Thailand Live Saturday 15 Jan 2011

[webfact]

Thailand Live Saturday 15 January 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

with webfact

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.

FOLLOW US:

You can also follow us on

- Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgebkk

- Google Buzz: http://www.google.com/profiles/thaivisa

- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThaiVisaNews

- Breaking News via SMS text messages to your mobile phone or handheld device

To subscribe dial *424010011 on AIS, One-2-Call, DTAC or True Move networks

14 days complementary subscription for Thaivisa members.

If you have questions about the Breaking News SMS service,

email: sms [at] thaivisa.com

________________________________________________________________________________

Thailand's current weather and forecasts: http://weather.thaivisa.com/

________________________________________________________________________________

Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 14 Jan 2011

[webfact]

Govt Revs Up Drug Suppression

The deputy prime minister in charge of security affairs has instructed police to step up drug suppression and improve cooperation among their units to enhance operational efficiency.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, along with the army and national police chiefs and the interior minister, delivered policies on drug prevention and suppression to police personnel.

He offered praise for police officers who have worked to their utmost to curb drug abuse and drug-related crimes.

Suthep instructed all police units to devise a systematic cooperation plan to improve their operational efficiency in addressing the drug problem.

He said a press conference will be held on January 21 to announce operation results to the public, one month after the prime minister announced a fresh crackdown on drugs.

The deputy prime minister noted that he has ordered provincial governors to review and adjust operation plans within a week to reduce drug use and drug-related crimes within three months.

He also instructed provincial governors to come up with a plan to crack down on war weapon smuggling since the crime is the problem that the premier is worried about and the general public are also directly affected by the problem.

The interior minister asked provincial governors to step up anti-drug campaigns to create confidence among the public.

Meanwhile, the army chief ordered his subordinates and related agencies to implement proactive measures to seriously crack down on drugs as the problem is a threat to national security.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-15

[webfact]

American with outstanding US warrant in US$93m fraud case arrested in Bangkok

Follow this link:

[webfact]

NEW!

Follow thaivisa.com on Google Buzz:

http://www.google.com/profiles/thaivisa

[webfact]

Curfew must not impinge on children's rights: NHRC

Follow this link:

[webfact]

SPECIAL

Teachers 'need to change first'

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Environment report paints bleak picture for Thailand

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Bangchak assures supplies after fire at Bangkok diesel unit

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Fate of bail pleas will be known next week: PM

By The Nation

Cambodian court processing applications of five still jailed; Alleged illegal border crossing 'won't affect long-term solutions

The Cambodian court is processing the bail appeals of the five Thais still in custody for encroaching on Cambodian territory and it will be known by next week whether they will be granted bail, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

Asked about other legal or diplomatic channels the Thai government could tap, the PM said: "There is still a possibility. The court order allowing temporary release of two other Thais [Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and yellow-shirt activist Narumol Jittawarattana] points to a positive trend. But we still need to secure the release of the five others in detention. The appeals process has commenced and by the next week the outcome will be known."

Asked whether the recent release of 100 Cambodian illegal immigrants was a goodwill gesture because of the current row, Abhisit said such releases regularly take place but did not always make news. "The releases are standard procedures, but when the situation returns to normal, regulations and measures will be discussed in detail and made into a standard to prevent possible hiccups or any other incidents that could snowball into conflicts," he added.

He said the issue of the seven Thais' alleged encroachment on Cambodian soil would not be problematic for long-term solutions to the border dispute. "Everything will be dealt with, with the big picture in view, either locally through joint border committees or globally through the World Heritage body," he added.

Reacting to the threat by Chaiwat Sinsuwong, a leader of the Thai Patriots Network which threatened to shut down the border checkpoint in Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet in protest against the government inaction on the issue, the prime minister said he was ordering relevant authorities to contain the protest. He said a meeting with protest leaders was possible. "But many of them now seem unwilling to sit down and listen. That's the problem," he said.

Chaiwat changed his mind yesterday morning about following up on his earlier threat to mobilise Network members in Sa Kaew, reportedly after local activists and vendors held a counter-protest to deter his group. Instead, he organised a rally outside the Defence Ministry compound, to call on the military to clarify about border locations and whether the seven Thais were still on Thai soil when they were arrested by Cambodian troops on December 29.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thanee Thongphakdee said the court had not given details for its decision not to grant bail to the five Thais, after setting free Democrat Panich and Narumol, reportedly on health grounds. He said Panich had chronic high blood pressure and was suffering from inspect bites in the prison while Narumol had a thyroid problem.

He said Cambodia's Interior Ministry had agreed to allow Thai lawyers appointed by the Network to soon meet the five detainees at Prey Sar prison. He said the Thai lawyers may ask to jointly represent the seven Thais in the next court session, after they meet Cambodian defence lawyers in the coming days.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban called on the Network-led protesters not to cause disturbance to the public and obey the law. He dismissed the Network's threat to shut the border checkpoint, saying it was solely the government's prerogative.

ML Somphongwadee, the mother of MP Panich, said she was relieved after learning of her son's release. She said he was now undergoing medical treatment for rashes stemming from insect bites.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[webfact]

A very long road ahead to Abhisit's 'quality society'

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Five Laotian women rescued from forced prostitution

Five Laotian women were rescued from a Chon Buri karaoke bar where prostitution is allegedly provided.

Bar owner Saijit Khamsri, a Thai woman, admitted to hiring the five women without work permit as hostesses but not as prostitutes. She claimed that the Laotian women, aged 19-25 years, asked for jobs at her bar, and worked at their own will.

A police taskforce raided the bar in Sattahip district at the request of the Laotian embassy, which reportedly received a tip-off from another Laotian woman who escaped from the bar, allegedly after she was forced to serve clients sexually.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[webfact]

Formula for apportioning House seats will be focus of dinner

By The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday confirmed he would personally intervene and meet with his coalition partners on January 25 to solicit their support for the apportionment of House seat under a constitutional amendment.

"I am sure our differences will not become a drop of honey [to cause a break-up]," he said.

The Democrats plan to host a dinner to thrash out a solution to apportion the House seats. The main coalition party is pushing for the formula of 375 seats for constituency MPs and 125 for party-list MPs. The junior coalition parties are in favour of the 400-100 formula.

Critics say that under the 375-125 formula, the Democrats would gain an advantage over smaller parties. Big parties would be destined to win a bigger portion of proportionate votes cast for party-list MPs.

The reduction of constituency House seats from 400 to 375 would result in 24 provinces seeing lower numbers of MPs representing them. Of the total reduction, the South would see only a loss of four House seats. The Democrats, who have strongholds in the South, would be compensated by the projected proportionate votes to win more party-list seats.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said after the party's meeting yesterday that it had not reached a conclusion on the issue. Some MPs proposed that all the Pheu Thai MPs vote to support the 400-100 formula, while others said the MPs should vote freely and still others insisted that Pheu Thai MPs boycott the charter amendment.

The party will survey people's opinions and wait to see the Democrats' stance after the talk with coalition parties.

Abhisit yesterday also confirmed that he had the nominations of Kuakul Danchaiwichit as a deputy transport minister and Boonjong Wongtrairat as a deputy interior minister from their respective parties, Chart Thai Pattana and Bhum Jai Thai.

The Cabinet's Secretariat is checking their qualifications before presenting them for royal endorsement, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[webfact]

Suthep 'confident' latest crackdown will ease Thailand's drug problem

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Pheu Thai to discuss censure motion next week

By The Nation

The opposition Pheu Thai Party will hold another discussion next week on when to propose a censure motion against the government and who will lead the censure debate, the party spokesman said yesterday.

Prompong Nopparit said the party's committee monitoring government activities had informed MPs that the information for the censure debate is ready. The debate framework will be on whether government projects have lacked transparency or legitimacy or have failed outright.

The party plans to get right to the point on alleged government mismanagement in the shortest possible time and with the fewest speakers, he said.

In a separate development, Democrat Party leader's spokesman Thepthai Seanapong said the midyear budget being studied by the Finance Ministry was not a ploy to bribe coalition parties as alleged by the Pheu Thai Party.

"It is the responsibility of the Finance Ministry to consider whether a midyear budget is necessary," Thepthai said. "The ministry has brought in more revenue than it had estimated because the government has done well in stimulating the economy. The money will be allocated for a midyear budget to rehabilitate damage from the flooding and to compensate the fiscal reserve."

He said the budget allocation would be transparent and the Pheu Thai Party could examine it at any time.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[webfact]

Red shirts agree to limit Ratchaprasong rally to two hours

By The Nation

Red-shirt protesters have agreed to limit their January 23 rally to two hours and not block access to shopping malls, hotels and other buildings in the Ratchaprasong area.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau brokered this deal between the red-shirt movement and the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association.

Participants at the mediation included red-shirt leader Thida Thawornseth, Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan, trade association chairman Chai Srivikorn and Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt-General Jakthip Kunchorn na Ayutthaya.

Jakthip welcomed the agreement, saying it was a positive sign that the plight of Ratchaprasong residents and business operators was being taken into consideration.

"With cooperation from the red shirts, the traffic police will ensure that traffic flow doesn't get disrupted and access is allowed to all buildings in the area," he said.

Thida said the red shirts would protest at Ratchaprasong intersection for about two hours before moving to the Democracy Monument on Rajdamnoen Avenue.

The red-shirt leader added that under the agreement she expected the rally to have a minimal impact on businesses. She also dismissed allegations that the red shirts had blocked traffic in the area during previous rallies.

Jatuporn, meanwhile, welcomed the talks, saying this was the first time that the two sides had the opportunity to gain an understanding of one another.

Chai said he was pleased with the outcome even though neither side had come out victorious. Still, this agreement would at least offer business operators a chance to make necessary adjustments in the face of recurring rallies in the area, he said.

Meanwhile, the head of a senatorial committee yesterday called on the Department of Special Investigation to expedite its investigation into the deaths of red-shirt protesters for fear of tampering with the evidence.

Senator Jittipoj Wiriyaroj, the Si Sa Ket senator who heads the senatorial committee on current affairs, said that he was concerned the progress in the DSI investigation was too slow. He said that as far as he knew, there had been no examinations of the firearms believed to be used in the killings of the protesters.

"If there is no examination soon, the evidence could be tampered with or could

be lost. If that is the case, it will be difficult to find the culprits," he said, adding that 13 cases were believed to involve government security forces.

He was speaking after his panel heard testimony by DSI investigator Police Lt-Colonel Payao Thongsen about the DSI probe into last year's political unrest.

The senator said yesterday that his committee would convene its next meeting on Monday, when human rights activist Somchai Homlaor, a member of the government-appointed Truth and Reconciliation Committee, would be invited to testify about the findings by that panel, which is chaired by former attorney-general Kanit Nanakorn.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[webfact]

AFP: More charges in forced labor of Thais on US farms

Follow this link:

[webfact]

One Local Killed, Two Foreigners Injured In Pattaya Motorbike Accident

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Russians involved in shoe shop incident in south Pattaya

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Grant scheme aims to reward, motivate quality teachers

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Pichet takes case against Islamic committee leaders to court

By The Nation

Pichet Sathirachawal, secretary-general of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, yesterday filed theft and criminal conspiracy charges against Chularatchamontree (Muslim Spiritual Leader) Asis Phithakkhumphol and executive member Surin Palare, after he was replaced by Surin in a recent CICT order.

Relying on a Council of State legal interpretation as to whether the CICT's replacement order is legitimate, Pichet also filed both charges against all 43 CICT executive members for their reimbursement of more than Bt400,000 in meeting and travel allowances spent in internal meetings to proceed with his eventual replacement.

Pichet said he was still legitimately the CICT secretary-general, as both the replacement order and selection of Surin, a police major-general, were in violation of CICT regulations. Both offences in Pichet's written allegations allegedly took place at the CICT headquarters in Bangkok's Nong Chok district between October 4 and 12 last year.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[webfact]

DPM Suthep: No Thai troop reinforcement at Thai-Cambodian border at Sisaket; opposes Democrat MPs visiting Phnom Penh to meet Panich /MCOT

[webfact]

THAI to buy 37 new aircraft; effect 7% salary increase for staff

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Shell raises Gasohol 91 price by 20 satang/litre, Gasohol 95 by 10 satang/litre, cut B5 by 20 satang/litre, effective Saturday /MCOT

[webfact]

PM hopes Cambodian court will grant bail for five Thais; denies rumour Cambodian PM's close aide detained in Thailand /MCOT

[webfact]

4 injured as Bang Sue-Hat Yai, Butterworth-Had Yai trains collide at Phatthalung; 400 passengers stranded; service expected to resume today /MCOT

[webfact]

Thailand deports 199 illegal Cambodians working without work permits in Bangkok, no legal action against them, but sent them back through Sa Kaeo border checkpoint /MCOT

[webfact]

5 killed, 30 injured in Khon Kaen bus accident

Follow this link:

[webfact]

8 injured in three-train crash in Phatthalung

Phatthalung - A cargo train crashed into a passenger train parked at the provincial station here Friday night, hurling a carriage to hit another passenger train, train officials said.

The accident occurred at the Phatthalung station at 10:30 pm.

The engine of the cargo train broke down, causing the train to block the railway. When the Butterworth-Hat Yai-Bangkok train arrived, the train was parked at the station so that its engine was used to retrieve the cargo train to the station to stop blocking the railroad.

But when the cargo train was pulling to the station, it could not stop in time and hit into the Butterwort-Bangkok train. A carriage of the cargo train was hurled by the impact to hit the Phatthalung-Nakhon Si Thammarat train being parked on another track.

Eight people in the Phatthalung-Nakhon Si Thammarat train were injured. Five were railway officials and three were passengers, Phatthalung station chief Wijit Jitranon said.

Seven of the injured suffered minor injuries and were discharged after treatment. The other suffered a head injury and needed to receive a surgery.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[webfact]

Smash and grab in Pattaya nets over 50,000 Baht

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Pattani teacher going home after class shot dead by Southern insurgents; assistant village head killed by gunfire in Narathiwat /MCOT