MILESTONES
AGREED: Central Group is expected to pay a record price of 2.2 million baht per square metre — 20 billion baht — for the last 23 rai of the British embassy’s land. The purchase would allow Central to finally clear away the messy trees and grass from the Phloenchit-Wireless Road intersection and install useful mall additions.
FIRED: By King Power Duty-Free vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Claudio Ranieri, manager of King Power’s Leicester City. Aiyawatt said although he would always be grateful that Ranieri won the Premier League last year, Leicester face relegation and must adjust quickly.
AWARDED: To Thailand by the US survey company Inrix, the award as the most traffic-congested nation in the explored universe. Inrix gave Bangkok only a No.8 award. But Thai drivers nationwide spend a world record 61 minutes a day just sitting still, beating out pathetically envious Colombians who only waste 47 minutes a day.
PROTESTED: By the Thai Airways International union, the appointment of the airline’s former president to help to reform and formulate future THAI strategy. Workers said Charamporn Jotikasthira was not to fit to help in reform. Union president Damron Waiyakanee said Mr Charamporn, whose changes were unpopular with the union, had hired foreigners to recommend airline reforms when he was president.
AUTHORISED: By Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa of the Legal Execution Department, seizure of 20 billion baht in assets from six people involved in the rice scheme under the female ex-PM. Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and five civil servants have to cough up the gelt, having failed to get a court to delay the first such seizure in modern Thailand.