ChiangMaiMail

Walk up Doi Suthep for Visakha Bucha Day planned

The organizing committee met to discuss the annual Walk Up Doi Suthep held on the night before Visakha Bucha Day on June 3 and 4.

Nopniwat Krailerg

The organizing committee for the annual “Walk up Doi Suthep” that takes place on Visakha Bucha Day met on May 21, 2012 at Wat Lok Molee to prepare for the event and announce the schedule.
Prathep Worasitthajarn, the Abbot of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep noted that this holiday celebrates the anniversary of Buddha attaining enlightenment 2,600 years ago. There will be ceremonies every evening from May 29 to June 3, 2012 at Wat Chotikul Suwannaram (Wat Mou Boon) near the Kruba Srivichai Monument.
Sunday night, June 3 there will be a Lanna style parade to bring the holy water up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and the procession of the faithful begin their 11 km walk up Doi Suthep. Most people will arrive around 1-3 a.m. to walk three times around the temple. Then at 6:30 a.m. people will give alms to 225 monks at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. There will be a bathing ceremony with Royal lustral water of the Buddha images at 3 p.m.

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-- Chiang Mai Mail

Registration for PAO elections begins

Thousands of Red Shirts support the candidates

Boonlert Buranupakorn is greeted by supporters upon registering for the elections for the office of the President of the PAO.

Nopniwat Krailerg

Thursday, May 24, 2012 saw the first day of registration for Chiang Mai Provincial Administration Organization (PAO) Council members and President with two main candidates, both Pheu Thai, registering for the seat of President.

PAO President Boonlert Buranupakorn and head of the Pheu Thai Khunnatham Party received number one on the ballot while Dr. Thaworn Kiatchaiyakorn, former Senator of the Pheu Thai and member of the Pheu Thai Chiang Mai Party, received number 2.

Thousands of red shirted supporters turned out to meet the canddiates at the 80th Anniversary of HM the King building near the Provincial City where brother of ousted Prime Minister Payap Shinawatra, Chiang Mai Member of Parliament Tassanee Buranupakorn and Chiang Mai Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn joined K. Boonlert on stage to show their support. Thousands of supporters thronged the stage, the majority of which had turned out to show their support for Boonlert Buranupakorn.

Payap Shinawatra noted that while the Pheu Thai had not submitted a candidate to the office and added that while both candidates are allowed to use the Pheu Thai name, they are not related to the party. He said that he simply came to congratulate his old friend; Boonlert Buranupakorn.

The President of the PAO will oversee 25 districts with more than 2,000 villages. Election Day is scheduled for June 23, 2012.

Payap Shinawatra (4th right), MP Tassanee Buranupakorn (2nd left) and Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn (1st left) join Boonlert Buranupakorn and supporters on stage to show their support for his candidacy.


-- Chiang Mai Mail



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Prime Minister celebrates 2,600 years of Buddha’s enlightenment

Buddhist relics from Sri Lanka were carried by elephant back from the Three Kings Monument to Wat Phra Singh.

Nopniwat Krailerg
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra traveled to Chiang Mai to join in the ceremony of installing Buddhist relics from Sri Lanka at Wat Phra Singh in honor of the 2,600^th anniversary of the Lord Buddha’s enlightenment on May 11, 2012 at 5 p.m.
The ceremony was organized by Chiang Mai Province and the Sangha Council of Chiang Mai, the Foundation of the Triple Gems under the Royal Patronage of HRH the Crown Prince and is being held to celebrate the birth of Buddha and his enlightenment 2,600 years ago. Additionally, it will honor HM the King’s 85^th birthday, HM the Queen’s 80^th birthday and HRH the Crown Prince’s 60^th birthday.
The relics were carried by elephant back from Three Kings Monument to Wat Phra Singh where the relics will be on display for veneration from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for ten days.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra lights a candle to venerate the relics, which will be at Wat Phra Singh for ten days for the public to see and light candles to.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presents offerings of flowers at the ceremony that was held on May 11, 2012 at Wat Phra Singh.

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-- Chiang Mai Mail

Flood protection projects being implemented

Inspector General of the Prime Minister’s Office Chamroen Yuttithamsakul meets with the Deputy Governor and Provincial officials to discuss the progress of flood control projects.
Nopniwat Krailerg

The Inspector General of the Prime Minister’s Office Chamroen Yuttithamsakul reported on May 11, 2012 that implementation of flood protection and landslide warning projects was moving along with the 111 km dredging project of the Ping River nearing 95 percent completion and the 61 km dredging of the Mae Kuang River had been fully completed.
The landslide warning system has reached 87 percent completion and that city flood warning systems were more than 80 percent complete. More than 200 million Baht of the 575 million Baht earmarked for flood control in Chiang Mai has already been distributed and the government expects that the projects will all be fully completed in time for the rainy season.

Chamroen noted that there had been a 600 million Baht budget nationwide for 300,000 projects across the country and that he had been tasked by the Prime Minister’s Office to investigate their progress and to put pressure on the responsible Provincial agencies to accelerate completion of the projects. Timely completion of flood control projects will build confidence among both Thai people and foreign investors.

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-- Chiang Mai Mail

Mayor checks out progress of Mae Kha Canal dredging

The Mae Kha Canal is filled with quick growing water hyacinth and other invasive pest plants; the city has begun removing the plants.

Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn joined city workers to inspect dredging of Mae Kha Canal near the dusit D2 Hotel on Thursday, May 10, 2012. The Mae Kha Canal is overgrown with water hyacinth and the city has been working to remove the plants and other growth impeding the flow of water in the canal to prepare for the upcoming rainy season.
The Mayor said that the canal is very important for the city as it catches water overflow from roads and if the canal is not able to take up the overflow then drainage will be disrupted. The city is in the process of removing massive amounts of the quick growing and invasive water hyacinth and other pest plants. He said they hope to have 11 km fully dredged so that the water will be able to flow through quickly. The city is working on fixing the sewers, cleaning out street drainage and the Sri Donchai bridges.
He noted that the Mae Kha canal is the second most important waterway after the Ping River which has also been undergoing dredging and cleaning in preparation for the rainy season. He concluded that while this will not solve the problem permanently in areas that flood in heavy and persistent rains like last year but that it will help to accelerate the flow of movement of water and that along with installing water pumps that should help alleviate flooding.

Chiang Mai Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn discusses the dredging plans.

http://chiangmai-mai...news.shtml#hd23

-- Chiang Mai Mail