IN BRIEF
Ratchaburi
Quarry ordered shut again after boulder strikes temple
A stone quarry in Ratchaburi that was previously ordered to close for causing a disturbance to nearby communities has been shut down again, Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana said yesterday.The fresh closure came a day after blasting at the quarry sent a huge boulder crashing into a nearby temple compound. Kongsak did not comment on how the plant had been able to continue operating despite having twice been ordered to close by provincial governor Wongsak Sawaspanich. The poorly-controlled explosions at the quarry made headlines last year when flying debris and gravel forced monks in nearby Wat Tham Yordthong to wear safety helmets when conducting religious rites. - The Nation. ----------------------------------------------------------- BANGKOK BUSES: Fares to rise by Bt1 after Songkran A trip on a public bus will cost Bt1 more after the Songkran festival as the service follows the price rise made by minibus and private-bus services earlier this year. The fare for regular buses will increase from Bt6 to Bt7 per trip, while those for air-conditioned buses, which now range from Bt10 to Bt18 a trip, will range from Bt11 to Bt19 a trip from April 17, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority acting director Opas Petchmunee said yesterday. Euro II bus fares will remain the same. Higher diesel prices are being blamed for the fare rises. Minibus and private-bus fares rose by Bt1 on February 1. - The Nation. ----------------------------------------------------------- education plan: Only 429 schools opt to transfer Only 429 of 2,120 government-run schools have volunteered to be transferred to local administrative bodies, a source said. The number exceeds the quota set by the Thaksin Cabinet, which expected only 300 schools to be transferred, according to a source in the Basic Education Commission Office. Among the 429 state schools, 329 want to be transferred to provincial administration organisations, 19 to municipalities and 16 to tambon administration organisations. The source said a nationwide evaluation of the readiness of local administrative bodies to take over the schools would be completed by next week. The source said it was likely most of the local administrative bodies would pass the evaluation. - The Nation.
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