Category: The Bangkok Post

Re: “Biology lesson”, (PostBag, Oct 16).

Half an apology (or swallowing half a pill) is better than none, so kudos to Ray Ban.

Ray Ban tells us some of the new “greenery” recorded from space, as in the deserts of China and India, is due to the “deliberate planting of large areas of trees” and the “Sahara, Kalahari, Simpson and Gobi deserts, among many others, continue to expand in area, due in part to the global warming caused by man-made carbon dioxide.”

There is no man-made global warming crisis; this is abundantly clear. China’s massive “green wall” project in the Sahel reportedly had up to 80 % tree mortality when irrigation support ended.

Studies using NDVI and remote sensing found the Gobi Desert underwent a contraction between 2000 and 2012, attributed to increased precipitation and CO2-driven greening. Land use management (overgrazing, deforestation, irrigation, soil degradation) and rainfall remain the principal drivers of desertification.

Lastly, Ray Ban advises using Google despite their algorithms which are designed to drive the vaccine and climate change narratives. Anything which does not use the Google search engine is a better choice.

Michael Setter

That’s a big leap

Re: “Living room horror”, (PostBag, Oct 16).

Jason Jellison seems to have had more than his fair share of interactions with people acting badly under the influence of drugs, so it is perhaps not surprising that he is so supportive of ex-PM Thaksin’s “amateur” but lethal war on drugs in 2003.

No doubt he might feel the same way about ex-president Duterte’s record of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects during his 2016-2022 hold on power in the Philippines. One could also reasonably presume that he believes the President of the United States, Donald Trump, whom Mr Jellison affectionately refers to as “my president”, is justified in blowing up suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and killing Venezuelan and Colombian nationals.

Luckily for the two addled youths who broke into his home, Khun Jason’s somewhat intriguing approach of “self defence” and talking to their parents was admirably restrained and resolved the incident.

When, however, he can describe those two Thai teenagers as the embodiment of “mind-bending, narcotic evil”, one has to ask how easily the outcome might have been very different, given his casual acceptance of summary execution for anyone even suspected of drug use, if there had been a firearm to hand.

Ray Ban

Let’s debate it

Re: “Biology lesson” and “Living room horror” (BP, Oct 16).

The letter titled “Living room horror”, reflects critical thinking is in short supply. It is not surprising that Jason A Jellison yet again jumps from a single personal anecdote to the claim that Thaksin Shinawatra’s murderous war on drugs was a good thing.

More interesting is Ray Ban’s thoughtful letter “Biology lesion” reply to Anna Aarts, who has correctly pointed out that higher CO2 levels are good for plant life. The evidence shows this to be true. During the carboniferous era some 350 to 300 million years ago, CO2 levels were several times higher than they are today.

It is also a fact that our planet is warming rapidly and there is no reason to doubt the expert consensus that humankind has been a major contributor.

The response to claims that human activity is driving global warming should indeed be debated. Are carbon taxes the way to go? Should we switch as rapidly as possible to sustainable energy sources? Should we look to geo-engineering on a massive scale?

Or is another response more likely to avert, or at this late stage ameliorate, what is well underway? This is what should be debated, not the basic fact that our species’ acts are today the primary driver of the warming planet and resulting climate change that we are accurately measuring from year to year.

A half-hearted spring-cleaning session at home during the week came to a welcome halt when I unearthed a couple of my father’s wartime RAF books under a pile of disintegrating paperbacks. The Air Ministry books, published more than 80 years ago, always serve as a reminder of when as a kid I made a faux pas of embarrassing proportions.

After the war, in the late 1950s my parents took part in an exchange programme in which German students were placed with British families at my home town of Reading in a bid to heal the cultural wounds. We had this very pleasant young German student called Jurgen from Bielefeld, which had been heavily bombed during the war. As none of our family knew a word of the German language, conversation was a bit on the thin side and his most frequent expression in English was “I’m sorry, I don’t understand”. a bit like me in Thailand.

One evening my mum suggested I show Jurgen my favourite books. So I had a sniff around in my bedroom and frankly there was not much to choose from. In retrospect I should have selected some of the bland football tomes.

Instead, I returned downstairs to proudly present my dad’s RAF wartime books full of photographs of German fighters and bombers being shot down and cities being bombed, with jingoistic captions. My mum was horrified. I was too young to realise I had really put my foot in it, although Jurgen didn’t complain and actually took quite an interest in the wartime photographs.

For my contribution to improving Anglo-German relations, I earned a severe reprimand from my mum. I wasn’t destined for a diplomatic career.

Flower girl

The following year we hosted another German student called Rosvita and I was instructed by mother in no uncertain terms to stay away from any wartime books. She was a lovely girl and even helped out with the housework. I was assigned to take Rosvita out on bicycle rides in the nearby Chiltern Hills which was good fun. We invariably returned with large bundles of wild flowers and by the time Rosvita left, our house was resembling a florist.

The dog rescuer

Considering the canine mugshot for this column ‘s printed edition of the Bangkok Post it’s about time we had a couple of doggy tales.

Verity Cattanach Poole is an English woman who for the past 17 years has been running a dog rescue centre with her Thai husband Thep in Bang Saphan, Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Bang Saphan is about 80km south of Prachuap provincial town.

The Headrock Dogs Rescue has been a successful venture but at the age of 77, Verity is ready to hand over to a younger generation with the required verve and energy to look after the abused and neglected street dogs.

Verity has posted her situation on Facebook and although she has received a positive response, as yet no one has been willing to take on the workload.

Rewarding experience

Verity currently looks after 60 dogs at the centre and another 60 at the local temple. She admits on her website it is not easy work, saying, “This isn’t just a job, it’s a commitment to a life of purpose”. She adds: “It’s hard work with long hours, and it can be heartbreaking at times, but the rewards are immense.”

She says that anyone taking over should have an “unwavering passion for the welfare of dogs”.

Verity can be contacted at Tel: 089-0283-787 and email: headrockdogrescue@gmail.com. There is a video on the centre at headrockdogs.org/our-takeover.

Miracle

It’s amazing what rescue dogs can achieve if they are looked after. Readers may recall the extraordinary tale from a decade ago when a Thai dog that was rescued by the Soi Dog Foundation went on to win an award at the prestigious Crufts show in London.

The dog had been crammed on a truck in the Northeast with hundreds of other strays, destined for the cooking pots of Vietnam. A harrowing photograph of these poor creatures aboard the intercepted truck went around the world.

Among those deeply moved by the photo was a Scottish lady, Amanda Leask, from Inverness. She was particularly struck by one dog that looked in a wretched state. Amanda adopted the dog which became a great companion for her son Kyle, who suffered from cerebral palsy and autism. She named the dog Miracle and the former stray and her son became true soulmates.

In 2015 Miracle won the Friends For Life award at Crufts and the RSPCA Animal Hero Award.

Nipper

I should mention here Nipper, a fox terrier which for many years was the most recognisable dog in the world. Nipper’s story began in 1899 when English artist Francis Barraud borrowed a record machine from the Gramophone Company so he could paint his pet, Nipper, listening to it.

The company was so impressed by the resulting painting entitled His Master’s Voice that they adopted it as their trademark. The company moved to the US and the familiar image of Nipper sitting listening to the old gramophone became recognisable worldwide as the symbol of Radio Corporation of America.

Nipper earned his name for his habit of nipping the legs of visitors he didn’t like. I know a few hounds like that on my soi.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt says the underground railway tunnel beneath the collapsed Samsen Road is stable, denying claims the structure is moving.

Speaking on a Facebook livestream on Saturday, he said the claims may stem from miscommunication. The road collapsed near the entrance to Vajira Hospital on Samsen Road on Sept 24.

He said structures near the sinkhole, including the Samsen police station building and road surface nearby, remain stable with little to no movement or surface expansion. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has obtained a measurement device and is working around the clock. Regarding road surface repairs, Mr Chadchart said workers had levelled at least 9,400 cubic metres (m³) of sand, carried on at least 900 lorries, to reinforce the underground structure.

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand’s (MRTA) contractor had done grouting work, applying a mixture of cement and hardener, around the tunnel. Workers will level 3,500 m³ of crushed stone in the next couple of days before placing metal sheets on the road surface to help with the Samsen station building removal.

That work will take seven days. The station will be rebuilt at the same spot. However, plans to reopen Samsen Road are still unclear, as this must be done with work on the electric railway tunnel to ensure road user safety.

On Friday, MRTA said its civil engineering contractor is working on soil quality improvement to strengthen those around the sinkhole. The MRTA said the contractor plans to level crushed stone in the area while working on reopening Vajira Hospital’s entrance.

Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow acknowledges the proposed Thailand-Cambodia Relations Declaration, aimed at restoring peace and strengthening bilateral ties, remains vague.

Speaking in an interview released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, following four-party consultations in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, Mr Sihasak said that while Thailand and Cambodia had agreed in principle on key issues, many details still need to be discussed. They would be raised at the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting on Monday.

The declaration, discussed during meetings involving Cambodia, Malaysia, the United States, and Thailand, outlines cooperation in four main areas that Thailand has proposed to Cambodia: troop withdrawal, joint demining, tackling transnational crimes, and peaceful resolution of territorial disputes.

Mr Sihasak said the current draft remained ‘at the principle level’ and lacked specific implementation measures.

Malaysia and the United States hoped the declaration could be signed during the Asean Summit from Oct 26 to 28 in Kuala Lumpur, which President Trump is expected to attend.

Yet Thailand insisted that a detailed working plan must be developed before any signing takes place, he said.

Mr Sihasak also disclosed that Cambodia wanted Thailand to release 18 Cambodians captured during the conflict. Thailand, however, insisted that Cambodia make progress on the four key areas first.

‘We want to build trust with Cambodia, but actions must follow the framework,’ he said.

The GBC meeting would focus on ensuring both sides adhere to the agreement in practice. ‘If we lack these details, the declaration will remain just words on paper,’ he cautioned.

The government has dismissed as fake news a report claiming that South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok possesses a list of seven Thai politicians allegedly behind scam operations in Cambodia.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said on Sunday that a news agency had circulated the false claim, which alleged that the South Korean prime minister had identified seven Thai politicians connected to scam centres in Cambodia.

He said the South Korean embassy in Thailand confirmed the report was untrue.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also addressed the issue on Sunday, saying he had spoken by phone with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Oct 16, and the topic was never mentioned. He affirmed that Thailand is actively cooperating with international partners to combat transnational scams.

When asked about reports linking Prince International Co to Sino-Thai Tower, Mr Anutin declined to comment.

Recently, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc (Stecon) – founded by Mr Anutin’s father – clarified that its subsidiary, HTR Co, manages Sino-Thai Tower and leases its premises lawfully. Prince International Co, it said, rents the 7th floor from October 2023 to September 2026 for a real estate brokerage business, and has denied any involvement in fraud or corruption.

A Cambodian man was arrested in the eastern province of Chanthaburi on Sunday morning for allegedly robbing a gold shop of gold ornaments worth about 1.6 million baht in Samut Prakan province on Saturday.

According to police, immigration police arrested Ouch Yong, 31, at the Ban Laem market in Pong Nam Ron district near the Thai-Cambodian border at 9am on Sunday. Police suspected him of planning to cross the border from Chanthaburi to his homeland.

The Cambodian man is a native of Banteay Meanchey province. Police identified him as the suspected robber who used a ping-pong bomb at Lotus’s City Park shopping centre and robbed a gold shop there in Bang Sao Thong district, Samut Prakan, on Saturday afternoon.

However, while escaping the mall the man reportedly dropped all the gold necklaces – worth about 1.6 million baht – that he had stolen.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has signed an order establishing a committee to drive policy on electric train fare reform, aimed at easing the cost of living. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has been appointed chair.

The directive, signed by the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday, tasks the committee with devising strategies for fare structures. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas will serve as vice-chair.

Members include the permanent secretaries of the transport, finance, and interior ministries; the secretaries-general of the Council of State and the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC); the Budget Bureau director; the attorney-general; and the heads of key state transport agencies including the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). The Department of Rail Transport will serve as secretariat.

The committee’s formation follows the government’s policy declaration to parliament on Sept 29, which prioritised reducing daily expenses such as public transport and toll fees to boost household purchasing power. The cabinet subsequently resolved on 30 September to have the Transport Ministry establish a working body.

The panel will study the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the 20-baht flat fare policy across all electric train lines. It will also develop long-term frameworks to ensure sustainability and minimise fiscal burdens.

Responsibilities include drafting policy frameworks and fare structures, considering the integrated management of electric train systems under a single ownership model to improve coordination, and reviewing concession and joint-investment contracts.

The first meeting is due on Oct 29, when members will discuss strategies for policy rollout and long-term system management under the single ownership framework.

Mr Phiphat stated the panel aims to finalise a clear direction for new fare structures early next year.

“We aim to conclude the study by the end of January so the public can benefit as soon as possible,” Mr Phiphat said, adding that similar principles will be applied to bus fare reform.

The current 20-baht flat fare scheme for the Red and Purple Line trains is due to expire on Nov 30. Mr Phiphat confirmed the policy will be extended, and revised to improve efficiency.

A group of 162 illegal migrant workers from Myanmar has been arrested on Sunday while they were waiting in a forest in Thong Pha Phum district for transport to promised jobs in Thai provinces and Malaysia.

The provincial governor, Athisarn Intra, was informed at 9.30am that the illegal workers were hiding in the forested area in tambon Tha Khanun. They were reportedly Myanmar nationals who sneaked into the kingdom.

A Thong Pha Phum special task force acting on the information found the large group of 162 people, who all surrendered to the authorities peacefully.

There were 94 men, 57 women and 11 boys and girls aged between 15-18.

Initial questioning through an interpreter revealed the group had entered Thailand via natural border routes in Sangkhla Buri district. They evaded checkpoints and travelled by boat, disembarking in Thong Pha Phum district.

From there, a driver took them in batches to wait in the forest, instructing them to wait for five more hours for another vehicle that would take them into the city.

The workers said they paid brokers between 20,000 and 24,000 baht for the transportation to promised jobs in Samut Sakhon, Bangkok, Chon Buri, Ayutthaya and Songkhla. Some hoped to cross the border into Malaysia.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to cracking down on scam operations, declaring the issue no longer merely a national concern but a pressing regional and global agenda item.

He stressed that Thailand must actively contribute to international efforts to suppress scam syndicates ‘by every possible means and in all forms’.

In just the first week of his administration, authorities have made big progress, he said. The Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society had arrested 37 individuals linked to scam networks, Mr Anutin said.

The prime minister also added the first meeting of the committee on the prevention and suppression of technology-related crime would be held on Monday, where state agencies would be assigned specific responsibilities to build on existing efforts.

Responding to online rumours that South Korea would name seven Thai politicians with alleged links to Cambodian scam syndicates, Mr Anutin said the Foreign Ministry was verifying the facts and pledged prosecution if evidence emerged.

‘If there is evidence of illegal activity, prosecution will follow. There will be no exceptions,’ he said.

The South Korean embassy in Thailand on Sunday rejected the reports, which claimed the South Korean Prime Minister had revealed the names of Thai politicians involved with call centre gangs operating in Cambodia.

The issue of Cambodian scams has attracted widespread attention in the past week, including from South Korea and the United States.

‘This report is not true. The embassy will take appropriate action in response to this fake news,’ its statement read.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat also dismissed the claim as false. He said the Thai Embassy in Seoul had verified the matter and found no basis for the allegations.

‘There has been no statement or official source from the South Korean government providing such information,’ he said.

Mr Siripong said the suppression of scam syndicates and transnational crime is one of the government’s four most urgent policy priorities, as declared before Parliament. The law, he said, will be enforced rigorously and without exception.

Meanwhile, former politician Chuvit Kamolvisit urged Mr Anutin to elevate the fight against scams to ‘national agenda’ status, criticising what he described as the current ‘silent agenda’.

Mr Chuvit warned that failure to act decisively could undermine public trust and erode political support for the administration in future elections.

Thailand and Laos are set to inaugurate the Fifth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in December, marking a new milestone in regional transport and economic cooperation.

The countries are also moving forward with building a new Mekong railway bridge linking Thailand’s Nong Khai high-speed link to the Laos-China Railway.

The new friendship bridge, connecting Bueng Kan province in Thailand with Bolikhamxay province in Laos, is expected to significantly cut travel time and costs, enhance logistics efficiency, and stimulate trade and tourism.

The progress was announced following Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s official visit to Vientiane on Thursday, Government House said yesterday.

During talks with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and President Thongloun Sisoulith, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in economic, energy, and transport development.

President Thongloun confirmed his readiness to co-preside over the bridge’s opening ceremony, where His Majesty the King will represent Thailand.

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said connectivity projects form the backbone of regional growth.

“These are more than infrastructure projects — they are bridges of friendship and opportunity for communities on both sides of the Mekong,” he said.

Key initiatives include upgrading the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (Nong Khai-Vientiane) to handle heavier U20 axle loads for improved freight capacity. Meanwhile, a new Mekong railway bridge will be built beside the existing one, with construction expected between 2027 and 2030.

The two governments are also studying a 10-kilometre Vientiane Capital rail link to connect Thailand’s metre-gauge line with the Laos-China standard-gauge network.

Transport Ministry permanent secretary Chayatham Phromsorn said the joint projects aim to make logistics faster, safer, and more cost-effective, establishing Thailand and Laos as a logistics hub in the Greater Mekong subregion.