Thailand Live Friday 2 Sep 2011

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Top Brasses in Armed Forces Meet to Finalize Reshuffle List

The defense minister has met with commanders of the Armed Forces to finalize the annual military reshuffle list.

At the Defense Ministry, Defense Minister General Yutthasak Sasiprapha had a meeting with the commanders of the Armed Forces to discuss preparations ahead of the annual military reshuffle.

Among those present were Defense Permanent-Secretary, General Kittipong Keskovit, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, General Songkitti Jakkabat, Army Chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, Navy Chief, Admiral Kamtorn Phumhiran, Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshall Itthiporn Suphawong, and head of the Secretariat Department, General Sakon Sajjanit.

General Yutthasak reportedly pushed for the promotion of General Wittawat Ratchatanan as the permanent-secretary.

The defense minister said he plans to submit the reshuffle list to the prime minister by next Friday.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-02

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Two homosexuals found dead in as many days

Phuket Forensic Police dust the living room of the late Mr Yusop’s home.

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Private operators of interprovincial buses refuse to lower their fares despite a cut in the diesel price citing fluctuating price /TAN_Network

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Tuk-tuks, jet-skis top complaints by Aussie tourists in Phuket

Simon Farbenbloom of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok tells

Governor Tri that tuk-tuk and jet-ski scams top the list of complaints

filed by Aussie tourists in Phuket.

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Foreign Minister Urges Suthep to Clarify Unofficial Trip to Cambodia

The foreign minister is called for clarification from former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, after the Cambodian petroleum authority alleged that he visited Cambodia to hold secret talks over the disputed overlapping territory.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towijakchaikul called on Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban and former Defense Minister, General Prawit Wongsuwan to clarify their unofficial visit to Cambodia.

The Cambodian National Petroleum Authority earlier released a statement saying the two traveled to Cambodia to negotiate secret deals with top officials over the disputed maritime zone in the Gulf of Thailand.

Surapong said he will send a letter asking for clarification from the Cambodian government and will make a public announcement once he gets a response with all the relevant information.

The foreign minister downplayed political implications behind the statement issued by the Cambodian oil regulator, since the Cambodian government has reaffirmed that it wants to maintain an amicable relationship with Thailand.

He claimed that neither party has lost in the negotiations on the disputed territory so far.

He went on to say that he is not sure whether Suthep and General Prawit are trying to set up a company together to take advantage of the border issue.

Surapong noted that the previous administration did not revoke the MoU on the overlapping zone as it had promised.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-02

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SET closes midday break down by 3.24 points at 1,065.89 with value of Bt9.44 bln on sale of energy shares /TAN_Network

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PM Yingluck assigns red shirts to deal with protests

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No foreign investors plan to withdraw investments from Thailand: BoI survey

BANGKOK, Sept 2 - The Board of Investment (BoI) found no foreign investors planned to withdraw investment from Thailand, according to its survey of more than 400 companies.[/b]

Atchaka Sibunruang, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BoI), released the result of the survey on foreign investor confidence on Thailand 2011.

The survey was conducted by the BoI from February to June 2011 among 404 companies, including both firms which received BoI privileges and those that did not receive them.

According to the survey, 49.8 per cent of the investors surveyed plan to maintain the status quo, and 46.8 per cent aim to expand their businesses. However, 3.5 per cent of the businesses, such as textiles, jewellery and leatherwear, which face labour supply problems and raw material supplies will downsize their investment.

These groups of businesses hire migrant workers and are likely to encounter labour shortages and will gradually relocate to other countries, particularly Vietnam, China and India, where labour costs are cheaper.

The survey has not yet factored in the Thai government’s policy to raise the daily minimum wage to 300 baht. In the overall picture, Thailand’s wage structure can still compete with other countries in terms of skilled labour compensation.

Moreover, the banking system and access to financial sources as well as land use are better than those in many countries, except for the communication and logistics systems which still lag behind Malaysia as the Malaysian government considers it a higher priority.

However, the investment value of businesses granted BoI incentives this year will jump from Bt400 billion to Bt500 billion provided that foreign entrepreneurs view the investment environment as remaining positive. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-09-02

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German victim of Phuket mob bashing out of coma

Jiraporn “Joy” Chucheep, wife of German national Kurt Trotnow, says

her husband is now out of the coma but still unable to speak.

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Bird flu, HFMD outbreak under close watch

BANGKOK, 2 September 2011 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health has joined hands with related units to monitor and prevent the spread of avian influenza in humans and hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) in children.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri and Permanent Secretary for Public Health Medical Doctor Paijit Warachit inspected a war room set up at the Department of Disease Control to monitor the re-emerging epidemics both inside and outside the country to take preventive actions in time.

The minister admitted that the two concerning outbreaks at present are avian flu in humans and the HFMD in children. He said he assigned the war room to monitor and assess the situation as discovery of patients must be reported within 24 hours.

Mr Wittaya explained that Thailand this year experiences flood in many areas, and poultry hence have closer contacts with humans. He said all provincial public health offices and those near the Thai-Cambodian border are told to enforce stricter control.

The minister announced that he will send a letter to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut to set up a war room at his ministry to prevent the outbreak and join further cooperation with his ministry accordingly.

As for the HFMD spread, Mr Wittaya reported that the situation in many provinces is improving with declining number of new patients from 600 cases nationwide last week to 400 cases this week while total patients reported from January to August 2011 stood at 8,842 with four fatalities.

The minister stressed that HFMD prevention must be made continuously as his war room will join hands with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to curb the HFMD spread.

-- NNT 2011-09-02

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Military reshuffle list completed: Yuthasak

By The Nation

Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha on Friday confirmed that he and top commanders had reached a consensus to finalise the list of annual military rotations.

"The list will be submitted next week to the prime minister who will seek the royal endorsement," he said.

Yuthasak said there was no political meddling in the dispensing of job assignments.

General Wittawat Ratchatanan is slated to become the permanent secretary for Defence. General Thanasak Patimakorn is tipped for promotion from chief of joint staff to chief of defence forces.

Admiral Surasak Runerngrom is poised to become the Navy chief.

In the Army, Chief of Staff General Dapong Rattanasuwan is to be promoted upstairs in the position of deputy Army chief. General Sirichai Ditthakul is the incoming chief of staff.

-- The Nation 2011-09-02

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Google to add Thailand to Street View amidst privacy concerns

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Phuket Town calls for heavy metals

Rangson Pinthong, director of the Pollution Control Department’s

Waste & Hazardous Substances Management Bureau, explains the

importance of properly disposing of the heavy metals contained in

many modern devices, including mobile phones.

A staff member at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket Town with

one of the small collection boxes.

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Phuket Police nab teenage murder gang

Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong presents the gun to Charin (right)

as Kittiphum looks on.

Most of the evidence presented by Phuket Police were items stolen from the victim.

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Armed thief robbed SCB branch at Bangkan market in Pathum Thani and made off with Bt40,000 /TAN_Network

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TRANSPORTATION COST

Inter-provincial bus fares to stay

By The Nation

The Bus Operators Association of Thailand insisted that they would not lower the bus fares, despite a Bt3 cut per litre in diesel price.

President Suchinda Cherdchai said after the meeting with members that the current fares are based on the diesel price range of Bt23-50-Bt24.71 per litre. Diesel is now retailed at Bt27.59.

She noted that if diesel spikes up to Bt28.37, the association would propose for a hike in bus fare by 3 satang per kilometre.

"Right now, the operating cost, including the cost of tyres, has skyrocketed and we have to absorbed all the cost. If the government wants us to lower the fares, it needs to give us a financial assistance. The government could also allow us to quote bus fares accordingly to the actual oil prices," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-09-02

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SET index closed at 1065.18, down 3.95; Bt/USD29.82; GBP48.20; AUD31.76; EUR42.35; CAD30.34; HKD3.82; SGD24.61; JPY38.58

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Democrat Leader Provides Aid to Flood Victims

The Democrat Party leader visits flood victims in Sukhothai Province.

Former Prime Minister and Democrat Party Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, along with other party members, visited flood victims in Sukhothai's Kong Krai Lard District.

He provided a total of 350 relief packages to locals.

Abhisit expressed his sympathy to locals, saying that Sukhothai is one of the hardest hit areas.

In addition, Abhisit insisted that the Democrats will make sure that the Pheu Thai-led government issue compensation for those affected by the floods.

As for those who lost farm products due to the inundation, the current government has already approved compensation of 2,222 baht per rai.

Abhisit also criticized the Pheu Thai government after it refused to pay those who lost their homes in floods.

He said that the Democrat government paid 5,000 baht to every household.

Abhisit insisted the government could issue a maximum compensation of over one billion baht.

Furthermore, he expressed his opinion that the Pheu Thai's rice pledging scheme would have a great impact on farmers.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-02

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to continue:

Thailand Live Saturday 3 Sep 2011

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