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BANGKOK, Sept 28 (TNA) The first full day of operations of Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport kicked off Thursday morning with little fanfare, but the first passengers experienced a minor glitch caused by delays in collecting passenger baggage. The futuristic US$4 billion airport which boasts the world's largest passenger terminal, the world's largest hangar, and world's tallest control tower--at 132.2 metres higher than Kuala Lumpur International Airport's tower by 10 metres--officially opened on schedule. However, passengers on the first commercial flight landing at Suvarnabhumi -- Aeroswit flight VV 171 from Ukrain's Kiev with 206 passengers-- had to wait more than one hour to collect their baggage from the new automated baggage handling machines. Chotisak Asapaviriya, president of Airports of Thailand (AoT) explained that the delay had nothing to do with the airport's baggage handling machines. "It's only a minor glitch," he said, "the delay was caused by ground equipment transportation of Thai Airways International (THAI) from Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang) to Suvarnabhumi." The full transfer of passenger flights and other commercial aviation responsibilities from Don Muang, which has served travellers for nine decades, to the new airport was completed at 3am Thursday (2000 GMT Wednesday). Thailand's military assigned 800 troops to the airport to ensure safety. Several army canine units have been deployed at the single passenger terminal to inspect suspicious packages. Suvarnabumi, about 25 kilometres east of Bangkok, is capable of handling 76 flights per hour and services 90 airlines. The airport will initially serve 45 million passengers annually, with capacity expected to more than double once it becomes fully operational. (TNA)-E001 Police to Introduce Fingerprint Scanning at Suvarnabhumi Suvarnabhumi, Sept 28 (TNA) The Immigration Bureau plans to install fingerprint identification equipment at Suvarnabhumi Airport within the next two months. The new equipment is part of a global trend among international airports to utilise biometric scanning technology for security and efficiency purposes.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ WET SEASON WOES Bangkok Prepares for Possible Flood Crisis Pasak Jolasit Dam 'full' but will let water out slowly due to sea tides With floodwater from the North causing the Chao Phya River to rise and heavy rain continuing to fall, Bangkok authorities set aside Bt100 million yesterday to tackle a potential flood crisis. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin also instructed 50 district offices to set up operation centres and closely watch 350 flood-prone areas. Apirak and General Boonsang Niempradit boarded a helicopter yesterday to inspect flooding in Greater Bangkok. The high level of water in the San Saeb Canal forced operators of public boats to suspend operations. Irrigation chief Samart Choknapitak said a slower release of water from the Pasak Jolasit Dam in Lop Buri should keep the flow under 2,500 cubic metres per second - thought to be a safe amount for Bangkok's flood barriers along the Chao Phya. Meanwhile, heavy rain forced an Airforce C-130 plane - carrying 400 relief bags, 11,000 sets of food and drink, four boat engines and medical supplies for victims of floods in Phitsanulok - to suspend its flight. In Tak's Ban Tak district, 200 villagers in Tambon Mae Salid were evacuated to higher ground away from the overflowing Wang River. At 6am, police and rescue teams saved 12 stranded members from one family just minutes before their two homes were destroyed by a 2-metre-deep torrent. The worst flood in a decade damaged 7,000 rai of farmland. Residents of 11 villages in Phitsanulok's Bang Rakam district were grateful that HRH Princess Siribha Chudhabhorn sent trucks from the Princess Pa Foundation to cook them food. The trucks later helped other villagers in Phichit and Nakhon Sawan. Bang Rakam had some 24,400 residents affected by the floods. Of these, 1,122 suffered pink-eye (conjunctivitis). In Chat Trakan, Noen Maprang and Wat Bote districts, 392 people were found to have dengue fever - and one of these died. In Phichit, where the Nan and Yom rivers inundated 356 villages and 28,473 rai of farmland in nine districts, Buddhist monks from 40 temples used boats to take alms. In Pho Prathap Chang district, an opportunist offered rides on a banana boat in a flooded rice field at Bt50 per time. In Nakhon Sawan, the Chao Phya burst its eastern bank on Tuesday night, inundating 1,000 homes, a market and several Chinese shrines. Many residents suffered pink-eye, flu and pneumonia, while six people were bitten by snakes. In Sing Buri, the rising Noi and Chao Phya rivers flooded 80 homes and 8,000 rai of farmland in Tha Chang and Phrom Buri districts. The Pasak Jolasit Dam, now at its full capacity of 200 million cu metres, will slow its release of water over the next few days to ease flooding in Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Bangkok, as high sea tides are also due this week. Meanwhile, Pornnipa Limpapayom, secretary-general of the Basic Education Commission, gave a green light to flood-affected schools to adjust schedules for first-semester exams. Of 97 schools in Phichit, Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan affected by floods, nearly 40 had to close. The Meteorological Depart-ment warned 15 provinces in the North, Central and upper South to brace for more heavy rain and floods over the next two days. The warning included Tak, Sukhothai, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Kanchana-buri, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ranong and Phang Nga.

How do you know that anybody in Pattaya is having "a great life from illegal money?" I am not rich either, but I don't resent other people simply because they have done better financially in life than I have.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ New Airport Up and Running The new $3.9 billion Suvarnabhumi international airport opened early Thursday as most citizens were asleep, with little hoopla - and none at all from the project's final backer, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a coup. "This will be a quiet opening," said Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukpasuk, the deputy chief of Thailand's Council of Democratic Reform (CDR), the junta that seized power on September 19, ousting Thaksin and his cabinet. Thaksin, a billionaire businessman known for his "can do" approach to governance, had strongly identified his administration with Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport, that is scheduled to officially open at 1100 GMT am Thursday. "The name Suvarnabhumi was given by the king, so we will need the king's attendance for the grand opening" later on, Chalit told a press conference at the airport. Nonetheless, Chalit insisted the airport was "100 per cent ready for operations." The new airport, which handled 155 domestic flights on Wednesday, will need to service 813 flights on its first day of full operations on Thursday. Snafus are expected. Both Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur experienced "teething problems" when they pushed the opening of their new airports. Suvarnabhumi has a capacity to serve 40 million passengers a year, or 110,000 passengers a day. When a second phase is completed in an estimated three years, Suvarnabhumi is to be five times larger than Don Muang International Airport, firming up Bangkok's position as an aviation and tourism hub for the region. Thai Airways International (THAI), the national carrier, operated the last official commercial flight out of Don Muang, Bangkok's 90-year-old airport heading for Shanghai. It was to be the first airline to land at Suvaranabhumi on Thursday, at 7:05 a.m. (2405 GMT) with flight TG 662 from New Delhi. Suvarnabhumi, or "Golden Land," as Marco Polo named Southeast Asia in his famous travels, has cost Thailand $3.9 billion to construct and has arguably been in the works since the early 1970s when the government purchased 3,238 hectares for it in eastern Bangkok. Construction of Suvarnabhumi actually began about 10 years ago, although former premier Thaksin, who first came to power in 2001, rushed the project through to completion. Thaksin staged a "symbolic" opening of the new airport on Sept 29 last year to prove its "technical" readiness. Critics called the event a publicity stunt to meet Thaksin's previously set deadline for the project. Thaksin set a new deadline for June this year, which has finally stretched to Sept 28. One of the reasons cited for the coup was mounting corruption. Suvarnabhumi has been the source of at least one public corruption scandal so far in the purchase of a security checking system for baggage. ____________________ And This: ____________________ The following appears in THE NATION: _____ SUVARNABHUMI Just listen to our noisy nightmare As Airport Opens Today, Resident Challenges Director to Pay a Visit Fifty-year-old Wanida Sanwanitchpattana wants to invite Suvarnabhumi Airport director Somchai Swasdipol to spend a night at her place. Free room and board, nice breakfast included. Sound generous? Maybe, but Wanida has an ulterior motive. "I want him to know what one jet plane after another diving down from the sky sounds like," said Wanida, whose two-storey home sits right next to the fence surrounding Suvarnabhumi Airport. "He said on TV that he has done his best to resolve all of the problems affecting the surrounding communities. I haven't seen the shadow of a single airport official since construction started." To some people, the official opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport may bring with it a sense of relief or delight. To others, it might even be a dream come true. But to Wanida and thousands of other families living under the airport's flight path, the dawn opening will seem more like a nightmare. Wanida had her first taste of deafening jet noise on September 15, when Thai Airways ran 12 domestic flights to and from Suvarnabhumi. People inside her house had to stop whatever conversations they were having. Phone calls were cut short, and TVs went mute. Since that day, Wanida has not had a moment of peace because of the 20 or so flights that pass above her roof each day. From today onward, however, the Airports of Thailand expects to operate as many as 76 flights per hour. "I learnt that my house is in the flight path [two weeks ago], after the soft opening [of the airport]. Nobody informed me before," she said. Moo Baan Romreudee, where Wanida lives, is one of two housing estates that almost every aircraft has to fly over before landing. While many people have eagerly awaited the landing of Lufthansa freighter LH 8442, the very first flight to land at the new airport, marking the beginning of full-scale operations today, Wanida has dreaded the moment. After LH 8442, 649 more flights will land and take off from Suvarnabhumi Airport today. "I really don't want the day to come," said Wanida. "Even these days, when the airport is not yet fully operational, I cannot sleep well because aircraft pass right over the roof of my house." Adding insult to in jury, the heavy rains of the past few days have brought floodwaters right up to the doorsteps of many of the homes in the estate, including Wanida's. Until last year, flooding had never been a problem. Wanida said that if possible, she wanted the Airports of Thailand (AOT) to expropriate her two-story house and 50 square wah of land, saying she could not bear to stay there much longer. "If the AOT improved my house so that it could resist the noise, I doubt I would be able to afford the air conditioning bills because we would have to leave it on the whole day [because the windows would have to stay shut]," she said. When The Nation visited this housing estate on Rom Klao Road on Tuesday, residents still had no idea who would be able to solve all the problems that had come with the new airport. Some point out last year, representatives of a consultant company visited to survey the communities surrounding the airport. That was the first and the last chance residents had to actually talk in person with someone representing the airport. However, as Wanida pointed out, no one was able to report any problems because they had not experienced any at that stage. All the people could do was voice their concerns about the possibility of noise pollution. The residents of the housing estate stood with their feet almost inundated by the floodwater that was gradually seeping from a waste-water drainage pipeline. Klong Sam Prawet, which runs near their community, has flooded all the roads it runs through. Suradej Benjathikul, Wanida's neighbour, said this year was the second year that Romreudee housing estate had been flooded with water from Klong Sam Prawet. Suradej said the water flowed more quickly through the klong before the new airport was built. Though construction on the airport began in 2002, it was not until late 2004 that the 20,000-rai Nong Ngu Hao swamp was fully reclaimed. Paijen Maksuwan, director of the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) which tried to build an irrigation system to prevent flooding around the airport, said that about 20,000 rai of flood-retention area had disappeared beneath Suvarnabhumi. The 78-metre-wide and 12-km-long irrigation canal will not be complete until mid-2008. "During the construction period, the [flooding] situation could not be helped," he said. The inauguration today of the new airport might strike some as a moment of national pride, but for the airport's neighbours, like Suradej and Wanida, today marks the day when their quality of life takes a nose-dive. "Come back and let me know who can help us," Wanida said. Pennapa Hongthong The Nation

What's with you and these kinds of comments? That is a completely unfounded generalization about people who carry large sums of cash. What's your problem?

I wonder if you would be good enough to explain how you know that before the place even opens.

And then look at the happiness on mine if he keeps driving . . . . . .

I don't see anything wrong with giving someone a second chance, depending on the circumstances and what caused the problems to begin with. Everybody makes mistakes in life, including Thai boys. If he made a mistake, that's one thing. If he intentionally set out to use you and do you harm, then that's something else and I wouldn't give a second chance under those circumstances. But if it was the kind of thing that you believe will not be repeated, then I see no reason not to try again if you would be unhappy without trying again. I would let him know you'll be watching and if he screws up in ay way again, that's it! I look at it this way: Haven't you ever made a major screw-up, and then regretted what you did and you know you'll never do anythng like that again? I think that would apply to most people. If you think it would also apply to this boy, then I'd say to give it another try. Also, if you don't, then you'll live the rest of your life wondering whether it would have worked.

I hadn't heard that story, but it is probably an isolated incident, assuming the guy was telling the truth. I guess nothing is 100% reliable, but I don't see how anything is going to be more secure than a hotel room safe for a traveler. What more can a person do? One of the more common crimes I hear about involves "farang" who lose large amounts of money to thieves. I would think the best thing to do would be to take out only the amount of money you need for a day or two, whether using travel checks or ATMs. Taking out large amounts of cash is asking for trouble. If something happens to it, then it's just gone and there really isn't much one can do about it.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thaksin to Blame for Coup, Insists Ex-UK Ambassador to Thailand Former British ambassador to Thailand, Derek Tonkin, has expressed his support for the September 19 coup, suggesting that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to blame for creating conditions that led to his removal. In a letter to London-based The Times newspaper, published on Monday, Tonkin said Thaksin's "wealth has become so immense and has been used so shamelessly to undermine political opponents and critics that his position had become virtually unassailable through the ballot box". His letter was in response to The Times' leading article on September 20 in which it stated Thaksin's record "does not justify an illegal attempt to force him from power". "The problem for 30 percent of urban dwellers in Thailand who are mostly opposed to Mr. Thaksin is that his political party, through what would appear to be traditional but illegal vote-buying practices, has cornered 70 percent of the rural vote," Tonkin said. The ex-ambassador, who was in Thailand from 1986 to 1989, asked: "As the declared purpose of the coup is to restore democratic rights and bring an end to corrupt domination of the rural vote, is action against tyranny and for democracy not fully justified?" American authorities, meanwhile, were critical of the coup. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it was "a U-turn" and urged coup leaders to get the Kingdom on the right path "very, very quickly", Agence France-Presse reported from New York. "The biggest problem is that in a Southeast Asia that was pretty stable ... it's a U-turn," she said in an interview on Monday with The Wall Street Journal. The State Department on Monday urged the coup leaders to avoid politically motivated actions and called for elections to be held ahead of a one-year deadline set by the military junta. The message came after the generals set up a high-powered committee to look into the books and tax records of the deposed PM, his cabinet members and their relatives, warning ill-gotten assets could be seized. "Certainly, what we want to see happen as this process moves forward is a quick hand-over to civilian authorities and that any investigations or other activities that are done again be done in accordance with the law rather than being done for political purposes," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said. Washington has condemned the coup and is studying the possibility of reviewing military and other assistance to Thailand, a key Southeast Asian ally.

That is true. I don't know how they do it either. Maybe someone takes guest keys when they're not being used and makes copies of them. Personally, I would never keep my valuables in a hotel lobby safe in the first place. Most decent hotels now have room safes, with combinations set by the guest, and a key is not involved at all. If I am staying in a hotel that has no room safe, but I am in possession of something of significant value, one solution might be to buy some sort of a lock-box, with my own lock on it (or better still, a combination lock), and store the whole box in the hotel safe.

Actually, Bob, his rates are typical. I have three room air conditioners. The last time I had an air conditioning company over here to do a routine maintenance and cleaning, two workers showed up. They took each air conditioner apart, throroughly cleaned everything, and replaced the filters. They were here at least two hours. I was charged 250 baht! Meanwhile, when I was still living in the USA, I went home after a two month trip here. My air conditioner wouldn't start. I called a repairman. It took him 15 minutes to find and fix the problem. A stuck switch. All he did was lubricate it. That cost me US $400!

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Trouble on New Airport's Horizon? Chance of Bumpy Ride for Travellers BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA Passengers passing through Suvarnabhumi Airport in the near future should not anticipate an entirely hassle-free experience, according to aviation experts. Experts warned of inevitable glitches as the countdown began to the official opening of Bangkok's 125-billion-baht airport in the early hours of tomorrow, and the closure of the 92-year-old Don Muang airport tonight. ''... It could take up to three months before everything falls into place,'' said Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, the founder and chief executive of Bangkok Airways. ''Of course we are nervous that Suvarnabhumi Airport might fail,'' said Tony Fernandes, chief executive of the budget carrier AirAsia. ''Every new airport will have problems. No matter how much you test [the facilities], there's nothing like the real thing,'' he added. But he said he didn't expect any major problems for the new airport. The most likely problems to emerge at Suvarnabhumi may be connected to the IT and baggage systems. Teething problems could occur when around 90 airlines actually start operating 700 flights and carrying about 110,000 passengers per day through the new facility. A limited number of flights by a few airlines earlier this month, during the new airport's soft opening, was not enough to truly test its mechanisms. Although, even then, some hiccups occurred. The most recent case happened on Monday, when one of the airbridges failed, forcing passengers of Thai AirAsia's 737-300 from Kuala Lumpur (flight FD 3572) to disembark via steps and transfer by bus to the terminal. It then took nearly an hour for passengers of the same flight to retrieve their luggage due to some confusion about the assignment of carousels. Because of the uncertainties surrounding the smooth running of Suvarnabhumi, most carriers have adopted a wait-and-see attitude and will not yet expand their operations and services from those previously provided at Don Muang. Dr Prasert confirmed that Bangkok Airways operations would continue on a par with Don Muang, while Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said the budget carrier would freeze its operations at the current level for the next few months until Suvarnabhumi operations had settled down. Most airlines, including Thai Airways International, which operates the most number of services through Bangkok (around 200 flights a day) have made contingency plans in case of system failure.

I don't see how. The article states, "The receptionist told him that he cannot access the safe which requires two keys, one from the Hotel guest and the other from the Manager . . ." If the safe, at least at that hotel, requires a guest key to open it, then how will staff members open the safe to steal anything? The guest would have to be present, wouldn't he? So, what's not to trust with the night staff? They can't open the guy's box unless he's personally present. I think whatever the reason is, that isn't it. To me, it sounds more like an uncaring hotel manager who considered his own sleep more important than providing good customer service. Ok, the guest made a mistake. Big deal. It wouldn't have killed the manager to help him out. If you want to run a quality hotel, you help guests whenever the need arises. If you're going to mistreat a guest or refuse to help him through an obviously serious situation, then I'd say you're in the wrong business. The manager should have given up a half hour of sleep to help the guy no matter whose fault it was. If he had done so, then the guest would probably be a repeat customer and recommend the hotel. Since he didn't, and this incident was the result, then I don't know about others, but I wouldn't stay in a hotel like that even if the room was free. I doubt that same guest will ever set foot in that hotel again.

Just for the record, this morning was the "tomorrow morning" referred to above. Khun Doon and his son actually showed up half an hour early. It took them two hours to install the new heater. It required some new plumbing, parts, and drilling through tile and solid concrete, plus electrical work. The parts cost a grand total of 150 baht. They asked 400 baht for the labor. Total cost - 550 baht. They would not accept one baht more than that. The heater works perfectly and there are no leaks. They also do something I rarely see other workers do. They clean up thoroughly. They even took the box the new heater came in and the old heater outside and put it in the trash. All I needed to do after they left was take a shower with the new heater. Rest assured, as soon as I need more work done, Khun Doon is the man I'm going to call.

BANGKOK, Sept 26 (TNA) A draft temporary constitution for Thailand's interim government to serve the country has been completed and is expected to be submitted for royal endorsement this weekend, Thailand's Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) head Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said Tuesday. A draft containing 39 articles was to be viewed at its final stage Tuesday (September 26) by a group of academics and other civilians specially invited for this matter before being forwarded to His Majesty the King either on Saturday (September 30) or Sunday(October 1), he said. Gen. Sonthi did not elaborate on details of the temporary charter. Overthrowing the former government by a bloodless coup last Tuesday, the military leaders pledged to hand over power within two weeks to an interim civilian government which is expected to govern the country for about one year under the temporary constitution. During the one-year rule, a new constitution will be drafted and a general election will be held after that to return sovereignty to the Thai people. Gen. Sonthi said the council has not made a decision regarding the prime ministership of the interim government, but affirmed that the council would make its choice based on the democratic principle of a majority vote. The coup leader said also that the council is keeping the public need in mind, so that past mistakes are not repeated. As the interim government will run the country for a comparatively short period, the prime minister should be someone who can respond well to the problems the nation is currently facing. The new premier must have outstanding qualifications including known honesty, a readiness to rebuild a deeply divided society in a spirit of reconciliation and unity, and most importantly, being acceptable to all sides. Asked whether the council still believes that the prime minister must be a civilian, the coup leader said the word "civilian" has varied definitions, and that it can refer to a military officer who has retired from military service. The CDRM chief neither admitted nor denied a speculation that privy councillor Gen. Surayud Chulanond, former army commander, is one among strong candidates for the post of prime minister. Asked whether in the meeting with Privy Council president Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda on Monday the chief privy counsellor had contributed to selecting the prime minister, Gen. Sonthi said his meeting with the nation's leading senior statesman had nothing to do with this matter. Gen. Sonthi said the interim government will comprise 36 cabinet members including the prime minister. The prime minister will have full authority in choosing the cabinet members, with no involvement or interference from the CDRM. He affirmed that the interim government will be free from military Council influence, and that the Council has no intention to dominate or control the new government. None of the CDRM leaders has such an intent, Gen. Sonthi said. (TNA)-E009

I should also have mentioned that the elephant trek I recommend so highly is an outfit called "Ban Chang Thai." Their telephone numbers are: 039-551 474 081-761-1554 089-849-4902 They do have a one-hour trek that does not include swimming with elephants at 500 baht per person.

That is a lie! It took me 15 minutes . . . . Smiles, my old friend, anyone who wishes to do so can post just as much as I do, or even more (if that's possible to do).

That depends on whose neck . . .

Most of these incidents seem to occur between 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM, although the article doesn't say what time these two latest incidents occurred. But the gold chain snatchings seem to occur at just about anytime, including broad daylight.

I guess you just can't win. Last year we went through a terrible drought. This year there is so much rain that homes and businesses are being destroyed. Last night a torrential rain hit Pattaya yet again. It must be terrible for the people who live in flood areas. No sooner do they begin to get cleaned up from the last major rainfall, a new one strikes. Last week my BF and I went to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo. On the way you pass by a major reservoir. We went about this time last year too. Last year, because of the drought, the water level was so low you could just about walk across the reservoir. Now the same reservoir is full. Actually, when it isn't raining, the weather has been quite pleasant. It has cooled off the heat and the humidity hasn't been uncomfortably high. One serious problem, whether one lives in a flood area or not, is the streets. The rains have left potholes everywhere. If you drive a car or motorcycle you have to drive cautiously to avoid serious damage. Pattaya is not known for repairing these streets quickly, so the pothole problem is something that's going to be here for a while.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Supachai 'to discuss terms' for PM's post Former WTO chief has tentatively accepted invitation to lead an interim government Supachai Panitchpakdi has tentatively accepted the ruling military council's invitation to become Thailand's interim prime minister, high-placed sources said yesterday. Dr Supachai's agreement came after Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda and former National Security Council secretary-general Prasong Soonsiri helped persuade him to accept the post, a council source said. The news was confirmed last night by a person close to Supachai, who is secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and former director-general of the World Trade Organisation. He was reportedly due to return to Bangkok last night to hold talks with CDRM leaders. "The Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy has picked Supachai for his capability to salvage the country's sagging economy and remedy its image, tarnished by the coup," the source said. "There is nothing for Supachai to lose working as caretaker prime minister for one year," the source said. "This can even be another top honour for him after his record as WTO chief." Supachai has three years remaining in his term as UNCTAD secretary-general. Another source said that Prem approached Supachai himself, seeing him as the most suitable choice to be interim premier. The two had good relations since Supachai served as president of the Thai Military Bank, the source noted. "Supachai was well accepted and respected among the armed forces, partly thanks to his service at the military bank," the source said. Meanwhile, the junta secretary said yesterday the ruling military council would become the protector of the interim government once the new prime minister is announced next week. The CDRM will be renamed the Council of National Security (CNS), General Winai Phattiyakul said. "We will not be the prime minister's boss and the prime minister will not be our boss, either," Winai said. General Winai briefed the Bangkok-based diplomats yesterday on the timeline towards democracy, together with Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Krit Garnjana-Goonchorn. The CNS, expected to be officially announced at the end of this week, would assist the new government in overseeing the country, to sustain economic and social stability in order to accomplish the junta's mission, Winai said. The CNS would not be directly related to the current National Security Council, which oversees routine security matters. Winai is its secretary general. The military leaders have finished drafting an interim charter, which will come into force by the end of this week as the legal platform for running the Kingdom during the transition period. The entire process of democratisation following last week's coup d'etat would take a total of eight months and 15 days, Winai said. The interim prime minister, whom the junta judges capable of maintaining economic development and international recognition, as well as helping to process the drafting of a new constitution for political reform, would be named by early next week, he said. Winai said he had no idea who was on the short-list to become the next prime minister but said the person would be honest, courageous and well respected. After the interim charter comes into force next week, the junta will select about 250 people to be members of the legislature, he said. Later, the junta will open a people's assembly with 2,000 representatives from various sectors, professions and regions who will be asked to elect 200 constitution drafters from their number. The drafters will have six months to write the text and two-and-a-half months more for screening, reading by the CNS, and a public referendum to endorse the new constitution. A total of 87 diplomats attended yesterday's briefing. They represented 65 countries and 14 international organisations. Their questions mainly concerned the well-being of detained former ministers from the Thaksin administration and details of the timeline. Krit said the junta begged the diplomats for a better understanding of its need to seize power. "For those who see [only the] dark side of the coup, we beg them to have an open mind to see the situation and to revise their opinion, if many things improve," Krit said the diplomats were told. Meanwhile, a source said the next task for the military chiefs would be to look for evidence linking Thaksin to alleged tainting of the monarchy. Junta leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, called on Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda yesterday, and they discussed candidates to be interim premier, and the annual military transfers. Sonthi said in a telephone interview afterwards that Prem advised the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) to select the interim PM carefully and to ensure fairness in the military transfers. "He said the next prime minister should be a good and honest person who will truly serve the country. And the transfers of military officials and civil servants must be fair," Sonthi said. "I told him that we [the CDRM] will ensure peace for the country and fairness to all." Sonthi's heavily-guarded motorcade arrived at Prem's Si Sao Thewet residence at about 3pm. Supalak Ganjanakhundee, Thanong Khanthong The Nation

Most hotels have a safe available for guests. I did not know, until reading this article, that some hotels have restrictions as to the times you can access your belongings if they are kept in the safe. Apparently some hotels do not exactly place customer care and service in their top ten priority list. My question is why have such a rule in the first place? Why can't a staff member access the safe when a customer needs his personal belongings at any hour, especially in a case like the one illustrated in this story? The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Tourist Police

The beach area along Pattaya's Beach Road has long been notorious as the wrong place to be late at night. Recently, the Pattaya Police have publicized that they are working hard to clean up the rampant crime that goes on there. Apparently, there is still a little work to do. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Late Night Pattaya Beach Crime Continues Despite Regular Police Patrols Two cases of violence now against foreigners from Pattaya Beach on the same night which demonstrates that efforts to improve the security for tourists on Pattaya Beach must be reviewed. The first case involves Mr. Abraham Amsee aged 70 from Israel. He sustained serious facial injuries after a late night attack by three Thai men who robbed him of his possessions which included 2,500 Euro

I'm not surprised. He really is as good as I said he is. As a matter of fact he'll be at my house tomorrow morning. The on-demand water heater for my shower blew out and he's coming over to install the new one. Whenever I need something done, Doon is the man I always call. Someone who is responsible and knows what he is doing is worth his weight in gold in Pattaya. He also guarantees his work. If something goes wrong with any work he's done, he'll be right there to take care of the problem.