|
BURMESE
MORTARS KILL MAE SAI CIVILIANS
Incoming fire from high ground near Tachilek has killed Thai civilians
and put the army and air force on full alert throughout the north.
Official reports say that 3 people were killed in a town centre house
hit by a mortar on February 11th, but residents told 'Good Morning Chiangmai
News' that another 6 died when a shell landed south of the town.
The Burmese military government say they are trying to crush the small
Shan State Army near the Thai border, and briefly took over a Thai army
camp on high ground to attack the Shan - before being forcibly repelled
by Thailand. Return fire into the Tachilek area by Thai forces is said
to have killed at least 20 Burmese soldiers and possibly one civilian.
Over 50 Chinese made light tanks and at least 6 jet fighters have been
assembled on the Burmese side of the border with reports of much heavier
Thai forces in defensive positions. Talks between the two sides, held at
local rather than national level, had made no progress at time of going
to press and newly installed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has delayed
indefinately a planned visit to Rangoon. All border crossings into Burma
have been closed and, as gunboats patrol the Mekhong River, Thailand has
even closed the Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong river crossings into Laos.
In Mae Sai, residents and visitors cheerfully suffer road blocks and
armoured cars hidden between buildings and haystacks. They are coping less
happily with prices which have shot up thanks to a mixture of sales restrictions
and the huge military presence. Petrol rose to over 70B per litre and eggs
to 10B each.
Tourists looking for Thai visa extensions in the north must now go to
Vientiane, Laos, by air or road, via the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai.
For the latest news on Mae Sai and the border crossing, people are advised
to call Chiangmai Immigration Police during office hours on (tel) 201755-6.
Observers who believe that all the trouble on the Burma side revolves
round the drug business noted wryly that a few days after the shelling,
police in Mae Sai dug up a plastic bin containing 10 million baht in banknotes
outside the house of a drug suspect.
Laos border bomb
American authorities have warned of more bombs in Laos following an
explosion at the Laos immigration office at the Friendship Bridge, opposite
Nong Khai, which injured 11 Thai tourists in late January.
There was "credible information that individuals may be planning
to bomb Laos government and public facilities in or near the cities of
Vientiane, Pakse, Saravan, Savannakhet and Muang Khammouan" said the
State Department. It stopped short of advising travellers to avoid Laos
and notably did not mention the popular destination of Luang Prabang. However,
the warning reiterated previous advice to stay away from Xieng Khouang
and the Plain of Jars, where rebel Hmongs frequently clash with Laos soldiers.
Mystery still shrouds the identity of the culprits behind many small
bombs which have exploded in markets, restaurants and bus stations for
over a year.
CHIANGCYBERMAI?
What industries does Chiangmai have apart from tourism, agriculture,
handicrafts and fishing flies? We often ask ourselves. Well, the small
but healthy infant software industry may be set for a major growth injection
by Dr Rom Hiranpruk.
Dr Rom (yes, really!) is director of the Software Park Thailand project
of the National Science and Technology Development Agency. He has been
holding talks with software firms interested in building a "cybercity"
in Chiangmai which, they all agree, is far more suitable than Phuket, currently
making slow progress with it's much-vaunted 40 billion baht project.
Advantages included the facts that many software firms are already based
here, information technology is widely used in the province and our levels
of infrastructure and education compare well with the southern island.
Dr Rom is also urging the government to boost IT education, as the market
is worth 10 billion baht a year.
IF
YOU CAN READ THIS, THANK A TEACHER!
In a month packed with criticism of low teaching standards in Thailand,
it was good to see total dedication and hard work recognised. Khun Gannigar
Kantarod of Chiangmai Commercial College received an award for outstanding
work from the National Teachers' Welfare Association.
As well as teaching and administration work, Gannigar was a senior member
of the College's team instrumental in securing the ISO 9000 qualification.
KANCHANA'S
CANS CAN HELP
While undergoing several operations following a motorcycle accident,
Khun Kanchana Oonanan became very impressed by fellow patients in desperate
need of artificial limbs.
Still not fully fit, Kanchana is determined to raise money for those
less fortunate people at Maharat Hospital. As a result, the shop she runs
with her family in Suryawong Road, close to Chiangmai Gate Hotel, is now
a reception centre for used metal drinks cans which are re-cycled to raise
cash for the prostheses.
Tourist Wolfgang Hubner from Berlin (above with Kanchana) has boosted
the number of incoming cans and ring-pulls by translating the shop's written
appeal sign into German and English. As little as 300B raised in this way
can transform the life of a poor person in need of an artificial leg and
help them get back to work. Thai cash donors qualify for personal tax deductions
too!
MISS
FLOWER BLOOM - FROM AUSTRALIA
Thailand's first foreign Beauty Queen is Rebecca White, a 20 year old
student who beat 22 other contestants in the innovative new feature at
this year's Flower Festival. Entered by The Green House guest house near
Wat Puagchang, Rebecca scooped a 15,000B cash prize and an expenses-paid
weekend in Co Samui presented by Bangkok Airways. The contest, televised
nation-wide from Buak Hard Park on February 2nd and organised by Khun Sangduan
Chailert and Samantha Burman of Gem Travel, was voted a big success and
is likely to become an annual event.
FEBRUARY
FEEDBACK: 50%
There have been welcome developments with 2 of the 4 social ills depicted
on the last front cover of 'Good Morning Chiangmai News' magazine. The
massive trade in drugs from Burma, thought to be behind the escalating
north-west border dispute, has resulted in a huge military clamp-down (see
separate stories).
New Prime Minister and former police officer Thaksin Shinawatra has
also promised to improve police "budgeting and administration".
At a meeting on February 15th with the national police chief, Dr Thaksin
voiced concern about welfare, especially of lower ranking policemen.
At time of going to press there had been no reaction from any authority
to our plea to reduce road casualties and animal abuse.
WHERE
IS FALUN GONG GOING?
Thailand's rising fortunes are illustrated by the need to lengthen phone
numbers to satisfy demand for new lines! From July, this procedure - familiar
to westerners - means that all existing Bangkok numbers will be preceded
by 2 and all Chiangmai numbers by 53. No info yet on what the new codes
will be! Mobile phone users lose one digit, as the 01 code will be replaced
by 9. More painfully: the shocking new increase in electricity charges
is 11%!To Chiangmai and Bangkok! Practitioners of Falun Gong, which they
describe as "a journey of truthfulness, compassion and forebearance",
spread their message in Chiangmai early last month and appealed for support
to end their suppression in China.
Leaflets describing the faith, also known as Falun Dafa, ask readers
to appeal to the Chinese authorities to stop arresting followers, around
100 of whom are said to have died in police custody. It is claimed that
a report in early 1999 showed that Falun Dafa practitioners in China totalled
over 70 million, more than the membership of the Communist Party. The faith
was officially banned in July of that year and the Chinese foreign ministry
has described Falun Gong as an evil cult with political motives.
In Bangkok, over 500 followers plan a meeting on April 21st and Thai
authorities say they will not intervene if those concerned stay within
the law and do not "stage an attack" on China. More information
in English comes from e-mail: falunthai@email.com
CLASSICS
AT THE REGENT
The concert master of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, M. Moshe Murvitz,
was guest artist at the Regent Chiangmai Resort's second annual concert
on February 15th.* Held in aid of the Rejoice Urban Development Project
for HIV/AIDS infected people, the evening featured chamber music by Beethoven
and Smetana.* The string quartet included Privy Councillor Rear Admiral
M.L. Usni Pramoj and the rare classical treat was well received by the
large audience.
ROUND
AND ABOUT
* Did you know that Chiangmai had an Olympia? The Chiangmai Olympia,
off Superhighway near Wat Jed Yot is a gymnasium and Thai boxing school
with training in English. More on 01 671 4969.
* Going to Chiangrai? We have two favorite rest halts. At almost half
distance is the Cabbages and Condoms Inn & Restaurant on the
right just north of Mekajarn, started by the famous social commentator
Khun Meechai and now in the hands of a local community group. Farther north
Charoen Garden Resort, on the right about 40 kms before Chiangrai,
is another sophisticated place - also with chalets - in a quiet riverside
spot. They have sweet western treats like black forest gateaux and apple
pie!
* Constable's arresting images hold court at Darling Wine Pub,
Nimmanhemin Road, from March 9-23rd. Sasha Constable, great-grandaughter
of English landscape artist Jon, is showing work from Angkor Wat where
she has been artist in residence with the World Monuments Foundation. Local
art lecturer Alex Soulsby also exhibits and presents an audio background.
* Cable car to Doi Suthep? Just as we thought the 15 year old
debate was forgotten! The Provincial Administration Organisation has included
the 380m baht scheme in a tourism promotion plan and environmental groups
are all ready to fight it. Again.
* The soaking season is coming soon. Expect the annual water war called
Songkran to begin here around April 6th - earlier in Lamphun - and
last for at least 9 days. 
|
20/1
Ratchamanka Road
![[ Yahoo! News Search ]](http://us.yimg.com/i/yahootogo/ytg_news.gif){kind=small}
![[ Yahoo! Weather ]](http://us.yimg.com/i/yahootogo/ytg_weather.gif){kind=small}