Thailand Live Monday 18 Oct 2010

[webfact]

Thailand Live Monday 18 October 2010

News, Bits and Tweets

with webfact

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.

FOLLOW US:

You can also follow us on

- Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgebkk

- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThaiVisaNews

- Breaking News via SMS text messages to your mobile phone or handheld device

To subscribe dial *424010011 on AIS, One-2-Call, DTAC or True Move networks

14 days complementary subscription for Thaivisa members.

If you have questions about the Breaking News SMS service,

email: sms [at] thaivisa.com

________________________________________________________________________________

Thailand's current weather and forecasts: http://weather.thaivisa.com/

________________________________________________________________________________

Related topic: Thailand Live Sunday 17 October 2010

[webfact]

PM orders officers to tackle problems caused by floods

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has ordered related agencies officers to tackle flood problems caused by heavy rain in a number of provinces; he has also advised people to closely follow the weather forecast.

According to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiv in his weekly talk show, rain and flood have reportedly ravaged several areas, especially those in the Northeast, causing heavy property and financial damage as well as hardship for millions of people. The Premier has asked those living in the rain-and-flood-affected regions to be always on alert and closely follow the daily weather forecast.

As many provinces have been severely affected by flood, especially Nakorn Rachasima which has seen the worst flood in fifty years, authorities have called for all sectors to join hands assisting flood victims. Makeshift shelters have been put up; food and water provided for them. Motorists have been advised to take alternate routes and to avoid the Mitrapap Road, part of which has been submerged under a meter deep of water since yesterday, in light of heavy rain in the past forty-eight hours.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Barcamp Bangkok 4 - Sripatum University Oct 23rd & 24th

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Thai PM Abhisit due in court as party faces ban threat

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Thai 'Red Shirts' stage mass rally

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Flood critical in Nakhon Ratchasima and other Thai provinces

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Nearly 6,000 Taxi meters have been installed with receipt meter system

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Nearly 6,000 Taxi meters have been equipped with receipt-issuing meters system during the first nine months of the year, the department of Land Transport has announced.

According to Mr. Chalermthai Yanpiruk, Deputy Director of Department of Land Transport, since the department’s requirement came into effect nine months ago, requiring that all cabs to be registered on Jan.1 onwards must have a receipt-issuing meter—instead of a regular meter—installed, over 6,000 cabs have been equipped with the meter. The system is convenient and fair for passengers who will be issued a receipt, complete with the cab’s license plate, the date and time of the service, as well as the distance traveled.

The meter must be approved by the Department of Land Transport before being installed. In addition, the receipt issued can be used as proof of ownership by the passenger when claiming for personal belongings forgotten in the cab, added the Deputy.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Chinese Tourists avoid Bangkok, travel to Samui – Phuket instead

BANGKOK (NNT) -- President of Thai – China Travel Association said that the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country in the last quarter is satisfactory. However, domestic political situation has caused them to change their destination to the South. As for the stronger Thai baht, the appreciation doesn’t affect the Chinese tourist market because the Yuan has also gone up against the dollar.

Unstable political situation including rallies and explosions in Bangkok has caused Chinese tourists to avoid Bangkok and Pattaya, but opted to travel to the islands of Samui and Phuket instead. The two provinces have seen the number of visitors go up by more than double compared to that of last year. Chartered flights have also gone up to 60 flights a week, up from 20 per week last year.

The Association has expected over 1 million Chinese tourists throughout the year, and more than 1.3 next year.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Police Arrest Suspect Who Left Black Bag at Privy Council President's Residence

Samsen police have arrested a man, suspected of leaving a black trash bag filled with feces and curses against the Privy Council president, at his residence yesterday. They used CCTV footage to identify the man, who confesses to being a red-shirt supporter and to having done this 5 times already.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-18

[webfact]

PM Abhisit rules out approving Thai online lottery project

Follow this link:

[webfact]

PM urges people to monitor weather forecast

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Sunday urged the people to monitor weather forecast to minimise impact from heavy rains and flash floods.

Speaking during his weekly TV program, Abhisit said several provinces had been hit by floods and torrential rains kept falling so the people should constantly monitor weather forecast.

-- The Nation 2010-10-18

[webfact]

ABAC Poll reveals Thai people are most worried about bombing news

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thai people are most worried about bombing incidents; more than 50 percent believe that comments related to politics posted on the internet are done by silence groups, according to ABAC poll, news

82% of 1,498 people surveyed are most concerned with the continuous bombing news; 64.6% are unhappy with exorbitant fees charged for the use of the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM); 61.2% are worried about natural disasters; 59.3% are uneasy about the relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia; while 53.5% are worried about fake vegetarian food, says the ABAC poll.

As for political comments posted on various websites, 50.3% believe that posters are unbiased groups of people, whereas 33.8% believe the comments are from government supporters, and another 15.9% believe they are from anti-government groups, said Nopadon Kanikar, the head of the Abac poll.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Some exporters stop taking purchasing order due to strong baht

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Department of Export Promotion has reported that some Thai exporters have stopped taking orders for fear of losing money after the baht has shown no sign of weakening.

having met with representatives of shrimp, chicken and pineapple exporters, the Department of Export Promotion Director-General, Nanthawan Sakunthanak, said some of them had already stopped taking any new purchasing order to avoid further loss from the strengthening Thai baht.

They also asked for government’s assistant measures to support market liquidity and reduce costs. The Director-General said she would have a meeting this week with textiles, leather, furniture, and processed food exporters to discuss immediate measures to help soften the impact of the baht.

Most exporters have suggested three ways in which the government could assist them. The three ways included: firstly, granting them loans equivalent to the difference in the amount receivable resulting from exchange rates and allowing them to use the greenback as collateral for the loans; giving them a six-month tax break; providing them with extra-low-interest loans; having the banks peg the rate of exchange at 32 baht per US dollar; secondly, coming up with tax measures aimed at reducing the costs of raw materials, production and labors; lastly, more trading boards for chicken meat exporters.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Thonburi Train Station vendors' complaint

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Vendors at Thonburi Train station have demand that the Ministry of Transport step in to solve their stall rental problems.

Thonburi Train Station vendors’ representatives yesterday submitted a letter of complaint with the Ministry of Transport Vice Minister Prakij Poldej, who is also the president of the Property Management of the State Railway of Thailand, asking him to solve the ongoing problems at Thonburi Train station. According to the complaint, United Global Agency (Thailand) continues to collect rental payment from vendors, despite the fact that the company’s contract with the Railway agency expired exactly a year ago. The complainants also said they were threatened of bodily harm by a group of thugs hired by the company to coax them into paying rent.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Bean mushroom is becoming expensive during Vegetarian Festival

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Although the price of termite mushroom in Kratai district, Kamphaeng Phet province, has jumped to 400 baht per kilogram, it does not deter buyers who flock over the markets from buying them.

The area of Sampran Kratai Sukhothai road Kamphaeng Phet province has, as usual, been crowded with people flocking to buy the hard-to-find mushroom. Although the price of the termite mushroom in the area is twice as much as that of last year—to as much as 400 baht per kilogram—, it can not turn away buyers, some of whom come from as far away as Bangkok, from purchasing this delicacy.

According to one of the vendors, termite mushroom has become so expensive because is hard to find given it only blooms during the Vegetarian Festival. Any customer who has a penchant for good mushroom will have to pay upward of 100 baht for a dish of food containing it, whereas a small bag of pickled mushroom costs 100 baht each.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Long-tail Macaques are overpopulated in Amnat Charoen province

BANGKOK (NNT) -- As a result of food scarcity, over 4,000 long-tailed Macaques, a type of monkeys, have been out on the roads begging for food in Don Puta Forest, Province.

The scarcity of food in Don Puta Forest Park has forced these long tailed monkeys to come down and beg for food from visitors and people who travel along the road in the district of Pana, Amnat Charoen. The shortage of food, according to an expert, is due to overpopulation as these monkeys breed rapidly.

According to the local authorities, the budget allotted for food for the entire population of the long-tailed monkeys is only 10,000 baht a year, which is way insufficient. They are asking other government agencies to help control the monkey population. In their searching for food, these monkeys have started causing troubles for locals and those traveling in the area. Several monkeys have been accidentally run over by cars. Pana Local Administration has also asked other sectors to help conserving this type of monkeys and developing the 250-rai Don Puta forest as their natural habitat.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Overall flooding in Lop Buri and Nakhon Nayok province

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Many other provinces, not only Nakhon Ratchasima, have also suffered from flood caused by heavy rain. Meanwhile, overflows from reservoir have flooded a number of homes.

Consecutive days of heavy rain have caused water in the second largest reservoir in Lopburi to overflow the watergates and flood the areas of three districts: Nikhom, Tasala and Kokko, submerging them under water 50-centemeter deep.

Meanwhile, water from several large reservoirs has flooded more than 600 homes in Chaibadan. More than 100 personnel from the Army Tactical Training Center have brought in Unimog vehicles and flat-bottomed boats to aid the people who have been affected.

As rain continues to fall in Nakhon Nayok Province, flash-floods from the hills have inundated more than 10 villages. Many roads have been cut off; villagers have to move their belongings to higher ground to prevent damage.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Urgent recover of rice submerged under Chao Phraya River

AYUTTHAYA (NNT) -- All of the 30,000 tons of rice accidentally sunken under the Chao Phraya River will be recovered today, October 17, according to officers,

Workers have been working for days bringing up the large lot of lot of rice sunken in a mishap under the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya Province. Over 13,000 sacks of rice have been recovered so far; the rest are expected to be brought up today, according to the head of the Harbor Department.

20,000 sacks of rice, weighing 30,000 tons altogether, have been sunken for nearly two weeks as a result of a boat accident in the Chao Phraya River, the capital city’s lifeline. Workers have been able to bring up over 13,000 sacks through the use of balloon which were tied up to the sacks and inflated, forcing those sacks to float to the surface. Siam Indica co., the boat owner, said the rest of the rice as well as the boat would be brought up today.

The reason why the recovery has taken so long is that heavy rain in the past several days, coupled with the cold water temperature, has hampered the recovery operation. Weather permitting, divers should be able to finish the mission today, said the head of the Harbor Department of Ayutthaya.

-- NNT 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Nakhon Ratchasima still facing severe flood, Maharaj Hospital evacuates patients; Meteorological Dept warns rain persists in upper Thailand /MCOT

[webfact]

All North and NorthEastern bound trains in Thailand are currently suspended, call 1690 for more info /via @Tulip_Oum /via @RichardBarrow:

[webfact]

PM Testifies in Dissolution Case

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has arrived at the Constitution Court to testify in the first dissolution case against the ruling Democrat Party.

Today is the last day of testimony for the defense.

Four witnesses will take the stand, including the prime minister.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Nakhon Ratchasima still faces severe flooding; Maharaj Hospital evacuates patients

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Lop Buri declares all 11 districts disaster zones; governor instructs related agencies to aid flood victims /MCOT

[webfact]

Interior Minister inspects flood-hit area in Nakhon Ratchasima which have claimed 4 lives; Northern railway service suspended as tracks in Pichit inundated /MCOT

[webfact]

Thai stock index opens on Monday at 992.75, down 4.40 points /MCOT

[webfact]

Court Sacks Person Believed to be Responsible for Video Clip

The Constitution Court has announced that it is firing Pasit Sakdanarong from the post of secretary. Pasit is believed to be responsible for video taping a confidential meeting between Constitution Court judges. He is also believed to have released that clip and others involving a legal advisor to the Democrat Party on the internet.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-18

[webfact]

Northern, Northeastern trains resume service; Health Ministry says Maharaj Hospital flood in Nakhon Ratchasima caused Bt40 million damage /MCOT

[webfact]

4 missing, feared drowned in Nakhon Ratchasima floods

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Democrat MP Denies Lobbying Court in Party Dissolution Case

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Jet fighter crashes in Tak, killing pilot

An F-16 jet fighter crashed on Monday in Tak province, killing a pilot.

Tak governor Samart Loifa said in an interview that local villagers urged authorities after they heard sounds of crashing in Baan Tak district.

The jet was reported to be missing since 10am.

Officials and rescue workers tracked the aircraft on foot and found it crashed in the district.

The governor said he was reported that the pilot was killed at the scene. He has no reports yet about passengers of the jet.

-- The Nation 2010-10-18