Thailand Live Thursday 15 Dec 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 15 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 Wednesday 14 Dec 2011

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SHINAWATRA GOVERNMENT

Chalerm: No backing down on Thaksin Amnesty

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Tight security in Bangkok for New Year

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ROYAL INSULT

Tough action sought over lese majeste

The Nation

The Lawyers Council of Thailand yesterday submitted a petition demanding that the government crack down harder on groups behind insulting remarks against the monarch, as well as doctored photos posted online.

LCT chairman Sak Korsaengruang said the petition was submitted to Deputy PM Chalerm Yoobamrung, who has been appointed chairman of a committee tasked with cracking down on websites deemed offensive to the monarchy.

The petition said that the insults in cyberspace were spreading because police and the Information and Communications Technology Ministry had failed to deal with the offenders, which could be considered as negligence under the Constitution.

The LCT then requested the police chief and the ICT minister to jointly form a special force to monitor, examine and investigate offences against the monarch.

Suspects arrested on such charges should be divided into two categories: those who intended to topple the monarch and those who merely acted impetuously.

The first group should be prosecuted according to the law while the second should be informed of the facts so that they would have a better understanding of their misdeeds.

The LCT will also forward the petition to the ICT and Justice ministries as well as the Royal Thai Police.

-- The Nation 2011-12-15

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BURNING ISSUE

Next month's Thai Cabinet reshuffle not a major shake up

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Big names show big hearts at flood-relief auction: Thailand golf

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ANTI-CORRUPTION

Anti-graft network urges scrutiny of post-flood projects: Thailand

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ROYAL FLORA RATCHAPHRUEK

Horticulture fest opens in Chiang Mai

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Cabinet reshuffle: Nothing to do with performance: Thai talk

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Many injured as train hits 9 cars at Bangkok's Asoke rail crossing

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Every Thai student should have a tablet PC by May: Woravat

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THE PRINCE MAHIDOL AWARD

Three foreigners win

THE NATION

An American doctor, a Taiwanese biochemist and an Australian public-health expert are recipients of the prestigious Prince Mahidol Award in its 20th year, the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation under Royal Patronage announced yesterday.

There were 76 candidates from 45 countries nominated for final selection this year, combined with those nominated in two previous years.

American psychiatrist and professor emeritus Aaron Temkin Beck and Taiwanese biochemist David T Wong received the award in the medicine category, while Australian paediatrician Chair Professor Ruth F Bishop won the award in the public-health category.

Beck, 90, is expected to send a representative to receive the award. Wong, a developer of fluoxetine-based Prozac, an antidepressant, works in the psychiatry division under Indiana University's faculty of medicine, while Bishop works for the paediatrics division of Melbourne University.

The award ceremony, to be presided over by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, will be held on January 25 at Chakri Maha Prasart Throne Hall. The recipients or their representatives will make speeches at a ceremony one day before at Siriraj Medical School.

The Prince Mahidol Award was established by His Majesty in honour of his father Prince Songkhla in 1992 to mark his 100th birth anniversary. Normally one winner in medicine and one in the public-health category are awarded, but this year three awards will be given, with prize money increased from US$50,000 (Bt15 million) to $100,000, from this year.

-- The Nation 2011-12-15

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Akong can appeal verdict, says court

The Nation

'Man convicted of lese majeste given every opportunity to defend himself'

In the first public reaction from the courts of justice to widespread criticism of the "Akong" verdict, a court spokesman has written an article categorically defending the ruling and stating that the man given 20 years for lese majeste could still appeal.

In his article sent to many media outlets, Sitthisak Wanachakij acknowledged that public criticism over the verdict against Amphon Tangnoppakhun, known publicly as Akong, "came like a flood that overwhelmed the court and the Thai justice system" and the continued silence of the court might no longer be a good option.

The article addressed key issues surrounding the "Akong" verdict -the assumption that he was innocent, the "much too harsh" punishment, the age of the defendant, the international standard for this kind of cases, and calls for Thailand to do away with or amend Article 112.

Responding to the claims that the 61-year-old man was innocent, Sitthisak insisted that the suspect was tried fairly and given every opportunity to defend himself. "These claims by people not involved in the justice process should be backed by concrete evidence. This case went through an investigation process and then was screened by public prosecutors. During the trial, the suspect was fully allowed to defend himself in court in accordance with legal and international standards," the court spokesman wrote in his article.

In bold letters, Sitthisak said that this case was far from final and the suspect has every right to take it to the Appeals Court and then, if necessary, the Supreme Court. "The case is not concluded yet, and we have seen many incidents of lower-court verdicts turned around by higher courts," he said. "It's premature to describe him as someone punished by the ultimate court verdict."

That was repeated again near the end of the article.

Touching on the most controversial aspect of the Criminal Court's ruling - the 20-year jail sentence imposed on the man - Sitthisak said the penalty was based on the court's conclusion that the offence was not just an insult to the monarchy, but something committed repeatedly with malicious intent. The spokesman also noted that the defendant was sentenced to five years on each of the five counts, two years more than the minimum penalty prescribed for each count.

The text messages in question were a pre-meditated act against the monarchy and they carried threats and the suspect used different words each time, according to the court's spokesman.

"The text messages were barbaric and the language used was beyond what ordinary people would use against each other," he wrote, noting that the hate campaign was committed against a monarch known to have done everything for the Thai people and who everybody knows is protected by the law against insults.

Regarding the age of the defendant, Sitthisak said that while Amphon was portrayed as an elderly, helpless man, he was well aware of what he was doing, and at 61 was by no means too old to learn and use technology against the monarchy. "He was not a grandpa needing nursery care and he was capable of understanding and using modern technology," the court's spokesman said.

Sitthisak's article did not address observations that people convicted of some heinous crimes had received lighter punishment.

On the verdict not meeting international standards, Sitthisak said that even the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights calls for freedom of expression to be exercised responsibly. It also mentioned the importance of national security, public moral and individual dignity can be taken into account.

Regarding calls for Article 112 of the Constitution to be scrapped or amended, Sitthisak said the issue was up to Parliament. However, he said that attempts to change the law should take into account Thailand's political history, national identity and the existence of fair and constructive criticism, which is already allowed in this country.

-- The Nation 2011-12-15

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Thai Court rejects red-shirt plea against Criminal Act provisions

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REDS MOVEMENT

Arisman bail decision on Monday

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Mekong leaders set to meet up in Burma

The Nation

Six leaders from countries in the Mekong region will be meeting next week in the Burmese capital of Naypyidaw to discuss the development of infrastructure projects.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul and Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan will be at the forum on Monday and Tuesday, Foreign Ministry's spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said.

Surapong and Pichai will also hold separate meetings with their respective counterparts to seek cooperation on energy since Thailand needs more power for economic development, he said. Thailand currently imports natural gas from Burma to generate electricity and is looking for other sources such as hydropower projects along the Thai-Burmese border.

Construction giant Italian-Thai is at present in charge of a mega project at Dawei (Tavoy) and is building a special economic zone linking the two countries with the rest of the region.

Thani said Surapong and Pichai would be visiting the Dawei project early next year to look into the cooperation. Six countries in the Mekong basin, namely China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, came together in the mid-1980s under the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) scheme to develop infrastructure projects. The Asian Development Bank sponsored the scheme.

Leaders of the six nations held their first summit in November 2002 in Phnom Penh and have been meeting every three years since then. The countries are cooperating in several sectors including transportation, telecommunication, energy, agriculture, tourism, trade and investment.

Many projects have already materialised over the past few years, notably land route links from China to Laos and Thailand as well as Thailand to Laos and Vietnam.

The sub-regional grouping is also expanding regional links, like the East-West Economic Corridor is now being developed further to link Indian Ocean and the Pacific through Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

During the Naypyidaw summit, leaders would witness the signing of many pacts to forge cooperation in many areas.

The agreements include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on joint action to reduce the population's vulnerability to HIV as well as on Cooperation to Develop the Information Superhighway Network Phase III.

-- The Nation 2011-12-15

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Princess to chair UN commission

The Nation

HRH Princess Bajra Kitiyabha has become the 21st chairperson of the UN's Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ).

The Princess took the post officially on Tuesday, following her selection during Monday's 20th Session of CCPCJ in Vienna.

The Thai government has given her the position of ambassador in order to facilitate her work for the CCPCJ in Vienna.

The Princess will chair CCPCJ meetings, where the focus will be on resolutions to promote collaboration in a bid to battle violence that threatens immigrants and immigrant workers, as well as increasing the effectiveness of crime prevention and criminal justice.

-- The Nation 2011-12-15

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Thailand set to become Asia's shopping hub: Siam Piwat boss

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Bt1.6 bn needed for religious sites

THE NATION

The flood crisis has caused damage worth more than Bt1.6 billion to the country's religious sites, including the famous Buddha Mondhol Buddhist Park.

PM's Office Minister Surawit Khonsomboon, who oversees the National Office of Buddhism, yesterday disclosed that the restoration of this park alone would require more than Bt800 million.

Spanning more than 2,500 rai, this park is widely seen as an icon of Buddhism. Thousands of Buddhists gather here for candle-lit processions around the Giant Buddha Statue on every important Buddhist day.

"We need another Bt800 million for other temples damaged by the floods," he said.

This year's flooding is considered to be the worst to hit the country in decades. To date, a senior irrigation official has estimated that a large part of farmland in Ayutthaya province was still under more than 850 million cubic metres of water.

"We hope the area will have dried out by early next year," Ayutthaya Irrigation Project chief Maitree Pitinanont said.

The flooding has also seriously hit Bangkok, with many city residents lodging complaints against the government for mismanaging the situation.

Ombudsman Siracha Charoenpanij yesterday disclosed that his office had already established a working panel to determine whether flooding in Bangkok could be considered a disaster, whether it was a result of the government's mismanagement or if relevant officials/authorities were negligent.

"I sit on the panel, too, and will answer people's questions before the end of this month," he said.

According to him, the panel has already summoned water experts such as the Royal Irrigation Department's director-general Chalit Damrongsak and a former chief of the department Pramote Maiklad to gather information.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Warning Centre yesterday warned about rough sea conditions off the South's eastern coast along Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.

"All boats should avoid going out to the sea," it said.

-- The Nation 2011-12-15

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Japan job fair for flood-hit workers

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Cheaply-priced goods for flood victims to go on sale at Nonthaburi City Hall from Dec 16-18 /

Education Ministry holds anti-narcotics event at Royal Plaza at 8am; 5,000 participants expected /

Tomorrow supporters of lese majeste law to gather at Royal Plaza at 1.30pm, move to UN at 2pm and to US Embassy at 3pm /

/TAN_Network

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,012.23, down 11.25 points /MCOT

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Court hands down 15-yr jail term for red-shirt member 'Da Torpedo'; she says she won't appeal ruling as she's lost faith in judicial system /TANN

Veterinarian Alongkorn warns against raising Pit Bull after one bit and killed a 71-yr-old woman yesterday /TANN

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Drought Begins in Provinces

Local residents in many provinces are now affected by a drought crisis.

About 200 local people from Phitsanulok Province worked together to repair a crack in the concrete wall of the Khlong Nueng Canal in Kamphaeng Phet's Muang District.

Consequently, water could not be discharged to Phitsanulok Province, and farmers have suffered from drought.

Residents of Phitsanulok's Bang Rakam District shouted and clapped when water finally reached their paddy fields.

People have built a temporary embankment by reinforcing a sandbag along the canal to prevent the shore from being eroded.

The Royal Irrigation officers decided to open the sluice gate, releasing water to other provinces, including Phitsanulok.

A farmer in Bangrakam District named Sawek Duangta said after the floodwater was completely drained, and local people started cultivating rice to make up for lost revenue.

She pointed out that the water discharge from Kamphaeng Phet Province is the major water resource used for planting.

Without the water, 100,000 rais of paddy fields would be left dry.

Meanwhile, the water levels in natural water sources have also been declining rapidly, particularly in the Shee River, which passes through Maha Sarakham Province. People there are now suffering from drought.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-15

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PM Yingluck to Kick Off the Energy Credit Card Scheme

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Oishi Group to Restart Production during Flood Aftermath

The Oishi Group managing director revealed that the company has lost an estimated total of 1.4 billion baht during the flood crisis, and 2.8 billion baht is needed to recover its damaged factory in a flooded industrial estate.

Oishi Group Managing Director Matthew Kitothan gave an interview after the Big Cleaning Day Event in the flooded Navanakorn Industrial Estate in Pathum Thani Province, saying the company has halted its production since October 14 when floodwaters swamped over its production base.

As of now, the water has completely drained, so Oishi Group is working on recovering its factory.

Kitothan said the initial inspection shows rehabilitation costs will be at least 2.8 billion baht.

Two billion baht will be spent on new machines to replace the ruined ones.

He added that the company is negotiating with its insurance company to get a full reimbursement, saying Oishi Group is insured for 4 billion baht.

Furthermore, the company expects to resume 60 percent of its production by March, while full capacity production will begin in August.

In addition, the revenue lost during the flood is estimated at around 1.4 billion baht.

Consequently, the company's total revenue will drop from its earlier predicted figure by 1 billion baht, to a total of 10 billion.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-15

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Blaze destroys Phuket fishermen’s homes

Phuket Gazette

Police officers look over the remains of the fire that quickly engulfed several fishermen’s homes on Phuket’s west coast. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

Firefighters from two Phuket Fire Stations took more than an hour to extinguish the blaze. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

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Judge in Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case will deliver verdict on January 9 as long-running and politically charged trial came to close /MCOT

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Flood Improves in South Region

Officials have installed embankments to prevent erosion from large waves at Pattani beach.

Meanwhile, the flood situation is improving in Pattalung Province.

The flood situation is improving in some areas after many houses in four districts of Patthalung Province were submerged due to a flash flood.

The water level in villages along Bantad Mountain in Mae Kari and Klong Yai sub-districts of Tamode District has declined, and locals are starting the clean up.

However, one area remains open to prepare for the runoff, and the water there is still as high as one meter.

More than 10,000 households have been affected.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Official Thonkorn Trabanpruk said the floodwater in four districts came from Bantad Mountain and was caused by heavy rainfall.

The rain has now stopped, and the situation has improved in some areas.

Due to strong ocean waves in Pattani Gulf, 15 kilometers of the road running along the shore from Bann Lametashee to Bann Datoh in Yaring District of Pattani Province has been damaged.

Department of Rural Roads division 12 officials are using a crane and more than 100 concrete posts to build embankments to protect the other roads.

More than 5,000 local residents from three villages in Lamepoh Sub-district will not be able to commute if the road is cut off.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-15