The Administrative Court's injunction against Thailand's support of the listing of Preah Vihear might not overrule the joint communique signed by Thailand and Cambodia on May 22 in Paris, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
POLITICS
The Civil Court yesterday threw out an appeal by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against an injunction telling it to quieten down. The court said the anti-government group had exercised its right to rally to the point where it was violating the rights of other people.
THE SOUTH
Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung cut short his visit to the South and flew back to Bangkok yesterday morning to avoid protests in Krabi and Phuket provinces. Southern members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have vowed to block all cabinet members from visiting the region.
The president of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), Chana U-sathaporn, has tendered his resignation to return to the air force as he has grown weary of the political pressure, a source said.
UNIVERSITIES
The law governing the behaviour of university staff needs revamping to ensure tougher disciplinary measures for lecturers who commit sexual misconduct, deputy rector of Suan Dusit Rajabhat University Sukhum Chaleysub said yesterday. Mr Sukhum said the ambiguity of the existing law has enabled university staff and lecturers to escape disciplinary action for sexually harassing students.
SOUTHERN UNREST
Visiting Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim yesterday pledged that his government would continue to assist Thailand to end the violence which has plagued the South for over four years, said Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
THUNG YAI NARESUAN SANCTUARY
Having the polluted Klity creek and a lead-processing plant nearby would harm attempts to list the forests surrounding Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi as a World Heritage site, a leading environmentalist said yesterday. Thung Yai Naresuan has been listed as a World Heritage site since 1991 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
POLITICS
Prime Minster Samak Sundaravej has ruled out an immediate cabinet reshuffle and insisted his ministers have done nothing wrong. In China yesterday, during a four-day official visit which ends today, Mr Samak said he saw no point in replacing his ministers.
POLITICS
Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab spent nearly four hours in the Administrative Court defending himself on contempt charges yesterday. The court has yet to make a ruling. Mr Chaiya declined to comment on the case afterwards, but looked intense throughout his four hours at the court.
POLITICS
The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has hit back at the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) over its handling of corruption investigation cases, saying the ASC's inquiries were incomplete at some points. Deputy Attorney-General Waiyawut Lortrakul, who chairs a prosecution panel to consider indictments in cases forwarded to the OAG by the ASC, yesterday defended the panel's decision to defer some fraud cases against members of the Thaksin Shinawatra government.
POLITICS
The Senate and the House have forwarded petitions to the Constitution Court asking if the cabinet's endorsement of the joint communique with Cambodia on Preah Vihear temple violates the constitution. Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej said he forwarded a petition signed by 77 senators to the court on Tuesday.
EDITORIAL
Energy Minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop's backtracking on the July 1 timetable to increase the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and to eventually allow the price to float is typical of the practice common among politicians: to keep postponing an unpopular decision which may hurt their political base.
COMMENTARY
When I asked my 12-year-old daughter what she thinks now that Thailand will soon have more boys than girls, she just gave a shrug.
POWER GAMES
Over the past week the judiciary branch has stamped its authority repeatedly as a pivotal body capable of settling important political cases.
THAI POLITICS
They may not agree on the exact causes that have led Thailand to the stalemate it is in today. A few academics, however, concur that we are witnessing a kind of political deja vu. The confrontation between the Samak government and its outside-of-parliament opposition led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) mimicks the face-off before the Sept 19, 2006 coup, with but a few variations in terms of people involved and issues contested.
ABOUT POLITICS
Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan has been thrust into the political spotlight after the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) accused her of cosying up to military chiefs to help her former boss.
PostBag
]You can always leave it to staunch nationalism to shoot a country in the foot and in this, Thailand is especially good. Without disrespect to national pride, the Preah Vihear temple row seems like a storm in a teacup to non-Thais and threatens to be a lose-lose situation for both countries.
In Media
Globalisation has affected the way people think, live and interact with others, and Thailand is not immune to these changes.
BURMA BORDER
TAK : More than 100 Thais returned to their border village yesterday after Karen fighters regained their base from Burmese troops.
IN BRIEF
CRIME / A third-year university student yesterday sought police protection after being harassed by debt collectors aiming to retrieve money he lost gambling on football matches.
