Thailand Live Friday 19 Aug 2011

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Thailand Live Friday 19 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 Thursday 18 Aug 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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IMPEACHMENT

Campaign for impeachment

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What is the game plan of the Red-Shirts?

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Yingluck will only ride in her van

By PIYANART SRIVALO

THE NATION

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday rejected a proposal that she use an armoured Range Rover as her official vehicle, because she prefers using her own brand-new black Volkswagen van, sources close to her said yesterday.

The armoured Range Rover - which was used by Korn Chatikavanij when he served as finance minister - is provided by the Defence Ministry's National Security Centre.

Though the bulky vehicle was part of the prime minister's motorcade yesterday, it did not have |her as a passenger. The Range Rover is one of the many armoured vehicles imported to transport foreign leaders attending the Asean Summit hosted by Thailand a few years ago.

The vehicles were later used by members of the previous Cabinet seen as likely targets for attacks including then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, then-deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban and then-foreign minister Kasit Piromya.

Yingluck's Volkswagen is considered "lucky" because the last two digits of the vehicle's red licence plate number 1662 were winners in the lottery on Tuesday.

-- The Nation 2011-08-19

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PM'S FUGITIVE BROTHER

Thaksin 'puts off' Cambodia visit

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Minimum wage: Thai Govt plans to be clear by October

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Incentives for first-time home and car buyers: Thai Finance Ministry

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American expat deported over fraud charges

MILLER’S CROSSING: Roger Miller, facing extradition on fraud charges,

says he was cheated by two American partners.

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EDITORIAL

Thaksin's visa could be Japan's big mistake

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Fire safety checks ordered after Bangkok condo blaze

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Thai Police suspect they have found bodies of 169 missing red-shirts

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Thai schools will face shutdown over student brawls

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Thais and foreigners urged to help take care of foster kids

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Princesses help rescued dogs

By The Nation

HRH Princess Bajra Kitiyabha and HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana graciously donated funds along with dog food and medical supplies yesterday to help the dogs rescued in Nakhon Phanom. Meanwhile, local residents are calling on the authorities to catch the 600 dogs wandering freely in their neighbourhood.

At a ceremony yesterday, Nakhon Phanom Governor Rerngsak Mahawinijchaimontree received the royal donations at the Nakhon Phanom Animal Quarantine Station before inspecting the cages and urging officials move the dogs to less crowded conditions. The station is currently holding 933 dogs and has so far received donations worth Bt14.5 million as of yesterday morning. In addition, 17 more veterinarians were sent in yesterday to check on pregnant dogs and treat those injured.

As for the 600 or so dogs wandering in tambons Sam Phong and Don Toei in the Si Songkhram district, locals claim that the canines had killed 400 to 500 chickens and urged the authorities to address the situation. It has also been reported that some people have been killing dogs for personal consumption.

-- The Nation 2011-08-19

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Narrow escapes from Lampang flash flood

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Low trust in court's impartiality: poll

By THE NATION

Some 37 per cent of people in Bangkok and its vicinity surveyed by Dusit Poll said they did not trust the Constitution Court, adding they felt the court appeared to pass verdicts based on double standards or political pressure.

The poll questioned 1,174 people in Bangkok and its vicinity between August 13 to 17. Only 25.5 per cent of respondents said they trusted the court.

As many as 37.5 per cent also said they did not really know the role of the Constitution Court.

Some 48 per cent of respondents said they had more trust when cases were related to government |corruption, while 47.8 per cent of respondents |said they had less trust in the Constitution Court |when cases related to the constitutional rights to |freedom of assembly were tested by groups of protesters.

Forty-three per cent of respondents added they did not trust the court's handling of cases that led to the banning of politicians from politics. Some 30 per cent of respondents, meanwhile, urged the court to be impartial and transparent.

Vasan Soipisut, a Constitution Court judge defended the court by stating that people may not really understand what constitutes double standards, adding that judges cannot just give a verdict that pleased the public but must adhere to what is right.

On the appointment of a new president of the Constitution Court, Vasan said the new president would likely be announced next Wednesday.

"I don't know who that will be and although I'm most senior I don't know if I'll get [the job] or not," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-08-19

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Ombudsman to probe forest encroachment

By The Nation

Following complaints by villagers of problems caused by the crackdown on land encroachment in Wang Nam Kheow area in Nakhon Ratchasima, a parliamentary Ombudsman has begun investigating the government action.

Ombudsman Sriracha Charoenphainch will lead a team of inspectors to Wang Nam Kheow area today, said Thap Lan national park chief Thewin Meesab, whose jurisdiction covers the area in dispute between villagers and forestry officials.

Citing villagers' arguments they have been farming there since the year 2000 with permission from forestry officials, Thewin said farmers would not be affected by further crackdowns which will target only developers faced with eviction by earlier court orders.

"The ongoing resistance by villagers is being encouraged or organised by developers who encroached on the land after the year 2000," he alleged.

Thewin said farmers would be allowed to stay on in their existing farmlands but must not expand their farming into restricted areas. There are 114 cases of encroachment facing legal action, including 54 cases of developers who entered the restricted areas before year 2000.

Thewin said forestry officials were ready to cooperate to provide facts and details about the entire issue to the ombudsman. He repeated placing blame on developers but did not give details why forestry officials had failed to enforce eviction orders after a decade.

Meanwhile, three families of villagers in Songkhla's Saba Yoi district made a joint complaint to local media over the recent dredging of their plantation and rubber farms by forestry officials.

The villagers said the district office had allowed them to stay and farm on existing land which they had lived on for more than 100 years, after recent negotiations. But a team of forestry officials protected by police and Army rangers entered the disputed land and bulldozed all their plants and rubber trees.

Forestry officials later claimed the dredging was authorised by former governor Sonthi Techanant two years ago, under legal authorisation put forward by Saba Yoi police a year earlier.

-- The Nation 2011-08-19

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Another 60 red shirts expected to walk free today

By The Nation

With several court hearings taking place today, Pheu Thai MPs and redshirt leaders said yesterday they were positive that the 60 red shirts on the dock would walk free, especially since four were given bail in Khon Kaen yesterday.

The leaders and lawmakers were also adamant they would fight any efforts made to disband the redshirt villages in the Northeast.

At Khon Kaen court yesterday, a local Pheu Thai Party MP used her position to secure the release of four red shirts under remand for allegedly torching the provincial city hall last year.

A total of 46 people are wanted for the torching of the Khon Kaen City Hall, though only eight were arrested, four of whom were given bail yesterday.

In Ubon Ratchathani, 21 red shirts also detained for allegedly setting ablaze to the town hall were expected to be released today, Pheu Thai partylist MP and redshirt leader Nattawut Saikua said. He added that he would be present at the Criminal Court session held today to consider the temporary release of 30 Bangkokbased red shirts.

In Maha Sarakham, local MPs will also be present at a court hearing today to consider the release of nine red shirts, while a court in Udon Thani will also hear pleas for the release of an unknown number of red shirts.

When asked to comment about redshirt leader Kwanchai Praipana's suggestion that local redshirt villages should be disbanded, an unidentified Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen said that would never happen, declaring: "Those who want to disband the villages will be disbanded themselves."

Redshirt protesters will be staging a rally at Ratchaprasong intersection today to mark last year's May 19 crackdown that cost many lives. This will be the first protest under the Yingluck Shinawatra government.

At a press conference in Khon Kaen, a number of local Pheu Thai MPs said that providing guarantees for the release of the red shirts was the right thing to do "because they had fought for democracy" and were "victims of political crimes".

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said the Bt10million compensation for families of the 93 people killed in the crackdown last May was a key government policy, adding that this would also apply to members of the antiThaksin People's Alliance for Democracy as well as victims of the South insurgency.

Pracha also dismissed reports about him arranging a meeting with Thaksin onboard a flight to Cambodia. Thaksin was rumoured to be heading to the neighbouring country over the weekend but the plan has since been cancelled.

In a separate report, House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont said a meeting would be convened soon to discuss the issue of MPs facing lese majeste charges choosing to give up their parliamentary immunity when facing the Department of Special Investigation.

An independent committee looking into the plight of redshirt detainees called for their immediate release. Panel member and Thammasat University lecturer Puangthong Phawakkhaphan said the six suspects being detained over lese majeste charges should also get assistance.

-- The Nation 2011-08-19

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11-hour House debate on govt policies

By THE NATION

Cabinet members and coalition MPs will spend 11 hours debating the government's policies to be announced in Parliament next week, a spokesman for the ruling Pheu Thai Party said yesterday.

Jirayu Huangsap, a Pheu Thai deputy spokesman, said that party MPs met at the party's headquarters yesterday to allocate the time of debate on the government's policies. The MPs were divided into eight groups to debate eight aspects of the policies.

He said the focus would be on economic policies, with one hour allocated for debate.

The parliamentary debate on the policies is scheduled for August 23 and 24.

According to the spokesman, coalition MPs were allocated seven hours and the prime minister and other Cabinet members another four hours during the two-day debate.

Among the eight areas of government policy are urgent issues to be completed within the first year in office - on national security, social policies, natural resources and the environment, science and technology, foreign affairs and international trade, and on good governance.

The spokesman said that Pheu Thai had appointed a team of party MPs to respond to opposition MPs during the debate. He said they would try to explain rather than become involved in an exchange of arguments with opposition politicians.

The opposition Democrat Party would convene its MPs today to prepare for the parliamentary debate, party spokesman Chavanont Intarakomalyasut said.

The Democrat spokesman said MPs would be asked to decide on which area of policy they would debate. He also noted that the Pheu Thai Party had included constitutional amendment among the government's policies, although the matter was not mentioned during Pheu Thai's election campaigning.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva would lead the team to debate the government's foreign policies, according to the spokesman.

-- The Nation 2011-08-19

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Red-shirts gather to make merit at Ratchaprasong from 4pm-midnight; stage to be set up on Ratchadamri Rd on CTW side

Red-shirts will also gather at Pathumwanaram Temple near Ratchaprasong from 10am onwards

/TAN_Network

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North and Northeast to see heavy rain and possible flash flood; BKK to see thunderstorm and strong wind / TAN_Network

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BPost says Obama likely to visit Thailand in November /via@BkkFlashman /via@newley

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,073.28, down 15.81 points /MCOT

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Banharn Silpa-archa marks his 79th birthday

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Don't rush to pass judgement on 169-body mass grave: Army chief

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Banharn's 79th birthday celebrations

By The Nation

Former prime minister Banharn Silapa-archa on Friday opened his Charansanitwong residence to recieve well-wishers on the occasion of his birthday.

Chart Thai Pattana Party leader Chumpol Silapa-archa led MPs and top party officials to wish Banharn a long and happy life.

Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala was the first to arrive and congratulate the birthday boy.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra designated her brother-in-law and former PM Somchai Wongsawat to attend the birthday party on her behalf.

-- The Nation 2011-08-19

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Charlerm to be Yingluck's Sidekick in Policy Address

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobumrung says he and his team will help the prime minister through the Cabinet's policy declaration, while confirming that the government is not making the constitutional amendment a top priority.

Deputy Prime Minister Police Captain Chalerm Yoobumrung said he will assist Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra during the Cabinet's policy declaration to the Parliament, and will set up a special team to help PM counter opposition attacks.

Chalerm stated that the government does not consider amending the Constitution an urgent issue as many have speculated, though the Pheu Thai Party did make it clear from the start that it will not accept the 2007 Constitution.

He said the government will wait for the right time.

Chalerm argued that the charter rewrite is not aimed at benefiting any particular individual.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont voiced support for the Pheu Thai Party's Constitution amendment drive.

He added that a public hearing would be conducted to determine whether the public wants the 1997 Constitution or the 2007 Constitution.

Somsak said should the public agree on the 1997 Constitution, the Pheu Thai Party will propose a change to Article 291, which would allow for the establishment of the Constitution Draft Council.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-19

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Defense Minister Reluctant on Proposed Autonomus South City

The defense minister states that the idea of using the self-ruling Pattani City State model to deal with the southern border violence has not been raised by the government yet.

The idea is expected to be heavily debated by various state agencies.

Defense Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapa said the government still has not discussed the issue of adopting the same administrative practices that are in place in the autonomous Pattani City State as a model for tackling the unrest in the southern border region.

The application of the Pattani City State model to other volatile areas was among the policy solutions raised during election campaign for Pheu Thai Party.

He said the agencies in charge of security in the region should study the feasibility of such an idea and deliver their views, as the opinion of the ruling party may be different from that of authorities in the region.

Yutthasak then maintained that he is not worried about the prime minister's vow to quell violence in the restive region within four years, given he will work in unison with security agencies responsible for the restoration of southern peace.

The minister and Army Chief, General Prayudh Chan-o-cha visited Pattani Province to inspect the work of officers working in the southern border region.

The minister urged the officers to follow Her Majesty the Queen's recommendations for their handling of violence and narcotics outbreak in the region.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-19

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Foreign media in Bkk told they can't be at Foreign Minister's press conference today. Does that even make sense? /via@tulsathit via@wayne_hay