Thailand Live Saturday 27 August 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

with webfact

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.

FOLLOW US:

You can also follow us on

- Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgebkk

- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThaiVisaNews

- Google+: http://plus.google.com/116866638430460700577/

- Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/564113621/

- Breaking News via SMS text messages to your mobile phone or handheld device

To subscribe dial *424010011 on AIS, One-2-Call, DTAC or True Move networks

14 days complementary subscription for Thaivisa members.

If you have questions about the Breaking News SMS service,

email: sms [at] thaivisa.com

________________________________________________________________________________

Thailand's current weather and forecasts: http://weather.thaivisa.com/

________________________________________________________________________________

Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 26 Aug 2011

Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

Follow this link: http://weather.thaivisa.com/

Police may have found a gambling den

Follow this link:

MURDER

CCTV shows Jones had male visitor

Follow this link:

Thai foreign minister Surapong's quandary: Where to go first?

Follow this link:

Big cuts in petrol, diesel prices today; Up to 8 Baht cuts/litre

Follow this link:

Red-shirt leaders, Shinawatra friends appointed

Follow this link:

Wang Nam Kheow resorts face demolition

By The Nation

Owners of the 22 resorts identified as encroaching a forest reserve in Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Kheow district have 15 days to submit evidence of land ownership or else their properties will be demolished within 45 days after the deadline.

"Some of the owners have not come forward, but have hired men to remove the demolition announcement," Suthep Pawareswittayalarn said yesterday in his capacity as chief of the local forest resourcemanagement office.

So far, he said, only three or four resort owners had contacted the police showing they had been paying land taxes.

"We will review their evidence," Suthep said.

-- The Nation 2011-08-27

Thai govt urged to end press intimidation

Follow this link:

Tobacco firms targeting women, youngsters

Follow this link:

New Thai govt vows crackdown on insulting royals

BANGKOK, August 27, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand's new government on Friday vowed to crack down on what it described as online insults against the revered monarchy, despite widespread criticism of the country's strict lese majeste rules.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said insulting Thailand's royals was "unacceptable" and identified an online campaign as an immediate priority.

"The first thing I must tackle as a matter of urgency are those lese majeste websites. They are not allowed during this government," he told reporters in comments that come within weeks of the new Thai government's taking power.

"I will set up a war room, a working group to take care of this immediately, starting today. It must be done as soon as possible."

Under Thailand's lese majeste legislation, anybody convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent faces up to 15 years in prison.

The laws have come under heavy criticism from rights groups, which have expressed concern that they were used to suppress freedom of expression under the last government, considered close to the establishment.

Soon after winning the July 3 election, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the rules should not be abused.

But in a sign she did not want direct confrontation with the country's powerful elites, Yingluck stopped short of saying she would reform the legislation.

Tens of thousands of web pages have been removed from the Internet for allegedly insulting the monarchy in recent years.

Discussion of the monarchy's role is a long-standing taboo in politically divided Thailand.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 83, the world's longest-reigning monarch and revered as a demi-god by many Thais, has been in hospital since September 2009.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-08-27

Thai Parliament wreath-layer denies paid for protest

Follow this link:

Thai ICT panel ordered to probe questionable telecom deals

Follow this link:

Ariya Banomyong, Google's first country manager for Thailand

Follow this link:

Thai Police Bust Suspected Transnational Call Centre Scam Gang In Hua Hin

Follow this link:

Hua Hin Jazz Festival 2011 kicks off:

Full story: http://huahin.thaivisa.com/hua-hin-jazz-festival-2011/'>http://huahin.thaivisa.com/hua-hin-jazz-festival-2011/

More Hua Hin info: http://huahin.thaivisa.com/

Syrian arrested for Kiwi's murder in Thailand

Follow this link:

Patong Hospital floods, 40 patients evacuated

Follow this link:

Viktor Bout Statements to US Agents in Thailand Coerced, Judge Rules

Follow this link:

Phuket to ‘go light’ on tourist visas, but don't 'look suspicious'

Follow this link:

Chonburi Corpse Truck Overturns 23 Dead Bodies On The Tarmac

Follow this link:

Public Health Ministry to revise tobacco laws

Follow this link:

Yingluck ranks 59th in Forbes' most powerful women

Follow this link:

PM to preside over end of Ramadan event at Govt House this evening; she is scheduled to visit Phitsanulok to inspect flooding tomorrow /TAN_Network

BMTA to propose public bus fare cut by Bt1/interval to transport minister on Mon after diesel price cut /TAN_Network

Private interprovincial bus operator Sujinda Cherdchai says no fare cut despite diesel decline because operators were shouldering high costs /TAN_Network

Debt drives man to suicide in Phuket

Friends and neighbors gather outside the rented room of the late Mr Somkhid

as Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation workers prepare to take the body to Thalang Hospital.

Follow this link:

Flood in Phichit critical as rail services cut off in Lamphun

PHICHIT, Aug 27 -- The flood situation in the northern province of Phichit regressed to critical after Sirikit and Kwai Noi Bumrung Dan Dams discharged water into waterways, as water level of the Nan River at Bang Mun Nak district had risen past the critical level by at least one metre.

The two dams discharged water in preparation for retaining new water from provinces further north, while flash floods off Phetchabun mountain had swollen the Nan River, causing water to overflow into Bang Mun Nak district, flooding more than 1,000 homes.

The flood situation in Sukhothai was gradually returning to normal after the water level in Yom River receded. Villagers were starting to clean up their homes but were as yet unable to return to live at their residences because of fear that water levels may increase again.

However, Ban Kluai and Pak Phra subdistricts in the provincial seat were still under more than two metres of water.

In Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai, the water in Kham River had overflowed, flooding homes for the third time. More than 10,000 rai of paddy field were underwater. In Chiang Mai, the Ping River had flooded restaurants and homes along the riverbanks. Villagers were moving their belongings to higher ground and closely monitoring the situation.

Sandbags were piled up more than one metres to prevent flooding from the river.

In Lamphun, rain had wiped out the ground under the rail track on Doi Khun Tan, at Mae Tha district, damaging the track for some 20 metres and cutting off the rail services to and from Chiang Mai.

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Governor Yutthana Thapcharoen will today inspect the scene and map out a repair plan. It was initially believed that it would take at least five days and the damage was considered the most serious in a decade.

The repair work would be very difficult, as the site was on high mountain five kilometers from Doi Khun Tan Station.

In Mae Hong Son, water had damaged a bridge over Huy Yuak, cutting off the route to Mae Sariang district.

Provinces along the Chee River were affected by floods, particularly in Yasothon and Roi Et where agriculture areas of more than 20,000 rai, including paddy fields, were damaged. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-27

Phuket rain drives visitors to hospitality expo

SAUSAGE TIME: Visitors queue up to sample free sausages at the expo.

The entries in the 'honeymoon bed-making' contest attract attention.

Follow this link:

Local red-shirt leader murdered in Phrae

Phrae - A local red-shirt leader was killed in front a computer by an unknown attacker who slit his throat Saturday, police said.

Police said the body of Udomsup Thammuang was found in the back of the Supudom shop in Muang district at 11 am.

His body was found in front of computer with his throat slit by a knife, which was left at the scene.

Udomsup was a local red-shirt leader and a canvasser for the Pheu Thai MP in Constituency 3.

He was said to be close to Education Minister Worawat Uaapinyakul.

-- The Nation 2011-08-27

Fire broke out at Food Court on 7th floor of Central Bangna. Officers are dealing with it. /TR @js100radio /via@Aim_NT: 3.35pm

Fire breaks out at Central Bang Na's canteen

Fire broke out at the canteen on the seventh floor of Central Bang Na shopping mall Saturday afternoon.

Police said the fire started at 3:35 pm and shoppers were urgently evacuated from the mall.

Firefighters put out the blaze at 4:25 pm.

-- The Nation 2011-08-27