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Thailand's international trade is expected to receive a significant boost now that a direct shipping service from Bangkok to ports in Myanmar has been opened.
Thepparat: Steered new maritime lanes
The service utilises freight ships operated by a joint venture between Chinese and Thai companies, which recently set up a new firm named Golden Sea Shipping.
Behind the venture is the newly established Thai-Chinese culture and relationship council which has played an important role in bringing to fruition this new, lucrative shipping service.
Sources close to the council said the service significantly reduces freight transport times between the two countries to eight days from up to two weeks for one-way trips via Singapore.
Freight ships travel from Klong Toey port in Bangkok to Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri before setting off to Singapore where the goods are off-loaded to another ship bound for Yangon.
The new service runs ships from Bangkok to Yangon via the Straits of Malacca, but without transiting in Singapore.
Behind the success in setting up the service, inaugurated a week ago, is businessman Thepparat Luengsuwan, a senior executive of Namyong Terminal Plc and a prominent member of the council.
The service is the first direct freight transport link between the two countries. With Myanmar opening up its trade and commerce to the world, the link is seen by observers as a timely booster for bilateral economic ties.
Myanmar is expected to join global trade as a promising emerging market with huge demand for consumer goods and construction materials. The shipping service will help Thailand tap into the vast market, observers said.
Apart from the Bangkok-Yangon route, Golden Sea Shipping has also launched a service between Bangkok, Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh City via Laem Chabang port.
The new service is one example of the council's prowess in pairing up businesses and bringing the ''synergy'' needed to turn the wheel of regional trade.
However, a source close to the council said the council's business match-making role has invited the wrong kind of attention.
The source said certain politicians and former top brass who helped found the council have tried to assert their influence over it to exploit the council's name and bring in investors from overseas to make hostile takeovers of businesses in Thailand.
Keeping a safe political distance
Riot control police and protesting rubber farmers clash on Phetkasem Road.
Democrat MPs seem to be keeping a safe distance from the rubber protest in the southern region after farmers took to the streets to pressure the government into stabilising falling rubber prices.
The political climate for the protest action is not favourable to the opposition party after local authorities known to have close ties with the government decided to ''play it rough'', observers said.
As soon as the protest started in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Cha-uat district, word spread that the demonstrators were from the anti-government ''white-mask'' movement. Opponents slammed the protest as politically driven.
On Aug 23, a clash occurred between police and the farmers that left dozens of protests injured and forced the group to block roads and rails to intensify the pressure.
Following the violence, the Democrats _ led by Suthep Thaugsuban _ denounced the police action and warned of ''risks'' should the government again resort to the use of force to break up the demonstration.
Even though the government did agree to go to the negotiating table, nothing came of it. Talks between Suporn Atthawong, deputy secretary-general to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and protest leaders proved fruitless, in part because Mr Suporn had no power to make any decisions.
As the rubber farmers threatened to scale up their rally, rumours started making the rounds that Democrat MPs were behind the movement and that about 20 million baht had been channelled to fund the protest.
On Tuesday, thousands of protesting farmers converged at the Surat Thani cooperatives office in Surat Thani's Phunphin district, the political turf of Mr Suthep. Democrat MPs were conspicuous by their absence.
They stayed put in parliament and tried to have the joint debate on charter amendments switch to discussing the rubber farmers' plight instead.
Political calculations must have come into play. The costs and risks of getting fully involved in the rubber protests seem too high.
Analysts said any political party would have to weigh their options if they wanted to engage in street protests. The consequences and implications for any such party would be dire if the protests turned violent.
''It was reported that the authorities are prepared to lay security-related charges if the
[rubber] protests lead to the blockading of roads, government establishments or an airport. Politicians can't afford to throw their support behind these protests,'' one source said.
As it is happens, the rubber farmers seem to be short of support and becoming isolated.
Days of blockades have so far amounted to nothing and the government shows no sign of responding in the way that the protesters want.
Korn 'ready to join the people'
Eight core leaders of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy announced their resignation on Aug 23, saying they were quitting the movement partly because of the Democrat Party.
In their statement, the ex-PAD leaders, who face a number of charges as a result of anti-Thaksin Shinawatra protests, claimed their ability to conduct political activities was being impeded by court orders. Many PAD leaders have been indicted on charges relating to their participation in past street protests.
If they were to bring about political reform by getting involved in mass gatherings, they would violate the court's orders, and there was no guarantee that their ''sacrifices'' would pay off in the long run.
Korn: Well aware of people power
They also said the charges of terrorism they now face were brought against them when the Democrats led the previous government.
They said Democrat MPs have also refused to make sacrifices by quitting parliament to join with the PAD in a push for political reform, as was suggested earlier by PAD co-leader Sondhi Limthongkul.
''The Democrats are one of the obstacles preventing political reform and they should take responsibility for any consequences that might arise as a result,'' the PAD leaders said in the statement.
The eight PAD top brass who stepped down were: Mr Sondhi, Chamlong Srimuang, Pibhop Dhongchai, Parnthep Pourpongpan, Somkiat Pongpaiboon, Maleerat Kaweka, Sirichai Mai-gnam and Saranyu Wongkrachang.
But Democrat deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij said he believes the PAD leaders' resignation will not have any positive nor negative bearing on politics.
Without the eight core leaders, the power of the people who make up the PAD remains healthy and active, Mr Korn said.
To Mr Korn, the claim by the PAD that it will have to suspend its political activities because the Democrats have refused to resign their MP status does not seem to make sense.
''We have watched them fight in their own way since 2005 and we know the outcome,'' Mr Korn said.
''Similarly, they also have watched us fight as the minority in parliament for the past two years and they know what we are going to face.
''We are not refusing to take part in street rallies. Last month, we did just that by leading the people onto the streets. This reflects the fact that we recognise the importance of a show of force on the part of the public.
''The powers-that-be won't see anything unless we take to the streets, as in the case of the protests by rubber farmers.
''We are ready to join with the people because we consider this as the duty of MPs to help people in distress.''
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