Thailand Live Sunday 3 Oct 2010

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Thailand Live Sunday 3 October 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 2 October 2010

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9th Thai-Bruneian Joint Technical Committee Meeting

BANGKOK (NNT) -- At the 9th Thai-Bruneian Joint Technical Committee Meeting held in the capital of Brunei, Bandar Seri Bengawan, on Saturday, both sides confirmed their commitments to the development and expansion of bilateral cooperation in preparation for the ASEAN Community in ten-years time.

The minutes of the 9th Thai-Bruneian Joint Technical Committee Meeting was co-signed by Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister's Office, Harris Pengiran Abdul of Brunei Darussalam and Mr Anek Permwongsenee, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister's Office of Thailand.

Ms Ladavan Bua-aim, Deputy Director-General of the Government Public Relations Department, divulged that the 9th Thai - Bruneian Technical Committee Meeting focused on cooperation in broadcasting information cooperation. Both sides reviewed their work in the past year and agreed that there should be expansion in broadcasting cooperation and exchange of information, in preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2020. Moreover, operation plans would be drawn up along this line, for mutual benefits and to cover cooperation in all aspects.

Brunei's Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister's Office, Mr Marut Wootney, said that past cooperation had been successful for both countries as ASEAN members, to be developed into the ASEAN Community in the future. He pointed out that officials of both sides would need to work actively to create public participation in the programs, in order to develop and solidify the cooperation.

-- NNT 2010-10-03

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ICT Minister pledges support to submarine cable cooperation project

BANGKOK (NNT) -- A major project to link up submarine cable under the Gulf of Thailand to land posts has been inked between CAT Telecom (Public) Company Limited and Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production Company.

Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry, Chuti Krairiksh, presided over the signing ceremony at the Vibhavadi Ballrom, Sofitel Centara Grand Hotel Bangkok on Saturday.

The cooperation project is meant to link up telecommunication signal among 8 petroleum exploration and production rigs in the Gulf of Thailand to land posts as real-time communication to maximize the efficiency of petroleum exploration and production management in the Gulf of Thailand.

Signing the cooperation project were CAT Telecom Managing Director, Chirayuth Rungsithong, and Chevron Thailand Chief Executive Officer, Mr Pairot Kawiyanand.

-- NNT 2010-10-03

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Nadal failed to make the final at PTT Thailand Open 2010

BANGKOK (NNT) - Rafael Nadal, the world's number one tennis player, missed the chance to win the PTT Thailand Open, as he lost to his compatriot, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, in the semi-final round at a packed match on Saturday.

The winner, Guillermo Garcia - Lopez got through to meet Finnish Jarkko Nieminen, who managed to beat German player, Benjamin Becker, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

Nadal led in the first set with the score 6-2. They fought fiercely in the second set and Garcia - Lopez won with the tie break at 7-6, forcing the champion into the third set, which he won 6-3.

The final match is scheduled on Sunday, 3 October 2010, at 15.00 hrs. Thailand time.

-- NNT 2010-10-03

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Land value around Bangkok increases by 4.4%

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The average land values in Bangkok and its vicinities have increased by 4.4 percent year-on-year, with the areas around Siam, Chidlom, and Ploenchit having the highest values.

According to a recent survey by Thailand’s Real Estate Information Centre, the land values around Siam, Chidlom, and Ploenchit have increased by 20 percent, compared to last year’s figure. The lands cost around 1.2 million baht per square wa.

Areas around Silom and Ratchadamri Roads are second most expensive, costing about 1 million baht per square wa. Last year, it was just 850,000 baht per square wa. The areas are suited for office buildings and shopping malls.

In the past year, the values of lands around Phahonyothin Road have increased the most by 25-29 percent. Land values around Aree BTS station, in particular, have moved up from 350,000 to 450,000 baht per square wa just in one year.

On the contrary, land prices in Nong Chok district have reduced from 11,000 to 10,000 baht per square wa year-on-year.

-- NNT 2010-10-03

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Emergency to be extended in Bangkok

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Police investigate grenades in Pratunam

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Youths arrested for torture of girl, 14

By The Nation on Sunday

Three youngsters were arrested in Bangkok's Bang Khun Thien district for allegedly kidnapping a 14-year-old girl, brutally torturing her, and kicking her off the Memorial Bridge (Saphan Phut) to die, police said yesterday.

Police, accompanied by women's right advocate Pavena Hongsakul, arrested Nattapol Jarejindarat, 25;Ploy (not her real name), 17; and Golf (not his real name), 15; at their home in Sinthavee Garden Housing Estate yesterday afternoon. They denied any wrongdoing.

On Friday, the victim's mum asked Paveena for help, saying her daughter Ore (not her real name) went missing on Sept 17 after going to see a friend. Several calls were made to the family claiming Ore owed Bt10,000 to a man but the family refused to believe them.

The brutally assaulted girl returned home on Sept 22 and told her family she couldn't find her friend at a stranger's house, as she had been told, but was detained and brutally tortured by the three young people. After seeing that they wouldn't get any money, they reportedly kicked her off the bridge to die but she survived and got help from security guard near the scene.

-- The Nation 2010-10-03

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Woman held for 'jobs in Korea' fraud

By The Nation

A Thai woman was arrested in Nakhon Ratchasima's Huai Thalaeng district yesterday for duping others with false promises of jobs in South Korea paying Bt30,000 a month.

Saisamorn Sutthichaiya, 55, was arrested along with travel documents of the alleged victims. She reportedly confessed to the crime, Pol Lt Col Phum Thongpho of the Police Region 3 said.

Saisamorn reportedly told people seeking jobs in South Korea they must pay Bt120,000 in costs per person, Bt15,000-30,000 of which they had to her pay her in advance.

However, instead of being picked up at the airport when they arrived in South Korea, the victims were stood up and unable to enter the country due to a lack of sufficient funds.

Police believe many more people may have been duped and are looking for accomplices of the woman. They urged other victims to file police complaints against the woman.

-- The Nation 2010-10-03

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Fire at Samut Sakhon factory

By The Nation on Sunday

A fire that broke out at a furniture-making factory in Samut Sakhon's Muang district yesterday morning caused Bt30 million in damage, a district chief said.

Police suspected the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit.

Fire fighters from 20 fire trucks took over two hours to get the fire under control, after it broke out at about 6am at the rear of the factory, where finished products were stored and a garage was located, Muang district chief Pisal Samransab said.

The fire damaged many wooden furniture products that were about to be shipped to customers, plus three pickups parked in the garage.

Security guard Sunthorn Aikaew said he spotted smoke coming out of the garage and saw the fire spread quickly to other parts of the building, so he alerted supervisors and police.

-- The Nation 2010-10-03

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Brothers 'confess to money truck heists'

By VISITH CHUANPIPATPONG

THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Police have arrested three men suspected of robbing a Thai Military Bank (TMB) money truck and getting away with Bt16 million in cash last month.

The suspects confessed to police that they had pocketed some Bt60 million from 10 robberies since 2005, national police adviser Pol General Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya said.

Alleged gang leader Pratcha-yawuth Saenkhamneung, 42, and younger brother Sitthichai, 36, and relative Thanakrit Boonperm, 46, all worked as tourist van drivers. They were arrested and Bt10.5 million in Thai and foreign currencies recovered, plus nine bank accounts with some Bt2 million, three vans, one Toyota Vigo pick-up, two faulty licence plates and four pistols.

After the September 9 robbery of a money truck in Seacon Square Mall's parking lot, police followed a lead that the pick-up truck used in the robbery had a "Super Up" customised trunk lid, only available from a company in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district.

So police looked for the customised truck in the Bang Phli area until they found it at the home of Sitthichai and gathered evidence for three weeks until they got the search and arrest warrants, chief of the Metropolitan Police's Investigation Centre, Pol Maj-General Chanthawit Ramasutra said.

Sitthichai was the first man nabbed and he reportedly confessed to committing the robbery with his brother and relative, so police apprehended the two men at their Bang Phli homes.

The three men reportedly confessed that they had robbed 10 money trucks since 2005 and got away with Bt60 million in total, Chanthawit said.

Sitthichai and his brother each got Bt6 million, while Thanakrit got Bt4 million from the latest robbery, which they hid in their vans and spent on personal expenses and gambling at dens.

The three told police they got together to carry out a robbery in 2005 after they had debt problems and they became good at it. Pratchayawuth reportedly used robbery money to buy dozens of vans to transport tourists from Suvarnabhumi Airport but the business suffered losses and folded.

Police said they would try to get back the money from the heists and extend the investigation into whether the three had any accomplices.

Among the 10 robberies reportedly done by the three men were: Bt492,142 in cash from a 7-Eleven store at a Bang Phli gas station in January 2005; Bt1.2 million from a 7-Eleven store at a Soi La Salle gas station in November 2006; and a Samco money truck robbery in May 2007, when Bt22 million was taken and a police officer was injured in a gunfight.

-- The Nation 2010-10-03

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Monastery explains why Bt10m missing

By PREEVADI VICHAIPRASIT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Bt10 million donated to Suan Santitham in Chon Buri was not put into the monastery's bank account because it was donated to monk Phra Pramote Pramocho for personal use, the monastery said yesterday.

The statement was issued after former Chon Buri gover?nor Seni Jittakasem confirmed that a probe led by the Sri Racha district chief into the monastery had found Phra Pramote inno?cent of any wrongdoing.

In 2008, Seni, a classmate of Phra Pramote at Chulalongkorn University's Political Science Faculty, reportedly urged then Sri Racha district chief Sanit Noipeng to contact Glow IPP Co Ltd to build a road into the monastery to provide better access for peo?ple travelling to and from there.

The monastery, in its state?ment, said there were 76 times when the monk gave Dhamma lectures and money offerings were made to him. On most occasions the money was returned to the Dhamma event hosts.

In regard to expenses, the monastery said it spent money building constructions within the compound such as the Ubosot and Pagoda - details of which itwould explain later on.

The statement and probe came after followers of the monk complained to the Office of National Buddhism about Phra Pramote's dubious han?dling of donations worth more than Bt100 million, which he reportedly put in the hands of his wife-turned-nun. Among them was author Thitinart na Patthalung, a follower of the monk for many years, who asked the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to look into this case and demand?ed the monk return Bt4 million or so she had donated.

-- The Nation 2010-10-03

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UPDATE

Gardeners set for feng shui fine-tuning today

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TOT 'must start talks' on 3G

By THE NATION

State-owned TOT should start negotiations with its mobile phone concessionaires on the 3G (third generation) network upgrade, Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutaruk said yesterday.

TOT won Cabinet approval last Tuesday to invest Bt19 billion in the upgrade using the 1,900 MHz frequency following a court ruling that prevented the National Telecommunications Commission from auctioning the new 3G licences.

Buranat said TOT must also ensure the bidding process for the Bt19-billion investment for the network upgrade is transparent.

Besides TOT, CAT Telecom, another state-owned agency, is also expected to upgrade its network to 3G using existing radio frequencies.

Private operators AIS, DTAC and True are all concessionaires of TOT and CAT Telecom, who own the current 2G network. These concessions will expire in the next three to eight years.

Buranat said consumers would benefit from upgrading 2G to a 3G service, based on the existing concessions.

In addition, consumers should have the right to choose their operators and retain their current phone numbers. This number portability is being enforced by the NTC.

At present, operators are being fined on a daily basis by the NTC for delaying the start of number portability.

-- The Nation 2010-10-03

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Queen's heart 'back to normal'

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EDITORIAL

Chance for good ties with Phnom Penh if Thailand want

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DSI: Underground movements will disturb country until year end

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Alleged Russian Arms Dealer Faces Thai Extradition Decision

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Bidders circle Carrefour's Southeast Asian assets

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Wife of Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, dies

Singapore - The wife of modern Singapore's founding father and first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, has died at the age of 89, the prime minister's office said.

Kwa Geok Choo, who had been bedridden for more than two years, unable to speak or move after a series of strokes, "passed away peacefully at home today at 5:40 pm," said a statement released late Saturday.

A private funeral had been set for October 6, it added.

Her husband, Lee Kuan Yew, 87, had been hospitalized last Wednesday for treatment of a chest infection, but media photos showed him in good spirits, receiving guests.

In an interview with The New York Times last month, Lee talked unusually frankly about his wife's illness.

"For just over two years, she has been inert in bed, but still cognitive," he said.

"How do I comfort myself? Well, I say life is just like that," said Lee.

"She understands when I talk to her, which I do every night," he said.

"I'm not sure who's going first, whether she or me," Lee added.

The couple had been married since 1947.

The couple's older son, Lee Hsien Loong, is currently prime minister. He would cut short a visit to Brussels following the news of his mother's death, media reports said

-- The Nation 2010-10-03

[george]

Bangkok: Child porn on Sukhumvit stirs outrage:

SUKHUMVIT VENDORS OPENLY SELL VCDS

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Police Have ID Man Responsible for Making Bomb Threat at Siriraj

Police have reportedly identified the man responsible for making a hoax telephone call call, threatening a bomb attack at Siriraj Hospital.

The hospital is where HM the King is staying to recouperate from his illness.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-03

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Russian Tourists Injured in Coach Accident

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Rebels kill 3 troops in troubled Thai south

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Many provincial governors show up in Buri Ram today as Newin is preparing to celebrate his birthday tomorrow. He is going to turn 52. /via @Urisara_NT

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Royal Household Bureau: Thailand’s Queen leaves Chulalongkorn Hospital

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Some experts also believe whatever the court decides on V.Bout case tmrrw can/will be appealed against by the losing side. /via @tulsathit

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Thailand targets attracting 14 million tourists this year

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Britain updates advice for its nationals in France and Germany, warns of "high threat" of terrorism - govt /via @REUTERSFLASH

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Phuket nurse in stabbing murder

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