Conference on Local Economic Development & Investment Strategies in Batum, Indonesia

The National Municipal League of Thailand has been invited to attend the conference on Local Economic Development & Investment Strategies which would be held on 23-25 June 2010 at Pacific Palace Hotel, hosted by the UCLG and UCLG ASPAC

The purpose of the conference is to provide an overview, input and also consideration from various viewpoints on regional economic development and investment strategies that related to the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Regional Financial System and tourism. The objective is to answer the problems that exist primarity on the development of the FTZ and tourism in the province of Riau Islands.

Mr. Jirapat Sukhanite and Ms. Rvipak are the selected representatives being called forthe conference in Batum.  Mr. Jirapat is assigned to present on the Thai Tourism for the conference with the assisting of Ms Ravipak.  The secretariat of the NMT was expected to attend this conference but he was not able to come regarding to his urgent mission relating to the central-local relation on revenue shares, authority revision, future budgeting, etc.

Departing from Suwanapum International Airport at 8.00am, the TG 403 flight arrived at Changhi Airport in Singapore at 10.00am, we hired a local taxi to visit the China Town for a couple hour and headed to the Harbour Front by MRT for boarding on the Ferry Boat. The round ticket is 50 Singapore Dollar for each.  The ferry took only 45 minitues to arrive Batum Island where the conference was held.   At about 7.30 pm, the host country invited all participants to have welcome dinner.

The conference started from 9.30 after opening ceremony wich I felt too long procedure and complicated.  The welcome speech made by Vice-Governor of Riau province.

Deputy Mayor visited School

Education is important as the key factor for local development, so the Kamphaengphet Municipality emphasized on developing the 4 local schools in the area.

Mrs. Truktrong Suphaathaphanich, the Deputy City Mayor, who took her great efforts to push every municipality's machanism to cooperative working hard in order to achieve the policy's goal. 

This article is frankly to honest Mrs. Truktrong who sacrified her fruitfull life on the development of local education administration.  Additionally, she visited schools every month, checked students homeworks, donated private budget for buying educational materials regarding to schools' requests, and followed up what's happening on education.

Just like other days, Mrs. Truktrong visited municipal schools from the dawn to sunset.  Recently, there have two new schools established under Mrs. Truktrong's initial advise. She announced that the municipality schould develope education policy which must be better than yesterday. As a result, the Chakangrao Vittayakom High School and Kamphaengphet Technical Colleage were established and provided general education level and higher education for tax payers in the municipal area.

Today, Kamphaengphet Municipality is one of local government which able to provide not only at primary school but also high school and college.  Also, in the near future, the municipality aims to operate International child center. 

After Fire, to Flooding

Coming into Rainny season, It rains everyday.  At night after burning fire, rain falled through the whole night that caused flooding some areas in the municipality. 

In addition, there were 5 communities flooded with water from heavy rain.  Local people has claimed for our rescuse team to block water not to get into their houses .  Our team rushed to the locations and managed urgent operation immediately. 

In early morning, local administrators, local politicians, and local officials visited the victims in the locations  and provided sufficient and neccessary bags to release their suffering.  The visiting also conducted the discussion on causes of flooding and its solutions.  One solution was building the water ways to distribute water to flow into catchment area or into the Ping river. More solution would blocking the water flow from MACRO store by asking the cooperation from the company to pay for making block dam.

Something Never Ending in KPP

Once again, fire burnt a wooden house in Kamphaengphet  at 4.00am.  I was waked up at about 4.30 am by the telephone ring that first I thought it's alarm clock.  But it's a hotline call from my man at fire unit informed me that there was a house was burning and fire flighter were working to stop fire.  When the fire was informed to 199, the house was half burning.  In fact, it's a wooden house which the owner used for keeping old stuffs and collected old teaks.  The owner told me that his mother sometimes sleept in this house. But she was lucky when the house was burnt.  Not only his mon was lucky but I am lucky too.  I can not imagine if anyone death causing by the fire, I mean, we, the municipality must be a victim of death as we are expected to stop fire and prevent death from fire. 

Peer Group assisting Nareasuan University Ph.D students

Participated by Ph.D. students, Lecturers, and Alumni, the group set up the meeting every month for helping each Ph.D. students to make progress on their dissertation.  Assoc. Prof. Patcharin, Dr.Det Wattanachaiyingchareon, Assoc. Prof. Dr.Thaweesak Nopkaesorn, Assistant Prof. Taweesak Siripornpaiboon took part on the meeting as the commentators for thesis works of the students.

The meeting's atmostphere is friendly, simple, but productive since the academic papers were treated with sincere critics on the hardest part of the papers which the commentators would raise the unclear parts to discuss while guiding the way out of the academic trap.  The outcomes have made pretty much benefits to all participants to move forward to achieve the academic requirements. 

Not only, the monthly meeting but also the relevant and interesting seminar were held on the topic regarding to students' demand which expected to help them get through the qualifation examination in both theoretical part and thesis proposal part.

Recent Meeting held in the "CUPPA"  where is the business center, KM center, and a good coffee place initiated by Dr. Det with the coordinating of Pol Collonell Bandal who is the Ph.D. Candidate in Social Development Department on 15th May 2010. The discussing papers were "Strategic Paradigm of CSR Gold Mining Industry for Achieving Participatory Social Development: Case of Akara Gold Mining)" presentd by Mr. Jirapat Sukhanite, "Human Trafficking Networks in Temperary Asylum: Case of Tha Song Yan Village, Tak", presented by Pol. Lt. Col. Bandan, " Social Factors cause Suicide: Case of Phichit", and " The Internal Anti-corruption Mechanism in Local Government: Case of Tambon Administrative Organisations. 

I must apology to the group if i made mistakes on the titles or names.  By the way, the next meeting may be help at the same place, the CUPPA, on saturday 19 June.  Pls contact the group coordinator, Pol. Lt. Col. Bandan by calling him on the following number 08 1888 0430 

Fire Damaged a House Again In Kamphaengphet

Pictures of the clashing between the red shirt anti-government and military

Stop Discriminated policy and dissolved parliament