Thailand Live Thursday 24 Mar 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 24 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 Wednesday 23 Mar 2011

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PM Backs Sustainable Industrial Development

The prime minister promises to push forward six strategies proposed by the private sector for sustainable development of Thai industries.

He suggests industrial operators quickly adjust to and utilize the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Speaking at the annual general assembly of the Federation of Thai Industries, or FTI, which was attended by more than 1,000 members of 39 industries from 74 provinces, FTI President Payungsak Chartsutipol, said the FTI has laid down six strategies to promote sustainable development on economic, social and environmental aspects for Thai industries.

Payunsak noted that industrial operators want the state to cooperate in strengthening competitiveness, promoting coexistence between industries and communities as well as solving legal deadlock, which is an obstacle to carry on business.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva gave a speech entitled FTI's Strategies Drive Thai Industries to Sustainable Development.

He said the proposed six strategies conform with the government's policies for the country's development.

The prime minister added that the government will encourage Thai operators to fully utilize the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, which is set to materialize in 2015.

In support of sustainable development, the FTI also proposed industrial restructuring to the government by emphasizing five different industries, namely technology based industry, agro-industry, eco-industry, value-added industry and upstream industry.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-24

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Tollway Crash Indictment Postponed

The Juvenile Litigation Department approves the request by a 17 year old woman charged in a reckless driving case that left nine people dead last December to delay the indictment to allow further investigation into possible fault by another driver involved in the accident.

Special prosecutor of the Juvenile and Family Litigation Department, Suphak Sitthiwanich, said his prosecution team will consider the suspect's petition for further investigation into her's lawyer's claim the deadly crash was partly caused by reckless driving by the driver of the van engaged in the accident on the Don Muang Tollway.

The female van driver was killed in the crash.

Suphak said his deparment will consult police investigators on the plausibility of the suspect's claim, but stated he believed they would recommend the late van driver was not responsible for the crash.

He said his agency will decide on the indictment once it receives an opinion from the investigators.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-24

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Bangkok To Become World Book Capital In 2013

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Thai Army Chief: Indonesian Observer Will Make Situation More Difficult

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Actress Elizabeth Taylor dead at 79

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ANALYSIS

Chalerms's resignation, An attention-seeking tactic?

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Uncertainty over Thai-Cambodian meeting in Indonesia

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Panel to work on reform of Thai healthcare funds

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Can the Thai election really end the political impasse?

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The straight man Purachai returns to Thai politics

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Sudarat frets about Pheu Thai campaign in Bangkok

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Vending water not up to standards: Thai Health Dept

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Thai Health Ministry launches ambitious anti-Aids programme

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Steep rise in hospItal visits by Rayong

By The Nation

Outpatient visits to state facilities in Rayong have jumped by 300,000 per year from 2004 to 2009. "From 1997 to 2009, the usage of overall medical services has also nearly doubled," Dr Suvaj Siasiriwattana, deputy directorgeneral of the Health Department, said yesterday.

Most of the outpatients have respiratory problems, while for inpatients, prenatal, pre and postdelivery complications ranked high.

Suvaj was in Rayong to launch a workshop on promoting good health. Since the province is home to many industrial estates including Map Ta Phut, pollution has soared beyond safe limits in some areas.

"However, if people get the right information, they can minimise the health impacts," he said.

From 19982000, the National Cancer Institute collected data on new cancer cases in nine provinces including Rayong. Statistics showed that the most common among men in Rayong were lung, pharyngeal, liver and esophageal cancers.

And for women there, most common were cervical, breast, lung and pharyngeal cancers.

-- The Nation 2011-03-24

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Japanese Cameraman Muramoto not killed by Thai Army: DSI

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Bangkok hobbles during morning rush hour after heavy downpur

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Libya compo payments delayed

By The Nation

Employment Department chief Jeerasak Sukhontachart yesterday said officials were working hard to check documentary evidence in order to process compensation payments for Thai labourers who fled Libya for Thailand.

The department had already made the Bt15,000 payments to 4,000 of the 11,000 entitled workers, he said.

Delays in payments have come about because the decisions to pay compensation are being made by the central office before money is transferred to provincial offices, which are then notifying workers to collect the money, he said.

Jeerasak said he had assigned his deputy Sumet Mahosot to meet with employment officials in the Northeast, where the largest number of Libya workers are from, to ensure money is handed out faster.

One such worker, Boonyong Sommee from Udon Thani, said he and 150 others hadn't got the money yet despite returning to Thailand almost a month ago. The Labour Ministry had promised to pay the money four days after receiving the documents, he said.

Boonyong said he was also owed Bt50,000 in overdue salary payments but state officials had declined to help him ask for it. Neither was his employment agency helping.

He said he lived a difficult life now, having been robbed of all his money in Libya and now having no work except occasional construction work that paid Bt200 a day.

-- The Nation 2011-03-24

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Poll bills sail through first reading

By The Nation

The three election bills sailed through their first reading in the House yesterday and will be scrutinised by a 36-member ad hoc committee.

The fast-track treatment is expected to see the organic bills forwarded to the House for their second and third readings within two weeks.

Wirat Kanlayasiri, a Democrat MP on the vetting committee, said the panel would meet every weekday starting today with Deputy Interior Minister Thavorn Sennium, also from the ruling Democrat Party, expected to be the chairman.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva repeated his pledge to dissolve the House by the first week of May and asked lawmakers to expedite the three bills so a snap election could be called.

There was no objection or protest during the deliberation of the bills, which showed that all parties fully supported the bills and agreed on moving towards the next election.

After the third House reading, the Senate is expected to take about the same time to pass the bills.

Before the laws are submitted for His Majesty the King's endorsement, they have to be sent to the Constitution Court for examination.

-- The Nation 2011-03-24

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Slash spending for a fairer poll: NPP

By The Nation

The limit on electoral campaign spending should be reduced from Bt1.5 million per candidate to Bt300,000 in order to ensure a more level playing field and reduce vote buying, said Somsak Kosaisuk, leader of the New Politics Party.

Somsak, who is also a leader of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), petitioned the Election Commission (EC) yesterday for the change.

He said people were rapidly losing faith in politics. Thailand's political institutions disgusted people more than any other, said Somsak, a former labour leader.

People believed politics was characterised by corruption and abuse of power, starting from how politicians came to power through means such as vote buying, he said.

Somsak said even some EC commissioners had admitted through the media that the upcoming election would see heavy vote buying. Some media outlets have reported that many parliamentary candidates spend an average of Bt60 per person during elections.

He urged the EC to take swift action against vote buying by issuing more "red cards" than "yellow cards" in order to disqualify such candidates.

Somsak said his party was ready to offer itself as a choice for the voters in Bangkok and other cities.

He added that the party would sound out its members as to who would make suitable candidates.

The party is not expecting its candidates to join the Cabinet or become prime minister, however.

"Our stress is not on good-looking candidates but on people with vision and abilities who do not buy votes. I believe if some of the party members get elected our performance will not be inferior to others."

Asked if PAD co-leader Sondhi Limthongkul would run as a party candidate, as has been rumoured, Somsak said that Sondhi was not yet a member of the party but that it would be up to him as well as other PAD leaders to decide.

-- The Nation 2011-03-24

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Laem Chabang Port Tightens Radiation Screening

The Laem Chabang Port Customs Bureau has tightened its inspection of imported Japanese products in wake of reports on radiation leak from a quake-hit nuclear plant which has raised the risk of food contamination.

Chon Buri's Laem Chabang Port Customs Bureau Director Yutthana Phulpipat stated that the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11 have damaged nuclear power plants, sending leaked radioactivity into the environment and water sources at dangerous levels.

It was reported that food stuffs, such as powdered milk and spinach, from Japan have been found contaminated with radiation.

The radiation leak has caused widespread fear and panic among the public.

Related agencies in countries worldwide have tightened screening of imported Japanese products, particularly in Thailand, where strict inspection for contaminated Japanese products is being carried out with special attention on powdered milk and spinach.

Yutthana went on to say that the Laem Chabang Port Customs Bureau already has a strict protocol on screening and inspection of dubious products through the customs house with 32 X-ray machines designed to detect nuclear weapons and various types of radiation rays.

Despite a slight dip in import and export, shipping activities remain normal as Japanese products, which mainly consist of electronic goods, take around 10 - 15 days to arrive at Laem Chabang Port.

Therefore, Laem Chabang Port rarely sees food and other edible products from Japan coming through the port due to the long shipping time and most imported food products are flown to their destinations to save time.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-24

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Decision delayed on charges for 16-year-old

By The Nation

The public prosecutor will postpone a decision on legal action against a 16yearold girl over her involvement in an expressway accident that killed nine people in December.

The accused had appealed for justice and urged the prosecutor to investigate if the driver of the minivan involved in the crash drove recklessly, hence contributing to the fatal accident.

Special attorney for juvenile cases, Supak Sitthiwanich, said yesterday that the decision on whether to sue the girl for reckless driving causing deaths and serious injuries, slated for today, would be postponed.

The accused on Monday appealed and urged the probe on the driver. The prosecutor will ask police investigators for their opinion before deciding to take the case forward.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Amnuay Nimmano said he hadn't seen the prosecutor's documents about the girl's appeal yet, hence declined to give any comment.

-- The Nation 2011-03-24

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Thai Finance Ministry to clamp down on illegal cigarettes

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PAD to boycott Thai general election

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Hundreds of birds found dead in Lampang and Phayao

Cold snap suspected culprit

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,033.03, up 5.49 points /MCOT

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11 Police Companies to Oversee Security at Joint Parliamentary Session

The Center for the Administration of Peace and Order has assigned 11 police departments to oversee security at the next joint parliamentary session on the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee's meeting reports scheduled for March 25, in anticipation of protests.

The spokesperson of the Center for Administration of Peace and Order or CAPO Police Major General Prawut Thavornsiri announced that 11 police departments or approximately 1,650 officers have been assigned to oversee security at the next joint parliamentary session scheduled for March 25.

Whether the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee's meeting reports should be adopted will be debated at the session.

Those who are unauthorized will not be permitted to enter the area surrounding the Parliament.

Meanwhile, National Police Chief, Police General Wichian Pojposri, who is also the CAPO director, has explicitly ordered all police forces in the districts surrounding the Parliament and the Government House to set up checkpoints and prepare equipment to ensure security.

At the same time, the police have been asking the Thai Patriots Network protesters to make way for the annual Red Cross Fair by vacating from Phitsanulok Road located near the Government House.

If the protesters refuse to leave the area, the police will set up forces to separate the rally from the fair.

The CAPO spokesperson has also reported that two men have been arrested for distributing anti-monarchy video CDs at recent red-shirt rallies.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-24

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Thai Tourist Police nationwide may be transferred out of the Police force

Some of Phuket's "first friends" may be transferred out.

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Suthep opposes foreign observers for election as proposed by red-shirts; confident election organic law in place by Apr /TAN_Network

Defence Minister denies report of coup and affirms election will be held; House speaker confirms election organic law ready by Apr /TAN_Network

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AFP: Clay shakes and colon flushes at Thai detox resort - Feature

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