THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Friday 12 Apr 2019

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Do not miss TOM GREEN with special guest STEPHEN K AMOS at the Lancaster Hotel on Saturday, 20th April. Act fast!  VIP tickets are already sold out, but standard tickets (1500 THB) are still available for purchase at: https://www.ticketflap.com/tomgreen-bkk19 

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Julian Assange arrested by British police at Ecuadorean embassy

 

 

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by British police on Thursday after they were invited into the Ecuadorean embassy where he has been holed up since 2012.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094644-julian-assange-arrested-by-british-police-at-ecuadorean-embassy/

 

 

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UPDATE:

 

Frail-looking Assange arrested in London after seven years in Ecuador embassy

By Kate Holton and Guy Faulconbridge

 

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in a police van after was arrested by British police outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Britain April 11, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by British police and carried out of the Ecuadorean embassy on Thursday after his South American hosts abruptly revoked his seven-year asylum, paving the way for his possible extradition to the United States.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094644-julian-assange-arrested-by-british-police-at-ecuadorean-embassy/?do=findComment&comment=14033995

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Customs: clearance times speeding up

By The Nation  

 

 

The Customs Department has claimed its study of customs clearance in late last year suggested that customs clearance at Suvarnabhumi Airport and Laem Chanbang Port was faster than in 2017.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094690-customs-clearance-times-speeding-up/

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Mall reopens after smoke tragedy

By The Nation

 

 

Following the smoke in an emission duct on the eighth floor at CentralWorld shopping mall, Centara Hotels and Resorts and Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre said guests and employees were safely evacuated from the building and were notaffected by the incident.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094667-mall-reopens-after-smoke-tragedy/

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EC approaches charter court for ruling on seat formula

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

THE ELECTION Commission (EC) yesterday said it will seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court on whether it can use a seat-calculation formula that it worries is unconstitutional.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094723-ec-approaches-charter-court-for-ruling-on-seat-formula/ 

 

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UPDATE:

 

Telcos and digital TV operators get reprieve

By Sirivish Toomgum 
The Nation 

 

 

Govt offers longer period to pay licence fees; ailing TV channels allowed an exit option

 

THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) yesterday announced measures to ease the financial burdens of the telecom and digital TV broadcast sectors.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094664-thai-mobile-operators-get-more-time-for-billion-dollar-spectrum-payment/?do=findComment&comment=14034547

 

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Officials downplay Central World fire threat, but shopper warns against underestimating danger

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation 

 

An investigation team inspects damage from Wednesday’s fire at the CentralWorld complex in Bangkok yesterday.

 

THOUGH the fire on Wednesday did not damage the structure of CentralWorld department store which will resume business today, questions still remain regarding the safety of customers.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094724-officials-downplay-central-world-fire-threat-but-shopper-warns-against-underestimating-danger/: 

 

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Princess marks Songkran at Laos mission

By The Nation

 

Photo : Anant Chantarasoot

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn graciously attended a Songkran ceremony at the Lao Embassy in Bangkok yesterday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094726-princess-maha-chakri-sirindhorn-marks-songkran-at-laos-mission/

 

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Thousands clear city as 7 Dangerous Days begin

By The Nation

 

Bangkok bus terminals see increasing crowds of people leaving the capital for the provinces to celebrate the traditional Songkran New Year this weekend.

 

AIRPORTS, ROADS and border checkpoints were clogged yesterday as hundreds of thousands of people began leaving Bangkok for Songkran holidays, thinking in vain that they would be avoiding heavy traffic.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094729-thousands-clear-city-as-7-dangerous-days-begin/

 

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North smog to worsen on first day of Songkran

By THE NATION

 

A volunteer battles flames in dry forestland in Mae Hong Son province yesterday.

 

With no rain in sight and low winds, officials advise people to stay indoors.

 

TOMORROW, the first official day of Songkran, will see a higher level of air pollution in the North, hence people are advised to wear masks and avoid going outdoors, a source at the Smoke Haze Integrated Research Unit (SHIRU) said yesterday. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094730-north-smog-to-worsen-on-first-day-of-songkran/

 

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No charge for Decha over marijuana possession

By THE NATION

 

Decha

 

THE OFFICE of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has decided not to press any charges against prominent traditional medicine practitioner, Decha Siriphat, after last week’s raid on his foundation, the seizure of his stock of marijuana-based medicines and the arrest of his aide.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094731-no-charge-for-decha-over-marijuana-possession/

 

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Feast all you like at Songkran but take care with the pork you eat, warn health experts

By THE NATION

 

 

WITH SONGKRAN celebrations having already started around the country and people feasting with families and loved ones, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) has warned against eating pork that isn't properly cooked.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094733-feast-all-you-like-at-songkran-but-take-care-with-the-pork-you-eat-warn-health-experts/

 

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PM wields Article 44 for rail progress

By The Nation 

 

(File Photo) BTS A skytrain is put though a test run on the Green Line’s Onnut to Baring extension ahead of its opening last year.

 

PRIME Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has used emergency powers to require the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) to speed up the hiring of a private operator to run extensions of the BTS rail system’s Green Line.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094735-pm-prayut-wields-article-44-for-rail-progress/

 

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All the numbers add up to woe

By The Nation

 

 

Thailand’s creaky political situation only adds to the gloom of a global economy labouring under tensions and doubt

 

Thailand’s March 24 general election has added uncertainty to the country's economic outlook, which is already hampered by global negative factors ranging from the so-called trade wars between the US and China and the US and European Union to the far from settled Brexit issue.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094738-all-the-numbers-add-up-to-woe/

 

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A new and brutal wave of insurgency looms in the deep South

By Don Pathan 
Special to The Nation 
Yala 

 

 

Efforts to introduce humanitarian principles to separatist combatants in Thailand’s Malay-speaking far South have hit trouble, with the younger generation of fighters questioning the merit of these ideas.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094739-a-new-and-brutal-wave-of-insurgency-looms-in-the-deep-south/

 

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Metros push up land values – so why not create a triple win?

By Bambang Susantono 
Special to The Nation

 

 

On any given working day driving around Bangkok means long spells crawling in slow-moving or almost stationary traffic.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094740-metros-push-up-land-values-–-so-why-not-create-a-triple-win/  

 

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Lots of durian booked online

 

   

BANGKOK, 12 April 2019 (NNT) –The Durian season in Thailand has begun. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has disclosed that a large volume of durian has been booked online since the beginning of summer. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094741-lots-of-durian-booked-online/

 

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Excise revenue reaches THB 280 billion in first half of 2019 fiscal year

 

   

BANGKOK, 12 April 2019 (NNT) –The Excise Department’s tax revenue collection for the first half of fiscal 2019, from October 2018 to March 2019, was 7.62 percent higher year-on-year. The revenue mostly came from taxes on fuel, cars, beer, liquor, and tobacco products.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094744-excise-revenue-reaches-thb-280-billion-in-first-half-of-2019-fiscal-year/

 

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Energy Department reveals list of B20 Biodiesel-powered vehicles

 

   

BANGKOK, 12th April 2019 (NNT) – The Department of Energy is encouraging the use of B20 oil, adding compatible vehicles to its official list of those eligible for a new tax scheme.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094745-energy-department-reveals-list-of-b20-biodiesel-powered-vehicles/

 

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Thai economy shows good performance: SCB

 

   

BANGKOK, 12 April 2019 (NNT) - The Siam Commercial Bank’s (SCB) latest review of the Thai economy reveals a healthy expansion rate despite a decrease in growth due to the global economy, trade war between the United States and China, and uncertainty among private companies on the formation of new government.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094746-thai-economy-shows-good-performance-scb/

 

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Bangkok bus fares to increase on 22nd April

 

   

BANGKOK, 12 April 2019 (NNT) - After the postponement of increases early this year in order to promote the use of public transport and reduce pollution from traffic, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) will finally raise bus fares in Bangkok and deploy new NGV powered buses as well as procure new buses to serve passengers in the future.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094748-bangkok-bus-fares-to-increase-on-22nd-april/ 

 

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UPDATE:

TRAPPED IN PARADISE 

Brit Instagram model backpacker, 25, has emergency spinal tap as Thai doctors struggle to diagnose mystery illness that left her stranded

Doctors think the 25-year-old backpacker's illness could be either meningitis or encephalitis

By Alahna Kindred

 

Rebekah Fulton is in hospital in Phuket, Thailand battling a mystery illness

 

A BRITISH Instagram model had an emergency spinal tap as Thai doctors are struggling to diagnose her mystery illness that has left her stranded.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094374-very-ill-brit-tourist-25-stranded-in-thai-hospital-as-family-appeal-for-help/?do=findComment&comment=14034636

 

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Israeli spacecraft crashes onto moon after technical failures

By Ari Rabinovitch

 

An image taken by Israel spacecraft, Beresheet, upon its landing on the moon, obtained by Reuters from Space IL on April 11, 2019. Courtesy Space IL/Handout via REUTERS

 

YEHUD, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli spacecraft Beresheet crashed onto the moon on Thursday after a series of technical failures during its final descent, shattering hopes of a historic controlled landing on the lunar surface.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094750-israeli-spacecraft-crashes-onto-moon-after-technical-failures/

 

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In leaky White House, Trump team keeps Middle East peace plan secret

By Steve Holland

 

FILE PHOTO: White House senior adviser Jared Kushner smiles as he watches U.S. President Donald Trump talk with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a White House where no secret is safe for long, one development has remained stubbornly confidential - the contents of a Middle East peace plan authored by President Donald Trump's advisers Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094751-in-leaky-white-house-trump-team-keeps-middle-east-peace-plan-secret/ 

 

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IMF chief Lagarde says Brexit delay avoids 'terrible outcome'

By David Lawder and Leika Kihara

 

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks at the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and IMF in Washington, U.S., April 11, 2019. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The six-month delay of Britain's exit from the European Union avoids the "terrible outcome" of a "no-deal" Brexit that would further pressure a slowing global economy but does nothing to lift uncertainty over the final outcome, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094753-imf-chief-lagarde-says-brexit-delay-avoids-terrible-outcome/

 

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U.S. charges Assange after London arrest ends seven years in Ecuador embassy

By Guy Faulconbridge, Kate Holton and Costas Pitas

 

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at the Westminster Magistrates Court, after he was arrested in London, Britain April 11, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British police dragged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange out of Ecuador's embassy on Thursday after his seven-year asylum was revoked, paving the way for his extradition to the United States for one of the biggest ever leaks of classified information.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094757-us-charges-assange-after-london-arrest-ends-seven-years-in-ecuador-embassy/

 

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South Korea court strikes down abortion law in landmark ruling

By Joyce Lee and Josh Smith

 

South Korea's Constitutional Court chief judge Yoo Nam-seok and other judges sit for the ruling on decriminalisation of abortion at the court in Seoul, South Korea April 11, 2019. Jung Yeon-je/Pool via REUTERS

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Constitutional Court on Thursday overturned a ban on abortion that has stood for more than 65 years, saying in a landmark ruling that current law unconstitutionally curbs women's rights.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094761-south korea court-strikes-down abortion law-in-landmark-ruling/

 

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Temperatures reach 42°C in Tak and Lampang

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

As the temperature rose to 42°C in Lampang and Tak, several other provinces cited 41-40°C on Thursday morning, the Thai Meteorological Department warned residents in the north, northeast, centre and east of very hot weather with possible storms during April 13-17.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094765-temperatures-reach-42°c-in-tak-and-lampang/

 

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Chicago sues Jussie Smollett over costs of investigating alleged attack

 

FILE PHOTO: Actor Jussie Smollett leaves court after charges against him were dropped by state prosecutors in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Jussie Smollett seeking three times the damages it said it incurred in the investigation of a hate crime that authorities allege the "Empire" actor staged.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1094766-chicago-sues-jussie-smollett-over-costs-of-investigating-alleged-attack/