The labor union of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) has threatened a full on strike if the current government approves a restructuring plan that would cost the jobs of over 9000 workers. The proposed system will replace the bus attendants with a high tech ticket exchange system. This will cost approximately 7500 jobs for the bus attendants and another 2000 for office staff. Discharged employees will be offered early retirement. It is predicted that the labor union of the BMTA will do as the State Railway of Thailand union did earlier in the year and simultaneously take "sick leave", rendering the bus lines crippled. The strike caused the SRT a loss of about 10 million baht, and stranded over 10,000 passengers as well as cargo.

Phasuk Phongpaichit in an essay on social movements in Thailand opens with this statement:

"Since around 1990, we have seen an outburst of demonstrations, protest marches and new organizations by people of various walks of life. In 1978 there were 42 demonstrations and protests marches, rising to 170 in 1990 and to 988 in 1994 (Prapat: 34, 35, 39) These protests have not been just one-shot events. In most cases participants have organised into a movement to demand their rights, or to fight to protect the environment and their livelihood on a long-term basis."

Such social movements include many organizations protecting womens rights to gain full control over their bodies and sexuality, rural farmers against the creation of dams destroying fish hatcheries and their livelihoods, the northern hill farmers right to maintain control of natural resources and cultural identities, environmental movements by fisherman to protect the coasts, and physicians movements against corruption in the health ministry. There has been argument that such protesting movements and the creation of NGOs distract attention from the establishment of political parties that have the true power to address social issues. I'm not sure if i agree with this philosophy, due to the fact that such a variety of issues are being brought to attention with these small scale movements. We can see that nearly all of the movements in the country are in fact very important issues drawing on social self-determination and basic human rights. It is also apparent that many of these movements are directed at governmental bodies themselves, as well as their policies. This suggests that the presence of NGOs and social movements independent of a political party can truly press the issues regardless of any established political ties or involvment.

Over half of the movements in Thailand over the past 20 years have had environmental agendas. These have attempted to stop the continuous pollution in the oceans, dispose of urban waste in a non-hazardous fashion, and the proper compensation of the owners of natural resources (namely the rural poor).

A security guard in Bangkok was arrested this week for the murder of 10 coworkers. The man allegedly beat his 10 victims to death because he caught them sleeping on the job. Over the past year, the guard also confessed to severely beating 8 other guards. He explained to police that upon finding the guards asleep he would try to rouse them, and if they cotinued to sleep, he would then beat them over the head with a one meter wooden or metal rod. Rough, eh?

A line of pink shirts designed by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn caused pandemonium at the shops as hundreds of shoppers turned out to buy them. One store reported that the stock of about 320 shirts sold out in 2 hours. Pandemonium!

A Thai engineering company recieved a 48 billion baht contract for power and infrastructure development in Lagos, Nigeria. Globalization is not just the first world exploiting the third, oh no! Underdeveloped nations of the world, UNITE!

The Thai department of labor has stopped sending workers to Kuwait after a brawl with Egyptian laborers broke out in a camp this week. Some 200 Egyptian workers surrounded a Thai encampment, the subsequent brawl left 6 Thais hospitalized.

Thailand had proposed to regain an economic growth rate of 8% based on an increase in the export and tourism industries. Growth in the country is greatly perpetuated by increasing foreign investment.

On a side note, Thailand is a very large exporter of handguns! You learn something new everyday. I just left my girlfriend and i'm trying to drink myself into complascence. I can't write anymore!