Anti-Coal Power Plant Protest Called Off as Govt Scraps Plans
Originally aired on Channel NewsAsia on February 20, 2018
Local environmental activists form the South of Thailand have scored a victory as the Thai Ministry of Energy has signed agreement with them guaranteeing that the plans to build a coal power plant in Krabi have been officially shelved.
TRANSCRIPT
Local environmental activists form the South of Thailand have scored a victory as the Thai government has guaranteed that the plans to build a coal power plant have been officially shelved.
About 100 protesters have camped out in front of Bangkok’s United Nations building, even some of them going on hunger strike until the Thai military government would agree to their demands.
The proposal to build coal powered power plant in the southern provinces of Krabi on the andaman sea, which is a famous tourist spot famed for its beaches and underwater nature. Obviously a coal plant would have not only severely affected the region’s nature, but also the heath of the locals.
The government has previously insisted that additional power plants are necessary to keep up with rising energy demands in the south.
Now, there were plans by to march on government house earlier today but the situation has been ultimately defused as the Ministry of Energy and the protesters have come to an written agreement to ultimately scrap the plans for a coal power plant in the south.
It is a rare display of compromise by the Thai military government, which has outlawed public assemblies and protests ever since they took over powers in a coup. This protest coincides with other small but vocal protests against what could be yet another delay of democratic elections.
Among the protesters here, the mood is evidently jubilant and they are planning disperse and return to their homes in the south of Thailand knowing that the air and nature will be clean and free of a coal plant for the foreseeable future.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Bangkok
Thailand's Economy Kept Growing in Q4 2017, But Less Than Expected
Originally aired on Channel NewsAsia on February 18, 2018
TRANSCRIPT
Thailand’s economy new by 4.0 per cent in the last quarter of 2017, which is less than expected but still pretty good. Now, the officials and experts have estimated that the economy might have grown by 4.6 per cent in the last quarter of 2017, but in reality it’s less than expected.
Overall, the GDP for the 2017 as a whole year is at 3.9, which is actually the best growth rate since 2012 and definitely the best rate for the Thai military government ever since they have taken over power in a military coup in 2014 - but then again, anything is better when you start at almost zero back in 2014 after months of sustained anti-government protests and political violence.
Now, what are the big portfolios boosting Thailand’s economy? It’s almost a deja vu here, because every time we’ve been talking about Thailand’s economic growth in the past few quarters, it’s always the same winners and losers.
Tourism and export are definitely those portfolios that are sustaining the economic growth. Exports have grown 13 per cent year on year, confirming an upwards trend and also tourism as well. That is the biggest juggernaught, actually.
Last year in 2017, we had a record number of visitors: 34 million people have come here to the Land of Smiles to see the sights and sounds. And just last week during Chinese New Years, it was estimated that 300.000 tourists from China alone would come here. So that already gives you an idea where most of the tourists come from.
Then on the other hand, private investment is still lacking. Public investment, as well, has gone down now that the government has spend all that money in infrastructure - $46 billion, I might add.
And going forward - now, there are still the same problems as well, talking about that deja vu: there’s still few private investment as we mentioned before, and the economic growth is not broad enough, meaning that it doesn’t down to everybody, especially those in the lower-income sector.
For 2018, the question will be for Thailand’s economy is: Is this as good as it gets or is the best still yet to come?
Chinese Opera in Thailand: A Dying Art?
Originally aired on Channel NewsAsia on February 18, 2018
Despite the fact that many in Bangkok still have some form of Chinese heritage (mostly Teochew) in them, many Chinese traditions are at risk of vanishing - one of them being the Chinese opera. But there are still groups out there keeping the performance art alive and adapting to a new generation.
TRANSCRIPT
Nestled in the back alleys and canals of Taling Chan, on the outskirts of Bangkok, is the Jao Mae Tubtim Shrine.
It's been part of the Thai-Chinese community here for more than a century.
Across from the shrine, a group of young women and men are preparing to perform Chinese opera, the same way others before them have done for decades.
Pongsakorn Nanarnkawin is the third generation of his family running a theatre dedicated to Chinese opera.
His parents were performers themselves, when Chinese opera was in its heyday.
PONGSAKORN NANARNKAWIN; Chinese Opera Owner:
"I’m a child of the Chinese opera, I’m sure when my mother was pregnant with me, she was performing Chinese opera. My father was a very skilled instructor from China […] There were no roads here back then so everything came by boat. Even the unloading of the equipment drew in a massive crowd - contrary to today where less and less are watching."
Bangkok has a sizable population of people whose ancestors came from China, and this is reflected in arts such as Chinese opera. But tastes have changed, and theatres like these aren't pulling in the crowds as they used to. Many are now looking at how they can interest the new generation, and keep the heritage alive.
It is estimated that about 70 per cent of Bangkok residents with Chinese heritage are of Teochew descent, but very few speak this dialect today, let alone understand the dialogue in the opera.
So Pongsakorn found ways to get around this.
PONGSAKORN NANARNKAWIN; Chinese Opera Owner:
"When we started to translate it into Thai, people slowly started to come in. After that, I decided to create an original story or adaptations. When we performed for a museum, we retold the story of Mulan, which is pretty popular. So we took bits from it and made a Chinese opera out of it in Thai both in spoken words and singing."
It is hard to say for now, whether Chinese Opera is making a comeback in Thailand, but there is a new generation of performers still passionate about it, and they hope to carry the torch.
PAILIN KAMKAEW; Chinese opera performer:
"I would like to tell people to study Thai-Chinese culture and to keep the tradition alive and so that the Chinese opera can further develop itself."
Thailand's Ministry of Culture has suggested ways to preserve the performing art, but those are still in their infancy -
It could well boil down to succeeding generations to secure a new lease of life for Chinese opera to keep the artform centrestage for more New Years to come.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Bangkok
British Embassy in Bangkok Sold in Record Deal
Originally aired on Channel NewsAsia on February 1, 2018
The British Embassy in Bangkok has been sold for almost $600 million to a joint-venture that includes the Central Group. Here I explain a little bit of the history of that place and how much more expensive things have gotten around here.
Special thanks to the British Embassy Bangkok for the permission to film in front of their gates.
TRANSCRIPT
Back in 1922, when the British Embassy moved in here for the first time, there was nothing around it but farmlands and water buffaloes.
But a lot has changed in almost a century in what is now considered to be one of the most expensive areas in Bangkok.
How expensive? $12,700 per square meter! There are a lot of luxury condos, hotels and many embassies.
Now, the Foreign Ministry in London has announced that they’re selling the British Embassy here for a whopping $600 million. They’re now moving into a rather nondescript office building, 29 stories high, in the commercial district.
The buyers in what is considered to be a record deal is a joint-venture between Hongkong Land and the Central Group, one of the biggest retail giants in the country. And actually right around here we have one of their luxury malls in the neighborhood right next to the British Embassy.
Now Hongkong Land and the Central Group have not responded to inquiries by Channel NewsAsia. But it is expected that they’re going to make an announcement soon and we’re going to see what’s going to happen with this little piece of Bangkok history.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Bangkok