Thailand Live Saturday 10 Dec 2011

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Thailand Live Saturday 10 December 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 9 Dec 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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Sanyo shuts down its production facilities in Thailand

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Abhisit opposes transfer of red-shirt prisoners to separate facility

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Flood impact on supply chain worries Thai chamber

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Premier vows close links with military

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Protest staged over law on lese-majeste

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

About 100 opponents of the lese-majeste law donned black clothes and held a vigil in front of the Criminal Court yesterday to demand the abolition of the law and freedom for prisoners of conscience, including 61-year-old Amphon Tangnoppakul, better known as Akong, the subject of a recent high-profile prosecution.

Protesters wore paper masks of Akong and many held torches, symbolising the death of justice in cases of freedom of expression regarding the institution of the monarchy.

Kwanravee Wangudom, coordinator of a campaign to raise awareness about Article 112 of the penal code, which concerns lese-majeste offences, said that from January to October this year, 122 lese-majeste cases came before the Court of First Instance, with eight pending in the Appeals Court and three with the Supreme Court.

Kwanravee was among the protesters who stood vigil for 112 minutes. She said the lese-majeste law blurred the line between defamation and honest criticism of the institution of the monarchy.

Protester Prajin Tannagkorn said he had noticed a sharp rise in the number of people challenging the law.

Akong was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sending four SMS text messages defamatory to the Queen and the monarchy from his mobile phone to a personal secretary of then PM Abhisit Vejjajiva. Protester Sununtawadee Thunyathorn said there are technical doubts about the man's guilt.

"If I don't come, and just sit at home, such a case will occur again," Sununtawadee said.

-- The Nation 2011-12-10

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Draft of broadcasting master plan ready for board's consideration

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation

A committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has completed its draft of the radio and TV broadcasting master plan.

NBTC spokeswoman Supinya Klangnarong said yesterday that the draft of the 2012-16 broadcasting master plan would be submitted for consideration of the commission's board next week.

The draft focuses on permits to use broadcasting spectra, content regulations, consumer protection, industry development, and indices to evaluate the NBTC's performance in achieving the goals of the plan. The draft also includes a plan to move Thailand from analogue to digital broadcasting technology.

The NBTC will meet state agencies that hold the telecom and broadcasting spectra on Tuesday on their need to comply with the 2010 Frequency Allocation Law. Article 82 of the law requires state agencies holding radio, TV or telecom frequencies to declare to the NBTC the details of their use of the frequencies and their reasons for holding them.

The meeting with the state agencies is part of the NBTC's plan to reclaim their spectra for reallocation.

The broadcasting master plan is one of three the NBTC has been working on. Its board approved the draft of the spectrum-management master plan last month, while its telecom committee is developing a master plan for that segment. All three plans will be put to public hearings.

Supinya said she expected the three master plans to come into effect in the first quarter.

-- The Nation 2011-12-10

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EDITORIAL

Can Thailand ever break the culture of impunity?

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WATCHDOG

Thai govt needs a credible flood prevention plan by next April

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Kenney cautious with tweets

The Nation

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney's tweets are usually of a laid-back nature. But that wasn't the case yesterday, when her special "chat" with tweeple landed her in the middle of Thailand's hottest political topics.

She was asked about Thai-American lese majeste convict Joe Gordon, as well as about Article 112, Thaksin Shinawatra, and freedom of expression in Thailand in general. Credited with bringing a new approach to diplomacy, this time the ambassador had to rely on tried-and-trusted diplomatic answers to prevent the one-hour session from becoming too incendiary.

On Gordon, she said the US Embassy would continue to assist him in every possible way, including continually raising his case with Thai authorities. Asked for her opinions on Article 112, she replied that she had high respect for the Thai monarchy, but was "troubled by prosecutions inconsistent with international standards". Thaksin's future, she said, was up to Thailand to decide.

It was a politically charged Q&A session, sprinkled with questions on her Thai-language class, her love of Thai food, and US visas. She referred questions on Burma and US perspectives on the Asia-Pacific region to more detailed sources of information such as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's speeches.

Like all Twitter celebrities, the envoy could not escape sarcasm relating to her ideological stance. After tweeting that she and her country believe strongly in freedom of expression, someone asked her if that ideal extended to "other planets" as well.

Another participant, apparently trying to get her to define "freedom" a little more precisely, reminded her of the Occupy Wall Street protesters and the way they were treated by US authorities. WikiLeaks, unpopular with Washington, also featured in some tweets.

-- The Nation 2011-12-10

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SURVEY

Majority of Bangkok residents happy with govt anti-drug campaign

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YALA

One killed in latest insurgent attack

A team of three insurgents on Friday clashed with security officials in Yala's Raman district, which left a civil defence volunteer dead.

The insurgents were hunted after leaving blood trails at the end of the 10-minute firefight but missed. One of them is possibly muchwanted Tulla Haleng Yamasak, in alias Imam Jakwa, who had been active in the Jakwa area in the district.

Yaya Dama took bullets in his chest during the gunfight and died of wound trauma on the way to a hospital. The shootout occurred after a security blockade at dawn at a village following tipoffs over their presence in the area.

-- The Nation 2011-12-10

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GLO bomb planter caught on tape

The Nation

Securitycamera videos show the face of a man suspected of planting a bomb in front of the Government Lottery Office on December 6, police said.

"He's a suspect at this point. A sketch may be created soon," deputy national police commissioner General Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya said yesterday.

Police have questioned 38 witnesses and received useful information from them, he said.

The bomb was not planted in such a way that it could go off, Panupong said, adding that he was convinced the suspect was not trying to cause an explosion.

"The circuit was complete. We believe he has real knowledge of bombmaking," however, the senior police officer said. He said he did not think the perpetrator was someone in uniform.

In response to Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung's suggestion that a group that had suffered political setbacks was behind the bomb threat, Panupong said police were investigating the case.

National police commissioner General Priewpan Damapong said it was too early to conclude that the incident was politically motivated.

"It's a sensitive issue. We have to get solid evidence before making any comment," he said.

According to Panupong, police are comparing details of the incident to more than 140 bomb cases that have occurred during the past few years to determine if there is any link.

"I will follow up on the case's progress every three days," Panupong said.

Priewpan said he personally wanted to beg anyone bent on causing trouble in the country to please stop.

-- The Nation 2011-12-10

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Setthakij estate 'dry in three days'

The Nation

The heavily flooded Setthakij housing estate, whose disgruntled residents have staged frequent protests, should be dry within three days, Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.

Ten more water pumps have been installed and are operating in the western district of Bang Khae, and are expected to drain all the flood water in two or three days.

A new garbagecollection record was set yesterday of 13,643 tonnes, or 160.50 per cent of the usual daily collection total of around 8,500 tonnes. The Bangkok city administration's previous record was only set on Thursday, at 12,463 tonnes, or 146.62 per cent of the typical regular daily volume.

-- The Nation 2011-12-10

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Cabinet to discuss flood-rehabilitation

The Nation

The Cabinet will convene a special meeting on Monday to consider plans and a budget for postflood rehabilitation efforts, an informed source said yesterday.

Ministers will prioritise proposed projects at the 9am meeting, the source said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has already met with some Cabinet members, relevant agencies, and governors of floodhit provinces to discuss rehabilitation, according to the source, who added that conclusions from those meetings would also be presented at the special Cabinet meeting on Monday.

The source said the Cabinet's regular weekly meeting would be held on Tuesday as usual. Among the items on the agenda was the Interior Ministry's proposal for the One Tambon One Product (Otop) scheme.

The ministry plans to ask that Otop products be promoted for use in repair work, as food at evacuation centres, and as gifts, because the floods had caused more than Bt242 million in damage to Otop producers and entrepreneurs.

More than 100 residents of floodhit Mooban Wangthong in Bangkok's Don Muang district staged a rally that closed down the VibhavadiRangsit Road yesterday morning to demand that flood waters in their area be drained within three days.

They said their houses had been flooded for too long.

Pheu Thai Bangkok MP Surachat Thienthong talked to the flood victims and said pumps were being brought in from Nakhon Ratchasima to facilitate the drainage operation.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, meanwhile, inspected the situation at Mooban Setthakij, where some flood water remains.

"We have installed 10 pumps. The flood waters should be drained out within a few days," he said.

In a related development, the Crime Reporter and Photographer Association of Thailand and allied groups delivered relief items to flood victims in Nakhon Pathom's Phutthamonthon district yesterday.

-- The Nation 2011-12-10

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Meteorological Dept warns of drop of temperature by 2-4 degrees Celsius in North, Northeast, Central and Bkk; South to see heavy rain /TANN

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Nokia enhance developers' skill in upcountry

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RT @tukky_nt: Red shirts will rally at Democracy Monument to mark Constitution Day from 4pm onwards. TR @js100radio

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Take Note of the stylus with style

Samsung Galaxy Note

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PM urges southerners to be on alert for storms in next 2 weeks;assures Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom to see flood recede by year end /TANN

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2 Russian guys were beaten and severely injured in Pattaya Hotel

2 Russian guys bought sexual services from 2 ladyboys but when they discovered that they were not real women

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AFP: China deploys patrol boats on Mekong: state media

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RT @terryfrd: Like the weather, there are seasonal stories in Thai politics. The "speculation about a cabinet reshuffle" season has begun.

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Phuket mangrove land grab allegations continue

Phuket Muang District Deputy Chief Suwat Bubphaphoe at the site of the dispute in Rassada yesterday. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo.

The developers cleared the disputed mangrove forest land in Phuket about nine months ago. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo.

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Bus Crash Kills 3, Injures 40 in Surat Thani

A Bangkok-Hat Yai bus has collided with a truck, resulting in the deaths of three passengers.

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Thai PM Yingluck reiterates all areas to be flood free before New Year

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Jodie Foster's father jailed over home scam

Jodie Foster - File photo. Source: wikimedia

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RT@Biz_TheNation: Don't miss lunar eclipse today, starting from 9.06pm to 9.57pm.

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PM affirms all areas will be flood free before New Year; 70,000 tonnes of garbage remain in 10 Bangkok's districts: Bangkok city hall /MCOT