The 2 stratetic errors of the Democrats.

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More public places in Thailand to be alcohol-free zones

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Pheu Thai Party Unofficially Appoint Ministers

The incoming prime minister says her party has unofficially assigned ministerial posts after the first House session convened yesterday.

PM to-be Yingluck Shinnawatra said she and Pheu Thai Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit have discussed the assignment of ministerial posts.

She said more than half of the posts have already been unofficially appointed.

Yingluck said she is still uncertain as to whether she would take on a ministerial post herself or not.

The first female prime ministerial candidate insists that her brother, fugitive and ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinanwatra, will not be given a post in the next Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai party-list MP and Senior Executive Police Captain Chalerm Yoobamrung asserted that he has not been assigned to a ministerial post.

He expressed his opinion that it was that mass media that expected he would be assigned the next Justice Minister.

He said he will not be disappointed if he is not given a ministerial position.

As for the main opposition party, Democrat Party interim Secretary-General Suthep Thuagsuban, said his party will assign the new board executives soon.

Although some members back Prachuap Khiri Khan MP Chalermchai Srion as the next secretary-general, Suthep said it will depend on the party's majority vote, and the cadidate must be nominated by the party leader.

Meanwhile, He denies the rumor that another candidate, Pitsanulok MP Juti Krairerk, declared that he will not run for any posts in the party.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-03

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AFP: Asia's top women keep it in the family -- for now

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K-Bank Warns of Another Economic Crisis

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Chalerm: People benefited if all perform well

BANGKOK, 3 August 2011 (NNT) – Pheu Thai party-listed MP Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung has expressed his confidence that people will receive benefits if both the government and the opposition perform their duties well.

Police Captain Chalerm said he believes the performance of the opposition will be active and interesting as the Democrat Party which leads the Opposition, has long experience in the field, with support from the Bhumjaithai Party as its important opposition partner.

The Pheu Thai heavyweight also mentioned Rak Santi Party leader Police Captain Purachai Piumsombun and Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit, as two other key figures of the opposition who have a constructive workstyle.

Police Captain Chalerm noted that people will receive full benefits from the national politics if the government works well while the inspection by the opposition is intense.

The outspoken MP also confirmed that he has not been approached to take any cabinet posts but said that he will have no hard feelings if he has not been assigned to any ministerial portfolio. He said the Pheu Thai Party could win the election because of party policies, not because of him.

-- NNT 2011-08-03

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Phuket Red Cross blood drive to honor HM Queen Sirikt's birthday

BLOODY BOON: The Phuket Red Cross is hoping to stock up in preparation

for the Vegetarian Festival and semester break at local schools.

Photo: Phuket International Hospital

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Abhisit thanks Yingluck for her birthday wishes for him and asks her to work hard for the country /TAN_Network

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Teacher, defence volunteer shot dead in southern provinces

PATTANI, Aug 3– A teacher was shot dead in Pattani on his way to work Wednesday morning, and a defence volunteer was killed Tuesday night in the adjacent province of Narathiwat.

Noppadol Sasimonthon, a teacher at Baan Tangyonglu School in the provincial seat, was driving his motorcycle from home to school about 8.30am when he was shot dead by a gunman on a motorcycle. The police are collecting evidence on the spot and are attempting to track the gunman.

Meanwhile, two bombs were reported in Pattani on Wednesday morning but no one was injured. The first bomb exploded about 8am in Panare district, as a military patrol passed by, but it failed to function properly. The other device exploded almost simultaneously when a pickup truck, carrying soldiers was patrolling Pattani-Yala road in Yarang district. The bomb was planted in a motorcycle, parked at the roadside. The military vehicle was damaged but no one was injured.

In another incident in Narathiwat, a gunman in a military uniform fired at a checkpoint in Srisakorn district Tuesday night, killing a defence volunteer and injuring another person.

Manas Waewpakdee was shot dead, and a woman identified as Pateemoh Hama was hit by stray bullet and was rushed to hospital.

Two defence volunteers were on duty at the checkpoint when 5 or 6 assailants in military uniforms riding on a pickup truck passed the checkpoint. Two gunmen apparently armed with assault rifles fired at them.

Defence volunteer Manas died immediately, but the other volunteer Supawat Thaensri took cover and was not wounded. Ms Pateemoh was riding a motorcycle past the checkpoint and was hit by stray bullets. The attackers fled after taking the weapon of the dead defence volunteer.

Elsewhere, in an incident in Narathiwat's Rueso district, two gunmen fired at an ice shop Tuesday night. While damaging the shop, there were no injuries reported. It was initially believed that the attackers are in the same group. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-03

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Bangkok Airways Projects Increase in Air Travelers

Bangkok Airways has expressed confidence that its revenue will reach its targeted level this year, in line with the recovering political chaos, which has encouraged Thais to travel.

Bangkok Airways President Puttipong Prasarttong-Osot expressed confidence that this year's revenue will reach the target level of 10.6 billion baht, which is 29 percent higher than last year's revenue of 8.3 billion baht.

Puttipong hopes to gain some 3.1 million passengers this year, 17 percent more than last year.

He said the important factor that will increase the number of travelers includes the recovering political situation.

He said Bangkok Airways has increased its targeted domestic travelers by 20 percent, from 530,000 passengers to 700,000 passengers.

He added there is high competition among the airline industries, so cooperation and support from the government is required.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-03

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Army chief concerned over flood

BANGKOK, 3 August 2011 (NNT) – Army Commander-In-Chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha has expressed concerns over the flood situation as he has ordered the Third Army Region to urgently hand out assistance to residents affected by the flood.

General Prayut stated that he has tasked the Third Army Region to help support relief operations in flood-hit areas while unit commanders are authorised to make decision concerning force deployments in the relief mission without having to wait for orders.

The Army chief added that troops will take the opportunity while launching flood relief operations to inspect whether there is forest encroachment in flood-hit zones in order to prevent repetition of flood hazards.

Regarding the Thai-Cambodian border situation, General Prayut elaborated that Thai troops are still stationing along the border and have not yet withdrawn themselves from the disputed zone near the Preah Vihear temple as the situation must be assessed prior to doing so.

The Army chief noted that both sides must talk on a concrete agreement while he is also waiting for the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting.

-- NNT 2011-08-03

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Election Commissioner: Jatuporn's Endorsement Was Lawful

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House to vote on new prime minister Friday: House sec-gen

BANGKOK, Aug 3 - Thailand's House of Representatives Secretary-General Pitoon Poomhiran said Wednesday that House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranond has called a sitting at 9.30am Friday to select the country's new prime minister.

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Waterborne diseases under surveillance

BANGKOK, 3 August 2011 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health has ordered all provincial public health offices in flood-hit zones to monitor six waterborne diseases while people are asked to help prevent spreading the diseases.

According to Permanent Secretary for Public Health Medical Doctor Paijit Warachit, provincial public health offices are monitoring six waterborne diseases, including leptospirosis, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, pink eye and dengue fever upon ravaging floods in many provinces at present.

Local public health authorities are instructed to educate people on how to prevent the diseases while residents living in inundated areas are warned not to defecate and throw rubbish into the water to prevent risks of waterborne diseases.

Residents in flooded areas are advised to defecate into plastic bags and tie them tightly for proper disposal to prevent spreading of diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera. They are also told to wear gloves and plastic boots to prevent leptospirosis.

Mobile medical units have been dispatched to take care of people. They have distributed over 49,000 sets of anti-flood medicine. Most of residents in flood-hit zones are suffering from athlete’s foot, respiratory diseases and diarrhoea.

People hence are suggested that they should take care of their health, eat well-cooked or warm food, use serving spoons, wash their hands frequently and keep their bodies warm as Thailand at present is having frequent rainfalls.

-- NNT 2011-08-03

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Suspected mastermind behind murder of anti-coal mine activist in Samut Sakhon has turned himself in to police and denied all charges /TAN_Network

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Culture Ministry to publish local wisdom website

BANGKOK, 3 August 2011 (NNT) – The Ministry of Culture is selecting information on local wisdoms across the country for uploading into a webpage expected to be launched within September 2011.

According to Deputy Permanent Secretary for Culture Prarop Laovanich, the ministry is developing a cultural database and will publish it in the website, allowing people to study more about local wisdoms from many parts of Thailand.

The ministry has gathered information about local wisdoms from cultural offices nationwide, and has completed developing the information from 20 provinces for uploading such as Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Chanthaburi and Chachoengsao. The information will be sent to the central database.

As for the unselected information of other provinces, it will be sent back for improvement. The central database website is expected to be launched by September 2011.

Information included in the central database will comprise historical sites, artefacts, local scholars, local wisdoms and other cultural aspects of each province. Meanwhile, the necessary improvement of the internet system and network connection will be completed this October.

-- NNT 2011-08-03

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SET closed down by 13.03 points at midday break at 1,126.58 with value of Bt20.13 bln on selling of bank, energy, and telecom shares /TAN_Network

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Shortfall in revenue 'won't kill Airport Link'

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Malaysian youth camp turns out to be prison

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"Yingluck's to receive royal command appointing her as PM at Pheu Thai HQ. (Thaksin, Samak, Somchai held ceremonies at homes)" /via@tulsathit /via@veen_NT

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Her Majesty Queen Sirikit urges national unity among Thais to mark national Mother's Day on August 12 /MCOT

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Abhisit has thanked Yingluck for her birthday goodwill and downplayed Jatuporn's threat to take him/suthep to court for crackdown. /via@tulsathit

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Landslide in Mae Hong Son's Sob Moey district kills at least 3. 4 others reportedly went missing. /TR @EMIT_1669 /via@tulsathi /via@veen_NT

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3 killed, 4 missing in Mae Hong Son mudslide

Three local villagers were killed and four others went missing in a mudslide in Mae Hong Son's Sob Moei district on Wednesday following consecutive days of the heavy downpours.

The victims were hilltribe people whose houses were on edge of the hills in the district.

-- The Nation 2011-08-03

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Hosni Mubarak arrives at Egypt courtroom on hospital stretcher /via@BreakingNews

And there's Mubarak on a bed, now inside a cage inside an Egyptian court where he is about to stand trial. My jaw is literally dropping /via@monaeltahawy

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Sondhi found guilty of libel, jail term suspended

By The Nation

People's Alliance for Democracy leader Sondhi Limthongkul on Wednesday saw his earlier acquittal overtuned in the wake of an appellate decision finding him guilty of libel and sentencing a suspended jail term.

The Appeals Court ruled to convict Sondhi for defaming the Damapong family in connection with his remarks against the Thaksin Shinawatra government in 2006.

The high court penalised Sondhi with a six-month imprisonment and a Bt50,000 fine. It then cited leniency to suspend the jail term for three years.

The litigation began in 2007. As plaintiff on the family's behalf, Vice Admiral Kiatisak Damapong sued Sondhi for tarnishing his family's name.

The prosecution named 10 defendants, including Sondhi, talk show host Sarocha Porn-udomsak and editors and media outlets for print, online and satellite television in the Magager Group.

The gist of the case was about Sondhi's remarks critical of Thaksin and his family members and in-laws for selling Shin shares to Temasek of Singpapore. The family fortune in the telecom business by the Shinawatra and Damapong families.

The lower court ruled in favour of the 10 defendants on grounds for the prosecution's failure to outline any specific harms that Sondhi's remarks inflicted on the Damapong family.

The high court overturned the acquttal because Sondhi's remarks were unjustified in portraying every Damapong in a bad light even though they were not involved in the sale of shares.

Under the appellate decision, Manager newspaper and its online edition were obliged to publish the verdict for seven consecutive days.

-- The Nation 2011-08-03

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27 schools in 13 northern, northeastern Thai provinces forced to close by flooding: education official /MCOT

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PICTURE: Mubarak behind bars. RT @AJELive: http://aje.me/osanbm #mubaraktrial /via@octavianasr

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Mubarak appears in court on a hospital stretcher

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PAD Leader Criticizes Election Commission for Failing Its Duty

One of the leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy has criticized the Election Commission for failing to perform its duty as its charter intended.

He has also vowed that his group will mobilize if there is any attempt to initiate an amnesty process for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra or if nothing is done about attacks on the Monarchy.

Sondhi Limthongkul, who is one of the leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, or the PAD, has criticized the Election Commission for betraying its true duty.

The poll panel has claimed that it has endorsed the majority of the MPs so that the House of Representatives can finally convene.

Sondhi said that if the EC had done its duty according to the law, there would not be any problem.

The PAD leader also accused the EC of being one of the main contributors to the failure of the Thai political system for failing to ensure fairness in the recent general election.

Sondhi added that the current poll panel is not different from the disgraced one led by Police General Vassana Permlarp and that it did not perform its duty as intended by the charter and the endorsement of Jatuporn Prompan is just one of its blunders.

He also commented on the new government's formation, saying that the new administration, which adheres to the principles of good governance, must be given a chance to work.

However, it would be an entirely different matter if it resorts to cronyism.

Sondhi pointed out that it will be the responsibility of the Opposition led by the Democrat Party to keep the new government in check.

At any rate, he said that the PAD will keep an eye on the situation and will mobilize his organization if there is any attempt to give former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra amnesty or if nothing is done about attacks on the Monarchy.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-03

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Abhisit's TV farewell is scheduled for 8.30 tomorrow /via@tulsathit