Thailand

Thaksin slams Thai ‘democracy’ on the celebration of his birthday

Published

4 months ago

August 10, 2018

Thaksin slams Thai ‘democracy’ on the celebration of his birthday | The Thaiger

Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra is vowing to keep on his “battle for Thailand’s democracy”, despite living in self-exile overseas for around a decade. This announcement from red-shirt media yesterday (August 9).

The Peace News Facebook page reports that the ex-premier, overthrown by a military coup in 2006, made a speech during his belated birthday party with his sister, another ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra.

The Shinawatra siblings, both living outside Thailand to avoid facing what they call “unfair justice”, savoured a birthday cake together with their fans from Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party in a Hong Kong hotel, Peace News reported.

“The loss will only come in two cases: loss from death and loss from surrender,” Thaksin reportedly said at the celebration.

“We won’t lose as long as we fight. There is no war, only a battle. War will end when everything is over while the battle is about constant fighting,” he added.

The most important war is that for democracy, he said.

“I’m 69 years old already. I wish to see Thailand prosper again. Importantly, I wish to see dignity return to all Thai people. We used to live with equal dignity, rights and freedom under a democratic government.”

He also slammed “those who spontaneously grab arms to rule and suppress us”, referring to the military coups that ousted him and later Yingluck in 2014, and took over the administration.

“We can’t accept that. The election day will be when people judge whether my words are correct,” he added.

The government under two-time elected Thaksin from 2001 to 2006 was when Thailand saw various major policy changes.

It was also politically controversial for suspected patronage among Shinawatra networks, alleged heavy corruption as well as rights abuse in the drugs “war” and bloody raids in Thailand’s deep south.

Even so, Thaksin has remained politically popular even after he fled from the kingdom. Yingluck then won the general election in 2011.

SOURCE: The Nation

Thai Life

New WHO world road death report – Thailand drops to number 8 but still high

Published

8 hours ago

December 10, 2018

The Thaiger

Thailand’s roads remain some of the deadliest in the world. But the Kingdom has dropped from its previous number two position to number eight, behind a collection of backwater African states and other undeveloped countries.

A new report by the World Health Organisation shows that the road safety situation in Thailand hasn’t improved. The shocking news is outlined in a the WHO report, Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018,

The report indicates the death rate per 100,000 population in Thailand was 32.7. This ranks Thai roads as at least the deadliest in ASEAN and amongst the deadliest in the world.

Only seven other nations fared worse than Thailand, while the countries with the highest road traffic death rate per 100,000 population were Liberia, Saint Lucia, Burundi and Chad.

The report, compiled using data from 2016 from 175 countries, shows that Europe has the safest roads with 9.3 deaths per 100,000 population. The African continent had the worst rates.

The report shows that there is an average of 22,491 people killed on Thai roads every year. South east Asia, where motorcycle-related deaths account for 43 percent of the total road toll, had an average of 20.7 deaths per 100,000 population.

Globally, the report found that the situation regarding road traffic deaths is worsening, with someone killed in a road accident every 24 seconds somewhere in the world.

The WHO road death Hall of Shame…

1. Liberia – 35.9 (per 100,000 people)

2. Saint Lucia – 35.4

Equal 3. Burundi and Zimbabwe – 34.7

Equal 4. Democratic Republic of Congo and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) – 33.7

5. Central African Republic – 33.6

6. Thailand – 32.7

7. Burkina Faso – 30.5

8. Namibia – 30.4

9. Cameroon – 30.1

10. Mozambique – 30.1

Thailand

Floating clinic opens in Kanchanaburi

Published

11 hours ago

December 10, 2018

The Thaiger

PHOTO: Pattaya Mail

Last week saw residents and visitors to Srinakaring Dam in Sri Sawat district, Kanchanaburi, in Thailand’s west, witness the first day of operations of a new floating medical unit.

The Bangkok Post reports that the dam is a huge tourist magnet which attracts 800,000 tourist a year in an area where 140 businesses operate and over 600 towing rafts reside. Due to reports of accidents (sometimes with fatal results) the Public Health Ministry’s Health Region 5 came up with the ‘floating clinic’.

The clinic boasts a solar cell power system able to function during power outages, as well as modern and efficient communications systems in case of emergencies. The floating clinic is equipped with beds for check-ups, respirators, medical supplies and basic lifesaving equipment.

The project will provide help to tourists and locals in case medical attention is required. Depending on the severity there are referral vessels such as jet skis and speedboats available for quick access to local hospitals, with helicopter landing pads planned for the near future.

SOURCE: The Bangkok Post