Thailand Live Saturday 10 Jul 2010

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Thailand Live Saturday 10 July 2010

News, Bits and Tweets

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Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 9 July 2010

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Police: Over 300 nabbed for football betting in Northeast so far

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Over 300 people in the northeastern region have been arrested for football gambling so far during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

According to the Provincial Police Region 4, 122 bookmakers, 8 gambling accomplices and 167 football betters have been apprehended in the Northeast since the World Cup kicked off on 11 June. A total of 277,092 THB cash and lists of betting worth 1.75 million THB have also been seized.

Three northeastern provinces with the most football gambling-related arrests are Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham and Udon Thani.

-- NNT 2010-07-10

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Rainmaking operation is accelerated to ease drought

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is accelerating the Royal Rainmaking operation in order to increase rain quantity over agricultural areas and to raise the level of water in dams.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a new rainmaking base in Buriram province, Agriculture and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Supachai Phosu cited that Buriram province was currently severely impacted by drought. Local residents are facing water shortage for farming and consumption which tend to be more intense. The Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation accordingly has set up a rainmaking operation center in the province in accordance with His Majesty the King's initiative to relieve the people's hardship.

The Bureau has moved to set up more rainmaking operation centers since 25 January 2010, with five centers added across the country so far. Those centers will accelerate their operations to raise rain quantity and level of water in dams at targeted areas.

-- NNT 2010-07-10

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RECONCILIATION

Hecklers greet reform panel

By SATHIEN WIRIYAPANPONGSA

THE NATION

Published on July 10, 2010

Photo Sakol Sandhiratne

A small group of protesters yesterday stole the limelight before the National Reform Committee convened its first meeting to discuss the framework of its mission.

The panel, headed by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun, agreed to focus on tackling social inequality and injustice, which the members deemed to be urgent problems.

Ten protesters from a group calling itself "Network of Social Activists for Democracy", led by Wannakiat Choosuwan, gathered outside Baan Phitsanulok, where members of the committee were to gather.

Wannakiat read out a statement heavily attacking the Anand panel. The statement said that the committee was set up to "buy time" and to act as a government tool in distracting the public attention away from the recent political unrest, in which many people were killed and a thousand others were injured.

The statement said participation in the government-initiated reform efforts was tantamount to supporting the government's legitimacy in the use of force against red-shirt protesters.

The protesters held placards with messages like "90 died and you don't care" and "It's a pity the dead can't reform" while Anand was walking past to enter the premises. The panel's chairman glanced briefly at the protesters but did not show any expression.

Some of the protesters also applied red paint on their clothes and rolled over on the road in front of Baan Phitsanulok, which is the prime minister's official residence.

All but one of the 20 committee members participated in its first meeting yesterday. Only Buddhist monk Phra Paisal Wisalo was absent, due to an earlier arranged appointment. Yesterday's meeting discussed the framework of the committee's mission and mapped out the priorities of its work, according to Anand.

After the meeting, which lasted more than three hours, Anand told reporters that he encouraged all the panel members to "think and express their views loudly".

He said his panel agreed to focus on tackling social inequality and injustice, which the members deemed to be urgent problems. The ex-premier noted that the committee had no administrative power to instruct the relevant state agencies what to do and therefore it would push the government for any legal changes required in addressing the problems more effectively.

Anand said the panel was not in a hurry to set its plans for the middle and longer terms and that at least two more meetings were required to discuss about the plans.

"I allowed all the participants to express their views and offer their arguments. The committee members raised many interesting problems," he told reporters.

The meeting participants yesterday raised problems regarding different issues and different groups of people, such as farmers, according to the panel's secretary, Dejrat Sukkamnerd, who added that one major issue raised was food security. Some participants expressed concern that the number of farmers is fast declining, particularly among the younger people, he said.

Other issues raised by the participants included unfair distribution of state budgets to the rural areas, concentration of landholding within a small group of people, and debt problems, according to the committee's secretary.

The Anand panel will next meet on Tuesday and then next Friday, instead of Monday and Thursday as originally planned, because most committee members are not free on those days. From August onwards, the panel is scheduled to convene twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.

Sompong Viengchan, a committee member, yesterday called on the general public to support the reform panel in order to ensure success of the efforts. A leader of rural villagers protesting against the Pak Moon Dam, she said she wanted the reform to result in more participation by rural residents in managing the natural resources in their communities.

-- The Nation 2010-07-10

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BHUM JAI THAI PARTY'S ATTACK

Residue of bomb chemical found in suspect's home

By The Nation

Some explosive residues were found at the home of one of the two suspects accused of plotting last month's bomb attack on Bhum Jai Thai Party headquarters, senior crimescene investigation officials said yesterday.

BANGKOK: -- An unknown quantity of the RDX chemical was found near a bathroom and the kitchen in suspect Warisriya Bunsom's home in Bangkok. Warisriya is under court custody after being arrested earlier this week, officials said.

Seksan Sritulakarn and Watchara Chalermsuksant, who conducted the test at the suspect's home, said lab results to be released on Monday would verify if the RDX substance found in Warisriya's home was the sort used in the homemade bomb that went off outside the party's headquarters.

A search at her home yesterday also turned up foot and heartshaped clappers that were used by supporters of the proThaksin Shinawatra Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD) movement, as well as a black jacket and a pair of black pants hidden in a roll of canvas.

Kharom Pholthaklang, a DAAD supporter and lawyer for Warisriya, said he would meet DAAD leader Jatuporn Promphan to explain that she was indeed a redshirt supporter. This is in response to Jatuporn's statement earlier yesterday denying that she had anything to do with the redshirt movement.

"The DAAD leaders may not know all the red shirts, but every redshirt protester knows and supports the DAAD leaders," Kharom added.

The lawyer also said that he would seek court approval to get her temporarily released, claiming she was suffering from asthma. He added that the suspect once worked with the Democrat Party and took part in the party's recently published book in honour of the monarchy.

"This is proof that Warisriya is a royalist," he claimed.

Meanwhile, Khon Kaen police arrested two locals accused of torching the city hall and a Channel 11 office in May.

Suthas Singbuakhao, who has been on the run, as well as Udom Khammool were taken into custody yesterday. Even though both claim innocence, they are still being detained by the police, who will soon seek court custody for them. Suthas has also been accused of trying to torch the home of former deputy transport minister and BJT member Prajak Kaewklaharn.

-- The Nation 2010-07-10

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GRAMMY WINNER

Russian pianist 'has been charged': police

By The Nation

Noted Russian pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev has been charged with sexual molestation of a minor under 15 years of age, a child protection police officer said yesterday.

Police are compiling more evidence and will possibly charge him with other offences once evidence is verified, said Pol Lt Col Omsin Sukkarnkha, head of the children's and women's protection division of the provincial police.

He dismissed rumours that police were demanding money from the suspect to eventually drop the case, saying: "It is completely untrue, especially given that the suspect is a wellknown person. And that makes police exercise extra caution handling the case."

Police have charged a Thai man, Traiphob Bunphasong - who has allegedly provided sex services using underage Thai boys to many people, allegedly including Pletnev - with four offences: rape of a minor under 15 years of age; providing sexual gratification for others through prostitution; employing minors under 15 to perform lewd acts; and human trafficking of minors under 15.

The Office of the Private Education Commission, responding to media reports that Pletnev operated a music school in Thailand, said no permission had ever been given to him. OPEC secretarygeneral Charnwit Thabsuphan said operation of any musical school by Pletnev, if it existed, would have been illegal.

Supphakorn Noja, head of Pattaya's office of the Child Protection and Development Centre, said Internet cafes in Chon Buri and the Pattaya area had been used as hubs for sex service involving underage boys, occasionally with the owners helping encourage the young customers to provide the service.

In many cases, Supphakorn said, cafe owners encouraged the young customers to surf the Web and chat for long hours and offered to lend them money when they ran out of it. When the boys owed large sums in debts to them, the cafe owners would encourage the boys to give sex services to gay men, both Thais and foreigners.

Supphakorn said on Thursday that there were around 40 Thai boys who acknowledged giving sex services to gay men, either willingly on their own, or reluctantly because of the debts they owed to the cafe owners.

-- The Nation 2010-07-10

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ASEAN

Task force on inter-Asean ties meeting in Bangkok this weekend

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Asean is preparing to create a master plan to promote connectivity among member countries as well as to prevent negative impacts from connectivity in the region, an official at the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

The High Level Task Force on Asean Connectivity will hold its third meeting in Bangkok this weekend to prepare a master plan for endorsement by Asean leaders in the coming summit in Hanoi in October, said the ministry's DirectorGeneral of Asean Affairs, Itti Ditbanjong.

The Master Plan on Asean Connectivity aims to provide a framework for regional cooperation on connectivity and to provide a foundation for further connectivity with other regions such as East Asia and South Asia, he said.

Ultimately, the master plan would realise the goal of achieving an Asean Community by 2015, Itti said.

The Asean connectivity project was initiated by Thailand when the country held the rotation chairmanship of the group last year, with the purpose of enhancing Asean community building and increasing the competitiveness of the group.

To achieve the goal, the task force was set up to draft the master plan. It held two previous meetings in Hanoi and Jakarta in March and May respectively. The final draft of the master plan will be ready by September for the leaders' consideration in October, Itti said.

The meeting in Bangkok from today through Monday will consider important connectivity projects such as the Asean Highway initiative, the construction of the SingaporeKunming rail link and strategies for an Asean single shipping market and an Asean single aviation market, Itti said.

Representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the World Bank will also attend the meeting.

The master plan will be comprehensive, covering all aspects of connectivity, not only hardware infrastructure but also software, such as crossborder regulations, he said.

"The negative side of connectivity, such as smuggling and trafficking in narcotics, goods and humans will be included in the master plan," Itti said.

Asean connectivity will also be an issue for discussion during the Asean Ministerial Meeting from July 1923 in Hanoi, he said.

The Hanoi meeting of Asean foreign ministers will consider many documents to push forward its plan to build Asean community. The documents include a draft of a fiveyear working plan of the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, Itti said.

-- The Nation 2010-07-10

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Thai actress proves fuelsmart in competition

By Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Selangor, Malaysia

Alicia Ann Laisuthruklai

A Thai actress yesterday became "Asia's Smartest FuelSaver" after wining a competition by going the farthest distance with only a litre of fuel use.

Driving 15.648km under the condition of using only a single litre of Shell FuelSave formula, Alicia Ann Laisuthruklai beat 11 other competitors from six countries to be named the Asia's Smartest FuelSaver at the first Shell Ecomarathon in Asia.

The second and third prizes went to two Malaysian competitors - Jason Lai Tsuen Yung who drove 14.912km and Josephine Lee Siok Kin who went 13.232km.

"It's great. I certainly didn't expect to win the competition. I'm glad to represent Thailand and gain reputation for the country," said Ann.

"I will pass on driving tips to save fuel learned from experts at the competition to others through my TV programme as the programme's hostess. And I will apply the tips with my driving and tell people around me to do the same, " she added.

The six contestants came from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, China and Hong Kong. Each country had two representatives to join the competition. Apart from Ann, actor Puri Hiranyapruek also competed as another Thai representative.

The winner will be given a new Toyota car in the country of their residence.

The competition was held on Wednesday at the Sepang International Circuit in Selangor, Malaysia as part of the Shell Ecomarathon Asia 2010, and the results were announced yesterday.

-- The Nation 2010-07-10

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Prachatai shuts webboard

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Mae Sot-Myawaddy border reopens at 4pm after 7-hour closure 'for safety reasons'; traffic on Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge resumes /MCOT

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Uganda Gave Ousted Thai PM Thaksin Illegal Passport

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Plant Fair underway in Phuket

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Whale shark washed ashore in Bang Saen

CHON BURI (NNT) -- A whale shark was found ashore at Bang Saen Beach in the eastern province of Chon Buri on Friday, believed to have died from natural disaster or mortal wounds caused by fishing nets.

Following an inspection of the lifeless body of the whale shark at Bang Saen Beach, officials from the Eastern Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center in Rayong province said it was a female, aged between 5-8 years. The animal was 5 meters in length and weighed about 500 kilograms.

The shark was believed to have been dead for 2 days upon the discovery. As for the cause of death, the authorities reckoned that it might have been trapped in some type of fishing instrument, considering severe wounds on its body, or might have died from a natural cause. The carcass was buried shortly afterwards at a local dumpsite.

Despite its ferocious name, the whale shark is not an aggressive animal by nature. It usually feeds on small fish in coral reef areas.

-- NNT 2010-07-10

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Prices at Sriracha Tiger Zoo have gone up. Adults are 350B & kids 200B. A drivers license will get you Thai price 120B. /at @RichardBarrow

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Major drug dealer nabbed in Nakhon Si Thammarat

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT (NNT) -- Police in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat have arrested a drug dealer and seized 4,500 tablets of amphetamine and a number of other illegal items.

Mr Manit Kit-ngarm, 33, a local drug dealer, was nabbed by the police on Friday after he was suspected of supplying drugs to teenagers in the area and abusing drugs himself. The police also confiscated guns and narcotics upon the arrest.

The police then proceeded to the residence of another major dealer, identified as Mr Shinnakorn Chuklin, 30, who was implicated by Mr Manit. Items, including a large quantity of amphetamine and its derivatives, financial transaction slips worth 7 million THB, and parcel post boxes, were discovered but the accomplice was believed to have fled.

The police are now collecting evidence before issuing an arrest warrant for the fugitive.

-- NNT 2010-07-10

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PM Abhisit Expresses Regret Over Thailand's Delay In 3G Launch

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Chuan admits Bt258 million-donation case against Democrat worrying

Democrat Party chief advisor Chuan Leekpai admitted Saturday that the charge against his party that it had alleged obtained Bt258 million unlawfully in donation was worrying.

Chuan made the comment after a prosecution review panel decided Friday to recommend the prosecution against the Democrat.

The Democrat was alleged with having received Bt258 million from TPI Polene illegally.

Chuan said anyone, who may be assigned by the party to handle the case, could be worried.

He said the party would fight against the case by using truth.

He said the party has yet to assign party members to be in charge of the case.

-- The Nation 2010-07-10

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1.50pm: Train broke down, currently parked in the middle of Laksi intersection, blocking traffic coming in from Vipavadee rd. /via @veen_nt /TR @js100radio

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3 troops injured in Narathiwat bomb attack

NARATHIWAT: -- Three troops were injured when insurgents detonated a bomb buried in the middle of a rural road to ambush them Saturday.

The blast slightly injured troops from Narathiwat Task Force 32 at 10:50 am.

The attack occurred in a village road in Moo 3 village in Tambon Bacho of Bacho district at 10:50 am.

Police said the insurgents detonated the bomb using a wired detonator when the three troops drove their pick-up truck past the spot.

The insurgents also opened fire at the troops after the blast. The two sides exchanged gunfire for about 5 minutes before the insurgents retreated.

-- The Nation 2010-07-10

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World Cup: Phuket likes Spain over Holland

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PM: Government prepared for possible protest on Thaksin’s birthday

BANGKOK: -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is confident that his government's security measures will be sufficient to deal with any possible anti-government actions during the upcoming birthday of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra later this month.

The government will be cautious, he said, conceding that it could be difficult to handle if armed actions are involved.

Asked about a report regarding Red Shirt movements on Mr Thaksin's July 26 birthday, the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) will respond to such actions. If the UDD protest actions are within the law, there will be no problem.

Community radio stations are now criticising the government with views sympathetic to the Red Shirts, but that is not a problem, according to the prime minister, because criticism was under the law. But if a community radio host incites violence, the reaction from the government will be different, he said.

There are agencies and mechanisms to work with such matters, he said, showing he is unworried about possible movements that may be linked as the government and CRES are prepared to respond to it.

The government is not careless and has monitored all movements. Any measure to be implemented must be appropriate as measures which are too harsh can bring about more pressure. The (emergency) law which has been imposed is adequate, Mr Abhisit said.

Citing the violence in May as a lesson, he said violence and weapons caused difficulty in handling the situation.

There are still limits in how law enforcement and the government respond to resolving the problems as well as controlling weapons, he said.

The prime minister noted that he will attend many international meetings at the year-end including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and under the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and United Nations General Assembly. He also planned to visit China and Myanmar, with his first Myanmar trip expected next month.

“Many countries are interested in Thailand’s situation and economy. It is not quite worrisome as they can see Thailand’s strength in recovery.

However, the turmoil of the past two years can cause them to question Thailand’s situation and (related) movements in other countries can cause confusion. We need to clarify that to other countries,” he said.

Speaking about the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s projection that Thai economic growth is likely to reach seven per cent this year, the prime minister said regardless of the unrest, the country's economic performance is likely to reach seven per cent.

However, agencies lowered their projections after the violence in May. Mr Abhisit said his own target is to achieve the six per cent goal. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-07-10

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Paedophilic Internet Cafe scam investigated in Pattaya

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Corrections Department: Sufficient medical specialists to care for bomb suspect

BANGKOK: -- Sufficient medical specialists are on hand at the Central Women Correctional Institution for the female suspect held in relation to the June bomb incident at Bhumjaithai Party headquarters.

The prisoner is reportedly suffering from an allergy, Corrections Department Director-General Chartchai Suthiklom said on Saturday.

Mr Chartchai said he had not yet received information that Warisriya Boonsom, now detained at the prison, is ill due to an allergic reaction.

There are enough medical specialists at the prison if Ms Warisriya is seriously ill, he said. She should notify prison officials of her condition if she wants to be treated medically.

Her companion Korbchai Boonplod, meanwhile, is now detained at Bangkok Remand Prison, awaiting a transfer to another prison unit, he said.

Both suspects were escorted by Thai police on Monday from Phnom Penh to Bangkok after being arrested by Cambodian authorities in Siem Reap last weekend.

The bombing incident occurred near the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters in Bangkok on June 22 when an explosive in a vendor’s cart was remotely detonated, seriously wounding Anek Singkhuntod. He allegedly admitted that he was hired to leave a rambutan pushcart near the party office.

The Bhumjaithai Party is the largest coalition partner in the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajia.

Two more suspects, Kampon Kamkong and Dejpon Bhudjong, were also detained for investigation. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-07-10

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to be continued

Thailand Live Sunday 11 July 2010

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