MILESTONES

Designated: By the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), a 2,500sq km region of Satun province as a Global Geopark. “Geo” is short for a Newspeak version of “geological”. Everything and everyone inside the area is a model of man, animals, plants and rocks living together in harmony.

Busted: In Germany, a sophisticated and highly profitable international people-smuggling operation involving prostitution. A German man, 62, and his 59-year-old Thai “partner” (wife?), were currently running 32 women and transsexuals through their network of brothels — and ripping off the prostitutes to pay fees for transportation, room and board and the like.

Sentenced: By the Criminal Court to between 167 and 320 years in prison for human trafficking, two Mae Hong Son women and a policeman. They were the leaders of a nasty little gang procuring and pimping under-age girls — not just for prostitution but for “pleasing” senior government officials who (and note this very carefully) were not on trial. The case was busted by the mother of a 14-year-old. Unfortunately, those convicted will serve a maximum of only 50 years.

Fined: By the Tourist Police Division 1 at Suvarnabhumi airport, taxi driver Thongkham Srakaew. The 50-yearold driver was caught on video asked for 500 baht to go to Muang Thong Thani, 300 baht for expressway fees and wouldn’t turn on the meter. He explained to the foreign passenger he was farang kee nok. Tourist Police explained that would cost him 1,000 baht for rudeness.

Sentenced: By the Court of Appeal to two years in prison, the always entertaining ex-deputy prime minister Plodprasop Suraswadi. The court upheld a ruling by the Central Corruption Court of illegally demoting one of his senior bureaucrats when he was minister of Natural Resources and Environment in 2003. Mr Plodprasop was given bail to appeal.