Thailand Live Saturday 19 February 2011

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Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 18 Feb 2011

Thailand’s first clay monastery to mark HM’s 84th Birthday Anniersary

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thailand’s first clay monastery will be built as a tribute to His Majesty the King on the occasion of His 84th Birthday Anniversary.

According to the Office of the Secretary of the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, His Holiness Somdej Phra Nyanasamvara, the Supreme Patriarch, has accepted to be the patron of the project to construct the first-ever clay monastery in honor of His Majesty the King in conjunction with His 84th Birthday Anniversary on 5 December 2011.

The monastery will be located in Khok Si Suphan district, Sakon Nakhon province. All stupas, uposatha hall, as well as cleric houses will be made of clay. The secretariat said portions of the soil used in the construction will be brought from the Four Holy Places of Buddhism in India, Nepal and Pakistan. To make the new monastery even more special, the Supreme Patriarch will graciously give a jade Buddha statue in the meditating position, with 9-inch lap size that he brought from

India, as the principal Buddha image for the uposatha hall once it is completed.

The uposatha hall will be 15 meters long and 7 meters wide. It is expected to be able to contain no less than 50 monks at a time, and built with a budget of no more than one million baht. Inmates who are nearing completion of their sentences and have undergone construction training will be hired to build the monastery.

-- NNT 2011-02-19

Puea Thai to bring cheap household products on sales to help Thai families

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Puea Thai Party’s Deputy Spokesperson Wim Roonwattanajinda has revealed consumers are finding it difficult to find palm oil in the market sold at the Ministry of Commerce’s price of only 47 baht per liter while 15 other products are also expected to be scarce.

After visiting Bangkapi market, Mr. Wim was told by merchants they could not sell palm oil at the Ministry’s price as it is being sold at 70 baht per liter in the black market. The Commerce Ministry has recently launched a price relieving scheme in a bid to counter rising cost of living for Thai people.

According to the report, other products expected to be scarce in the market include soybean oil and sunflower oil, coconut milk, sugar, certain types of rice, pork, eggs, instant noodles, skimmed milk, canned food, detergent, soap, dish washing liquid, shampoo and tampons.

The Puea Thai Party’s Deputy Spokesperson blamed the government for not heeding the advice proposed by his party to respond to supply shortages. He said a market selling cheap household products will be held at its headquarters on New Petchaburee road next Tuesday in an attempt to help Thais. Products sold will consist of palm oil, rice, egg, instant noodles and canned sardines.

As for other provinces, the Puea Thai MPs have been tasked with making their own decisions for solutions to help residents cope with rising product prices.

-- NNT 2011-02-19

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AFP: Rights Groups Press Thailand On Rohingya Boat People

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Thailand and Cambodia need a 'Jimmy Carter' mediator

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Suvarnabhumi named fifth best airport

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Action promised on palm oil shortage in Thailand

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Yellow shirt Rallies against interests of jailed Thais in Cambodia: PM Abhisit

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Cambodia makes Phu Makhua border mountain a strategic point

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Japan advises Kingdom to boost labour force

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SPECIAL REPORT

Lepers find hope in Chiang Mai

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Red shirt leader Jatuporn to reveal 'solid evidence' of Abhisit's UK citizenship

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Ringleaders of Ratchaburi prison riot to be moved

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Proposals from Sombat panel pro-Democrat, says Pheu Thai

By THE NATION

An opposition politician yesterday accused a government-appointed panel of being biased toward the ruling Democrat Party for suggesting a charter change that would give the party that wins the most House seats through the party-list system the right to form a government.

Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan said he believed that the proposal was aimed at boosting the possibility of the Democrats being able to form a government after the next elections.

"There are no political theories supporting this proposal. I think Sombat should have amended the Constitution to say that only the leader of the Democrat Party can be a prime minister," Jatuporn said.

He was referring to Sombat Thamrong-thanyawong, rector of the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida), who is leading the committee.

The Sombat panel's proposal for reducing constituency MPs from 400 to 375 and increasing party-list MPs from 100 to 125 was recently endorsed by the Parliament in the third and final reading.

In the 2007 general election, the People Power Party - Pheu Thai's previous incarnation - beat the Democrat Party both in constituency and the party-list system of proportional representation, though there was merely a one-seat difference in the party-list system (PPP got 34 and the Democrats 33 seats). In late 2008,

PPP was dissolved for electoral fraud.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is also Democrat leader, said yesterday that the proposal should be put up for "social debate", though he said he did not think the proposal was aimed at favouring any particular political party.

When asked to confirm the likelihood of a general election by June, as has been speculated by Democrat key men Suthep Thaugsuban and Korbsak Sabhavasu, Abhisit said: "House dissolution? You will know when that happens."

The Democrat leader's spokesman, Thepthai Senpong, said yesterday that the Sombat panel had made its decision independently, with no influence or guidance from the government. However, he said, the final decision would depend on the public.

"This proposal has nothing to do with the Democrat Party or the government. I don't want the Pheu Thai Party to be accusing the government of dirty tricks," Thepthai said.

He expressed concern that the Democrats might be at a disadvantage during the next general election if their competitors resort to buying votes in both the constituency and party-list system.

-- The Nation 2011-02-19

New rules sought after mass resignation in Senate

By THE NATION

Senate Speaker Prasobsook Boondech yesterday said he would seek changes to senatorial meeting regulations to cope with the sudden mass resignations of appointed members of the Upper House.

Of 74 appointed senators to the 150-member Senate, 67 quit on Thursday in the hope of getting reappointed, leaving only 83 senators. The speaker is among seven appointed senators remaining.

Prasobsook yesterday said the mass resignations would cause no voting problems among the remaining senators as decisions would be made through majority.

However, he expressed concern that many of the 23 senatorial committees had lost most of their members.

For example, the panel on human rights, freedom and consumer protection would have only three members left.

In the next senatorial meeting on Monday, he will ask for changes to the Upper House's meeting regulations to allow senators to become members of more than the currently permitted two senatorial committees, so that all panels have sufficient members to achieve the quorum.

Nevertheless, the speaker said the panels had completed almost all their tasks. He therefore did not think there would be problems over the next two months if the remaining appointed senators took caretaker roles before new appointed senators replaced them.

Prasobsook said that in order to prevent similar problems from happening again, there should be an amendment to the Constitution to allow the selection process for appointed senators to begin three months before the end of their term, instead of after the term's end, as is the case at present.

He said the change would allow replacements of outgoing appointed senators to begin their work immediately after the term ended.

The mass resignation came just one day before the appointed senators' initial three-year term officially came to an end.

The Constitution prohibits any person from holding a senator's post for two consecutive terms. But the current appointed senators - the first group after the charter became effective in 2007 - are exempted as their term is three years, not six years like elected senators from the 76 provinces.

Many of the outgoing appointed senators are worried that because they will have to stay on as caretaker senators when the selection process begins, it will make them ineligible for selection, as the charter also prohibits political-office holders from becoming senators.

-- The Nation 2011-02-19

Over 1 Million Baht in foreign currency stolen during North Pattaya armed robbery

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Drunk Man Sexually Assaults 7 Year-Old In Chiang Mai

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German National dies in Pattaya bar

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Bangkok traffic info: Red rally today - 1pm at Ratchaprasong, 2pm at Supreme Court (Sanam Luang), 5pm Democracy Monument. Rally to end midnight. Avoid areas

Police advise public to avoid Red Shirt rally site at Ratchaprasong; protesters to march to Supreme Court, Democracy Monument in afternoon /MCOT

Traffic around Rajprasong closed

Traffic around the Rajprasong Intersection was closed by noon Saturday after the red-shirt people gathered there to commemorate the deaths of their peers.

The red-shirt demonstrators gathered at the intersection before moving to rally at the Supreme Court in the evening.

-- The Nation 2011-02-19

Two companies of police guard Supreme Court

Two companies of policemen were deployed to guard the Supreme Court at Sanam Luang Saturday morning ahead of the red-shirt rally there.

Crowd-control policemen from the Metropolitan Police Bureau put up barricades around the court.

The red-shirt people plan a demonstration there to demand judges to approve bail of seven red-shirt leaders being detained in the Remand Prison.

-- The Nation 2011-02-19

Reds in front of CTW http://yfrog.com/gzaqyrj /via@tulsathit /via@js100radio

DNP bans alcohol in Mu Ko Chang National Park

TRAT, 19 February 2011 (NNT) – A ban on alcohol has been issued by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) for seven national parks in the East, including Mu Ko Chang National Park.

The DNP now prohibits visitors from bringing alcoholic beverages into a total of seven national parks located in the eastern provinces of Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat. The seven alcohol-free zones comprise Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park, Khao Chamao-Khao Wong National Park, Khao Khitchakut National Park, Namtok Phliu National Park, Khao Sip Ha Chan National Park, Namtok Khlong Kaeo National Park and Mu Ko Chang National Park.

As part of the government’s anti-alcohol policy, the measure is aimed to maintain the country’s natural sites tranquil and free of pollution and disturbances. Violators will be subject to imprisonment of up to one month and/or a fine of a maximum of 1,000 THB in accordance with the National Parks Act BE 2504 (1961).

-- NNT 2011-02-19

Man was killed when he jumped off Kabinburi-Bkk train as it approached PhyaThai station. He lost balance &train ran ovr him. /via@@tulsathit

PAD activists urge Thai govt not to sign permanent ceasefire agreement with Cambodia

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Police Arrest French Child Molester

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MFA ready to help Thais in Libya, Bahrain

BANGKOK, 19 February 2011 (NNT) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is prepared to provide assistance for Thai citizens living in Libya and Bahrain, where political tensions are escalating.

Deputy Director-General of the Information Department Jesda Katavetin said the Thai embassies in protest-stricken Libya and Bahrain are now closely monitoring the local situations while the Thai Foreign Ministry is already coordinating with Thai nationals in the two countries on its provision of help as initially needed. Evacuation plans have reportedly been laid down in case the uprisings become uncontrollable.

Public relations officials have also been dispatched into Thai communities to disseminate relevant information, including how assistance could be sought, and to encourage the Thai people to stay alert and avoid going near protest sites. According to Mr Jesda, there are presently more than 20,000 Thai workers in Libya alone. However, no requests for a return to Thailand have been received so far.

-- NNT 2011-02-19

Red Shirts hold rally in Bangkok under close watch of police

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Technician Falls Two Stories Through A House In Pattaya

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