I guess the official airport taxi desk outside the arrival area on the lower level is not entirely scam free. A few weeks ago, I exited the airport, went up to the desk, and gave the guy (an older guy with glasses) the name of my mid-Sukhumvit Hotel. He then said what I thought was "You pay driver 40 baht." I thought he was talking about the toll or the airport surcharge and I didn't pay much attention, I just said "OK."
He directed me to a driver, who had a small SUV cab, not a corolla. Interestingly, the driver seemed a little reluctant to give me my portion of the ticket bck (with the driver's info on it), I had to ask him a couple of times for it.
We started to pull out of the airport, meter off. I asked him to put on the meter, and he said I had agreed with the desk guy to pay him 400 baht. I never meant to do that, I must have just misheard the guy. I told the guy I wasn't paying 400 baht, just to let me out. He said OK, if I would give him back the ticket with his info. I said no, I was getting out with the ticket. He then agreed to use to meter, BUT he was really angry about it, claiming that he had "big car" and that I had agreed to pay 400.
Ultimately I gave him 350 on arrival at destination, which I think was more than fair, but it's interesting that the airport metered taxi desk is apparently now steering people to non-metered cars and brokering off-meter deals.
The other moral to this story is to always get the ticket with the driver's info. He seemed legitimately worried about me exitng the cab with the ticket for his failure to use the meter and then presumably lodging a complaint.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Airport protesters 'won't release balloons'
Residents from 32 housing estates who are being affected from noise pollution at Suvarnabhumi airport Saturday pledged not to release balloons to disrupt air traffic at the airport on Sunday.Prasert Boonkaew, leader of local residents from the 32 housing estates, said leaders of the residents would hold a meeting, starting from 9.09 am Sunday, to discuss what problems had been solved by Airports of Thailand (AoT) for the residents during the past 11 months. Residents leaders will also discuss whether the contracts signed earlier with AoT are fair to the residents, said Mr. Prasert, adding that he could not say whether the disgruntled residents would move and surround the airport after the meeting. He said the residents had agreed with the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, under the supervision of the Transport Ministry, not to release balloons as they realised that such action would endanger air traffic.The local residents want concerned government agencies to honour last year's November 21 Cabinet resolution and want the AoT to adjust the flight timetable by having commercial airliners refrain from landing or take-off during night-time like some countries which would not disturb their sleep. (TNA)
Petitioner's village in Beijing to be demolished
BEIJING (AP) -- A rights group urged Beijing authorities Thursday to scrap their plan to tear down a settlement where thousands of aggrieved citizens from around the country stay while appealing to the central government for help.
Justice seekers from all over China crowd into the neighborhood of dilapidated single-story homes in southern Beijing's Fengtai district, drawn by the cheap rent and close proximity to the State Council petition office, which lies just across a highway.
They stay for weeks and sometimes months at a time, cooking on hot plates and sharing an outhouse with hundreds of others, while petitioning the central government for help in fighting local corruption or other abuses.
On Thursday, large printed notices could be seen plastered on walls in the neighborhood informing local residents that they had to leave by noon on Sept. 19. The notices said the demolition was being done to make way for a road leading to the capital's south train station.
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch said in a statement that up to 4,000 people would be affected. It said the demolition was being done in order to clean up the city ahead of a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress in mid-October that will renew President Hu Jintao's mandate and set policy for the next five years.
"Petitioners are some of China's most vulnerable citizens, and they have a right to housing while they pursue their legal claims," Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Demolishing the Fengtai settlement only adds insult to injury."
Local residents said they expected to be compensated but the petitioners, because most of them rent, likely have no right to compensation without a lease or rental contract.
Several petitioners said the demolition will make it difficult to stay in Beijing because other districts are too expensive or prohibitively far from the petition office.
"If the petition village is demolished, I won't have anywhere to go and will have to live on the street," said Ma Xuecheng, a 54-year-old petitioner from north China's Shenyang city in Liaoning province.
A court ruled in 1999 that Ma was wrongly convicted of badly beating a man after he had already served seven months in jail. He is seeking compensation and social security from the government.
The number of petitioners in the district had been expected to swell in the run-up to next month's party Congress. People often come to Beijing at times of big political events in the hope they can gain more attention for their plight.
A woman with the local Fengtai government, who gave only her surname Wang, said residents would be compensated, but did not give specific details.
China's petition system dates back thousands of years and is designed to allow ordinary people to raise formal grievances.
"I'll die of anger if I just give up and go back to home," said Fang Shihua, a 52-year-old petitioner from north China's Jiamusi city in Heilongjiang province. She and her 30-year-old son, who has cancer, have been living in the settlement for a year and don't know where they will go after Sept. 19.
Fang claims corrupt officials at the sugar factory where she used to work have not paid her the back salary she is owed or provided medical insurance or unemployment benefits. She also said she was beaten for reporting on local corruption.
"This place is no kind of home," said Fang, gesturing to the 3 meter by 1.5 meter (10 by 5 foot) room she now shares with her son and a huge pile of trash just outside the door. "What a place here. But still we hope for a fair resolution."
Justice seekers from all over China crowd into the neighborhood of dilapidated single-story homes in southern Beijing's Fengtai district, drawn by the cheap rent and close proximity to the State Council petition office, which lies just across a highway.
They stay for weeks and sometimes months at a time, cooking on hot plates and sharing an outhouse with hundreds of others, while petitioning the central government for help in fighting local corruption or other abuses.
On Thursday, large printed notices could be seen plastered on walls in the neighborhood informing local residents that they had to leave by noon on Sept. 19. The notices said the demolition was being done to make way for a road leading to the capital's south train station.
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch said in a statement that up to 4,000 people would be affected. It said the demolition was being done in order to clean up the city ahead of a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress in mid-October that will renew President Hu Jintao's mandate and set policy for the next five years.
"Petitioners are some of China's most vulnerable citizens, and they have a right to housing while they pursue their legal claims," Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Demolishing the Fengtai settlement only adds insult to injury."
Local residents said they expected to be compensated but the petitioners, because most of them rent, likely have no right to compensation without a lease or rental contract.
Several petitioners said the demolition will make it difficult to stay in Beijing because other districts are too expensive or prohibitively far from the petition office.
"If the petition village is demolished, I won't have anywhere to go and will have to live on the street," said Ma Xuecheng, a 54-year-old petitioner from north China's Shenyang city in Liaoning province.
A court ruled in 1999 that Ma was wrongly convicted of badly beating a man after he had already served seven months in jail. He is seeking compensation and social security from the government.
The number of petitioners in the district had been expected to swell in the run-up to next month's party Congress. People often come to Beijing at times of big political events in the hope they can gain more attention for their plight.
A woman with the local Fengtai government, who gave only her surname Wang, said residents would be compensated, but did not give specific details.
China's petition system dates back thousands of years and is designed to allow ordinary people to raise formal grievances.
"I'll die of anger if I just give up and go back to home," said Fang Shihua, a 52-year-old petitioner from north China's Jiamusi city in Heilongjiang province. She and her 30-year-old son, who has cancer, have been living in the settlement for a year and don't know where they will go after Sept. 19.
Fang claims corrupt officials at the sugar factory where she used to work have not paid her the back salary she is owed or provided medical insurance or unemployment benefits. She also said she was beaten for reporting on local corruption.
"This place is no kind of home," said Fang, gesturing to the 3 meter by 1.5 meter (10 by 5 foot) room she now shares with her son and a huge pile of trash just outside the door. "What a place here. But still we hope for a fair resolution."
KTAM's president loses his job
Sripop contract ended after firm hit by investment in bills of exchange
The Picnic Corp scandal has claimed another victim. Sripop Sararas, president and CEO of Krung Thai Asset Management (KTAM), has had his employment contract terminated by KTAM, effective from August 16, due to the damage suffered from the company's investment in Picnic's bills of exchange.Yesterday, a letter dated August 15 from the company's board to Sripop, which indicates the decision to terminate his job, was circulated to the media. The person who sent the letter to the media is unknown."I don't want to give any comment at the moment," Sripop said when contacted yesterday by telephone.He reportedly has close connections with the former chairman of Krung Thai Bank, Viroj Nualkhair, as both had been in the management at now-defunct Phatra Thanakit. The securities business of the company has been separated and renamed Phatra Securities.Krung Thai Bank president Apisak Tantivorawong, when asked about Sripop's job termination, said members of KTAM's board would be best placed to comment about the matter.However, KTAM chairman Krairit Euchukanonchai could not be reached for comment yesterday.During April and May, KTAM set up an examination committee to probe KTAM's investment in Picnic's bills of exchange worth about Bt500 million, carried out under Sripop's management. The company suffered from the late payment and default by Picnic and has so far received only Bt200 million in payments from Picnic.According to the letter, the board said Sripop had not followed the board's resolution, regulations, company policies and had not kept the company's interest in mind. It said Sripop had insulted, condemned and defamed his superiors, which was a criminal offence. Such actions, the board said in the letter, had violated the company's rules and discipline, and also broken the employment contract and caused damage to the company. Therefore, the company had decided to cease his employment according to Section 6.1 of the employment contract, with Sripop having no right to claim any compensation from the company.On August 15, the board of directors unanimously agreed to terminate Sripop's job contract dated September 29, 2003. The resolution took effect on August 16.In addition, KTAM's board demanded that Sripop pay the company compensation of Bt2.98 million together with interest of 7.5 per cent per annum counted from the day the company was damaged. Payment must be made within 30 days from August 15. Sripop also has to pay for any damages the company suffers in the future.Sripop was also ordered to submit a resignation letter as a director of the company on August 16, otherwise he must be held responsible for all damages that the company incurs. The letter was signed by Danucha Yindeepit and Preeda Laocharoenwong, the company's authorised directors.Aside from KTAM, other asset-management firms have also suffered from the default of Picnic's bills of exchange.Aberdeen Asset Management has received only Bt3 million out of total debts of Bt50 million, while Krung Thai Asset Management, which has won two out of 11 civil cases it filed against Picnic, is owed Bt370 million. The other creditor is Finansa, which is owed Bt90 million. Picnic has delayed payment and defaulted on its bills since early 2005. Three other firms - Ayudhya JF Asset Management, whose name was changed to Ayudhya Fund Management (AYF) last year, UOB Asset Management (Thai) (UOBAM) and Tisco Asset Management - were all affected by the delayed payment. However, debts of Bt500 million due to AYF, Bt100 million to UOBAM and Bt5 million to Tisco were all cleared as the bills of these three asset-management firms came due prior to the others.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
AOT PRESIDENT QUIT - What will happen to the ongoing negotiations with AOT by the protestors ?
Hi All. Too much excitement. Yesterday, AOT was brought to the negotiating table. Today the acting president quit. What will become of the residents staying around the Survanabhumi airport ? Anxiety. Frustration. Despair. Of course, they will tell the head of the protesters to hold their horses. Hold On. We also have our internal problems. Note: I can bet most of the AOT top management does not stay around the airport !
Last week, I wanted to negotiate a new repayment scheme for my mortgage of my house to the bank. I had been talking to one girl for the last two months. I found out last week that she had quit. Everything is now in a limbo. First they have to look for the file. The new person taking over her job have to look into the file. Currently, there is nobody assigned to take over from her job. I am at a loss. The interests on the outstanding principal is running. The bank is demanding their payment on schedule. The manager asked us to wait. They will get back to us as soon as possible.
Will this happen to the new agreement that is being worked out. Or as the AOT and the transport ministry replied on the papers, being considered. A working agreement requires certain signatures. It may be the board’s policy of the various authorities that they require an existing President to put his or her signature into the agreement. The AOT president Khun Kulya was reported to be discouraged and exhausted. Shall we read between the lines? Is there a lot of things frustrating her? We have read in the newspaper that
A good solution is to look for good people. We may have to replace most of the older staff. They have got the airport into this mess in the first place. Are they still protecting their own interests? Are they protecting their own job? We do not know. But what we know is that They should work for the good of the Thai nation. Some of them from what we have read in the newspaper are being investigated by so many crime suppression agencies. Good luck to them.
How long does it take to select a new President ? They say one to two months at least. How slow the wheels of AOT turns ?
Hey….. you protestors at Survanabhumi airport against AOT and the government authorities. We need to have rules. AOT need to follow our own internal rules. We need to set up panels. We need to set up committees. We need seriously to look and consider your case. Nothing is easy. Failed Promises? This is
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
ชาวบ้านยืดเวลาปล่อยลูกโป่งกวนการบินสุวรรณภูมิอีก 15 วัน
ที่ประชุมร่วมระหว่างกระทรวงคมนาคม - ทอท.กับชาวบ้านที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียง
รอบสนามบินสุวรรณภูมิ เบื้องต้นสรุปว่าภาครัฐรับ 5 เงื่อนไขไปพิจารณา ขยายกรอบความช่วยเหลือ ขณะที่แกนนำชาวบ้านระบุวันที่ 7 ก.ย.นี้ไม่มีลูกโป่งก่อกวนการบินแน่ แต่จะขอดูความจริงใจในการแก้ปัญหาของภาครัฐต่อไปอีก 15 วัน
นายชัยสวัสดิ์ กิตติพรไพบูลย์ ปลัดกระทรวงคมนาคม เปิดเผยภายหลังประชุมร่วมกับผู้บริหารบริษัท ท่าอากาศยานไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) หรือ ทอท. และแกนนำชาวบ้าน
ที่ได้รับผลกระทบเรื่องเสียงรอบท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ เพื่อหาทางออกของปัญหาการจ่ายค่าชดเชย หลังกลุ่มชาวบ้านประกาศจะปล่อยลูกโป่งเพื่อก่อกวนการบินในวันที่ 7 กันยายนนี้ ว่าการหารือได้ข้อสรุปสำคัญ 5 ประเด็น ประกอบด้วย แนวเส้นเสียงที่ชาวบ้านระบุว่า แม้จะอนุญาตนอกแนวเส้นเสียง แต่ได้รับผลกระทบ ในส่วนนี้ได้ประสานกับ ทอท.กับกรมควบคุมมลพิษ หากชาวบ้านรายใดมีความสงสัย กรมควบคุมมลพิษจะจัดส่งเจ้าหน้าที่เข้าไปตรวจวัดเสียงใหม่ สำหรับประเด็นที่กำหนดว่าชาวบ้านที่ได้รับผลกระทบค่า NEF ที่ระดับไม่เกิน 40 เดซิเบล หรือเกิน 40 เดซิเบล หรือประมาณ 70 เดซิเบล ทอท.จะเข้าไปซื้อหรือปรับปรุงที่อยู่อาศัย ซึ่งชาวบ้านต้องการให้มีการรับซื้อทั้งหมด ทอท.จะรับประเด็นดังกล่าวไว้พิจารณา ขณะที่ข้อร้องเรียนของชาวบ้านที่ระบุว่าสัญญากับชาวบ้าน 71 รายที่ทำไป ชาวบ้านไม่ได้ตรวจสัญญาล่วงหน้า ทอท.จะรับไปดำเนินการให้การทำสัญญาซื้อขายที่อยู่อาศัย ให้เป็นที่พอใจทั้งสองฝ่าย ส่วนปัญหาการจ่ายชดเชยล่าช้านั้น ภาครัฐรับจะไปดำเนินการให้รวดเร็วขึ้น
ด้านข้อเรียกร้องใหม่ ที่ชาวบ้านต้องการให้ภาครัฐกลับไปใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีเดิมเมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 ที่มีแนวขึ้นลงของอากาศยานทั้ง 2 รันเวย์ทั้งหมด และให้ชดเชยผู้อยู่อาศัยก่อนปี 2549 รวมทั้งเลิกใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีเมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 ที่ให้มีการคำนวณการขึ้นลงของอากาศยานตามจริง และจำกัดจะจ่ายชดเชยให้เฉพาะผู้อยู่อาศัยก่อนปี 2544 เท่านั้น ในเรื่องนี้จะเสนอให้รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงคมนาคมพิจารณาว่า จะเสนอแก้ไขมติคณะรัฐมนตรีอีกครั้งได้หรือไม่ และทบทวนมติคณะกรรมการ ทอท.ที่เคยมีมติดำเนินการตามกรอบมติคณะรัฐมนตรีใหม่ด้วย
“ส่วนกรณีที่ชาวบ้านขู่จะมีการปล่อยลูกโป่ง หากการเจรจาไม่ได้ข้อยุติที่พอใจนั้น เมื่อภาครัฐมีมติจะดำเนินการผ่อนปรนให้เช่นนี้ ก็หวังว่า ชาวบ้านจะไม่ดำเนินการใดๆ ที่กระทบต่อความปลอดภัยทางการบิน” นายชัยสวัสดิ์กล่าว
ด้านนายวันชาติ มานะธรรมสมบัติ แกนนำกลุ่มชาวบ้าน กล่าวว่า เมื่อภาครัฐรับปากจะแก้ปัญหาให้รวดเร็วขึ้น ตนจะประสานงานขอความร่วมมือกับชาวบ้าน ไม่มีการปล่อยลูกโป่งในวันที่ 7 กันยายนนี้ และจะรอดูความจริงใจในการแก้ปัญหาของภาครัฐต่อไปอีก 15 วัน ก่อนจะมีความเคลื่อนไหวต่อไป
ขณะที่ พล.ร.อ.ธีระ ห้าวเจริญ รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงคมนาคม กล่าวว่าสำหรับข้อเรียกร้องของชาวบ้านให้มีการกลับไปใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีเมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 นั้น ตามหลักกฎหมายในการแก้ปัญหา ต้องใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีหลังสุด แต่หากจะมีการเสนอให้ทบทวนมติคณะรัฐมนตรีใหม่ ต้องดูเหตุดูผลว่ามีความเหมาะสมหรือไม่ด้วย
นายเสรีรัตน์ ประสุตานนท์ ผู้อำนวยการท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ กล่าวว่าในส่วนข้อเรียกร้องขอให้มีการแก้ไขมติของคณะกรรมการ ทอท. ที่อ้างอิงมติคณะรัฐมนตรี เมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 ฝ่ายบริหาร ทอท.จะรายงานให้ที่ประชุมคณะกรรมการ ทอท.ทราบในการประชุมครั้งต่อไป
ผู้สื่อข่าวรายงานว่า ประเด็นข้อถกเถียงของความแตกต่างระหว่างมติคณะรัฐมนตรีทั้งสองครั้ง ที่มีการกำหนดแนวเส้นเสียงต่างกัน หากพิจารณามติคณะรัฐมนตรีเมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 พบว่ามีประชาชนที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียงมีค่า NEF มากกว่า 40 เดซิเบล (70 เดซิเบล) 1,863 ราย และ NEF ระหว่าง 30-40 เดซิเบลอีก 25,932 ราย ขณะที่มติคณะรัฐมนตรี เมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 จำกัดจะจ่ายชดเชยให้เฉพาะผู้อยู่อาศัยก่อนปี 2544 พบว่าจะมีประชาชนที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียงมากกว่า NEF 40 เดซิเบล ลดลงเหลือ 773 ราย และ NEF 30-40 เดซิเบล ลดลงเหลือ 18,293 ราย ส่วนความคืบหน้าในการจ่ายเงินชดเชยเพื่อซื้อที่อยู่อาศัยปัจจุบันดำเนินการอยู่ 245 หลังคาเรือน อยู่ระหว่างการเจรจาทำสัญญา 199 ราย เป็นวงเงิน 199 ล้านบาท ซึ่งในจำนวนดังกล่าวมีการทำสัญญาจ่ายเงินแล้ว 9 ล้านบาท
SRT stunned by Suvarnabhumi tunnel cost
The State of Railway's board of directors has recently instructed the management to reassess the construction cost of the underground rail tunnel at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is the end of the Airport Rail Link project.
Siva Sangmanee, chairman of the SRT, said the board is concerned with the huge cost. The SRT formerly set the budget at Bt500 million for the tunnel with 200-300 metres in length. However, the tunnel is much bigger than planned, with the total length of 800 metres, and it costs totally Bt4 billion.
Airports of Thailand carried out the construction on behalf of SRT prior to the airport's opening. It has also paid for the construction costs in advance.
"We have expressed our concerns on the cost and have coordinated with AOT. The construction contract would be examined as SRT has never known of the details. Now, we are considering on the payment issue, but have not yet decided when to pay the amount to AOT," Siva said.
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