FROM THE YEAR 2005
 
After being ‘absent’ for some time, well-known crime-buster Police General Sereepisut Taemeeyaves takes up where he left off to clean up Thailand.

Police General Sereepisut Taemeeyaves, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, is once again making headlines, both in the local media and international press.
 
The officer is not out for publicity, however. He is on a crusade against the mafia who extort money, threaten people and inflict huge financial losses to the government in order to put millions of baht into their own pockets. His campaign against the Thai mafia has already resulted in the apprehension of many suspects, some of them government servants and even “men in uniform.”
 
One of his staff members confided that his crusade against criminals – “whoever and wherever they are” – had come to a halt a few years ago for reasons that no one in his office really wanted to talk about. Pol Gen Sereepisut himself said: “If your superiors don’t give you any important assignment, how can you show your ability?”
 
His office, located at the Royal Thai Police headquarters, is in a state of controlled chaos, with officials working at all hours while ordinary citizens come to express their grievances and ask for help.
 
His small private corner is decorated with no fancy furniture, only the cabinets for the files and documents needed to keep him up to date on a large number of investigations.
 
“I have been in the police force for many years,” said one of the policemen in his office, “but working here is the most active. My boss doesn’t allow much rest. We have to work around the clock. His comeback will definitely benefit our country. He is the worst nightmare for the mafia, and with three years before his retirement, they should brace for more troubles.”
 
Pol Gen Sereepisut admitted that he is facing an acute shortage of personnel, equipment and other resources. “I need more support from my superiors. For example, I need them to provide me with official vehicles. My staff and myself must arrange our own transportation. I have to ‘borrow’ policemen from other departments, which is not always easy. With more staff, equipment and budget, we could perform our assignments more efficiently,” he said modestly. 

Crackdown on extortion
​
Pol Gen Sereepisut’s most well-known case is probably the break-up of the gang that was extorting money from hundreds of street vendors at the Bo Bae garment market in Bangkok.
 
Pol Gen Sereepisut is also chairman of the Committee Against Roadside Mafia, whose objective is to eradicate the mafia’s activities and overhaul the system at Bo Bae.
 
He said that extortion had been going on at the market for a long time and that some government officials were involved. This contributed to the perception that they could get away with violent acts.
 
“That’s why the prime minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Wannasathit made me in charge of enforcing law and order for street vending in the area.
 
“Since we started the suppression of the mafia at Bo Bae in April, until the crackdown stopped in September, we have successfully prosecuted 93 cases involving 199 suspects. No more offences have been reported after the crackdown. I can say that they [mafia] have gone and no extortion is going on there at this moment. I have a number of undercover men there,” said the officer.
 
However, some vendors are still pessimistic. Because of their suspicions about the state system, they don’t believe that the extortion gang has been really wiped out.
 
One garment vendor said: “After a while, when the publicity subsides, the gangsters will return. As far as we know, not even one mastermind was arrested.”
 
A policeman attached to the local Phlapphia Chai 1 police station said the police know who are behind the extortion racket but they can’t do anything because his underlings do not dare to implicate them for fear of their own safety.

Pol Gen Sereepisut acknowledged that the gang has not been eliminated. “I know that some bad people, including some in uniform, are still roaming around the market, waiting for the opportunity to resume their business, which has made them and the people behind them a lot of money. At this moment they are afraid,” he said.
 
Inside the market there is a red fan with the written message: “If you are intimidated or asked for protection money, please inform Pol Gen Sereepisut Taemeeyaves,” with a PO Box number, phone numbers and website address.
 
Vendors at another Bangkok market in Klong Toey also lodged a complaint with Pol Gen Sereepisut about extortion. The officer asked the vendors: “Why are you paying money to the extortionists and why are you afraid of them?” They replied that when someone refused to pay, the gangsters would harass them, so they had to comply with the mafia.
 
Afterwards, Pol Gen Sereepisut ordered the Thonglor police station, which has jurisdiction over the market, to take “resolute action” against the offenders. A number of them were arrested and some had their assets seized as well. The extortion stopped and everything is quiet there now.
 
After inspecting street vending locations in many areas of Bangkok, Pol Gen Sereepisut has urged the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to take action against those who obstruct footpaths, as pedestrians are forced to walk on the road and risk being run over. 

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.                   

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.
​

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
​

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.

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. 

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 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. 

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

​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.

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.

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