TEBA Weekly Report on Bangkok Shutdown – 10 February 2014

Unpaid Rice Scheme, EC to decide on Election and Gov. to arrest PDRC leaders and many more…

Following information is only for business security-alert purposes and not to be treated as political viewpoints.

10th February 2014: Unpaid Rice Scheme, EC to decide on Election and Gov. to arrest PDRC leaders

Looking ahead:

• More angry farmers are on the way to Bangkok for a big rally to demand the cash-strapped government find money to pay their pledged rice.
• Election Commission to decide whether to hold a new election across the country or to complete the February 2 by fixing a date for the 28 constituencies that had no MP candidate.
• Caretaker Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Friday that he expected that bomb explosions would happen at rally sites of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.
• The Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order Friday resolved to ban 19 PDRC leaders, who are under arrest warrants, and 39 other PDRC leaders, who the CMPO will seek arrest warrants against, from travelling abroad, Department of Special Investigation chief Tarit Pengdith said.
• Immigration police have once again issued a warning to foreigners against any participation in the anti-government protests, saying that this could lead to deportation.
• The Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee has revised downward the forecast of the economic growth this year to 3 per cent from the previously estimated 4 per cent, due to the possible low economic growth in the first half of this year, according to BOT spokesperson Roong Mallikamas
• The months-long political unrest has delayed inbound and outbound merger-and-acquisitions (M&A) deals, given that both buyers and sellers are opting to hold off until the risk has eased, says PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) partner Kajornkiet Aroonpirodkul.

Past week activities:

• Former Bank of Thailand governor Pridiyathorn Devakula on Thursday called for caretaker premier and the government to resign, saying they are failed government.
• The Criminal Court on Thursday approved an arrest warrant for Luang Pu Buddha Issara, leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee protest at Chaeng Wattana.
• Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Thursday that he would set up 12 taskforces to track and arrest 19 leaders of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee who are wanted under arrest warrants.
• Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Thursday that he would deploy 1,000 volunteers and policemen to evict protesters from the Interior Ministry.
• The Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order is planning to seek court approval for 39 warrants to arrest additional 39 People’s Democratic Reform Committee leaders for allegedly breaching a state of emergency, CMPO director and Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said.
• Suthep Thaugsuban, chief of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, will lead a march on Silom Road Friday to beg for donations to help protesting farmers, the PDRC spokesman said Thursday.
• Farmers from the central provinces of Chai Nat, Ang Thong, Singburi, Suphanburi and Pathum Thani are blocking the Asian Highway in Ang Thong to pressure the caretaker government to pay them for rice sold into its subsidy scheme, reports said.
• The Office of Ombudsman decided Friday that it has no authority to receive a complaint of a former Democrat MP, which seeks to annul the February 2 election.
• Thaworn Senneam, a leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, admitted Friday that the strategy of besieging key government offices had no impact on the government.
• The firing of M-79 grenades at the Chaeng Wattana site last night was a strategy adopted by rally leaders to attract attention and incite the government to use violence, National Security Council’s chief Paradorn Pattanatabut said Friday.
• Indian Business Forum chairman Sathit Segal Friday sought help from the National Human Rights Commission to overrule a deportation order against him.
• The Election Commission is threatening to sue anyone who claims the agency is responsible for the government’s repeated postponement of payments to farmers who sold rice to its price-support scheme.
• Police Commissioner General Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew said Friday that he had assigned his assistant Lt Gen Winai Thongsong to be in charge of arresting leaders of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.
• A man accused in the attempted assassination of prominent red-shirt Kwanchai Praipana has reportedly told police he had six accomplices and they were hired by a “well-respected elder”.
• Two grenades were fired behind the stage of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee protest site on Chaeng Watthana Road on Saturday night.
• India-Thai Business Forum chairman Satish Sehgal denied Sunday that he is taking a refuge inside the Indian embassy.