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The English-language newspapers have a circulation of about 100,000 total. Ever wonder what is in the Thai-language papers with individual circulations of 500,000 to 1,700,000?
Past headlines
It has became chaotic for the case of Mr. Alongkorn Polabutr, Petchaburi MP (Democrat Party) who said that one relative of the PM was involved with bribes from Mr. Latapon Ketkothin, chairperson of Lutferthai Company, Ltd, who was to receive the car park construction contract at Suwanapoom Airport.
Mr. Alongkorn came forward to reveal information investigating corruption of the car park construction at Nong-ngoo Hao Airport (Suwanapoom Airport), but TRT MPs considered that Mr. Alongkorn intended to discredit the PM and slander the PM’s relatives--one who is a woman that may not be involved.
This is like a novel that has many actors and many sides including Mr. Alongkorn and the Democrat Party MPs that fight with TRT (the PM’s party), police that accept the charge, and newspapers accused by the state of distributing the news to the public. The PM’s relative did not tell the truth and Mr. Latapon, who is the key person, did not appear to confess is the truth.
Actually this complex novel is one part of the corruption problem that destroys Thailand's image and it reflects the failure of the system that is corrupt. The evidence from each side cannot be judged as to who is correct, who got the bribe, and no independent organizations or ministers investigated.
The opposition politician do their job by checking that the government is truthful and transparent, but in the meantime, the government politicians just come out to counter, and people who get information from the mass media continuously may have a headache and do not know who to believe.
Finally we will see the politicians prosecute each other in a mess and newspapers as defendants and accused by the government. They are just doing the job honestly and want to see truth and transparency in Thai society.
This case is a precedent that there is no organization that can quash corruption successfully. The investigation only comes from the opposition party. Also that when the mass media does their duty by reporting they take abuse for doing their job.
Editorial: Prevent is better than mending - translated and summarized from Matichon, July 27, 2005
After practicing tsunami evacuations many times in the six Andaman provinces, it went into actual practice late on the night of July 24. Mr. Plodprasob Surasawadee, director of the National Warning Disaster, specified there was an earthquake in the Nicobar Islands and asked people to move to safe places, but there was no tsunami.
The warning to people this time is regarded as effective because it is fast and serious at about the time of nearly midnight when people slept and could panic. This warning may upset both Thais and foreigners, but it is common and it is not correct to blame the authorities who make the warning. It is regarded as lucky to people that still survive because if the tsunami came, no one would have complained.
It is known that it is still difficult to make an advance forecast for tsunami warnings from earthquake. Anyway, the geology scientist [Mr. Plodprasob] did the good job. Not only Thailand, but also CNN reported the news around the world.
No carelessness calls to mind that humans must behave carefully. People sometimes do not know about natural disasters and when info exists, although well prepared, we still not heed the danger. So we should have optimism about earthquake warning in Nicobar and think it is a test for all authorities, social organizations, local administrative organizations, the mass media and people in six Andaman provinces. This should be an evaluation of weak points or deficiencies. At the same time, we need to improve the instruments to be accurate in early warning including coordinating disaster warning organizations with other countries, otherwise what they drills or actual warnings might not be as successful as it should be.
Editorial: 'Go to the right way' - translated and summarized from Thairath, July 25, 2005
The editor said there are three criticisms with the emergency decree. The first is worrying for over power that effects the rights and freedom of innocent people because officers are amnestied in advance. The second is wondering whether some parts of the decree are opposed to the constitution. The last issue is--can the decree actually solve the southern problem?
Mr. Anan Panyarachun of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), criticizes that the decree is opposite to the reconciliation principles because this decree supports using violence to solve problems in the three southern border provinces. He also worried that the culture of using violence is rooted in Thai ways and has become innate.
Actually, the government and government officials have power to implement keeping the peace, because of martial law in the three southern provinces. However, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth proved that violence cannot help, but makes it worse.
The vital obstacle for solving problems in the south is not because officials or the government does not have absolute power to deal with the terrorists. The point is how much they (government and officials) appreciate the King’s speech “Access, Understand and Develop” and whether they use the power by law in the right way? Do they use excessive power?
He believes that Thai people give moral support to the government for success in reviving the peace. If this decree make the government successful, it is good, but if not, there will have more voices demanding the government be responsible. But experience inside and outside the country proves that violence only cannot quench violence. It leads to more violence such as with the USA and Iraq.
Thais also had a lesson fighting with the Communist party and finally they used reconciliation.
So, in solving the situation in the south, we just hope the government will go to the right way finally.
