Thailand Live Monday 21 Nov 2011

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Thailand Live Monday 21 November 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 Sunday 20 Nov 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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Justice minister rules out Thaksin pardon

-- The Nation 2011-11-21http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/513747-justice-minister-rules-out-thaksin-pardon/

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Five more held by police over robbery at Supoth's mansion

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PAD cancels rally

The People's Alliance for Democracy announced Sunday that it has canceled its plan to hold a rally in front of the Office of the Council of State.

The rally was initially planned from 10 am to 6 pm Monday.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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His Majesty's condition improving

The Nation

His Majesty the King is suffering less abdominal pain, his fever has eased and his general condition is improving, according to a Royal Household Bureau statement released last night.

The King is taking fluids normally and sleeping well, and sits up occasionally on the advice of the Royal Physicians, the 46th document said.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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Nonthaburi residents demand action

The Nation

Some 300 Nonthaburi residents yesterday demonstrated outside city hall for immediate solutions to the stillhigh floodwaters paralysing their province for months.

The rally began before noon but the protestors later dismissed an provisional promise given by a deputy government official, saying that they believed he was not authorised to press for their demands.

The group wanted authorities to halt flood prevention work on Route 340 and use it as a channel to drain floodwaters out to estuaries, saying Rama II Road to the South was still passable.

The group, representing residents in the three heavilyflooded districts of Bang Bua Thong, Bang Kruay and Sai Noi, later blocked Rattanathibet Road, causing heavy traffic congestion in the province.

In the late evening, the road was jammed down to Khae Rai Intersection and up to Nang Klao Bridge.

The protestors later met with Governor Wichean Phutthiwinyoo, who promised to push for six more pumps on Maha Sawat Canal to expel more water westward out of the province.

They dispersed but vowed to converge again tomorrow if floodwaters did not recede to a satisfactory level.

The residents also threatened to open all Maha Sawat floodgates themselves if their three other conditions were not met - repair of Bang Bua Thaong barriers, no floodwater in the three districts after December 1, and additional pay on top of the Bt5,000perhousehold compensation granted by the government.

Residents in Bangkok's Don Muang district also gathered at the Sri Saman expressway entrance to submit three demands to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration including to open the floodgates in front of Thewa Sunthorn Temple in drain the water from Don Mueang Airport.

The two others were to install 30 more pumps to discharge water from Lak Hok Canal to Ban Mai Canal and study the possibility of opening a section of the big bag barrier in the Rangsit area, along with additional payments.

Another Big Cleaning Day was held for a stretch of Charan Sanitwong Road in Bangkok’s Bang Phlat district with thousands of residents volunteering. About 1,700 tonnes of garbage were collected from flooded sois on both sides but 1,000 tonnes remained, as well as one million empty sandbags awaiting disposal.

Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, who joined the event, said the BMA could not comply with a recent request from Nonthaburi authorities to lower floodgates along a sixkilometre section of the boundary between the province and Bangkok.

That would result in other waterways overflowing and letting 7.5 million more cubic metres to flow into Bangkok, which might leave the Thon Buri side underwater for much longer, he said.

Pongsapat Pongcharoen, spokesman of the government's Flood Relief Operations Centre, said the idea of giving more money, on top of the Bt5,000 blanket grant, to flood victims suffering more severely - for example staying submerged longer than new victims - could be possibly tabled soon.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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NBTC ready with its broadband master plan

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

The national broadcasting and telecom regulatory body has finished the draft Universal Service Obligation (USO) master plan, which aims to cover 90 per cent of the population with broadband networks within five years.

General Sukit Khamasundara, commissioner of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), who is in charge of developing the plan, said he would submit the draft for the NBTC board's consideration soon. If approved, a public hearing on the draft is expected to take place in late January.

The USO fund is aimed at promoting equal access to telecom services. The draft divides the coverage into prime areas and non-business areas. The primary broadband network rollout will focus on hospitals, schools and Tambon Administrative Organisations' precincts.

The public hearing on the draft will focus on determining an appropriate annual contribution to the USO fund by the watchdog's licencees, and whether all three types of licencees should be subject to the contributions.

In the era of the now defunct National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), only holders of its Type 2 and Type 3 licences were required to promote telecom services in remote areas as part of the USO's regulations. Those who declined to do so were required to contribute 4 per cent of their annual revenue to the USO fund, to allow the NTC to hire other firms to promote telecom services in remote areas. The NBTC's draft USO master plan would require all licencees to make annual contributions.

There is still almost Bt3 billion left in the USO fund.

The public hearing will focus on whether contributions to the fund by the licence-holders should be lower than 4 per cent, Sukit said.

Holders of Type 1 licences do not have their own networks. Holders of Type 2 licences may or may not have their own networks and compete for limited groups of customers. Holders of Type 3 licences have their own networks and their competition has a wide-scale impact on the public.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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Post-flood rehab plan for tourism sector: Thailand

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STREET WISE

What if we were to die today?: Thai opinion

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Flu vaccinations to begin today

The Nation

A total of 80,000 does of flu vaccines has been readied for flood evacuees living in shelters in 17 provinces, the Department of Disease Control said yesterday.

The shots will begin to be given starting today, and initially at shelters where there are more than 1,000 evacuees, as the greater congestion of residents means a greater the risk of them catching flu.

The vaccines can guard against three types of flu: 2009 B Type; and H3 and H2. Medical staff will also be given the shots first along with seven types of people at greatest risk, including people older than 65 years of age or those under medications or chemotherapy.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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Health warnings over home clean-ups

The Nation

Asthmatics and those with allergies are advised to avoid cleaning their homes during postflood recovery, as fumes and moulds mixed with the debris can be fatal against them, if not additing severity to their symptoms, a senior government allergist said yesterday.

The cleaners in good health are also advised to wear whatever protective gears avaiable while doing the job and wash their hair and take a shower after the work is done, said Asst Prof Chalermchai Bunyaleephan.

Children and elderlies should stay away from homes undergoing cleaning, while asthmatics and those with allergies must prepare medications or stop their work in case they must do the cleaning.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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Princess aids victims in Pathum Thani

The Nation

Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya has extended helps and given relief suppiles to flood victims living in Pathum Thani's Sam Khok district. Among them is a woman with her newborn daughter who both suffer infection from mosquito bites while the 18month baby is malnutritious from the mother's lack of breast milk.

Suwannee Khongcharoensanti and the unname baby have been given medical help and other assistance after the princess met them in her recent visit on behalf of Miracle of Life Foundation she chairs. A large number of survival kits were also handed to flood victims living in tambon Bang Pho Nua where she visited.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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Australian aid helping to educate homeless, disadvantaged kids

The Nation

Australia is supporting education in Thailand through several projects.

The AustraliaThailand Institute (ATI) has funded a project called Implementing and Teaching Integrated Pest Management at Bhubing Palace in Chiang Mai, which promotes a strong partnership between Australian and Thai researchers.

In the South, ATI has also planned to build the Phuket Lifesaving Education Centre on Nai Harn beach in Phuket.

The Australian government's direct aid programme (DAP) has given educational assistance to students at Thung Bor Vitthaya School in Khon Kaen.

The DAP provided 20 sets of computers with tables and chairs for an Internet Centre for Community Education.

An initiative of the director of the school, this project gives students, teachers and villagers access to new computers.

The school director of a small local government school in Chiang Mai also used DAP funding to upgrade the school's computer equipment.

Before receiving the funding, the students had expressed a wish for the school to teach computer skills.

With DAP funding, the school could purchase five new computers and printers.

Another DAP project made it possible for a dedicated social worker, Anuchon Holsong, to run the Volunteer for Children Development Foundation (VCDF).

VCDF supports the promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable children in Chiang Mai and adjacent areas in the North.

VCDF's support addresses important issues such as the provision of temporary and residential accommodation and protection from sexual and economic exploitation and human trafficking.

DAP funding allows VCDF to provide basic education, health and meals to 2030 children aged 413.

Most of them are homeless, disadvantaged and stateless.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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Srinakharinwirot help with checks on farm equipment in floods

The Nation

A university is giving a helpful hand to farmers by checking their flooded equipment if requested.

Pracha Boonyawanichkul, a lecturer of mechanical engineering at Srinakharinwirot University, last week urged anyone who needs help to find as many affected farmers in their neighbourhoods as they could.

Then they should contact the university's public relations centre at 026495000 ext 5666 or 0892032973.

The department will send its staff to meet them immediately and inspect the machines in their communities.

Pracha also recommended that they inspect the equipment first to see if floodwater had entered the engine through exhaust or intake pipes.

There are two main types of engines, diesel and petrol.

For a diesel engine, they should change the engine oil and check every part of the engine.

For tractors, owners should check electric and hydraulic systems and use grease to clean the wheel bearings.

For a petrol engine, they should inspect the ignition system or spark plugs and use grease to prevent the bearings from rusting.

-- The Nation 2011-11-21

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Education Commission reviews course content for tablet PCs: Thailand

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PROPERTY TALK

Don't panic! The floods and Bangkok's property prices

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RT @suthichai: Heavy rains in Hat Yai, Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat from last night until now raise concern about flooding in the South.

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Bangkok Governor Expects Floodwater to Be Drained from capital by Year-End

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Big Cleaning Day being organized at Bangpa-in Industrial Estate today /TANN

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All parking on tollways and expressways now prohibited /TANN

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Bkk gov sends letter to FROC urging quick drainage to ease flooding in Nonthaburi and Pathumtani via springnews /TANN

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Bombing in Pattani Injures 8 Monks

A group of suspected insurgents bombs a group of monks during their morning alms collecting. The bomb injured eight.

Another separate shooting in Narathiwas has seriously injured another.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-21

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Bangkok governor sends letter to FROC concerning Nonthaburi and Pathumtani facing floods

The Bangkok governor sends a letter to the FROC urging for quick drainage of flood water in Nonthaburi and Pathumtani to ease the situation there.

According to demands by Nonthanuri locals asking the BMA to widen the opening of Taweewattana sluice gate from 50cms to 1 meter, and lower the sandbags at Bang plad, Bang aor and Bang bamru canals, the BMA would like to calculate the situation first before any decisions can go forward fearing the affects it might cause to Bangkok. Opeing up 50 cms. is already quite wide and widening it could cause damage to the western area, said the governor. Concerning the lowering of sandbags and all 3 canals, so far Nonthaburi officials have not disagreed on the suggestion.

BMA has asked the FROC to quickly drain more water in Hokwa canal to flow out through the East and Mahasawat canal to the West to help alleviate the flooding for Nonthaburi and pathumtani locals

-- Tan Network 2011-11-21

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BMTA cancels free bus rides services as flooding situation begins to return to normal /TANN

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60 of 90 plants at Bangpa-In industrial estate expect to resume operations by Dec.16; clean-up day today via @Biz_TheNation

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Expressway Toll Exemption Not to Be Extended

The Transport Ministry confirms that it will not be extending the toll exemption for all expressways as the flood situation has abated.

The Expressway Authority of Thailand and the Don Muang Tollway started collecting tolls since midnight today as the flood crisis has improved.

Tolls on the expressway and the tollway were exempted from November 9 to 20 so that those who needed to travel to flooded areas could use these roads as alternatives to the flooded ones.

Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannatat said the government has to compensate operators of the expressways at around 184 million baht for the fare exemptions from November 9 to 20 and the tollway at around 14 million baht for the fare exemption from November 12 to 20.

Don Muang Tollway Board Chairman Sombat Panichcheewa said the tollway had been exempting tolls from October 27 through yesterday, resulting in a loss of revenue of five million baht a day or 125 million baht for the total 25 days.

He said he will wait to see what kind of compensation the government will offer the company.

Highways Department Director General Wanchai Paklak, as concession holder for the Don Muang Tollway, said compensation will be paid out based on the average real traffic on the tollway six days prior to the start of the toll exemption.

He estimated the amount at around one million baht per day as traffic on the tollway had decreased by about a third ever since flooding in the area started.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-21

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Bang Pa-in Industrial Park Recovery Program Begins

Government departments and organizations from the private sector began a flood recovery program today at the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate to salvage five flood-stricken industrial zones.

Ayutthaya Provincial Governor Wittaya Phewphong said the Labor, Industry, and Public Health ministries are launching a flood recovery program at the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate today.

The program marks the start of recovery operations at five flood-hit industrial estates.

The provincial authority has been moving forward with its recovery plan which is scheduled to last 58 days, from October 20 to December16.

The plan is aimed at promoting water flow, reducing the water level by 50 percent and restoring access to factories so that operators can send in their staff to repair equipment and facilities.

Out of the estate's 90 plants, around 60 to 70 plants are expected to resume operations on December 16.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-21

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 977.90, down 6.26 points /MCOT

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Laksi-Don Muang reps prepare 6 demands for FROC after inner Bkk dries up but Don Muang still unable to drain water

The 6 demands include (1) managing water from Don Muang area to flow to Premprachakorn canal and get rid of garbage blocking the water flow, (2) demands 30 water pumps to drain water from Premprachakorn canal out to Rangsit Prayurasak canal and then out to Chaopraya river, (3) move the Rangsit Big Bag barriers out to give more space to water draining, (4) divert water to Baanmai canal as another draining passage, (5) ask for clarity from FROC on relief measures for flood victims and (6) divert flood water from the East out to Bangpakong rive

-- Tan Network 2011-11-21