Maya Bay Closing a Chance for Nature to Recover
Originally aired on Channel NewsAsia on May 31, 2018
Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh has been a tourist magnet for years. But it has become a little too popular. So much so that authorities are closing it for four months to give its fragile eco system a chance to recover.
TRANSCRIPT
In the South of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea, are the Phi Phi Islands, famous for the crystal clear water that surrounds them and their sandy white beaches.
It’s one of the reasons this boatman, who goes by the nickname "Chang" came here to work.
"CHANG"; Longtail Boat Captain:
"I’m here on my 7th year. I do everything here because I love the Phi Phi islands - to work somewhere that has such beautiful views and such."
The thousands of tourists that flock here day in, day out - feel the same.
Most people are drawn to this place in particular: Maya Bay, a small strip of beach on the smaller island of Koh Phi Phi Leh.
But over the years, it has become a little too popular.
SAKSITH SAIYASOMBUT; KOH PHI PHI LEH, KRABI PROVINCE:
"Maya Bay became very popular after the release of the Hollywood movie 'The Beach' in 2000, showing this place here as a very untouched place of paradise. Ironically, the film crew did some extensive reconstruction and environmentalists say it still hasn’t fully recovered. Nevertheless, countless numbers of visitors come here on a daily basis - so much so that authorities are saying this place needs a break."
The authorities mean business. Starting June, they're closing off Maya Bay - all the way to September - to give nature a chance to breathe and recover.
About 4,000 visitors come here every day. But experts say it’s not the crowds of tourists that are hurting the environment. It's the boats carrying them.
DR. THON THAMRONGNAWASAWAT; Marine Biologist, Kasetsart University:
"So, those speed boats and long-tail boats cross the shallow water reef. It makes the sediments - sand, sandy bottoms - go up and then drop down on the coral. Coral is an animal. They cannot breathe if you have any sand on top. So, if there’s a heavy sediment load in Maya Bay, it’s a main factor that kills a lot of corals for many, many years."
These fragile ecosystems used to serve as living spaces for more than 250 species of fish and thousands of other living organisms.
It's now just a tenth of what is used to be. The four-month closure is just one measure to help Maya Bay recover.
When it reopens in October - the beginning of the peak tourist season - there will be restrictions. The number of visitors will be halved and boats won't be allowed to dock inside the bay any longer.
In the meantime, officials will try to repopulate the coral reefs with samplings from nearby nurseries, but Mother Nature still has to do the heavy lifting.
This year's closure should give the bay a fighting chance... but authorities aren't ruling out the possibility of more closures in the future.
SAKSITH SAIYASOMBUT, Channel NewsAsia, Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh, Krabi Province
AS IT UNFOLDS: Pro-Election Protest Marks 4th Anniversary of Thai Coup
It's been a long day, as pro-elections activists attempted to march from Thammasat University on Government House to mark four years after the military coup. But they didn't get very far and in the end got detained and dispersed.
Here's our Channel NewsAsia LIVE coverage today at 7am, 8am, 10am, 2pm and 4pm, respectively.
4 Years After the Thai Coup: Activists Protest Against the Military, But No Critical Mass Yet
Originally published on Channel NewsAsia on May 21, 2018
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the 4th anniversary of the military coup and it has outlawed political protests ever since. But that hasn't stopped some groups from rallying against the military government.
TRANSCRIPT
It’s a Saturday afternoon on the campus of Thammasat University.
People are chatting, sitting on benches, enjoying their weekend.
But one look at the stage and it's clear they're not here for a concert but for a rare political rally against Thailand’s military government.
RANGSIMAN ROME; Activist "Democracy Restoration Group":
"I believe that after these 4 years we should think about the future. If you ask me if we have a future under the mask of General Prayuth Chan-ocha, I believe this country won’t have a future if we don’t fight together."
Rangsiman Rome is a young activist who wants a swift return to democratic elections.
He and his friends are members of the 'Democracy Restoration Group', founded soon after the military seized power in the 2014 coup.
But public displays of discontent with the military government are few and far between, owing to a ban on public gatherings of more than five people.
Thailand’s military government has solidified its rule, four years after it toppled the democratically elected government of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
It is the longest rule by the military since the 1970s - something many political observers did not anticipate.
SAKSITH SAIYASOMBUT, Bangkok, Thailand:
"In the past four years, the military government has often cited the absence of political protest as a sign of the peace and security it has given the Thai people. But analysts say that doesn’t mean that everybody is content with their rule... but that it just hasn’t translated to a widespread opposition, whether out of fear or indifference."
Analysts say current dissatisfaction is unlikely to build up into bigger protests - for now.
THITINAN PONGSUDHIRAK; Director Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University:
"This time [the] middle class Bangkok bought into the coup. So we’re seeing students, younger people, newer faces - they haven’t reached a critical mass, but I think the criticism, the opposition are mounting. And Thai people are also pretty tolerant compared to others, they’re waiting to have their say when the elections comes."
The delay by the military government to hold a general election has fuelled calls for a return to democratic rule.
RANGSIMAN ROME; Activist "Democracy Restoration Group":
"Our stance is that the people will win their freedom back. We may not be in charge today, but we are proposing a solution to solve the problems one step at a time. If we don’t begin with the freedom of the people today, we won’t be able to start anything. so let me start today by saying: elections are the answer."
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has assured the public the election will definitely be held in early 2019...
but he has also said that if pro-democracy protests continue, there is no guarantee that polls will be held peacefully.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Bangkok
4 Years After the Coup: New Generation of Politicians Waiting for Return of Elections
Originally published on Channel NewsAsia on May 20, 2018
We continue our series on four years after the military coup and today we look at the new crop of politicians is slowly gearing up for the campaign (whenever the govt allows and actually holds it). So what do Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (Future Forward Party) and Varawut Silpa-archa (Chartthaipattana Party) think they can do to woo voters and their vision for Thailand’s political future?
TRANSCRIPT
Among the flurry of new parties, is the Future Forward party of billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
It's grabbed the headlines with a progressive and anti-military stance.
The 39-year-old, vice president of his late father’s car parts empire, says that after years of political polarization and military rule, now is the time for change.
THANATHORN JUANGROONGRUANGKIT; Future Forward Party:
"For us, something that is equally important is winning the war; the war of ideas. So the war for seats and the war of ideas are equally important. We have to win the domination of ideas. We have to challenge the conservative ideas that we, the people of Thailand, are not ready for democracy, we have to challenge this idea."
Mr. Thanathorn is offering his party platform as an alternative to those of established parties among them, the Chart Thai Pattana party... A key personality here is Varawut Silpa-archa, also regarded as a new-generation politician.
His late father Banharn was the party's long-time leader, and for a brief time, prime minister. Mr. Varawut believes he can learn from his father's mistakes.
VARAWUT SILPA-ARCHA; Chart Thai Pattana Party:
"After all, he was a former Prime Minister of Thailand. In order to run away from his shadow, I have to cast a bigger shadow than him. If I can’t run away from it, I shall embrace it. I shall embrace the way he ran his political party, utilize on his experiences, learn from the mistakes that he made, the success that he did - then we can move forward."
Mr Varawut and Mr Tharnathon are part of a new generation of politicians who have registered their parties ahead of potential polls next year.
SAKSITH SAIYASOMBUT; Bangkok, Thailand:
"It’s still a long road until any democratically elected candidate can come here to parliament. There's still a lot to be done - never mind that political parties are still not allowed to campaign or talk specific policies without permission by the military government. However, this new group of politicians - the so-called young bloods - have the rare opportunity to tap into a new generation of potential voters."
THITINAN PONGSUDHIRAK; Director Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University:
"We need new ideas. We need new people, younger people. And remember that we haven’t had elections in Thailand since 2011! We’ve had protest, turmoil, polarizations in Thailand since 2005. So there’s been an entire generation who’ve grown up seeing this conflict in Thailand - so they probably wanna have a say."
Analysts say this new generation of politicians is unlikely to dramatically alter Thailand's political landscape, at least not just yet.
The military government's ban on political parties' activity has silenced debate but when the ban is lifted, it may give the new breed of politicians a chance to prove themselves.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Bangkok
4 Years After the Thai coup: Assessing the Military's Anti-Corruption Fight
Originally aired on Channel NewsAsia on May 19, 2018
May 22 marks the 4th anniversary of the 2014 military coup. Time for us to reflect on what has happened since then. In part 1 of a 3-part-series, we're assessing the military's anti-corruption fight, something they have pledged to take head on when they took over. Four years later the results are mixed to say the least.
TRANSCRIPT
GEN. PRAYUTH CHAN-OCHA; Thai Prime Minister:
"...I hereby swear, that I will conduct myself with honesty, that I will not commit corruption, and I will uphold the values of justice…"
Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's message denouncing corruption was loud and clear. It has always been so.
Mr Prayut used corruption to justify the military’s takeover of power in the 2014 coup.
It said the administration of then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was corrupt and needed to go.
Several politicians from Ms Yingluck's toppled government were prosecuted following the coup, charged with corruption and in the case of the former prime minister herself, with criminal negligence in a rice pledging scheme.
She fled the country before a court sentenced her to five years in prison.
But corruption continues to be a problem, according to a report this year by Thailand's Court of Justice.
GEN. PRAYUTH CHAN-OCHA; Thai Prime Minister:
"The government is aware of the issue and is pushing this issue [of anti-corruption] as a national agenda. We’re already amending laws, and other mechanisms of checks and balances. The next step is how to make these changes into a reality."
Thailand's score in the latest Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International shows little improvement in its anti-corruption performance.
On a score of zero to a hundred, where the higher the score, the cleaner the country... Thailand scored 37 in 2017, compared to 38 in 2014, the year Ms Yingluck's government was overthrown.
ILHAM MOHAMED; Regional Advisor Asia Pacific, Transparency International
"What you do find in Thailand is grand corruption, illicit enrichment and illicit financial flows. This is what needs to be tackled and this is where you need to focus on if you would like to make changes."
SAKSITH SAIYASOMBUT, Bangkok, Thailand:
"The military is one of those institutions in Thai politics that has always had corruption allegations levelled at it. Things did not get better when it took over power here in 2014. Quite the contrary, a few scandals involving senior army officials have become major headaches for the government."
The Rajabhakti Park near Hua Hin for instance - the army's project to honour the monarchy.
Critics allege the park's giant bronze statues of seven past kings were massively overpriced, raising suspicion of kickbacks for the military officers who commissioned them.
Government investigations later cleared them of any wrongdoing.
And then, the saga of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and the luxury watches he allegedly owns.
The probe by Thailand's National anti-Corruption Commission is still in place but critics fear the case will be buried.
Observers have asked if it's only the small fish that are getting caught.
MANA NIMITMONGKOL; Secretar General, Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand
"But at the moment, those measures have not yielded any results yet. And the public is doubting that, while they they seem to be focusing on local politicians and low-ranking civil servants, whether senior officials in the government or in the bureaucracy will be under the same scrutiny. Which leads to the question about how effective the crackdown was in the last 4 years?"
Prime Minister Prayut has announced that Thailand will hold its election in February next year.
And when it does, the country's anti-corruption track record will once again be closely scrutinised by the people.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Bangkok
Thai PM visits Buriram to meet local stalwart Newin
Originally aired on Channel NewsAsia on May 7, 2018
Thai PM Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha visits Buriram today, not only to meet thousands of locals at the Chang Arena, but also with senior members of the Bhumjaithai Party and its ex-leader, Newin Chidchob - also known as the local stalwart of Buriram. Here's my live cross from earlier today.
Pro-democracy activists step up rallies as coup anniversary nears
Originally published on Channel NewsAsia on May 5, 2018
The กลุ่มฟื้นฟูประชาธิปไตย Democracy Restoration Group - DRG is holding their first rally in a month as the 4th anniversary of the coup is soon.
TRANSCRIPT
As the forth anniversary of the 2014 military coup is coming closer on the 22nd later this month, so are the anti-government protests by pro-democracy activists.
The so-called “Democracy Restoration Group” are staging a new rally after a month’s break, yet again calling the military government to stage democratic elections immediately.
They say that after four years in power, it’s time for the military to step aside.
RANGSINAM ROME; Activist "Democracy Restoration Group":
"I believe that after these 4 years we should think about the future. If you ask me if we have a future under the mask of General Prayuth Chan-ocha, I believe this country won’t have future if we don’t fighttogether.".”
Furthermore, the group is planning to march to Government House on the 22nd later this month. Not only is it the coup’s anniversary but also the weekly cabinet meeting of coup leader and prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
The military government has repeatedly delayed democracy elections, the latest date is now tentatively scheduled for February next year.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Bangkok
P-Move protests enter third day
Originally published on Channel NewsAsia on May 4, 2018
The P-move, a group representing farmers and the poor, have continued their protests in Bangkok demanding a fairer treatment in land seizures and social disparity.