Thailand Live Tuesday 16 Nov 2010

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Thailand Live Tuesday 16 November 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 Monday 15 Nov 2010

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PTT: retail oil business’s marketing margin will rise by 30 satang/liter

BANGKOK (NNT) – Thai petroleum giant PTT Plc has disclosed that next year’s retail oil business marketing margin is expected to rise by 30 satang per liter, citing most oil retailers must improve their stations.

Sarun Rungsiri, of the PTT, yesterday disclosed that dealers and retailers of major oil companies are going to raise their marketing margin to 1.80 baht per liter, starting next year, up from the average of 1.50 baht this year.

According to him, the raise is due to the fact that most gas station owners are in the process of improving their services thanks to competition. Petrol stations throughout the entire country are now gearing towards becoming one-stop service stations, with each featuring a nice café, bookstore, restaurant and mini shopping center. A one-stop service station is expected to attract more customers and, at the same time, to cater to their increased demand.

PTT further noted that most of the improvement would emphasize on the renovation of the existing stations rather than building new ones, given the number of stations in the country is well over 10,000, which is more than ample, Sarun added.

-- NNT 2010-11-16

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PM Adamant on Ministers' Resignation

The prime minister insists he personally believes the deputy interior minister and deputy transport minister should resign as Cabinet members before they run in the upcoming by elections.

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva said both Chat Thai Pattana and Bhum Jai Thai parties have already informed him of their decision to field Deputy Transport Minister Kuakul Danchaiwijit and Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat in the pending by elections.

By elections will be held in Ayutthaya and Nakhon Ratchasima to find a replacement for Boonjong and Kuakul, who were disqualified as MPs by the Constitution Court.

They were found guilty of holding shares in companies with state concessions.

The two government coalition partners, however, did not require the two candidates to give up their Cabinet seats to contest the polls.

The premier, however, reiterated his belief that the two ministers should resign from the Cabinet to create a political precedent for good political ethics.

He did not agree with the ministers taking a leave of absence while campaigning for the by-elections, saying it could confuse the public.

Abhisit also said he did not believe the coalition partners' snubbing his call for the two ministers to resign was a challenge to his leadership.

He stressed he never had any intention to interfere in neither of the parties' internal affairs.

Secretary general of the ruling Democrat Party, Suthep Thaugsuban, recently reinstated as deputy premier, said the decision of the two parties was not beyond his expectation.

He believed the move would pose no threat to the stability of the government coalition.

Chat Thai Pattana's chief adviser Banharn Silpa archa declined to comment on the party's resolution to field Kuakul Danchaiwijit in the by election in Ayutthaya's Constituency 1 without having him resign from the Cabinet.

Agreeing with Suthep, Banharn believed the decision will have no adverse effect on the government's stability.

Party leader Chumpol Silpa-archa, also Banharn's brother, said the party has no restriction against sending a member who holds a ministerial post in an election and insisted Kuakul's further stay in the Cabinet is not in breach of law or political ethics while the majority of the party's MPs oppose his departure.

Bhum Jai Thai spokesperson Supachai Jaisamut said the Constitution does not ban political post holders from running in a by election.

He commented that the resignation of Suthep as deputy premier before contesting Surat Thani's by election could not serve as precedent for Boonjong.

Supachai said Boonjong will make the decision on his own whether to step down from the post of deputy interior minister.

-- Tan Network 2010-11-16

[george]

Thailand's internet mess:

CAT, TOT told to hold off on broadband network investments:

Full story:

[george]

Bangkok Christmas trees on sale for 9,500 Baht (only)

Real xmas trees on sale at Villa Market for 9500 baht. Yup, 9500 baht. Santa will be wearing Prada /via @veen_NT: RT @justindunne

If the trees are from France, Santa will be wearing Hermes, not Prada. /via Belinda Darke

[george]

Facebook unveils new messaging system:

Full story:

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Agency needed to deal with ‘sinking Bangkok’

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Bomb kills man, injures student

By The Nation

A man died and a student was injured yesterday when rival vocational students threw a home-made bomb into a minibus in the eastern outskirts of Bangkok.

Phichet Chaiya, a Nissan outlet mechanic, suffered injuries to his stomach when the bomb was lobbed into Bus No 27, in which there were only eight passengers, including six students from Min Buri Technical School.

Witnesses told police a student from an unknown school standing on the median strip on Seri Thai Road threw the bomb through the window as the bus travelled past Soi 87 in Min Buri. They said there was another student, possibly acting as a spotter, near the sidewalk.

Both suspects, who wore part vocational workshop uniforms, fled on a black Yamaha Fino without a licence plate.

A 15-year-old student, bleeding from both ears was hospitalised, while Phichet succumbed to his wounds on the way to a hospital. His girlfriend, Natthaphon Chomdee, said they were planning to marry.

Security camera footage showed an image of the bus with the blast coming from inside, at precisely 4.57pm, but no sign of either suspect.

There are many vocational schools in Min Buri and frequent brawls and attacks against each other.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

RELATED TOPIC

Bomb Thrown At Bangkok Mini Bus Kills At Least One, Injures Many

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EDITORIAL

Thais should think before choosing trendy junk food

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Old warhorse Chavalit leaves his Pheu Thai party trapped in credibility crisis

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South faces more flooding, mudslides

By The Nation

Eight provinces in the South face further threats of flash floods and mudslides all this week when monsoons travelling from the Gulf of Thailand will continue bringing heavy rain in the region, a weather forecast said Monday.

Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Phatthalung, and the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani face the greatest risk until tomorrow, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said in a statement.

Flood-related deaths have hit 224, with the number of those affected rising to 1.49 million people in 100 districts in 17 provinces.

In Surat Thani, 200 households living in Vibhavadi district's tambon Takuk Nua are refusing to relocate because they are worried about losing their belongings, though some 130 residents have agreed to move into their relatives' homes elsewhere.

In tambon Pak Mark, 427 people have taken shelter in a school because they cannot access their homes. In Phunphin district, 15 villages located along Tapee River are still under water, with most of the residents relying on relief supplies provided by authorities.

In neighbouring Chumphon province, heavy rains have caused flash floods in three villages in Sawi district, forcing villagers to relocate on Sunday. The waters had subsided in certain areas as of Monday.

In Songkhla's Hat Yai district, the waterworks office has stopped looking for the missing 11 tanks of chlorine, because they are now believed to be empty, posing a minimum risk of contamination.

The office said workers have been mobilised to provide tap water and do repairs at homes where the water supply has either stopped or is heavily contaminated. About 58 empty chlorine tanks were washed away in the flash flood last week, causing panic due to unconfirmed reports that they might be full of chlorine.

"The tanks will be safe if they are not broken open or if the pressure valves are not adjusted," office manager Theeraphol Khongpanya said.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

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UNDP shows gender equality still lags in Thailand

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Thailand still scores lacklustre points when it comes to gender equality, according to the latest UNDP Human Development report.

The report, released early this month, said this was partly because of the low number of women in Parliament, just 12 at present, and the low number of women who finish secondary education only one in four (26 per cent).

“National parliamentary representation, which reflects women’s visibility in political leadership and in society more generally, has been increasing over time though the global average is still only 16 per cent,” the report stated. It noted that in 2008, Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies became the first parliament in the world to have a female majority.

Six East Asian countries, Thailand included, fall in the lower half of the global scale on gender equality, the United Nations Development Programme report stated. The top-ranked nation was the Netherlands.

“The Netherlands tops the list as the closest to gender equality, followed by Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland,” the report stated. “The Netherlands has very low maternal mortality, has among the world’s lowest adolescent fertility rate, and is close to parity in educational attainment.”

Qatar scored lowest, while such countries as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen are farthest from parity in their Human Development Index groups.

The report said there were immeasurable factors such as how many women around the world have the additional burden of care-giving and housekeeping, “which cut into their leisure time and increase stress and exhaustion”.

Data about economic assets owned by women, either solely or co-owned, were also not widely available.

Another issue not included in the report because of data constraints was violence against women.

“Violence against women is sadly very prevalent, but not documented in an internationally comparable way,” it said.

But the World Health Organisation estimated that the ratio of women who had experienced physical sexual violence was as high as 71 per cent in some countries.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

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Injunction allows transvestites to enter Chiang Mai Loy Krathong parade

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Authorities urged to take better care of refugees

By The Nation

A number of Burmese NGOs and human rights advocacy groups yesterday called for protection and better welfare for Burmese people fleeing from fighting into Thailand.

Speaking yesterday at the National Human Rights Commission, the groups told the NHRC and members of foreign and Thai media of the refugees' plight. The groups said the fighting continued in many border areas, in spite of a statement by the Thai military that all conflict was over.

The Forum of Burma’s community based organisations (FCOB) predicted the fighting would continue and would result in more Burmese fleeing into Thailand.

NHRC commissioner Nirand Phithakwatchara said repatriation and measures should be integrated to ensure better protection and welfare of the refugees. The military was currently handling all situations alone, and a meeting of Thai civilians and the military would be conducted soon to help solve the problems, he said.

In Tak, 300 more Burmese fled into Phob Phra district on Sunday evening after gunfire between the Burmese military and a minority group. Refugee numbers had risen to 600 following reports heavy fighting would soon break out.

Local authorities said Phob Phra district was expecting to house more refugees, but the situation at border areas across from Mae Sot district had returned to normal after Burmese troops had recaptured those areas.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

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FLOOD

Bill for damaged hospitals and clinics is Bt222m

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Some 449 state hospitals and healthcare units across the country were seriously affected by severe floods over the past month, suffering damage that totalled about Bt222 million, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday.

Most of the damaged facilities were primary care units (393), but the figure also includes four central and general hospitals, 33 community hospitals, plus 19 local health offices.

The damage estimate of Bt222 million included the cost of medical devices and buildings. Jurin said he would ask Cabinet to approve funds to repair damaged buildings and for new equipment.

Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, Hat Yai Hospital, and Chaiyaphum Hospital were the ones most affected by flooding.

Jurin added, however, that over 587,000 people hit by the floods received medication from medical mobile units during the past several weeks. Meanwhile, the flood-related death toll rose to 201 yesterday.

Most flood victims suffered from athlete’s foot, followed by respiratory diseases, fatigue, skin diseases, and stress.

The Public Health Ministry had kept an eye on 241 people who could develop mental health problems due to the flood crisis, Jurin said.

“The ministry has instructed health officials to provide care to those people who lost family members due to the flooding,” he said.

The ministry had provided nearly 1.4 million lots of medicine to prevent and cure water-borne diseases. So far, there were no reports about these types of diseases.

The Department of Disease Control reported only one case of a man with leptospirosis, and he had recovered from the illness.

Currently, some 18 provinces are affected by flooding. Of these, seven provinces are in the Northeast, six in the Central region, and five in the South.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

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BURNING ISSUE

Dark clouds hanging over Thai politics

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Democrats battle over charter

By Somroutai sapsomboon

The Nation

Charter reform has run into an expected setback after the Democrat Party was bitterly divided yesterday over proposed changes to the 2007 Constitution.

The Cabinet had agreed to consider key changes including a new electoral zoning system, but discussions of details led to a heated debate within the ruling party yesterday, with top party adviser Banyat Bantadtan a leading critic against any amendment.

The proposals seek to switch back to a one-MP-one-Constitue-ncy parliamentary system, which would benefit smaller parties that have smaller funds and less national appeal. According to sources, Banyat voiced concern that changes to the electoral system could lead to street protests. He also warned that an imprudent push for constitutional amendments would complicate a situation where a draft charter proposed by red leader weng Tochirakarn is already languishing in Parliament.

The sources said the debate became even more tense when Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva indirectly criticised party MPs who took part in a parliamentary committee on reconciliation for failing to block the proposed new electoral zoning system. Abhisit’s criticism triggered a strong response from Democrat Niphon Wisityutthasat, who said the real problem was not party MPs failing to do their duty but the fact that the ruling party differed from others when it came to charter amendments.

“So next time please don’t nominate me any more,” Niphon was quoted as saying, reportedly causing tension to rise dramatically.

Deputy Democrat spokesman Warong Detkitvikrom said after the meeting that the Democrats were divided into two camps one concerned that charter reform would increase political trouble, while the other side insisted that “technical” changes that had nothing to do with ideology should not cause any major trouble.

The party will hold another meeting on Monday before a final draft is submitted to Parliament.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

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Shake-up looming in Thai retail sector

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Death toll reaches 42 in Shanghai high-rise fire

Beijing - A fire Monday killed at least 42 people and injured 90 at a 30-storey apartment building in China's largest commercial city, state media said.

Initial reports had suggested only eight died in the blaze.

The fire broke out mid-afternoon on scaffolding outside the building in Shanghai's Jing'an district and spread quickly to the interior.

Photographs carried by state media showed most of the building on fire or covered in soot and smoke.

Hospitals were treating at least 52 people while 25 firefighting teams, using 61 fire engines, rescued more than 100 people, reports said.

Police deployed three helicopters to rescue some residents from the roof of the building but were hampered by thick smoke, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Many other residents reportedly escaped via emergency stairs.

The fire had been extinguished by early evening, other state media said.

Most of the 156 households registered in the building were teachers and their families, including many retired teachers.

Scaffolding and plastic sheeting covered much of the outside of the building and two identical buildings next to it.

Some reports said workers had been treating the outside of the building with insulating material designed to improve heat retention.

One witness told media he saw "construction materials" catch fire before flames spread to the scaffold.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

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53 killed in Shanghai as fire engulfs high-rise http://bit.ly/alifIr

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Weather Dept warns South to experience more heavy rain from Chumporn downwards; temps to drop 1-2 degrees in North /TAN_Network

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South Warned of More Heavy Rain

The Meteorological Department has warned all southern provinces from Chumporn onwards of more heavy rain and strong winds.

The North will experience cooler temperatures with temps dropping a further 1-2 degrees.

-- Tan Network 2010-11-16

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Bomb squad inspects scene of M-79 grenade attack in Sungai Kolok district checkpoint in Narathiwat late Monday night; no one hurt /MCOT

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,024.81, down 4.33 points /MCOT

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No Democrat rift on charter amendments: Suthep

By The Nation

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Tuesday dismissed speculation about the Democrat Party rift related to the proposed charter amendments.

“What happened was an airing of various views in the party executive meeting, which no conclusion was drawn and the debate will continue next week,” he said.

Suthep was speaking in reference to the Monday’s party meeting during which Democrat adviser Banyat Bantadtan urged for the amemdments to be put on hold, arguing the timing was not right.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva countered, however, that the process to amend the charter should be activated within the current House session in order to foil any attempt to deny him an option to dissolve the House and call a snap election.

If political impasse happens, this might trigger a coup, he said.

Suthep said what Abhisit and Banyat said at the meeting was an exchange of opinions on the timing which should not be construed as a party split.

He said the Democrats will rally behind the coalition government to amend the charter even though the rewriting process might take time.

The push to activate the charter rewrite by this month was on track, he said, insisting there was no change of plan.

-- The Nation 2010-11-16

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Foreign investors dump Thai shares on concern over capital inflow control

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Indian drug smugglers arrested with 8.5kg of 'ice' worth Bt32 mln (US$1million) at Bangkok's Pratunam; Police say group used Thailand as base before sending to Malaysia /MCOT

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Police coordinate with Corrections Department to extradite alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to US, pending PM's approval /MCOT

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Mekong River dries faster than ever before

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