Thailand lobbied members of the United Nations Security Council yesterday, seeking support for its position that the row with Cambodia over a disputed border area near Preah Vihear temple should be resolved through bilateral talks.
NEW OIL PRICES
All petrol stations will close for five hours from midnight tonight, as staff from three ministries check fuel stocks at service stations and oil depots nationwide.
Preah Vihear temple is once again on Thai soil and is open to visitors _ but unfortunately it's not the real thing.
JUDICIARY
Constitution Court judge Boonsong Kulbupha has reportedly asked the Judicial Commission to transfer him back to the Supreme Court. A highly-placed source at the Supreme Court said it is highly likely Mr Boonsong has sought the transfer because he was not interested in being on the Constitution Court bench in the first place.
The Department of Special Investigation has warned people using electronic devices with wireless and bluetooth functions to be careful of information theft. Patana Sugarasut, senior investigator with the Bureau of High-Tech Crime, said hackers have frequently invaded PCs and stolen personal information from internet users connected via cable to the web.
UNIVERSITY INVESTIGATION
UBON RATCHATHANI : A university professor has been dismissed for sexual misconduct in a high-profile case which has also resulted in police charges for the accused. Asst Prof Chakkarit Uttho was fired under an Ubon Rajathanee University order released yesterday.
SOUTHERN VIOLENCE
Two privates were injured in a bomb blast while on foot patrol in Muang district of Yala yesterday.
Police yesterday obtained a warrant for the arrest of People's Alliance for Democracy core leader Sondhi Limthongkul on a charge of repeating lese majeste uttered by a government supporter. The warrant was approved by the Criminal Court.
ILLEGAL OWNERSHIP
The Land Department has revoked title deeds issued to land plots in Phuket and Phangnga provinces, said a department spokesman.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The operators of small buses on minor roads in Bangkok have threatened to go on strike unless the government allows them to raise fares from 6.50 baht per journey to between eight and 10 baht by next Tuesday. Forty operators of song thaew buses _ modified four or six-wheeled trucks with bench seats _ filed complaints with Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri at the Transport Ministry yesterday.
The new cabinet line-up is complete and the list will probably be submitted for royal approval in the next five days, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said yesterday.
POLLUTION
Bangkok is suffering from dust pollution due to heavy emissions from vehicles, according to the Department of Pollution Control. Department chief Supat Wangwongwatana said that in general, Bangkok's air quality is acceptable, but dust caused by smoke from vehicles, especially bus services, can be a problem.
The Consortium of Thai Medical Schools has announced medical student applicants will not sit the Aptitude Test to be introduced in two years under revised central university admission criteria. The consortium voiced concern that the Aptitude Test, to be launched in 2010 and making up half the admission system's scores, will not be effective in screening medical students.
ELECTRIC RAILWAY PROJECTS
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation has offered a soft loan worth 157 billion baht with a very low interest rate of 0.01% and 40-year repayment for two electric railway projects in Bangkok _ but it also demands fair bidding contests. Transport Minister Santi Promphat said yesterday the JBIC was offering the soft loan for the Blue Line and the Red Line projects. The Blue Line loop from Hua Lamphong to Bang Khae and from Bang Sue to Tha Phra is worth 80 billion baht, and the Red Line from Bang Sue to Rangsit, 77 billion baht.
LAO BORDER
CHIANG RAI : Residents of Chiang Saen district finally have a semblance of peace and quiet after complaining about the noise from rock-blasting to prepare a site for a new casino, hotel and two golf courses across the Mekong river in Laos. Provincial governor Worachai Uttamachai said the earth-shaking din came from Ton Pueng town, which is opposite Ban Sob Ruak in Chiang Saen.
EDITORIAL
The Cambodian government has got what it wanted: the successful unilateral listing of the 11th century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site, even without the "active support" pledged by the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej (which was given but later withdrawn due to widespread protests in Thailand). But that appears not to be enough, as Cambodia now wants more.
COMMENTARY
The mother was holding her baby tightly under an umbrella, trying her best to guard him from the pouring rain.
FROM THE BARRACKS
Crises produce leadership and in the case of the escalating Preah Vihear border tension, one man stands tall on the hill of conflict.
Rumours of Steven P Jobs' ill health have been greatly exaggerated. That is what Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, has been telling a number of his associates, even as concerns about his health have weighed on the company's stock price.
YACHTING
PHUKET : A fleet of more than 40 yachts will set sail off the southern tip of Phuket this week to contest the annual Six Senses Phuket Raceweek regatta. The record number of entries, up more than 40% on last year, will race over a variety of courses for four days, and some exciting racing is expected.
ABOUT POLITICS
Padet Puripatipan, a columnist who uses the pseudonym Phaya Mai in Khao Sod newspaper, has come to terms with the fact that strong ties with someone in power could not help him keep his television programme on state-owned NBT.
IN MEDIA
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej will face a more precarious situation even after a major cabinet reshuffle which is expected to be announced next month.
PostBag
I am a Thai citizen living in the United States. The issue of the temple feud has saddened me and troubled my thoughts. In my mind, this issue has the potential to be a win-win situation for everyone, not a win-lose situation. The temple is for all to cherish and enjoy. It is not going anywhere and it is for all to share.
The new cabinet line-up is complete and the list will probably be submitted for royal approval in the next five days, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said yesterday.
