Thailand Live Tuesday 17 May 2011

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Yingluck will be a puppet for Thaksin: Suthep

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JULY 3 ELECTION

Yingluck takes the stage

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Security concerns in deep South after explosion kills two monks

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SHOOTING

Two pickups used in bid to kill former Pheu Thai MP Pracha

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Thailand-Japan to work together to reverse tourist slump

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We see wrong being done and we simply look away; Thai opinion

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Lawyer wants Jatuporn let out of jail to file candidacy

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Candidates to affirm stand against fraud

By The Nation

Chart Thai Pattana plans to get its election candidates to acknowledge in writing the party's campaign guidelines in order to avoid possible charges of electoral fraud that could lead to a party dissolution, a party source revealed yesterday.

The party's legal advisers were drafting a letter for its candidates to sign to acknowledge guidelines that are based on the electoral law, the source said.

The measure aims to prevent the possibility of the party being accused of involvement in any fraud or vote-buying by candidates, the source said.

According to the law, a political party risks being dissolved if any of its executives are aware of electoral fraud by any candidate and fails to prevent such an offence. With the measure by Chart Thai Pattana, the party can argue that all of its poll candidates - some of who are party executives - acknowledge that the party opposes electoral fraud.

Any offence deemed as electoral fraud should be considered a personal crime and should have nothing to do with the party as a whole, the source said.

The party learned an expensive lesson when it was known as Chart Thai and was disbanded by a court order in 2008 for electoral fraud.

Chart Thai Pattana spokesman Watchara Kannikar said yesterday that the party had completed its party list of 125 candidates. He said party leader Chumpol Silapa-archa would be number 1 on the list and that the party expected to win between five to 10 House seats from the party-list election.

The Democrat Party also completed its list of candidates yesterday contesting the party-list election, according to senior party adviser Banyat Bantadtan, in his capacity as head of the candidate selection committee.

He said some changes were made to the original list proposed by party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban. According to Banyat, lawyer Bundit Siriphan, who was on the Democrat Party's defence team successfully fighting the two recent dissolution cases, would not be on the party-list at his own request.

-- The Nation 2011-05-17

Police presence a fizzer as betting soars at rocket fest

By MANOON MUNGCHOO

THE NATION

Despite the provincial governor's warning against betting during the traditional Rocket (Bang Fai) Festival, daring bookies opened dozens of tables to take bets from gamblers in Si Sa Ket's Yang Chum Noi district on Sunday - while the police were not to be seen.

This prompted Si Sa Ket Governor Somsak Suwanjarit yesterday to press the chief of the Yang Chum Noi police station to explain why, despite it being prohibited, gambling had flourished.

The rocket competition, held at Ban Yang Chum Yai in tambon Yang Chum Yai, was supposed to be part of the sixth-month merit-making event by the village committee.

However, it was reportedly taken over by outsiders claiming to be raising funds for the community, who then hosted gambling, which attracted residents of Yang Chum Noi and other districts.

Some income for the event was derived from tickets priced at Bt100 per head to enter the arena. There almost 100 tables were set up to take bets from punters over how many seconds a rocket could fly skywards. It was estimated that at least Bt3 million was generated at this event.

Governor Somsak said he heard about Bang Fai Festival gambling in Yang Chum Noi district and instructed security volunteers to investigate and arrest law violators after police turned a blind eye.

He said he approved the organising of the festival on condition there was no timing of rocket flights, no blocking of roads to sell entrance tickets, and no gambling.

The Bang Fai Festival is usually held during May, regarded as the Thai traditional lunar calendar's sixth month, to call for abundant rainfall ahead of the rice-growing season.

Nowadays however, some people take advantage of this tradition to set up gambling tables throughout the Northeast.

-- The Nation 2011-05-17

I'll prove my worth, vows young candidate with family connections

By Budsarakham Sinlapalavan

The Nation

"I am not a superman who can do everything but I will devote my energy to everything that I'm doing."

Those were the words of a young candidate for the Democrat Party, Ekkanat Promphand, who is a stepson of party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.

Two years ago at the age of 23, Ekkanat was appointed as the personal secretary to Suthep - who became a deputy prime minister after the Democrats formed the government. He has worked at the PM's Secretariat at Government House.

He said he has accumulated much political experience over the past two years working as a political appointee. He decided to contest the election after being approached by unnamed party seniors.

The aspiring MP earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics engineering and management from Oxford University. He is the Democrat Party's first-time candidate for Bangkok Constituency 29, which covers Thawee Watthana and Nong Khaem districts.

Ekkanat, whose nickname is Khing (Ginger), is the middle son of Suthep's wife Srisakul Promphand from her previous marriage with Pornthep Tejapaiboon, a senior Democrat figure who is now a deputy Bangkok governor.

The MP hopeful said he began visiting his constituency almost two months ago before it became clear that he would be picked by the party's executive board as the Democrat candidate to run in the single-seat constituency.

"I met with local voters, attending wedding and ordination ceremonies. I also talked with community leaders," he said.

During his survey of the constituency, he found that its utilities needed improvement.

Ekkanat rejected criticism that he won his candidacy because of his stepfather or the fact that his family is a key financial patron of the party. The decision to field him was made by the party's seniors and incumbent MPs, and not by anyone single-handedly, he said.

"I have determination and am serious about this upcoming election. I'm ready to prove my worth with my work. Looking back, I managed to get enrolled in Oxford University by myself and managed to graduate by myself," he said.

"I can't deny that I get support from party seniors. This is a good opportunity for me, but the voters will have the final say."

He has no particular plans for after the election, no matter the outcome. He prefers to "stay with the present" - leaving home early in the morning to hit the hustings and returning home after midnight.

"I'm going to do my best. The goal is not to become an MP so that I can get a political appointment. My goal is to solve the country's problems. Political posts are just a by-product," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-05-17

Revered monk better after change of TB medicine: doctors

By KASEM CHANATHINART,

PRASIT TANGPRASERT

THE NATION

Luang Phor Khun Parisudtho is in better shape after doctors changed his medicine two days ago.

The highly revered monk was said to have suffered a loss of appetite and negative side-effects as his condition worsened from a medicine prescribed on Sunday.

Doctors discovered last Friday that medicine given to him for tuberculosis had caused the monk's liver to become inflamed.

Luang Phor Khun, 87, who is the abbot of Wat Ban Rai, has been receiving treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital since May 4.

Doctors said yesterday the elderly monk had responded satisfactorily to treatment. He had a good expression on his face after they used nasogastric tubes to feed him and administered drugs for three to four days. His weight was likely to increase, Dr Pinisjai Nakphan told reporters yesterday.

His blood pressure, blood sugar level, temperature and pulse were normal. His brain and heart were also normal. However, the monk was still exhausted and needed to rest, the doctor said.

Luang Phor Khun had collaborated with the doctors and had not refused any treatment, Pinisjai noted.

"We changed his TB medicine because the new one has fewer negative side-effects although it has less effectiveness than the first TB medicine we gave him," Pinisjai said, adding that doctors had to monitor the side-effects around the clock.

He said after three to four days of using the new TB medicine, the doctors would evaluate his condition to see if it had good or bad effects on his health. They would also consider if they should change the medicine again.

Pinisjai said they had not found any complications so far, but Luang Phor Khun was still in the first 30 days of undergoing the treatment, which was considered a dangerous period.

-- The Nation 2011-05-17

AFP: A year after clashes, Thais split as polls loom

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Terminal 21, the new shopping centre next to BTS Asok with an airport design, will open later this year. /via@RichardBarrow

PM campaigns in Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan; Jurin to meet EC tomorrow to discuss campaign budget /TAN_Network

Expect traffic chaos in Bangkok this morning at 11am as police close road from Ratchaprasong to Pratunam for riot drills /via@RichardBarrow

Phuket water shortage solution entered into royal contest

The innovative small-scale reservoirs have alleviated water shortage

problems in the area.

The man behind the project, Sompol Rayasakul (left), and the director

of the Irrigation Project's Phuket Office, Sombat Puangsombat.

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Phuket Gov to marry again, Baba style

Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and his wife Nalinee at the opening of the

Red Cross Fair in December. The couple will renew their nuptials come June.

A couple enjoying their wedding day at the Baba Peranakan Wedding Festival in Phuket last year

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Region 8 police arrest no. 10 on the 50 hitmen list distributed recently ahead of the general election /TAN_Network

PTT, Bangchak cut gasoline group prices by 30 satang/litre, excluding E85, effective Wednesday, in line with world oil prices /MCOT

Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals split with Shriver result of his fathering a child with household staffer /via@CBSNews

Pheu Thai to finalise list of party-list candidates Wednesday

The executive board of Pheu Thai Party will review and finalise the list of party-list candidates Wednesday, Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said Tuesday.

He said the panel in charge of selecting candidates had finished selecting 375 constituency-based candidates and 125 party-list candidates.

But the executive board has yet to arrange the order of the 124 party-list candidates apart from Yingluck Shinawatra, who is on top of the list.

Promphong said Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth Wichaidit and Yingluck would lead party-list candidates and Bangkok candidates to apply for the election contest at the Thai-Japanese Youth Centre on Thursday.

-- The Nation 2011-05-17

2 Million Baht fire destroys shipyard in North Pattaya

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Three year old child, his sister and mother hurt in Jomtien road accident

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals Child With Household Worker

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Korbsak confirms he will opt out of election contest

Korbsak Sabhavasu, the chairman of Democrat Party's strategy chairman, said Tuesday that he will not contest the upcoming election.

Korbsak said he will not run in the election because he thinks he will be work for the party without being an MP.

He said he did not contest the last election and he could help in the party's investigation into alleged corruption in the procurement of bomb detectors at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

-- The Nation 2011-05-17

Anti-drug cops, dealers clash in Chiang Rai as undercover officials try to buy 400,000 methamphetamine pills with Bt10 million cash; one official dead, one wounded /MCOT

continues

Thailand Live Wednesday 18 May 2011

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