Thailand Live Saturday 17 Dec 2011

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Peacock delivers ‘pheasant surprise’ in Krabi

LOVELY PLUMAGE: Inspector Sutthichai Tienpoe and the peacock. Photo: Warisa Temram

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PM believes foreign investors still have confidence in Thailand

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Multicolored shirt group leader Dr. Tul schedules gathering on Fri at King Rama VI statue to protest amendment to lese majeste law/TAN_Network

Residents of Rattanakosin 200 yr housing estate close of Rangsit Rd to demand speedy post-flood trash collection causing traffic/TAN_Network

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Thai PM expects to meet Suu Kyi during her visit to Myanmar next week

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PM orders police force to step up security measures for Bangkok

CHIANG MAI, Dec 17 - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she will order the National Police Bureau to deploy police in various areas of the Thai capital in order to prevent untoward incidents during the coming New Year celebration.

Bangkok will be under close watch, while police will be asked to regularly inform the public of any situations, she said.

The premier spoke after being interviewed about an incident where a bomb-like object was found at Bang Khen Railway Station in Bangkok on Saturday morning. She was not informed of all the details, she said, but was aware the item was in fact a hoax bomb made of money box or piggy bank.

On Thursday night, six bombs were found in three locations of Bangkok and later defused by a bomb squad. One suspect was arrested.

Ms Yingluck asked members of press and media not to disseminate information if it was not official from the police.

When asked if the public could be assured of their safety before the New Year celebration, the prime minister said that authorities will work at their full capacity to monitor the situation.

Officials will investigate to find a solution to the recent bomb cases in the capital as quickly as possible and whether there may have been other persons involved in committing the wrongdoing along with the apprehended suspect, she added. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-12-17

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Phuket port expansion to get Cabinet push: Kittisakdi

Phuket Gazette – Saturday, December 17, 2011 1:35:49 PM

Deputy Transport Minister Kittisakdi Hathasongkorh (center) vowed to support plans to expand Phuket’s Deep Sea Port so more tourist-laden cruise liners can use the facility. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

Workers unload cargo from a ship at Phuket Deep Sea Port. Cargo ships are routinely kicked out of the port to make way for cruise liners arriving to Phuket, a practice that the port operator says is jeopardizing Phuket’s appeal to commercial ships. Photo: Deep Sea Port

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Death toll from tropical storm Washi surges to 180 with nearly 400 people missing in flash floods that ravage the southern Philippines /MCOT

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Lampang declares 13 districts disaster zones due to cold snap; Trang faces heavy rain, flashfloods

LAMPANG, Dec 17 - The northern province of Lampang on Saturday announced 13 districts as disaster zones due to a sudden cold snap, with temperatures dipping lower than 15 degrees Celsius.

Lampang deputy governor Suwan Klaosoontorn said the temperature in the province has quickly dropped by at least 7 degrees over the past two weeks, making the local temperature lower than 15 degrees or as cold as 9 degrees at the top of hills.

Over 135,000 people have been affected, he said. Almost half of them are elderly, followed by the handicapped and orphans. Local authorities are to distribute relief supplies to victims by next month.

Meanwhile, in the southern province of Trang, heavy rainfall has been continuous for the past two days, creating blocked water at low-lying plain in several districts. Flashfloods also flowed from Khao Bantad Mountain damaging over 50 households in the provincial seat and forcing local residents to evacuate for the second time within one month.

According to the local disaster prevention and mitigation office, floodwaters in the area are about 30-80 cm high. If the rain stops within 1-2 days, the water will recede to its normal level.

Four districts - Huai Yot, Yan Ta Khao, Palian and Na Yong - are now under close watch for landslides in the low plains at the bottom of hills.

Local officials were assigned to strictly monitor the situation of flashfloods and landslides in the province's 10 districts.

Until normal situation returns, tourists are prohibited from entering Trang's 6 waterfalls, particularly Sai Rung Waterfall and Phrai Sawan Waterfall in Yan Ta Khao district, where 38 people were killed by flashfloods in April 2007. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-12-17

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180 dead, 375 missing in floods, landslides in Philippines

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Thaksin is in Nepal and is welcomed by the Thai ambassador there /TANN

Fireworks contest in Pattaya from 2pm-midnight with fireworks being lighted from 7pm /TANN

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Residents reopen Rangsit Rd after reaching agreement with authorities about trash collection /TANN

Police chief assures security will be tight for New Year countdown at Central World /TANN