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Thailand Live Friday 1 Apr 2011

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webfact Grand Master Member

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Thailand Live Friday 1 April 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

with webfact

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 31 Mar 2011

webfact Grand Master Member

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Donations Handed to Japan

The Thai public and private sectors have gathered more than 2.8 million baht in donations for Japan.

Industry Minister Chaiwut Bannawat presided over a ceremony to hand over 2.8 million baht in cash donations to the Thai Red Cross via Public Relations Director Chanprapa Vichitcholchai.

The event was also attended by Board of Investment, or BOI, executive Chanin Khaochan, Japan Ambassador to Thailand Seiji Kojima representative of Japan External Trade Office, Takao Hayashi.

The minister said the donations came mostly from Thailand's industrial sector due to the close ties between the two countries.

The BOI executive noted the natural disasters in Japan has halted production there while Japanese subsidiaries in Thailand are assessing impact and considering how they can boost production here to export back to Japan.

The industry minister also acknowledged that flooding in the South has affected manufacturing in the area.

After the floodwater recedes, the ministry will send in officials to visit manufacturers and see what kind of help they need.

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-- Tan Network 2011-04-01

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BURNING ISSUE

Little scope for irregularities in Senate selection

By Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation

In less than a month, we will know who has been selected to fill vacant seats in the Senate.

But in the intense period while the selection committee is checking the nominees' records, there have already been reports of irregularities in the selection process.

One such report said a businessman in the Northeast had paid an academic organisation to nominate him to be a senator from the academic sector.

"I only heard the rumours. There is no evidence. I don't think it is possible," said outgoing appointed senator Surachai Liengboonlerschai, who has been nominated for a second term.

"I don't believe there can be any position-buying. The objective of having appointed senators is to have knowledgeable, capable and quality senators from various fields. The selection committee must somehow consider the candidates' qualifications. How the selected people perform as appointed senators will reflect the judgement of the selection committee.

"The agency nominating a candidate must be responsible for its nomination. Society will consider what kind of people this agency promotes for such an important position. That's why the names of the alleged [wrongdoers] should be revealed and the administrators and members of the organisation must help verify the qualifications of the person it has nominated," he said.

Surachai, a legal expert, was nominated last time by the Thai Bar under Royal Patronage for the academic sector. This time he is nominated by Chao Phraya Mahitorn (La-or Krairiksh) and Tanphuying Gleeb Mahitorn Foundation, a foundation supporting the education of Thai law students.

Child-rights activist and former senator Wallop Tangkananurak does not believe the reports, either.

"The Election Commission has demanded stricter conditions than last time for this selection. It requires a board resolution from organisations nominating a person for the post. This makes it harder for an agency to select and nominate a person. Last time only the chief of an organisation was required to sign for a nomination," he said.

Considering the individuals sitting on the selection committee, it is even harder to believe a rigged decision is possible, he said.

The 2007 Constitution clearly specifies the seven members of the selection committee. With the names of the office-holders involved, they are Constitution Court president Chut Chonlavorn, Election Commission chairman Apichart Sukhagganond, Chief Ombudsman Pramote Chotemongkol, National Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Panthep Glanarongran, State Audit Commission chairman (the auditor-general) Pisit Leelavachiropas, a Supreme Court judge appointed by the Supreme Court judges' general assembly, Montri Sriiamsa-ard, and a Supreme Administrative Court judge appointed by the Supreme Administrative Court's general assembly, Kasem Komsattham.

Election Commission secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiygarn recently outlined security measures to ensure the selection process was confidential. Experts from the military and the aeronautical radio agency examined the meeting rooms for eavesdropping devices and mobile signals were cut off during the meetings.

This selection of senators has, in most respects, been difficult. Now that the number of elected senators has been increased after the creation of a 77th province, the number of selected senators has been reduced from 74 to 73.

While 15 selected senators will come from each of the private sector, the professional sector and "other" sectors, 14 will be selected from the nominations of state agencies and a final 14 from the nominations of academic bodies.

In total, 671 organisations have nominated 658 candidates. These include 212 from the private sector, 113 from professional organisations, 161 from "other" sectors, 86 from state agencies and 99 from academic bodies.

The selection committee agreed to the number after observing that fewer nominations came from the latter two groups than from the others.

We will soon know the outcome. The selection committee says it plans to finish the process and submit the names for royal endorsement before Songkran, the Thai New Year festival in the middle of this month. In any case, the Constitution requires that the selection process be finished within 60 days of the end of the term of the outgoing batch. They finished on February 18, which means the selection process must be finished by April 19.

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-- The Nation 2011-04-01

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Man gets death for ordering murder of ex-MP Korbkul

By THE NATION

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man to death for ordering the killing of former MP Korbkul Nopamornbodi five years ago.

Muang Ratchaburi municipal councillor Anantasak Srisawas, 46, was convicted of masterminding the murder and given the death sentence.

His two accomplices, Winyu Rattanawannee and Anont Phanrat, were also found guilty. Because of their confessions, the two were given life imprisonment.

The three convicts were also ordered to pay Bt300,000 in compensation to Korbkul's driver Chatree Suparanan. Chatree was injured in the shooting that killed Korbkul on May 27, 2006.

Korbkul was a Thai Rak Thai MP and wife of former public health minister Manit Nopamornbodi.

Her widower attended court to hear the verdict yesterday.

"I am satisfied with the ruling," Manit said. However, he said he believed more people were involved in the killing of his wife.

After hearing the verdict, Winyu patted Anantasak's shoulder. Anantasak, who denied any wrongdoing, vowed to appeal.

"I am innocent," he insisted.

According to the confessions of Winyu and Anont, Anantasak came to see Winyu at a snooker lounge and told him of a plan to attack Korbkul, who Anantasak claimed was planning to shoot him.

Winyu was instructed to prepare a fake licence plate for a pickup truck. Anantasak and Anont then practised the use of M16 machine-guns. They were told someone would monitor Korbkul's movements as part of the plan to kill her.

On the day of the killing, when Korbkul's vehicle stopped at a red light, Anont and Anantasak opened fire on her from the bed of a pickup driven by Winyu.

The suspects threw their guns and ammunition into the Mekong River, all of which were later found by police.

The court said two of the defendants gave corroborating statements and their confessions were made in the presence of senior policemen.

The defendants had re-enacted their crimes before reporters and others, and details given by them matched circumstantial evidence.

The court did not find Winyu's and Anont's claims of forced confession convincing because they could have said so when media were present on several occasions.

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-- The Nation 2011-04-01

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Lack of quorum scuttles third House session

By NERISA NERYKHIEW

THE NATION

Yesterday saw the collapse of a House of Representatives session for a third consecutive day due to a lack of quorum.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob tried to salvage the session by delaying the quorum count for almost two hours.

Even though the session was able to convene in the morning, a number of MPs were absent in the afternoon, prompting the meeting to come to an abrupt end.

"About five meetings are left before the anticipated House dissolution in May and MPs should try to do their job for the rest of the term," he said before rescheduling the session to today.

A deliberation on draft legislation to form the Rubber Authority of Thailand came to an inconclusive end because of the lack of quorum to vote on the first reading.

Before Chai could reschedule today's session, Pheu Thai MP Paijit Sreewarakan said he suspected a repeat of the previous day's collapse, as most MPs had prior engagements to return to their constituencies and meet voters.

PLEA TO CANCEL SESSION

Paijit urged Chai to cancel today's session. He also defended the move by opposition lawmakers not to cast votes on the draft legislation even though they were present, saying it was their right to refrain from supporting the coalition.

Coalition chief whip Witthaya Kaewparadai said a large number of Democrats were obliged to visit their constituents hit by floods in the South.

Other coalition lawmakers were busy with campaign preparations ahead of |the House dissolution, he said.

He called on MPs to try to pass the draft legislation at today's session because the provisions were designed to benefit rubber farmers.

Today's morning session is expected to focus on queries raised by the opposition and the legislative deliberation is scheduled for the afternoon.

Speaking to reporters after adjourning yesterday's session, Chai said he blamed the prime minister for hastily revealing his plan to dissolve the House, thus causing MPs to devote attention to campaigning instead of doing their legislative job.

He said he had had enough headaches as House Speaker and would not seek a second term in the position.

He also criticised opposition lawmakers for acting out of spite. For the past three days, more than 100 opposition MPs were present but refused to join the quorum count, he said.

With five meetings left, the House has a backlog of more than 100 draft laws to deliberate, he said, voicing regrets that several bills would not be passed because of time constraints.

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-- The Nation 2011-04-01

webfact Grand Master Member

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Thaksin's latest tweets: My sympathy 4 South; I'm helping PT on policies; I'll bring back Thai pride through non-corrupt political culture. /via@tulsathit

I knew u guys will question it. But my Thaksin tweet is no joke. Repeat, no joke. /via@tulsathit

Full translation: I'll bring back human dignity & pride to Thai ppl ASAP. Real pride, not one forced on them by political crooks. /via@tulsathit

Landslide in Sichol, Nakhon Si Thammarat cuts off village with 300 residents; Surat Thani faces blackout and lack of tapwater /TAN_Network

Army chief: high floodwater level hampers rescue and relief efforts; sends soldiers into area and prepare for renovation after flood /TAN_Network

Bangkok's temperature almost returned to normal. It's 25C at 8.55am: http://yfrog.com/h74zgqwj /via@tukky_nt

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