Thailand Live Monday 22 Aug 2011

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Thailand Live Monday 22 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 Saturday 20 Aug 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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Brit Left Paralyzed After Drink Was Spiked In Thailand Bar Is Home At Last

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ABAC POLL

Charter move and Thaksin may spur govt to fall

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POLICY DEBATE

Yingluck faces first big test in Parliament

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PM'S FUGITIVE BROTHER

FM challenged to launch probe into Thaksin's Japanese visa

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Thai Govt urged to be prepared for global financial storm

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Locals fight Heritage push for Phra Pathom Chedi

By PAKAMAS JAICHALARD

THE NATION

Many locals living and working near Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom province have voiced opposition to the Culture Ministry's plan to seek World Heritage status for the sacred pagoda.

At a public hearing on Saturday, opposition to the plan stemmed mainly from locals' concerns that achieving World Heritage status would negatively affect their way of life as well as their livelihoods. Many of the participants run stalls near the pagoda.

To the vendors, World Heritage status would come at their expense.

Many vendors in Ayutthaya have complained that since Unesco listed the Historic City of Ayutthaya as a World Heritage Site in 1991, they have been forced out of the area.

Saturday's public hearing drew about 200 participants.

Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome yesterday refused to abandon the plan, though.

"It's just an initial public hearing," she said. "We will have to listen to people in other parts of Nakhon Pathom too."

The minister said she would discuss Saturday's public hearing with officials from the Fine Arts Department.

Tharapong Srisuchat, who heads the department's Office of Archaeology, said some participants felt that questionnaires distributed at the hearing were unclear and overly academic.

"We are ready to improve the questionnaires if public hearings are to be held for people across Nakhon Pathom," he said.

Tharapong insisted that World Heritage status would have no impact on stalls around Phra Pathom Chedi.

"We have found that Wat Phra Pathom Chedi already regulates stalls in the area well," he said.

He did not think vendors' concerns about possible impacts on their stalls constituted a solid reason to oppose the plan.

Phra Pathom Chedi is one of five sites Tharapong's office plans to submit for inclusion on Unesco's candidate list of World Heritage sites this |year.

Among the other sites are the Death Railway in Kanchanaburi and the sacred pagoda at Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

"Nakhon Si Thammarat residents fully support the plan to seek World Heritage status for the sacred pagoda in their province," Tharapong said.

He added that Kanchanaburi residents, too, mostly supported the plan to push for the inscription of the Death Railway as a cultural World Heritage site.

-- The Nation 2011-08-22

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Two suspects arrested in possession of 94 kg of crystal meth

BANGKOK: -- Two Thai drug dealers were arrested with 94 kg crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as "ice," in their possession, according to Thailand's national police chief Gen Wichien Pojphosri.

The suspects were Sarayut Taeng-ngarn, 27, and Chaiyapruk Sirisoontorn, 25.

Mr Sarayut was first apprehended in the capital's vicinity of Pathumthani province in front of Zeer Rangsit IT and electronics shopping centre, where the 94 bars of crystal meth were hidden in paper boxes inside his pickup truck. He confessed the illegal drug was to be sent to Mr Chaiyapruek at a PTT gas station in Bangkok's Lad Prao area.

Both confessed this was the third time they had trafficked the illegal drugs. They said they trafficked 30 kilogrammes of ice the first time and 20 kilogrammes the second time before they were arrested on this third attempt. Mr Sarayut received Bt100,000 payment for each time while Mr Chaiyapruek got Bt300,000.

This lot of drug was bound for a southern border province to be smuggled into a neighbouring country.

The suspects were sent to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for further questioning. Investigators will gather evidence to seek the court warrants on Monday for two masterminds of a large drug syndicate in Thailand's north.

Meanwhile, a Malaysian man was apprehended in the southern province of Songkhla with some 'ice' and pseudoephedrine, a substance used to produce methamphetamine.

Tan Ghee How, 28, was arrested by Sadao Immigration Office at the Thai-Malaysian border after having been followed by police from his room in Hat Yai district. Police had been tipped off that the man would use a sedan to smuggle the substance to Malaysia.

Some 'ice' was found with the man, while pseudoephedrine was later discovered in his room.

According to an initial investigation, the pseudoephedrine was bought in order to produce crystal methamphetamine for a customer’s order of 30 kg of ice. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-22

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Level of Chao Phraya tipped to rise in Nakhon Sawan over coming days

By The Nation on Sunday

As floods still affected 12 provinces, officials at the Royal Irrigation Department's Computing Centre for the Water Situation said yesterday the flow rate of the Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Sawan would rise to 2,300-2,400 cubic metres per second in the next three-to-five days due to a subtropical ridge hovering over the North and Northeast.

As of yesterday at 6am, Nakhon Sawan reported the river flowing at 2,196 cubic metres per second and the level was 1.52 metres lower than the river banks.

The RID limited water running through the Chao Phraya Dam so it was under 2,000 cubic metres per second.

This meant low-lying areas along the river in Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Angthong and Ayutthaya would face increases of about 10cm-15cm from the current water level for four-to-five days.

Angthong governor Wisawa Sasisamit yesterday declared Pa Moke, Mueang, Chaiyo, Pho Thong and Wiset Chai Chan districts flood disaster zones.

In Phitsanulok, hardest-hit Bang Rakam district residents developed severe stress from suffering flood conditions, and 2 per cent of them were at risk of committing suicide, provincial public health officer Dr Boonterm Tansurat said yesterday.

The area's mobile medical teams' 21 visits treated a total of 6,047 patients, most of whom suffered from rashes, wounds and stress, he added.

Mueang district's ancient wall was also partially eroded due to strong currents of flood water, while Nan River in the district was now at 10.10 meters - still below the major flood in September 1995's level of 10.51 meters - and the Yom River continued to rise at 5cm per day, which was expected to pass the 1995 flood's level in four days.

Meanwhile, 300,000 rai of farm land in Sukhothai's Sri Samrong, Kong Krailat and Mueang districts were submerged and another 20,000 rai were at risk.

In related news, forest floods from Doi Nang Non in Chiang Rai's Mae Chan district swept away a two-year-old boy who was walking along the waterway to see his grandma at a nearby home yesterday morning.

In Phichit, the body of a 53-year-old man was found entangled in fish net in two-metre-deep floodwater on Friday night after he went fishing in flooded rice fields.

The officials' examination said he died from drowning, probably after getting a cramp. The death brought the flood toll in Phichit to three.

-- The Nation 2011-08-22

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Police 'killer' put in for mental check

By The Nation on Sunday

Pol Lt Pijarana Khong-in, who shot two fellow police dead in Bangkok's Dusit on Thursday, was admitted to the Galaya Rajanagarindra Institute due to "immense stress and mental problems", the head of metropolitan police Division 1 Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai said yesterday.

After the double murder, the motive for which is still unclear, Pijarana's testimony at the scene was so confused it seemed he was mentally disturbed. He was arrested and relatives urged police investigators to send him to the mental hospital. They claimed he was under immense stress and had mental health problems, Wichai said, so police took him to the institute on Friday night to get treatment, after which he will have to face the criminal justice process.

-- The Nation 2011-08-22

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Rajamangala University to expel five students over fatal attack

By Ekkapong Praditpong

The Nation on Sunday

The Rajamangala University of Technology at Lanna yesterday was preparing to expel five students who allegedly beat a fellow student to death on Wednesday, and also cancelled its sports day event to prevent revenge violence.

Chiang Mai Governor ML Panadda Diskul ordered five bars in Muang district that repeatedly broke the law to be closed. He said authorities would strictly control other such venues. The deadly brawl started while students were drinking at one of the bars.

The moves followed an incident on Wednesday when a second-year electrical-engineering student Niran Pholsep, 20, was beaten up by schoolmates until he was dead in front of a downtown apartment. Five students aged 18-21 were arrested as the assailants. It was reported that the five attacked Niran and dragged him down from the apartment where he hid, following an argument at a booze bar.

University executive Peera Junoisuwan said it had interviewed the five and notified them that their action was a serious breach punishable by either dismissal or expulsion. The disciplinary committee was currently considering the punishment it would impose, he said. If the students didn't appeal against the punishment in 15 days, it would go into effect.

As a precaution against further student brawls, the university president postponed the sports day event to the next term, beefed up security on the campus and required all students to leave the campus by 8pm every day.

-- The Nation 2011-08-22

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Thai society prejudiced against the uneducated poor, seminar hears

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Thewphaingarm School

By The Nation

THEWPHAINGARM SCHOOL is to share its knowledge, teaching experience and skills and resources with interested schools in up-country provinces.

Under the Thewphaingarm Brain Sharing project, the school is inviting interested institutions to learn from its Thai and foreign teachers via information technology. It will act as an adviser to these schools. The project is aimed at celebrating the school's 36th anniversary, in which it will be part of society that helps solve the country's educational crisis and upgrade education. Therefore, up-country students' academic knowledge will be fulfilled. Schools joining the project do not required to pay for educational assistance.

Interested schools are required to have technology available for long-distance connections. Call |02 433 8253 or send your e-mail to [email protected].

-- The Nation 2011-08-22

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Minister vows only minor changes to military reshuffle

By The Nation

Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha has promised minimal changes to the military reshuffle list, which has been completed by the armed forces, with the highlight being the collective ascension of Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha's classmates.

According to informed sources, a potential source of conflict is the defence permanent secretary position, as powerful groups have pushed for their own favourites.

The list was submitted to Supreme Commander Songkitti Jaggabatara last week and is now in the hands of Yuthasak. "General Yuthasak said he wanted to give everyone the freest hand possible, but might request changes to certain positions in accordance with the government's reconciliation policy," one of the sources said.

The sources claimed Prayuth's Army reshuffle list was compiled based on his assumption that General Prawit Wongsuwan would return as defence minister. The list seeks to promote many of his classmates and the "eastern tigers" to key positions. Prayuth's brother, Maj-General Preecha Chan-ocha, was also proposed for a big promotion in what was seen as a launching pad for him to take the post of 3rd Army region commander next year.

Prayuth's close friend Dapong Rattanasuwan was proposed for promotion from Army chief of staff to deputy Army chief in one of the key moves that will see Prayuth's confidantes make a collective rise.

Prawit, Yuthasak and Prayuth are also likely to face off over who will be the new defence permanent secretary. Respectively, the three powerful men back General Kanit Sapitak, chief adviser for defence; General Wittawat Ratchatanan, deputy defence permanent secretary; and General Sakon Sajjanit, head of the Secretariat Department.

-- The Nation 2011-08-22

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Education to target jobs, needs: Woravat

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Appointments on track, TDRI official says

By The Nation

The Senate will be able to select members of the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) by Sept 11, said Somkiat Tangkitvanich, deputy director of the Thailand Development Research Institute.

Central Administrative Court chief justice Anuwat Tarasawaeng is scheduled to announce a decision today in a suit filed by NBTC candidate Suranant Wongwithayakamchorn against selection committee chairman Jaturong Panyadilok and the committee as a whole, accusing them of failing to perform their duties in a transparent manner.

Court spokesman Pairoj Minden said either party could appeal today's ruling.

According to Somkiat, the law stipulates that the commission must be formed. The only legally acceptable reason for the NBTC failing to be appointed would be if the Senate itself had not formed.

He did not believe the Administrative Court's ruling in the suit would affect the appointment of the commissioners.

General Choochart Sudsanguan, deputy chairman of the committee tasked with checking the backgrounds of NBTC candidates, said the selection process would proceed unless the Administrative Court issued an injunction halting it.

Somkiat said he believed that business groups had changed their stance and now wanted the NBTC to be formed. He personally believed that having the Senate select the NBTC is better than having the prime minister do it, because the committee would be seen as more independent and transparent, and as acting to check any conflict of interest.

Appointed Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn, however, said business groups are divided over the selection process.

He said one group believes it can lobby the 11-member NBTC to its advantage and that the process should therefore continue, while another group feels the commission would be difficult to lobby and that the process should be scrapped.

Some groups believed the power to select NBTC members should rest with the prime minister, he said, while senators believed that as long as the court did not rule otherwise, the selection process must continue.

-- The Nation 2011-08-22

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REU: GADDAFI'S ELDEST SON MOHAMMED CONFIRMS TO AL-JAZEERA TV THAT HE HAS BEEN DETAINED AND UNDER HOUSE ARREST /via@mpoppel

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North, Northeast, East and BKK to see thunderstorms; Lamphun hit by heavy flooding /TAN_Network

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Bangkok: 4 vans and 1 taxi in Soi Serithai 24 torched; police believe action is meant as a threat /TAN_Network

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5-car pile-up near Sukhumvit 62 entrance causes Bangna expressway inbound to back up until Bangna entrance; Donmuan Tollway congested /

Sukhumvit inbound congested from earlier accident of overturned car; Sukhumvit BTS experienced slight delay from door mechanical error /

/TAN_Network

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Floods: 37 killed, over 1 million affected

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OBAMA RELEASES STATEMENT

Obama: Tonight, the momentum against the Qadhafi regime has reached a tipping point.

Obama: Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant.

Obama: The Qadhafi regime is showing signs of collapsing.

Obama: Qadhafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya. He needs to relinquish power once and for all.

/via@mpoppel(BNONews)

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Attention American Citizens in Pattaya, Udon Thani and Phuket: is coming to your town in Sept. http://t.co/AmoyI5S /@ACSBKK

We still accept walk-ins for non-emergency services thru August 31. Starting Sep 1, all non-emergency services will be by appointment only

/US EMBASSY BKK

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Appeals Court to deliver verdict in Khunying Pojaman's Bt546 mln tax evasion case at 9.30am /TAN_Network

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Bomb lobbed at house of Muang district chief of Samut Songkram but no one injured; police check CCTV footage for traces of suspects /TAN_Network

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King Rama V was not afraid of the foreigners. He was more afraid of the Thai people. /viaq@ThanongK

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,068.46, down 0.74 points /MCOT

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Democrat Party Leader: Yingluck's Leadership to be Tested in Policy Address

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Prime Minister Downplays Guards to Fend Off Opposition During Policy Address

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Administrative Court's rejected complaint against NBTC nomination process, putting formation of telecom commission back on track /via@tulsathit

The failed NBTC candidate who petitioned the administrative court, however, has vowed to appeal court rejection. /via@tulsathit