Leader of relatives asks authorities to ‘give us no more pain’

Falling girder hurts man; project halted

The Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (ETA) yesterday halted the installation of concrete girders for an expressway project after one of the girders fell and hit a vehicle on Saturday night, injuring a Korean motorist.

‘Avoid Sri Ayutthaya Rd’

Congestion on Sri Ayutthaya Road is expected to worsen today as traffic is narrowed into two lanes to accommodate the construction of a flyover bridge, a senior city official said yesterday.

Cambodia mum on fate of gamblers

The fate of nine Thai gamblers detained in Cambodia since last Wednesday for allegedly cheating at a casino remained unknown yesterday as Cambodian officials declined to allow Thai police to meet them.

Phi Phi to ban coastal construction

Land up to 15 metres above sea level on the Phi Phi islands will be labelled as vulnerable to tsunamis and should remain an open zone, Krabi Deputy Governor Theerathep Sriyaphan said yesterday.

Musician vows to return to ‘paradise’

Musician Piyasak Guntharungsi is one of the tsunami survivors on Phi Phi Island picking up the pieces after the waves smashed his popular island bar and very nearly claimed his life.

Uneasy truce guards relief efforts in doubly-cursed Aceh

“It might be a sign from God that He wants Aceh to become part of a new era – an era of peace and independence for those who have survived,” said Mohammad Zulfan, an Acehnese cameraman for Off Stream, a local alternative television station, of the devastating tsunami that ravaged Aceh and killed tens of thousands here on December 26.

Lower projection in NE doesn’t faze PM

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday downplayed the significance of the Thai Rak Thai Party lowering the number of House seats it expects to win in the Northeast, while rivals said it was proof that the ruling party’s popularity has declined.

Election observers moving into place

With the clock ticking down to the February 6 general election, international observers are fanning out across Thailand.

Forecast puts TRT further ahead

The latest Nation Group forecast for the forthcoming general election sees the Thai Rak Thai Party winning more than 250 constituencies, far ahead of its rival parties, which are predicted to win less than 100 constituency seats each.

Candidate ‘harassed’

Mahachon Party candidate Mullika Boonmeetrakul, running in this northern province’s constituency 3, said yesterday that she and her campaign crew had on several occasions been harassed by a group of people in the area.