MILESTONES

Proposed: By portly North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a summit next month at the Demilitarised Zone. Mr Moon, a committed “sunshine policy” advocate, accepted. Supposedly, the Supreme Leader is willing to “discuss” denuclearisation.

Revealed: By publication after the event in the Royal Gazette, a new law banning criticism of the Constitutional Court and its decisions. It effectively puts the Constitutional Court behind the same contempt laws as the courts of the three main Courts of Justice System: Criminal, Appeal and Supreme Courts. The law now bans “rude, sarcastic or threatening words” used in any comment of the Court — whose judges will decide what is rude, sarcastic, etc.

Scheduled: For opening in February next year, maybe, the new parliament buildings in Dusit district on the banks of the Mother of All Rivers. Begun in 2013, the project was supposed to be finished by SinoThai Engineering and Construction in November 2015. Budgeted for 12 billion baht, it will cost far more than twice that by the time it opens, if it does.

Dismissed: From the Privy Council by the King’s command printed in the Royal Gazette, Wirach Chinvinitkul. The dismissal of the former Supreme Court vice-president leaves the Privy Council with 13 members. No explanation was provided.

Recommended: For the first time by the Customs Department for all travellers leaving-and-returning to Thailand, a declaration at the time of departure. It’s easy, says department chief Kulit Sombatsiri. All you need for each item — watch, necklace, camera, laptop, phone, etc — is a paper form filled out by hand in duplicate, two photos of the item, proof of purchase, serial numbers and a bunch of pre-flight time to have them stamped, certified, checked and returned. Then when you come back to Thailand and do it again, no customs payment.