Deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul and other officers were there on Wednesday morning, watching as parents dropping off their children followed arrow signals in an orderly fashion and stopped in front of school for no more than five seconds.

Students cooperated by having their bags ready and hopping out of their parents’ vehicles on the correct side. Within seconds they were being greeted by teachers.

The police were impressed to learn that the practice had been successfully followed for a decade.

The semester got off to a safe start in the troubled south border provinces, with security officers on duty outside primary schools in Yala’s Muang district.

Ban Tha Sap School students in their fresh uniforms were dropped off by parents in an atmosphere of peace and order.

THE EASTERN Economic Corridor (EEC) programme, the country’s largest-ever infrastructure and industrial scheme involving a combined investment of several hundred billion baht, faces an uncertain future if local land use issues are not quickly resolved.

Local people and land experts yesterday expressed concerns about the consequences of the industrial expansion and infrastructure development within three EEC provinces: Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao.

They pointed out that the EEC Act lacked good governance on the management of land and natural resources and had also sidestepped many environmental protection measures for the sole reason of attracting investment.

The EEC Act is now officially in force after the law was published in the Government Gazette on Monday.

Meantime, the EEC Office of Thailand (EECO), which recently signed several agreements with Chinese e-commerce and Internet giant Alibaba, is stepping up its efforts to promote selected areas within the three provinces among international investors, with roadshows planned for Japan and the UK next month.

Laksamon Attapitch, deputy secretary-general of EECO, said the EEC law empowered the government and local state agencies to make it easy for foreigners to invest in the three provinces. Seminars would be held next month to explain details of the special law before prospective investors in cooperation with the Board of Trade, Federation of Thai Industries and Thai Bankers Association.

Under the EEC law, government agencies have special powers to bypass city-planning regulations in specially designated areas, while environmental impact studies and other requirements are also fast-tracked to boost the country’s attractiveness in the eyes of international investors.

Japan is expected to be the first destination for the EEC roadshow since many Japanese investors are interested in launching their projects in EEC.

UK businessmen are also said to be keen to invest in the project.

A high-powered EEC policy committee will also be set up soon to speed up the EEC programme.

Besides Japan and the UK, Thai ambassadors globally will play a leading role in promoting EEC investment in the international community.

The government is hoping a new generation of industries and businesses, including those using digital and other new technologies, will invest in Thailand and take advantage of the country’s favourable geographical location in Asean, which has a combined market of more than 600 million people.

Land Watch Working Group coordinator Pornpana Kuaycharoen said that a land grab was not a new problem to the Eastern Region but with the arrival of the EEC, it would intensify. The EEC Act allows investors to cherry-pick any plot of land belonging to the official agencies, she said.

“The land problems in the Eastern Region are very severe on many levels,” Pornpana said.

“Not only have large amounts of land already fallen into the hands of giant private investors but plots of land that belong to government agencies are also prime targets for industrial expansion under EEC.

“The law also allows for the expropriation of these plots of land for EEC investment very easily.”

The land conflict at Tambon Yothaga in Chachoengsao’s Bang Nam Priao District is an example of the disputes that may arise elsewhere in EEC provinces in the near future, she said.

Many families living in about 4,000 rai of Royal Thai Navy land may face eviction if the area is developed as per the plan of EEC’s new city development, she added.

“This is the most vivid flaw of the EEC law, since it does not have good land governance and there is no clear plan for how to mitigate the problems and remedy the displaced people from EEC development.

“Even though we still do not have a clear estimate of how many communities in the three EEC provinces are at risk of land expropriation, we can say that unless the land policy on EEC Act is improved, many local people will severely suffer from land loss, while rich investors are allowed to take advantage of land requisition.”

Local people also view the enforcement of the EEC Act with suspicion.

Rangsan Prai-tale, a local fisherman from Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung District, said the new law only benefited investors, while neglecting the interests of local people.

“I can see in this law that there is no part where the local people can take part in the development of their locality,” Rangsan said.

“Most of the law is aimed at providing special benefits for the investors and exemptions of many legal measures to protect the environment and people’s rights.”

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang yesterday stepped back on the controversial plan to take over the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), while the Artists Network is calling for the non-profit BACC Foundation to run for the centre for the next 30 years.

Aswin made his commitment yesterday at a press conference following mounting pressure from the Artists Network for free BACC, that lobbied Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha over the future of the arts centre.

The group delivered a letter to the PM’s office at Government House.

“If many people do not agree with the BMA’s plan to take over the BACC, we will leave it,” said Aswin, who added that the decision was suggested by Prayut.

The letter requested that the BACC Foundation continues to run the arts centre and that funding the centre be made BMA policy.

Supported by more than 500 artists and other civil networks, the letter also mentioned the BMA’s 2005 declaration – signed by former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin – that it would support the BACC Foundation until 2021.

Led by veteran artist Chumpol Apisuk, the group also submitted a poem by national artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon supporting the arts centre.

In addition, more than 16,000 people signed an online petition supporting a campaign under the hashtag #freebacc which the network posted on Saturday.

Aswin said: “The BMA will allow the BACC Foundation to manage the arts centre until the contract is finished in 2021. Then we will discuss the management [and whether] the BMA will take over or not.”

After funding the centre since it opened 10 years ago, the BMA cut its funding this year.

“In late 2017, the city council … decided that this year, 2018, they would not support this budget. Later on, they transferred Bt40 million to the Office of Culture, Sport and Tourism which oversees our operation. However, this year, we haven’t been able to ask for any financial support from this office,” BACC director Pawit Mahasarinand said.

The BACC Foundation has been concerned about the budget for the last three years. Aswin said he did not know much of the details about the agreement between the BMA and the foundation but assured that he would solve the problem.

“I’ll assign the Office of Culture, Sport and Tourism to talk to the foundation about the funding support and any legal issues,” he added.

Although the Artists Network was concerned whether the commitment would be followed through, its members agreed to discuss the situation to find long-term solutions on the management.

The group also had three other requests, Chumpol said.

“The group asks the BMA to extend the BACC Foundation contract on the management the arts centre for the next 30 years,” he said.

“To maintain a sustainable management, the BMA must solve the legal difficulties on budget funding for the foundation. Finally, the governor and the Artists Network need to select the BACC board and committees together.”

The centre also planned to hold its 10th anniversary with a #freebacc campaign and hold discussion on how to sustain the arts centre.

The centre’s officials will soon summon 600 alleged punters to hear charges of illegal gambling, said MPB deputy chief Pol Maj-General Panurat Lakboon in his capacity as the centre director.

The 600 were identified from files seized during a raid on Sunday on the betting shop “Mawin 88” in Bangkok’s Soi Ngam Wongwan 43.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office would also be involved in the investigation since gambling also violated the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Panurat said. If any punters were found to be under 18, their parents would be punished, as per the Child Protection Act, and face possible jail sentences of up to one year and six months for a second offence, he said. Police were also checking names and bank account information seized from two other shops – “Mixbet88” and “fifa-variety” – which were raided on Sunday.

Panurat said that from May 1 to 15, during the run-up to its official opening, the centre had already nabbed 15 bookies, 201 punters and two ticket-running employees. They also seized Bt171,856 cash, 267 gambling tickets with bets worth Bt297,846, 21 computers, one computer notebook, five printers, a photocopy machine and six cellphones.

Panurat said police had monitored some 300 gambling websites, whose names had been submitted to the National Broadcasting and Telecomunication Commission for blocking since most had servers in other countries.

Meanwhile, Stop Gambling Foundation chief Thanakorn Khromkit has petitioned Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees police and sport affairs, to take measures to suppress football betting during the 2018 World Cup.

Thanakorn cited various surveys that indicate some three million Thai students had been involved in football gambling – with more than 200,000 football-betting websites offering them easy access. He urged that social campaigns against gambling be held in parallel with the serious crackdown on gambling dens and shops.

Sakkaphon Charirat, the lawyer for the group opposing potash mining in Sakon Nakhon’s Wanon Niwat district, said yesterday that Sutta Khamnoi and Kitthakorn Noi-saeng have been charged with violating the Public Gatherings Act.

He said they had already reported to Wanon Niwat Police Station to listen to the complaint against them, while their protest against potash exploration ended at midday yesterday as per a police deadline issued on Monday.

Local people have gathered at the entrance to China Mingda Potash Corporation’s exploration site since last week to protest as the company’s team entered the site. The company, however, has said it has permission from the landowners and local authorities to carry out the exploration work.

Sakkaphon said the two locals were sued by police for leading the protest without notifying officers as per the legal requirement. He also said that the Chinese company planned to file more complaints against the protesters on the grounds that they forced a halt to the exploration work and caused damages to the company.

“As of now only two persons have been sued for the effort to protect the environment and their hometown. Both of them still have good morale and pledge to defend their rights in the justice system,” he said.

China Mingda manager Thanyapat Wangwongsiri said that because of fierce resistance from local people, the company had to postpone its exploration work to avoid further conflict and damages to the company.

“We have addressed the situation that we face to a higher chain of command in China and we are waiting for instructions on further operations,” Thanyapat said.

“We would like to emphasise that our company is not a private company, but a joint venture between Thai and Chinese authorities, so we have to inform our mother agency in China about the conflict that we have faced.”

He said the company’s lawyer was collecting evidence of incidents and was planning further lawsuits against the protesters.

“For example, some food products are described as having the ability to cure diseases,” Food and Drug Administration (FDA) secretary general Wanchai Sattayawuthipong said yesterday.

He added that some cosmetics ads had also apparently misled consumers and thus needed to be removed.

Among the removed ads are those for Crystal Herb’s Gotu Kiloa food supplement on Spring News, Cordyceps Extract and Garnoderma Lucidum Extract Plus on Channel 8, BioOne and DoubleMaxx products on @TV, Cordy Plus food supplement on JKN Dramax, Ricapil rapid cosmetics on Bright TV and HYA Serum on Nation TV.

Wanchai was speaking after officials from the FDA and National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) spent a week reviewing advertisements on various media outlets.

NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith sat by Wanchai at yesterday’s press conference.

Authorities have been closely monitoring advertisements following a revelation that many cosmetics products and food supplements available for sale were substandard. Some of those very products had become popular through the endorsement of paid celebrities.

“Do not let any ad mislead you. Food supplements are not medicines. Cosmetics are for cleaning and beauty. They cannot change the structure of one’s body,” Wanchai said.

He said products with exaggerated benefits might just hurt consumers’ pockets … and then their health.

“If you come across any suspicious ad, alert the FDA at the Hotline 1556, or NBTC at its Hotline 1200,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy National Police Commissioner Pol General Wirachai Songmetta revealed yesterday that as many as 902 people had lodged complaints with police against Magic Skin.

The company was found to have distributed many substandard cosmetic and food-supplement products.

Before this fact was exposed last month, Magic Skin had become quite popular after hiring many famous entertainment figures to endorse its products.

“The damages caused by Magic Skin is over Bt289million,” Wirachai said, without elaborating on the calculation of the figure.

He added that the FDA had also urged police to investigate several famous stars for endorsing the food supplements Vitamin SHi-No-Bi and Mezzo Serum.

They are Sarunrat “Lydia” Deane, Ungsumalynn “Pattie” Sirapatsakmetha, Chutavuth “March” Pattarakampol, Apissada “Ice” Kreurkongka, Virithipa “Woonsen” Pakdeeprasong and Puttichai “Push” Kasetsin.

“We will also summon Kanokchat Munyad-on or Typhoon KPN to provide information regarding Slim Milk endorsement,” Wirachai said.

Launched in 2017, the KKU Smart Learning Education Model for Sustainable Development Project uses cutting-edge research by Khon Kaen academics to train “smart” teachers.

More than 25 KKU lecturers from eight different faculties have joined the initiative to develop teaching innovations that suit the learning style of modern-day students. Under the initiative, the curriculum is improved with up-to-date content. Meanwhile, 48 new teaching manuals – six per subject – are helping teachers upgrade their ability across a range of 290 topics.

Recently, Teerakiat travelled to KKU to sign an agreement for the implementation of the project at various schools.

KKU president Assoc Prof Kittichai Triratanasirichai said the KKU Smart Learning initiative is aimed at improving secondary students’ abilities in three subjects – Science, Maths and English – by encouraging teachers to include innovations in classroom methods.

“The project initially started with 6,000 Mathayom 1 students and 270 teachers in 45 schools in Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Mahasarakham and Kalasin provinces,” Kittichai said.

This academic year, KKU smart learning is expanding to cover a total of 31,200 students at 195 schools in 20 provinces. The three-year project eventually aims to incorporate 4,050 teachers and boost the capabilities of 81,000 students.

The project focuses on media literacy, learning skills, ICT skills, life skills, and occupational skills, according to its director, Kunthida Tuamsuk, who is also Dean of KKU’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“This project works, and research confirms that its innovations can help Thai students in a sustainable way that conforms with the Thailand 4.0 policy. The Minister of Education wants to add the Thai language to the three subjects covered by the project, and also target schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission across the whole of the Northeast as soon as possible,” said Kunthida.

The progress of students in the KKU Smart Learning programme is being monitored by testing similar to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Test. One aim of the project is to boost the relatively poor PISA performance of Thai students, a high proportion of whom languish at Level 2 (Below Proficiency) in the international tests.

Chokechai Police Station’s superintendent Pol Colonel Supon Khamchu said Santhana had been summoned to testify on Friday.

He said the summons was issued as Santhana’s father, Senior Police Colonel Somchai Prayoonrat, was suspected of hiding his son.

Last Friday, the court approved an arrest warrant for Santhana on extortion charges.

Police raided his condo but did not find him. Following the raid, Santhana announced that he would surrender and asked police to pick him up from his father’s house on Saturday morning.

However, police officers surrounded the father’s house on Friday night and said Santhana was inside.

The United Lawyers for Rights and Liberty’s secretary general Winyat Chatmontree said that Somchai did not tell police that his son was not at home and therefore cannot be accused of trying to hide a suspect.

“Santhana’s decision to tell police about his whereabouts makes |things quite clear that he intended to surrender,” he said.

Winyat said he hoped police would review the summons.

Santhana, a former deputy superintendent at the Special Branch Police Division, is freed on Bt300,000 bail.

He and 10 other alleged accomplices are accused of extorting money from vendors at the Donmuang Modern Market in Bangkok’s Don Muang district between April 2016 and last month.

The extortion allegedly started soon after the operator of Donmuang Modern Market recruited Santhana as an adviser.

Complainants said they were required to pay between Bt1,000 and Bt3,000 a month per shop inside the market to the Santhana-led gang. They also had to pay Bt700 per car and Bt300 per motorcycle parked inside the market. They said they agreed to pay only because they faced threats.

Several of Santhana’s alleged accomplices have turned themselves in following Santhana’s surrender on Saturday and the arrest of his aide, Kanes Premkrut, on Sunday.

As of press time, only four suspects in the case had failed to contact authorities. Kanes’ bail was also approved yesterday, with Bt300,000 bond.

Since his release on bail, Santhana has given several media interviews. He has claimed he has landed in trouble because he has had conflicts with National Police Commissioner Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda, General Deputy National Police Commissioner Pol General Wirachai Songmetta, and Tourism Police Division’s deputy commander Pol Maj-General Surachat Hakpal.

Santhana has also publicly said that he has no intention to go on the run and insisted that he can be contacted by authorities at any time.

The bay, located in Had Nopparat Tara- Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, was made famous following the 2000 Hollywood film “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but it has been degraded by the excessive number of tourists – at around 4,000 each day.

Following a recommendation by marine experts, the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department decided in late March to make the bay off limits from June 1 to September 30.

The closure is seen as an entry point for new tourism management that would also set a new standard for another 26 Thai marine parks that also bear a similar burden.

“Like I said, we focus more on the health of our ecosystem, not income. If we manage to do this, we can do it elsewhere – the more environmental friendly management,” said Thanya Netithammakul, director-general of the department.

According to the department’s National Parks Office director, Songtham Suksawang, the rehabilitation process as well as the new management approach will be based on academic knowledge.

The department has begun exploring the present extent of the damage to coral reefs in front of the bay. Various techniques to replant the reefs will be introduced once the bay is closed, including coral-reef propagation, he said.

Access to the bay, Songtham added, would shift to the back of the island, where a new aluminium and quality plastic-based pier and bridge would be introduced as a new access to the bay to reduce ecological impacts from tourists.

Their number and transport boats will also be limited to half of the present figures, while an e-ticketing system will be introduced to help handle tourist demand.

“It’s also sort of distributing tourists to other less-crowded spots to help handle pressure from them,” said Songtham, echoing the government’s toursim policy.

Thailand still relies heavily on tourism, and according to Thon Thamrongnawasawat – a member of the national strategy committee on sustainable growth – it is one of the prime sectors highlighted in the 20-year national strategy to help drive the country’s gross domestic product.

Tourism currently comprises about 20 per cent of GDP, with annual revenue estimated at around Bt3.3 trillion.

This year’s foreign tourists are expected to reach 40 million, with more than 70 per cent tending to visit the country’s popular marine locations, Thon pointed out.

This has caused several popular marine spots to become crowded with foreign tourists, and their carrying capacity having become extensively compromised, he added.

Thon said he was glad to see the initiative at Maya and it would be a turning point for reform on marine resources management.

“It’s sort of you are telling the world that you are going to do this, and it is loud and clear this time. It’s also a critical point for the reform of our marine resources management,” said Thon, a marine ecologist who is also a member on the National Natural Resources and Environment Reform Committee.

The Artists Network for Free BACC group headed to Government House on Tuesday in order to deliver a letter to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Their letter proposed that the PM halt Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang’s initial plan to turn the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre into a learning centre staffed by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) bureaucrats.

Led by veteran artist Chumpol Apisuk, a group of 15 artists handed in the letter to the premier’s representative at Government House.

The letter contained two requests: that the BACC Foundation continue running the arts centre, and that funding the centre be made BMA policy.

Supported by more than 500 artists and other civil networks, it also mentioned the BMA’s 2005 declaration, signed by former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin, that it would support the BACC Foundation until 2021.

The group also submitted a poem by national artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon. The poem reads:

“Art Centre is the national park of art where trees of morals grow.

“If you want the fruit, don’t collect the flowers.

“Open the space for the flowers to flourish.”

Meanwhile, at City Hall, the BMA Council – chaired by Aswin – was scheduled to hold a meeting today to try to find a solution to the matter.