Wild times in Thailand

Last week it was the Asian Summit in Pattaya when the "United Front for Democracy against dictatorship", other wise known as the red shirts converged on Pattaya. There demonstrations forcing the closure of the summit with the world leaders in attendance being heloed away.

To regain control a state of emergency was declared by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva which in effect pushed the demonstrators back to Bangkok.

Protesters and police have clashed a new in Bangkok, reports of anywhere from 44 to 70 people injured. Reports of streets being blocked, bus and train service halted but my Air Asia flight is still on for Wednesday. I tried to push back my flight but they have set 48 hours as the minimum time frame to change flights and I arrived 45 hours before and was told - "we have our rules so either use the flight or lossthe ticket".

Link to the latest news -news.yahoo.com/

Something else to think about before deciding to rent one of those spiffy little motorbikes :


Foreign drivers must cooperate with traffic police: officer
April 12, 2009 about News, Social

Ho Chi Minh City police will not tolerate resistance from foreign drivers found flouting traffic rules without a driver’s license, a police official said.

The Ho Chi Minh City police department set up a task force to oversee the observation of traffic regulations by foreigners late last month. The move followed a crackdown on foreigners and overseas Vietnamese caught breaking traffic regulations last December. English-fluent traffic police have been dispatched mostly to District 1 to handle foreigner-related traffic infringements.

Any violating foreign driver will have their bikes impounded if they cannot present a driver’s license, said lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Ngoc Loan, head of the Traffic Police Task Force No.1 at the city police department.
Foreign drivers who were uncooperative with traffic police would face additional fines of VND1.5 million, Loan said.

Loan also said the city police department would consider printing traffic violation tickets in English to make it easier for foreign drivers to read and sign.

Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police Deputy Chief Lieutenant-Colonel Tran Thanh Tra said the current fines for the owners of rented motorbikes were not enough of a deterrent. Owners of motorbikes rented by foreigners face fines of VND100,000-200,000 ($5.90-11.80) if their customers break traffic regulations.

Tra said the fines should be higher.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A VIETNAMESE DRIVING LICENSE:
Foreigners eligible for driving licenses in Vietnam include those who have lived, worked or studied in Vietnam for at least three months and have legitimate driving licenses granted by their home countries.

To apply for a Vietnamese driving license foreigners need to submit the following documents:

• An application letter certified by their Vietnamese employer or agency;
• A copy of their driving license from their home country and a Vietnamese translation;
• A copy of their passport. Those under diplomatic immunity must present an introduction letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Three passport photos.

License applications, which should be processed within five days, can be made at HCMC Department of Transport offices at:
252 Ly Chinh Thang, Ward 9, District 3; 8 Nguyen Anh Thu, Trung My Tay Ward, District 12; or 111 Tan Son Nhi, Tan Son Nhi Ward, Tan Phu District.

In Hanoi, the documents can be submitted at the Hanoi Department of Transport offices at: 16 Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh District; or 2 Phung Hung Street, Ha Dong Town.

Reported by Dam Huy

Red, yellow and now blue shirts in Thai politics - plus update

Thaksin Shinawater has had a rough few years, while out of the country in September of 2006 a bloodless coup deposed him as prime minister. As a result he went into a self imposed exile with his wife, ending up in London, I'm guessing with time on his hands, so he bought the soccer team, Manchester United.

Meanwhile, his opponents in Thailand where prosecuting him and his wife in the courts on corruption charges and attempted to have him extradited. In his absence they continued with the proceedings, convicting him and his wife. Shortly their afterward he and his wife divorced, he gave up Manchester United and is said to be using all his time and energy in Thai politics. The power and support behind the red shirts, who are now protesting for a new election.

Q+A-Where is political unrest in Thailand heading?
Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:52am BST - Reuters UK

update 04/11/09 Blue shirts are now involved in the ongoing Thai political protests. Blues represent locale Pattaya residents who are attempting to block red shirts protests. The Nation

Watch out for buses in HCMC

Serious stuff getting out on the streets in Saigon - 38 bus related traffic accidents last year = 38 deaths. Read about the carnage in the last month in following article-

City orders bus driver clampdown after accident fatalities

A public bus picking up passengers in District 1.
The Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee Tuesday ordered a clampdown on bus drivers following a horror spate of fatal accidents this month.
The committee requested the city’s Transport Department and Public Passenger Transport Management and Operation Center to tighten control over public bus operators and ensure bus drivers follow traffic safety rules.
It asked the HCMC police department to instruct the traffic and district police to get heavy on bus drivers who flouted the rules.
Nguyen Ngoc Tuong from the committee said many bus drivers were a danger to public safety as they drove carelessly, sped and dropped off and picked up passengers haphazardly.

Tuesday, driver Phan Van Toai drove over the leg of an alighting passenger, 71-year-old Tran Ngoc. The bus dropped Ngoc on Le Dai Hanh Street, District 11, and swung back onto the road before the driver was alerted by other passengers that he had run over the old woman.
Ngoc was rushed to Cho Ray Hospital for urgent surgery. So far no action has been taken against the driver.

On Monday, bus driver Nguyen Van Phuoc turned sharply to stop at a bus stop, causing an accident that killed a man engaged to be married this Sunday.

Last Thursday bus driver Ho Van Tay went the wrong way on a roundabout and crashed into a motorbike in District 8, killing the male motorbike driver and his nephew instantly while the man’s 12-year-old daughter died Friday in hospital. Tay was arrested and police have said they will press charges against him.

HCMC public buses last year caused 38 traffic accidents that killed 38 people, the city road traffic police reported earlier this month.

Reported by: Dinh Muoi â Thanh Tung