Thailand Live Thursday 4 Aug 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 4 August 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 3 Aug 2011

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ELECTION COMMISSION

Apichart: Jatuporn should have been disqualified

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BURNING ISSUE

Cabinet line-up to show Thaksin's resolve

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Landslide kills three in Mae Hong Son

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Thai private sector urges NACC to probe Diageo corruption case

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Getting rid of coal in Samut Sakhon very difficult

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'New' Sanam Luang to open

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Tablet computers are no cure for our ailing schools; Thai opinion

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Yingluck's first challenge is her own credibility; Thai talk

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Abhisit on TV tonight to bid farewell

By The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will tonight go on air to deliver his farewell address as his government bows out.

"Abhisit will make a 10-minute speech for television broadcast at 8.30pm to outline the current state of affairs to the people and the new government," PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said yesterday.

The programme, recorded by the Television Pool of Thailand, will touch on the economy, state security, ties with neighbours, national reconciliation and the work awaiting the incoming government, he said.

Abhisit's nationwide TV appearance comes on the eve of the House of Representatives' vote for the new prime minister.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Thai institute warns overusing cellphones may cause cancer

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Officer relied on a blurred image to make arrest over CentralWorld fire

By PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK

THE NATION

A police officer who arrested one of the two suspects for the arson attack on CentralWorld shopping centre on May 19, 2010, admitted in court yesterday that he had relied on one blurry photograph to make the arrest.

Pol Captain Pornlert Rattanakam testified that the arrest of Saichon Paebua was based on a blurry silhouette image of a man walking during an unspecified place and time.

Asked by a defence lawyer whether the picture showed a |man with a sharp chin, Pornlert admitted that he could not really tell from the image.

However, the police officer told the court that he believed the man in the photograph resembled Saichon, and that the defendant had himself admitted being the person in the image after he was arrested on June 7 last year in the Sanam Luang area.

Saichon, who could face the death penalty if convicted of set-ting fire to the shopping complex, which cost a life, told The Nation on Tuesday that his confession |was made under duress and that police threatened to have him |tortured and handed over to the Army.

Although Saichon signed the blurry image after he was arrested, the defence lawyers questioned whether the defendant really knew what he was putting his name on, because he is illiterate. The arresting officer, however, insisted that Saichon knew his rights.

The next hearing is on August 23.

Another prosecution witness yesterday was Sataporn Paothong, an underwriter with Thai Setakij Insurance. Sataporn told the court that Central Pattana, the owner of CentralWorld, had a Bt3.5-billion policy for terrorism attacks and that it would cover if the courts can prove beyond reasonable doubt that the fire was an act of terrorism.

He added that Central Pattana also had fire insurance worth Bt8.5 billion with Deves Insurance. According to information available, the Crown Property Bureau owns 98.2 per cent of Deves Insurance, and the remainder is owned privately by His Majesty the King. The CentralWorld shopping complex is also located on land owned by the Crown Property Bureau.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Developers to face legal action

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Bad weather, malfunction caused copter crashes: cttee

By The Nation

The Royal Thai Army (RTA)-assigned committee to probe three helicopter crashes in Phetchaburi's Kaeng Krajan National Park from July 16-24, concluded yesterday the first two crashes resulted from bad weather, while the third was due to a cyclic control column malfunction.

Sixteen soldiers and a journalist died in the crashes.

According to a source at the RTA, the initial report said the Bell 212 helicopter's cyclic control column stuck, causing the helicopter to spiral right-wards and crash. The committee would investigate further to find if any party was responsible for a malfunction.

The Senate committee on military affairs yesterday visited the Thap Phya Sua Taskforce in Kanchanaburi to probe the crashes. It was told the likely cause was bad weather rather than shooting. The area was under the Burmese military control and no armed minority groups were in the area.

On August 9 the committee will invite RTA aviation experts to provide technical information and results from helicopter inspections.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Vote tomorrow for new PM

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Sponsorship may get band in trouble

By The Nation

The sub-panel scrutinising violations of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act 2008 yesterday unanimously agreed to prohibit a Thai folk music band from going on a concert tour if it is sponsored by a manufacturer of alcoholic drinks.

Since the tour of a "songs for life" band was backed by a firm producing alcoholic beverages - a move violating Article 32, which is punishable by a year in jail and/or Bt500,000 in fine as well as a daily penalty of Bt50,000 while the offence is ongoing - Dr Saman Futrakul, director of the Disease Control Department's Alcohol Beverage Control Office, said the panel agreed that evidence should be gathered and legal action taken.

Next week, the sub-panel will invite all the sponsors, including the alcoholic-beverage producer, their executives and the band for questioning. The seven firms, other than the manufacturer of alcoholic drinks, will be investigated to see if they had knowledge of this violation.

A special team will also be set up to handle this case, Saman said emphasising that they didn't prohibit companies from organising concerts, just stop the advertising of alcoholic drinks.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Royal Household Bureau, Fine Arts Dept at odds over crematorium

By THE NATION

The crematorium for Her Royal Highness Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda should be built before December 5, His Majesty the King's birthday, a senior Royal Household Bureau official said yesterday.

If not before December 5, the crematorium and the funeral could be completed by 2013 to make way for a planned series of grand celebrations for the birthdays of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn next year, Rattanawuth Watcharochai said.

The Fine Arts Department, which traditionally organises royal events, should confirm by August 15 whether it could build the crematorium before December 5, or the Palace would go ahead with its own plan to build the crematorium.

"The Fine Arts Department should employ new technology in building the crematorium to complete it quickly. Take a look, for example, at the Shanghai World Expo, which was very grand and did not take a year's time to complete," he said.

The government is preparing to hold grand events this year to commemorate the King's auspicious 84th birthday and the seventh cycle of the 12-year astrological calendar, and next year to mark the birthdays of the Queen on August 12 and the Crown Prince on July 28.

The Fine Arts Department has said the crematorium would take six to eight months to complete. According to royal protocol, it is inauspicious to have a funeral or crematorium built on Sanam Luang at a time of royal celebrations.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over religious ceremonies marking the first seven-day cycle of the funeral. A total of 10,000 books on the funeral, containing 28 pages ,were given free to mourners.

Books with three different contents will be distributed to mourners when the funeral completes the 15-day, 50-day and 100-day cycles.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Red leader pleads guilty to lese majeste charge

By THE NATION

Red-shirt leader Yoswalit Chooklom, aka Jeng Dokjik, entered a plea of guilty yesterday to offending the monarchy with his speech at a red-shirt rally on March 29, 2010.

The Criminal Court convened the session to notify the lese majeste charge as per Article 112 of the Criminal Code.

After acknowledging the indictment, Yoswaris admitted his guilt in making inappropriate remarks about the monarchy.

Defence lawyer Karom Pholthaklang said although his client had pleaded guilty, the prosecution had no evidence of his intent to harm the country's revered institution.

When asked by the court to confirm his plea, Yoswalit said, "I reaffirm my guilty plea."

The court then ordered the defence to submit the plea in writing within 15 days. The verdict and sentencing will take place on August 29.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Latest flu vaccine to be produced locally

By The Nation

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) can now produce the live-attenuated-type vaccine for H1N1 2009 influenza in cooperation with a Russian institute.

Production of the live-attenuated-type vaccine is 30 times as fast as the inactivated type. It is also more effective, as it can be taken through a nasal spray, which is easier and more efficient to use, said GPO chairman Dr Wichai Chokewiwat.

Mass production of the vaccine's live-attenuated-type vaccine is to begin in 2014, while the GPO's experiments towards its own production of the vaccine will continue to aim for initial success by next year, he said.

"Mass production of both types of the H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine could begin within the next three years," he said.

The vaccine's live-attenuated type was registered with the Food and Drug Administration officially on July 12.

The inactivated type is still needed in case of an outbreak, because it has been proved safer for use with children under two years of age or adults older than 65, or people with defective immune systems.

Thailand is one of six countries under World Health Organisation sponsorship to mass-produce the H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine in both types. The GPO is also developing vaccine for H5N1 flu for mass production.

The research on live-attenuated-type vaccine has been conducted between the GPO and Russia's Institute of Experimental Medicine, whose chief researcher Irina Kiseleva has been based in Thailand over the past two years.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Teacher killed in latest South attack

By The Nation

A Buddhist teacher was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Pattani's Muang district yesterday morning, bringing the number of teachers who have been killed in the South to 140 since the unrest started in 2004.

Police said Noppadol Sasimonthol, a 51-year-old teacher at Ban Gtanyong Luloh School, was shot down at about 8.15am while he was on his way to school.

Witnesses told police that a motorcycle overtook Noppadol's motorcycle, and the passenger turned around and shot the victim before driving off. Then a second motorcycle appeared and its passenger shot Noppadol twice in the head. Police blamed separatists for the attack.

Pattani Governor Nipon Narapitakkul has decided to beef up security because this attack shows that the insurgents are determined to kill teachers. They are also thought to be taking advantage of the month of Ramadan, because most Muslims stay indoors in the mornings, so there are no witnesses to the crimed. The governor warned everyone to be extra vigilant.

Sanguan Intharak, president of the Narathiwat Teachers' Federation, said yesterday that the violence was continuing and that there was no end in sight. He said this latest death was a major blow to teachers' morale and negatively affected education in the region. He also called on the government to take effective measures and bring peace to restive area soon.

In related news, a motorcycle bomb attack was reported at 8.20am in Yarang district, near the Ban Porsan Mosque. The bomb exploded after a patrol team had passed the spot and no injuries were reported.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Wongsak returned to his old post

By The Nation

His Majesty the King yesterday endorsed the reinstatement of Wongsak Phongpanich as director general of the Provincial Administration Department and return Mongkol Surasatja to his post of Interior Ministry's inspector general. The transfers will be in effect retroactively from June 1.

Following Wongsak's appeal with the Civil Service Commission's Bureau of Merit Protection to stop the alleged unlawful order to have him transferred by the Interior Ministry's permanent secretary, the case was investigated and the move was cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry also submitted a proposal to cancel the April 27, 2010 Cabinet resolution related to Wongsak and Mongkol assignments and for it to follow the bureau's ruling. The Cabinet approved this proposal on April 14 this year.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Buy Tickets for Thai Trains Online

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Cabinet line-up to include four to five non-MPs: Snoh

By The Nation

Pheu Thai MP Snoh Thienthong on Thursday hinted that four to five non-MPs would join the incoming government under Yingluck Shinawatra.

"There will be several outsiders to take ministerial portfolios in charge of economic affairs," he said.

Snoh would neither confirm or deny that Siam Commercial Bank executive chairman Vichit Surapongchai is poised to become the Finance minister.

Pheu Thai officials said the ruling party would not allocate Cabinet seats by regional or partisan quotas, breaking away from precedents of the past Cabinet formation.

They also said coalition partners would be asked to nominate their ministerial candidates after the Friday's House vote to elect Yingluck as prime minister.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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Decreasing rainfall likely over upper Thailand, isolated heavy rain in North, Northeast: Meteorological Dept /MCOT

Police nab man for alleged bomb-threat phone call to Parliament on opening day of House session; accused cites frustration w politics /MCOT

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Northern train service resumes after being halted by floods; rescue officers search for 4 swept away by floodwater in Mae Hong Son /TAN_Network

Sukothai and Lampang still face heavy flooding /TAN_Network

In Pattani religious teacher shot and killed by insurgents; couple shot and killed by insurgents in Saiburi District /TAN_Network

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Thammasat Univ hold graduation rehearsal today with actual ceremony on Aug 10; traffic around area congested /TAN_Network

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,134.83, up 1.37 points /MCOT

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Bomb hoax suspect arrested

By The Nation

Metropolitan Police on Thursday arrested Weerapong Nilyakanont, 55, for involving in the Tuesday's hoax call about bombs being planted at six locations inside Parliament.

"The false warning triggered panick on the day the House of Representatives was scheduled to vote for the new speaker," Metropolitan Region I commander Maj General Wichai Sangprapai said.

Since the call was made from the mobile telephone No 087-094-2406, police could trace it back to Weerapong living at a Hua Mark apartment.

The arrest was made at his apartment and police seized the mobile phone as evidence.

Weerapong said he was responsible for the hoax with the intent to air his dissatisfaction about bad people getting elected to fill the House seats.

He said he also made calls to the Election Commission, the Democrat Party and the Chart Thai Pattana Party. He did not elaborate on the nature of his telephone calls.

"I am sorry for causing trouble but I had no harmful intent as I just wanted to voice my disappointment on injustice for good people being mistreated," he said.

Wichai said if convicted of causing public fears, the offender faces imprisonment of up to one month and a fine of Bt1,000.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

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PAD and Manager Group Found Guilty of Slandering Thaksin's Family

The Appeals Court found the leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy or PAD guilty of slandering ousted former PM Thaksin Shinnawatra and his family.

The Appeals Court yesterday finalized the case in which Vice Admiral Kiattisak Damapon filed a lawsuit against Sonthi and his collaborators with the charge of slandering ousted former PM Thaksin Shinnawatra and his family.

Sonthi made a public speech at the Royal Plaza two years ago, accusing the Shinnawatra family of embezzlement after it sold off Shin Corp shares to Temasek in Singapore.

According to the Court's ruling, Sonthi Limthongkul and co-host of a program on Sonthi's pro yellow-shirt network, Sarosha Pornudomsak, Khunthong Lawsereewanich owner of Manager publisher and website administrator Panjapat Angkasuwan, all face a 6-month jail-term and are charged 50,000 baht each.

However, the court suspended the case for three years considering the fact that they all had no criminal profiles.

In addition, the Court has ordered all Manger publishing, including daily ASTV newspaper and Manager online website and newspaper to publicize the Court's order for at least seven days.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-04