Thailand Live Saturday 25 Dec 2010

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Thailand Live Saturday 25 December 2010

News, Bits and Tweets

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Keep up to date with live updates from the news, hour by hour.

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Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 24 Dec 2010

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Bus Trips Increased to Meet New Year Exodus

The operator of inter provincial bus services has increased bus trips to accommodate some 200,000 passengers expected to be traveling during the New Year holidays.

President of Transport Company, Wuthichart Kalayanamitr, said the company has increased bus services by 5,000 trips, to serve an estimated 200,000 passengers expected to be traveling during the New Year holidays.

He expects December 29 and 30 will be busiest, according to the statistics of previous years.

As for safety issues, Wuthichart said his company has strict rules for bus drivers, which require them to have enough rest before a trip and forbid them from consuming alcohol or selling unauthorized tickets.

Regarding return trips, the Transport Company president said he has instructed all provincial bus terminals to estimate the number of passengers and arrange for bus services accordingly.

In addition, Wuthichart asked holiday goers to allow for delays when using public transport, as traffic could be very heavy during the New Year period.

He also recommended that passengers not wear valuable accessories and be mindful of fraudsters.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-25

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Provinces Launch New Year Anti-crime Drive

Police in various provinces are set to crack down on crime and promote road safety during the New Year celebration.

Si Sa Ket provincial police chief Police Major General Sermsuk Weerawong has assigned provincial police units and more than 300 volunteers to crack down on crime and illegal activities during the New Year celebration.

The campaign is aimed to build public confidence and to ensure the safety of locals and tourists.

In Maha Sarakham province, Governor Tongthawee Pimsen presided over a road safety campaign to promote use of crash helmets among motorcyclists.

He also instructed security forces and volunteers to swoop down on drugs in various communities, eradicate crime and reduce the number of accidents during the upcoming New Year.

Meanwhlie, Nakhon Ratchasima deputy provincial police chief Police Colonel Wanut Atkawin presided over the launch of a New Year road safety campaign as well as assigned more than 10,000 officials and volunteers to ensure convenience for the public during the festive period.

The campaign is aimed at facilitating people's traveling, particularly at congested areas in Pakchong, Sikiew and Muang districts. Special lanes will be designated to prevent traffic congestion.

Also, drunk drivers and traffic law violators will face tough punishments during the New Year period, while security at New Year countdown venues will be tightened to prevent pickpocketing and robberies.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-25

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Chiang Mai Bomb Suspect Arrested

Police have arrested a suspect in a series of bombing incidents in Chiang Mai province.

The man claimed he did it out of bad judgment.

Commissioner of the Provincial Police Bureau 5, Police Lieutenant General Chaiya Siri amphankul, announced during a press conference the arrest of 31 year old Theerasak Suwan, a suspect in four bombing incidents in San Kampaeng district of Chiang Mai.

He was charged with carrying out a series of bomb attacks between December 19 and 22.

Police managed to arrest the suspected bomber after he was caught on a security camera at Wat Chae Chang, one of the bombing scenes.

Officers also seized bomb making equipment and explosive materials.

Theerasak confessed to his crime, saying he set off the bombs out of his bad judgment and that he did not mean to incite chaos or cause damage to private or public properties.

General Chaiya said a further investigation will be pursued to determine whether anybody else was behind the bombing.

Meanwhile, he asked the public and news media not to jump into conclusion that the incidents were politically motivated.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-25

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Korbsak to oversee Thai Democrat campaign after New Year's

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MCOT, Playwork To Launch Wireless Broadband Content In February

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AIS Thailand offers to provide service on behalf of CAT

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What is the true cost of our quality of life in Thailand?

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Bodhitree Buddha wins most votes

By The Nation

The image of a Buddha head emerging from the roots of a Bodhi tree at Wat Maha That in Ayutthaya province has won the most votes in Unesco's website listing historic sites. The image can be viewed at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/576.

The Fine Arts Department announced yesterday that it was offering audio tours at various historic sites in Ayutthaya. Tourists can listen to descriptions at kiosks located in front of each of tourist location.

-- The Nation 2010-12-25

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Online gambling cafes close

By The Nation

Many Internet cafes in the Northeast that offer onlinegambling services via live broadcasts from casinos and dens in Cambodia have halted their services temporarily after the government announced a crackdown.

A major cafe in Khon Kaen, the fifth largest in the country in terms of revenues earning approximately Bt10 million from bets daily, was found closed yesterday. It was apparently raided and the owners paid a fine.

A large number of Internet cafes in Maha Sarakham, Chaiyaphum and Ubon Ratchathani, mostly set up near universities and schools, have closed down temporarily in anticipation of the government crackdown.

-- The Nation 2010-12-25

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Foreigners push for ban on elephants in Bangkok

By The Nation

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Leaked DSI report reveals shooting of teenager

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Of the 10 cases in the leaked Department of Special Investigation (DSI) report on the military crackdown on red shirts was the little-known death of the 14-year-old orphan, Kunakorn Srisawan - probably a bystander who was mowed down by a soldier's bullets on May 15.

The "leaked" report concluded that "there exists reasonable evidence" to suggest Kunakorn was killed when soldiers were shooting at a van during a stand-off near the Rajprarob Rail Road's Airport Link area in the early hours of May 15. Kunakorn had apparently run away from the International Muslim Foundation Orphanage.

Witness Number 4, whose name is being withheld, said: "The van was hit on its wheels and [the witness] saw three soldiers shooting at the vehicle continuously.

After the shooting ended, a soldier used the butt of his gun to smash the left window and drag the person onto the military's truck, which took the injured to Phya Thai 1 Hospital," the witness said, adding that Kunakorn was one of the injured put on the military truck. "The soldiers gave no warnings for the car to stop before opening fire."

However, another witness said the soldiers issued verbal warnings before they opened fire. According to the autopsy report, Kunakorn died in hospital of gunshot wounds from a high-velocity bullet to his abdomen.

Witness Number 5 said he had seen the boy milling around the soldiers' bunker and had tried to talk him into leaving the area but failed.

-- The Nation 2010-12-25

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DSI to file more charges against Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn

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Pheu Thai to seek reopening of Democrat dissolution cases

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Security boosted in the deep South

By The Nation

In addition to more police officers being deployed in the South to guard against insurgent attacks during the festive season, the military has also heightened measures and mobilised extra troops to ensure additional safety.

Smallsized highmobility units are stepping up operations until January 2, Colonel Banphot Phoolphiena, a military spokesman with the Fourth Army Area in the South, said at a press conference yesterday. He added that action was also being taken against common criminals, gunforhire rackets and drug dealers, he added.

The Army, which is charge of security in the rural areas of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and certain parts of Songkhla, are now providing added security in Hat Yai district.

Nonaggressive measures are also being employed to win over insurgency sympathisers.

Meanwhile, the Army yesterday held funerals for two rangers killed in a driveby shooting. The families of Rangers Preecha Janthanon and Suraphol Phetthae have been compensated for the deaths. A manhunt for the attackers, thought to be Runda Kumpalan Kecil commandos, is underway in Narathiwat's Rangae district.

-- The Nation 2010-12-25

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FDA to provide product information via social media

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has started providing information about harmful and unhealthy products via socialmedia websites such as Facebook, Twitter and OK Nation Blog.

"Socialmedia sites will help consumers follow updated information," the agency's deputy secretarygeneral Dr Pongphan Wongmanee said.

The FDA has teamed up with Nation Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Unilever to develop its presence in Twitter, Facebook and oknation.net to communicate with consumers. The public is also invited to help the FDA monitor fraudulent advertising of dangerous and illegal products.

The FDA's Twitter account is @FDAthai, on Facebook it is www.facebook.com/fdathai and on oknation.net it is www.oknation.net/blog/fdathai. To date, the agency has more than 1,700 followers on Twitter and 2,000 fans on Facebook.

In Thailand, about 300,000 people use Twitter and 6.2 million use Facebook.

"Social media like Twitter and Facebook have become part of life in modern society," NBC president Adisak Limprungpatanakij said.

The FDA is Thailand's first health agency to use social media as alternative channels to communicate with people.

-- The Nation 2010-12-25

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Phuket’s Tuptim given a fighting chance

Tuptim will have a life-saving operation in Bangkok on January 14.

Photo: Chris Meyer

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Govt vows to improve lives of common people

By The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, saying he is elated by the economic achievements of his government in the past two years, promised to continue focusing on three areas - easing the cost of living, extending welfare, and infrastructure investment.

To ease the cost of living, the government has promised to provide free electricity to the poor and freeze the price of cooking gas as well as take measures to control food prices - expected to be announced in January, requiring a small budget. The property and land-tax law, which is being screened by the Council of State, should further help the poor.

The welfare system will be extended to cover the beneficiaries' spouses and children. Abhisit has also floated the idea of supporting nurseries at offices and putting up nurseries in all villages.

On the agenda is a national pension fund, now being vetted by a House committee. The high-speed-rail joint investment with China was highlighted, as well as broadband Internet to serve 40 million people in the next five years.

"No matter when the House is dissolved, we're determined to proceed with them. We took office when the economy was in bad shape amid political turbulence. We passed all that well," he said.

The economy this year will expand by nearly 8 per cent after a 2.33-per-cent contraction last year and 2.48-per-cent growth in 2008, Abhisit said.

Wichit Chaitrong, The Nation

-- The Nation 2010-12-25

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Current Thai Govt gets lower score for credibility than Thaksin administration

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Six people wounded when bomb went off in church during Christmas mass on southern Philippine island known as hotbed of Islamic extremism /MCOT

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PM Abhisit: Govt aims to provide sustainable stability and happiness to Thais

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Train, petrol services increased to cater New Year holiday-makers

BANGKOK, Dec 25 -- The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and the country’s largest energy firm PTT Public Co, Ltd will increase train services and petrol supply to cater to passengers travelling during next week’s New Year holidays.

As the government has announced a four-day public holiday, starting from New Year’s Eve, the SRT will increase train services by 10 for the North and Northeast provinces on December 30 and 31 as well as another 10 trains on January 3 and 4, on top of 250 trains, to assist travellers returning to the capital to resume work.

The SRT has projected that passengers would increase by an average of 10,000 daily during the upcoming festive season as many people would return home to visit their relatives and friends.

Meanwhile, Prajya Phinyawat, senior executive vice president of PTT Plc, said his company has reserved sufficient petrol and transportation upcountry to cope with expected increases in energy demand during New Year’s holidays.

Extra petrol reserves and supply will be made to key tourist destinations in the country, said Mr Prajya.

He urged holidaymakers to pan out travelling routes before starting their journey in order to help conserve fuel and to take rest stops at coffee shops available at 1,300 PTT oil stations throughout the country. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-25

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Thai Health Ministry is well prepared for New Year: Minister

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Thousands of travellers are stranded at Paris airport after hundreds of Christmas flights cancelled, as freezing weather cause travel chaos across Europe /MCOT

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PM Sec Gen Korbsak makes statement via YouTube he wanted to resign in order to work on Democrat Party general election plan, denies rift with Finance Minister Korn /MCOT

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Austrian Man accused of conducting lewd acts with Minors in Pattaya

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Norwegian businessman prevents abduction attempt by 5 Thai Men

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Anchalee expected to succeed Korbsak

BANGKOK, Dec 25 -- Anchalee Vanich Theppabutr, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, is expected to succeed Korbsak Sabhavasu after the latter resigns from his post as secretary-general to the prime minister, which is to become effective from New Year’s Day, according to Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwannakhiri on Saturday.

Mr Trairong said he expected Mrs Anchalee to take over the post because she has sufficient experience and understands the nature of the job very well.

Mr Korbsak, meanwhile, said via a video on YouTube video-sharing website that he would submit his resignation to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva next Tuesday which would become effective January 1 so that he could devote his full time to preparing the strategy for the ruling Democrat Party for the next general election, expected to be held next year.

So far no one in the Democrat Party has done this job and preparations for the strategic plan would take “not less than six months,” said Mr Korbsak.

He said that without sound preparation the Democrat Party might not be able to win the election.

“I want to reconfirm that this planned resignation isn’t a result of any internal conflict within the government,” said Mr Korbsak.

“Regarding the matter with Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij over the ‘Pracha Wiwat’ policy, I’ve already spoken to and reached an agreement with the minister," Mr Korbsak said.

‘Pracha Wiwat’ policy is designed to narrow the income disparity between the rich and poor.

Mr Korn also dismissed reports of his displeasure over the government’s work, saying that differences of opinion were a normal thing but they were not enough reason to force anyone to quit his post. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-25

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Kate Moss is to spend NY holidays in Phuket, arriving on December 27 #DailyStar http://bit.ly/hwdZxj /via@veen_NT