This blog contains lots of articles and world news. Its aim is to be a source of knowledge for people to read and think, and thus make an intuitive decision on how to lead their lives fruitfully in every-day livings.Under the concept of Today-Readers are Tomorrow Leaders.' The world will be better because we begin to change for the best.
More
than half of the 264,500 people who have crossed the Mediterranean in
the hope of settling in Europe this year have arrived in Greece - and
most of those have landed on the five Greek islands closest to the
Turkish coast. Photographer Fernando Del Berro watched some of them
arrive on the northern shore of Lesbos.Image caption
Fifty metres from the shore Fouad, from Damascus,
raises his two-month-old baby above his head and cries "Freedom!" Many
of the other passengers also erupt in cries of joy.
Image caption
Closer to the shore, some throw themselves into the
water before the bottom of the dangerously overloaded boat touches the
pebbles.
Image caption
At the end of the 14km trip from Turkey, they are
euphoric and cannot wait to be back on dry land - this time Europe, near
the village of Efthalou.
Image caption
For some the relief at the end of the risky crossing
brings tears. Many tell stories of the Turkish coastguard firing water
cannon in an attempt to fill the boats and make them sink.
Image caption
Those who cannot swim find the journey traumatic.
Children may need comforting. Tamara, from Syria, has salt water on her
hair, face and clothes, but it will dry rapidly in the scorching heat.
Image caption
The boats often arrive at the hottest time of day,
and many on board are dehydrated as well as exhausted. Ojwan, from
Aleppo, holds his two sons, sighing: "We're safe now."
Image caption
A couple take a celebratory selfie next to the
flimsy boat that carried them to Europe. Smugglers charge 1,000 euros
for adults and 600 for children. One boat may carry 60 people.
Image caption
Saad, from Idlib in Syria, holds his nephew while
helping his sister to clamber up the slope behind the beach. Local
volunteers often meet the boats, hand out water, and explain how to find
buses that travel to the island's main town, Mytilini.
Image caption
The climb up from the sea to the road is steep in
parts of this 13km-long coast. To get to the bus it's a 10km walk that
everyone must make, regardless of age or fitness.
Image caption
For a long time the Turkish coast remains visible
behind the travellers. Syrians fleeing a distant war, dragging babies
and belongings, have become a familiar sight on the island.
Image caption
The UNHCR and Medecins Sans Frontieres run four
buses daily to Mytilini from two northern villages, Molyvos and
Sykamineas. But up to 1,000 people may arrive on this coast in 24 hours,
so some cover the full 65km on foot. Saad and his family are lucky
enough to have seats.
Image caption
Anyone who has left Kabul, Damascus or Baghdad and
arrived on Lesbos is already a long way from home, but this may be just
the start of a longer journey
President Barack Obama will officially restore Denali as the name of
North America's tallest mountain, siding with the state of Alaska in
ending a 40-year battle over what to call a peak that has been known as
Mount McKinley.
The historic change, coming at the beginning of a three-day
presidential trip to Alaska on Monday, is a sign of how hard the White
House will push during Obama's remaining 16 months as president to
ensure his fight to address climate change is part of his legacy.
Renaming the mountain, which has an elevation of more than 6,100
metres, makes headlines for his climate quest while also creating
goodwill in a state that has not been broadly supportive of the
Democratic president.
Obama is slated to tour a receding glacier and meet with people in
remote Arctic communities whose way of life is affected by rising ocean
levels, creating images designed to build support for regulations to
curb carbon emissions.
The peak was named Mount McKinley in 1896 after a gold prospector
exploring the region heard that Ohioan William McKinley, a champion of
the gold standard, had won the Republican nomination for president.
But Alaska natives had long before called the mountain Denali,
meaning the "High One". In 1975, the state of Alaska officially
designated the mountain as Denali, and has since been pressing the
federal government to do the same.
Alaskans had been blocked in Congress by Ohio politicians, who wanted
to stick with McKinley as a lasting tribute to the 25th US president,
who served from 1897 until his assassination in 1901.
Under Obama's action, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will use her
legal authority to end the long debate and rename the mountain.
The move elicited praise from Alaska Governor Bill Walker, a
Republican turned independent, and Republican elected officials, who
more typically are critical of an administration they see as hostile to
the oil and gas interests of their state.
"I'd like to thank the president for working with us to achieve this
significant change to show honour, respect, and gratitude to the
Athabascan people of Alaska," said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski,
who led the fight for the Denali name in Congress.
Obama will meet with a group of Alaska native leaders on Monday in Anchorage, as well as with Walker and Murkowski.
Craig Fleener, a Gwich'in Athabascan who is an adviser to Walker,
called Denali "a hallmark of Alaskan identity" and said the name change
was rich in significance.
The first person to reach the summit of the mountain in 1913 was
Koyukon Athabascan Walter Harper, and a member of his expedition,
Gwich'in Athabascan John Fredson, who went on to become a leader in the
fight for native rights in the state, Fleener said.
Story Behind Emotional Photo of Refugee Dad Carrying Sleeping Daughter
Beth Greenfield
Senior Writer
August 29, 2015
Abdul
Haleem al-Kader with his daughter Abdelillah, 4, who was tracked down
on social media after this photo, showing him selling pens on the
street, went viral. (Photo: IndieGogo)
A
single father of three struggling to raise his two young daughters in
Lebanon has sparked an online fundraising frenzy after a photo of him
selling pens and holding his 4-year-old daughter struck a major chord on
social media — bringing in more than $66,000 in donations in less than 24 hours.
The photo, of Syrian-Palestian refugee Abdul Haleem al-Kader, was posted, along with the hashtag #buypens, on Twitter by Norway father and activist Gissur Simonarson. The picture was retweeted more than 3,400 times, and followers flooded Simonarson — who had procured the photo for his website, Conflict News, but was not sure of its origin — to track the family down and help them. He was able to do so quickly, also through Twitter.
Turns out that al-Kader had been recently living with his children, 4 and 9, in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, which is known for its horrific conditions. Now, according to BuzzFeed News,
the three live in Lebanon, where al-Kader has not been able to find
work. “So I have no other options to feed my kids but selling stuff in
the streets,” he told the website on Friday, explaining that his wife
left the family after they were all living in Egypt, and she wanted to
return to Syria but he refused.
Al-Kader and his daughter, after someone helped track him down. (Photo: IndieGogo)
“The kids live in dire conditions,” tweeted Lebanese for Refugees activist Carol Malouf
on Friday regarding the trio’s current residence, a “modest apartment”
in Beirut. “They need our help.” Malouf got involved with the family’s
cause and went to visit them on Friday, according to a series of tweets.
After al-Kader and his son and daughter were located, Simonarson launched a fundraising campaign on IndieGogo,
raising $5,000 in just half an hour and more than $66,000 in 23 hours.
He’s reportedly enlisted the help of UNICEF, which has not yet responded
to a request for information from Yahoo Parenting.
The
donations, according to a breakdown tweeted by Simonarson, have so far
come mostly from the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab
Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. And now, it seems, al-Kader will be able to
start a new life for himself and his children — and the unemployed dad
can hardly believe it.
Gissur Simonarson, who first posted the image of al-Kader and his daughter. (Photo: Facebook)
“I
was surprised to know that people abroad heard about my story and care
about my kids,” al-Kader told BuzzFeed News. “I couldn’t hold my tears, I
kept saying ‘thank god, thank god’ and hugging my kids. I don’t need
money, all I want is to educate my kids, send them to school, help them
to get their education.” His hope, he said, was to take his kids to live
in Europe, where they will have “a much better chance for a good
education. I really hope I can do that.” But if that’s not possible, he
says, will rely on what he’d learned by working in a chocolate factor in
Syria: “Plan B will be opening a chocolate shop in Lebanon.”
Activist Carol Malouf with 4-year-old Abdelillah. (Photo: IndieGogo via Twitter/Carol Malouf)
Simonarson has been blown away by the response to the photo, too. “My goal was to get him some help,” he told the BBC. “I really didn’t expect the large support that we’re getting now.”
Amidst
all the happiness over the support of al-Kader’s cause, another
Lebanese-refugee activist, Abdel Rahman Zaylaa, took the opportunity to
remind folks that the father and his two children are just the tip of
the iceberg. “Unfortunately, the harsh reality remains that there are
thousands of cases, most of them [which] did not find [their] way to the
world,” he tweeted in Arabic on Friday.
But
tuning into one person’s suffering rather than that of the masses is a
common reaction, because of the way empathy works, Yale University
psychologist Paul Bloom
has noted many times. It’s what’s been called the “identifiable victim
effect,” as being affected by the plight of millions is often too
difficult for us to comprehend.
Al-Kader and his kids at home. (Photo: IndieGogo via Twitter/Carol Malouf)
He discussed the issue in a recent New Yorker article
on “the case against empathy.” In it, Bloom (who was unavailable to
speak with Yahoo Parenting on Friday) argues, “moral progress involves
expanding our concern from the family and the tribe to humanity as a
whole. Yet it is impossible to empathize with seven billion strangers,
or to feel toward someone you’ve never met the degree of concern you
feel for a child, a friend, or a lover. Our best hope for the future is
not to get people to think of all humanity as family — that’s
impossible. It lies, instead, in an appreciation of the fact that, even
if we don’t empathize with distant strangers, their lives have the same
value as the lives of those we love.”
Luckily,
the kindness shown to al-Kader by people around the world this week
will likely be passed on to others — at least according to a tweet by
Malouf, in which she says she was moved to tears. Because upon meeting
al-Kader and discussing all the money that’s being raised, she says, he
told her this: “I want to help other Syrians.”
Mr Asaad, 81, had apparently insisted on staying in Palmyra even after the takeover by IS
Khaled
al-Asaad, the archaeologist who has reportedly been killed by Islamic
State militants, had a lifelong connection to the town, having been born
into a prominent family in the area in 1934.
Although curating
the ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage site would become his life's work
and he had a degree in history from Damascus University, he had no
formal training in archaeology - all his knowledge in this field was
self-taught.
Archaeologist and former Syrian antiquities official
Amr al-Azm, who knew Mr Asaad, told the BBC that he was an "icon of
Palmyrene archaeology".
"If you needed to do anything in Palmyra
with regards to the archaeology or the monuments, you had to go through
Khaled al-Asaad. He was essentially 'Mr Palmyra'," Mr Azm said.
Mr Asaad was involved in the early excavation and restoration work at the site, and carried on this work for four decades.
"When you look at Palmyra today as an archaeological site, really that's the legacy of Khaled al-Asaad," Mr Azm says.
"We
lost this great... resource of knowledge on Palmyra and its history,
much acquired through personal, direct contact... the sort of
information you could never get from a book or a lecture," he added.
Mr Asaad had a crucial role in preserving the site as it stands today, experts say
One of the "crimes" IS apparently accused Mr Asaad of was working with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
He
was a member of the ruling Baath Party but there is no clear evidence
that he was an active supporter of the regime - anyone in any position
of authority in Syria during this time had to be a party member.
When
he retired in 2003, his son Walid took on the mantle of his work at the
site - both were reportedly detained by IS last month.
Syrian
antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told AFP that Mr Asaad's other son
Mohammed and his son-in-law Khalil actively participated in the rescue
of 400 antiquities as the town was being taken over by the jihadists in
May.
Mr Abdul Karim said IS militants had tried to extract information from Mr Assad about where some treasures were hidden.
Some reports say that he was executed after refusing these requests.
Historian and writer Tom Holland said if the reports were true, Mr Asaad was "not just a martyr, but a hero.
"Islamic
State is very keen on the idea of martyrdom, but if this is true, it
shows that it is not only religiously inspired interpretations of the
past that people feel are worth dying for."
วันพุธที่ 19 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2558
More Wonders of Hua Hin
Located on an army-owned plot covering 222 rai in Hua Hin,
Ratchapak Park and the statues of seven former Thai kings were
constructed by the Royal Thai Army under royal permission from His
Majesty King...
Just south of the resort town there is a lot more for visitors to explore ranging from forests to majestic statues
As the resort town of Hua Hin has grown rapidly
over the past decade, it often has new tourist destinations and
activities to offer. Strolling along the beach, swimming, sunbathing,
horse riding, playing watersports, worshipping Thailand's largest statue
of the late revered monk Luang Pu Thuad at Wat Huay Mongkol and
enjoying beautiful sea views with cool sea breezes are what
holidaymakers love to do there.
Nonetheless, if all these things are no longer interesting, tourists
may want to travel 7km south from downtown Hua Hin to worship the
gigantic statues of seven great Thai kings at the new Ratchapak Park
opposite the tranquil Suanson Pradipat beach.
This beach won four out of five stars under the Pollution Control Department's beach quality index in 2012.
Swimming, relaxing, dining or playing golf nearby the ironwood-lined
beach, strolling the adjacent Khao Tao beach and visiting the hilltop
Wat Khao Tao are also recommended for those visiting the lower part of
Hua Hin. In addition, tourists can visit the scenic Khao Tao reservoir
and the first royally-initiated weaving project at Ban Khao Tao village.
If they travel about 5km southwards, they will reach the nearby Pran
Buri Forest Park where they can stroll a mangrove forest study route and
a few more nature trails and stay overnight in the camping zone.
On their way back home, visitors may want to buy local products as
souvenirs for family and friends. Among its highly recommended products
are Hua Hin's signature Khomapastr printed cotton fabrics and Ban Khao
Tao's cotton textiles which are unique for their weaving techniques and
silk-like textures.
Nestled by the Gulf of Thailand in Prachuap Khiri Khan, less than
200km south of Bangkok, Hua Hin, literally meaning "rocky beachhead",
was named after the rocks at the north end of the 5km-long sandy beach.
This small fishing village became the country's first beach resort
after a rail line was laid in the 1920s and King Rama VII established
his summer palace there. For almost a century, it has been a popular
weekend getaway destination for city dwellers, royals and the elites.
"The entire province of Prachuap Khiri Khan including Hua Hin attracts 4.6 million tourists each year.
"In Hua Hin, Thais enjoy leisure tourism that incorporates resting
and eating seafood. Foreigners also come to relax. They want a peaceful,
not vibrant, atmosphere to take things easy," said Orasa Awutkom,
director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s Prachuap Khiri
Khan Office.
According to her, tourism in Hua Hin, however, has begun to reach
saturation point and is expanding to places such as Pran Buri which have
attracted more people who like slow tourism. In line with the TAT's
focus on sustainable tourism, Prachuap Khiri Khan has numerous
attractions to offer. For instance, Pran Buri is home to Sirinart
Rachini Mangrove Ecological Study Centre and is famous for surfboarding,
while sailing in Thab Sakae and diving off Koh Thalu are popular.
"Beaches in Prachuap Khiri Khan are very beautiful. Tourist
attractions in military zones are well-developed and won about five
stars for beach quality from the Department of Pollution Control," Orasa
added.
Pran Buri Forest Park was established in 1974 by the Forestry
Department after Her Majesty Queen Sirikit visited Pak Nam Pran Buri
Village in Pran Buri district, saw many mangrove trees and wanted to
support the growing of more trees along the coastline. This special
project developed 1,984 rai of Khlong Kao and Khlong Doi forests — which
consists of mangrove forests, mixed deciduous forests, coastal land and
deserted land — into a multipurpose forest. Later in 1982, the
department declared this area a forest park because it has a beautiful
beach as well as mangrove and mixed deciduous forests running alongside
the Pran Buri River. In 2003, Their Majesties the King and Queen visited
Pran Buri Forest Park and expressed their concern for the forests,
especially the mangrove forests. Here, visitors will be able to enjoy
birdwatching, camping by the sea, trekking the dry evergreen forest on
the Chao Phor Hua Laem Hill and strolling the 1km-long mangrove forest
study route. This forest park has various kinds of plants and wild
animals, such as monkeys, barking deer, snakes and lizards. From the
1km-long Pran Khiri beach, the scenic views of Tao and Singto islands
and Khao Takiab and Khao Tao hills can be seen.
Located in Ban Nong Kae, Hua Hin, about 190km from Bangkok, the
Suanson Pradipat Army Rehabilitation and Recreation Centre has been in
service since 1970. It is home to a beautiful, clean and peaceful beach.
It offers bungalows and a camping area for army officers, families and
the general public to rent at reasonable prices. It also has a golf
practising centre, running tracks, restaurants, meeting rooms and food
centres. The rates of bungalows per room per night range from 110 baht
for army officers and families and 220 baht for the general public for
dormitories to 1,850 baht for army officers and families and 3,700 baht
for the general public for a three-bedroom bungalow.
Located in soi Hua Hin 101, the Ban Khao Tao Professional Handicraft
Centre was previously called the Ban Khao Tao Weaving Training Centre.
It is a royal project initiated by Their Majesties the King and Queen.
It dates back to 1964 when Their Majesties the King and Queen were
staying at Klai Kangwon Palace, Hua Hin, and visited Ban Khao Tao’s
villagers who were then mostly fishermen. After learning that the
villagers could not earn their living during the rainy season,
especially the monsoon period, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
ordered that a class be organised for lecturers to teach the art of
cotton weaving using traditional northern looms called kee kratook for
the residents of Ban Khao Tao and nearby villagers. Their Majesties the
King and Queen visited the centre four times. The group currently has 25
members, eight of whom are active. Woven with fine 100% cotton thread,
fabrics from Ban Khao Tao are of a distinctive quality and allow air to
pass through them. Visitors should not miss the unique pha khao ma
clothes woven with nine horizontal threads. In addition, handmade
fabrics with floral designs (yok dok) are durable and as shiny as silk.
In 1963, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej visited the residents of
Hua Hin district and noticed hardships faced by those living in Ban
Khao Tao Village in tambon Nong Kae. This community was highly
populated, but lacked water for consumption. During the time of high
tides, farmland was inundated with seawater in the Thung Takad field in
this tambon and thus crops were damaged. As the local villagers gave him
a 300 rai land plot in the village, HM the King granted 60,000 baht of
his personal money to the Department of Royal Irrigation for building a
reservoir. This Khao Tao Reservoir Project is considered the first
royally-initiated project run by this department. The reservoir
initially had the capacity of keeping 600,000³ of water. HM the King
also supported the construction of Wat Khao Tao in 1958 and opened this
temple in 1961.
ชื่อทางการของกรุงเทพมหานคร
เมื่อถอดเป็นอักษรโรมัน คือ “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon” แต่คนทั่วไปนิยมทับศัพท์ตามชื่อที่ผู้พูดภาษาอังกฤษเรียกเมืองนี้ว่า “Bangkok” ซึ่งมาจากชื่อเดิมของกรุงเทพมหานคร คือ “บางกอก” มา
จากอดีตของเมืองเดิมเป็นที่ตั้งของเมืองธนบุรีศรีมหาสมุทร
ตั้งแต่สมัยกรุงศรีอยุธยา
มีความสำคัญในฐานะเส้นทางออกสู่ทะเลและติดต่อค้าขายกับอาณาจักรต่างๆ
ทั้งเป็นเมืองหน้าด่านขนอน
คอยดูแลเก็บภาษีจากเรือสินค้าทุกลำที่ผ่านเข้าออก
สำหรับที่มาของคำว่า บางกอก
มีข้อสันนิษฐานว่าอาจมาจากที่แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยาคดเคี้ยวไปมา
บางแห่งมีสภาพเป็นเกาะเป็นโคก จึงเรียกกันว่า “บางเกาะ” หรือ “บางโคก”
แล้วเพี้ยนเป็นบางกอก บ้างก็ว่าเนื่องเพราะบริเวณนี้มีต้นมะกอกอยู่มาก
จึงเรียกว่า “บางมะกอก” คือพื้นที่ที่เต็มไปด้วยต้นมะกออก
ข้อสันนิษฐานนี้อ้างอิงมาจากชื่อเดิมของวัดอรุณราชวราราม คือ วัดมะกอก
(ก่อนจะเป็นวัดมะกอกนอก และวัดแจ้ง ตามลำดับ)
และต่อมาบางมะกอกกร่อนคำเหลือแค่ บางกอก ชื่อเมืองที่ยาวที่สุดในโลก!
กรุงเทพ
มหานครได้ชื่อว่าเมืองที่มีชื่อยาวที่สุดในโลกบันทึกไว้ในกินเนสส์บุ๊ก
แปลความเป็นภาษาอังกฤษว่า “City of angels, great city of immortals,
magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal
palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Visvakarman at Indra’s
behest.” คำอ่านภาษาไทย
กรุง
เทบมะหานะคอน อะมอนรัดตระนะโกสิน มะหินทรายุดทะยา มะหาดิลกพบ
นบพะรัดราดชะทานีบูรีรม อุดมราดชะนิเวดมะหาสะถาน อะมอนพิมานอะวะตานสะถิด
สักกะทัดติยะวิดสะนุกำประสิด คำอ่านภาษาอังกฤษ
KRUNGTHEPMAHANAKHON
AMONRATTANAKOSIN MAHINTHARAYUTTHAYA
MAHADILOKPHOP NOPPHARATRATCHATHANIBURIROM UDOMRATCHANIWETMAHASATHAN
AMONPHIMANAWATANSATHIT SAKKATHATTIYAWITSANUKAMPRASIT คำแปลเป็น ภาษาไทย และภาษาอังกฤษ กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตรโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยา แปลอังกฤษ : City of Angels, Great City of Immortals, แปลไทย : พระนครอันกว้างใหญ่ดุจเทพนคร เป็นที่สถิตของพระแก้วมรกต เป็นนครที่ไม่มีใครรบชนะได้ มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบูรีรมย์ แปลอังกฤษ : Magnificent City of the Nine Gems, Seat of the King, แปลไทย : มีความงามอันมั่นคงและเจริญยิ่ง เป็นเมืองหลวงที่บริบูรณ์ด้วยแก้วเก้าประการ น่ารื่นรมย์่ง อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต แปลอังกฤษ : City of Royal Palaces, Home of the Gods Incarnate, แปลไทย : มีพระราชนิเวศใหญ่โตมากมาย เป็นวิมานเทพที่ประทับของพระราชาผู้อวตารลงมา สักกะทัตติยวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์ แปลอังกฤษ : Erected by Visvakarman at Indra’s Behest. แปลไทย : ซึ่งท้าวสักกเทวราชพระราชทานให้พระวิษณุกรรมลงมาเนรมิตไว้ ขอบคุณข้อมูล th.wikipedia.org, กระทรวงวัฒนธรรม (m-culture.go.th)
Central Bangkok descended into chaos Monday
evening when a bomb exploded at Ratchaprasong intersection, killing 20
people, including three foreigners, and injuring at least 125.
The explosion occurred about 7pm near the Brahmin statue at the
Erawan Shrine on the intersection packed with evening rush-hour
commuters and tourists, many of whom were visiting the shrine.
With a powerful flash caught on security video and a boom heard
blocks away, the blast from the IED (improvised explosive device)
scattered body parts across Rachaprasong intersection, spattered blood,
blasted windows and burned motorbikes to the metal.
"Suddenly there was a big boom, and the whole room just shook, like
someone dropped a wrecking ball on top of our ceiling," said Pim
Niyomwan, an English instructor working on the eighth floor of the
building right next to the shrine. "The whole building just shook. My
four students were hysterical."
Emergency staff help the injured at the scene of the explosion near the Erawan Shrine. (EPA photo)
Police said the bomb was left on a bench beside the low fence of the
shrine close to the intersection. Two objects suspected to be explosive
devices were also discovered next to a nearby BTS station pillar near
the shrine.
The national police chief, Pol Gen Somyot Pumpunmuang and others
called it a vicious act meant to target helpless civilians but stopped
short of labelling it "terrorism". No one or group had claimed
responsibility by Tuesday morning.
At least three foreign nationals were among the dead, according to
the national police chief. China's embassy in Bangkok said two Chinese
nationals were killed, the Xinhua news agency reported.
On Tuesday morning, police revised the human toll from the bomb,
citing some confusion at the scene, and deaths that occurred in
hospitals among the badly wounded.
As of 8am Tuesday, the toll stood at 20 dead, including the two
Chinese and one Filipino. Police said 125 were injured badly enough to
need medical care, but did not provide a breakdown of Thai and foreign
victims.
About seven of the bodies were collected from the shrine by Por Teck Tung rescue volunteers.
Bomb experts study the Erawan Shrine, near ground zero of the blast,
and always a magnet for crowds of local people and tourists alike.
(Photo by Thanarak Khunton)
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was "shocked" to learn about the
deadly explosion. He hopes that "those responsible will be brought to
justice," according to a statement from a UN spokesperson.
The United States, meanwhile, "condemns this deplorable act of
violence," National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a
statement.
The US embassy in Bangkok issued an "emergency message" to Americans in Bangkok informing them of the blast.
"US Embassy personnel are liaising closely with local authorities to
gather information," it said. "US citizens are advised to avoid the area
and monitor local media for updates."
At least five motorcycles caught fire. Police denied the bomb had been planted in a motorcycle.
At 7.15pm, police closed the intersection to traffic to allow bomb
disposal experts to get to the scene and rescue workers to move in. BTS
trains to the area were immediately halted.
Police chief Somyot said the bomb at the shrine was improvised, with
gunpowder stuffed inside a pipe, and detonated in a similar way to how a
TNT device is set off.
A screen capture from CCTV footage shows the moment of the explosion at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok Monday night.
"It was a barbaric act perpetrated during a busy time and the attack
was meant to kill people," he said, adding the device was capable of
causing destruction within a 40-metre radius.
Several bodies with visible burns were seen at the intersection,
which was littered with human remains and debris from the blast. Rescue
workers administered first aid to the injured, who sustained deep wounds
and lacerations, and took them to the nearby Police General Hospital.
Some of the injured were also rushed to Ramathibodi, Rajavithi,
Phramongkutklao, Chulalongkorn, Klang, Bangkok Christian and Phayathai 1
hospitals.
Tuesday's Bangkok Post was on the streets early to report on the shocking story.
The emergency room of the Police General Hospital, which sits across
Ratchaprasong intersection, was swamped last night attending to people
hurt in the blasts.
A staff member said about 20 people rushed to the hospital were in critical condition.
The blast was the third and biggest bomb attack since the military
coup. The first was an explosion outside the Paragon shopping complex on
Feb 1, in which one person was slightly injured. The second was at the
Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road on March 7, where there were no
casualties.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha condemned the attack and ordered his
deputy, Prawit Wongsuwon, to put security authorities on full alert,
said Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, a former deputy government spokesman.
He said Gen Prayut has ordered police, soldiers and city workers to inspect the blast scene and launch a thorough investigation.
According to Maj Gen Sansern, it is too early to speculate on the
motive behind the blast but the government will take harsh action as it
was a deliberate attempt to take people's lives.
The prime minister urged the public to stay calm and not rush to
share information about the bombing on social media, said Maj Gen
Weerachon Sukhondhapatipak, deputy government spokesman.
Security authorities are reviewing the situation before deciding if the internal security law will be invoked, a source said.
The 1st Cavalry Battalion, King's Guard, issued alerts for 10
potentially dangerous areas following the blast. They are Ratchaprasong
intersection, Pathumwan intersection, Silom Road, Khao San Road,
Narathiwat intersection, the Victory Monument, Tuek Chai Intersection,
Benjasiri Park, Soi Thong Lor and Sukhumvit Road.
Gen Prawit said the explosion targeted the country's tourism sector
as the attackers intentionally launched an attack in a crowded area
popular with tourists.
British ambassador Mark Kent warned Britons in Thailand to be vigilant and stay updated on travel advice.
Police and soldiers set up checkpoints and are patrolling areas which
could be targets, Gen Prawit said. He insisted there was no indication
at this stage that the bombing was politically motivated though Deputy
Defence Minister and army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said an attack by
elements with "different views" could not be ruled out.
"It is possible that another such incident could occur," he added.
A Google map of central Bangkok shows the exact point of the bomb blast.
A man talks with family immediately after the blast. (Image from AP video)
Rescue workers rush a bombing victim from the scene of the blast Monday evening. (AFP photo)
Abdul
Haleem al-Kader with his daughter Abdelillah, 4, who was tracked down
on social media after this photo, showing him selling pens on the
street, went viral. (Photo: IndieGogo)
Gissur Simonarson, who first posted the image of al-Kader and his daughter. (Photo: Facebook)
Activist Carol Malouf with 4-year-old Abdelillah. (Photo: IndieGogo via Twitter/Carol Malouf)
Al-Kader and his kids at home. (Photo: IndieGogo via Twitter/Carol Malouf)
Pran Buri Forest Park was established in 1974 by the Forestry
Department after Her Majesty Queen Sirikit visited Pak Nam Pran Buri
Village in Pran Buri district, saw many mangrove trees and wanted to
support the growing of more trees along the coastline. This special
project developed 1,984 rai of Khlong Kao and Khlong Doi forests — which
consists of mangrove forests, mixed deciduous forests, coastal land and
deserted land — into a multipurpose forest. Later in 1982, the
department declared this area a forest park because it has a beautiful
beach as well as mangrove and mixed deciduous forests running alongside
the Pran Buri River. In 2003, Their Majesties the King and Queen visited
Pran Buri Forest Park and expressed their concern for the forests,
especially the mangrove forests. Here, visitors will be able to enjoy
birdwatching, camping by the sea, trekking the dry evergreen forest on
the Chao Phor Hua Laem Hill and strolling the 1km-long mangrove forest
study route. This forest park has various kinds of plants and wild
animals, such as monkeys, barking deer, snakes and lizards. From the
1km-long Pran Khiri beach, the scenic views of Tao and Singto islands
and Khao Takiab and Khao Tao hills can be seen.
Located in Ban Nong Kae, Hua Hin, about 190km from Bangkok, the
Suanson Pradipat Army Rehabilitation and Recreation Centre has been in
service since 1970. It is home to a beautiful, clean and peaceful beach.
It offers bungalows and a camping area for army officers, families and
the general public to rent at reasonable prices. It also has a golf
practising centre, running tracks, restaurants, meeting rooms and food
centres. The rates of bungalows per room per night range from 110 baht
for army officers and families and 220 baht for the general public for
dormitories to 1,850 baht for army officers and families and 3,700 baht
for the general public for a three-bedroom bungalow.
Located in soi Hua Hin 101, the Ban Khao Tao Professional Handicraft
Centre was previously called the Ban Khao Tao Weaving Training Centre.
It is a royal project initiated by Their Majesties the King and Queen.
It dates back to 1964 when Their Majesties the King and Queen were
staying at Klai Kangwon Palace, Hua Hin, and visited Ban Khao Tao’s
villagers who were then mostly fishermen. After learning that the
villagers could not earn their living during the rainy season,
especially the monsoon period, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
ordered that a class be organised for lecturers to teach the art of
cotton weaving using traditional northern looms called kee kratook for
the residents of Ban Khao Tao and nearby villagers. Their Majesties the
King and Queen visited the centre four times. The group currently has 25
members, eight of whom are active. Woven with fine 100% cotton thread,
fabrics from Ban Khao Tao are of a distinctive quality and allow air to
pass through them. Visitors should not miss the unique pha khao ma
clothes woven with nine horizontal threads. In addition, handmade
fabrics with floral designs (yok dok) are durable and as shiny as silk.
In 1963, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej visited the residents of
Hua Hin district and noticed hardships faced by those living in Ban
Khao Tao Village in tambon Nong Kae. This community was highly
populated, but lacked water for consumption. During the time of high
tides, farmland was inundated with seawater in the Thung Takad field in
this tambon and thus crops were damaged. As the local villagers gave him
a 300 rai land plot in the village, HM the King granted 60,000 baht of
his personal money to the Department of Royal Irrigation for building a
reservoir. This Khao Tao Reservoir Project is considered the first
royally-initiated project run by this department. The reservoir
initially had the capacity of keeping 600,000³ of water. HM the King
also supported the construction of Wat Khao Tao in 1958 and opened this
temple in 1961.
Emergency staff help the injured at the scene of the explosion near the Erawan Shrine. (EPA photo)
Bomb experts study the Erawan Shrine, near ground zero of the blast,
and always a magnet for crowds of local people and tourists alike.
(Photo by Thanarak Khunton)
A screen capture from CCTV footage shows the moment of the explosion at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok Monday night.
Tuesday's Bangkok Post was on the streets early to report on the shocking story.
A Google map of central Bangkok shows the exact point of the bomb blast.
Rescue workers rush a bombing victim from the scene of the blast Monday evening. (AFP photo)
