HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kamol@munnari.oz.AU (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: sept 29: Top businessmen ready to serve in cabinet
Date: 29 Sep 1992 13:21:36 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au


Top bankers say govt parties wooing them
 
THREE of the country's top bankers have confirmed they were approached 
by parties in the coalition led by Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai to 
join the government.
 
Bangkok Bank Executive Board Chairman Amnuay Virawan said the New 
Aspiration Party had approached him to join the coalition but refused 
to reveal anything more.
 
Dr Amnuay has been tipped as an NAP nominee for the post of deputy 
prime minister under its Cabinet quota.
 
Dr Amnuay described as NAP's internal affairs reports that his 
nomination had led to division in the party, but added that he was 
willing to resign from the bank to work for the country.
 
Siam Commercial Bank President Tarrin Nimmanhaeminda, tipped as the 
new Finance Minister under the Democrat Party quota, said being an 
outsider did not unduly worry him "because the new finance policy will 
have to be worked out based on the policies of each political party 
trying to set up the the government."
 
Mr Tarrin said he foresaw no problems working with Thai Military Bank 
Chairman Supachai Panitchpakdi -- another nominee as deputy prime 
minister under the Democrat quota.
 
But Mr Tarrin and Mr Supachai are reported to harbour different views 
on a number of financial and economic issues.
 
Mr Tarrin said he and Mr Supachai had the same basic economic and 
financial background and he was confident that there will not be 
problems if everyone works with reason.
 
He said he will pursue a policy to ensure an independent financial and 
economic policy for the country.
 
Mr Tarrin said he has already informed the Siam Commercial Bank of his 
decision to resign to join the Chuan government.
 
Mr Supachai, while confirming he was approached to become deputy prime 
minister, said he had yet to receive approval from his bank's board of 
directors to assume Cabinet responsibility.
 
He said he was bound by a TMB contract to serve them another two 
years.
 
"I will have to find my replacement at the bank if I'm to join the 
Chuan government," Mr Supachai said.
 
Asked for further comments the banker said it would be premature to 
talk any further because he was still awaiting the bank's response and 
the Democrat confirmation of his appointment.
From: yongyuth@munnari.oz.AU (Yongyuth Pahirah)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Wimol urges soldier to be "progressive"
Date: 29 Sep 1992 13:21:38 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au


 
Wimol urged soldier to be "progressive"
 
The Nation Tues Sept 29
 
ARMY chief Gen Wimol Wongwanit said yesterday that he wants his soldiers to be
progressive mind, a quality he said is helpful for the development of the
armed force.
 
  Wimol was speaking to about 230 commanders from Army units throughout the
  country at the Army Auditorium.
 
  Wimol said Army personnel should regularly monitor the world's up-to-date
  situations as well as economics and cultural ones to catch up with all kinds
  of changes.
 
  ``These will make our personnel progressive-minded which will be useful to
  the development of the Army,'' Wimol said.
 
  Many Army officers were severely criticized as being too conservative
  following the May bloodshed. Some of them came out to defend the use of
  forces to crush anti-Suchinda demonstrators.
 
  During a political discussion at the Army Auditorium early this month,
  politicians from the parties which took part in the anti-Suchinda rallies
  received boos and jeers from the soldiers.
 
  Wimol told the commanders that the Army had to try every means possible to
  restore the public faith toward it. The May bloodshed, in which at least 52
  people were killed and hundreds others injured, caused many middle-classed
  people to hate soldiers.
 
  The Army chief, who has repeatedly said he would distance himself from
  politics and who always appeared cautious when asked to comment on politics,
  said he was pleased that so far none of his sub-ordinates had involved
  themselves in politics.
 
  Wimol thanked the commanders for having seen to it that their sub-ordinates
  exercised their voting-right in Sept 13's election with no negative reports
  against the Army.
 
  The Army chief also told the commanders that he thought that the Chuan
  Government would run the country smoothly.
 
  Wimol asked the the commanders to understand the press when they approached
  him for comments on politics. He said the press was just attempting to make
  their reports comprehensive and not trying to involve the Army in politics.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Date: Tue,  6 Oct 1992 14:37:51 -0400 
From: Schitt Laowattana <sl2k+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: [Report]Part(5):Major Problems and Limitations in S&TD in Thailand 

=============================================================================


            Part(5) Lack of Specialized Technology Centers


    Considerable technical assistance is needed by producing firms in
these three groups of industries due to weaknesses in accumulated
technical experience and to rapid technological changes.  The present
prblem is the lack of organizations which specialize in particular areas
and develop real expertise in their respective fields.  Real assistence
to producing firms in term of technology transfer, problem solving,
information service, and in assessing the appropriateness and the
selection of technologies vannot be obtained.  The development of
indigenous industrial technologies are also difficult to accomplish due
to inadequate attention in specific areas.  The development of
specialists and experts is also difficult.


    Most of the existing organizations try to do too many things at a
time although in a lot cases this is out of necessity.  Resources are
apread too thinly over several activities.  Development of specialized
expertise in specific areas is impossible.


    Specialized technology centers must be established to facilitate R&D
activities, technology transfer, information and technical services as
well as human resource and technology development.


=============================================================================

Please stand by for Part(6) "Lack of R&D Innovation Activities".....in
this net.



Posted by
Schitt  Laowattana
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Suggestions for the new government
From: <CHLBB@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Date: Thursday, 1 Oct 1992 19:09:39 EDT
 owell.edu><1992Sep26.064244.107@tlaeng.enet.dec.com><1992Sep28.204514.6322@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

In article <1992Sep28.204514.6322@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>,
anuchit@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Anuchit Anuchitanukul) says:
>
>SUGAR & SUGAR CANE
>==================
>producing sugar.  In fact, the cost of producing sugar (around 7-8 baths/kg
>if I remember correctly)  is higher than the price of sugar in the world
>market (which is about 5 baths/kg).  Since Thailand ranks third in exporting
>---------------------------------------------------------------
>The numbers and statistics in this article came from the memory
>of my poor natural neuron-nets (my brain) and therefore may not be
>very accurate.

Just for a more accurate information, no offense here.
The price of sugar in the world market of about 5 bahts/kg is the price for
the RAW (unprocessed) sugar, not the WHITE sugar that we are consuming.
So, the cost of producing white sugar in Thailand may be just a little bit
higher than the price of the white sugar in the world market.
Anyway, I totally agree with your point of view about sugar situation.

Parames Laosinchai
From: yongyuth@ipied.tu.ac.TH (Yongyuth Pahirah)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: (none)
Date: 5 Oct 1992 12:57:18 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au

post-thai

Anand will return to private sector.

The Nation Oct 2 edition

  FORMER prime minister Anand Panyarachun, who left office yesterday, said he
  would return to work at the Saha Union Co.

  ``After stepping down from the post of premier, I will have a rest,'' Anand
  said. ``I still do not know what to do next. I have scarcely laid any plans
  in my life. I will become an employee of Saha Union Company again, anyway.''

  He declined to compare his administration with the new Chuan Cabinet, saying
  administrations should compete with one another only in their achievements
  and not in quarrelling.

  Anand brushed aside a question about whether another ``political accident''
  might see him become prime minister for the third time, saying the new
  government has been formed and taken an oath of office before His Majesty
  the King.

  ``From now on it is the duty of the Thais and MPs to help the government to
  work for the country's prosperity,'' he said.

  The first Anand administration, formed after the Feb 23 coup last year,
  lasted 13 months while his second government, installed after the bloody May
  crisis, lasted for three months and two weeks.

  Asked if he would write his autobiography, Anand said he had never had such
  an idea because he would be unable to refrain from criticizing other people
  which was unacceptable to Thais.

  ``Most Thais are narrow-minded. I've got quite different habits from the
  Thais in general,'' he said.

  Anand said he did not care about any accusations against him because they
  were ``a waste of time''.

  ``If we know there is dung there, we should avoid stepping on it. What's the
  point in stepping on it?'' he said.

  A group of MPs has asked the Counter Corruption Commission to investigate
  what it describes as ``irregularities'' in the Anand administration's
  handling of the 3-million-line telephone expansion projects, the laying of
  underwater cable and contractual changes with major oil distributors.

  Anand said he bade farewell to HM the King before the King left for Taksin
  Rajanives Palace in Narathiwat province recently.
From: gt4458c@prism.gatech.EDU (John Stephens Cronin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Is Thailand that terrible, Khun Laurence?
Keywords: Thailand
Date: 1 Oct 92 21:56:46 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <BvFnwy.EJs@news.cso.uiuc.edu> ssg9328@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Samart Srijumnong) writes:
>
>In responding to Khun Sripen, godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY) writes:
>
>There had been a farang couple who went on Fulbright to CMU where I taught, 
>no matter how easy they tried to be, they could not stay in a house that
>did not have airconditioner. The couple could not even wash their dish with 
>Thai pipe water. I learned this on the day they were about to leave when 
>they gave us a party. I asked them how they took a shower, they said they
>had to close their mouth neatly. They use bottled water for dish washing and
>mouth cleaning. We are still good friends despite their attitude. They didn't
>not look down at Thai society and I am not raising their case to say they
>are good or bad. I simply want to exemplify a case which requires better
>standard of living in a poor country like Thailand. 

I would like to comment on the water problem.  I have never been to Thailand,
so I don't know if what I am about to say applies or not but I believe it may.
We in the west tend to use a lot of chemicals to do many things, one of which
is purify water.  As a consequence, it has a lot of chemicals in it (probably
not a good thing) but it has virtually no life in it, particularly micro-
organisms.  Because of this, when we travel to countries where the water may
contain some basically harmless life, it makes us sick even though the local
people can drink it with no problem.  This does not mean there is a problem
with the water, it means there is a problem with us.  If a westerner drinks
the water all the time, he gets sick for a while, then he gets used to it
and can drink it like the local people.  Most westerners don't believe this
or are not willing to be sick for a little while.  I am surprised that all
the chemicals in the water here don't make somebody sick.  Or maybe they
do (cancer etc).  I suppose that there could even be a problem of a person
from one country not being used to the chemicals used to treat another
country's water, although I have never heard of this.

John Cronin
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Decentralization = promoting local mafia
From: thanon@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz (Thanachart Numnonda)
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 03:36:24 GMT
Organization: University of Auckland, New Zealand.

emaruchi@meena.cc.uregina.ca writes:

>        Our friend on the network had sent a letter to PM Chuan supporting
>the election of provincial governors.  So far as money can buy votes, the
>election of provincial governors is nothing but promoting local mafia all over
>the country.  Look at the last general election in many provinces, what kind of
>"some" persons had been elected.  If provincial governors were elected, I can
>assure you that mafias like the local riches, big business men, illegal casino
>owners would be elected, not people like the former Bangkok Governor Chamlong
>for sure.
>                                Bunlur

   This issue has not only proposed by our friend(Khun Tawit) on the network.
In fact, it is a main policy of PalangTham and Solidarity parties.
Democrat also proposed a policy to decentralise ruling power to local
governments. I definitely agree with this idea.  At the moment, the ministry
of Interior has almost absolute power. The ministry (together with the
goverment which often control by the Military) can appoint the governors.
Although village Headers and Kamnans are elected by people, but they stay
in the positions until retirement.

   I think people in many provinces are ready for the election of their
governors, e.g.
      -Nonthaburi   , Khon Kaen, Cheing Mai, Songkha, Trang, Phuket,
      Nakhon Ratchasrima, etc.
   , or even in the provinces under control of "evil" parties like
      -Supan Buri or Nakhon Ratchasrima.
What's wrong if people in Suphan Buri will elect Mr.B as their
governor?  If he corrupt, he will bring money away from Suphan Buri.
But he is now an elected MP. If he corrupt in the cabinet and bring
money back to Suphan, people in Suphan Buri will learn nothing from that.

I agree with Khun Tawit that 
>>While the choice of the MP will affect their lives in a large-scale level,
>>this large-scale effects are often non-discernible. It's their choice
>>of the local governors that will affect their lives in a discernible way
>>, e.g., local tax, projects, law and regulation. This, I believe, will make 
>>them become aware of the importance of politics. They'll learn that their 
>>good choice of the politicians worths much more than the money they receive
>>during the vote-buying campaign. The local politics will finally drive
>>the national politics to be better. Right now, we are trying to do
>>just the opposite which I don't see any hope for it to work.

Moreover, I couldn't find any diffrence between some provincial governors
and Mafias.

Thanachart Numnonda
U. of Auckland

PS: My home resident is in Khon Kaen, and I quite confident that people
in Khon Kaen can select a good choice of the governor. Although he might
not be as good as Khun Chuan, Khun Chareon will definitely not be elected as
our governor.
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Date: Tue,  6 Oct 1992 14:41:43 -0400 
From: Schitt Laowattana <sl2k+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: [Repost]Part(7):Major Problems and Limitations in S&TD in Thailand 



==========================================================================


                Part(7): Management Attitude


    The stage of industrial development in Thailand at present is such
that the development of technological capability takes second palce to
cost factors.  The technologies employed are not that sophisticated and
can be readily bought, competition is based mainly on cost rather than
quality, and most of the industries are labour rather than technology
intensive.  Such as industry structure engenders the feeling that
technology is of secondary importance and that there is no need to
develop or adapt technology.  Investment in any form of technological
capability development is seen as a cost which can be avoided.  As
Thailand's industrial structure becomes more complex, as modern
technologies become more essential, as customer become more quality
conscious, and as competition becomes more severe, such attitudes must
be changed.  Short-term profit seeking must be replaced by a concern for
long-term growth and survival.  Technology must be considered as the key
component of future competitiveness.


    These attitude changes cannot, of course, happen overnight.  Public
campaigns as well as successful cases from other countries have
contributed considerably towards such changes (for the better) in recent
years.  Actions will not be taken, however, until producing firms really
feel the need for investment in technology.  The Thai government must
also be prepared for these changes.  The development of suitably
qualified personel and provision of relevant infrastructural support,
both of which need a long time to accomplish, have to be carefully
planned and effectively implemented.


============================================================================

Please stand by for Part(8) on Deficiencies in Infrastructural
Support...in this net.



Posted by
Schitt  Laowattana



Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: sdurong@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (sripen durongdej)
Subject: Khunying Suphatra
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 15:46:29 GMT

I know Khunying Suphatra for years.  She wants us to call her Phi Aew even
she received the Khunying title.  She said hey I am still the same person.
She was an activist while she studied at Chula.  After her graduation she
joined the Graduate Volunteer Centre, Thammasart university, to be a graduate 
volunteer working one year in the rural area.  This centre was established by
Dr.Puay Ungpakorn with the idea to train the graduates to spend their lives
with rural people in the villages and learn from villagers.  If graduate   
volunteers know something that new in the villages, they will be giving their
know-how to the local people.  At the same time they will learn from the rural
people back, a lot too.  Dr. Puay's main purpose is to train the graduates not
to be too ego and do not forget the grass root level of the country.  This
centre was once accused by Khun Samak Suthorawej to be a centre of communists
during the massacre 1976.  
After the graduate volunteer centre, Phi Aew worked with the Thai study centre
of Thammasart. Her work dealt again very much with rural areas and rural people.
I didn't know much about the detail of hers at this period, but it was more on
research and project implementation.  The Thai study centre has published many
research work about social problems.    
I met her again when she was a PM.  I came across some guy who was using the
name of the Democrat party in a bad way.  She insisted me to write to the
leader of her party about this bad guy and the story I knew.  She said the
party heard many stories about him and she wanted her party to do something.
When she received this title in that year, there was an interview in a monthly
magazine by one famous Khunying, sorry I don't remember her name, saying that
Khunying Aew was the only one who received the Khunying title by her own good
work in that year.  And this Khunying said Phi Aew deserved it.
This is just to confirm (from my own experience) that she is a person who 
understands the situations in Thailand especially the areas of rural development
quite well as well as the politics.  And she is a person with open-minded, not
ego, and willing to listen to you.  So she is a very good resource person in
the present institute.  It will be the good opportunity for us to share
comments and opinions with her and learn something from her.
From: suntich@gaea.bch.msu.edu (Montree Suntichaikul)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Activities Search : )
Date: 1 Oct 92 19:06:38 GMT
Organization: Michigan State University

In article <1992Sep30.174212.20110@CS.ORST.EDU> honglak@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (Hongladaromp Kaiwan) writes:
>Hello all,
>
>Lately I cannot see any HI-TECH activities in this group, esp about net-effort.
>Back a while, there are some mesg about maintenance Thai-student DB.
>
>Can anybody hint me where they are gone!!! Or there are such a movement in
>the other groups.
>
   - These archives for Thai-students DB are kept for public access via ftp.
I cannot guarantee its completeness and correctness of the information but
I try to make it up-to-date as much as I can. Don't flame on me if you cannot
find your friends' name over there even they actually have e-mail address or
something like that. Most lists are compiled by our volunteers for the sake
of communication within Thai students community.

The archives can be found at the site "gaea.bch.msu.edu". Please feel free to
add or update your information by dropping me e-mail. Any suggestion is 
strongly appreciate.

----

Montree Suntichaikul

=============================================

%finger suntich@ee.msu.edu              or
%finger suntich@atlantic.cps.msu.edu
From: godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY)
Subject: Khunyings and M.Rs
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 03:21:00 GMT


Personally I think it's likely to be much more interesting to hear what
ordinary Thai people think, than what the Khunyings, M.R.'s and others
privileged by accidents of birth have to say.  I don't think they have
ever lived in the real world anyway.

As far as I know, the Thai aristocracy have been getting their educations
in the west for many years, and it hasn't done any good for anyone except
themselves.

Laurence
From: gt4458c@prism.gatech.EDU (John Stephens Cronin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Hiring Farang in Thailand.
Date: 29 Sep 92 00:48:59 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Sep26.072307.109@tlaeng.enet.dec.com> trin@tlaeng.enet.dec.com (Trin Tantsetthi) writes:
>
>> Why do we have to 
>> pay Farang higher salary when they can't speak Thai and they are not better 
>> than us?
>
>An employment is not a one-sided decision. In fact, it must be mutually
>agreed upon by both employer and employee.
>
>If the employer hires a person at premium but the person does not deserve
>the extra cost (or does not qualify for the job), there is something wrong
>with the employer (or recruitment process) -- not the new hire -- definitely
>not his/her race.

This is a very good point, particularly in relation to the post about the
engineers from Hong Kong who seemed to deliberately keep some information
secret when training Thais.  If they are doing this, then they should be
fired and another person or company found to do the job right.  Please don't
try to tell me that no farang will do a fair job for fair money when working
in Thailand.  It is possible to find people to do anything for money, even
work hard. ;-)  It may be harder to find a hard worker than a cheater, but
this just means that an employer must work hard to find the workers, and
recognize when he has been tricked and get rid of bad workers.  This applies
to anybody, both Thai and farang, whether as employer or employee.

John Cronin