Cultural event
The Ministry of Culture organizes an event at Sanam Luang on April 18 to celebrate the 233rd anniversary of the Rattanakosin era.
Environmental issue
Karen activists ask for delay
Karen activists will ask Unesco to delay considering the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex as a potential world heritage site.
Wut Boonlert, leader of the Karen Network for Culture and Environment in Ratchaburi province, said locals want Unesco’s World Heritage Committee to postpone the consideration for at least one year so state agencies can consult them on forest management.
Wut said his network fears that listing the forest complex as a heritage site will affect the livelihoods of Karen people, since the rights of hill tribes are routinely ignored.
“We have been left in the dark as to how our livelihoods will be affected if the park is listed, since no state agencies have come to explain that our traditional way of life will be protected,” Wut said.
Ivory declared
Deadline reached for collectors
More than 22,000 ivory collectors, including well-known politicians and businesspeople, reported about 150 tonnes of their ivory items to authorities as the legal deadline to declare ivory assets ended on April 21.
National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department director-general Nipon Chotiban revealed the figures on April 19. He said the new elephant ivory law required ivory collectors to declare their possessions to authorities by April 21 to avoid a hefty fine of up to 3 million baht.
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Holiday horror
Elderly tourist drowns
A 71-year-old Chinese tourist drowned. It happened near Koh Larn in Chon Buri on April 17. He had been swimming with other Chinese tourists. Lifeguards had tried to rescue him and brought him to shore, police said.
Vocabulary
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delay (v): to not do something until a later time
postpone (v): to arrange for something to take place at a later date
asset (n): a thing of value that a person or company owns, which can be used or sold to pay debtsIdiom
in the dark: knowing nothing about a situation
