The next few days could see a formal truce statement issued by the rival red and yellow shirted political rivals in the north.
A statement is being prepared for the Governor of Chiang Mai province, agreeing to respect people’s rights and guarantee tourists that all residents are “good hosts”, an anonymous source has told ‘The Nation’ newspaper.
The (apparently neutral) source said that the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce had brokered the deal during meetings with the pro-Taksin Shinawat ‘reds’ and their yellow clad rivals.
In the interests of tourism business, a meeting was held 2 weeks ago with both groups attending, though a second meeting more recently was boycotted by “splinter groups” of both colours, said the report.
Promsak Saenpho, leader of the red-shirted Confederation of Grassroots People of the North, was quoted as saying: “The country will be victorious if unity is restored and the political colours are destroyed.”
Less than 50kms away in the rural town of Payao, 8 members of the 2 groups were photographed shaking hands for the camera back on October 6th. Wearing every possible colour except red and yellow, they issued a brief statement saying: “We have good intentions for society, but may have offended ‘the other colour’” and apologised.
A few years ago there was a move in Chiang Mai to re-name the annual wet season to “The Green Season.”
This could now be a step closer with far less than average rainfall so far this year. The main reservoir feeding our city is dramatically lower than this time last year.
Mae Kuang Dam, west of Doi Saket, is at its second lowest October level for many years, and the last time this happened there was a drought by early March. Water was cut off for many hours to different parts of the city at different times of the day and night.
Mae Kuang’s green island (pictured from one of the two restaurants on the banks) can only be seen at low water, a most unusual sight at a time when ‘the big rains’ are normally at an end.
The level of our other huge dam east of Memalai, Mae Ngat, is said to be ‘average’, but supplies are not easy from so far north. However, by this time next year, a long tunel feeding water from Mae Ngat into Mae Kuang, should have been completed, and city droughts hopefully consigned to history.
Only 61% of eligible Chiang Mai city centre voters turned out to the polls on the 4th, but a decisive 24,384 of them voted for Tassanai Buranupakorn, candidate No 2 and nephew of a previous two-time landslide winner.
Surprise runner-up with 13,197 votes was a lady some thought a rank outsider, Wipawan Woraputthipong (No 7), while immediate former Mayor Dr Duantemduang trailed badly in 3rd place with only 6,958.
The poll was called after Ms Duantemduang was disqualified on a technicality over her residential status in the city, but new incumbent Khun Tassanai may face a far more serious hurdle.
A man wearing a red shirt (indicating support for ousted former Prime Minister Taxin Shinawat) was arrested while carrying a list of eligible voters and 24,000b in cash. If an investigation now under way by the Chiang Mai Election Office connects him to a candidate, that candidate will be disqualified, forced to pay for a new election and subject to a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to 200,000b. The investigation should be complete within 2 weeks.
Notably, 4,444 of the 64,871 ballots handed in had the ‘abstain’ box ticked, showing what many observers interpet as dissatisfaction with all the candidates.
Chiang Mai fails to figure in 2 important surveys appearing in the current ‘Tourism Review’ magazine.
The bad news is that this fair city is not in the world’s Top Ten Intelligent Communities, a rating given mainly for IT innovation and networking. Swedish capital Stockholm beat the world to this accolade, by the way.
Good news: Chiang Mai also failed to make it into the world’s Top Ten Pick Pocketing Places! In fact, in all of SE Asia, only Hanoi, Vietnam, squeezes into this list of infamy in 10th place.
Keeping your wits (and your valuables) about you at festivals, in museums and any crowded place is an especially good idea in Barcelona,
Rome and Prague, the 3 top havens for casual thieves. ‘Tourism Review’ warns especially of distractions by smartly dressed natives, children, and ‘careless’ people who cause distractions by various ploys.
All over the world, carrying minimum cash on every occasion, and locking your passport up at the hotel, are wise moves. (In Chiang Mai, night-time bag snatching by thieves on motorcycles is the crime most likely to affect tourists, say our police).
