Thailand Live Thursday 10 Feb 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 10 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 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.

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Related topic: Thailand Live Wednesday 9 Feb 2011

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More Evacuation Centers Planned in Border Districts

The Si Sa Ket province has set up more evacuation centers to accommodate locals being affected by the recent border clashes.

Si Sa Ket Governor Somsak Suwansucharit disclosed that the number of villagers who have fled the area of the recent fighting to evacuation centers in Si Sa Ket province has risen above 20,000.

As a result, the province has to set up more emergency centers to accommodate the evacuees.

As for the current situation in the area, Somsak said tension has been easing as there has been no renewed fighting.

The Interior Ministry has prepared 1,000 sets of uniforms and 1,000 firearms to be distributed to village security units in Kantharalak district.

Meanwhile, Surin province has declared Karb Choeng district as a disaster area and is building underground bunkers.

The provincial governor also ordered district chiefs in Sang Kha, Bua Ched and Phnom Dongrak districts to hold evacuation drills in preparation for possible more confrontation between Thai and Cambodian troops.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-10

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Prawit applauds Army’s defense during border clashes

SI SA KET (NNT) -- Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has paid a visit to Thai soldiers at the disputed border while complimenting them on their defensive tactics during the recent clashes with Cambodia.

Accompanied by Permanent Secretary for Defense General Kittipong Keskowit, Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, Army Chief-of-Staff General Dapong Rattanasuwan and other military top brass, General Prawit visited troops of the Army Region 2 stationed at the Thai-Cambodian border in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province.

Before attending the cremation ceremonies of soldiers who were killed in the artillery exchanges, the Minister said he was updated by Commander of the Army Region 2 Lieutenant General Tawatchai Samutsakorn about the overall border situation. He noted that there were no additional policies to be handed down as the officials had carried out their tasks perfectly in the protection of local residents and national sovereignty.

General Prawit confirmed that peace and order had been restored in the area while shrugging off the report of Cambodian soldiers’ transfer of weaponry from Preah Vihear Temple, saying that it was the neighboring country’s business and that Thailand only aims to maintain peace at the border and secure people’s lives and properties.

However, the Minister expressed concerns over the plans of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) to travel to the border area to give the troops support and necessities. He wished to see no confrontations between the two rivaling groups as any violence would disrupt local residents’ way of life.

As for Cambodia’s attempt to involve the international community in the border dispute, General Prawit assured that the Ministry had already prepared evidence of the latest clashes, which would be used by the Foreign Ministry to justify Thailand’s innocence.

-- NNT 2011-02-10

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Recent clashes with Thailand real war: Cambodia PM Hun Sen

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Thailand, Cambodia set to face off at UN

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France offers old maps to help resolve Thai-Cambodia spat

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Battle weary villagers in mixed emotions

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Kantharalak, Si Sa Ket

As more than a dozen military vehicles were being deployed near the Thai-Cambodian border yesterday and some villagers cheered and waved to offer moral support, a separate group of 30 villagers who were evacuated from the Phum Saron village demanded angrily that the clashes be brought to an end.

The tanks arrived at Kantharalak district early yesterday morning with confident and guardedly relaxed looking soldiers.

"This is the best tank in Asia," one young soldier boasted to The Nation as he drove the tank off the trailer and went back and forth in billows of black smoke. Villagers came to stare and wave.

About four hours later, some 30 evacuees from the Phum Saron village came out holding placards with angry messages demanding peace. These people have been living in a hot, uncomfortable camp for nearly a week and want no more trouble, especially not from the nationalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which is considering a visit to the border town.

One of the banners read: "We want peace. We don't want the PAD."

Their leader Visit Duangkaew told Si Sa Ket's Deputy Governor Charnchana Iamsaeng that the villagers would not guarantee the safety of PAD leaders such as Chamlong Srimuang, if they insist on dropping by.

"All of this is happening due to people like Chamlong," he said angrily. "We will continue having trouble if he [Chamlong] comes over, though he won't be affected if he stays in Bangkok."

The deputy governor tried to calm down the villagers by saying he had heard the PAD leaders had changed their minds.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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Locals divided over border clashes

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Kantharalak, Si Sa Ket

Residents at Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district who have been affected by the latest exchange of deadly gunfire hold diverse opinions on how the problem should be resolved. While some want swift and decisive force to be used, others believe that negotiation and even joint custody of the disputed areas would offer a lasting solution.

"Both sides should step back, otherwise people would just suffer more," said Sathit Suwankooti, 41, owner of the Kwan Yuen 2 Hotel, a few minutes away from the main evacuees camp in Kantharalak district.

Sathit's view could not be more different from that of people like Ratri Pinpar, a noodle-shop owner in the same town. "I want [the authorities] to take swift action so things do not drag on. If negotiations fail, the battle should go all the way," she told The Nation yesterday.

At the border village of Phum Saron, where one civilian has been killed and seven houses as well as a school destroyed, some want peaceful negotiation, while others want Cambodia to be hit by F-16 fighter jets.

"We must negotiate. That's the best way," said Samai Poonsuk, 45, sitting in his home, which is next to his brother-in-law's house that was destroyed in the fighting.

Not far away, another male villager who joined the chat but asked not to be named, said the only solution was sending off F-16 fighter jets. "If you want things to be over quickly, just dispatch the F-16s," he said. "If we use heavy weapons, then it will be over in no time."

Others like Kittipong Srirattana, a male nurse at Sri Rattana Hospital, say a joint custody of the disputed areas would be the best solution. "Force won't solve the conflict," he advised.

Closer to the border, at the Preah Vihear National Park where civilians have been shut out for nearly a week, the rangers say they don't know when or how the clashes will end.

An old sign posted at the gate might offer a clue, though. The rusting metal sign states that the park is closed to tourists due to the on-going Thai-Cambodian conflicts - except the notice is dated April 3, 2009.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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ANALAYSIS

Thai Govt's diesel subsidies only a temporary solution

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Thai Talk - How do you tell red from yellow when it's white?

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Give Thai farmers the means to earn a decent living

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New Medical Council chief targets malpractice bill

By The Nation

Siriraj Hospital physician Dr Amnat Kusalanant, who was elected yesterday as the new Medical Council president, said his first priority would be to withdraw the draft Medical Malpractice Victim Protection Bill from the House of Representatives.

A public hearing into the contentious legislation should be conducted first, he said.

Amnat, 65, said another target would be to improve relationships between medical workers and patients.

"The patients are our relatives and [both parties] should be happy to live together," he said.

The council's 18th president said he would also work on measures to increase the salaries and allowances of medical workers, based on workload.

The monthly salary of a state hospital physician should be determined separately from that of other state agency officials, he said.

Amnat said he would accelerate investigations into a case where doctors allegedly violated the medical ethics code, using information technology to speed up the process and complete it within a year.

He said he would meet with Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, the chief government whip, and the House of Representative's public health panel to explain the impact of the Medical Malpractice Victim Protection Bill.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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Da Torpedo's lese majeste conviction declared mistrial

By The Nation

The Appeals Court yesterday declared that the lese majeste conviction of Daranee Chanchoengsilpakul, aka Da Torpedo, was a mistrial.

Under the appellate decision, Daranee will be tried again after the Criminal Court has sought and received the Constitution Court's ruling on whether its closed-door trial was constitutional.

At the trial, the court invoked Article 177 of the Criminal Procedural Code to conduct a hearing behind closed doors after overruling defence argument that the secret proceedings might be unconstitutional.

Based on judicial procedures, the court is obliged to refer any arguments on constitutional compliance to the Constitution Court for review.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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Funding, efficiency crucial to welfare plan: TDRI

By The Nation

The government's plan to provide basic state welfare to all low-income earners and non-employees will take more than just idealistic principles to succeed, as sufficient funding and efficient management will be crucial, according to a senior researcher with the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

Without efficient management and a state subsidy funded by minimum a GDP growth of 4 to 5 per cent each year, it is difficult to see how the plan to embrace millions more people could work in the long run, Yongyuth Chaloemwong said yesterday. It is estimated that some 24 million workers are currently outside the social-welfare net.

Piggy-backing on a similar scheme under the Social Security Office (SSO), which covers 9 million beneficiaries, the Democrat-led government's populist policy offers two packages for non-employees and low-income earners. It expects some 2.5 million people - mostly the urban poor, which the Democrats are eager to reach out to - to apply initially.

Those applying for the type-A package, with a Bt100 monthly contribution and the government paying Bt30, will be compensated for unemployment, injury, work-related death and disability. The type-B package, requiring a Bt150 monthly contribution and the government paying Bt50, will also offer a pension fund.

The 24-million-strong workforce - frequently dubbed "off-system labour" - potentially covered by the plan is the country's mainstay in industrial and agricultural sectors, but it has until now been largely overlooked.

The TDRI divides these people into two groups, based on the type of work they do: the self-employed, such as taxicab and motorcycle-taxi drivers, street vendors and beauticians; and independent labourers or freelancers, including small-time contractors such as fishing-boat crew members or seasonal farmhands.

If the government wants many of these workers to apply for registration, Yongyuth said the authorities would have to gain access to them down to the village level.

Under the plan, the SSO will handle registration and the expansion of its database to accommodate more beneficiaries, which could eventually number up to 7 million. More administrative personnel would be needed to cope with the extra work, he said.

Yongyuth said the scheme would need to be managed and funded separately from the SSO, whose beneficiaries would be unhappy to share equal benefits with off-system labourers contributing much less than they do. "The government and authorities would need to be better at generating revenue to fund this scheme, in an amount equivalent to the GDP growth, with a minimum 4 to 5 per cent each year," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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Guarding their homes from thieves an added expense for evacuees

By The Nation

Kantharalak, Si Sa Ket

Residents of the Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, who have been displaced by the confrontation between Thai and Cambodian troops, are now shouldering the cost of travelling back and forth from their village so they can guard their belongings left at home.

Civil defence volunteers providing security for more than 10,000 residents are also being given a higher fuel allowance and need to keep their vehicles always full in case there's shortage - a move that is burdening local authorities, who already have to pay their daily allowance and cover their meals.

The evacuees also say that they need to get their own food, because rations always run out if they are late in returning to the shelter. They too have to keep their vehicles full of petrol in case of a shortage.

Banyong Tangsuk, a village chief, said residents were also complaining about poor accommodation, in addition to the extra costs of fuel and food.

Suwat Mathong said he had to spend Bt300 for his daily 50km drive to his home and back. He has been doing this for six days now. "I'll be in trouble if this conflict continues," he said.

Attendants at a PTT petrol station said fuel was in great demand, though they had to close down at 8pm everyday at the order of the military.

In Ubon Ratchathani, the military is providing drinking water and food to the 8,000 or so residents evacuated from the Nam Khun district. The evacuees are also being given survival kits and winter clothing so they can cope with the cold weather at night.

Meanwhile, the Army has posthumously promoted Sergeant Thanakorn Pholsalabsai to the rank of major. Thanakorn, so far, is the only casualty in the six-day conflict, apart from the 26 soldiers and paramilitary rangers who have sustained injuries. The soldier's funeral is being held at Wat None Lai in Si Sa Ket's Benjaluk and he will be cremated on Saturday at 4pm.

Of the 26 injured, who are being treated at an Army hospital in Warin Chamrap district, one soldier has lost his eyesight to an explosion, while another has sustained severe wounds to his head.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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Thai Customs arrest 23-y-old Pakistani at Suvarnabhumi with 1 kg of 'ice'

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Kim to appeal sacking from top varsity post

By The Nation

Assoc Prof Kim Chaisansook yesterday ended his role as president of Ramkhamhaeng University (RU) but vowed to appeal against his dismissal order.

The Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec) issued the order on the grounds the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had found Kim guilty of illegitimately extending the service years of Assoc Prof Rangsan Saengsook, who previously served as RU president.

"I have already ceased to work as RU president," Kim said yesterday, "But I am eagerly waiting to see the order because I want the information to prepare for my appeal".

He said he was going to submit the appeal to the civil-servant committee for higher-educational institutes within 30 days.

"I have done nothing wrong - [otherwise] universities that have extended service years for their staff must all be guilty," Kim said.

He said he had no plan to attend an urgent meeting of the RU Council today, because he had not been invited.

Ohec secretary-general Dr Sumet Yamnoon, meanwhile, said he would join the meeting because he wanted to advise the council on how to proceed.

His deputy Dr Kamjorn Tatiyakavee said the Ohec had issued the order after the Council of State ruled it had the authority to do so.

"At first, we waited for the RU Council to act on the NACC ruling itself, but it had done nothing," he said.

Speaking in a separate interview yesterday, RU Council president Prachuap Chaiyasan said he had not yet talked to Kim about the dismissal order.

He said he knew nothing about what happened because he was working in a province.

"I don't know yet," Prachuap said when asked what he would do next.

Some 200 RU students and staff rallied in support of Kim and Rangsan at the campus yesterday.

Thirapat Kahawong, a student, said he was worried that Kim's removal could disrupt the operation of the whole university.

"We hope the Ohec will review its order," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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Queen to preside over revered monk's cremation

By Seksanti Kallayanawisut

The Nation

Udon Thani

Her Majesty the Queen will graciously preside over the cremation of highly revered monk Luangta Maha Bua Yanasampanno on March 5.

Udon Thani Governor Khomsan Ekkachai told a meeting yesterday of the committee preparing for the cremation that he was informed by the Office of His Majesty the King's Principal Private Secretary that Her Majesty had accepted the invitation to lead the ceremony.

It will be held at the temporary crematorium of Ban Tad Temple in Muang district.

The meeting was also told that HRH Princess Chulabhorn would make merit at the temple every weekend from tomorrow until the cremation.

Throngs of devotees continued to pay respects and make cash offerings despite the hot weather, prompting the temple to pitch 200-meter-long tents to comfort the guests. The donations have reached Bt39.43 million.

Phrakhru Atthakit Nonthakhun from Kamphaeng Phet's Pa Doi Lapnga Temple said Luangta Maha Bua had initiated a merit-making project in 2009 to raise Bt500 million to open a 10-storey centre for sick monks at Udon Thani Central Hospital.

The construction would use up Bt200 million while the remaining Bt300 million would be for buying medical equipment.

The monks' care centre was nearly completed and was set to open in May, but then Luangta Maha Bua fell ill and passed away, leaving the building construction fund Bt56 million short.

Luangta Maha Bua's disciple Luangphu Lee Kusalatharo from Tham Pha Daeng Temple took over the project to raise more funds, but they still needed Bt26 million to reach the Bt500 million target, the monk said.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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BURNING ISSUE

Internal Security Act meant to kill two birds with one stone

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Thai Workers march from Rayong to Bangkok to demand fair treatment

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PAD wants written request from Thai Govt to end rally

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Blasts at Burma border kill 2

By The Nation

Two bombs exploded yesterday in Burma's Myawaddy town, across from Mae Sot district in Tak province, killing two people and wounding six others.

The first homemade bomb, planted near the Seven Stars coffee stall not far from the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge, went off yesterday afternoon, while the second one exploded when the area was packed with medical and security staff.

A Burmese military source blamed the blasts on the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) resistance fighters.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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France offers to mediate Thai-Cambodian conflict /TAN_Network

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Rights lawyer to petition for UN monitoring on ISA

By The Nation

Rights lawyer Nitithorn Lamluan will on Thursday submit a petition calling for the Office of the Untied Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights to monitor the enforcement of Internal Security Act.

In his petition, Nitithorn has voiced suspicion about human rights violations and abuse of power to disrupt a peaceful assembly of the people.

He is scheduled to lodge the petition later this morning at the Bangkok office of the OHCHR.

The government has invoked the ISA to cover seven districts of Bangkok where the yellow shirts and the red shirts have been holding separate protests.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 962.90, down 6.99 points /MCOT

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Police to seek court injunction on PAD

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Thai and Cambodian Foreign Ministers to Hold Talks Mediated by UN Security Council

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Border Villgers: PAD Visit Could Worsen Border Dispute

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Central to Open New Mega-Complex by 2013

A leading Thai retailer is planning to launch a new mega-complex which will consist of a shopping mall and a high-end hotel, in a bid to help boost economic confidence in the country.

Central Retail Corporation (CRC) CEO Tos Chirathivat revealed that CRC is planning to build a new “Central Embassy” project in the center of Bangkok, worth more than 10 billion baht.

The project is planned to house a large-scale shopping mall and a premium hotel, with construction scheduled to kick off by the first quarter of this year.

The project is expected to be completed and operational by the year 2013.

Central Embassy will house an 8-floor shopping mall and a 30-floor hotel, which will offer as many as 222 guest rooms.

CRC is confident the emergence of such a mega-complex will be a new source of employment opportunities and will generate revenue for the economy while helping to boost economic confidence in Thailand.

When asked about the ongoing political conflict, Tos said the problem is a short-term issue and that foreign investors understand the situation.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-10