Thailand Live Tuesday 8 Mar 2011

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People's Alliance Alleges Officers' Personal Ties with Cambodia

The People's Alliance for Democracy has submitted a malfeasance complaint against the government for failing to help the two Thais remaining in a Cambodian prison.

The group also calls for an investigation into what it claims are close ties between Thai high-ranking soldiers and Cambodia.

People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, core leader Chamlong Srimuang affirmed the group has been trying to lend all the help it can to the two Thais detained in Cambodia, Weera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, but most of the help must come from the government.

Chamlong said it is sad that the government is not helping the two despite being able to do so.

He noted they must be suffering physically and mentally in jail because he had been imprisoned before and knows the experience. Moreover, Cambodian jails are far worse than Thai ones.

PAD spokesman Parnthep Puapongpan said the group has filed a malfeasance complaint against the government with the National Anti-Corruption Commission for allowing Thai nationals to be arrested on disputed territory.

He said he has 14 pieces of evidence to prove the land where they were arrested is disputed territory.

Parnthep slammed the prime minister for reneging on his promise that he will not let the seven stand trial in Cambodia and leaving both detained Thais with only the option of appealing their conviction or seeking a royal pardon.

He said the PM is evading his responsibility because the families of the two detained Thais certainly do not have the power to pressure the Cambodian government on this case.

The PAD spokesman also unveiled details about how two high-ranking officers in the Second Army Area Command have close ties with Cambodia as one is allegedly married to the illegitimate daughter of Cambodian PM Hun Sen while the other is married to Hun Sen's niece.

Parnthep claimed the two play a big role in Thai-Cambodian border trade and urged the army chief and the Second Army Area commander to investigate the issue and transfer those officers away from the area due to their conflicts of interest.

PAD coordinator Praphan Khoonmee noted the government has the authority to pressure for help for the two detained Thais and for the seven not to be tried by the Cambodian court but it did not do so.

Moreover, he claimed the government has never protected the rights of those Thai nationals.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-08

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Bailed Red-Shirt Leaders to Take Rally Stage

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Two Indian Tourists Drugged And Robbed Following Night Out In South Pattaya

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Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Meeting Postponed Indefinitely

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Si Sa Ket Locals Spooked by Explosions near Border

Locals living along the Thai-Cambodian border in Si Sa Ket province have prepared to evacuate again after explosions were heard last night.

Last night, locals in Phumsarol village in Saothongchai subdistrict of Si Sa Ket's Kantaraluck district went into panic after explosions were heard along the Thai-Cambodian border, which is located in their village.

Some loaded their vehicles with valuables and necessities to prepare to evacuate to a safer place.

However, the military has found that no clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops have been reported.

Local administrative officials have asked village headmen to keep residents calm.

Some villagers prefer to play it safe and have moved to live with relatives, located further away from the border area.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-08

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Narathiwat Car Bomb Probe Sees Progress

Narathiwat Deputy Provincial Police Commander Police Colonel Banleu Chuwet disclosed that police have questioned Police Sergeant Sanit Kwansuk, a victim injured by an M-26 grenade attack.

The attack took place shortly before a car bomb was detonated under a police residential complex accommodating Srisakhon district police officers and families.

Banleu said that Sanit has provided vital information to the case as he was able to give a detailed description of the suspect driving the car carrying the homemade bomb.

The other suspect was circling the area and believed to be the getaway driver.

Police have begun looking through police records and reviewing security camera footage to find a match before finalizing all evidence in order to seek arrest warrants for the two suspects from the Narathiwat Court.

Banleu went on to say that the license plate of the Yala-registered pick-up truck that was used in the attack was fake.

Police discovered that the vehicle had been sold three times before.

Police found that the first owner of the pick-up truck was from Hua Sai district in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The truck was then sold to a buyer in Trang's Huay Yod district.

The most recent owner is believed to be a teacher in Pattani province. Srisakhon police have made an arrangement to question the Pattani teacher.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-08

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Cabinet decides not to open Pakmool Dam right now, fearing water shortage once the drought season arrives /TAN_Network

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SET index closed at 1018.57, up 15.63; Bt/USD30.25; GBP48.91; AUD30.50; EUR42.17; CAD30.99; HKD3.88; SGD23.76; JPY36.58

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Deputy PM Denies Govt behind Cutting Censure Debate Days

The deputy prime minister on national security says the government was not behind the cutting of the censure debate days from four to three as it was a decision made by the House speaker.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban denied government interference behind the lowering of the censure debate days from four to three.

Suthep said House Speaker Chai Chidchob has full authority on this issue.

Speaking for the ruling coalition, Suthep said he welcomed as many days of debate as needed.

As for Pheu Thai party-list MP Jatuporn Prompan's comment that the prime minister and Suthep will not be able to walk the streets after the censure debate, Suthep said he did not want to waste time to counter what Jatuporn said.

Suthep affirmed his readiness to present evidence to counter allegations by the Opposition during the debate.

Suthep is expected to be grilled on the government's crackdown on the red-shirt protests in April and May last year.

He said he will provide evidence to prove that the red-shirt group had carefully planned their moves.

He added the evidence is real and he will not resort to falsifying evidence to prove his case, which he claimed is probably what Jatuporn is doing right now.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-08

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Man accused of selling credit card info

Police arrested a Chaiyaphum man for allegedly selling credit-card data via the Internet at Bt1Bt-8 per piece of information. The man reportedly confessed to doing this for four months, earning Bt60,000.

Former salesman Krissada Nulao, 24, who was arrested in Khon Kaen in a police sting operation, was presented at a news conference Tuesday along with a computer notebook, two mobile phones, three ATM cards, two bankbooks and one compact disc containing credit-card information.

The arrest followed a tip-off by the Credit Cards Club at the Thai Bankers Association that criminals stole credit-card information and sold in on websites. Krissada was reportedly one of them, and some information was found to be accurate and some not.

-- The Nation 2011-03-08

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US embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket

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Oil traders raise gasoline prices by Bt0.50 per litre, E85 by Bt0.30 per litre, diesel price remains unchanged, effective Wednesday /MCOT

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UPDATE

One man dead in Phuket bus tragedy

Rescue workers climbed atop the overturned bus to treat and remove the injured.

Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Emergency teams responded quickly to the accident in which one man

died and dozens were injured. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

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Extradition of Phuket ‘kickbox killer’ suspect ‘may take years’

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Teen dead, another injured in Phuket drive-by shooting

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[Maestro]

to be continued

Thailand Live Wednesday 9 March