Thailand Live Thursday 24 Feb 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 24 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 Wednesday 23 Feb 2011

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Public Health: H1N1 flu in Thailand under control

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thai people should not panic over the influenza A (H1N1) virus outbreak in Hong Kong as the authorities have been monitoring the virus spread in the country very closely, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

According to the Hong Kong Public Health authorities, 17 residents have died from the H1N1 flu infection since the beginning of this year, three in February alone.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health Medical Doctor Paijit Warachit stated that he was not worried about the influenza A situation in the kingdom as only two fatalities out of 55 H1N1 patients had been reported thus far.

In addition, Doctor Paijit noted that since the season in Thailand would soon change from winter to summer, the virus would naturally be weaker in hot weather.

Nevertheless, the permanent secretary urged people in four risky groups: seniors over 60 years old, children under 2, pregnant women and people with congenital diseases to see their doctors immediately should they develop any flu-like symptoms.

Doctor Paijit also suggested that general people having fever should follow the same recommendation if the symptoms remain persistent after two days.

-- NNT 2011-02-24

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Sugar Giant Sees No Impact from Rising World Price

A major sugar producer is confident that rising price in the world market will not have any serious impact on the Thai sugar price and supply as the country still has sufficient sugar for local consumption.

Boonyarit Na Wangkanai, general manager of Wangkanai Group, a leading Thai sugar producer, said that the world sugar market is on a growing trend in 2011 with the price continuing to rise just like the past years.

He said the world sugar price has recently gone up by 15-20 percent to an average of 30 cents a pound, while it is expected that the rate will go further up and may soon touch 36 cents a pound.

However, Boonyarit is confident that the current global sugar trade outlook will not pose any effect on Thailand.

At present, local sugar sells at 25-26 baht a kilo while domestic supply stands at 25 million tons, which are more than sufficient for local consumption.

In related news, the Wangkanai Group has unveiled its new product called organic sugar, which has won the highest organic standards from both the European Union and the United States.

The company has initially planned to supply 4,300 tons of organic sugar to both local and overseas markets.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-24

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Bangkok To Spend Bt15bn To Build 'Super Skywalk'

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Released Red-shirt Leaders to Address Bangkok Rally

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AFP: Thai police seize six tiger cubs: wildlife group

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Berserk elephant kills Swiss tourist, injures three in Phang Nga

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Thailand ready to receive border observers, but no troop pull-out

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Thailand's Inflation will be leased within target: BoT chief

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Anti-govt protesters in Libya loot Thai workers' camps

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6 Thais missing after quake

By Mayuree Sukyingcharoenwong,

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Families of nursing graduates feel the pain, fearing the worst as they anxiously await news from Christchurch; Thai government offers Bt2.3 million in assistance to New Zealand; holding talks to dispatch relief supplies

Pensioner Ruangyut Intarang-koon was going through the most painful wait of his life yesterday as all efforts to locate his youngest daughter in earthquake-hit Christchurch were proving fruitless as of press time.

"We have tried to contact her, but we cannot reach her or any of her friends," the anxious father said from his hometown in Buri Ram. "We are so worried about her."

She is one of six Thai students missing in Christchurch, Thailand's ambassador to New Zealand Noppadon Theppitak confirmed yesterday.

Ruangyut feels there is only a 50 per cent chance that his daughter Thanida is alive. Thanida, 36, was studying in Christchurch under a scholarship when the 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the city - New Zealand's second largest - on Tuesday, causing massive casualties.

Said Ruangyut: "The best I can do now is to keep abreast of the news and be ready to pack my bags for a trip to Christchurch if there's any news about my daughter."

Thanida had in fact called him on Monday, saying that her course was almost over but she planned to stay on in New Zealand to work.

Thanida graduated from Chiang Mai University with a degree in nursing. She used to work at Bumrungrad Hospital and then took a course in France, before heading to Christ-church.

Her family contacted the Thai Embassy in New Zealand but was told it could not locate her. Thanida was among a batch of nurses sent to New Zealand for an advanced course and to take a test to become a certified medical worker there.

"New Zealand has a shortage of nurses so we sent them there," Providence Education Group director Tatchaporn Nimsakulthamrong said yesterday. She said she could not confirm whether the students from her institute were at the CTV building when the earthquake hit at lunchtime.

"But they usually stay in the class at that time," Tatchaporn said.

She said the missing Thais were from Chiang Rai, Buri Ram, Nakhon Pathom and Bangkok.

"We are in contact with the Thai Embassy there because we want to give up-to-date information to the families of those missing," Tatchaporn said.

She said her institute had also contacted the Prime Minister's Office, urging the government to send a rescue team to the area to search for victims.

Her institute has been able to locate only 10 of the nurses it had sent to Christchurch.

"We were actually going to send 10 more nursing assistants there. But we will now suspend the plan until the situation there returns to normal," Tatchaporn said.

The other students missing besides Thanida are Wanphen (Nok) Pree-naklang, Pimporn (Meaw) Liangchua, Siriphan (Fon) Wongkulkarn, Jitra (Ta) Visuthithadapong, Haruetaya (Jeab) Luangtheerasakul.

Hotline 001 64 214 19300 has been established for Thais in New Zealand. The ambassador's phone number is 001 64 214 03570.

The Thai government will donate Bt2.3 million to New Zealand to help the earthquake victims, according to Thani Thongphakdi, director-general of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the Thai government is holding discussions with New Zealand about providing more assistance and to dispatch relief supplies.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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Police officers get death over drugs

Four border patrol policemen were given a death sentence Wednesday for possessing a large number of metamphetamine tablets with the intent to sell. They were arrested in a sting operation three years ago.

The Criminal Court handed down the maximum penalty to the four Chiang Mai-based officers, overruling a legal condition that subjects convicts to a threefold sentence. The convictions over the use and forgery of documents, and the unauthorised possession of firearms were also overruled by the death sentence.

The four convicts are Senior Sgt-Major Phoomiphiphat Thammasuhiran, Senior Sgt-Major Wiroj Moolphrao, Sgt-Major Tawan Kosutho and Sgt-Major Suthas Saipanya. In the sting operation, they sold 150,000 tablets to an undercover agent for Bt11.25 billion.

The court dismissed their claim that they were investigating a drug-related case and that they had been tortured into making a confession.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

Related topic:

Four Chiang Mai Policemen Receive Death Sentences

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THAI TALK

What does Abhisit mean by 'When it's done, it's done'?

By Suthichai Yoon

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EDITORIAL

ASEAN learns lessons from the border dispute

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HEALTHCARE

Hospitals must return Bt50m spent on drugs

By THE NATION

Published on February 24, 2011

Comptroller-General's Dept hunts for prescriptions outside national list

The Comptroller-General's Department has been poring over patients' history files to look for any suspicious prescriptions that might cover medication outside the national list of drugs.

"We have been investigating this matter for quite a long time now," the department's director-general Rangsan Srivorasart said yesterday.

To date, investigation has detected many suspicious prescriptions and the department is demanding that the involved hospitals return the Bt50 million or so spent on medication prescribed outside the national drug list without proper approval.

The department is taking action on this matter because it has to cover the medical services being provided to civil servants and their families for free. During 2010 fiscal year, the cost of these services rose to Bt62 billion, showing a Bt20-billion increase when compared with the previous year.

"Medicines outside the national drug list accounted for Bt8 billion of the total cost last year," Rangsan said.

Under the free medical scheme for civil servants and their families, medicines prescribed should come from the national drug list when possible. Medicines outside the list can only be prescribed when it is deemed necessary by several doctors.

"Therefore, we demand that hospitals return the money spent on drugs that are outside the list because they were prescribed without getting the opinions of other doctors," Rangsan said.

In a bid to lower the cost of the medical scheme for civil servants, his department is also planning to come up with reference prices for all medicines.

"This is in response to complaints that hospitals charge more for medicines," Rangsan pointed out.

However, he said, this process would take a long time because there are far too many types of medicines available.

Once the department started closely monitoring the budget earmarked for the civil servants' medical scheme, costs dropped by 1 per cent in the first four months of the 2011 fiscal year when compared to the same period the previous year.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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NACC seeks review on ban of exPM Thaksin's niece

By The Nation

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) yesterday decided to seek a judicial review to back up its ruling to disqualify Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Mai Chinnicha Wongsawat, a niece of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The NACC ruled that Chinnicha had falsified her asset statement, an offence punishable by disqualification from the House of Representatives and a ban from holding political office for five years.

The NACC ruling will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for mandatory review.

After the 2007 general election, Chinnicha submitted her asset statement but omitted to declare a Bt100-million loan transaction with Bannapot Damapong, Thaksin's brother-in-law.

The transaction was reported to the Asset Examination Committee, tasked with investigating the unusual wealth of Thaksin and his family. The AEC reported the transaction to the NACC.

In her defence, Chinnicha argued that she did not include the transaction in her asset statement because she was uncertain about the loan's legal status, since it was frozen pending the AEC investigation.

The NACC overruled the defence on the grounds that Chinnicha filed an additional asset statement to disclose the loan eight months after the discovery by the AEC.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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Absconding red shirt leaders to surrender: Jatuporn

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Parties line up for share in development funds

By Kornchanok Raksaseri,

Prapasri Osathanon

The Nation

The Political Party Development Fund's committee has announced the money to be allocated to political parties for 2011. The Democrat Party receives the biggest share with Bt60 million, while the Pheu Thai Party, which did not contest the 2007 election, gets Bt800,000 in subsidies.

After the latest election, the Democrat Party has the most MPs - but Pheu Thai membership includes MPs from the now-defunct People Power Party.

The two major parties are receiving the sponsored money under different conditions.

This year, Bt114.3 million is allocated to six parties that have submitted their operation and project plans. Besides the Democrats, the parties are: Puea Pandin Party, which will get Bt27.5 million; Ruam Chart Pattana, Bt13 million; Pracharaj, Bt8 million; Farmers Network of Thailand, Bt 3.7 million; and the New Aspiration Party, Bt2 million.

The expense plans and projects they proposed are quite similar - such as personnel wages, expenses in political personnel development, the party and branches' administration cost, expenses related to the election, democracy promotion and promotion of people's participation.

The budget is allocated proportionately to the votes the party received in the latest election as well as its total number of branches and members.

Article 75 of the Political Party Act states that funding can be granted to political parties that received at least 0.5 per cent of the total votes for constituency or party-list MPs in the latest general election.

Parties failing to get votes from the latest election or to meet the above conditions are still eligible for the subsidies on different conditions according to Article 81. But the fund ceiling is Bt800,000 for the party each year. The money can be spent on office management and facilities.

Twelve other parties received Bt8.8 million in subsidies from the Political Party Development Fund this year.

Pheu Thai, Chart Thai Pattana and Bhum Jai Thai parties - which took over MPs from the parties dissolved in 2008 - were handed the bulk of the amount. The other parties, Mahachon, Thai Citizen, Dumrong Thai, Prachadhum, Thaen Khun Pheandin, Free Thai Party, Chart Samuccee, Kasikorn Thai and Arsa Matubhum Party, received amounts ranging from Bt651,000 to Bt751,000 this year.

These parties have the required number of party branches and members. The budget allocation is also based on these numbers.

The fund's objective is to support and strengthen functioning political parties. However, just the total of party branches and members is not enough to be eligible for funds. Some groups gather members and set up branches to get the money without being serious about filing candidates - explaining why the conditions result in different amounts in subsidies to different political parties.

Each vote is meaningful. The case of the Farmers Network of Thailand Party is an example. Although the party's candidates did not win a seat in the House of Representatives, the party got enough votes to be awarded part of the fund.

Besides, according to the amended Constitution, there will no longer be the 0.5 per cent minimum required votes to receive an MP - a sign that fighting for votes in the upcoming election this year will be even fiercer.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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Charter changes await royal okay

By The Nation

The charter amendments will be submitted today for royal approval, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday once the Constitution Court rejected the call to launch a judicial review in what was seen as the last hurdle to block the amended provisions.

"After seeking royal approval, I will consult with the Election Commission about the implementation of the new electoral system," Abhisit said referring to early elections.

As for the possibility of dissolving the House in April, the premier said he stood by his earlier remark that the election date would hinge on readiness.

The Constitution Court yesterday ruled it had no purview over the legislative process leading to the passage of charter amendments on February 11.

This decision effectively drops the joint petition handed in by senators and opposition MPs who want to derail the amendments on the framework for negotiating international agreements and the electoral system.

Key sponsors of the petition, namely Pheu Thai MP Surapong Towijakchaikul and Senator Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, argued that the voting on the amendments had been done in violation of the legislative rules on parliamentary meetings.

The court said the draft amendments had been deliberated upon and passed as a motion. Under the Constitution, the judicial purview covers the review of legislation that is classified as an act of Parliament.

Surapong said he accepted the verdict because it set a precedent on the high court's jurisdiction.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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Tourist says taxis are tarnishing Chiang Mai image

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European gang rounded up

By The Nation

Police yesterday arrested seven Europeans who allegedly used an Internet cafe in Pattaya to make calls to victims in Norway and Sweden, duping them into wiring as much as Bt10 million.

At 1.30am yesterday, police with a search warrant raided the Viking Internet shop in Pattaya City, arresting seven suspects and seizing 18 computers, 17 monitors and one printer along with documents including lists of telephone numbers.

The suspects were Norwegians Espen Forberg, 41, Sebastian Gjertsen, 21, Martin Gisvold Garathun, 21, and Ida Marie Juhl Falchenberg, 20; and Swedes Ulf Carl Johan Hellbacken, 36, Anders Erik Engzell, 30, and Tommy Viktor Soderlund, 26. They have been charged with working without permits, which they deny.

Inspector Pol Lt-Colonel Aroon Prompan said the call-centre gang had 15 foreign members and had hired a Thai to register a company called Global Telemarketing.

They opened the Internet shop and rented office space at the Viking Hotel, allegedly making Internet calls duping people with promises of jobs or goods into sending them money.

Aroon said the gang closed the bank accounts after the victims wired money, adding that hundreds had fallen victim.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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3 Swedes, 4 Norwegians Arrested In Call Centre Gang Crackdown

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FDA to support controversial drugs

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday decided to support the registration of glucosamine sulphate after finding that it provided effective treatment for patients, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said.

The committee will forward its recommendation to the Comptroller-General's Department, he added.

The department last month announced a new regulation forbidding members of the civil servant medical benefit scheme from getting reimbursements on four drugs: glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, diacerein and hyaluronan.

The department found that these four drugs were expensive and unnecessary. Additionally, some scientific research has shown that they are no more effective than placebos.

Moreover, the department identified 34 hospitals across the country that filed reimbursement claims for drugs worth about Bt13 billion from October 2008 to August 2009. About Bt8 billion or 66 per cent of the cost was for unnecessary and expensive drugs not on the national drug list.

But after consultation with the Royal College of Rheumatology and Bone, the dean of Mahidol University's Faculty of Pharmacy, Lerdsin Hospital's director and other orthopaedic experts, the FDA decided that glucosamine should continue to be registered as a drug for osteoarthritis. In several trials, glucosamine sulphate demonstrated significant clinical benefits and appeared to be safe for humans.

The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved glucosamine for medical use in humans and has classified it as a dietary supplement. Meanwhile, most European countries have approved it as a medical drug and have recommended its use as an effective and safe therapy for osteoarthritis.

In Thailand, about 44 drug makers produce about 130 glucosamine products being sold for between Bt300 and Bt1,100 per monthly dose.

Dr Suwit Wibulpolprasert, chairman of the subcommittee on development of the national list of drugs, said his panel had not included glucosamine in the list because it had no benefits and did not improve the patients' quality of life. The drugs are expensive and state agencies cannot afford to pay for them, he added.

The Comptroller-General's Department deputy permanent secretary, Supa Piyajitti, said on Tuesday that department would continue to limit state spending by not allowing members of the civil servants' scheme to seek reimbursement for drugs that are not included on the national list.

The plan aims to cap expenditure at Bt70 billion this year by targeting medication for degenerative joints, blood lipids, osteoporosis, gastric ulcers, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure and heart failure, platelet aggregation and cancer.

Health System Research Institute director Dr Pongpisut Jongudomsuk said most doctors at state hospitals did not comply with clinical-practice guidelines by prescribing drugs that are not on the national list, and some doctors prescribed drugs based on information provided by the manufacturers, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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Abhisit government trumpets 10 'successes'

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4.7 Richter quake hit Chaiyaburi; shocks felt in several Thai provinces /NATION

//Chaiyaburi is located in Laos

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BURNING ISSUE

Outcome of Jakarta forum changes Thailand's landscape

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Quake hit Laos and felt in Thailand Wednesday night

An earthquake measured at 4.7 Richter hit Laos late Wednesday and can be felt in many provinces of Thailand.

The quake rocked a hospital in Loei province for about 5 seconds, sending patients and others running of the buildings.

The quake can be also felt in Nan, Phrae, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Nong Buo Lampu and Khon Kaen.

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Today's performance debate to last 14 hours

The government is scheduled today at 10 am to submit its performance report to the House followed by a general debate lasting 14 hours.

Before kicking off the debate, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will read the report covering sevan areas of basic state politices as prescribed by the Constitution.

The government is expected to highlight the success to revitalise the economy. Key achievements include the lowering of unemployment, the increased earnings for farmers, the 15-year free education and the allowance for the elderly.

The debate is expected to conclude by midnight. Key opposition lawmakers, including Chalerm Yoobamrung and Mingkwan Saengsuwan, have lined up to speak from the floor.

-- The Nation 2011-02-24

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Thai ambassador to Libya says Thai citizens are safe amid violent protest against Moammar Khadafi; PM affirms speedy arrangement for evacuation /MCOT

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Crowd Control Forces Adjust to Prepare for Red-shirt Movement

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