Thailand Live Tuesday 1 Mar 2011

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Pheu Thai Party to Unveil Candidates for Next Election

The Pheu Thai Party is planning to unveil its candidates for the next general election this afternoon.

Among them will be a former Bangkok governor candidate and some former Democrat MPs.

The Pheu Thai Party is planning to commence its campaign for the next election during the parliamentary censure debate scheduled for mid-March.

The campaign will focus on political, social and economic aspects. The economy will make up about 65 percent of the party's platforms.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party Spokesperson Prompong Nopparit announced that the party will unveil its 300 MP candidates today at 1 P.M. during a seminar at their party headquarters.

Nopparit said among the candidates will be veteran MPs, including some who moved from the Democrat Party and many well-known faces.

According to the latest news report, Nattakorn Devakula, a former Bangkok governor candidate and a son of former deputy prime minister and finance minister Pridiyathorn Devakula, will run in the next general election on the Pheu Thai Party's ticket.

Meanwhile it has been speculated that some of the Democrat Party members are looking to switch to the Opposition's side.

Among them are Chonburi MP Manit Pavasut and List-MP Terdpong Chainant.

Currently, the main opposition party is compiling a list of names for its party list-MP candidates.

Prompong pointed out that the recently released red-shirt leaders will most likely run in the next election on the party's list. The party expects to win at least 250 seats.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-01

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Deputy PM Suthep: DSI to investigate palm oil stock and shortage problem; affirms enough stock for domestic consumption /TAN_Network

Criminal Court hands down 6-month jail term for Pubplachai police officer for raping Burmese woman in exchange for release /TAN_Network

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Thai Airways Criticized for Crackdown on Fat Flight Attendants

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Greater Phuket: Shock TAT report on stinking beach

Stinking garbage and ugly trash are effective incentives to re-route

tourists to Vietnam and Bali. Photo: Gazette file

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AFP: Activists fear Thai 'whitewash' in cameraman probe

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Fire on Sala Daeng road, Bangkok: http://campl.us/DqP /via@newley

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Fire appeared to be above Holy Pizza. Seems under control now. http://campl.us/DqS /via@newley

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Fire Breaks Out at Sala Daeng Intersection

A fire has broken out at a building located at the Sala Daeng Intersection.

So far, 10 shop houses have been ingulfed in flames. Fire fighters on are the scene and are trying to control the fire. No injuries have been reported so far.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-01

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12.27pm: Fire broke out at Saladaeng intersection; ten houses torched; no injuries reported TR@LyNGinG #smsINN /RT @Neaw_NBC /via@tukky_nt

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Traffic in Soi Saladaeng 1 is still closed for the time being. http://twitpic.com/44xezd The situation is under control now. /via@veen_NT

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Metropolitan Police seeks Phitsanulok Rd's return from Thai Patriots Network protesters but protesters refuse /TAN_Network

Cabinet approves Bt343 mln to help evacuate Thai laborers in Libya /TAN_Network

PM pushes Commerce Ministry to distribute more palm oil nationwide /TAN_Network

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Blaze hit buildings on Sala Daeng road

By The Nation

Police closed inbound route to Sala Daeng and Silom roads on Monday after a fire which broke out at a a beauty salon spread to other buildings.

The blaze started at the second floor of a three-storied building which has a beauty salon on the first floor.

Police, fire fighters and 15 fire trucks rushed to the scene which is near Silom Sky Train Station.

The blaze spread to nearby buildings, forcing police to closed inbound routes to Sala Daeng and Silom roads to facilitate the works of the fire fighters.

The fire fighters could finally control the fire but there were still thick smoke.

There were no reports of injuries and death.

-- The Nation 2011-03-01

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Bangkok: Swedish man sentenced to 4 years for buying sex from 13-year-old boy

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Pheu Thai submits no-confidence motion against govt

The Pheu Thai Party Tuesday submitted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and nine Cabinet members.

Pheu Thai party-list MP Mingkwan Saengsuwan represented the party to file the motion with House Speaker Chai Chidchob.

Chai declined to confirm when the censure debate would be held.

-- The Nation 2011-03-01

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LIBYA

Bangkok asks immigration cooperations for workers

Foreign Ministry on Tuesday asked Italy, Tunisia, Greece as well as Spain to help facilitate entry and transit of Thai workers who were evacuated from Libya.

The ministry invited ambassadors of those countries to the ministry to brief them about Thailand's evacuation plans for the Thai workers from Libya.

Libya is on the brink of violence and full-scale civil war as Moamer Kadhafi loses his grip on power, prompting many countries to rush to get their citizens out.

Bussaya Martlaeng, director general of European Affairs Department said after the one-hour meeting that cooperation of the countries are needed as Thailand are evacuating the Thai workers from Libya via the countries.

"We ask cooperation from the countries to facilitate entry and transit of the Thai workers, most of whom travelled from Libya by sea. We promise that the evacuation via their countries would be done fast.," she said.

The ministry asked the countries to consider urgency and humanitarian principle of the matters when determining the visas and transits for the workers.

The envoys promised to fully cooperate with the Thai side as they understood the situations.

The Thai workers have been evacuated to Rome of Italy, Athens of Greece, Egypt and Tunisia by sea. There are about 24,000 Thai workers in Libya and some 4,000 of them have left Libya.

Thailand has not yet evacuate the workers via Spain, but the ministry invited Spanish ambassador to the Tuesday meeting in case in the future the plan would include the country, the director general said.

-- The Nation 2011-03-01

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Pheu Thai announces 310 aspiring candidates

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Developing Phuket: Calls for yet another major public hospital

MP Tossaporn Thepabutr wants Phuket to have a new, high-end government hospital

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Fraudulent Actor and Singer Jailed After Failing to Post Bail

Notorious actor and singer Nathan Oman was taken into custody yesterday after no one stepped up to post bail.

Nathan Oman was recently sent to jail after no one stepped up to pay for his bail.

The notorious actor and singer has been accused of multiple counts of fraud, having allegedly scammed more than 700,000 baht or 23,000 from his aunt, Mod Sithiporn Kortudomporn.

The provincial court of Loei province attempted to mediate a negotiation between Nathan and Mod, but was not successful.

Nathan will be jailed for at least the next 12 days after having failed to post bail.

His next hearing is on March 14.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-01

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Court to Rule on Security Law Friday

The Civil Court schedules this Friday to hand out its verdict on the yellow-shirt group's complaint against the government's declaration of the security law that bans rallying on several roads.

Lawyer of the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, Suwat Apaipak said if the complaint against the government's imposition of the Internal Security Act is dismissed, he will seek the Constitution Court's ruling on its legality and the necessity of its implementation.

The PAD filed a petition with the Civil Court asking for its order on three parties, namely Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Cabinet and national police chief Police General Wichien Podposri to revoke their orders made under the security law.

The orders include the declaration of the areas around the PAD rally site as prohibited areas, the ban on entry and exit from those venues and the restriction against access to certain roads.

The prime minister has sent his testimony in writing to the court and assigned director of the Office of Police and Security Strategy of the Internal Security Operations Command, Lieutenant General Asara Kerdpol, to give further testimonies.

The national police chief, meanwhile, assigned his assistant Police Lieutenant General Worapong Chewpreecha to represent him in the hearing.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-01

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SET index closed at 994.48, up 6.57; Bt/USD30.44; GBP49.48; AUD30.91; EUR41.95; CAD31.27; HKD3.90; SGD23.83; JPY36.94

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Suspected Cable Thief Caught Stealing From Pattaya Restaurant

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AFP: Thai inflation eases in February

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Student attempts suicide after she discovers her mother’s relationship with foreigner

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Headless Corpse Found In Waters Just Outside Of Pattaya

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Govt Seeks to Reclaim More Space from Protesters

A deputy prime minister says authorities will continue their efforts to reopen more areas around the People's Alliance for Democracy rally site.

He affirms the government has no policy to crack down on yellow-shirt protesters.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Suthep Thaugsuban said police are continuing their efforts to reclaim more traffic lanes from the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, rally site on Ratchadamneon Avenue.

He said their operation to reopen two traffic lanes yesterday were not part of the government's plan to disperse the group's protest.

Suthep insisted the government has no policy to disperse the PAD rally.

He insisted the move was merely an effort to ease further inconvenience to the general public.

He said authorities will keep on requesting that the PAD reopen more areas and pledged to avoid clashing with the protesters at all cost.

Secretary general of the National Security Council, Thawil Pliensri, stated there is no planned dispersal of the PAD's protests.

He confirmed Suthep's statement that the reclaiming of two traffic lanes was to ease traffic congestion in the area.

Thawil affirmed the group is still permitted to continue rallying while police and the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order will enforce the law with caution.

He then reiterated the red-shirt core leaders who have been released on bail can join their group's mass rally on March 12 , but they must not violate the court's bail conditions.

Thawil stated the red-shirt gathering will be under a close watch of the Department of Special Investigation and police.

He said he believed the prime minister's pledge for an early election will improve the political situation this year.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-01

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Health Ministry warned of bird flu after 2 Cambodians died of bird flu at Thai-Khmer border /via Nation sms

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Cabinet approves Bt746 million for helping Thai workers in Libya

The Cabinet Tuesday approved in principle Bt746 million from the central fund for evacuating Thai workers from Libya.

Deputy Government Spokesman Watchara Kannikar said the budget would be for evacuation and temporary shelter costs as well as compensations for the workers.

He said the Foreign Ministry asked for Bt403 million while the Labour Ministry asked for Bt343.48 million.

The spokesman said the Cabinet approved the requests in principle but the two ministries were asked to provide more details how the budgets would be spent.

-- The Nation 2011-03-01

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Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) offers week, month tickets to help cut commuters’ expenses

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Bangkok to install more streetlights

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Loei villagers have high cyanide and mercury levels

More than 400 villagers who live near gold mining areas in Loei's Wang Saphung districts had mercury levels that exceed safety standards, a recent health study showed Tuesday.

A study conducted by Loei public health provincial office and Wang Saphung Hospital in June 2010, which assessed blood samples from 474 people living in six villages near gold mining. They were Ban Huay Phuk, Ban Koksathorn, Ban Na Nong Bong, Ban Kaeng Hin, Ban Non Phaphungpattana and Ban Phu Tap Pha.

The blood samples were sent for cyanide contamination tests at Ramathibodi Hospital. They were then sent to the Health Ministry's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau for tests on lead and mercury content.

-- The Nation 2011-03-01