July 4, 2008 • 11:53 pm 0
Free trade with China can be intimate. After browsing Mae Sod wholesale knickers for a while, I could clearly find ones. in Bangkok four for a hundred knickers available at Victory Monument areas are suspected to be from china. Please treat this as a part of China-Thai FTA research. I am wondering how zero tariff in garment category will affect Thai trade balance with China. Also wondering if some dresses are from china.
Filed under: Ideas, Something To Remember, FTA, garment, Thai-China FTA
June 8, 2008 • 11:36 pm 1
December 25, 2007 • 6:35 am 0
Filling the Justice Gap.
Again I received an email forwarded about displaced person conflict with part time security officers in the camp, this time, reportedly with one young man died from (strayed) bullets.
A coverage in Thai alternative and non-maintream website reported that a group of camp dwellers initiated the tension by throwing sticks and pebbles at a group of security staff before they would broke off into a fight. A young man was accidentally hit. Details as reported by mainstream media said the officers were held hostage by refugees but it turned out to be some of officers, fearing retribution from the mass, fled to the forest. Later it was reported that refugees organized a mob, which non-mainstream reporter said it was people watching and attending the funeral.
In the most remote area of justice, what might happened is silencing the victims, as they have to weigh carefully the future of the whole camp. Community leaders promised that a group of conflict initiators would be handed to Thai justice system. No report had been said about a group of security officers firing.
An event like this would be kept quiet as small news in later part of newspapers, with mainstream point of view, those people who fought with security officers are ungrateful. On the other hand, what kind of tension that they are hostile against security officers, knowing they cannot beat a group of armed men with stick and stones.
One thing that Thai authority, particularly paramilitary staff had never been trained is riot control, alternative crowd control and regulation to operate firearms. They shoot at their personal discretion and their personal gauged threats, like what had happened to young muslim men who were mistaken as insurgents. When they are armed, they will shoot. At any rate, when facing tension people tend to overestimate the risk and act accordingly, yet as a member of state security force, they have to be trained not to act like panicking ordinary people.
They are always armed on duty, I was wondering if that is the way they think about camp members, constant threat? Yet, the other function of being armed is additional power from firearms, it took a lot of hatred and probably rage to throw pebbles at armed paramilitary officers and to overcome ordinary fear of obviously armed men.
I should wait to read small news that both side of the conflict will be brought to justice. If not it would indicate that the authority let lawlessness govern that certain part of the country. Those who initiated the conflict must against authority must be brought to the court, injuring authority is a crime, causing disorder is a smaller crime. That small amount of people from both groups must be accountable for what they do. It is Thailand, don’t make it fall to no-law-land.
Filed under: Security, Something To Remember
November 1, 2007 • 8:01 pm 0
Kwan Reun Magazine and “Sam Sip Yan Jaew” – a 30ish women program at Channel 3 organized yellow scarf drives http://www.kwanruen.com/blog/?p=341. Women are invited to knit or crochet 10”x60” scarf’] and send to either the magazine or the TV talkshow. The scarfs will be donated to soldiers in the South and other people in remote areas affected by the upcoming winter.
Last Year I knitted a scarf for myself, as a learning how to knit project,and it cost me 60 B each for acrylic yarn (green of course, not yellow) I used 4 of them , a set of knitting needle at 30 B and about 4 weeks to do it. Yesterday I bought a second hand wool sweater from Cambodia at 20 B, with this amount of money I reckon I can buy aout 12 sweaters.
Scarf drives as ethic of care is not new in the weatern hemisphere where women spen their time apart from caring of herself, her families and her communities to broader aspects. Some may knit or crochet blankets to the needy or send to the troops. In this scarf drives that knit together patriotism (to soldiers serving in the South of Thailand), loyal for the King (the sacrfs must be yellow) and Thai feminity (women should be able to do some of these craft) together, women knitters and crocheters can identify their crafts with various institution in the nation.
Filed under: Ideas, Something To Remember, Women Studies
September 16, 2007 • 11:48 pm 0
The crash was probably due to poor compliances of budget airliners, according to New York Times here:
Orient Thai airlines, the international arm of One-Two-GO, was warned about its safety procedures last year.
South Korea’s Ministry of Construction and Transportation issued a warning in March 2006 to Orient Thai and two other budget carriers for “frequent delays and substandard safety measures,” according to the Korea Times newspaper.
The ministry said that Orient Thai, which operated flights from Inchon, South Korea to Bangkok and Phuket, did not update its safety and operational regulation manuals and that fire extinguishers and oxygen tanks were not in working condition.
“We ordered the carriers to improve the detected items,” the Korea Times quoted an official saying.
In October 2004, a Boeing 747-200 operated by Orient Thai came within 200 meters of the Tokyo Tower while making its final approach to the city’s Haneda Airport, the Mainichi Shimbun reported.
I was trying to guess what make those planes crash while they were landing. One of reasons I could think about was the growing demand to be strictly on time to be qualify for quality audition.
It is a small reason. Airline industries need to compete with each other and with standards. Every airline want to be on time. Being late upset the whole schedules of passengers and other airline sharing the same airport. Canceling a flight often, then the reputation goes down trhough word of mouth negative PR.
These days, it is important to be timely. Too early, you spend hours in an uncomfortable airport. Too late, you miss series of important appointment and it would be extremely upsetting.
I guess, and my small insignificant guess, is that beside bad weather, pilots are nervous to get the plane landed on time and he was probably sure that he can handle the landing rather than circling to wait for better conditions to land and be reported for delay, which would affect the overall performance under and audition. Timeliness is also important, particularly to budget airlines which relies on rotation of flights. not the number of planes in their fleets to switch.
In an industry that no one will praise slowness, timely or to prevent any severe lateness could result in a tragic accident. Yet, people take a flight because they want to rapidly get to a destination which is very necessary important and convinient. When technologies make the flights save enough in the air, now more technologies for the ssfe landing might be needed.
Oh, how I miss the slow cradle of sleeper train.
Filed under: Something To Remember
September 15, 2007 • 2:37 am 0
I read with amusement at the comment of using Maoist strategy to tame the nation. Had it been the anti communism era, at the public endorsement of Mao, would land someone to be re-trained and reoriented to be faithful to democratic system. All the Maoish stuffs had to be underground and utter with a shhhhh….
Any person who like neo communism as fashion (check out the Mao outfits and stuff) could have been arrested and detained. A public comment about Mao’s excel in combat and political would be a down fall, particularly to a general.
The country had learned that suppressing freedom of expression under the former military regime did not ensure long lasting stability. The country learned to tolerate some degree of differences in faith, ideologies and beliefs. What could not be uttered decades ago, or could be subtly did so at the higher price to say, now can be said under principles of tolerances and freedom of expression.
Obviously, the generals might not appreciate what people or bloggers have been ranting on the internet. On the other hand, without freedom of expression, some of them might not be able to talk about Mao in front of microphone and tape recorders.
The Computer/Cyber Crime laws is now similar to the anti communist activities law, it is not an enabling law to foster growth by suppressing people and force them to be smarter by going underground. It is even harder to suppress all cyber space activities than to curb pro-communist flyers and propaganda in the past. The cat and mouse chase would be more complex as people played by the loopholes and advancing technologies.
People need certain degree of freedom of expression, being CNS members or general bloggers. If a person should not be judged as pro-communism by citing Mao, the other should not be labeled threats of security by citing Thaksin or criticizing CNS and vice versa. Then we can achieve reconciliation through tolerance, not suppression.
Filed under: Free speech, Political Sciences, Something To Remember
August 30, 2007 • 6:00 pm 0
What could you do to bridge frtiendship between the rest of the country and the south– portrayed as longan growing area. The government have launched the campaign longan: fruit of friendship (detail in Thai) to aid longan growers to have better way to channel excess longan and hopefuly will raise lower than profitable longan price Eating longan campaign is not a new phenomenon. As the country moves to be the wrold’s kitchen, people are asked to help the growers by eating various things such as lamyai, cooked chicken, and longan. The famous longan is obviously from conflict proned province of narathiwat. During Thaksin era, when lamyai price fall, the government also organise the campaign for people to consume more llamyai. At that time, despite news of government related corruption, the corruption that also affect surplus of lamyai and decreasing price was such a sort life span topic to be investigated. Likewise, it is doubtful if the cause of the longan pice would be questioned and the try to solve. It is much easier and profitable to launch a campaign for people to eat more longan and try to ship this friut to China. Byy consuming longan, people are told, you express you care and friendship to fellow countrymen and women in the south.
People are asked to consume away serious problem underlying the price fall until the next yer, we will be eating under this campaign again.We o nly eat the fruits without addressing the root causes.
Probably a normal citizens are not entitled to know– just eat eat and eat. But don’t forget non-friendship certified longan, too.
Filed under: Development(?), Something To Remember
August 20, 2007 • 1:57 am 0
Re-Fall-Ren-Dum
A week before a referendum, I draw a kitty silhouette carton casting a ballot, with a description balloon “if I cast my vote I’m lost. If I don’t cast my vote I’m lost.” Depending on which way the result will be interpreted nationally, there are more than two ways.
The overall national result 56.66 per cent “yes” vs 41.43 per cent “no”. After all speculation, manipulation, information sessions and promotion by every sides, needless to say that some sides are more legitimate, effective and efficient to do those more than another, the shallow reflection is rather encouraging. If all will be according to CNS and/or government´s pre-referendum information, the country will move on. As many no-vote academicians comment, the country will move on. We do not know which direction it will head to.
The referendum reminded me much of the April 2006 vote. A winning side cannot claim complete legitimacy based on the result alone. There are a lot of package to be considered. Most packages are partially visible to people with different point of views, which vary not only by personal choices but also by how ones are informed and absorb information, propaganda and demonstration, ones’ fears and hopes, one’s reaction on the (too much) exposure of campaign for reconciliation, nationalism and patriotisms.
I personally felt a little bit overwhelmed was how the participation in the referendum is promoted as a political participation. It is but one of all other means that had been demoted and mislabeled as those uncivilized, undemocratic and unpatriotic.
The wholesome democracy ends to day. It did not start at the referendum. The meaning of legitimate democracy that has been altered, mutilated and modified to fit undemocratic interest will be the longer live aftershock long after the referendum. If this is a peace, it will be a peace that democracy(ies) has(have) to sacrifice.
By the way the “we are at war,” or “we are not secure and we need to compromise and reconcile for security,” will always work.
Filed under: Political Sciences, Something To Remember
August 9, 2007 • 10:26 am 0
Last week I was working with a TV on and lost count with how many pro-vote advertisement and news were broadcasted for a hour. That would be a lot.
Media and government officers are said to be supportive of the pro-vote and even pro-yes campaign. People who say no or plan to do so for the sake of saying no are risked being labeled as being bribed or engaging in illegal activities under the referendum act.
I understand that and am confident, more than CNS that the draft Constitution will pass, even less than 50% go to vote and half of the vote will have some graffiti like CNS get out. We will be back to April 2, 2006. The referendum is so insignificant. They will not let people vote if they could not win. Massive rubber stamping.
On Taxi, I heard an ad saying why we should warmly welcome the draft constitution.
A voice of an old woman said, “I will be taken care of.”
A young voice said, “I can attend 12 years in school for free.”
Voices of a group of people ensured that the poor will have proper housing and livelihood welfare.
A man said, “it will be easier for people to impeach and intervene politicians with 20,000 petition.”
For the records, 12 years free education is a campaign that had been dragged around for a long time until I don’t know who should take credit for not doing it, its new shinny advertised status in the constitution could not ensure that there would be enough political wills and budgets. Besides, they could revise or amend the National Education Act.
All the benefit packages seemed to be redundant but they must be in so that the drafters could boast some selling points.
For public scrutiny of political figures, I see nothing wrong with the 1997 constitution when all the mechanism will be put in use. At least people have gathered more than 50,000 signature in a petition but when the Constitution Court could not act or no one in power dare to take the issue forwards, there was no action in 2006.
The rest of the additional sections to ensure that we will have morally upright government and politicians do not depend on the people alone. Sure it said (had been written) that a single citizen can bring a case to the Constitution Court. Will the court consider or not involve public lobbying (making news in the papers and TV and getting collateral actions to pressure the court). It seems that the institutions under the Constitution will have more power and less people can do about it.
Have to go to national archive so will write the other part later.
Filed under: Nostalgia, Political Sciences, Something To Remember
June 7, 2007 • 12:18 am 0
I am a current addict of this site. Beside this link is absolutely lovely for no electricity fieldwork. I know I am not busy with tasks and meeting these days but trying to organize ideas and reading not from body without organs (ahem) to a nice organism is more fun and real with paper base. I am a marginalia-maniac.
Beside… I don’t have my filemaker yet.
Sorry MD, you will graduate soon and you will miss all of my paper based fun!
Filed under: Something To Remember
~Meaw & More~ 
