Local News

Clean up your act

Governor urges citizens to recycle

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin is urging city folk to support recycling in an effort to cut the city�s garbage output, with garbage disposal costs now exceeding 3 billion baht a year.

Speaking to people from 1,745 communities and scrap traders at the Bangkok Metropolitan Youth Centre in Din Daeng on November 4, Apirak said the city has to get rid of 9,500 tonnes of garbage every day, meaning every city dweller creates a kilogramme of garbage per day. The governor urged people to sort out garbage for recycling to help ease the burden.

Cleaner Krathong

A Don Muang district official shows a krathong made of dried stems of water hyacinth and banana leaves at the Thailand-Japan Sports Stadium, Din Daeng where Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin met community leaders to explain his policy on garbage disposal and recycling.

Changes in the night

More police to patrol Sanam Luang

Police want Bangkok city hall to strictly enforce the 11 pm closure of Sanam Luang to help curb crime, but the governor wants to think it over first.

Police Colonel Vicharn Borirakkul, chief of the Chanasongkhram police station, said crime has increased in the park area in the past two months, with robberies, drug trafficking and assaults all on the increase.

Enforcing the 11 pm to 5 am closure is one way of tackling the problem.

In the meantime, he plans to send city inspectors, known as thetsakit, to patrol the area and plans to ask for more police to be assigned to Sanam Luang at night.

Wonder women

 BMA school buses to have female drivers

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced it will assign women drivers to school buses to better ensure students� safety and hopefully to reduce the number of parents who drive their children to and from school.

Bangkok Deputy Governor Samart Ratchapollasit said mini-buses will be used to transport students to city schools. Each can replace up to eight family cars, drive along convenient laneways and not encounter any parking problems.

The use of women drivers will boost parents� confidence that their children, especially the girls, are safe and being well looked after.

The school bus project will be launched first at city schools in the Samsen and Sathon areas, where there are many schools and severe traffic problems, he said.

Do as I say, not as I do

 Unruly officer faces charges

A traffic policeman has been accused of driving while drunk. He also apparently hit a motorcycle and went through a red traffic light. In

addition, the policeman smashed through a police barrier and injured a person. The incident happened in Bang Bon on November 4.

After driving through the police barrier, the very drunk Amnart Kebraksa was caught, police said.

After being arrested, Amnart cursed a security volunteer, who he attacked and bit on the thumb. Amnart was also found to be driving a vehicle without insurance. Police also discovered that his car�s vehicle tax had expired for two

That�s the rub

A mahout and his young charge demonstrate an �elephant massage� at a Bangkok promotion for the 44th Surin Elephant Round-up and Red Cross Fair from November 12-23 in Surin.

Vocabulary

disposal (n): the act of getting rid of something
exceed (v): to be greater than a particular number or amount
enforce (v): to make sure that people obey a particular law or rule
assault (n): the crime of attacking somebody physically
tackle (v): to make a determined effort to deal with a difficult problem or situation
patrol (v): to go around an area or a building at regular times to check that it is safe and that there is no trouble
curse (v): a rude or offensive word or phrase that some people use when they are very angry
expire (v): (of document, an agreement, etc.) to be no longer valid because the period of time for which it could be used has ended
encounter (v): to experience something, especially something unpleasant or difficult, while you are trying to do something else
boost (v):  to make something increase