The cabinet meeting on Tuesday 8, June 2010 has come to the following decision:
The cabinet considered the assessment report on the impacts and damages caused by the deforestation that was conducted due to the construction of freeway number 2090 (Dhanaratra Road), as proposed by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The following resolutions have been made by the cabinet.
1. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has been assigned to appoint a fact-finding committee to investigate the facts surrounding the deforestation that was conducted along a section of freeway number 2090 (Dhanaratra Road), between the freeway exit number 2 connecting with Khao Yai Natural Park at the Second Kilometre and the Tenth Kilometre of the freeway which is in Pak Chong District, Nakorn Ratchasrima Province.
2. The cabinet has also assigned the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to rehabilitate the ecosystem of the section of the freeway where deforestation was conducted, between the Second Kilometre to the Tenth Kilometre.
3. The cabinet resolved to designate the area surrounding Khao Yai Natural Park and surrounding forests, all of which are listed and Natural World Heritage Site, as the area under the environmental protection, according to Section 45 of the 1992 Environmental Promotion and Conservation Act, and to assign the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to conduct a study and urgently propose environmental protection measures to the National Committee on Environment.
4. The cabinet has immediate halted the construction project for the renovation and expansion of the section of freeway number 2090, between the Second Kilometre to the Tenth Kilometre as well as designated the wood from the deforestation to exclusive use on the Khao Yai Natural Park.
5. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has been ordered to consider an appropriate length of time for Initial Environmental Examination (IEE).
The cabinet acknowledged and approved the resolution made by the committee set up to help businesses and employees affected by the anti-government protest on June 7, 2010.
The cabinet endorsed the measure proposed by Chulalongkorn University, which is to exempt the businesses from paying the rent for the space at semi-permanent commercial buildings to Chulalongkorn University for six months.
The first part of the package is to help those affected by the anti-government protest by exempting the rental fee for businesses for one month, valued at 65 million Baht, and extending the due date for outstanding balance, from April to June 2010, without charging any interest.
The second part of the package is to help the businesses suffered from arson by exempting the rental fee for spaces at semi-permanent buildings that are being rebuilt for six months. The cost of this measure is valued at 69.4 million Baht.
The committee has gathered the additional information regarding the registration from employees who were affected by the anti-government protest.
- For the employees covered by the Social Security and could retain their jobs, the committee sees it is fitting that the budget from the central budget reserved for emergency or necessary expenses in the general financial assistance category be allocated for compensation, not unlike to the businesses in Rajchaprasong area, to 2,242 employees who are to be compensated with one-month wage, valued at 24,502,935 Baht in total.
- For the employees not covered by the Social Security, the budget from the central budget reserved for emergency or necessary expenses in the general financial assistance category should be granted to compensate 1,325 employees, each of whom will receive 7,500 Baht for a month wage, valued at 9,937,500 Baht in total.
The total cost of both measures is valued at 34,440,435 Baht, which is to be disbursed by the Ministry of Labour through budgetary expenses.
Measure to help businesses at Centre One Shopping Complex will be to find new location
The cabinet approved in principle the budget from the 2010 central budget reserved for emergency or necessary expenses for the Royal Thai Police's expenses used for the wage for the police force (Korakot/52) consisting of 29,700 policemen, valued at 285,120,000 Baht, during the period in which the 2005 Executive Decree for Emergency Situation was announced due to the anti-government protest which increase the risk to the police force, making it a cause for 400-Baht per day raise for the police force as proposed by the Royal Thai Police.
The cabinet endorsed and approved the proposal by the Ministry of Energy.
1. The cabinet endorsed the draft for the 9th APEC Energy Minister Declaration, the Fukui Declaration on Low Carbon Paths to Energy Security : Cooperative Energy Solutions for a Sustainable APEC.
2. The Minister of Energy or a representative assigned by the Minister of Energy has been authorised to to ratify the joint declaration along with Minsters of Energy from APEC countries.
It should be noted that these resolutions are necessary for the attempt to push for the result expected from the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting to be held in Fukui, Japan, on June 19, 2010.
The draft of the 9th APEC Energy Minister Joint Declaration sets a direction for the cooperation on energy security, focusing on energy efficiency and search new source of energy and non-conventional energy. The promotion of the use of bio-fuel from existing bio-energy resources can offset the use of gasoline and crude oil in transport sector as well as reduce carbon dioxide emission. Also, the development of the technology for alternative energy must be done in a sustainable manner in order to reduce costs, to improve the quality of the product, and to diversify the sources of energy.
Summary of the state of the society in the first quarter 2010
In this quarter, the Thai economy performed quite well. The economy expanded 12%. There is an increased in employment rate especially in the first quarter, as increased 2.6% from the first quarter of 2009. Most of the jobs that have an expansion in employment rate are the jobs related to agriculture, tourism industry, and restaurants. Salary rate has also increased by 4%. Due to the continuing process of recovery of production and some services from forth quarter 2003, unemployment rate dropped to 1.1%. In other words, there are 4.3 hundred thousands people. The number of people who works more than 40 hours per week increases 14% and there is also a drop in number of people who asked for the social insurance for unemployment to 126,116 persons. However, there is an issue that is needed to be aware of. There is an increasing trend of unemployment in the second and third quarter. This would affect the standard of living of laborers from the lack of income which is resulted from, firstly, the loss in business sectors from the civil unrest. This caused the decrease of working hours and employment. Secondly, catastrophe in agriculture, droughts and the spread of pests could obstruct the agriculture sector to create employment. Thirdly, newly graduates gradually entering the employment market from the end of March while there are still problems with the structure of the market both lacking of the specific skills labor to the need of the market and social security and private labor skill development.
There is an increasing trend of more extreme physiological problems from political stress (Political Stress Syndrome: PSS) and political conflicts. According to Department of Mental Health survey, in the year 2009, 41% of Thai people are in the average strain to very stressful. In the same time, Thai people still lack of stress management skills which could lead to domestic problems. There are three important issues that need to be aware of; firstly, severe psychological problems resulted from various problems. This could cause the increase of suicide rate. Secondly, social conflict that which creates stress and hamper people’s psychology. Thirdly, lack of scrutinizing, and checking the information from social media and social networks could cause more stress in the society especially in youth which are still lack of appropriate immunity and the senior citizens, for instance, some senior citizens who are left are experiencing depression.
Furthermore, people’s health is also at risk from many diseases which are the continuous spreading of influenza and the spreading of cholera every three years. At the same time, smoking endangers both smokers and non smoker from newly created type of cigarettes, for instance, electronic cigarettes. Moreover, research found that cigarettes also danger third-handed smokers. These groups of people breathe smoke from different places and different types of equipments. The law and regulation restricts smoking places to protect non smokers should be improved.
Crime essentially decreased, which is resulted from the recovery process of the economy, improved employment rate and various measures. However, in long term, drug issue still a concern especially among youth group. Internal and external pressures affect their lives which bring media to play important role in teenagers’ everyday lives, for instance, chatting though Hi5, facebook, and twitter. This is one of the main reasons that cause teenagers being deceived especially among the group of 11-15 years old.
Drought has been caused by global warming. Forest fire in the dry season has more severe tendency. There are also an increase in smoke and dust than average which cause health problems especially to children, senior citizens, and people who have respiratory systems problems are at risk. HM the King’s project, Pa Piek or the method of trying to humidify the forest is one sustainable solution. This is the way to preserve, rehabilitate the forest and also to protect forest fire in long term as well.
Measures for children’s development cover many different fields including social protection, for instance, nutrition and children’s health, children protection such as, educational system development with 15 years of free education and student loans. It also includes funds and institutions for educational purposes such as institution to support intelligence and learning innovation, creativity funding, organization to support learning children quality development under Thai Health Promotion Foundation. Cultural Centre and technology has been founded. However, it is necessary to see that children problem protection more important especially create good activities to build good background to substitute the bad activities. These good activities will be their intensive and opportunities for them to join and build up positive personality.
Positive Youth Development is the development process that upholds the idea of giving children opportunities or giving children choices to choose, creating good activities and good background to substitute the bad ones. Giving them intensive advice to enroll with these activities helps them to build up their creativities and positive personalities. This could be done by supporting to build up love and understanding in the family, various activities for the children in schools and other skills building outside activities outside schools. Children should be given the opportunity and space to be good citizens in the society and for the country. It gives borderless education with creativity and safety. The Government, as the main supporter and coordinator with every sector, promotes and support private sectors to come and support these social activities for investment in the society. Importance is also being placed at the local level, which drive these activities forward.
--Cabinet Meeting (Abhisit Vejjajiva) June 8, 2010--