Thailand Live Saturday 26 Nov 2011

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Thailand Live Saturday 26 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 Friday 25 Nov 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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WATER MISMANAGEMENT

Activists file complaint against Yingluck, Pracha

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FLOOD CRISIS

Police monitor 10 areas for signs of flood-related unrest: Bangkok

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MYSTERIOUS CASH

Suphoth to be grilled over difference in testimony, evidence

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KICKBACKS SCANDAL

Chalerm accused of staging 'political drama' to distract public

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Flood woes mount in South

The Nation

Two men aged 70, 17 die in Yala, taking regional toll to 3 following torrential rain Thousands affected in 9 provinces; schools closed, wave and flood warnings issued

Yala has become the latest province in the South to be hit by flash floods, after inundation in neighbouring provinces earlier this week, with two more deaths reported yesterday bringing the total in the region to three.

A 70yearold man drowned in Yala's Muang district and a male aged 17 perished in Nong Chik district after flash floods caused by days of heavy rain submerged 33 villages in five districts, affecting more than 3,205 people in 449 households.

On Thursday, a threeyearold boy drowned in Songkhla's Saba Yoi district, where flash floods swept away a car he was in, according to a local relief agency.

Yala's Raman district saw the highest water levels of 2 metres, forcing the closure of a number of schools. Metrehigh water in a village there left a large number of cattle stranded on a road.

At least nine Southern provinces have been hit by flash floods after several days of heavy rain.

More than 2,500 residents in three flooded districts of Narathiwat have been affected, while the provincial relief agency expressed worries that all 10 remaining districts would also be inundated.

Many communities in urban areas in Muang Sungai Kolok are under high levels of flood water, with the highest levels reaching 2.1 metres, and boats used increasingly in place of cars.

More than 159 small and key roads are impassable, while more than 15,000 rai of farmland and orchards and 45 shrimp and fish farms were flooded.

Tidal waves continued to sweep across the Talum Phuk Peninsula in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Pak Phanang district yesterday. The first waves hit on Thursday, when a storm lashed the area.

The waves felled many coconut trees along a beachfront and eroded sections of beach roads. Electricity has been cut in many flooded areas to prevent electrocution.

Thirty schools in Pattani have closed while 2,000 households been affected after several waterways, including the Pattani River, burst their banks. The floods also submerged 500 homes in Muang district, driving residents to live in tents along a major road.

A large number of people living along a river section evacuated to higher ground after their land was swamped by runoff released from a watergate.

The Weather Department has issued flashflood warnings for Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Patthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Trang and Satun, as further heavy rain and storms are expected in the next few days.

Residents of the east coast of southern Thailand were urged to be wary of high waves in the next few days, a statement said.

Phatthalung was the worst hit of the nine floodaffected Southern provinces, police spokesman MajGeneral Piya Uthayoh said.

Volunteers and relief officials are manning 28 locations at risk of mudslides and landslides in Si Nakharin, Si Banphot and Kong Ra districts, where residents were advised to prepare for evacuation.

A man and his elderly father were rescued from a roadside after their car was hit by a flash flood on a road in Khao Chaison district.

Several districts in Songkhla were named disaster zones as a result of flooding yesterdayFriday.

Soh Hemmakul, chief of the rescue and mitigation office in Songkhla, said Governor Winyu Thongsakul had declared Saba Yoi, Khuan Niang, Rattaphum and Singha Nakhon as disaster zones, as almost every area was under high water.

The inundation has spread, with water levels reaching 5070 centimetres after continuous rain.

Ninetynine families of Lae Bang village were evacuated to a shelter at a school after the flood hit their areas.

Most of Saba Yoi is affected every year by flooding.

-- The Nation 2011-11-26

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Relief caravan hits the road

The Nation

A flood-relief caravan, launched on behalf of a charity foundation under HRH Princess Bajra Kitiyabha, has begun providing supplies and assistance to flood victims in four provinces including Bangkok.

The caravan of 45 military trucks, eight offroaders, 73 boats and six helicopters will provide medical and other assistance, along with checkups and 30,000 survival kits and relief supplies, at 10 select locations where access is still difficult on land transport. Speaking at a launch ceremony yesterday at the Public Health Ministry, Aphai Janthanajullaka, a deputy head of the Princess Pa Foundation, said the caravan, the second of its kind, would visit four heavily flood Nonthaburi districts, one tambon in Samut Sakhon, three districts in Pathum Thani, and Bangkok's Thawee Watthana district.

-- The Nation 2011-11-26

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Don Mueang Airport to partially reopen in January

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EDITORIAL

Censure motion sets the scene for further division: Thailand

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WATCHDOG

Burglary hot potato could end up burning a lot of hands: Thai opinion

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More pumps join estate-drainage effort

The Nation

A total of 146 additional pumps have been installed at two heavily flooded industrial estates in Ayutthaya to speed drainage, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand said yesterday.

The pumps, with tube sizes of 8 and 10 inches (20 and 25 centimetres), will run on fuel provided free by PTT at Rojana and Saha Rattana Nakhon estates, where drainage is underway.

The two agencies are also sponsoring production of pontoons for use as floating shelters in other floodhit areas.

-- The Nation 2011-11-26

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Saline production, imports to be boosted

The Nation

A large amount of medical saline is being imported to meet increased demand due to floodrelated health problems, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) said yesterday.

Apart from 1,897,600 bottles of saline due to arrive in Thailand on November 21 and 27 and December 22, three local saline producers have been encouraged to increase their output.

The FDA and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation have met to discuss inventories of medicines and will soon announce details on the stockpiles. The agencies agreed to activate a fasttrack process to allow imports of 32 types of medicines.

-- The Nation 2011-11-26

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MU calls for long-term planning

The Nation

A centre studying logistical strategies at Mahidol University (MU) has called for longterm planning and solutions to cope with possible future disasters, including floods, in Thailand.

In the past, Thailand has solved postdisaster problems on a casebycase basis and has never put in place longterm solutions, said Associate Professor Duangphan Kritcharnchai, director of MU's Centre for Logistical Study.

Preplanned measures are needed to cope with searchandrescue operations, the immediate effects of disasters and rehabilitation efforts, she said. The centre will soon begin its own study on the issue with funds possibly being granted for the purpose by the National Research Council of Thailand, she added.

-- The Nation 2011-11-26

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Phuket gets dedicated 'sexual assault case' police officer

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Phuket business owners at Karon Beach win reprieve from street clearing

Local business owner Adam Simone shows the thin red line, outside of which all will be cleared away.

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Police confirm handover of 95 Rohingya near Phuket to Thai Army

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RT @tulsathit: TR @news1005fm: Yingluck says several provinces are returning to normal and stagnant waters in central plains keep receding.

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Phuket police nab 'serial thieves'

Phuket Gazette

Suspects (seated, from left) Subandit, Kittisak and Somyot.

Photo: Warisa Temram

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Aussie tourist found dead at Phuket resort

Australian tourist Judy Freshwater, who arrived in Phuket just yesterday,

was found dead by her husband late last night after failing to return to her

hotel room. Photo: Wichai Wittawat

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Floods in Southern provinces are still critical; Areas of Narathiwat, Trang over 2 metres deep; Over 20,000 households in Songkhla affected /MCOT

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PM asks all Thais to take part in Dec 5 celebration of HM the King's 7th cycle birthday /TANN

PM voices concern for flooding in South,particularly Songkhla; flooding in BKK stabilizing so Big Bag levees may be removed /TANN

Interior Minister Yongyuth admits to endorsing purchase of 100,000 relief bags,portable toilets at Bt158 mn;ready to clarify transparency /TANN

Don Muang sees flooding recede by 5cm;Mahasawad Canal sees lower water level by 3cm;Rangsit still heavily flooded;Thonburi floods stabilize /TANN

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8 Narathiwat districts announced flood disaster zone,1 drowned;Phattalung's Kuankanun District flooded;Nakhon Si Thammarat sees heavy rain/TANN

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FROC chief Pracha not worried over no confident motion debate on Sun against him for mismanaging flood crisis, no need for preparation /MCOT

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RT @RichardBarrow: 1:15pm No floods on Eastern Outer Ring Road but 5km tailbacks at Thonburi tollgate due to broken up road.

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RT@terryfrd: Dr Seri & Darin visited housing estates in Patum Thani at request of residents. Good news: water down 1 metre Bad news: 1.5 metres to go.

RT@terryfrd: In some areas visited today by Dr Seri, those below road levels, no obvious way to drain water efficiently.Residents waiting for clear plan

RT@terryfrd: On positive note, river levels start dropping tomorrow. Also Govt pumping program already showing some results near Muang Ake, etc.

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Forest run-off cuts off two bridges in Surat Thani.

SURAT THANI, Nov 26 - Two more districts of the southern province of Surat Thani were announced as flood disaster areas, meaning there were now six districts designated as disaster zones while forest run-off has cut off two bridges in Kanchanadit district.

Two districts that were included in the flood disaster list were Tha Chana and Kanchanadit while four districts announced earlier were Chaiya, Vibbhavadi, Khiri Rat Nikhom and Than Chang.

Surat Thani military provincial deputy commander Col Wichai Thassanamonthian and Surat Thani Provincial Administration Organisation chief Montri Phetchkhum have led authorities to inspect two bridges that were swept away by forest run-off.

One bridge was in Pa Ron subdistrict while another was at Khlong Sa subdistrict.

Authorities had built makeshift bridges to facilitate villagers but the vehicle could not pass.

Meanwhile, Pattani municipality mayor Pitak Korkiatpitak has warned communities along the Pattani River which were in a high risk area to move their valuables to higher ground because the water level of the Pattani River is increasing and some areas were already flooded.

The authorities have installed an additional water pump to speed up drainage in the flooded areas.

In Narathiwat, the province has announced 5 more districts as flood disaster zones, meaning all 13 districts of the province were now disaster areas, which could facilitate officials providing assistance more effectively. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-11-26

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Red-shirt leaders Thida and Weng open 1st red-shirt village in Si Sa Ket; residents not worried about opposition/TAN_Network

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FROC chief not worried by no confidence motion debate against him

BANGKOK, Nov 26 -- The Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) director Pol Gen Pracha Promnok said on Saturday that he was not worried over no-confidence motion debate against him for allegedly mismanaging the flood crisis and alleged corruption in flood relief package procurement.

Pol Gen Pracha said he was not worried at all, as the censure debate was normal practice under a democratic system and he would bring the truth to counter all allegations.

The opposition Democrat Party last week filed a motion for a debate of no confidence in Pol Gen Pracha, who also serves as Justice Minister.

In the motion signed by 153 MPs, Pol Gen Pracha was accused of mismanaging the flood crisis and irregularities in flood relief package procurement.

The opposition Democrat Party has reportedly prepared 10 MPs to debate.

The House Speaker has scheduled the censure debate for Sunday, with a vote on the motion of no confidence set for Monday.

Pol Gen Pracha asked the opposition not to involve Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the debate, as he should be the only one targeted by this motion.

He believed the truth could answer all questions and clarify every allegation.

The minister added that he did not feel isolated from the Pheu Thai Party as the only one named in this motion and did not prepare anything special for the debate. After he was appointed to direct the FROC, he has focused on his tasks to help people who were affected from the flood.

The debate would be a good opportunity to explain and clarify every allegation with sincerity to the public, which would then decide whether to believed him or not, said Pol Gen Pracha.

-- TNA 2011-11-26

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State Railway resumes normal service on all routes from today onwards/TAN_Network