Thailand Live Friday 6 Jan 2012

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RT @RichardBarrow: Thai Children's Day is on Sat 14 January & Thai Teacher's Day is on Mon 16 January. Schools are closed on those days

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Gold Heist Suspect Nabbed

The Bangkok Metropolitan Police have arrested one of the two suspects in last week's robbery of a gold shop at Big C Sukhaphiban 3 branch that left an officer seriously wounded and another suspect dead following a gunfight.

National Police Chief Police General Priewpan Damapong and Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Winai Tongsong held a press conference to announce the arrest of 28-year-old Lopburi native Pitak Raksadee, one of the suspects in the gold heist at Big C Sukhaphiban 3 branch on December 29th.

Pitak and his accomplice, Phanomkorn Phokan, engaged in a gunfight with Police Senior Sergeant Major Chiewchan Charoensi, a border patrol police officer based in Surin Province, who happened to be near the scene of the robbery.

The battle resulted in Chiewchan being seriously wounded and Phanomkorn being killed.

Another suspect fled the scene on a motorcycle, but was caught at a restaurant on Rama 3 Road. A .38 caliber handgun was also seized.

Pitak confessed to his crime, saying he wanted money to settle his football-gambling debt of nearly four million baht.

He added that he regularly gambles at casinos in Cambodia.

Regarding the fire at Chatuchak Weekend Market on Wednesday night, the police chief said a foreign investigation indicated that it was caused by an electrical short circuit, because the shop where the fire started was in very poor condition.

He ruled out arson as the cause of the blaze.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-06

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Phuket tourists dive in to help Methee's grieving parents

Pakit Khunsuinhu, pictured here outside the Vachira Phuket Hospital ICU on Monday, expressed his deep gratitude to the tourist who pulled his son from the water.

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....ieving-parents/

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Thai officials find tiger parts in the post

Sumatra tiger. File photo, source: wikimedia

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....ts-in-the-post/

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SET index midday down 3.40 pts, 0.33 pct

Thai composite stock index (SET) at midday Friday stood at 1,033.40,down 3.40 points, or 0.33 per cent in line with regional shares amid Bt9.99 billion turnover.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 723.79, down 3.33 points, or 0.46 per cent.

Top five most active (value) stocks: KBANK, CPF, SCB, BBL, KTB.

-- The Nation 2012-01-06

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RT@Biz_TheNation: About 30 insurgents attack defense volunteers at Rueso district,Narathiwat early Fri;2 volunteers killed,3 wounded

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Ayutthaya Residents Close Off Asia Highway

Residents of Ayutthaya Province have gathered at their city hall and have closed off the outbound lanes of the Asia Highway. They are protesting again the government's issuance of 2,000 baht coupons to help flood victims. A similar protest by Samut Sakorn residents took place on Rama 2 Road yesterday.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-06

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Police find explosive like object in ​Ladkrabang Soi 4, police believe it's just attempt to create chaos/TAN_Network

Gen Sonthi Boonyaratklin, as chairman of the House reconciliation committee, meets with leaders of all political parties/TAN_Network

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Narathiwat couple attacked by gunmen; husband killed

NARATHIWAT, Jan 6 -- A couple was attacked by gunmen in the southern province of Narathiwat while driving their pickup truck in Su-ngai Kolok municipality. Both were seriously wounded, but the husband later died.

Military authorities and the police together inspected the scene where the pickup was stopped on the roadside, with the window on the driver’s side shattered.

Police said that the attack took place on Prachawiwat Road, Soi 21 in Su-ngai Kolok municipality this morning as Lohaya Jehda, a 32-year-old school teacher at Ban Lalae School, and her husband, Abdul-Awae, 51 drove to Su-ngai Kolok municipality.

Two men on a motorcycle approached their vehicle and used an 11mm handgun, shooting them five times and then fled the scene.

Both husband and wife were wounded. Ms Lohaya was shot in her right arm but her husband, who was driving, was shot at his chest and torso and died.

Police believed the attack may have involved a business conflict. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-06

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Malaysian police allows rally for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to take place when court delivers verdict in his sodomy trial at start of next week /MCOT

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Two defence volunteers killed, three others injured in Narathiwat

NARATHIWAT, Jan 6 - Presumed insurgents attacked a Rueso district defence volunteer post district early this morning, killing two volunteers and wounding three others.

The two fatalities were defence volunteers Bororheng Yuso and Asaran Abu.

The assailants carried away five assault rifles -- one AK47 and four M16s - and some ammunition.

Located at the Ruso district office, the post was littered with one hundred spent bullet casings that were found around the bodies of the two defence volunteers.

The bodies were sent to hospital for autopsies. The police found a small homemade explosive device at the scene during the inspection. It failed to function and was defused by a bomb disposal team.

Three injured defence volunteers--Rosadee Samaha, Apidej Chapakeeya and Sirichai Suwanmanee--were rushed to hospital and are in stable condition.

According to the initial investigation, about 30 men were involved in the attack.

They felled trees blocking the road, burned tires and some of the departing attackers fired on a police post, about 800 metres away to prevent backup security forces from responding.

Pol Col Satanfa Wamasing, superintendent of Rueso police station, speculated that the attacks were plotted in retaliation for police raids to seize insurgent weapons at two rubber plantations on Dec 19 and Dec 24. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-06

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Gen Sonthi: all political party leaders agree not to amend Article 112 concerning lese majeste to relieve pressure in society /TANN

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Int. Minister Yongyuth affirms with INN news agency that flooding in the South has abated and Bt5,000 compensation is being paid out /TANN

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Party leaders attend reconciliation lunch meeting

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AFP: Six dead, police camp raided in Thai south: police

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....i-south-police/

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Govt Urged to Heed Majority Voice on Charter Changes

The Air Force Chief suggests the general public be allowed to voice their opinions on the charter amendment and participate in the process.

Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Itthiporn Supawong said democracy should not be used as an excuse to justify the constitution amendment and the people must be asked which particular articles should be rewritten.

Itthiporn said the amendment should not be solely limited to legislators given that the people must take part in the process.

On the allocation of the state budget for the Air Force, Itthiporn stated his agency has already proposed to the government the amount of funds needed to rehabilitate infrastructure and armament damaged by the recent flooding.

He revealed that a quick approval is needed so the Air Force can resume full operations as soon as possible.

Itthiporn received well-wishes from his subordinates on the occasion of his birthday today.

Itthiporn said he wished peace be restored in Thailand.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-06

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Army Chief Warns against Charter Change Impact

The army chief has voiced concern about the planned constitutional amendment saying it must be carried out carefully to prevent escalation of social discord and turmoil.

Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said all parties must be involved in the amendment of the Constitution.

He warned that a decision over the matter will determine the country's fate, particularly social peace.

Prayuth remarked that every segment of society should share the same goal of moving Thailand forward so the revision must not lead to any setbacks or chaos.

The general stated the Army has nothing to do with the Constitution amendment, given that it is an administrative issue.

However, he maintained that his agency is always ready to perform its duty of overseeing security should color-coded protesters return to the streets.

Commenting on the Army's flood relief operations in the South, Prayuth stated that flooding prevails in three provinces, namely Chumphon, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Army officials are now accelerating their efforts to repair damaged bridges in order to reconnect locals with the outside world.

The general suggested assistance from the Army can only ease flooding impact to a certain extent, but there must be a solution to prevent re-occurrence.

Prayuth went on to say he will seek a meeting with the Internal Security Operations Command and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to discuss forest encroachment for the extension of rubber plantations.

He said more than 200,000 rai of forest land are illegally occupied and insisted legal action must be taken against offenders.

The general went on to say he is not worried about the government's plan to cut the Army's budget as the allocation of state funds must depend solely on which agency needs the funds urgently.

Today, Prayuth presided over the 112th anniversary of the establishment of the Army Medicine Department and handed awards to outstanding staff members.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-06

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Riot victims to receive 3 million baht each in compensation

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SET index closed at 1036.26, down 0.54; Bt/USD31.51; GBP48.75; AUD32.18; EUR40.21; CAD30.76; HKD4.05; SGD24.23; JPY40.58

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Six killed in van accident in Samut Prakan

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74-Year-Old American Expat Faces Deportation Over Loan Sharking: Phuket

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Luangta Maha Bua's followers press for decree cancellation

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

More than twenty monks and followers of Luangta Maha Bua, a highly revered Buddhist monk, whose donation campaign helped boost foreign reserves, today submitted a petition to Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, asking for the cancellation of a planned executive decree.

Yesterday, they submitted a petition to Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, expressing dissatisfaction over the decree which would change the way the Financial Institutions Development Fund’s debts are managed. They feared that the decree would allow the government’s control over the foreign reserves.

In the letter, it stated that the Section 7 (2) and (3) would pose danger to the economic stability, as it could give power over international reserves to the government.

It said that if the reserves were touched, the economy would be hit and go bankrupt.

The followers said that the late monk preached several times about the importance of the reserves and told them to safeguard the reserves.

-- The Nation 2012-01-06

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Indian MP's son killed in motorcycle accident in Hua Hin

The youngest son of an Indian MP died in a motorcycle accident in Hua Hin town, in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, on Thursday evening.

Sandeep Kalita, 23, was studying for a master's degree in Business Administration at the School of Management Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) at the time of the accident. Due to flooding, AIT relocated its students to the Hua Hin campus of Stamford University. Transport between the students' lodging and the campus is only provided twice a day, which is why Sandeep decided to hire a motorbike.

MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), picked up his youngest son's body from Hua Hin Hospital. Cremations will be held in India.

-- The Nation 2012-01-06

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to continue:

Thailand Live Saturday 7 Jan 2012

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....day-7-jan-2012/