Thailand Live Thursday 28 Oct 2010

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Thailand Live Thursday 28 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 Wednesday 27 October 2010

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PM: Thai economy facing 4 challenges

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said politics was one of the main issues that created great impact on the Thai economy

During his speech on economic challenges and how the government can cope with them, the Prime Minister cited four major challenges the Thai economy was facing, including the global economy, capital inflow and the appreciating Thai baht, natural disaster, and domestic political problems.

He explained further that the economy had been greatly affected by the ongoing political problems. The premier also reiterated that a general election would be held next year because his government would not stay for the whole term.

Mr Abhisit said that there were groups of people who wanted to create social disturbance, and that he wanted the election carried out fairly, not creating anymore conflict.

-- NNT 2010-10-28

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Thai couple sentenced to 1,562 years in prison

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Hua Hin golf course found blocking public waterways

By The Nation

An initial investigation by Department of Special Investigation (DSI) found that a luxurious golf course in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district blocked public waterways, a senior official said yesterday.

Hua Hin residents had filed a complaint about the golf club's alleged land encroachment with the Royal Household Bureau and the DSI took the case up last September.

DSI Bureau of Consumer Protection and Environment Crime director Suriya Singhakamon said yesterday that DSI investigators had interviewed 30 witnesses, inspected the land along with forestry officials and related documents and initially found that it blocked public waterways.

-- The Nation 2010-10-28

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Measures being drawn up to ease suffering

By Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

Economic ministries are considering to draw up relief package to alleviate manufacturers whose businesses were damaged by flood in the form of both tax privilege and development fund.

The Commerce Ministry will set up an emergency unit and seek Cabinet approval on Tuesday to allocate money from its logistic development fund for remedy enterprises that were hit by the floodwaters.

The unit will be a centre for reliving problems for affected businesses nationwide.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said yesterday that 184,000 enterprises with a combine investment worth Bt2.3 trillion and 500,000 micro venders and labours have been affected by the flooding. They needed urgent assistance.

The emergency centre will be set up at the provincial business development office for receiving complaints from enterprises and giving consultation for them.

From the total of Bt3 billion loans, the ministry will ask for allocation of Bt1.65 billion to help those enterprises to restart their businesses and create jobs for them as fast as possible. The money will be directly transferred to the SME Bank. Businesses affected by the floodwaters can ask for soft loans to reestablish business. They will be charged interest equal to the minimum lending rate minus 3 per cent.

Under the fund, enterprises could ask for loan from the SME Bank until the middle of next year.

The Business Development Department will also relax its regulations to help |businesses in the flooding areas that are unable to submit their accounts on schedule.

Other measures that the ministry will propose to the cabinet for relieving for flood victims included to ask for the government's consideration to bring down the costs of utilities for enterprises in the affected areas in order to relieve financial burden for them.

Moreover, the government will ask for enterprises' collaboration to pay salary and payment to employee as normal, and call for commercial banks cooperation to extend period for businesses to pay debt for a while.

Industry Minister Chaivuth Bannavat said yesterday that the ministry is being summarised loss of manufacturings.

The ministry's concerned agencies are laying down relief measures. The Board of Investment Office (BoI) would propose tax privilege waiving to manufacturers who plan for machinery replacement. However, such tax privilege will grant only to manufacturer whose manufacturing plant have been damaged by flood and could not further operation.

However, the proposal will be submitted to BoI's subcommittee on November 2. In addition, the annual surcharge waiving for manufacturers will be considered next year.

"The government is trying to implement all urgent assistance measure particularly drawn to help workforce, who is hardest hit sector now," said Chaivuth, adding that flooding has hampered labours to go working in their manufacturing plants which it directly affects the production.

Labour Minister Chalermchai Srion estimated that up to 100,000 people would need to find new jobs in the wake of ongoing flooding.

"I have already instructed local labour offices to register people who are looking for jobs," he said.

Chalermchai revealed that he had already had some discussions with entrepreneurs so as to match available jobs with applicants.

Social Security Office (SSO) secretary general Pan Wannapinij, so far, believed not many workers would lose their jobs because of flooding.

"Employers are unlikely to lay off workers because they have continued to receive purchase orders. Flooding has just forced them to delay the delivery of goods," he said.

To date, SSO has already cushioned the floodrelated impacts on employers by allowing them to defer monthly contributions to the Social Security Fund (SSF) until January 28 next year.

SSF members can also apply for a maximum loan of Bt50,000 each for repair work on their flooddamaged homes.

"The interest rate will be fixed at 2.5 per cent annually for two years," Pan explained.

Culture Ministry's deputy permanent secretary Prarop Laowanich said floods had recently damaged 1,050 temples, 27 mosques, five churches, two museums, and 40 historical sites.

"Our officials will survey damages to historical sites and historical items in their areas as soon as floodwater subsides," he said.

Prarop was most concerned about the Phimai Historical Park in Nakhon Ratchasima and historical sites in Ayutthaya.

"We will seek additional budget to conduct renovation and repair works," he said.

Religious Affairs Department director general Sod Daengiad disclosed that his agency had allocated Bt3.5million budget to provide necessary goods to monks in floodhit areas.

"Relief items are also sent to the religious sites of other faiths," he added.

Science Minister Virachai Virameteekul disclosed that the Cabinet had just approved Bt26million budget for the GeoInformatics and Space Technology Development Agency in using satellite information to survey flood damages.

"The government expects to get an accurate flood map, showing floodhit areas in each province," he said, "The information will speed up the delivery of assistance to flood victims and pave way for the efficient relief operations. There will then be no redundancy".

Virachai believed the first set of satellite images would come out within one week.

Apirak Kosayodhin, an advisor to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, said in his capacity as the head of the Coordination Centre for Flood Relief Operations said his centre was planning measures to help flood victims resume their normal life.

"For areas where floodwater has already subsided, we are going to help people repair their homes, roads, temples, hospitals, schools and mosques," Apirak said, "We are going to rehabilitate their mental health too".

He added that financial assistance would also be quickly handed out via banks. The family of each killed flood victim is entitled to Bt50,000 compensation from the Fund for Disaster Victim.

"This is in addition to compensation to be paid by the Disaster Mitigation and Prevention Department. For a breadwinner, the department offers Bt50,000. For other members of the family, the department gives Bt25,000," he said.

Apirak also added that relevant agencies were closely watching the flow of runoff water so as to best protect people from floods.

-- The Nation 2010-10-28

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Police officer faces disciplinary probe

By The Nation

Pol Maj-General Wibul Prongdong, deputy commander of the Office of Police Commission, yesterday submitted to the Disciplinary Standards Division a 50-minute recording of Pol Maj-General Wisut Wanichbutr's press conference in which he alleged that there was political interference in police transfers and assignments.

Police spokesmen Maj-General Prawut Thavornsiri said the police transfers were done according to the law, and those unhappy about them should file a legal complaint rather than announce it to the media. Affirming that this wasn't in response to any politician, but a normal step to probe a policeman's alleged disciplinary violation, he said the recording was being scrutinised to see if any disciplinary action should be taken and results should come out soon. Prawut also said the probe into late Pol General Sompien Eksomya's complaint over his transfer delay should be concluded today and who was behind it should be clear within this weekend.

-- The Nation 2010-10-28

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FLOODINGS

Death toll 59, floods distress many

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FLOODS

Now south faces risk of inundation

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Thailand Anti-Corruption Expo 2010

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CONTROVERSIAL COURT CLIPS

Judges threaten defamation lawsuit

Chaowan

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REDS LEADERS

Nine red-shirt leaders lose their passports

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THAI TALK

Bhum Jai Thai: Politics is about kissing today, fisticuffs tomorrow

By Suthichai Yoon

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PM Leaves for ASEAN Leaders Summit in Hanoi

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva leaves for the ASEAN Leaders Summit 2010 in Hanoi. He's declined to speak to the media before he boarded the plane. The premier is scheduled to return to Thailand on Oct 30.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-28

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Bangkok Maskmaker Keeps Disappearing Thai Tradition Alive

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Over 15,000 People Trafficked in Mekong region

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POLITICS

PM promises general election next year

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676 schools in 25 provinces damaged by flood: Chao Phraya's peak high tide at 11.40am /visa @MCOTEnglishnews

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Temperatures Drop in Northern Thailand

The Weather Department is warning of cooler temperatures in the northern provinces of Thailand. Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province will see temperatures drop to 10 degrees Celsius today. Experts say this coming winter will be the coldest Thailand has experienced in decades.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-28

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Indonesia tsunami death toll surpasses 300 as rescuers arrive at remote islands

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 985.92, up 1.96 points /MCOT

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Thai floods claim nine more lives, raising death toll to 68 from Oct 10-28: 54 men, 14 women /MCOT

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ENERGY

Nuclear power still in the picture

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Culture update: The slow death of the Phuket dialect

Chote Jumpada, 93, is doing his best to pass the local

dialect down to his great grand-children.

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Thailand travel info: State Railway of Thailand: All northbound train routes resume full service after water level continues to recede

Source: mcot

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FIRES

IPI plant suspended on fire

By The Nation

Indorama Polyesters Industries Plc (IPI)'s plant in Rayong was suspended from operations this morning, pending investigation by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand following a brief fire last night.

The fire at IPI, owned 98.7 per cent by Indorama Ventures Plc, burned one of six boilers. It lasted for 30 minutes before it was put out.

DBS Vickers Securities (Thailand) said in its report note that it was informed by the company that the normal operations could be resumed as soon as it receives the permission from the IEAT, and that the plant is fully insured.

IPI has total capacity of 252,000 tonnes - 108,000 tonnes for PET and 144,000 tonnes for polyester fibre.

-- The Nation 2010-10-28

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NASA Gives 50 Twitter Followers Opportunity to Go Inside Space Shuttle http://bit.ly/9ctskM /RT @tukky_nt /RT @suthichai /RT @TweetSmarter

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Army Apprehends Illegal Burmese Laborers

The Thepsatree Army Task Force has apprehended a number of illegal Burmese laborers and stopped them from crossing into Thailand.

Thirty-three Burmese workers with their personal belongings have been apprehended by the Thepsatree Army Task Force near Muang district in Ranong province while they were attempting to enter Thailand on a long-tail boat.

A total of 33 male, female and child workers were found lying inside the boat with no documents on them.

Ranong immigration authorities were immediately informed of the workers.

After having been interrogated by the authorities, the 29 year old Burmese boat operator confessed that he was hired for 10,000 baht by another Burmese to drop the workers at a jungle area in Kapoe district in Ranong province.

The workers would then be smuggled to Bangkok and Samut Sakhon provinces.

Each of the workers had to pay a 10,000 baht fee.

The workers has been transferred to the police, who will conduct further investigations into the smuggling ring.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-28

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Justice Ministry Funds Defence of Jailed Insurgents

Two men, jailed for nearly two years for insurgent violence charges, have just received a chance to fight in court.

Their release was made possible with help from the Justice Ministry’s special fund program.

Abdullah Wamae and Sahara Wamae have been released on bail, after they were both apprehended and accused of being involved in insurgent violent acts in Thailand’s Deep South since 2008.

The bail was sponsored by the Justice Fund from the Ministry of Justice.

The Fund was set up earlier this year, with an aim to help the accused, who lack financial resources to fight their cases.

Acting Justice Narathiwat Office Chief Banyat Wongsawant, who helped arrange the bail, said that the Fund decided to help the two men, after their families sent an official request to the Justice Office.

Each man needed 800,000 baht to be granted bail.

Banyat said both men will now have to prepare themselves to fight their cases in court.

He added that there remains around 180 pending requests that the Justice Narathiwat Office is to examine before a decision is made.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-28

[george]

More rain!

Heavy rain on the way, with flash flood warnings for south Thailand

Weather forecasts for all provinces in Thailand:

http://weather.thaivisa.com

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Flood Continues Throughtout Nation

Residents are still in need of relief items and more water pumps as floodwaters continue to tighten its grip in many parts of the country.

Sappasitprasong hospital in the northeastern province of Ubonratchathani strengthened sand bags and installed more water pumps to cope with possible floodwater in the area.

The hospital director said anti flood measures have been carried out in advance to alleviate flood as a result of the experience of a hospital in Nakon Ratchasrima province a few weeks ago.

In central province of Saraburi, water level has receded but the effect is still severe as residents still live on roads and need relief packages.

Most of them are plagued with flood related infections and disease.

Local authorities have vowed to provide floating toilets to help reduce the problem.

In the eastern province of Prachinburi, residents along Bangpakong river have evacuated to higher ground as water has flowed from a wood nearby and the sea level has been on the rise.

Water levels in some areas are reported at one meter but there have been no aid from local administrative organizations.

In the central province of Nakonpathom, Nakonchaisri river has inundated houses along its bank in two districts.

In response to this, local authorities have requested water pumps and kept a close watch on the area around the clock.

These areas are also said to have a chance to be hit by floodwater from the North and rising sea level on the Gulf of Thailand.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-28