Thailand Live Monday 30 Aug 2010

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Thailand: Bad Records On Forced Disappearance

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NSC: No sabotage attempts reported

BANGKOK (NNT) -- There is no report about sabotage attempts at any underground stations in the capital city, confirmed National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Tawin Pleansri.

In response to the sabotage plan exposed by opposition Pheu Thai Party Spokesperson Prompong Nopparit, Mr Tawin confirmed that there had been no such a report so far from any security unit. He said security units had been closely monitoring the situation.

Mr Prompong on Sunday cited a security report that said underground stations would be sabotaged from late September to the beginning of October with intention to accuse rivals of the Government, impede the hope for a new election, and allow the military to take the helm of the nation.

The Secretary-General elaborated that Mr Prompong did not participate in the meeting of the Center for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) and should be unable to cite any security reports. He believed that the spokesperson just made such a comment because of his goodwill for the country.

In addition, Mr Tawin confirmed that there was no initiative to terminate the state of emergency in any additional province in the meantime; however, he said the situation in general of the country was peaceful.

-- NNT 2010-08-30

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Suthep brushes off sabotage rumor

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Security Affairs Suthep Thaugsuban has brushed aside reports of potential sabotage attempt in Bangkok, saying that it is just a rumor.

Mr Suthep stated that he had not received any intelligence report from security-related agencies about the sabotage plan. He did not believe that any army officer would incite terror to pave ways for another coup d’état, saying the army still threw its weight behind the Government in its bid to restore peace to the nation.

The Deputy Prime Minister, however, noted that he had instructed both military and police officers to patrol the city, risk-prone areas in particular, to prevent any unrest instigation attempt. He added that he had also tasked the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration with installing more high-quality CCTVs to keep the capital under a24-hour surveillance, especially in the areas heavily damaged during the recent riot..

Meanwhile, Opposition Pheu Thai Party Spokesperson Nopparit on Sunday said that underground train stations in Bangkok might be sabotaged in September or October in a bid to implicate rivals of the Government, tear up the hope for new election, and allow the military to take a full control of the nation once again.

Mr Suthep shrugged off the issue and voiced his disbelief, accusing Prompong of cooking up the report; the Spokesperson, however, insisted that he had got the report from an intelligence unit of the security affairs.

-- NNT 2010-08-30

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Another dolphin found dead, raising accumulated toll to 30

TRAT (NNT) -- Another Irrawaddy dolphin carcass has been found floating off the shore of the eastern province of Trat, making it the 30th body found since the beginning of this year.

The body of the Irrawaddy dolphin was discovered drifting 5-6 miles offshore in Muang District in Trat province before being brought onland for inspection. The animal, which was a male, measuring 2.2 meters in length and weighing about 100 kilograms, had severe abdominal wounds. The local marine conservation group estimated it must have been dead for 4-5 days.

The discovery has raised the accumulated death toll of dolphins in the neighborhood to 30 since the beginning of this year. Preliminary inspection indicates that the animal must have died from suffocation after being trapped in a fishing instrument. The marine group has been coordinating with local official units urging them to take care of the dolphin habitats.

-- NNT 2010-08-30

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NTC issues ultimatum on mobile number portability service

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) issues an ultimatum to local mobile service operators warning them to enable the number portability service as scheduled, or else they will face a 20,000 THB fine per day.

An NTC Commissioner, Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn, said the 5 mobile service operators including AIS, DTAC, TrueMove, TOT and CAT Telecom, must officially launch the mobile number portability (MNP) on 31 August as planned. He reasoned that the NTC had extended the deadline for one year after the MNP criteria were announced in the royal gazette, to allow the operators to setup the system.

The NTC threatened that the service providers would be subject to a daily fine if they failed to launch the service in time. The MNP will allow customers to change service providers without having to change their numbers.

Meanwhile, all the service operators claimed it would take another 4-5 months to complete the system testing and thus could not make the service usable in time. They expect the system to be ready in December this year.

-- NNT 2010-08-30

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Lone Robber Escapes With Bt8m From Khon Kaen's UOB Bank Branch

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SET index closed at 909.65, up 9.28; Bt/USD30.87; GBP47.89; AUD27.51; EUR39.23; CAD29.14; HKD3.92; SGD22.69; JPY36.12

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Montenegro promises to act against Thaksin if he is on Interpol list

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Kasit urges US, Russia to respect Thai judiciary

By Marisa Chimprabha

Podgorica, Montenegro

Thailand on Monday asked the United States and Russia to respect its justice system, its integrity and procedures involving the Thai Court's ruling to extradite Viktor Bout, known as the Merchant of Death.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said that both countries should not have used Thailand as a venue of debates.

"The US and Russia should not have put pressure on Thailand concerning Bout's extradition. We are not taking any side on the matter. We are following our justice system and procedure. They, also democratic countries, should respect our system as they do to theirs," the minister said.

The minister was responding to reports that the US and Russia have put pressure on Thailand after an Appeal Court ruled in favour of the US to extradite Bout wanted in the US on arm smuggling charges.

Russian government had criticized Thai government of taking side with the US. However the extradition has not yet happened as a Thai court will have to consider the US' latest request, reportedly on September 4, to withdrawn other charges of fraud and money laundering against Bout.

The US has dispatched an airplane which is accompanied by US marshal to pick up Bout. However the country has to wait pending the court's decision on the charge withdrawal.

Kasit said that the dispatching of the US airplane and marshal is not appropriate in Thailand's views as the country should have waited until the procedure concerning the matter officially finished.

"About dispatching the aircraft to pick up Bout, the US should have shown more respect to our justice system. No matter the US intended or not, it should not have did that," he said.

-- The Nation 2010-08-30

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Arson considered in Phuket pawnshop blaze

Fueling the blaze were oil-filled drums, paper, plastics, wood and gas cylinders.

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Blackout in Rawai, Phuket, Aug 31

Most residents of the area would agree some work is needed. Photo courtesy Robert S.

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Cabinet to consider sex harassment regulations for civil servants

The Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC) will propose draft legislation to the Cabinet Tuesday to try to prevent sexual harassment at state offices.

Offences under the new regulations, that could cause civil servants to be punished, include kissing someone, holding another's hands, telling dirty jokes to someone who doesn't want to hear them, or sending pornographic mail or emails.

OCSC legal official Pirun Pienlertlam said regulations to be issued under the Civil Service Act 2008 covered five types of behaviour deemed to be sexual harassment in the workplace.

-- The Nation 2010-08-30

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Phuket attempted murder suspect arrested

Unfrequent flyer: Murder suspect Prasop Homhuan really knows how to look on the bright side of life.

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to be continued

Thailand Live Tuesday 31 August 2010

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