Thailand Live Sunday 29 Aug 2010

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Thailand Live Sunday 29 August 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 Saturday 28 August 2010

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Peace and order ensured at Sunday´s Bangkok city and district council election

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The National Election Commission (EC) ensures peace and order during Sunday's Bangkok city and district council election.

EC member, Prapan Naikovit, expressed confidence over peace and order in the coming election, despite the second bomb in a month near King Power complex at Soi Rang Nam on Friday. According to him, the incident is proven unrelated to the coming election. Mr Prapan assured that tight security will be put up around the election stations, with eight police officers assigned per one election station.

Following concerns over the void ballots due to public confusion, Mr Prapan assured that the amount of void ballots should not exceed 3% because the EC have separated election tents for each of Bangkok city and district council election.

-- NNT 2010-08-29

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PM: fresh election can be held once normalcy takes hold

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says a fresh election can take place once the country returns to normalcy.

Following a report that the Prime Minister would not dissolve the House of Representatives for fear that a fresh election would not take place, Mr Abhisit stated the general elections would be held once the country returned to normalcy. He pointed out that holding an election amid the conflicts within the society would lead to social rifts and violence and could result in a failed election.

The Prime Minister said all parties should help bring about peace and order to the country if they wished to have a fresh election soon. Any political movement can be made under the laws.

-- NNT 2010-08-29

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TAT introduces a complete guidebook to Trang and Satun

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Trang Office introduces a complete guide to help visitors plan their trips to the southern provinces of Trang and Satun during the Green Season.

The guidebooks have been produced to inform prospective tourists of special hotel prices in time of the Green Season from now until 31 October 2010.

Many routes, attractions and activities whether exploring caves, jungles and waterfalls, visiting ancient towns, testing local food or other beach activities, are recommended. Tourists are promised to get up to 20-40% discount off regular hotel rates.

Interested visitors can get the guidebook at TAT, Trang Office: 199/2 Wisetkun Road, Amphoe Mueang, Trang 92000 or dial 0 7521 5867, 0 7521 1058 for more information.

-- NNT 2010-08-29

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Thai Defense Minister visits China

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thailand’s Ministry of Defense aims at improvement of military ties between Thailand and the People Republic of China.

Defense Minister, General Pravit Wongsuwan on Saturday paid an official visit to China. Accompanied by his staff, General Pravit met his Chinese counterpart, Liang Guanglie in a bid to strengthen military ties in all aspects. The trip was scheduled following Mr Liang's visit to Thailand in late 2009.

The Thai delegation departed to China on Saturday morning at 10.10 hrs and is scheduled to return from Beijing on 1 September.

-- NNT 2010-08-29

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Training session launched for Satun-based school staff

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Satun province launches a training session for Satun-based educational staff.

Office of Private Education Satun’s Director, Dalan Nung-ali on Saturday presided over the opening ceremony of a training session for private school staff based in Satun province amid participation from 80 staff of 36 Islamic high schools and private schools. The event takes place from Saturday 28 to Sunday 29 August.

According to Mr Dalan, the training session has been organized in a bid to strengthen teacher network as well as to uplift the level of cooperation between school personnel and state officials towards any given school-promotion tasks. Most importantly, the session will also improve the collaboration between school personnel and the media for an improved public relations performance.

-- NNT 2010-08-29

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American commits suicide following recent death of his 4 year old son

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Red's seminar attendance kept to 500

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

The red shirts organised a seminar attended by 500 supporters at a school hall in Bangkok's Prachachuen yesterday to avoid violating the emergency decree.

Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, editor of Red Power magazine, dressed in a prison uniform with chains locked around his ankles, opened the seminar by inviting the red supporters to light candles in memory of friends killed in the recent unrest.

Pheu Thai Party MP Jatuporn Promphan, a red-shirt leader, and a few of his companions staged the release of others from a cell, urging the government to do the same to those held in real cells on charges of terrorism.

Jatuporn claimed a "special power" was interfering with the government, Parliament and courts of justice. He alleged the government had been ordered to massacre the people. He also claimed some MPs had siphoned taxpayers' money to buy MPs so they would defect to their parties. He claimed two Samut Prakan MPs accepted Bt80 million to defect from their party.

Jatuporn alleged the justice system had been interfered with the most, saying the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation was made up of officials directly involved in the "massacre" of red shirts. He singled out Department of Special Investigation chief Tharit Pengdit and Attorney-General Chulasing Wasantasing.

He said during the DSI probe into the killings, police failed to speak to witnesses from the red shirts and concluded that all 91 people killed were slain by the red shirts. He claimed Chulasing took over the case for 12 days and resolved that the red shirts committed terrorism and brought the case to court.

"This is clearly a double standard. For the yellow shirts, police did not dare to issue arrest warrants and they were released without posing bail."

He said other red shirt leaders being held in jail had filed complaints with the Supreme Court president twice about double standards, because even though red-shirt leader Veera Musigapong was granted bail, others were not released despite seeking bail the same way he did.

Sombat Bun-ngarmanong called on the red shirts to continue a peaceful struggle by mobilising the masses to pressure the government. He said red shirts still had high hope their leaders would be released to join their struggle for democracy. The June 24 group plans to form a reform committee in parallel with the reform committee set up by the government.

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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Thailand-Spain sex ring broken

By The Nation

A 28-year-old Thai man was arrested for luring seven female compatriots into prostitution in Spain, Central Bureau of Investigation chief Pol Lt-General Thangai Prasajaksatru said yesterday.

The suspect, Noppadol Thongsata, who faces charges of human trafficking, was arrested after officials at the Thai Embassy in Madrid led police to search the "La Boheme" club in Burgos, a city in northern Spain. They rescued 20 female sex workers there, including seven Thais.

Club patroness Jinda Khetwat faces legal action in Spain. The seven Thais were sent back.

Noppadol reportedly offered to pay all travelling expenses for the seven to work as traditional masseuses and arranged for Thai men, pretending to be their husbands on a honeymoon trip, to accompany the women to Spain. The women were then detained and forced into prostitution to repay a Bt850,000 "debt" each. Noppadol reportedly confessed and said he had done this many times before.

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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Raid in Ratchaburi nets piracy group

By The Nation

Seven people were arrested for selling pirated products along with 150,000 pirated VCDs and two VCD writer devices, which to be worth Bt10 million, in Kamnan Lak Market in Ratchaburi's Muang district.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said police raided the market on Friday evening and arrested Sukho Jansricharoen, 21, Pinyo Boonsongsomnukul, 19, Thanas Makkhayan, 30, Supachai Suanpanit, 51, Nareerat Thanthanasarit, 42, Usa Pimparat, 24, and Thanchanok Kulkornkitpakdi, 41.

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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Ambassador's girl died 'trying to take photo'

By THE NATION

American ambassador to Thailand Eric John has suffered a high-profile family tragedy with the death of his 17-year-old daughter in New York.

Nicole John fell from the 25th floor of an upmarket tower in Manhattan early on Friday. Police said she was at a late-night party with friends and was believed to have been drinking.

Police believed John may have been thinking of taking a picture. Emergency workers were said to have found a digital camera near her body.

"A witness who was at the party told them she took her shoes off before climbing out a window to a ledge outside," The New York Times said.

"When officers discovered her body, they found a camera nearby, leading investigators to believe she might have stepped out to take a picture and might have believed there was a terrace outside the window."

Bottles of alcohol were reportedly found on a sill near the window, another report said.

John's body was recovered from a third-floor landing shortly after 4am.

The teenager, who went to an international school in Bangkok in recent years, was set to attend Parsons design school in New York.

Her tragic death was a lead story on the New York Daily News and other papers.

Ilan Nassimi, a 25-year-old real estate broker, who was the host of the party and tenant renting the apartment in the Herald Square Towers, was charged by police with providing alcohol to an underage person.

John was said to have gone to Terjune, a posh Manhattan nightclub - allegedly using fake ID to suggest she was above the legal drinking age - before attending the late-night party with friends. A Daily News report described the teenager as "hard partying"

Eric John is a diplomat who has had a long career at the State Department. He has been the US Ambassador in Bangkok since 2007. His wife Sophia is Korean-born.

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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SOUTHERN UNREST

13 members of 'secret crime group' freed

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

YALA

Lawyers advise suspects to seek compensation

Thirteen people accused of being members of a secret criminal society and involved in the ambush of a convoy carrying Thanpuying Viriya Chavakul in February 2008 were acquitted yesterday and could be entitled to compensation, their lawyer said.

Adisan Ali-ishor, president of the Muslim Lawyers Centre in Yala, said that public prosecutors' evidence did not convince the court that the 13 people were involved in the crime.

The centre also advised the 13 that they might be able to get compensation in accordance with the Compensation Paid to Injured Persons Act and the Compensation and Expenses Paid to Accused in Criminal Cases Act, he said.

They needed to check on the compensation committee's criteria to pay such compensation because, so far, no one had received any compensation. The committee claimed the court's verdict didn't say they were not guilty but acquitted them on because of doubt about the prosecutors' evidence, he said.

The ambush of Thanpuying Viriya's seven-car convoy took place in Bannang Sata district during Thanpuying Viriya's visit in the region in her capacity of the president of a foundation under royal patronage to care for border patrol security officers. Thanpuying Viriya sustained a slight cut above the left eyebrow from shattered glass.

Meanwhile, violence in the far South continued during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

A soldier, Private Khathavuth Sriburut, 21, in a seven-member patrol unit, was slightly injured when a home-made bomb exploded on a local road in tambon Jakua village in Yala's Raman district yesterday afternoon, police said.

Police blamed the ongoing insurgency. Earlier, on Friday night, a Muslim woman, Rosi Bahsa-ae, 26, was shot dead while walking home from the village market in tambon Bacho in Bannang Sata district.

In Pattani's Sai Buri district, a Muslim man, Sumsuding Mahama, 21, was killed and another, Makata Mahama, a 46-year-old village headman, injured after being ambushed by suspected insurgents on Friday night, while riding a motorcycle to guard a school in their village, Ban Tabing in tambon Tabing.

Police said the two were supposed to guard the school at night. The motive for the killing was suspected to be either a political conflict or the ongoing insurgency.

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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Farmers call on govt to solve land disputes

By PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Khura Buri, Phang Nga

Nearly 600 people in Phang Nga province's Khura Buri district, who claim 9,046 rai of land that overlaps with national parks and reserved forest areas, have called on the government to resolve the dispute over the right to use and occupy the land.

About 25 village heads in the district signed an open letter to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the National Reform Committee to resolve the overlapping land problem in hopes that villagers will get "their land" back.

The problem has plagued residents' lives for 36 years, since the Forestry Department announced a national forest reserve in Khura Buri district in 1974.

Villagers' land also overlaps with Si Phang Nga National Park, which was established in 1988, Laem Son National Park, set up in 1996, and a mangrove forest reserve set up in 1987.

Veerachai Pobduang, headman of Boh Hin village in Khura Buri district, said: "Our ancestors lived here for more than 58 years before the Forestry Department announced this area as a national forest reserve in 1974. But the authorities did not issue any title deeds to people who had occupied the land for a long time.

"We had no rights to sell or mortgage our lands or even to use it as collateral."

About 85 villagers claim ownership of 1,143 rai of land in villages that were declared part of the national forest reserve.

In 1977, land officials did a survey on the land and issued Nor Sor 3 Kor certification, which allowed the land to be sold, leased, used as mortgage collateral and so on. But holders of this certificate cannot leave the land unattended for more than 12 years - villagers found they had no right to use their land as collateral for a loan or to sell it.

Meanwhile, many plots in nearby villages, especially in highland valleys, were bought by rich entrepreneurs, politicians and high-ranking officials. Not a lot of land is still owned by villagers, Veerachai said.

A 73-year-old farmer, Nob Thosakul, said she has lived on 24 rai of land with a Nor Sor 3 Kor certificate since 1977 but cannot use her land as collateral. She wants money to invest in a rubber plantation.

"I have occupied 24 rai of land since 1967 and the land officials issued a Nor Sor 3 Kor 1977. I paid land tax every year but have not been able to use my land as a collateral and am unable to sell it," she said.

Boonchoo Tholee, headman at Moo 10 Ban Bang Lae, Tambon Khura in Khura Buri, said about 1,657 rai of land owned by 156 villagers had been declared part of Khao Suan Nom national forest reserve, or Sri Phang Nga National Park, and a mangrove forest. People were stuck living on disputed land without any rights to use the land.

"Some of the plots inherited from their ancestors," he said. "But now they no longer try to sell, or get a mortgage for it, or transfer ownership to their descendants. They have been deemed as occupying the land illegally."

In a bid to resolve the dispute, Veerachai said villagers living in disputed areas handed a petition to Prime Minister's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey two months ago. But there has been no progress yet toward resolving the matter.

Permsak Makarapirom, a member of the Committee on National Reform, said the government should set up a neutral panel with representatives from the government and a civic group to try to find a resolution to the land-ownership problem.

He also suggested that the government stop arresting people who claim to own land deemed as national forest land until they can prove their ownership right.

Veerachai said the government should bring the issue in Cabinet and find the best solution. "This is not forest encroachment. We just want the right to own our land and use it to earn a living."

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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More diaster zones named in Lampang as downpours continue

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

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US Should talk to Moscow to discuss the extradition of Viktor Bout: PM Abhisit

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EDITORIAL

Viktor Bout affair needs serious care and management

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British Cyclist Alan Bate Shows His Deep Respect For Thailand's King

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Govt to launch new satellite channel for teachers

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand will launch a new satellite channel for teachers on Wednesday.

Speaking during his weekly TV programme on NBT channel, Abhisit said the new Thai Teacher channel will start broadcasting on Wednesday.

For more information on how to tune the satellite receiver, viewers must visit www.thaiteachers.tv, he said.

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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Bout's extradition delayed because US withdraws additional charges: PM

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Bangkokians elect new city council Sunday

Bangkok residents Sunday went to polling stations early in the morning to cast their votes to elect a new Bangkok City Council as well as councils of their districts.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration believes that the unofficial voting results will be known at 7 pm.

-- The Nation 2010-08-29

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Questions linger over victims of deadly Thai protests

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AFP Interview: Outgoing Thai central bank chief urges political reform

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Meteo Dept: Heavy rains in forecast for upper part of Thailand

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Thai Meteorological Department has issued its daily weather forecast, warning the upper part of the country of heavy rainfalls.

According to the Meteorological Department, a moderate southwestern monsoon is prevailing across the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, while a strong pressure continues to sweep through the North and the Northeast. As a result, abundant rainfalls are expected in some provinces in the upper part of the country during this period.

Residents in risk-prone areas along the foothills, near waterways, and in lowlands, especially in the North, the Northeast, the upper part of Central Plains, and the East should be prepared for possible flash-floods and overflows of rivers triggered by heavy rains in the days ahead. Boat owners are advised to exercise extreme caution going offshore due to the ongoing severe winds in the Andaman Sea.

-- NNT 2010-08-29

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PM warns all Thais of changing weather conditions

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has recommended that the public closely monitor weather conditions during this period due to the changing climate.

Speaking on his weekly address on Sunday, "Confidence in Thailand with PM Abhisit", the Prime Minister urged all Thais to exercise extreme caution of heavy rainfalls and sudden floods in several areas throughout the country during this period and in the days to come.

PM Abhisit added that the Cabinet had assigned all ministers and relevant authorities to closely monitor the situation and assess its adverse impacts on the people's well-being.

-- NNT 2010-08-29

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Parliament committee in telecommunications bus crash at Singburi returning to Bangkok in heavy rain; two dead, 25 injured /via @MCOTEnglishnews

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Another Phuket drug bust: more than 6,000 pills seized

Drug suspects (from left): Mr Korakot, Mr Thanasin, Mr Suthat and Mr Kritsana.

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Sluggish start to Bangkok and district councillor elections attributed to scattered showers

BANGKOK (TNA) -- Eligible voters in the Thai capital Sunday turned up at polling booths to cast their ballots for citywide and district council members as election officials said not many voters have already exercised their rights due to ongoing scattered showers.

The election for city and district councillors of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) opened at 8am and are scheduled to close at 3pm.

Several political parties are fielding candidates in an election in which there are 61 seats on the city council and 256 seats in 36 out of 50 district councils up for grabs. The other 14 districts have already selected their district councilors.

The major political parties that have fielded candidates in the election are the ruling Democrat Party, the major opposition Puea Thai Party and the New Politics Party formed by activists from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which is contesting an election for the first time.

About four million voters in Bangkok are eligible to cast ballots in Sunday’s votes but few turned up at some polling stations due to scattered rainfall after the stations opened.

Election officials at a booth at a Watthana district school turned up early in the morning to prepare where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was expected to vote before going to a television station for his weekly TV address, which is usually pre-recorded.

In Dusit district, officials prepared a booth also at school for several prominent personages to votes there. They include Deputy Prime Minister Maj Gen Sanan Kajornprasart and retired Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a top leader of the PAD.

The atmosphere at Samphanthawong district was lively as many voters appeared at the polling station, officials said.

BMA officials expect that unofficial results of district council would be known at about 7pm because votes would be counted at the booths soon after they close. Results of the city council contest will be known around midnight. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-08-29

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Phuket celebrates

Whole-barbecued pigs were among the many offerings

to the "hungry ghosts" during their month-long reprieve

from Hell to visit relatives.

Phuket Governor Wichai (blue), his wife Taisika (light blue) and

Phuket MP Raywat Areerob (green) light joss

sticks as part of the ritual.

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Opinion: Should Phuket be more of a colony?

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Flash floods cut roads in northern Thailand; Rice fields damaged

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