Thailand Live Tuesday 8 Feb 2011

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Thailand Live Tuesday 8 February 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 7 Feb 2011

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Border Clashes Feared to Hurt Trade

The Commerce Ministry has reckoned that a prolonged closure of Thai-Cambodian border may hit trade of both countries significantly.

Days of military clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border that have become more violent by the day have worried the Commerce Ministry.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said the Thai border trade has seen little effects from the clashes that erupted last Friday.

However, if the tension and the military face-off are allowed to go on for too long, trade, investment and tourism in the area may be hit hard.

Alongkorn said that if the border was to be closed indefinitely, the citizens of both countries will be the first to be affected.

He also said that Thai export to Cambodian is currently worth around 74 billion baht while import from Cambodian is estimated at about 6.8 billion baht.

The Deputy Commerce Minister added that the planned Thailand Trade Exhibition 2011, which was originally scheduled for February 17 and 20 in Phnom Penh, and the Thai-Cambodian Commerce Ministers' meeting later this month may have to be postponed indefinitely.

In any case, Alongkorn is hoping that the situation will be resolved within the next few days.

In addition, he revealed that there have been more than 5,300 new businesses officially registered with the ministry in January alone.

The number is the highest one in 99 years since the establishment of the Department of Business Development in 1912.

Out of this, more than 2,200 were registered in Bangkok with the rest coming from all over the country.

During the same month, around 1,230 businesses have officially been discontinued.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-08

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Finance Min injects 80 bn THB to develop village banks

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Finance Ministry has decided to allocate 80 billion THB towards the upgrade of village funds into loan banks as part of the informal debt restructuring policy.

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij appointed the state-run Government Savings Bank (GSB) and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) to uplift the status of village funds into community loan banks in order to provide people in need with easy access to loans.

At present, the GSB oversees the funds of 60,000 villages while the BAAC oversees 20,000. Through the banks, the Finance Ministry will give each village fund an additional 1 million THB with 6 percent interest per annum, which will require a budget of 80 billion THB in total. The funds are allowed to issue loans to villagers at an interest rate of no more than 12 percent per annum, equivalent to the rate provided by the banks in the informal debt restructuring scheme.

Mr Korn confirmed that both banks had already prepared sufficient funds for the development of the community loan banks, targeting about one-third of them to be set up by the end of next year.

As for the high cost of living due to the soaring inflation and oil prices, the Minister insisted that the government would seek solutions to the problem, including hiking interest rates to curb inflation and ensuring an appropriate correlation between people’s income and the expensive commodity prices.

-- NNT 2011-02-08

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Bangkok's Don Muang Airport Seen As Potential Export Hub For Thai Products

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UN willing to meet on Cambodia-Thai clashes

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NATION COMMENT

War only means both Thailand and Cambodia stand to lose

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Border dispute has limited impact to date on Thai business

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After attacks, monks in Narathiwat halt alms walks

By By Supitya Rattana

The Nation

In the wake of insurgent attacks targetting Buddhists, monks residing at 13 temples in Narathiwat have stopped their routine morning alms walk for a month, starting today.

The decision has been made by the Sangha Supreme Council and was announced yesterday, at the recommendation of the provincial authorities. Each of the monks at the 13 temples will be given Bt100 in daily meal allowance provided by the Council.

Two monks were attacked in the South in recent months, among victims who were mainly Buddhists, before a large-scale attack last week at a Buddhist community in Pattanai that saw five victims killed and four others wounded.

This is the second time for the monks' morning alms walk to be briefly suspended. The first was in November 2006, when the insurgents murdered several monks on daily duty, but the attacks on them became infrequent after security officials systematically escorted them on the way from and to the temples.

The provincial monastic office said Buddhists may optionally give foods to the monks at the temples during the one-month period, with escorts provides for their trips.

A senior monk - Phra Khru Pariharn Sanghanuwatr - said the practice was necessary for the monks' existence in the region. Even in a small number, they were a symbol of Buddhism and "a spiritual sanctum for all Buddhists amidst violence."

Phra Khru Paphassorn Sirikul, the abbot of Wat Khao Kong, said the alms for his temple stopped since January 31, with food now provided mainly by soldiers on guard duty, and from visiting Buddhists.

Phra Khru Panya Prayuth, the abbot of Wat Ras Samosorn, where there are only four resident monks, said the alms walks stopped or continued depending on a case-by-case basis.

"When the monks go out taking alms, they are escorted heavily all the way from and back to the temple. It is not a good sight, but there is no better way to solve the problem," he added.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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Border village now a ghost town

By The Nation

Si Sa Ket

The border village of Ban Phum Saron has almost become a ghost town, as fighting between Thai and Cambodian soldiers has caused most residents to flee for their safety.

Only about 50 of about 2,300 locals remained in the village yesterday.

These men have stayed put for a reason. They want to protect their homes and town.

"If we move away, what will happen if a house catches fire?" Boonruam Pongsapan said.

Being a school director, he is also a community leader. Boonruam believed his presence would be useful to villagers who might need support at such a difficult time. These villagers volunteered to patrol their town to ensure that homes are not robbed and no bad incidents take place.

"Our village is very much in a war zone now," he said, "Bombs and artillery shells have rained down."

Boonruam said he had never thought the violence would go this far.

"We fear for our safety but we can't chicken out. This is our hometown," Chob Mathong said as he huddled in a village bunker alongside many other men.

"If we leave, who will protect our properties?" Chob said.

Ban Phum Saron is located in Kantharak district just 1.5 kilometres where from the two armies were fighting.

An informed source said more than 200 spent ammunition cartridges were found in the village with holes in roads, damage to units for monks and people's houses.

Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the border fighting had claimed two lives and injured 34 people from Friday till Sunday.

The deaths included a civilian, who was a resident at Ban Phum Saron.

Most of the injured - 30 - were soldiers, but their injuries were minor, except for one man who was in a serious condition.

Jurin said up to 1,165 people evacuated from the border zone to Kanthararak District Office had sought counselling from psychiatrists. At least 22 had been given sleeping pills to cope with the anxiety and worry.

Out of concern for the evacuees, Their Majesties the King and the Queen graciously instructed the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation to hand out blankets and kitchen utensils to the affected people.

Tents were going up at the Kanthararak District Office yesterday to accommodate more evacuees. However, the place was not crowded as some people opted to seek shelter with relatives in other provinces.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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EDITORIAL

Thai communities can play a bigger role in education

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ICC move against Hun Sen?

By The Nation

Thai senators are preparing to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court accusing Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen of being a war criminal, following the latest military clash on the border.

Appointed Senator Paiboon Nititawan, a key member of the 40 Senators Group, said yesterday they would meet with international law experts to discuss their plan to sue Hun Sen.

"A military fight against each other is normal. But Cambodian soldiers intentionally firing heavy weapons into Thai villages was considered an unacceptable attack," Paiboon said.

He believed the senators could sue Hun Sen because Cambodia was a signatory of the ICC.

The move appears to be a largely symbolic protest as the senators should be aware the international court is purely a court of "last resort" that only handles extremely serious matters such as genocide and crimes against humanity - if such issues can't be resolved in a country's own courts.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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Last group of Thais brought back from Egypt

By The Nation

A fourth flight bringing Thai nationals back from Egypt landed safely in Bangkok yesterday morning, a source reported.

The Foreign Ministry arranged for 155 Thais stranded in Cairo and Alexandria to be flown to Dubai, where they boarded a Thai Airways flight to Bangkok, which landed in Suvarnabhumi Airport at 8.40am yesterday. The Social Development and Human Security Ministry also helped 30 of the passengers return to their home towns.

Meanwhile, a specially chartered flight landed safely in Bangkok at 11.40am yesterday with 315 Thai nationals fleeing the unrest in Egypt. This was the last flight scheduled to bring back Thai citizens who had requested evacuation.

Madihah Hayi-areusa, a student in Alexandria, said she decided to return because the situation seemed unstable and she was worried for her safety.

Muhammadhilbi Maseng, who was studying in Mansoura City, said he chose to return because of the scarcity of food and the violence. He recalled witnessing people getting shot. He said soldiers stopped the bus taking him to Cairo, and took him to an army camp before taking him to the airport.

"I believe they were afraid foreigners would be harmed," he said, adding that he would return to complete his studies once things are calm.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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The Netherlands to help ease flooding in Thailand

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Police suspect drugs behind cough syrup find

By The Nation

Police yesterday arrested two men allegedly with 5,000 bottles of a suspicious substance, believed to have contained a precursor chemical for illicit drugs.

The bottles are labelled as cough syrup, but police are not convinced.

The syrup will be sent for lab tests before drug charges are pressed against the two suspects.

Currently, both face charges of having medicines in their possession to sell without a licence.

"We believe the cough syrup is intended for drug making in the deep South," Bang Pong Pang Police Station inspector Lt Col Karnnatee Srinathom said.

The arrest of the two suspects took place after a transportation company alerted police about a suspicious delivery. The company had provided services to the suspects many times before, without knowing the goods contained illicit substances. The company's driver was arrested on February 5 after police in the South found cocaine ingredients among the goods.

When the same suspects requested the transportation services again, the company informed police.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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More tinkering for Thailand Govt House's feng shui

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No signs of bird flu among wild birds

By The Nation

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department confirmed yesterday that there were no reports of a bird-flu outbreak, and that it had dispatched officials to inspect the 46 egg-laying sites of open-billed storks in 17 provinces.

The department chief Sunan Arunnopparat said his office had been keeping an eye out for bird-flu symptoms among wild birds for three years now. They scan at least 3,000 samples or 12,000 birds from all regions in Thailand every year, and have inspected 906 samples or 2,327 birds between October and January, and not discovered any infections.

Following public complaints about open-billed storks and fears of bird flu, he said Thailand had some 400,000 storks that lived in 46 nesting sites in 17 provinces in Bangkok's vicinity. He said officials would inspect the birds until March and collect samples for lab tests.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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Senate seeks debate on border conflict

By The Nation

The Senate Speaker said yesterday he would put the border conflict on the agenda so the government could explain what led to the recent armed clashes.

Prasobsook Boondech said this after Uthai Thani Senator Singchai Thungthong and 50 of his colleagues filed a motion with the Speaker for such a debate.

Singchai said that, in the face of social division, lack of unity, border fighting and an ongoing protest that was confusing the public, the government needed to come up with a measure or policy that effectively addressed the problems.

He said the legislature had the right to seek an explanation from the government over such matters.

"We do not intend harming the government. It should stay on and continue running the country," the senator said.

Prasobsook, meanwhile, said that he would take the request to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and ask him to put the issue up for general debate, adding that similar requests had been made by other senators and that they should also be included. The Constitution's Article 161 states: "Senators of no less than one-third of the total number of existing members of the Senate have the right to submit a motion for general debate in the Senate for the purpose of requesting the Council of Ministers to give statements of fact or explain important problems in connection with the administration of the State affairs without a resolution to be passed. The motion for the general debate under this section may be submitted only once in each session."

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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Bangkok Police want ISA enforced against protesters

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Sivaroj wins the Tiger at Rotterdam for 'Eternity'

By The Nation

Director Sivaroj Kongsakul won the Tiger Award at the Netherlands' 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) for his film "Eternity", ("Tee Rak" in Thai) - an honour that is as great as the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, Prisana Pongthadsirikul, director of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, said yesterday.

IFFR awards were given last Friday to South Korea's Park Jung-Bum for "The Journals of Musan"; Spain's Sergio Caballero for "Finisterrae"; and to Sivaroj for "Eternity". The two other short Thai films presented at the festival included "Immortal Woman" by Jakrawal Nilthamrong and "Cherie is Korean-Thai" by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit.

The director said "Eternity" was inspired by his parent's love for each other, and the short story that his mother wrote after her husband died when Sivaroj was still a child. The story was divided into three parts. The first part speaks of the stage when a man dies, becomes a ghost and goes back to his childhood home to recount the happiest time of his life. The second speaks of him as a young man, when he falls in love with the woman who is to be his wife; and the third part deals with the void that is left behind after this man's death.

The film, funded by the IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund and the Pusan International Film Festival's Asian Cinema Fund, is also eligible to seek more funding under the Paris Cinema International Film Festival's Paris Project.

Prisana said "Hi-So" ("High Society") by the 2010 Silpathorn Award recipient Aditya Assarat and "Terribly Happy" ("Sudsanan") by the 2009 Silpathorn award recipient Pimpaka Towira have been submitted to compete for the Golden Bear at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival from February 10-20.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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No consensus at talks on tutorial school taxation

By Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Amid concern that parents and students may be worse off by the proposed taxation of tutorial schools, a meeting of agencies yesterday did not reach any conclusion.

The Office of the Education Council (OEC) invited tutorial schools, educational organisations, the Revenue Department, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and academics to Siam City Hotel to gather opinions.

The NACC last month submitted a proposal to the Cabinet for collection of income tax from the private cram schools, but it has not yet been approved. The prime minister wants the Education Ministry to audit the operations of these schools to determine their costs and profits.

Tutorial schools have been exempt from taxes by law since 1962.

Most participants at yesterday's meeting did not want the schools to have to pay income taxes as the Private Schools Act limits the schools' net profit margin to 20 per cent. They worry that tutorial schools would raise their fees, passing the burden on to parents and students.

Professor Boonserm Weesakul, president emeritus of Dhurakij Pundit University, said the Private Education Commission, which had the power to force the schools to obey the law, should prevent them earning too much profit.

Despite the tax exemption, tutors pay personal income taxes and the schools signage and building taxes, OEC secretary-general Tongthong Chandransu said.

Anusorn Sivakul, president of the Tutorial Schools Association, said the schools had to get permission from the Private Education Commission every year to post official tuition fees. But some schools got more students than they had told the government, so their net profit went higher than 20 per cent.

Some schools opened branches upcountry that did not make any money, but they kept operating them because they wanted students in the provinces to have access to tutoring, he said.

However, Sombat Poolsanguan from the NACC said the 1962 law exempted tax for tutorial schools because they supported the country's education in the past. They earned not too much profit, but now they were education business. So the Private Education Commission and Revenue Department should determine whether they should pay tax like other businesses.

A representative of parents said the university-admission systems forced children to go to such schools because they had to take tests before they finished Matthayom 6 (Grade 12). So they sought help from those schools.

She said she agreed with the NACC that the schools should pay taxes, but was worried about tuition fees increasing.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

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Reports from Mathichon indicate that another round of clashes have broken out; Hun Sen's son reportedly injured /TAN_Network

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quiet night at the border. no gunfire or casulties but still more and more soldiers arriving in kanthralak. /via@vaitor

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4k people at the main refugee camp in Kanthralak. 15k total in 21 camps. Army has a 10 km no-go border area /via@RichardBarrow /via@aleursic

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No Thai-Cambodia fight last night. 16,654 people have been evacuated to 40 shelters, mostly in Kantaralak, Si Sa Ket govnor /via @veen_NT

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Thai government urged to solve Cambodian border hostilities peacefully

BANGKOK, Feb 8 – Concerned with the heightened border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, the Joint Private-Sector Committee comprising the Federation of Thai Industries (FIT), the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), and the Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) has called on the government to cope with resolving the current tensions and hostilities through diplomatic means.

Speaking after a meeting of the tripartite committee held on Monday, TCC Chairman Dusit Nontanakorn said the border clash between troops of both countries had not yet adversely affected overall trade because Thailand’s border trade value with Cambodia accounts for only 10 per cent of exports to neighbouring countries including Myanmar, Malaysia, and Laos.

He said 24 per cent of Thailand’s exports are destined to ASEAN with 10 per cent each of the shipments going to the United States, Europe and Japan.

“Those who are directly impacted by the tension are people trading along the Thai-Cambodian frontier. The committee discussed the problem at the meeting and shared the common view the government should attempt to cope with the situation by a peaceful means because the ongoing conflicts have benefitted no parties,” he said.

On political rallies staged by anti-government demonstrators at present, Mr Dusit said he wanted all parties to stop their movement and turn to jointly find a solution for the sake of the country’s trade and investment. They should better cooperate to boost confidence among investors and tourists.

FTI Chairman Payungsak Chartsutipol said Thailand's private sector is worried about the border clash and wants the government and all parties concerned to solve the confrontation peacefully by setting up a committee tasked to develop a way to address the problem.

“We want leaders of both countries to hold talks to end the clash between troops of both countries. We understand the protection of the national sovereignty and integrity is a sensitive issue. So, both neighbors need to use the diplomatic channel to cope with the problem,” he said.

TBA Chairman Chartsiri Sophonpanich said the committee had closely monitored the situation because Thai banks which are members of the association have branches in Cambodia and along the common border. Despite the hostilities, they now remain open for service as usual. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-02-08

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Thai Army denies soldier arrested by Cambodian troops on spy charge; Si Sa Ket governor says if situation remains claim, villagers can return home in two days /MCOT

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SRT board to consider BTS Light Green Line extension on 16 Feb

BANGKOK (NNT) – The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board will ponder the extension plan for the BTS Light Green Line from Soi Baring to Samut Prakan during its meeting on 16 February.

A meeting was convened today between the Transport Ministry and the Bangkok Council to mull over the construction of the BTS Skytrain on the Light Green Line’s Baring-Samut Prakan section, worth over 28 billion THB, with a distance of 13 kilometers.

Permanent Secretary for Transport and Chairman of the SRT Board Supoj Saplom stated afterwards that, during the SRT board meeting on 16 February, the project would be raised for deliberation. If approved, the bidding process would commence on 28 February; the operating company be named in September; and the matter be presented to the Cabinet in October.

Mr Supoj elaborated that the SRT would oversee the engineering work of the project while the Transport Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration would have to settle who would be responsible for the train’s operation system. As for land acquirement, the Permanent Secretary said 30 percent had already been completed while noting that the SRT had also adjusted the construction plan in order to minimize the effects on the traffic and commuters.

-- NNT 2011-02-08

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DPM Suthep to ask Cabinet to approve Internal Security Act for Dusit area between Feb 9-23 in fear that PAD will storm Gov't House /TAN_Network

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No Reports of Clashes Last Night

Throughout Monday night, there were no reports of additional clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border. However, villagers in the area have not been allowed back into their homes as the situation remains tense.

At around 7 A.M. this morning, Mathichon newspaper was reporting additional skirmishes and that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's son was injured in the clash. These reports have not been confirmed.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-08