Thailand Live Tuesday 25 Jan 2011

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Thailand Live Tuesday 25 January 2011

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 sothat 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 Monday 24 Jan 2011

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Thailand deals with issue of contaminated vegetable exports

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thailand will invite representatives from the European Union (EU) to inspect the quality of Thai agricultural produce after Thai vegetable exports have been halted temporarily due to contamination of quarantine pests.

According to Thai Trade Representative (TTR) Kiat Sitthiamorn, the Thai Ambassador to Brussel on 25 January 2011 will seek talks with the EU to propose solutions to quarantine pests found in five groups of Thai vegetabes.

Mr Kiat said the Thai side would propose to inspect the agricultural produce from origins as well as invite EU representatives to help inspect the vetgetables in Thailand. This would help those good Thai entrepreneurs to avoid impacts from the export suspension.

There are five main groups of agricultural produce suspended from export to the EU, including Ocimum Spp, Capsicum Spp, Solanum melongena, Momordica charantia and Eryngium foetidum, comprising 16 vegetables.

-- NNT 2011-01-25

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Thai Oil donates gasoline to support assistance operations for flood victims

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thai Oil Plc has provided gasoline worth one million THB to the Second Army Region in order to facilitate their operations in helping flood victims in 10 northeastern provinces.

Second Army Region Commander, Lieutenant General Thawatchai Samutsakorn, said the donation which was made today, would enable restoration operations to be faster.

The donated gasoline would be used in transporting necessary equipment to the flood-affected areas in 10 northeastern provinces where reconstruction will be implemented.

He said urgent rehabilitation was particularly required in Chaiyaphum and Nakhon Ratchasima where 1,400 households were seriously affected by the recent flooding.

Apart from repairs and construction works, army officers are also helping villagers with occupational training.

-- NNT 2011-01-25

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Complaints flood Commerce Min over expensive pork

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Numerous people have lodged complaints with the Commerce Ministry over retailers’ maintenance of pork price at 110-120 THB per kilogram despite the downward adjustment in accordance with the current market mechanism.

The Ministry of Commerce revealed that a large number of complaints had been received from the public about overpriced pork at about 110-120 THB a kilo, as opposed to the ministry’s set price of 105-110 THB. A survey has thus been conducted on the reason behind the expensive pork and found that middlemen and market vendors were responsible as they refused to lower their prices in line with the price of live pigs, which had reduced from 57-60 THB per kilogram to only 51-53 THB. Given the cheaper pig price, the retail pork price at present is supposed to stand around 100 THB a kilo.

Besides causing a burden on buyers, the high retail price of pork could also contribute to lower income among farmers due to a slowdown in pork consumption and less demand in the market. Even though farmers are now more relieved about the rebounding price of live pigs from its slump in the past 1-2 months, they are still being taken advantage of by the middlemen.

To solve the problem, the Commerce Ministry is prepared to impose stricter measures to curb prices among vendors and to force them to comply with the price specified by the ministry. The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) will also launch Blue Flag campaigns in 71 provinces across the country until mid-February to sell low-price pork at only 90 THB per kilogram in a bid to help both consumers and farmers.

-- NNT 2011-01-25

[george]

‘India-Thailand trade can reach $12 billion by 2012′

Bilateral trade between India and Thailand could go up to $12 billion by 2012 from the present level of $5-6 billion

[george]

Suicide bomber kills dozens at Moscow airport

A suicide bomber killed more than 30 people at Moscow’s busiest airport on Monday afternoon, officials said, prompting a major security alert in the Russian capital.

Passengers from Ukraine, Egypt, Belgium, Greece, the UK, Cuba and from Germany may have been in the area of the blast.

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Bombs discovered in Bangkok ahead of PAD rally

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Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion, rail link to draw more tourists

http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/uploads/1295598788/med_gallery_327_1086_23957.jpg

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DIVING BAN

Marine parks in Thailand's South 'a huge source of graft'

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EDITORIAL

Isolated Abhisit may still survive dual attacks

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Drunk at restaurant claimed to be minister's secretary

By Noppadol Srithawikard

The Nation

A man, who claimed to be the secretary to Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, refused to pay for drinks and damaged property at a restaurant in Bangkok on Sunday night.

But the Finance Minister's secretary Siroj Setaphan said yesterday affirmed the man wasn't one of his team.

The owner of a restaurant in Thung Song Hong, Pimpetch Khunthananannit, told police yesterday that Wallop Petchwibul, who introduced himself as Korn's secretary, refused to pay for a bill for Bt1,690 for a dish and 11 bottles of beer, as he claimed to only have Bt750 in his wallet.

After getting another Bt500 from an ATM before it malfunctioned, he refused to go to another ATM to more cash to pay the full bill and insisted he just pay what he had. He claimed he never had to pay for food and drinks anywhere, and even threatened to shoot a waiter.

Pimpetch told Wallop to leave and they wouldn't collect the rest of money, but Wallop returned and broke open the glass door with a kick, and threatened to shoot them, so they fled and alerted police.

Police arrested Wallop and took him to a station, where he was charged with damaging property, an offence punishable by up to three years jail.

This required a Bt40,000 deposit for a bail release. A Police Lieutenant Colonel from the Department of Special Investigation used his position to bail Wallop out yesterday morning, superintendent Pol Col Pong Sangmurin said.

Police would probe if Wallop was Korn's secretary, as claimed, and interview the restauranteur again before filing other charges.

Siroj went to the police station yesterday and complained that he had also been smeared by the case. He said there was nobody named Wallop Petchwibul in the minister's secretarial team.

He said he would let police work on his complaint, as making fake name cards was also a criminal offence and he would decide later if they would file a libel charge against the man for tarnishing the image of the minister's secretarial team and the minister.

-- The Nation 2011-01-25

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Third-sex Thai hostesses ready for takeoff

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BMA enters contest to boost reading

By The Nation

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has invested Bt248 million to build more libraries as it prepares to enter UNESCO's World Book Capital 2013 reading competition. Its application must be submitted by April 29.

BMA spokesperson Jate Sopitpongsathorn said the reading rate of Thais - who would be competing against London and Kuala Lumpur - was only 39 minutes per day. However the main aspect of the contest was the city's number of reading promotion plans.

BMA, eyeing the promotion of a sustainable reading culture, initially allocated Bt248 million for a three-year plan (2011-2013) to create more reading spaces like libraries. Its strategy for the title included an ads campaign to promote activities; collaboration with 500 organisations to research and support the project; and the improvement of old reading spaces and the building of more reading areas.

-- The Nation 2011-01-25

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Relief for stressed-out cops

By The Nation

The Police General Hospital yesterday launched a "stress suppression unit"" to help police officers dealing with stress.

Police General Hospital chief medical officer Jongjet Aowajenpong said the unit, comprising psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health nurses, would visit police officers at their stations to provide knowledge and tips for handling stress.

The unit is being set up as part of a "Thai Police with strong mental power" campaign.

Many low-ranking police officers suffer from depression, alcohol and cigarette addiction. This poses a risk among them of acting violently with assaults on the public, family members, colleagues, or even committing suicide, according to Jongjet.

Most officers however don't realise they are bombarded with stress and need mental health staff to provide consulting services. The unit will visit precincts in Bangkok, the pilot area, from next week onwards before assessing the project and, if it yields good results, extending it to other provincial police and border-patrolling police offices, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-25

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Troops called to Thai factory over 'tense' stand-off with Burmese workers

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Driver shot dead in ambush in Pattani

By The Nation

The driver of a passenger truck was killed and a man injured in an ambush in Pattani province yesterday.

The motive has not yet been determined. Police said the ambush could have been carried out by insurgents, or by enemies of Tuwae-ae Japakeeya over his having a second wife.

The woman was interviewed by police to try to determine real reason for the attack.

Quoting witnesses, police said a group of men opened fire from the roadside on the vehicle Tuwae-ae was driving when it travelled on a major road in Yarang district, after other men in a sedan cut across and forced the truck to stop. The attackers used automatic rifles. More than 20 spent AK-47 bullets were found at the scene.

Tuwae-ae ran from the vehicle but took four bullets and died. The wounded man, who was not named but identified as a friend, was hit when the truck was initially fired at, but the attackers did not kill him after shooting at Tuwae-ae, before all of them fled.

Earlier, a villager was shot and wounded while travelling on a motorcycle with a sidecar on a road in Chan Kapho district by two men on another motorcycle.

Separately, police have obtained an arrest warrant for Adinant Masa-i, for allegedly killing Manote Chadarat, a teacher at a local school on January 15, the day before Teachers' Day.

At a meeting of the Southern Border Province Administrative Centre (SBPAC) yesterday, it was agreed that meetings should be held every three months to assess its performance. And while no new director was appointed, the post would be held by Phanu Uthairat, a deputy permanent secretary.

In Narathiwat's Ra Ngae district, a school located near the 1521st Infantry Company, an Army outpost where four soldiers were killed in an attack last week, has reopened. Fewer than half its 500 students were present.

Marue Botok school managers said they expected more students would turn up as days went by.

The Cabinet has approved Bt969 million requested by the Interior Ministry to install more security cameras this year in five southern provinces where insurgent violence continues.

-- The Nation 2011-01-25

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Does Thailand stand to gain or lose in the face of agitation by red and yellow shirts?

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AFP: Guinness Records drops elephant polo statistics

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Bangkok boiler rooms - the tasty truth

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SET plunge stems from normal profit-taking, says BoT

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PAD starts to set up rally site

The People's Alliance for Democracy has started Tuesday's morning to set up tents and facilities for encampment, preparing to kick off its rally at Makkhawan Bridge later this afternoon.

Traffic on Rajdamnoen Avenue remains open as the PAD's facilities are located on road islands off the traffic lanes.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau has beefed up security measnures at Government House and at Parliament as a precaution to keep peace and prevent any attempts to blockade or seize state offices.

-- The Nation 2011-01-25

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 968.49, up 4.81 points /MCOT

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Police Gear up for Rallies at Government House, Parliament

At least 3,000 police officers have been deployed to the Government House and Parliament to maintain order and keep separate the rallies being held by the red-shirt and yellow-shirt groups.

National Police Chief Police General Wichien Pojphosri inspected security arrangements at Government House and Parliament in preparation for separate rallies by the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship and the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy.

Barbed wire barricades have been set up at both locations to prevent demonstrators from entering the premises.

An estimated 600 officers are being stationed at the Government House and some 300 others at Parliament.

An additional 3,000 officers are on standby.

Police vowed to do all they can to prevent the two groups of protesters from confronting one another.

Meanwhile, an investigation is underway to find the people responsible following the discovery of a number of explosives that police believe were intended to be used to create chaos in today's rallies.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-25

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Public Health Minister says no bird flu patients in Thailand so far; advises poultry farmers to use hygienic practices to prevent avian flu /MCOT

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Suthep says PAD's 3 conditions are dangerous, denies negotiating with the group and refutes speculation about coup /TAN_Network

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MOPH urges people to watch out for bird flu comeback

BANGKOK, 24 January 2011 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health has warned the public to stay alert of a possible return of bird flu in the country, which has been infection-free for 4 years.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health Paichit Varachit pointed out that bird flu, or avian influenza H5N1, had not been detected in Thailand for over 4 years, thus increasing the possibility of a new round of outbreak in the near future. Other factors conducive to the flu comeback include the cold weather and the annual migration of birds. Countering people’s assumption that the deadly virus might have been permanently eradicated, the Permanent Secretary encouraged them to stay healthy at all times and habitually follow the flu prevention guidelines.

MD Paichit warned meat lovers against consuming undercooked chicken meat and eggs. Meanwhile, any discovery of death in fowls, whether wild or domestic, should be reported to responsible authorities, such as livestock officials, public health volunteers and village headmen, in order for the remains to be examined for bird flu virus and disposed properly.

-- NNT 2011-01-25

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Border disputes will need time to resolve: Army Chief

BANGKOK, 25 January 2011 (NNT)- The border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia will take some time to resolve, said Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-Ocha. He also asked all Thais to support the army in their work in keeping Thailand safe and peaceful.

According to General Prayuth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Thai Army have been going hand in hand trying to bring an end to the border issue; however, like any other sensitive issue, the resolution process now underway will take time before it bears fruit.

Thailand will propose the use of negotiation as a means to solve the delicate the issue at hand while stepping up measures regarding border patrol. More soldiers will be deployed as the last resort under the resolution strategy.

Regarding the situation in the South, General Prayuth said the rise in insurgency since 2004 was partly due to the lack of cooperation from local residents with the army.

But that has changed. The army has now received 90% cooperation from the locals. Increased budget from the government has also enabled the army to acquire new weapons and pay for soldiers’ salary. The Chief has also asked for support for troops in the South from Thai people in order to motivate them to carry out their duty to the fullest of their ability for the sake of the nation.

-- NNT 2011-01-25

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Bangkok today: 3 protests by different groups at Govt House, the Makkawanrangsan Bridge and at 6pm at Democracy Monument. /via@veen_NT:

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Panich says he will remain an MP for Bkk despite conviction

BANGKOK, 25 January 2011 (NNT)-Democrat Party MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitset has expressed his confidence that his status as an MP will remain intact, enabling him to vote for the charter amendments; citing that the Election Commission has made no ruling on the issue so far.

According to Mr. Panich, he plans to attend the House Meeting today as an MP, given that the EC has not decided whether to disqualify him in connection with his conviction by the Cambodian criminal court last week.

He has repeatedly insisted on his innocence, saying he had no intention of trespassing into Cambodia’s territory and that he was only tending to complaints he received from local resident in Srakeaw concerning a piece of land. However, he said he would accept the rulings made by the EC and the Constitution Court in terms of his MP status. If the Court rules against him, Panich will be stripped off his House seat.

-- NNT 2011-01-25