FIRE-EARTH Report: Thailand

• CJ Members
• EAC
• OC Teams

Lady Justice readily prostituted by Thailand’s ruling class

[Prepared by an affiliated team of political scientists.]

• Report available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH Alert: Severe Flooding in Thailand

CJ Members

Severe flooding in Thailand kills dozens, swamp tourist islands

• Details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

 

FIRE-EARTH Alert: THAILAND

CJ Members

• Details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Extreme Heat Kills Hundreds of People across South Asia

Record temperatures reported in India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam

Deadly heatwaves have scorched vast swathes of South Asia claiming hundreds of lives, exacerbating the drought and destroying or damaging crops in India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The largest number of heat-related deaths have occurred in India, and weather forecasters have warned the recurring heatwave would persist and intensify into May, traditionally the hottest month in the sub-continent.

Related Links

• Deadly Heatwave Intensifies in India, Odisha Broils at Record 48.5ºC April 25, 2016
• Vietnam Reports Mass Fish Deaths April 22, 2016
• 330 Million People Affected by Severe Drought: Indian Govt April 20, 2016
• Deadly Heatwave Persists in India April 14, 2016
• Drought and Saltwater Intrusion Devastate Crops in Vietnam March 16, 2016

Drought Threatens Half of Thailand

Critical water shortages threaten millions of people in Thailand

Many of Thailand’s dams have fallen below the critical levels, and water shortages threaten about a half of the country 76 provinces [pop: ~ 70 million.]

The following information is based on reports published by Bangkok Post:

The Sirikit dam reservoir has dropped to just 6.84% of usable capacity, or 455.35 million cubic meters, prompting authorities to warn residents to drastically limit their use of water or face restrictions, said a report.

Bhumibol dam in Tak province has fallen to its lowest level in its 51 years of operation, according to dam director.

Nine districts in the province have already been declared drought-hit areas. In Ban Khok district, a total of 62,648 households faced water shortages… http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/611180/sirikit-dam-down-to-6-84-of-usable-capacity

Riversides collapse as Chao Phraya dries out

Meanwhile, many roads are collapsing throughout the drought hit areas.

People living along the Chao Phraya River in three provinces were advised on Monday to prepare for evacuation as waterside subsidence is very possible as the river level continues to fall.

People in three provinces living along the Chao Phraya River have been advised to prepare for evacuation because they would be affected by waterside subsidence as the river level continues to plunge.

Officials inspect a collapsed section of the embankment road next to the Khlong Phraya Banlue canal in Lat Bua Luang district of Ayutthaya Province on Monday. (Photo credit: Sunthorn Pongpao via Bangkok Post.) More images..

Drought Disaster Declared in 36 Thai Provinces

Drought plagues about half of Thailand

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has declared drought disaster in 36 provinces that are in need of emergency aid, including 8 provinces classified as severe disaster areas.

The disaster areas include 12 provinces in the north, 10 in the northeast, three in the east, four in the south and a further seven in central Thailand.

The 8 severe drought disaster areas include Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Saraburi, Sa Kaeo and Trang.

Some 254 districts are facing water shortages, said the national News Bureau of Thailand.

Terrorists Massacre 400, Mostly Women & Kids, in Palmyra, Syria

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Islamic State Terrorists massacre 400 people in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra (modern city of Tadmur, Homs Governorate), mostly women and children, said Syrian state television Sunday, media reported.

About a third of Palmyra’s population of 200,000 have fled the city since earlier this week, when the ISIS terrorists overrun the historic city, said the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

The city was reportedly captured from the Syrian army on Wednesday.

Gaza Economy on the Verge of Collapse

Blockades, war and poor governance have strangled Gaza’s economy and the unemployment rate is now the highest in the world according to the latest World Bank economic update.

The youth unemployment is highest in the region at more than 60 percent.

Mass graves of suspected migrants found in Malaysia near Thai border

Police have discovered at least 30 mass graves containing the remains of hundreds of people in two location in the northern state of Perlis, near the Thai border, reported the Utusan Malaysia newspaper .

About 100 bodies were found in one grave alone, said another report.

“I reckon it was a preliminary finding and eventually I think the number would be more than that,” said the Malaysian Home Minister when asked about the number of mass graves discovered.

Disaster Declared in 8 Thai Provinces amid Deadly Floods

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
CROP DISASTERS
STATE OF DISASTER DECLARED
SCENARIOS 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Disaster hits Thailand again!

Deadly floods triggered by Extreme rain events have inundated thousands of villages and communities across southern Thailand, affecting tens of thousands of people and leaving more than a dozen dead or missing, said reports.

The head of military junta in Thailand has declared states of disaster for eight southern provinces of Pattani, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Narathiwat, Trang, and Yala, which have been submerged since mid-December, with at least 200,000 households affected.

Deadly floods have forced about 250,000 people out of their homes in Thailand and Malaysia so far this month.

Related Links

• 100,000 People Displaced amid Malaysia’s ‘Worst Ever’ Floods December 25, 2014

Thousands Evacuated amid Severe Flooding in LK, MY, TH

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
FLOOD DISASTER DECLARED
LANDSLIDES
CROP DISASTERS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Severe Floods Swamp Multiple Regions in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand

Severe flooding caused by northeast monsoon have left about 50,000 homeless in the north central and eastern Sri Lanka, while tens of thousands of others are being evacuated by the military.

The town of Batticaloa is the worst hit with more than 30,000 people displaced, officials have said.

The towns of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in the north central province, Sri Lanka’s largest rice-producing region, have experienced severe flooding as days of heavy rain forced the authorities to open the sluice gates on dozens of dams.

The floods have also washed away roads and railways throughout the affected regions.

Malaysia

Thousands of people have fled their homes from large areas in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu in NE Malaysia amid severe flooding.

Continued torrential rains in Kelantan and Terengganu, with moderate rains in other states across the Malaysian peninsula is expected throughout the holiday period, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

Floods have increased water levels above the danger point in six major rivers in Kelantan, said reports.

Thailand

The Narathiwat province, on the border with Malaysia, has been declared a disaster area, by the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, said reports.

Yala, Pattani and Songkhla provinces have also been declared disaster areas due to severe flooding.

Thai Military Seizes Power

Thai military declares curfew after coup d’etat

With blessings of the US-born, multi-billionaire king, Thailand’s military junta seized power earlier today, declaring a curfew across the country.

The army  imposed martial law suspending the constitution on Tuesday, amid continued political turmoil.

“In order for the situation to return to normal quickly and for society to love and be at peace again, and to reform the political, economic and social structure, the military needs to take control of power,” said army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha in a televised address.

The army has ordered TV and radio stations to broadcast military-approved  material.

“All radio and television stations, satellite and cable, must stop normal programming and broadcast army content until told otherwise,” said an army spokesman  in a televised statement.

Chronology of Events in Thailand

• Sept 2006. Army overthrows the PM Thaksin Shinawatra and rewrites the Thai constitution, under direct instruction from King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
• Dec 2007. Pro-Thaksin People Power Party wins majority vote in the election.
• Aug 2008. Thaksin Shinawatra flees Thailand before end of a “corruption trial.”
• Dec 2008. Constitutional Court bans the majority People Power Party, as mass protests paralyze the capital Bangkok; the monarchists assign Abishit Vejjajiva to power.
• Mar-May 2010. Up to a million pro-Thaksin protesters occupy key locations in Bangkok in a 10-week sit-in; army clears the streets, killing at least 100 protesters.
• Jul 2011. Yingluck Shinawatra leads Pheu Thai party to general election win.
• Nov 2013. Anti-government protesters begin street protest.
• …
• May 7, 2014. A Thai court finds Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra guilty of abuse of power, removing her from office along with nine members of her Cabinet. A new acting premier is appointed.

Thailand’s military juntas since 1932

A total of about 20 successful or attempted coups have occurred in Thailand since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

• [1932–1973 ] The dictator Luang Phibunsongkhram allied the country with Japan during the Second World War. A succession of military dictatorships followed.

• [1976–1980] – Military Dictatorship followed the Thammasat University Massacre, on 6 October 1976.

• [1991–1992] – “The National Peace Keeping Council,” a Thai military junta, overthrew the civilian elected government in 1991.

• [2006–2008 ] – “The Council for National Security” was yet another military junta that governed Thailand for two years after staging a coup d’état against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

• [2014-present] – Military junta led by Thailand’s army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power in a coup d’etat on Thursday, May 22, 2014.

Poverty and Wealth

• Up to 20 percent of population in Thailand have no sustainable access to clean water. [Thailand’s population is about 70 million according to  FIRE-EARTH Population Models.]
• At least a quarter of the children under the age of five are malnourished.
• A third of the people live in abject poverty (below $2 per day income).
•  King Bhumibol, 86, monarch for 68 years, is the world’s richest royal. His fortune was estimated at 35 billion dollars in 2007, Forbes reported.

Related Links

• Egyptian Coup Blueprint Used for Thailand? December 2, 2013

• Thailand: Monarchy, Corruption, Injustice, Poverty, Police State April 10, 2010
• Country in Focus: Thailand August 24, 2008
• Time to Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time for People’s Power: Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women [Page was previously blocked or subject to restricted access on the Internet]
• Thailand – Population, Poverty and Prostitution
• Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Thailand [Page was previously blocked or subject to restricted access on the Internet]
  
• ECPAT International [Page was previously blocked or subject to restricted access on the Internet]
• The Witness
• Recent News on Thailand from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report [Page was previously blocked or subject to restricted access on the Internet]

• Reuters Photo Gallery
• Eight die as troops, protesters clash in Bangkok
• In Pictures: ‘Thailand Political Protest’

Thailand Quake Area Declared a Disaster Zone

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIO 08
.

Strong earthquake destroys or damages  3,500 homes in Thailand

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake that occurred north of Thailand on May 5, caused substantial damage to homes and infrastructure.

Centered at 19.703°N, 99.683°E the quake occurred at a depth of about 7.4km.

The Quake, said to be the strongest to strike the country in recent times, was followed by at least 5 aftershocks, the largest of which registered at 5.0Mw (19.620°N, 99.461°E), according to USGS/EHP.

Disaster Declaration

“Seven districts of Chiang Rai have been declared disaster-stricken areas to facilitate quick assistance for people affected by the earthquake that rocked the northern province on Monday evening,” said a report.

M6.0 earthquake destroyed section of a road in Phan district of Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, Monday, May 5, 2014. The quake  rattled  northern Thailand and Myanmar destroying or damaging “more than 3,500 houses, 10 temples, 10 temples, three schools, three hospitals, a hotel and a road…” Photo: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Districts of Phan, Mae Lao, Mae Suai, Wiang Chai, Muang Chiang Rai, Pa Daet and Phaya Mengrai have been declared disaster areas, according to the report. “More than 3,500 houses, 10 temples, 10 temples, three schools, three hospitals, a hotel and a road were damaged…”

EQ Details

• Magnitude: 6.0Mw
• Event Time: 2014-05-05 11:08:43 UTC
• Location: 19.703°N 99.683°E depth=7.4km (4.6mi)
• Nearby Cities:
  • 9km (6mi) S of Mae Lao, Thailand
  • 27km (17mi) SW of Chiang Rai, Thailand
  • 362km (225mi) WNW of Vientiane, Laos

EQ Location Map

Source: USGS/EHP

IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecast

The next detailed FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast will be released together with Bulletin NO. 96 on May 11, 2014.

Related Links

• M6.0 Quake Strikes Thailand May 5, 2014

M6.0 Quake Strikes Thailand

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO 08
.

Strong Earthquake Strikes N. Thailand

 Centered at 19.703°N, 99.683°E the quake occurred at a depth of about 7.4km.

EQ Details

• Magnitude: 6.0Mw
• Event Time: 2014-05-05 11:08:43 UTC
• Location: 19.703°N 99.683°E depth=7.4km (4.6mi)
• Nearby Cities:
  • 9km (6mi) S of Mae Lao, Thailand
  • 27km (17mi) SW of Chiang Rai, Thailand
  • 362km (225mi) WNW of Vientiane, Laos

EQ Location Map

Source: USGS/EHP

Other Earthquakes

M 5.4 – 164km ESE of Naryn, Kyrgyzstan
Time: 2014-05-04 @ 20:23:32 UTC
Location: 40.647°N, 77.656°E
Depth: 10.0km

IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecast

The next detailed FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast will be released together with Bulletin NO. 95 on May 6, 2014.

Thailand Imposes 60-Day Emergency Rule Over Unrest

Emergency Rule
.

Anti-government protesters continue to block parts of the capital to force PM to resign

Protesters are demanding PM Yingluck Shinawatra’s resignation, accusing the government of being run by exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, the brother of the current prime minister.

Ms Yingluck has refused to resign, but instead has called an election on 2 February to placate the protesters.

“The cabinet decided to invoke the emergency decree to take care of the situation and to enforce the law,” said Deputy Prime Minister, media reported.

Officials say the decree , which covers the date of the general election in February, could be used to ban protest marches.

24 Million People Affected by “Cold Disaster” in Thailand

Mega Disasters

Blog readers will have noticed that the number of people affected by various disasters occurring globally have suddenly jumped from hundreds to hundreds of thousands, and from tens of thousands to tens of millions since November last year!

EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
.

526 Districts in 44 provinces declared “cold disaster zones”

At least 24 million people, or 36 percent of Thailand’s population, have been affected by cold since December 2, 2013 as authorities declare 526 districts in 44 provinces “cold disaster zones,” the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported.

Some 20 of disaster-hit provinces are in the northeast, 17 in the North, six in the Central and one in the East, said Bangkok Post.

Meanwhile, at least 17 districts in four provinces—Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, Buri Ram and Sing Buri—have been hit by drought, affecting an estimated 4 million others.

It’s unclear whether the drought-hit areas have also been declared disaster zones.

Egyptian Coup Blueprint Used for Thailand?

High Noon in Bangkok: Thailand PM given “two-day ultimatum” to step down

Thai protest leader says he has met PM Yingluck Shinawatra and given her a “two-day ultimatum” to “return power to the people.”

Eight days of anti-government unrest to oust the PM has left at least four people dead and dozens more injured.

The protest leader Sethup Thaugsuban had already declared Sunday “Victory-Day” in what he called “people’s coup.”

Mr Sethup who claimed to have met the prime minister secretly in the presence of the army, navy and air force chiefs, said: “There was no negotiation and no compromise,” according to reports.

“I told Yingluck [PM Shinawatra] that this is the only and last time I see her until power is handed over to the people.

“There will be no bargaining and it must be finished in two days.”

About 30,000 demonstrators had gathered at various sites, including military barracks, police headquarter, Government House, radio and television stations.

Ms Shinawatra had previously stated that the government would only use minimum force, to disperse the demonstrators. However, the army called in to help the riot police after the demonstrations turned violent on Saturday.

The latest is Thailand’s  worst unrest since 2010, when thousands of red-shirt supporters of then PM Thaksin Shinawatra, occupied strategic points in the capital. At least 100 people were killed in ensuing deadly clashes during the following 10 weeks.

Chronology of Events in Thailand

• Sept 2006: Army overthrows the PM Thaksin Shinawatra and rewrites the Thai constitution, under direct instruction from King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
• Dec 2007: Pro-Thaksin People Power Party wins majority vote in the election.
• Aug 2008: Thaksin Shinawatra flees Thailand before end of a “corruption trial.”
• Dec 2008: Constitutional Court bans the majority People Power Party, as mass protests paralyze the capital Bangkok; the monarchists assign Abishit Vejjajiva to power.
• Mar-May 2010: Up to a million pro-Thaksin protesters occupy key locations in Bangkok in a 10-week sit-in; army clears the streets, killing at least 100 protesters.
• Jul 2011: Yingluck Shinawatra leads Pheu Thai party to general election win
• Nov 2013: Anti-government protesters begin street protest.

Egyptian Coup

On August 31, 2013 Egypt’s military ruler the Puppet General Sisi gave the democratically elected President Morsi a “48-hour ultimatum” to resolve differences with the Tahrir Square protesters, failing which he threatened to put forward “a roadmap” [translation: military coup] for the country.

Related Links

• Thailand: Monarchy, Corruption, Injustice, Poverty, Police State April 10, 2010
• Country in Focus: Thailand August 24, 2008
• Time to Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time for People’s Power: Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women [Page has been removed from the Internet]
• Thailand – Population, Poverty and Prostitution
• Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Thailand [Page has been removed from the Internet]
• ECPAT International [Page has been removed from the Internet]
• The Witness
• Recent News on Thailand from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report[Page has been removed/ restricted access on the Internet]

• Reuters Photo Gallery
• Eight die as troops, protesters clash in Bangkok
• In Pictures: ‘Thailand Political Protest’

Floods in Thailand Kill 23, Force Thousands of Evacuations

Flooding spreads to 32 of Thailand’s 77 provinces

Deadly floods have affected 32 of Thailand’s 77 provinces since mid-September, killing at least 23 people, affecting 2.85 million others and forcing at least 15,000 people to abandon their homes, said the Thai Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

Floodwaters have also submerged at least a dozen provinces in Thailand’s central plains, the prime rice-growing region, since July; however, the authorities have not divulged full extent of the losses.

Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said on Friday floods had destroyed or damaged 6,900 houses [sic] 450,000 acres of farmland, 2,310 roads and 145 bridges.

The remnants of Typhoon WUTIP moved into the northern Thailand Late Monday dumping about 40mm of rain in the region.

Floods Submerge Third of Thailand

More than 2 million people affected by flooding in Thailand

Severe flooding has hit at least 191 districts in 29 of Thailand’s 77 provinces , leaving eastern Thailand almost completely submerged.

Floods have killed at least 13 people, according to official figures, and affected more than 2 million others since September 17.

Floodwater has encircled an industrial complex northeast of Bangkok, but the authorities say water would not enter the park.

Local media reported water had entered the park after the nearby Prachin Buri river overflowed due to heavy rain, but a senior official has denied that, reports said.

“It has affected villagers living near the riverbank [more than 20,000 homes inundated] but there has been no impact on our industrial park. At our highest point, we are 22 meters above sea level,” an executive vice president of 304 Industrial Park told Reuters.

The 304 Industrial Park, about 130 NE of Bangkok, has more than 110 factories, many of them Japanese-owned.

Floodwaters have also submerged at least a dozen provinces in Thailand’s central plains, the prime rice-growing region, since July; however, the authorities have not divulged the full extent of losses.

Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said on Friday floods had destroyed or damaged 6,900 houses [sic] 450,000 acres of farmland, 2,310 roads and 145 bridges.

Last Few Famous Words?

The deputy PM responsible for flood management has assured the public that a scenario like the 2011 devastating floods in which all major dams in Thailand reached full capacity would not happen. Unless, off course, there’s more heavy rain in the north!

“He said the major dams in Thailand are now at half of its capacity and can contain more than 10,000 million cubic meters,” said a report.

He said earlier that the flood situation this year is “not worrying,” and that it’s “under control,” adding that “Bangkok would be 100 percent safe unless there is more heavy rain in the North for a couple of days.”

Widespread Flooding Affects 1.5 Million in Thailand

Flooding affects 27 of Thailand’s 77 provinces; nine districts evacuated

Yet another round of severe flooding in Thailand has affected at least 1.5 million people in 27 of Thailand’s 77 provinces, killing about a dozen people and forcing nine districts to evacuate.

The affected provinces are in central, northeast and eastern Thailand. Forecasters say more rain will affect the country over the next few days.

Epic flooding in 2011 left about 1,000 dead and affected 15 million people in Thailand, causing major disruption to tourism and manufacturing.

Image credit: Thanarak Khoonton/Bangkokpost.com

Related Links

• Floods Kill Hundreds in Thailand, India and Cambodia September 26, 2011
• Bangkok Primed for Collapse  October 26, 2011

Powerful Storms Destroy 445 Houses, Sink 85 Fishing Boats in Thailand

Disaster declared in central Thailand province

The provincial governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan has declared disaster in the area, after eight districts were buffeted by powerful storms.

• Prachuap Khiri Khan is a central province of Thailand located in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, about 240 km (150 miles) south of the capital Bangkok.

• “The storms hit the province at 3am on Saturday followed by heavy rains and high waves up to four metres in the Gulf of Thailand,” said a report.

Latest States of Emergency Declared in the U.S. and Canada

Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada: Massive power outage as ice storm hits region

Three Ontario townships — Wellesley, Woolwich and North Perth — have declared states of emergency after ice storm hit Waterloo Region, said a report.

Minnesota: Gov. Dayton has declared a state of emergency in SW Minnesota, after activating the National Guard.

“Six to 8 inches of wet snow fell early Thursday on top of the thick layer of ice that accumulated Tuesday night in Nobles and Jackson counties,” said a report.

Missouri: Gov. Nixon has declared a state of emergency in Missouri after severe storms, strong thunderstorms, straight line winds and tornadoes caused damage in the St. Louis region and and power outages across southern Missouri, according to the governor’s office.

Tennessee: Officials have declared a state of emergency after reports of a possible tornado and damage in Monroe County, Tennessee, said a report.

Mississippi. Gov. Bryant has declared a State of Emergency for Kemper and Noxubee counties due to the damage caused by severe storms and tornadoes, according to the governor’s office.

.

DISASTER CALENDAR – April 15, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,062 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,062 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Remember Rohingya?

Image of the Day:

Drowning the Demonic Deity

Nationwide Floods in Thailand Claim at least 41 Lives

Up to 3 million people across the country have been affected by the flooding that began on October 10 and that now threatens the capital, Bang-kok.

The flooding has inundated at least 30 out of the country’s 76 provinces, according to Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

Photo shows the the 10-rai temple compound in tambon Sai Noi submerged under 2m of water. Credit: SUNTHORNPONGPAO. Image may be subject to copyright.

Related Links:

• Thailand: Monarchy, Corruption, Injustice, Poverty, Police State

• Country in Focus: Thailand
• Time to Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time for People’s Power: Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time to Abolish the Monarchy in Swaziland
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
• Thailand – Population, Poverty and Prostitution
• Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Thailand
• ECPAT International
• The Witness
• Recent News on Thailand from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report

• Reuters Photo Gallery
• Eight die as troops, protesters clash in Bangkok
• In Pictures: ‘Thailand Political Protest’

Thailand: Monarchy, Corruption, Injustice, Poverty, Police State

Image of the Day

Thailand’s Corrupt Politics Finally Boils Over

With a Nod and a Wink from Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Troops Move in Against Demonstrators

Despite their earlier promise not to intervene, Thai troops moved into two anti-government camps in the capital, Bangkok, to drive out the demonstrators.

Thai soldiers clash with anti-government “red shirt” protesters near the United Nations building in central Bangkok April 10, 2010. Credit: REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang. Image may be subject to copyright.

At least a dozen people have been killed and more than 250 injured in the clashes so far as security forces fired tear gas, water cannons, rubber bluets and live rounds on demonstrators.

The army had earlier said they would not intervene in the demonstrations, but the King of Thailand decided to unleash his troops against the so called red-shirt protesters who have been campaigning against poverty, corrupt politics and injustice in Thailand since March 12.

Related Links:

• Country in Focus: Thailand
• Time to Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time for People’s Power: Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time to Abolish the Monarchy in Swaziland
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
• Thailand – Population, Poverty and Prostitution
• Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Thailand
• ECPAT International
• The Witness
• Recent News on Thailand from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report

• Reuters Photo Gallery
• Eight die as troops, protesters clash in Bangkok
• In Pictures: ‘Thailand Political Protest’

Serial No  1,559. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by the authorities/Google in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Snow, Dust, Rain and Fire

Snow Blanketed Missouri to Canada

Click images to enlarge

True-color image captured by MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite on March 4, 2010. Credit: NASA

Middle East Covered by Sand Storms

Dust was still blowing over the Middle East on March 4, 2010,  when NASA’s MODIS captured this true-color image.  A 100-km wide sand plume extends from Saudi Arabia across southeastern Kuwait and into Iran. Credit: NASA

Heavy Rain in Queensland, Australia

A monsoon low-pressure system moved into Queensland, Australia  in late February and early March 2010, inundating a vast expanse of land with some areas reporting heaviest rainfall in 100 years. Color-coded image shows estimated rainfall amounts from February 24 to March 2, 2010. Amounts less than 50 millimeters appear in pale green, more than 450 millimeters  in dark blue. Image used measurements from many satellites and was calibrated with rainfall measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. Credit: NASA. Caption edited by FEWW

Widespread Fires, Smoke-filled Skies Across SEA

The skies over Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam were smoke-filled on March 5, 2010, when NASA’s MODIS captured this image. Hundreds of active fires in the region are outlined in red. Small fires are often lit by farmers to burn off stubble and weeds, while larger fires generating thick smoke plumes may be forest-clearing fires. Credit: NASA

Country in Focus: Thailand

Do No Evil [sic] Google  Has Blocked This Page!

Time to Abolish Thai Monarchy!

Thailand’s Wealthy King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Thailand’s “revered” King Bhumibol Adulyadej waves to guests from the balcony of the Grand Palace in Bangkok on his 80th birthday December 5, 2007. (Royal Palace/Handout/Reuters)

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The Wealthy King:

King Bhumibol, 80, monarch for 62 years, is the world’s richest royal. His fortune is estimated at 35 billion dollars, Forbes said.

Crown Property Bureau, which manages most of the royal family’s wealth, “granted unprecedented access this year, revealing vast landholdings, including 3,493 acres in Bangkok.”

.

A Right Royal Tragedy

In a country were up to 20 percent of population have no sustainable access to clean water, where at least a quarter of the children under the age of five are malnourished and with a third of the people living in abject poverty, IT IS UNACCEPTABLE for anyone to accumulate so much wealth!

Thailand: Geography

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Myanmar, the Indian Ocean and Andaman Sea to the west, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar to the north. Cambodia and the Gulf of Thailand to the east, and Malaysia to the south.

Poverty:

• Population without sustainable access to an improved water source (2000) : 10.5 million people (16%)
• Children under weight for age (% under age 5) 1995-2000 : 19 percent
• Population below $2 per day income (1990-2001) : 21 million people (32.5%) – [source: unsiap]

Population

2008 estimates: 65,493,298
2000 census: 60,606,947

Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.) – [source: CIA World Factbook]

Population in Municipal Area (%) : 31.1 percent (about 15.1 % in the capital, Bangkok, and 16 % in Thailand’s other big cities)

Age structure:

• 0-14 years: 21.2% (male 7,104,776/female 6,781,453)
• 15-64 years: 70.3% (male 22,763,274/female 23,304,793)
• 65 years and over: 8.5% (male 2,516,721/female 3,022,281) (2008 est.)
• 15-59 labor force: 66.5%
• Women in reproductive ages : 17,032,000

Sex ratio (Males per 100 females): 97.0

Median age:

• total: 32.8 years
• male: 32 years
• female: 33.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.64% (2008 est.)

Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%

Main Religion: About 95 percent of the population are Buddhists.

Prostitution

[Source: peopledaily, December 14, 2001] Thailand ranks third after India and the U.S. in the number of child prostitutes, the United Nations (UN) said in its report prepared for the Second World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation which will be held in Japan Saturday, the Nation Newspaper reported Friday.

Number of women and children that are believed to be sexually exploited in

• India: about 400,000 [population of 1,137 million]
• United States: between 244,000 and 325,000 [305 million]
• Thailand: 200,000 [65.5million]
• Eastern and central Europe175,000 [about 200 0million]
• Brazil: 100,000 [187.5 million]
• West Africa: 35,000 [about 250 million]

However, based on the national/regional populations, a larger percentage of women and children are sexually exploited in Thailand than in any other country/region in the world.

Thai Sex Tourism and Prostitution

[Source: Coalition Against Trafficking in Women] Estimates on the number of women in prostitution range from 300,000 to 2.8 million [many NGOs conform the larger figure] of which a third are minors. Thai women are also in prostitution in many countries in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US. About 4.6 million Thai men regularly, and at least 500,000 foreign tourists annually, use prostituted women.

Statistics from Tourism Authority of Thailand

• Number of International arrivals (2007): 14,464,228 foreign visitors
• Total expenditure: $15,868.53 million (USD)
• Average length of stay: 9.19 days
• Per capita spending: $119.38 per day

Calculated as a percentage of the visitor country, the largest per capita number of tourists visiting Thailand in 2007 were from:

1. Singapore (17.4% of own population), Hong Kong (6.4%), Malaysia (5.7%), Brunei (3.2%)
2. Sweden (4.1% ), Finland (2.6%), Denmark (2.5%), Norway (2.3%), Switzerland (2%), UK (1.2%), Netherlands (1.1%), Austria (0.9%), Germany ( 0.7%), Belgium ().7%), France (0.5%), Italy (0.3%), Russia (0.2%), Spain (0.2%)
3. Australia and New Zealand (2.9%)
4. UAE (2.3%), Israel (1.7%), Kuwait (1.2%)
5. Korea (2.2%), Taiwan (1.9%), Japan (1%), Philippines (0.2%), China (0.1%), India ( 0.05%)
6. Canada (0.5%), U.S. (0.2%)

About 60,000 Thai women work as prostitutes in Japan. With 150,000 non-Japanese women, Japan is the largest sex industry market for Asian women ( Filipinas account for about 80,000 of Asian female prostitutes in Japan.)

Child Prostitution in Thailand

The following excerpts are from Child Prostitution in Thailand by Sirirat Pusurinkham, from the Witness:

• There are two parts to the Thai policy of promoting tourism: one is to sell the physical and cultural beauty of the country; the other is to promote the Thai people, which of course includes sex-related services.

• Girls as young as 10-12 years old service men in the sex industry. Many of the girls typically have sex with ten to fifteen men every day, and sometimes as many as 20 to 30.

• Many parents are “duped” into selling their children and do not realize the lives their children will lead. The parents don’t understand the danger of HIV/AIDS, how prevalent sexual-related diseases, and how they are a death sentence for children.

• The growth of prostitution in Thailand has had an almost worldwide effect. There are laws against prostitution, but they are not enforced. The police force is corrupt and often joins with the pimps in making money.

• There are several major reasons why prostitution, including child prostitution, is a growing industry.

• In Thailand the position of women is a traditional one, remaining from the traditional position they have been assigned in Thai Buddhism. This is found in the traditional cultural attitudes of Thai men, and in the consequences of military presence, and its resulting culture of recreational sex. The social turmoil in Thailand provoked by World War II was a seedbed for the growth of prostitution in the country. It spurred the first example of a sex entertainment center for international tourists in Thailand.

• The Vietnam War and the resultant R&R activities of service men in Thailand led to a dramatic increase in the use of Thai prostitutes by foreigners in the country. This period was followed by an aggressive tourism campaign, which encouraged tourists to come in great numbers. Most of these tourists were single men. The rapid increase in commercialization was encouraged by the news media.

• Tourism has brought enormous growth in the construction of hotels, golf courses, condominiums, restaurants and various kinds of entertainment in the cities, and in provincial villages as well. Tourism’s impact on the sex industry — to what is now called sex tourism — has been a major contemporary contributor to the growth of child prostitution in Thailand.

• In Thailand there has been both migration within the country — from farm to city — and immigration from outside the country. Farming cannot provide a living anymore. Many farmers even go to work in other countries to keep their families from starving. There are no opportunities in rural areas.

• In Thailand today, women and children are oppressed, abused, exploited, and degraded by society. Daughters of poor families are often sold into prostitution. Some parents sell their children because they need the money for food or dope. Many parents are “duped” into selling their children and do not realize the lives their children will lead. The parents don’t understand the danger of HIV/AIDS, how prevalent sexual-related diseases, and how they are a death sentence for children. According to recent UNAIDS statistics, out of a total population of 60 million people in Thailand, 755,000 are living with HIV/AIDS. (Source: the Witness).

Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Thailand

• In Thailand, trafficking is a THB500 billion [$US = 34 Thai Bhat, THB] annual business, which is 50%- 60% of the government’s annual budget and more lucrative than the drug trade. (Authorites and activists, Kulachada Chaipipat, “New law targets human trafficking,” The Nation, 30 November 1997).

• Pattaya has a multi-billion dollar multinational sex industry with links to drug trafficking, money laundering and an expanding regional cross-border traffic in women. (Mark Baker, “Sin city can’t shake vice’s grip,” Sydney Morning Herald, 17 May 1997)

• Thailand is a staging point for the international trade in prostitutes and illegal workers, with facilities for the production of false travel documents and processing of foreign nationals to third countries. (Chulalongkorn University, “There’s money everywhere for Thai police,” The Nation, 25 February 1997)

• Children are increasingly trafficked across Southeast Asia for prostitution, with Thailand being the main destination. Government policy to repatriate some 300,000 illegal workers was criticized because the measure would push illegal migrants, especially children, “further underground”. (International Labour Organization, “Trafficking of children on the rise,” Bangkok Post, 22 July 1998 )

• Marut, a well-known pimp in Pattaya, was introduced to Russian traffickers by a local expatriate restaurateur. The Russians needed a local link to clients, especially wealthy Thai men. Over 60% of Marut’s clients are government officials, including policemen. Some do not pay for what Marut describes as “special service,” because they are powerful men. The price for “special service” is 3,000 to 6,000 baht depending on the status of the client. (“Pattaya: Murder, prostitution and tourists,” Bangkok Post, 22 April 1998 )

• Some trafficked women, who were detained at immigration offices, were escorted out of the office at night with permission from officers or ordered to have sex with officers. In one cases four Laotian girls were gang-raped by inmates at a Rayong police station where the women were detained on charges of illegal entry and gambling (Surita Sandosham, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, “Flesh trade shrugs off new risks,” The Nation, 1 May 1997)

• Close to 300 million dollars is transferred yearly to rural families by women engaged in prostitution in urban areas, a sum that in many cases exceeds the budgets of government-funded development programs. Between 1993 and 1995, it is estimated that prostitution in Thailand produced an annual income of between 22.5 and 27 billion dollars. (Dario Agnote, “Sex trade key part of S.E. Asian economies, study says,” Kyodo News, 18 August 1998 )

• In Thailand, up to 400,000 children under the age of 16 are believed to be working in brothels, clubs or bars. (Jill Serjeant, “Asia to launch joint crackdown on child sex trade,” Reuters, 1 April 1998 )

• 40% of the two million in prostitution in Thailand are under 18, meaning that about 850,000 children are in prostitution. (Centre for the Protection of Children’s Rights, Chris Gelken, “Row Over Call to Boycott ‘Paedophile Playground’,” Gemini News, 28 February 1997)

• 400,000 children under the age of 16 are exploited in brothels, clubs or bars in Thailand. (Campaigners, Robin Cook, “Clampdown on child sex tourism,” BBC News, UK, 4 April 1998 )

• 250,000 children are bought and sold for sex in Thailand alone. (UNICEF, “UK police join fight against Thai child sex tourism,” BBC, 9 December 1997)

HIV/AIDS

• Adult prevalence rate: An estimated 1.4% [0.7%–2.1%] of adults in Thailand were living with HIV in 2005 (UNAIDS, 2006b).
• It is estimated that almost one in five (18%) new HIV infections in 2005 were in sex workers, their clients and those clients’ other partners.
• Overall, as many as one in five (21%) new HIV infections in 2005 in Thailand were in men who have sex with men, according to one estimate (Gouws et al., 2006), and HIV prevalence in this population is on the rise.

• HIV/AIDS – deaths: 58,000 (2003 est., CIA World Factbook)

• Prevalence rate of HIV infection in pregnant women: 1.37 %
• Prevalence rate of HIV in conscripts : 0.5 %
• Rate of HIV infection in children aged less than 2 years: 9 % [Source: unescap]

• People living with HIV/AIDS: at least 755,000 (Source)

Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: high

• Food and waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
• Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria
• Animal contact disease: rabies
• Water contact disease: leptospirosis

Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country (2008 – CIA Factbook)

Education:

• Average years of education attainment
  of population aged 15 years and over: 7.8 years
• Population aged 6-24 years not attending school (%): 34.3 percent

Area:

• Total: 514,000 sq km
• Land: 511,770 sq km
• Water: 2,230 sq km

Land use:

• Arable land: 27.54%
• permanent crops: 6.93%
• Other: 65.53% (2005)
• Irrigated land: 49,860 sq km (2003)

Water Use:

• Total renewable water resources: 409.9 cu km (1999)
• Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 82.75 cu km/yr (2%/2%/95%)
• Per capita: 1,288 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts

Current Environmental Issues:
Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

Continued …

Related Links:

• Time for People’s Power: Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time to Abolish the Monarchy in Swaziland

• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
• Thailand – Population, Poverty and Prostitution
• Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Thailand

• ECPAT International
• The Witness
• Recent News on Thailand from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report

Thailand: Potential flood conditions in eight provinces

Source: ReliefWeb/Thai Government

Date: 05 May 2008

The Meteorological Department of Thailand

The Meteorological Department reported at 4 PM today (May 5th) that an intense southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand has strengthened, causing torrential rain over Thailand. People in the provinces of Chanthaburi, Trat, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket and Krabi should beware of flooding conditions during this period.

High waves of about two to three meters can be seen in the Andaman Sea. All ships should proceed with caution, and small boats should stay ashore until tomorrow.

Bangkok metropolis and vicinity can expect scattered thundershowers mostly in the afternoon and evening. The daily temperature would range from 26 to 34 degrees Celsius. The speed of southwesterly winds would be around 15 to 30 kilometers per hour.

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