Thailand Live Thursday 6 Jan 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 6 January 2011

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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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 5 Jan 2011

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Cabinet OKs media protection bill

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Cabinet has given a green light to the media protection bill while an independent agency will be established to oversee the bill’s enactment.

Deputy Government Spokesman Watchara Kannika stated that the cabinet had approved, in principle, the media protection bill as proposed by Prime Minister’s Office Minister Satit Wonghnongtaey in a bid to protect the rights of media members.

In addition, the Cabinet also agreed to set up a media organization, which will have no affiliation with the government. It will act like a law council, responsible for reviewing regulations and other details of the bill prior to its proposal to Parliament.

-- NNT 2011-01-06

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Industry Min to inspect Rayong, shut down harmful industrial projects

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Industry Ministry has been assigned to inspect industrial sites in Rayong province and to halt any project found to be hazardous to the environment.

Industry Vice Minister Puttipong Punnakan revealed that the Industry Ministry, together with related agencies, had been tasked by the Prime Minister to visit the eastern province of Rayong in a bid to ensure that the environment is protected from chemical contamination and toxic volatile matters.

Mr Puttipong stated that well-trained officials would be sent to the Map Ta Phut industrial estate to examine the effects of volatile matters and chemical contamination caused by industrial activities. There are approximately 19 chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may harm the environment if used inappropriately.

The vice minister elaborated that if any kind of hazardous chemicals is found with the level of concentration exceeding the limit, the ministry would immediately suspend the project responsible.

-- NNT 2011-01-06

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At Least 17 Finns Injured by Fireworks in Thailand

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TOT Invests Bt1.2Bn In International Internet Bandwidth:

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Legal cigarette buying age to be raised to 20: Jurin

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ANTI-SMOKING LAWS

Tobacco industry and smokers face new measures

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CHILDREN'S DAY

Call to save traditional toys

By The Nation

More than 300 traditional toys have disappeared from Thai society, a conservationist group said recently.

Rung Aroon Thai Toys Group coordinator Taweesap Namkajornroj said yesterday that traditional toys were becoming extinct because the urban lifestyle was taking over.

"Children are now addicted to the Internet and cellphones," he said, adding that wooden tops and bamboo frisbees used be very popular not so long ago, but they do not attract youngsters these days.

"You will only see these toys at demonstrations or special events," Taweesap lamented.

He said traditional toys were designed to help boost the development of children. "Toys that make a sound are good for children's hearing," he pointed out. Similarly, kites are good because they encourage kids to run.

Taweesap said these toys are part of Thailand's cultural heritage and people should help conserve them. Traditional games and toys will be on display at Nakhon Pathom's wax museum on Saturday, the National Children's Day.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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HORROR TOLLWAY ACCIDENT

Girl involved in tragic tollway accident says that she is sorry

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BORDER DISPUTES

Thai detainees in Cambodia seek bail

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GOLF

Young guns add spice to Royal Trophy

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World Court invited by red shirts to observe at leaders' trials

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THAI TALK

Will the rabbit offer a year of relief for Thailand ? Don't bet on it

By Suthichai Yoon

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Thai Govt should be scientific about boundary issue

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Mayor caught red-handed

By The Nation

Mayor of Muang Khu Khot Municipality of Pathum Thani's Lam Luk Ka district was caught taking bribes from a contractor yesterday morning. However, he denied any wrongdoing.

The 67-year-old Metha Jaiborisut was arrested at his office along with two envelopes carrying the alleged bribes. The first envelope had the following written on it: "Water pump station in Soi Khaeng Khan 4: Bt1.15 million x 3 per cent = Bt34,652" and contained Bt34,660 in cash, while the second envelope read: "Bridge expansion Bt510,000 x 3 per cent = Bt15,300" and contained Bt15,300.

Counter Corruption Division commander Pol Maj-General Surachai Khuandechakoop said the arrest resulted from water-pump contractor Charoen Chokthaveevisan alerting the police about Metha's demand for bribes. So, police showed up to arrest Metha as soon as Charoen handed him the envelopes. Apart from these two envelopes, police found another packet carrying bribes.

Metha denied any wrongdoing, saying that Charoen had come to wish him a happy New Year and handed him the envelopes. He said he didn't know they contained cash and had not noticed what was written on it. He insisted that he had nothing to do with the project in question, as it came under the public works division. He said the project had already been completed and all he knew was that the contractor had been fined because he violated the contract by delaying the project.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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Noise payments need stakeholders' OK, says AAT

By The Nation

The Airport Authority of Thailand is paying compensation to residents living near Suvarnabhumi Airport for the excessive noise they are suffering - but, as a listed company, it needs stakeholders's approval for further payments, deputy AAT director Somchai Sawasdeephol said yesterday.

AAT has bought 93 homes or buildings - and is in the process of buying another 27- in 40 communities located in a Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) zone. Owners of another 30 buildings have not agreed to prices proposed by the AAT.

AAT has paid for renovation to 317 buildings for noise reduction and absorbance. Owners of 882 buildings in another NEF zone have been given money for renovations as have 20 schools, religious places and public health facilities.

AAT secured Cabinet approval last August to make payment for another 6,424 buildings which may be affected by a different pattern of plane landings in the cold season.

"But as a listed company, the AAT needs to obtain stakeholders' approval for further payments in such a case," he added.

AAT has been paying monthly an accumulative amount of Bt1,215 million to those affected, said Somchai, who did not give details about the overall sum AAT has been required to meet under an order of the Central Administrative Court.

Somchai's statement was made reportedly in the wake of recent complaints to the court by affected residents, asking the court to hasten payment of an amount totalling hundreds of millions of baht.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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Goal: Better access to health services

By The Nation

The National Health Security Office's focus this year will be making patient access to medical services more convenient.

Dr Winai Sawasdivor, secretary-general of the NHSO, said three main areas were targeted for improvement - sharing information with the other two health schemes, encouraging public participation by allowing people to own health funds and extending coverage to neglected diseases.

The NHSO's database for patients with chronic diseases would be linked to the Social Security Fund and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit plan so people can continue to receive care if they change their health insurance, he said.

This year, people can hold shares in healthcare coverage funds so they can propose their own plans and manage them.

So far Bt2.4 billion has been allocated to support more than 90 per cent of local administrative organisations in setting up illness-prevention funds in response to demand for healthcare services. The funds will promote activities that change people's health behaviour. However, local bodies have hardly been involved in this process over recent years.

The NHSO is studying reimbursing the cost of drugs to treat neglected diseases. It will come up with a resolution on which diseases should be included in universal healthcare coverage, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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Buddha's birthplace to be developed to make merit for Their Majesties

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Road smashes down but more die over New Year

By Wattana Khamchoo

The Nation

The total of 3,497 crashes and 3,750 injuries during the "Seven Dangerous Days" over New Year's holidays may have been lower than for the same period last year - but the number of 358 deaths was up by 11.

On January 4 alone, 270 accidents took place killing 33 people and injuring 297 others.

Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban, in his capacity as Road Safety Centre director, said yesterday the number of overall crashes was 37 fewer, while the injuries total was 77 fewer than the same period last year. Most crashes resulted from drunk driving at 41.24 per cent followed by speeding over the legal limit at 20.42 per cent, Suthep said. Vehicles most involved were motorcycles at 83.24 per cent. Slightly over half of the accidents (58.39 per cent) took place on straight sections of road, Suthep said.

Phitsanulok and Chiang Rai saw the highest number of accidents at 122 each, while Lop Buri had the highest deaths at 13. Chiang Rai reported the most injuries - 131. Trat was the only province with no road accident deaths reported, he said.

During 2010, 2.6 million new vehicles - two million of them motorcycles - were registered, said Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wiboon Sanguanpong. Regarding road deaths, the Northeast had a 51.72 per cent increase, Central a 4.35 per cent increase, while the North recorded an 11.11 per cent drop and the South a 22.86 per cent drop on last year's figures.

Although satisfied in general with the department's work, Wiboon said he wasn't happy with the increase in deaths. Authorities would analyse the problems in each region and risky spots, as well as campaign for helmet wearing, road safety culture and more breath analysers.

A four-vehicle pile-up in Pathum Thani's Lam Lukka district killed two men and injured four others yesterday morning. The vehicles involved were a Honda motorcycle, a taxi, a sedan and a pick-up truck, police said. The two men killed were on the motorbike. Police said the bike was turning to another road when a taxi collided with it, and two tailing vehicles couldn't stop in time, resulting in the pile-up.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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Suthep denies Democrats to benefit from charter changes

By THE NATION

The Democrat Party secretary-general yesterday rejected rumours that the ruling party would benefit the most from constitutional amendments regarding changes to the number of MPs from constituencies and from the party-list system of proportional representation.

"For every change, there are people who like it and those who don't like it. That is also the case in the Democrat Party, because everyone has the right to express views," Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said. "I can insist that the Democrat Party does not think about the advantages or disadvantages."

The amendment draft that would change Articles 93 to 98 of the Constitution seeks to reduce the number of constituency MPs from 400 at present to 375, and increase the number of party-list MPs from 100 at present to 125. As a result, 24 provinces would see the number of their MPs reduced by one or two each - mostly in the North and Northeast because of the larger population, while the South, which is the Democrat Party's stronghold, would only lose four seats.

The opposition Pheu Thai Party will not take part in voting on charter change involving MP numbers, on whether the ratio would be retained at 400-100 as proposed by smaller coalition parties or changed to 375-125 as favoured by the Democrat Party, Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said yesterday.

"Pheu Thai will not take part in the voting. We will focus on fielding election candidates to win as many parliamentary seats as possible," Prompong said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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Parents urged to celebrate with books

By The Nation

Reading will boost young minds and strengthen family ties, seminar told

Parents should give books to their children on the coming National Children's Day to stimulate their imagination and strengthen family ties, Dr Wilasinee Adulyanon said at a seminar yesterday.

Wilasinee heads the Thai Health Promotion Foundation's Social Communication and Campaign Section.

The seminar on gifts for National Children's Day was held under the joint collaboration of the foundation, the Office of the Educational Council, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Non-Formal Education Office. National Children's Day falls on the second Saturday of January each year.

Wilasinee said the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) suggested each household should have at least three books for small children if the family had children under five years of age.

"But in Thailand, less than half of families have at least three books," she pointed out.

Wilasinee said the number of books for small children in Thailand's market was limited and she urged all agencies to help solve the problem.

Assoc Prof Thiranan Anawatsiriwong, a lecturer at the Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Communication Arts, said the country needed to seriously review books available for children in the market.

"Most children's books are now translations. Artistic books and constructive books are disappearing from bookshelves. There are hardly any books that preach non-violence these days," he said.

Acting Government Spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn, meanwhile, announced many activities would be held to mark the National Children's Day at Government House between 8.30am and 3.30pm on Saturday.

They include a tour around Government House, an opportunity to sit on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's desk, games, drawing contests, and handwriting contests.

Free ice-cream, drinks, and free haircut will be provided.

Abhisit will also meet with students' and youth representatives to answer their questions. The sessions will be broadcast live via a teleconferencing system.

Abhisit has made, "Be Prudent, Be Thoughtful, and Be Public-Minded" the motto for this year's National Children's Day.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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7 Thais to Stand Trial This Morning

Thai press are waiting for additional reports about the seven Thais detained by Cambodian authorities who will be standing trial this morning at 8 A.M. Each defendant will be questioned by the court before bail request proceedings can start. The latest reports indicate that the seven have been transported to the court dressed in blue prison uniforms.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-06

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INN: 7 detained Thais arrive at court; Veera looks worried as he could face additional charges of espionage /TAN_Network

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7 Thais Maintain They Unintentionally Wandered Onto Cambodian Soil

The seven Thais standing trial in Cambodia for illegal entry maintain to the court that they did not intentionally encroach on Cambodian soil. They said they got lost and unintentionally wandered over the border.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-06

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ICT confirms 500,000 smart cards will be distributed by end of January

BANGKOK, 6 January 2011 (NNT) - The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry has confirmed that the first batch of 500,000 smart identification cards will be distributed by the end of January, with 9 million more coming.

The ICT Ministry has announced that the first lot of the long-delayed smart cards, numbering 500,000 , will be ready for use by the end of the month. The delay in distribution of the cards since the middle of last year was because the cards’ design did not conform to the specifications set by the Interior Ministry.

The ICT Ministry said that it had found the solution, adjusting the Interior Ministry’s regulations in terms of the card’s patterns which would allow the ministry to take delivery of the cards already produced. The adjustment is currently underway. The regulation change would be forwarded to the Cabinet for approval, after which it would be published in the royal gazette before being in effect.

-- NNT 2011-01-06

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,055.36, up 4.58 points /MCOT

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Ayutthaya Tries to Woo World Expo 2020 Organizers

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Condition of Famous Abbot Improves

The condition of a famous Buddhist monk is improving continuously, as he is currently being treated at his temple under the close supervision of doctors.

Venerable Buddhist monk Luang Ta Maha Bua, the abbot at Wat Pa Baan Taad Temple in Udon Thani Province was allowed to leave the hospital after his condition improved considerably.

Treatment is being continued at his temple, under the close watch of a team of doctors from Siriraj, Srinakaridara, Khon Kaen, and Udon Thani hospitals.

The revered monk is receiving both modern treatment and herbal remedies.

He is now able to eat normally, but also continues to be provided with intravenous supplements.

Doctors found no signs of complications so far, as the monk's blood pressure appears to be normal.

He is fully conscious and has no problems with his memory.

The front areas of his residence was crowded with devotees who came to wish him a quick recovery, as well as to pay homage to the monk.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-06

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BORDER DISPUTE

Khmer court starts hearing against seven Thais

A Cambodian court on Thursday commenced its hearings against seven Thais including a Democrat MP charged with illegal entry into Cambodia.

The seven were also accused of entering a Cambodian military base without permission.

A TV footage showed MP Panich Vikitseth and activist Veera Somkwamkit entering a court building one by one. No one talked to reporters; Panich, a Bangkok MP just waved to the waiting reporters; both Thais and Khmers.

The group were arrested while inspecting a site in Sa Kaew's Kok Soong district, which is opposite Banteay Meanchay province of Cambodia last Wednesday.

They were taken to Phnom Penh and detained in a central prison, pending trial.

Earlier reports said they will testify before court one by one. Then the court will decide whether to consider the case.

The group were quoted as saying that they were still on the Thai soil on the time of arrest, while the Cambodian side which claimed otherwise.

Unconfirmed reports said Veera, an activist who was previously arrested and charged with the similar charges, may be also charged with spying.

-- The Nation 2011-01-06

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Landslide in Songkhla kills one teacher; Flood forces 12 schools in Phatthalung to close /MCOT