Thailand Live Saturday 24 Dec 2011

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Thailand Live Saturday 24 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 23 Dec 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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None of 111 banned politicians will become next PM, says Chalerm

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Bangkok Totally Flood-Free: Governor

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....-free-governor/

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South African man with plastic bag over the head

Police rule 'suicide' on Phuket yacht death

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....et-yacht-death/

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Satellite Debris Falls On Thai-Cambodian Border: Thai Defence Minister

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....fence-minister/

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Abhisit wants names of future 'VIP Prison' inmates

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'Jingle all the way' for Yingluck?

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Queen to inaugurate celebrations for nomination of Wat Pho inscriptions today

The Nation

Her Majesty the Queen will today preside over the opening ceremony to celebrate the nomination of the stone inscriptions in Wat Pho as Memory of the World.

The ceremony will start at 5.20pm at Wat Pho - Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn - Education Ministry permanent secretary Sasithara Pichaichannarong said.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has registered 1,431 old stone inscriptions at Wat Pho as Memory of the World since May.

Since 2008, most of these inscriptions have been on the Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Register.

Dubbed the Epigraphic Archives of Wat Pho, these 1,431 stone inscriptions are in the Thai language and script.

Made between 1831 and 1841, they cover both religious and secular subjects. They represent a wide range of Thai knowledge of Asian and the local roots of the time in the context of over five centuries of global exchanges in trade, politics and culture.

It was a conscious effort by King Rama III and Thai scholars to preserve them and make them visible to the public with the ultimate aim of imparting general education on cultural heritage, diversity and |civilisations.

In most cases, they are accompanied by illustrations such as drawings, paintings or sculptures. The inscriptions are in good condition and are seen by more than a million international visitors to Bangkok every year.

"These inscriptions are displayed on the temple's wall and gallery," Sasithara said.

She said that the knowledge from the ancient inscriptions could be categorised into various fields, including Buddhism, literature and history.

Nearly half of the existing inscriptions in Wat Pho contain medical and massage or Thai yoga texts composed by royal physicians.

The temple has been described in Wikipedia as "the birthplace of traditional Thai massage" and by many health experts as a world centre for the teaching and practice of Thai healing techniques that |are sometimes known as "Thai massage".

The celebrations for the old stone inscriptions will run until January 4 within the compound of Wat Pho.

Sasithara said the Great Birth Sermon would also be delivered during the celebration today.

She added that an exhibition to explain the knowledge displayed in the old inscriptions would also take place.

She said the Office of the Vocational Education Commission would provide free vocational training to interested people.

-- The Nation 2011-12-24

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WATCHDOG

Prepare now for potential floods next year of the same magnitude

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EDITORIAL

Thailand's forests belong to all of us, not just a few

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Campers beware of typhus, malaria

The Nation

The Fourth Disease Control Office yesterday warned campers to protect themselves from scrub typhus and malaria, while 143 districts in |16 provinces have been declared disaster zones because of the cold spell.

The office director, Dr Anupong Sujariyakul, urged nature lovers to beware of disease-carrying mites and mosquitoes, especially since two of the 5,721 scrub-typhus patients reported this year have died and eight of the 17,636 malaria cases have been fatal.

He warned travellers to keep themselves fully covered and also urged people to protect themselves from cold, influenza, pneumonia, measles, chicken pox, diarrhoea and chapped skin.

-- The Nation 2011-12-24

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Police find body in Bangkok's Yan Nawa district

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Insurgents shoot dead village official

The Nation

Narathiwat

The assistant of a village headman was shot dead while driving home in Narathiwat's Rangae district yesterday morning in what police believe is part of ongoing violence in the South targeting state employees.

Pol Lieutenant Akkaphan Buasamlee, duty officer at the Rangae police station, said Suema-nga Yusoh, 47, was killed while driving down Pa Phai-Tanyong Limo Road by two gunmen who reportedly approached the car to shoot him at close range. Police found 18 spent cartridges at the scene and have sent the body for autopsy at Rangae Hospital. Suema-nga worked as an assistant to Ban Mae Nae headman in Muang district's tambon Manang Tayor.

In a separate incident, suspected insurgents fired M79 grenades at a checkpoint on Yarang-Ma-Yor Road in Ban Moung Wan of Pattani's Ma-Yor district at 1am yesterday but nobody was injured.

At 9am yesterday, police discovered a motorcycle containing a 5-kilogram bomb parked along the No 42 Pattani-Songkhla Road near a mosque in Nong Chik district. Apparently the bomb had partially exploded, police said, adding that the motorcycle, carrying a fake licence plate, had been reported stolen a few months ago. The motorcycle had reportedly been parked since Thursday in what police suspect was part of the insurgents' attempt to create chaos ahead of the New Year holidays.

-- The Nation 2011-12-24

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Loans for home repairs: Thailand flood

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Phuket plays host to international DMAT rally

Phuket Gazette

A DMAT crew runs through an emergency scenario that Phuket has seen several times this year - a bus crash. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

A DMAT team attends to a woman simulating complications while giving birth. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

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PM applauds China ties

THE NATION

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday hailed closer ties between Thailand and China after the signing of six agreements on bilateral cooperation this week.

She said the two nations had agreed to boost trade and investment over the next five years, with a projected annual increase of 20 per cent in trade volume. The number of Chinese tourists to Thailand is also expected to rise by 15 per cent, she added.

The prime minister also said the two countries would boost cooperation in the development of infrastructure, labour and education. She hosted a breakfast reception at Shangri-La Hotel yesterday for visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.

Later, she accompanied Xi, whose official three-day visit to Thailand ends today, to Rattanakosin Sompot School in Nakhon Pathom province, where the Chinese delegation handed out 100 tablet computers. This school is one of the many in the Central region affected by the flooding. China, meanwhile, has been one of the major donors of flood relief.

At noon yesterday, Yingluck accompanied Xi to an audience with HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and in the afternoon the Chinese delegation visited Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda. Xi met with Prem to convey good wishes to His Majesty for his 84th birthday. At the meeting, Xi and Prem agreed that their countries had retained amicable ties and offered help to each other in times of crisis.

-- The Nation 2011-12-24

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Upper Thailand to see temp drop by 1-3 degrees Celsius and strong wind,BKK will become cooler with fog in the morning,South faces heavy rain /TANN

PM invites Dr. Virapongse to appear on weekly TV show to discuss sustainable water management /TANN

Petchburi Rd sees opening of new dept store Chibuya, Asoke sees contestants applying for 'The Star' singing contest at GMM Grammy /TANN

Several schools are also holding make up classes and GAT exams so expect traffic congestion /TANN

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PM says flood prevention masterplan to be completed this month, assured construction of floodway would affect least no. of people /TANN

3,000-4,000 teachers gather for co-op conference at Imperial World Samrong causing traffic congestion /TANN

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RT @RichardBarrow: Christmas Eve in BKK RT @somtow: Sinfonietta will play 3 short mini-concerts 4:30, 7 & 9:30pm in front of CentralWorld.

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Customs Department Seizes Contraband Worth Bt36 Million

The Customs Department has put on display smuggled alcohol and cigarettes along with counterfeit brand-name products seized this year.

The estimated total value of the contraband is 36 million baht.

The Customs Department put on display smuggled alcohol, cigarettes, counterfeit brand-name products and other controlled substances seized this year.

The contraband included alcohol, wine, pirated CDs, mobile phones, fake brand-name clothing and some hallucinogens.

The total estimated worth is around 36 million baht.

Meanwhile, the department also captured two boats delivering smuggled goods with the total value of 27 million baht.

Items on the boats include foreign cigarettes, marble slabs and used motorcycles worth the total of eight million baht.

The smugglers have been charged with tariff evasion and will be persecuted.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-24

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Opposition party leader Abhisit meets with Chinese Vice President

BANGKOK, Dec 24 - Thailand's opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Saturday met with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in the Thai capital to thank the Chinese government for continuing its support on Thai-China projects, previously initiated under his administration.

Former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban joined Mr Abhisit for the meeting on the occasion of Mr Jinping's official visit to Thailand.

The Chinese Vice President said Thailand and China have enjoyed close relations for a long time on trade, investment, and tourism, while adding that he hoped these ties will continue to expand.

Meanwhile, the Thai opposition leader thanked the Chinese government for travelling to Thailand to foster the relationship. Both parties signed agreements as a continuation of the Abhisit administration initiatives such as the high-speed train project.

Mr Abhisit said he was certain the ties between both nations will continue to strengthen despite the change of government in Thailand. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-12-24

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RT@Biz_TheNation: 5 of 7 flood-hit industrial estates agreed to construct flood water reservoirs to handle future floods

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Look before you leap

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

Electronics executive Richard D Han warns that Thailand must be cautious about raising the minimum wage too quickly and by too much, otherwise investors will flee

Richard D Han, CEO of Hana Microelectronics, says Thai flood fears have worried the company's customers, who are not sure if the disaster will be repeated next year.

This will influence Hana's decision on where its factories should be located in the wake of massive floods in Thailand's Ayutthaya province.

Hana Group is one of the country's largest semiconductor packagers and suppliers of parts and components for the electronic, auto, medical and other sectors.

Its factory at High-Tech Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya was flooded from mid-October to early December, resulting in a disruption to the global supply chains for these industries.

Besides the Ayutthaya factory, Hana also has a factory in the northern province of Lamphun and one in China, near Shanghai.

"In fact, we're going to expand the China factory because our customers are now nervous about Thailand and they are waiting to see what will happen in terms of infrastructure improvement.

"So China is one area [Hana is looking at], but there are also other parts of Thailand such as the Eastern Seaboard. But the problem is that there isn't enough labour on the Eastern Seaboard, and labour costs are now relatively high.

"The Northeast region, such as Nakhon Ratchasima, is also a possible choice, but the Board of Investment should look at the tax incentives and other privileges to encourage people to go to these areas, because people don't want to live and work in the middle of nowhere. They want to have a life after their work, so you have to create that.

"We have many Amercian customers. A lot of them are involved in devices that go into mobile phones and other consumer electronics. They can also use other suppliers, like those in Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Indonesia. They have choices, so this means that Thailand has to take pro-active measures to stay competitive.

On the Thai government's planned increase of the minimum wage to Bt300 per day in seven provinces, including Bangkok, effective from April 2012, Han thinks this will have a significant impact on all manufacturers.

"To be honest, it's not coming at a good time. I understand that this is not so much about increasing the wage but it had more to do with winning the last election. The reality is that the world economy is now very weak due to the European debt crisis, while the US is not growing strongly. In addition, China is cooling down. It's now the world's second largest economy and has been a driver of the growth that we enjoy here in Thailand.

"If the Thai labour cost is no longer competitive compared to Indonesia, China, Malaysia and the Philippines, our customers will go somewhere else, so the impact will be significant.

"In fact, a wage hike is not the only problem, but the amount of such a hike and the timeframe are. China is also trying to double the daily wage, but over a period of five years. What they are trying to do here is nearly double the wage but over a six-month period. No one can absorb such an increase so quickly without a substantial cost and an affect on profitability. This will reduce the incentive to invest.

"Thailand should raise the minimum wage at a gradual pace so that manufacturers can adapt to it and grow with it. If you hit industries in one go [with this hefty wage hike], there will be many causalities."

-- The Nation 2011-12-24

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Nakhon Ratchasima zoo announces new species of serpent

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Girl, 16, struck dead by pickup truck on main Phuket road

Phuket Gazette

The impact left the pickup truck with a dented hood and crushed grille. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

Kusoldharm rescue workers stand beside the body of Dao, 16, which was flung onto the median strip by the force of the impact. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/521291-girl-16-struck-dead-by-pickup-truck-on-main-phuket-road/page__view__findpost__p__4932785

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Fire damages 30 shophouses in Chai Nat

A fire broke out at the 120-year-old market on the bank of Tha Chin River in Chai Nat's Han Kha district Saturday morning, damaging 30 shophouses. The initial fire damages were said to be worth Bt100 million.

Following fire report at 7.30am, police and rescue workers along with 30 fire engines rushed to the scene and it took three hours for them to put out the fire. No death nor injury was reported. Police suspected the fire resulted from a short circuit at one of the shops.

Resident Thawatchai Vetchang, 64, said he saw the smoke coming from the second floor of Songprach Osot Shop, a former pharmacy turned into shop selling monk products, groceries including fireworks. He said the fire quickly spread to nearby shops, mostly made of wood.

-- The Nation 2011-12-24

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Phuket Tsunami Memorial Wall caretakers sign up for long haul

Phuket Gazette

Volunteers from the USS Pinckney use the painting supplies given to them by the Glenn Defense Marine for refurbishing the Tsunami Memorial Wall.

The wall was in serious need of repairs before the project started on November 11.

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/521301-phuket-tsunami-memorial-wall-caretakers-sign-up-for-long-haul/page__view__findpost__p__4932827

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Police house safeguarding project relaunched during Dec 25-Jan 3 giving special attention to houses registered under the surveillance scheme/MCOT

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Chiang Mai declares entire province disaster area from cold as temperature drops below 15 C, affecting more than 200,000 households /MCOT

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