Thailand Live Thursday 25 Nov 2010

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Thailand Live Thursday 25 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 Wednesday 24 Nov 2010

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Korn does not believe Korean conflict will affect Thai stock market

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij does not believe that the conflict in the Korean Peninsula will have any affect on the Thai stock market.

With stock markets all over Asia plunging down moments after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells at a South Korean island, Mr Korn said the situation was one of the political risk factors for those investing in South Korea, most of whom were well aware of that. However, most investors have shifted their focus to the recent global financial crisis, becoming oblivious to political factors.

He, nonetheless, believed the tension between the two Koreas would not cause heavy capital outflows from Thailand, as the second round of Quantitative Easing (QE) policy of the US did not have much effect on the Thai baht; nor did it cause heavy capital inflow, thanks to the baht slight depreciation in the past several days.

South Korea said it was conducting regular military drills off the west coast when North Korea started firing dozens of shells, but that its firing exercises did not aim at the North.

-- NNT 2010-11-25

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Campaign Launched to Attract Chinese Tourists

Political turmoil Thailand experienced earlier this year has seriously hurt tourist confidence in the country and resulted in a slide in the arrival number.

Now the Transport Ministry is taking a lead to find ways to revive the industry, with the Chinese market marked as its prime target.

The Transport Ministry today played host to a special seminar titled “Under the Same Sky, Thai Chinese Relations” in hope of attracting more Chinese to travel to Thailand.

Transport Ministry Permanent Secretary Supoj Suplom expressed his belief the promotional campain will be successfully in doubling the number of Chinese tourists to two million per year in the near future.

Supoj added that the Transport Ministry is now working with the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism and Sports Ministry on the convenience of travelers from both countries.

Top on the agenda is the cancellation of visa requirement for Chinese visitors to Thailand and Thai visitors to China.

The move is expected to significantly boost the arrival number of Chinese to Thailand to be no less than 15 million each year.

The permanent secretary went on to say that officials are now looking into continued losses at Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel, which may require more state assistance to fix.

The hotel was set up under the collaboration of the Airports of Thailand, which is the major shareholder, Thai Airways International and state run Krung Thai Bank.

During the past four years of operation, the hotel continues to report losses which have accumulated to more than 681 million baht to date.

-- Tan Network 2010-11-25

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Rice exports in 2011 to focus on quality: Commerce Ministry

BANGKOK: -- Commerce Ministry's 2011 rice strategies will focus on the quality standard of Thai rice instead of price competition, believing that Thailand's volume of rice exports will reach 8.5-9.5 million tonnes next year.

The rice strategies cover the period of 2011-2015, minister Pornthiva Nakasai said Wednesday at a seminar on "Where will Thai rice be heading in 2011?".

She said Thailand will maintain its export level of rice, for its rice is still needed in the world market and has been accepted among its trading partners. She added that Vietnam will buy up rice and push itself to be one of the world's large rice exporters is not worrisome.

According to the minister, Cambodia wants Thailand to set prices for rice. She said if the quality and standard of Thai rice is well maintained, its prices will rise accordingly.

Also, the ministry has adjusted its strategies to penetrate other rice markets, for countries in need of Thai rice such as the United States and countries in the European Union (EU) are facing internal economic problems.

Meanwhile, president of Thai Rice Exporters Association Korbsook Iamsuri said the volume of Thai rice exports from January-October this year reached 7-7.2 million tonnes.

For 2011, the export volume is expected to be about the same volume as of this year, she said. Factors such as currency exchange rates, natural disasters, and how much other countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and India will be exporting their rice is to be monitored, for their exports can affect the amount of Thai rice export. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-11-25

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Senators express doubt about charter

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Pheu Thai threat to walk out of House

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EDITORIAL

Why can’t we Thais understand, rain brings flooding?

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THAI TALK

All players in Thai politics have their own contingency plans

By Suthichai Yoon

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Bangkok Police to launch traffic ticket machines

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No second round of admissions: Chinnaworn

By The Nation

Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat is pushing for a plan to ban the second round of admissions among state schools.

"The second round gives some schools the opportunity to accept bribes," he said.

The second round has been in place for years, because students need to apply to new schools if their preferred school rejects their application in the first round.

In a move to help such children, Chinnaworn suggested that popular schools make agreements with other facilities to accept applicants they cannot recruit.

The minister has also called on schools to keep their students-per-classroom count at no more than 40.

"The number can rise to 45 at the most," he said. "If schools want more than 45 students per class, then they will need to seek approval from the Office of Basic Education Commission [Obec]."

Chinnaworn is planning to discuss this issue with Obec, because he is concerned this increase in numbers might be designed as a means to accept students whose parents offer bribes or tea money. Also, he said, having so many students in one classroom would only hurt the quality of the lessons.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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New HIV cases in Thailand down to under 11,000 this year

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Chuan to present closing statement

By The Nation

Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai, who is leading the legal team, will present the closing statement for the party dissolution case to the Constitution Court on Monday, a Democrat Party source, who asked not to be named, said.

The source added that Chuan getting advice from Banyat Bantadtan. It is highly possible that the seven Constitution Court judges would issue a verdict on the same day once the Election Commission and Democrats have presented their statements, the source said.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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Court: students have right to sit medical exam

By The Nation

The Consortium of Thai Medical Schools has agreed to announce the admission exam results for two students who had been allowed to take the test after intervention by the Administrative Court, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Benjamano said yesterday.

The students were among a group barred from taking part in the test because some details were missing from their application forms.

If the court later rules they had the right to take the test, the consortium would proceed with the admission, Visa said. Her comments followed a meeting on Tuesday between the consortium's sub-panel and the NHRC sub-panel - which sued on behalf of the two students.

Another four students, who didn't appeal to the court but later requested to take the test, would be allowed to do so but their results wouldn't be announced or considered and they wouldn't be allowed to take the aptitude test next January, Visa said.

The consortium affirmed it wouldn't let other students, also barred from the test, from taking it. The consortium also promised to change the exam application criteria to be clearer in the academic year 2012, she added.

Meanwhile, Building Thailand Club chairman Amnuay Sunthornchote vowed to file lawsuits with the Administrative Court on behalf of 179 students who weren't allowed to take the test, as their exam applications were deemed incomplete.

As for the four whose test results wouldn't be announced, he said he would file a criminal lawsuit against the consortium for an authority abuse leading to reputation damages.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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Khon Kaen to probe birth certification of abortion survivors

By The Nation

An enquiry is underway into the issuing of birth certificates by Khon Kaen authorities to three children who survived illegal abortions, following an allegation corrupt officials took Bt20,000 for each certificate.

A one-month investigation would decide whether four officials accused of taking the bribes from Sombat Sinothok, the mother of now-detained abortionist Lanchakorn Janthamanas, would face disciplinary action and criminal prosecution.

Lanchakorn said seven children survived her abortion operations, three of whom are under her care and the four others under her mother's.

Neither woman has commented about the birth certificate issue which emerged over the weekend when Khon Kaen authorities stated publicly Sombat had admitted to paying Bt20,000 for each of the three children under her care.

People who submitted false documents to apply for birth certificates would also face criminal action and the birth certificates would need to be revoked, said the authorities. Proof of the children's birth and relations with their mothers would need to be restarted.

Wat Phyra Krai police in Bangkok are looking for a man implicated as a courier who delivered dead foetuses to the two undertakers for cremation at a Bangkok temple. A police sketch of this man, described as having crew-cut hair and standing at 170 cm, will be soon be available.

Wat Phai Ngern is preparing to host a grand merit-making event on Saturday, when Buddhist and other religious ceremonies will be held to mourn and offer merit to the 2,002 foetuses.

The temple said it had not raised any funds for the ceremony at any other location and called on people to donate money or any supplies to the temple themselves.

A companion ceremony, hosted by the government and participated in by Buddhist monks from Chinese and Vietnamese sectarian disciplines, will be held on Sunday to supplement the official event on Saturday.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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O-Net question sheets mostly unusable

By The Nation

Director of the National Institute of Education Testing Service (NIETS) revealed yesterday that less than half of the questions for the next academic year's O-Net (Ordinary National Educational Test) could be used. A team of teachers from the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) had come up with these questions.

Despite the fact that writing up the examination cost Bt2.15 million, NIETS director Uthumporn Jamornman said only 201 out of 705 questions for Pathom 6 students, 284 out of 772 questions for Mathayom 3 and 233 out of 1,257 questions for Mathayom 6 could be approved. This is partially because the teachers given the job of creating the questions were not screened to see if they were experts on the subjects and knew how to produce exams, she said.

Therefore, she added, NIETS would have Obec closely screen teachers writing up the exam questions in the future.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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Police to seek warrants for more suspects

By The Nation

With a former soldier from the 7th Cavalry Regiment reportedly confessing to have carried out four grenade attacks in Chiang Mai during the red-shirt protests in April and May, police may seek arrest warrants for more suspects.

Chiang Mai police made Wallop Phitheephrom, 27, re-enact the launching of grenades at his house and at the scene of crimes yesterday.

Wallop confessed that his group had launched bombs at the 5th Special Warfare Regiment in Mae Rim district, the Makro hypermart's Hang Dong branch, the furniture factory behind the store and politician Newin Chidchob's father-in-law's Chiang Mai Construction offices, Chiang Mai police commander Maj-General Somsak Janthaping said.

Wallop said his group was not behind other blasts such as those at Provincial Police Region 5 Office.

Somsak said there were several grenade-launching groups in Chiang Mai, sponsored by the same group of politicians, and that the police would try to locate accomplices and seek more arrest warrants.

Meanwhile, Deputy Premier Suthep Thaugsuban praised the police for doing a good job in arresting suspects who launched M79 grenade attacks and obtaining evidence, such as monetary transactions made to allegedly pay for the crimes.

Declining to comment on whether the ongoing investigation was linked to politicians, he said it was the police force's duty to investigate and arrest those involved in the attacks.

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry's Justice Fund has agreed to provide bail money for four more red shirts, Rights and Liberties Protection Department chief Suwana Suwanjutha said yesterday.

The fund will file a bail application at Pathumwan District Court today of Bt60,000 each for Rathasart Sompong and Songchai Palakawong na Ayutthaya, both of who were charged with violating the emergency decree. In Chiang Mai, the ministry will seek bail from the provincial court at Bt500,000 each for two red-shirts Nikorn Srikhamma and Sujit Intharachai, who were detained on charges of violence.

The committee will be meeting tomorrow to consider requests made by other red shirts, Suwana said. The committee had approved 11 out of 48 requests, but only three have been released on bail so far.

In related news, police yesterday arrested one of three suspects for a November 15 bomb attack on a minibus that killed one passenger. Despite witnesses identifying him as the culprit and his lack of an alibi, Min Buri student Wichitchai Moungkhaodaeng, 19, maintained his innocence and claimed the culprits were former friends he had lost contact with for a long time.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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Narathiwat drive-by shooting kills three

By The Nation

Three local leaders will killed in a drive-by shooting yesterday morning in the restive Southern province Narathiwat's Rusoh district, police said.

The three victims were Yamaruding Lohma, 45, chairman of the Tambon Samakkhi Administration Organisation; Sae-u-seng Lohmu, 40, a member of the organisation; and Sukree Da-ee, 60, an imam from the tambon's mosque. They were in a pickup truck heading for home after the monthly meeting at the district office when two gunmen in another pickup truck opened fire at them, Pol Lieutenant Ukrish Sangkhamanee from Rusoh police station said. Police officers have collected a total of 30 AK47 assault rifle shells.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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Govt to take back Bt52b flood relief funds as graft arrests begin

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Major celebration as HM launches bridges

By The Nation

Cries of 'Long live the King' as HM sails down Chao Phraya to open Pho canal gates

His Majesty the King's first public appearance in nearly a year seemed to have brought joy to the entire nation yesterday. Cries of "Long Live the King" resounded along the waterways from Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok to the mouth of the Pho canal in Samut Prakan as the Angsana sailed past with His Majesty and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on board.

The much-beloved monarch left the hospital, where he has been receiving treatment for more than a year, at 4.30pm to preside over the inauguration of two bridges and water gates of a canal in Tambon Song Khanong, Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan province.

His first boat trip in years was witnessed by millions of Thais glued to their television sets or thousands standing by to catch a glimpse of the monarch as his boat made its way down the 16-kilometre route.

Many people, dressed in pink and carrying flags, were seen waiting at the inauguration venue since noon.

His Majesty has been on the throne for more than six decades now, working tirelessly for his people.

The 600-metre-long Pho canal was improved and installed with water gates under his initiative, and has effectively eased flooding in Bangkok and its adjacent provinces.

"Before this, our neighbourhood would get flooded every year," Suthin Chaibat, who was waiting with his wife at the inauguration venue, said.

Wimonrat Saeng-urai, another devoted subject, said she used to have to wade through waist-deep floods, but that his stopped thanks to the water gates. "His Majesty's initiative is a blessing," she said.

The two bridges called Bhumibhol I and II, which were inaugurated yesterday, were also built in response to His Majesty's suggestions.

Going across the Chao Phraya, these giant bridges have significantly eased traffic problems because now people can get to places without having to go though central Bangkok.

"My life is so much easier now," a 70-year-old man among the waiting crowd said. "His Majesty is farsighted and truly concerned about his people's well-being".

The inauguration ceremony started at around 6pm yesterday, with His Majesty presiding from the boat.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva first presented his report on the projects, before video presentations were displayed. Then His Majesty placed his hand on a sensor starting an impressive light-and-sound show about the Pho canal, its water gates and the bridges. The show was brought to a spectacular end with fireworks.

His Majesty was often seen taking pictures from time to time. Once the ceremony was completed, His Majesty was seen off with loud chants of "Long Live the King" from his people. The King arrived at Siriraj Hospital at around 7.35pm.

-- The Nation 2010-11-25

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Survey shows as many as 43% of Thai youngsters surveyed have experienced harassment in cyberspace. /via@tulsathit /via@suthichai

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MPs, Senators arriving at Parliament for 9.30am vote on Constitutional amendment drafts; minimum 311 votes required to pass 1st reading /MCOT

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12 photos on Facebook in the album "Major celebration as HM launches bridges (photo by@NationPhoto)" http://fb.me/MKrnmZKC /via@nationnews

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PAD leader Chamlong confirms that protesters will disperse as soon as voting is completed; reaction to results will be later discussed /TAN_Network

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Thai oil giant chief warns of imminent currency and trade wars

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,010.96, up 4.99 points /MCOT

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Pattaya city to bid for 24 hour entertainment licence

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After more than 40 mins of debating on HOW to vote, they still can't agree on what to do /via@TAN_Network

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Case closed on bizarre murder-suicide in Phuket restaurant

Kusoldharm Foundation workers remove one of the corpses from the restaurant

as stunned patrons look on. File photo.

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Parliament to Vote on Each Draft Individually Before Moving to the Next

Members of the joint Parliamentary meeting will vote on each draft of the proposed amendments before moving to the next draft. The issue was agreed upon after the opposition Pheu Thai threatened to walk out of the meeting. It is expected that voting will take eight hours.

-- Tan Network 2010-11-25