Thailand Live Monday 17 Jan 2011

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Lampang walking street packed with people shopping for warm clothes

LAMPANG, 17 January 2011 (NNT) - Locals and tourists have flooded Lampang Walking Street looking for winter wear after the temperature in the northern city has dropped continuously.

Given the temperature has in the past few days dropped continuously in the North, particularly in Lampang Province where the mercury has gone down to as low as 15 Celsius at night , the city’s Lampang Walking Street has been swarming with thousands of people, both locals and tourists, looking for warm winter clothes. Business has been brisk in the past several days, especially at shops selling woolen scarves, hats and jackets.

The Lampang disaster protection and relief office has advised the people to keep themselves warm, get plenty of sleep, and avoid being exposed to the freezing weather for a long period at a time as dewdrops could make them catch a cold.

-- NNT 2011-01-17

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MRT Announces Purple-Line Commercial Plan

The MRT president has announced commercial development plans for the Purple Line that will run from Bang Yai to Bang Sue, pointing out that only one bidder will be granted commercial rights to stations on the line.

Permanent-Secretary of the Transport Minister Supoj Saplom, who is also the president of the Mass Rapid Transport, or the MRT Company, has announced commercial development plans for the Purple Line: Bang Yai-Bang Sue, pointing out that initially the company was planning to grant commercial rights for all of the stations on the line to a single concessionaire.

However, Supoj said it is more appropriate for concessions to be awarded as a single contrac since the number of passengers varies from station to station.

All of the revenue generated from the Purple Line's commercial contracts will be collected by the MRT since the line will be managed under a public private partnership, in which the state will be responsible for rail construction costs, while procurement and maintenance of the trains will be handled by the private sector.

The revenue will be collected by the state and then reimbursed to the private contractor in form of salaries and fees.

It is expected that the selection of the concessionaire will be done within the next 3 to 4 months and that trains will be procured and installed within the next two years.

It has been reported that construction of the MRT Purple Line: Bang Yai-Bang Sue is about 20 percent complete and 1 to 2 percent ahead of schedule.

The transport ministry has also confirmed that construction will be finished and the line will be open for service by 2014.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-17

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Scorpions to Perform Live in Bangkok

After 45 years of performing, German rock band Scorpions has announced its mega farewell world tour, with Bangkok as the only planned tour date in Asia, on February 10.

To support their most recent album “Sting in the Tail” and announce their retirement, German heavy metal rock band Scorpions said it will perform in Bangkok on February 10 at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani.

At the press conference, the concert's two major sponsors Thai Bev and Penada Entertainment said the 'Get Your Sting and Blackout' world tour is set to run from March 2010 to November 2011 and Bangkok is the only Asia date set for the tour.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-17

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Frozen dewdrops happen in Loei

Loei - Frozen dewdrops were spotted in several villages in Loei's Phurua district Monday morning, the district chief said.

Thanapol Channimi, the Phurua district chief, said the cold weather attracted a lot of tourists to the popular Phurua Mountain over the weekend.

Khamphan Butraj, chief of Loei Weather Office, said the mercury in Phurua district dropped to 7 Celsius degree Monday morning while the temperature at the Phurua National Park dropped to 6.8 C, Phuluang Wildlife Sanctuary at 5 C, Phu Kradueng National Park at 5.2 and Phu Suansai National Park at 9.5 C.

-- The Nation 2011-01-17

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Chalerm says he will not join censure debate

Chalerm Yoobamrung, the chairman of Pheu Thai Party MPs, said he will not take part in the censure debate under the ledership of Pheu Thai MP Mingkwan Saengsuwan.

Chalerm admitted that the Pheu Thai is likely to assign Mingkwan to lead the censure showdown against the government as Mingkwan has won the blessing of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to become the party's prime minister candidate.

The Pheu Thai is required by the Constitution to nominate a prime minister candidate in its censure motion.

Chalerm said he was willing to provide his information to Mingkwan but he would not speak during the debate.

He decided to opt out of the debate because he learnt that the debate would be held in a compromising manner, not a head-on clash in line with his style.

-- The Nation 2011-01-17

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PM promises to lift emergency in more southern districts

Pattani - Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday promised that his government would consider lifting the state of emergency in more districts in the southern border province.

He said Mae Lan district in Pattani was the pilot district where the government has lifted the state of emergency.

Abhisit said the government would gradually replace the enforcement of emergency decree in the deep South with normal laws.

"This will be crucial change in five years. The government wants to make the people's living more convenient and comfortable," Abhisit said in his speech at a ceremony in Mae Lan.

"The government is willing to solve violence with peaceful measures andto avoid the use of violence. We will give priority to political measures over military operations."

-- The Nation 2011-01-17

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PM remits Bt512 million to 2,248 villages in far South

Pattani - Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday transferred Bt512 million to the accounts of 2,248 villages in southern border provinces for development projects.

The prime minister chaired the money transferring money held in Mae Lan district in Pattani.

The 2,248 villages are in 44 districts in five provinces in the deep South.

The government hopes the development projects would be a peaceful measure to reduce violence in the region.

-- The Nation 2011-01-17

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Similan and Surin national parks diving paradises may be closed

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Confessed Apple, Nokia pirate back on Phuket streets

More than 600 items, including fake Apple and Nokia devices, were

seized in the raid.

Mr Thanapon with the arresting officers at the press conference

yesterday.

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SET index closed at 1023.19, down 9.07; Bt/USD30.42; GBP48.14; AUD30.01; EUR40.26; CAD30.68; HKD3.91; SGD23.44; JPY36.50

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All 15 Nan districts declared cold-spell disaster zones

All 15 districts in Nan were declared cold-spell disaster zones after the mercury there dropped to about 6 to 11 Celsius degree Monday morning.

Thawat Phetweera, chief of the Nan Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said the on-going cold spell prompted the entire province to be declared disaster zones.

He said the Nan provincial administration would spend Bt9 million to buy 50,000 blankets and jackets to distribute to the poor in the province.

-- The Nation 2011-01-17

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SOUTH CRISIS

PM visited Pattani to commemorate slain teachers

By The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday visited Pattani province to commemorate teachers who have been victims of the southern unrest.

PM's visit is on the occassion of the Teachers' Day which happened on Sunday. He also visited the family of a teacher who was recently killed.

At about 6.30 am this morning, the premier and Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat went to the deep south to chair a ceremony honouring Southern teachers at the CS Pattani Hotel. This is the third event organised to commemorate teachers in the southernmost provinces who have lost their lives carrying out their duties and to express condolences to their families.

Despite the deaths of 138 teachers and the injuries sustained by many more, local teachers still remain strong and true to their ideology, which is to provide education to local youngsters though knowing that they are putting their lives on the line.

The unrest started in 2004 and has disrupted the lives of residents in the area and severely affected the educational arena, with teachers constantly targeted. The prime minister said, "It is such a shame that teachers are the target of this unrest. I really admire their spirits to keep working under such circumstances towards peace."

Abhisit also attended the funeral of Pattani teacher Manote Chadarat who was fatally shot on January 15. There, the premier also gave Bt590,000 in compensation to the teacher's family.

The prime minister and his entourage then returned to Bangkok in time for the economic ministers meeting at the Government House at 3pm.

-- The Nation 2011-01-17

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Caltex raises gasoline, gasohol prices by 20 satang/litre, effective Tuesday; diesel prices unchanged /MCOT

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Public Health Ministry confirms 2 deaths from cold weather; warns of 6 cold related diseases in 11 provinces /TANN

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PattayaOne, Issue #8, is ready for download.

Inside this issue: Foreign crime gang activity increasing in Pattaya

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Two Thais succumbed to the brass monkey weather

BANGKOK, 17 January 2011 (NNT)—Two Thai have succumbed to the freezing weather, not 27 as reported earlier, according to the Health Minister. Meanwhile 11 provinces have been declared cold-spell disaster zones.

Health minister Jurin Laksanavisith has disclosed that two people, not 27, have reportedly died from the cold weather in the upper part of the country; one of the dead was from Loei, the other from Chiengrai.

As for the health situation during the winter in December 2010, 24,000 people have come down with six major types of illness: cold, flu, measles, German measles, chicken pox, and diarrhea; the number of the afflicted is down from the nearly 45,000 reported in 2009, however, according to the Minister.

Meanwhile, 11 provinces including Tak, Mae Hong Son, Chiengmai, Chiengrai, Payao,Nan, Loei, Udon-Thani, Nong Kai, Sakon Nakon, and nakon Panom. Have been declared cold-spell disaster zones by the Ministry.

-- NNT 2011-01-17

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Phuket to host Deep South food fair

A poster publicizing the event near Tesco-Lotus in Phuket's Rassada district.

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Rally at Bangkok's Ratchaprasong

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New Patong one-way system now in place

A foreigner is stopped as he tries to drive down Soi Bangla

against the new one-way traffic flow.

A car exits Soi Ruamjai, which now heads toward the beach road.

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FLASH: Apple CEO Steve Jobs says the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence /via @Reuters

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Steve Jobs internal memo: “I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can.." /via@klustout

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to be continued

Thailand Live Tuesday 18 January 2011