Because, whether you call it a “missing link” or “missing tooth”, the gap has left commuters inconvenienced and the national economy and taxpayers out of pocket.

Prayut’s move to fill it is unsurprising considering that the elevated MRT Purple Line has recorded an average 20,000 riders per day – far short of the 70,000 targeted – since it opened in August. Cutting ticket fares for the 16-station line by 30 per cent to Bt14-Bt29 per trip hasn’t helped much. Most people still prefer to take a bus or a car to travel between the Bang Yai area in Nonthaburi and Bangkok.

The missing station that would have linked the two lines reveals bureaucratic shortcomings stemming from failures to find an operator, resulting in delayed opening of the service. Other problems plaguing the project derive from political intervention, discontinued policy and the government’s failure in implementing an integrated plan.

Originally, the Blue Line was designed to loop around Bangkok’s inner area. Its first phase was opened in 2004 and comprises 18 stations from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue on the eastern side of Chao Phraya River.

The other half of the loop – the Blue Line extension – will run from Bang Sue Station through 14 stations to close the circle at Hua Lamphong Station.

Tao Poon Station is just one kilometre from Bang Sue Station and the track construction is now laid as part of MRT Blue extension that is 70-80 per cent complete and set to open for services in 2019 and 2020.

Prayut decided to invoke Article 44 powers in July to speed the search for an operator for the one-kilometre link, under the public-private partnership law. The committee tasked with the job was just one month from its August deadline when Prayut scrapped it so as to get things moving faster.

But it seems that his power is not yet absolute. The authorities planned to have an operator in place for the “missing tooth” before the completion of the MRT Purple Line. But that plan has foundered.

The NCPO on Tuesday announced it has invoked Article 44 again in a bid to get the two lines connected. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) has been assigned to negotiate with Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc, operator of the MRT Blue Line, over operating services on the linking track.

Ideally, MRT Blue Line and its extension should be run by the same the operator so that travellers don’t have to pay again when they cross from the old section to new section.

Commuters are now growing weary of the authorities’ repeated excuses during this saga. It seems that the interests of the travelling public have taken a back seat to politicking all along.

There is light at the end of this tunnel, however, With a new Rail Transport Department in the pipeline, we have reason to hope that smoother journeys in the capital could be on their way.

News about wild animals, both good and bad, made the headlines from time to time in 2016, and both the authorities and academics have shared a common concern on illegal wildlife trade, especially as more people are interested in keeping wild animals as pets.

Also, a large number of deaths among rare animals and threat to the survival of several species from the loss of habitat, pollution and illegal hunting have been a great concern over the past year.

Department deputy director-general Adisorn Noochdumrong said the black market for wild animals was the biggest problem this year, as it is very difficult for officers to track down the sellers and arrest them.

“The department is serious about cracking down on illegal wildlife trade in any form. Our masterpiece this year was the suppression of tiger trade and successfully raiding and rescuing tigers from the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi,” Adisorn said.

“Dealing with wild-animal trade for pets is our greatest challenge. The department has regularly raided the Chatuchak pet market to arrest the sellers, but now, in this digital age, the wild-animal black market has already moved online and is making our work harder.”

Despite the difficulty in tracking down and arresting online offenders, the deputy-director said his department and the police had successfully investigated the sale of wildlife online, arrested a trafficker last Friday and rescued two baby orangutans, which were smuggled from Indonesia.

As for the case against the Tiger Temple, he said the department was awaiting final DNA results from the tiger cub carcasses found in the temple, which could provide evidence against the temple on trafficking allegations.

Sueb Nakhasathien Foundation vice chairman Rungsrit Kanjanavanit said the biggest problem for the country’s wildlife situation this year was the rising popularity of wild animals as pets.

“This craze has increased the demand for cute wild animals such as otters, loris or hornbills, and has encouraged smugglers to capture these animals and sell them online. Unfortunately, the authorities do not have enough manpower to check on this crime on the Net,” Rungsrit said.

He explained that it was not just the sale of wild animals as pets but also the demand for animal parts in traditional medicine and aphrodisiac in East Asian countries that led to a significant drop in the numbers of rare animals this year.

“In recent years, the number of helmeted hornbills in the wild have dropped greatly due to a huge demand for its beak in China, which has led to a mass hunting of this rare bird species. Things are so bad that this species was ranked as critically endangered this year,” he said.

“We cannot wait for the authorities to investigate and arrest these illegal traders on a case-by-case basis. Instead, we have to campaign and make people aware that owning wild animals as pets or buying products from wild animals is wrong. We need cooperation from people in order to protect these endangered animals.”

He added that this year, Thailand witnessed several tragedies, such as the mass death of giant freshwater stingrays in the Mae Klong River, the unsuccessful mating of the last pair of Gurney’s Pitta bird in Thailand or the death of the last dugong in the Gulf of Thailand – all due to human activities.

On the bright side, the foundation’s vice chairman revealed that his team has successfully reintroduced sarus cranes into the wild in Buri Ram, after this rare bird species had more or less vanished from nature for decades.

The number of rare animals in many national parks have also increased such as gaurs in Kui Buri National Park and tigers in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary – all an indication that the preservation efforts by officers have proved to be a success.

Adisorn also stated that next year, the Department will step up the protection of wild animals by drafting a new amendment to the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act to include restrictions on the ownership and breeding of wild animals.

With this new amendment, penalties for illegal trade in wildlife will become stricter, which will help with the efforts to crack the black market and the trafficking of wild life.

As part of the investigation into the Thailand-based group allegedly controlled by Wichai, which had Bt150 million in assets seized last week, AMLO found financial transactions linked to the female politician, the source added.

AMLO has concluded the politician wired the Bt46 million to Wichai’s bank account in 2012, possibly in connection to the alleged money-lending business and its money-laundering activities.

The source said AMLO would contact the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission to check if the politician had declared the Bt46 million in her asset declaration as an asset, debt or investment.

Meanwhile, Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said his agency yesterday joined a meeting with police, the Army and administrators to discuss measures to take care of victims involved in the alleged money lending, although no reports had surfaced of borrowers being intimidated or harmed.

Officials will gather information about victims and determine if any are still making repayments, Paisit said, adding that the DSI would speed up the process of applying for arrest warrants for more key suspects in the case, such as people who had headed provincial branches of the organisation.

He said authorities would consider offering a reward to anyone providing information leading to the seizure of motorcycles allegedly used to collect debts and other assets that may have been registered in other people’s names to avoid detection.

The DSI has already issued two arrest warrants – one for Wichai and the other for Chaiwuth Wiwattanaareekul, who was allegedly the gang’s computer website administrator and is already in custody.

Wichai is in Japan and reportedly told the DSI he would return to Thailand after the New Year.

The group linked to Wichai allegedly had a revolving fund of Bt4 billion, a network of 2,000 moneylenders and 86 franchise branches lending money to about 170,000 borrowers nationwide.

The network allegedly charged annual interest fees of up to 300 per cent and employed “helmet gang” debt collectors to harass overdue borrowers.

With the passage in the assembly, the legal amendment will soon be submitted to HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal endorsement.

The NLA yesterday passed the bill in one hour after three consecutive readings with a final vote of 182 in favour and six abstentions.

The amendment revises the current act by giving the monarch sole discretion to select the appointee for the country’s top ecclesiastical post.

The meeting was chaired by NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, while PM’s Office Minister Ormsin Chivapruck, who oversees the National Buddhism Office, attended the meeting on behalf of the Cabinet.

Ormsin waived the Cabinet’s right to consider the amendment for 30 days before the reading to allow the NLA to “proceed smoothly”.

Pol General Pichit Khuande-chakupt, who chairs the NLA committee on religions, arts, culture and tourism, proposed the change to the 1992 Sangha Act on the grounds that the country should return to long-practised traditions.

The 1992 Act’s Article 7 stipulates that if the position of Supreme Patriarch is vacant, the prime minister with the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) would nominate the most senior monk of the rank of Phra Racha Khana, the penultimate highest ranking, as the next Supreme Patriarch subject to royal endorsement.

However, Article 7 has never been implemented since the last Supreme Patriarch was appointed by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1989, three years before the stipulation came into force. During discussions, NLA members said the law created a “lingering problem”, referring to the potential vacancy in the post.

The current candidate is Somdet Chuang, who is also known as Somdet Phra Maha Ratcha Mangkhlachan, who has been nominated by the SSC.

However, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has refused to submit Somdet Chuang’s name for royal endorsement, saying the abbot must clear “all allegations”, including his ownership of an illegally imported antique car and close relations with the fugitive former abbot Phra Dhammachayo of the controversial Dhammakaya Temple.

NLA member Somchai Sawaengkarn said that the 1992 law created confusion whether the SSC or the prime minister should have the principal authority to nominate the Supreme Patriarch. He added that the monarch having sole discretion not only followed tradition but had been stipulated by previous versions of the Act. The 1992 Act also gave great weight to the seniority of the nominee, which could discount the qualifications of candidates, Somchai said.

Another NLA member, Tuang Untachai, said the 1992 Act could be deemed to reduce the King’s rightful power under the constitution, which stipulates that the monarch maintains the right to grant royal titles and decorations, which should include the Supreme Patriarch.