|
Chiang Mai officials study effects of changing
the time zone
Will the sun get up an hour earlier?
Udom Pinyo, the head of Chiang Mai Provincial Statistical
Office, said the latest Information Communication and Technology (ICT) poll
on changing the time zone, taken from 300 Chiang Mai citizens, showed that
the majority agree to changing the time zone. This was especially prevalent
among business and banking personnel.
Many of the respondents did not know that Thailand’s
time zone is behind their neighbors.
The Chiang Mai Provincial Statistical Office will collect
and compare data with other regions to study whether this is possible and
what effect there would be if the time zone was changed.
Some respondents worried that their children would have
to get up an hour earlier, while others claimed that the “extra” hour of
sunshine would fade their curtains.
Committee meets to discuss typhoons
Sombat
Uthaisang (4th from left), advisor to the Department of Information
Technology and Communications recently presided over the opening ceremony of
the 35th Session of ASCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee - which was organized by the
Meteorological Department from November 19 - 25 at Chiangmai Hill Hotel.
Representatives from meteorological organizations and departments worldwide
attended. With him are Chiang Mai Governor Pisit Khetphasook (3rd from
left), and the director-general of the Meteorological Department Praphansak
Buranaprapha (right).
Aliens rush to extend work permits
Over 22 thousand register
Phitsanu Thepthong
The registration period for illegal aliens living in
Northern Thailand came to an end on November 6, and 22,123 aliens had
registered by then after the opening date in September. According to Chiang
Mai Provincial Employment Office chief, Miss Maleewan Lohvitee, this
registration period was for workers from Burma, Laos, and Cambodia.
She said at the press conference held last week at city
hall that these people were mostly classified as general workers, fishery
laborers, factory laborers, housemaids, farmers, and other farm workers. The
breakdown of the figures showed a predominance of Burmese (22,042), and then
78 Laotian and 3 Cambodians.
There are moves underway to institute training courses
for more professionals or career options, especially for aliens from Burma.
Burmese laborers could enter Thai territory conveniently, without any visa,
and the number that came into Thailand was up to half a million people.
Provincial medical officers get behind public smoking ban
The writing’s on the (restaurant) wall
One of the statutes included in the new anti-smoking
regulations is that owners of indoor or air-conditioned businesses must
display non-smoking signs in their business premises. The stickers cost 15
baht, but the penalty for not following the directive is 2,000 baht.
Dr Nisit Wattanatchariya, deputy chief provincial medical
officer said that the no smoking law started on November 8 this year. “The
law may not be able to fully cover all the places so we have to ask for
cooperation from everyone concerned; for example, Chiang Mai International
Airport and Kad Suan Kaew have done very well in the anti-smoking
campaign,” Doctor Nisit said.
According to the law, the areas where smoking is
forbidden are air-conditioned areas, retail shops, exercise areas, drinking
or dining areas and toilets, but there is still confusion as to whether the
regulations include the pubs, bars and discotheques.
The doctor responded to questions regarding the
predictions of lower income in the air-conditioned areas, saying, “Anyone
who doesn’t look after their health can go and smoke in pubs or bars
instead,” he said.
Individuals in breach of the law can be fined not more
than 2,000 baht and the businesses that break the laws will be fined up to
20,000.
Work permits to work
in Israel cancelled
Workers contemplating going overseas should check all criteria
Metinee Chaikuna
Maleewan Lohwitee, the director of Chiang Mai Employment
Services Office, has received notification from the Israeli Prime
Minister’s Office that permission for the import of foreign labor has been
cancelled from November 5 until the end of next year.
All workers interested in overseas employment are warned
by the Chiang Mai Employment Services Office to be aware of illegal
recruitment and deliberate deception being done by some agencies. Applicants
should check the information and details of any employment service company
before contemplating working abroad.
Job seekers can get advice on working abroad at the alien
working and protection section, employment services office, tel. 053 222
865-6 ext. 17-19, the Overseas Employment Administration, tel. 02 246
5301-2, or the labor section of Royal Thai Embassy, Tel-Aviv 21, Shaul
Hamelekh, Blvd, Tel-Aviv 64367, Israel.
Firearms factory being constructed in Phrae
Job seekers far outnumber vacancies
The Military Industry Department, part of the Ministry of
Defense, has given permission to the J.K. Defense Industrial Company Limited
to build a firearms factory in Phrae, to produce the SIG SAUER guns, high
powered German weapons.
The venture has attracted large numbers of jobseekers.
Nilubol Manunartwimolkrit, director of the Phrae provincial employment
services office said that so far there have been 1,380 applicants but the
company will only select between 120-150 employees, who will then be sent to
Germany for training.
APEC Ministers of Finance to meet in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Governor Pisit Khetphasook announced that
Chiang Mai will be the host for the 15th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Finance Ministers Technical Working Group December 16-18.
The conference will be held at the Imperial Mae Ping
Hotel.
The Chiang Mai provincial office has set up a working
group for the APEC conference responsible for coordination, security and
traffic.
This is the first time for Chiang Mai, and every
department is preparing to welcome the delegates.
The objective of the conference is to create sustainable
economic growth in the APEC members group. The provincial office is
confident that the visitors will be impressed with the welcome and security
measures.
Chiang Mai and North Travel Show 2002 to showcase the
Northern Region
Nuttanee Thaveephol
The first road show to be held in the northern region of
Thailand, the Chiang Mai and North Travel Show 2002, is running this
weekend, November 29 - December 2 at the Suan Bua Resort & Spa, near
Hang Dong. This gives the local tourism companies the opportunity to exhibit
their products and services directly to buyers.
This road show has been jointly organized by the Chiang
Mai Tourism Promotion Board (CTPB), comprising of government and private
agencies in Chiang Mai, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Chiang
Mai Provincial Administration Office.
More than 140 exhibitors from the North including several
tourism industries, handicrafts, souvenirs, spa, cooking class, golf
packages, adventure holidays, long stay and home stay packages, resorts and
tour companies will be exhibiting their activities.
This program will be followed by the 2nd Phuket and
Andaman Travel Trade (PATT) show, scheduled from December 2-5 to promote
Phuket-Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son as a fascinating holiday
opportunity in Thailand.
Interested buyers are requested to contact Thai Hotel
Association (Northern Chapter) directly at 053 922 129, fax. 053 280 503 or
email: thanorth@ loxinfo.co.th.
Chiang Mai goes under the Krung Thai Bank hammer
First auction on November 30
Krung Thai Bank will sell 400 Chiang Mai properties by
auction and expects to realize over 350 million baht. The auction reserve
will be 50-80% of the official valuation and bidders need only to pledge
40,000 baht at the auction itself.
Assanee Sappayawanich, the assistant managing director of
the Krung Thai Bank said that the auctions will be held on November 30 and
December 21 this year, January 11, and February 8 next year at the San Pra
Nate Room, Pang Suan Kaew Hotel.
Most of the real estate properties are private houses,
townhouses, condominiums, commercial buildings, and plots of land located in
Chiang Mai.
Highest bidders can raise a loan from Krung Thai Bank for
90% of the final bid and can pay by installments.
For further information, interested people can receive
the property handbook from any one of the bank’s branches in Chiang Mai or
visit www.ktb.co.th or phone 053 408 154-5 or 053 409 446-7.
Fishy stories at the
Maejo Fair next January
Next year will be the 18th anniversary of the Department
of Fisheries Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Production, at Maejo
University. To celebrate, the department will hold a fishing competition on
January 25 during the Maejo Fair, which will be from January 23-26.
The department has planned the competition to encourage
students to learn to organize fishing competitions and to promote the
department and spread knowledge about fish.
In addition, the department will also hold contests for
the most beautiful fish, fish aquariums, rare fish species, and aquatic
plants.
New project in Thai-Chinese-Yunnan Ecotourism for Fang District
Yang Village in the Fang district, Chiang Mai is
preparing a community project known as the New Dimension of Thai-Chinese-Yunnan
aiming to promote ecotourism to the area and increase the local income.
Kittipong Yawut, Yang village headman said that the activity will promote
the art and culture of the region.
Yang Village is located on the slopes of Doi Angkhang.
All the villagers migrated to the area in the last 50 years and settled
there following the benevolence His Majesty the King. His Majesty the King
and the Royal Family have also visited this village.
The community is supported by agriculture and has a
health and child center, a hydropower rice mill, a water supply system, a
food factory, and electric power station all improving the villagers’
lives.
It is hoped that tourists will be impressed with the
Chinese-Yunnan unique art and culture, tastes of the Chinese food, the
beauty of the Ban Yang Waterfall, and pay respect to the Guan-Im Goddess
village shrine.
Electricity and telephone lines to go underground
Metinee Chaikuna
Chiang Mai Municipality has agreed to the underground
electricity and communication wires project and work will commence at three
roads in Chiang Mai. These will be Chang Klan Road (around the Night Bazaar
area), Thapae Road, and Rajadamnoen Road. In the first stage, the project
will begin at Chang Klan Road and Thapae Road covering a distance of around
3 kilometers.
Soon
scenes like this will be a thing of the past, as the municipality plans to
bury electricity and telephone lines.
Mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn said that electricity
transformers cannot be put underground but will be placed in the soi
instead. He also said, “We have received over 200 million baht from the
government’s economy stimulation budget and support from the Chiang Mai
Town Planning Office budget, Chiang Mai Administrative Organization, and the
Provincial Electricity Authority, so we do not need to use funds from the
Chiang Mai Municipality budget at all,” he said.
The project has been the result of cooperation from many
units, including Chiang Mai Municipality, the Provincial Electricity
Authority, TT&T, TOT, Communications Authority of Thailand, and other
communication companies.
The municipality has assigned a team led by Dr. Boonthep
Nanegrunsan of the Faculty of Engineering to study and design the project.
The municipality expects that the construction will take around 12 months
to be complete.
Bank of Thailand celebrates its 60th anniversary
Exhibits 100 years of Thai bank notes
Phitsanu Thepthong
The local branch of the Bank of Thailand (BoT) celebrated
its 60th anniversary with Chiang Mai Governor Pisit Khetphasook presiding
over the opening ceremony of the exhibition, marking the grand celebration
of the 100th anniversary of Thai banknotes.
This was followed by a special lecture presented by
Nararat Lekakul, the advisor to the BoT, on the Thai banknotes issued during
World War II.
Chittiphan Sukkitch, the senior director of the BoT
branch in Chiang Mai said that the Chiang Mai regional branches would have
exhibitions of Thai banknotes, showing the different designs during the past
100 years and how to identify fake banknotes.
During this period (through December 27) the bank will
carryout banknote exchanges, as a souvenir or gift, and has souvenir books
commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Thai banknote, plus stamps,
leaflets, and coins on sale.
Chinese Trade Seminar
Phitsanu Thepthong
On December 20 there will be a seminar relevant to the
Thai economy entitled “Outlook and opportunities of trade and investment
for Thais in south China.”
Included in this economic information seminar will be a
lecture on “Policy of China on foreign trade and investment in the
southern China”, presented by Zhang Guo Qing, the consul general of the
People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai.
Other lectures include one on the policy framework with
China’s entry to the WTO presented by Dr Pornchai Rujiprapha, deputy
secretary of the office of economic and social development, and another on
“The law, regulations and trading system in China and southern China,”
by Viboon Tangkittiphaporn, the managing director of Far East Law Consultant
Co Ltd.
In the afternoon sessions, there will be lectures on
“Outlook and opportunities of trade and investment of Thais in the south
China” by Dr Sarasin Veeraphol, deputy manager of Charoen Pokkaphan, Co.,
Ltd; and other economic advisors and banking experts.
Northern Textile Expo supports local industry
Metinee Chaikuna
An exhibition of local textiles, “Lao Khan Pha Ngam
Thin Nue” (the legendary Northern textiles) was opened on November 21 at
the Art and Culture exhibition hall of Chiang Mai University Art Museum. HRH
Prince Bhisadej Rajanee, the chairman of the Royal Project Foundation
presided over the exhibition by lighting floating candles.
The Chancellor of Chiang Mai University also lit candles
at the grand opening. Following the official part of the evening, the Prince
was shown around the exhibition.
The exhibition ran from November 21-24 to promote the
local textile industry, to support and preserve the local woven textiles,
and to publicize handicrafts of the 11 Northern Textile Networks.
In the exhibition, there were naturally dyed hand-woven
textiles, products for sale, and demonstrations on weaving and dyeing. Most
of the audience were teachers, academic experts, professors, and NGO groups.
The Northern woven textiles are a unique form of handwork
that is famous all over Thailand. The Local Thai Textile Development Project
foresaw the significance of the textiles and organized the exhibition to be
a showcase for the local weavers from each province in the North. This
exhibition has become an annual event, with this one being the third.
Phayao to get parks and a moat
Metinee Chaikuna
Phayao City has recently adopted the catch-phrase
“Phayao - a nice city to live in” and to follow that through, two
beautification projects are underway. The first project is the Phayao public
park, construction of which began in April, and it should be completed by
the end of November or the beginning of December this year.
The park is 20,000 square meters beside Phayao Lake. The
Tourism Authority of Thailand is supporting the project with an 18 million
baht grant to Phayao Municipality to be used for developing the city’s
tourism.
Sa-nguan Martrop, an officer at the servicing unit,
Phayao Municipality said that the objective of the public park project is to
develop the area around the Phayao Lake to be a tourism center, and a place
Phayao people can go to relax. “Kwaan Phayao (Lake) is the key tourism
site of this province. There will be a playground, an amusement park, flower
gardens, and the Tourism Office for tourist assistance,” Sa-nguan said.
The other project is the city moat construction which
began in September. Along the roads in Phayao City, there are water channels
like those in Chiang Mai, but these are unkempt. The channels are being
developed to be moats with flowers, and plants along the sides of the moat.
The municipality has a budget from the Department of
Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior for over 14 million baht,
and has contracted the Niwat Samui Construction Company to be responsible
for constructing the city moat. The project has been planned for three
stages; however, the budget of the Ministry of Interior is only for the
first stage along the Ngum Muang Rd. The second and third stages are along
Robwieng Rd.
Chiang Mai communities under the government’s statistical microscope
More than 2/3 are non-smokers?
Chiang Mai Community Development Office has released the
latest figures of Basic Minimum Need (BMN) of Chiang Mai in 2002 but admit
that from the required 37 indices only 6 have been under intense scrutiny.
Udom Maneekut, chief Chiang Mai community development
officer, said his office has been directed by the Minister of the Interior
to collect data from the community annually since 1990. This year, Chiang
Mai Community Development Office has been doing the research to cover 22
districts and 2 sub-districts reviewing 219,124 families.
The completed indices cover the smoking habits of family
members, employment statistics, participation in public opinion forums,
annual health checks (age higher than 35 years), high school education and
breast feeding (under four months infants).
The latest figures show 70.8 percent are non-smokers, 95
percent are employed in the age group 18-60 years, 70.1 percent participate
their communities, 79.5 percent have annual health checkups, 82.1 percent of
students continue with higher learning after finishing their compulsory
education, and 92 percent of infants under 4 months are breast fed.
The other 31 indices are still in progress and it is
expected that they will be completed within the next month.
Chiang Mai to get 60-rai municipal public park
Plus 2 mini-parks
Nuttanee Thaveephol
Chiang Mai municipality is constructing a new park out of
the 60 rai of land at the old State Railway Hotel. The municipality is also
building 2 small parks at Sriphum Corner and Chang Phuek Gate.
Nearly
finished, this little park at Sriphum Corner has a water fountain and lots
of flowers to make the corner easy on the eyes.
Mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn said that the municipality is
now just waiting for funds to finish the projects.
Park planners say that it will have the facilities to be
used for exercise, will be a place where people can jog, and a local
products commercial center.
The
municipality is constructing three new parks in Chiang Mai; this one is
almost finished.
The land where one of the smaller parks is being
constructed, at the Sriphum Corner, used to be a car sales lot. The
municipality purchased the area to turn it into a street island with a small
park, tourists view point and fountain. The mayor expects to finish this
park by the end of the year.
The park being constructed at Chang Phuek Ground, after dismantling the
old municipal public health center, should be finished before Songkran.
Loy Krathong not all fun and games
Fireworks and road accidents claim lives and injuries
Nakorn Ping Hospital revealed that the number of patients
over the Loy Krathong period was more than the total number of patients from
the previous few weeks. 80 men and 18 women were injured from fireworks, and
483 men and 192 women were injured from road accidents. During this period,
11 people died on the roads.
In addition, the crime rate went up, with 13 people
arrested for assault, 18 people for robbery, and 6 people were arrested for
carrying unlicensed weapons. 5 people were also arrested for selling
fireworks without a license.
Also during Loy Krathong, 5 people were injured and 1
killed at an explosion in Mae Wang sub-district, and a fire was reported in
Doi Saket District.
Teenage gang warfare results in one death and many injuries
Police still hunting for unknown bomber
One man died and six were injured by an unidentified
bomber during Mae Wang’s Loy Krathong night. The unidentified man threw
the hand-made bomb into the audience at the Mae Wang District’s Loy
Krathong festival stage.
The dead man was later identified as Udon Pannak, 29
years old, who died in Mae Wang Hospital as a result of his wounds. The 6
injured were Chalermpol Duangkaew, Nuttanpol Noila, Nipon Noisuya, Thiproi
Kamai, Promthai Moolpan and Sai Janji.
Pol. Lt. Col Nampol Narintornsorasak, deputy
superintendent of administration and crime control from Mae Wang Police
Station told Chiangmai Mail that this incident resulted from fighting
between local teenage groups. Police, at this stage of the investigation,
still cannot identify the criminal.
Villagers protest Kaeng Sua Ten Dam construction
Nuttanee Thaveephol
Local people in Tambon Sa-iab, Phrae Province are
protesting against the Kaeng Sua Ten Dam construction and are proposing an
alternative solution to the government. The protest group is being led by
Chum Saiabkong, Seng Kwanyuen and the Sa-iab Forest Conservation Group (SFCG).
Seng Kwanyuen, the leader of the SFCG said that the Kaeng
Sua Ten Dam project is supposed to be able to solve the flood and drought
problem but this is being done at a huge expense of natural resources and
affects the populace, not only from the Tambon Sa-iab but also Tambon Chiang
Muan in which the flood problem exists over a 60,000 rai area.
The Sa-iab people propose that the government reduce the
project’s size, saving more than 10 billion baht, and in addition, the
local people will not be affected by the project.
Seng advises that the government and other people should
ignore the project leaders because they are not the local people who know
about the recurring problems. The protest group also asks the government to
launch a reforestation campaign along every water source to produce a
sustainable natural dam.
American leaves Thai girl at the alter
Thai woman sues for damages
Metinee Chaikuna
On November 18, Ms Sukanya Pomjayap reported to police
that she believed she had been deceived by an elderly American man who had
just recently “left her at the alter”. She said she was out over 100,000
baht for wedding expenses, was hopping mad about it, and wanted police to do
something pronto.
Pol. Cap. Boonthum Kamrai, who happened to be on watch
when the irate bride not-to-be entered Muang Chiang Mai Police Station,
listened to the 25-year-old woman’s story, but apologetically told her
that there wasn’t much he could do about it.
Sukanya nonetheless told the officer that 74-year-old
American Richard Riley Conarroe (Conroe), who she said lives in Patong,
Phuket, had agreed to marry her, but come wedding day, he got cold feet and
backed out of the arrangement, and continues to refuse to marry her.
Sukanya went on to say that she was introduced to the
elderly deviant by a friend, and agreed to marry him on November 11. It is
unknown how long the courtship lasted, but Sukanya did say that the American
gave her a gold necklace and a diamond ring she said he claimed were worth
27,000 baht.
However, she said, when she took these items to several
gold shops to get them appraised, she learned that they were worth about 300
baht all up.
Despite of this, or perhaps before she found out, she
said she went ahead and spent over 100,000 baht on wedding preparations.
When the American refused to marry her, she couldn’t recoup the money and
wanted police help in the matter.
The intrepid Pol. Cap. Boonthum tried to call the
American to explain what Sukanya had reported, but the man refused to come
to the police station. On November 15, the man was called again to come to
the police station, but again he did not come. On 16 November, the police
asked for cooperation from the tourist police and an interpreter to ask the
man to come to the police station, but the man still refused responsibility
for the wedding ceremony.
The police then decided that it was not a criminal case
and that they couldn’t do anything about it, but they did record the
information as a civil case in the daily police record.
Sukanya said she will, for sure, pursue the case and sue
the man in civil court to retrieve the money she alleges she lost on the
wedding ceremony.
Sgt. Pol. Nirun Kongtaweeboon from the tourist police
said that Sukanya told him that this foreign man had done this to many Thai
women before, but police could do nothing, as it was a civil case. She said
that the man would ask women to marry him, but later refuse to marry them
after having an affair with the woman.
Conroe was recently in Chiang Mai and when the Chiangmai
Mail tried to contact him for clarification, he refused to be
interviewed.
|
