His Majesty Asks for Co-operation
Breaking his silence since the start of the conflict between Thailand’s red and yellow shirt protesters, His Majesty King Bumipon Adulyadate asked for “co-operation” from all concerned on August 21st.
Speaking from the small Hua Hin Royal Palace (named in Thai ‘Far from Worry’), His Majesty said “Recently I feel that our country could fail, because nobody is working in harmony.”
Big demonstrations in Bangkok by yellow shirted opponents of former Prime Minister Taxin Shinawat have been countered by the ‘red shirts’, who want the self-exiled billionaire reinstated.
If Taxin does return to Thailand, he will face several serious financially-related criminal charges, and possibly a jail sentence imposed in his absence.
Chiang Mai: less stress, more MICE!
The recent troubles have caused almost no problems in Chiang Mai, despite this being the traditional stronghold of the Shinawat clan since the days that they made their fortune in the silk business. There have been a small number of peaceful red shirt demonstrations, seldom numbering as many as 100 people.
A public gathering of many Chiang Mai business associations and 7 universities and colleges on August 11th called for all concerned to put aside their differences and stop the damage being done to the nation’s economy. Organised by Payap University, the meeting at Airport Shopping Plaza issued a joint statement which was presented to the Governor of Chiang Mai Province, Amornpan Nimanant.
In addition to restoring the previous levels of tourism, the meeting urged the speedy completion of the Chiang Mai International Convention Centre, planned to attract extra business from the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions sector.
A large, attractive, site close to the Provincial Hall, overlooking a lake, has been allocated to the Centre, but the project was put on hold some 2 years ago and no construction has yet taken place.
Editor’s note: to aid accurate speech by non-Thai readers, it is part of our policy to spell Thai names as phonetically accurately as possible.
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