Thailand Live Tuesday 10 Jan 2012

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RT@veen_NT: Cabinet has resolved to extend limited free rides on Bkk public buses,3rd-class trains by 3 month,until Apr 30. via @Biz_TheNation

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Thailand found over 10,000 new HIV/AIDS patients in 2011

BANGKOK, 10 January 2012 (NNT) - The Public Health Ministry has made public the number of HIV/AIDS patients in 2011, saying over 10,000 new patients were found last year alone.

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/525170-thailand-found-over-10000-new-hivaids-patients-in-2011/page__view__findpost__p__4968884

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BMA to go on with bridge construction despite object from Parliament

The Nation

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will go on with its project to build a bridge across Chao Phraya in Kiakkai area although the Parliament wants the bridge to be relocated.

A House committee in charge of building a new Parliament complex wants the Kiakkai bridge to be relocated by 400 metres away from the new Parliament construction side.

But Deputy City Clerk Jumpol Sampaophol said the BMA would go on building the bridge at the same location without relocating it.

Jumpol said the bridge, which would be completed in three years, would not affect the construction of the new Parliament site.

-- The Nation 2012-01-10

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Surin Man Marries His Dead Girlfriend

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Rubber Farmers Plan Rally at PM's Home against Price Fall

Rubber farmers have threatened to stage a protest in front of the prime minister's home if the government fails to tackle the problem of low domestic rubber prices.

They demand the local price for rubber be raised to 120 baht per kilogram.

Rubber farmers from 14 southern provinces are preparing to stage a rally in front of the home of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Bangkok's Bung Kum District.

They are calling on the government to address the problem of falling domestic rubber prices.

The farmers stated the domestic rubber prices have fallen to between 80 and 90 baht a kilogram when compared to the global price of roughly 120 baht.

They claimed rubber farmers from the Northeast will also also join their protest and have threatened to pour rubber latex in front of the premie

r's home if their demand is not met.

The group has also said they will camp out in front of Yingluck's home until they receive a satisfactory answer.

Chairman of the Rubber Farmers Association of Thailand Boonsong Nabthong said the rally will begin in Songkhla before subsequent rallies are held in Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi, Chumphon and Bangkok.

The association's adviser Uthai Sonlaksap said the local rubber price has plummeted over the past three months and the government had turned a blind eye to the rubber farmers' plight.

Uthai reiterated the local price of fresh natural rubber has fallen to 80 baht a kilogram and smoked rubber sheets to 93 baht a kilogram.

He said the problem took the turn for worse when the government decided to release 180,000 tons of rubber from China into the Thai market.

The imported rubber was sold at 105 baht a kilogram, pushing the domestic price even lower.

Uthai then slammed the ministers and other bodies in charge of rubber prices for their lack of knowledge in the field and accused them of having conflicts of interests in the rubber business.

The chairman stated the farmers will give the government five days to address the problem and answer to their demand of allowing the local price of rubber to be raised to 120 baht per kilogram.

Meanwhile the prime minister claimed she has already reached an understanding with rubber farmers.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-10

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NBTC to enact rules to protect mobile phone subscribers

The Nation

The telecom committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is drafting the regulations governing the mobile data service quality, aiming to protect mobile phone subscribers and preparing the industry for the forthcoming full 3G cellular broadband era.

The move is in response to the sharp rise of mobile data consumption in Thailand of 200 per cent to 300 per cent per month at the present, said the telecom committee's chairman Colonel Settapong Malisuwan Tuesday.

He added that the regulations are also aimed to cope with the estimated higher growth of mobile data consumption after the telecom operators can get the licences to provide the 3G2.1GHz cellular broadband service. The NBTC is expected to auction the 2.1GHz licences within the third quarter this year.

-- The Nation 2012-01-10

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No point to pour latex in front of PM's residence : Surat Thani

The Nation

Sitthiporn Jariyapong, chairman of the Surat Thani Farmers Council, said he disagreed with the plan to pour latex in front of the house of the prime minister.

However, rubber farmers from Surat Thani will also join the protest. He said the farmers would gather at the Surat Thani Cooperative at noon Wednesday before heading to the prime minister's residence.

Rubber farmers in the south will march to Bangkok today and stage a protest to demand the government to shore up rubber prices to Bt120 per kilo.

Sitthiporn said the world rubber market price is now Bt140 to Bt150 per kg but Thai middlemen had forced the Thai prices down to only Bt80 to Bt90 and were selling the rubber to Malaysia so as to benefit from high margins.

In Satun, the rubber farmers, led by Satun Rubber Farmers Cooperative chairman Chamnarn Mektrong, gathered at an intersection in Kuan Kalong district at 11.30pm.

About 100 of them travelled in some 60 vehicles to Hat Yai to join the rubber farmers there before heading to Bangkok.

-- The Nation 2012-01-10

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British man stabbed during altercation with Security Guard at East Pattaya estate

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800 Million Baht Central Pattaya road improvement scheme close to final approval

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Deep South gets Chinese New Year holiday

The Nation

Residents of provinces in the deep south will enjoy a special holiday this month to allow them to celebrate the Chinese New Year, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

The Cabinet made the decision during their weekly meeting to give the extra holiday on January 23, which is the Chinese New Year, to those residing in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Satun.

The holiday was proposed to the Cabinet by Deputy PM and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidith, Anusorn Iamsaad told reporters.

-- The Nation 2012-01-10

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SET index closed at 1053.04, up 8.20; Bt/USD31.55; GBP48.74; AUD32.41; EUR40.24; CAD30.77; HKD4.06; SGD24.34; JPY40.84

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AFP: Thailand agrees payouts for victims of unrest

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Rubber farmers close off Asia Highway passing through Rattapoom, Songkhla to protest falling prices; agriculture minister negotiating /TANN

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A Songkhla resident unhappy with Asia Highway closure by rubber farmers shot and injured a police officer and 2 locals /TANN

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Retired teachers, civil servants warned of call centre scam

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) Tuesday warned retired teachers and civil servants on pension especially elderly living on their own of 45 "call centre scam" gangs duping them with a money-laundering accusation or credit card debt to wire money via ATM or cash deposit machines.

In the latest case of a 68-year-old teacher who lost some Bt26 million, the gang reportedly blocked her phone from calling and consulting others for 10 days, AMLO would ask the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to probe why the gang could manipulate the phone system, said AMLO acting secretary Pol Col Sihanat Prayoonrat.

The gang, claimed to be Kasikorn Bank, AMLO and Office of the Auditor General of Thailand (OAG) officials and duped the teacher to wired a total of Bt26,750,185 to 75 Bangkok Bank accounts nationwide at 269 times from December 21, 2011January 4, 2012. It was fortunate she came to AMLO office on January 9 to ask for her money back, Sihanat said because he was told that the gang wanted her to borrow and transfer another Bt2.5 million.

-- The Nation 2012-01-10

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Thailand's 32 provinces cold disaster zones, say officials

After the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department Tuesday reported 31 provinces currently suffering cold disaster (13 in the North, 15 in the Northeast and three in Central), Nakhon Ratchasima declared the whole province a cold disaster zone.

Provincial governor Chuan Sirinanporn attended the launch of a caravan sponsored by CP to hand out 20,150 blankets to 20 northeastern provinces, including 2,000 blankets for Nakhon Ratchasima.

Thai Red Cross Secretary-General Phan Wannamethee, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, provided a total of 2,636 sets of winter clothing and blankets to coldaffected residents in Tak's Mae Sot district Tuesday. Tak's five districts have been declared cold disaster zones from November 18, affecting 77,733 people.

-- The Nation 2012-01-10

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SURVEY

Thailand ranks one of the most popular destinations for Brits

The Nation

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Phuket student killed as motorbike and truck collide

Kusoldharm rescue workers at Phuket traffic police at the scene this morning. Photo: Warisa Temram

The truck was en route to deliver food products to shops near Phuket Rajabhat University when the accident happened. Photo: Warisa Temram

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Phuket Prison 'kingpin' suspected in huge meth bust

Confessed Phuket drug smugglers (from left) Thanasin, Amarin and Thawatchai. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Mobile phones, sales lists, packs of ya ice and more than enough methamphetamine tablets to spell 'ya bah' ('crazy drug') in Thai were seized. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....huge-meth-bust/

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Phuket hospital denies ‘deadly greed’ killed mum, 74

Phuket Gazette –

Hospital Director Dr Chack Somana denied all allegations that the hospital's actions contributed to the death of Pa Khongjean, age 74. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/525104-man-blames-phuket-hospital-for-mothers-death/page__view__findpost__p__4969850

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Blast in Narathiwat injures two

The Nation

A car bomb exploded on Tuesday near the automatic teller machine of a Krung Thai Bank branch in Narathiwat's Ra Ngae district, wounding two people, including a 10-year-old girl.

The blast went off inside a grey Mitsubishi sedan, and also damaged six shophouses nearby. Police later found that its chasis number was not registered with licence plate number Kor Kai-Khor Khai 9784 Yala that it carried. The two victims were travelling on a motorcycle and had parked it not far from the car when the bomb went off around 7pm.

Quoting eyewitnesses, police said a young man drove the car and parked it at the scene, before disappearing about five minutes before the blast. Police say they are compiling evidence and reviewing security camera footage to look for more clues on the explosion

-- The Nation 2012-01-10