Thailand Live Saturday 6 Aug 2011

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Thailand Live Saturday 6 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 Friday 5 Aug 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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Happiness index for Thais drops

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There's something about Yingluck

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PM-designate seeks time to prove her abilities

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Boys on the side: Thai Commentary

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Speculation on new Thai Cabinet line-up

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Old identities need rethinking for a fresh start; Thai opinion

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COMMERCE MINISTRY

Pork price capped today

By PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI

THE NATION

The Commerce Ministry has capped the retail price of pork as an urgent measure to rein in prices during a swine-disease outbreak.

Yanyong Phuangrach, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the stringent price-control measure would ensure that consumers are not overcharged by traders.

The pork-price ceiling in the Central region is Bt152 per kilogram, while the retail price in the North and Northeast is limited at Bt157, and Bt162 in the South.

The measure takes effect today and will continue until the supply problem is eased - probably not until new pigs enter the market in six months.

Under the Goods and Service Price Act, the ministry will punish traders who sell pork at higher prices than permitted under the law. Violators will be subject to five years in jail and/or a Bt100,000 fine.

The ministry had previously only set up a reference price for pork. However, it said the measure was not effective, as the price was skyrocketing amid a lower supply of pigs because of the disease outbreak.

According to the Swine Raisers Association, production of pigs has sunk by 18 per cent, from 39,000 pigs a day to 32,000, because of the serious outbreak.

The retail price of pork has increased gradually to Bt160-Bt180 a kilogram.

To ensure fair trading amid rising pork prices, traders that have more than 500 pigs must inform the ministry of their stockpiles and stock locations every 15 days.

-- The Nation 2011-08-06

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School milk 'poisons' 500 students

By The Nation

About 500 students at four schools in Nakhon Pathom had to be taken to hospital yesterday due to food poisoning after consuming milk that was believed to be spoiled.

Delivery of milk to other schools has been suspended pending verification and further investigation, Buddha Mondhol district chief Parinya Phothisat said.

The four schools affected are Wat Maklua, Ban Khlong Maha Sawas, Bunyasrisawas and Khlong Yong. So far, none of the ill students are said to be in serious condition.

The Nakhon Pathom Dairy Cooperative produced the milk that allegedly poisoned the children.

-- The Nation 2011-08-06

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WATCHDOG

Public pledges, private demands are shaping the Yingluck Govt

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Report on cause of death of 6 foreign tourists in Chiang Mai delayed

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House speaker asks Cabinet members to show respect to Thai Parliament

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Support for Thirachai as Thai finance minister

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WANG NAM KHEOW

Locals demand revision of 3 acts

By Kasem Chanathip,

Prasit Tangprasert

The Nation

Nakhon Ratchasima

Revising land laws will let them continue living in the area, use it for productive purposes

Residents of Wang Nam Kheow district in Nakhon Ratchasima province are collecting 50,000 signatures to support their demand for the new government to revise three land acts, which will allow them to continue living in the forest reserve and turn the district into a tourist attraction.

Hundreds of Wang Nam Kheow residents gathered near the 304 highway to protest against the moves being made by the Royal Forest Department (RFD) and other agencies to take legal action against people who have either built homes or resorts in the forest reserve.

They are demanding that the new government, to be led by Thailand's first female premier, revise the 1961 National Park Act, the 1964 National Forest Reserves Act and the 1975 Agriculture Land Reform Act.

Revising these laws will allow people who are currently considered to be living illegally in forest reserves to continue utilising the land and put it to more productive use.

Previously, the RFD said it would team up with Nakhon Ratchasima's governor and other agencies to strictly enforce the law against developers who encroach on forest reserves in Wang Nam Kheow.

The department's director general Suwit Rattanamee then said his agency would only take legal action against 22 developers for encroachment on forest reserves in Wang Nam Kheow, adding that the local residents should not worry if they had not done anything wrong.

He said the residents would be protected if they lived in the area before it was designated as a conservation reserve under a Cabinet resolution on June 30, 1998.

Meanwhile, Somboon Singking, deputy president of the Thai Samakkee Tambon administrative organisation, and Krissanaporn Lengthaisong, president of the Thai Samakkee Tambon council, took to the stage yesterday and attacked the RFD and other agencies of being cruel to the residents.

A Senate committee on environment and natural resources visited Wang Nam Kheow yesterday to listen to complaints about threats of legal action. The panel will submit the complaints once the new government is put in place.

In related news, director of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Forest Resources Management Division 8, Suthep Pawaredwittayalan, said he had instructed his staff to prepare more evidence so they can ask the court to issue search warrants. The evidence includes the 1975 National Forest Reserves Area - a map showing the positioning of 22 resorts and private homes believed to be encroaching on the Phu Luang forest reserve.

Prasert Wisitjinda, chief of the Nakhon Ratchasima land reform office, said he had asked local residents to be cooperative and provide information about the encroachment so the problem can be resolved easily.

Meanwhile, retired military officer MajGeneral Somsak Srisuphan said he had moved to Wang Nam Kheow in 2000. He said his land was located on the buffer zone between the residential area and the forest reserve, and that he had checked with the RFD before purchasing the plot.

-- The Nation 2011-08-06

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Phuket Disgrace: Airport needs to double its Immigration officers

Senator Paradee (left) and Senator Thawat Bovonvanitkul discuss the

staff shortage with Immigration officers at Phuket Airport today.

The long queues to clear Immigration were much in evidence at Phuket Airport again yesterday.

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Terrible Thai Boxing attack! Chinnakorn Deesai (Siam Navy) vs Edvaldo Pereira (Chiangrai)

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Yingluck and Pheu Thai members are on stand-by for royal command today. Democrats meeting to decide who'll be their new leader. /via@tulsathit

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Abhisit, the only candidate, has returned as Democrat party leader again via@satien_nna: “@nikhon_ /via@tukky_nt

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Students invited to join 5th Go Green contest

BANGKOK, 6 August 2011 (NNT) – Domestic retailer and refinery Bangchak has invited Thai students to participate in the fifth Thailand Go Green Contest to promote development of renewable energy and win a total prize of over two million baht.

According to Bangchak President Anusorn Saengnimnuan, the company and the Office of the Basic Education (OBEC) have been joining hands to organise the competition Thailand Go Green annually for five consecutive years. The theme this year is ‘Sunlight: Ultimate Energy of the Future’.

According to Mr Anusorn, the geography of Thailand is very suitable for the production of energy from sunlight, which is a sustainable and eco-friendly energy as well as helps reduce carbon dioxide emission, a cause of global warming. Solar energy also provides alternative energy reserve for use in national economic development in the long run.

The contest has actively raised children’s awareness in renewable energy. Over 2.5 million students have benefitted from the dissemination of knowledge on renewable energy under this project over the past four years. And more than 2,000 schools had participated in the contest.

Students winning the contest will be taken on a tour of foreign countries to study more about renewable energy while their schools will have solar cell power plant installed to be learning centres for their community. Total prizes are over two million baht worth.

Application can be downloaded at www.bangchak.co.th and will be accepted until 19 August 2011. Entries are accepted until 31 August 2011. Further enquiries can be made by dialling 02-335-4559 and 02-335-4348 or by e-mail at [email protected].

-- NNT 2011-08-06

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Democrat Party general assembly reelects Abhisit as party leader /MCOT

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House Speaker: Royal Endorsement Likely on Aug 8

The House Speaker has revealed that officials at the Royal Household have informed him that a royal endorsement for Yingluck Shinawatra as the new prime minister will likely be ready on Monday, August 8 at 5:30 P.M.

The Pheu Thai Party had originally believed a royal endorsement would come yesterday evening.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-06

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Abhisit Voted Back as Democrat Party Leader

During this morning's national assembly of the Democrat Party, members voted Abhisit Vejjajiva back as party leader. Abhisit had resigned from the post to express responsibility for failing to lead the party to victory in the last election. Chalermchai Sri-Orn has been selected as party secretary-general.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-06

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Phuket Big Buddha donations to continue

The statue of Thailand's highly revered historical monarch Rama V

may eventually stay at the site, but the rock monument alongside

no longer bears his royal seal.

Kwanchai Semathong, who is in charge of managing the Big Buddha site,

is serious about finishing the job.

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Abhisit re-elected as Democrat Party leader

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Chalermchai elected new Democrat secretary-general

The Democrat Party Saturday elected Chalermchai Sri-on as its new secretary-general.

Newly re-elected Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva nominated Chalermchai and Chaiwut Bhannawat as new secretary-general but Chaiwut pulled out from the contest.

The majority of the party's voters endorsed Chalermchai's nomination.

-- The Nation 2011-08-06

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Pattaya City Hall is calling for a marshal to fix the never-ending problems with jet-ski scams and shady operators

City Hall hollers for a marshal to come to grips with Pattaya jet-ski problems

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Abhisit to set up shadow Cabinet to monitor Yingluck administration's work /TAN_Network

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House Speaker called on for royal command to appoint PM on Monday

BANGKOK, Aug 6 - House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranond was called on by the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary to be granted an audience on His Majesty the King's behalf in order to hand down a royal command appointing Yingluck Shinawatra as Thailand's newest and first female prime minister.

The command will take place on Monday at 5.30 pm at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital, according to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.

The premier-to-be Ms Yingluck on Saturday was staying in her home, while an army of reporters awaited outside for updates of her movements.

The House of Representatives on Friday voted 296-3 for Ms Yingluck, a top-party list Pheu Thai MP and sister of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, to become the country's new prime minister. One hundred and ninety-seven votes abstained.

The vote in the 500-seat lower chamber of Parliament came a month after Pheu Thai party won a majority in the July 3 election. It formed a six-party coalition controlling some 300 seats in the 500-seat House.

Upon receiving His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's royal endorsement, Ms Yingluck will officially assume her duties and be authorised to present a cabinet line-up for royal approval. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-06

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Pheu Thai congratulated Abhisit for being voted Democrat Leader again

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