Thailand Live Monday 21 Feb 2011

[webfact]

Police Chief Proposes Extending ISA Enforcement

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Cambodian FM arrives in Indonesia for talks about border conflict with Thailand, says conflict cannot end easily /TAN_Network

Criminal Court starts considering bail for 7 red-shirt leaders at 9am, lawyer requests Kanit and Sanan as witnesses /TAN_Network

Army brings foreign military attaches to visit Kantaraluck, Si Sa Ket to view damages from Cambodian attack /TAN_Network

Bus carrying teachers from Mae Sai falls into 100m ravine, 2 dead, dozens injured /TAN_Network

[webfact]

Suthep: security act to be extended for 15 days to prevent mobile rallies /TAN_Network

Suthep: palm oil import may be cut to just 20,000-30,000 tons /TAN_Network

Deaf woman ambushes PM at event at BITEC, call on state help as hospital refuse to treat her /TAN_Network

[webfact]

Dusit Poll: public believes state officials' corruption resulted in palm oil shortage, not confident govt able to solve problem /TAN_Network

[webfact]

Public Health Ministry warns border people to stay on alert of diarrhea, malaria and measles

BANGKOK -- People living in provinces bordering Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia should stay on alert of three diseases including acute diarrhea, malaria and measles which are transmitted to Thailand by some citizens of those countries, warned Public Health Deputy Minister Phansiri Kullanartsiri on Sunday.

Latest statistics issued by the Labour Ministry showed that more than one million people from those three countries entered Thailand by March of last year, with the majority of them coming to the kingdom illegally and not undergoing health checks, Mrs Phansiri said.

Most of the diseases found at temporary camps for displaced persons discovered that people from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia suffered from acute diarrhea, malaria and measles, she said. More than 10,000 patients at these camps received treatment in 2010.

Acute diarrhea was also found in several Thai coastal provinces in 2009 until the following year when the number of cases spread into 43 provinces, Mrs Phansiri said.

She said in order to contain the diseases from spreading, Thai employers should bring foreign workers to undertake medical tests at Public Health Ministry-run hospitals so they could receive treatment immediately if diseases were found. Provincial health officials based in border provinces must also closely monitor patients suffering from diarrhea in order to find out whether they are suffering from cholera, while toilets and markets in coastal provinces must be kept clean.

As summer weather is approaching, children aged between nine to twelve months living along border provinces should take vaccination against measles, she added. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-02-21

[webfact]

Five Phuket tourists die in Cha-am horror crash

Follow this link:

[webfact]

11 dead, at least 20 injured as bus carrying teachers from Chiang Rai's Mae Sai plunges into ravine in Nan /MCOT

[webfact]

Court Considers Bail Petitions for 7 Detained Red-shirt Leaders

The Criminal Court has begun a hearing for bail petitions for seven red-shirt leaders, with the Metropolitan Police Region 1 commander being called to give testimony.

The Criminal Court called forward seven core leaders from the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, or DAAD, who are currently being held at the Bangkok Remand Prison on terrorism charges, in today's hearing of their bail petitions.

The red-shirt group's caretaker leader Thida Thawornset said Nuttawut Saikua and Veera Musikapong appeared before the judge at the morning session.

She claimed that the Commander of the Metropolitan Police Region 1 Police Major General Wichai Sangprapai will also give testimony to confirm that the red-shirt protesters were conducting their activities within the scope of the law.

Thida added that the commander of the Bangkok Remand Prison will give testimony on the actions of the seven core red-shirt leaders while they were in detention.

She expects the court will issue the temporary release of the seven red-shirt detainees and insisted that the red-shirt leaders are not terrorists.

She said that the evidence presented by the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, is insignificant.

Meanwhile, DSI Director-General Tharit Pengdit revealed that his agency will file a petition against bail applications, and pointed out that the red-shirt leaders have been accused of serious charges and warned that they could incite further chaos if freed.

However, he said the agency will not petition the bail amount for Weng Tochirakarn and Korkaew Pikulthong.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-21

[webfact]

AFP: Thai economy returns to growth in fourth quarter

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Breaking News: 14 teachers killed, at least 20 injured when bus plunges into ravine

Follow this link:

[webfact]

THAI-CAMBODIAN BORDER DISPUTE

Surin to build more bunkers and shelters

By The Nation

Surin authority on Monday approved buildings of more bunkers and shelters and the purchase of hand crank sirens in preparation in case Thai-Cambodian border clashes erupt in the area.

Surin is next to Si Sa Ket province where Thai troops fought with Cambodian troops on February 4. The Thai side insisted that Cambodian troops opened fires on them. The fighting killed three Thais and destroyed many buildings including schools in Si Sa Ket's Kantaralak district.

Surin Governor Serm Chainarong who chaired the meeting on Monday said that his authority approved the buildings of additional bunkers, shelters as well as the purchase of hand operated sirens as requested by border districts of Kab Choeng and Panom Dongrak districts.

Serm said Panom Dongrak district got the approval to build 20 more bunkers and buy a number of sirens while Kab Choeng was approved to build some 100 more bunkers.

At present the province has a total of 134 bunkers and shelters in its four border districts.

-- The Nation 2011-02-21

[webfact]

7 Red Shirt leaders testify on bail request; Red Shirt supporters gather at court amid tight security /MCOT

[webfact]

ACCIDENT

At least 14 teachers killed when bus plunges into ravine in Nan

By The Nation

Nan/Chiang Rai

List of slain teachers inside

Fourteen teachers were killed and 23 others injured when their bus plunged into a roadside ravine Monday, police said.

The accident happened in Nan's Song Kwae district at about 7:30 am. The 32 teachers were traveling from Ban Dai School in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district on an education trip to Thung Chang district.

They left the Ban Dai school at 3 am. The ravine is about 100-metre deep.

Police suspected that the bus driver lost control because he was not familiar with mountainous road, causing it to plunge down the ravine.

Pongphan Chaiyawat, the director of Chiang Rai's Education Zone 3, said the tragic accident saddened teachers in Mae Sai and the entire Chiang Rai.

He said Ban Dai School Director Sak Luaraj was among the injured. He said the education zone and legal staffs would provide all necessary assistance to the injured teaches and families of the killed teachers.

The injured teachers were rushed to the Song Kwae and Nan hospitals. Pongphan said his deputy would become acting director of the school and teachers from nearby school would be mobilized to take charge of classes to ensure that the students could sit for the final exams.

List of slain teachers

1. Weerapob Uthomporn

2. Yupin Sombutr, deputy director

3. Sunantha Kaewpuang

4. Pimonwan Tehlamai

5. Ampaipan Kattiya

6. Areewan Tapu

7. Sarawuth Chaiyapan

8. Nahathai Pienkam

9. Palakorn Pollasit

10. Sasinan Tirasa

11. Narong Katkam

12. Patriya Fusaeng

-- The Nation 2011-02-21

[webfact]

Kanit, Sanan testifies in favour of red shirts' requested bail

Kanit na Nakhon, the chairman a special government panel, and Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasat Monday testified in favour or the seven red-shirt leaders' bail applications.

Kanit, former attorney-general and chairman of the May 19 fact finding panel, has earlier recommended the temporary release of the red-shirt leaders for the sake of national reconciliation.

Earlier, Korbsak Sabhavasu, former PM's secretary-general, testified in favour of Veera Musigapong's bail application, and thus convincing the court to release him on bail.

The court has yet to make a ruling whether to approve the applications.

-- The Nation 2011-02-21

[webfact]

Thailand successfully produced the world's first vaccine against dengue fever

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Special Report: Mekong River and Threats from Dam Construction

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Thailand's 2011 economic growth projected at 3.5-4.5%

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Laos to develop tourism on Mekong River islands

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Police arrest taxi driver for shooting at US Embassy, search of his bag revealed a canister of fuel and a gun /TAN_Network

[webfact]

Man Shoots at US Embassy

The Metropolitan 5 Police bureau has arrested a man, said to be a taxi driver and mentally disturbed, after he fired a pen gun at the US Embassy in Bangkok.

A search of his bag found a canister of fuel and the gun.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-21

[webfact]

BNONews: CENTRAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING IN LIBYAN CAPITAL IS ON FIRE -- REUTERS REPORTER

[webfact]

Police arrest 'insane' man firing .22 pistol in front of US Embassy in Bangkok; Detainee claims he has micro ship embedded in his head /MCOT

[webfact]

Phuket jokers have ‘nothing to declare’

Stand-up comedians Nick Doody, Josh Howie and Michael Legge

were met by a stretched limo at Phuket Airport yesterday.

Photo: Dan Miles

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Court to announce decision on red shirt leaders' bail requests 2 pm tomorrow. /via@tulsathit /RT @Reporter_Js3

[webfact]

SET index closed at 995.67, up 0.10; Bt/USD30.39; GBP49.25; AUD30.65; EUR41.48; CAD30.79; HKD3.90; SGD23.73; JPY36.35

[webfact]

ASEAN chairman: Feb 22 meeting to center on Thai-Cambodian conflict; Cambodian FM happy about foreign military attaches' visit to area /TAN_Network

[webfact]

Ceasefire Agreement Declined as Govt Deal

The deputy prime minister in charge of national security stresses that the ceasefire agreement between the Thai army chief of staff and the Cambodian deputy army commander is not an official government deal.

He calls it an an attempt to avoid a new round of clashes.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban commented on the ceasefire agreement engineered by Thai Army Chief of Staff General Dapong Rattanasuwan and Cambodian Deputy Army Commander Major General Hun Manet, son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He said the agreement is not an official government pact but rather a framework between the two sides to avoid further border clashes.

When asked about the planned ASEAN ministerial meeting in Indonesia, Suthep said that he is still waiting for more details from the Foreign Ministry on the agenda of the talks.

As for the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order's decision to extend the Internal Security Act enforcement for the next 15 days, the deputy premier stated the move is necessary to maintain peace and prevent violence.

He added that the government sees the ongoing protests as a delicate matter which must be handled carefully through the use of a nonviolent approach.

Suthep said he will meet with national police chief Police General Wichien Podposri to map out the scope of possible negotiations between responsible agencies and the People's Alliance for Democracy protest leaders.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-21

[webfact]

AFP: Armed Man Arrested Outside US Embassy In Bangkok. Claimed to have microchip planted in his head

Follow this link:

[webfact]

Bomb Detonated in Yala, Killing 1

Southern insurgents detonated a bomb in the downtown area of Yala province in front of a supermarket, causing a blaze. One person was killed while 12 others were injured.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-21

[webfact]

Democrat MP complains Bt240,000 disappeared from account

Democrat MP Rangsima Rodrassamee Monday told reporters her Bt240,000 had mysteriously disappeared from her bank account.

She said the money disappeared from her saving account at Krung Thai Bank, Parliament branch.

She said bank officials told her that the money was spent through a debit card to buy goods abroad three times between February 17 to 21.

She said she made a foreign trip for the last time two months ago.

-- The Nation 2011-02-21