THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Wednesday 30 Oct 2019

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Extra day added to year-end holiday

By THE NATION

 

 

The Cabinet has approved December 30 (Monday) as a public holiday, adding an extra day to the year-end break which will now be running from December 28 (Saturday) to January 1 (Wednesday) or a total of 5 days, a source said.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131275-extra-day-added-to-year-end-holiday/

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Hunt for Song Thaew driver suspected of killing millionaire in Chiang Mai

 

 

Police in Chiang Mai province today sought an arrest warrant for a “Song Thaew” driver on suspicion of murdering a millionaire and stuffing her body in a refrigerator.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131278-hunt-for-song-thaew-driver-suspected-of-killing-millionaire-in-chiang-mai/

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Police nab hacker of ‘Eat, Shop, Spend’ registration site

By The Nation

 

 

Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punakanta said the hacker who tampered with the registration process of the second phase of the government’s economic stimulus scheme “Eat, Shop, Spend” was arrested on October 28. 

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131308-police-nab-hacker-of-‘eat-shop-spend’-registration-site/

 

 

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Cambodian police question 20 over missing British woman; no arrests

By Prak Chan Thul

 

FILE PHOTO: British tourist Amelia Bambridge on a train in Berlin, Germany in March 2019, in this image obtained via social media. Amelia Bambridge/Hannah Clark via REUTERS

 

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian police said they had questioned at least 20 people but made no arrests as they continued the search for a 21-year-old British woman who went missing last week, as her brother urged renewed efforts to try to find her.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131292-cambodian-police-question-20-over-missing-british-woman-no-arrests/

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Ad-hoc panel formed as GSP suspension looms

By THE NATION

 

 

An ad-hoc committee to tackle the upcoming US suspension of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to a variety of Thai products was formed at a special meeting called by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha today (October 29). The suspension will apply within the next six months.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131343-ad-hoc-panel-formed-as-gsp-suspension-looms/

 

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Academics urge govt to boost labour rights protection in response to GSP suspension

By Wichit Chaitrong
The Nation

 

 

Academics say Thailand has not been adequately protecting workers’ rights – both Thai and foreign – and though there is some improvement, existing laws and regulations still limit their rights. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131344-academics-urge-govt-to-boost-labour-rights-protection-in-response-to-gsp-suspension/

 

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NIA aims to bridge govt-start-ups divide to create national innovations

Theresa Matavapan

By THE NATION

 

 

The lack of coordination between the government and private sector and the complexity and strictness of the government’s working system, especially the procurement system, are barriers that impede the private sector, particularly start-ups, from creating national innovations, National Innovation Association (NIA) deputy director of corporate strategy Theresa Matavapan said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131345-nia-aims-to-bridge-govt-start-ups-divide-to-create-national-innovations/

 

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Cabinet nods to draft on land reclamation for rail project

By THE NATION

 

FILE photo

 

The Cabinet on Tuesday (October 29) approved the draft of a royal decree to identify land plots that will be reclaimed for the construction of the high speed train project linking the three major international airports, said Deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131346-cabinet-nods-to-draft-on-land-reclamation-for-rail-project/

 

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Chinese companies flock to BOI amid trade war

By THE NATION

 

FILE photo

 

The number of applications from China's companies seeking Board of Investment (BOI)'s tax privileges surged by 100 per cent year on year in the first nine months to Bt45 billion, said BoI secretary-general Duangjai Asawachintachit.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131347-chinese-companies-flock-to-boi-amid-trade-war/

 

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Trang woman busted using Piglet as meth mule

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The 600 meth pills were found hidden inside the Piglet cuddly toy. Photo: Phuket Provincial Police

 

PHUKET: A 30-year-old woman from Trang has been arrested after she was caught with 600 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills hidden in a Piglet cuddly toy she carried into Phuket on a public bus.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131349-trang-woman-busted-using-piglet-as-meth-mule/

 

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Vietnam emerges as a beneficiary of the US trade war with China

 

©Public Domain Photography

 

The prolonged trade war between the US and China has prompted a number of companies to move out of China to avoid the punitive tariffs and Vietnam has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries among Asean countries.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131350-vietnam-emerges-as-a-beneficiary-of-the-us-trade-war-with-china/

 

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BioGreen-Sate micro-organism may replace paraquat and glyphosate

 

 

Micro-organisms may offer an alternative to weed the killers paraquat and glyphosate for farmers, according to Mr. Worayut Boonmee, head of the Office of Policy and Technology for Sustainable Agriculture.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131351-biogreen-sate-micro-organism-may-replace-paraquat-and-glyphosate/

 

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Chuan apparently rebukes Seripisut for overstepping authority by inviting PM for questioning

 

 

House Speaker Chuan Leekpai has apparently rebuked House anti-corruption committee chairman Seripisut Temiyavet for overstepping his authority when he invited Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan for questioning about the legitimacy of the government, in the light of the Prime Minister’s incomplete recital of an oath at the swearing-in ceremony.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131352-chuan-apparently-rebukes-seripisut-for-overstepping-authority-by-inviting-pm-for-questioning/

 

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Gen Prawit confident of security arrangements for ASEAN summit

 

 

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs, General Prawit Wongsuwan, has confidence in the security measures for ASEAN leaders, their dialogue partners and delegates attending the 35th ASEAN summit in Bangkok from November 2nd to 4th.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131353-gen-prawit-confident-of-security-arrangements-for-asean-summit/

 

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Interior Ministry gathers provincial development plans for November mobile Cabinet meeting

 

   

KANCHANABURI (NNT) - Let’s take a look at the latest on the preparations for an upcoming mobile Cabinet meeting, which will be taking place on 11th and 12th November in Kanchanaburi. A Ministry of Interior deputy permanent secretary yesterday visited the province to gather proposals from lower central region provinces group 1 to create the group’s development plan to answer villagers’ needs.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131354-interior-ministry-gathers-provincial-development-plans-for-november-mobile-cabinet-meeting/

 

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PrEP HIV-prevention med makes progress in Thailand

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Thai Red Cross Society has held a seminar following up on PrEP pre-exposure HIV prevention medicine services in Thailand, where the drugs are offered to persons in risk groups, helping them prevent becoming infected. The medication, which will accumulate within the body, after a period of daily administration, can help destroy HIV virus entering the body, with almost 100% percent prevention capability. The Department of Disease Control recommends people who indulge in risky behavior use PrEP to help prevent new infections.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131355-prep-hiv-prevention-med-makes-progress-in-thailand/

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Preparations for Pope Francis’ visit to Thailand

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand (CBCT) has announced that the welcoming ceremony for Pope Francis, who is scheduled to visit Thailand from November 19 to 23, will be arranged in a simple and dignified manner.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131356-preparations-for-pope-francis’-visit-to-thailand/

 

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Bangkok prepares Loy Krathong events

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is preparing venues for this year’s Loy Krathong festival, with main events taking place at the Rama VIII bridge and along Khlong Ong Ang Canal. 30 parks will be opened for the general public to float their Krathong floating bouquet. Event goers are asked to only use bio-degradable Krathong and only one Krathong per family,

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131357-bangkok-prepares-loy-krathong-events/

 

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Britain set for December 12 election to break the Brexit deadlock

By Guy Faulconbridge, Elizabeth Piper and William James

 

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen on Downing Street in London, Britain October 29, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will hold its first December election in almost a century after Prime Minister Boris Johnson won approval from parliament on Tuesday for an early ballot aimed at breaking the Brexit deadlock.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131358-britain-set-for-december-12-election-to-break-the brexit deadlock/

 

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U.S. appeals court blocks release of unredacted Mueller report pending appeal

 

FILE PHOTO: Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs from the U.S. Capitol following his testimonies before the House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. July 24, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday issued a stay that blocks the release to a congressional committee of an unredacted copy of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report detailing Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131362-us-appeals-court-blocks-release-of-unredacted-mueller-report-pending-appeal/

 

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"We've only just begun" - Big Oud's get tough message for law breaking foreigners

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

Naew Na reported that the Thai immigration chief was taking no nonsense from law breaking foreigners damaging the image of Thailand and adversely affecting tourism. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131365-weve-only-just-begun-big-ouds-get-tough-message-for-law-breaking-foreigners/

 

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Prayut to visit Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi during Loy Krathong Festival

By THE NATION

 

 

Deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek announced on Tuesday (October 29) that the Cabinet has approved the schedule for regional inspections and the Cabinet’s off-site meeting in Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces on November 11 and 12.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131366-prayut-to-visit-ratchaburi-kanchanaburi-during-loy-krathong-festival/

 

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Tropical depression to bring rain to upper and central Thailand

By THE NATION

 

 

Isolated thundershowers will bring rain to the North, the lower Central a the East including Bangkok and vicinity over the next few days, while the South will see isolated heavy rain, the Thailand Meteorological Department forecast on Wednesday (October 30).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131367-tropical-depression-to-bring-rain-to-upper-and-central-thailand/

 

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Maids in shock as they discover wrapped corpse at Bangkok hotel - but why is the policeman smiling?

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Police and Ruam Katanyu Rescue services rushed to a hotel in Phrapradaeng south of Bangkok after the maids found what they thought was a corpse wrapped in bloodstained bedding next to the bed.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131370-maids-in-shock-as-they-discover-wrapped-corpse-at-bangkok-hotel-but-why-is-the-policeman-smiling/

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White House adviser tells lawmakers Trump Ukraine call raised national security concerns

By Patricia Zengerle, Richard Cowan and Karen Freifeld

 

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, arrives to testify as part of the U.S. House of Representatives impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Trump led by the House Intelligence, House Foreign Affairs and House Oversight and Reform Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 29, 2019. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior White House official testified on Tuesday he was so alarmed by hearing U.S. President Donald Trump ask Ukraine's president to investigate a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, that he reported the matter to a White House lawyer.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131371-white-house-adviser-tells-lawmakers-trump-ukraine-call-raised-national-security-concerns/

 

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WhatsApp sues Israel's NSO for allegedly helping spies hack phones around the world

By Raphael Satter and Elizabeth Culliford

 

FILE PHOTO: Men pose with smartphones in front of displayed Whatsapp logo in this illustration September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

 

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - WhatsApp sued Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group on Tuesday, accusing it of helping government spies break into the phones of roughly 1,400 users across four continents in a hacking spree whose targets included diplomats, political dissidents, journalists and senior government officials.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131372-whatsapp-sues-israels-nso-for-allegedly-helping-spies-hack-phones-around-the-world/

 

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Testing ‘going well’ on BTS Northern extension 

By The Nation

 

 

BTS Group is currently testing the track on the four-station extension of the Skytrain Green Line, which is expecting to open in December. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131373-testing-‘going-well’-on-bts-northern-extension/

 

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Fired! But netizens and witnesses stand up for driver after altercation with farang

 

 

Manager reported on the case of a Chiang Mai city bus driver who was fired after he was caught on a video assaulting a foreigner with a bicycle. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131376-fired-but-netizens-and-witnesses-stand-up-for-driver-after-altercation-with-farang/

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National airline’s catering department enters into agreement with farmer’s representative body

By The Nation

 

 

Thai Airways has signed a 5-year agreement with the Marketing Organization for Farmers (MOF) to buy vegetables and fruits for the catering department to produce food for 60 airlines.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131379-thai-airways-catering-dept-enters-into-agreement-with-farmer’s-representative-body/

 

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French couple survive attack by "killer wasps" but trekking guide is killed

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported that two French tourists trekking in the Mae Ai district of Chiang Mai had survived an attack by a swarm of killer wasps. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131380-french-couple-survive-attack-by-killer-wasps-but-trekking-guide-is-killed/