Hearings on the Temple of Phra Viharn to Be Broadcast Live

(10/04/2013)

Updated information about the International Court of Justice’s hearings on the Phra Viharn Temple issue will be broadcast live from The Hague, the Netherlands.

Thai and Cambodian representatives are scheduled to deliver their verbal statements on the issue at the International Court of Justice from 15 to19 April 2013.

The International Court of Justice will broadcast live the hearings in English and French on its website www.icj-cij.org/homepage and through the United Nations Webcast: webtv.un.org.

Simultaneous interpreting of the oral hearings into Thai will be provided on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ special website www.phraviharn.org. Listeners may opt for Thai or English version.

The hearings will also be broadcast live on NBT (Television of Thailand Channel 11), Radio Thailand (FM 92.5 and AM 891), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Saranrom Radio (AM 1575).

According to the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nuttavudh Photisaro, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will set up a special news center to provide information about the oral hearings. The center, located at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, will operate from 14 to 19 April 2013. It will be open from 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on 15, 17, 18, and 19 April and between 5:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. on 14 and 16 April.

The news center will send both video and audio signals to the Thaicom satellite for broadcast via various television channels, as well. A daily press briefing and interviews of Thai high-ranking officials at the court will be held between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. The Thai Ambassador to The Hague, Mr. Weerachai Palasai, will summarize the hearing arguments from 11.30 p.m. to midnight during the period. The two sessions are available at the website www.phraviharn.org and Saranrom Radio. Thailand’s time is five hours ahead of that of The Hague.

Other related documents, such as written explanations with unofficial translations, will be publicized on the website www.phraviharn.org from 15 April at 3:00 p.m. onwards.

The Temple of Phra Viharn, an ancient Khmer hilltop sanctuary, stands on the Thai-Cambodian border, the area overlapping Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket province and the Cambodian province of Preah Vihear. However, access to the site is on Thai soil. The strategic location of this temple stirred up a dispute between Thailand and Cambodia in the 1950s and the conflict was taken to the International Court of Justice. On 15 June 1962, the court awarded the temple to Cambodia, without determining the boundary line in the vicinity of the temple area.

Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice to interpret its 1962 judgment in the case concerning the Temple of Phra Viharn. It also wants the court to explain on the sovereignty of the disputed area surrounding the temple.

Cambodia is scheduled make its opening argument on 15 April and Thailand on 17 April. Each side will then make additional arguments until 19 April. The court ruling on the disputed area is likely to be made in late 2013. 

More Power Plants to Be Built for Sufficient Power Reserves together with Energy-Saving Campaign

(09/04/2013)

The Government needs greater cooperation with the industrial sector and civil society in pushing for the establishment of more power plants for sufficient power reserves. It also intends to continue the energy-saving campaign.

Speaking in the weekly program “Yingluck Government Meets the People” on 6 April 2013, Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpisal underlined the importance of reserving enough power to ensure energy security for the nation’s economic drive.

He referred to the Government’s campaign to save energy from 5-14 April 2013 to boost power reserves, in order to cope with the disruption in natural gas supply from Myanmar because of the temporary shutdown of the Yadana gas field.

Mr. Pongsak said that, on 5 April, energy use in Thailand stood at 24,955 megawatts, against 26,600 megawatts anticipated earlier. This shows that the energy-saving campaign has received good cooperation from both the general public and the industrial sector. Out of the 1,700 megawatts saved, about 1,000 megawatts came from the industrial sector.

During this period, natural gas accounts for 65 percent of the fuel used in electricity generation in Thailand, a decline from 67 percent. However, he said, 65 percent is still relatively high, compared to less than 40 percent in most countries.

Mr. Pongsak said that Thailand’s power reserves during the Songkran period are likely to increase by 30 percent, as many factories would close and people would travel to the countryside, so electricity use during the period would fall. He would like the energy-saving campaign to continue after the supply of natural gas from Myanmar has resumed, since energy conservation would help save foreign currency that would be spent on natural gas imports.

In order to minimize impacts from a possible electricity shortage, as a result of disruption of the natural gas supply from Myanmar, six power plants in Thailand are now relying on diesel and bunker oil for electricity generation. Because of higher prices of diesel and bunker oil, people would pay more for electricity use.

Mr. Pongsak said that Thailand needs more power plants, even nuclear power plants, for its future, which would make it more competitive with other countries and a better choice for foreign investment. The Government must create better understanding among the public about the project to avoid opposition. He has instructed the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to set up an energy learning center. The project will be open to the public, who may come to learn and ask questions about energy.

In order to cope with opposition from the construction of more power plants, Mr. Pongsak stressed the need to educate the people, since production costs of electricity from various sources would affect their daily lives. In this regard, more public participation in the project must be emphasized.

He pointed out that related agencies needed to work together in formulating integrated plans to seek low-cost energy sources. A major seminar will be held in May 2013 to work out a long-term energy plan, which would take into consideration the growth of the country’s GDP, as well.

President SBY Satisfied with ASEAN progress, Reconfirms Support to SG Minh Towards Achieving ASEAN Community

(08/04/2013)

H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN made a courtesy call on H.E. Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia today at the State Palace, Jakarta.

President Yudhoyono welcomed and extended warmest congratulation to SG Minh for assuming his post as Secretary-General of ASEAN. He reasserted that Indonesia is pleased to see the progress made by ASEAN and stands ready to work with ASEAN, especially with SG Minh, to ensure the successful progress of ASEAN Community Building.

SG Minh expressed gratitude for Indonesia’s steadfast support for ASEAN Community Building as well as for the ASEAN Secretariat thus far. SG Minh further informed President SBY on the progress made and challenges faced in implementing the blueprints of the three ASEAN Community pillars, namely the ASEAN Political - Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). He reiterated the importance of continuing upholding the community building—taking into account of the challenges, including the short period of time to the deadline of 2015.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction on the progress made in the implementation of ASEAN Community Building and agreed on points and priorities to achieve the ASEAN Community by 2015. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

Thai Consul-General to Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR paid courtesy calls to Secretary for Administration and Justice of Macao SAR and Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR

(09/04/2013)

On 3 April 2013, Mr. Chakri Srichavana, Thai Consul-General to Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, paid courtesy calls to Ms. Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, Secretary for Administration and Justice of Macao SAR and Mr. Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR, with the aim to strengthen the bilateral relations between Thailand and Macao as well as to discuss the issues of mutual interests such as the looking-after of Thai community in Macao and the cooperation on supplying Thai labours to Macao. Ms. Benjamas Tanvetyanont, Deputy Consul-General and LCDR. Wittawat Khuprasert, RTN., Consul on Labour Affairs were present at the meetings.

Report from Mobile Tablet Meeting

(10/04/2013)

The Minister of Education, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, chaired the fourth executive board meeting for the project, "One Tablet per Child", on 3 April 2013 at the Ministry of Education. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Sermsak Pongpanit, and the Assistant to the Minister, Dr. Phuangphet Chunlaiad.

Mr. Phongthep said that the meeting considered the Terms of Reference or TOR on purchasing 1,634,180 mobile tablets through e-auction in which both Thai and foreign distributors and manufacturers were able to participate. In the middle of this month, the TOR will undergo public hearing prior to it taking place.

The major issue of the TOR requires that the auctioneer needs to be a legal entity with past experience of selling computers to an amount of not less than no less than 100 million baht. The auctioneer should have experience of selling products to the public or private sectors, to local administrators or to state enterprises either within Thailand or abroad.
Followings are details of the TOR that will undergo public hearing:

The winning company for the e-auction must provide all tablets within 90 days. There are four periods of distribution: two periods for the Office of the Higher Education Commission and two for the Bangkok Bureau of Education, the National Office of Buddhism, the Bureau of Patrol Police, the Institute of Physical Education, the Bundit Pattanasilpa Institute and the Pattaya Bureau of Education. The company will also have to send 1% more spare products to all the organizations during each period of distribution.

Every recipient organization will have its own committee to monitor the mobile tablets according to the ISO 2859 which allows deviation of receiving the products at 0.65% at the Major Detect level and at 1.5% at the Minor Detect.

The Office of the Basic Education Commission and the Office of the Private Education Commission will make payment of 20%, 25%, 25% and 30% respectively. The Office of the Vocational Education Commission will make payment of 25% and 75% while other organizations will make only one payment to the distributors.

The budget for purchasing the tablets is divided into primary education (Grade 1) in Central and Southern Thailand or Zone 1, primary education (Grade 1) in Northern and Northeastern Thailand or Zone 2, secondary education (Grade 7) in central and southern Thailand or Zone 3 and secondary education (grade 7) in northern and northeastern Thailand or Zone 4. Zone 1 will receive 431,105 tablets worth 1,172,606,600 baht; Zone 2 will receive 373,637 tablets worth 1,016,292,640 baht; Zone 3 will receive 426,554 tablets worth 1,245,537,680 Baht and Zone 4 will receive 402,884 tablets worth 1,176,421,280 Baht.

Reading Promotion Caravan to Honor Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

(10/04/2013)

The Minister of Education, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, chaired the opening of an event to honor HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and to celebrate her birthday on 2 April 2013 which coincided with the National Day of Children Books at the Centara Grand and the Bangkok Convention Center at Central World. At the same time, he also launched a reading promotion caravan organized by the Office of the Education Council (OEC).

Mr. Phongthep said that the Thai Government and the Prime Minister, Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, understood how important child and youth development was for creating an advanced modern society in Thailand. Therefore, the government launched a project on the development of pre-school children as a national strategy in which all the relevant ministries in the government have to actively participate. Focusing on reading promotion, this event took place on the birthday of Princess Sirindhorn, who is well recognized as a good reader and writer.

Mr. Phongthep said that, as a deputy chairman of the National Committee for the Development of Pre-school Children, he was really pleased that the Thai government was concerned with these children as promoting reading for them would create young adults who would, in the near future, become analytical, creative, intelligent and problem-solving thinkers.

The Secretary General of the OEC Dr. Sasithara Pichaichannarong said that the Cabinet had approved that the birthday of Princess Sirindhorn on 2 April 2013 should also be a national day for children books because not only did it mark her birthday but it also honored her supreme abilities in humanities and the arts.

Attended by 1,200 visitors, the event featured three sections. The first one was an exhibit to honor the Princess on her work in education and to celebrate her designation from UNESCO as a Goodwill Ambassador. The second section was a reading room for pre-school children. The last section was an activity room for pre-school children.

In addition, there were many displays on Princess Sirindhorn's works and projects on education, the schools she initiated and exhibits on the promotion of reading for pre-school children as well as a child health corner. To mobilize the strategic plan for pre-school children in Thailand from 2012 to 2016, the OEC also launched a similar reading promotion caravan in twelve provinces throughout the country. The caravan will last from April to June.

General Inspection and Follow up on Educational Works

(10/04/2013)

On 29 March 2013, the Inspector General of Education, Mrs. Ongchit Mathayapraphas conducted a field trip on general inspection and follow-up works under the ministerial policy on education for the fiscal year of 2013 in Udon Thani. Many educational organizations in the province, namely the Local Office of Primary Education Service Areas 1-4, the Local Office of Secondary Education Service Area 20, the Local Office of Private Education, the Local Office of Higher Education and the Local Office of Non-Formal and Informal Education, have reported the progress of their work projects and got recommendations on educational projects from the Inspector General. The event was held at a meeting room of the Udon Thani Local Office of Non-Formal and Informal Education.

Phongthep Meets Private School Administrators

(09/04/2013)

The Minister of Education, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, delivered some educational policies at a seminar for 1,700 Thai private school administrators and teachers on 1 April 2013.

According to the Minister, Thai students have to spend 1,200 hours studying per year. This amount exceeds the standard learning amount of 800 hours per year set by UNESCO. In addition, it is recognised that the more time Thai students spend on studying, the less they actually achieve.

The Ministry of Education therefore has to reform Thai curricula in terms of two major issues. The first one involves adjusting the period of learning and reducing the excess hours. The second one is to encourage students to think analytically and creatively and to know how to verify the information they obtained during their advanced education and in their future careers.

On this occasion, Mr. Phongthep asked private school administrators to work on enhancing the English skills of Thai students. Nowadays, everyone needs to know and to be able to communicate in the English language as well as a third language such as Korean, German, French or another ASEAN language such as Bahasa, Burmese or Vietnamese.

In addition to foreign languages and the ability to think analytically and creatively, ethics and morality guidance should be provided to Thai students. Thai schools are supposed to instill this knowledge in their students both inside and outside the classroom environment.

Finally, since school administrators and teachers are those who know more about their students than others, curriculum design should be launched by them. Many schools, such as Darun Sikkhalai and international schools in Thailand, provide their students with good teaching and learning. When the national education reform is completed in 2013, the Ministry will adjust and change teaching and learning methodology so that teachers will have to change their curriculum and testing methods and admission exams will have to focus more on evaluating students' ability of thinking creatively and analytically.

A Hundred Million Hearts for Teachers in Deep South

(09/04/2013)

The Ministry of Education recently organized a charity concert, "A Hundred Million Hearts for Teachers in the Deep South", to collect donations for families of teachers killed or injured by the southern unrest. The event took place at Central World in Bangkok with the Inspector General Mr. Rojana Kritcharoen as the chairperson.

Mr. Rojana said that this concert aimed to raise public awareness of the violence in southern Thailand which usually claimed life and property of educators and teachers working there. It also encourages private and public organizations to donate money for families of teachers and educators killed and injured and to give them moral support.

Highlights of the concert included stage performances by famous Thai actors, namely Summer Stop, Pop Pongkul, Am Siraprapha and DJs from Seed FM. This concert was one of continuous fund-raising to help teachers and educators working in the south. A recently completed activity was a marathon bike run. Those who would like to make donations can contact the Ministry of Education's Hot Line 1579 for more information.

2nd Happy Family Rally 2013 by MOE

(09/04/2013)

The Deputy Permanent Secretary of Education, Mr. Supakorn Wongprat, recently chaired a ceremony to release the Happy Family Rally 2013 from Bangkok to Rayong. Taking place on Rajadamnern Nok Rd., the ceremony was also attended by the director of the Bureau of the Scout Movement, the Red Cross Youths and Student Affairs, Mr. Satjathorn Watthanamongkol and concerned staff.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary said that the Ministry of Education understood how important families were as a the primary institution that supported and cared for children. Good family relations usually bring about happiness. So, he would like all family members to spend time together and do activities that strengthen their relationships, bonds and networks.

The 2nd Happy Family Rally 2013 from Bangkok to Rayong was organized from 30 to 3- March 2013 with 324 participants from 82 families.

Secretary to Minister of Labour visits SME operators in Uthai Thani

(01/04/2013)

Mr. Sanga Tanasanguanwong, Secretary to the Minister of Labour, visits SME operators in Uthai Thai province to boost their morale, hear their problem, promote their understanding about wage laws and help them access to the government’s measures designed to reduce impact of the new minimum wage policy.

 

At Bangkok Rubber Saharattana in Nong Chang district, Mr. Sanga was informed by Mr. Nopnoi Thongprapaipak, human resource manager of the company that the company produces shoe parts for PAN Group, ECCO Company and Timberlan Company, which export shoes. The company has two factories and 643 employees. It fully complies with the 300 baht daily minimum wage policy. It initially has to adjust its cost by cutting unnecessary expenses on water and electricity bills and to improve quality and quantity of its products to increase its competitiveness for survival.

 

At Thai SC Tec Ltd., Mr. Sanga was told by Mr. Apichart Dangbua that the company came into existence two year ago. It produces electronic and camera parts for Nikon for example. Its parent company is in Nawanakhon Industiral Estate. It chose to open a production base in Uthai Thani province because there are sufficient workers to support its productions to match customers’ demand. At present, the company has 264 employees, who need to receive skill training to enhance their performance. Cleanness and discipline are among the company’s core management principle. The company fully complies with the 300 baht daily minimum wage policy.