Thailand Live Thursday 16 Jun 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 16 June 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 15 June 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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AFP: Indian arrested with $2million of drugs in Thailand

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FORMALIN-SOAKED CHICKEN

Illegal business 'being run by a gang'

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Bangkok's Wat Po gets UNESCO recognition

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In sunny Bangkok, 14% residents deficient in vitamin D

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Elected village leaders could lead to 'disintegration of Thailand'

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Thai Bankers foresee continued GDP growth despite politics, inflation

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Wage hike in Thailand worries foreign investors

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THAI TALK

Election battle hinges on the 250-seat 'trigger point'

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EDITORIAL

Legal doubts stall progress and development; Thai telecom

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Thaksin's daughter to wed in December

By The Nation

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's eldest daughter Pinthongta will marry in mid-December, Thaksin said in an interview with Kyodo on Tuesday.

Thaksin said he wanted to return to Thailand in November to attend the ceremony the following month. He did not reveal who the husband will be.

-- The Nation 2011-06-16

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EC gives Si Sa Ket officials a week

By The Nation

The Election Commission will give local election officials seven days to dig deeper into whether an unidentified candidate in the Northeastern province of Si Sa Ket has broken the law.

"The election commissioners resolved that there must be [more] questioning of people who appear in the photos before the EC will look into this matter again," EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said yesterday.

The photos were submitted as evidence by local election officials.

The vote was 4-1 to call for further investigation, he said.

The case reflected the EC's policy of getting tough on fraud and the local officials forwarded it to the EC because they believed the law was violated, he said.

The EC should not be viewed as biased for disqualifying some candidates even before the July 3 general election, as it will base its decisions on whether the evidence is convincing enough, he said.

He said the EC also was looking into a police report of alleged cheating in the Northeast, but he declined to go into detail.

EC member Wisuth Pothitaen said the commission would not decide to punish any candidates without clear evidence and hard facts.

All five commissioners work together with mutual respect for their individual viewpoints although they come from different backgrounds, he said. For example, some of them are former judges.

"When problems arise, we consult one another and exchange our opinions," he said.

Wisuth, once a political scientist and prior member of the EC, said the watchdog would never take into account political issues in disqualifying any candidate before or after the poll.

"The EC does not side with any political party. We are friends of everyone," he said. "The EC works straightforwardly - everyone from junior officials to the commissioners."

The EC yesterday held a training course for more than 300 taxi drivers joining in the agency's campaign to promote democracy and raise public awareness of the election.

The cabbies were asked to encourage their fares to cast their ballots on July 3.

Wisuth said during the opening ceremony at the EC's head office that the cab drivers go many places and serve people from all walks of life, so during the lead-up to the election they could help significantly in campaigning for a high turnout.

-- The Nation 2011-06-16

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Fresh push to register immigrant workers

By The Nation

In another "grace period" announced to tackle illegal employment of foreign labourers in Thailand, another month of worker registrations kicked off across the country yesterday.

This time a number of "onestop" service centres are available for the convenience of the workers, who usually have to undergo fourstep procedures requiring frequent travel to offices under the Labour Ministry and Immigration Police.

To mark the new push, Labour Minister Chalermchai Srion and Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister U Maung Myint inspected a new centre in Samut Sakhon's Muang district, where a large number of Burmese people are employed in the local fishing industry.

Chalermchai said this new round was expected to register as many immigrant workers from Burma and other neighbouring countries as possible. Thai employers who miss the registration deadline of July 14 will face a maximum Bt100,000 fine and the detention and expulsion of their workers.

U Maung Myint said he welcomed Thailand's "enthusiasm" in dealing with the longstanding immigrant worker issue, but commented that the onemonth period was not long enough for more than 2 million workers from Burma and other countries to be registered.

He said that not all Burmese workers would want to be legally employed in Thailand because of a monthly fee and an extra passport fee of Bt600 each year to Burmese authorities.

Burmese officials are soon expected to be stationed at two new nationality identification centres in Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Sawan at the request of the Thai government, Chalermchai said.

Thai employers are willing to cooperate but have called for more efficient registration and nationality identification procedures along with the building of more "onestop" service centres.

-- The Nation 2011-06-16

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BURNING ISSUE

Democrats wrong from the start on Preah Vihear

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Natural gas heats up Chi River

By The Nation

Hot currents in the Chi River stem from leaks of methane gas from natural underlying sources, not from volcanic activities as rumoured by villagers, a senior Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) official said yesterday.

The two volcanoes in Surin nearest to the Chi River section - where heat has killed a number of fish - have not been active for up to 3 million years, said Lertsin Raksasakulwong, and the heat leak was not caused by underground seismic activities.

Lertsin said accumulation of methane gas stemming from organic decay was common in underground sources beneath riverbeds. The DMR is seeking a way to block the heat and to prevent fish being killed.

-- The Nation 2011-06-16

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New patrol boat launched with Royal blessings

By The Nation

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will launch a new Royal Thai Navy patrol boat in a ceremony on July 11.

The ceremony at the Royal Thai Naval Dockyard in Bangkok will also be in honour of His Majesty the King's 84th birthday in December.

The Tor 994 coastal patrol vessel will be equipped with radar and firecontrol systems before it is officially commissioned on September 1. Dockyard commander Rear Admiral Chatchai Thattaworn said the 215ton Tor 994 was the last in a class of three vessels built and developed by the RTN at the royal initiative calling for cheaper, smaller but more manoeuvrable vessels rather than relying on large, expensive ships built abroad.

It will operate not far from shore to suit Thailand's geography and naval doctrines focusing on selfdefence.

-- The Nation 2011-06-16

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Figuring out the maths of power; Thailand election

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Thai Army denies Suthep met Army chief

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Three US men plead guilty to luring 600 Thai farm workers to US farms and exploiting their labor in case Justice Dept describes as largest human trafficking case in US history /MCOT

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Three US Men Plead Guilty To Luring 600 Thai Farm Workers To US Farms

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Shallow 6.6-magnitude earthquake hits off New Britain coast of Papua New Guinea but no tsunami warning is issued /MCOT

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Thaksin voices confidence that his sister Yingluck will definitely win the poll but fears state interference to obstruct her victory /TAN_Network

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Abhisit denies saying he'll quit if party doesn't win certain no. of seats but says he will resign if the party worsens under his leadership /TAN_Network

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Indonesian cleric Bashir sentenced to life in prison on terrorism charges /via@AP

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PM orders investigation of report arrested Cambodian spies could escape, denies Thailand fabricates spy case /MCOT

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Lunar eclipse viewed from around the world - in pictures: http://bit.ly/m9Y0df /The Guardian

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OWNERSHIP

Foreign Business Act may be tightened after DTAC row

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Suspected insurgents detonate bomb at Nibong School in Yala, wounding traffic police officer and local villager /MCOT

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Yingluck didn't confirm Thaksin's prediction that PT will win 270 seats; refutes claim she ordered red-shirts to disrupt PMs campaign /TAN_Network

Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,021.55, down 8.76 points /MCOT