December 2005 in Thailand
This page deals with current events in or of interest to Thailand and/or involving Thais.*
Paradorn Srichaphan and compatriot
Danai Udomchoke, Thailand's top male
tennis players, head for
India to launch their 2006 campaign at the
Chennai Open.
(The Nation)* Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) expects Thai economy to grow 5.2% next year.
(TNA)* Energy Ministry announces that
2006 will be the year of alternative
fuel consumption.
(TNA)* Thousands of last year's
tsunami survivors and relatives of victims from 45 countries are gathering in Thailand's southern Andaman provinces to attend the country's first anniversary of the disaster.
(TNA)* Thailand has been voted by readers of a best-selling Australian travel magazine as one of the world's top tourists destinations, ranked above rival countries in the highly-competitive
Southeast Asian region
(TNA)* Dr.William L. Aldis,
World Health Organization's Representative to Thailand, presents a plague of honour to the Ministry of Public Health, representing the WHO's appreciation to the hospitality of Thailand's medical teams and volunteers in assisting the
tsunami victims.
(TNA)* Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal announces that all construction works and overall system check-ups of the
Suvarnabhumi Airport would be completed by
May 31,
2006 but the exact date for the official opening is likely to postpone from June as planned earlier.
(TNA)* Ian Potter, director of the
World Bank's Representative Office in
Bangkok, projects 4.2% growth for Thai economy this year despite high fuel prices, last year's tsunami disaster and the bird flu outbreak.
(TNA)* The report to
cabinet meeting reveals that the
flood in eight southern provinces causes 15 dead, 3 missing, and 671,000 people affected by the disruption with 463 roads and 14 bridges damaged or destroyed.
(TNA)* Thousands of residents who live in
Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand are preparing for possible
evacuation after several minor
earthquakes occurred in recent days.
(The Nation)* Heavy
rains continue to devastate six southern provinces, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
(The Nation)*
National security expert Associate Professor
Panitan Wattanayagorn of
Chulalongkorn University accuses the government of mixing military modernisation with mega-project investments that could be a threat to national security.
(The Nation)*
Democrat Party leader
Abhisit Vejjajiva calls on the government to dispel doubts on its scheme to lure foreign contractors to invest 1.7 trillion
Baht in mega projects.
(The Nation)* Government Spokesman Dr. Surapong Suebwonglee announces that Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra and
Jordan's King
Abdullah II, who is currently paying an official visit to Thailand, had mutually agreed to expand bilateral trade and industrial business relations.
(TNA)* Thai Deputy Prime Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai says Thailand is not ready to host the second
Bangkok Process meeting on
Myanmar issue as the neighbouring country failed to inform Thailand on its latest progress towards
democracy.
(TNA)* Frightened villagers in six
Andaman coastal provinces of Thailand head for the hills in panic when
sirens went off after a careless American technician accidentally pushed the alarm button because he thought it was a testing button while setting up the Tsunami Warning System. Along with the sirens, the system was programmed to send out warning messages in six
languages.
(The Nation)* Russian President
Vladimir Putin and Thai Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra sign the visa exemption pact after the
ASEAN-
Russia summit in
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
(TNA)*
New Zealand's Prime Minister
Helen Clark praises Thailand for its developed status, from a recipient to a
donor nation, and expects
Bangkok's continued support to boost New Zealand and
Australia's status as the
ASEAN's new dialogue partners.
(TNA)* Leaders of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) express their strong support for Thai Deputy Prime Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai in his bid for the
UN Secretary-General post after the departure of
Kofi Annan.
(TNA)* Democrat Party spokesman
Ongart Klampaiboon announces that the leading
opposition party has sufficient information to lodge the new
no confidence motion against the government after the
House of Representatives reassembles in
March 2006.
(TNA)* Many people gathers in front of the Parliament to lay down garlands in remembrance of King
Prajadhipok, on the occasion of the
Constitution Day.
(NNB)* Southern provinces of Thailand's have been faced with heavy downpours for several days continuously, and this has caused
flooding in some provinces, notably in
Yala and
Pattani.
(NNB)* The
Thai Rak Thai-dominated
House of Representatives vote to retain the transfer of public schools' supervision to local administrative bodies despite an on-going massive
protest by
teachers. (
The Nation)
* After
His Majesty the King's intervention, the
legal team of
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra withdraw all six defamation
lawsuits which have been filed against his staunch critic
Sondhi Limthongkul. (
The Nation)
*
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who turns 78 on Monday, gives a speech on the occasion of his birthday at
Chitralada Palace. The King tells Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra to be open to
criticism and not to overreact when countering his critics. The King also stresses the importance of
sufficiency economy and
biodiesel development.
(Bangkok Post)(The Nation)*
SEA Games 2005:
Thailand beats
Vietnam 3-0 in soccer final getting their seventh straight Games gold in the sport in their 100th
SEA Games match.
(The Nation)*
King Bhumibol Adulyadej reminds some 2,000
Royal Guards at their annual parade of their taking the
oath of allegiance and the
Trooping the Colour ceremony, at the Royal Plaza to do their duties of defending the country and protecting the people with a full sense of responsibility.
(Bangkok Post)
