Thailand Live Saturday 29 Jan 2011

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Thailand Live Saturday 29 January 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

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Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 28 Jan 2011

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Provinces Set for Chinese New Year

Provinces across the country are preparing to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year scheduled to start next week.

Locals and tourists have begun flocking to the sandy banks of the Chao Phraya Dam in Nakhon Sawan’s downtown area where the province is hosting the Chinese New Year Festival and commemorating His Majesty the King’s auspicious 84th birthday this year.

The festival will include extravagant spectaculars of sounds, lights and colors, including parades, dragon dances, lion dances and the famous thousand-hand Guanyin dance.

Lead actor from popular film King Naresuan Maharat, Wanchana Sawasdee, will star in the festival’s production while a grand parade is planned for the city's streets with millions of lanterns adorning buildings and roads.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, the Tao Suranaree Monument in the municipal area has been adorned with decorative lanterns to resemble Shanghai City.

This is one of the province’s main Chinese New Year campaigns to attract tourists and stimulate the local economy.

Nakhon Ratchasima’s Chinese New Year festivities will be held from February 2 to 5 and tourists will be able to enjoy various events, activities and Chinese cuisine.

Mukdahan province will be hosting its first major Chinese New Year festival from February 3 to 10 and all preparations have been completed with grand lion and dragon dances in store for spectators.

The province will also use this festival to foster closer ties with the neighboring countries of Laos, Vietnam and China.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-29

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Goods sold cheaper before 2011 Chinese New Year

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Prices of many goods before the Chinese New Year festival are found to be cheaper than last year, except chicken and orange, according to the Department of Internal Trade (DIT).

DIT Director-General Vatchari Vimooktayon on Friday unveiled the survey on product prices during the five-day period before the Chinese New Year festival. She said the DIT believed that when the festival comes during 1-3 February 2011 prices would generally be lower than last year, or otherwise they should increase only slightly in accordance with the market mechanism.

Streaky pork this year is sold at 108-110 THB/kilogram, cheaper than 115-120 THB/kilogram last year. However, fresh whole chicken price increases to 66-68 THB/kilogram from last year’s price of 65-66 THB/kilogram.

Most of vegetables such as Chinese kale, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, wax gourd and turnip are sold at cheaper prices, compared with last year.

According to Mrs Vatchari, the weather is good for vegetable cultivation so there are more supplies to the market.

As for fruits used in the worshipping ceremony during Chinese New Year festival, grade-A orange is sold at 60 THB/kilogram, increasing 10 THB/kilogram from last year’s price of 50 THB/kilogram since growers have downsized orange plantations to plant something else.

Thai people who are Chinese descendants will be celebrating the Chinese New Year festival from 1 to 3 February 2011.

-- NNT 2011-01-29

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ISOC orders inspection of CCTVs in Deep South for top efficacy

PATTANI (NNT) -- The Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) is cooperating with the governors of the three southern border provinces in ensuring maximum efficiency of CCTV cameras in the areas.

Spokesperson of ISOC Region 4 Colonel Banpot Poonpian indicated the necessity to strengthen security measures in the southernmost provinces in response to the frequent violent attacks during this period. Cooperation has been sought from the Interior Ministry and local administrative organizations in inspecting the CCTVs installed throughout the region. Any cameras found to be malfunctioning will immediately undergo reparation in order for them to be in perfect condition for 24-hour surveillance.

Col Banpot stressed that public participation is vital to the peace-keeping mission in local communities. Local residents are encouraged to be on a lookout for suspicious individuals and objects while the CCTV cameras will be an important tool in recording evidence and identities of insurgents.

The spokesperson also asked local business operators to check their surveillance system, especially the linkage between the cameras and the control room, where security officers should be present at all times.

The latest bomb attack took place this morning in Pattani, injuring one monk and three officials in the protection unit. Police have been able to retrieve the footage of the culprit from the CCTV camera at the site. Investigation is now in progress.

-- NNT 2011-01-29

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Canadian Christopher Paul Neil "Mr. Swirl" Get Reduced Jail Term In Bangkok

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Thailand's coral crisis part of national agenda

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AIS firm despite ultimatum from TOT

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Thai Minister Chuti to meet CAT board on True deals

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Frenemies in the streets

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Thai Patriots Network Lawyers gather data to defend Veera, Ratri

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Yellows may join up with reds to topple Thai govt

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Princess visits revered ailing monk

By The Nation

HRH Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana visited ailing Luangta Maha Bua Yanasampanno, one of the country's most revered monks, at his temple in Udon Thani yesterday.

The elderly monk's quarters at Wat Pa Ban Tad have been turned into a clean room. Medical teams from Khon Kaen's Srinakharin Hospital and Udon Thani Provincial Hospital were on hand.

The princess was seen walking in and out of the clean room a few times.

Hundreds of the monk's followers also showed up and expressed their good wishes outside the quarters.

In a bid to quell rumours that Luangta Maha Bua's condition was critical, Udon Thani Provincial Hospital director Dr Pichet Donchalermyuttana and a senior monk held a press conference.

"As of 2pm, his vital signs were normal," Pichet said.

Phra Ajarn Noppadol Bantano, the abbot of another temple, said Luangta Maha Bua's condition had improved since Thursday. "He remains conscious."

Luangta Maha Bua was known as Bua Lohitdee at birth. Born on August 12, 1913, his parents were welltodo farmers in tambon Bantad, Muang district, Udon Thani. He has 15 siblings.

In 1934, he was ordained as a monk at Yothanimit Temple in his home province.

Later, he met the famous Phra Ajarn Man Phuritatto, who became his main mentor.

Many records have suggested that Luangta Maha Bua - who practised vipassana meditation seriously - had become enlightened.

It is also widely known that Luangta Maha Bua has committed himself to serving the public. The monk has provided help to the poor, the ill, the disabled, orphans, and the blind.

After Thailand plunged into a financial crisis in 2008, Luangta Maha Bua raised funds among his followers to help reduce the national debt.

In all, his campaign has reportedly given the government US$10.8 million (Bt335 million) and 12.08 kilograms of gold.

-- The Nation 2011-01-29

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Blast injures monk, soldiers

By The Nation

A bomb attack in Pattani yesterday wounded a monk and three soliders escorting him during morning alms.

The homemade bomb, made of sevenkilo explosives contained in a cooking gas cylinder, was laid near a power pole and covered by a plastic bucket located along a regular route of morning alms by Buddhist monks in Muang Pattani municipality. The wounded monk resides at Wat Lak Mueng.

Footage from security cameras later caught the planting of the bomb by insurgents in progress. Local authorities said insurgents had been damaging security cameras at many locations while repair or installation works were being carried out to make them work again.

Deputy provincial governor Lertkiat Wongphothiphan said temple chiefs had been asked to instruct monks to change their routes or stop going in paths where the risk were high. "For example. There are only a few homes who give alms to monks on the road where the attack took place," he added.

The military in the deep South is calling on civilian authorities and owners of private premises to keep their existing security cameras repaired or operational 24 hours a day, saying that the footage would be a key to arresting the attackers or culprits involved in the security crimes.

Police yesterday found the body of a man discarded off a main road in Yala's Muang district. The naked body was macheted in the face and hit in the head. The track found at the scene suggests that the victim was killed elsewhere and dragged to the scene, police said, without ruling that the murder was related to insurgent operations.

A civil defence volunteer was shot dead late Thursday night. Maraseng Saah, 35, was gunned down while standing in front of a relative's house. Police said this attack could possibly be carried out by insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Rajabaht Institute's Suan Dusit campus yesterday presented an honourable doctorate in philosophy posthumously to Captain Krit Khampheerayan, the commander of an Army outpost killed in an insurgent raid along with three other comrades last week. The officer was studying a PhD in this field with the institue.

In the citation, Krit has sacrificed and dedicated himself to performing his duties at his utmost. The granting of the doctorate has been approved by the institute's council of lecturers and a ceremony to hand it over to his relatives will be scheduled soon.

-- The Nation 2011-01-29

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Chalerm backs Thaksin's sister Yingluck for PM's post

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Chuwit slander appeal fails

By The Nation

The Court of Appeals yesterday upheld a sentence against Chart Thai deputy leader Chuwit Kamolvisit for slandering a senior policeman in a bribery allegation six years ago.

In a statement published in Manager Daily, former massage parlour tycoon Chuwit accused a police major general of taking bribes to allow his parlours to operate outside the legal hours.

In yesterday's verdict the court acquitted Tul Sirikulphiphat, editor of Manager Daily, for publishing the statement, citing immunity under a media protection law.

In a verdict several years ago, the Criminal Court sentenced Tul to six months jail suspended for two years and a fine of Bt6,000. The first defendant, Manager Daily, was acquitted.

-- The Nation 2011-01-29

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DSI accepts highprofile cases

By The Nation

The Department of Special Investigation yesterday accepted two highprofile criminal cases: the murder of a woman over a landgrab scheme and another concerning corruption allegations against Bangkok police.

Last September, Sucha Kleepbua, the wife of a senior public prosecutor in Surat Thani, was shot dead on a public bus after returning from a meeting with police and land officials in Ratchaburi. She was trying to find out why title deeds to a number of plots she was planning to buy were in the wrong name.

A DSI report said some people involved in a landgrab in the province were so influential that police made almost no progress in solving the murder.

In the second case, a team of corrupt police in Bangkok allegedly turned a blind eye to human trafficking operations in return for bribes. They also allegedly provided protection to night entertainment venues in their jurisdiction in many tourist locations in the capital.

DSI directorgeneral Tharit Pengdit declined to say whether the accused included police generals or indicate how many officers were involved.

-- The Nation 2011-01-29

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Threatened MPs promised safe seats

By The Nation

The Democrat Party's constituency MPs who will have to contest the upcoming general election in the system of proportional representation have been promised positions in a "safe zone" on the party list, a senior party MP said yesterday.

MP Arkom Engchuan (Democrat, Krabi) said the party's secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban promised incumbent constituency MPs from the 2007 general election that they would be high on the party list.

"Suthep said constituency MPs who will have to become party-list candidates must be in safe positions. The safe zone covers positions not lower than 50th on the list," Arkom said.

In the 2007 general elections, the ruling Democrat Party won 33 out of 80 MP seats from the party-list system.

In the upcoming polls expected in the latter half of the year, the number of party-list MPs would rise to 125 if the constitutional amendment to change the electoral system passes the final parliamentary reading on February 11. The amendment would also reduce the number of constituency MPs from 400 at present to 375. As a result, some provinces would see the number of their MPs reduced by one or two each.

In the South, at least three Democrat constituency MPs - Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, chief coalition whip Witthaya Kaewparadai and Apichart Sakdiseth - are expected to become party-list candidates, according to Nakhon Sri Thammarat MP Samphan Thongsamak.

At least two Democrat MPs from Bangkok - Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij and party director Nattapol Theepasuwan - are likely to contest in the party-list system. The capital is to lose two seats from the present 36 as part of the electoral-system change, according to a source.

In a related development, about 10 MPs from the Puea Pandin Party plan to skip voting in the final parliamentary reading on Feb 11 in order to protest an "abrupt change" in its policy on the number of constituency and party-list MPs, a party source said yesterday.

Puea Pandin had firmly supported the 400-100 formula, as opposed to the Democrat-favoured 375-125 formula that passed the second reading earlier this week. However, according to the source, unnamed party seniors asked all the party's MPs to vote in support of the 375-125 formula in the final reading "to retain Puea Pandin's unity".

A faction from Puea Pandin is now part of the Democrat-led coalition, though the party is officially in the opposition.

-- The Nation 2011-01-29

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Phuket Tourist Refuge Shelter On Its Way

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PM exhibits potential of Thai auto industry at WEF

DAVOS, 29 January 2011 (NNT) – Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has conveyed the potential of the Thai automotive industry to international car makers at the World Economic Forum (WEF) while the goal to become ASEAN’s car production hub has been unveiled.

On the first day of his attendance at the 41st WEF in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Abhisit received a special invitation to a session entitled “Thailand and the Global Automotive Industry”. On this occasion, he had a chance to exchange views with CEOs of the world’s leading car companies and exhibited the competence of Thailand’s automotive sector.

The Thai leader elaborated the country’s post-economic crisis recovery, saying the area of car production in particular had seen remarkable advancement, accounting for more than half of ASEAN’s production capacity. The status as the car production hub of the ASEAN region is expected to be achieved in the near future while gaining recognition as one of the top ten car manufacturers of the world has been set as a national endeavor.

In addition, Mr Abhisit voiced his belief that the formation of the ASEAN Community in 2015 as well as the enforcement of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and free trade agreements with dialogue partners would help further accelerate the Thai automotive industry. However, he deemed the soaring oil prices as a major challenge. He thus emphasized the importance of the promotion of alternative energies and the development of energy-efficient and hybrid vehicles.

-- NNT 2011-01-29

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Davos: PM Abhisit invites world’s leading carmakers to invest in Thailand

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Phuket tuk-tuks protest Patong one-way

The sign says: "One-way system like this: A man’s thought?

Or a Buffalo’s?" [NB: To call a person a buffalo is an extreme insult in Thai.]

The tuk-tuk drivers called for change – soon.

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Gen Sonthi: Coup unlikely

BANGKOK, 29 January 2011 (NNT) – Former Army Chief and Chairperson of the Council for National Security General Sonthi Boonyaratglin has voiced his confidence that there would be no coup d’état as rumored.

General Sonthi, also 2006 coup leader, believed that it would be difficult to orchestrate another coup d’état at present because there were no adequate factors and the situation had changed.

The former army chief believed that such a news report was disseminated purely for political benefits or for some gains in the next general election. He said the military now could still coordinate with the government well.

General Sonthi continued that the demonstration of the People’s Alliance for Democracy and the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship would not be used as a reason for a new coup. He said the military should stay away from politics and perform its duties to protect the nation.

Rumor is spreading that Army Chief General Prayut Chan-O-cha would stage a coup d’etat. Army Spokesperson Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd stated that his boss was fed up with answering the media about the issue since he had repeated several times that he had never thought about it.

Colonel Sansern then asked the public to use discretion about the coup rumor. He admitted that the issue had defamed the military which was unable to sue anybody for the damage incurred.

-- NNT 2011-01-29

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Thaksin urges supporters to vote Pheu Thai to bring him home

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PAD rebuffs Govt’s offer to negotiate on TV

BANGKOK, 29 January 2011 (NNT) – The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has shrugged off the government’s proposal to open a televised talk to settle their disagreements stemming from the Thai-Cambodian border issue.

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Thailand issues security warning for Egypt, advising travellers to postpone journeys to country where thousands of protesters have clashed with troops /MCOT

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Protesters reassert three demands to Thai government on temple disputed with Cambodia

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Body of premature baby found at Rubbish Dump in East Pattaya

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Drugs and gun seized and two arrested at central Pattaya police checkpoint

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Democrat MP: Army should sue Jatuporn over coup rumor

-- NNT 2011-01-29