Thailand Live Tuesday 15 Nov 2011

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Water down 1-2 cmday in Banglane NakhonPathom. Currernt level, 3.86m, water being drained, mostly use boats/big trucks to travel /TANN

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AFP: Bangkok floods could go into next year: Thai PM

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Owners of houses inundated longer than 7 days may get more than Bt5,000 compensation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Tuesday that owners of houses, which are inundated longer than seven days, may receive more than Bt5,000 in compensation.

She said she has assigned a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit to consider higher rate of compensation for flood victims, whose houses were inundated longer than seven days.

-- The Nation 2011-11-15

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UK Foreign Affairs Min downgrades warning for visits to Thailand from 'No traveling to flood hit provinces' to 'travel with caution'-FM100.5 /TANN

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Bkk gov inspects 5-way Ladprao junction, water still at 30 cms http://yfrog.com/h775686725j via FM100.5

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Thai Govt Denies Flood Mismanagement at APEC Summit

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Damaged big-bag floodwall fixed: FROC spokesman

The spokesman of the Flood Relief Operations Centre said Tuesday that the repairing of the five-metre damaged part of the big-bag floodwall in Don Mueang was done at 3 am.

Gen Palangkul Klaharn, the FROC spokesman, said troops started fixing the damaged part at 11 pm Monday.

The five-metre part allowed floodwater to overflow it and boats could pass over the spot, the spokesman said.

-- The Nation 2011-11-15

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Bangkok's public transport struggles on despite floods

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UK Downgrades Travel Alert for Thailand

The United Kingdom has reduced its travel advisory level against Thailand from red to orange.

However, several other countries continue to urge citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Thailand during the flood crisis.

The United Kingdom has reduced its travel advisory level against Thailand.

It had earlier issued a red alert, advising citizens to avoid traveling to 22 flood-hit provinces in Thailand.

By reducing the travel alert from red to orange, the UK government is advising its citizens to exercise caution when traveling to Thailand.

UK officials said as the floodwater level continues to decline in various provinces, it is now considered safe to travel to Bangkok via Suvarnabhumi Airport.

They believe that inner Bangkok is now at lesser risk of being hit by the floods, expecting the northern, eastern and western Bangkok to bare the brunt of the flood woes.

The British Embassy in Thailand will continue to monitor the flood situation in Bangkok and update its travel warning periodically.

The UK is the only country that has decided to revised its travel alert to Thailand.

Other countries; including the US, Australia, China, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong continue to advise their citizens to avoid traveling to 22 flood-hit provinces in Thailand.

International media have also indicated that a large number of tourists have chosen to avoid traveling to Thailand despite the fact that most popular tourist destinations like Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, are untouched by the floods.

They blame the hype generated by the Thai media for the panic and misunderstanding that the entire country is submerged under floodwater.

Tourism is one of Thailand's most important revenue drivers, accounting for as much as six percent of the country's gross domestic product.

The flood crisis is expected to cost Thailand as much as 100 billion baht in loss tourism revenue.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-15

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Southern Provinces Warned of Flash Floods

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Motorists told to remove vehicles parked on Krungthon, Bang Phlad bridges

Traffic police Tuesday told owners of vehicles parked on the Krungthon Bridge and a flyover at Bang Phlad Intersection to remove them immediately.

Police said floodwaters in the areas have subsided so police want to reclaim the spaces on the bridges for traffic.

-- The Nation 2011-11-15

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Three injured in two late night Pattaya Shootings

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Cabinet approves renovation for flooded Don Muang Airport as proposed by transport minister at Bt935m for runway, Bt445m for terminal /TANN

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Dept: flooding affects 22 provinces and killed 562 people with 2 still missing /TANN

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Floods Recede at Bang Chan, Lat Krabang Industrial Parks

Floods around Bang Chan and Lat Krabang industrial complexes continue to recede while the authorities are still keeping a close eye on the situation.

According to the latest report, the main road through Bang Chan Industrial Estate is now dry after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration constructed a one- meter-high flood barrier across Seri Thai Road at the entrance of the industrial estate.

The water outside the flood barrier remains 40-50 centimeters deep.

Meanwhile, at Lat Krabang Industrial Estate, former governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, Somchet Thinapong, said the water level in the immediate vicinity of the estate has receded by two centimeters.

Somchet is acting as adviser to the Lat Krabang Industrial Estate on flood prevention measures.

However, the industrial estate is keeping a 24-hour watch on the 2.4-meter flood barrier around the estate.

In any case, Somchet believes that the situation is well under control at Lat Krabang.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-15

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World Bank Offers Bt30 Billion Loan to Thailand

The World Bank is offering one billion US dollars in loan to Thailand for investment in long-term flood prevention projects.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittirat Na Ranong met with representatives from the World Bank on the sideline of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii.

During the meeting, the World Bank offered a loan worth one billion US dollars, or about 30 billion baht, to the Thai government.

Kittirat said the loan will be used to support the government's investment in long-term flood prevention projects and the offer is now being considered by the Thai government.

The deputy prime minister noted that the Asian Development Bank, or ADB, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation have also offered help to Thailand in various forms, including low-interest loans.

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Business Symposium held by East-West Center, or EWC, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichakchaikul assured the international community that the Thai economy will soon recover from the flood disaster given its strong economic fundamentals.

Surapong noted that the Thai government has approved the flood reconstruction plan and a budget of ten billion US dollars, or about 300 billion baht, for rehabilitation efforts after the floods subside.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-15

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Public Health Ministry warns of dengue fever outbreak from stagnant floodwater; says EM balls can help eliminate risk /TANN

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Education Ministry postpones new semester for schools in flood-hit Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and four districts of Nakhon Pathom to Dec 6 /MCOT

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SET index closed at 984.97, up 0.69; Bt/USD30.65; GBP48.67; AUD31.09; EUR41.61; CAD29.90; HKD3.93; SGD23.61; JPY39.57

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Rebranded Strategic Airlines continues Phuket flights

Starting today, Strategic Airlines says goodbye to make way

for its new all-Oz brand, Air Australia.

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20 Pheu Thai MPs to propose urgent agenda to Parliament to conduct study on moving capital to Nakhon Nayok, Petchabun or other provinces /TANN

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Thai Airways resumes normal operation at headquarters on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Rd from today onwards as flooding has subsided /TANN

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Navy to provide free transport on Bangkhunnont-Rama VII Bridge and Siriraj-old southern bus terminal from 8am-8pm /TANN

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Bangkok flooding passes critical point: PM

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Thai lawmakers submit motion on moving capital

BANGKOK, November 15, 2011 (AFP) - Lawmakers from Thailand's ruling political party submitted a parliamentary motion on Tuesday to begin discussions over possibly shifting the capital city to prevent future flooding chaos.

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/512559-thai-lawmakers-submit-motion-on-moving-the-thai-capital/page__view__findpost__p__4848999

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Thai opposition to impeach ministers, MPs for flood mismanagement.

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/512561-thai-opposition-to-impeach-ministers-mps-for-flood-mismanagement/page__view__findpost__p__4849010

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1. The "Cabinet rumor" everyone talks about today involves a clause in last yr's amnesty royal decree (Abhisit govt)/via@tulsathit

2. That clause excludes "corruption" convicts from getting amnesty./via@tulsathit

3. Therefore, whether the rumor is true or not we should know when the royal decree is out./via@tulsathit

4. Sources we've checked only deny a royal decree is out. They said different things on whether the matter was discussed in Cabinet./via@tulsathit

5. Of course, we are talking about the annual amnesty to celebrate the King's birthday here./via@tulsathit

@bangkokpundit Got what u mean. Yes, pardon is the right word, though use in Thailand has been very mixed up./via@tulsathit

6. IMO, the rumor is too bad to be true, esp under the circumstances _ floods, PM shedding tears, her absence fr Cabinet meet and all./via@tulsathit

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Zoological Park Organization confirms green snake killed by Pathum Thani locals not the poisonous green mamba snake/TAN_Network

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Common visa to be reflected in chair statement

Bali, Nov 15 (ANTARA) - The idea of applying a common visa system in the Southeast Asian region is likely to be reflected in a chair statement, an official said.

"That will be reflected in a chair statement," Director General of ASEAN at the Foreign Ministry Djauhari Oratmangun said at the venue of the 19th ASEAN Summit here on Monday night.

The idea of applying common visa was still on the early stage of discussion. It would take long time to realize the idea because it still had to be discussed with a number of relevant parties, he said.

The relevant parties were likely to hold a series of workshops to discuss technical matters related to the common visa, he said.

"We, the Indonesian citizens must have at least one vision first with regard to the common visa and later discuss it in the context of ASEAN. So the process is only to begin," he said.

After all, he added a chair statement of ASEAN currently led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono might turn into a political statement serving as the basis for ASEAN member states` commitment to applying the common visa.

A discourse on ASEAN common visa emerged at a meeting of ASEAN directors general of immigration and consular affairs from throughout the Southeast Asian region in 2009.

But the participants of the meeting saw no urgency in adopting a common ASEAN visa system because it would require the solution of problems in various areas such as of immigration, security, border area management and financing, he said.

-- TNA 2011-11-15

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Thaksin Amnesty Plan: Shock Report Shakes Thai Social Media

http://www.ethailand.com/news/thaksin-amnesty-plan-shock-report-shakes-thai-social-media-259755.html

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Not a lot new from Dr Seri tonight. Interesting that so little northern water is coming into Khlong Bang Sue that pumps have little to do./via@terryfrd

With the slow down in northern run off "no way" inner city is going to be hit, Dr Seri says./via@terryfrd

The widening of the gap in the big bag barrier is not a problem Dr Seri said./via@terryfrd

Dr Seri & Darin explored BKK main roads, finding big improvements on VR, Paholyothin, but still deep flooding on Ch Wattana & elsewhere./via@terryfrd

Basically, it was all good news on BKK side and worrisome news on the Thonburi side as heavy flooding continues there/via@terryfrd