Thailand Live Monday 4 Apr 2011

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Traffic Police Advise Southern Locals to Avoid Roads Damaged by Floods

Motorists are advised to avoid traveling through Pun Pin District of Surat Thani Province via Highway 44, as the Ta Pi River has flooded the road.

Traffic on Highway 44 from Surat Thani Airport to the 18th-kilometer marker in Pun Pin District of Surat Thani Province became heavily congested after water from the Ta Pi River flooded the highway.

The Director of Surat Thani's Highway Maintenance Office Unit 3, Yutthana Morakul advised that motorists avoid the stretch of the highway and access the municipal area via the city bypass and Highway 41.

Floods also cut off part of the Southern Seaboard Highway connecting Surat Thani and Krabi provinces.

The Highway Department has opened up an extra lane to ease traffic.

A makeshift road is also being built to help ease traffic as Ta Pi Bridge is undergoing maintenance after having been damaged by floods.

-- Tan Network 2011-04-04

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JYJ Kicks Off World Tour in Bangkok

Korean superstars 'JYJ' enjoyed a huge turnout of Thai fans over the weekend as they launch their 2011 world tour in Bangkok

Popular South Korean trio 'JYJ' put on their very first overseas tour concert at Impact Arena on April 2 and 3 as part of their two-month 2011 world tour.

The two-hour shows mesmerized Korean music lovers with a variety of hits such as Empty, Be My Girl, and Be the One.

The trio did their solo numbers and surprised fans with four brand new songs, which they co-penned and co-produced.

The show was directed by one of the band members, 'Hero Jaejoong', which was filled with stunning visual effects including fireworks, smoke, and lasers.

After Bangkok, JYJ will perform in Singapore, Malaysia, the US, and Canada, making stops in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Vancouver.

-- Tan Network 2011-04-04

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Army Assists Flood Victims in South

The Second Army Region has sent more than 300 servicemen to help flood victims in flood-stricken South.

Second Army Region Commander, Major General Wiboonphong Klansanor is sending special recovery servicemen to help people suffering in the South, following Army Chief, General Prayuth Chanohcha's command.

Some 300 special recovery servicemen are on board with water supply services, inspectors with Unimog off road cars and trucks carrying electric generators, motorboats, and equipment to reconstruct roads and bridges.

Wiboonphong said that these servicemen will be opening up routes and restarting transportation systems as well as provide support facilities and basic needs of the flood victims, including water and power supply.

The officers will begin operations at in Nakhon si Thammarat Province.

Meanwhile, Thais in the Northeast have donated consumer goods and basic necessities to the victims in the South.

The Second Army Region said it will distribute 20 tons of rice donated by locals in Sakon Nakhon Province soon.

-- Tan Network 2011-04-04

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Analyzing @CharlieSheen's follower trends I estimate well over 10,000 people unfollowed him after his show bombed /via@TweetSmarter

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Five Indians Drugged And Robbed By One Thai

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BREAKING NEWS:

Nine killed, 65 injured in Thai highway accident

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Veera's mother seeks Thaksin's help

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4.1 magnitude quake hits Laos, just 35km away from Maesai, Chiang Rai; no reports of damages or casualties yet /TAN_Network

Their Majesties the King and Queen donates another Bt100,000 to purchase 24,000 bottles of drinking water for flood victims in Krabi /TAN_Network

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Two Swedes Electrocuted In Krabi

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Veera, Ratree families seek Thaksin help to get pair out of Cambodian jail

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SET index closed at 1078.66, up 14.31; Bt/USD30.10; GBP48.43; AUD31.18; EUR42.73; CAD31.18; HKD3.86; SGD23.75; JPY35.58

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BNONews: U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN

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PAD Campaigns for 'No Vote' to Change Politics

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Cabinet Approves 4.5 Billion Baht in Flood Aid

Cabinet has approved 4.5 billion baht in aid for flood victims in the southern provinces.

The government plans to offer 5,000 baht to each family who has fallen victim to the flood situation.

The funds will be released as soon as after the Songkran holidays.

-- Tan Network 2011-04-04

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Appointed senators to be named next Monday

The names of selected senators are expected to be announced April 11 and the voting for the new Senate Speaker is expected on April 22, Deputy Senate Speaker Nikom Wairatpanij said Monday.

He said the senator selection committee would continue meeting this week so that they can finish the selection process for 73 appointed senators. The Senate secretariat expects the result to be announced on Monday and staff have been prepared for registration from today through Thursday.

The newly selected senators should be able to be sworn in and begin their work on April 18.

"I don't think the voting for a new House Speaker will be on that day [April 18] unless somebody proposes it to the meeting," Nikom said. "That same week, the Senate will have a meeting on Friday, April 22. I think the House Speaker voting will be on that day."

-- The Nation 2011-04-04

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Army Chief Urges Unity

The army chief affirms that the army never has any ambition apart from serving the people and protecting the country's sovereignty.

He also threatens legal action against those involved in the antimonarchy movement.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha urged all parties to be united in a bid to allow the country to move forward.

His comment came in wake of rallies by several protest groups in Bangkok.

Prayuth vowed that the army is ready to help all Thais in time of crisis as it is soldiers' duty to do so.

The army chief also urged all parties to help protect the nation, religion and the Monarchy, while warning that those who wage a smear campaign against the Monarchy will be prosecuted.

-- Tan Network 2011-04-04

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Integrated Bkk Mass Transit Network Planned in 4 Years

The Transport Ministry expects all of the city's rail transit lines, most of which are still under construction or in the bidding process, to be fully integrated into a single network in four years.

Deputy permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry, Sinlapachai Jarukasemwattana, said a comprehensive Bangkok rail transit network of a combined distance of 236 kilometers will be in place in four years.

Sinlapachai stated a new body will be set up to integrate existing public transport systems in Bangkok into the network.

He said a bill on mass transit systems will be drafted for establishment of a regulatory panel which will be later transformed to a state-run enterprise to oversee Bangkok's entire mass transit network in the long run.

The deputy permanent secretary remarked the draft law will be forwarded to the Cabinet as soon as possible and insisted a change of government will have no impact on its progress as the plan has to move ahead with whichever party that willl come to power.

Several mass transit routes are now at the very start of construction while others are in the bidding stage.

-- Tan Network 2011-04-04

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Phuket YouTube girl ‘not dead’, but another woman’s body found

The young woman in the YouTube video is not dead, but rescue workers

found the body of another woman, believed to be ethnic Mon, in the hills

near Kwang Road in Wichit.

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[Maestro]

to be continued

Thailand Live Tuesday 5 April