Surat Thani Customs Seize Bt 3m Worth of Smuggled Oil

Surat Thani customs has seized over 100,000 liters of smuggled oil from a fishing boat.

Surat Thani customs officials and police have seized more than 100,000 liters of smuggled diesel, valued at more than 3 million baht, from a fishing boat off the coast called “S.Kittichai”.

The operator of the boat, 28 year old Somsak Narongrit, and three other boatmen told the authorities that they took the oil from a ship in open waters near the sea border with Vietnam, to deliver it to a client at a port in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-07

A bomb was found in Soi Prachachuen31, the area was sealed off & bomb has now been removed by police /via @Tulip_Oum /via @RichardBarrow

Bomb discovered at Soi Prachacheun 31, just 100 m away from house of DPM Trairong Suwannakiri /via @TAN_Network

Bomb Found 100 m away from Deputy PM's House

A bomb was discovered in Soi Prachacheun 31 on the grounds of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and just 100 meters away from the house of Deputy PM on economic affairs Trairong Suwannakiri.

The bomb has been safely defused.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-07

Deputy PM Suthep to resign post Friday to run in Surat Thani by-election

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Transport Ministry Considers Automated Parking System at Suvarnabhumi Airport

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Health Ministry warns people to stop eating sweet, greasy, and salty food

BANGKOK, 7 October 2010 (NNT) – Ministry of Health has warned patients with chronic diseases not to eat sweet, greasy, and salty food for more than 10 days, as they might suffer a relapse.

According to Deputy Health Minister, people with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and paralysis should be careful with what they eat. She has recommended that those people not eat vegetarian food cooked with greasy and fermented ingredients for more than ten days at a time, as the food might cause them to have a relapse of the diseases. In addition, they should stay away from desserts as much as possible. The Deputy Minister has also suggested that people buy certified chemical-free fruit and vegetables, and that they clean fruit and vegetables bought at local markets to make sure that they are free of contaminants before eating or cooking it.

This year’s vegetarian festival begins today.

-- NNT 2010-10-07

TAT

TAT hopes spas will draw more high-end tourists

By Suchat Sritama

The Nation

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is promoting Thai spas in overseas markets as part of its strategic tourism recovery plans aimed at quality tourists.

TAT has introduced certified spas overseas since last year after adding the segment to its Thailand Tourism Awards marketing scheme.

This year, four spa operators representing four categories - day spa, destination spa, health spa and hotel/resort spa - received awards from the authority.

TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said spas were now one of the key products the authority hoped would help draw quality tourists from abroad.

He said many cities were ready to be spa destinations, including Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Bangkok.

"Currently, Thai spas are recognised only in some markets in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. However, they will soon draw more foreign customers after more operators are certified," Suraphon said.

The Thai Spa Association, which has 265 members, will help TAT with marketing through its promotions and activities.

Suraphon said the Thailand Tourism Awards committee yesterday granted 112 awards in five categories. Of these, 32 were Awards of Excellency and 80 were Awards of Outstanding Performance.

Moreover, TAT delivered Friends of Thailand Awards to 75 persons or organisations from 29 countries. Also, 96 tourist guides received awards in their category.

-- The Nation 2010-10-07

Chachoengsao-Laem Chabang doubletrack railway to be in operation mid 2011

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Red rally in Udon Thani: bomb hoax near Trairong's home

By The Nation

About 200 red shirts on Thursday held a brief rally in Udon Thanai to read out a statement demanding democracy before volunatrily dispersing.

The rally, taken place at a main intersection in town, was a first political gathering since the lifting of emergeny rule in the northeastern province last week.

In Bangkok, Prachachuen police received a tip-off about a possible grenade in a bush near the branch office of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, located 100 meters from the home of Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankhiri.

The bomb squad was dispatched to the scene and found the grenade to be a fake. Police suspect it was meant to stir up a scare.

-- The Nation 2010-10-07

One-year-old Thai babies required to have ID card

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Thaksin Sends Lawyers to Crime Supression to Sue Newin

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has sent his lawyers to press libel charges against Newin Chidchob. Newin had recently claimed to the press that a 20 million baht bounty had been placed on his head and that "his former boss who's currently overseas" was the person behind the plot.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-07

'Black Money' Scam Perpetrators Arrested in South Pattaya

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FIDF LAND

Pojaman is returned money for Ratchadapisek land

By Seetalavajit Sabayjai

The Nation

The Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) will not appeal against the Civil Court's ruling that the Ratchadapisek land sale deal with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's ex-wife, Khunying Pojaman Na Pombejra be nullified and it must return the sale proceeds.

The decision came after the Attorney General's Office placed its recommendation that the fund should not make an appeal in any issues, according to BOT Assistance Governor for FIDF Management, Thongurai Limpiti. The Bank of Thailand's court of governors already gave approval to the move and the Finance Minister has acknowledged this, she added.

The fund yesterday returned a sum of Bt822.13 million to the court, comprising the Bt772 million land purchase price plus accrued interest, she said.

-- The Nation 2010-10-07

Tiger Woods to Play in One-day Thai Skins Tournament

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SET index closed at 970.9, down 8.10; Bt/USD29.73; GBP47.15; AUD29.21; EUR41.38; CAD29.41; HKD3.83; SGD22.63; JPY35.75

5 Volunteer Drug Suppression Officers wanted for murder by Pattaya Police

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Region 2 Police raid Central Pattaya “short time” Bar

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Family of dead bomber to get Bt400,000 relief payment

By The Nation

The government is obligated, under the relief regulations issued by emergency rule, to compensate for victims and relatives in violence incidents even though one of the victims is a suspected bomber killed in the Bang Bua Thong blast by the bomb he made.

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Public prosecutors defer decision on PAD 'Yellow Shirt' Government House takeover case again

BANGKOK, Oct 7 -- Thailand's Office of the Attorney-General (OAG), again postponed it decision whether to indict nine leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the 'Yellow Shirts', for seizing Government House in 2008, pending further investigation as requested by the accused.

Delivery of the decision has been rescheduled to December 7 at 10am.

Director-General Kaiyasit Pitsawongprakan of the Criminal Litigation Department said the OAG is still awaiting additional details of the case from the investigators after PAD leaders had asked police to investigate more points and police have not yet completed their examination of additional witnesses as requested by the suspects.

The prosecution has postponed many times its decision on indicting the nine suspects, most recently on April 22.

Mr Kaiyasit said the prosecutors will decide whether to proceed the case against the nine PAD leaders charged with taking over Thailand's seat of government to December 7.

The nine PAD leaders include Sondhi Limthongkul, retired Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, Phiphob Thongchai, Somsak Kosaisuuk, Somkeit Pongpaibul, Chaiwat Sindhuwong, Suriyasai Katasila, Terdpoom Jaidee and Amorn Amornratananond.

All have been charged with illegal assembly and inciting unrest in violation of Articles 116, 215 and 216 of the Criminal Code over the seizure of Government House in August 2008 for 193 days.

In August, the OAG postponed its decision as to whether to indict nine PAD leaders, saying it was awaiting additional details of the case from the investigators after the PAD leaders had asked police for further investigation.

The PAD Yellow Shirts played a pivotal role in the movement to topple the Thaksin Shinawatra government, with protests leading to the military coup on September 19, 2006. The movement staged a series of street protests which led to the fall two successive governments -- those of Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat -- which it accused of being Mr Thaksin's proxies.

The six months of protests against the last government ended on December 3, 2008 after a court dissolved the ruling People Power Party (PPP). PAD protests reached their peak at the end of November when thousands of their supporters occupied Bangkok's two main airports for about a week, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers and causing huge economic damage.

The group only ended their siege after the PPP was dissolved over poll fraud charges related to elections they won one year ago, allowing the Democrats to win over former PPP lawmakers and small parties to form the government. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-10-07

Bt823 million returned to Thaksin's ex-wife Pojaman

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Phuket police warn of snatch bandits

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Man shot dead outside Phuket pub

The locked front door of the 'Say Yes' bar on Patak Road.

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Phuket cop sought over bar demolition

NOT SO NICE ANYMORE: The remains of the 'So Nice' bar near Club Med in Kata.

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Free Wi-Fi in two Phuket Town parks

A poster at Queen Sirikit Park advertising the new Wi-Fi service.

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Apple plans to produce a new iPhone for CDMA that would be available early next year

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to be continued

Thailand Live Friday 8 October 2010

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