Thailand Live Monday 10 October 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 8 Oc 2011

Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to be launched nationwide: Thailand

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PM Yingluck to Thai govt agencies: Prepare to evacuate

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Sattahip Bay Swamped With A Million Jellyfish

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Poor rating for govt relief efforts: Thailand flood

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Evacuation centres ready: city officials

Bangkok prepared to face deluge: Sukhumbhand

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Ayutthaya only reachable by boat

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MP proposes pay cut for lawmakers

The Nation

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said he would propose his idea to cut MPs' salaries to help flood victims in the party meeting today.

"We are elected by the people, so we should give them our support when they have problems," he said.

Prompong said the idea would start with his party and if passed he would put the idea to the whole of the House.

Chart Pattana Puea Pandin party leader and Industry Minister Wannarat Channukul agreed with the idea. "I and my party are ready," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-10

STREET WISE

PM Yingluck should dump silly populist policies and work on long-term solutions

Achara Deboonme

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Prince, Princess provide kitchens

The Nation

To feed flood victims in Ayutthaya, mobile kitchens provided by HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and HRH Princess Srirasmi, the Royal Consort of the Crown Prince, have been set up near the city hall.

Donations are welcome through the HRH Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti Fund, which is named after their son, through savings account 1324549979 at Bangkok Bank's Bang Sue branch.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has also granted permission for flood victims to stay at the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University campus in the province, while Thammasat University's Rangsit campus is also sheltering a number of flood victims.

-- The Nation 2011-10-10

Govt, manufacturers to discuss assistance

Nalin Viboonchart

The Nation

Industry Ministry officials will meet today with manufacturers and private-sector representatives, including the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and the Thai Chamber of Commerce, to evaluate the impact of flooding on the industrial sector and how the government can help.

FTI officials were scheduled to meet Industry Minister Wannarat Charnnukul today to seek financial and other assistance in getting flood-hit factories up and running again, federation chairman Payungsak Chartsuthipol said.

The federation would propose that the government suspend collecting electricity and water bills from the affected factories during a recovery period, and employ tax measures to help them reduce their costs, such as deducting machinery-repair bills, Payungsak said.

It would also ask the government to set up a Bt10-billion fund to extend low-interest loans to flooded factories to use for repairs, FTI secretary-general Sommart Kunset said.

Wannarat said one likely relief measure would be a waiver by the Board of Investment (BoI) of duties on replacement machinery imported by factory owners. More measures would be devised, he said, pending today's discussion. The minister added that the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand had set aside Bt2 billion for low-interest loans to affected manufacturers.

Narapote Thewtanom, deputy governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), said the Saharat Nakorn Industrial Estate in flood-hit Ayutthaya was likely to take more than five months to fully recover, up from previous estimates of between three and five months.

Total damage at the estate could exceed Bt30 billion, depending on how fast it can recover. The height of the flood water there was estimated at four metres.

Evaluating the damage

Narapote said the IEAT would meet manufacturers operating in the Saharat Nakorn estate today at the Bang Pa-In Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya to assess damage and discuss relief measures for workers and operators.

The Saharat Nakorn estate has 43 manufacturing plants with 14,696 workers and a total investment value of Bt9.4 billion. Japanese manufacturing facilities represent the largest proportion of investment in the estate at 70 per cent, followed by Thai-owned plants with 20 per cent.

The Hi-Tech and Bang Pa-In industrial estates had not been hit by the floods, but the IEAT was watching the situation closely, Narapote said.

Amara Charoengitwattanagun, an independent director at Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya, said the park's operators had not been able to assess total damage at the estate, which was hit by flooding on Saturday.

Approximately 1,000 rai of Rojana's total 10,000 rai was affected, encompassing 10 manufacturing plants, including Honda's 200-rai site. The height of the water was approximately 1 metre.

She said Rojana estate is building barriers to stop water spreading to the rest of the park. If the entire estate floods, damage was likely to far exceed the expected Bt30 billion clean-up bill at Saharat Nakorn Industrial Estate, she said.

Honda has two manufacturing plants at Rojana Industrial Park, Ayutthaya, with total investment in Thailand of Bt21 billion. The company commenced its second manufacturing facility with an investment value of Bt6.2 billion at the estate in 2008. The auto plant is the production base of many Honda models including Accord, Civic, CR-V, Jazz and City. Honda has total production capacity of 240,000 units per year at Rojana.

-- The Nation 2011-10-10

CAMPUS UPDATE

Swiss opening for Thai students, teachers

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Poor recruiting hurts quality of teachers

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Attack on Chinese boats in Mekong River kills 11

BEIJING, October 10, 2011 (AFP) - Eleven Chinese were killed and two missing after their cargo boats were attacked in the golden triangle area of the Mekong River, state media said on Sunday.

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UPDATED: Map of the 15 Flood Risk Areas in Bangkok (10 October) http://bit.ly/qlId0X /via@RichardBarrow

PM chairing meeting at Flood Relief Operations Centre at Don Mueang before going to inspect Ayutthaya flooding /MCOT

Staff at Phra Rama IX MRT Station put up flood walls to prevent any floods entering subway (Bangkok Post) /via@RichardBarrow

Chao Phraya River water level at Nakorn Sawan to peak Oct 12-13; Bkk residents outside flood walls at risk /via@Biz_TheNation

U R G E NT

Thai Red Cross Society urgently needs blood donations

BANGKOK, 10 October 2011 (NNT) – The Thai Red Cross Society is in urgent need of blood donation now that flooding is badly affecting hospitals in many provinces.

Blood shortages are critical in hospitals in Ayutthaya, Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Chai Nat, Sing Buri and Phitsanulok provinces. The Thai Red Cross Society, which needs to have more than 3,000 units of blood in its stock on a daily basis, can supply only 1,400-1,500 units of blood to hospitals nationwide each day. Hospitals in flood-torn Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri and Sing Buri can only receive 400 units a day. Such quota is still far below the actual demand.

Those wishing to help save lives can donate blood at the Thai Red Cross Society on Henri Dunant Rd. every day. For more information, call 02-256-4300 or 02-263-9600-99 extension 1101.

-- NNT 2011-10-10

Water diversion operation to start Tuesday

BANGKOK, 10 October 2011 (NNT) – The water drainage operation aimed at saving Bangkok from flooding will begin on Tuesday.

The Marine Department and the Thai Ship Owners Association have jointly mobilized more than 100 boats to divert water from the Chao Phraya River into the sea.

The operation is expected to begin from Ko Kret and end at the estuary of the Chao Phraya River.

The Marine Department has dispatched 13 inspection boats to monitor the situation and facilitate the water traffic. Ship owners who want to join the operation are welcome to call the hotline 1199.

-- NNT 2011-10-10

Evacuation center at Ayutthaya city hall flooded after last night's rain;flood victims relocated to evacuation center at Thammasat Rangsit /TAN_Network

Ayutthaya woes to last till end of month; dams releasing less waters; Bkk threats lessen: Officials /via@tulsathit

UPDATED: Map Showing Flooded Roads in Thailand (10 October) http://bit.ly/nO7OCc /via@RichardBarrow

Both Yingluck and Abhisit will be in Ayutthaya today to help flood victims & distribute relief bags. /via@tulsathit /via@tonravee

APNewsBreak: Lawyer says American to plead guilty to monarchy insult charges in Thailand. /via@tulsathit /via@ASEAN_NEWSROOM

Flood-related death toll has risen to 269, 4 missing, 30 provinces affected: Disaster Relief Centre /via@tukky_nt

100 patients, 30 of them in critical conditions, still to be evacuated from Ayutthaya Hospital. /via@tulsathit /via@wannasiri_

Water levels in klongs (canals). http://bit.ly/ouoGRg /via@LilMsEditor

Ayutthaya speeds up transferring patients from flooded hospital; 5 sub-districts in Lop Buri under floodwater /MCOT

Army chief accompanying Yingluck, Yongyuth to Ayutthaya today. /via@tulsathit /via@suthichai

Asia Highway leading to Ayutthaya is closed to speed up evacuating people from Ayutthaya' Island. /via@tukky_nt /via@wannasiri_