Thailand Live Monday 27 Dec 2010

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Thailand Live Monday 27 December 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 Sunday 26 Dec 2010

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ABAC Poll: News showing loyalty towards HM the King makes people happiest

BANGKOK (NNT) -- ABAC Poll has shown that the news piece that made the people happiest is the news showing loyalty towards HM the King, the saddest is the one related to Thai people disunity, and ‘Jaa Pian’ was the most admired person.

According to the Poll, the survey was conducted to determine the top news of the year; the survey was conducted among 2,071 people, aged 18 and over in 17 provinces.

54.6 percent of the people were most interested in political news, followed by that related to flooding and natural disasters, and the third on the list was news about drugs and crimes.

As for the news that made Thais happiest during the entire year, 62.6 percent said it was the one that showed loyalty to HM the King, next up was news related to celebrities helping the society, and third was one about Thai people helping one another during the devastated flooding wreaking havoc in the middle of the year.

40.1 percent said the saddest news this year was that of the disunity of Thai people, second was about the flooding, and running third was the news relative to the 2, 000 fetuses found at a temple in Bangkok

The results of the survey also showed that 69.2 percent of the respondents praised Pol Col Sompien Eksomya or ‘Jaa Pian’ for his bravery and invaluable service to the country. ‘Jaa Pian’ was a police colonel who served a number of years in the South. Less than a year before he was to retire, he repeatedly requested a transfer so he could spend time with his family; the request was turned down thanks to corruption practice in the police system. He was killed in a blast a few days after he returned from Bangkok in quest of justice from the Premier.

-- NNT 2010-12-27

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PM: Goverment will not intervene in Red Shirt bail

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The government will not intervene in the red-shirt bail request as the decision depends on the court’s judgement, according to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

During his weekly program, the Prime Minister said he hoped the public would cooperate with officials to keep peace after the lifting of the emergency decree in the remaining four provinces including Bangkok.

He also said that the red shirt bail request was in accordance with the law and that it was up to the judges to decide whether it should be granted. He hoped all the people would respect the court’s judgment as the process would be carried out fairly and with righteousness.

As for the lifting of the decree in the certain areas in three southernmost provinces,3 provinces in the south, the government has so far lifted the decree in Mae Lan district, Pattani; the rest will be lifted one by one, depending on the situation,the Premier added.

-- NNT 2010-12-27

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NEW!

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Thaksin unlikely to back Mingkwan

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Leadership uncertainties threatening to blow Pheu Thai party apart

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ABAC POLL

Sompian 'most admired person'

Published on December 27, 2010

Pol Colonel Sompian Eksomya, whose outstanding service to the country helped boost the morale of his officers at Bannang Sata Police Station until he was killed in a roadside bomb attack in the district, was voted as the most admired person of the year.

Noppadol Kannikarsaid, director of Abac Poll, said yesterday that 2,071 people aged over 18 in 17 provinces were asked who they would name as the person of the year and 69 per cent selected Sompian, the superintendent of Bannang Sata station in Yala, who scarified his life for the country.

Sompian worked hard for the safety and welfare of locals in his area throughout his career.

The 59-year-old had been based in the deep South for four decades and his dedication had won him the love and respect of the local community. The survey also asked people about the most interesting news of the year. About 55 per cent said politics, followed by flooding and natural disasters in second and drugs and crime in third place.

The happiest news was about loyalty to the royal family. Seeing superstars volunteering at charity events to help children and those with few opportunities in life also cheered people up. Thais helping each other during the flooding that struck many parts of the country situation was the third happiest news.

More than 40 per cent felt that the saddest news was about the social conflicts and political riots. Next were the severe flood situation and the horrible discovery of thousands of aborted foetuses at a temple.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

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FOOTBALL

Violence leaves football referee injured

By The Nation

Local football officials threatened to boycott games in the domestic competition after crowd violence in the game between Nakhon Pathom and Si Sa Ket left referee Apisit Onrak severely injured.

The promotion play-off match between the two sides for a place in the country's top-flight division, Thailand Premier League, ended in a goalless draw. The result appeared more in favour of the visitors, Si Sa Ket, who will face an Air Force side, who are already out of contention for promotion, in their final match.

The melee started when Nakhon Pathom fans invaded the pitch at the end of the game and assaulted referee Apisit. Soon it became a free-for-all between two sets of supporters on and off the field. Dozens of visiting fans were sent to hospital in the latest crowd violence that has marred Thai football.

Chuchai Buaboocha, the head of referee's committee of the Football Association of Thailand, while condemning the incident, said the officials would boycott the matches if there was no guarantee to their safety.

"No one wants such incidents to happen. It shows Thai football has not moved anywhere from the past. We have a new body to evaluate the officials' performance and if they make a mistake in interpreting the rules, there is a punishment to that effect.

"The officials are talking about boycotting games if the authorities fail to come up with adequate measures to guarantee their safety. There is a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) and everything will be clear then. I think the FAT and the home team should have done a better job with regard to security measures.

"I spoke to Apisit. He said he did not favour either side and that his conscious is clear. He insisted that he did not take a bribe as he didn't want to do anything that would tarnish his name as well as his family. The match commissioner also confirmed he did not make any wrong decisions during the game.

"He barely received Bt2,000 for officiating the game. It's such a paltry amount to risk one's life. He has already filed a criminal complaint for physical assault and will leave the matter to judiciary," said Chuchai.

Dr Vichit Yamboonrueng, the TPL president, confirmed there would be punishment to anyone found guilty in the incident.

"As the league organisers, I can guarantee that there would be sanctions against the guilty party in the meeting tomorrow. I can't say much at this stage as we need to collect more evidence," said Vichit.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

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Tsunami anniversary brings back sad memories to Thailand

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EDITORIAL

Should the OIC be given a chance to help in Thailand's South?

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Thai Govt fails in job-approval ratings : poll

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NEW PM'S SEC GEN

Anchalee mum on her elevation

By The Nation

Anchalee

Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr is slated for promotion to replace her boss Korbsak Sabhavasu when he steps down from the position of secretary-general to the prime minister on January 1.

Anchalee, a veteran Democrat from Phuket, has declined to comment on her new job even though PM Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday confirmed her impending promotion.

"This is not yet the time to comment," she said, reminding reporters that she will not assume her new office until after the New Year holiday.

As Korbsak's deputy, Anchalee is familiar with the running of Government House and Abhisit wanted her to take charge of administrative affairs for the time remaining until the early elections, government and party officials said.

They also speculated that Abhisit opted for Anchalee instead of his close aide Sirichok Sopha because he wanted to avoid holding a by-election.

As MP for Songkhla, Sirichok is obligated to vacate his House seat in order to accept a government appointment.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said he saw Anchalee as a wrong choice for the job.

Democrat MP Pichet Phanvichatkul would have been a more suitable candidate to replace Korbsak, Prompong said.

He said he did not believe Korbsak's exit was meant for campaign preparations for a snap election. There were no signs of an early poll, he said, voicing suspicion about the infighting within the Democrat economic team.

He also lashed out at the government's performance report, branding it a publicity stunt to distract from a total failure in every aspect of the job evaluation.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

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POLICE

Police chief rules out political leanings for his staff

By The Nation

National Police Chief Pol Gen Wichien Potephosree said yesterday that the police force under his management would not be divided into left and right wing.

He said the police must carry out their duties without political leanings.

"As long as I am in charge, there would not be the so-called tomato police or red-affiliated police,'' he said.

During the Thaksin administration, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra is known to have been generous to police who were given extra incentives and that had made many police work in support of him and his party.

He said the police had been allocated funds that enabled it to provide special incentives for more than 10,000 investigators to speed up their work. There are six ranks of investigators. The lowest ranking of investigators would get Bt12,000. To increase police efficiency, he would evaluate the performance of investigators within three months.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the salary structure for police would be adjusted in three steps. They would get allowance for the rising cost of living. The salary ceiling would be adjusted and salaries of investigators would be raised independently. Their work evaluation would be carried out with standard and special allowances provided to those with capability.

He said the government had yet to come up with the funds for this purpose.

He said under the police reform, the government was planning to make investigators become independent not only in terms of salary structure but also management so that they could work more efficiently.

He rejected report that the government was planning to bring public prosecutors to work together with investigators.

Abhisit denied reports that the government had asked police to crack down on drugs till January. He said he wanted them to show results, and consistently do the work. "If police are not consistent, the problems will return,'' he said.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

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Reformers' first priority is better teaching standards in Thailand : Tongthong

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OIL

PM vows to keep diesel price below 30

By The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday assured all Thais that the price of diesel would not exceed Bt30 per litre, with the promise to cut the excise tax by Bt2 per litre if crude oil prices rise further after the winter.

In his weekly TV programme, Abhisit said with cash of over Bt30 billion, the Oil Fund is in a position to keep diesel prices under the target until the end of winter - when consumption usually rises with low temperatures in the West and higher travel demands.

He said the excise tax would be a second option, as diesel consumers now pay Bt5 per litre in excise tax.

"Our goal is for oil prices not to skyrocket and create a chain effect. If diesel exceeds Bt30 per litre, the first thing to happen is transport companies will raise charges. Then, goods manufacturers would raise their product prices. We're trying to avoid that effect and we can do it with the Oil Fund and the excise tax," he said.

Diesel in Bangkok is now sold at Bt29.99, with the latest increase last week. The National Energy Policy Council, chaired by the prime minister, will convene on December 30 to approve the Bt5-billion allocation from the Oil Fund for the subsidy. Average oil prices next year are expected to rise 10 per cent on this year, and - alongside pay rises for workers and civil servants - it is expected to push up Thailand's inflation.

Abhisit noted that the pay rises are fair for salary workers and civil servants, whose income does not rise in tandem with goods price increases. The increase in minimum wages, which led to criticism from manufacturers who said they were unfairly bound to respond to the government's push, would slightly increase production costs, say less than 1 per cent.

The PM defended the measures to be announced on January 9, saying they are not meant to buy votes. Next week, he plans a press conference on the grand-scale reform schemes in four areas. He insisted that some schemes do not need any budget, as the government will put its hands on fee restructuring to have more affluent taxpayers take more responsibility.

In the TV programme, Abhisit promised to go ahead with the adjustment of cooking-gas prices, with the industrial sector expected to pay a higher price than household and transport sectors. He said natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand is enough for all households, and it is normal for all countries with such resources to offer the items to their citizens at below-market prices.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

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State of the roads reflect Thailand's social inequality

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R&B singer Teena Marie has died at the age of 54 /via@BNONews

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,023.40, up 1.41 points /MCOT

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Northeastern Police Take Tough Stance Against Narcotics

Police busted drug dealers and seized 2,200 methamphetamine pills in the Northeast.

Meanwhile, police say security will be tight during New Year's celebrations, especially narcotics control.

Region 4 Provincial Police Commander, Police Lieutenant General Somphong Khongphetsak, announced they have arrested three suspected drug dealers and seized 2,200 methamphetamine pills during the bust.

The three suspects have been identified as Maneechan Chitchak, Prasat Rattarat, Rungrot Phonsamart and Wutthichai Phumphan.

Police said Wutthichai Phumphan, who is an employee at the Provincial Electricity Authority, was caught while riding a motorcycle to distribute the pills to teenagers.

Police Lieutenant General Somphong has said police under his jurisdiction will take a tough stance on drug abuse during the New Year's celebrations, vowing to keep a close watch on the matter.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-27

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PM Abhisit wants to raise police salaries to improve performance

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Suthep, Army chief visit deep South

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha visited Pattani Monday morning to be briefed of security measures during the long New Year holidays.

Suthep and Prayuth will visit the Sirinthorn Army base to be briefed of the security measures for the deep south dur9ing the New Year holidays.

They will visit Songkhla in the afternoon and they are scheduled to return to Bangkok at 6:40 pm.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

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Swedish man found dead in Phuket

Mr Felipe Basualto Trincado's passport.

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No fizz for foreign beers in Thai market despite Afta

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AFP: Thai PM Abhisit faces key electoral test in 2011

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REDS LEADER

DSI seeks withdrawing of Jatuporn's bail

By Thai News Agency

The Nation

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) re-submitted on Monday a petition to the Criminal Court to withdraw the bail of red shirts leader Jatuporn Prompan.

The petition of DSI chief Tharit Pengdit claimed that Jatuporn, an opposition MP of Pheu Thai Party, who is charged with terrorism had broken the bail conditions set by the court.

Jatuporn allegedly posed a threat to the safety of witnesses and tampered with evidence and witnesses. In addition, he allegedly threatened the state investigators and obstructed their work.

Moreover Jatuporn had confused the public by wrongly claiming its investigators of preparing an investigation report of the killing of six people sheltering at Wat Pathumwanaram near Ratchaprasong on May 19 and the death of Hiroyuki Muramoto, Japanese cameraman working for Reuters news agency, the petition said.

Thai News Agency quoted the petition as saying whether the document leaked by Mr Jatuporn was genuine or not, the DSI viewed his move as violating the law. He said the DSI has not concluded the cases.

The DSI chief said there is no political interference in the re-submission of the petition. If the judges accepted the request for a hearing, he himself was ready to testify as a witness and will present evidence to the court.

Tharit earlier this month submitted a petition to revoke bail for Jatuporn but the court rejected the request, saying there were insufficient grounds to revoke the bail.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

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Investor Arrested For Unauthorized Excavation In Siracha Forest Area

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IT ROUND UP

Product of the Year: The media tablet

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2010 IT INDUSTRY ROUND-UP

Market of the Year 2010: Smart phones

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Criminal Court to rule tomorrow on DSI's 3rd request to revoke Jatuporn's bail /TAN_Network

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Interior Ministry targets to 10% road accident reduction during New Year; convening holiday highway safety meeting Tuesday /MCOT