Thailand Live Friday 15 Jul 2011

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Thailand Live Friday 15 Jul 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 Thursday 14 Jul 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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ASK THE EDITORS

Now is the time to remember 'Magnificent 14' : Thai opinion

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YINGLUCK GOVERNMENT

Bt300 minimum wage to cost additional Bt140 billion: Thai Chamber

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House speaker contest a three-horse race; Thai special

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Police to crack down on booze sales today and tomorrow

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'Bagged' American May Have Been Murdered: Phuket Police

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Disc jockey duped male sex clients, say police

By The Nation

Police have arrested a disc jockey at a pub in Prachuap Khiri Khan for allegedly duping money through bank transactions from male buyers of bogus sex services.

Phitsanu Phetchoora, 36, was arrested in Bangkok on Wednesday night and according to police has confessed to charges of public fraud. Police found in his possession four bank accounts opened by holders with women's names, along with six mobile phones with records of calls with the numbers of prospective customers.

Police said the suspect launched a website featuring photos of female college students he said moonlighted as prostitutes. He reserved their services through online registration and money transactions through bank ATM machines. He later lied to the men that he would discontinue his website because of a police crackdown.

Police said Phitsanu admitted he had earned more than Bt8 million over the past four years, after launching and closing websites with various URLs five times.

Police initially tracked records of holders of the bank accounts and found they were all women. They then tracked the suspect from ATMinstalled cameras when he withdrew money from the accounts, and later acquired a warrant for him, which led to his arrest.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15

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Forest floods hit eight villages in Nan province

By The Nation

Forest floods hit eight villages in Nan province's Tha Wang Pha district yesterday, prompting authorities to evacuate 69 families living near a small reservoir and keep aroundtheclock watch for disaster.

Heavy rain since Wednesday night caused rivers to overflow and inundate farmlands as well as about 100 homes in the eight villages, especially in Ban Huai Pong in tambon Tanchum, which could not be reached because of a 2metredeep flood. Authorities were also concerned that its small reservoir would burst.

Villager Yao Yodla, 56, said the floods came in too fast, and since she did not have time to move her belongings upstairs, all her electrical appliances are damaged.

Authorities have also cleared four landslide spots in tambon Tanchum.

Though Tha Wang Pha district chief Manas Khansai reported that the situation was back to normal, authorities were keeping watch because heavy rain was continuing in Thung Chang, Bo Klua and Tha Wang Pha districts.

Those living in risky areas have been urged to look out for signs of flash floods -tap water becoming muddy, heavy downpours continuing for six hours or small trees being uprooted - so they have time to evacuate.

In related news, after several days of heavy rain, a 50metre section of RanongBan Hat Sompaen Road was blocked by a landslide, which also toppled over two highvoltage poles and subsequently caused a power blackout in tambon Hat Sompaen yesterday morning. This prompted local officials to clear the scene and repair the power poles amid rainfall.

Ranong Governor Wanchat Wongchana said that since up to 80 per cent of the province was being hit by rain, residents should brace for floods, landslides and strong winds, as well as follow the news closely for timely evacuation.

Fishermen were also cautioned to stay ashore when the seas look rough, he added.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15

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Fake cellphone battery explodes

By The Nation

A man yesterday morning sustained burns to his face and cuts around his eyes when a fake mobilephone battery exploded in Rayong's Muang district.

Pattana Boonkham, 24, from Kanchanaburi, wanted to charge the battery but the phone indicated that no power was going in, so he tried to remove the battery when it suddenly blew up, ripping the phone into pieces and scarring his face.

Dr Narit Onprom, director of Rayong Hospital, said the patient was doing fine and the fragments were extracted from around his eyes. But one small piece had pierced his right cornea so they would do more tests.

Narit warned people to use good quality cellphones and batteries rather than imitations or substandard devices.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15

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Northeastern Democrats urge rethink

By The Nation

Ranking Democrats in the Northeast yesterday circulated an open letter calling for a rethink of their party's strategy in the wake of an election defeat that saw the number of MPs from the region reduced from five to four.

The letter, whose co-signers included Roi Et branch chairman Paiboon Lueangwiset, was submitted via Democrat MP-elect Ong-art Klampaiboon.

The Northeastern Democrats said that the party should have paid more attention to its strategy to remain connected with constituents and that it should assign a capable team of strategists to take charge.

They said the party should target winning 20 to 30 House seats in the region, urging veteran Democrats such as Chuan Leekpai and Banyat Bantadtan to supervise the expansion programme personally.

They also praised acting party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva for taking responsibility for the defeat by stepping down and urged him to continue serving the party.

Democrat branch chairman Chub Chairithichai from Nakhon Ratchasima's Phimai district said the party should start building new leadership.

He said potential candidates to lead the party in the next phase included Supachai Panitchpakdi, secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15

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SOUTH CRISIS

Gunman shoots ranger point-blank in Pattani

By The Nation

A gunman walked into a teashop in Pattani and shot dead a ranger yesterday morning.

Adnan Mama, 33, was shot five times in the back and once at pointblank range in the forehead.

His body was left in a pool of blood as two other customers in the shop ran for their lives in a hail of bullets.

"I saw two men in front of the shop and then heard five gunshots," said a 28yearold witness, "That's when I ran for my life".

Adnan, who had worked in Yala, was killed while on a sevenday home visit to Pattani.

Witnesses said even after Adnan fell, the gunman walked into the shop, pulled the victim's head up, and shot him in the forehead.

Police are investigating the cause of the murder. It remained unclear whether the attack was related to a personal conflict or unrest in the deep South.

In another southern province of Narathiwat, an explosion at around 2.50pm damaged an armoured military pickup. All five soldiers on board escaped injury.

They were returning to their base when a bomb went off and damaged their vehicle on the Waeng - Sukhirin Road. Police attributed the blast to the ongoing unrest. As violence continues unabated in the southernmost region, authorities have been stepping up security out of concern insurgents may stage attacks during the important Buddhist period.

Today is the Asarnha Bucha Day, which will be followed by the Buddhist Lent Day and threemonthlong Buddhist Lent Period.

Deputy Pattani Governor Lertkiat Wongphophan said security measures would be stepped up to boost monks' and Buddhists' confidence in visiting temples to make merit.

"We will pay particular attention to temples in remote or risky areas," he said.

Lertkiat said he had instructed all district chiefs to send administrative officials to participate in meritmaking ceremonies alongside locals during the Buddhist Lent Period.

"We need to boost the morale of monks and all Buddhists," he said. The southernmost region is predominantly Muslim.

Thirachit Bavornnantiwat, who heads the Pattana Buddhism Office, said he was concerned that monks and novice monks would be prime targets of insurgents' attacks during the Buddhist Lent period.

"We need to tighten security for them," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15

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Alms needed for monks to survive, deputy abbot says

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Ministry pledges action against illegal resorts on parkland

By The Nation

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has declared its determination to tackle the ongoing expansion of resorts allegedly built illegally in the Wang Nam Kheo area in Naknon Ratchasima - setting August 12 as a deadline to end its investigation and begin criminal prosecution of lawbreakers.

At a press conference, permanentsecretary Chote Trachoo also vowed immediate suppression of similar land encroachment schemes in Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

A ministry source said noentry signs would be posted on July 20 at eight resorts thought to have been built illegally in the Wang Nam Kheo area. Their owners could appeal against the prohibition order within 30 days.

The eight resorts have reportedly been built on behalf of influential business people and conglomerates. The measures to be taken against them would be similar to those used effectively in the case of a country home in Si Khew district owned by privy councillor Surayudh Chulanond, which was later retrieved by authorities.

Chote said he was surprised how the resorts had been built extensively in Wang Nam Kheo area in prohibited sloped areas without being noticed by forestry officials. He also made an ambiguous pledge over "self evaluation" if he failed to take action over the issue. "I cannot stand up and remain where I am if something so wrong continues," he added.

Asked if he was not afraid of influential political and business figures behind the encroachment and legal expansion following "his suppression", Chote said he was ready to confront them headon.

MP Naris Khamnurak, a deputy head of the House committee on natural resources and environment, said the encroachment at Wang Nam Kheo concerned several jurisdictional and technical issues involving both the Royal Forest Department (RID) and the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO).

The sloped areas are part of the Thab Lan national park, which is supervised by the RID. Flat areas had been converted into farmland and supervised by the ALRO - but strangely had not been returned to the RID when the farmland lay unused after a deadline, he said.

"Both agencies are responsible for the illegal building and expansion and also for retaining lost lands," he added. In addition to units at the eight resorts, he said there were tens of thousands of units built in the prohibited areas, both for rent to tourists and for sale to buyers.

Thewin Meesap, chief of the Thab Lan national park, said the farmland had been sold to 200 developers. Properties and resorts belonging to 10 of them would be immediately inspected and possibly dismantled if found to have been built in prohibited areas, or in areas not certified by ownership documents.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15

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Phuket tourists, crew saved from sinking dive boat

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Good man sought for education

By The Nation

People want the new education minister to be good, honest and hardworking and continue education reform and ensure equal access to schooling, a Suan Dusit Poll showed yesterday.

From July 1114, 1,674 teachers, students and members of the public were interviewed and 24 per cent thought the most urgent task was to improve academic standards nationwide.

The other important tasks were training teachers at 23 per cent, promoting the profession at 21 per cent and publicising education development policy clearly at 20 per cent.

The most desirable qualities for the minister were good, honest and hardworking at 25 per cent, followed by being someone in the educational circle to understand the ministry's problems at 24 per cent and being a person of new ideas and capabilities at 20.5 per cent.

People expect the minister to provide equal access to education for all at 26 per cent, succeed in education reform at 24 per cent and upgrade educational staff and teachers' profession and quality of life at 17 per cent.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15

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Cambodian man arrested for smuggling drugs

SA KEAO, July 14 - A Cambodian migrant worker was arrested on Thursday alleged to have attempted the smuggling of nearly 6,000 methamphetamine pills worth Bt3 million into Thailand.

The Cambodian detainee was identified as Mai Siang, who claimed to work as a cleaner at Tesco Lotus hypermarket in the eastern province of Rayong.

The suspect was arrested while crossing from Poi Pet, Cambodia, to the Thai side at the Aranyaprathet border crossing. On inspection Thai officers discovered two large plastic bags containing 5,960 methamphetamine pills and 99.86 grammes of crystal methamphetamine, also known as 'ice'.

The seized drugs are valued at around Bt3 million (US$100,000) and were bound around his lower legs, beneath his trousers.

Initial investigation said Mr Mai Siang confessed to smuggling drugs into Thailand twice previously and that this time he was hired by a compatriot for Bt10,000 to deliver them to a Thai near the Rayong Tesco Lotus.

The Cambodian national was later sent to Sa Kaeo police for further investigation. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-07-15

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EDITORIAL

Baptism of fire a sign of things to come for Yingluck

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Today is a holiday in Thailand but the US Embassy is open and working normal hours. /via@KristieKenney

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British Embassy Bangkok is open today but closed Monday. http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=PressR&id=629796882 /via @AsifAAhmad /via@tukky_nt

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Buddhists across the country make merit, give food to monks on Asarnha Bucha Day /MCOT

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U.S. stocks are closing lower after remarks from Federal Reserve Chairman dimmed hopes for 3rd round of bond-buying /MCOT

Dow fell 54, 0.4 % to 12,437 /MCOT

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Thailand's financial markets are closed on Friday for a public holiday. Trading will resume on Monday /AFP

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EC gives 1st yellow card for election to Pheu Thai's Somkid Banthaisong, winner from Nongkhai's constituency2,on vote-buying complaint /TANN

Democrat northeastern MPs call for change in leadership and policy but party says it's personal viewpoints /TANN

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THAI resumes Japan flights as usual

BANGKOK, 15 July 2011 (NNT) – Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) has resumed all flights to Japan as normal after its operations had to be adjusted due to the country’s devastation from the deadly earthquake and tsunami disasters.

Executive Vice President of THAI’s Commercial Department Pandit Chanapai announced that all of the flag carrier’s flights to and from Japan had already returned to their usual operations since early this month. The service resumption was prompted by the rebounding number of passengers heading to the country.

Like several other airlines, THAI earlier had to reduce its flight frequency to Japan in the wake of the devastating twin disasters that hit the country’s main island of Honshu on 11 March this year.

In addition, Mr Pandit revealed that the flag carrier would add three more weekly flights to and from Osaka to its winter timetable, starting from 16 November onwards. As a result, the airline will make a total of 17 trips to the city per week.

-- NNT 2011-07-15

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Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth and executive Pracha Promnok affirm Yingluck is party's only PM candidate and there's no back up PM /TANN

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16-year-old boy killed; two others, assistant to village head, defence volunteer, wounded as gunman fires into crowd at Pattani market /MCOT

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Police arrest Roi-ed man for posing as police and kidnapping a businessman for Bt270,000 in ransom; still hunting for 2 accomplices /TAN_Network

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INN: Yingluck not worried about delay in endorsement as she is confident in the integrity of the EC /TANN

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One Buddhist student killed, 2 other Buddhists injured in Pattani market attack

Pattani - Insurgents opened fire at Buddhists shopping for goods for making merit on Asarnha Bucha Day Friday, killing a student and injuring two men.

The shooting occurred at the market in Ban Klang village in Tambon Ban Klang in Panare district at 7 am.

Worapoj Daengsuk, 16, a student of Thakham Witthaya School was killed.

Rong Yodsri, 51, an assistant village head, and Charoen Tansriklang, 59, a defence volunteer, were injured.

-- The Nation 2011-07-15