Reading 1

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn yesterday visited royally sponsored

projects in this southern province as top health officials warned that ongoing
violence had reduced residents' access to healthcare.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla, who was present to welcome the princess,
said Narathiwat currently had 118 elephantiasis patients - more than in any other province
in the country.

He said all residents of villages with elephantiasis cases had to take medication every year
as a preventive measure against the mosquito-borne disease.

All 78,000 residents of 19 affected Narathiwat villages received medicine in 2005, but as
violence flared into almost daily attacks last year only 35,000 villagers received the
medicine, he said.

"We have now drawn up a five-year plan to ensure that the medicines reach all local
people. Health volunteers will help in the process," Mongkol said.

He said the incidence of elephantiasis, which can lead to permanent disability, in

Narathiwat was 33 cases per 100,000 people - 11 times higher than the national rate.

Mongkol also expressed concern about the fact that many children in Narathiwat were
underweight and said unhealthy conditions would damage their development.

Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot, permanent secretary for Public Health, said as many 1,772
children under six years of age in Narathiwat had been found to be suffering from
malnutrition.

However, he said, the incidence of malnutrition among young children had started
dropping, especially in 26 villages where royally initiated projects had been set up.

Prat said that many parents in the region wrongly believed that sugared flour was the most
suitable food for infants and this was one of the main causes of malnutrition among young
children in the region.

Reading 2

Travel operators want the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) to solve four major
problems, in order to boost the number of domestic and foreign tourists.

They want action over entrance fees for national parks, promotion of the troubled deep
South, negative publicity and domestic marketing.

In November, national parks are due to increase entrance fees for foreigners from Bt200 to
Bt400, with Thais facing a rise of Bt50 to Bt100.

TCT president Kongkrit Hiranyakit yesterday said many national parks were not ready to
increase charges as facilities were not yet well prepared. The poor quality of services might
leave tourists unimpressed.

The second recommendation is to promote tourism in the three southernmost provinces,

despite the political unrest and ongoing violence.

"The government should prepare some promotions specific to the provinces," said Kongkrit.

TCT has received complaints that some negative news has caused tourists to shift to other
destinations.
"Warnings about floods or bad weather could force tourists to cancel trips to Thailand.
Travel operators urged the weather department to pay more attention to this," he added.

The last suggestion is to promote domestic tourism in all regions, instead of mainly major
cities. The government and private bodies should combine tourism products as a way of
attracting more tourists.

Kongkrit said the problems had been brought to the attention of Pornsiri Manoharn,
governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.