An hacker attack on the website of the Thai Information and Communications Technology Ministry's website paralyzed the ministry's online presence for some time the day before yesterday. Instead of the welcome page the site displayed the grinning and waving Thaksin Shinawatra with the message "take back your dictatorship and return our Thailand". The attack to place at 11.50 a.m. and lasted about ten minutes. After that the page returned online not until 2 p.m. Up to now it is unclear whether the hackers started their defacement from Thailand or from overseas. Also, it is unclear whether or not supporters of Ex-PM Thaksin were responsible for the hack.

Information minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said he was "glad" about the skills of the hackers, but he disapproved the misuse of that talent. "The ministry will take action against those behind the attack, to make them pay for what they did," he said, adding that he had set a deadline for their arrest. A ministry spokesman said the attack had been launched simaltaneously from three different locations. A ministry employee described the hack a a "slap in the face" as it had hapened just one day after the Computer-related Crimes Act became effective.

Tags: communication ministry Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom Hacker Website

There is no doubt that Panrit “Gor” Daoruang is Thailand's most famous internet kid. At the age of 12 Gor startet writing about his life and about what it is like growing up in Thailand. His Blog entries were first published at the internationally known website ThailandLife.com in 1997. A lot of people regard Gor as Thailand's first true blogger. In his online diary he wrote about school, his home and his vacations all over Thailand. But only when he fell into an turbulent relationship with his first girlfriend and became drug addicted he really became famous. At the age of 16 he was discovered by the Bangkok Post, where he was offered to write a weekly column named Gor's world about his life.

For more than two years he entertained and shocked his readers with insights on the life of a typical thai teenager, who tries to cope with the strict rules of thai society. Motorbike races, teenage pregnancy, smoking in school, gambling, alkohol and drugs were presented week after week in a shockingly free spoken exposure. Nonetheless Gor also showed his appreciation for the thai values, for example when he wrote about his wedding, the birth of his daughter or is ordaining as a monk. A the age of 20 Gor was arrested for drug posession just a few months after he left monkhood. Since the age of 15 he had been addicte to "yaa baa", the crazy medicine", an amphetamine which is more widespread among thais than one would estimate. Gor had been trying to halt his addiction many times but had always failed as the drug was too powerful. At his trial he was sentenced to six years in prison, but the judge reduced the penalty for Gor pleading guilty at the last second. Today Gor is doing his time in Samut Prakan Central Prison, where the guards recruited him as an inofficial translator due to his fluent English

found at thaiprisonlife.com

pictures courtesy by thaiprisonlife.com

Technorati: gor Panrit “Gor” Daoruang blogger thailand thai Samut Prakan central prison jail teenager

Thai authorities are planning to deport members of the Hmong-tribe back to Laos within the next two months. "Those who came from Laos will be repatriated to their place of origin with no resettlements in Thailand or third countries,"said Third Army Region commander Lt-General Jiradej Kotcharat after an inspection of the shelter in Huay Nam Khao.
In total 7,653 hmong are registered, with an average of 26 births a month and 1.2 deaths a month sais the commander in the newspaper The Nation.

Most of the hmong refugees claim to be associated with the CIA financed hmong guerilla, wich fought until the fall of the laotian capital in 1975 against the communists. They had fled to Thailand because of the oppression in Laos.
Laotian government is still fighting against the former hilltribe soldiers although they not much more than small rugged units in the jungle with antique weapons.
Even though laotian military keeps on attacking Hmong villages.
"In one of the largest settlements with more than 800 inhabitants about 30 percent had gunshot or shrapnel wounds. Due to the attacks by the army many of the Hmong retreat in even deeper jungle areas. Some flee to Thailand, but there they are threatened by forced deportation back to Laos before they are registered by the UNHCR," reads the Amnesty International website.
However, Thailand and Laos regard them as illegal immigrants who should be deported home.

More on the Hmong: Hmong - People between diaspora and annihilation

Tags:thai thailand laos lao laotisch hmong hilltribe deportation abschiebung

A survey among 418 students age seven to 19 resulted, that 73 percent of the questioned find their school toilets too dirty said helath department director general Dr Narongsak Angkasuwapla. Second rank on the list is the drinking water.
The poll sais that 67 percent of the students hold their bldders, becase they find school toilets are too dirty or have no water."Cystitis is often the consequence - escpecially with girls," sais Narongsak.
After the positive echo on the campaigns for cleaner and safer toilets in gas stations and restaurants the department now launches a campaign for better onditions in school toilets.

Tags: Thailand thai school toilets bangkok

Other than the cambodian government Lao central Bank pursues completely difernt currency strategies. The institute released 30 million Thai baht (abot 8.6 billion Lao kip) last week to protect against black-market gains, said bank governor Phouphet Khamphounvong. "This was because the bank doesn't want entrepreneurs to exchange money in the black market. He said illegal traders might use this chance to make gains," quotes the Vientiane Times.
In Cambodia the situation is meanwhile completely differnet as politicians first of all Tiolong Saumura try to get rid of foreign currencies like the US-dollar or the Thai baht.

Tags: laos lao kip currency Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao BCEL thai baht

Thailand is the land of smile. It is almost impossible to turn those peaceful people angry. Thai people see over a lot of the rude behavior, language and insults by westerners. But you better not try. Even they have a straw that breaks the camel's back. And when they're letting go they do it more surprisingly and mercilessly than you expect.

So, avoid all kind of confontation with a Thai - least of all fighting. "You might feel like a buff thug, but believe me: You will lose and may possibly be arrested. Thai boxing ist a popular sport in Thailand and Thai people are as thick as thieves. So, brace yourself, even after 20 Singha beers. Don´t even think about it!" reads a german language online-magazine on Bangkok.
This should actually be common sense but especially western people sometimes seem to forget their manners- even more when encountering the considerate and polite Thai people.



Tags: thailand thai fighting confrontation argument behavior

In the US, it's the charges of Genarlow Wilson, who faces 10 years in prison for having sex with 15-year old when he had been age 17. In Germany it is 17-year old Marco Weiss' detention in an turkish penitentary. He is is alleged having abused a 13-year old british girl.

In Thailand there is a discussion about the law on child abuse, too.
Child-right activist Sapphasit Khumpraphan plans to petition His Majesty the King of Thailand in order to change the Thai Criminal Code., which allows courts to pardon offenders of child abuse of any age if they agree to marry the victim!

Sapphasit, director of the Centre for the Protection of Children's Rights Foundation, sais, a National Legislative Assembly (NLA) subcommittee had initially proposed only to pardon offenders up to the age 18 if they marry the victims.
The crusial factor of that rule was the age difference between offender nd victim:"A child's future should not be decided in legal squabbles. The order could be based on inaccurate information supplied to judges," he said. The activist sais, the NLA simply jumped to the conclusion that this should be decided by the court and passed the entire article in the first reading.

Technorati: thailand thai criminal code Sapphasit Khumpraphan Centre for the Protection of Children's Rights Foundation child abuse law

Cigarettes and other tobacco products wont't be available in duty-free shops worldwide if a proposal by Thailand is approved.
During the 2nd Framework Convention on Tobacco Protocol Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla wants to lead tobacco products to the customs duty.
Also, the proposal askes for a ban of tobacco advertising in online-media and other visual media worldwide. As a result, Thailand will block all websites showing such advertising.
Thailand joined the Convention in June 2003 and ratified it November 2004.
About 600-800 participants from 161 nations will decide on global enforcements of smoking-bans and rstrictions against the tobaco industrie.
Thailand is recognised for its strict measures on anti-smoking campaigns and tobacco control.

Information on the 2nd Framework Convention on Tobacco Protocol

Tags: Thailand Thai smoking Rauchen 2nd Framework Convention on Tobacco Protocol Mongkol na Songkhla