Thailand Live Friday 29 Jul 2011

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Thailand Live Friday 29 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 28 Jul 2011

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Their Majesties mourn Princess Bejaratana

By The Nation

Their Majesties the King and the Queen attended the royal bathing ritual for HRH Princess Bejaratana, the only child of King Rama VI, at the Grand Palace yesterday evening. Many other royal members were also present.

The late Princess passed away at the age of 85 on Wednesday.

His Majesty has instructed all royal members and palace officials to observe mourning for 100 days.

Starting from today, all government agencies and educational institutes will also fly the national flag at halfmast to mourn her death for 15 days. Civil servants, state employees, and employees of state enterprises will wear black during the period too.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will convene a special Cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss preparations for her grand funeral.

Dr Teerawat Kulthanan, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, said HRH Princess Bejaratana passed away peacefully. Admitted to the hospital on July 13, she succumbed to blood infection on Wednesday.

A large number of people flocked to the Concordia Pavilion inside the Grand Palace yesterday afternoon to pay their respects to the late princess by pouring water in front of her picture.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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Abhisit to bid public a farewell in TV address

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Commerce Ministry to raise Bt300 wage with Pheu Thai

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Local Authorities Look For Answers Following Pattaya Jet Ski Scam Exposé On National Tv

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JET SCANDAL

'New info' in jet seizure case

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SOUTH CRISIS

Southern trains resume after bomb delay

By The Nation

Train services to the three southern border provinces from Songkhla's Hat Yai district to Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district will resume today, following completion of repair work to damage caused by Wednesday's bomb attacks.

From yesterday morning, trains from Bangkok could run up to Yala, while local trains from the other end could run to Narathiwat's Reu Soh district.

The Southern Region's Railway Office head Thanongsak Pongprasert said the injury to a worker who stepped on a hidden bomb while repairing the line had shaken the morale of railway officials. They stopped working on the line for one day to allow security teams to scan the line and nearby areas for safety.

They also urged security to clear the whole route, from Hat Yai station to the Sungai Kolok station, before train services resumed this morning, as well as beefing up security on trains and railway tracks.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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EDITORIAL

National parks are under attack - we must defend them

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ASK THE EDITORS

Jatuporn is still a thorn in EC's side

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Pheu Thai's sea reclamation project won't work, says academic

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Pheu Thai set to name House speaker on Tuesday

By The Nation

The Pheu Thai Party will disclose the names of the new House speaker and the two deputies on Tuesday, when the 24th House of Representatives will be inaugurated, prime ministerial candidate Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday.

"Ahead of the inauguration session, Pheu Thai MPs will hold a meeting to acknowledge the nominations for House speaker and the deputies," she said, hinting that the three positions would be allocated under the Pheu Thai quota.

Yingluck confirmed that she had already finalised her decision about the nominations, but said she needed time to inform her party before releasing the names to public. She said the House speaker should be capable of handling legislative work and House rules, dismissing speculation that she would pick someone with links to the red shirts.

She also refused to either deny or confirm whether the top contenders included Apiwan Wiriyachai, Somsak Kiartsuranont and Wittaya Buranasiri.

As for the Cabinet line-up, she said she would follow the prescribed steps - appointment of the House speaker, election of the prime minister and then the allocation of Cabinet seats.

Yingluck added she would only start the line up for her Cabinet once she receives the royal command on her appointment as prime minister. Following the inaugural session, the House would elect the speaker who would then schedule the voting session to elect the prime minister, she said.

Pheu Thai MP Vicharn Minchainant said he did not know if he would be nominated for the Public Health portfolio.

"Although I have worked on public health affairs, Pheu Thai has its own procedure for vetting candidates for the job," he said.

Meanwhile, Palang Chon MP Chao Maneewong said his party had not yet started lining up its ministers, adding that his party's quota would comprise of either one minister or two vice ministers.

Chart Thai Pattana adviser Somsak Prissanananthakul said coalition partners have yet to finalise the allocation of Cabinet seats, dismissing speculation that his party would get the Agriculture portfolio.

Pheu Thai MP Sathaporn Maneerat said he did not expect there to be any problems if no red shirts are allocated Cabinet seats.

"As a red shirt myself, I think the red shirts know their place and are not striving for rewards in their struggle," he said.

He also disclosed that Pheu Thai MPs from the North would nominate Cholnan Srikaew for the position of House deputy speaker.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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15 days at half-mast

By The Nation

Public Relations Department’s NNT

For the next 15 days, flags in Thailand will be flown at half-mast for the late Princess Bejaratana, the only child of King Rama VI, who died on Wednesday.

Their Majesties the King and Queen yesterday presided over the bathing rite for the late princess at the Grand Palace. The royal urn is being kept in the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace.

The princess passed away at the age of 85 from a blood infection, the Royal Household Bureau announced on Wednesday.

Her life encompassed four kings. She was born on November 24, 1925, to King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) and Chao Chom Suvadhana, who was later made Queen Suvadhana. The princess was the first cousin of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The princess was educated by private tutors. She attended Rajini School until the age of 12 before being home-schooled by Thanphuying Srinath Suriya, a teacher from Wattana Wittayalai Academy. She then travelled to England with her mother for further education.

In England, she first stayed at Fairhill Villa in Surrey before moving to Brighton. The princess and her mother always granted audiences to Thai people in England and supported Thai activities.

During her stay, the princess studied English, French and piano and attended an all-girl boarding school in Wales through the period of the Second World War. During the war she volunteered with the British Red Cross, preparing bandages and medicine for soldiers.

She lived overseas for 22 years before the family moved back to Thailand in 1957. Once her life was settled, the princess started her royal duties.

She was musically gifted, with the ability to memorise music and play it accordingly. She was also gifted with numbers, as she could quickly calculate the day of the week of any date presented to her.

A devout Buddhist, the princess was known to be very punctual and to make the best use of her time. She followed consistent routines every day and her watch was always correctly adjusted.

The princess was a true nationalist. All her clothes and handbags were made in Thailand. Her use of language was always clear and accurate. She spoke English and French only with foreigners.

The princess crocheted in her free time, giving the clothes she made to Thai soldiers on the country's borders.

Princess Bejaratana devoted her attention to projects under royal patronage. She patronised a number of educational institutes, public health institutions as well as the Thai Boy and Girl Scouts, the National Guard and other social welfare projects.

Apart from carrying out various official duties on behalf of HM the King, the princess also worked to support the Royal Projects in accordance with her late father's ideals. She was the founder of her father's Memorial Foundation as well as the driver of projects to reconstruct the architecture of Rama IV's reign, including Sanam Chandra Palace, Maruekhathaiyawan Palace and Phaya Thai Palace.

Princess Bejaratana was dedicated to performing her duties, as evident in a speech given during her 61st birthday celebrations on November 22, 1986. The princess said she would devote herself to the good of the country as a way of expressing her loyalty to HM the King and maintaining her honourable status as a daughter of the Royal House of Chakri.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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3 Thai cops guilty in 9-year-old boy shooting case

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Coal protester dies in motorcycle shooting

By The Nation

A leading protester against coal transport in Tambon Tha Sai, Samut Sakhon's Mueang district, was shot dead yesterday at his home by two men on a motorcycle.

Police revealed the victim had told them two weeks earlier about a phone death threat he'd received for his involvement in the protest movement.

Thongnak Sawekjinda, 47, was shot nine times and was pronounced dead at Mahachai Hospital.

His sister Wandee Sawekjinda told police that Thongnak was sitting in front of the house alone when two men wearing helmets on a Honda Click motorcycle stopped near the home which also functioned as a noodle shop. The pillion rider produced a gun and shot Thongnak several times before fleeing on the motorbike.

The victim's wife Jomkwan Sawekjinda said Thongnak had testified before the Administrative Court on Wednesday in a lawsuit against a local coal operator. Later Jomkwan and ten demonstrators had gone to ask for justice from provincial governor Chulapat Saengchan.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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TDRI blasts policy on grads' starting

By The Nation

The Pheu Thai Party's policy to raise the starting salary of bachelor's degreeholders to Bt15,000 a month could upset the whole humanresource structure and shut the door on many more university graduates, a think tank said yesterday.

Yongyuth Chalamwong, director for labourdevelopment research at the Thailand Development Research Institute, said the private sector needs only 5 per cent of its new hires to hold a bachelor's degree, so about 100,000 new graduates cannot find work each year.

"The unemployment problem among university graduates will worsen if the policy is implemented. This is because the nice salary is going to attract more students to attend universities at a time when employers will be more cautious about recruiting bachelor's degreeholders due to the higher cost," he said.

With fewer jobs available for bachelor's degree holders, some would likely opt for jobs requiring a lower education and lower salary.

That would be a waste of the government's budget because those staff would not use any of the knowledge they acquired from a university education.

The Bt15,000 entrylevel rate would force a major revamp of the salary scale for the civil service, he added.

Pavich Thongroj, the architect of Pheu Thai's education policy, said the salary policy could be implemented in response to the labour market's needs.

"We will implement the plan in consultation with various stakeholders including business operators," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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Destroyed negatives, printing plates mark end to election

By The Nation

The Election Commission and the Government Lottery Office yesterday destroyed the negatives and printing plates used in the printing of ballot papers.

The negatives were put in the shredder while the metal printing plates were pressed together repeatedly until they could not be reused. The files containing the ballot papers' original design were deleted from the system with a program that made it impossible to retrieve the files.

Organised by the EC and the GLO at the latter's printing house on Ekamai Road, the event was also witnessed by representatives from political parties and the news media.

The negatives and printing plates destroyed yesterday were those for ballot papers for the party-list election. The materials used in the printing of ballot papers for the constituency election will be destroyed later. They are still needed for printing ballots for another round of voting called by the EC in constituencies where the July 3 election winners were found to have won dishonestly.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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Asean chief Surin stays out of race for Thai Democrat post

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Red Shirts may sue EC if Jatuporn not endorsed by deadline

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Thais score well in 78 nation Informatics

By The Nation

A fourstudent team representing Thailand has won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze in the 23rd International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) 2011, which closed officially yesterday.

Belarusian student Gennady Korotkevich achieved the world's highest ranking score - the full 600 points - in this twoday contest, hosted for the first time by Thailand at Chon Buri's Pattaya City from July 22.

Threehundred students in 79 teams from 78 countries competed in this contest. The Thai team's Pasin Manurangsi from Bangkok Christian College won a gold medal with the world's 14th ranking score of 524 points. Sorawit Suriyakan from Mahidol Wittayanusorn School also won a gold medal with the 24th ranking score of 483. Witchakorn Kamolpornwichit from Trium Udon Suksa School won a silver medal with 381 points while Laponchai Jirachupan from Trium Udon Suksa School won a bronze medal with 288.

Pornpan Waithayangkul from one of the organising agencies, said the time was right for Thai students to learn new technologies and promote ICT usage and human resources in this field, as they were essential to the country's development. She said her agency would launch digital material and a handbook for teachers in October, so that students could learn from such "living books" with animation and clips about experiments and modern content for students and teachers to update anytime.

Despite representing Thailand in international contests five times before, Pasin said he was excited with the IOI questions. They kept changing every year as computer technology developed very fast, and he had to prepare by practising and reading new lessons. He urged Thai authorities to lift the standard for computer programming lessons taught in schools, saying if he had a chance to write a programme it would be to solve traffic jams, as in other countries which direct traffic by computer programmes.

Three other students in the Thai team said they were excited but not stressed out because they had prepared by practising at the academic camp where they studied the subject hard from 9am to 10pm.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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Esarn University officials can return if they can solve problems

By Somphote Sombat

The Nation

Khon Kaen

Esarn University's management can return to their old jobs if they are able to come up with solutions to stop the alleged selling of teaching diplomas by August 8.

Following a diplomaselling scandal, the Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC) was prompted to have a committee take control of the university. Now, the committee has decided to allow former rector Dr Assadang Sawaengkarn and his mother, Dr Janya Sawaenkarn, who had won the permit to set up the university, to petition for a chance to bring the university up to standard and tackle corruption problems.

Janya said yesterday that she and her son had submitted an appeal on July 20.

An investigation into the university has revealed that there were many flaws in the administration due to confusion and misunderstandings. However, the committee believes that these flaws can be removed and that the university's former officials should be given the chance to formulate a plan, provided the implementation of the plan is supervised by the committee and the university's management is led by former Khon Kaen University rector Sumon Sakolchai.

Janya is confident that her team will be able to come up with a good plan within the August 8 deadline, and said she believed the plan would be approved.

A source in the committee said the panel never intended to take over the university, but had been put in place to oversee the institution and bring it back up to standard. However, the source said, people whose interests were affected feared the takeover and, hence, did everything to obstruct the committee's work. The source went on to say that if the plan was acceptable, then the new administration would be willing to allow the new administration to run the university.

Sumon was not available for comment as he is on a trip to the United States.

-- The Nation 2011-07-29

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Phuket rescue drill targets sea safety

The exercise simulated two boats colliding and catching fire

just off Phuket’s east coast. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

Staff from Phuket International Hospital tend to one of the ‘survivors’.

Photo: PIH

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Archaeologist confirms 2,000-year-old relics safe in Phuket

Capt Boonyarit explains that the beads (in front of him) were not on

permanent display to keep them safe and allow for further research.

Tests conducted on charcoal at the site date the collection, which

includes ceramic vases, at more than 2,000 years old.

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Malian national arrested at Suvarnabhumi with ‘ice’ worth US$350,000

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Private sector not affected by issues between Thailand and Germany

BANGKOK, 29 July 2011 (NNT)-Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) President Payungsak Chartsutipol has witnessed the signing of economic cooperation between the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce and Thai-EU business Council while maintaining that the ongoing issue between Thailand and Germany does not have an impact on business ties.

The agreement would provide both sides with economic benefits in terms of investments, trades and knowledge of laws as well as promotions. Mr. Payungsak further stated that this agreement would transform Thailand into an investment hub of the ASEAN region, adding that Thailand had sufficient resources.

Meanwhile, he says the strength of Thai currency is due to economic issues in the U.S. and has instructed the Bank of Thailand to monitor the currency exchange and inflation rates as the latter poses concerns the most for the private sector.

-- NNT 2011-07-29

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Scattered rain expected in 60% of NE, eastern, SE and Bangkok and metropolitan areas. Heavy rain expected in Phang Nga and Phuket. /TAN_Network

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Repair of water pipes in front of Chula Hospital (Rama IV) results in suspension water dist'n in nearby area until noon. /via@js100radio

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WASHINGTON (AP) — House GOP leader: No vote tonight on debt limit bill /via@mpoppel

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Mob Rule Disguised as Democracy; Thai opinion

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,133.68, down 0.70 points /MCOT