Thanks to the King, we have a variety of alternative fuels – a blend of fossil fuel and sugarcane-derived ethanol – available these days.
Keokhwan Vajarodaya, former secretary general of the Bureau of the Royal Household, once noted that the King’s initiative on biomass fuel development began more than 50 years ago. Keokhwan, who played a role in that initiative, passed away in September.
He wrote that in 1961 the King predicted a surge in the oil price as car ownership grew.
Keokhwan was instructed to experiment to create fuels that made of petrol or diesel blended with ethanol – which eventually became known as gasohol and biodiesel.
Then came research on biomass fuel as part of a project conceived in 1985 at Chitralada Royal Villa.
Started with seed funding of Bt925,500 from the King’s own pocket, the research  involved cultivation of different sugarcane varieties to find the best ethanol producers.
A small alcohol distillery was opened in the compound of the villa in 1986, producing 2.8 litres of 91-per-cent-proof ethanol per hour.
The purity was eventually refined at 95 per cent, to create ethanol, but it still contained too much water to make gasohol.
Success finally came in 1994 when the researchers managed to reach 99.5 per cent proof, enabling the blending of nine parts 91-octane gasoline to one part ethanol. The resulting gasohol was used to fuel all the cars at the villa thereafter.
Gasohol was first sold at PTT and Bangchak petrol stations in 2001 before being used ubiquitously today.
Though fossil-fuel prices were falling at the time gasohol was set to go commercial, the King took a long-term view and refused to give up on the initiative.
Oil is among the commodities most bound up with politics, since no government can afford to leave its citizens at the mercy of world markets and their oil price surges.
In 2007, then-Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand was reluctant to proceed with a planned ban on octane-95 gasoline.
A key reason was that methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, was Bt4 per litre cheaper than ethanol. This caused concern there would be insufficient ethanol to replace MTBE.
The policy to ban MTBE came after international safety watchdogs discovered it was hazardous to health.
The Thai government wanted to postpone the ban, saying that an end to sales would save only Bt3 billion a year, which was not worth it when weighed against the suffering caused to motorists.
In the King’s initiative, the point is that the financial impact should be considered in terms of the whole country, not just the consumers. If we can save Bt3 billion a year, that means we should save around Bt30 billion for the over 10 years.
Every satang that motorists pay for fuel will eventually find its way back to local growers of ethanol-producing plants like sugarcane, maize and cassava.
What does it matter that gross domestic product is high, if more than a half of the population is still poor?
Thailand is progressing well on the use of alternative energy, which now meets 12 per cent of total demand. But we cannot afford to let this momentum slip if we want to free ourselves from reliance on imported energy.

The prime minister completed the lyrics two months ago and passed it on to the Royal Thai Army’s Band Department for musical composition and production, according to government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
The spokesman refused to explain what message Prayut was trying to convey with the latest song, which was released on Wednesday,
“Hope and Faith” is the third piece composed by the junta head since the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) staged its coup in May 2014. The lyrics contain a message encouraging Thai people to live in harmony and have faith in order to achieve their goals.
The song is available on the official YouTube channel of the Government Public Relations Department.
“Returning Happiness to Thailand” was Prayut’s first single and was released shortly after the coup.
Its release followed months of political turmoil that partially paralysed the capital, and the song sent a message that the coup would restore peace and order, and in the process “return happiness” to the people.
The second single, “Because You Are Thailand”, came in 2015 – a year after the power seizure. By that time the NCPO was constantly being criticised both at home and abroad regarding the depressed economy and human rights violations. The lyrics expressed the regime’s exhaustion while insisting on the generals’ good intentions and calling for the people to cooperate for the good of the country.
“Because You Are Thailand” is believed to have replaced “Returning Happiness to Thailand” as the junta’s theme song, as the initial single has been mocked widely because of the lyric “We will keep our promise; just give us some time”.
Critics have repeatedly joked that the junta has been in power far longer than it originally promised in 2014.

The five organisations are Amnesty International, International Federation for Human Rights, Fortify Rights, International Commission of Jurists and Lawyers Rights Watch Canada.
The official statement can be found on https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ASA3950402016ENGLISH.pdf
Piyanuch Kotan, director of Amnesty International (Thailand), said the organisations were concerned that the amendment could limit the already deteriorating freedom of speech in the country.
The watchdog spelled out that the proposed amendment of Article 14 gives an overly broad definition of the term “false information” that when posted online can breach the law. The definition is subject to different interpretations by authorities and will ultimately affect people’s right to expression.
She went on to say that the punishment was not just limited to computer users only, but also to Internet providers. This could prompt providers to launch self-censorship measures, Piyanuch said.
Apart from violating freedom of expression, Piyanuch pointed out that the law, if successfully amended, could also pose a threat to the privacy of computer users.
She explained that this law would authorise the state to easily access personal information or data of anybody they suspect of committing a computer crime. Together with the overly broad interpretation, the authorities could almost arbitrarily intrude on people’s privacy, she pointed out.
Piyanuch also said that these actions were inconsistent with Thailand’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which the country is a state party.
Hence, she said, human-rights organisations have no option but to call on the NLA to reconsider the amendment and comply with international human rights principles.

“I don’t know why people want to insult the monarchy. How can a human being think about that and do such a thing during this time of grieving? If they don’t want to live in Thailand, they should go abroad,” he told reporters. “For the sake of the nation’s [security], I am willing to go into debt, owing money to pay for air tickets for those people.”
The government has launched a campaign to hunt for lese majeste fugitives as well as to take steps to prevent people overseas from engaging in what it regards as insulting the monarchy.
Talking about the monarchy has been especially provocative since wide political divisions opened more than a decade ago, with royalists saying they believed their opponents wanted to discredit the monarchy and some members of the Royal Family for political gain.
Authorities have prosecuted many people on lese majeste charges while others have escaped prosecution by leaving the country.
The government has expressed concern that discussions about the monarchy following the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadejon on October 13 could get out of hand.
Many people overseas have posted criticism of and speculation about the institution of the monarchy on the Internet and via social media.
Police have charged more than 20 people for insulting the monarchy since the passing of the King, alleging improper or defamatory posts on social media. Many people’s social media feeds are under close surveillance.
Chakthip said police had notified Interpol to take legal action against people who insulted the monarchy from overseas, but he declined to give further details.
On behalf of the Justice Ministry, the Foreign Ministry has sent formal requests to seven countries requesting the extradition of 19 fugitives accused of lese majeste charges.
Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said yesterday that seven or eight countries had informed him that they were willing to cooperate to control the movement of lese majeste fugitives within their jurisdiction although extradition would be difficult due to legal complications.
“I received positive signs from foreign embassies that they understand our situation and the root cause of the problems as well as the feelings of Thai people,” he said. “If we obtain good cooperation from them, I believe the problems will be eased.
“It would be difficult to bring all individuals to go through attitude adjustment programmes,” he said.
The minister added that only 10 people were actively spreading defamatory messages about the monarchy but the content spread quickly on social media.
“If the public does not pay attention, such messages will be phased out,” he said.

The NACC has accused Yongyuth of unlawfully rescinding a Land Department order that prohibited the transfer of 732 rai (117 hectares) of land from Wat Thammathikaram to the Alpine Golf Course. The action enabled the late politician Snoh Thienthong to buy the land from the temple in an allegedly illegal transaction.
Yongyuth was subsequently charged with abusing his authority as acting permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry in 2001 to facilitate the land sale.
The commission voted six to three in June 2002 to pursue charges against Yongyuth, who has declared his innocence, in the Criminal Court.
The court will consider evidence and hear witnesses on behalf of both the public prosecutor and Yongyuth’s defence on December 13.
Yongyuth was released on bail of Bt200,000 but prohibited from leaving the Kingdom without court permission.

However, in making its announcement yesterday, the court specified that the amendment must be made by the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC).
The court announcement follows the government’s request for clarification regarding authority on the amendment.
It was unclear whether the amendment should be carried out by the CDC, which was responsible for writing the charter, or the government, which received the draft from the CDC on October 11.
The present version of the preamble refers to the late King’s reign, prompting legal experts with the CDC and the government to conclude the preamble should be changed following his passing.

Public life goes on, but no longer under the benevolent and fatherly gaze most of us have felt all our lives.
Feelings of grief are mixed with confusion. From the highest state official down to the humblest citizen, our social tree has been shaken to its roots. There is fear, too. Some are afraid that the central pillar of the nation is in danger during this sensitive period. In reality, though, it is nothing but their own panicky thoughts that threaten our most revered institution.
Some of us seem to be progressing from shock and denial to the next stage of grief – anger. While many don’t want to accept it, the truth is there are people who actually like to mock the outward display of mourners. Their ridicule does nothing but add fuel to the fire.
It is important to acknowledge how deep the feelings of grief are for some, and sympathise with their loss.
You might not share that depth of feeling, but that doesn’t give you the right to run down those who do. The right to grieve and to sympathy for our loss should be a given. Anyone who instead receives insults will understandably be furious.
Hence, insulting mourners is not only socially unacceptable, since it deepens the social divide, but it is also violates basic humanitarian principles.
On the other hand, those deep in mourning should recognise that not everyone feels or expresses their grief in the same way. Above all, life goes on despite the tragedy.
Staying positive is the best way to express our love for His Majesty. Anger, witch-hunts and pressuring others won’t change anything. Neither will it change the hearts of the dissenters. And limiting their free expression would also be immature and violate their basic rights.
One thing both sides of the ideological spectrum should agree on at this time is the need to show sensitivity and restraint towards each other.
Interestingly, the last two weeks have seen Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha display commendable leadership qualities.
Responding to the collective state of shock, Prayut has swapped harsh directives for words of comfort while at the same time underlining that the “show must go on” in difficult economic times.
The PM has even called for an end to witch-hunts on one side and mockery on the other, encouraging solidarity and harmony instead.
Most importantly, the PM has displayed a reassuring sense of calm.
Leadership has a big role to play in forging the harmony and solidarity that are necessary to guide Thailand out of this impasse.
So far, Prayut has met this challenge. Hopefully, he can maintain his course. After all, he is the one standing at the helm and responsible for steering the country back to normality and the final stage of the grieving process – acceptance.

Udom said the new political party law would require at least 15 initiating people to notify the EC before finding at least another 500 members inclusively from all regions and finally officially registering the party with the EC. The processes would make it easier for a new party to be formed.
The CDC also stipulated that a new party should have starting capital of at least Bt1 million raised from its founding members, with each contributing around Bt2,000 to support party activities, Udom said.
Such a system, the drafters believed, would foster more active participation among party members.
The spokesman said he did not believe the stricter member registration would affect the big parties which mostly should already have an effective membership management system in place.
But he said the new procedure could pose some problems for smaller parties as it meticulously requires registering members to submit documents such as agreement papers and proof of identification.
Once the new law was in place, the EC would also have to check up on party members to prevent repetition of party membership. Udom quoted EC representatives as saying they did not have a problem resolving the task as they had come up with legal instruments to deal with it.
Udom said that the CDC was currently trying to speed up its work and would invite related agencies for discussions before forwarding the complete law to the National Legislative Assembly and the EC for further deliberation.
The CDC expected to reach that goal by next month or December – the time it anticipated the new constitution could pass all procedures, including Royal endorsement, and come into effect.
Another spokesman, Norachit Sinhaseni, said that the CDC had finished at least 20 articles of the law. The CDC has to write 10 organic laws to support their constitution draft passed by a national referendum in August.
Four of these – political parties, Senate, members of the House of Representatives, and the EC’s powers and responsibilities acts – are priorities as they are necessary to organise a general election next year as promised in the junta’s road map. They are expected to be completed early next year.
The rest would be written and completed later next year before an election.

ACADEMICS have proposed that farmers employ relatives sell to rice to friends to remove middlemen and help to tackle falling prices.
Since the price of paddy had dropped to just Bt5 per kilogram, and was expected to drop further once the harvest season ends in November, Kasetsart University economics lecturer Decharut Sukkumnoed said farmers’ families should help to bring rice directly to consumers.
“The main reason for the low price is that the market is monopolised. As we can see, the price of paddy is dropping but the price of polished rice is still high. Therefore, in order to address this problem, we have to let the producers and consumers meet each other through farmers’ children,” Decharut said.
“We need a new marketing strategy and new sales people. Farmers’ relatives can take up this role and put the rice directly in the consumer’s hands, especially since the latest crop is set to be harvested next month,” he said.
Decharut said farmers should be able to get at least Bt8 per kilogram for plain white rice and Bt15 per kilogram for jasmine rice – prices that were acceptable – if they did not deal with middlemen.
“When the crops are harvested in November, the rainy season crop will enter the market at the same time. Hence, the price of paddy will drop much further, so we have to start campaigning to let farmers know that they don’t have to sell their produce at really low prices to middlemen. Instead, the farmers can have their relatives in the city sell the rice,” he said.
The economist admitted that there were many challenges ahead for rice retailers, including the milling and packaging of the product, the quality of rice, transportation of the product, and finally marketing.
He added that academics could provide advice and help farmers’ relatives to start small rice-selling businesses, with a training session to be held at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Economics on Sunday.
He also asked the government to support new rice entrepreneurs by providing them with financial support, since most farmers were in desperate situations and had no choice but to sell paddy at low prices to middlemen.
Winthita Palamit, a farmer from Lamphun’s Li district, said she planned to sell rice online so her family and neighbours could get a fair price.
“Normally, most of the rice produced by my family is for our own consumption, while the excess is sold to our friends. However, many of our neighbours have no choice but to sell their produce at very low prices to middlemen. So, I’m planning to set up a shop online to help them sell| rice at an acceptable price,” Winthita said.

Wissanu, who is also a legal expert, was responding to concerns that the promulgation of the laws could be affected following the King’s passing.
He added that the laws would be forwarded to the government after they passed through the National Legislative Assembly (NLA). The government then has 20 days before seeking Royal endorsement, which is expected within 90 days.
There were no problems regarding the matter, Wissanu said, adding that the government would take special measures to contact relevant authorities if there is an urgency, while normal procedures would prevail otherwise.
The deputy prime minister added that the “road map to democracy”, including an election to be held next year, remained unchanged.
He added that people might want to cause trouble and call for changes regarding key events planned in the road map if the government was inconsistent on the matter.
An election would be held next year, Wissanu reiterated.
After days of national grief and confusion, the NLA will resume meeting on Friday with an agenda including deliberating the impeachment of the Pheu Thai Party former MPs Udomdej Ratanasatien and Narisorn Thongthirat.
Udomdej has been accused of adjusting a constitutional amendment regarding the origin of the Senate, which had already passed a parliamentary reading.
Narisorn is accused of illegally voting on behalf of other MPs absent from Parliament regarding the same constitutional amendment.
Pheu Thai Party has been accused of attempting to create a Senate entirely elected by the people, unlike the previous Senate that included selected members, by advancing the allegedly illegal amendment.
A number of Pheu Thai MPs were found guilty by the National Anti-Corruption Commission following the attempt to implement the amendment.
Jate Siratharanon, an NLA member, said the assembly would also meet on November 3 and 4 to vote whether to impeach the MPs.