Thais ready to be evacuated from Burma

Thailand is prepared to evacuate Thais in Burma if the mass street protests turn into violence, Thai Supreme Commander Gen. Boonsang Niempradit said Tuesday.

Speaking about the mass street protests of Buddhist monks and their lay supporters in Burma, Gen. Boonsang said that Thailand's military has closely monitored the situation as many Thai nationals live and work in Burma.

He said that while he believed the situation won't turn into a turmoil, he has nonetheless contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thai military attache to Burma to be prepared to evacuate Thai nationals in Myanmar if the situation changes and becomes violent.

Meanwhile, Customs Department director-general Chavalit Sethametheekul said that the rallies haven't affected trade at the border of the two countries. Facilities and transportation links support border trade, which is one of Thailand's key trade strategies, he said.

Maroot Mrigadat, PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) director and secretary to the Board of Directors said that the company is monitoring the situation in Burma.

None of the parties wish to see violence take place, Mr. Maroot said. However, if it occurs, the company is ready to evacuate about ten workers from Burma.The mass rallies have no impact on PTTEP's operations at the moment.

Two gas fields – the Yadana and Yetagun zones – are currently operating to deliver more than one billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to Thailand.

PTTEP has invested several hundred million dollars in Burma.

Meanwhile, a source at Shin Satellite Plc, Thailand's first satellite operator and a subsidiary of Shin Corporation which allocated IPStar broadband satellite services in Burma, disclosed that the marches of Buddhist monks in Yangon did not much affect the company's operations. However, Shin Satellite would continue to monitor the situation. (TNA)