Thailand Live Friday 8 Jul 2011

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Dr Sem Pringpuangkeo, honoured senior citizen and former public health minister, dies of natural causes at age 100 /MCOT

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Yingluck denies meeting Thaksin in Hong Kong, affirms to decide cabinet members in Thailand /MCOT

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Yingluck says she is considering amending Article 112 involving lese majeste; denies she's meeting Thaksin /TAN_Network

Red-shirt leader Korkaew says if red-shirts don't get appointed as minister, conflict with Pheu Thai may ensue /TAN_Network

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Electoral Law Violations Tallied at 135

The national police chief has commended those police districts that have submitted their electoral reports earliest.

The total number of the electoral law violation cases nationwide has been tallied at 135.

National Police Chief Wichian Potposri has awarded certificates of commendation to those police units who performed outstandingly during the recent election.

The certificates were awarded to the unit that submitted its completed election report the fastest, and to the unit that performed its election duty most efficiently.

Along with the certificates, each of the units has been awarded 20,000 baht in cash and a portable computer.

Meanwhile, the National Police Office has reported that the total number of electoral law violation cases nationwide has been tallied at 135, 14 for vote buying, 18 for intimidation, 13 for ballot defacing, and 84 for selling alcohol on Election Day.

In additional, there is a total of 103 electoral criminal cases.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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Air Force Puts New Gripen Planes in Commission

The Royal Thai Air Force has held a ceremony to inaugurate the commission, the Gripen, and Saab jet fighters at Wing 7 in Surat Thani Province.

Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan presided over the ceremony to officially put the six Swedish-made Gripen 39 C/D and two Saab 340 AEW/B combat planes into commission at Wing 7 airbase in Surat Thani.

The first batch of Gripen planes arrived in Thailand following the first phase of the Gripen procurement program.

The Gripen jets will standby for combat and are commissioned as the 701st squadron, while the two Saabs will be commissioned as the 702nd squadron, both operating at the Wing 7 airbase.

The Gripen jets will enhance Wing 7's operations including air defence, reinforcement for the armed forces, and protecting national and marine interests.

The two Saab jets will allow swift intelligence gathering and communication with precise and accurate information.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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Search for Miss Thailand Chinese Cosmos 2011 Begins

Another opportunity has come for beautiful Thai-Chinese girls to show off their talents on stage, at the Miss Thailand Chinese Cosmos 2011.

In 2010, contestants from the first Miss Thailand Chinese Cosmos Pageant 'Benze' Panthip Prairuangkij and 'Hireen' Poonyawee Laopanichtanasiri won three awards at the Miss Chinese Cosmos Southeast Asia Pageant 2010 held in Malaysia.

Panthip won first runner-up and Miss Popularity, while Poonyawee won the Miss Photogenic award.

And now, as the 2011 contest is about to kick off, Panthip encourages confident Thai-Chinese women to join this year's contest, adding that the prizes and experiences to be given at this year's pageant are doubled.

The Miss Thailand-Chinese Cosmos pageant welcomes all beautiful and talented Thai-Chinese girls aged 18 to 25 with applications open until July 14.

Anyone interested in joining the beauty pageant can find more information at www.jiaranai.co.th.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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Drive-by Shooting at Home of Pheu Thai Canvasser in Nonthaburi

The home of a Pheu Thai Party canvasser in Nonthaburi Province have been shot at, but fortunately no one was injured.

Police believe the attack was politically motivated.

Nonthaburi police rushed to inspect the three-storey townhouse of 62 year old Bunlue Jaruspetch, a canvasser of the Pheu Thai party in Pracha Niwet 3 village in Nonthaburi’s Muang District following a gun attack on Wednesday night that created five holes in the front door of the home.

Bunlue recounted that he heard gunshots in front of his home at around 3 A.M., but he and his family were afraid to go downstairs.

They waited until morning and found that their home was damaged in the shooting.

He said he helped the Pheu Thai candidate for Nonthaburi’s Constituency 2 Udomdetch Ratanasatien carry out his election campaign, and noted that Udomdetch won the most votes in his area, disappointing political rivals.

Police investigated when another of Bunlue’s homes not far from the first house.

Two 7.65-millimeter cartridges were found at the scene.

Eyewitnesses told police a white van stopped in front of Bunlue’s home and gunmen in the vehicle sprayed bullets at the home before fleeing the scene.

Another two men riding on a motorcycle stopped at the second home and shot bullets into the sky before fleeing.

MP-elect Udomdetch said that the election was very competitive, and many politicians spent a large amount of money on their campaigns.

He speculated that they resorted to violence when their goals were not met.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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Natthawut: UDD remains united

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Pheu Thai denies Bhum Jai Thai's Matchima faction will join coalition as 300 MP seats is enough /TAN_Network

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AFP: New Thai PM urged to probe Italian photographer's death

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Chuvit to scrutinize qualifications of new cabinet

BANGKOK, 8 July 2011 (NNT) – Rak Thailand Party Leader Chuvit Kamolvisit has announced his first mission to scrutinize the qualifications of individuals who will be in the new cabinet led by incoming Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

After introducing all four elected candidates from his party including himself, the Rak Thailand party leader announced that his party would press ahead with its four urgent missions. The first one would be to inspect qualifications of people chosen to take ministerial portfolios in the new government.

Asked if Chart Thai Pattana key member Major General Sanan Kajornprasart should push for his son to take a ministerial portfolio while the outgoing deputy prime minister himself will not take a position, Mr Chuvit deemed it inappropriate, quipping that Thailand was not a company.

The outspoken politician noted that Ms Yingluck, the government top leader, must undeniably be responsible for blunders committed by every cabinet member although some of them were not from her Pheu Thai Party since she invited these parties to join her coalition government.

Mr Chuvit added that he would allow all ministers under Pheu Thai and other newcomers to work for six months before evaluating their performances. He would, however, give only one month to those ministers under the Chart Thai Pattana and Chart Pattana Puea Pandin Parties appointed to the ministries they used to oversee as they would just continue with their operations.

Other tasks are to follow up on the investigation into the military crackdown against the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship last year as well as Pheu Thai’s reconciliation directions; to follow up on the implementation of policies promised by Pheu Thai during election, and to follow up on the administration’s ability to solve economic and high-cost-of living problems.

-- NNT 2011-07-08

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Police arrest 2 suspected drug dealers and confiscated 43kg of heroin worth Bt700 mln in Lamphun; drugs were to be sent abroad /TAN_Network

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Pheu Thai ready to defend Yingluck's cooking show

By The Nation

The Pheu Thai Party on Friday played down the probe into alleged vote-buying involving Designate Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, arguing the campaign activity in question could not be construed as a hand-out.

"There was no distribution of free food nor any attempts to buy votes as alleged," Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said.

The Election Commission has launched the investigation into a complaint that in a campaign demonstration in Nakhon Ratchasima, Yingluck cooked and handed out a local noodle dish, known as Mee Korat. Under the campaign rules, the hand-out of food or material gift is classified as vote-buying.

Prompong insisted Yingluck and her campaign workers did not distritute the fried noodle. The cooking was just a normal campaign activity to attract the crowds, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-07-08

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Police Bust Drugs, Arms in Chiang Rai

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Yingluck: Cabinet selection to be done in Bangkok, not abroad

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AFP: Thailand's Democrats seek ban on Thaksin party

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Would-be PM Denies Thaksin's Role in Forming Govt

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Red-shirt MPs Claimed Unaspiring for Cabinet Posts

A Pheu Thai MP-elect and a key red-shirt figure says red-shirt leaders who have been elected as MPs are not expecting Cabinet posts and they will respect the party's decision on the matter.

Pheu Thai MP-elect and core red-shirt leader Weng Tojirakarn said the red-shirt group does not expect its members to be assigned ministerial posts.

Regarding his fellow red-shirt leader and Pheu Thai MP-elect Korkaew Pikulthong's remark supporting Jatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Saikua to become ministers, Weng said it is Korkaew's personal opinion and does not represent the group's stance on the matter.

Meanwhile, Nattawut said he and Jatuporn are willing to work in either the legislative or executive branch without any condition.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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Thai PM-in-waiting urges fair use of royal rules

BANGKOK, July 8, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand's premier-in-waiting said Friday that strict rules against insulting the monarchy should not be abused, following several high profile cases against critics of the outgoing government.

"I do not want to see the misuse of this law on lese majeste," said Yingluck Shinawatra, a 44-year-old political newcomer and sister of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

She called for study into the legislation under which anybody convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent faces up to 15 years in prison.

"This article is a very sensitive law that requires expert legal discussion. I will ask experts and all relevant people to study it," she said.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 83, the world's longest-reigning monarch and revered as a demi-god by many Thais, has been in hospital since September 2009.

Discussion of the monarchy's role is a long-standing taboo in politically divided Thailand. Rights groups have expressed concerns that lese majeste was used to suppress freedom of expression under the outgoing government.

In April the military -- which has a long history of political involvement -- filed a complaint against three leaders of the opposition "Red Shirt" protest movement for allegedly insulting the royals during rally speeches.

The army, which sees itself as the staunch guardian of the monarchy, launched a bloody crackdown last year on a two-month protest by the red-clad movement, leaving about 90 people dead, mostly civilians.

The Red Shirts are broadly loyal to Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Controversy over the royal rules was stoked in May when prominent Thai historian Somsak Jeamteerasakul, who has tested taboos with calls for reform of the monarchy, was charged with lese majeste.

His arrest prompted a letter of protest by more than 50 Thai and foreign academics living outside the kingdom against what they called "the latest signal of the worsening atmosphere of freedom of expression in Thailand".

The same month a Thai-born US citizen was charged with insulting the monarchy after he posted material deemed offensive on his blog and put a link to a banned book.

In recent years the Thai government has removed tens of thousands of web pages from the Internet for allegedly insulting the monarchy.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-07-08

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Updated article:

AFP: Thailand's Democrats seek ban on Thaksin party

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Poll Panel Urged to Rule on Red-shirt MP's Status

The acting Democrat secretary general says the poll panel will have to bear responsibility for any negligence lawsuit that may ensue if it does not make any ruling on the MP status of red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan.

Outgoing Democrat secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban commented on the delay in the Election Commission, or EC's, ruling on the status of Pheu Thai MP-elect Jatuporn Prompan.

Suthep said the poll panel will be held responsible for any possible lawsuit if it is accused of negligence of duty.

The top Democrat went on to say that he personally believes Jatuporn lacks qualifications to become an MP and should be disqualified.

Suthep asserted that his party has not brought up this issue for discussion but if any Democrat member wants to file a complaint against the EC, they are eligible to do so.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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Top Democrat Blames Poll Defeat on Poor Strategies

The acting secretary general of the Democrat Party says it is still to soon to conclude if the Pheu Thai-led government could become a parliamentary dictatorship.

Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is also the acting secretary general of the Democrat Party, said although the new coalition government is stable with as much as 300 House seats, he is not worried about being in the Opposition and will examine the new government from day one in office.

Suthep further said that it is still too soon to tell if the Pheu Thai-led government will become a parliamentary dictatorship, calling on all sides to wait to see how it performs.

Suthep noted the Pheu Thai Party should listen to academics and the private sector when they question whether the party's economic policies will be feasible.

He attributed the loss of the Democrat Party in the poll to mistakes in its election strategies.

He added from now on, the party will review its strategies and work harder while voicing support for Abhisit Vejjajiva to resume the post of party leader.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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Activist fined for defaming junta

The Appeals Court on Friday confirmed a lower court's verdict to impose a Bt50,000 fine on anti-coup activist Daranee "Da Torpedo" Chanchoengsilakul following her libel conviction for cursing the junta.

"The lower court's sentencing to impose a fine was commensurate with the conviction for using foul language to defame the plaintiff," the high court in its appellate decision.

The case came to light in June 2007 after the then junta leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin filed a police complaint on libel, citing Daranee's rally speech on May 30, 2007 as evidence.

The police report recommended for trial.

-- The Nation 2011-07-08

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Major Dtac Shareholder Petitions against Probe

The Norwegian shareholder of the country’s second largest mobile phone operator has petitioned the Commerce Ministry against a re-inquiry into its alleged violation of the foreign business law.

Telenor Asia PTA, the parent company of Total Access Communication, or DTAC, the country’s second largest mobile phone operator, has assigned law firm Hutton and Williams Thailand to file a complaint with acting Commerce Minister Pornthiwa Nakhasai and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Yanyong Puangraj over its concern about possible political intervention in the ongoing probe into the company’s allegedly foreign ownership.

The petition cast doubt over the attempt by an adviser to the deputy commerce minister to seek postponement of the submission of the findings by the inquiry panel, chaired by the director general of the Business Development Department, to the National Police Office.

The law firm suggested such an intervention bars its client from being investigated fairly and properly and hence puts a dent on the country’s image.

The law firm stated the move could also jeopardize the stock value of the company and may dampen sentiment of foreign investors in the country.

Meanwhile, Sanya Sathirabutr, chief adviser of acting Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlabut, said Alongkorn's formation of another probe panel is justified.

He said Alongkorn has been empowered to oversee the work of the Business Development Department and he is still in the caretaker position, so he has the authority to set up another panel to look into the case and review the findings of the Business Development Department, which he claimed were unclear.

The department earlier ruled that the majority of DTAC’s shares are not owned by foreign companies or their proxies as its business rival True company alleged.

Sanya maintained the formation of a separate panel did not aim to intervene in the work of the Business Development Department but to protect national interest.

Sanya then said he cannot disclose the names of members of the panel set up by Alongkorn, but he affirmed both DTAC and True will be treated fairly and the investigation will be transparent.

He stated the probe to determine if DTAC is a foreign-owned firm is not difficult as it is a listed firm and the findings will be disclosed on Monday.

He said if DTAC is found to be foreign-owned, the ministry must file criminal charges against the company and its executives and withdraw its license.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-08

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SET index closed at 1088.46, up 5.38; Bt/USD30.10; GBP47.95; AUD32.27; EUR42.86; CAD31.24; HKD3.86; SGD24.55; JPY36.82

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Phuket to host regional seminar for the blind

Mr Somsak and members of the Phuket chapter of the Thai Association

of the Blind present Gov Tri Augkaradacha with a decorative picture

frame made in Rawai.

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Chamlong seeks to nullify Sunday's vote

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Phuket Gov pushes for underground hotels to register

Surin Bamrungphol, one of Gov Tri’s 'Magnificent Seven' economics advisers.

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to continue

Thailand Live Saturday 9 Jul 2011

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