Economy
Two issues dominated the week, but by far the biggest was the smallest -- a rise of five (correct) baht to 22 baht in the daily minimum wage. The cabinet has to sign off on this on Tuesday, but it looks to be a done deal by the Ministry of Labour. Workers and employers hate it. Organised labour wants a flat, national rate of 360 baht. The Federation of Thai Industries wants much less. Meanwhile, it seems that the Bank of Thailand's actions in attempting to ameliorate the fast rise of the exceedingly strong baht caught Washington's attention. Thailand, it seems, could soon be labelled by Washington as the first official currency manipulator of the 21st century. What an honour! US Ambassador Glyn T Davies stomped on the kerfuffle. No big deal, he said, the two countries can easily work it out.
Nicha Kiartthanapaiboon
This 24-year-old Nonthaburi woman had seven days that puts That Was the Week That Was in second place. She was jailed for two nights and accused of fronting for a (lucrative) internet lonely-hearts fraud. She did everything that police should have done, including visiting the bank where her stolen ID card was used to open money laundering accounts. Note well: Her factual report indicts not just lazy police, but greedy banks that don't care where the money comes from, so long as it comes. Police accused her of working for the African-run scam gang, speaking of stereotypes. They accused her family. And after a scary week where it looked like she was going to prison, police said publicly the evidence clearly showed she had no involvement, and was a victim.
Morals preserved
Alert citizens and eager police saved uncounted numbers of Indian young men and young male fans of Indian films from the tragic fate of hairy palms. What happened was that a well-meaning but somewhat, well, misinformed movie company from Pattaya, Indo Bangkok Film, was hired to film Part 2 of the incredibly erotic (although by Indian standards) Happy Bhag Jayegi. The company set up a "sex shop, sex toy" scene kerbside at the very non-raunchy Khao San Road. It was complete with very realistic, loose, foreign women. No one told the film company or crew that this represented a problem that was knotty, not naughty. Police quickly tore down the site, saving male youths from every being forced to look at such a scene.