Jaruvan tells seminar taxpayers must guard against becoming dupes. Graft-busters took the opportunity yesterday to mark International Anti-Corruption Day by alerting taxpayers to the variety of elaborate schemes hatched by politicians to relieve them of their hard-earned cash. “The present situation on corruption is like the scam of displaying a goat’s head on the butcher’s stall and then selling dog meat,” said Auditor-General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka.

80,000 turn up in park to hear critic’s latest bombshells

About 80,000 people attended “Muang Thai Rai Sapda” at Lumpini Park yesterday, almost double the number of attendance for the show two weeks ago. Some group-leaders of teachers protesting against the much-opposed school-transfer plan said on Thursday they expected some 30,000 teachers to attend the show, yet no such mass gathering of teachers was seen yesterday.

The Su-30 in focus

The Su-30 (Su-27P), manufactured by Russia’s Sukhoi Company, is a two-seater long-range interceptor fighter that first flew in December 1989 and entered service with the Russian air force in 1992.

Kantathi assures Thai villagers safety if they return home

The fate of the remaining 130 Thai Muslim villagers seeking asylum in northern Malaysia remained uncertain yesterday after the handover of one of them to Thai authorities on suspicions that he had participated in violent activities in Thailand’s deep South.

Kongsak: It was because I did it my way

Interior Minister ACM Kongsak Wantana claimed yesterday that the increasing number of suspected militants surrendering to authorities was thanks to his own initiative: the installation of free cable televisions at teashops across the restive region.

Thailand’s rights ‘going downhill’

The human-rights situation in Thailand has deteriorated sharply this year because of the policies of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration, local and international human-rights groups said yesterday.

Festive time, alert time

Police will beef up security at banks, gold shops and other likely targets across Bangkok in anticipation of an increase in thefts over the New Year period, Metropolitan Police spokesman Phinit Maneerat said yesterday.

BIRD-FLU CRISIS: Boy confirmed as H5N1 fatality

Concealment of contact with chickens delayed corrrect diagnosis

Floods turn Pattani into ‘disaster zone’

Worried about days of unrelenting downpours and the threat of further floods, the governor of Pattani yesterday declared the province a disaster zone, while a six-year-old boy was reported to have drowned in the strong current of the Pattani River.

PM threatens ministry over teachers

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has threatened to punish senior Education Ministry officials if government teachers continue their campaign against the school transfer plan, a Thai Rak Thai source said yesterday.

Unplanned encounter

The leader of then Mahachon Party yesterday said his encounter with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at a restaurant on Tuesday was not prearranged, insisting it was merely a coincidence that the two political heavyweights were attending the same party.

Jaruvan: Give me back the key to my office

Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka yesterday insisted on the validity of the royal command appointing her to the post of auditor-general in 2001 and said the parties concerned should hand back the key to her office so that she could resume work.

Thaksin holds ‘urgent’ meeting to rebuild solidarity

Struggling to cope with his falling popularity, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday held an “urgent” lunch with faction leaders of his ruling Thai Rak Thai Party at a government safe house to discuss ways to rebuild party solidarity, according to a party source.

Eagle Thai chief dismisses Sondhi aircraft allegation

In an interview with The Nation yesterday, Ekachai Thammavaranukupt, president of Eagle Thai, dismissed allegations he was trying to broker a jet-fighter deal between Russia and Thailand.

Wissanu needs time

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam pleaded for time yesterday to map out a solution to the stalled selection process for the Election Commission.