Thailand Live Monday 31 Oct 2011

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9:45am High tide overflowing through market in Samut Prakan. Vendors ignoring it #ThaiFloodEng http://bit.ly/vUxTVz /RT @RichardBarrow:

Bkk governor is optimistic that northern runoff has almost lost steam. /RT @tulsathit:

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 979.42, up 6.24 points /MCOT

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PM’ Facebook Post: Flood Victims Not Abandoned

The prime minister has affirmed that the flood victims are not abandoned by the government.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has posted a comment on her Facebook account, affirming that the flood victims, particularly those outside Bangkok, are not abandoned by the government.

Yingluck points out that the disaster management effort is separated into two teams; one is to fight flood in the capital while another is responsible for taking care of the flood victims.

The prime minister also expresses concern for those who have been struggling in the flooded areas for quite some time now, saying that she has explicitly ordered the provincial governor to look after their welfare.

At the same time, Yingluck urges those in the high risk areas to relocate to the evacuation centers prepared in many provinces. She also asks the people to remain confident in the law enforcement authorities who will watch over their homes and properties during the flooding situation.

-- Tan Network 2011-10-31

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10:12am Today Central Ramintra is closed for one day ~ @Voice_TV

10:09am Borom Rd.inbound from Chimphli interchange to Sirindhorn interchange now impassable due to high flood~ @fm91trafficpro

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Losses mount for cable, satellite tv operators

Watchiranont Thongtep

The Nation

Local cable and satellite television operators face almost Bt200 million in loss of business due to the flooding.

"We estimate that there are a million cable-TV subscribers in the flooded areas, including Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Saraburi and northern parts

of Bangkok," Wichit Aurareevorakul, vice president of the Thailand Cable TV Association, told The Nation last week.

The massive flooding might not be over for two or three months, so local cable operators might miss the opportunity to collect monthly fees from their customers who needed to flee from their inundated homes. This might cost about Bt100 million.

Cable operators must also prepare additional funds to repair their infrastructure damaged by the flooding. This loss accounts for 25 per cent of total subscribers in the 4 million households in the country.

Manufacturers and traders of satel-lite and cable-TV products were also hit by the flooding. Niran Tangpiroon-tham, managing director of Infosat Intertrade, said his Bt50-million plant in Pathum Thani's Samkok area and two Bt20-million distribution centres in Nonthaburi were submerged. This crisis has disrupted the company's production and distribution to unaffected provinces.

To cope with this situation and to secure the business as well as the lives of its 100 employees, the company would move its machines that still work from Samkok to a temporary plant in Muang Thong Thani to restart operations soon. However production would be at only one-fifth of the total capacity of 1,000 satellite dishes a day.

The natural disaster has forced GMM Grammy, the country's leading media and entertainment company, to delay the formal launch of its 1Sky set-top box as well as marketing campaigns from November 11 to early next year.

Dew Waratangtagoon, managing director of GMM Broadcasting, said that during the crisis, the company would conduct only roadshows to introduce its set-top box to its dealers in unaffected areas as its soft launch.

-- The Nation 2011-10-31

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10:17am From Lak Si roundabout to Ramintra Km.4, only right lane passable for small cars http://bit.ly/v7zkkw ~ @js100radio #thaifloodeng

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Nationwide 3G project on course despite flooding

Sirivish Toomgum,

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

Telecommunication operators say they are confident of meeting their schedules for expanding their 3G wireless broadband networks despite the flood crisis.

A source at True Corp said the flooding was not disrupting the installation of its nationwide network for third-generation HSPA (high-speed packet access) service by BFKT (Thailand), as most of the work currently is inside buildings.

BFKT is a subsidiary of Real Future, a firm wholly owned by True. It is setting up the 3G network for CAT Telecom to wholesale its capacity to interested firms, including True subsidiary Real Move.

A source at Total Access Communication said the flooding had a slight impact on the company's expansion of its 3G network in some areas. But DTAC is confident of meeting its goal of establishing a total of 1,200 base stations in Bangkok and 20 other provinces by February, of which 800 bases have already been set up.

Advanced Info Service recently finished building an additional 3G base stations in Greater Bangkok and switched them on early last week. Currently it has about 1,300 3G base stations in Bangkok and its suburbs. AIS will expand its 3G network to 3,500 base stations from the present 1,884 in several major provinces. The expansion is expected to be complete by April.

A source at TOT said it too was confident of being able to launch its 3G service in November. The first phase of the roll-out of the new network is proceeding as planned, establishing 3,500 bases in 18 provinces, despite the floods. It is also confident of launching the service nationwide by May as scheduled, with a total of more than 4,700 base stations.

The state agency has reportedly moved slowly with the nationwide 3G project because of the need to coordinate with other parties sharing infrastructure and base-station locations.

-- The Nation 2011-10-31

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10:22am Route from Chaeng Wattana Rd. to Anusawari Lak Si Circle flooded in/outbound ~ @js100radio #thaifloodeng

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Cheap chicken eggs sold like hot cakes

BANGKOK, 31 October 2011 (NNT) – Low-priced chicken eggs put up for sales by the Commerce Ministry were quickly snapped up within minutes.

The sale of 100,000 fresh eggs, which was due to begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday, had to start 15 minutes earlier as hundreds of buyers formed a long line two hours before the schedule at Or Tor Kor Market in Chatuchak area.

Each customer was allowed to buy no more than 30 eggs, each of which was sold at three THB. The campaign came after complaints of egg shortages which were blamed on transport problems caused by the floods. Starting October 30, about 100,000 eggs are put on sale at low price daily at the market in a move to relieve shortages.

The Commerce Ministry, Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL and Betagro will join hands to dispatch mobile Blue Flag units to offer food staples to consumers at flooded areas until the situation returns to normal.

The Commerce Ministry has also decided to import three million eggs from Malaysia which will arrive in the country today and will be distributed to retail stores nationwide.

-- NNT 2011-10-31

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Govt prepares 80bn baht to resuscitate the devastated industrial sector and pledges assistance for the affected Japanese investors. /TANN

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Yingluck: Flooding situation in Bangkok improves

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Monday that the flooding situation in Bangkok has improved as the Monday is the last day for watching the sea high tide.

She said the situation in Bangkok on Monday would not be as bad as on Thursday until Sunday.

She said the problem stemmed from angry residents demolishing the floodwall at Klong Sam Wa Canal had been solved following a talk with the residents there at 2 am Monday.

She said the authorities would try to drain floodwaters in Bangkok into the sea as soon as possible and the situation in the capital would not be as severe as in provinces.

-- The Nation 2011-10-31

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Deputy public health minister: sufficient drugs and medical supplies in the country to meet the demand /TANN

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Latest official statistics: 381 people have died, 2.4 million people affected. 26 provinces including Bangkok still flooded. /via@suthichai

10:38am Phuttamonthon S.5 inbound passable only till the bridge of Klong Bang Ratuek, after that waist-deep flood~ @js100radio

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10:55am Phahonyothin, Bang Khen tunnel outbound blocked due to high flood at the entrance of Sois 48 & 59 ~ @fm91trafficpro

21 roads in BKK have been closed to traffic because they have turned into khlongs. /RT @ThanongK:

Irrigation Dept: There remains 10 bn cubic metres of water in the North -- 2 billion in the west and 7.6 billion in the east. /RT @ThanongK:

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PM confident inner BKK areas will not flood; water drainage in eastern capital satisfactory; concerns over severe flooding in west BKK /MCOT

11:08am High flood on Ngamwongwan inbound from Pongpet junction to Soi Chinnaket ~ @js100radio

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Six Bangkok districts evacuating as northern run-off approaches

Follow this link:

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11:20am BKK governor shows his worry about Thonburi side; Bang Plad, Tawee Wattana, Talingchan and Bang Kae ~ @bangkokgovernor

11:22am Kasetsart University Bangkhen now overflowed by knee-deep ~ @Voice_TV

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Parliament will convene on Nov 2-3, but it will not have flooding problems on the agenda. Isn't this abnormal? /RT @ThanongK:

Parliament will debate 2012 budget on Nov 9-10.

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30 year-old man shot in front of Udon Thani Provincial Court; in critical condition. /TANN

11:26am Crisis at Chaeng Wattana due to 70cm flood. Water already overflowed into DSI and government complex ~ @nnanews

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Pattaya packed with flood evacuees

BANGKOK, 31 October 2011 (NNT) - Pattaya beach resort is crowded with flood-affected citizens fleeing to the East.

Floods in several areas in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok where water level is constantly increasing, have forced a huge number of people to relocate their belongings and take their family members to seek safety elsewhere.

Among the safe destination is Pattaya which a large number of flood-affected people have chosen as their shelter away from problems, making every roads starting from inbound Sukhumvit Road as well as roads and places in northern, central, and southern Pattaya packed with vehicles and people. Traffic jam can be experienced along the way.

Looking from tourism aspect, the beaches in Pattaya, Wongse Amatya and Chom Thian zones are overcrowded with both Thai and foreign toursists swimming joyfully in the sea, claiming that they need to relax from the stressful situation but they have to keep up with the news at the same time.

Mr Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn, Vice President of Pattaya Business and Tourism Association (PBTA), said Pattaya was presently entering the high season so, apart from the regular tourists from Russia and Europe, this year the city was very busy welcoming local tourists who escaped from the floods According to the survey, 70-80% of appromimately 70,000 rooms offered by the hoteliers in the area have already been booked. Nevertheless, the business sector has opened www.trip2pattaya.com for flood victims to check and reserve accommodations online with 60-70% discounts on offer to assist them as well.

-- NNT 2011-10-31

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Some parts of Don Muang are seeing water levels at 1.80 to 2.0 metres, according to its district director. /RT @ThanongK

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11.49am Kampaengpetch 6 outbound from Klong Premprachakorn - Lak Si juntion flooded, still vehicles passable ~ @fm91trafficpro

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Wat Laksi is now flooded

BANGKOK, 31 October 2011 (NNT)-The flood situation in Wat Laksi is critical as it is now submerged under 80 centimeter-deep flood water.

In the latest flood updates, the water begun to flood from the rear section of the temple and has expanded into other areas within the compound. Residents living nearby have already begun to evacuate while the outbound traffic on Vibhavadi road is now closed from Laksi toll way.

Public buses refuse to go beyond this point while those who expect to use motorcycle taxi service have also been turned down as the flood level continues to rise.

-- NNT 2011-10-31

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12:03pm Don Waii temple in Nakornpathom already flooded by 50cm ~ @Rawangpai

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Hotlines for help dogs: 087-1868804 , 085-1613988, 087-5776807 @ThaiFloodEng @nationnews RT @annnation_nt: RT @Kitti3Miti via @NFVixen:

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Drug use among Phuket children 'worrying' officials

Follow this link:

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12:12pm Small cars now forbidden to Cheang Wattana Rd. due to 70cm flood ~ @nnanews

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Phuket pedestrian killed on merit-making journey

The driver of the Toyota Sedan did not flee the scene, police said.

Photo: Wichai Witthawat

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British Embassy #Bangkok is open, see our contact details: http://bit.ly/to8GPh

/RT @ukinthailand:

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No casualties in multiple Narathiwat bombings

NARATHIWAT, Oct 31 – Mainly unidentified assailants carried out sequential bombings in six districts of this southern border province Sunday evening, in which no casualties were reported, followed by an incident.

In the latest incident, a blast took place at about 8.20am on Monday at a rubber plantation in Srisakhon district of Narathiwat, injuring two villagers.

Local authorities said the incidents did not target civilians but were believed intended to stir disturbances in the strife-torn southern border region.

The sequential blasts took place for about half an hour from 5.50 to 6.20pm on Sunday. The first blasts occurred in two locations of Sungai Padi district. A soft drink can packed with a one kilogramme explosive device was detonated by a timing device at a nearby shop. Another blast went off in front of a military unit near Sungai Padi railway station.

Further bombings took at about the same time at 12 locations in Sungai Kolok, Yi-ngo, Tak Bai, Ruso, Bacho and Muang districts, with grocery stores mainly targeted. The blasts damaged the structure, but no injuries were reported.

Earlier Sunday, three people were shot dead in the Narathiwat provincial seat. The victims were identified as Sritong Masi, 75, Thirapong Lim, 42 and Mali Masi, 49. All were shot in the heads.

According to a preliminary police investigation, two men on a motorcycle posed as customers to fill their petrol tanks and then gunned down Mr Sritong at a petrol station before targeting Mr Thirapong who was having massage service close to the station.

Two more men on a motorcycle stopped at a grocery store operated by Mrs Mali, Mr Sritong's daughter-in- law, and one shot her in the head before fleeing. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-10-31