city.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2264411/
Money, money, warplanes...
Thailand's ruling junta is considering a request by the Royal Thai Air Force to splash out on a purchase of eight F-35 stealth jet fighters from the United States, at a cost of US$82 million per airplane - 2.65 billion baht in real money.
The aim is to junk Vietnam war-era F-5s and modernise the Thai squadrons of F-16s, also U.S.-made.
Any F-35 deal will be closely scrutinised and heavily criticised by American and Thai experts.
A Singapore-based academic points out that Thailand's close relations with China will be an important part of any such sale.
The steady decrease of the junta's human-rights policies will also be consideered.
So, too, will be the junta's money supply, running low because of the cost of fighting the Chinese Covid-19 disease for more than two years.
Lack of funds have already forced Thailand to cancel its planned purchase of three used, Chinese submarines.
PHOTO: The F-35 fighter is the world's most advanced combat aircraft - and it comes at a hefty price.
https://fulcrum.sg/will-america-greenlight-the-sale-of-f-35s-to-thailand/
Chinese students continue to pour in
Thai universities continue to profit from students of the Middle Kingdom.
The Chinese Covid-19 pandemic hasn't stopped the influx of aspiring Chinese university students.
But there is increasing concern that Thailand is getting "second-rate" students who failed the Gaokao exams back home.
That's aside from the always present question of whether each student is looking for a degree in business administaration - or in espionage. Thailand is believed to be home to the largest phalanx of "spies in training" for the Chinese Communist Party.
The money they bring into Thailand is highly welcome.
PHOTO: Real photo posted to Facebook shows students of Huachiew Chalermprakiet University in suburban Bangkok learning to cut, paste and colour inside the lines as they make new year's knick-knacks.
https://fulcrum.sg/chinese-students-in-thailand-cash-cow-at-a-cost/
Singapore hopes to execute two drug traffickers
U.N. says 'tsk-tsk'. So does Amnesty International.
The two men are possibly retarded.
The families of local man Roslan Bakar and Malaysian Pausi Jefridin were informed last week of plans for the executions.
Singapore hasn't executed anyone since November, 2019.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/15/amnesty-appeals-for-singapore-to-halt-executions
Malaysian border 'may open' on March 15
The New Straits Times of Malaysia reports that the Thai junta will "allow" the opening of the Thai-Malaysia land border next month.
Travellers will need to pass two RT-PCR Covid-19 tests – the first upon arrival and the second on the fifth day of their visit.
Thailand closed the border in March of 2020.
Chinese and Germans and Americans (and now Indians) get the headlines as the top tourist nationalities.
Straight fact is that Malaysians always have been the largest number of tourists. And now, a Thai junta guy has ruled that re-opening the land border will attract bazillions of tourists and visitors.
It's an idea so crazy that it just might work.
PHOTO: Thai-Malaysian border, yesterday.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/02/771411/thailand-plans-reopen-malaysia-thai-border-march
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/02/771439/thailands-move-reopen-border-malaysia-catches-many-kelantan-surprise
Vietnam is highly vaccinated. So what?
The Hanoi regime and the Vietnam Communist Party are beaming with pride. They have vaccinated 95% of the country, and the inoculating contines apace.
But being among the world's top most-vaccinated countries has done little-to-nothing to stop Covid-19 infections.
The figures as of Tuesday afternoon:
2.54 million infections, at a current rate of 30,000 new cases per day.
39,037 deaths, at a rate of about 100 deaths per day.
But the "success" of the vaccination rate has done absolutely nothing to increase public support for the government.
The Vietnamese government cannot afford to rest on its laurels as sentiments still remain sour on other aspects of its Covid-19 response.
PHOTO: The Vietnamese public has greeted vaccine campaigns and lockdowns with patience, but questions are being asked about where is the upside?
https://fulcrum.sg/vietnams-high-vaccination-rates-so-what/
CORONAVIRUS MYANMAR DICTATORSHIP
One more thing the Myanmar dictatorship cannot control.
Surge in daily COVID-19 infections caps record week in Myanmar
Sources say a lack of resources has hampered authorities’ ability to control the latest outbreak.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/surge-02142022184254.html
CHINA UIGHURS CONCENTRATION CAMPS
Uighur torchbearer for 2008 Beijing Olympics serving 14-year sentence in Xinjiang
A Uighur woman picked by the Communist Party of China as a torch-bearer for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Beijing is serving a 14-year jail sentence for watching counter-revolutionary videos.
China currently holds 1.8 million Uighurs and other Turkic minorities in a network of concentration and detention camps in Xinjiang since 2017.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/adil-abdurehim-02112022170759.html
Thailand junta talks Covid business
Thailand is on notice that starting in two weeks, most people will have to dig into their pockets at even the slightest sign oif Covid-19 infection.
The junta finally announced the maximum lump sum payments for the treatment of Covid-19 patients with no or mild symptoms.
Dr Jadet Thammathat-aree, secretary-general of the National Health Security Office, said on Tuesday that payment was set at 6,000 baht per case for treatment lasting 1-6 days and 12,000 baht for a treatment period of seven days and longer.
If Mummy brings you your meals, payment would be 4,000 and 8,000 baht respectively.
The ministry has already advised people who self-diagnose as "mild" Covid should isolate themselves at home.
THAILAND VACCINATION
The ministry of public health counted 207,281 anti-Covid-19 vaccinations on Tuesday, mostly booster shots.
The tweet that launched a thousand goons....
This real-life anti-freedom campaign by the Canadian Bullshittin' Company needs explanation, and historical corrections.
For starters:
In 86 years, the CBC has never, ever allowed, encouraged or permitted commentators to speak positively of
Freedom of speech
Freedom of action
Freedom of protest
Freedom of independent thought
Freedom of residence
Freedom of movement
Bear in mind that the CBC was the single national voice that encouraged concentration camps, and demanded that all "real" Canadians should support the Canadian government's campaign to shackle, torture and "assign living areas" for fellow Canadians who had never commited a crime and never would.
The CBC has always been a government mouthpiece that stomped and strangled all non-government thought. It's amusing that the Toronto-controlled outlet has discovered yet another reason to insist that all citizens must obey government Authority.
The CBC for 86 years has provided highly popular, appreciated moments such as hockey broadcasts, musical concerts, live coverage of English coronations and the like, so, pretty much identical to Radio Moscow.
And not just the CBC. It should be remembered that the Canadian government is the only government that compels citizens to speak and write in "permitted" ways.
