Thailand Live Friday 16 Dec 2011

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Thailand Live Friday 16 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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SHINAWATRA GOVERNMENT

Passport already issued to Thaksin : Democrat

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Foreign banks given greater presence in Thailand

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GMAIL HACKING

Architect Sumet considers action over hacked mail

The Nation

The hacking of a Gmail account belonging to high profile architect Sumet Jumsai has led to a frantic, but misled, chorus of support from his friends around the world.

The hacker sent out an email from the account stating mischievously that Sumet had been hospitalised in an accident and needed urgent financial assistance.

Many of his friends replied, and some even sent money. Dr Sumet has warned anyone in receipt of such an email to ignore it. "I also want to take legal action to set an example in fighting cyber criminals," he said, adding that the incident had at least shown the generosity of his friends.

-- The Nation 2011-12-16

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POLITICAL CHAOS 2010

Suthep sees ulterior motive in probe

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New Thai Airline Launches Maiden Flight With Transsexual Attendants

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PM Yingluck Affirms Amnesty Law's Fate Rests With Parliament

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Tsunami blamed for Phuket beach encroachment confusion

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Suvarnabhumi Airport 2nd Phase Development To Be Finished In 2016

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FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Facebook crossfire hits US Embassy

The Nation

Webpage overwhelmed by angry and abusive comments, putting to test US commitment to freedom of expression

The US Embassy in Bangkok got a taste of sorts of the "freedom of expression" medicine after Thai political rivals faced off with plenty of obscenities on its Facebook page over the past few days.

With some comments disappearing from the Facebook page yesterday, questions were asked if the embassy really adheres to the democratic principles it preaches. In a reply to a Twitter user, American Ambassador Kristie Kenny said, "As you know, we welcome a vibrant exchange of views. Just ask that it be kept civilised and respectful of all involved".

It was unclear what sparked the war of words on the embassy's Facebook account. The heated exchanges followed the ambassador's "chat" session a week ago with fellow Twitter users, during which "freedom of expression" was a dominant topic. The session came a day after Thai-American Joe Gordon was sentenced to two and a half years in jail for translating parts of the banned book "The King Never Smiles" on a website.

The issue of a 61-year-old Thai-Chinese man recently sentenced to 20-year imprisonment for sending obscene and threatening text messages deemed offensive to the monarchy also came up during the chat.

The past few days saw a highly unusual increase in the number of posters visiting the embassy's Facebook page. "Everyone was in there - royalists, anti-royalists, yellow shirts, red shirts, people who agree with Article 112, people who disagree with Article 112 - you name it," said a visitor to the Facebook page, who did not leave any comment.

Some posted messages were simple expressions of love for the Thai monarch. Others asked the United States to "stay away from Thai affairs". "Embassy, are you Thai?" one poster asked, apparently half jokingly. Much profanity was used by those squabbling on the page, prompting one person to write "Embassy, do something. This is a big mess".

Messages came in both Thai and English, some supporting US policy on human rights while others suggesting they saw hypocrisy.

"We support the USA because we support human rights," one wrote. "Why don't you [the US government] go and check out your best friends in the Middle East instead of picking on Thailand," another said. Some alluded to cases like that of a man who went to jail for writing a poem featuring a plot to assassinate US President Barack Obama.

The embassy's Facebook team was apparently frustrated and overwhelmed. A message was posted yesterday asking everyone to calm down.

"Dear Facebook friends - As always, we welcome your discourse and diverse views on our wall and pages. Please be mindful of our existing terms of service, however, by refraining from using language that is profane or abusive," the embassy said.

"This is not worth it," one poster calling himself "Khun Wit" wrote in Thai. "Any signal of attempts to interfere with the Thai justice system would face opposition from the silent power of Thai people. And I can tell you that the silent power is not that silent."

-- The Nation 2011-12-16

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POLITICS

Wife of slain Thai Democrat aide turns to Dr Pornthip

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EDITORIAL

The private sector can lead the fight against graft: Thai opinion

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Potholes ahead: Grim prospects for Thai economy in 2012

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Police nab rapist who sought his prey on Facebook

The Nation

A man has been arrested for allegedly raping a 14yearold girl he met via Facebook and later videotaping sexual acts to use as blackmail fodder in the future.

Wimol Srida, 37, admitted to having participated in sexual acts with the unnamed victim, but insisted that it was consensual. Police said they were compiling evidence of Wimol allegedly committing similar crimes against two other underage victims who had also met him through Facebook.

The teenager said Wimol had been forcing her to have sex with him for more than three months after the initial rape before she found the courage to speak to her parents. The girl later helped police set a trap, which led to Wimol's arrest earlier this week in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The suspect is also wanted for two cases of theft in Phichit and in Bangkok's Min Buri district. Police said the suspect, calling himself "The Southern Warrior" on Facebook, generated sympathy by saying that he worked as a security official in the restive deep South, before his victims agreed to meet him. He then allegedly violated them sexually later.

Police said that Wimol never showed his face clearly on webcam while chatting online so he could not be identified. This prompted police to set up a chat session with the 14yearold victim before they sought court approval for an arrest warrant.

-- The Nation 2011-12-16

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37 structures in Tablan National Park to be razed: Thailand

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Police reshuffle set to favour Thaksin loyalists

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Confessed shoe thief gets 18 months

The Nation

30 Bangkok communities still flooded; BMA vows dry New Year

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man to 18 months in prison for stealing 25 pairs of shoes from a flood victim.

Supatpong Phosakha, 52, pleaded guilty to stealing 25 pairs of shoes from a floodhit police flat in Bangkok's Bang Khen district on the night of November 8. The shoes, worth Bt6,120 altogether, belonged to Witoon Bamrungkul.

Supatpong was arrested the following day with a sack containing the shoes in his possession.

After convicting him, the Criminal Court commuted his threeyear term to 18 months in recognition of his confession.

This year, floods have ravaged dozens of provinces and Bangkok. More than 30 communities in the capital's Khan Na Yow, Bang Khen, Bang Khae and Thawi Watthana districts were still flooded yesterday.

"We will have the whole capital dry before the end of this month," Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said.

Sanya Sheenimit, who heads the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Department of Drainage and Sewerage, said the construction of a concrete embankment along Maha Sawat Canal would be completed quickly and that it would be 3 metres high, not 2.5 metres as initially planned. The barrier is expected to play a crucial role in preventing flooding in western Bangkok next year.

"The height of key roads in the western zone such as Phutthamonthon 3 Road will increase by between 30 and 40 centimetres, too, because these roads can serve as embankments," Sanya said.

According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, 621,355 floodhit families in 30 districts of Bangkok are eligible to claim Bt5,000 compensation from the government. To qualify, homes must have been flooded for more than seven consecutive days.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) is providing free counselling and free waterleakage checks at homes of flood victims in Bangkok and its vicinity.

"You can request help by calling 1125 round the clock," MWA assistant governor Ulysh Makmaitree said.

The 24/7 Emergency Operations Centre for Flooding, Storms and Landslides said floods had ravaged about 12.61 million rai of farmland, 215,719 rai of fish farms, and 53,567 rai of crab/clam farms this year.

-- The Nation 2011-12-16

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Two killed in Yala ambush

Don Pathan

The Nation

LAM MAI, Yala

A group of about five gunmen attacked a police officer and his family on Thursday afternoon, killing the wife and teenage son while holding back a Paramilitary Ranger unit at bay by firing a series of rounds at their camp that was about 60 metres from the crime scene.

According to several accounts, the gunmen on a black pickup truck drove up the the victims’ vehicle and commence fire, forcing the vehicle to stray off the road into the ditch.

Roads spikes were placed on the road to slowdown reinforcement.

While authorities tend to blame a new generation of Malay Muslim insurgents for most of the violence incidents in the region, a senior police officer and a security officer at the scene said not to rule out personal dispute as the cause of the attack.

They pointed to the fact that the officer, Pol Lieutenant Yart Raksiri, 52, suffered only minor injuries while the wife, Nipha Cheang-jiang, who was sitting on the passenger side, and their 17-year-old son son, whose name was not revealed, were riddled with bullets.

Nipha was a former member of the local Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO).

About 25 rounds of M16 assault rifles and 9MM handgun were found at the scene. One officer said the gunmen pulled up next the victim’s truck and commence fire at the wife. Pol Lt Yart suffered minor head injuries and was taken to Yala hospital for treatment. It was not clear if the bullet had nipped his head or because of the crash.

"Normally, after such an ambush, insurgents would come up and fire at least one shot to the head and take whatever belongings, such as weapons, with them," said the officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It was not clear if the gun had taken Pol Lt Yart’s M4 automatic rifle with them.

In separate incidents, suspected insurgents tossed a small bomb at police quarters and their nearby highway patrol office in Bacho district in Pattani at at about 7:30AM Thursday morning.

Authorities believe the same outfit fired several shots at an army outpost in the same district. No one was hurt in these attacks.

-- The Nation 2011-12-16

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Five provinces declared cold spell disaster zones

The Nation

Five northern and northeastern provinces have been declared coldspell disaster zones, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief said Thursday.

Wibul Sanguanpong, the directorgeneral of the department, said the cold spell has affected 3,014 villages in 41 districts of two northern and three northeastern provinces.

He said Omkoi, Samerng, Chom Thong, Fang, Kalayaniwattana and Mae Ai districts in Chiang Mai had been declared disaster zones as well as Pang Ma Pha district in Mae Hong Son.

In Sakon Nakhon, Mueang, Kusumal, Kudbak, Phannana Nikom, Phang Khon, Waritphume, Nikom, Nam Oon, Wanorn, Niwas, Kham Takla, Ban Muang, Akas Amnuya, Sawang Daendin, Songdao, Tao Ngoi, Khok Srisuphan, Charoensilp, Phonna Kaew, and Phuphan districts were declared disaster zones.

In Loei, Mueang, Wang Saphoong, Thali, Chiang Khan, Dan Sai, Phu Kradueng, Pakchom, Phurua, Nahaew, Phuluang, Phakhao, Erawan, and Nong Hin districts were declared disaster zones, in addition to Kham Chaee, Wanyai and Dontan districts in Mukdaharn province.

-- The Nation 2011-12-16

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3 bombs discovered at Sukhumvit 77, Ladkrabang 13 and Motorway; Deputy PM Chalerm inspecting sites /TANN

3 Bomb Scares around Bangkok

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Adobe Issues Call for Entries to 2012 Adobe Design Achievement Awards

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Man burns brother in a bizarre urine-provoked attack

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,025.97, up 1.81 points /MCOT

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Tesco Lotus launches 'green bag' project in Phuket

Tesco Lotus Senior Corporate Affairs Manager Charkrit Direkwattanachai poses with two Phuket students, both winners of an art competition held to raise public awareness about the need to recycle and reuse.

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Superyachts arrive for Phuket Rendezvous

Phuket Gazette

Phuket superyacht spotters are in for a treat this weekend as the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous gets underway. Photo: Andara

Phuket-based luxury motor yachts MY Andara and MY Celebrity will be hosting some of the parties. Photo: Andara

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via Email

Message to U.S. Citizens: Demonstration Expected at U.S. Embassy on 16 December

Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 9:29 AM

Subject: Message to U.S. Citizens: Demonstration Expected at U.S. Embassy on 16 December

This message is to alert you that on Friday, December 16th, a large

group-possibly as many as 1200 people-will gather in front of the U.S.

Embassy on Wireless Road. The exact time of the demonstration is

unknown, but most of the demonstrators are expected to arrive between

1300 and 1600 hours.

Although this gathering is expected to be peaceful, if you plan to be in

the vicinity, you should be mindful that any large gathering holds the

possibility of risk, and that traffic around the Embassy will be

impacted. It is also possible that access to the Embassy will be

restricted. Demonstrations are unpredictable and can turn violent

without warning. For this reason, we encourage you to monitor local

media for information about possible demonstrations and to avoid the

vicinity of demonstrations. Information about the demonstration may

also be available on our website as well as through Facebook and

Twitter.

The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy

(http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service.html) is located at 95 Wireless

Road in Bangkok, and can be reached by calling 66-2-205-4049, or by

e-mailing [email protected]. The Embassy's after-hours emergency

telephone number is 66-2-205-4000. The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang

Mai (http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service.html) is located at 387

Wichayanond Road in Chiang Mai. The American Citizen Services Unit of

the Consulate General can be reached by calling 66-53-107-777 and by

e-mail at [email protected]. The after-hours emergency telephone number

is 66-81-881-1878.

For the latest security information, you should regularly monitor the

Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website

(http://travel.state.gov/), where current Worldwide Cautions, Travel

Alerts, Travel Warnings and health-information resources can be found.

You can also obtain up-to-date information on security by calling

1-888-407-4747 (toll free) in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers in

other areas, by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These

numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday

through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

We encourage you notify us of your presence in Thailand by enrolling in

the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP),

available at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.

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Cambodian Soldiers Fire at Thai Helicopter near Border in Trat Province

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True Move H Officially Launches iPhone 4S

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Surapong confirms Thaksin removed from blacklist

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