Thailand Live Saturday 12 Mar 2011

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Thailand Live Saturday 12 March 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 so that 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 Friday 11 Mar 2011

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2 Drug Busts in North, South

Songkhla police have seized a large number of items worth 20 million baht in a drug search following a car crash.

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai police have arrested two suspected drug dealers and seized 300,000 speed pills.

Police said they have seized cash worth 3.3 million baht, two sedans, gold ornaments, two guns, drugs and many other items worth at least 20 million baht in total during a search at a house in Hat Yai district in Songkhla province, owned by a local drug ring.

The arrest came after they found cash of seven million baht hidden in a vehicle that was involved in a crash a few days ago.

They said they conducted a further probe to determine the source of the money and found that the sum belonged to a drug ring.

Suspects Sainudin Ma and Yusop Manbenmat were arrested during the search.

In a separate case, Chiang Mai police said they confiscated 300,000 methamphetamine pills and arrested two suspected dealers Thawin Thima and Wichai Sakhon when the pair were stopped at a checkpoint in Mae Taeng district.

The suspects said they were hired by a businessman in Fang district to deliver the drugs to the central province of Samut Sakhon.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-12

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Arrest Warrants Sought in Monk Killing Case

Pattani provincial police chief has identified the suspects wanted for the shooting and killing of Buddhist monks and is seeking their arrest warrants while Narathiwat investigators are also prepared to issue arrest warrants for the suspects wanted for the car bomb attack on a police apartment building.

Pattani provincial police chief Police Major General Pichet Pitisetphan stated that police have made progress on the case o March 5 attack on Buddhist monks which left one monk dead.

He said investigators have identified two suspects along with their affiliated group and police are prepared to issue arrest warrants for the suspects who are believed to still be hiding in the area.

As for the case involving the shooting that killed a retired cop and injured four others on March 6, police believe this case and the monk killing case were linked as witnesses were able to describe and identify the same set of suspects.

Investigators are quickly finalizing all related evidence in order to obtain arrest warrants for the suspects.

Meanwhile, police have disclosed further information on the probe into the March 7 car bomb attack on the Srisakhon district police apartment building in Narathiwat province.

Investigation found that a suspect, Abdul-hakim Puta, purchased the pick-up truck used in the bombing in Pattani's Saiburi district.

He is believed to have previously purchased four vehicles from used cars dealers which are linked to last year's car bomb incidents in Su-ngai Kolok district in Narathiwat province and in Narathiwat and Pattani municipalities.

Also, police have questioned Srisakhon district police officer Police Sergeant Sanit Kwansuk, who was asked to give testimony and description of one of the two suspects to sketch artists.

Police have sought an arrest warrant for the suspect and revealed that he is not a Narathiwat native and is wanted for other security-related cases.

A sketch of the suspect has been distributed to all police stations in the three southernmost provinces.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-12

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30,000 Red Shirt Supporters Expected In Bangkok On 12 March Rally

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AFP: Thai PM Abhisit To Dissolve Parliament By Early May For Election

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AFP: Thai policeman acquitted over missing lawyer

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TSUNAMI WARNING ISSUED FOR JAPAN, RUSSIA AND OTHER REGIONS

Tsunamis strike Japan after enormous earthquakes

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EU: We cannot lose sight of Thai refugee camps

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Southern provinces alert for tsunami

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Thai travel industry fears effects of Japan quake

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DSI Thailand to grant bail to all red shirts who surrender

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Muddle-headed Thailand alcohol tax is due for a long overdue overhaul

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Their Majesties sponsor funeral rites for late Phra Majathirajarn

By The Nation

Their Majesties the King and the Queen will sponsor praying rites for seven days and seven nights to bid late Phra Mahathirajarn a final goodbye.

The 88yearold abbot of Wat Chana Songkhram passed away peacefully in his sleep at 1.05am yesterday inside his dwelling unit.

Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda presided over the bathing ceremony on behalf of Their Majesties at 5pm yesterday. The water and other ceremonial items for the bathing ceremony also came from the Palace.

Once the royallysponsored rites come to an end, meritmaking ceremonies will be held for the late abbot for 100 days.

"Their Majesties will also sponsor the cremation," Phra Rajawimon, who was named acting abbot of the temple yesterday, said.

Born in 1923 in Ayutthaya, Phra Mahathirajarn went by the name Niyom Jantanintorn, before entering monkhood at the age of 14. He started climbing the monastic ranks since 1962, becoming the abbot of Wat Chana Songkhram and member of the Supreme Sangha Council. Phra Prommolee, a member of the council, said Phra Mahathirajarn was an exemplary monk.

"We have encouraged other monks to look up to the late abbot as an example," Phra Prommolee said, adding that Phra Mahathirajarn played a significant role in improving Pali studies and governance for monks in Thailand.

"He served as abbot of Wat Chana Songkhram for more than 40 days, and under his leadership, the temple enjoyed a golden age. Up to 73 monks completed the Parian 9 level of Dhamma studies," the late abbot's aide, Captain Surachet Phokhamsri, said.

The late monk's younger sister, Boonruang Jantanintorn, said her brother would be remembered for his discipline, devotion and love for justice.

"He was also a dutiful son," she said, adding that her brother had held a meritmaking ceremony for their late father just this Thursday.

Phra Prommolee said Phra Mahathirajarn had also started a project to build a 32metrehigh Buddha statue in 2005. "It will be modelled after the one that was destroyed by the Taleban in Afghanistan," he said.

The project is under Her Majesty the Queen's patronage, and the Crown Property Bureau is overseeing it.

"The construction has already started and it will be completed in 2013," Phra Prommolee said.

-- The Nation 2011-03-12

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Thaksin's son loses appeal on asset freeze

By The Nation

The Appeals Court yesterday upheld a lower-court verdict to dismiss Panthongtae Shinawatra's case disputing the legality of the Asset Examination Committee decision to impound his assets.

As son of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Panthongtae had his assets frozen by the AEC in 2006. He sued the committee, claiming it did not have the legal authority to impound the money.

The initial verdict and appellate review agreed Panthongtae had failed to make legal points meriting a judicial review of the case.

The AEC's work led to the Supreme Court ruling in 2009 to seize Bt46 billion of Bt76 billion belonging to the Shinawatra family.

-- The Nation 2011-03-12

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Taiwanese in an ATM racket expect leniency

By The Nation

Members of a "callcentre" racket comprising Taiwanese suspects have prepared to return money to their victims in expectation for leniency in a coming verdict, the Department of Special Investigation said yesterday.

The money was returned to a number of Thai victims at a press conference yesterday, ranging from Bt10,000 to Bt380,000 for a total of Bt2 million. The verdict in Lee Jui Jung's trial will be read out on March 31, when he expects to be granted leniency as a result of his returning the money and recently pleading guilty instead of his original notguilty plea.

The suspect, and many racket members at large who are Taiwanese nationals, duped 23 Thai people into making money transactions through ATM machines, sending them Bt2,118,761 in a series of scams taking place from June 429 last year.

-- The Nation 2011-03-12

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Fishspa operators to follow new rules

By The Nation

The Public Health Ministry will be issuing new regulations to control fishspa operators in Thailand following concerns about hygiene and communicable diseases.

The more than 1,341 fishspa operators nationwide will have to comply with the new regulations once the law goes into effect.

Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said he had instructed the Health Service Support Department (HSSD) to draft a new regulation related to fish spa services.

He said the ministry would discuss the new regulation with related agencies on March 23. For the time being, Jurin has advised fishspa operators to not allow customers with skin disease or infected wounds to use the services.

HSSD directorgeneral Somchai Pinyopornpanich said spas clean the tools using ultraviolet rays, have an efficient waterfilter system for the tanks as well as ensure that the towels are cleaned properly after use.

The pH level of water in the tanks should be maintained between 6.5 and 8.5, be well circulated and free from E coli, very fine filters be used and half the water in the tank should be changed on a daily basis, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-03-12

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Change of testimony

By The Nation

The Court of Appeals yesterday acquitted a key suspect in the suspected murder of Muslim lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit, overturning a lowercourt verdict for kidnapping and assault, on grounds of insufficient evidence and unconvincing testimony by prosecution witnesses during trials.

The judges ruled that three witnesses' testimony that they saw Pol Major Ngern Thongsuk forcibly take Somchai out of his vehicle on a March night in 2004 had changed. Now only one of them is testifying.

He says he saw someone - not directly but from the side - and that person looked like Ngern.

-- The Nation 2011-03-12

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Social Security recipients prefer the old system

By The Nation

A group of beneficiaries under the Social Security Office scheme yesterday submitted a request to the Constitution Court asking for a legal interpretation as to whether they can stop paying monthly contributions at a high rate while receiving worse services than they did under the previous Bt30universal healthcare scheme.

Saree Ongsomwang, a consumerprotection activist, said the beneficiaries paid nothing or a small amount under the previous "gold card" scheme to enjoy much greater benefits. "It is unfair to all SSO beneficiaries for a long period of time, to have paid the higher monthly amount while getting services in a narrower range," she said.

The group submitted their petition initially to the National Human Rights Commission to seek a legal interpretation eventually with the Constitution Court. They are also planning to bring up the issue with the Parliament's Ombudsman's Office.

The Commission accepted the petition and scheduled next Wednesday to hear further complaints from them.

-- The Nation 2011-03-12

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PM: No report of Thais killed from massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan /MCOT

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PAD shrugs off CAPO’s 15 Mar deadline

BANGKOK, 12 March 2011 (NNT) – The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has denied a police deadline to remove from the rallying ground by 15 March 2011.

Major-General Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD key leader, proclaimed that the PAD will not move away from the rally site, reasoning that the group does not intrude into the space where the Red Cross Fair will be arranged.

The Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) has sent a letter to the PAD asking them to withdraw from Ratchadamnoen Nok and Phitsanulok Roads by Tuesday in order to open ways for the upcoming Red Cross Fair.

Major-General Chamlong stated that both the PAD and the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) in the past used to gather in the same place while the Red Cross Fair was arranged. He hence deemed the CAPO order a pretext for justifying a crackdown mission.

The PAD co-leader also challenged the police to inspect the rally site and see if PAD demonstrators were using water and electricity illegally as alleged or not. He said he is willing to take sole responsibility for all wrongdoings and ready to face both civil and criminal charges.

Major-General Chamlong also asked PAD supporters to come out and join force in protecting the rally site if the authorities decide to disperse the crowd.

-- NNT 2011-03-12

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Avoid traffic: Red Rally at Democracy Monument will start at 3 pm, end 2 am, all released leaders will speak on stage! /RT @Rajprasong_News /RT @tukky_nt:

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Red Shirt supporters gathering at Democracy Monument, vendors selling food, drinks causing loss of traffic lane, traffic still flowing /MCOT

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Thai Airways International resumes normal flights to Tokyo after Narita and Haneda airports reopen /MCOT

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No report of Thais killed by massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan: PM

BANGKOK, March 11 -- Thai Prime Minister Abhsiit Vejjajiva said on Saturday that until now there were no reports of Thai citizens killed by the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan, but officials would continue to closely monitor the situation and remain on standby to extend help upon request from the Japanese government.

More than 1,000 people were feared dead after Friday's record 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit, unleashing a terrifying 10-metre high wave that tore through coastal towns and cities, destroying all in its path in northeast Japan.

Mr Abhisit said that even though there was no report of casualties among Thai citizen in Japan, the authorities would closely monitor reports, as so many people had lost their lives from the disaster and there were hundreds of Thais living in the worst hit area.

The Thai government has now announced an initial contribution of Bt5 million to assist relief efforts in Japan and a condolence letter was sent to the Japanese government, while in-kind assistance is being considered in close consultation with relevant Japanese authorities, he said.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation had lifted tsunami warning in 15 provinces in Thailand after no province in Thailand was affected by the tsunami.

Meanwhile, Mr Thani Thongphakdi, Director-General of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry spokesman, said earlier that the ministry of foreign affairs is in the process of verifying the status of Thai nationals residing in affected areas.

At present, he said, there were around 50,000 Thais residing in Japan, of which around 300 lived in Miyagi prefecture, the area most severely affected by earthquake and the resulting tsunami.

Of those in Miyagi, most are married to Japanese nationals or are students. At this point, the Ministry has not yet received information about any Thais affected or injured by the natural disaster.

In Tokyo, which was also affected by the earthquake, about 20,000-30,000 Thais are currently residing there.

The Thai embassy in Tokyo is in the process of coordinating with Thais in both the Miyagi Prefecture and Tokyo to verify whether they have been affected, or if any assistance was required.

The Ministry has also been informed that communications systems have been severely affected, particularly cellular phone systems.

In addition, a Emergency Coordination Centre has been established at the ministry of foreign affairs, comprised of officials of both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labour, to monitor the situation as well as coordinate assistance for Thai nationals in Japan. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-03-12

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AFP: Tight security for major Bangkok rally

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Phuket Crime: Swede arrested for major mobile phone theft

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Arrested Swedish national John Redling denies

the theft charges. Reuthairat Raksasin (left), who is charged with selling

stolen goods, looks on.

Redling and Poramate 'Karn' Deesamer at Patong Police station yesterday.

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Woman arrested after stashing ya bah pills near Phuket school

The suspect at yesterday’s press conference, together with with Phuket City

Police deputy superintendents (from left) Lt Col Jamroong Plaiduang and

Lt Col Chaiwat Auykham.

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11 unlicensed Pattaya bars shut by district licensing officials

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South Pattaya Pharmacy selling unlicensed drugs, shut down by Police

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