Thailand Live Sunday 10 Oct 2010

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Thailand Live Sunday 10 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...

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Related topic: Thailand Live Saturday 9 October 2010

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FTI expects growth for most industries in 2011

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) expects industrial growth next year, with great expansion in automotive

industry.

According to the FTI’s 2011 business direction assessment, 20 industries have tendencies to expand, including automotive, shoe,

steel, auto-parts, electricity and electronics, medicine, and petroleum. The industries have high demand for their products and

possible price adjustments to compensate the strong baht.

The most promising industry is the automotive industry, with the target of 1.8 million vehicles sold in 2011, as a result of the global

and domestic economic recoveries.

Industries with slow growth include textile, jewelry, furniture, sugar, and alternative energy because stockpiles in some countries are

already full of these materials.

Five industries in raw materials are expected to be on a decline. They are cement, granite and marble, ceramic, plastic, and

aluminum. The entrepreneurs are worried about the high interest rates, increasing prices of raw materials, and the global economic

situation, in which many nations have slowed down their policies for industrial growth.

-- NNT 2010-10-10

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Thai economy expected to grow 7.9% this year: HSBC

BANGKOK: -- The Thai economy is expected to enjoy strong growth of 7.9% this year and a slower expansion of 5.3 per cent next year, boosted by increased domestic consumption, according to an analysis report on the Thai economy released by HSBC Bank.

The report said domestic consumption and private investment had become key driving forces in place of exports and state investment for Thai economic growth. Given this factor, it is projected the economy will continue enjoying strong growth.

Still, heating-up economic growth could fuel inflationary pressure although the stronger baht would curb rising inflation to some extent.

With mounting inflationary pressure, it is believed that the Bank of Thailand will begin easing its strict monetary policy and gradually raise the policy interest rate to a normal level.

Given the inflation threat and global economic risks, HSBC Bank expected the Thai central bank would raise the policy interest rate to 2 per cent within this month'

The bank believes the Thai economy enjoys sound growth in the second quarter of this year despite the political disturbances because its long-term economic fundamentals are strong and exports have recovered rapidly.

The country’s exports are set to grow at a slower pace since consumer demand overseas, particularly in Europe and the United

States, is likely to decline in the second half of this year.

But exports to other countries in Asia are expected to continue growing, which would help offset a shortfall in the export value.

(MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-10-10

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Thailand To Face Sabotage Threat 'In The Next 20 Days'

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Street racers detained

By The Nation on Sunday

Teenage street racers were arrested early yesterday in Pathum Thani province. One of the youths sought to flee on a motorcycle but accidentally crashed into a policeman during the arrest.

An investigation inspector at Samkhok police station, Police Lieutenant Colonel Phisit Lamlert was slightly injured in the accident.

Police rounded up 19 street racers aged between 15 and 18, one of whom was a girl.

They found a 15-year-old named Anon with a pen gun with a .38 bullet. They also found a knife hidden under a motorcycle seat, but no one admitted to owning it.

Police said they would take the case to the Central and Juvenile and Family Court.

Police received reports that about 100 street racers were racing on the West Ring Road in Samkhok district. So, 30 police were deployed to arrest them.

Earlier, an officer from Muang Pathum Thani police station suffered a broken arm during another arrest of street racers in the province.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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Men accused of fraud with fake land deeds

By The Nation

Nakhon Ratchasima police arrested a gang that used fake land title deeds to dupe money lenders and police. The gang caused victims to lose several million baht.

Somsak Thienchai, 48, Phetcharat Boonsamai, 50, Chalermchai Sri-in, 48 and Somphong Chamnongwaree, 57 face allegations of forging and using forged official documents with intent to defraud people.

Police said all the suspects confessed that they had deceived many moneylenders and police officers in Surin, Buri Ram and Si Sa Ket provinces.

They used the forged land title deeds as collateral for loans and as collateral bail bonds.

Money lenders filed a case with police that the gang used fake land title deeds as collateral and related official documents to borrow money from them. They are also accused of putting the forged land title deeds up for bail with police at several stations, police said.

They deceived two of the suspects, Chalermchai and Somphong by making an appointment with them to sign a loan contract, lending them money at a petrol station in Buri Ram. Police arrested them after they finished signing the contract, and later sought and arrested the two others, Somsak and Phetcharat.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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Sunken rice cargo to be retrieved

By The Nation

Ayutthaya

A team of officials who plan to retrieve a sunken boat with 30,000 sacks of rice at the bottom of the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya began surveying the accident scene yesterday. Deputy Transport Minister Kuakul Danchaiwijit ordered the cargo be retrieved after concern the rice would cause pollution.

Eight divers surveyed the scene where the tugboat crashed and sank near Phra Chedi Sisuriyothai (a memorial chedi to Queen Suriyothai) in Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya district.

The boat is 9.30 metres wide and 35 metres long. It carries 750 tonnes of rice. It is 12 metres below the water surface but the top of the boat is four metres below the surface.

Kuakul said the team would take around 10 days to finish the retrieval. However, the divers said the swift current could obstruct the retrieval, or cause accidents.

The divers retrieved some sacks and found that the rice inside was rotten and smelt foul.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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Princess 'well' after surgery

By The Nation

Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana has recovered well from a thyroid gland operation on Friday, the Bureau of the Royal Household announced yesterday.

Following the medical team's advice, HRH was admitted to Chulalongkorn Hospital last Sunday for the thyroid gland treatment.

On Friday night, HRH Princess underwent the surgery, which yielded a satisfactory result, and the princess had recuperated well, the bureau said.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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Gunman who shot teacher arrested

By The Nation

Nakhon Si Thammarat police yesterday detained a gunman who shot dead a teacher at a petrol station in Samut Sakhon after the Provincial Court approved a warrant for the suspect's arrest on Friday.

Somkhuan Srisamut, 24 was arrested while on a bus to Songkhla province when the bus arrived in Chien Yai district in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Police said he confessed that he was the gunman who shot dead Chalee Suansamut, 55, a teacher at Pom Phra Chulachomklao School in Samut Prakan province on Wednesday.

The suspect will be sent to Samut Sakhon, where he will be interrogated and made to re-enact the murder scene.

Meanwhile, another suspect, Ratthasin Pansinoon, 42, who the court also approved a arrest warrant for, remains at large. Ratthasin is the husband of Chutinan, a female teacher at the school.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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Outcome of Democrats' legal drama still uncertain

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Police take precautions against possible violence in Bangkok and nearby provinces

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Portuguese ship arrives to celebrate 500 years of bilateral ties

By ONRAVEE TANGMEESANG

SPECIAL TO THE NATION

A Portuguese Navy sailing ship has made its way to Thailand to mark the first official contact between the two countries five centuries ago.

The Sagres, a strikingly beautiful, tall ship, docked at Bangkok's Klong Toei Port yesterday morning. The naval training ship was warmly greeted by Portuguese Ambassador Antonio de Faria e Maya along with representatives from the Portuguese community.

The ship is here for the first time to celebrate the arrival of Portuguese envoy Duarte Fernandes at Trangque, a city of Siam that is now the southern province of Trang, in 1511, during the Ayutthaya period. Next year will mark 500 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Portugal.

The Sagres is expected to be here until Thursday and is open to local visitors.

"The ship can receive more than 1,000 visitors each day and we would like to welcome everyone to come and visit us," said the ship's commander, Pedro Proenca Mendes.

What's special about this ship is that it is used for training Portugal's future naval officers and everything in the ship is manual, because the Portuguese want to train their naval officers to actually learn about the traditional way of sailing. Moreover, as it is a training ship, the decorations inside the ship are truly different from those in battle ships.

The ship was built in 1937 in Hamburg, Germany, and owned by the Germans. However, after World War II, the ship was kept by the United States as a war prize. Later, the US gave this ship to Brazil and Portugal purchased her from Brazil

The visit by Sagres is part of the touring-around-the-world mission of the Portuguese navy in order to strengthen relations with visited countries and to be a floating embassy of Portugal.

"Wherever we go we send messages of friendship and support our foreign policy," the captain stated.

The mission will take about 11 and a half months, which will be over this December, when the ship is due to land in Lisbon.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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UN secretary-general to visit Thailand on Oct 26: Abhisit

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Thailand on October 26.

Speaking during his weekly TV program, Abhisit said the UN chief will visit Thailand on his way to attend the UN-Asean summit in Hanoi.

Abhisit said he got a chance to discuss with the UN secretary-general during the Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels about Thailand's cooperation and contribution to regional security, including Burma and Cambodia's issues.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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2 Men Arrested for Possession of Explosives in Saraburi

Two men have been arrested for the possession of guns and TNT explosives at a resort in Saraburi province.

Police have not been able to link them to political violence yet but they remain in custody.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-10

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PM Seeks Cooperation from Public

On his weekly TV show today, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called for cooperation from the public to help law enforcement officers with taking care of security.

He also spoke about his participation in the Asia-Europe Summit in Brussels, Belgium and his subsequent trip to New York to take part in the United Nation's exhibition on improved female inmate standards, presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Batcharakitiyapa.

The latter part of his show featured his visit to Baenlaem district in Petchaburi province yesterday to inspect the flooding situation.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-10

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Police Ready for Red-shirt Rally

The police say they are ready for today's red-shirt rallies in which the red-shirt supporters are expected to tie a red ribbon around the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue and at Lumpini Park on Rama IV Road.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-10

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Puppet haven: Joe Louis Thai Restaurant opens in Phuket

The Joe Louis troupe are the last remaining guardians of the

'Hun Lakhon Lek', Thai traditional small puppet play.

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Red-shirts Start Gathering at Lumpini Park

Red-shirt supporters have started to gather at Lumpini Park on Rama IV Road. They gather today to commemorate the losses of lives of their fellow comrades on April 10 when there was a clash with law enforcement officers at the Kokwua intersection. The group plan to tie red ribbons at Lumpini Park and at Democracy Monument on Rachadamnoen Avenue.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-10

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Phuket Opinion: Making a meal of a festival

A Phuket 'mah song' holds up half a dozen 'traditional'

blades piercing his cheek. Photo: Christian Mouchet

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Thousands of red-shirt supporters gather around Bangkok's Democracy Monument amidst tight security /via @RichardBarrow:

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Rajprasong at this moment (13.01pm): http://twitpic.com/2w9pwf /RT @noppatjak @phassaphol /via @tukky_nt

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Red-shirts at Ratchaprasong Move to Democracy Monument

The red-shirt group which gathered at Ratchaprasong intersection to lay flowers to remember their fallen comrades have moved to Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue to light candles there. Traffic is at a standstill in many areas. Police expect their gathering to end by 5 PM.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-10

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Democracy Monument minutes ago http://plixi.com/p/49791980 /RT @aunonline /RT @satien_nna /via @tulsathit

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(15.52pm) Crowd red shirts on Rajdamneon Ave. Traffic paralysed. One lane left for traffic. /TR @satien_nna /via @tukky_nt

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Red shirts rally at Democracy Monument

Hundreds of red-shirt people gathered at the Democracy Monument Sunday afternoon, causing traffic snarls in the area.

At the 3 pm, the demonstrators spilled from the monument's ground onto the road leaving only one lane for both sides of the road.

The demonstrators demanded the government to take responsibility for the deaths of red-shirt people in April and May.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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Polls shows Thai believes military being meddled by politicians

BANGKOK, 10 October 2010 (NNT) – A survey conducted by Suan Dusit Poll reveals that the majority of Thai people believe that politics has meddled with the military.

The survey conducted under the topic “Thai soldiers in the eyes of the citizens” has indicated that 55 percent of Thai people believe that the military has been dragged into politics and its roles have been influenced by politicians.

As for the current bomb attacks, over 40 percent of respondents said they would cooperate with police to prevent further attacks by watching out for and informing the authorities of those who act suspiciously; another 30 percent want the government to strictly account for its weapons to prevent their being used in violence instigation..

to In addition over 45 percent of people surveyed wanted the government not to take no sides, be impartial, and listen to all opinions in order to find a viable solution to the quagmire of violence the nation has been in..

Meanwhile, 36 percent of Thai people thought the military was strong and doing a good job of protecting the country. However, 49 percent said the military needed to shape up and not allow politicians to meddle with them.

Finally, more than 40 percent of them urged the newly-appointed Commander in Chief, General Prayut Jun-ocha, to work devotedly and to the best of his ability for the country as a whole.

-- NNT 2010-10-10

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Reds parade around Bangkok to remember slain peers

About 250 vehicles carrying red-shirt demonstrators paraded from Lumpini Park to other parts of Bangkok to remember their peers who were killed at the spots in April and May.

The red-shirt demonstrators gathered in front of King Rama VI Statute at 10 am to remember Maj Gen Khattiya Sawasdiphol who was killed at near BTS Saladaeng Intersection.

The demonstrators to World Trade Centre at 11:30 am to remember the protesters who were killed in the area.

About 250 vehicles then moved to Sutthisarn Intersection at noon to remember those killed under the Din Daeng expressway.

They moved on to the Phan Fah Bridge and then to the Kokwua Intersection before joining a rally at the Democracy Monument.

-- The Nation 2010-10-10

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Photos of Red shirts gathering at Democracy monument by @nationphoto - http://bit.ly/dxqSis via @jin_nation /via @veen_NT

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Police spokesman estimates that there are 7,000-8,000 red-shirt protesters today. /TR @noppatjak cc: @PR_76 /via @veen_nt

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King of Rock and Soul, Solomon Burke, 70, died at Netherlands' Amsterdam-Schipol airport where his plane from Los Angeles landed: airport's spokeswoman /MCOT