Furl http://www.furl.net/ http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.furl.net/member/orientalist.rss Furl archive. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:33:01 GMT http://www.furl.net/item/39912802/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39912802 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:53:57 GMT Cambodia Swede apologizes for sympathizing with Khmer Rouge By KER MUNTHIT Associated Press 2008-11-16 11:32 AM Fonts Size: A+ E-Mail This Email Printer-Friendly Printer + Enlarge This image In this photo released by Hedda Ekerwald, Gunnar Bergstrom, a former Swedish leftist, posesfor a picture at an abandoned market in Kampong Cham province in eastern Cambodia during a visit at the invitation of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1978. Bergstrom supported the late dictator Pol Pot's denial of international accusations that the Khmer Rouge regime was committing atrocities against the Cambodian people during its 1975-79 rule. Bergstrom now apologizes to the Cambodians for his past misjudgment and support of the Khmer Rouge propaganda as he prepares to visit Cambodia for the second time in 30 years. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Hedda Ekerwald) Associated Press + Enlarge This image Gunnar Bergstrom, right, a former Swedish leftist who sympathized with the Khmer Rouge regime, talks to journalists upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008. The 57-year-old, who visited this country in 1978 as a guest of the Khmer Rouge regime, returned to Cambodia on Sunday for the first time in 30 years, to donate his archives from the trip and publish a photo book recounting the journey. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) Associated Press + Enlarge This image In this photo released by Linda Bergstrom, former Swedish leftist Gunnar Bergstrom who sympathized with the Khmer Rouge regime, sits in a cafe in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 5, 2007. During his visit to Cambodia in 1978 at the invitation of the Khmer Rouge regime, Bergstrom supported the late dictator Pol Pot's denial of international accusations that the Khmer Rouge was committing atrocities against the Cambodian people under its 1975-79 rule. Bergstrom now apologizes to the Cambodians for his past misjudgment and support of the Khmer Rouge propaganda as he prepares to visit Cambodia for the second time in 30 years. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Linda Bergstrom) Associated Press + Enlarge This image Gunnar Bergstrom, right, a former Swedish leftist who sympathized with the Khmer Rouge regime, talks to journalists upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008. The 57-year-old, who visited this country in 1978 as a guest of the Khmer Rouge regime, returned to Cambodia on Sunday for the first time in 30 years, to donate his archives from the trip and publish a photo book recounting the journey. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) Associated Press + Enlarge This image Gunnar Bergstrom, right, a former Swedish leftist who sympathized with the Khmer Rouge regime enters a van upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008. The 57-year-old, who visited this country in 1978 as a guest of the Khmer Rouge regime, returned to Cambodia on Sunday for the first time in 30 years, to donate his archives from the trip and publish a photo book recounting the journey. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) Associated Press When Gunnar Bergstrom was a guest of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime in August 1978, the young Swede enjoyed a dinner of oysters and fish hosted by dictator Pol Pot. The meal followed a rare interview he and three of his countrymen were given by the secretive communist leader who labeled talk about genocide under his rule a Western lie. The young European leftists, members of an unofficial friendship delegation, shared Pol Pot's view, seeing the Khmer Rouge takeover as a revolution to transform Cambodia into a fairer society benefiting the poor. Bergstrom has since realized he was mistaken about Pol Pot's brutal regime, and he wants to make amends. "We had been fooled by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. We had supported criminals," he told The Associated Press by phone from his Stockholm home. The 57-year-old Swede arrived in Cambodia Sunday, for the first time in 30 years, to donate his archives from the trip and publish a photo book recounting the journey. Bergstrom has deep regrets about his August 1978 trip to Democratic Kampuchea, as Cambodia was then called. He was one of only a handful of Westerners whom the xenophobic Khmer Rouge allowed to visit during its 1975-79 hold on power. While presenting an earnest and progressive face to foreign visitors, the Khmer Rouge were inflicting a reign of terror that left an estimated 1.7 million dead from starvation, overwork, disease and execution. "For those still appalled by my support of the Khmer Rouge at the time, and especially those who suffered personally under that regime, I can only say I am sorry and ask for your forgiveness," Bergstrom says in his book, "Living Hell." In 1978, Bergstrom was president of the Sweden-Kampuchea Friendship Association, a small political group that identified with the communism of Mao Zedong's China and was motivated by the movement against the U.S. war in Vietnam. To their Swedish sympathizers, the Khmer Rouge revolution presented an "idealistic idea about an alternative society," Bergstrom said. The Khmer Rouge had its origins in the struggle against French colonialism in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, while its ideology was shaped in part by the French university education of several of its leaders, including Pol Pot. It came to power by toppling a pro-American Cambodian government in 1975 after a bitter five-year civil war. Within days of their April 17 takeover, the Khmer Rouge began a radical social upheaval, emptying the cities and sending people to work in massive rural collectives. They simultaneously cut almost all links with the outside world. But the regime's flawed plans for a communist utopia sparked a paranoid search for scapegoats. Bloody purges swept the country, and attacks were made on border villages in neighboring Vietnam. An invasion by Hanoi would drive the Khmer Rouge from power in early 1979. A few months before the collapse, the Khmer Rouge invited foreigners, mostly left-wing sympathizers, to visit in a halfhearted effort to whitewash accusations of human rights abuses. During their 14-day tour, Bergstrom's delegation saw what their hosts wanted them to see: smiling Cambodian faces, clean hospitals, well-fed people eating happily in cooperative kitchens. They interviewed Pol Pot, who called accusations of atrocities "Western propaganda and a lie." The Swedes were sympathetic. "Pol Pot was maybe wrong but he wasn't that bad," Bergstrom said, recalling his thoughts at the time. "We came home with a belief that we have found the truth somehow that this (story about killings) is Western propaganda." "Our excuse was that 'The (Cambodian) revolution is young, immature, you will never have a perfect revolution, and that these killings ... are now (occurring) in the beginning and will stop later.'" But evidence that emerged after the Khmer Rouge's fall forced Bergstrom to change his views. "It's like falling off the branch of the tree," said Bergstrom, who now works as a counselor for drug addicts. "You have to re-identify everything you have believed in." To make amends, he wrote articles for the Swedish press renouncing his support for the Khmer Rouge. He is donating his photo and movie archive from the 1978 trip to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, an independent group researching Khmer Rouge crimes. The center is publishing his book and organizing forums around Cambodia at which Bergstrom will speak, and he will visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school and the Khmer Rouge's largest torture facility. "It's a healing process for him," said Youk Chhang, the center's director. "He's part of our history now, and it's our mission to help people reconcile and move on." Have Your Say : We welcome your comments on this and other stories. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Please provide your full name and suburb/location. We also require a working e-mail address – not for publication, but for verification only. Post your feedback 5 http://www.furl.net/item/39766038/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39766038 It was expected that with the increase in education and awareness of family laws marriage registration should increase over time. Results of this study, however, do not reflect the expected trends in marriage registration. Instead the level of marriage registration is found to increase with marriage duration, reflecting the likelihood of postponement in registration of marriage. Marriage registration differs by region. It is highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast. Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:27:29 GMT Thailand women POPLINE Document Number: 201956 Author(s): Chayovan N Source citation: In: Health and population studies based on the 1987 Thailand Demographic and Health Survey. Bangkok, Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Institute of Population Studies, 1989. :205-21. (Demographic and Health Surveys Further Analysis Series, No. 1) Abstract: This paper examines the types of marriage among Thai women. Special attention is given to the trends and the prevalence of marriage registration and its correlates. The study utilizes existing data from the 1987 Thai Demographic and Health Survey. The information used is based on 2 unique questions: 1) did you officially register your marriage, and 2) did you have any ceremony? The determination of trends is based on women who have been married only once. Marriages are divided into 4 categories: 1) consensual union, 2) marriage by ceremony only, 3) marriage by registration only, and 4) marriage by both ceremony and registration. The most popular form of marriage among Thai women is to have both a ceremony and marriage registration. The decline in the prevalence of consensual union and an increase in the proportion of marriages by registration according to age or marriage duration strongly suggest the presence of a delay in the registration of marriage. It was expected that with the increase in education and awareness of family laws marriage registration should increase over time. Results of this study, however, do not reflect the expected trends in marriage registration. Instead the level of marriage registration is found to increase with marriage duration, reflecting the likelihood of postponement in registration of marriage. Marriage registration differs by region. It is highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast. Bangkok women show a lower level of marriage registration than the national average. The loosely structures nature of urban society, individualism, and legal reasons including avoidance of a higher taxation could discourage couples from registering their marriage. (author's modified) Keywords: Thailand 3 http://www.furl.net/item/39729346/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39729346 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:10:02 GMT Trade thai scandals Another day at MBK Maxmilian Wechsler HIGH QUALITY LEATHER and fashion goods, and watches that could be classified as "perfect fakes", are sold in large quantities on a daily basis at the bustling Mahboonkrong Centre in central Bangkok. MBK Counterfeit goods are available from 10am to 9pm, seven days a week. Shops selling the top-flight fakes typically open around 10am and close around 9pm, seven days a week. One seller said most of the shops operate discretely to put off the police. At most watch shops customers are shown catalogues of imitations of popular brands like Cartier, Patek Philippe and Rolex. At one, prices start at 3,000 baht, with the most expensive fakes selling for about 12,000 baht. While the MBK vendors take precautions, they don't ordinarily have much fear of being arrested or having their goods seized. In fact, it was quite entertaining to observe the charade that followed a call to a leading "triple A" (highest quality counterfeit) leather goods vendor warning him of an imminent police raid. The staff began immediately running around hurling fakes into plastic bags in what appeared to be a well-rehearsed routine. This triggered a chain reaction in other shops which took their cue from the leading shops that are obviously well-connected to the authorities. Everyone ran with their bags to the car park and threw them into pick-up trucks parked in "reserved zones". Merchandise bearing brand names the police aren't interested in was left on the shelves of the shops. After the police arrived (usually 5-10 minutes after the warning call or SMS), the merchants and their staff sat calmly eating or reading newspapers, paying little attention to the officers or the lawyers who accompanied them to examine the goods. After it was apparent the fake brands of interest were not still on sale, the raid was promptly called off and the authorities left. After a few minutes, the leading merchant declared "all clear" and all the leather goods were brought back from the car park. Of course, there are some rare occasions when the police do succeed in arriving without warning. That is what happened on the evening of October 31, when one person was arrested and a number of bags were confiscated from the biggest "triple A" shop at MBK. "The case will go to the court. From my experience, they will most probably fine us 3,000 or 4,000 baht, which doesn't worry me," the shop owner said. "But what is worrying is the lost merchandise." According to one major merchant, many triple A items are made in China, Korea or Taiwan, and brought here in containers - not by air hostesses, as they might tell the customers. But it is a mystery how these goods are able to pass through Customs in such large amounts. It is also curious that one of the most sought-after brands, Louis Vuitton, is not on display in these shops. One merchant said this is because the lawyer representing Louis Vuitton in Thailand is very effective and has initiated many raids that have caused considerable financial loss to the sellers. However, the merchant said there are triple A Louis Vuitton bags kept in the MBK car park for customers who specifically request the brand. Similar to the case with the watch shops, the customer is shown a catalogue. After a choice is made the bag will be brought from the car park within a few minutes. "Of course, this procedure cuts down on the sales volume, and the profit is much less than when the actual bags are on display," said the merchant, who went on to say the customers most likely to be looking for triple A bags were overwhelmingly women from the Middle East. "They arrive in groups of three or four and buy mainly Chanel and Gucci bags, which are sold from 7,000 to 25,000 baht. The price for wallets is 3,000 to 7,000 baht. They usually don't bargain and pay in cash, no credit cards," he said. "We don't advertise or have a web page. Most customers know about us from word-of-mouth." Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next IHHP Click Here! Thailand's Top Destinations Vote Student Weekly © Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1996-2008 Privacy Policy Comments to: Webmaster Advertising enquiries to: Internet Marketing Printed display ad enquiries to: Display Ads Full contact details: Contact us / Bangkok Post map 3 http://www.furl.net/item/39721429/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39721429 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:04:43 GMT Environment Laos China Mekong VOICES FROM MEKONG Dams upriver hurting people living downstream ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT 9 Destinations Click Here! When 42-year-old Zhang Chun Shan, a Chinese farmer-cum-activist, told a public forum in Bangkok this week that he was unaware of the negative impact his great nation's hydropower projects have caused to neighbouring countries downstream, a hundred participants understood him. A cargo ship struggles to negotiate the Mekong River in Chiang Rai in April last year, where water levels had dropped considerably due to China’s damming of the river further north. At other times, such as August this year, water released by the dams in China during periods of heavy rainfall have contributed to flooding in riverine communities. "I feel sorry for you; the downstream communities have problems with their fisheries and floods [after the dam construction] but we upstream people face the problems of soil erosion and villagers' relocation," said Mr Zhang, director of Lijiang City Environmental Volunteer Organisation. The forum, entitled "Mekong Mainstream Dams: Voices Across Borders" was held last week at Chulalongkorn University. How could the Chinese people know of the suffering of people in other countries? They do not even know about the hardships of their compatriots. "Because the local and central governments never tell anyone how we - communities affected by dams - are suffering," mourned Mr Zhang, who comes from Yunnan province. Niwat Roykeow, a former headmaster of Chiang Khong School in Chiang Rai province, accused the Chinese dams - Manwan, Dachaoshan and Jinghong - of causing the heaviest floods in Chiang Saen in four decades last August. "At least three districts have yet to recoup the financial loss of 85 million baht, not to mention the heartbreak of being fooled by authorities that dams help prevent flooding, serve agriculture and produce electricity," said the 47-year-old Niwat. He called on China to take responsibility for the suffering of the downstream people and urged the lower-Mekong governments to be more collaborative with their own people in seeking compensation from the upstream nation. China expert Vorasakdi Mahatdhanobol from Chulalongkorn University said that if China wants to rise gracefully and in a sustainable manner, Beijing needs to conduct an impartial study of its dams' impact on the riparian countries and release it publicly. But the Mekong River Commission's (MRC) chief executive officer Jeremy Bird argued that the MRC's own study showed that the Chinese dams did not contribute to the flood; it was a natural event. Montha Achariyakul, a community organiser in Bo Keo, Pongsali and Luang Prabang in Laos, said the Lao people did not believe rainfall was the cause. "Headmen in northern Lao provinces warned their villagers that China would release more water from their dams. Despite the alert, a thousand households and their rice and corn fields were damaged," said Ms Montha. Montree Chantawong, from Thai People's Network for Mekong, added that the MRC River Monitoring website still showed a "green sign" for Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong during the week of August 11-14 even though the area was inundated at that time. The two-day seminar was not meant to talk about the already-built dams or to point the finger at any particular agency, but to raise awareness and plead for policy-makers at all levels, national and regional, and among international organisations as well as the private sector, to pay more attention to the voices of the people living along the river. Participants were trying to forge a more concrete solidarity in order to hold future projects accountable to the people. Those projects are now at their doorstep. Over the next few years, Laos is said to be constructing at least seven dams with a total electricity generating capacity of 7,470 megawatts, while another two Thai-Lao projects will see a total of 3,409mw dams. Cambodia will have a 980mw dam in Stung Treng and another 2,600mw dam in Sambor. Investors from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Russia and Vietnam are reportedly involved in the projects at Pak Beng, Luang Prabang, Xayaburi, Xanakham, Lat Sua, Don Sahong in Laos, and at Pak Chom and Ban Koum along the Thai-Lao border, and two provinces in Cambodia. The seminar also saw a strong argument regarding the impact on fish stocks in the world's seventh largest river, if more dams were to be built mid- and downstream of the Mekong. "The issue is not about what will happen to the fish, but to the people whose livelihood relies heavily on fishery along this river," said Chris Barlow, from the MRC Fisheries Programme. The Mekong has the world's largest inland fishery with 1.5-3 million tonnes a year. In 2000 it was 2.6 million tonnes, said Mr Barlow, adding that the real fishery economy was estimated at US$2-3,000 million per annum. The MRC fish expert noted that reservoir fisheries could not compensate for lost river fisheries and aquaculture could not be a full replacement for captured fishery due to the added costs and different beneficiaries. Professor Philip Hirsch from the Australian Mekong Resource Centre said that unless the 1995 agreement that created the MRC was revised to include civil society voices and concerns into the government-dominated process, future relations between the MRC and civil society would remain an unfruitful dispute. Apart from the agreement amendment, the colossal task is to accommodate China's entry into the sub-regional body, noted Mr Hirsch. So the MRC, NGOs and other players needed to find ways to overcome the lack of meaningful engagement that has marked the past 13 years, he said. Jonathan Conford of Oxfam Australia, took the Asian Development Bank to task for failing to live up to its pledges of poverty alleviation, environmental conservation and sustainability. At the ADB's annual meeting early this year, president Haruhido Kuroda listed as priorities in the ADB's new long-term strategic commitment, more of the same agenda - infrastructure development, regional integration, private facilitation - all under the banner of inclusive growth, said Mr Conford. But the weight of accumulating evidence in the Mekong Region, he said, is pointing to the need for a fundamental rethink of the GMS orthodoxies around infrastructure, growth and poverty alleviation. "Sixteen years of accelerated infrastructure development and natural resource extraction have led to irrevocable damage to the region's ecological systems and hugely growing disparities between the rich and the poor and between ethnic groups," the Australian activist said. Dr Sombath Somporn, the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay award recipient for community leadership, said Laos may consider itself as a battery of the region by supplying electricity to Southeast Asia, but for how long can it sustain this? "We need to re-educate the young people that water and light are interlinked; if we use water unwisely or energy unwisely we will have none left. We should not consume till everything depletes." Dr Sombath also called for more corporate responsibility in implementing hydropower projects. "Shareholders and board members of concerned agencies including the Mekong River Commission, and the Asian Development Bank should be held accountable to their noble pledges to fight against climate change. Stopping building or supporting construction of the non-EIA-checked dams is one way to help prevent global warming," he said. He suggested that maybe it was time for ecological degradation to be accounted into the monetary cost of carrying out a project. Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Next Thailand's Top Destinations Vote Student Weekly 5 http://www.furl.net/item/39657467/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39657467 A majority of the Thai population does, in fact, belong to the lower socio-economic class, which does not have easy access to VCD players or computers. With the minimum wage hovering around 144 baht a day, it comes as no surprise that as few as 20.5 per cent of Thais are Internet users, according to Internet World Stats. Although DVDs and downloadable clips are becoming more widespread, it is merely among those who can afford such devices, and the demand for porn magazines is still there for those who cannot. "There was something quite surprising when I researched pornography. In the US, low-end porn magazines actually do very well among middle- or upper-middle-class readers. It is a way of distancing themselves from the content and looking at the experience as an adventurous exploration into an unknown land different from their everyday life." The portrayal of sex shown in the images and "confessional writings" often treat women as submissive sex objects, implying violence towards women somehow does not hurt them or perhaps even pleases them. "Whistle"* is an author of romance novels popular among female readers today. She tells us that the best-selling plot of all time is something similar to Jamloey Rak (Love Defendant), a Thai novel in which a man kidnaps a woman for revenge, rapes her, but eventually wins her heart. The rape scene, she says, is one of the main highlights of this novel. Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:08:33 GMT Thailand scandals Japan Media new media women THE NAKED TRUTH PORNOGRAPHY, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, IS HERE TO STAY STORY BY NAPAMON ROONGWITOO Despite the fast growth in popularity of downloadable pornography, the existence of porn magazines still stands strong. So do the debates on pornography among conservatives and liberals. On one hand, it is perceived as a sex education learning tool that exists for a good reason. On the other hand, it is pure obscenity that should be gotten rid of. Whatever the perception, porn magazines have been around ever since the print media was founded in Thailand, and they are still available today in a time when the Internet has taken a greater share of the global media. "The idea that porn magazines have been replaced by electronic pornography is a middle-class perception," says Assoc Prof Chalidaporn Songsamphan, who has done extensive research on the topic of "Low-End Porn Magazines: Knowledge, Myths and Sexual Health". It is part of the research series "Building and Managing Knowledge on Sexuality, Gender and Health" supported by the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University and the Women's Health Advocacy Foundation. A majority of the Thai population does, in fact, belong to the lower socio-economic class, which does not have easy access to VCD players or computers. With the minimum wage hovering around 144 baht a day, it comes as no surprise that as few as 20.5 per cent of Thais are Internet users, according to Internet World Stats. Although DVDs and downloadable clips are becoming more widespread, it is merely among those who can afford such devices, and the demand for porn magazines is still there for those who cannot. "In order to watch pornography on VCD or DVD, you need electricity, a television and a VCD/DVD player. Not everyone in Thailand can afford to have them in their household. Porn magazines, on the other hand, cost as little as 30 baht, and do not require additional devices." Chalidaporn defines porn magazines as magazines in which sex is explicitly mentioned and portrayed in both images and text. There is a broad range of porn magazines, from romance novels with sex scenes to hardcore porn, from heterosexual porn to homosexual porn. Her area of research is male-oriented heterosexual porn magazines for people in low-income brackets, which turn out to be read not only by the poor. "There was something quite surprising when I researched pornography. In the US, low-end porn magazines actually do very well among middle- or upper-middle-class readers. It is a way of distancing themselves from the content and looking at the experience as an adventurous exploration into an unknown land different from their everyday life." Pornography is illegal in Thailand, with stronger legal enforcement during the past few years. But instead of wiping out porn magazines, such enforcement only forces porn magazines to survive through more discreet distribution. "In a way, it is like the Twilight Zone. They are still available at many newsstands, but they are just not openly displayed." The society at large condemns pornography whenever there is a rape case, making pornography an all-time culprit. It is often perceived that pornography stimulates sexual urges and the person who watches it will lose self-control and commit a crime. This is in sharp contrast to the reality in Japan, a country with an abundance of sexually explicit material and a low number of reported rape cases. Nicholas Groth, a specialist in the treatment of sex offenders, has written that rape is sometimes attributed to the increasing availability of pornography and sexual explicitness in the public media. Although a rapist, like anyone else, might find some pornography stimulating, it is not sexual arousal but the arousal of anger or fear that leads to rape. Nonetheless, dissemination of pornography is an offence subject to a range of other legal consequences, including three years' imprisonment, a 6,000 baht fine or both. For the sake of survival, porn magazines have been altered and camouflaged to protect the publishers, as well as distributors. The cover is made less obvious. There is no printing year or address, to prevent the publishers from being traced back through the magazines. Chalidaporn looks at pornography as practice-based sex education. "Pornography exists because sex is condemned in society. Thai society has this notion that sex is something that must not be disclosed. There is no way of learning about sex, so most people learn through direct experience with pornography, which connects what they see with what they feel." Pornography has existed ever since people started drawing but was not predominant until the print media was established. In Thailand, mainstream porn magazines were introduced around the time of World War Two, known as Nang Sue Pok Kao (White Cover Book), available at Sanam Luang. Some of the images were from Japanese or Western magazines, and a few were images of Thai ladies. Later in the '90s, many labels appeared on the newsstands and porn magazines were not unfamiliar any more. Mainstream pornography is patriarchal, which means it sets out to please the male audience. Given that, often what appears in it is not necessarily accurate and can twist the perception of sex. The portrayal of sex shown in the images and "confessional writings" often treat women as submissive sex objects, implying violence towards women somehow does not hurt them or perhaps even pleases them. "Unconventional sex seems to excite the readers more, but at the same time it sends out the wrong message. Women are not happy when they are raped, but in porn magazines, it is portrayed otherwise. Those confessional writings often say women try to fight when they are molested but will later surrender to men because they cannot resist the temptation. Actual rape is nothing like that." She also warns that readers should understand that many stories are fictional. Mainstream pornography depicts "sexiness" as something stereotypical. Most women in pornography are light-skinned with long hair and big breasts. The men, however, do not have to possess great looks as long as they can romantically satisfy women. She also comments that sex education in Thailand still needs improving since it focuses more on textbook knowledge rather than practical knowledge. Children and sex seem to be on different planets and many parents choose to forbid their children from having sex instead of teaching them about protection. Children should be prepared for adolescence and the changes that will follow puberty, sexual desire being one of them. "Most of us have been raised with the idea that sex is linked with, and confined within, marriage. However, just because our body is ready for reproduction doesn't mean we are ready for commitment. A rape case can be settled out of court or closed if the two get married. I do not think that is the right solution. While marriage, love and sex are deeply intertwined, they are completely different in their own nature." Many parents feel their children should be punished if they are caught watching porn movies or reading porn magazines, their reason being that porn is "not suitable" or "dirty" for the children. By making sex and pornography taboo, Chalidaporn says we only make it more appealing. "The truth is sooner or later, it is bound to happen. It is human to have sexual needs and we cannot fight something as natural as that. As humans, we can suppress our sexual needs but we cannot deny them, and too much suppression only leads to anxiety. Safe sex is more possible than abstinence, naturally speaking. Isn't it ridiculous that in an age of such advanced medicine and effective birth control methods, there are still so many unwanted pregnancies and abortions?" It is a fact of life that pornography has existed for centuries and it is unlikely that it will ever be stamped out. "Pornography will never disappear as long as humans have sexual desire. One day print media might be replaced with electronic media, but pornography is irreplaceable." ROMANCE SELLS, SEX SELLS MORE Alarge number of romance novels can be found on the shelves of any bookshop, and if one flips through them, sexual intercourse appears in many of them. If anything, those scenes are selling points that make or break a novel. The level of explicitness varies from synecdochical descriptions to full-blown hardcore sex scenes. "Whistle"* is an author of romance novels popular among female readers today. She tells us that the best-selling plot of all time is something similar to Jamloey Rak (Love Defendant), a Thai novel in which a man kidnaps a woman for revenge, rapes her, but eventually wins her heart. The rape scene, she says, is one of the main highlights of this novel. "The main scene that will please most readers is when the leading man and woman end up together, and more often than not, it happens on the bed," says Whistle. She explains that such scenes satisfy the readers' curiosity as most of her readers are single women and young girls. "It is like learning through pornography, only less explicit and more romantic." Whistle says many authors try to make their sex scenes their selling points because, as she puts it, "The readers' curiosity is insatiable and they tend to look for such scenes first when purchasing a novel." Personally, she finds that sex scenes are not as big a concern as the underlying message. "There are good authors who try to instil sex education in sex scenes, such as having safe sex, but there are bad authors, too. You name it, I've seen it: Cheating, sleeping around, using sex as a tool to get what you want, that kind of thing. It is sex without morality that worries me, not just the presence of sex scenes themselves." "Merci"* is an avid fan of romance novels, and she admits that she looks for sex scenes. "To me, it is quality over quantity. The whole book can have just a one-page sex scene as long as it's well written." She explains that X-rated romance novels are like a classroom for schoolgirls who want to know more about sex but do not know where to turn. "The great thing about romance novels is that they are not expensive and they are readily available anywhere. By looking at the cover, nobody knows what's inside the book that you're reading. They would just assume it's more chic lit. "I admit that I like romance novels, but that doesn't mean I am a bad person or that I am obsessed with sex. I think it is a preferable learning method to seeking first-hand experience. Sex is still deemed an untouchable issue in Thailand and there aren't that many channels for learning about sex. This is why sex scenes in romance novels are so popular today," says the teenage reader. * Names have been changed. Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Thailand's Top Destinations Vote Student Weekly © Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1996-2008 Privacy Policy Comments to: Webmaster Advertising enquiries to: Internet Marketing Printed display ad enquiries to: Display Ads 3 http://www.furl.net/item/39544985/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39544985 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:04:27 GMT Environment disco Carbon credit plan takes step forward APINYA WIPATAYOTIN >>After years of scepticism and doubts over the benefits of the carbon sink project, Thailand is now ready to certify forest conservation projects which will allow investors to claim carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol pact. Carbon sink projects certified by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation (TGO) will be eligible to claim carbon credits under the Kyoto accord to combat global warming. TGO executive director Sirithan Pairojboriboon said his agency was ready to scrutinise proposed carbon sink projects after the United Nations had finalised the definition of forests eligible to claim carbon credits. Carbon sinks, or reforestation and afforestation projects, are part of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), designed to help industrialised countries reach their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by investing in forest conservation projects in developing countries in exchange for carbon credits. ''All kind of big trees as well as mangroves and bamboo can be counted for carbon credits. Any carbon sink project proposals are now welcomed,'' Mr Sirithan said, adding that forest conservation projects were another interesting option for the carbon credit traders. However, the experts were considering if palm oil plantations are eligible to claim carbon credits, he added. The CDM's carbon sink projects have been criticised by environmentalists for not being the right means to cut greenhouse gas emissions as it allows industrialised countries to meet emission reduction targets by investing in environmental conservation schemes in developing countries instead of cutting their own emissions. Thai environmental experts also fear it would affect national sovereignty and allow foreign access to biological resources since the project allows foreign investors to manage forest land in the country. However, Mr Sirithan insisted that protected forests and forest plantations managed by the Forest Industry Organisation would be excluded from the scheme. He said only projects that involve the conservation of newly-created or degraded forest land would be certified as carbon sink projects. ''The project will help dramatically increase forest coverage in the country,'' he added. So far, a total of 27 CDM projects have been endorsed by the TGO, most of which are alternative energy projects. Banthoon Setsirote, senior researcher from the National Human Rights Commission's sub-panel on natural resources development policy, said as the future of carbon sink projects remained vague, concerned parties should pay more attention to the so-called voluntary carbon trading project. One of the projects was a 625-rai teak plantation in Sakon Nakhon province, where local teak planters were obliged to keep the trees for 30 years. Carbon credits obtained from the plantation will be sold to a carbon market in the United States, he said. The voluntary carbon market, set up in 1989 by private operators who are willing to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, aims to help the industrial sector learn more about greenhouse gas emission reduction and protect the global environment. Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next Rayong Resort Click Here! Thailand's Top Destinations Vote Student Weekly © Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1996-2008 Privacy Policy Comments to: Webmaster Advertising enquiries to: Internet Marketing Printed display ad enquiries to: Display Ads Full contact details: Contact us / Bangkok Post map 3 http://www.furl.net/item/39349487/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39349487 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:46:23 GMT wildlife disco CONSERVATION Bid to send elephants back home City Hall has promised to tackle the problem of elephants roaming the streets of Bangkok and send the animals back to their home provinces. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had taken several measures in the past to prevent elephants from roaming city streets. However, past efforts had failed as the relevant laws had not given any power to the BMA's city inspectors to take legal action against mahouts who bring their elephants to work in the capital. Mr Apirak yesterday met representatives from elephant conservation groups and relevant agencies to discuss the issue. The meeting came two weeks after a seven-year-old male elephant and a 16-year-old boy were killed and two people injured when they were hit by a pick-up truck while crossing a road in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district. The elephant came from Buri Ram province. The governor said the BMA would take the lead in solving the problems and come up with clear guidelines for the authorities involved. Elephants found roaming the city would be sent back to the provinces they came from, he added. The BMA will coordinate with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the governors of provinces with elephant shelters such as Surin, Buri Ram and Lampang, as well as foundations working for elephants, he said. Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Next 3 http://www.furl.net/item/39349367/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39349367 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:41:43 GMT Thai companies Design HOME FURNISHINGS Bathroom Design banks on innovative products The Thai sanitaryware producer Bathroom Design is confident of achieving its target of 20% business growth this year, helped by the appreciation of its innovative designs by residential developers and foreign customers. Amodel shows off Bathroom Design’s products, someof which have been recognised with international awards. Executive director Ladawan Benjathanachat said around 80% of the company's revenue came from the domestic market, in which it is active in high-end housing projects developed by listed companies such as Land & Houses, Sansiri and Asian Property Development. In the export market - contributing around 20% of revenue - Bathroom Design has benefited from winning awards from leading international design forums - Japan's Good Design Award and Germany's iF Product Design Award and Red Dot Design Award. The three forums gave awards for the Igloo I-Crylic - a whirlpool of translucent acrylic that can be illuminated with different lights. Bathroom Design's upscale products are now sold in almost 30 countries, with main markets in Europe and Asia. Ms Ladawan said the company had already achieved its 10-month target and expected more orders in the last two months with new product launches - including "singing sanitaryware", a toilet set with a system that can be linked to music players via wireless connection. She declined to give a figure for total revenue this year but the company earlier gave a figure of around 400 million baht. Established in 1995, Bathroom Design aims to become one of the top five companies in the whirlpool business worldwide. It has yet to reach this goal but has invested in research and development for innovative products. Bathroom Design has patented most of its innovations globally - both designs and methods of use. "If we don't register our innovations, it means we create the products for other people to use for free," said Ms Ladawan. 4 http://www.furl.net/item/39224309/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39224309 According to the temple, animal feeding costs 20,000 baht a day, while daily staff salaries cost 12,000 baht. The temple charges 300 baht entrance fee which includes an afternoon show. It also offers a separate private session for visitors to take care of a tiger, which costs 4,000 baht. However, tigers are not the only tourist attraction at the temple. Controversial abbot Phra Archarn Phusit (Chan) Khantitharo, or Luangta Chan, also draws attention and crowds. For the photo sessions, tourists sit on the floor while a tiger-handler puts the head of a sleepy-looking tiger on the tourist's lap. The report also described the tiger-handling by staff and monks as abusive. They include hitting the tiger's heads, using force to move them and using their urine to control their behaviour. Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:53:27 GMT tourism RD thai scandals wildlife Determined abbot maintains popularity of his Tiger Temple amid controversy ANCHALEE KONGRUT A journey to Buddhist temples in Thailand does not necessarily have to be only for merit making or dharma practice. At Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno Forest Monastry in Kanchanaburi province, visitors feel like they are in an open zoo.While walking in the temple grounds, visitors will run into countless peacocks, bulls and wild boar. The highlight, however, is the chance to get up close and personal with a tiger. While other animals walk freely in the temple grounds, the tigers are on leashes and chained when they are public areas. Widely known as the Tiger Temple, the monastry became famous worldwide in 2004 after western media outlets such as Animal Planet began airing stories about the Buddhist monks who take care of abandoned and orphaned tigers. At first, the temple was open for free. But as the tigers mated and kept producing cubs and the temple kept receiving stray wild animals, the entrance fees were introduced to keep up with rising expenses. Phra Archarn Phusit (Chan) Khantitharo, or Luangta Chan, wants to be known as ‘Kra Ba Sua’, or Tiger Teacher. According to the temple, animal feeding costs 20,000 baht a day, while daily staff salaries cost 12,000 baht. The temple charges 300 baht entrance fee which includes an afternoon show. It also offers a separate private session for visitors to take care of a tiger, which costs 4,000 baht. Anyone is still welcome to attend the temple's Buddhist service in the morning. Hence, the temple is able to maintain its dual role as a spiritual and animal sanctuary. There are only seven monks in the temple which is home to thousands of animals, including boar, peacocks, bulls and 30 tigers. Each tiger has a name, some of which are Hern Fah, Chom Napa, Darika and Payu. However, tigers are not the only tourist attraction at the temple. Controversial abbot Phra Archarn Phusit (Chan) Khantitharo, or Luangta Chan, also draws attention and crowds. At 1pm, visitors see the abbot sitting with his tigers at the "Tiger Canyon" - a formerly deserted mine which has been converted into a stage for tiger shows. During a typical show, the abbot looks over the tigers as they sleep or roll on the ground nearby. All are secured by chains. Two staff stand beside each tiger to ensure the safety of the tourists. Once in a while, the abbot contacts staff via walkie-talkie. The temple has trained and hired 60 villagers to take care of the tigers. Around the Tiger Canyon, hundreds of tourists - mostly westerners - line up to have their photo taken with one of the tigers, which costs 1,000 baht. For the photo sessions, tourists sit on the floor while a tiger-handler puts the head of a sleepy-looking tiger on the tourist's lap. On average, about 300 tourists visit the temple every day. During the high season or on weekends, that number can easily rise to 800. At 3pm, the tigers are woken up and paraded to their cages. At the head of tiger parade is Luangta Chan, holding the leash of Hern Fah - the temple's most famous tiger. Then, the abbot - who has just undergone heart surgery - leaves to his monastic cloister on a golf cart. Hern Fah has been photographed on over 10,000 tourists' laps," said the abbot proudly. "Look how much money this tiger has made. Indeed, the tigers in our temple are very rich and make their own living. They have plenty of food, and we hire staff to take care of them." The abbot said he feels grateful to these tigers. "They are the ones who created the temple, facilities, local businesses and tourism for this area," he said. Asked why the temple - supposedly a place for spiritual growth - has turned into a semi-zoo, the abbot plunged into a brief silence. "I did not mean it to be this way ... It just happened." The abbot was former student of Political Science at the country's famous university, who over twenty years ago got sick with leukemia and miraculously recovered after entering monkhood. The abbot is a disciple of Luangta Maha Bua Yanasampanno, a highly respected forest monk. "At first, our tiger care was motivated by compassion for the animals. All I want to do is to take care of these tigers the best as I can," said Luangta Chan. Now the temple has become a big business. A foundation has been set up to handle the the temple's financial matters. The profits from the park are used meet various tiger maintenance costs - new infrastructure and maintenance of their environment, extra care (such as 3,600 baht for a tiger's dental plaque removal) and imported tiger supplement vitamins, he explained. However, all this has not prevented the temple from being surrounded by controversy. In June this year, Animal Planet pulled the story of the Tiger Temple from their programming schedule and from their web site. The move followed a report called "Exploiting The Tiger: Illegal Trade, Animal Cruelty and Tourists at Risk at the Tiger Temple" by Care for the Wild International (CWI), a UK animal welfare advocacy group. The report painted the temple as villain from the accounts of wildlife activists disguised as temple volunteers from 2005 to 2008. The report accused the temple of trading tigers with a zoo in Laos, providing a document with the abbot's signature of approval as proof. The report also described the tiger-handling by staff and monks as abusive. They include hitting the tiger's heads, using force to move them and using their urine to control their behaviour. It also warned that the tiger-watching at the temple was unsafe as the temple did not follow international standard and did not have well-enough trained staff. The abbot denied all the allegations, saying the report had a hidden agenda. "This place is like an open palm. Thousand of tourists with cameras came here to record all of our activities. We also have scores of volunteers who still keep coming. If we are that bad, this place would have been closed or we would have been arrested." He laughed at the accusations of illegal tiger trade with a zoo in Laos, calling it a fictitious plot to destroy the temple. "Why would I do such things? We have plenty of money. Trading tigers would make less money and we don't need to buy because we breed tigers here." It is not the first time the abbot and the Tiger Temple have met controversy. In 2000, the temple was closed for lacking the proper licences to own tigers. Forestry Department Chief Plodprasop Suraswadi accused the temple of being involving in illegal trade and called the place unsafe. All the temple's animals, including the tigers, were confiscated and branded as state property. Lacking facilities and funding, the Forestry Department - now the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation - had to leave the tigers at the temple. The controversy resulted in free publicity for the temple. However, the allegations of CWI were serious enough to prompt another round of investigation by the authorities. Last week, the department's staffs went to the temple to collect DNA and blood samples of all tigers to make identity cards for all tigers to prevent illegal trade. Chatchawan Phetdamkham, director of Wildlife Conservation Division, said the results show the tigers have been well treated. One member of the investigation team even said he was impressed by the way the temple handled the tigers. "They seem to know and understand tigers' behaviour. These tigers have been in good hands." The investigation, however, did not cover allegations on illicit trafficking and the drugging of tigers. However, the ID cards will prevent future trafficking, said Chatchawan, adding there is no plans to release the tigers into the wild. "The authorities do not have the money and resources to take care of these tigers," said Chatchawan. The authority's hand-off policy towards the temple would set a bad precedent, said Roger Lohanan, secretary-general of Thai Animal Guardians Association. The controversy of the Tiger Temple echoes problems of profiteering and animal mistreatment in the so-called "Khet Apaiyatan", meaning the pardon zone, which temples lie in. Many temples keep wild animals only to draw visitors. Lacking proper facilities and knowledge, such temples mistreat wild animals who end up having miserable lives, albeit unintentionally. An elephant at Wat Peuj Udom in Pathum Thani province is a case in point. In 1995, the elephant ran wild after being tied with chains for over a decade. Police fired over 150 bullets to kill it to prevent it from attacking people. Despite the controversy and ongoing debates about how to best take care of wild animals, tourists keep coming to the Tiger Temple. Robert Steinmetz, director of the Conservation Biology Unit at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) questioned the future of the tigers if the abbot can no longer take care of them. "My concern is the temple might end up becoming involved in illicit wildlife trading in the future,"he said. The abbot seems prepared for the future. He plans to buy an additional 8,000 rai (1,280 hectares) of land to expand the temple-cum-zoo which now covers 600 rai (96 hectares). The abbot said it was his dream to give new born tigers a jungle-like environment to live in. Wildlife experts such as Chatchawan and Steinmetz call it a pipedream. The abbot somehow seems to know the future of the tigers, at least for their next life. "These tigers are very lucky. Indeed, they are making merit. They do not have to kill to get food. They will definitely be reborn in a higher state of being in their next life." Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next 5 http://www.furl.net/item/39176801/forward http://www.furl.net/item/39176801 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:18:51 GMT Malaysia Banking thai scandals Invasion of the data snatchers Thailand's new reliance on ATM and credit cards has until now made it easy pickings for gangsters from across the border Maxmilian Wechsler Many foreign tourists who return from holiday in Thailand are shocked when they receive a monthly credit card statement with charges they never made or when they find that money has somehow disappeared from their bank account. Locals are not immune to the schemes either, which according to officials at the Economic and Cyber-Crime Division (ECD) police, are mostly masterminded by Malaysian nationals who've crossed over into Thailand after law enforcement agencies and financial institutions in their own country became serious about shutting down these frauds. ''Thailand is a major global tourist destination, and credit card fraud has already damaged the country's reputation. If this continues it will deter tourists from coming to our country, something like what Malaysia experienced a few years back,'' said Maj-Gen Kowit Vongrungrot, head of the ECD. ''A decade ago, Malaysia was known as the centre of credit card fraud in the region. However, in the past few years some Malaysian gangs have moved to Thailand because the government and banks there adopted a number of measures to curb the fraudulent activities.'' He added that these gangs are presently involved in different types of operations in Thailand, including the manufacture of coun terfeit cards that are used locally or exported abroad. The ECD commander said that Thai and foreign law enforcement agencies are now cooperating closely with financial institutions in this country and proper measures have been implemented which might make the Malaysian gangs move on in search of greener pastures. The ECD is the main instrument to fight economic crimes in Thailand, and according to Maj-Gen Kowit the division has a wide range of responsibilities, including fighting counterfeiting, credit card and ATM fraud, tax offences and money laundering. Those involving credit cards are the most widespread and costly. ''From our investigations, we have already identified many major Malaysian players who are working together with several Thai syndicates. They can't operate here alone. They need help. ''However, it is not only Malaysians who are coming here to commit economic crimes; other foreign nationals as well are coming here to use our country as the base for their illegal operations.'' Maj-Gen Kowit said that as a result of an investigation which had the cooperation of the United States Secret Service, the ECD arrested a 33-year-old Taiwanese credit card forger, Liang Che Chih, at a condo in the Huay Kwang district in Bangkok on August 19. ''We confiscated 61 counterfeit credit cards and 30 'white plastics' [blank cards with a magnetic strip that can be encoded with data] together with forgery equipment. We estimate that this suspect alone inflicted 100 million baht in losses to different banks,'' Maj-Gen Kowit said. He noted that the use of credit cards compared to 10 years ago had increased dramatically, particularly in Thailand, as people now tend to use the cards on a daily basis. ''They are not going for high charges but often only to pay for meal or to fill their petrol tank. Therefore, the chance of account data being compromised is much higher than it was previously,'' the ECD commander stressed. "From our investigations, we have already identified many major Malaysian players who are working together with several Thai syndicates. They can't operate here alone. They need help" — SAJ-GEN KOWIT VONGRUNGROT, HEAD OF THE ECD ''The ECD makes it a point to closely cooperate with foreign law enforcement agencies. We are also working hand-in-hand with police liaisons attached to various embassies in Thailand. ''Another problem we are facing here,'' Maj-Gen Kowit said, ''is with counterfeit currencies, mainly US dollars and Thai baht. From our investigations, most of the bogus US currency is coming from the Thai-Cambodian border. We believe a production plant is located there. ''We have discovered that, beside the normal off-set printing method, fake currencies of inferior quality are also being produced by normal ink-jet or laser printers. These fake notes are produced in small quantities and are not widely used, passed sometimes in border markets where the merchants do not have much knowledge of how to differentiate counterfeit from genuine currencies.'' Maj-Gen Kowit said there were also several African gangs in Thailand involved in schemes with US currency. They will approach foreigners and say they possess $100 bills sent by a money launderer which have been covered with a black ink in order to smuggle them more easily. The con men will show some blackened US bills, and explain that the ink can be washed off with a special chemical. If they can find someone gullible enough, they will collect an advance payment _ which may be quite high _ to buy the ''expensive'' chemicals to wash off the ink, and promise a percentage after the washing is done. After the money is collected they are never seen again. ''Thai authorities are trying to alert the public to this, especially tourists, but there are still victims cheated on a daily basis because they are greedy and also not so smart.'' Maj-Gen Kowit said. He announced that the ECD would in the future conduct more in-depth investigations in order to get to the ringleaders. ''In the past, the police would make an arrest, issue a press statement, and that's it. No further investigation was carried out. This is going to change. We will conduct surveillance, look at the money movement, identify the masterminds and also coordinate with the relevant government agencies such as the Anti-Money Laundering Office. ''After we collect all available evidence, we will make the arrest. We have to arrest people at the top,'' said the ECD commander. COLLUSION BY RETAILERS CARDS ON THE TABLE: Crime Suppression Division police present evidence in arrest of suspects charged with falsifying credit cards. Police Major Songrak Khunsri heads a small ECD team of three experts in the field of economic crime. They handle top-priority cases and report directly to Maj-Gen Kowit. The ECD has another large police team to handle other economic cases. ''We are working all over Thailand, especially down South in Phuket and Hat Yai, where many Malaysian credit card criminals operate. They also congregate around Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok,'' said Major Songrak. He said the relocation to Thailand of Malaysian criminals was largely due to action taken by the Bank Negara of Malaysia (Central Bank) that mandated data encryption for credit cards, which prevents the compromise of data through telephone lines. The government also began to take more serious action in these kinds of cases. Police Major Songrak said that counterfeit credit cards account for 50 to 60 per cent of the economic fraud in Thailand, lost or stolen about 20 per cent and Internet fraud anywhere from 20 to 30 per cent. He elaborated on some sophisticated fraud trends: ''Credit card information can be obtained through collusion with a retail outlet employee using a hand-held skimmer. This is a small device held by the employees who swipe customers' credit cards. All data in the magnetic strip will be copied into this skimmer. The data can be used to produce counterfeit cards.'' There are also custom-made skimmers that can be attached to the mouth of the card reader of ATM machines and get information to make a counterfeit card. The skimmers match the colour and size of the target ATM machine and fit around the slot for the cards. At the same time a tiny CCTV camera is affixed to the top of the ATM machine to capture the numbers punched in by the customer. ''It is very cleverly done. When the customer inserts the card the data on the magnetic strip will be immediately recorded and at the same time the tiny camera captures his PIN number. The image is sent remotely to someone, probably in a car nearby,'' said Maj Songrak. The ATM with the skimmer will still give out money as it records all information. It can record as many cards as are placed in the machine until the criminals take out the skimmer. The information is gotten directly from the skimmer by a machine that reads the information and also encrypts it on a ''white plastic'' card. The criminals use this card because the ATM machine doesn't look for colour. It only reads the magnetic strip data. Major Songrak said that most arrests made, as well as intelligence obtained during investigations, points to Malaysian masterminds in the ATM fraud as well as credit card fraud. ''They are working with Thais who recruit the imposters [jockeys] who use the counterfeit credit cards. The Malaysians supply the data encoded in the magnetic strips, and plastics to make the counterfeit and white plastic cards. In many cases, these syndicates work with collusive merchants who accept the bogus cards. The profit sharing ratio between the merchant and syndicate is usually 30:70 or 40:60 per cent,'' he claimed. He made some suggestions to minimise the chances of falling victim to fraud: ''Always keep cards in a safe place; don't give your card to anyone else to do a transaction; when using it in a shop, follow the card [watch where it goes, what is done with it, etc.]; when using an ATM card use your other hand to cover when you punch in the PIN; when doing online shopping, only provide credit card information to a trusted web site. ''Furthermore, if you receive an email claiming to be from a bank asking for personal information, do suspect a phishing scam. A bank will not ask for credit card information or a PIN over the Internet or telephone.'' Major Songrak said his team is very busy at this moment working on several important credit card cases. He feels they are on the right track and arrests are expected. He noted that local police can also handle monetary fraud cases. ''For example, if a department store suspects a person is using a counterfeit credit card, they can call the local police to make the arrest. It is then up to the police to contact the ECD.'' FRAUD ON THE DECLINE According to Mr. Somchai Pichitsurakij, Vice- President of Kasikornbank and head of the bank's Consumer Credit Fraud Control and Prevention Unit, credit card fraud has been on the decline since 2006. ''The total loss for Visa and MasterCard (issued by Kasikornbank) was around $34 million in 2006 and this dropped in 2007 to about $24 million. Figures for the first 6 months of 2008 show a further decrease of 26 percent compared to the same period in 2007, from about $13.5 million to $10 million.'' Somchai is also chairman of the national Fraud Control Task Force, a committee set up to control all types of credit card fraud in Thailand, including skimming, lost/stolen cards, false applications, counterfeiting, etc. Every bank operating in the country has a representative on the committee. "We share and exchange information about credit card fraud with every bank. We also have sub-committees to take care of each type of credit card fraud. If one bank has a problem we inform all other banks. We also share information and work with several Thai law enforcement agencies, including the Crime Suppression Division, the Department of Special Investigations and the ECD. Somchai reaffirmed the message of the ECD, that most of the fraud today is perpetrated by the copying of information from the magnetic stripes and making another card, whether it is a ''white plastic'' or a counterfeit card. Stolen cards are less of a problem but still can yield big gains for criminals. He said that fraud has been reduced because of the high-technology features introduced in Thailand in 2006, in particular a Data Line Encryption system, which prevents information from being lifted by tapping phone lines, and the EMV Chip, the standard for authenticating credit and debit card payments. The name EMV comes from the initial letters of Europay, MasterCard and VISA, the three companies which originally cooperated to develop the standard. Somchai stressed that anyone losing a bank or credit card should call their financial institution immediately. ''If the card-holder losses the card and informs the bank after it has been used they will have to pay. This is in the contract. However, we examine every case. We may share the loss with the card-holder, but if the cardholder has been careless then he/she must take the responsibility. "If it involves counterfeit cards of 'white plastic', the bank will take full responsibility. Right now, the ATM problem _ especially skimming _ is much bigger than fraud with credit card," Somchai added. "The cardholder should keep the card in a secure place and don't tell anyone the pin number. We often see a close family member or friend take advantage. He noted that not all ATM machines have a camera installed by the bank so that the face of the customer can be seen, only 40 to 50 per cent. The skimming is done by a gang. ''We have had 37 incidents of ATM skimming in Thailand (all banks) so far this year," Somchai disclosed, and added that the bank will absorb the loss if it is from skimming. "We have 30 people investigating fraud at Kasirornbank in Thailand. Our computer can detect suspicious purchases, like when many are made in a short period of time. "As for the merchant, we would advise them to observe the behavior of the customer. If they just easily buy for a lot of money, this is suspicious. The merchants should ask to see the ID or passport of the customer and they should check the signature on credit cards as well. "We have teams on the job 24 hours, 7 days a week monitoring the transactions. If there are many transactions in a short period of time we will contact the customer. Every bank has their own monitoring team. We also have an ATM monitoring team,'' Somchai concluded. WEB SITE 'FOR CRIMINALS' SHUT DOWN TAPPING THE MONEY MACHINE: (Top left) Ordinary ATM machine. (Top right) Device which fits over ATM card slot and reads encoded information. (Bottom) Law enforcement officers advise shielding your hand as you enter your PIN. AN INTERNATIONAL web site used by criminals to illegally buy and sell credit card details has been shut down, according to the BBC. The Darkmarket forum operated for just under three years and sold information on how to obtain stolen identities and credit card details. Around 60 people connected with the site have since been arrested in the UK, Europe and the US, the BBC reported. The web site, which before it was shut down could only be accessed by invitation, was attractive to criminals as it offered details contained on the magnetic information strips on the back of credit cards. The data could then be used to fraudulently access large amounts of money. The deputy director of the Serious Organised Crime Squad (Soca), Sharon Lemon, told the BBC: "Darkmarket is a one-stop shop for the online criminal. "You can go to the forum and engage in criminal activity quite freely. "You can buy any product you want, you can sell any product you want." She added: "They are taking someone else's money. These aren't geeks we're talking about. These are serious and organised criminals. "And they can vary. You can be the beginner who can go on to the site, get a tutorial and start your life of crime." Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next IHHP Click Here! Thailand's Top Destinations Vote Student Weekly © Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1996-2008 Privacy Policy Comments to: Webmaster Advertising enquiries to: Internet Marketing Printed display ad enquiries to: Display Ads Full con 3