Thailand Live Wednesday 16 Feb 2011

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Thailand Live Wednesday 16 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 Tuesday 15 Feb 2011

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Diesel Subsidy Expected to End by April

Despite a number of unfavorable factors that have led to continued increase in oil prices, a leading energy expert is predicting that the Thai government may end its subsidy for local diesel in a few months’ time.

Energy Expert Manoon Siriwan said that the state subsidy for diesel in Thailand will likely end in April as temperature in Europe is expected to rise and relieve them from strong demand for fuel.

Manoon said that the government is currently subsidizing the prices of biodiesel B3 and B5 to the tune of 3.50 to four baht a liter.

He is urging consumers to be prepared for an increase in local diesel prices after the state subsidy is cancelled.

Manoon also stated that the diesel prices will only have to go up by at least one baht per liter, even though the global oil price may fall after winter passes and fuel demand around the world eases in the next few months.

When asked about higher prices of alternative fuel, Manoon said the problem is largely to blame on the shortage of palm oil, the main component for biodiesel.

He said that the scarcity drove the price of biodiesel B100 up to more than 70 baht a liter.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-16

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Cambodia Wants Border Trade Intact from Conflict

Although Cambodia's current dispute with Thailand still has showed no clear sign of easing, the Cambodian prime minister reportedly wants border trade between the two countries to go on as usual.

Speaking after joining the opening ceremony for a road project in Banteay Meanchey province of Cambodia, Deputy Sa Kaew Governor Chat Kitinoppadol said he and his entourage received a nice welcome from Cambodian authorities.

Chat said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen raised the awareness of the event's participants on his visit and expressed his wish for Banteay Meanchey's cross-border trade with Thailand's Sa Kaew province to continue as usual.

However, the deputy governor said Hun Sen did not talk about the clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops in the border area near the Preah Vihear Temple or the resolution by the United Nations Security Council asking the two countries to solve their conflict on bilateral basis.

Chat stated Hun Sen only said he wanted the military confrontation to be prevented from spreading to other areas apart from that near the ancient temple.

Hundreds of Cambodian soldiers and a number of armored vehicles were deployed to the ceremony site to protect the Cambodian prime minister and other military top brass who took part in the event.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-16

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Energy Min: Palm oil shortage affects alternative energy promotion

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul has admitted the impact from the palm oil shortage on the National Alternative Energy Development Plan while hoping the situation will return to normal in April.

MD Wannarat indicated that the ongoing shortage of palm oil in the country had resulted in a slowdown of the National Alternative Energy Development Plan, implemented during 2008-2022. The production of biodiesel B100 has been severely affected while the distribution of biodiesel B5 has been halted. Biodiesel B3 is also likely to be replaced by B2 on 1 March after its current stock runs out.

The Minister, however, expected the production of palm fruits to rebound in April, which would allow biodiesel B3 to be put back into the market. If the amount produced is sufficient, B5 would be sold as a single grade to reduce the consumption of benzene.

Meanwhile, Director General of the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Krairit Nilkuha said the palm oil shortage had prompted alterations of the mid-term alternative energy plan, especially the promotion of biodiesel which had its 2011 target of 1.8 million liters per day pegged until 2013. He reasoned that the stock of biodiesel B100, which is a raw material for B3 and B5, is now at merely 70,000 tons.

-- NNT 2011-02-16

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Passengers In Vans In Thailand To Be Required To Wear Seatbelts

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Mental illnesses prevalent among border residents after clashes

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3G network good to go in 2 months: CAT chief

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F-16 upgrades in wake of double crash; Thai Defence Ministry

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Thai Ministry refuses to pay 'stupidity' fees over Khlong Dan project

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SPECIAL REPORT

Thai Health Ministry to Probe into massive overprescription

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ASEAN to hear border row on Tuesday

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Deftones fans go berserk after concert is cancelled

By The Nation

Hundreds of concert-goers rioted last night after cancellation of a concert by American metal band Deftones.

Angry fans threw bottles and glasses, damaged furnishings and smashed glass windows at the concert venue, the Thunder Dome in Muangthong Thani, after being informed about the bad news at about 3pm. Thousands of the disappointed concert-goers went home, while the remaining fans went berserk. Many policemen later arrived at the scene to keep order.

It remained unclear what caused the cancellation. One source said it was because the band's manager found the stage wasn't up to standard, and that the band's equipment could not be used with Thailand's electricity voltage.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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15,000 More NGV Taxis Planned

The Energy Ministry will allow 15,000 more taxis to be modified for NGV use for free.

The switch is expected to help reduce the State Oil Fund's financial burden on the LPG subsidy program by 474 million baht per month.

Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Energy Ministry, Kuruchit Nakhonthap, disclosed that by the end of March, the ministry will organize a registration for taxi operators who want to convert their LPG-fuelled engine to be NGV compatible for free.

The registration for 15,000 more taxis is planned after the ministry found that public relations for the campaign at the beginning of this month received a good response from taxi drivers and 15,000 of them have registered for the NGV system installation.

Kuruchit said once the NGV system installation on 30,000 taxis completes, it will help reduce the State Oil Fund's financial burden on the subsidy program for the import of LPG by 474 million baht per month.

He further said the ministry will coordinate with standard garages to carry out the NGV system tank installation.

Certified garages will be paid for the installation by 5,000 baht per unit.

He added the Energy Ministry will be responsible for the expense on NGV tanks and the equipment required for the installation, using the money from the oil fund.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-16

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One down, three to go

By The Nation

Three more huge drainage tunnels will be built over the next five years to provide a longterm solution to flood problems, Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.

Sukhumbhand announced the news while presiding over an opening ceremony for the Rama 9Ramkhamhaeng tunnel. It is one of four tunnels being built for a total cost of Bt16 billion.

Other tunnels would be the 6.5km RatchadaphisekSutthisarn tunnel; a 13.5km Don Muang tunnel; and a 9.5km Suan Luang Rama 9 tunnel. Work on the Ratchada tunnel will start later this year, while construction of the latter two will start next year.

It has taken 10 years to build the Rama 9 to Ramkhamhaeng drainage tunnel, which is the country's largest (with a 5m radius) and longest drainage (5km long) tunnel. Lying 2730 metres under the ground, is now open for use.

The tunnel will drain water from Lat Phrao and Saen Saeb canals directly to the Chao Phraya River at 60 cubic metres per second. It will alleviate flooding in 50 sq km of the city, covering Lat Phrao, Wang Thong Lang, Bang Kapi, Huay Kwang, Buang Kum and Saphan Sung districts.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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BURNING ISSUE

Thailand and Cambodia should stop stirring the pot needlessly

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Thai DSI promises to crack foreign 'call-centre gangs'

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Red shirts protest as detention goes on

By The Nation

A group of 30 red shirts yesterday complained about their continued detention, despite the government's pledge to free them pending trial.

"Some 104 red shirts are still in jail facing charges of violating emergency rules even though they should have been released since they are not prime suspects," the group said in an open letter.

Phayao Akhad, representing the group, lodged the letter with the Rights and Liberties Department, which was assigned to expedite bail reviews for the suspects.

Director-general Nongporn Rungphetwong said the department had checked on the needs and conditions of 180 red shirts held in custody, and 151 had sought legal assistance and help applying for bail.

The department had arranged for lawyers and financial sureties but the outcome depended on the charges and legal circumstances of each case, she said.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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Suthep denies deal to form govt with Bhum Jai Thai

By The Nation

Deputy Prime Minister and Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban denied yesterday he has promised to form the next coalition government with the Bhum Jai Thai Party.

Suthep was responding to an interview with Panya Sripanya, chairman of Bhum Jai Thai MPs who said the Democrat had promised the two parties would definitely form the next coalition government, no matter how the election results turned out.

"There has been no such contract. It's just political talk. After the election results, talks will be held," Suthep said.

Suthep also denied he had planned a strategy to isolate the Pheu Thai Party in the next election.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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PAD leaders ordered to hear Internal Security Act charges

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OAG to review university president's sacking

By The Nation

The Office of the AttorneyGeneral (OAG) is reviewing the case against Associate Professor Kim Chaisansook, who was recently sacked as Ramkhamhaeng University (RU) president.

An informed source said yesterday that the OAG's Special Litigation Department had recommended this review because the service years of former RU executive Rangsan Saengsook were extended by the university's council.

"It is clearly not Kim's order," the source said.

The case against Kim was prepared by the National AntiCorruption Commission (NACC), which found him guilty of grave disciplinary/criminal offences for extending Rangsan's service by five years.

In response to the ruling, the Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC) removed Kim from office.

Kim, meanwhile, has vowed to fight back and has won strong backing from many of his colleagues. They too have lodged complaints with the NACC and OHEC about Kim's dismissal.

In a related case, a source said the OAG Special Litigation Department also believed that the NACC's investigation into Rangsan's approval of a Bt500million building while he was at the helm of the university was incomplete.

"Therefore, a joint panel will be formed to look into the case," the source said.

Rangsan has denied any wrongdoing, saying he had approved the construction only after consulting relevant authorities.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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Bangkok Court orders Immigration to free foreign worker from hospital cell

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Contact lenses blamed for eye infection outbreak in Bangkok

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Somchai refuses to accept ruling over punch

By The Nation

The Court of Appeals yesterday gave a suspended 15day jail sentence to singer Somchai Kemklad for punching an older man two years ago. This verdict was even more lenient than that of the lower court, which ordered that the suspect be detained for 15 days.

Even though the sentence is very lenient, Somchai is still taking the case to Supreme Court.

The singer is currently out on bail, for which he used his land title deed worth Bt794,000 as bond.

On January 5, 2009, Somchai punched Veerachat Densirikul, who was eating noodles at the same stall, for refusing to "wai" him. Veerachat lodged a complaint against Somchai after the singer refused to apologise, adding that he hoped this case would be a lesson for others. He said he believed Somchai's behaviour had become better since the case hit the court, adding that the singer had been found guilty of physically assaulting two other victims before.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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Govt advertises its achievements

By The Nation

A commercial advertising the government's welfare projects will start airing on television from tonight after the evening news, ruling Democrat Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks said yesterday.

He said the commercial would cover such things as the increase in minimum wages, a reduced cost of living, free electricity for low-income earners and free education. Ads on these projects will also be published in Thai-language newspapers.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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Poor images hamper Yala bomb warrants

By The Nation

Arrest warrants for more suspects in a car bomb attack on a military convoy in Yala last Sunday cannot be obtained yet, as the quality of images from security cameras capturing the suspects is too poor to be accepted by the court, a senior police commander said yesterday.

In addition to nine people apprehended on Monday for their suspected links to the bomb attack, more suspects - including wanted insurgents - are thought to have been involved, said Pol MajGeneral Chote Chawalwiwat. Two other people were yesterday apprehended for questioning, but none of the 11 have been charged.

Police are compiling evidence through other means to supplement the grounds needed for obtaining courtapproved warrants for more suspects, but Chote said the footage was the most important source in tracking the attackers or obtaining warrants for them.

The bomb attack involved operations in three southernmost provinces, with the pickup truck hijacked from Pattani wearing a fake licence plate, and an onwindshield registration paper taken from a car reported missing in Narathiwat.

Giftsets presented by His Majesty the King have been distributed to eight people, including four soldiers under hospital treatment, who sustained injuries from the bomb attack.

A military commander said the nine people were being questioned and ensured their safety as harmfree techniques were used during the process. Lt Colonel Thanut Phisalsitthiwat said soldiers had earlier visited a community located near the bomb attack site to give moral support to residents while gathering more information.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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Stampede to join rubber farm scheme

By The Nation

Hundreds of thousands of people and farmers based in the North and Northeast yesterday, the first day of the one-month application period, scurried to apply for rights to rubber farming under a government permission.

Encouraged by provision of free fertiliser, seeds and samplings, large crowds in tens of thousands flocked at city halls and provincial agricultural offices in many each province to register for their rights.

In Si Sa Ket, around 50,000 farmers from all 22 districts queued up at an office to register. Si Sa Ket has alloted 30,000 rai of farmland as rubber plantations under a government policy, now entering third and final phase to promote rubber farming across the country apart from the South - in which rubber is the key corp.

Qualified applicants are those owning two to 15 rai of land who have neither grown rubber nor registered under this scheme in two previous phases. They will be given free fertiliser, seeds and samplings in the first three years, worth around Bt3,500 per rai, before they shoulder the cost in the remaining four years, before the harvest in the eighth year.

In Buri Ram, farmers booed and shouted angry words after being told that there were only 2,000 sets of documents prepared and only 10 registration officials available, while there were around 10,000 showing up. An estimated 20,000 farmers are expected to register for 30,000 rai of land available, officials said.

There have been 80,000 rai of land turning into rubber plantations in this province, the political stronghold of key government ally Newin Chidchob who initiated large-scale rubber farming outside the South many years ago.

Around 80,000 rai of rubber farms in Buri Ram enter harvest age, yielding around Bt2.4 billion to farmers, at the price as high as Bt160 per kilo. The rubber farming craze has prompted price of land to rise fivefold, either in Buri Ram and other northeastern provinces.

In Phayao in the North, 1,600 farmers yesterday registered for 13,500 rai of land - 3,600 of which are available this year, another 4,950 in 2012 and 4,950 in 2013. The entire North is alloted the least amount of land 150,000 rai under the three-year period with government subsidy, compared to the whole country with a total of 800,000 rai alloted.

In Chiang Rai in the North, around 1,000 farmers registering for an overall 25,000 rai of land. The first group of farmers arrived at the registration office and queued up even before dawn.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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Land reform proposals deferred amid concern

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

The Cabinet has initially rejected a proposed land reform plan submitted by the National Reform Committee whose head, former premier Anand Panyarachun, was hand-picked by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The meeting concluded that the proposal - which includes the introduction of a progressive tax on people owning more than 50 rai of land- had too many details.

Abhisit gave PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey the job of looking into the details and bringing the plan back to Cabinet meeting in two weeks.

Concerns were also expressed that some of the proposals go against current government policies - such as designating certain areas as protected agricultural zones - which differ from the government's designation of certain zones as "special agricultural business zone".

A proposal to ease legal prosecution of poor farmers who encroach upon others' land also had to take the complicated judicial system into consideration, the Cabinet concluded yesterday.

"So in principle, the overall picture is the same but the details will be looked into by Sathit Wongnongtoey," the PM said.

"Ministers involved with the judicial process - including the Justice Minister, Finance Minister and Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Interior Minister - will meet at the conclusion of the Cabinet meeting with charts and tables to see how the proposals match or mismatch with those of the government. The government can then decide on its policy in two weeks," Abhisit said.

In regard to releasing details about land ownership by citizens, Abhisit said there should be no problem, as such information should be transparent.

Sources said many agencies opposed the land reform plan during yesterday's meeting. The Office of the Attorney General, for example, said the proposals involved too many laws and must be studied carefully. While Suvit Khunkitti, the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, who is on a visit to France, submitted a letter to the Cabinet opposing Anand's proposals.

He especially objected to legal assistance for poor people arrested for land encroachment and the proposed reduction of penalties meted out to these people - saying it would encourage similar land encroachment and even lead to capitalists encroaching on public land.

Suvit added that some other proposals overlapped with existing work by the ministry.

-- The Nation 2011-02-16

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Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller advisory service

The following Travel Advice has changed or been added since our last update (11 Feb 2011 19:20:28 EST):

* Thailand

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand

Current Advice Level: "High degree of caution"

Change Summary:

This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information in the Summary and under Safety and Security: Terrorism (recent terrorist attacks and locations that may be subject to attack), Safety and Security: Civil Unrest/Political Tension (activation of Internal Security Act in seven districts of Bangkok) and Border Regions (ongoing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia). The level of the advice for the area surrounding the Pra Viharn temple on the Thai-Cambodia border has increased to Reconsider your need to travel.

-- 2011-02-16

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Cabinet approves draft National Tourism Development Plan

BANGKOK, Feb 16 – Thailand's Cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft National Tourism Development Plan for 2012-2016 as proposed by the National Tourism Policy Committee, according to Deputy Government Spokesman Wachara Kannikar.

He said the plan was made with an aim of developing quality tourist destinations to ensure they are competitive at the global level.

“With the plan's implementation, we set a goal of becoming one of the top five in Asia with competitiveness in tourism, favourable business environment, and human resources and culture,” said Mr Wachara.

He said tourism in 2011 is expected to grow satisfactorily, boosted by the economic improvements inf many countries including China, India, Korea, the Middle East countries and some European countries such as Russia and the Scandinavian countries.

People in these countries enjoy higher purchasing power and tend to travel to Thailand because tourism service costs are lower than those of other countries.

However, he projected the number of tourists would increase slowly by 4.4-5 per cent to around 16.5-16.6 million for this year. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-02-16