2BANGKOK.COM'S
NEWS AND VIEWS
NOVEMBER 2004
Police
use new camera to stop speeding - TNA, November
6, 2004
...The camera records images of vehicles that exceed the speed
limit, including their licence number.
...The police have placed the new camera at a checkpoint outside
Hua Hin Hospital on Phetchakasem Road in Thailand's southern province
of Prachuap Khiri Khan.
...The images will then be sent to the provincial offices of the
Department of Land Transport before the drivers are notified of
the offence and fine.
Indonesian
scientists dispute discovery of new human species
- Kyodo, November 6, 2004
A group of Indonesian scientists is challenging a claim by
their Australian counterparts to have discovered a new and tiny
human species in an eastern Indonesian island, accusing them of
committing a "scientific terrorism," reports said Saturday.
Prominent palaeoanthropologist Teuku Jacob reportedly said a dwarf-sized
skeleton recently found in a limestone cave at Liang Bua on remote
Flores Island does not represent a new species, Homo floresiensis,
as claimed by Australian scientists Mike Morwood and Peter Brown.
"The skeleton is...simply a fossil of a modern human, Homo
sapiens, that lived about 13,000 to 18,000 years ago," local
newspapers quoted Jacob as saying.
...Jacob criticized the announcement of the discovery without
the consent of the Indonesian archeologists who participated in
the find and accused the Australian scientists of committing "scientific
terrorism."...
Paper models! -
November 5, 2004
Take a look at the desks in offices around town--they are covered
with tiny paper models. The latest fad is this Taiwanese
site featuring links to downloadable paper models (on the
left side of the page).
About
the Suan Dusit Poll - Bangkok Post,
October 23, 2002
...One of Rajabhat Institute Dusit’s academic/commercial
enterprises has won widespread public acceptance...
Sometimes, the Thai media will not pay attention at all. At
the same time, Reuters will telephone to request the data
and the Bangkok Post or the Nation will report the results
— an interesting point for us to consider."...
...Out of bounds as well are polls on the monarchy, religion,
the judicial system, and for a very different reason, social
issues like gambling on the upcoming World Cup. "There
are huge profits to be made, so the local mafia is very involved.
Stirring up public awareness on this issue can be dangerous
for those collecting data," says Archarn Sukhum.
2B under attack
- November 5, 2004
This morning 2Bangkok.com began receiving reports from other
webmasters about unusual volumes of page requests being directed
though their servers attempting to download the entire 2B
site. We do not know who is doing this, but are confident
that our hosting can survive this kind of assault.
Recent interesting stories: The only news in English
about how the mass
transit nationalization plan was canceled and the
Skytrain company will be punished by being denied extensions.
2B also helped foil S.S.S.
Jewelry.
3
flyover projects scrapped- Local protests force city to find new
sites - Bangkok Post, November
1, 2004
A panel looking into the grievances of people affected by the
planned construction of flyovers has resolved to scrap three flyover
projects at Ekkachai, Kasemrat and Kluay Namthai intersections...
How
to float diesel fuel?
- November 2, 2004
Wisarut reports:
Most people agree with the professors
at the Thai Chamber of Commence
University that the Fuel Funds and
the excise tax on fuel, license
plates, and automobiles should be
used to subsidize Skytrain-Subway
tickets.
Subsidizing cheap diesel is not
working at all. The government still
is about 100 billion in debt from
fuel subsidies. This will compel
the floating of the price of gasoline,
but what about diesel? They will
eventually have to float the price
of other fuels as well, but how
can they gradually increase the
diesel price without hurting their
election prospects?
More automobiles (imported and assembled
locally) have been registered and
fuel importation has hit a high--a
sure sign of the failure of campaigns
for the reduction of fuel consumption
since the government is unwilling
to offend vested interests and they
want to please voters too much.
The opinion on the subway subsidies
by fuel tax can be seen here.
Halloween
horror for TRT members
- The Nation, November 2,
2004
Black magic has apparently found
its way into the run-up to next
year’s general election, with
several Thai Rak Thai candidate
hopefuls having curses laid on them
in what appears to be a case of
voodoo politics.
Black-and-white flags bearing the
names of several Thai Rak Thai candidates
were found in holes last week at
a deserted oil depot in Bangkok’s
Klong Toei district...
Reporters
without borders worldwide press
freedom report
- October 29, 2004
Thailand
is 59th this
year, 82nd in 2003,
and 65 in 2002.
How
the index was compiled. By any
standard, Thailand remains, by far,
the freest press in the region.
Bangkok
governor bans foam for Loy Kratong
- TNA, October
19, 2004
First of all there was the famous
ban on the use of traditional banana
leaves, and then there were injunctions
to use bread. But this year for
the Loy Kratong Festival the message
from the Bangkok governor is clear:
all 'kratong' made from polystyrene
foam will be banned from public
parks. ...This
contrasts strongly with the policies
of former Bangkok governor Samak
Sundaravej, who memorably encouraged
the use of polystyrene 'kratong',
despite protests from environmental
groups...
Photo
in the Thai-language press: Australian
cut in half in suicide plunge
- October 26, 2004
The Nation has the story,
but ThaiRath has the photo.
Bangkok:
Knot City -
October 21, 2004
Pierre Bélanger explains
the nature of Bangkok intersections
in this pdf
(382kb).
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