Thailand Live Monday 12 Jul 2010

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Thailand Live Monday 12 July 2010

News, Bits and Tweets

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Keep up to date with live updates from the news, hour by hour.

For breaking news,national, regional and international news updates on

a daily basis only, this thread is closed to commentary so that those

who wish to follow the news can find it here...

Commentary is still open for Thailand news in the relevant thread posted in News Clippings.

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Related topic: Thailand Live Sunday 11 July 2010

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Suvarnabhumi Airport passengers rise by 19% y-o-y

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The number of passengers using Suvarnabhumi International Airport in the first three quarters of 2010 fiscal year (October 2009-June 2010) rose by 19.53% when compared with the same period of 2009.

Deputy General Manager for operations of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Flying Officer Narongchai Tanadchangsaeng, reported that the figure for the first nine months stood at 32.24 million

passengers, classified as 24.37 million international passengers and 7.86 million domestic passengers.

Flying Officer Narongchai elaborated that the number of international passengers rose by 17.25 % while the domestic passengers increased by 27.18% year-on-year.

Regarding the number of flights stopping at the airport, the deputy general manager said there were totally 196,793 flights, an increase of 10.34% from the same period of the previous year. The flights were divided into 141,122 international flights and 55,671 domestic flights. The figure increased by 10.34% year-on-year.

-- NNT 2010-07-12

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Prompong ready to clarify with CRES

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Opposition Pheu Thai Party Spokesperson, Prompong Nopparit, has voiced his readiness to clarify information with the Center for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) as summoned on Tuesday.

Mr Prompong ensured his readiness to follow the order of the CRES demanding him to give clarification about the interview he gave to the media earlier that some supporters of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) were detained in a military camp in Kanchanaburi province.

The spokesperson is scheduled to visit the CRES on 13 July 2010 at 10.00 hrs.

Mr Prompong however demanded that Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs, Suthep Thaugsuban, as the CRES Director, should summon Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his personal spokesperson Thepthai Senpong to elaborate facts with the CRES.

Mr Thepthai earlier disclosed that the anti-government group was training its supporters to use weapons in Kubon of Bangkok, Pak Thong Chai district of Nakhon Ratchasima, and Suan Phueng district of Ratchaburi. Official intelligence later dismissed the claim.

Mr Prompong said the CRES could be accused of having double standards in applying the state emergency if it did not summon Mr Thepthai in particular to give clarifications about the matter.

-- NNT 2010-07-12

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PM: Environment committee to gather details on 18 harmful industrial categories

BANGKOK (TNA) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday the National Environment Committee (NEC) will gather details on 18

categories of industrial projects considered harmful to the environment, as recommended earlier by a special panel, and that he would hold an extraordinary meeting within the next two months to help resolve problems for investors.

In his weekly TV and radio address, Mr Abhisit, as NEC chair, said that detailed environmental concerns under Article 67 of the Constitution had been debated widely, especially by foreign investors in Thailand.

The issue is not yet settled, he said, noting that the extraordinary meeting will be held in response to a proposal of the four-party panel which said that 18 categories of projects are harmful to the environment.

The four-party panel headed by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun in June announced projects it considered hazardous to the environment. It also outlined a city plan to solve pollution problems at Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in the eastern seaboard.

The panel was set up by the government after the Administrative Court halted 76 projects scheduled to be built at the Map Ta Phut industrial estate in the eastern province of Rayong because they did not meet environmental and health assessment rules under Article 67 of the Constitution.

Some later won appeals to resume construction while the rest have had to strictly comply with the Article before they could proceed.

Mr Abhisit, however, said foreign investors still want to invest in Thailand as two giant car producers -- Mitsubishi and Ford -- plan to expand their stakes here, while other foreign enterprises are eyeing investment here. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-07-12

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Thaksin Tweets for First Time in Weeks

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra tweets for the first time in weeks. In his tweet, he asks for Thailand to work together for the sake of national unity. He also demands that the government not use the monarchy as a political tool.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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Rama 5 Rd Closed at Sapan Deang

Rama 5 Road is closed from Sapan Deang Bridge to Kasakomol Bridge this morning. Yesterday, an underground water main broke, causing the road to collapse.

Officials do not know when repairs can be completed.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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UGANDA'S DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT

Uganda questions how Thaksin gets passport

Uganda's Parliament has continued to question the circumstances under which diplomatic passports are issued in the country following reports that many foreigners including former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra are issued the passports.

Ugpulse online has reported that apart from Thaksin, former rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Wamba Dia Wamba also holds Uganda's diplomatic passports.

Moreover the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee is also questioning how Uganda's business tycoons, Michael Ezra, Moses Kalungi Hassan Basajjabalaba and Kananathan Veluppillai acquired the country's diplomatic passports.

Hassan Basajjabalaba, Kananathan and Michael Ezera are widely known to be supporters of the ruling National Resistance Movement.

The online quoted the MPs on the committee as saying that some office cleaners from the region where most leaders of the country come from also hold diplomatic passports.

The MPs seating on the committee are so concerned that the criteria followed in issuing diplomatic passports has been abused by some officials and supporters of the ruling government.

The lawmakers alleged that abuse of power in the Ministry of Internal Affairs may allow wrongdoers pretending to be supporters of the ruling government to acquire the Ugandan diplomatic passport and ended up committing crimes on the international scene.

The MPs want police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the issuance of diplomatic passports in the country.

-- The Nation 2010-07-12

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Ong-art instructs Public Relations Department to allocate airtime to opposition

PM s Office Minister Ong-art Klampaiboon said Sunday that he has instructed the Public Relations Department to allocate airtime on NBT Channel and Radio Thailand to the opposition.

Ong-art said the officials are now working out how to allocate airtime on the government-run TV and radio stations to the opposition.

-- The Nation 2010-07-12

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Bomb at MCOT radio station in Ubon Ratchathani; no injuries, police believe it an attempt to incite violence /MCOT

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Red Shirt Lawyer Withdraws Representation of Bombing Suspect

UPDATE : 12 July 2010

The red shirt lawyer representing a suspect in the Bhum Jai Thai bombing case has withdrawn his representation, claiming the red shirt supporters do no recognize his client as one of their own. The move emphasizes rumors of internal rifts within the red shirt movement.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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Red-shirt Move on Thaksin's Birthday Unconfirmable

The prime minister says the authorities have found no indication that the red-shirt people are resuming their activities this month but adds they can carry out their campaign within the scope of the law.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he still has received no report on activities by the red-shirt people to mark the birthday of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on July 26 or the anniversary of the formation of the now-defunct Thai Tak Thai Party on July 14.

Abhisit added the Center for the Resolution of Emergency Situation or CRES will take charge of the matter but insisted any move must be in compliance with the law.

The prime minister remarked he has been monitoring possible campaigns against the Monarchy and the government.

Abhisit continued the government will not underestimate the potential chaos in this period after some red-shirt guards commented about the possibility of more violence.

The prime minister said the government's efforts to maintain peace still face obstacles from legal constraints so there need to be more measures to facilitate its work while the suggestion that some military officers are involved in the red-shirt group's planned chaos must be looked into.

Commenting on the Finance Ministry's hiring of a foreign lobbyist company, the prime minister stated the deal is for the promotion of the country's economy, not as a retaliation against Thaksin's Canadian attorney.

Abhisit also said he is ready to listen to Human Rights Watch's disapproval of the continuation of the emergency law and will clarify his decision to do so.

The prime minister also said apart form his visit to Myanmar, he still has no foreign visit planned for the explanation of his national reconciliation road map.

He remarked, however, that he may use his participation in international forums, scheduled for the end of this year, to provide accurate information about the country's situation

He said the international community has been paying more attention to the resolution of Thailand's internal conflicts than its economic outlook.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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DSI: Thaksin the Only One Not to Clarify Financier Allegations

Chief of the Department of Special Investigations Tharit Pengdit revealed that former premier Thaksin Shinawatra was the only one, out of nearly 80 individuals, who did not clarify allegations against him for financing the red shirt riots.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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Cop Disciplined for Possession of Illegal Timber

A police officer is facing disciplinary action after a large supply of illegal timber was found at his house in Phitsanulok province.

Police raided a log home in Phitsanulok province where a number of illegally-harvested logs were found hidden inside as well as underground.

The house is owned by Police Sergeant Major Polawat Namsa, an officer at the Charttrakarn police station.

The raid came after reports were filed by area residents claiming that the officer owned a house that seemed exceedingly large and expensive and cost more than he should have been able to afford on a police salary alone.

Police are looking into where the timber had originated from and are trying to identify the logger.

Recently, Provincial Police Region 6 Commander Police Lieutenant General Surasee Suntornsaratul, ordered that the accused officer be transferred as a disciplinary action.

Officials are proceeding with the investigation into the matter and there are claims that another officer of the police colonel rank is also involved.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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Former Security Volunteer Gunned Down in Pattani Province

A former security volunteer was gunned down in Pattani province yesterday.

Meanwhile, authorities are beefing up security after having received an intelligence report indicating that insurgents are planning an attack in the area.

Yesterday morning, 45 year-old Hama Masa, a former security volunteer, was gunned down while riding his motorcycle in the Khok Pho district of Pattani province.

Findings from the initial investigation reveal that Hama was shot in the head by two gunmen who were trailing him on a motorcycle.

The investigation team has not yet determined if the motivation for the attack was a personal vendetta or part of the on-going insurgence in the region.

Meanwhile, the police and the military forces in Pattani province have set up a number of security checkpoints in the area and are conducting searches of all vehicles passing through, after having received a report that insurgents smuggled explosives into the area and may be planning to use them in an attack in the province.

Government agents have also been deployed in the region in an effort to gather information and intelligence regarding the attack, while military forces are patrolling the area and providing security for the public.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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Phuket Amateur Golf Open On Sunday

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Bombing at MCOT radio station in northeastern province

UBON RATCHATHANI: -- No one was wounded in a bombing which hit a local radio station of MCOT Plc, Thailand's largest broadcaster, in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, along the Mekong river near the tri-border area shared with Cambodia and the Lao PDR .

MCOT, a listed company, formerly known as the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand, operates ModernineTV and 52FM radio station nationwide.

Police initially believed the motive behind the bombing was to cause a disturbance.

Responding to the incident, a police bomb squad inspecting the MCOT radio station on Thepyothin Road reported little damage, as only a flower pot was broken. Fragments of a mobile telephone and an iron box were found at the site.

Police said the explosive device was made with gunpowder placed in the iron box, and detonated by a mobile telephone signal.

Acting Governor Wichit Chartphisit said the explosive device was the same kind of gun powder used in fireworks and locally-made skyrockets and was not intended to cause any casualties.

However, police are investigating to find out the cause and suspects.

Currenlty, the government's state of emergency remains in place in Ubon Ratchathani and 18 other provinces after the Cabinet last week prolonged it for three months to restore normalcy to the country.

Anti-government Red Shirt supporters torched Ubon Ratchathani provincial hall on May 19. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-07-12

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Democratic scouts training program in progress

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Ministry of Education is pressing ahead with the program to train democratic scouts in 44 schools under its supervision within two months, according to Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat.

The Minister explained that each school should have at least 36 scouts and commanders participating in this training program. Training will be conducted in 44 schools within two months; therefore, about 1,584 scouts are expected to undergo the training.

The program has been proposed by the Bureau of Scout Movement, Red Cross Youth, and Student Affairs, the Office of the Permanent Secretary, and the National Scout Organization of Thailand.

The main curricula of the democratic scouts comprise happy coexistence under the democratic system, scouts and national core institutions, scouts and democratic governance, scouts and the sovereignty, scouts and democratic ideology, as well as scouts and citizenship studies.

The program will be unveiled to the public on 28 August 2010 at Supachalasai Stadium in Bangkok.

-- NNT 2010-07-12

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Drinking problem

By The Nation

Low grades have increased students' risk of despair and their turning to alcohol, according to a recent large-scale survey.

The survey covered 23,088 students from Pathom 5 up to doctorate level in all provinces across the country. It was conducted under the collaboration between the Office of the Education Council and Assumption University's Academic Network for Community Happiness Observation and Research (Anchor).

"Up to 56.7 per cent of students in the group with a grade lower than 2.00 in the previous academic semester have been drinking in the past six months," Anchor director Dr Noppadol Kannikar said yesterday.

Of all students with the below-2.00 grade, 40 per cent have reported feeling stressed and despondent.

"The risk of despair and drinking goes down as grades climb," Noppadol pointed out.

The survey showed just 33.9 per cent of those with grades between 2.00 and 3.00 were in a state of desperation, and just about 49.6 per cent of them had been drinking during the past six months.

Of those with a grade above 3.00, only 34 per cent have been drinking and only 25.7 per cent have lost hope in their lives.

If categorised by levels of education, 23.1 per cent of primary students reported feeling stressed and despondent. Despair, meanwhile, hit 35.5 per cent of vocational students and 32.7 per cent of secondary students.

Up to 63.3 per cent of vocational students, 60.6 per cent of university students, and 50.3 per cent of graduate students are drinkers.

According to the survey, the average age of drinking students is 19 years. The youngest drinker is only 10 years old.

-- The Nation 2010-07-12

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Thai govt considers tax cuts, VAT rise

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HEALTH

Law to help pregnant students

By Th Nation

The Department of Health in considering proposing draft legislation on reproductive health protection to allow pregnant students to have maternal leave and continue their studies after giving birth, instead of being fired.

The draft will be submitted to the Public Health Ministry's executives on July 12 before it goes to the Cabinet.

The draft law's key content is as follows:

Article 5 states that an individual has the right to reproductive health and sex, the right to access and appropriately obtain information, advise and reproductive health services from public health facilities.

Article 7 states that educational institutes and schools should provide accurate and age-appropriate sex education to students according to the national committee for the reproductive health protection.

Article 10 says that state supervisers or private sector employees have a duty to prevent any obstruction to the subordinates' or workers' maternal leave and to promote breastfeeding according to the committee's criteria and conditions.

Article 11 states that state offices or business establishments, which have pregnant women who aren't ready to have children or aren't able to help themselves or raise children on their own, should assist and take care of the mother and infant health.

Article 12 says the directors of educational institutions, which have pregnant female students, should allow the students to continue studying during the pregnancy and after giving birth.

Article 14 states that the curricular and advise on reproductive health must be approved by the committee before teaching, while Article 26 prevents those providing reproductive health advise and services from disclosing any information or medical history of those receiving the service or humiliating anyone, or they face up to three years in jail and/or a Bt60,000 fine.

Article 27 states that the punishment for supervisers and employers violating Article 10 be up to Bt60,000 in fines.

-- The Nation 2010-07-12

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Thai Yellow shirts vow to fight airport seizure cases - Terror charges ludicrous

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New Politics Party Advises Govt to Protest World Heritage Conference

The New Politics Party has advised the government to protest against the UNESCO World Heritage Conference scheduled for later this month or risk losing part of the country's territory to Cambodia.

The party is also demanding an explanation regarding Cambodia's encroachment into the Thai border.

Secretary-General of the New Politics Party, Suriyasai Katasila has advised the government to protest the UNESCO World Heritage Conference scheduled for later this month at which it will deliberate the status of the disputed Preah Vihear Temple.

Suriyasai also urged the Democrat Party, who is very familiar with the procedures for a memorandum of understanding, to make up its mind as to whether it wants to protect the interests of its own or the country's.

Spokesperson for the New Politics Party, Samran Rodpetch is urging the government to withdraw from the conference in order to protect Thailand's national border interests and to review a several memorandums of understanding with Cambodia that were brokered by former administrations.

Samran also demanded an explanation from the government regarding the claim that Cambodia has encroached onto Thai territory by moving the stakes that delineate the border.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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Thaksin Dismisses Reconciliation Plan as Lip Service Via Twitter

Former PM and convict on the run, Thaksin Shinawatra dismissed the government's reconciliation plan, calling it "lip service" and confirmed that he is in good health in his latest Twitter messages.

Earlier today, Thaksin posted a Twitter messages saying that he misses Thailand, especially as Queen Sirikit's birthday draws near.

He recalled when he was premier and the preparations they made to celebrate and commemorate the Queen's birthday.

He urged the current government to honor the Queen properly, but went on to say that they claim to be the sole owners of loyalty to the Monarch and accuse their political opponents of being disloyal.

He said the highest institution in the country is above politics and that only disloyal people would bring down the institution and use it as a political tool.

He called for a genuine reconciliation, as conflict and people's suffering will only bother Their Majesties the King and the Queen.

Remarking on the road map to reconciliation, Thaksin said it is merely lip service and that the establishment of committees to work towards reconciliation is futile.

He criticized the government, saying they have a monopoly on power in ruling the country, which they got by silencing the media, exploiting soldiers, the judicial system and so-called independent agencies to their advantage.

He confirmed that he is in good health and remarked that only when the current government leaves office can real healing begin for those who were injured, killed, or disappeared during the recent political crisis.

-- Tan Network 2010-07-12

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Public Health Minister concern about this yearr's Malaria situation, as over 30,000 patients are discovered; exceeding last year's rate by 60% /via @TAN_network

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Bangkok: Metropolitan Waterworks Authority will suspend water supply to areas around Issaraparb, Suthisarn & Srinakarin Roads (11pm-3-4am) /via @TAN_network

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Pattaya: World Cup celebrations end in severe motorbike accident

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Metropolitan Police: 1782 bookmakers arrested for illegal World Cup betting of over Bt3 million; online betting increases /via @MCOT

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Lawyer says red-shirt movement wants him to withdraw helping bomb suspect

Kharom Polthaklang said Monday that the red-shirt movement wanted him to stop providing legal assistance to a suspected mastermind of botched Bhum Jai Thai Party bomb attack.

Kharom said the red-shirt people doubted whether Warisriya Boosom really belonged to the red-shirt movement.

Kharom said Warisriya had once helped the works of Sirin Benjasiriwan, the husband of Democrat MP Nattaya Daengbunga.

-- The Nation 2010-07-12

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BHUM JAI THAI'S ATTACK

RDX found in bombing suspect's house : DSI

Explosive substances have been found at home of Bhumjaithai party headquarters bomb plotting suspect, Department of Special Investigation DirectorGeneral Tharit Pengdit said on Monday.

Police searched the home hired by Varissriya Boonsom, a suspect in the bombing incident recently and found traces of RDX explosives in several spots, especially on the table where the bombs were assembled and on the floor.

RDX is royal demolition explosive and also known as cyclonite or hexogen.

Tharit said the finding of the RDX explosives was consistent with Varissriya's testimony that bombs had been assembled in her place.

He added that the department has invited the Central Institute of Forensic Science Director Pornthip Rojanasunand to provide more detail to investigators on Tuesday.

Varissriya and another suspect Korbchai Boonplod were arrested by Cambodian authorities and recently extradited to Thailand to face legal action for allegedly involving in the bomb attack at the party headquarters on June 22.

However, Varissriya had claimed she was not involved in the attack although she gave shelter to other suspects and a notebook with handwritten bombmaking notes was found in her baggage.

Regarding the clarifications on suspicious financial transactions between June 28 and July 9, Tharit said three persons, exprime ministry Thaksin Shinawatra, red shirt leader Chinawatra Haboonpad and provincial assemblyman Samroeng Prajamrue, failed to report and make clarifications to investigators.

Tharit said they can still report or send their representatives to clarify the matter with the investigators in the second batch of clarifications which will begin on Tuesday.

-- The Nation 2010-07-12

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Pattaya Police arrest Woman promising new life for Thai’s in USA