Category: History

Journey through Thailand’s past: 2012 - 2017

13/11/2018

The final installment of our 10-part series describing major news stories in Thailand in the last half century begins in 2012. The October issue covered 2007-2011.

2012 is the year Asia Atlantic Airlines, R Airlines, New Gen Airway and U Airlines were founded. CentralPlaza opened its first shopping mall in the southern province of Surat Thani. Avani Hotels & Resorts was founded. Bangkokthonburi University inaugurated the Chanchai Acadium indoor sporting arena, which can seat 5,000 spectators, and Singha Stadium opened in Chiang Rai province, with capacity for 11,354 fans.

January
• The Royal Thai Air Force formed its Blue Phoenix aerial aerobics team to mark the 100th anniversary of Thai aviation and gave their first public display on Children’s Day at Don Muang Air Force Base. The team is based at Nakhon Pathom’s Kamphaeng Saen Air Force Base. They fly blue, white and red Pilatus PC-9 aircraft.

• Director-General of the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) Tarit Pengdith unveiled plans for his department after the cabinet gave DSI authority to investigate nine more categories of crime, including human trafficking, computer crimes and crimes relating to foreign businesses in Thailand. Tarit said the DSI would target foreigners who were exploiting loopholes in the legal system to use Thai nominees to run businesses not open to foreigners under the 1999 Foreign Business Act.

(January) Blue Phoenix aerobatic team

(December) Suthep Thangsuban and Abhisit Vejjajiva

•   Education Minister Worawat Auapinyakul said Muslim students were not violating the Education Ministry dress code by wearing headscarves or hijabs. His remarks were in response to a recent rally by a Muslim group to protest the suspension of two students at Wat Nong Chok School in Bangkok for wearing headscarves in class.

•   Rubber growers in the southern province of Songkhla set out to travel to the capital to join forces with other rubber growers from across the nation. The demonstrators called on the government to shore up rubber prices at 120 baht per kilogram.

•   Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra urged the United States to revoke a terrorism warning immediately after the arrest of a suspected Hezbollah member linked to sabotage attempts in Bangkok. Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa quoted Ms Yingluck as saying the warning, if prolonged, could damage the country. However, US Embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler said the terrorist warning for American citizens remained valid despite the arrest and the discovery of an apparent bomb factory in Bangkok.

•   On January 19 Thailand joined other UN member states in voicing official recognition of a Palestinian state. Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said Thailand’s recognition of Palestine had been ‘under consideration for some time’. The move was enthusiastically hailed by Palestinian leaders. In November 2013 the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in support of recognition.

February
•   The Department of Corrections announced it would seek about 3.5 billion baht from the 2013 budget to build a “super max” prison with hi-tech security systems for detaining major drug convicts, Justice Ministry spokesman Thirachai Wuthitham announced the plan at a press conference and said a meeting of prison chiefs and directors of narcotics suppression offices from throughout the country was scheduled to discuss measures to prevent inmates from dealing drugs in prisons.

August
•   Thammasat University’s Chulabhorn International College of Medicine became the twenty-first medical school in Thailand. Located in Khlong Luang district of Pathum Thani province, it is the first institution in Thailand to provide an international, English-language course in medicine. Bumrungrad International Hospital cooperated with Thammasat University in setting up the medical school.

September
•   Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, third son of Red Bull tycoon Chalerm
Yoovidhya, was arrested on September 3 on a hit-and-run charge. Police said Vorayuth admitted to investigators that he was driving the black Ferrari that collided with the motorcycle of 47-year-old Police Senior Sergeant-Major Klanprasert Wichian Klanprasert at about 5.30am on Sukhumvit Soi 47.

The policeman was dragged about 200 metres along the road, but the driver never stopped. Witnesses described the Ferrari and police found it parked at a mansion belonging to the Red Bull family on Sukhumvit 53. Vorayuth at first claimed his chauffeur was driving when the accident occurred, but later admitted he was at the wheel.

October
•   As the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) weakened, General Boonlert Kaewprasit emerged as leader of a new anti-government movement called Pitak Siam (Protect Siam). The group managed to attract 20,000 people to its inaugural gathering at the Royal Turf Club on October 28.

December
•   The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) charged former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and
his former deputy Suthep Thangsuban with murder over the death of a taxi
driver allegedly shot dead by soldiers during the political violence in Bangkok
in May 2010. The DSI’s decision to press charges was influenced by a court ruling on September 17 the troops who killed Phan were acting on orders from state officials. If found guilty the two politicians could face the death penalty or life in prison.

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Journey through Thailand’s past: 2007 - 2011

9/10/2018

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Highlighting major news reports over the past 50 years, the ninth installment of our 10-part series begins in 2007. The September issue covered 2002-2006.

2007 was the year the Chommanard Book Prize was awarded for the first time. The award, which recognizes women with literary talent, is sponsored by the Bangkok Bank and Praphasarn Publishing House. Thailand Advanced Institute of Science and Technology-Tokyo Institute of Technology was established. With support from the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), the Thai-Japanese project was designed to act as a focal point for academic research and collaboration among the NSTDA and partner universities, both domestic and abroad. 2007 also saw the birth of two airlines, both airlines folded in 2009

January
• New Year’s Day began on a sad note as people learned that six bombs set in Bangkok and one in the adjacent province of Nonthaburi had exploded almost simultaneously at around 6.30pm on December 31. Two people were killed and 15 people were injured, including some foreigners. Police said it wasn’t clear who was responsible but ruled out southern separatists because of differences in bomb-making materials.

March
• The cabinet approved the signing of a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Japan March 27. Japan-Thailand Economic Civic organizations objected, charging that the military-installed government was exceeding its authority under the interim constitution by entering into the FTA.

April
• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont signed the controversial Japan-Thailand Economic
Partnership Agreement on April 3 in Tokyo.

• Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok announced that for the first time ever, conjoined twins with a shared heart and liver had been successfully separated. The 12-hour operation was actually performed in February, but the announcement was delayed until it was certain that the 10-month-old girls had a good chance of survival. Sixty-one doctors participated in the extremely complicated procedure.

• Police said they expected the number of illegal North Korean immigrants crossing the Mekong River by speedboat into Thailand would reach about 1,000 by the end of the year, up from 40 in 2003. The North Koreans first fled into China and were then smuggled to Laos before entering Thailand.

2007 (April) General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin

2007 (June) Siripon Taweesuk

• A Buddhist woman was set on fire as army chief General Sonthi
Boonyaratkalin began an inspection tour of the deep South. The woman was shot as she rode her motorcycle to work and then set ablaze while she was still alive. Upon learning that General Sonthi was in the area, about 300 outraged relatives of the woman took her burned body to the Yala provincial hall.

• After an eight-month courtship, Thai tennis champion Paradorn Srichaphan and Natalie Glebova, the Russian-born Canadian Miss Universe 2005, announced their engagement at a press conference.

May
• PM Surayud stood by a decision to sanction compulsory licensing of foreign medicines, despite backlash from Western countries and international pharmaceutical companies.

June
• The Aviation Department, reportedly acting on instructions from the International Civil Aviation Organization, instituted a ban on carrying liquids onboard planes departing from Thailand. Similar security measures had already been enacted in the United States and Europe.

• Thai banks were instructed by the Asset Security Committee – an agency set up by the coup leadership to investigate corruption under the previous government to freeze more than 62 billion baht in bank accounts registered to ousted PM Thaksin, his wife and four other family members.

• Female World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Siriporn Taweesuk, also known as ‘Black Rose’, was paroled from jail in Pathum Thani province after serving seven years of a ten-year sentence. The 24-year-old won the title in April in a match staged inside the prison compound.

July
• A multi-use sporting facility called His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday
Anniversary 2007 Sports Complex was opened in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) province. The complex was built for the 2007 Southeast Asian Games, which coincided with His Majesty’s 80th birthday.

• Anti-government protesters who gathered outside the residence of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda on July 22 retreated after clashing for a third time with riot police. The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) protesters called on Prem, a former army chief and prime minister, to resign from the Privy Council. They accused him of pulling the strings behind the September 2006 coup. On July 26, the Criminal Court ordered police to arrest nine UDD leaders so they could be charged with illegal assembly, resisting authorities and using force to harm them.

August
• A national referendum on the new constitution was organized by the Election Commission and held on August 19. The vote was 56.69% for approval of the draft charter and 41.37% against. Voter turnout was around 60%. King Bhumibol Adulyadej signed the constitution into law on August 24 and it came into force immediately.

September
• Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, an industry-oriented private college, was established by the Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan). The institute is located on Pattanakarn Road in Bangkok.

December
• The first general election since the Council for National Security seized power in September 2006 was held on December 23. A number of political parties contested 480 seats in the House of Representatives, with 241 needed for a majority. The People Power party led by Samak Sundaravej, a close ally of ousted PM Thaksin, won 233 seats; the Democrat Party won 165 seats; and Nation Party took 37 seats. After declaring victory, Samak invited other parties to join People Party in running the country. Five parties accepted and a six-party coalition with 315 seats was formed.

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Journey through Thailand’s past: 2002 - 2006

9/9/2018

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This eighth installment of our 10-part series describing major news stories in Thailand over the past 50 years begins in 2002. The August issue covered 1997-2001.

By Maxmilian Wechsler

2002 was the year five Thai government ministries were formed: Ministry of Energy; Ministry of Digital Economy and Society; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Ministry of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Sport and Tourism. Also founded were the National Office of Buddhism, an independent public agency of the central government, and Airports of Thailand Public Company. CentralPlaza Rama 2 shopping center in Bang Khun Tian district of Bangkok was opened. The Conservatory of Music at Rangsit University was established and Siam Philharmonic Orchestra was founded. The Global Buddhist Network, previously known as Dhammakayaka Media, was founded and Jamsai publishing company began operations.

2002 Central Plaza Rama 2

2002 (May) Angelina Jolie

2002 (February) Rodney Tasker (left) and Shawn Crispin

2002 (May) Rama VIII Bridge

January
•   Urine tests became mandatory in all schools and universities in an attempt to
identify students taking illegal drugs. The testing plan was the latest of a series of moves in Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun’s ‘social order’ campaign. Drug enforcement officials said the use of methamphetamines, or ya ba, had become rampant in society.

•   The government banned a sex education handbook for teenagers, saying it contained improper language and was too blunt. The book was published by the Siam Care Organisation at the instruction of the Prime Minister’s Office, but the ban was enforced before all 100,000 copies could be distributed.

•   Ten-baht coins fooled some vending machines in Europe which took them for new two-euro coins that were eight times as valuable. Some European tourists and others who realized they could cheat the machines began hoarding 10-baht coins during holidays in Thailand or even shipping them in large quantities to Europe.

February
•   The police asked the Interior Ministry to blacklist two Bangkok-based foreign correspondents and their colleagues in Hong Kong for publishing a story suggesting the relationship between Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the palace was not harmonious. Shawn Crispin and Rodney Tasker from the Far Eastern Economic Review magazine were held responsible for a column published in the January 10 issue. “If they repent and apologise a heavy penalty can become light,” said National Police Chief Sant Sarutanond. Immigration authorities later scrapped a February 23 order that revoked the journalists’ visas after the magazine apologized. A formal statement read: “We are well aware of sensitivity issues, and the Thai traditions and customs, particularly in respect to the monarch. We can assure that all of us have no intention to violate Thai traditions, or cause any disturbance in Thai society.”

•   Academics slammed a proposed new ‘master law’ enabling the government to quickly amend previous laws without going through Parliament. The proposed Civil Service Administrative Reform Bill raised fears that it would give PM Thaksin and his cabinet excessive power. It was denounced by critics as a backward step that would erase many of the country’s hard-won reforms and obliterate Parliament’s oversight role. The bill’s supporters said it would streamline the creation and amendment of laws and reduce the cumbersome and often politicized role of the bureaucracy, which they claimed was stifling Thailand’s progress and allowing unelected officials to maintain a choke-hold on the country’s legislative processes.

March
•   The first locally produced cocktail of generic anti-HIV drugs made by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation went on sale. The monthly supply for one patient cost 1,200 baht, making it one of the world’s least expensive HIV/AIDS anti-retroviral drug regimens. It was estimated that approximately 695,000 people in Thailand suffered from HIV/AIDS and 29,000 cases were added each year.

•   The Nation Multimedia Group chose self-censorship to protest interference in its news coverage and announced it would not broadcast
political programs on its television
and radio channels. The announcement
came after revelations that police officials had ordered the Anti-Money Laundering Office to investigate the
assets of several high-profile journalists.

•   PM Thaksin said in his regular weekly radio address that his political enemies were riding in taxis as passengers and spreading malicious gossip about him in hopes the drivers would pass the gossip on to other passengers. “The government will take legal action against anyone caught spreading rumors,” PM secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej warned.

May
•   The cable-stayed Rama VIII Bridge across the Chao Phraya River in Bangkokwas opened on May 7 and inaugurated on September 20, the birth date of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), after whom it was named.

•   In her role as UN High Commissioner for Refugees American actress Angelina Jolie flew by helicopter to the Tham Hin refugee camp on the Thai-Myanmar border. The camp housed about 9,000 ethnic Karens who fled Myanmar due to government-backed persecution. Jolie, who was in Thailand to shoot the second Tomb Raider movie, promised to donate US$100,000 of her own money for the education of refugees.

•   A Buddhist monk armed with an AK-47 assault rifle stormed into Parliament and fired in the air while demanding to see PM Thaksin. Phra Maha Sayan Jirasutho was able to smuggle the rifle into the Parliament building by hiding it under his saffron robe. After arguing with politicians and police he was overpowered by an anti-riot squad pretending to be a TV crew.

June
• Rama V Bridge, named in the honor of King Chulalongkorn, was opened across the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi province on June 21.

• The Royal Irrigation Department announced that despite its belief that dams were an effective tool for water management, it was shelving all dam projects opposed by locals and environmentalists.

• According to a report published by Cam Gemini Ernst & Young consultancy and Merrill Lynch, Thailand could claim about 20,000 US-dollar millionaires (excluding property assets) as the recovery from the 1997-1998 financial crisis continued. Many of the millionaires had made a killing from the region’s stock market boom over • The Siam Intercontinental Hotel closed its doors and awaited demolition to make way for the six-billion baht Siam Paragon project. The elegant 400-room hotel opened in 1966 and was one of the best known hotels in the country.

2002 (May) Buddhist monk with AK-47

24) 2002 (June) Siam Intercontinental Hotel

28) 2002 (November) The story of Tongdaeng

October
•   PM Thaksin insisted that the torching of five primary schools in Songkhla province and the bombing of a Buddhist temple in Pattani province were the work of local criminal gangs and not resurgent separatists. “The people responsible for the attacks are not terrorists. They could be people with interests in illegal businesses such as drugs and crime,” Thaksin said.

November
•   The story of ‘Tongdaeng’ penned by King Bhumibol sold out its first printing of 100,000 copies within hours of its release. The 84-page book written in English and Thai offered a unique look into the heart and personal life of the King. Some readers found parables in the description of the King’s relationship to his favorite dog, an adopted stray. Some 320,000 Tongdaeng polo shirts also quickly sold out.

December
•   As the number of foreign visitors to Thailand continued to grow it became clear that many were now coming for high-quality healthcare at a fraction of the cost they would pay in their home countries. Medical treatment in Thailand with the added bonus of nearby tropical beaches provided an enormous draw for the already booming tourism industry.

•   The 20th World Scout Jamboree took place at the naval base in Sattahip from December 28 to January 8. It was the second World Jamboree to be held in Southeast Asia. The event was attended by about 30,000 Scouts from all over the world, under the theme Share our World, Share our Cultures.

2003 saw the Bangkok Jazz Festival established, partly in recognition of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s love of jazz. The Bangkok International Film Festival was also founded and the state-owned CAT Telecom Public Company began operations in charge of Thailand’s international communications infrastructure, including international gateways and satellite and submarine cable network connections. Shrewsbury International School Bangkok was established and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre museum and research center in Kanchanaburi province was opened. The facility was founded and funded by Australian Rod Beattie.

January
• After anti-drug measures such as border blocking, public education and promotion of sports and peer pressure campaigns against drug use proved more or less ineffective, PM Thaksin initiated a three-month ‘war on drugs’. With the stated goal of eliminating illicit drugs from the country by April 30, the program changed punishments for drug addicts, set provincial arrest and seizure targets and rewarded government officials for achieving these targets. Thaksin ordered the “ruthless” implementation of the program. According to Human Rights Watch reports, in the first three months 2,275 people were killed, a large number of them extrajudicially executed.

•   In the early morning hours of January 26, about 200 men using heavy machinery demolished Sukhumit Square, the site of a popular night market. The violent eviction took place following a four-year dispute between landlord Chuvit Kamolvisit and tenants. People who lived on the premises were forced to escape into the street while open-air bars and shops were raised, unable to even retrieve their belongings. Denouncing the tactics, PM Thaksin said that ‘mafia rule’ would not be tolerated. Two days after the demolition 140 people were arrested. Massage parlor mogul and aspiring politician Chuvit, who allegedly ordered the demolition, was arrested in May.

February
•   About 3,000 demonstrators marched from Lumpini Park to the
nearby American embassy, where they submitted a letter addressed to US President George W. Bush protesting the imminent US-led attack on Iraq. Some protesters then marched to the British embassy where they burned missile-shaped papers to protest London’s support of the invasion.

March
•   Red Bull tycoon Chaleo Yoovidha, whose Krating Daeng energy drink
became a worldwide sensation, joined the ranks of the world’s billionaires, according to an annual survey by Forbes magazine.

•   Air travelers returning from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan were ordered by the health ministry to stay indoors for at least 14 days to prevent an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Thailand. Legal action was threatened against people ignoring the order.

May
•   Tens of thousands of people lined up at the Queen Sirikit National
Convention Centre to order low-cost computers. By the end of the day more than 19,000 units had been reserved. Desktop computers were priced at 10,900 baht and laptops at 19,500 baht. The event was chaired by PM Thaksin.

•   A rule dictating students’ hairstyles was rescinded, ending a policy requiring military-style crops for boys and neck-length locks for girls. Previously a boy’s hair could not exceed 5cm in length at government-run schools. “Times have changed and it would be unrealistic to expect boys to continue carrying on with the conventional bowl cut,” said Kamol Rodklai, an official from the education ministry.

July
• Chuvit Kamolvisit was picked up by police on a highway claiming he had been kidnapped, drugged and then abandoned on the roadside. Chuvit appeared semi-conscious and went into convulsions when he arrived at the station and was later taken to hospital. He had disappeared a few days earlier after claiming he was paying police 12 million baht in bribes every month so they would allow him to run his businesses.
• In an attempt to stop illegal lotteries, the government began selling legal two-and three-digit tickets, anticipating around 35 million customers for the first draw. Tickets were available from vendors approved by the Government Lottery Office and could also be purchased at 375 post offices nationwide.

• An assistant professor of plant science at Thammasat University claimed to have developed an inexpensive way to convert used vegetable oil into a more environmentally friendly motor fuel. “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to make recycled biodiesel,” said Dr Suthatip Bhamarapravati.

• Thailand repaid the final installment on a US$14 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). PM Thaksin congratulated the people of Thailand and promised it would be the last time the country would owe money to the IMF for a bailout.

35) 2003 (January) Sukhumvit Square demolished

39) 2003 (July) The Queen Sirikit Gallery

•   Queen Sirikit Gallery or Queen’s Gallery art museum in Bangkok was
established after a request from Her Majesty to found a permanent public exhibition hall to promote the works of Thai artists, both young and acclaimed masters. The Queen presided over the official opening on August 9.

August
•   Southeast Asia’s most wanted terrorist, Riduan Isamuddin aka Hambali, was arrested in Auytthaya. The BigChilli published an investigative article on the case in the June 2016 issue.   See: https://issuu.com/thebigchilli/docs/the_bigchilli_june_2016

October
•   Political leaders from countries in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group gathered in Bangkok for a summit and witnessed a Royal Barge Procession on Chao Phraya River in which 2,082 oarsmen participated. Leaders from Australia, China, Russia, the US and 16 more countries attended the summit.

November
•   India and Thailand signed a free-trade agreement to eliminate tariffs by 2010 to boost bilateral trade. PM Thaksin said the agreement would give Thai businessmen access to India’s market of more than a billion people.

December
•   In his annual birthday speech King Bhumibol warned his subjects not to let success go to their heads. Recalling the Princess mother, the King said: “She said when I did something good it is alright to know what I did, but I should not be too proud.” The King also referred specifically to PM Thaksin’s ‘war on drugs’ and asked how the PM would take responsibility for it. Thaksin was also urged to allow a greater degree of press freedom.

2004 is the year Benjakitti Park on Ratchadaphisek Road next to Queen Sirikit National Convention Center was created. The National Astronomical Research Institute (NARIT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology was formed. The Miss International Queen was held for the first time in Pattaya and instantly became the world’s largest and most prestigious annual beauty pageant for transgender women. The Silpathorn Award was presented for the first time to living Thai contemporary artists by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture. The award was established to promote artists with established careers who have made notable contributions to fine arts and culture in Thailand. Thai Air Cargo was established as a joint venture between Thai logistic firm Commercial Transport International and Australian Airline Qantas. The World Professional Muay Thai Federation was formed by the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand.

2004 (March) Somchai Neelaphaijit

2004 (April) Krue Se mosque

2004 (April) New Thai national ID card

2004 (June) Somchai Khunpluem

2004 (June) Thanom Kittikachorn

2004 (August) Apirak Kosayodhin

January
•   Martial law was declared in the three southernmost Thai provinces of
Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani after suspected ethnic Malay Muslim insurgents killed four soldiers in a raid on an arsenal at a Thai army base. The insurgents stole hundreds of assault rifles and other weapons. In a wave of simultaneous attacks 17 schools and three police stations were torched, mostly in Narathiwat. Meanwhile, a message was delivered to Buddhist teachers anonymously telling them to leave the South.

•   The death of a six-year-old Thai boy from bird flu was Thailand’s first
confirmed casualty and led to the mass slaughter of chickens, ducks and other domesticated birds. “We cannot yet say how many chickens will be destroyed in the next few days, in addition to the 850,000 head of poultry already slaughtered,” said the Agriculture Ministry.

March
•   Muslim Layers Association chairman Somchai Neelaphaijit vanished while on the way to meet a purported witness in a case involving alleged ethnic Malay insurgents captured in the South. Somchai had been defending suspects accused of attacking the army camp in Narathiwat province in January. His relatives and colleagues immediately became worried that he might have been abducted.

•   About 10,000 people gathered outside the headquarters of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) in Nonthaburi to protest a plan to privatize the state-owned entity. The protests and criticism from labor leaders forced PM Thaksin to reverse his approval of the sale and admit his mistake.

April
•   April 28 was one of the most violent and bloody days the South had seen in many years. Thai security forces killed 107 Muslim insurgents in clashes in Yala, Pattani and Songkhla. Five Thai soldiers also lost their lives. Troops killed 32 insurgents who retreated to Krue Se mosque in Pattani after attacks on police and military positions. The attack commenced in the morning with insurgents using machetes, guns and grenade launchers mounted on pickup trucks.

•   Interference in the media by the government was the worst since the October 1976 Thammasat University massacre, said academic Nidhi Eowsriwong at a seminar on alternative media. Thammasat lecturer Ruj Komolbutr pointed out that the government had banned the Khor Kid Duay Khon (Thinking Like the People) TV talk show, intervened in the Ruam Duay Chuay Kan (Helping Each Other) radio programme, issued warnings to Thai and foreign media, deprived the Thai Post and Naew Na newspapers of advertising and indirectly caused the dismissal of editors at the Bangkok Post and Siam Rath.

•   About 10,000 passengers flocked to ride on Thailand’s first underground train system in a trial run. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority and its concessionaire, Bangkok Metro, unveiled the first railway tentacles under the city in a route covering 20 km from Hualampong to Bang Su. The half-hour journey made stops at 18 stations.

•   The government began issuing new national ID cards with personal
information contained in a microchip, but the National Human Rights Commission warned it was an invasion of privacy. The ID showed a fingerprint as well as a photo and information including religion and blood type. The microchip also gave authorities easy access to data banks containing information on things such as social security benefits and medical history.

June
•   A court sentenced 66-year-old Somchai Khunpluem, alias Kamnan Pho and dubbed the ‘Godfather of Chonburi’, to 25 years in jail for paying assassins to murder business rival Prayoon Sittichote. The gunmen linked to Somchai failed in four attempts to kill Prayoon. He was later shot dead by another group.

•   Former PM and military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn died of a heart attack. He was 93 years old.

July
•   The XV International AIDS Conference was held in Bangkok from July 11 to July 16 at IMPACT Arena in Nonthaburi. It was the first international AIDS conference in Southeast Asia. At an opening ceremony screened live on national television the main speakers were PM Thaksin and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Thaksin surprised the conference by pledging to adopt a “harm minimization” approach to AIDS prevention among drug users, and to work co-operatively with NGOs.

•   Alien workers began registering for labor cards that allowed them to work or seek employment for the following 12 months. Most of those who registered were Burmese, Lao and Cambodians working manual jobs.

August
•   Apirak Kosayodhin was elected governor of Bangkok, boosting his Democrat Party’s stature and presenting a challenge to PM Thaksin’s monopoly on power. Outgoing governor Samak Sundaravej ended his four years in charge with a legacy of lackluster leadership during Bangkok floods, fires and other crises.

September
•   US President George W. Bush removed Thailand from the American government’s list of countries that featured significant illicit drug trafficking. The new list named 22 countries, included China, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

October
• On October 25 around 1,500-2,000 people gathered in front of a police station in Tak Bai in Narathiwat province to protest the detention of six men jailed on suspicion of stealing weapons from pro-government militia. Several hours into the protest crowd members attempted to cross a police barrier into the station. Security authorities responded with tear gas and water cannons, and the crowd began throwing rocks. The security forces fired into the air and then into the crowd, killing seven people. More than 1,000 protesters were detained at the scene and then transported to Inkayut Army Camp in Pattani province. The trip took a few hours and by the time the trucks arrived at the destination 78 detainees had died, apparently from suffocation or organ collapse. The incident added fuel to an already raging fire in the Muslim-majority deep South.

• PM Thaksin began his Thai Rak Thai party election campaign at a packed Hua Mark stadium by promising to deliver on a number of populist policies. Thaksin said to thousands of cheering supporters that his ‘poverty eradication caravan’ would scour the country to help bridge the economic divide with occupational training, scholarships for students, low interest loans for farmers, land for landless farmers and a 30-baht health care for all.

• On November 2, Jaran Torae, a Buddhist deputy police chief, was found beheaded in Narathiwat province. A handwritten note said the act was in retaliation for the deaths of Tak Bai detainees. Several other killings of Buddhist village leaders and police officials were attributed as revenge for the Tak Bai incident. PM Thaksin expressed regret for what happened at Tak Bai, but he insisted there had been no wrongdoing by military personnel.

2004 (October) Tak Bai incident

2004 (December) Tsunami

December
•   Thousands of people died in Thailand after a 9.3 magnitude earthquake – the second largest on record – triggered a series of tsunami waves in the Indian Ocean. The BigChilli published an article on the catastrophe in its October 2017 issue under the headline: Killer waves in paradise – the Asian tsunami. See: https://issuu.com/thebigchilli/docs/the_bigchilli_october_2017

2005 witnessed the establishment of Ramangala University of Technology Srivijaya in Songkhla province and Ramangala University of Technology Thanyaburi in Pathum Thani province. The original Ramangala campus is in Chiang Mai province. Siam Paragon shopping mall opened in Bangkok, as did the Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum. Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra gave its inaugural performance in a gala event for the International Trumpet Guild Conference. Government-sponsored Princess of Naradhiwas University was established in Narathiwat. The World Boxing Council Muaythai (or WBC Muaythai) was formed and commissioned under the jurisdiction of the World Boxing Council.

February
•   General elections were held on February 6 with a turnout of 60.7%. PM Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party won a landslide victory, taking 375 out of 500 seats in the House of Representatives. Five other parties contested the election. The Democrat Party won 96 seats; National Party, 27 seats; and Great People’s Party, 2 seats. A total of 14,077,711 voters (56.4%) cast ballots for TRT candidates and 4,018,286 (16.1%) for Democrats.

March
•   Frustrated by the mainstream media’s dependence on commercial revenues, Senator Jon Ungpakorn founded Prachathai website to provide in-depth reporting on issues deemed to be politically sensitive or that conflicted with advertisers’ interests. The senator compared freedom of the press under the Thaksin government to the situation under a military dictatorship.

April
•   The government promoted the use of alternative fuels with subsidies to lower prices in an attempt to make Thailand more energy independent. Motorists in Thailand were open to alternative fuels such as gasohol and natural gas as petrol and diesel prices continued to skyrocket.

2005 (May) Natalie Glebova

2005 (June) Suriya Rungrungreangkij

2005 (June) Bill Gates

2005 (November) Sondhi Limthongkul

May
•   Miss Canada, Russian-born Natalie Glebova, outshone 80 other contestants to win the Miss Universe pageant held at Muang Thong Thani’s Impact Arena.

June
•   A non-confidence motion against Transport Minister Suriya
Jungrungreangkij was debated in the House of Representatives after it was made public that InVision and Patriot Business Consultants, InVision’s Thai distributor, had overcharged the government for Suvarnabhumi Airport’s X-ray baggage security system. Critics said that the market price for 26 CTX scanners was 1.4 billion baht, much less than the 4.3 billion baht agreed to in the contract. InVision admitted to the US Department of Justice in 2004 that there was a ‘high probability’ its agent or distributor bribed ‘officials or political parties’ to push products in Thailand. PM Thaksin instructed TRT MPs to support Suriya.

•   During a visit to Thailand by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, PM Thaksin pledged Thailand would soon become a nation with full access to computers and the internet. Thaksin said he wanted computers and internet access in every school in the country within four years. Microsoft agreed to invest 180 million baht for computer education and e-government systems. The bulk of that amount, 136 million baht, went to the Thailand Net project, which aimed to train 69,000 web developers in the Kingdom within three years.

July
•   Security authorities decided to repatriate 6,558 Hmong refugees living in Phetchaburi province, forcibly if necessary, saying they posed a security threat. The Hmong allegedly paid 2,000 baht each to human smugglers to be transported into Thailand from Laos. About 400 were former soldiers who fought against the communist regime in Laos who said they fled Laos with their families to escape persecution by the military.

•   Around 10,000 monks, nuns, students and social activists took to the streets to protest the listing of Thai Beverage on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. ThaiBev is a holding company under which Chang beer, Mekong whisky and other alcohol brands are produced.

August
•   THAICOM 4, also known as IPSTAR 1, was launched on August 11 from the European Space Agency’s space center in French Guiana on board an Ariane rocket. The satellite built by Space Systems/Loral for Thaicom Public Limited Company was capable of providing service to up to two million broadband users or nearly 30 million mobile phone subscribers in the Asia Pacific region.

•   General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin was named army chief, the first Muslim to hold the post. The appointment was seen as an attempt by the government to address international perceptions of mistreatment of Thai Muslims as well as questions over efforts to resolve long-standing divisions in the far South.

September
•   Miss Thailand World, Achara MacKay, gave up her crown only 10 days after winning it, claiming she hadn’t fully understood the contract she signed. Specifically, she was unaware that as Miss Thailand she would have to remain in the country for a full year. The Thai-Australian was not fluent in Thai and wanted to continue her studies and modeling career abroad, where she had spent most of her 21 years.

November
•   A study from the Office of the Auditor-General concluded that every road and bridge construction project under the supervision of local administrative bodies was rife with corruption or sub-standard in its contracted work.

•   Thousands of people packed Lumpini Park on Friday nights to listen to media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul speak out against an alleged government attempt s to muzzle the press and unleash new ‘evidence’ of state corruption.

2006 is the year the sale of the Shinawatra’s family’s share of Shin Corporation to Temasek Holdings caused a great controversy. Chuvit Kamolvisit opened Chuvit Garden, a private park at Sukhumvit Soi 10 in Bangkok. The park was created on the site of the old Sukhumvit Square, which was demolished in the middle of the night allegedly on Chuvit’s orders. The Esplanade shopping and entertainment complex was opened on Ratchadaphisek Road in Din Daeng district of Bangkok. K-Mile Air cargo airline based in Bangkok was founded. Khlong Toey Market opened to become the biggest fresh market in Bangkok. Thai Parliament Television was launched and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology was formed under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Elections for local councils in Bangkok were held.

February
•   An estimate 50,000 people descended on Royal Plaza to call for PM Thaksin’s resignation. It was the biggest protest to date against the TRT leader, organized by media baron Sondhi Limthongkul, who had joined with political activists and other disgruntled groups to form the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). The PAD set up a camp at Sanam Luang in Bangkok and held daily rallies there.

•   Chiang Mai Night Safari Park opened its door as officials ignored protests from animal rights’ groups. PM Thaksin presided over the opening ceremony at the 1.15 billion-baht site. The zoo’s director, Plodprasop Suraswadi, imported animals from China, Kenya, Australia, Germany and elsewhere.

•   PM Thaksin dissolved the House of Representatives and called for a snap election on April 2. He hoped to return with a new mandate that would help him crush his opponents following months of street protests led by the PAD. “I cannot allow mob rule to supersede the law. I am ready to accept the decision of the people,” Thaksin said.

March
•   Erawan Shrine’s plaster Hindu statue was smashed by a man who was then beaten to death by street cleaners. The statue was one of Bangkok’s most revered landmarks, attracting thousands of people daily. Police described the attacker as mentally deranged. His body was found near the shrine at the entrance to a five-star hotel. Two men were arrested and allegedly confessed to killing him. Caretaker PM Thaksin replaced the statue with a metal version that was installed in an elaborate Hindu and Buddhist procession on May 2.

April
•   Parliamentary elections were held on April 2 with TRT registering 61.1% of the vote (15,866,031 ballots) and winning 460 of 500 seats in the House of Representatives. The opposition Democrat Party boycotted the election. On April 3 the PAD petitioned the Administrative Court to suspend election results and accused the Election Commission of violating voters’ privacy. Thaksin announced his resignation two days after the election.•   On April 8 the Constitutional Court nullified results of the April 2 election
parliamentary elections in a bid to end a political impasse that had left the country unable to form a new government. The decision struck a hard blow to Thaksin’s embattled interim government. New elections were scheduled for October.

2006 (February) Chiang Mai Night Safari Park

2006 (September) General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin

2006 (September) Coup

2006 (June) Khan Kluay

2006 (September) Suvarnabhumi Airport

May
•   Central Group parted with a rumored 3.3 billion baht to buy an 8.8 rai plot of land from the British embassy on Wireless Road. The details of the sale were kept secret by seller and buyer, but sources said the land in the capital’s central business district was valued at around 950,000 baht per square wah, making it the priciest real estate in the country.

June
•   The whole country celebrated the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the throne. Visiting royals from 25 countries, including 13 monarchs, four royal consorts, six royal princes and two royal representatives, gathered in Bangkok to celebrate with the King. The King thanked all well-wishers, saying their spirit and kindness had lifted his inner strength. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at Royal Plaza in Bangkok to view the event while millions more watched a live TV broadcast.

•   A computer-animated film called Khan Kluay captured the fancy of the
nation. The film produced by Kantara Studios portrays a young elephant searching for its father and a kindhearted animal trainer who adopts him. Produced with a budget of 150 million baht, the movie won a number of domestic and international awards including Best Feature Film at the 2006 International Animation Festival in Spain. It was the highest-grossing film of the year in Thailand.

July
•   Petroleum giant PTT was named one of the world’s top 500 companies in terms of corporate scale by Fortune magazine. PTT rose by 108 places from the previous year to become the 265th largest company globally, and was the only Thai company in the top 500. With total revenues listed at 878 billion baht, up by 44.2% year on year, the company raked in a profit of 81 billion baht.

August
•   Caretaker PM Thaksin was the target of an assassination attempt, but he avoided a car bomb set for him by leaving his home an hour earlier than usual. The police arrested an army officer who was driving the car that contained the bomb. “It’s my lucky day,” Thaksin said. He then immediately fired General Panlop Pinmanee, deputy chief of the Internal Security Operation Command.
September

• Six bombs killed four people and injured 70 as Muslim separatists triggered simultaneous explosions in the South. Blasts in Hat Yai targeted a Big C department store, the Lee Gardens Hotel, the Monkey Pub and the Odeon Shopping mall. Most of the targets were popular with tourists.

•   The government of Thaksin was overthrown in a bloodless military coup launched while he was in New York to deliver a speech to the UN. As tanks rolled on the streets of Bangkok, a desperate call from New York by Thaksin was broadcast on state television announcing a state of emergency in Bangkok. Thaksin ordered troops not to move ‘illegally’ and announced that coup leader and army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin had been removed. Undeterred, the coup leaders set up the Council for National Security and threw out the 1997 Constitution.

•   Suvarnabhumi Airport was opened, but officials were uncertain about what to do with Don Muang. There were suggestions that it be transformed into a convention center or be used for some other non-aviation purpose. Others insisted that Bangkok needed two airports. Meanwhile, the new airport continued to generate controversy due to allegations of corruption.

Comments

Journey through Thailand’s past: 1997-2001

10/8/2018

Comments

The seventh leg of our 10-part tour of major events shaping Thailand over the past 50 years begins in 1997. The July issue covered 1992-1996.

1997 was the year Chulabhorn Research Institute was initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn to conduct research in biomedicine and biochemistry. American Pacific International School in Chiang Mai was established and the Constitutional Court was founded. The 88-storey, 303-meter Baiyoke Tower II was completed, making it the tallest building in Thailand. Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) opened in Bang Na district of Bangkok, as did the CentralPlaza shopping center on Rama 3 Road and Emporium luxury shopping mall on Sukhumvit Road.

And 1997 was also the year Thailand was ground zero for a devastating economic crisis that rocked East Asia and spilled over to Eastern Europe and South America. For details on the crisis, see The BigChilli January 2018 issue: ‘Tom Yum Kung’ financial crisis that shocked the world and ended Thailand’s status as an Asian Tiger economy. https://issuu.com/thebigchilli/docs/the_bigchilli_january_2018

January
•   Princess Mother Memorial Park, also called Suan Somdet Ya, was opened on January 21 by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej in remembrance of his mother, Princess Srinagarindra. Operated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the park is located in Khlong San district of Bangkok and contains gardens and a reproduction of the royal mother’s home, twoexhibition halls showing memorabilia of the royal family and a pavilion with a statue of the princess.

•   A crowd of over 3,000 enthusiastic film fans turned out to mingle with stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Wesley Snipes, Cindy Crawford, Jean Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan at the opening of Planet Hollywood restaurant in Bangkok.

•   A Karen armed group crossed into Thailand from Burma and burned down two refugee camps in Tak province, leaving about 10,000 Karen refugees homeless. The group of about 300 fighters attempted to destroy a third camp but was prevented from doing so by the Thai Border Patrol Police. The three coordinated attacks on Thai soil were conducted by the pro-Burmese government Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, reportedly with the blessings of Burmese troops stationed along the border.

1997 (January) Princes Mother Memorial Park

1997 (January) Planet Hollywood Bangkok

1997 (February) Tiger Woods Honda Classic

1997 (September) Bangkok Elevated Road and Rail System

February
•   Tiger Woods won the Asian Honda Classic golf tournament at the Thai Country Club in Chacheongsao province. It was Woods’ fourth victory in 12 tournaments played since he turned professional in August 1996. The US-born Woods has a Thai mother.

•   Police arrested three men on charges of collaborating to embezzle 600 million baht from Bangkok Bank of Commerce (BBC). One of those
arrested was Krikkiat Jalichandra, former president of BBC.

April
•   Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh branded Pattaya as Thailand’s ‘greatest source of evil’. He said prostitution, drug dealing, money-laundering and other pernicious activities were prevalent there and needed to be tackled to prevent the corruption of Thai society. Chavalit disclosed that he had ‘sneaked’ into the beach resort only to be confronted with all forms of vice. He also said that Pattaya was known as a place where drug dealers laundered tens of billions of baht and expressed the concern that they might use their profits to bring about the collapse of society.

September
•   The Transport and Communications Ministry announced that after six years of delays the US$3.3 billion Hopewell project was to be scrapped. The cabinet cancelled the contract after growing concerns Hong Kong-based Hopewell Holdings would not be able to deliver the Bangkok Elevated Road and Train System in a timely fashion. Hopewell initially denied the project had been scrapped, saying it had not received any official notice from the Thai government. Hopewell chairman Sir Gordon Wu said the company had fulfilled its commitment to construct 60 km of roads and rails. The abandonment of the project left over one thousand concrete pillars standing for no apparent purpose along the planned routes. The Bangkok Post described the spectacle as Bangkok’s version of Stonehenge.

October
• The 1997 Constitution was enacted on October 11, replacing the 1991
Constitution. Hailed as a landmark for democracy in Thailand, the much-loved 1997 Constitution was repealed by the Council for Democratic Reform on September 16, 2006, following a successful military coup. It was replaced by the 2006 Constitution on October 1 of that year.

• A total of 21,347 unclaimed corpses were loaded by charity workers into giant bamboo baskets and transported by vans to a temporary burial site about 50 km from Bangkok. The decomposed remains were mostly those of victims of road accidents and homeless people whose relatives couldn’t be found.

1998 saw the founding of conglomerate BEC-TERO Entertainment Company and the opening of the first Starbucks coffee in Bangkok. Tesco Lotus also came to Thailand and Angel Airlines took flight with its headquarters in Bangkok. Harrow International School was opened in Don Muang
district and the giant IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Center was completed in Muang Thong Thani. The Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkapi district of Bangkok was opened to the public, as was Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani.

January
•   The Thai baht fell to an all-time low of 56.67 to the dollar. Currency dealers said the collapse of the baht was precipitated by the failure of Finance One, Thailand’s largest finance company, and the continuing demand for US currency.

February
•   A transvestite boxer created a stir at Lumpini Stadium by refusing to strip at a weigh-in as required by regulations. Crying profoundly, Parinya Charoenphol, nicknamed Toom, also known by the stage name Parinta Kiatbusaba said: “The rule is unacceptable. How can I strip in public?” Parinya had made quite a name from bouts in the provinces before being offered the big fight in Bangkok. The officials were won over by Parinya’s remonstrations and allowed the 16-year-old boxer to wear underwear for the weigh-in. Parinya won 18 of 22 fights, including the one at Lumpini Stadium that night.

•   Over 20,000 people flocked to three auction houses to bid for the first 535 passenger cars, pick-up trucks and vans put up for sale by the Financial Restructuring Authority. Among the bargains were 30 Mercedes-Benz, three BMWs and one Ferrari.

1998 (February) Parinya Charoenphol (Toom)

March
• Police launched an investigation into a nightclub brawl that involved Wanchalerm Yubamrung, the son of Muan Chon party leader Chalerm Yubamrung. Witnesses said Wanchalerm took part in an assault on a man, his son and a woman during a melee at Future Pub in the Chao Phraya Park Hotel in Bangkok. Wanchalerm, who denied involvement in the brawl at Future Pub, had previously been implicated in the April 1997 assault of a man in Phuket in April 1997.Criminal charges stemming from that incident against Wanchalerm and four other men were dropped in June due to insufficient evidence.

April
•   About 10,000 people visited Lumpini Park to glimpse an ancient relic of the Lord Buddha. The relic – a tooth believed to have been salvaged from the Buddha’s ashes after his cremation in India more than 2,500 years ago ‒ went on public display during a transit stop between India and Taiwan.

•   Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai responded to the death of Cambodia despot Pol Pot by saying that the Thai government would cooperate with the world community in bringing the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders to justice for genocide. Pol Pot, the ruthless ‘brother number one’ of the Khmer Rouge, reportedly died of heart failure.

June
•   Thailand became the first Asian country to approve the sale of Viagra. The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale in principle but imposed some restrictions, specifying that the drug could only be sold in hospitals with prescriptions written by medical specialists in the fields of neurology, psychiatry, cardiology or endocrinology, all of which may have a link to erectile dysfunction. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in Thailand said the drug was expected to sell for at least 400 baht a pill.

July
•   Bangkok city police started to get tough with people who were smoking in public places including malls, supermarkets, government offices and buses. Violation of tobacco control laws was made punishable by a fine of 2,000 baht. Police Major General Jongrak Judhanond said after talks with health officials that police would also be checking air-conditioned restaurants that had not set aside smoking areas.

•   Telecommunications entrepreneur Thaksin Shinawatra formed Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party (TRT) on July 14. The party’s populist platform appealed to indebted farmers who were in dire straits as a result of the ongoing financial crisis. Promising a strong economic recovery if they came to power, the party also reached out to rural villagers and struggling business owners.

•   AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT), a joint venture automobile assembly firm co-owned by Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation, began production in Rayong province. The grand opening ceremony on July 1 was attended by PM Chuan. AAT builds compact pick-up trucks and SUVs primarily for Southeast Asian markets.

September
•   The police department began a crackdown on Thailand’s first international film festival. Police demanded that all film entrees be viewed by a censorship board before screening. Bugis Street, a film that focused on transvestites in Singapore’s notorious red-light district in 1960, had already been banned for pornography. Thai director and screenwriter Ing Kanjanavanit commented: “It’s ridiculous that Thailand has one of the freest presses in Asia but Thai cinema is one of the most censored in the world.”

•   The 1998 Asian Games took place in Bangkok from December 6 to 20, with 377 events in 36 sport disciplines and the participation of around 6,500 athletes.

November
•   The government gave approval to the filming of a Hollywood adaptation of Alex Garland’s novel The Beach on Koh Phi Phi, as protesters wearing masks depicting the movie’s star Leonardo DiCaprio and flinging dollar notes into the air demonstrated outside the Bangkok offices of 20th Century Fox. Their environmental concerns were rejected by the officials, who pointed out the film’s potential to boost Thai tourism. The decision to allow filming in the national park was made by a panel chaired by Prasit Damrongchai, permanent secretary to the PM’s Office.

1999 brought the much-anticipated opening of the elevated BTS Skytrain Sukhumvit Line. The Skytrain was inaugurated on December 5 in commemoration of the King’s 6th Cycle Birthday. The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) was founded. AMLO is Thailand’s key agency responsible for enforcement of money laundering and counter-terrorism financial laws. Phuket Air was established and Santichaiprakan Park on Phra Arthit Road in Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok was created. The charitable organization known as Sarnelli House Thailand began providing medical help and shelter to children affected by HIV/AIDS and orphaned, abandoned and abused children. SF Group, a cinema and entertainment venue operator, was established.

1999 (Janaury) Wolfgang Ulrich

1999 (September) HM King Bhumibol and Jiang Zemin

1999 (October) Phra Dhammachao

January
•   German expat businessman Wolfgang Ulrich was accused of involvement in drug trafficking and other illegal activities. His detention for failing to pay import taxes and entering Thailand illegally led to a parliamentary brouhaha when opposition politician Chalerm Yubamrung raised his case in a non-confidence motion against interior minister Sanan Khajornprasat, repeating the German’s claim that he had spent 22 million in bribes to avoid being deported. Mr Ulrich was well known and feared in the expat community and he was known to spend a lot of time in Pattaya. Photos of him standing with Chalerm were published by the Thai media. In 2001 Mr Ulrich was deported to Germany, where he was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being charged with duping German nationals out of two million baht for a non-existent animal rescue charity in Pattaya.

April
•   It was decided that details of the October 14, 1973 uprising would be included in school textbooks so that young people could learn about historic events in Thailand. Deputy Education Minister Somsak Prisananantakul said that a committee had been formed to consider the matter but added: “We will not go deep into such details as listing who was killed and who was aboard the helicopter from which the students of Thammasat University were shot.”

May
•   Suspected Burmese troops and their Karen rebel allies attacked Ban Nam Piang Din police station in Mae Hong Son province about 2 km from the Thai-Burma border. The attackers were armed with grenades and automatic weapons. According to Thai police about 20 intruders first captured a Thai villager and forced him to lead them to the police station. The intruders then surrounded the station and opened fire. Four Thai policemen manning the police station managed to escape. The Thai Narcotics Suppression Centre claimed that the rising number of border incidents over recent months were a result of Thailand’s intensified drug suppression efforts.

•   UNESCO declared that Thailand enjoyed freedom of the press but added the same could not be said of Thailand’s electronic media because most television and radio stations remained under control of the state and military. After the report was released, Army Commander General Surayud Chulanont said the armed forces would allow independent regulators to determine whether the military should be allowed to maintain 50 broadcasting frequencies which it claimed were necessary for national security.

June
• The Thai cabinet approved an early retirement scheme that aimed to reducethe state work force by at least 10%, or about 120,000 jobs. The incentive package was to start at the beginning of the 2000-2001 fiscal year. An additional 20 percent would be cut from the public work force in a second round. The package approved by the Civil Service Commission was aimed to scale down bureaucracy and improve performance.

August
•   The six-year battle for compensation by relatives of ‘Black May’ victims was lost after the Supreme Court cleared the National Peacekeeping Council of any financial responsibility. Sumalee Usiri and 38 others were demanding 17.7 million baht in damages from the Royal Thai Army and the Police Department, along with General Suchinda Kraprayoon, former air force commander Kaset Rojananil and former interior minister General Issarapong Noonpakdi. The relatives argued that the three leaders of the military junta authorized the use of force to suppress pro-democracy demonstrators and ordered the crushing of peaceful demonstrations in May 1992. The defendants countered that the plaintiffs failed to show they had ordered any killings and claimed that force had been necessary to contain violent protesters.

September
•   ML Bua Kityakara, mother of Queen Sirikit, passed away. The Royal
Household Bureau issued a statement saying King Bhumibol was greatly saddened by the death. The King said ML Bua (also known as Khun Tan) had always shown him and other members of the royal family great kindness. Because she was of royal birth, she was granted a royal urn for her funeral. Her body was placed in Sala Thai Samakorn Hall in the Grand Palace and a 15-day morning period was announced. ML Bua was born in November 1909.

•   Chinese President Jiang Zemin pledged to work for ‘even healthier’ Sino- Thai relations while on a state visit to Thailand. Jiang received a red carpet welcome upon arrival at Don Muang airport, where the King and Queen and PM Chuan were on hand to greet him. Jiang was accompanied by an entourage of 180 people. He was the third Chinese president to visit Thailand since the two countries re-established diplomatic relations in 1975. His predecessors Li Xiannian and Yang Shankung visited Thailand in 1985 and 1991 respectively.

•   Organizers of the Bangkok Film Festival refused to cut scenes from the Dutch film Jesus is a Palestinian and said they would hold a free screening to avoid violating censorship laws. Film festival director Brian Bennett said police indicated the film would have to be cancelled unless a sex scene was cut. “We looked at the law and there’s a caveat that says as long as you don’t sell tickets, the police can’t fine or jail you. We are going to buy all the tickets and make it a free screening,’’ Bennett said. Police forced the withdrawal of two films from the first Bangkok Film Festival in 1998.

October
•   Wat Phra Dhammakaya abbot Phra Dhammachao and three of his closest aides reported to the police to face embezzlement charges. They were indicted after many allegations surfaced against the controversial temple. The abbot and his aides were accused of diverting temple funds to buy land in Phetchabun province worth more than 40 million baht. The temple was also linked to about 100 shell companies set up by relatives of senior monks at the temple. Wat Phra Dhammakaya had set up about 30 affiliated temples worldwide and was in the process of acquiring an old church in Chicago to convert into an international meditation center. In April an alliance of about 30 religious groups asked the Sangha Council to consider disrobing the abbot, claiming that his temple’s activities had damaged the country, religion and monarchy. After the abbot refused to transfer ownership of land that had been donated to the temple, the Supreme Patriarch ordered that he be defrocked.However, all charges were eventually dropped and the temple was permitted to continue operations.

•   Scientists were concerned about an increasing appetite among mostly rural Thais for insect snacks, saying they feared a number of species could be eaten out of existence. Researchers expressed concern after a study on edible insects in the North and Northeast found that local people had added 11 new species to their diets. Only four species were previously on record as being on the menu.

November
•   Environmentalists and filmmakers were once again fighting over Koh Phi Phi, where 20th Century Fox filmed the The Beach the previous year. A group called Friends of Ao Maya (Maya Bay, where most of the filming was done) said the movie crew had left the formerly pristine beach damaged and eroded. One British newspaper described Maya Bay as ‘a forlorn scene of ugly bamboo fences and dead plants’. Earlier in the year environmentalists had sought an emergency court order to halt filming, claiming that production crews had destroyed the beach by planting 100 coconut trees and uprooting natural vegetation. The Civil Court turned down the request to halt filming.

•   The Foreign Business Act BE 2542 (1999) was enacted to limit foreign ownership in certain Thai industries. Among other regulations, the law criminalized the practice of offering up Thai ‘nominees’ to hold shares on behalf of a foreigner. A nominee could be fined 100,000 to one million baht and face up to three years in prison.

•   More than 50 factories in Tak province shut down as thousands of Burmese workers were laid off ahead of an announced crackdown on illegal labor. Hundreds of workers returned to their country of origin by crossing the Moei River that divides Thailand and Burma, and thousands more took refuge near the border. The president of the Tak Chamber of Commerce, Panithi Tangpati, said employers had cut workers loose in order to avoid being charged with harboring illegal immigrants, an offence punishable by a 10-year jail term and 100,000-baht fine.

December
•   Around 2,000 couples gathered for a mass wedding ceremony in Nonthaburi province held to mark the new century. The event was organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and local businessmen. Most of the brides and grooms were Thais. Many foreigners pulled out due toY2K bug jitters.

2000 Bang Na Expressway

2000 National Science Museum

2000 is the year the National Science Museum was opened to celebrate the 60th birthday of Queen Sirikit. The museum in Khlong Luang in Pathum Thani province is operated under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The 55 km, six-lane elevated Bang Na Expressway was inaugurated, making it much easier to get to Pattaya from Bangkok. Also opened was the Mall Nakhon Ratchasima, the biggest shopping center in the Northeast. A number of national parks were established including Khlong Phanom in Surat Thani province; Mae Wa in Lampang and Tak provinces; Pha Daeng (formerly Chiang Dao National Park) in Chiang Mai; Phu Sang in Chiang Rai and Phayao provinces; and Doi Pha Hom Pok in Chiang Mai.

February
•   Samut Prakan province was the scene of radiation poisoning after a cylinder containing unsecured cobalt-60, used to produce gamma rays for medical and industrial purposes, was found by a metal collector. He and other workers who were dismantling the container were exposed to critical levels of ionizing radiation. Ten people were hospitalized and four of them subsequently died. Officials said the cylinder was labeled ‘Atomic Energy of Canada’. It was traced to Kamol Sukosol Electric. A Kamol Sukosol spokesman said one of its four radio therapy machines had been stolen from the company warehouse.

•   Thousands of spectators watched as five Norwegian parachutists jumped off Thailand’s tallest building, Baiyoke Tower II, to claim a world record for simultaneous base jumping. The five jumped off the 81st floor of the 84-storey building onto the fourth-floor car park of the nearby Indra Hotel, 290 meters below.

•   According to Bangkok Governor Bhichit Rattakul, air quality in the capital had improved. The Pollution Control Department said carbon monoxide and tiny dust particles had been reduced compared with the 1990s. The cleaner air in Bangkok was the result of improved traffic flow and compulsory use of plastic sheets to cover big trucks transporting dirt and other loose materials. Plastic coverings were also ordered to be draped over buildings under construction.

March
•   Police seized 100,000 counterfeit CDs from a shop in Nonthaburi province. The fake audio and video recordings included pornography. The shop owner was not at home during the raid but police said they planned to charge him with intent to sell materials that violated copyright laws.

April
•   The government confirmed plans to construct a new airport at what was called Nong Ngu Hao (‘Cobra Swamp’). Now known as Suvarnabhumi International, the airport was slated to open in 2004 and serve around 40 million passengers a year as the only international airport in the Bangkok area. At the time Don Muang airport was handling international traffic, but the New International Airport Development Committee said a single international airport would reduce costs and the Tourism Authority of Thailand agreed, saying this would avoid chaos and problems in transferring passengers, cargo and staff between two airports. Don Muang has subsequently regained limited international status.

2000 (February) Bhichit Rattakul

2000 (June) Dr Yongyuth Yuthavong

•   The Public Health Ministry said television shows must remove images of actors smoking and cigarette packages had to be illustrated with forensic-style photographs of diseases caused by tobacco. Both Thai and foreign shows were required to have images of smokers’ mouths blurred, even in cartoon animations.

•   Chulalongkorn University Veterinary Faculty said its next cloning project was a water buffalo (kwai plak), after previously cloning a cow. The researchers said the project was appropriate because the number of Thai water buffalos was rapidly falling and warned that the animal could disappear from Thailand altogether in the future.

May
•   News broke that Shin Corp was in the process of purchasing a major stake in independent iTV channel, raising concerns of political interference from the telecom conglomerate’s founder and TRT Party leader Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was seen as a strong contender to become the next Thai prime minister. An unnamed source at iTV told the Bangkok Post: “We fear that Thaksin will dominate the television station and then exploit it for political gains.” In 1995 iTV was granted a 30-year concession to operate, but the television station was left reeling by losses incurred during the 1997 financial crisis.

•   PM Chuan released a 605-page Defence Ministry report concerning the 1992 ‘Black May’ pro-democracy protests and massacres. The report, released with 60 percent of the details blackened out, was written by Privy Councillor and former First Army commander General Pichitr Kulavanijaya. The 17-20 May demonstrators had protested the appointment of General Suchinda Kraprayoon as PM after he toppled Chatichai Choonhavan in a 1991 coup. The government said that 44 people died, 38 disappeared and 11 were left handicapped. However, independent investigators strongly disagreed with these numbers and claimed that in fact hundreds were killed.

•   The Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (OEPP) said erosion was devouring the beaches of Hua Hin and Cha-am, with the sand being washed into the Gulf of Thailand. The 70-year old sea wall protecting Maruekhathaiyawan Palace, the royal retreat built by King Rama VI, was also suffering the effects of beach erosion. OEPP expert Nawarat Krairapanond said: “Nature itself does erode this coastline, but the accelerated pace is man-made.” He added that piers, buildings and other structures divert the sea’s natural flow, forcing the current to gouge nearby beaches. It was noted that the loss of gorgeous beachfront not only diminishes the country’s natural beauty, it extracts a heavy financial toll because seaside land sold for up to 10 million baht per rai.

June
•   After 30 years of molecular research Dr Yongyuth Yuthavong announced the discovery of the structure of an enzyme produced by the malaria parasite called DHFR, which enabled the parasite to become resistant to drugs. (An Oxford graduate, Yongyuth is a former president of the Thai Academy of Science and Technology and remains one of Thailand’s most respected scientists.)

October
•   Police used clubs to fight back hundreds of stone-throwing protesters in Hat Yai who opposed the approval of a joint Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline. Environmentalists claimed that the 350-km pipeline would damage the region’s ecology and deter tourists. Villagers and students stormed the venue where the 28-billion-baht pipeline was being finalized, forcing officials to flee with a police escort. At least 19 protesters and 13 police were treated for injuries and a truck carrying protesters was hit by gunfire. No one was injured in that incident and police arrested several suspects.

November
•   About 100 former Nike employees who had lost their jobs protested in the lobby of Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok where Tiger Woods was staying. They said that Woods was representing Nike so he should take an interest in the plight of more than 1,000 employees who were dismissed without compensation in September. Woods, whose mother is Thai and father is American, was escorted by bodyguards to his room and didn’t comment.

December
•   Thaksin denied laundering money through stock market share sales to a foreign firm registered in the British Virgin Islands. He claimed that the transactions were legal and expressed confidence that an investigation by the auditor-general would confirm his innocence. The shares were sold to ordinary foreign investors – there was nothing unusual,” Thaksin said. He and his wife Potjaman reportedly sold millions of shares from three of their companies in August to Win Mark, which was registered in the popular island tax haven. Investigations also discovered Thaksin allegedly transferred other shares worth millions of baht to his housekeeper, driver, maid and guard.

2001 was the year Baan Gerda was founded. The humanitarian non-profit organization that looks after AIDS orphans in Thailand apparently has no political or religious associations. The Bangkok Opera was founded and Children’s Discovery Museum opened on the northern edge of Chatuchak Weekend Market. The 24-hour music and entertainment channel MTV Thailand was launched and the National Human Rights Commission was established. Patra Elephant Farm – the only elephant breeding farm in Thailand – opened near Chiang Mai. Thai movie studio Phranakon Film was established and Singapore International School of Bangkok was opened. Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand came on the scene and announced projects like animal rescues and rehabilitation and veterinary assistance to wild animals in Thailand.

January
•   General elections were held on January 6 with 500 seats at stake in the House of Representatives. With nine political parties participating, TRK won 248 seats, followed by the Democrat Party with 128 seats and New Aspiration Party with 36 seats. A total of 28,629,202 votes were cast. Thai Rak Thai entered into a coalition with New Aspiration Party.

•   Thai security forces took Burmese rebel twins Luther and Johnny Htoo and 14 others into custody near the border with Burma in Ratchaburi province. The twins led the 150-member strong God’s Army, which was fighting a guerrilla war with the Burmese army inside Burma using Thailand as a base. God’s Army caused many problems in Thailand as well.

February
•   Thaksin Shinawatra became the 23rd Thai prime minister on February 9 following the landslide victory of his TRT Party.

•   Thailand’s attempt at an ‘independent’ television news took a serious blow when 23 iTV staff were sacked after protesting interference in their coverage of PM Thaksin and TRT party. Journalists at the station said they were pressured to downplay negative news about Thaksin.

March
•   PM Thaksin placed new emphasis on combating the drug trade, while insisting he wanted to cure addicts. “Methamphetamines are harming our people, even though authorities are working hard to fight the scourge,” Thaksin said.

2001 (January) Luther and Johnny Htoo

2001 (February) Thanksin PM

2001 (March) iTV

2001 (July) Manchester United in Thailand

2001 (August) Purachai Piosombun

April
•   PM Thaksin introduced the 30-baht health care program. By year’s end it had expanded to include anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS. Patients who already had health insurance or social security coverage were not eligible for the 30-baht scheme, but it allowed plenty of sick poor people the opportunity to be checked by doctors and given care. “The plan to provide health security for all will be achieved within my four-year term,” Thaksin said.

•   On April 18, four drug traffickers were executed in Bang Khwang prison.‘‘You have to consider the pain and sufferings caused by drug abuse to our youth,” said Thaksin’s office minister, General Thammarak Issarangkura. who witnessed the executions.

June
•   Tao Suranari, a Thai film portraying a Laotian king as a villain, damaged relations between the two countries. “Why can’t the Thai government stop people from doing things that are not constructive to the country,” asked Lao Chargé d’ Affaires Phouangkeo Langsy. The film showed a Lao military invasion of Thailand in 1827 led by Chao Anuwong, who was imprisoned in Bangkok but considered a great king in Laos.

July
•   ‘Police arrested more than 102 alleged financial fraudsters, including many foreigners, who set up ‘boiler room’ scams to cheat unsuspecting investors. The suspects were charged with money-laundering and security fraud. The 17 Thai nationals and 85 foreigners, including 30 Britons and 14 Americans, were arrested at the offices of the Brinton Group and at Benson Dupont Capital Management. AMLO led the raids. The US Federal Bureau of Investigations and Australia’s Federal Police aided Thai investigators.

•   English Premiership champions Manchester United arrived amid wild cheers from thousands of Thai fans to play against the Thai national team at Rajamangala Stadium. England captain David Beckham received the most applause when he appeared in public surrounded by bodyguards. Beckham greeted the crowd with the palms of his hands placed together in the traditional Thai wai. Manchester United won 2-1 over the national team on July 29.

August
•   Thaksin was saved by the Constitutional Court, which voted 8-7 that he didn’t conceal his wealth, a charge that would have toppled him. Thaksin shuffled billions of baht worth of shares in his corporate empire into accounts of his servants and family members. The brother of his wife, Ponjaman, had bought shares worth 737 million baht from Shinawatra’s maid in 1997. “The graft agency had no evidence to prove beyond a doubt that at the time the assets were declared Thaksin knew about the share transfer to his wife,” the court ruled.

•   Bars and nightclubs were ordered to shut down at 2am by Interior Minister Purachai Piosombun as part of a campaign against illicit sex, drugs and alcohol.

September
•   PM Thaksin rejected plans to review the Hopewell mass transit project, saying it was too expensive. He told railways authorities to use the cash to lay more tracks. The project was scrapped in 1997 and the abandoned concrete pillars for the planned rails and road project that remained like monoliths were scheduled to be demolished. Hopewell claimed they spent 12 billion baht constructing the pillars.

October
•   A protest group called for a review of a Thai-US agreement that allowed US military aircraft to use U-Tapao airbase in Rayong province near Pattaya without declaring their missions. The Democracy Confederation said the use of the airbase by American planes while US strikes against Afghanistan continued was ‘unwise’ and ‘inviting danger’. “We are being dragged into what could be a prolonged war,” said Senator Kiaew Norapati, who wanted the government to kick the US bombers out altogether.

•   Police were hunting with a little success for Police Sub-Lt Duangchalerm Yubamrung, who allegedly shot dead a Crime Suppression Division policeman during a scuffle at a bar. The killing was a political disaster for his father, Chalerm Yubamrung, deputy leader of the New Aspiration Party which was the junior partner in the ruling coalition government. Several witnesses claimed to have seen Duangchalerm shoot Sgt Maj Suvichai Rodwimunt in the head at point-blank range at the Twenty Pub on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok. Suvichai died on the spot.

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Journey through Thailand’s past:1992-1996

6/7/2018

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The sixth leg of our 10-part trek through the major events shaping Thailand over the past 50 years starts out in 1992. The June issue covered 1987-1991.

1992 saw the creation of Queen Sirikit Park, a botanical garden in Chatuchak district of Bangkok, and Benchasiri Park on Sukhumvit Road, to commemorate the fifth cycle birthday anniversary Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. The Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, an academic institution under the Ministry of Culture, and the Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology at Thammasat University’s PathumThani campus, were also established. The nowannual Prince Mahidol Award for outstanding global achievements in medicine and public health was handed out for the first time. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) was founded as a government agency under the Ministry of Transport, and Walailak University was established in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Queen Sirikit Park

1992 (January) Chamlong Srimuang

January
• The government began collecting a seven percent value-added tax (VAT), replacing the business tax that had been levied for two decades. The government threatened manufacturers and distributors who attempted to take advantage of the VAT and immediately increase prices. Finance Minister Suthee Singhasaneh said that the Commerce Ministry was conducting a survey of the cost structures of consumer goods and its findings would be used to single out dishonest traders for legal action. Any mistakes in tax invoices, intentional or otherwise, carried punishments of up to seven years in jail and fines of up to 200,000 baht for business owners. Suthee assured the public that all confusion over the VAT would pass within a few months.
• After six years as governor of Bangkok, Palang Dharma Party (PDP) leader Chamlong Srimuang stepped down in order to run in the national election on March 22. Chamlong stated that he was ready to take up the position of prime minister if it was the wish of the people and nominated his deputy, Krisda Arungwongse Na Ayuthaya, as PDP candidate to stand in the
gubernatorial election. During his time as governor Chamlong reopened bidding for several city projects and allegedly saved the city 80 million baht. He also successfully encouraged the city’s technically illegal roadside hawkers to stop selling goods on Wednesdays so that streets and pavements could be cleaned. Chamlong’s administration also inked the initial agreement with the Thanayong Group, which undertook the construction of an elevated mass transit rail system through Bangkok’s business centre.

• Laotian President Kaysone Phomvihane arrived for a 10-day state visit accompanied by his
foreign minister, deputy and military officers. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej said during a reception for Kaysone that his visit would lead to ‘a most positive result in the promotion of cordial friendship and good understanding between our two countries and their peoples so that they will prosper and ﬂourish ever onwards’. Kaysone stayed four days in Bangkok before leaving for Chiang Mai, Phuket and eastern seaboard provinces. His trip was the first official visit by a Laotian leader to Thailand since the two countries signed a peace accord in 1979.

• Bangkok motorists were slow to embrace the concept of bus lanes during the frst day of enforcement. Some motorists either accidentally or intentionally violated the new law on the four major thoroughfares of Phahon Yothin, Phetkasem, Sukhumvit and Suk Sawat. The police claimed that nevertheless the new bus lines had proven immediately effective as judged by improved traffic ﬂow. Bus lane violators escaped with only a warning from police on the first day of implementation.

March
• High-ranking police officers defended the practice of killing hardened criminals ‘under permissible circumstances’, saying that if carefully applied this extreme approach would help to reduce serious crime. There had been growing concern in some quarters that some killings described by the authorities as acts of self-defence were in fact extrajudicial police actions to eliminate professional criminals instead of bringing them to trial. In 1991 a total of 22 criminal suspects were killed under so-called permissible circumstances by the police in Bangkok, and allegedly there were more than 80 such incidents throughout the country.

1992 (May) Black May

• General elections were held on March 22, the first since the National Peace Keeping Council overthrew the elected government of Chatichai Choonhawan in February 1991. A total of 15 parties participated, contesting 360
seats in the House of Representatives. The Justice Unity Party came out on top with 79 seats, followed by the Nation Party with 74 seats and the New Aspiration Party with 72 seats. A total of 19,216,466 voters cast their ballots, representing 59.2% of eligible voters.

• Democrat Party candidate Abhisit Vejjajiva, 28, became the country’s youngest ever MP after winning a Bangkok constituency seat in the general election. The British-born, Eton- and Oxford-educated Abhisit won constituency 6, made up of Sathon, Yannawa and Bang Kho Laem districts of Bangkok.

April
• PDP candidate Krisda Arunwongse Na Ayuthaya became Bangkok governor in an election in which only 23% of eligible voters cast ballots. Krisda thanked city residents for their support and pledged to carry on development projects initiated by the previous administration. He said the slum problem, community health and education were his priorities as governor. He also pledged that his administration would continue with infrastructure projects aimed at solving Bangkok’s traffic gridlock.
• After the failure of any party to win a working majority in the March general elections, an alliance of five pro-military parties appointed Supreme Commander General Suchinda Kraprayoon, leader of the 1991 military coup, to become prime minister. This was met with great opposition from students and political parties outside the military alliance. When Parliament convened on April 19, all members of the opposition dressed in funeral attire and wore black armbands.

May
• On the fourth day of the month now known as ‘Black May’ more than 60,000 people joined with opposition party members in a protest against Suchinda’s undemocratic rise to power. PDP leader Chamlong initiated a hunger strike ‘to the death’ to press the resignation of the PM. It was estimated that 200,000 people gathered at several sites at the height of the protest. In the following days chaos reigned on Bangkok streets as protesters and soldiers engaged in turf battles. A number of buildings were torched, including the Public Relations Department, and hundreds of protesters were arrested, including Chamlong. In all the violence resulted in 39 reported deaths and hundreds of injuries. Around 3,500 people were arrested. Most of the casualties were at the main protest sites near the Royal Hotel, Sanam Luang and Democracy Monument. Around 100 injured protesters were carried into the Royal Hotel where doctors converted the reception area and other corners of the hotel into temporary surgeries. On May 20, the King summoned Suchinda and Chamlong to Chitralada Palace and ordered them to end the clashes and find a compromise. Five days later Suchinda resigned and Deputy Prime Minister Meechai Ruchupan became acting prime minister. He was replaced on May 24 by Anand Panyarachun. Jailed protesters were released and the government passed an amendment to the constitution requiring the prime minister to be an elected official

• The 41st Miss Universe pageant was held on May 8 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok. Out of 78 contestants, Michelle McLean of Namibia was crowned Miss Universe. She was the first and so far the only Namibian woman to win the title.

June
• Pumpuang Duangjan, known as the queen of luk thung (Thai country music), died of complications resulting from the auto-immune disease lupus. Pumpuang was born into a poor rural family in the Northeast and raised in Suphan Buri. Hundreds of thousands of people attended the royally sponsored funeral as the whole nation mourned her death.

August
• PM Anand ordered the demotion of three military officers allegedly responsible for the brutal crackdown on the May pro-democracy protests. Among them was ACM Kaset Rojananin, who was relieved of his duties as supreme commander and air force chief. Kaset and the other two offcers claimed that Suchinda ordered the crackdown.

September
• On September 13 general elections were held in which a total of 12 parties participated. The Democrat Party won 79 of 360 seats in the House of Representatives; the Nation Party won 77 seats; and the National Development Party won 60 seats. A total of 19,622,332 people voted representing 61.6% of registered voters. The resounding victory of the Democrat Party catapulted party leader Chuan Leekpai into the role of prime minister.

October
• Interior Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyuth said he would revive the Green
Northeast Project. The environmental project was initiated in the 1980s when General Chavalit was the army chief and cancelled when Suchinda commanded the army. Chavalit said project aimed at irrigating the Northeast was one of the best government projects ever.

November
• PM Chuan announced to 350 high ranking military and police officers and provincial governors gathered at Government House in Bangkok that he wanted to see an end to child prostitution and child labour. “If there’s child prostitution, governors should bring the matter to the
attention of provincial police chiefs,” the PM said, adding: “Problems in our country will be less if the ones who have weapons and enforce the law are not the source of problems.”

December
• It was announced that exports had increased by almost 20% in 1992 in spite of domestic problems and instability. Early in the year the export growth was predicted to be only 2%, but at year’s end the figure was put at 18%.
• Chusri Meesommon, one of the country’s old-time great female comedians, died after a show at the age of 63. She had been making audiences laugh since the 1950s.

1992 (June) Pumpuang Duangjan

1992 (August) Anand Panyarachun

1992 (September) Chuan Leekpai

1993 witnessed the opening of Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden in Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai province. Asian University (formerly the University of Science and Technology), was founded in Chonburi. Central Group founded grocery and general merchandise retailer Big C. CentralPlaza Bang Na (also known as Central City Bang Na) was opened in Bang Na district of Bangkok, and CentralPlaza Ramindra was opened in Bang Khen district. Dusit Thani College, a private college specializing in hospitality management, was opened in Bangkok. The weekly Englishlanguage newspaper Phuket Gazette printed its first edition.

January
• Ending a long tradition of males-only provincial governors, the Ministry of Interior appointed Charatsri Teeparat governor of Nakhon Nayok province. The 53-yearold Charatsri was formerly director of the Town and Country Planning Office.

February
• A group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates including the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu launched an international campaign from Thailand for the release of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Herself a Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi was in her fourth year of house arrest. The group travelled to the Thai-Burmese border where they met with Burmese dissidents.
• A new law went into effect requiring all motorcyclists and pillion riders to wear helmets carrying an official seal of approval issued by the Industry Ministry. Motorcyclists wearing unapproved crash helmets risked a 500 baht fine. The new law sparked protests from motorcyclists who had bought expensive imported helmets before the seal requirement went into effect.
• The Thai army set up a committee to investigate the purchase of 106 US-made Stingray tanks. A total of 44 vehicles developed technical problems, cracks in their gun turrets and other defects. Defence Minister Vijit Sookmark pointed out that the Stingray was a prototype that had never been used in combat. Critics suggested that the purchase could have been based on commissions rather than security needs, noting that Thailand was the only country in the world to buy the
Stingray tanks.
• According to Mahidol University, 55 of the 2,087 people listed as missing after the May events were still unaccounted for. Their relatives called on the government to find and punish those responsible for their disappearance. Many people who were injured demanded compensation as well.

1993 (February) Aung San Suu Kyi

1993 (September) Phra Buddhadasa Bhikku

1993 (December) Manoon Roopkachorn

• Urgent measures were initiated to stop the illegal entry of Burmese, Chinese and hill tribe people, many of whom were believed to be migrating to join Thailand’s prostitution industry. National Security Council Deputy Secretary- General Khachadpai Buruspatana said Thailand had increased surveillance and interception units along the borders and imposed heavier penalties on illegal immigrants and those involved in bringing them into the country. Illegal immigrants reportedly numbered more than 100,000 at the time.

April
• The King inaugurated the new United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, expressing hope that it would be able to support the increasing roles and responsibilities of states in the Asia-Pacific region. At the opening United Nations’ Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali called on Thailand to persuade the Khmer Rouge to join in an electoral process to put an end to violence in Cambodia.
• The cabinet approved an Interior Ministry amendment bill giving women the right to 90 days maternity leave with full pay.

May
• After a week of protests by farmers over low paddy prices, the government agreed to buy second crop paddy at a higher rate. The farmers’ protests began in Kamphaeng Phet province and turned violent after police with batons charged hundreds of farmers armed with sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails. One farmer was killed and several policemen were reportedly injured. The protests later spread to Bangkok.
August
• ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson gave a concert to a packed National Stadium crowd in Bangkok as part of his ‘Dangerous Tour’. It was one of the most anticipated concerts in Thai history. Jackson postponed a second concert twice, citing dehydration. He was seen at various locations in the city, including Patpong, guarded by a large contingent of police and people in the entertainment industry.
• Thirty-three schools were torched in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces on August 1. Two days later a 34th school was burned down. Interior Minister Chavalit said he believed the attacks were politically motivated rather than the work of a separatist movement. PM Chuan disagreed, however, dismissing speculation that the arsons stemmed from political squabbles.

September
• One of Thailand’s most revered spiritual fgures, Phra Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, 87, was cremated at Wat Suan Mok in Surat Thani province. Buddhasara was regarded as a modern reformer of Buddhism and was seen by his admirers as a shining light for practitioners of Buddhism in Thailand and abroad.

November
• More than 700 delegates including ministers and senior officials from 127 countries met at the UN regional headquarters in Bangkok to map out efforts to tackle the depletion of the ozone layer, which was widely regarded as one of the most serious environmental threats to the planet.

December
• Manoon Roopkachorn, a former “Young Turk” coup plotter, was acquitted by the Criminal Court of conspiring to assassinate Queen Sirikit, former PM Prem Tinsulanond and former army chief General Arthit Kamlangek during the Queen’s Cup soccer match at National Stadium on October 20, 1982. The prosecutor accused Manoon of collaborating with former communists and academics.
• Thaicom 1 satellite was launched from French Guiana in South America. The launch was witnessed by Princess, who described the launch as ‘an event to be recorded in Thailand’s telecommunication history’. The satellite relayed television and radio broadcasts and facilitated satellite phone communications, data communications networks and video conferences.
• Sa Kaeo, Nong Bua Lamphu and Amnat Charoen became Thai provinces, bringing the total to 76.

1994 was the year Seacon Square mall in Prawet district of Bangkok was christened by Princess Sirindhorn, and CentralPlaza Udon Thani (previously Charoensri Complex), was opened in Udon Thani. The Mahidol University College of Music was established under the leadership of Sugree Charoensook.

January
• The police started enforcing the Automobile Accident Victims’ Protection Act by arresting motorists whose vehicles were not covered by third-party insurance. Motorists apprehended driving uninsured and without a green badge issued by an insurance company on the windscreen were liable to a fine of 10,000 to 50,000 baht.

February
• Czech President Václav Havel visited Thailand as a guest of the royal family. His was the first visit to Thailand by a leader of the Czech Republic. During his four-daylong stay Havel also met with PM Chuan. They discussed bilateral
relations and political and economic cooperation.
• Deputy Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan hailed US President Bill Clinton’s abolition of 30-year-old trade sanctions against Vietnam. A Foreign Ministry statement said the removal of the US embargo would not only improve the atmosphere between the US and Vietnam but also foster economic development in Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region as a whole.

April
• King Bhumibol, Queen Sirikit and Princess Sirindhorn joined Lao President Nouhak Phoumsavanh and other dignitaries to open the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River between Thailand and Laos. The 1,170 metre structure was seen as a crucial step by those who dreamed of creating an inﬂuential economic community around the Mekong.

June
• The Interior Ministry agreed to allow entertainment venues to remain open until 3am. According to Deputy Interior Permanent Secretary Benchakul Makarathas, the decision was made because of increased demand for entertainment and recreation. The previous regulation obliged entertainment venues to close their doors at, although bars, night clubs and discotheques were permitted to remain open until 1am if the following day was a public holiday.

1994 (February) Václav Havel

1994 (February) Surin Pitsuwan

• Legal experts agreed to push for amendment of all laws concerning abortion to bring them more closely in line with changing public attitudes. Deputy Public Health Minister Udomslip Srisaengnam said that at least 300,000 illegal abortions were carried out each year, terminating about 10% of pregnancies in Thailand. Officials at the Public Health Ministry conference disagreed with legalizing abortion but suggested the laws be amended to suit current social conditions.

July
• The government increased its control over the operations of non-] government organizations by requiring them to apply for permission to stage all planned activities 30 days in advance.

October
• Telecommunications tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra was tipped for the Foreign Ministry post. The move was prompted by a cabinet reshufﬂe and marked the first entry into politics for the chairman of Shinawatra Computer and Telecommunications
Group. PDP leader Chamlong was said to have personally made
overtures to Thaksin to take up the post because he believed his business experience would prove useful in administering foreign policy for the benefit of the economy and the poor.
• PM Chuan turned down US President Clinton’s request to allow stationing of US ships with military equipment in the Gulf of Thailand. The US wanted to pre-position weapons, military spare parts and heavy equipment for use in the event of a crisis. “I feel sorry we cannot accept the proposal, but Thailand will be glad to continue regional security cooperation,” said Chuan in a prepared statement.

December
• During his annual birthday address to the nation, the King expanded on an environmentally sustainable economic philosophy he called Trasadi Mai or ‘New Theory’. The King explained that the New Theory was a practical plan to develop a system of integrated, self-sufficient farms.
• Thai-American doctor Chatri Duangnet moved to Thailand from Philadelphia and started a motorcycle ambulance service. He explained that he got the idea for the service while wondering how emergency vehicles could cope with heavy traffic situations in Bangkok. The doctor persuaded Bangkok General Hospital to equip two motorcycles with life support equipment.

1995 is the year CentralMarina (formerly Central Center Pattaya) opened in Pattaya and CentralPlaza Pinklao opened in Bangkok. Fashion Island shopping mall on Ramintra Road was also opened, as was Future Park on Viphavadi Rangsit Road in PathumThani. Orient Thai Airlines was founded and Stamford International University was established. Thai-Chinese International School was opened in Bang Phli Yai in Samut Prakan province. Tinsulanon Stadium, named after former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, opened in Mueang Songkhla with capacity for 45,000 spectators. Fifteen-year old Tata Young became an instant sensation after her first album sold one million copies in five months.

1995 Orient Thai

1995 Tinsulanon stadium

January
• The name of a woman who donated 600 million baht to build Bangkok’s third Buddhist college was finally revealed. She was Namthong Khunvisal, a career teacher who
died in August 1994 at age 97 after accumulating a fortune through wise investments.
February
• The Thai government strongly defended the signing of a contract to secure natural gas through a pipeline from Myanmar for domestic electricity generation, saying it would not help to prop up the military regime in Yangon. PM Chuan said that Thailand’s energy security was a separate issue from the armed struggle of Burmese minority groups.
March
• Muslim community leaders said that some Thai students from the South who had studied in the Middle East and Pakistan were involved with domestic and international terrorist groups. The students, most of them over 20 years old, left Thailand secretly through southern border provinces to obtain passports and scholarships to travel to Arab countries and Pakistan. An official from the office of the Chula Ratchamontri, spiritual leader of Thai Muslims, refused to comment on the report but said more than 1,500 Thais were believed to be studying in Islamic countries.

1995 (June) Princess Mother

May
• Rising star Thaksin made a profit of around a billion baht from the sale of two million shares of his telecommunications company. Thaksin informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand of the deal which according to Korn Chatikavanij, president of Jardine Fleming Thanakon Securities, was designed to enable him to pursue a political career.
June
• Princess Mother Sri Nagarindra passed away peacefully at Siriraj Hospital where she had been since June 3. She was 94 years old. The King, the Queen and other members of the royal family were present at the hospital when she died.

July
• Chart Thai Party leader Banharn Silpa-archa became the 21st prime minister of Thailand on July 13 after Chuan was forced to call for new elections following the collapse of his Democrat-led coalition government on May 20. He stood to lose a no-confidence vote when Deputy Prime Minister and PDP head Chamlong announced his party would withdraw from the coalition amid a land-reform scandal implicating Democrat MPs. Elections were held on July 2 with 391 seats up for grabs in the House of Representatives. In all 12 parties participated. Thai National Party won 92 seats, followed by the Democrat and Aspiration parties, which took 86 and 57 seats respectively. A total of 23,462,746 people voted representing 62% of registered voters. Vote buying was said to reach new heights.

August
• The Public Health Ministry approved testing of a Thai-developed HIV vaccine called Immunogen made from HIV virus fragments. Participants in the trials were HI infected Thais.

September
• The cabinet decided that MRTA’s 21kilometers electric train project connecting Bang Sue to Hua Lampong should be completely underground. The decision increased the estimated cost of civil works for the project from 40 billion to 60 billion baht.
• The World Muay Thai Council was formally inaugurated at a Bangkok conference attended by 78 member countries. The council was formed after the cabinet agreed in May to protect Muay Thai as a part of the Thai national heritage and attempt to regulate the sport which was enjoying increasing international popularity.

October
• Food vendors were required to meet new hygiene standards announced by the Public Health Ministry. A survey carried out in Bangkok on 9,000 vendors discovered that more than half of them sold food with above-limit levels of coliform bacteria, which is found in the fecal matter of warm-blooded animals. The survey also found that 45 percent of vendors had detectable amounts of the diarrhea-causing bacteria on their hands. Cockroaches, rats and grime were also common sights at Bangkok roadside food stalls.

December
• The Southeast Asian NuclearWeapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), also called the Bangkok Treaty) formalised a moratorium on the development of nuclear weapons among the 10 ASEAN member-states. The proceedings opened in Bangkok on December 15 and prohibited signatories from the development, manufacture, acquisition, possession or any control over nuclear weapons. The treaty, which went into force in 1997, includes a protocol under which the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, namely China, the US, France, Russia and UK agreed to respect the Treaty and do not contribute to a violation of it by State parties. None of the nuclear-weapon states have signed this protocol.
• Chiang Mai hosted the 18th Southeast Asian Games. It was the first time the multi-sport event was hosted by a city that is not a national capital.

1996 is the year the British International School was established in Phuket. Thai music television Channel V was launched. The 59-storey Jewelry Trade Center on Silom Road in Bangkok was completed. Major Cineplex Group Public Company Limited, the largest operator of movie theatres in Thailand, was founded. Thai League 1, known as T1, was founded as a professional league for Football Thai Association clubs. Ubonrak Thonburi Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani province began offering medical care to residents of Ubon Ratchathani and surrounding Thai provinces as well as Laotian and Cambodian patients.

1996 British International School

March
• The Thai government hosted the first Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) bringing together for the first time leaders of the 15 European Union countries and 10 ASEAN nations. The summit focused mainly on economic cooperation but also considered issues such as nuclear disarmament and human rights abuses in East Timor.
• A new book by the King was launched as a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of his accession to the throne. Titled Mahajanaka, the book is based on a story from Phra Traipidok (the Buddhist Tree Cannons), with the main theme being the virtue of perseverance. It was the King’s third book, following his translations of A Man Called Intrepid (1993) and Tito (1994).
• The Bangkok Post announced that an electronic version of its daily news edition would be available online.
• Protests that included farmers’ groups, students and industrial workers put increased pressure on
the government by vowing to support one another in pushing to solve their problems. The protesters set up a commune dubbed ‘Village of the Poor’ in front of Government House and pledged not to return home until they had secured a commitment from the government to address their problems. They demanded attention to land issues, compensation to villagers affected by the construction of dams, labour conditions and toxic waste.

1996 (March) Mahajanaka

1996 (June) 50th anniversary

• Thousands upon thousands of people from all walks of life, many wearing mourning colours gathered at Sanam Luang on March 10 to pay last tribute to the Princess Mother. About 1.4 million people presented sandalwood ﬂowers at the crematorium site and in 38 temples throughout Bangkok. Apart from the funeral procession, Bangkok streets were almost deserted.

May
• The Finance Ministry took over the Bangkok Bank of Commerce to save it from collapse. The ministry took the action after a large volume of withdrawals by depositors. The drastic action was not unprecedented; in August 1984 the Finance Ministry took control of Asia Trust Bank.

June
• Millions of people around the country joined in a candle-light ceremony to honour the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol’s accession to the throne. Sanam Luang was completely full of people, many of whom had travelled from the provinces to witness the event. The King presided over the morning ceremony at the Golden Jubilee Pavilion on June 6. On June 5 the King became the world’s first recipient of the international Rice Award in recognition of his efforts to improve agricultural methods and quality of life for farmers in Thailand.
• Thai and French researchers reported the discovery of the grandfather of all tyrannosaurs in Khon Kaen province. The meat-eating dinosaur named Siamotyrannus isanensis predated by 20 million years the previously oldest known tyrannosaur.
• The government agreed to officially recognise some 700,000 illegal immigrant workers in 39 provinces in order to ease Thailand’s worsening labor shortage. The cabinet decided that aliens would be allowed legal employment for a perio of up to two years while awaiting deportation. According to employer associations, the country was short about 1.36 million workers.
• Former science and technology minister Bhichit Rattakul was elected governor of Bangkok.

July
• The government was warned by a panel of economists and academics that the Thai economy would face collapse if Banharn’s government continued administering the country. They criticized the government’s economic management on a number of fronts. One critic said the government ‘simply manages the economy on a day-to-day basis’.
• Manufacturers and advertisers of durian-ﬂavoured condoms were fined after they ran an advertisement that appeared in newspapers. The Consumer Protection Committee ruled that the advertisement was guilty of ‘encouraging sexual misconduct in young people’.

October
• During a five-day visit to Thailand, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip viewed the Royal Barge Procession in Bangkok before travelling to Ayutthaya. Thousands of people lined the road along the way to get a glimpse of the royals. Accompanied by the King, the Queen and other members of the Thai royal family,the procession arrived at Siriyalai Mansion to view the Loy Krathong ceremony. From the mansion the royals proceeded to Wat Chaiwatthanaram to watch a light and sound presentation depicting the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.
• According to the health department, air pollution in and around Bangkok had reached critical levels, with dust particle content 50-100% above the safety standard. Urban hospitals were reportedly dealing with twice as many patients with respiratory and digestive complaints. Dr Prakrom Vuthipong, director-general of the health department, said an estimated one million people in the city were suffering from allergy problems caused by air pollution.

November
• A total of 13 parties fled candidates for general elections held on November 17. The New Aspiration Party won 125 of 393 seats in the House of Representative, followed by the Democrat Party with 123 seats. The National Development Party came in third with 52 seats. Voter turnout was 62.4% with 24,070,750 people casting their ballots. With support of fve coalition parties, New Aspiration Party founder and leader General Chavalit was appointed 22nd prime minister of Thailand by royal degree on November 25.

1996 (October) The King and Brisih Queen

• US President Bill Clinton arrived for a state visit and spent 27 hours in the kingdom amid tight security. The president was welcomed upon arrival at Don Muang by then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn before being taken to meet the King and other members of the royal family as well as PM Banharn and other government officials.
• Protesting workers torched two Sanyo Universal Electric factory buildings on Sukhumvit Soi 102 when their end year bonuses were cut. Damage to the factory was estimated at 300 million baht. The Board of Investment ordered its Tokyo office to apologize to the Japanese parent company for the incident.

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Journey through Thailand's past: 1987-1991

6/6/2018

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By Maxmilian Wechsler

The fifth installment of our 10-part series describing newsworthy events in Thailand over the past 50 years begins with the year 1987.
(The May issue covered 1982-1986. Click!)

1987 is the year CentralPlaza Chiang Mai Airport. Also known as Central Airport Plaza (established
as Tantraphan Airport Plaza) was inaugurated, as were Kasem Bundit University in Bangkok and Mitsubushi Motors (Thailand). The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was initiated to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and continues to this day as a major event in the boating world. Also founded were Phayathai 2 private hospital, Raimon Land PCL real estate developers and TPI Polene PCL, a large manufacturer of cement and petrochemicals. Foreigners with HIV were banned from entering Thailand and several national parks were established including Namtok Chat Trakan in Phitsanulok province, Khao Laem in Kanchanaburi, Mae Wong in Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaeng provinces, Phu Chong-Na Yoi in Ubon Ratchathani and Phu Toei in Suphan Buri.

1987 (January) Khao-I-Dang camp

1987 (April) M.R. Kukrit Pramoj

January
• ‘Visit Thailand Year’ was kicked off by an elaborate parade in a campaign to position the country as a top international tourist destination. Bangkok Governor Chamlong Srimuang issued a ban against all street vendors in the city, leading to a vendors’ protest outside Government House. Simultaneously the commissioner of the Bangkok Metropolitan Association (BMA)police force told his officers they could arrest sidewalk vendors who were obstructing pedestrian traffic.

• About a half million devoted Buddhists came from all over the country to the cremation ceremony of Luang Poo Waen Sujinno held at Wat Doi Mae Pang in Chiang Mai. He was one of the most revered monks in Thailand. About 10,000 Buddhist monks also attended the nationally televised ceremony presided over by the King and Queen. The monk passed away on July 2, 1985.

• One of the first refugee camps for Cambodian refugees in Thailand, Khao-I- Dang, located about 20 kms from Aranyaprathet, was closed as the Thai government started preparations to start repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians who had crossed over the border in the previous decade. The refugees at Khao-I-Dang were transferred to temporary camps before being sent to Cambodia.

April
• Dozens of Thai Army rangers gathered outside the home of elder statesman M R (Mom Rajawongse) Kukrit Pramoj to demand an apology from him for implying that General Chavalit Yongchaiyudt, Commanderin- Chief of the Royal Thai Army (RTA), was a ‘communist’. During a speech about the future of Thai politics at Chulalongkorn University, Kukrit claimed that Chavalit had been ‘sort of brainwashed by some communists who say there are no longer communists. They
brainwashed everyone at the ISOC (Internal Security Operation Command). This is the base of communist infiltration’. In the same speech Kukrit criticised Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, saying he had accomplished nothing and become ‘a sort of gentleman of leisure’. Kukrit denied that he had accused Chavalit of being a communist. Meanwhile, House Speaker Chuan Leekpai said he believed the rangers’ protest was approved by their commanders.

May
• The King was conferred the title of ‘The Great’ at a party hosted by PM Prem at Government House. Prem praised the King’s development projects and local and foreign dignitaries sang ‘Sadudi Maha Raja’ in praise of the King.

July
• The Ministry of Interior proposed an amendment to the Condominium Act allowing foreigners to own 25% of the units in a condominium. By relaxing the rules the government was hoping foreign investors would buy condominiums under their own names rather than company names. The move was also seen as beneficial to real estate developers.

• Chirayu Issarangkul na Ayutthaya resigned as minister to PM’s office to take a post as director of the Crown
Property Bureau. Chirayu said he was ‘delighted and proud’ to serve the monarchy. He was also made Grand Chamberlain and Deputy Secretarygeneral of the Office of the Royal Household Bureau.

August
• Pathet Lao soldiers numbering about 200 attacked Thai rangers along the disputed Thai-Lao border
near Ban Rom Klao village. The Lao soldiers claimed that the village and strategic Phu Soi Dao hill were part of Laos.

• Thai security officers arrested Tomáš Beneš, a naturalised West German of Czech origin and British national Jeoffrey Higginson. Both were believed to be members of a Soviet spy ring in Thailand and in contact with Soviet intelligence
agents here. Beneš’ Thai girlfriend operated a massage parlour on Sukhumvit Road where he was allegedly meeting diplomats and other people, both locals and foreigners, who may have had sensitive information. It was rumored that some rooms in the massage parlour were wired. Beneš purportedly passed intelligence to one Soviet spy agency. According to his own testimony, Higginson was trained for five days in the Soviet Union. He said he failed some assignments the Soviets gave him so he was told to collect information on US and Chinese military installations in the region. It is not clear if Beneš and Higginson knew each other. Both men were deported from Thailand within two weeks of their arrests.

• A 25-year-old up-country Thai woman measuring 2.1 metres in height travelled to Bangkok to meet with officials of the Public Health Ministry. The woman solicited government assistance after being told that doctors could perform surgery on her to help check her growth. The woman who asked that her name be withheld said life in her village was difficult for her and that she was treated poorly because of her size.

1987 (October) Sombat Metanee

1987 (October) Thailand Cultural Centre

October
• The Thailand Cultural Centre opened in Huay Kwang district of Bangkok. The opening was part of the King’s 60th birthday celebration. Among other facilities the cultural centre boasts a 2,000-seat auditorium, a 500-seat auditorium and an outdoor stage. Construction of the centre was funded by a grant from Japan.

• Famous Thai actor Sombat Metanee made the Guiness Book of World Records for most film appearances – 600 in total. Sombat was a leading actor in action movies, romances, dramas, comedies and musicals during a career that peaked in the 1960s and 70s. In the 1980s he still appeared in TV soap operas, talk shows and commercials.

November
• Rama IX Bridge was officially opened to traffic to mark the King’s upcoming 60th birthday on December 5. PM Prem gave opening remarks and led a candle-light ceremony presided over by Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Around 85,000 runners helped to inaugurate the bridge by participating in the ‘Royal Marathon’.

• The first heart transplant in Thailand was performed on a 19-yearold man at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok. A team of doctors led by Dr Chavalit Ongcharit performed the successful four-hour surgery.

1988 saw the founding of Chaopraya University in Nakhon Sawan province. The non-profit NGO Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities was formed to prevent child exploitation and prostitution and defend the rights of minors. A Christian NGO known as Rahab Ministries Thailand was also founded to provide outreach services to sexually trafficked women and children. The government decided to shelve the Nam Choan Dam in western Thailand because of local and international opposition. Safari World was opened in Khlong Sam Wa district of Bangkok. The Buddhist-inspired Palang Dharma Party was established as a sort of political wing of the Santi Asoke sect founded by Bangkok Governor Chamlong. The party was disbanded in 2007.

January
• Chin Sophonpanich, one of Asia’s wealthiest people and founder of Bangkok Bank in 1944, passed away due to heart failure and complications arising from diabetes. Sophonpanich was born in China in 1910 and migrated to Siam when he was 17 years old.

• After 31 years of operation the four-storey Erawan Hotel near Rajprasong intersection was closed and demolished. In its heyday the hotel was popular with celebrities and foreign dignitaries, but with new luxury hotels popping up all over Bangkok occupancy was declining and the government owned hotel was forced to close.

• A total of 641 separatists gave themselves up and took an oath of allegiance to the kingdom in a ceremony presided over by General Chavalit. The surrender was regarded as an important step toward ending the bloody struggle waged by those who wanted an autonomous state in the Muslim-majority south. The mass defection was attributed by Fourth Army Commander Lieutenant General Visit Artkhumwong to the success of a pacification program launched in October 1987.

February
• A ceasefire was signed between Thailand and Laos after months of fighting over 70 square kilometres of mountainous terrain in Phitsanulok province. The fighting left more than 500 soldiers dead, most of them Lao.

• England’s Prince Charles and Lady Diana were granted an audience with the King and Queen at Chitralada Palace. The prince and princess then flew to Chiang Mai where Prince Charles visited the royal project at Huay Hong Khrai. Princess Diana toured the famous Bo Sang umbrella factory.

• Customs officers at Klong Toey port in Bangkok seized 1,280 kilograms of No. 4 heroin destined for the United States. It was the world’s largest drug haul, worth about 180 million baht on the streets of Bangkok and as much as 51 billion baht once it reached the US.

March
• Just 24 hours after assembly started on the Thai-Belgian Bridge at the intersection of Wireless, Sathorn and Rama IV roads, the bridge was in place and ready for vehicle traffic.

April
• Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor and publishing tycoon Malcolm Forbes sailed into Thai waters aboard Forbes’ yacht
Highlander. The celebrities lunched with PM Prem at Government House and attended a dinner organised by Foreign Minister Siddhi Savetsila and the Rockefeller Foundation to raise funds for Thai doctors wishing to study tropical diseases at New York’s Rockefeller University.

1988 (January) Chin Sophonpanich

1988 (April) Elizabeth Taylor

1988 (July) Chatichai Choonhavan

July
• General elections to decide 357 seats in the House of Representatives were held on July 24. The turnout was 63.6%. Chart Thai Party led by Chatichai Choonhavan won 87 seats, followed by the Social Action Party led by Siddhi Savetsila with 54 seats. The Democrat Party led by Bhichai Rattakul won 48 seats. United Thai Party and Palang Dharma Party won 34 and 14 seats respectively.

• After General Prem turned down an invitation from five coalition parties to return as head of government, Chatichai Choonhavan became the new prime minister.

October
• Manookrit Roopkachorn, leader of an unsuccessful coup in September 1985, returned to Thailand after more than three years of exile in Germany. He and other coup leaders including his younger brother Manas were granted amnesty. One Thai woman, two soldiers and two foreign journalists lost their lives as a result of the coup attempt.

1989 is the year Total Access Communication PCL, commonly known as DTAC, was founded. Tilleke & Gibbins law firm opened its Museum of Counterfeit Goods in Bangkok. The Thai Human Imagery Museum in Nakhon Pathom province and media company Workpoint Entertainment PCL came on the scene, and travel was made easier for tourists and locals by the opening of the Pattaya railway station in Bang Lamung district in Chonburi province and Samui Airport, built by Bangkok Airways on Koh Samui.

January
• A gunman took the life of Saleh al-Malik in broad daylight as the third secretary of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Bangkok was walking on Soi Pipat 1 Road near Sathorn Road. According to a witness, an ‘Arab looking’ man walked behind the diplomat and fired eight bullets. Malik was hit four times in the head and died instantly, leaving behind his pregnant wife, three-year-old daughter and eight-month-old son. Following the shooting a massive manhunt for the killer began. Saudi Arabia expressed concern over the attack and urged increased security for their diplomats in Bangkok.

• Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen made a ‘secret’ visit to Thailand to meet with PM Chatichai. Even Foreign Minister Sitthi originally claimed that he had no knowledge of the meeting, but a military source later confirmed it. Hun Sen reportedly stayed overnight at Bang Saen in Chonburi before meeting the PM at his Soi Ratchakhru residence. Chatichai said that the visit did not imply Bangkok’s recognition of the Hanoi-installed regime in Cambodia. Sources said Hun Sen’s visit was coordinated by army chief Chavalit.

• Chalerm Thai Theatre was closed after screening movies for five decades and officially returned to the Treasury Department to pave the way for construction of a royal reception pavilion and statue of King Rama III. The theatre had 53 employees, all of whom were given unemployment compensation. Most of the theatre’s equipment was donated to the National Film Archive.

• PM Chatichai confirmed that foreigners were not allowed to buy ‘even one inch of Thai territory’ as the government pushed through a land bill. The PM asked the Land Department chief to brief the cabinet on the legal aspects of the bill drafted to tighten controls on land purchases by foreigners. The law allowed private companies with foreign holdings and Board of Investment support to buy land, but not individual foreigners.

1989 (January) Chalerm Thai Theatre

1989 Samui Airport

March
• Somchai Khunpluem won an election to become the first mayor of Bang Sean municipality in Chonburi province. Better known as Kamnan Poh, Somchai ran uncontested. He was known as “Godfather of Chon Buri”.

May
• Thai and Burmese troops clashed after about 400 Burmese soldiers equipped with small arms including machine guns and mortars crossed into Thailand’s Mae Sot district. It was reported that prior to the clash the Burmese had overrun a major rebel base manned by about 1,000 ethnic Karen and Kachin rebels along with dissident students.

• The Forestry Department said that encroachment from tourism related activities posed a real danger to the Phi Phi Islands even though the archipelago was declared a national marine park in 1983.

• The Thai Parliament passed a decree empowering the Agriculture Ministry to revoke logging concessions and impound cut logs until their legality was established. Agriculture Minister Sanan Kachornprasat said the action was necessary in the wake of floods that killed nearly 400 people in the South in November 1988. The flooding was blamed on logging in watershed areas. Concern over the rapid disappearance of the country forests also contributed to the cabinet ban on logging in 276 tracts of forested land covering 95.3 million rai.

June
• The Public Health Ministry announced that apples from the United States carried dangerous amounts of chemicals that could cause cancer. Minister Chuan Leekpai said apples tested at Bangkok markets showed unsafe levels of daminozide, a chemical sprayed on fruit to regulate growth.
• 7-Eleven opened its first branch in Thailand on the corner of Patpong and Surawong roads. Franchise owner Charoen Pokphand (CP) offered operating rights for the convenience stores that have since sprung up in great numbers throughout the country.

November
• The 11th century Narai Bantomsin lintel arrived on a US airliner at Don Muang airport. The priceless ornamental architectural piece depicting the Hindu god Vishnu in reclining position was stolen from a temple in Buriram in the 1960s. The lintel was then sold to a New York antiquities dealer and purchased by an art collector who presented it to the Chicago Art Institute.

• The return of the beloved artifact was negotiated for more than a year by the Chicago museum and Thai government. Many Thai residents living in the US as well as politicians, diplomats and various academic groups lobbied for the return of the lintel.

• After a quarter of century of excavations and restoration work, foreign and Thai experts accomplished a partial restoration of 193 Buddhist temples, moats and other structures that 700 years ago formed a major part of the ancient city of Sukhothai. The bid to save Sukhothai began in 1953 and after a period of inactivity resumed in the mid-1960s. Efforts accelerated beginning in 1978 after the Thai government and UNESCO embarked on a 10-year, US$10 million master plan.

July
• In the longest prison sentence ever imposed by the Criminal Court in Thai history, oil share queen Chamoy Thipyaso and seven associates were each given 143,965 years for fraud. The three court judges took two hours to read the handwritten

October
• British rocker Billy Idol and his entourage destroyed hotel suites during a tour of Thailand. The manager of the Royal Cliff Hotel in Pattaya said the musician and his friends caused in total more than 500,000 baht in damage at three different hotels: Royal Cliff, Oriental Bangkok and Royal Orchid Sheraton in Bangkok. The police were called but no legal action was taken because Idol made financial restitution. Damage at the Royal Cliff included a smashed TV set, several broken chairs and tables, hacked teakwood furniture and shattered sliding glass windows. In one room a chandelier was destroyed and every lamp was smashed. A telephone receiver was left in 20 pieces.

• An agreement between the government of Malaysia and the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) to terminate hostilities was signed and ratified by the MCP and the Malaysian and Thai governments at the Lee Gardens Hotel in Hat Yai. The agreement marking the end of the communist insurgency in Malaysia from 1968-89 required the MCP to disband its armed units, cease militant activities, destroy its weapons and pledge loyalty to His Majesty Yang di Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. The Malaysian delegation included Wan Sidek Wan Abdul Rahman, Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Among others, the Thai side was represented by Anek Sithipresasana, Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Interior. The MCP was represented by its Secretary General Chin Peng.

1990 witnessed the opening of CentralWorld shopping plaza and complex in Bangkok and Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong province. The New Aspiration Party was formed by General Chavalit after he retired as Commander of the RTA. Central Group founded upmarket ZEN Department Store, and IT communications conglomerate True Corporation was launched as a subsidiary of CP Group.

1990 (January) Bangkok Airways

January
• Chamlong was re-elected Bangkok governor, winning all of the city’s 36 districts with 61 percent of the total vote. His Palang Dharma Party won a clear majority in the city council, taking 50 of 57 seats.

• Kriangrai Techamong was arrested on suspicion of stealing a large quantity of precious gems and jewelry worth over 500 million baht from Saudi Arabian Prince Faisal Fahd Abdulaziz. The 29-year-old was working as a gardener at the Saudi royal palace in Riyadh. After returning to Thailand Kriangrai sold the jewelry through a middleman. Three other suspects were arrested in late December 1989.

• Bangkok Airways received permission from the Transport and Communications Ministry to operate six domestic routes out of U-Tapao Airport. The airline offered flights to and from Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai and Hua Hin.

February
• Three officials attached to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Bangkok were killed within five minutes of each other in two separate shootings as they arrived at their homes located about one kilometre apart. The dead were named as Consul General Abdullah Abdel-Rahman al-Basri, attaché Fahd Abdullah al-Bahli and telex operator Ahmed Abdullah al- Seif. Saudi Arabia condemned the murders and demanded the killers be
caught.

March
• According to studies conducted by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Bangkok sank 160 centimetres between 1960 and 1988 and unplanned land development was driving the city further under. The AIT said that uncontrolled expansion of residential and industrial estates on the outskirts of Bangkok, where there were no surface water supply systems, was exacerbating the city’s land subsidence problem. Subsidence had been occurring at the alarming rate of more than 10 cm per year and was at a critical level, the AIT report claimed.

• Central Department Store announced plans to open stores nationwide after signing a contract to lease 16,000 square metres in the Kad Suan Kaew shopping centre in Chiang Mai. It was to be the largest retail establishment in the northern capital. Central group chief Samrit Chirathivat said they had found a local partner to set up a branch in Khon Kaen and were looking for land to build another store in the South.

May
• The Ministry of Education agreed to allow more international schools to open in Thailand, scrapping a cabinet resolution that banned new openings. In 1990 there were only five international schools in Thailand – four in Bangkok and one in Chiang Mai.

• The government introduced a revolutionary liberalisation of foreign exchange control. PM Chatichai presided over a ceremony to announce the commitment to change the rules under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Articles of Agreement. The afternoon ceremony on May 21 was witnessed by a large gathering of locals and foreigners from the banking community. The IMF made a similar announcement in Washington DC. The liberalization reflected Thailand’s strong economic standing and ability to clear IMF debts.

October
• A Ramkhamhaeng University student died at the Police Hospital four days after setting himself on fire in protest. His body was flown to his hometown in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Nine other students who threatened to immolate themselves were arrested by the police. The extreme protests grew out of student rallies that took place amid rising
tensions between students, the military and the government. Interior Minister Banharn Silpa-archa accused the obscure political organization known as the Revolutionary Council of manipulating the students. The students said the government of PM Chatichai was totally corrupt and should resign en masse.

November
• A mass grave with the remains of more than 400 prisoners of war and slave workers who died constructing the ‘Death Railway’ in Burma during World War II was found in Kanchanaburi province. Excavation of the grave started just days before the annual River Kwai Bridge Festival and was carried out by the Pothipawana Songkroh Foundation, a Buddhist group wishing to provide proper burials. Several dozen workers unearthed the remains in a sugar cane field. The mass grave was about three miles from the bridge made famous in the 1957 Hollywood movie, “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” which celebrated the heroism of the wartime captives.

December
• The government softened censorship regulations on the Thai film industry in order to increase competitiveness with foreign productions. Movie producers asked the government to spend more time cutting censorship fees and less time cutting the films they made.

1990 (October) Banharn

1991 was the year Queen Sirikit National Conventional Center was opened to the public in Bangkok. Jusco Rattanathibet, now CentralPlaza Rattanathibet, was opened in Nonthaburi. Thai language daily Khao Sod, meaning fresh or current news, began publication. NGO the Mirror Art Group, now known as the Mirror Foundation, was formed with the aim of helping hill tribe people and based at Mae Yao, Chiang Rai province. Thai Beverage, better known as ThaiBev was launched, as was Thaicom company, formerly Shin Satellite.

January
• Laem Chabang Port was completed. Before the scheduled official opening, HUAL Favorita owned by Höegh-Ugland Auto Liners of Norway docked and unloaded 43 trucks for delivery to the Royal Thai Army.

February
• A radical Muslim group distributed leaflets in Pattani province urging the locals to demonstrate against the United States, which the group said was waging a war intended to demolish Iraq. Thai security sources said the group was made up of young Muslims from Yala province who called themselves Unity of People in South Group. The US-led Operation Desert Storm began on January 16.

• Army Commander General Suchinda Kraprayoon, Supreme Commander General Sunthorn Kongsompong, Air Force Commander Kaset Rojananil and members of the fifth class of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy staged a bloodless coup to depose the elected civilian government of PM Chatichai. As in previous coups the military formed a National Peacekeeping Council (NKPC) to run the country. The NKPC pledged to ‘return power to the people’ by drafting a new constitution and holding general elections within six months. The Parliament and the constitution were dissolved and Thailand was put under martial law. Chatichai was detained along with his entourage at Don Muang Airport by plain clothes air force security men on an air force plane. The entourage included former deputy prime minister and deputy defence minister designate General Arthit Kamlang-ek. They were on their way to a swearing in ceremony for General Arthit in Chiang Mai.

1991 Queen Sirikit Convention Center

1991 (January) Suchinda

1991 (March) Anand

March
• Chatchai was released from custody by the NKPC on March 9 and flown to the United Kingdom. A few days before that Anand Panyarachun, a former ambassador and head of the Federation of Thai Industries, became the 18th Thai prime minister. A 35-member interim government consisting of businessmen and technocrats was approved by the King on March 6.

• PM Anand announced that unleaded petrol would be introduced in May to combat worsening air pollution and would cost slightly less than leaded petrol.

• The Thai military completed withdrawal of troops along the disputed border with Laos in Phitsanulok and Uttaradit provinces. The agreement was reached during a visit to Vientiane by a Thai delegation led by Army Chief Suchinda.

April
• A new law introduced by the BMA prohibited smoking in public places including parks, cinemas, buses, schools, hospitals and enclosed airconditioned halls. The ban was set to begin March 31, 1992 and violators would be fined. According to one BMA official, about 6,000 cigarette butts were collected at Chatuchak Park every day, prompting the BMA to introduce the restrictions on smokers.

• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) launched a campaign to curb illegal wildlife trade. Dr Simon Lyster, the WWF’s senior conservative officer, described Thailand as ‘probably the worst country in the world for illegal trade in endangered wildlife…There are no laws to control the import of non-Thai species and unscrupulous traders haves taken advantage by importing thousand of animals and plants from all over the world,’ said Dr Lyster.

September
• Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko spent five days in Thailand. The Emperor met with the King in Chitralada Palace and received a key to the city from Bangkok Governor Chamlong.

• Shinawatra Computer and Communications signed a 5-billionbaht contract with the government to launch Thailand’s first dedicated communications satellite system. The 30-year concession was the county’s first commercial satellite project and it committed all government agencies to using Shinawatra satellite for an eight-year protection period.

October
• The World Bank(WB) conference held at the newly opened Queen Sirikit Convention Centre in Bangkok was a big success. To ease traffic congestion the two days of the meeting were declared a government holiday. In his keynote address PM Anand pointed to a lowering of political tensions and echoed mounting calls for cuts in military spending made at the WB/ International Monetary Conference meeting. He urged that more investment is made in “instruments of peace” than in “instruments of war”.

December
• Former PM Chatichai returned to a rousing welcome from a crowd in the tens of thousands when he returned to his native Nakhon Si Ratchasima province. Chatichai was forced into exile following a coup in February 1991. Upon his return Chatichai’s son Kraisak Choonhavan said the event was a ‘symbol of democracy. This is a welcome for the prime minister who was forced to step down at gunpoint at a time when those who hold the guns are still in power.’

*Sources for this story include archives of UPI, AFP, the Bangkok Post, The Nation and Wikipedia.

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Patpong’s favourite son: Tim Young

9/9/2013

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TIM YOUNG, one of Bangkok’s great expatriate characters, father of famous Thai singer Tata Young, and legendary raconteur, passed away last month after a series of heart problems. He was 67.

Born in Ohio, US, Tim had lived in Thailand for the past 43 years, arriving here after serving as a soldier in the Vietnam War during 1967-1970. He obtained the highest honor from the Department of Veterans Affairs by having the US Flag For Burial Purposes to cover his coffin.

Tim was featured in a major feature ‘Memories of Patpong’ which appeared in the September 2010 issue of The BigChilli. A huge fan and a regular of the area’s bars throughout his life in Thailand, Tim recalled Patpong’s heydays and some of the great times he had there.

The article also featured memories of Patpong from Patrick ‘Shrimp’ Gauvain, celebrated American author Dean Barrett, and 50-year-plus veteran of Bangkok Alex Mavro.

In Tim’s memory, we have reproduced the story here in its entirety.

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