Thailand Live Friday 18 Mar 2011

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Thailand Live Friday 18 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 Thursday 17 Mar 2011

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THAI starts delivering necessities to Japan

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thai Airways International (THAI) is preparing cargoes of necessities, including blankets and water, to be gradually sent to Japan to aid disaster victims.

Upon the Foreign Ministry’s request, THAI President Piyasvasti Amranand said the national flag carrier was about to deliver relief supplies to Tokyo, Japan, to alleviate people’s suffering in the wake of the destructive 8.9-magnitude tremor and tsunami. The first lot to be sent today via flight TG640 weighs about 7 tons and comprises 5,000 THAI blankets

and 4.8 tons of drinking water, plus another 90 boxes of blankets and 400 flashlights donated through the Foreign Ministry.

The President assured that the airline was fully ready to supply donated goods to the quake and tsunami victims in Japan every day during this period.

Meanwhile, CAT Telecom Plc is offering the public free phone calls to and from Japan 24 hours a day until 23 March in a bid to help connect Thai people with their relatives in the devastated country. Callers in Thailand can simply dial 009 while those in Japan can access through the CAT Thailand Direct service.

-- NNT 2011-03-18

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Freighter Chemical Leak Injures 12 Crewmen

A freighter carrying rice, anchored at a Chon Buri port, has sprung a chemical leak, injuring 12 of its crew members.

The Sri Racha rescue team in Chon Buri province has begun investigating a chemical leak on the Panama-registered freighter, owned by United Thai Shipping, which is docked at Koh Sichung port and set to travel to Singapore.

Rescue officials brought 12 crew members on shore where the Sri Racha municipality rescue team and doctors treated those who experienced nausea, vomiting and dizziness from inhaling noxious chemical fumes.

The 12 were then transported to Samitivej Sri Racha Hospital.

Initial investigation found that the injured crew members inhaled a chemical called phosphine, which is a pesticide used on board the ship to prevent insects from damaging the cargo.

It is a colorless gas that emits a pungent odor similar to garlic or rotting fish.

Officials believe the gas leaked into the ship's interior and harmed the 12 crew members.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-18

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Thailand To Review Nuclear Power Plan: Minister

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Bangkok Super Skywalk Project To Be Delayed

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Colder Weather In Thailand Is Caused By Global Warming

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World wide police operation against child sexual abusers links to Thailand

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CENSURE DEBATE

Jatuporn says Abhisit, Suthep 'collude to kill people'

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Sharp drop in temperatures felt nationwide as mercury plummets

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Thai Govt urges people to postpone trips to Japan

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Thaksin in megabucks spat with Emirati lawyer

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CENSURE DEBATE

Pheu Thai takes shots at Army's airship

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Foreign monks rounded up

By The Nation

Authorities yesterday inspected Talom Temple in Phasi Charoen district following reports that 400 foreign Buddhist monks there go out begging in the afternoon and make money selling the alms.

Immigration and other police and officials of the National Buddhism Office found that many monks from countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Laos lived in tents set up on temple grounds. A dozen Indian monks and one novice could not produce passports.

Abbot Phra Maha Boontheung Chutintharo claimed that the foreigners possessed certificates for monkshood and had entered the country legally to study Dharma. They did not have the same custom of completing their gathering of alms by 10am, but he had already explained the practice here to them so they wouldn't do it again.

However a monk who asked not to be named said that only 10 per cent of the foreign monks studied Dharma and that he heard that they went out in the afternoon to collect alms, reportedly keeping only the dried food and cash donations and throwing the cooked food away. The monks reportedly sold the dried food to a shop, he said.

One foreign monk told him he was invited to stay at the temple in exchange for paying US$2,000 (Bt60,000) in fees.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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Travellers from Japan tested for radiation

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

People coming from Japan are being scanned for radiation contamination at Suvarnabhumi Airport as a precautionary measure, while initial tests show that food products imported from the disasterstricken country are safe for consumption, Thai health authorities said yesterday.

Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said passengers from Fukushima Daiichi and areas close to the nuclear reactor explosions are advised to seek medical treatment immediately if they develop a skin rash, nausea, severe diarrhoea or become unnaturally pale - a symptom of radiation affecting the digestive or circulatory system.

Treatment for radiation will be provided at Rajavithi Hospital and Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital.

Jurin, who visited the health checkpoint at the airport yesterday, said that as of 6pm yesterday, 1,842 passengers from Japan had arrived in Thailand since Wednesday. Of this number, 550 passengers were Thai nationals and so far, only 10 people have sought medical advice at the airport.

"There have been no reports about radiation contamination in humans," he said.

Two health checkpoints have been set up at the airport. The first one is at the arrivals gate, where arriving tourists are offered medical advice, and the second has been set up at the departure gate, where people travelling to Sendai or other affected areas are provided with potassium iodide, which is believed to help protect the thyroid gland. The ministry has prepared 15,000 of these tablets. The dose for children is half a tablet per day, while adults should take a full tablet.

People with skin disease and iodine allergy as well as pregnant women, and those with hyperthyroidism are advised against taking potassium iodide, as it would have an adverse effect.

"This is a precautionary measure to take care of travellers from Thailand," Jurin said.

The ministry's permanent secretary Dr Paijit Warachit said they were monitoring the situation in Japan and had learned that areas within a 30kilometre radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were not safe.

However, six Thai people living in Sendai were found free of contamination.

"So far, there have been no reports about radiation contamination in Japan, and people should not panic," Paijit advised.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration's secretarygeneral Dr Pipat Yingseri said tests on food products imported from Japan, so far, have turned up negative on radiation. The agency is testing fish and strawberries imported from Japan, and the results will be revealed today.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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PM denies Pheu Thai accusation he ordered killing of red shirts

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Tensions high over Egat plants

By The Nation

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT - Local tensions mounted this week over the government's plan to build a coalfired power plant in either Tha Sala or Hua Sai district.

Residents earlier this week urged the governor to petition the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to remove its project coordination centres there.

However, a group called the Khon Rak Hua Sai Club on Tuesday and another group claiming to be Tha Sala on Wednesday submitted two separate requests for the Hua Sai and Tha Sala coordination centres to remain open.

Saming Pattananon, a village headman in Hua Sai, yesterday accused the movement opposing the centres' closure of being mobilised by Egat officials.

However, a source said that on Monday, Egat executives ordered Egat officials not to get involved in any activity that would create conflicts in the areas.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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DSI tries new way to get bail revoked

By The Nation

The Department of Special Investigation yesterday asked prosecutors to seek the repeal of bail for the recently released seven redshirt leaders after the Criminal Court turned down the DSI's request on Wednesday.

Pol LtCol Thawal Mangkhang of the DSI submitted a petition and evidence to Kittisak Wongsawat of the Special Cases Litigation Department at the AttorneyGeneral's Office comprising news photos and interview transcripts as well as the transcript of their speeches at a redshirt rally on March 12.

The DSI accused the seven - Weng Tojirakarn, Natthawut Saikua, Korkaew Pikulthong, Nisit Sinthuprai, Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumthai, Kwanchai Sarakham and Yoswaris "Jeng Dokchik" Chuklom - of intentionally violating the law and their bail conditions, which prohibit them from inciting the public to break the law.

The court threw out the petition by Tharit Pengdit, directorgeneral of the DSI, on grounds that the DSI had no authority over the matter and advised the agency to make the request through the special cases prosecutor.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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DSI probing travel package scam claims

By The Nation

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is investigating a company accused of selling empty promises of cheap package tours to South Korea to more than 5,000 people in the Northeast. The damages reportedly exceed Bt100 million.

"The investigation is now 80 per cent complete," DSI investigator Nirandorn Chaisri said yesterday.

He was speaking after more than 20 people, including teachers from Loei, showed up at the DSI headquarters in Bangkok to give their testimonies.

One, Worawan Sorasing, said G Platinum Network told her to pay Bt10,800 for the trip to South Korea, which was scheduled from October 1821 last year.

"But the trip has been postponed five times. When told of the postponement, I get just small items like instant coffee. They are worth no more than Bt1,000," she said. She added that more than 1,600 people in Loei claimed they were duped into buying package tours from this company.

Another complainant, Somkid Homnet, is an independent academic based in Khon Kaen.

"The company organised a big event on August 7 last year at a hotel to promote the package tours. More than 1,000 teachers and nurses from many Northeastern provinces attended," he said.

He paid Bt33,000 for the tours for his family and claimed he got nothing in return.

Somkid said he had heard there were more than 5,000 victims and the damages must then be well over Bt100 million.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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Minister attacked over land plot

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

Supachai Phosu, deputy minister for agriculture and cooperatives, came under heavy attack during the censure debate yesterday for allegedly occupying 700 rai (112 hectares) meant to be distributed to poor farmers in Nakhon Phanom province.

The opposition, led by Pheu Thai MP Peeraphan Tarusu, said the occupation of the land was an abuse of power and illegal.

The opposition urged the Land Department to seize the plot, which is now a rubber farm. They claimed the land was meant to be distributed to farmers in 10-rai plots only and should not be transferred to anyone.

They also accused Surachai of using public funds to build a road close to his land for his own benefit.

Supachai, an MP from Nakhon Phanom province and senior member of the Bhum Jai Thai Party, argued that what he did was legal.

"If the court decided that I am wrong then I am willing to take the responsibility," Supachai told the House. "But what if you people are wrong?" he asked, claiming he had told the Land Department not to issue him with a permanent land title until it had been done for other villagers first.

"I am willing to return the land if I'm at fault. No one can take any land after they die anyway. I bought the land from people who owned it before me," he said. He also claimed the scheme to distribute land to farmers had ceased operating before he took over the plot.

At least one local farmer is being sued by Supachai for refusing to leave the land, although the man insists his family has been tilling the land since before the scheme was introduced in the late 1970s.

Failing to impress the opposition, Supachai urged Pheu Thai MPs to allow local voters to decide by competing against him in the next general election in Nakhon Phanom, a challenge the opposition party has accepted.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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Number of young Thai children abandoned by parents has increased

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Helicopter patrol over Hat Yai to avoid attacks

By The Nation

Daily helicopter patrols are now constant over Songkhla's Hat Yai district as a supplementary measure to guard against terror attacks by insurgents.

They follow intelligence tipoffs about insurgent plans to extend violence beyond the three southernmost provinces.

In addition, security operations are underway in parallel to the airborne patrols, with more road checkpoints across the city manned by increased numbers of civil defence volunteers. The checkpoints are set up along most routes from Pattani.

Security officials are also monitoring registration of apartment residents and hotel guests and conducting frequent searches for suspicious persons or wanted insurgents.

"Airborne surveillance can serve either as a preventive measure or help in pursuing insurgents after they've carried out attacks," said a local military commander.

Members of amateur radio networks are also watching out for attacks - especially at stationary locations including car parks at malls and government and business offices- focusing on vehicles or motorcycles whose owners are acting suspiciously, a network member said.

A roadside bomb attack in Yala yesterday wounded two people, one a fouryearold boy, after it exploded seconds too late to hit its intended target, a passing military vehicle.

The blast narrowly missed a pickup truck full of Army rangers and hit the two victims who were standing across a street in Muang district.

In Betong district late last night, insurgents shot dead one person and wounded the other in a gunfire attack on the victim's pickup truck.

Both men were travelling home and came under attack by four men on two motorcycles, using automatic rifles. The driver died instantly and the other took two bullets in his arm.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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'Lowermiddle class need inclusion: Nithi

By The Nation

In a Bangkok seminar by the Thailand Development Research Institute yesterday, a pro-redshirt activist called for greater social justice and urged political inclusion for the emerging lower-middle class.

Prof Nithi Eawsriwong, a member of the National Reform Committee, quoted a statement by red leader Thida Thawornset before adding his own opinion: "I call for a reduction in social discrimination, as it is related to injustice in Thailand. Injustice has continued because of discrimination and differences in many aspects of Thai people's lives - opportunities, rights, dignity and power."

The number of people now in the socalled "lowermiddle class" has increased massively. They have been underprivileged all along and now want more say in Thai society, he said.

There should be more opportunity for these people to make their voices heard, he said.

"More venues should be made available to ensure the people have bargaining power. It should not be decided every four years and only in polling stations," he said.

Nithi said people who were enemies of democracy had strangely turned into its friends throughout the 79year period after the 1932 coup. They did this mainly for their own benefit, in order to oppress or take advantage of others.

He said public policies should recognise the social status of all participating parties, to encourage cooperation in their implementation.

Decentralisation is needed in terms of distribution of tax collection, policing, management of natural resources and education. Household revenues need to be increased so farmers can stand on their own, with rates not much lower than employees or labourers, he said.

Yos Santasombat, a Chiang Mai University lecturer and prored activist, said that during the 79year period, rich people had become richer while the poor had become poorer. The people in the governing class were the same while farmers worked harder.

"Thai democracy is never really democratic. We only have aristocracies coming in and out through military coups," he said.

He said people became frustrated and unhappy when they could not cope with changes or were restricted socially or in terms of rights.

Villagers depend on themselves to make more money to educate their children. They are starting businesses selling noodles or opening "mom and pop" grocery stores, learning new entrepreneurial tricks and "creating a new society based on their imagination," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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NCCC to consider Sudarat's arguments

By The Nation

The National Anti-Corruption Commission will next week decide on its next move after reviewing the defence arguments related to the Bt900-million computer contract involving Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, who was the public health minister in 2004.

"The NACC will give due attention to the defence," NACC member Klanarong Chantik said.

On Wednesday, Sudarat filed her defence with the NACC, arguing that NACC member and inquiry chairman Pakdee Pothisiri was biased against her. She contended that Pakdee should be replaced to ensure an impartial investigation into her case.

In a separate move yesterday, she lodged an appeal with the Senate committee on independent organisations, asking the committee, which oversees the NACC, to probe Pakdee's performance.

She said Pakdee was a former public-health official who was responsible for drawing up the terms of reference for the contract.

He clashed with her because she had lawfully cancelled the contract, she said, adding he then harboured a grudge against her after she refused to promote him to the position of permanent secretary for public health.

She also argued that the NACC had no justification to open a retroactive probe on her role as the contract cancellation was sanctioned by the governmental committee on procurement, the Office of the Attorney-General and the Central Administrative Court.

-- The Nation 2011-03-18

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PM Abhisit defends south policy, admits more needs to be done

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Sharp Drop In Temperatures Felt In Thailand As Mercury Plummets Nationwide

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Current weather conditions and forecasts for all amphurs, cities and provinces:

- Bangkok: http://weather.thaivisa.com/bangkok/bangkok/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/bangkok/bangkok/

- Chiang Mai: http://weather.thaivisa.com/chiang-mai/chiang-mai/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/chiang-mai/chiang-mai/

- Pattaya: http://weather.thaivisa.com/chon-buri/pattaya/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/chon-buri/pattaya/

- Khon Kaen: http://weather.thaivisa.com/khon-kaen/khon-kaen/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/khon-kaen/khon-kaen/

- Mae Hong Son: http://weather.thaivisa.com/mae-hong-son/mae-hong-son/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/mae-hong-son/mae-hong-son/

- Phuket: http://weather.thaivisa.com/phuket/phuket/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/phuket/phuket/

- Hua Hin: http://weather.thaivisa.com/prachuap-khiri-khan/hua-hin/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/prachuap-khiri-khan/hua-hin/

- Hat Yai: http://weather.thaivisa.com/songkhla/hat-yai/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/songkhla/hat-yai/

- Koh Samui: http://weather.thaivisa.com/surat-thani/ko-samui/'>http://weather.thaivisa.com/surat-thani/ko-samui/

- All amphurs, cities and provinces: http://weather.thaivisa.com/

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New Zealand issues travel health warning for Thailand after sixth poisoning death

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Japan on Friday confirmed 5,692 deaths and 9,506 still missing in the quake and tsunamis that hit Japan last week. : NHK /via@marisa_nt

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Mayor declares war on scamming Pattaya jet ski vendors

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