LOSERS
Economy
It was a week of generally bad news, as Thai growth remained stuck behind all the neighbours once again last year. Worst report was from the Ministry of Commerce, which confirmed that export value last year grew by 9.9%. What was wanted (and badly needed, confirmed trade director-general Pimchanok Vonkorpon) is double-digit growth. Maybe this year. Meanwhile import value grew by 14.7%, cutting into the still healthy trade surplus. Siam Commercial Bank announced that in the next three years it will cut 12,000 jobs, or 44% of its workers, and shut 400 or 38% of its 1,153 branches. And Big Business simply refused to accept a rise of 5-22 baht per day in the minimum wage, saying it was too expensive. That killed cabinet plans to take credit for helping workers.
Suthep Thaugsuban
The Kamnan aka Goldwhistle was called to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to account for the Bangkok Shutdown of 2014. And how! He is now officially an accused terrorist and insurrectionist. The maximum penalty for insurrection is death. Reliable sources predict he won't be executed. In fact, the OAG and police think he is so non-dangerous they even helped arrange fast-track bail. It came to 600,000 baht times Mr Suthep and eight allegedly criminal friends, and Goldwhistle was able to come up with that, immediately. A firm trial date was set, as some time in the future, maybe. The major shock of the day: Few PDRC supporters showed up at the hearing, surprising security officials who had prepared police lines for hundreds of angry whistle blowers. Maybe they think the accused terrorist isn't in real trouble.
Environment
Without a farmer ever burning a field, Bangkok got a taste last week of what it feels like to live under heavy smog. It wasn't smoke causing the coughing but "fine particulates" -- English translation, trillions of little bitty pieces of toxicity from vehicle and other engine exhausts. The only good thing about such pollution is beautiful sunsets. Other than that, it's a health hazard, that goes away with rain and permanent seasonal change, when the monsoon resumes blowing after changing direction. Second blow to nature is that coral reefs are eating your plastic stuff and dying. From shopping bags and tech trash to tea bags and Pepsi bottles, big plastic stuff is torn to teensy weensy shreds by water, rocks and sand. The pieces wind up at reefs where they tear into the animals, cutting and wounding. Some of the most plasticised coral now dying are on Thai reefs, says a new study.
Ageing Thailand
Every time the United Nations updates its world population statistics, the news gets worse. Last week they did it again. Here's the very-bottom, bottom line. In two years, the population of Thailand will be a bit over 69 million. In 15 years, it will be a tad over 69 million. In 30 years, it will be 47.5 million. By 2050, there will be 19 million Thais over 65, and 11 million under 23. Do the maths. About 17 million Thais will be supporting 30 million -- either in a family or via social-security taxes, or both. When the spectacularly massive drop in population begins in 2035, those young and energetic folks among readers today are going to face a spectacularly massive economic and moral problem.
WINNERS
Bill Richardson
Someone who mattered finally spoke truth to Aung San Suu Kyi's power, now dwindling but still strong. She had asked Bill Richardson for help, him being an international troubleshooter, and a former US ambassador to the UN under Bill Clinton. She wanted him to serve under Surakiart Sathirathai on a special panel to advise her how to treat Rohingya people. Mr Richardson accepted, then called her out for whitewashing ethnic cleansing and for her staff's attempt to cheerlead her fast-waning role as morally fit. Then he quit. He was sure right about the part about cheerleaders. Within the hour they were on the internet and on the phone to the media to explain how bad Mr Richardson had become since Ms Suu Kyi requested his help. "He should review himself over his personal attack," explained spokesman Zaw Htay. Parting shot: Mr Richardson said Mr Surakiart is drinking Ms Suu Kyi's Kool-Aid.
Tanyakan family
A meeting between the family of the late cadet Pakapong "Moei" Tanyakan and armed forces' representatives did not go well. The military panel headed by an Air Chief Marshall, ACM Chawarat Marungruang said he had an updated report on the mysterious death of the young cadet on Oct 17 at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School in Nakhon Nayok. Then he essentially repeated every old military claim, which the family never believed. Most important is the claim no one assaulted Cadet Pakapong. A private autopsy conducted for the parents and elder sister Supicha said otherwise. The meeting, on military territory at Royal Thai Armed Forces HQ, broke up after 20 minutes. The only good news is there was no shouting at each other. The family now will sue and seek some closure in court.
Drug reform
The Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), which literally lives to stamp out illicit drugs, blessed and got behind plans designed to make marijuana legal and legitimate. "Takes a burden off our shoulders, frankly," said NSB honcho Pol Lt Gen Sommai. There's a way to go. But the Royal Gazette has made marijuana plantations legal. The first plants will be grown in Sakhon Nakhon, which is already home of the most potent and desirable of the illegal weed types. They'll go to a lab for medical experiments -- and bear in mind that pharmaceuticals made from marijuana are already marketed. Recreational pot? Rub a 4-20 lamp. But there's a desire to test and then test-market medical spliff, the first break towards drug reform in 40-plus years.
