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February 04, 2010

Map Ta Phut only symptom of bigger problem:
Weak political institutions for making important decisions

By Jon Fernquest

map ta phutThe Bangkok Post featured an analysis of the Map Ta Phut crisis written by American academic Danny Unger this week.

Danny Unger is one of the few academics in the US and Europe specializing in Thai political economy (See profile and publications, scroll down page).

He teaches at Northern Illinois University (NIU), a center for Southeast Asian Studies in the US.

His major work
Building Social Capital in Thailand (1998) provides a nice overview in English of many parts of the Thai economy (See Google Books).

His article is very long and can be read here in full.

What follows here is the part of the article that describes how Thailand slowly arrived at the Map Ta Phut crisis.

It provides the details of government failure for over a decade to pass the necessary laws to make important parts of the 1997 "People's Constitution" into law

Today's article begins after the vocabulary:

Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate - one of Thailand's largest industrial estates located in Rayong (See interactive map)
industrial estate, industrial park - a special area especially for factories with special facilities (roads, transportation, water, electricity, waste disposal) (See Wikipedia)

symptom - some sign or happening that shows or indicates an illness
institutions -
a large system or set of customs that have been part of a society for a long time  
political institutions -
the political system of a society
academic -
a teacher or professor in a university or college 
political economy - economics that emphasizes the role and influence of politics on economic life and events (See Wikipedia)
social capital - "the networks of relationships among persons, firms, and institutions in a society, together with associated norms of behavior, trust, cooperation, etc., that enable a society to function effectively" (Source, also See Wikipedia)

Opinion
INDUSTRY

Map Ta Phut spat hides a colossal failure

1/02/2010
Danny Unger and Patcharee Siroros

High stakes

...Clearly much is at stake in Map Ta Phut for Thailand's economic and social environment

As Suranand Vejjajiva pointed out in a recent Bangkok Post column (Jan 15) [Read here], the Map Ta Phut imbroglio also directs attention to the failure of a succession of governments since August 2007, when the current constitution gained approval, to adopt implementing legislation so that the constitution's Article 67 could be implemented.

As he notes, the current way of handling environmental regulatory conflicts in Thailand carries costs in time, money and lost opportunities.

spat - an argument or disagreement, especially over something that seems unimportant เรื่องทะเลาะเบาะแว้ง ในเรื่องไม่เป็นเรื่อง
colossal - very big
stake - a share or a financial involvement in something such as a business
high stakes - in gambling, when a gambler can lose a lot of money on a bet 
much is at stake - much could be lost if events to not go right
pointed out - showed
imbroglio - a very confusing and complicated situation
attention - when you see and notice something
directs attention to -
shows you that
succession -  series, one after another
current - of the present time ปัจจุบัน
constitution - the set of laws and basic principles that a country in governed by รัฐธรรมนูญ
approval - official permission การอนุมัต
adopt - to accept or to start using something new นำมาใช้
implementing - doing, making a plan reality, doing the tasks in a plan
legislation - a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament กฎหมาย, การออกกฎหมาย
Article 67 - "bans industrial projects considered 'severely harmful' until four activities have been undertaken: environmental impact assessment (EIA), health impact assessment (HIA), public hearings within the community and an opinion by an independent agency" (See previous article)
conflicts - angry disagreements between people or groups ความขัดแย้ง

The failure to design a mechanism that can give investors a green light, protect community concerns about environmental and health impacts and resolve conflicts authoritatively long precedes the 2007 constitution. The 1996 Public Hearing Rule called for environmental impact hearings for big projects. As a result, these hearings became familiar to large numbers of Thais, though the hearings did not always resolve conflicts. Many activists criticised the "D-A-D syndrome" in which officials would first decide on a project, and only then announce and subsequently defend project decisions.

As a result, controversies left many projects suspended in limbo

mechanism - a system designed to achieve goals
give a green light - give permission, say that people can do some activity
community - the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
concerns - worries ความกังวล
conflicts - disagreements, fights
resolve
- to solve a problem, or to find a satisfactory way of dealing with it แก้ไขปัญหา
resolve conflicts authoritatively - solve and end disagreements (so that they do not happen again, decisively)  
precedes - comes before, happened before
a hearing - an official meeting which presents the facts of some issue before a decision is made 
a public hearing - a hearing that is open to the public, the public can listen and respond 

impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
environmental impact - the negative effect that a project has on the environment
defend - to say things to support someone or something ปกป้อง
suspended - stopped temporarily
limbo - a situation of uncertainty สภาวะที่ไม่มั่นคง
controversies - issues that people argue and debate about 

Meanwhile, the 1997 constitution called for community participation in natural resource management and making decisions on big projects (for example, Articles 46, 59, 76, 79, and 290.

The 1997 constitution, however, did not specify procedures to enable participation in the approval of big projects with major environmental effects. As a result, the Prime Minister's Office in 1999 drafted a statute that the cabinet approved and sent to the Office of the Council of State (OCS). 

community participation - when the opinion of people who live in a local area is used to make a decision
natural resource - the things that nature gives people in place like land, forests, oil, minerals...
specify - to explain something in an exact and detailed way ระบุ ชี้แจงรายละเอียด
enable - to make someone able to do something, or to make something possible ทำให้เป็นไปได้
statute - a law which has been formally approved and written down รัฐบัญญัติ, พระราชบัญญัติ, ฎหมาย
cabinet - the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy คณะรัฐมนตรี

The OCS devoted extensive time and resources over the following years attempting to produce a law that would gain wide support. By 2004, 13,000 copies of a revised draft law went to government agencies, the media and local governments and the OCS sponsored public hearings on the draft law on public hearings.

Despite this earnest effort, the bill faced strong criticism from many NGOs and was derailed.

resources - things that you need to achieve something  (money, workers and equipment) ทรัพยากรู่
devoted resources to Y - used resources in project Y
extensive - many (a wide variety too)
draft - written for consideration, but not yet in its final form ฉบับร่าง
media - newspapers, radio, television, etc. สื่อ
local - in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น
earnest - serious and determined เอาจริงเอาจัง
effort - an attempt to do something ความพยายาม
bill - a written document containing a proposal for a new law ญัตติ
criticism - when people show the bad points and defects of something
NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) - any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level, perform a variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring citizen concerns to Governments, advocate and monitor policies and encourage political participation through provision of information. Some are organized around specific issues, such as human rights, environment or health (Source: ngo.org also see Wikipedia) 
derailed - failed 

The Prime Minister's Office then produced, via a more streamlined process, a revised version of the bill which the cabinet issued in June 2005 as Prime Minister's Office Order on Public Consultation, 2005

After the 2007 constitution was promulgated, the Surayud government attempted to revise the June 2005 Order to serve as an organic law for Article 67. Working with research done by the King Prajadhipok Institute, representatives from the OCS, the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, the Human Rights Commission and various NGOs drafted a new bill

via - through ผ่าน (ช่องทาง) ในที่นี้คือ ผ่านดาวเทียม
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
version - a particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing
version - a particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing
issued - made available ออกใหม่

Gothom Arya chaired the Public Participation Committee within the National Legislative Assembly and the legislature passed the public participation bill. However, the legislature had approved the bill without a quorum and the Constitution Court later upheld the Samak government's challenge to the bill.

One lesson that emerges from this chronology of events is that Thais have long recognised the need for wider public participation in public policy making, in large part reflecting sensitivity to the environmental consequences of large energy, industrial and infrastructural projects.

quorum - the number of people that a committee needs to meet and carry out its business
committee -
a small group of people chosen to make certain decisions in a large organisation
uphold, uphold a law  -
when a court says that a decision was correct according to the law
challenge, a legal challenge -
when people try to prove that a decision is not legally correct
policy
- a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
in a large part... - one big reason why....
X reflecting Y -  X shows that Y
sensitivity - getting easily angry or worried about something
consequences - results of effects of something ผลที่ตามมา

Despite this understanding, however, Thais have to date not been successful in devising mechanisms to balance the voices of the diverse interests involved and to then (and this is crucial) reach an authoritative decision that will be accepted as at least procedurally legitimate and, contingently, the by most of thoselast word interests. This failure is now evident in the impasse that has been reached in Map Ta Phut....

have an interest in - will gain or lose depending on decision (or depending on succcess or failure of project)  
diverse interests -
a variety of people who will gain or lose in different ways depending on the decision
crucial - extremely important because it effects the result of something สำคัญยิ่ง
authoritative - powerful ซึ่งแสดงถึงอำนาจ
legitimate - correct according to the law ที่ถูกต้องตามกฎหมาย, ชอบด้วยกฎหมาย
procedurally legitimate - uses the legally correct procedure
contingently -
depending on conditions
the last word - the highest authority on the meaning, the opinion that is accepted above all others
evident -
can be seen, easy to see
impasse - a situation in which progress is not possible and a project cannot move forward ทางตัน

(Source: Map Ta Phut spat hides a colossal failure, 1/02/2010, Danny Unger and Patcharee Siroros, link)


February 02, 2010

Why global markets have failed to reduce inequality
Nobel laureate Eric Maskin explains

By Jon Fernquest

Eric MaskinThe American economist Eric Maskin was the recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in economics for his groundbreaking work in game theory and "mechanism design."

Dr. Maskin gave a series of talks and lectures last month in Bangkok and Cambodia on the subject of "Why global markets have failed to reduce inequalitysponsored by the International Peace Foundation (See webpage).

The International Peace Foundation is an NGO based in Vienna that sponsors lecture tours by Nobel Prize laureates.

In today's article Bangkok Post reporter Parista Yuthamanop interviews Dr. Maskin about the topic of his lecture tour. 

"Mechanism design" is a field of study that can help sort out the byzantine complexities of telecommunications policy. This makes it potentially useful in Thailand's longstanding 3G and telecommunications impasse (See paper on the famous FCC spectrum auction designs in the US).

Also, if you are interested in game theory, there is a wonderful course on this subject downloadable for free from Yale (See webpage via @openculture).

Today's article begins after the vocabulary:

Eric Maskin - Nobel prize winning economist specializing in game theory and "mechanism design" (See Wikipedia)
Nobel Prize in economics -
the highest award for achievement in economics that started in 1969 (See Wikipedia)
a recipient of Y - a person who has received Y 
groundbreaking - doing something for the first time
game theory - the mathematical study of strategy in games (See Wikipedia)
mechanism design, reverse game theory - designing games or auctions "whose rules can influence others to act the way he would like," can be used to create policy to give people the right incentives to achieve policy goals (See Wikipedia)
sort out - make something complex easy for people to understand and control
byzantine - very complex and difficult to understand
complexities - having many different parts related to each other in difficult to understand ways สิ่งที่ซับซ้อน, ประกอบด้วยส่วนต่างๆที่จุกจิก
telecommunications -
communications by mobile phone and old-style fixed line phone
policy - ideas and plans used by  government to make decisions in politics, economic, social policy, etc...นโยบาย
potentially useful - could be useful (don't know yet)
impasse - some problem or issue that cannot be solved and prevents your project from going forward and making progress
FCC (Federal Communications Commission) -
the US government agency in charge of radio and TV broadcasting (See Wikipedia)
spectrum - the radio waves in the air that carry radio and TV broadcasts (See Wikipedia)
FCC spectrum auction - a famous application of mechanism design to a practical problem, deciding which companies get spectrum in the US (See paper and PhD dissertation with critical evaluation
inequality - a situation or condition where people are not equal (here: big differences between the incomes of people in a country)
sponsored by... - paid for by...
International Peace Foundation - (Read about the organisation)
NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) - any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level, perform a variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring citizen concerns to Governments, advocate and monitor policies and encourage political participation through provision of information. Some are organized around specific issues, such as human rights, environment or health (Source: ngo.org also see Wikipedia) 
based in X - place X is where their headquarters is (where they do, supervise or manage their work from) 
lecture tour - a series of talks on a topic at universities, schools and other public and private places
Nobel Prize laureates - people who have  won a Nobel prize

Economics
TRADE

Income disparities fruit of free trade

2/02/2010 at 12:00 AM
Parista Yuthamanop

The closer link between trade and production has enabled businesses worldwide to make goods more cheaply and thrive. But many people agree that rising income inequality has been one of the pitfalls

Eric Maskin, an American economist who won the 2007 Nobel Prize in economics, observed that countries in Latin America and Asia have witnessed increasing inequality since they liberalised international trade.

trade - activity of buying and selling goods between companies and countries
free trade - when goods can be sold between countries with few trade barriers
trade barriers, barriers to trade - laws, regulations and practices that prevent goods coming in from other countries (See Wikipedia)
X fruit of Y - Y caused X, X was the result of Y happening
disparities - big differences between two things
income disparities - big differences income (between two social groups)
link - to connect เชื่อมs
X enabled Y - X happened and this made it possible for Y to happen 
thrive - do well economically, have high profits and high incomes
X witnessed Y - condition, situation or event Y happened in X (or X saw Y happen)
liberalise - make free
liberalised international trade - make trade between different countries "free" by reducing tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers
tariffs -
taxes on goods imported into a country
quotas -
limits on imports of a good from a country

Mexico, for example, quadrupled its international trade five years after it signed a free trade pact with the US in 1975. But wages of high-skilled workers increased by 13% while those of low-skilled workers declined by 14.

Prof Maskin said that the "comparative advantage" theory has failed to explain the widening income gaps that occur after trade barriers are removed. The theory hypothesised that once trade and services were liberalised, production bases would relocate based on the distinguishing factors for production in each country.

quadrupled - increased to a level four times greater (example: from 10 to 40)
pact -
agreement
free trade pact - an agreement between countries to make the flow of goods between the countries easier (by eliminating trade barriers)
advantage - a condition giving a greater chance of success ความได้เปรียบ
comparative advantage - the idea that a country's economy is most efficiently employed in activities in which they perform relatively better than in others (See Wikipedia)
efficient - while working and doing a task wasting the smallest amount of time, energ and resources
theory - one or more ideas that explain how or why something happens สมมติฐาน
widening income gaps - when the rich become richer and the poor become poorer
relocate - to move someone or something to another place โยกย้ายประชาชนออกจากบริเวณ

In the case of Mexico and the US, the theory would lead to a scenario in which Mexico would shift to low-skilled production and import high-skilled production of goods from the US. The US would do the opposite

Ultimately, Mexico could see a decline in wages of high-skilled workers because there is less demand. It would have witnessed an increase in wages of low-skilled workers because there is more demand.

scenario - a description of possible actions or events in the future
shift - to transfer; to move from one place to another เคลื่อนย้าย
import - to buy or bring in products from another country นำเข้า
demand - the need and desire of consumers to buy goods in an economy

International trade
and the production of goods has deepened over the past 25 years, owing to significant decreases in communications costs and the production of goods across borders. One premise is that such developments will help to reduce poverty.

China and India have grown spectacularly over the past 20 years and their successes have been highly related to the fact that they opened up their economies.

international trade has deepened - international trade has increased (and includes more goods and sectors of the economy) 
significant
- important สำคัญ
premise - an assumption, something you suppose is true and use to develop an argument
poverty - the condition of being extremely poor ความจน
grown spectacularly - increased by a very large and surprising amount 
opened up their economies - reduced trade barriers and let more foreign goods come into their country

It doesn't work that way in recent globalisation," Prof Maskin said recently in Bangkok in a forum held by International Peace Foundation. "And it makes people wonder perhaps if globalisation is not such a good idea after all.

Even though inequality has increased, so has average prosperity. So globalisation is not an all-out failure.

forum - a place where people can express their ideas and opinions การประชุมแสดงความคิดเห็น
prosperity - the state of being successful and having a lot of money ความเจริญรุ่งเรือง, ความมั่งคั่ง
globalisation - an ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network of communication and trade (See Wikipedia)
not such a good idea after all - they tried the idea and learned that it was a bad idea
an all-out failure -
a complete failure

He proposed a new theory which focuses on the fact that the rise in cross-border production would affect workers at various skill levels in each country. The new theory is based on a premise that the wealth of a country depends on its workforce's skill level

Cross-border production changes the distribution of labour skills among trade partner countries as more competition in the labour market will force workers to improve their capacity, he said

border - the official line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
cross-border production - when part of the production of a good purchased in a country has taken place in another country 
wealth - a large amount of จำนวนมาก มหาศาล
workforce - all the workers in a company or whole economy
level - the amount of something ปริมาณ
distribution of labour skills - how labour skills are spread out over different countries and different regions within a country 
trade partner countries - the other countries that your country trades with (buys goods from and sells goods to)
improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
capacity - the amount of something that can be produced ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)

But it turns out that not all workers could match the higher skills and lift their capacity because those at the lowest end will be left to fend for themselves.

As a result of the rise in cross-border production, workers with the lowest skills will see their wages decrease, while workers with higher skills will see their pay packages get bigger. The situation today is far different from that in the pre-globalised world, he said.

We need to make an investment in the low-skilled labour of the world so they too can benefit from globalisation.

left to fend for themselves - people or society is not helping them and has left them to take care of themselves
pay packages, compensation - both the money and benefits such as health insurance that the employees of a company receive for their work 
benefit - to get help or an advantage from something ผลประโยชน์

(Source: Income disparities fruit of free trade, 2/02/2010, Parista Yuthamanop, link)
 

January 28, 2010

sniffing4

Government internet "sniffing"
A violation of Thailand's own computer crime laws?

By Jon Fernquest

surveillance camerasThailand has already developed quite a reputation internationally for internet censorship recently.

This is clear from looking at the map below prepared by Reporters Without Borders which shows countries "under surveillance" in red and "internet blackholes," the most heavily censored countries, in black which might even be called "electronic police states."

In Thailand people have been arrested recently for merely allegedly spreading rumours on the internet (Read article).

Freedom of speech on the internet has become a global issue of great importance. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently gave an important speech on internet freedom (Read speech and Wikipedia).

The internet, however, has also become a popular place to commit crimes and evade detection. Police surveillance of the internet has been likened to the use of surveillance cameras to catch criminals.

Recently, con artists used Thailand as a base for swindling innocent victims in China and Taiwan (Read article). Transnational crime has also been on the rise in Thailand (Read article).

Perhaps the major concern with internet surveillance is that it might be misused by corrupt or incompetent police, military and government officials. Objections may be justified given incompetence displayed by government officials in the recent bomb detector scandal (Follow @bangkokpundit on this issue)

internet censorship mapThe current ICT Minister Ranongrak Suwanchawee has also been under constant criticism for focusing solely on negative internet censorship and not contributing to any positive use of the internet (Read article).

In today's article an expert who helped draft the laws even states that internet sniffing would be a violation of Thailand's new computer laws.

(Photo on right of surveillance cameras which internet is likened to in the article below)

reputation - the opinion people have of you, whether you are good or bad
censorship - when the government cuts parts out of publications, movies and other media and publications that it does not like (See Wikipedia)
internet censorship - when the government blocks and prevents public access to internet webpages (See Wikipedia)
Reporters Without Borders - a Paris-based international organization that advocates freedom of the press founded in 1985 (See Wikipedia)
electronic police state - a country or state where the police watch everything that people do via the internet, for example they even know what you are buying and what is happening in your bank account (See Wikipedia)
surveillance - the process of carefully watching a person or place การเฝ้าตรวจตราอย่างเข้มงวด
allegedly - claimed but not yet proven
rumour - a piece of information or claim that passes from person to person (word-of-mouth) without evidence to prove it (See Wikipedia)
spread rumours - tell rumours to other people, who will tell to even more people, and so on.... 

freedom of speech - the freedom to speak without censorship and/or limitation (See Wikipedia)
commit crimes - do or carry out an activity that is considered a crime
evade detection - prevent people from knowing what you are doing
swindling - deceive, cheat or lie to get money from someone
con artists - swindlers, criminals who cheat or scam people out of money (See Wikipedia on confidence trick)
transnational crime - when a criminal or gang engages in crime in many different countries อาชญากรรมข้ามชาติ
major concern - the thing that people are most worried about
incompetent - does not know what they are doing, does not have the necessary skills to do assigned tasks in job

objections - the reasons why people disagree
justified - when something questionable is proven right
bomb detection scandal - the recent revelation that the Thai army has been sold fraudulent bomb detectors (See major BBC story)
revelation - when you learn an important fact 
fraudulent - cheating someone by lieing to them  
ICT - Information and Communications Technologies, the topic of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware (See Wikipedia)
Ranongrak Suwanchawee - the current ICT minister (See background)

surveillance cameras - video cameras used to watch what is going on in a place to prevent theft or illegal entry, in places such as banks, casinos, airports, military installations, and convenience stores (See Wikipedia)

COMPUTER-RELATED CRIME

Data-interception technology sparks privacy vs safety arguments
27/01/2010
Suchit Leesa-nguansuk

Experts have raised concerns over whether using Sniffer software to resolve suspicious internet activity violates the Computer-related Crime Act B.E. 2550.

Sniffer is a combination of hardware and software to intercept data or detect data traffic in networks. Different Sniffers may have various depending on their configurationsdesignation and final usage.

interception - the process of stopping, hitting, catching or controlling someone or something while they are moving สกัดจับ
privacy - the freedom to do things without other people watching you or knowing what you are doing ความเป็นส่วนตัว
concerns - worries ความกังวล
Sniffer software - software used for internet surveillance
resolve - to solve a problem, or to find a satisfactory way of dealing with it แก้ไขปัญหา
suspicious - making you believe that something is wrong, dangerous or illegal น่าสงสัย
violates - broke or acted against something, especially a law, agreement, principle or something that should be treated with respect ละเมิด
combination - the mixture you get when two or more things are combined การรวมกัน
intercept - to stop and catch something or someone before they are able to reach a particular place สกัด
data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
detect - to notice, to discover or find out พบได้, สังเกต
traffic - many things moving from one place to another place
data traffic - lots of data moving from one place to another place
network - a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. เครือข่าย
networks, computer networks - a system of connected computers such as the internet (or a small "intranet" within a company)
configurations - arrangements
designation - what something is called, how it is classified
usage -
the way that something is used

It is suggested that the technology should only be used for data interception where there is a strong legal case for suspicion, rather than detecting all traffic, which would violate data privacy

The ICT Ministry considers Sniffer to be one method in the cabinet's resolution to reduce the piracy of intellectual property in Thailand.

suspicion - a feeling that something bad is probably true or likely to happen ความสงสัย
violate - to do something that is against a law, rule or agreement ฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย, ละเมิดกฏหมาย
one - sided (of a competition) a situation where one competitor or team easily defeats another ชนะอย่างง่ายได้
resolution - an official decision that is made after a group or organisation have voted มติ
piracy - the act of copying and selling illegal copies  การละเมิดลิขสิทธิ์
a pirate - someone without the right to sell who sells DVDs, software, video tapes, or luxury brands  ผู้ละเมิดลิขสิทธิ์
pirated products, pirated goods - illegal cheap copies and imitations of valuable goods    สินค้าของปลอมที่ผลิตเลียนแบบสินค้าแบรนด์เนม

intellectual property (IP) - property rights created through the (intellectual) discovery efforts of a creator that are protected under patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret laws (See Wikipedia)  กฎหมายลิขสิทธิ์

However, there are objections to Sniffer in the cyber community to due to concerns it will violate their privacy, including an official "Thailand No Sniffer" Facebook group.

Ajin Jirachiefpattana, Executive Director, ICT Industry Promotion Bureau, said there is a plan to ask internet service providers to implement Sniffer to intercept all data traffic for analysing the transfer of potentially suspicious data. 

objections - feeling or expressing opposition to or dislike of something or someone การไม่เห็นด้วย
community - a group of people sharing the same interests or living in the same area
due to - because of
concerns - issues or things that you are worried about
violate privacy -
Facebook -
a popular "social networking" site where people socialize, exchange information and meet new people (See Wikipedia)
Facebook group - a group of friends or people with the same interests on Facebook
implement - to make something such as an idea, plan, system or law start to work and be used นำมาใช้ นำ แผนหรือนโยบายมาปฏิบัติ
transfer - to move someone or something from one place, vehicle, person or group to another ย้าย
potentially - possible in the future ที่อาจเกิดขึ้นได้, เป็นไปได้

Using Sniffer to intercept data in the public internet is similar to CCTV in public areas in that it aids the police in their attempts to create and maintain safer environments. Sniffer offers a proactive way to identify and monitor suspicious websites showing unusual traffic patterns.

Under the current system, the authority has to ask for court approval to take down suspicious sites, which it more of a reactive approach.

CCTV (Close Circuit TV), security camera - video cameras used to watch what is going on in a place, to prevent theft or illegal entry, in places such as banks, casinos, airports, military installations, and convenience stores (See Wikipedia)
maintain - to keep รักษา
identify - to recognise something and understand what it is ชี้ ระบตัวุ
monitor - to regularly check something or watch someone in order to find out what is happening ตรวจสอบ ตรวจตรา เฝ้าจับตาดู ติดตาม, เฝ้าสังเกต
current - of the present time ปัจจุบัน
authority - power อำนาจ
approval - official permission การอนุมัต
court approval - when a court of law says it is ok to do something (making it legal to do)
take down sites - remove a website from the internet
approach - a way of doing or dealing with something การจัดการกับปัญหา
reactive approach - doing something only after an event happens (opposite: proactive = doing something before an event happens)

However, using this technology requires co-operation from ISPs to set up Sniffer at their gateway, and the ICT Ministry has to ask the NTC for help in issue policy mandates to compel ISPs under their license to Act on this.

The ICT Ministry has a 120-million-baht budget for technology investment to correctly and analyse internet data which may harm national security, but this money cannot be put to use if we cannot use Sniffer," said Ajin

co-operation (noun) - the act of working with other people to help them achieve a goal การทำงานเป็นทีม
ISPs - Internet Service Providers, a company that provides access to the internet (See Wikipedia)
set up X - create and arrange X for the first time
gateway - a place on a computer network that connects with other networks (See Wikipedia)
issue - officially announced ออกประกาศ
policy - a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
mandates - having the power and authority to carry out a policy or do a task
compel - to force someone to do something บังคับ
budget - an amount of money able to be spent on something งบประมาณ
harm - damage ความเสียหาย
national - a citizen of a particular country ประชาชน
security - the need to provide safety from attack, harm or damage ความปลอดภัย

Morakot Kulathamyotin, chair of the Thai Internet Association, said the association still has not been formally acknowledged by the ICT Minister, although as a commercial company they do everything to comply with the law.

In terms of technical perspective, there is a big barrier to establishing sufficient machine capacity to monitor and store all data traffic without slowing down network speed.

acknowledge - accept and admit that something is true or exists
formally acknowledged -
a person with authority (speaking for the government, for example) accepts and admits some fact as true
commercial - for business purposes
comply - to obey a rule or a law การปฏิบัติตามกฎ
terms - conditions; requirements ข้อกำหนด
perspective - a particular way of considering something ทัศนคติ
barrier - anything that prevents people from being together or understanding each other อุปสรรค
sufficient - enough เพียงพอ
capacity - the amount of something that can be produced ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)

You could think of using Sniffer as similar to setting up police checkpoints on the roads, which makes traffic slow down," said Morakot

She continued that normal procedure is for police to apply for search warrants once they suspect a website of publishing illegal content, although logistically it is impossible to search every suspect's address. They must also obtain court orders before they can block websites. ISPs do already co-operate in these efforts under the Computer-related Crime Act and Securities and Exchange

police checkpoints - a place on the road where the police stop cars and trucks and check them for illegal things such as drugs
procedure - a way of doing something ขั้นตอนการดำเนินการ
apply - to make use of something นำมาใช้
search - to look somewhere carefully in order to find something ค้นหา
suspect - a person thought to have committed a crime ผู้ต้องสงสัย
illegal - against the law ผิดกฎหมาย
content - the subject, ideas, or story that a piece of writing or a radio or television programme deals with เนื้อหา,สาระ
address - a place where a person lives
obtain court orders - get a court of law to force people to do something
block - to stop something from moving through something ปิดกั้น, กีดขวาง
block websites - prevent people in an area, country or computer network from accessing and looking at a website
Computer-related Crime Act - Thailand's new 2007 law on cyber crime (See translation andsummary) 

Sujate Jantarang, President, Mahanakorn University of Technology, who is a law and technology expert who previously worked in revising the Computer-related Crime Act law, said if the ICT Ministry used Sniffer or other data-interception technology, the government would be in violation of the Computer Related Crime ACT B.E. 2550, section 8

This is because if data which is not for public use is intercepted and sent into the computer system, the government action will be deemed to have acted illegally.

There needs to be a balance of freedom and duty. If we are comparing Sniffer with CCTV, then consider that CCTV should only be used in front of the house and is now allowed to zoom inside the house, as that would violate privacy," said Sujate.

Any misuse of private data, especially banking information, could damage Thailand reputation and economy.

revising - rewriting and improving
violation - the breaking of a rule or a law การฝ่าฝืน
deemed - considered เห็นว่า ถือว่า
duty - something that you have to do because it is part of your job, or something that you feel is the right thing to do หน้าที่, ความรับผิดชอบ
misuse - to use something in an unsuitable way or in a way that was not intended ใช้ในทางที่ผิด
reputation - the opinion people have about how good or bad someone or something is ชื่อเสียง, ความนับหน้าถือตา

Today's process is already quick to enforce, because the court can issue warrants in 24 hours," he emphasised.

A security expert source said other countries the United States also uses the lawful interception model in its Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) , and makes clear that telecommunications carriers have a duty to co-operate in the interception of communications for law enforcement purposes.

CALEA's purpose is to enhance the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have built-in surveillance capabilities.

process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
enforce - to make sure laws are obeyed
source - someone who gives information แหล่งข่าว
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) - a US law passed in 1994 that requires telecommunications companies to provide surveillance capability to law enforcement (See Wikipedia)

"CALEA's purpose is to enhance the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have built-in surveillance capabilities, allowing federal agencies to monitor all telephone, broadband internet, and VoIP traffic in real-time."

surveillance - the process of carefully watching a person or place การเฝ้าตรวจตราอย่างเข้มงวด
enforcement - the process of making sure that something happens, especially that people obey a law or rule การบังคับใช้กฎหมาย
law enforcement -  policing activity, making sure that those who broke the law are caught, tried and punished (See Wikipedia)
enhance - to improve the quality, amount or strength of something ทำให้ดีเพิ่มขึ้น, ปรับปรุง, ทำให้ดีขึ้น, เสริม ยกระดับ เพิ่มทวี
intelligence - information collected about the secret plans of an enemy, criminal organisations, competitors, etc. ข่าวกรอง ข้อมูลลับ
conduct - to do something in an organised way; to carry out
facilities - the buildings, equipment and services provided for a particular purpose สิ่งอำนวยความสะดวก
ensure - to make certain that something happens or is done รับรอง ให้ความมั่นใจ ให้การยืนยัน ย้ำ
built-in - included in equipment or a machine when it is manufactured or built
capabilities - things that a person, machine or organization can do
built-in surveillance capabilities - when a machine can watch what people are doing

(Source: COMPUTER-RELATED CRIME, Data-interception technology sparks privacy vs safety arguments, 27/01/2010, Suchit Leesa-nguansuk, link)


January 26, 2010

broadcastmilitary2.html

The military and Thai broadcasting

By Jon Fernquest

army airwavesThe role of the military in Thai broadcasting was the focus of an important article published in the Bangkok Post earlier this month.

Read a previous article on the longstanding ownership of Thai broadcasting by the state and the army.

For previous articles on this topic check out the ReadBangkokPost archives on Media and Telecommunications and also Easy Business English.

Here is the article in full:

Telecommunications

Men in green want to stay on air.

7/01/2010
Mongkol Bangprapa and Nattaya Chetchotiros

The armed forces, which control about half the nation's radio stations, want more say in the industry's management

Armed forces pressure is behind a lower house committee's decision to add another step to the selection of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, sources say.

The committee working on the bill to set up the NBTC has added a new selection process to help make sure men in uniform are represented on the commission, a committee source, who declined to be named, said yesterday

The powerful body will allocate airwave frequencies.

men in green - soldiers, military people (because they wear green uniforms)
on air, on the air -
broadcasting a TV or radio program
armed forces - the military (army, navy, air force)
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)  - a proposed combined telecoms and broadcasting regulator 
bill - a written document containing a proposal for a new law ญัตติ
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
commission - a group of people who have been formally chosen to discover information about a problem or examine the reasons why the problem exists คณะกรรมการ, คณะกรรมาธิการ
source - someone who gives information แหล่งข่าว
allocate - to officially give out an amount of or share of something แบ่งส่วน, จัดสรร, จัดแบ่ง
airwave frequencies - the limited channels used to send radio and television to the audience  (See Wikipedia on electromagnetic spectrum)

The military was unhappy with the process and qualifications of members who will sit on the NBTC, committee members said. 

The original plan called for 22 candidates to be selected from eight professional groups such as broadcasters, consumer groups and universities. 

Each would nominate a representative from among their number.

The new plan calls for an additional panel made up of representatives from 15 independent, public and state agencies, including the permanent secretary for defence, to search for 22 contenders.

qualifications - the abilities, qualities, degrees, etc. that you need for a particular job or activity
a profession - a job requiring advanced education and training (for example:doctor, lawyer, architect)
professional groups - groups of people working in the same profession
broadcasters - people working in the broadcasting industry (radio, TV) 
consumer - someone who buys and uses goods and services ผู้บริโภค
nominate - to formally propose someone for a job เสนอชื่อ, เสนอชื่อบุคคลเข้ารับตำแหน่ง
representative - a person who represents and makes decisions for a group of people
panel - a group of people who make decisions or judgments คณะกรรมการ
independent - not taking help or money from other people พึ่งตนเอง
state - government รัฐบาล
state agencies -  government departments under large ministries 
permanent - happening or existing for a long time or for all time in the future ถาวร
permanent secretary for defense -  a high level official in the defense ministry (not a person currently serving as a soldier)
search - to look somewhere carefully in order to find something ค้นหา
contenders - people competing or fighting for the same limited thing 

All 44 candidates' names would be forwarded to the Senate, which would pick 11 people from the list to sit on the NBTC.

PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey yesterday denied the armed forces had put pressure on the committee to come up with the added selection process.

But Mr Sathit, who chairs the committee, said the armed forces should be part of the selection process.

A member of the committee disagreed, saying the armed forces had asked the panel several times to allow it to take part in the screening process. 

''Many committee members feel uneasy,'' the member said

''The armed forces control many radio and television frequencies. It is a conflict of interest to have the permanent secretary for defence selecting candidates for the NBTC.''

denied Y - said Y was not true
put pressure on - tried to force someone to do something
come up with - create
chairs the committee - heads or leads the committee (group of decision-makers)
take part in - join in, work together in
screening - looking closely at possible choices and then choosing one
radio and television frequencies - the limited channels used to send radio and television to the audience  (same as "airwave frequencies" above)
conflict of interest - when personal gain conflicts with the duties of your job (See Wikipedia)

Once approved by the legislative body, the 11-member NBTC will have sole authority to allocate frequencies, most of them now under the military and state agencies

The armed forces control almost half the nation's 524 radio stations, and two television stations, bringing in millions of baht a year to the military, the Campaign for Popular Media Reform says.

''Telecoms and broadcasting frequencies are a lucrative business if their owners face no competition,'' said Pirongdhrong Ramasoota, a lecturer with Chulalongkorn University's communication arts faculty, who is a committee member.

sole - only เดี่ยวๆ
authority - power อำนาจ
authority - the power to make decisions or tell people what to do อำนาจ, อำนาจในการสั่งการ
lucrative - earning a lot of money, profitable ที่มีกำไรงาม
faculty - a group of departments in a college which specialize in a particular subject or group of subjects คณะ

''The controllers can subcontract them to others.''

Demands to use frequencies will increase as the country enters the digital age, but in the meantime the number of frequencies is limited. 

The military is monitoring progress of the committee plan to select candidates to sit on the NBTC because it directly affects its interests

It also wants to add a qualification that candidates be security experts, to make it easier for the military to get its people on the NBTC. 

subcontract - hire another company to to do the work
monitor -
watch closely and check (some process as it happens)
progress - moving forward with project, getting closer to achieving goals
affects its interests - they will either gain or lose, depending on what happens
security - the need to provide safety from attack, harm or damage ความปลอดภัย

Sitthiphorn Bhadrasena, director-general of the Defence Information and Space Technology Department, urged the committee at a meeting on Nov 26 to add a proviso for candidates to be security experts

The armed forces need to use frequencies for their own purposes. New-age warfare relies on technology to disrupt malign communications, Lt Gen Sitthiphorn told the panel

urged - advised someone very strongly about what action should be taken วิงวอน
disrupt - to prevent something from continuing as usual or as expected ทำให้ยุ่งเหยิง, ทำให้ยุ่งยาก
malign - causing harm
communications -
exchanging information with other people by writing or speaking

Col Orathai Amornsri, of the Broadcasting, Televisions and Telecommunications Office, said the troubles in the lower South justified the military controlling their own frequencies

''The Defence Ministry has to use radio and television frequencies for security purposes to counter southern insurgents and those posting lese majeste messages on the internet,'' she said

X justified Y - X was a reason for Y
counter - to take action to oppose or stop something ต่อต้าน
insurgents - a group of people fighting against the government and army of their own country

But Suparb Kleekajai, a committee member, told the November meeting there was no need to add security expertise to the list of qualifications for NBTC candidates because the commissioners could always consult security experts if  necessary.

Puea Thai Party representatives on the committee, still upset about the military coup which toppled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office in 2006, also oppose attempts by the military to push for its people on the NBTC.

The military should be driven out of the broadcasting business, Sunai Jullapongsathorn said in November

Sa-nguan Pongmanee, from the same party, said the additional selection process would undermine the credibility of the whole process. 

expertise - knowledge and experience that a person has in a special type of work or subject
qualifications -  achievements (education, jobs, experience) that shows that you are a good choice for a position
consult - to ask for information or advice from someone หารือ
upset - very sad, worried or angry about something วิตก กังวล, ทำให้หงุดหงิด
oppose - to disagree with or not approve of a plan or policy คัดค้าน
driven out of - forced to leave
party - one of the people or groups of people involved in an official argument, arrangement or similar situation คู่กรณี
undermine - cause weakness, make someone become gradually less effective, confident, or successful ทำให้อ่อนลง, บ่อนทำลาย, ทำให้กร่อน
credibility - the degree to which something can be believed or trusted ความน่าเชื่อถือ,ความน่าไว้วางใจ

''The original process was transparent. The additional one has been set up with a clear purpose [to help the military],'' he said

The committee was reluctant to boost the role of the armed forces in the decision-making process to select the NBTC members

However, it was also aware of the need to seek the military's help in getting the bill through the Senate

''The senate committee working on the bill will comprise many people in uniform,'' Chulalongkorn University's Mrs Pirongrong said.

aware - knowing that something exists, or having knowledge or experience of a particular thing ทราบ
transparent - not keeping anything secret; open โปร่งใส
reluctant - not willing to do something ลังเลใจ
boost - to increase; to strengthen เพิ่ม; ทำให้มีกำลังมากขึ้น
role - the purpose or influence of someone or something in a particular situation บทบาท
comprise - to consist or be made up of two or more things ประกอบด้วย
people in uniform - soldiers, people in the military (army, navy, air force)

(Source: Telecommunications, Men in green want to stay on air, 7/01/2010, Mongkol Bangprapa and Nattaya Chetchotiros, link


January 22, 2010

World Bank's Global Economic Prospects 2010 report released

By Jon Fernquest

globeThe World Bank released its report on the global economy this week (Download for free).

Award-winning Bangkok Post reporter Parista Yuthamanop discusses how findings in the report are relevant for Thailand and the rest of Asia: 

prospects - what might happen in the future
World Bank  - a bank that loans money to poor countries around the world with the goal of reducing poverty (See Wikipedia)
findings - what has been decided or concluded after a study or research

Economics

World Bank tells Asia to shift tack

Parista Yuthamanop
22/01/2010

Region advised to focus on longer term.

Developing countries should begin shifting policies away from short-term economic stimulus to more medium-term priorities as global demand is likely to be lower than pre-crisis levels, according to the World Bank

The global economic recovery will be subdued over the next two years, as countries begin winding down their stimulus programmes and the inventory cycle wanes.

shift - change
shift tack -
change direction, change policy
stimulus - a set of programmes, especially government spending programmes, designed to start an economy growing again แผนกระตุ้นหรือฟื้นฟูเศรษฐกิจ
medium-term - over the next 2 to 10 years in the future
global - throughout the world ทั่วโลก
global demand - all the goods and services that people around the world want or need to buy
crisis - an urgent, difficult or dangerous situation วิกฤต
pre-crisis - before the recent economic crisis
recovery - the process of becoming normal and healthy again ฟื้นฟูสภาพ
subdued - quiet, not very active
inventory - the products by a business, kept in a shop, warehouse, etc., in this case, unsold cars สินค้าที่จัดเก็บในสต๊อก
inventory cycle - the level of inventories kept by businesses moves with the business cycle, businesses stop producing and let their inventories run down during bad economic times (some economists say that production and employment cannot fully recover until inventories fall) 
the business cycle - the way economies go up and down with bad economic times with low incomes being followed by good times with high incomes and so on, repeated over and over again   
inventory cycle wanes -
the overall level of inventories kept by businesses in the economy falls

Consumption and bank lending will also be subdued as households and financial institutions rebuild their balance sheets, the bank said in its "Global Economic Prospects 2010" report

Hans Timmer, the director for the World Bank's Development Prospects Group, said global economic growth over the next few years is unlikely to be sufficient to absorb the loss in jobs and productivity from the 2009 recession

lending - giving money to someone who agrees to pay it back in the future การให้ยืม
institutions - large and important organizations, such as universities or banks สถาบัน
financial institutions - banks (and other companies that operate like banks)
unlikely - not expected to happen; probably won't happen ที่ไม่น่าจะเกิดขึ้น
sufficient - enough เพียงพอ
absorb - to take in a liquid, gas or other substance form the surface or space around ซึมซับ ดูดกลืน
recession - a period when trade and industry are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment ภาวะเศรษฐกิจถดถอย

The World Bank projects global economic growth of 2.7% this year and 3.2% in 2011, compared with a decline of 2.2% in 2009

The banking crisis would curb new lending, affecting demand. The soft recovery and the depth of the recession would also result in huge excess capacity and high unemployment

For developing countries, China would be the main growth engine, thanks to its continued economic expansion and productivity gains over the past decade. The World Bank projects the East Asia and Pacific region to grow 8.1% in 2010, compared with 6.8% last year

curb - to control or limit something that is harmful จำกัดขอบเขต
soft recovery - not a strong recovery (many problems such as unemployment and reduced consumption still remain) 
depth of the recovery -
how serious the recession is (much damage it does to businesses and personal incomes) 
depth - the distance down either from the top of something to the bottom, or to a distance below the top surface of something ความลึก
excess - greater than is usual; too much of something มากเกินปริมาณที่พอดี
capacity - the amount of something that can be produced ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)
expansion - when something increases in size, number or importance การขยายออก
decade - a period of ten years ทศวรรษ, ระยะเวลา 10 ปี

China is important to the world's exports, with a smaller share [of exports] but a much higher growth rate," Mr Timmer said. "The benefit of China's productivity comes in the form of lower product prices as they can produce at cheaper costs

The World Bank expects the Chinese economy to grow 8% this year, compared with 6.8% in 2009. More developed countries such as the US and Japan would post more modest growth of 1.8% in 2010 and 2% in 2011, compared with a contraction of 3.3% last year

smaller share of exports - smaller part or percentage of exports
rate - the level or speed at which something happens or changes, or the amount or number of times it happens or changes in a particular period อัตรา
benefit - a good thing or advantage you get from something ผลประโยชน์
productivity - how much is produced with a given fixed level of resources (labour, machines, land) 
modest - not large in size or amount ไม่มากมาย
modest growth - growth that is not large
post more modest growth - record growth statistics that are not as large as before 
contraction - a shortened form of a word or combination of words which is often used instead of the full form in spoken English คำย่อ

Mr Timmer said the global economy would need a certain period of high growth to strengthen economic fundamentals. He estimated Asian developing economies would need annual growth of 6% to 6.5% to help absorb new workers entering the labour force and support productivity gains

The World Bank advises Asian countries to shift their policies more toward productivity improvements, including financial sector reforms

Mr Timmer noted that the cost of borrowing in the international market was "too low, for too long" in the years leading to the crisis, and that costs would increase in the future

annual - happening once a year ประจำปี
sector - a part of a country's economy or business activity ภาคเศรษฐกิจของประเทศ

Asian economies are likely to tighten bank regulations to safeguard against destabilising capital flows. At the same time, bank competition should be allowed to increase to help reduce borrowing costs for small and medium-sized companies

regulations - official rules that control the way things are done ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ
safeguard - protect from danger
capital - money invested in businesses
capital flows - investment money coming into and going out of a country from other countries
destabilising capital flows - investment money from other countries that can hurt an economy (why? sudden large inflows and outflows can lead to large exchange rate changes and changes in capital availability which makes it difficult to plan for the future in a business)

Thai exports to China rose to a 17-month high in December with year-on-year growth of 26%, helping reduce the overall decline in exports last year to 14% compared with a 23% year-on-year drop in the first half. 

The World Bank projects Thai economic growth this year of 3.5%, rising to 4% in 2011, compared with a contraction of 2.7% last year

But business executives are concerned that the appreciation of the baht and the slow resolution of the Map Ta Phut case could impede growth

year-on-year - this year compared to last year during the same month
contraction - growing smaller, shrinking
concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
resolution - solving a problem
impede - prevent or stop something from happening

Pongsak Assakul, a vice-chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the Map Ta Phut case may push investors to relocate to other Asean countries, particularly given the similar tax benefits gained under the Asean Free Trade Area

Map Ta Phut, Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate - one of Thailand's largest industrial estates located in Rayong (See interactive map)
industrial park, industrial estate - a special area especially for factories with special facilities (roads, transportation, water, electricity, waste disposal) (See Wikipedia)

relocate - to move someone or something to another place โยกย้ายประชาชนออกจากบริเวณ
relocate - to move someone or something to another place โยกย้ายประชาชนออกจากบริเวณ
particularly - especially, or more than usual โดยเฉพาะ
given - because of a particular fact

(Source: World Bank tells Asia to shift tack, Parista Yuthamanop, 22/01/2010, link)



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