Thailand Live Wednesday 15 Dec 2010

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Thailand Live Wednesday 15 December 2010

News, Bits and Tweets

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Related topic: Thailand Live Tuesday 14 Dec 2010

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Army Prepares for Lifting of Emergency Decree

The First Army Region Commander has reassured the army that it will come up with appropriate security measures should the government decide to revoke the Emergency Decree.

The First Army Region Commander, Colonel Udomdet Sitabutr, said that the army will devise security procedures should the government lift the Emergency Decree.

The commander insisted that the measures will be based on the public's safety and maintaining peace.

He said the final decision is that of the government, and added that the army has already forwarded its proposal to the government.

Concerning security precautions for the upcoming New Years celebration, Colonel Udomdet said soldiers are willing to work with police officers at their request, adding that there have been no reports of potential terrorism.

He is anticipating that the general public will be able to enjoy the 2011 celebrations without interruption.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-15

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Govt, Manufacturers to Discuss Wage Hike Impact

The Commerce Ministry is set to hold a meeting with local manufacturers next week to discuss the impact of the recent minimum wage rise.

Internal Trade Department Director General Vachari Vimuktayon said local producers from all sectors, particularly those with labor intensive nature, will attend a meeting at the department to exchange views on current business conditions.

Vachari said the talks will also focus on the fallout from the Central Wage Committee’s decision to raise minimum wage by 8 to 17 baht, which will take effect from January 1, 2011.

She conceded that the raise will inevitably drive up the prices of goods and business costs although the degree of the effect is yet to be determined.

However, in order to help the business community withstand any impact of higher wages, Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai will attend the meeting to hear what business operators have to say.

The Internal Trade Department chief also commented that while prices of a number of products will likely be kept unchanged for the time being, products from the agricultural sector may see price hikes next year.

At the moment, the Internal Trade Department is carrying out a study on the domestic prices of goods to determine its course of action in 2011, when consumers are expected to shoulder more expenses.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-15

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German’s Phuket stay goes to pot

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MAP TA PHUT

Water in Map Ta Phut wells contaminated: PCD

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BY-ELECTION

Thaksin rallies Pheu Thai MPs via phone in

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14 percent salary rise for Thai lawmakers draws flak

Hike is first since February 2005: panel

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Thai MPs' failure to attend meetings a key concern

Boonyord

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EDITORIAL

Let's make the right kind of loans this time : Thai micro-credit scheme

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Bt35 million in assets frozen after arrest of Ayutthaya 'drug lord'

By The Nation December 15, 2010

The arrest of an alleged drug dealer in Ayutthaya for the fatal shooting of a boy aged 12 has been followed by a series of raids on homes of members of his "network".

Noppol "Jib Phaikhiew" Prasongsil was arrested early yesterday for the random shooting of the boy on Ayutthaya highway on December 4. Police later searched four houses linked to Jib's drug dealing network and arrested one man along with 40 ya ba tablets.

The family of the young victim, Bhokin "Thomy" Deephiu, who succumbed to a gunshot to the head on Saturday, have sought protection because of fears Jib's associates may take revenge on them.

At 2.30am yesterday, 20 police raided an apartment in Ayutthaya's Bang Pain district following a tip that Job was hiding in a room on the fifth floor. They found the 23yearold sleeping in the room and seized his .38 pistol. Jib allegedly told police he had initially fled to Rayong and Chanthaburi after the shooting but his cash ran out, so he returned to stay with a friend at the apartment.

Jib's brother Charnchai "Joke Phaikhiew" Prasongsil, 29, was shot dead by police on Saturday night while allegedly resisting arrest.

Pol Gen Assawin Kwanmuang, acting commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1, said Jib allegedly confessed that he and his brother had ridden a motorcycle and fired at a car carrying Thomy in a random attack on December 4. Jib claimed that it was his brother Joke who fired at the boy's car because the boy's car got ahead of their motorcycle, Assawin said. Jib also confessed that they had carried out similar random shootings on passing vehicles seven times in Ayutthaya, Asawin said.

Asawin also said that police would proceed with the drug trafficking case as the two brothers were major drug dealers in Ayutthaya and crackdown on their drugdealing network.

Although Jib allegedly confessed that they started dealing drugs only seven months ago, police didn't believe him because their assets and cashes were worth over Bt50 million.

At 9.30am yesterday, Ayutthaya police searched four houses, to look for Jib's drugdealing network members and arrested 22yearold Choke Wankerd who was about to deliver 40 Yaba tablets to a customer. Choke allegedly confessed to take the Yaba from a man named Lim, a Jib's drug dealing network member.

Meanwhile, at Bhokin's funeral in Lop Buri's Nong Moung district, Thomy's mum Samruay Deephiu said the police cracking down on Ayutthaya's major drug gang made the family felt concerned over their safety because they didn't know how many gangsters were there and feared the gangsters might hurt them in revenge, so the family wanted to get a police protection.

In related news, the Narcotics Control Board secretarygeneral Sureeprapha Traivej said yesterday that they had initially frozen Noppol's assets worth over Bt35 million, believed to be acquired through drug dealing, under the provisions of the Narcotics Suppression Act of 1991. They included Bt8 million cash, 10 bank accounts in the names of his relatives and girlfriends with a total deposits of about Bt3 million, four houses, one car, one pickup truck, two motorcycles and gold accessories. She said that the two brothers were blacklisted by the NCB's Region 1 office, which is responsible for drug suppression in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani provinces, as suspected drug dealers. The two brothers' relatives and girlfriends were allowed to present evidences to the NCB to prove that the frozen assets were legal, she said, but if they couldn't explain the assets' origins, the assets would be seized.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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Bengal tiger plans

By The Nation

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation hopes to boost the number of Bengal tigers in the country to at least 375 by the year 2022. Currently, Bengal tigers number around 250.

"It's going to be a 50percent increase," the department's deputy director general Thirapat Prayoonsit said yesterday. "But perhaps, we may be able to increase the population to 400."

His department would relay the plan to Cabinet soon.

He said participants at the recent Tiger Summit in Russia vowed to increase the number of Bengal tigers in the world from 3,500 to 7,000 by 2022.

"A 100percent increase isn't possible in a Thai context. So, we have targeted a 50percent increase on our part," Thirapat explained.

The department plans to open a training centre for Bengaltiger conservation in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, because foreigners were interested in learning about these animals.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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Smugglers cash in as diesel prices soar

By The Nation

After the price of diesel soared beyond Bt30 per litre, smugglers started bringing in the oil via the South and selling it to petrol stations, factories and transport companies at only Bt23Bt25 per liter.

The Custom Office Region 4 chief Prayuth Maneechote said boats transported 200,000 to 300,000 litres of oil taken from large ships anchored in international waters. He said Thai officials did not have enough boats to follow all suspects and could only intercept the smugglers while they tried to go onshore. He said it was a difficult task because these smugglers hailed from a wellequipped network and could transport the oil very quickly. He said the gang's customers were big establishments such as petrol stations, factories and transport companies because the illegal oil was sold in large quantities such as 16,000 to 32,000 litres.

He added that unlike gangs who smuggled stuff via land, major investors backed seabased smugglers and cooperation from various agencies was needed to arrest them.

It has been reported that large ships sell the oil to smugglers for less than Bt20 per litre, who then sell it to customers onshore at Bt23 to Bt25 per litre.

President of Songkhla Oil Traders' Association Rabieb Jitkeua said she once got a phone call from someone offering to sell her 15,000 to 30,000 litres of oil, which she could sell at a Bt4 profit per litre. However, she said, she turned down the offer as did many of her fellow oil traders who received similar phone calls. She added that this showed that the illegal oil trade was becoming larger and that authorities should take action because legal traders were losing business.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, many businesses such as fishing trawlers and land transport companies were using illegal oil because it cost them Bt16 per litre if bought in the international sea, Bt18 when bought near the coast and Bt20 when bought on land. Petrol station owner Somporhn Sripetch said this illegal trade was destroying his business, which has encountered as much as 50 per cent drop in sales.

Police have set up checkpoints in Satun's Kuan Don district, which borders Malaysia where diesel is sold at only Bt17 per litre.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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Bus employees protest

By The Nation

Workers from Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) rallied in front of Government House yesterday, claiming the agency had a lack of adequate vehicles.

BMTA labour union's vice chairman Chamnarn Sinlapakij led more than 70 workers to stage the protest. They were upset that the BMTA had got no new vehicles to replace 700 buses being decommissioned or put under maintenance.

They claim the BMTA had lost business opportunities of Bt33.5 million because of this.

Chamnarn said nothing had been done about the Transport Ministry's plan to lease 4,000 naturalgas buses. Without an "adequate" number of vehicles, bus drivers and fare collectors were being reassigned to take care of other jobs.

"The affected employees are in trouble," he said. The BMTA had also stopped giving a Bt2,000 a month allowance to employees earning less than Bt15,000 a month.

"The government should step in to help. BMTA has suffered a loss because of inefficient management."

The labour union's leaders were seeking a meeting with Deputy Premier Trairong Suwankhiri to discuss their grievances. They vowed to continue pressuring the government until it responds to their demands.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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Fourth time unlucky for ya ba delivery man

By The Nation

Metropolitan Police yesterday presented the results of a major drug bust, which saw a suspect arrested and 260,000 ya ba tablets and 15 kilograms of crystal meth - worth some Bt123 million - and two pickup trucks seized.

Metropolitan Police chief Maj Gen Ronnasilp Pusara told a press conference that after a tipoff about a ya ba exchange at a site opposite Fashion Island Mall, police nabbed Parinyakorn Suwadit, 56, along with 60,000 'speed' pills in his truck.

He allegedly confessed that he had another 200,000 tablets at his home in Khlong Sam Wa district. That led police to seize the additional pills and 15 kg of crystal meth in the toilet.

The former drug convict, who served 24 years for selling two kilograms of heroin in 1984, said that he couldn't find a wellpaid job after his release in 2008. So, he took the advice of people he befriended in jail to do drug deliveries for a man identified only as "Uncle Noi".

He said that the man would give him instructions over the phone to get a car loaded with drugs to a certain destination, in exchange for Bt150,000 a time. He had done that three times before getting caught.

In another press conference, Metropolitan Police deputy Pol Maj Gen Sumet Reungsawat presented 539 drug suspects from an extensive search of 135 communities and 154 targeted locations in Bangkok over the past two days.

The suspects included 347 people facing a charge of taking ya ba, 167 people facing a charge of having drugs in possession with intent to sell, and 11 people facing a charge of possessing guns and ammunitions without permission.

Meanwhile, Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban said prior to attending Cabinet yesterday he had instructed police to crack down on drugs and urged national police chief General Wichien Potephosree to set up a meeting of police station superintendents to crack down on drug dealing and abuse - because "many people these days wanted a shortcut to wealth". So, police had to keep up this work.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, Provincial Police Region 3 chief Pol Lt Gen Dechawat Ramsomphop revealed that 10 million ya ba tablets would be transported across border to Thailand during the New Year period. So he had instructed police to set up more checkpoints to search suspicious people and vehicles. He also warned police officers not to get involved in drugs or they would face severe disciplinary punishment and criminal charges.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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BURNING ISSUE

Are Thai Govt' populist policies a new formula for success?

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Judge stands down from Jatuporn case

By The Nation

The Criminal Court judge in charge of a defamation case against opposition Pheu Thai MP and red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan yesterday withdrew from the proceedings.

Jatuporn had filed a criminal action against Somsak Wongyuen for alleged malfeasance in connection with their legal dispute in a separate criminal case.

The Criminal Court named a panel of judges to handle the defamation case brought by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva against Jatuporn for allegedly claiming the PM ordered the killing of red-shirt protesters in April 2009 and that the premier was a "murderer whose hands were soaked with blood".

The court postponed the trial till December 24 to examine the list of witnesses proposed by both sides. The defence has submitted a supplementary list.

Jatuporn's attorney Karom Ponthaklang said the defence would submit a written protest for Somsak to excuse himself from hearing two more defamation cases filed by the prime minister against Jatuporn.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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Observation satellite to help predict disasters in Thailand

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PM: Emergency decree lifting likely before Dec 22

BANGKOK: -- The emergency decree in Bangkok and three adjacent provinces is likely to be lifted before Dec 22, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday.

The prime minister said Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan would submit a situation review on December 21 along with a post-state-of-emergency security plan to ensure the maintenance of law and order once the decree is revoked.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has not yet proposed lifting the state of emergency to the prime minister as the drafting of the plan is yet complete, but it will be ready to submit to Cabinet next week, CRES spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said after the agency met Tuesday.

However, it was agreed that the National Security Council and CRES will explain to the prime minister the details of security plans under the mechanism of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), Col Sansern said.

A centre run by the police will be set up to maintain order, backed up by soldiers on request under the internal security law. If there is violence, the National Intelligence Agency, the police and ISOC will consider whether to announce a special security area under a specific timeframe, he said.

The state of emergency was imposed in Bangkok and 23 other provinces to enable the authorities to maintain law and order after the anti-government Red Shirt rallies turned violent in April. It was lifted in 20 provinces and remains in force in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani until today.

Meanwhile, Col Sansern said that the police reported to today's CRES meeting on security plans for the planned Red Shirt rally on Dec 19 and at the New Year countdown event at Ratchaprasong. The police have cooperated with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to check on the readiness of surveillance cameras and security on high rise buildings in the area.

The police will also talk to the UDD to refrain from releasing floating lanterns during the rally for fear that it might cause damage to some areas where it fell. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-15

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Train derailed

A train travelling from Bangkok to Yala Tuesday was derailed only 5 metres from an abyss in Ron Phibun

district in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Some railway officials and passengers were slightly injured.

Friends of The Nation's Photos

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Rising fuel costs will not affect Phuket buses: Transport Chief

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Thai stock index opens on Wednesday at 1,035.88, down 1.53 points /MCOT

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Time Magazine Lists Thailand Red Shirt Protest in Top Ten News Events

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Motorway Waives Fees for New Year's Holidays

Parts of Motorway and Outer Ring Road will go toll free for seven days, to help ease traffic flow during the New Year period.

Highways Department Director General Weera Ruangsuksriwong said no tolls will be collected on the Bangkok Chonburi Motorway and the Bangplee Bang Pa In section of Outer Ring Road from December 27 to January 3, in order to facilitate travel during the New Year holidays.

He noted that road safety measures have been put in place in hopes of curbing accidents during the festive week.

Weera added that he has instructed Highways Department offices nationwide to repair damaged roads and increase safety in the areas with frequent accidents, by putting up more streetlights and making road signage clearer and easier to see.

The Highways Department head went on to say that an additional 220 rest stops will be set up across the country, with some 20,000 employees working in shifts to assist motorists.

The stops offer drinking water, a rest area, and a massage service.

He said motorists can watch for the department's signage on the 100th anniversary celebration, so as to know there is a rest stop nearby.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-15

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AFP Interview: Reluctant retiree new leader of Thailand's Red Shirts

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Honesty a strongest attribute of PM: Abac Poll

By The Nation

More than seven in ten people have singled out honesty as the strongest attribute of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Abac Poll said in an opinion survey released on Wednesday.

Abhisit's strengths include even temper, moral righteousness and his priority of public interest ahead of cronyism.

The survey was conducted on a national sampling of 2,381 households in 17 provinces from December 1-to-14.

The people's perception of Abhisit improved markedly from last year's survey. The rating approval on his honesty increased from about 69 per cent in the previous poll to this year's more than 74 per cent.

The rating on his overall performance rose in every aspect, including democratic leadership, international acceptance, communication skills, management skills and ethical supervision of the civil service.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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Gold Prices Likely to Reach 20,000 Baht Again: YLG

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No plan to sack DSI chief: Suthep

By The Nation

The government has not planned to remove Tharit Pengdit from his position as director general of the Department of Special Investigation, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Wednesday.

"Tharit is a good man with satisfactory job performance," he said, dismissing the opposition's allegation as a groundless rumour.

Suthep said the government was satisfied with the way Tharit was handling cases related the red-shirt rally and bloodshed which caused 91 deaths.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit claimed that the government was poised to sack Tharit because the DSI report had raised a possibility that the military might be responsible for 13 of 91 killed.

Prompong said a senior police officer with an initial A might be Tharit's replacement. This triggered speculation that Police legal adviser General Aek Angsananond might be a job contender. Aek is presently the lead investigator in charge of additional forensic checks on the 91 killed.

-- The Nation 2010-12-15

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Counterfeit Machinery Lubricants Seized in Factory Raid in Prachin Buri

Police have seized a huge stock of adulterated machinery lubricants in a factory raid in Prachin Buri province.

Officers from the Highway Police Crime Suppression Division, and Kabinburi Police Station staged a raid at a warehouse with no address in Prachin Buri's Muang Kao sub district.

They seized counterfeit machinery lubricants of several brands along with machinery used for manufacturing them.

According to Police, the confiscated lubricants were adulterated with recycled oil before being packed in new containers labeled as various well-known brands for sale in Thailand and Cambodia.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-15

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Rain and cold weather reported in the north and northeast

BANGKOK, 15 December 2010 (NNT) - The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has warned people in the North and Northeast of changing weather, possibly heavy rain and cold this week.

The Department has warned that the weather could damage crops and cause road accidents as the temperature could drop as much as 5 degree Celsius in the northern region, while the northeastern region could experience the cold and strong winds.

It has advised that people take care of their health, wearing warm clothes, and be careful with fire when cooking, lighting candles, and smoking because the strong wind could cause conflagration.

Farmers are suggested to find cover for their crops to prevent damage from frosting.

-- NNT 2010-12-15