‘Rambo’ claims Burma death threats

Hollywood (Agencies, BangkokPost.com) - Actor/director Sylvester Stallone suffered a series of death threats on the Thai-Burmese set of the upcoming movie sequel about heroic John Rambo.

He also provided Hollywood reporters with some unique accounts of events along the frontier that seem more out of one of the Rambo movie scripts than real life.

Stallone and his crew made the movie around the border of Thailand and troubled Burma, where he insists a "full-scale genocide" is currently going on.

The 61-year-old, who witnessed refugees fleeing from Burma to Thailand, and the crew received a "lot of threats" and were warned they'd be shot.

Stallone tells TV show Entertainment Tonight, "It's the most brutal regime in the world and the most secretive. It has an oppressive regime that (keeps all riches) for themselves. Everyone is forced into drugs or prostitution or slavery.

"People are escaping all the time (from Burma), coming over with gaping, maggot-infested wounds, their ears being cut off. You saw a lot of suffering, a lot of malnutrition.

"We were on the Salween River and we were told to get out because we were going to be shot."

Source: Website Bangkok Post – Thailand, 30-9-2007

Here an extract of some of the hundreds of comments made in different Forums which are read world-wide:

“The army crackdown on anti-military demonstrations in September 1988 left an estimated 3,000 people dead, hundreds of whom were monks who had joined the protests.”

“The crackdown has prompted almost universal condemnation of the regime, drawing harsh rebukes even from Burma's neighbours in South-East Asia.”

“Well, the more, the merrier. But having said that, I hope the Thai govt's response to the dictatorship in Burma isn't as sincere as its (initial) World War II allegiance to Japan/German.”.

I never forget a photo in the Bangkok Post of some weeks ago showing General Sonthi, the director of the September 2005-coupe, humble shaking the blood-polluted hands of the leaders of the Burma junta in a friendly good-bye as a pensioner at the end of September this year. Even venting his idea that his successor will not have different ideas concerning Burma as his ideas.

All diplomaticy? Like they say in the Netherlands: “a good neighbour is better than a far friend?

Well, the general did not seemed to be very diplomatic whilst making the Singapore-fuss in accusing them of spying which appeared to be a lie after all only to shake-up the Thai people. Indeed, Singapore knows all about diplomacy by giving general Sonthi a medal because of the good relationship at military level. My comments are stuck!

Antoni P. Uni – Bangkok 30-9-2008

Pattani teacher shot dead

Yala - A third-grade teacher was shot dead allegedly by insurgents while waiting to be picked up by a protection unit to his school Tuesday morning.

Police said Somchoke Tipkonglart, 59, teacher of Ban Khaotum School in Pattani’s Yarang district, was shot deady by three young men while he was waiting in front of his house in Yala’s Muang district for a vehicle to transport him to his school in the neighbouring Pattani.

The shooting took place at 7:40 am.

The Nation

collected by Antoni P. Uni - Bangkok 10:39

HEARTBRAKING! WHAT MONSTERS ARE THE MUSLIM REBELS???

Just seen at Thai television a small boy, might be around 8 years old, totally in tears because his parents were heavenly wounded in, again, a shooting in the Southern part of Thailand.

How can the Islam leaders allow that insurgents are brainwashed in such a way that they kill randomly complete innocent people; old, young, monks, does not matter: license to kill!

WHAT MONSTERS!

Kamo no Chomei

My body is like a drifting cloud – I ask for nothing. I want nothing.

Kamo no Chomei

Collected by Antoni P. Uni, Thailand 2005

Kamo no Ch?mei (1155 – 1216 ) was a Japanese author, poet (waka), and essayist. He was born Kamo no Nagaakira. He experienced a series of disasters in his life, was passed over for promotion in the government, and lost his political backing as a result. He decided to turn his back on society and became a simple hermit, living simply.

Thailand sour over coup a year on

By Jonathan Head
BBC News, Bangkok

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7003285.stm

A lot of hogwash

A baby hedgehog survived an hour long spin in a washing machine in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.

The animal, now named Persil, ended up in the machine after wandering into a house and taking a nap in the laundry basket.

Luckily the 10-week old hedgehog was cushioned by the clothes and the washer was on slow spin and half load.

Now Persil is being cared for at a wildlife hospital in nearby Sidlesham.

Manager Penny Cooper said: “she is a miracle. She came out clean with shiny spikes. Usually when we get hedgehogs we have to take off the fleas.”

I was not so lucky and lost in this way the beloved cat "Bolletje" who sneaked through the open door of the already loaded washing machine and started comfortably sleeping. Unfortunately it was his last resting-place causing a lot of sadness for me. Since that day I was very cautious in checking the laundry before starting the process not wanting to lose any other of the cats.

Source: Bangkok Post – Thailand, 19-9-2007
Collected by Antoni Uni – Bangkok 20-9-2007

Paiboon Paphan, the rescuer-in-yellow

Paiboon Paphan, a Thai survivor from the plane crash, whose spine was injured, was brought on a wheelchair to visit an Australian survivor Mr Robert Boreland who he saved after the crash. Being treated at the Bangkok Phuket Hospital Robert suffered broken bones and burns, but he requested to see Paiboon to thank Paiboon for saving his life. After the crash caused fire flames, Paiboon pulled Robert out of the plane wreckage. At that time Robert only knew it was a man in yellow. Paiboon said he was proud to help save someone’s life and that it has been reported worldwide that a man in yellow saved a foreign tourist. He said he wore yellow in honor of His Majesty the King of Thailand.

Yellow is the King’s color and many Thai are wearing very frequent a yellow shirt with the Royal Weapon to express their admiration and honor for their King

Source: http://www.thaisnews.com/news
Collected by Antoni P. Uni – Bangkok, 20-9-2007

COUP “ANNIVERSARY”: 19-9-2006 / 19-9-2007

Yesterday we enjoyed the first anniversary of the last of the frequent coups in Thailand.

As normal a coup which brought a lot of mixed feelings and question marks but luckily this time the coup was bloodless.

I cannot judge enough, I can only see and hear what is happening around me, my (local Thai) environment, clients, acquaintances, friends and not as being a pensioner but “in business” with my, also local Thai, partners.

And what I have seen is not very positive, not at all. Financially, I think, it affected lots of people, either they cannot spend the money anymore or they are very careful in spending it. I see our (local Thai) restaurant almost empty and the clients don’t spend their money and consume minimum. Our other business is not much better. I see a local Shopping Mall suffering of fewer visits, I see local restaurants closing down, I see shops in that specific Shopping Mall closing down, I read about thousands of people sacked due to financial reasons, I hear taxi-drivers/owners complaining about less work and so on and so on. All this started after September 19, 2006.

Thailand has to try to continue surviving until the promised election at the 23^rd of December this year, if it will not be delayed as local Thai are already afraid for because it has been said that the present people-in-power want to finish first a certain “job” they where already after since the coup started.

Everybody hopes that the sun rises from dawn after these elections and that the consumer starts getting more confidence again.

Yesterday I bought Bangkok Post and I can only admire their open vision which they seem to publish without fear! Perfect!

My hope, as an outsider not knowing enough about this all, was already not very positive whilst informed by the local insiders around me and the newspaper was not able to change that. I finish with only mentioning the headers in that “anniversary”-issue:

“The new charter will mean weaker government, and a weaker democratic system will only turn back the clock” and “As a nation, what have we achieved since the coup? Has it mended the division in our society? Is our democracy ready to develop further? Do we have a new constitution that will stop politicians from misusing power?”

And seeing a header: “Sept 19 won’t be the last putsch” than I start asking myself is it not time to make Thailand, also MY COUNTRY, a REAL democracy where the people themselves can change in a electoral way their government and not by meaning of military coups d’etat?

Antoni P. Uni

The Phuket-tragedy

“Wind shear alert was down

Officials say system not crucial for landing”

I just read an article of the Bangkok Post reporters with above mentioned heading. (no comment)

“Systems to detect dangerous winds at Phuket international airport have emerged as a new factor possibility linked to the horrendous crash of the One-Two-Go flight on Sunday.

Wuttichai Singmanee, director of air safety at the Civil Aviation Department, said three of the six wind shear alert systems at the airport had problems.

“Three out of six low-level wind shear alert sustems were not working at the time,”Mr. Wuttichai said in a report by the AP.

An official at Phuket airport who declined to be named told the Bangkok Post that the system run by the Meteorological Department had not functioned for months.

The systems detect sudden strong winds, also known as wind shear, which could cause trouble for a plane landing at the airport.

Officials responsible for the system would normally alert air traffic controllers to warn pilots about the situation on the ground.

These systems are installed at all international airports in Thailand. They are located in areas around the airport.

With investigators still trying to determine the cause of the tragedy, it was unclear yesterday whether the accident, which left 89 people dead and 41 injured, was due to pilot error or weather conditions.

But Mr. Wuttichai said even though the wind shear detection system was not fully functional, this would not necessarily lead to an accident.

The airport at Phuket was also equipped with its own, separate wind detecting system and could inform incoming and outgoing planes of the situation the official said.

“The wind shear alert system is not a requirement for an international aviation standard,” he said.

A pilot of Thai Airways International (THAI), who asked not to be named, agreed with Mr. Wuttichai, saying the wind shear detection system was not crucial for landing or take-off.

Most passenger aircraft nowadays were equipped with their own wind detection equipment, which the pilot could refer to, he said.

Transport permanent secretary Chaisawat Kittipornpaiboon, who is heading the inquiry into the disaster, said wind shear had not been ruled out and it had been the cause of several major airline accidents.”……………..

………………”Khanit Promsathit, a THAI pilot, said Phuket airport is a difficult place to land especially at night or in bad weather.

Two critically injured passengers were yesterday flown to a hospital in Bangkok for intensive burn treatment”………………

Extract of an article in Bangkok Post – Thailand 19-7-2007
Collected by Antoni P. Uni

a news-photo of the tragedy at Phuket

This link shows a news-photo of the crashed plane:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/world/asia/16cnd-crash.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Our deepest feelings are with the victims and the family and friends. RIP

There are already again question marks about cheap Asian carriers in the Forums with quite hard evidences and inside information about safety. This remembers me about the ban in Europe and some scandals Phuket Air suffered from in 2005 and onlyMarch 6, 2007 they were allowed again in the European air-space.

Update: 88 dead, Phuket Airport closed till Monday

BREAKING NEWS

(Bangkokpost.com, agencies) - BPHUKET – Services at Phuket International Airport were suspended while airport workers and emergency personnel cleared the runway of wreckage in the aftermath of the horrendous crash of a budget passenger airliner Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the unofficial death toll rose to 88, with 42 persons injured, and mainly hospitalised.

At least 41 survivors, including 11 Thais, six Irish nationals, six Britons, three Australians, three Iranians, two Swedes, one German and a Dutch national were admitted to various Phuket hospitals. Both pilots are said to be among the survivors.

Before leaving Bangkok for Phuket together with many senior officials of the ministry, Thailand's Deputy Minister of Transport Sansern Wongcha-um on Sunday evening said that the airport in the southern province is expected to resume operations on Monday morning, at 6 am.

About 1,000 passengers could not travel after four flights were cancelled: three Bangkok-bound and the fourth for Hong Kong

The passenger jet operated by Thai budget carrier One-Two-Go skidded off a runway at Phuket International Airport during a landing attempt amid heavy rain and strong crosswinds. The aircraft – identified as an MD 82 model – broke into two sections before bursting into flame in both wings and the rear section of the broken aircraft, according to acting Airports of Thailand (AoT) director Kalya Pakakrong.

The plane's passenger list included 123 persons plus seven crew members, many of whom are feared dead.

The cause of the fatal incident is now being investigated, according to Transport Minister Admiral Thira Haocharoen.

Source: WEBsite Bangkok Post - Thailand

Time: 22:43 h. local time (17:43 h. CET)

Death toll in Phuket plane crash rises

PHUKET (Nation): Some 60 bodies have been retrieved from the wreckage of a One-Two-Go airplane from Bangkok that exploded and broke in two after it slid off the runway and crashed at Phuket International Airport this afternoon.

Some reports put the death toll at about 80, but this has yet to be confirmed. The nationalities of those on board are not yet known.

A surviving passenger said the plane “landed hard” and “bounced” and then skidded off the runway.

Civil aviation official Chiasak Angkauwan said, “The airplane asked to land but due to the weather in Phuket – strong wind and heavy rain – maybe the pilot did not see the runway clearly.

“The plane then fell onto the runway and broke into two,” he said.

“We are rescuing people from the aircraft… we know now there were 123 passengers and five crew.

“We won’t know what really happened until we hear the black box.”

The aircraft, flight number OG 269, was landing about 3:40pm when the it went into a slide and crashed into trees and walls surrounding the airport.

Eye-witnesses said the impact of the crash caused the plane to break in two and they heard a series of explosions.

Rescue teams and navy personnel rushed to the scene.

So far the passengers who have been rushed to hospital are:

1. Likhit Liengpansakul (ICU (ICU = Intensive Care Unit)

2. Parinwit Choosaeng - ICU

3. Chainarong maharae - ICU

4. Apichart Pata

5. Eric Nileland

6. Cristopher Maken

7. Nong Kaonual

8. Ladda Kaonual

9. Pratin Lienchamroon

10. Sarah (surname unknown)

Phuket, Thailand
19:40 local time (GMT +7)

source: Pukhet Gazette

plane crash Phuket

Bangkok Post

A passenger jet of One-To-Go Airlines with 128 people aboard crashed while landing at Phuket Airport in southern Thailand late Sunday afternoon and rescue workers said the death toll could be high.

The plane skidded off the runway after landing and crashed into trees, bursting into fire, said Channel 7 TV.

Initial reports estimated that at least 60 passengers died in the fiery accident.

Airport officials and rescue workers are still working to help the victims from the plane which caught fire after it crashlanded and skidded off the runway.

Authorities said there were 123 passengers and five crew members on board when the plane crashed at about 4pm Sunday afternoon.

Weather in Phuket has been bad for several days, with thunderstorms and high wind gusts at times.

Casualties are still accounted for.

source: Bangkok Post - Thailand 12:46 h. CET 17:46 h. local time

Sick animals transferred

NAN: Officials yesterday transferred sick wild animals from a government-run zoo within the Chae Haeng Arboretum to Mae Hong Son, to save them from poor treatment due to a lack of funds.

The animals, including a Malaysian Sun Bear, three Malayan porcupines and four exotic birds, would be sent to Pang Tong Wildlife Breeding Research Station in Mae Hong Son, said station head Amnuay Puangkam.

Source: Bangkok Post – Thailand, 13-9-2007

Collected by Antoni P. Uni – Bangkok 13-9-2007