Paving a smoother future

Paving a smoother future

A project that aims to turn the bustling Siam Square into a pedestrian-friendly zone is inching towards becoming a reality.

''Bangkok Sabai Walk'', which involved a design contest to better Siam Square, is being driven by a group of urban planners, academics, architects and artists.

Oraya Sutabutr, of the Quiet Bangkok Group that is spearheading the project, said 130 teams have registered for participation. Of that number, 27 teams had submitted their design entries when the deadline came last week. Teams are divided into two categories _ general public and students _ and must have no more than 10 members.

The number of participants is quite impressive, said Oraya, adding they are very active and enthusiastic in making change.

Bangkok Sabai Walk is one stage of the Ratchadamri Road improvement project which was successfully launched in 2007 with the aim to make the pavement of the area more disability friendly. Under the project, the pavement of the road from Ratchaprasong intersection to Chulalongkorn Hospital was modified to make the surface smooth while the steep ends of each pavement were corrected to accommodate wheelchairs. And smooth pavements with the least amount of obstacles help the blind travel more safely also.

● ● Development footprint Is a good idea because it is currently in Bangkok on foot and then began to increase. And even in the Siam area with people walking much. What if development is to make people walk. As well as tourists. Shopping here is happily easy and safe.

Suvarnabhumi extension ratified

Suvarnabhumi extension ratified

The cabinet yesterday approved the long-delayed expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport, estimated to cost 62 billion baht.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s entry point for most travellers, must now expand after only four years of operation to prevent overcrowding.

But the expansion, which will lift the passenger handling capacity of Bangkok's prime airport to 60 million a year, will not be completed until at least 2015, years after overcrowding has set in.

Based on current trends, Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) expects Suvarnabhumi to reach its maximum capacity of 45 million passengers this year.

"It's better late than never," AoT president Serirat Prasutanond told the Bangkok Post, adding that the cabinet's endorsement would help set the expansion in motion.

AoT made its first expansion proposal in late 2007, a year after Suvarnabhumi began operations. It subsequently underwent a series of reviews and revisions amid indecision by authorities and politicians.

● ● Considered one of the Thailand Development airport is considered the country's remarkable. And we will develop the country's main airport to look good. That people can hold much larger than the original. Is considered worth the money invested enormous.

Sinking Village Farm

Sinking Village Farm

For almost two decades, villagers in Non Thai district, a farming community in Nakhon Ratchasima, have been pointing fingers at salt production factories for ruining their rice fields. For those peasants, the threat of salt production came more from salty wastewater and salt dust, which ruins water resources and their farmlands. But the soil subsidence early this year have only served to add more fear to these villagers

The land subsidence drew public attention. Suvit Khunkitti, the environment minister, promptly visited the site, ordering state geologists at the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to investigate the cause. In February, the Ministry of Industry, which granted the salt production permits, suspended the operation of three existing salt production factories in Non Thai district for seven months.

Currently, there are many salt production and salt mining factories operating in Thailand's northeastern provinces. In Nakhon Ratchasima alone there are 24 salt production factories and salt mines, three of which are in Non Thai.

But there is something unique and primitive about the salt production operations in Non Thai district. Factories there still employ a cheap technology known as "natural brine pumping", which uses water pumps to draw underground water to the surface _ the same way households and factories in Bangkok and the vicinity pump artesian water for consumption. It was natural brine pumping that led to soil subsidence, according to Pitak Ratanajaruraks, director of the Bureau of Minerals, Department of Mineral Resources. "Undoubtedly, the sinkholes were caused by salt production. When water from underground is taken away, the soil structure collapses accordingly."

● ● Government should help people urgently. Because of the problems this causes damage. People suffer. Or private agencies should solve this problem should do. Not to affect the environment and people.

neww s

Thais triumph at International Science Olympiads

Thailand sent five students to compete in the Ipho. "This is the first time that all our representatives are gold-medal winners," says Pornpun Waitayangkoon, PhD, president of the Institute for the Promotion of Science and Technology (Ipst), and a driving force behind the students.

Another driving force is the Promotion of Academic Olympiads and Development of Science Education Foundation, which is under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra (Posn) and other science associations.
This year, the success achieved by Thai students at the International Science Olympiads (ISO) is not limited to Ipho alone. All in, Thai youngsters have won 13 gold medals in the five ISO subject

categories.

● ● It is proud that one of Thailand Successful the first time. To send one Olympics. And gold in abundance. This shows that education in Thailand. Thai children and good Other countries do not lose quality. If the Thai children receive this support so on ปร Bangladesh, Thailand will have certainly known about the academic !