PEOPLE in Rayong, especially fishermen, are still suffering the consequences of a major oil spill in Rayong Bay four years ago, because fish have not returned. However, PTT Global Chemical PLC (PTTGC), which took control of the cleanup, insists that the marine ecosystem has recovered to its normal state.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have urged new laws and other measures to prevent and tackle oil spills in the future.

Weerasak Wongnarong, a fisherman from Tambon Tapong in Rayong’s Muang district, said he and his col

leagues had suffered financially since the spill, which happened four years ago today.

He encouraged authorities to conduct comprehensive research into the damage and clean all spilled oil from the seafloor. “Our life has changed drastically since the oil spill. We cannot fish in Rayong’s sea any more. Instead, we have to go farther to fish, which increases our expenses,” Weerasak said.

He said the income of fishermen in his village had reduced from as much as Bt10,000 per day before the oil spill to less than Bt3,000. They now had to fish as far as across the Gulf of Thailand in Prachuap Khiri Khan and many people were seeking other careers, because fishing could not support them anymore.

The accident happened on July 27, 2013, when a Greek tanker pumping crude oil to the PTTGC refinery at Map Taphut Industrial Estate leaked about 50,000 litres of oil into Rayong Bay. Soon after, an oil slick floated ashore at the famous tourist destination of Koh Samet.

Pictures of white sandy beaches turned black and dead marine animals soaked with oil brought home one of the country’s worst environmental disasters.

Nevertheless, PTTGC stated that it had cleaned up the oil spill within seven days and restored the marine environment to its normal state within three months.

However, Weerasak said the sea was still damaged. He claimed that up to 80 per cent of the spilled oil was still submerged on the seafloor, making it too toxic for marine life.

“Instead of scooping out the floating oil patch on the sea surface, the company chose to use chemicals to sink the oil down to the seafloor,” he said. “So, it appeared that they had successfully cleaned up the sea within a short period, but this method polluted the sea severely.

“There is still no survey on how much oil is left on the seafloor, but every monsoon season, waves usually wash tar balls onto the beach.

“Therefore, we urge the authorities to conduct a survey of the seafloor to understand the real situation, and get rid of all the leftover oil to recover the marine ecosystem.” However, PTTGC senior vice president for corporate affairs Warawan Tippawanich stated that the company had been working closely with local people to mitigate the consequences of the oil spill.

She said it also had up-to-date measures to prevent and tackle oil spills in the future.

“From the environment monitoring by the Pollution Control Department [PCD], it was concluded that the situation has already come back to normal. So the PCD made a conclusion to stop monitoring the impacts of the oil spill since October last year,” Warawan said. “But we still continue many projects to help and support the livelihoods of the local people.”

She said PTTGC had initiated 40 projects to restore tourism, 31 projects to promote education and career options for local people, and 13 projects to improve the environment, working alongside authorities and academic institutions.

“We have a close relationship with the local people, as our stance is that we are also a part of Rayong community,” she said. “We are always open to public opinion and we are working closely with local authorities and fishermen to restore the abundance of Rayong’s sea.”

Meanwhile, Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (Earth) Foundation director Penchom Saetang said that despite increasing awareness of the 2013 spill, there were still many minor oil spills in the sea near Rayong, which signified insufficient efforts to prevent them.

“We have learned that in the past two years, there were 11 reports of oil spills in Thai waters,” Penchom said, adding that people affected by the 2013 spill “did not get proper compensation and have had to fight in the courts to sue for the recovery of the sea”.

She said: “We expect that there will be a greater chance of oil spills in Thai waters, as there is more petroleum drilling and oil transporting in our waters due to the growth of Eastern Economic Corridor. We need oil-spill prevention policies and a monitoring system that meets international standards.”

Penchom said PTTGC should conduct a full and transparent investigation of the incident to solve existing problems and learn how to prevent a similar disaster in the future. She also called on the government to draft a strict new law to directly address issues relating to oil spills.

Department deputy chief Thongplew Kongjan said the major and mid-scale dams as of Monday held 44,394 million cubic metres of water – about 59 per cent of their combined capacity. That volume was 10,229 cubic metres more than they held at the same time last year, he said.

Eleven dams at high levels will release substantial amounts of water – Lampang’s Kiew Lom and Kiew Khor Ma, Phitsanulok’s Kwai Noi Bymrungdan, Sakhon Nakhon’s Nam Un and Nam Pung, Khon Kaen’s Ubolrat, Nakhon Ratchasima’s Lam Phra Phloeng, Ubol Ratchathani’s Sirindhorn, Lop Buri’s Pasak Jolasid, Uthai Thani’s Thab Salao and Suphan Buri’s Kra Sieo.

Suchat Charoensri, director of the 12th Royal Irrigation Office in Chai Nat, said the Chao Phraya Dam in that province is expected to receive a large volume of mountain runoff next week, so it will release comparatively more water.

Downstream rivers and canals will rise as a result by 15-25cm and flooding could occur in low-laying riverside areas in Ang Thong and Ayutthaya, he warned. The Thai Meteorological Department yesterday morning downgraded tropical depression Sonca to an active low-pressure area as it moves over the Thai Northeast, lower North and upper Central region. It is expected to dissipate by tomorrow, but rainfall is likely to be widespread, with “heavy” and “very heavy” downpours in some isolated areas. Citizens are advised to beware of severe weather triggering flash floods.

Meanwhile, Kalasin governor Suwit Khamdee has instructed officials to be prepared for heavy rainfall from tropical storm Sonca and has established a “front command team” in each district to assist residents affected by flooding.

The latest moves come after storm Talas last week damaged 14,000 rai of rice fields in the northeastern province.

Heavy rains continued yesterday due to Sonca’s influence and a large volume of water poured into 18 reservoirs in Kalasin 10 to make room for the expected deluge.

Suwit called a meeting of relevant officials at City Hall to prepare for floods and landslides.

Ten out of the province’s 18 districts had been affected by Talas downpours that damaged 14,000 rai of rice field and 10 roads last week, said provincial disaster prevention chief Wichan Thanhin.

Authorities have assessed rice field compensation to farmers at Bt1,113 per rai up to 30 rai per case, he added. In Ubon Ratchathani, days of Sonca downpours caused severe flooding in Si Muang Mai, Khong Chiam and Nam Yuen district marooning several villages.

Tambon Nong Saeng Yai officials in Khong Chiam dispatched flat-bottom boats to aid residents in Tha Ma Fai village where a one-kilometre section of the only road was under two metres of water.

Three other villages – Ban Dong Bak, Ban Nong Saeng Noi and Ban Kud Ya Kham – also suffered similar flooding.

Those were the results of a recent survey conducted by the Culture Ministry and Suan Dusit Poll, which also found that 65.4 per cent of respondents knew about Thai Language Day, which falls on July 29 every year.

The poll surveyed the opinions of 3,306 children, young people and other members of the public nationwide.

Culture Minister Veera Rojpojanarat said 57.34 per cent of respondents knew the day had been established to mark His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s participation in a discussion about the Thai language at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts on July 29, 1962.

Respondents cited the most popular slang, in descending order, with 39.44 per cent referring to lam yai, 36.86 per cent to tamu tami and 36.23 per cent to nok.

Other top contenders in the lexicon included jung boei, which means “very much”, as in jung loei, but with a child’s lisp (34.67 per cent); tay or don tay, meaning to abandon or to be abandoned (34 per cent); ei ei, a tongue-in-cheek laughing expression (33.61 per cent); pay or sai pay, meaning a person who likes to treat others (30.12 per cent); teng, ta-eng or tal-eng, all of which mean “you” with a connotation of closeness like addressing a boyfriend or girlfriend (27.28 per cent); and mung ming, which is another way to say “cute” (26.06 per cent).

Most respondents, 83.45 per cent, said the person with the most outstanding Thai-language skills was the early Rattanakosin-era poet Phra Sunthonwohan, better known as Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855).

King Rama II, who is more formally known as Phrabatsomdet Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai, was also cited in 41.16 per cent of answers, followed by the famous Thai tutor Kitmanoch “Kru Lilly” Rojanasupya at 39.38 per cent, SEA Write Award-winning poet and national artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon at 38.43 per cent, and the Thai tutor Jakkriz “Kru Tom Khamthai” Yompayorm at 37.6 per cent. The survey accepted more than one answer.

Accuracy and appropriate usage representing the country’s culture were also concerns, with most respondents, 39.02 per cent, focusing on the spoken language followed by writing and Thai reading at 37.17 and 23.81 per cent respectively.

The poll concluded that 53.86 per cent of respondents knew about the country’s master plan to promote reading and learning from 2017 to 2021, with 55.16 per cent believing the plan would help people to achieve the goal of reading 90 minutes a day. However, 29.79 per cent disagreed, saying that many people did not like reading, had short attention spans, and were more keen to play games and use their smartphones.

Regarding time spent reading via various media, 56.59 per cent said they read online media three hours a day. With more than one choice available, 37.42 per cent said they read books or documents one-and-a-half hours per day, while 36.90 per cent said they read newspapers and 18.63 per cent general journals for one hour a day.

Respondents also recommended that the Culture Ministry and related agencies host Thai language and reading activities at schools, organise annual Thai language contests with prizes, launch online campaigns promoting the proper use of the language, and organise reading, writing and speaking training sessions.

They also responded that more time should be spent in classrooms reading, or it should be added as a separate subject in school curricula.

Registration can be done at 100 temporary centres across the country as well as online, via the Labour Ministry’s website.

The ministry’s spokesman, Ananchai Uthaipattanachep, said yesterday that as of 5pm on Tuesday, July 25, 74,396 migrants were registered.

“Bangkok has seen the highest number of registrations,” he said.

Of all those registered, 46,058 were from Myanmar, 17,791 were Cambodians, and 10,520 were Laotians.

Employers in the farming sector have made the highest number of registrations – registering up to 17,238 migrant workers on Monday and Tuesday. Those in the construction industry came next – registering 11,573 migrants, followed by food-and-beverage industry that registered 7,374 migrants over the same period.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Bangkok : The power outage areas are;

08.30 – 15.30

– Jaransanitwong 35 Road, Setthasiri Village.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Samutprakarn : The power outage areas are;

08.00 – 15.30

– Soi Thepa Ville Condo, Intersection at Theparak Road.

08.00 – 17.00

– Soi Thepaniwet Village, Intersection at Theparak Road

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Bangkok : The power outage areas are;

08.00 – 15.30

– Taweekan Road, Klong Bang Noi.

– Along Phutthamonthon Sai 1 Road (Opposite Nok Noi Kindergarten), Start from Klong Bang Noi to Klong Bang Chuek Nang and Narasiri Village.

– Itsaraphab Road, Start from Wat Mai Phiren to Wat Chinoros and Soi Wat Krut.

– Soi Itsaraphab 33 and Soi Itsaraphab 35.

– Soi Itsaraphab 29/1-2, 31 and 31/1-3.

08.30 – 15.30

– Along Jaransanitwong Road, Start from the beginning of Soi Jaransanitwong 50/2, 54, 56 to Soi Jaransanitwong 60 and nearby area.

– Nongkham-Wat Srinuan Road (Soi Wat Srinuan)

– Chokchai 4 Road, along Chokchai 4 Road, Start from Intersection 43 to Intersection 49, Soi Chokchai 4 Intersection 47 (Throughout the Soi).

– Soi Premruetai 20 (Soi Udomsuk 51).

– Soi Udomsuk 29.

09.00 – 15.00

– Satriwittaya 2 Road, along Satriwittaya 2 Road, Start from Intersection 28 to Junction at Chokchai 4 Road and Soi Satriwittaya 2 Road Intersection 28, 30, 32, 25 (Throughout the Soi) and Soi Satriwittaya 2 Intersection 29 (Blackout at the beginning of Soi Only)

– Along Petchburi Road before enter to Asoke Intersection.

Samutprakarn : The power outage areas are;

08.00 – 16.00

– Soi Ruamjitpattana, Intersection at Theparak Road.

– Soi Attasit, Intersection at Theparak Road.

08.00 – 16.30

– Suksawat Road, Soi Ruamjitpattana and Soi Wat Yai (Throughout the Soi).

08.00 – 17.00

– Soi Petchvitoon, Intersection at Theparak Road.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Bangkok : The power outage areas are;

08.00 – 14.00

– The road along Motorway, Wat Mae Jan, Wat Lanboon and Wat Lanboon Community.

08.00 – 15.30

– The road along Motor Way, Start from Romklao Intersection (Inbound) to the beginning of Wat Lanboon Community.

08.30 – 15.30

– Soi along Klong Phasi Charoen, South Side 5/4.

– Nawamin Road, Soi Phokaew 3 Intersection 17 (Throughout the Soi).

– Rama 2 Road, Start from the beginning of Soi Rama 2-50 to the beginning of Soi Rama 2-44 and Soi Rama 2-46, 48 (Throughout the Soi).

08.30 – 16.30

– Along Pattanakarn Road, Start from Soi Pattanakarn 19 to Soi Pattanakarn 25 (Along Klong Banpa) and Pattanakarn 27.

– Pattanakarn Road, Fanuc Thai Co.,Ltd.

09.00 – 13.00

– Chantarubeksa Road, Along Klong Tanon nearby the beginning of Soi Saimai.

09.00 – 15.00

– Soi Mooban Songthai (Soi Petchburi 47 Interseciton 10).

Nonthaburi : The power outage areas are;

08.30 – 15.30

– Soi Ngamwongwan 47 Intersection 6 (Throughout the Soi).

Samutprakarn : The power outage areas are;

08.00 – 15.30

– Along Phuttaraksa Road, Start from Soi Prangpreng to in front of Tiger Construction 1 Co.,Ltd. (Old) and Esso Gas Station.

08.00 – 16.30

– Suksawat Road, Soi Ruampattana and Soi Wat Yai (Blackout in some area).

Monday, July 31, 2017

Bangkok : The power outage areas are;

09.00 – 14.30

– The road along Kanjanapisek Expressway, Natura Village.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017  

Bangkok : The power outage areas are;

12.00 – 15.00

– Soi Ratburana 14, Wat Bangpakok and Bangpakok School (Blackout in some area).

In case of any enquiries, the people can contact MEA district offices on the phone number listed on the back of their invoice or call the MEA at 1130 for 24 hours service. They can check out the latest power outage notification at http://www.mea.or.th

AGRICULTURE and Cooperatives Ministry permanent secretary Theerapat Prayurasiddhi will be transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister on October 1.

The Cabinet approved his transfer yesterday, along with the rotation of several senior officials belonging to various ministries.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngarm was interested in Theerapat’s abilities and had requested his transfer.

“Wissanu wants to have Theerapat help with his work at the Office of the Prime Minister. So, I have no objection,” Chatchai said.

However, a high-level source at the ministry said Chatchai had asked Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to consider transferring Theerapat beginning on July 18.

“Theerapat has long failed to respond well to Chatchai’s orders and suggestions,” the source said.

According to the source, it remained unclear who would become the new permanent secretary for the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry.

“But there are two apparent candidates – the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, Leadviroj Kowattana, and Agricultural Extension Department director-general Somchai Channarongkul.”

The source added that Leadviroj’s most recognised achievement was the AgriMap app that helped farmers decide what types of plants were suitable for their farmland location, while Somchai had stood out in work on projects related to HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s concepts.

As for the Public Health Ministry, Dr Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk – who now heads the Disease Control Department – is poised to succeed Dr Sopon Mekthon as the permanent secretary.

Sopon will retire due to his age on September 30.

With a medical degree from Southwestern University in the Philippines, Jedsada will become the first permanent secretary for Public Health who has not graduated from a prestigious Thai medical school.

The Cabinet also approved the promotion of Energy Ministry deputy permanent secretary Thammayot Srichuai to the post of the ministry’s permanent secretary while PM’s Office deputy secretary-general Patcharaporn Intreyonk will rise to the helm of her agency.

Agency promotions have also taken place.

For example, the Cabinet yesterday gave the green light to the appointment of the Board of Investment deputy secretary-general Ajarin Pattanapanchai as the new permanent secretary for Digital Economy and Society.

Local Administration Department director-general Jarin Chakkaphark has also been endorsed as the new permanent secretary for Labour.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda said his ministry had concluded reshuffles of officials at similar levels already, many of which won Cabinet approval yesterday.

For example, Interior Ministry deputy permanent secretary Chayapon Thitisak will become the new director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department starting on October 1.

Another deputy permanent secretary for Interior, Nattapong Sirichana, will become Nakhon Nayok province governor. Nisit Chansomwong, another deputy permanent secretary, will serve as Nonthaburi governor.

Last year, the government gave people who qualified a one-time Bt3,000 payment.

Somchai Sujjapongse, Finance Ministry permanent secretary, said yesterday that the ministry would propose a Bt40-billion welfare package in the next few weeks to support low-income groups.

Eligible people will get financial support starting on October 1, he said.

The government will transfer money directly to people who hold cards making them eligible. The transfers will include Bt600 for train tickets and Bt1,000 for city bus rides, and the remainder for buying necessities at Commerce Ministry sponsored shops, known as Blue Flag shops, he said.

Every month cardholders will have to spend all the money, which cannot be rolled over for future months.

The estimated total monthly transfer for each government cardholder will be Bt2,750.

A person who is classified as low income earns less than Bt100,000 per annum.

The government will also offer more assistance to people who live under the poverty line or who earn less than Bt30,000 per year. There were about 4 million people eligible, Somchai said.

The government also plans to provide job training for low-income people and evaluate their income each month. If their earnings increase, they will lose the right to welfare funds.

A total of 14 million people are registered for state welfare.

Over past years, the government has increased budgets for the poor in many schemes. It pays more than Bt 2 billion annually for disabled people and has raised their income from Bt500 to Bt800 a month since 2015 fiscal year.

More than two millions low-income people who earn less than Bt100,000 per annum got a Bt1,200 to 1,500 monthly payment, an increase from Bt600 to Bt800 paid by previous governments.

The government also allocated Bt80-billion annually for 10 million elderly members of the population.

The ritual will start at 5pm to mark the King’s birthday. He will turn 65 on Friday.

During the rite, the participants will also pray for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.

The current monarch has had a prayer booklet printed for participants. Copies can also be downloaded at http://www.prd.go.th.

On its cover are paintings depicting smiling characters, some looking up at a photograph of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and HM Queen Sirikit.

The cover also contains a message from the current monarch.

It starts with, “Happiness starts from one’s own heart and good attitudes towards others, oneself and the public” and ends with, “Praying and Dhamma practice bring peace, consciousness and wisdom. They are wholesome and auspicious to all and shall bring prosperity and happiness.”

In honour of the King, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered that a documentary paying tribute to the royal be broadcast for Thais across the country.

Today, Bangkok Governor Pol-General Aswin Kwanmuang will preside over the official launch of a “Youths Doing Good” campaign. Under the campaign, some 500 students from various institutes joined forces with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration officials and workers to mend and clean the temple fence and footpath in downtown Bangkok for His Majesty the King’s merits.

Meanwhile, Students of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok’s Uthenthawai Campus in Bangkok, cleaned, repaired and repainted the 73-panel fence at Wat Pathum Wanaram yesterday as merit-making for His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Thai Education Minister Dr Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said yesterday after the 49th Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Council Conference in Jakarta that the meeting approved the establishment of two new SEAMEO regional centres in Thailand. One would be the STEM Education Centre, while the other would be a Sufficient Economy Learning Centre.

Both centres would be the first of their kind to be set up in Southeast Asia, Teerakiat noted.

“Thailand has the potential to lead STEM education in the region, as we already have the institutions and researchers to kick off the initiative,” he said.

“Moreover, by having the regional centre for STEM education, Thailand will receive great benefit from the rapid development of our STEM education, which will greatly mobilise our economy.

“Right now the SEAMEO Council has approved this plan. From now on, the Thai government will be responsible for funding and setting up this new centre in Bangkok.”

Teerakiat said that the Thai government had already allocated Bt250 million over five years for the new STEM centre. The centre will be the regional institution responsible for STEM education promotion. It will not only set up policies to improve STEM education, but it will also be the centre for information and experience sharing among the member countries and education experts.

“In order to develop our STEM education, we cannot work alone to achieve this goal,” Teerakiat said. “We need help from outside and to work together.

“This is the first SEAMEO regional centre for STEM education, as the existing science education centre in Malaysia only focuses on the academic perspective. Our STEM education centre will also prioritise the implementation and adaptation of science and technology.”

After getting the green light from the SEAMEO Council, the Bangkok centre would open within a year.

Teerakiat also announced that Thailand would host the SEAMEO regional centre for sufficient economy philosophy. He noted that the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was the father of this knowledge, and that Thailand was well placed to share the philosophy with other countries.

Other SEAMEO regional centres to be set up include an early childhood education and parenting centre in Indonesia, a technical education development centre in Cambodia, and a communications education centre in Laos.

Meanwhile, Thailand is to hand over the presidency of the SEAMEO Council to Indonesia after it finished its two-year term in office.

Indonesian Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy, the incoming president, said the next priority would be to secure sustainable development via education. The council would continue with the aim of ensuring better livelihoods for everyone.

“We have a plan to secure quality education for all people and to promote lifelong education,” he said. “Indonesia pledges to provide full support to the SEAMEO mission to create a better future for everyone in the region via education.”