 August 2010 : Fiscal Budget for 2011 approved
Six points for Constitutional amendment The Constitutional Amendment Committee, chaired by Prof. Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong , proposed 6 Constitutional amendment points to be considered urgently:
It is expected that a Constitutional amendment draft bill could be submitted to Parliament by early November. Fiscal Budget for 2011 approved On 25th August, after almost five days of debates, the House of Representatives voted 253 to 178 with 14 abstentions and 21 no-votes, to pass the 2011 Fiscal Budget Bill of 2.07 trillion Baht. Expressing his thanks to MPs, particularly Scrutiny Committee Members, the Prime Minister promised funds would be used fairly and transparently for the benefit of the nation. On the same day, the State Enterprises Budget of 115,501 million Baht was also approved with 249 to 178 votes. Democrat won BMA local elections The election of 61 BMA local administration members in 50 districts was won by 45 Democrats, 15 Pheu Thais and 1 independent. There were 6,433 polling stations for 4,139,075 eligible voters, but only 1,703,206 or 41.15% actually voted. Pasee Chareon District had the highest voter participation with 45.21% and Wattana District the lowest with 35.03%. NGV bus project again deferred On 10th August, the Cabinet once more rejected the NGV Bus Project and appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Trirong Suwankiri, to chair a study panel to clarify issues on:
The study should be completed within 2 months and the project re-submitted to the Cabinet. This project, proposed by the Minister of Transport, Sophon Sarum of Bhum Jai Thai Party, is to hire 4,000 NGV buses at the cost of 64 billion Baht. This project had been rejected several times but re-submitted to the Cabinet. Court rejected Thaksin’s appeal On 11th August, the Assembly of Appeal Court judges, comprising of 119 members of Supreme Court judges and Senior Judges voted 103 to 4, with 12 abstentions, to reject Thaksin Shinawatra’s appeal on his sequestered asset of 4.6 billion Baht. The Assembly also voted 101:4 and 99:2 to reject appeals from Khunying Pojaman na Pompetch, Pan Thong Tae and Ying Luck Shinawatra. These are Thaksin’s former wife, his son and sister respectively. Another M79 hit King Power On 26th August at 23.00 hours, a M79 grenade was fired at the entrance of the King Power Duty-Free Store in Soi Rang Nam, causing one injury. This was a second incident that the store was attacked. Later on 31st August, a bomb exploded in the parking lot of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (Channel 11) on Viphavadee Rangsit Road, damaging 4 cars. Thai–Cambodian reconciliation On 23rd August, the Cambodian government announced that Thaksin Shinawatra had resigned from his position of Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Somdech Hun Sen due to personal difficulties. The next day, Kasit Pirom, Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, immediately ordered Ambassador Prasat Prasatwinichai to resume his duties in Cambodia. Prasat was re-called in November 2009 as a protest against Thaksin’s appointment. At the same time, the Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand, U Oiy, also resumed her duty on 25th August. Cambodia still refuses loan On 30th August, shortly after Thailand and Cambodia resumed diplomatic relations, a Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Koy Kuang, announced that Cambodia confirmed its decision to decline the USD 41.2 million loan from Thailand. This loan, for road construction in Cambodia, was offered following an agreement made in July 2008, but turned down in November 2009 after the Hun Sen Government appointed Thaksin Shinawatra as its economic advisor. US ends combat mission in Iraq On 19th August, US President Barack Obama announced an end to combat operations in Iraq, saying that from now on the Iraqi people will take responsibility for the security of their country. The Operation Iraqi Freedom was launched by the Bush administration in 2003 and had been going on for seven and a half years. Approximately 50,000 U.S. troops still remain in the country in an "advice and assist" capacity. China-Thailand to invest in high speed train The Economic Cabinet approved two co-investment plans for the governments of China and Thailand to build, own and operate high speed trains between Bangkok-Nong Khai and Bangkok-Padang Besar. It is expected that total investment cost will be approximately 1,000 billion Baht which is 2,000 billion Baht lower than first estimated because of the change from dual to single track. Temporary teachers promoted to state officialsOn 31st August, the Cabinet agreed in principle that 8,672 teachers temporarily hired for the Community Learning Centers nationwide will be promoted to state officials in the Office of the Non-formal and Informal Education. Alcohol sale around university increases The Thai Health Promotion Foundation published a national study on the sale of alcohol around university campuses. It found that each campus has approximately 5.6 alcohol retail outlets within 200 meter-radius and the number is likely to increase due to its popularity among students. There are 260,000 new drinkers every year and alcohol is the cause of 40-60% of road accidents. State officials subsidized in private hospitals The Finance Ministry announced that starting from 1st October, all state officials and their family members will be allowed to have state subsidized in-patient medical treatment in private hospitals. A list of medical conditions and maximum amount subsidized is to be published. Previously, only fatal injuries qualified for subsidized treatment in private hospitals. Sexual harassment prohibited On 31st August, the Cabinet approved draft regulations, proposed by the Office of the Civil Service Commission, prohibiting sexual harassment in state agencies. Verbal or physical communication or contact of a sexual nature is not allowed as well as any behavior of a sexual nature that causes discomfort or disturbing to others. The prohibition applies whether such communication, contact or behavior is directed to different or to the same sex. NCCC to charge in fire truck and Alpine Golf cases On 17th August, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) decided to file charges against those involved in the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) 6,800 million Baht fire truck and boat purchase. The only exception would be former BMA governor, Samak Sunthornvej, who recently died. This is contrary to the decision of the Office of the Attorney-General which thought that only some, not all, should be held responsible for this wrongdoing. On the same day, the NACC also decided to file charges for the land purchase of the Alpine Golf Club. Charges will be submitted to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders. Thailand 6th in intellectual property offences The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) published a survey done between June and August 2010, asking international executives working in 12 Asian countries as to which country had the worst intellectual property records. Indonesia was the worst offender. Singapore the best followed by Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Thailand was sixth. From : http://www.fpps.or.th |