Democrat supports amnesty law for those who face unfair trials

BANGKOK, 21 December 2010 (NNT) – Democrat Party Spokesperson Buranat Samutarak announced the party’s support for the National Reform Committee’s proposal for amnesty for people who have received unfair trials.

The National Reform Committee, led by senior citizen Prawes Wasi, earlier suggested the government to issue the amnesty law for people who have been treated unfairly. In response, Dr Buranat said the ruling Democrat Party agreed with the move, adding that amnesty had already been granted to villagers previously charged for government land encroachment.

In the meantime, the Democrat Party has also requested the opposition Pheu Thai Party to participate in the nation’s reform policy making in order to provide the people with more choices and to assist the government in solving national problems.

-- NNT 2010-12-21

Court Delays Witness Questioning over Parking Lot Graft

The Court postponed the dates for the trial in which they will consider evidence in the Parking Lot case against former Bankok governor and seven other officials until next year.

The Ratchadapisek Criminal Court has decided to delay the dates for the trial in which they will consider evidence in the Parking Lot case against former Bangkok Governor Bhichit Rattakul and seven other officials.

It is now scheduled for April 25 and May 23, 2011.

Bhichit and other officials, including then city clerk Prasert Samalapha, have been accused by public prosecutors of misdeed as they asked for 18 million baht in bribes from land brokers, as well as Suphot Manomaiphan and Chusak Sriprasert, as part of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's plans to find parking lots for the city's garbage and water trucks as well as other civic uses.

The men have been accused of corruption and of having caused financial damage to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, which has had to pay an overpriced contract, inflated by 36 million baht, dating back to December 1995 and September 1997.

The court also ordered that the four lawsuits filed against the defendants be merged into one case, as they are all regarding the same incident, and share the same evidence and witnesses.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

Cabinet has finally approved the salary hike for members of local administration organizations, with budget of Bt1.055 bln /TAN_Network

Thai Air Force to bring home bodies of Thais dead in Malaysian bus disaster

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Cabinet Approves Salary Hike for Local Officials

Cabinet has approved the salary hike for local administration organization officials after a few weeks of delay for a review. The hike will use a budget of 1.055 billion baht which will come from the local bodies' own budget.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

Transport Minister Presses Forward with New MRT Routes Projects

The Transport Ministry is pressing forward with the construction project of the new MRT routes, estimated value of more than 100 billion baht.

Permanent-Secretary of the Transport Ministry Supoj Saplom, who is also the president of the Mass Rapid Transit or MRT, has announced that starting from next year, the ministry will compose data on the construction project of 3 MRT routes consisting of the Pink Line, Pakkred to Nonthaburi, Orange Line, Bang Kapito Thailand Cultural Center and the Purple Line, Taopoon to Wang Burapha.

The total cost of the project has been estimated to be at 106 billion baht.

The transport ministry will also initiate the construction bidding process for the Green Line, Mo Chit to Saphan Mai and the Light Green Line, Bearing to Samutprakarn in January.

Interested construction companies could make their bids for the Light Green Line then.

Meanwhile, the environment impact assessment is being conducted for the construction of the Green Line, while its bidding process is expected to begin in mid 2011.

Meanwhile, the construction project of the Blue Line, Hua Lamphong to Bang Kae, which has previously been suspected of corruption in the bidding process, is now being reviewed by the prime minister.

If no irregularity is found in the project plan, the construction company will approve the project by the last week of this year.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

Government Plans to Promote Ease of Doing Business in Thailand

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Customs Dept Seizes Bt61 Million Worth of Foreign Liquor, Drugs

The Customs Department has seized foreign liquor, drugs and pirated products, worth a total 61 million baht.

The Custom Department Director General Prasong Poonthanet held a press conference to announce the seizure of 2,040 bottles of foreign liquor worth more than 1.7 million baht, pirated watches and calculators worth 3.5 million baht, as well as pirated games CDs and DVDs worth over 57 million baht.

Aside from the pirated products, the department seized 17 kilograms of raw opium worth more than 6.8 million baht, six kilograms of dried marijuana and 40,000 pills of diazepam worth more than 4.8 million baht.

The confiscation of the products resulted from strict inspections at the post office at Savarnabhumi Airport, where security checkpoints and raids were set up.

The suspects will be charged with importation and possession of counterfeit and smuggled goods without permission and were in violation of the Customs Act, the Trademark Act, the Copy Right Act and Drug Act.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

3 Thai Foragers Return to Hometown

The 3 Thai foragers arrested by Cambodia for illegal entry have returned to their hometown in Si Sa Ket province. They say they are very happy to be released and affirm Cambodian officials took good care of them.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

HRH Princess Chulabhorn Suffers Broken Leg

The Royal Household Bureau has issued its first statement on Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn's leg injury, sustained in a fall yesterday. The Princess has undergone surgery at Chulalongkorn Hospital to repair the broken bone and is now in safe condition.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

THAI cancels today's flights to London

By The Nation

Thai Airways International (THAI) today cancelled flights from Bangkok to London due to adverse weather conditions at Heathrow Airport.

A limited number of flights are being allowed to operate to and from London. Therefore, priority for flight departure will be granted to airlines with passengers currently disabled at Heathrow Airport. For passenger safety and also in accordance with the advisory from London Heathrow air traffic control, regularly scheduled flights will not operate.

The airline also announced that two additional flights would be operated on the route London-Bangkok in order to transport passengers from Heathrow Airport.

According to the airline, flights cancelled on December 21, are TG916 and TG 917. But on the day, two additional flights - TG9119 and TG9179 - will be operated on the route London-Bangkok to transport passengers from Heathrow Airport.

Passengers travelling to London are advised to keep abreast of the weather conditions.

The airline also announced to increase domestic flight frequencies in order to meet passenger travel demands over the festive season from December 30, 2010 - January 2, 2011. More flights will be launched for Chiang Mai and Krabi routes.

-- The Nation 2010-12-21

Deputy PM Plans Preah Vihear Trip

A deputy prime minister insists there has been no mobilization of Thai troops near the Preah Vihear Temple as speculated by the Cambodian press.

He plans to inspect the area after the New Year's celebration.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban commented on the speculation that Thai troops were seen mobilizing near the Preah Vihear temple.

He stated that army chief General Prayut Chan-ocha has not reported such movement since both Thailand and Cambodia are trying to ease border tension.

Suthep urged the public to separate news from official government reports.

The deputy prime minister plans to take members of the press to inspect the disputed Preah Vihear Temple area after the New Year's celebration.

He will also see whether the Thai troops have been withdrawn as speculated by the press.

He urged the Thai public not to worry about the Preah Vihear dispute.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

EC endorses by-election results for Apirak, Supaluck, Kuakul as new MPs; no endorsement for Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen by-elections pending 30-day investigation /MCOT

SET index closed at 1013.19, up 6.68; Bt/USD30.08; GBP46.64; AUD29.82; EUR39.46; CAD29.52; HKD3.86; SGD22.76; JPY35.77

Sattahip Navy Corporal's Truck Destroyed By Fire

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Two members of Pattaya motorbike theft ring arrested by Police patrol

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2 Arrested with Bt25-mln Pirated CDs

Two pirated DVDs dealers in Bangkok have been arrested in possession of 50,000 pirated DVDs worth over 25 million baht.

The arrests were made by officials from the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, after they conducted a search at a house in Soi Petchkasem 81 and a townhouse in Soi Petchkasem 77 after they received a tip off that the houses were being used to store pirated DVDs.

The raid was carried out following the issuance of search warrants by the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court.

Officers managed to arrest Manop Suk on and Dilok Mangklathimongkhol and confiscated 50,000 pirated foreign film DVDs, worth over 25 million baht.

The suspects were charged with possession of pirated copies of movies with intent to distribute and unauthorized sales of video media.

The two said that the pirated items were owned by a Chinese national and were smuggled in from China by boats via the Khlong Toey pier.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

Thai govt to be lenient on red shirts with minor charges

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Thai princess breaks leg: palace

BANGKOK, December 21, 2010 (AFP) - Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand, youngest daughter the country's revered the king, has suffered a broken leg after she slipped on her way to deliver a university lecture, the palace said Tuesday.

The 53-year-old princess was attending the state-run Kasetsart University in the Thai capital on Monday when she fell and broke her left leg.

She was operated on at Bangkok's King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and there were "no complications", according to a statement by the Thai Royal Household.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej -- who has himself been treated at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital since September 2009, when he was admitted for a respiratory condition -- and Queen Sirikit visited her after the surgery, the palace said.

Princess Chulabhorn has a doctorate in chemistry and has been a visiting fellow and professor at universities in the US, Germany, and Japan, according to her official online biography.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-12-21

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Thailand Live Wednesday 22 Dec 2010

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