Thailand Live Friday 23 Dec 2011

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Upper Thailand sees further temperature drop and strong winds, Northeast sees 2-5 deg Celsius temperature drop, South sees heavy rain /TANN

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Def Min Yutthasak insists object which fell from sky at Phumisarol School is part from Chinese satellite;no border fight with Cambodia /TANN

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19 injured in two major quakes in Christchurch

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Thai Student Entrepreneurs Win Intel Global Award for Innovation and Demonstrate Great Business Potential

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SET edges up by 0.57 point to end the morning session at 1,043.09 with value of Bt15.12 bn /TANN

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Defence Minister reaffirms satellite debris fell on Thai-Cambodian border

Defence Minister reaffirms satellite debris fell on Thai-Cambodian border near Preah Vihear, denies spy aircraft crashed

-- TNA 2011-12-23

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Greater focus on E-commerce taxes

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No tolls on roads for New Year

The Highway Department will allow drivers to use the Motorway free of charge during the New Year from December 27 to January 3 as a way of providing convenience for the people.

Highways Department Director-General Wanchai Phaklak said that during the New Year, drivers will be exempt from paying tolls on Highway No. 7 from Bangkok to Chonburi Province and Highway No. 9 at the eastern Kanchanapisek Ring.

This will begin from 4 PM on December 27, 2011 to midnight on January 3, 2012, to accommodate Thai residents celebrating the New Year.

On the other hand, the Expressway Authority of Thailand Governor Aiyanat Tinapai disclosed that in order to provide convenience for the people's trips during the New Year, the Burapa Vithi Expressway from Bang Na to Chonburi, will also be free of charge from midnight on December 28 to midnight of January 3.

As a way of promoting the Easy Pass cards, the Highway Department will help reduce the card's pledging fee from 1,000 baht to 800 baht.

For every 500 baht used to refill the Easy Pass fare, the department also gave a bonus of 25 baht as additional credit.

This policy will let the user get 525 baht instead of 500 baht and will be in effect until until March 31, 2012.

It has also extended the discount toll until December 31.

At Ardnarong Expressway Number 1, vehicles will also receive a 10-baht discount at the checkpoint.

The discount will be 5 baht per vehicle at the Rama 9-1 Srirat checkpoint, and 10 baht per vehicle at Rama 9-1 Chalong Rat checkpoint.

Discounts will also be offered at the Lad Phrao and the Rama 9-2 checkpoint at 10 baht respectively.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-23

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Chart Thai Pattana backs charter rewrite

The Nation

The government should activate and spearhead the charter rewriting process within the corrent House session, Chart Thai Pattana Party leader Chumpol Silapa-archa said on Friday.

"The government should take the lead in sponsoring the motion to amend the charter," he said.

Chumpol said he disgreed with the idea of postponing the rewrite to August because the draft amendments would take eight to 12 months to complete.

He suggested for the government to nominate a respected figure to head the Constitution Drafting Assembly in order to boost confidence and credibility in the rewriting process.

He said the formation of the CDA to take charge of charter change would be a best option acceptable to all sides.

"The charter change will not fuell the political conflict if the government makes it clear that the change is not meant to help former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and individual interests," he said.

He said his coalition party would support charter amendments related to the repeal of punishment by party dissolution, the senatorial nomination process and the independent organisations.

Chart Thai Pattana adviser Somsak Prissanananthakul called on the government to speed up the charter change, arguing that the Constitution was sponsored by the 2006 coup.

"The amendments designed to advance forward democracy will bring about reconciliation and unity," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-12-23

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Energy Assistance to Flood-hit Industries

The Ministry of Energy has come up with energy measures to assist industries that were affected by the recent flooding.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan explained the measures, aimed at bringing quick recovery to the industrial sector.

The first measure seeks to enhance the efficiency of energy use in the manufacturing and business sectors. The Ministry of Energy will offer a grant aid to support 30 percent of the restoration cost for machinery, materials, and equipment in flood-hit areas. It has prepared a budget of two billion baht to carry out this project.

In the second measure, affected factories and workplaces will be urged to turn to equipment, materials, and devices with higher quality. The change will lead to better production, which will help them tackle technical problems in the long run.

The third measure seeks to provide advice and knowledge on energy conservation and the use of alternative energy. In this connection, the Ministry of Energy has asked the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and seven universities to send experts and technicians to check machines in inundated workplaces, assess the damage, and offer suggestions on how to repair them. The seven universities include Thammasat, Mahidol, Silpakorn, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, and King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok.

The Ministry of Energy will also organize a fair in Bangkok and 27 other provinces, from December 27 to January 4 to provide an opportunity for people wishing to buy home appliances to replace their flood-hit items. In Bangkok, the event will take place at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center on Bang Na – Trat Road. Registration will be opened for flood-hit people at the fair, where they will be given discount coupons worth 2,000 baht. The coupons can be used to buy products there up to a total value of 10,000 baht, with a discount of 2,000 baht.

Industry Minister Wannarat Channukul said that the Ministry of Industry had set up five “industrial shelters” to assist the production sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Flood-affected industrial operators have been allowed to use the shelters as their temporary production bases under the “industrial clinic” project to rehabilitate flood-hit SMEs.

Out of the five industrial shelters, two are located in Bangkok and three in the provinces, namely Khon Kaen, Suphan Buri, and Chon Buri. They began operations in October 2011, and the Ministry of Industry has arranged officials to provide knowledge about machinery repair to industrial operators.

As for post-flood garbage disposal, the Pollution Control Department is checking the water quality in flood-hit industrial estates. It is also working with the Ministry of Industry to inspect industrial waste in the industrial estates and suggest effective ways to dispose them in order to ensure that the public is safe from toxic chemicals.

Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department

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DTAC told to compensate for service disruption

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation December

Total Access Communication (DTAC) has been ordered to compensate all of its 23 million subscribers for causing difficulties in placing calls on its cellular network on Wednesday, Prawit Leesatapornwongsa, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said yesterday.

The watchdog called in DTAC in the afternoon to give it the order after the company held an urgent news conference in the morning to explain the technical error. DTAC said it would show responsibility by offering airtime credit to customers who made calls or short messages from midnight on Tuesday to midnight yesterday.

DTAC must explain to the NBTC by Monday the root cause of the problem and how it will prevent it from recurring in the future.

Darmp Sukontasap, the cellular operator's chief corporate affairs officer, said that as DTAC was migrating its customer registration database to a new system from Tuesday night to early Wednesday, a technical problem arose. Many customers could not get their calls through and the network became over-congested during the day, affecting almost the entire network.

'Unexpected, unprecedented'

"This incident was unexpected and unprecedented. All through this time, our technical team had been working hard to correct the situation and to address the root cause of the problem, as well as bring the connection success rate up to the normal level. Because of such efforts, the situation began to improve after 1.30pm and by 3pm, the system began to stabilise.

"However, during the high-traffic period around 5.30 to 6.30pm, there was a drop in the connection success rate, which the technical team quickly resolved to ensure that there would be no recurrence of the problem," he said.

"Once again, all of us at DTAC would like to extend our sincere apologies to all our customers. We know that there is no way that we can make up for the time that is lost. In the meantime, DTAC will do its best to ensure that the incident does not reoccur and that all customers will remain connected with their friends and family throughout the holiday season and beyond," Darmp said.

Prawit said DTAC had proposed suspending the database migration, pending a complete identification of the problem. He told DTAC that next time it had to inform the NBTC and consumers in advance.

This case will set an example for other operators, he added.

-- The Nation 2011-12-23

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IMAGE OF THAILAND

BOI still counts on 5m visitors at fair

Achara Deboonme

The Nation

The Board of Investment is maintaining its target of 5 million visitors to the BOI Fair 2011, an event meant to showcase the potential of local firms and foreign companies operating in Thailand and their strengths even after the great floods.

"We are trying not to change the target. We'll do anything to achieve the target," BOI secretary-general Atchaka Sriboonruang said. She acknowledged that the number of visitors to indoor exhibition halls might drop slightly because of the floods, but outdoor pavilions, which are the highlight of the event, should do magic.

"All these exhibitors are spending a huge sum for an exhibition of only 16 days," she said. "We hope this fair will tell Thais and the world that manufacturers here are the world's leaders in terms of innovation. This should inspire others to follow suit, to lift the industrial sector to another level."

The fair, running from January 520, will house 84 pavilions and 3,200 booths. On the 300,000squaremetre area in Impact Muang Thong Thani, it will also feature seminars and activities. The event was postponed from November.

Yesterday, executives of six companies - PTT Group, Toyota, Sony Group, Shellhut, Siam Kubota and Aeroklas - joined a BOI conference to demonstrate their readiness for the event.

Ninnart Chaithirapinyo, vice chairman of Toyota Motor Thailand, said the company would help advertise the event, with a tag in all its commercials. He said the event would be an indicator of investor confidence in Thailand and the country's economic recovery effort.

"Thailand's image to the world has been severely shattered by the floods. Many tourists disappeared. This event, like the birthday celebration of His Majesty the King, will improve the country's image tremendously," he said.

Under the "Going Green for the Future" concept, the fair will feature a number of highlights, some never shown in Thailand before. For example, Aeroklas will present the world's first vertical wind turbines, Toyota will showcase its "Partner Robot" and Sony will show a 19-metrelong LED (light-emitting diode) display screen, among other innovative products.

"We want to show that we're moving into the future through the synergy of human ability and technology," Ninnart said

-- The Nation 2011-12-23

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Thailand Public Holidays 2012

List of public holidays to be observed in Thailand in the year 2012 is as follows:

*Monday-Tuesday, 2-3 January 2012 - Substitution for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (Saturday 31 December 2011 and Sunday 1 January 2012)

*Wednesday, 7 March 2012 - Makha Bucha Day

* Friday, 6 April 2012 - Chakri Day

* Friday, 13 April 2012 - Songkran Festival

* Monday, 16 April 2012 Substitution for Songkran Festival (Saturday, 14 April 2012 and Sunday, 15 April 2012)

* Tuesday, 1 May 2012 - National Labor Day

* Monday, 7 May 2012 - Substitution for Coronation Day (Saturday, 5 May 2012)

* Monday, 4 June 2012 - Visakha Bucha Day

* Thursday, 2 August 2012 - Asanha Bucha Day

Effective from B.E. 2550 onwards, the Asanha Bucha Day is prescribed as a holiday, in replacement of the Buddhist Lent Day

*Monday, 13 August 2012 - Substitution for H.M. the Queen’s Birthday (Sunday, 12 August 2012)

* Tuesday, 23 October 2012 - Chulalongkorn Day

* Wednesday, 5 December 2012 - H.M. the King's Birthday

* Monday, 10 December 2012 - Constitution Day

* Monday, 31 December 2012 - New Year’s Eve

For financial institutions in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, and Satun, provinces an extra holiday is given for the Eidilfitri Day (Ramadan Day) announced by the Sheikhul Islam Office if it does not fall on any of the holidays listed above or Saturday and Sunday.

Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department

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Law Society urges crackdown on lese majeste

The Law Society of Thailand on Friday issued a statement calling for law enforcement authorities to crackdown on the spread of royal insult in cyberspace.

"Thai citizens are duty-bound to uphold and protect the monarchy," Law Society president Sak Korsaenruang said.

Sak said nationla police chief General Priewpan Damapong and Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap should intensify efforts to unmask the culprits behind the royal insult.

-- The Nation 2011-12-23

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FLOOD AID

First-home scheme to be modified

Wichit Chaitrong

The Nation

The Finance Ministry will modify the first-time home buyer scheme, to extend home repair financing to flood victims.

Deputy Finance Minister Viroon Tejapaibul said today that from the focus on first-time home buyers, the scheme would seek to lend to those in search of home repair loans. The loans could amount to Bt5 billion, out of total Bt20 billion to be extended by the Government Housing Bank.

Under the scheme, the Bt5 billion portion would be extended to cover home repair including furniture purchases. Borrowers will be entitled to zero rate for the first three years. Each borrow can borrow as much as Bt100,000. Government Housing Bank yesterday just announced a pact with Home Products Centre, to lend home repair loans to those buying furniture at the retail chain.

Viroon noted that the measure will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval next week.

Due to severe floods, fewer than expected first-time home buyers have applied for mortgage scheme despite the three-year zero rate.

Viroon also asked finance officials gathering in a seminar in Chiang Mai to consider whether to adjust other populist schemes, such as rice pledging, first-car and SML fund to villages in order to make them more efficient.

For example, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives should not demand the immediate settlement of existing debts from farmers, immediately after they receive funds from the rice pledging scheme. These farmers should be able to use all available funds in improving their farms.

-- The Nation 2011-12-23

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YALA

Five arrested for allegedly involving in attacks

The Nation

Police apprehended five suspects during their search in Yala provincial seat while searching in a village following series of attacks in the province.

The five who were between 19-26 of ages were hiding in a house when they were arrested.

During the initial questioning, the five gave ambiguous statements and after a record check, all were found with outstanding arrest warrants under the emergency decree and it was believed that they may have been involved in the attack on Lammai police station on Wednesday night.

M-79 grenades and assault rifles were used in the attack. Police detained the suspects for further investigation.

In related developments, one of four villagers who were seriously injured in the attack on a military post in Bannang Sata has died in hospital.

Identified as Karin Ma, 54, he suffered multiple gunshot wounds on her torso and legs. Three other victims are still being treated at Bannang Sata and Yala hospitals.

In Yala, four assailants fired M79 grenades at Lammai police station in Yala before firing M16 assault rifles. A similar attack was reported at a military outpost in Bannang Sata district and a border patrol police outpost in Than To district.

Regarding the attack at the Lammai police station, investigators believe that Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) insurgent head Ahmad Tuenga and Sasa Dara, both active in the Yala provincial seat, planned the attacks.

-- The Nation 2011-12-23

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Google to pay Firefox almost 1 billion dollars in search deal

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Satellite debris falls on Thai-Cambodian border: Thai Defence Minister

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British drug suspect caught at Pattaya Police Checkpoint

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Phuket police take stand against sex slaves

The warning against human trafficking and sex slavery in Phuket follows DSI officers rescuing 41 young women in a raid in Sungai Kolok, on the Malaysian border, last week. Photo: DSI

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SET index closed at 1037.37, down 5.15; Bt/USD31.14; GBP48.75; AUD31.56; EUR40.59; CAD30.34; HKD4.00; SGD23.99; JPY39.64

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Bangkok totally flood-free: Governor

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Police rule 'suicide' on Phuket yacht death

The man's body was discovered on board the sailboat, moored about 800 meters from Phuket's Chalong Pier.

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Thailand Live Saturday 24 Dec 2011

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