Thailand Live Wednesday 11 Jan 2012

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Thailand Live Wednesday 11 January 2012

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 Tuesday 10 Jan 2012

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POLITICS

Thai cabinet okays bail funds for jailed red shirts

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CONTROVERSY

Headscarves are acceptable: Thai Education Minister Woravat

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FIDF DEBT

Thai govt defies critics, passes on Bt1.14 tn debt to BOT

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PROTEST

Up the price of rubber, demand farmers: Thailand

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Thailand Agrees Payouts For Victims Of Unrest

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Suphoth faces grilling

The Nation

Suphoth Sublom, the suspended permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry, has been summoned for questioning tomorrow over the alleged theft of Bt18.1 million in cash from his home.

Thongthong Jantharangsu, permanent secretary of the PM's Office, will supervise the interview, which was rescheduled when Suphoth postponed a meeting on December 27.

If Suphoth does not turn up or simply stays put, he would be reported to his superior, now Banthoon Suphakkhawanich, the PM's secretary-general.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office has been tracing the money stolen from his Bangkok home to see whether some of it represented kickbacks from construction companies to Suphoth for winning infrastructure contracts.

AMLO will meet on January 31 to report to its board the progress on its investigation. The board will decide whether the companies should be named publicly and summoned for interviews.

Wang Thonglang police have interviewed the three maids at Suphoth’s home who were gagged and tied up by the burglars during the heist. An officer said the three eyewitnesses had provided useful information on the case.

-- The Nation 2012-01-11

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CHARTER REVIEW

Thai charter debate rolls on

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Thailand Ranks One Of The Most Popular Destinations For Brits

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Chinese New Year a holiday in South

The Nation

The Cabinet yesterday agreed to mark Chinese New Year Day on January 23 as a public holiday for Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Satun, deputy government spokesman Anusorn Eiamsa-ard said.

It is the first move ever to recognise Chinese New Year as an official holiday in the region, giving the ethnic Chinese in the four southernmost provinces the equity and respect for their cultural uniqueness, he said.

Meanwhile, two men in their 20s, suspected of being insurgent sympathisers wanted for burning down a house in Songkhla's Saba Yoi district last month, surrendered to Songkhla Governor Krissada Boonraj yesterday in fear for their safety. The duo allegedly confessed to being involved in the attack, saying that they had collected a box for another man and deposited it at the house. They said they had been talked into joining the insurgent movement in 2010.

In related news, Yala security officials were dispatched yesterday to hunt down a 200-kilogram tiger that reportedly killed a rubber-tapping farmer and severely injured another in Betong district.

-- The Nation 2012-01-11

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Forget gay marriage; we've more important things to do: Thai opinion

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Abhisit hopes implicated officials not covering up for bosses

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Corruption is just a part of Thai society

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Public disturbances annoy the most

The Nation

Annoying public disturbances topped the list of complaints last year to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) hotline 1555, BMA deputy governor Pornthep Techapaiboon said yesterday.

There were 7,937 such complaints (96 per cent solved later), which was below the previous year's total of 9,578.

Last year also had 4,199 complaints about public behaviour (86 per cent solved), 4,140 about sewerage (97.5 per cent solved), 3,914 complaints about garbage (90 per cent solved) and 3,706 about road conditions (96 per cent solved).

Pornthep said there were 3,673 complaints about flooding (99 per cent solved), 3,204 about traffic (97 per cent solved), 2,769 about electricity (93 per cent solved), 1,890 complaints about other things (86 per cent solved) and 1,402 others about trees and parks (99 per cent solved).

-- The Nation 2012-01-11

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Rayong beach project under question

The Nation

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32 provinces named cold disaster zones

The Nation

After the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department yesterday reported that 31 provinces were currently suffering disastrously cold temperatures, Nakhon Ratchasima declared the whole province a cold disaster zone.

Provincial governor Chuan Sirinanporn attended the launch of a caravan sponsored by CP to handout 20,150 blankets in 20 Northeast 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 cold-affected residents in Tak's Mae Sot district yesterday. Tak's five districts have been declared cold disaster zones from November 18, affecting 77,733 people.

-- The Nation 2012-01-11

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Thailand's AMLO warns retirees against call-center scam gangs

PIYANUCH THAMNUKASETCHAI,

JESSADA CHUNTRARUK

THE NATION

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Jobs lost to floods will not exceed 50,000

THE NATION

Some 26,000 workers have so far lost their jobs at flood-affected businesses, though that number should not double, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare said yesterday.

The 25,994 workers were laid off by 91 businesses in nine provinces, including Bangkok and heaviest-hit Ayutthaya, director-general Arthit Issamo said. His department estimates that no more than 50,000 workers would be laid off as a result of the floods, and has recommended they be offered help in the form of jobs fairs and social security.

The number of flood-hit businesses that have so far failed to reopen totals 1,333, leaving 232,019 workers without pay, or receiving reduced pay, while 761,925 workers have returned to work with the 27,3456 businesses that have reopened.

Some 1,170 businesses are registered under a government-subsidised scheme that guarantees they will not lay off workers. A further 652 businesses come under the "Friends Help Friends" scheme, in which 13,251 flood-affected workers have been hired by other employers.

In Ayutthaya, 12,000 flood-affected workers have registered for SSO unemployment benefit, representing about 3 per cent of the overall number of workers in the hardest-hit province, said Pranee Chaidej, head of the provincial labour office. She dismissed reports that local employers have failed to meet legal obligations to pay compensation to laid-off workers.

Two jobs fairs would be held, on Friday and Sunday, at Ayutthaya Park mall, she added.

-- The Nation 2012-01-11

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AFP: Ford's Asian division to post loss on Thai floods

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Indonesia issues tsunami warning following 7.6 quake off Sumatra

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Songkhla police hunt assailants in Toyota Vios who shot at rubber grower protesters, injuring six people /MCOT

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Indonesia cancels tsunami warning following a 7.3 magnitude quake off the coast of Sumatra Island late last night /TANN

Customs Dept director-general transfers a C7 level official to an inactive post following a clip of him assaulting an airport official /TANN

Police are pursuing a black Toyota Vios whose driver opened fire on Songkhla rubber farmers during their road closure yesterday /TANN

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PM orders monthly Cabinet Retreat

BANGKOK, 11 January 2012 (NNT) – The prime minister has instructed all ministers to prepare for Cabinet Retreat every month, starting this week.

Government spokesperson Thitima Chaisaeng said that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has instructed that a Cabinet Retreat be organized once a month, with the first set in Chiang Mai this week.

For February, the upcountry Retreat is scheduled on February 20 and 21 in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen.

For the March Cabinet Retreat, Ms. Thitima said that it has been decided to take place on March 19 and 20 in the South, although the host province is yet to be concluded. She added that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Mr. Yongyoot Wichaidit, is deciding on the appropriate location.

In April, the special weekly meeting is set on April 23 and 24 in central Thailand, with Minister of Labor Mr. Phadermchai Sasomsub in charge of searching for the location of the Retreat.

Ms. Thitima went on to say that Prime Minister Yingluck has stressed that, during each Retreat, attending ministers are to give priorities to the plights of locals in respective province where the meeting is held.

-- NNT 2012-01-11

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150 Bangkok policemen to watch over National Children's day

BANGKOK, 11 January 2012 (NNT) – The Metropolitan Police Bureau has assigned more than a hundred officers to watch over the National Children's Day event at one of Bangkok's main celebration grounds.

Metropolitan Police Bureau spokesperson, Police Colonel Preeda Sataworn, said that a company of 150 policemen will be on duty at Sanam Suepa in Bangkok on Saturday, January 14, which has been designated as the National Children's Day.

Police Colonel Preeda said that special attention is given to Sanam Suepa because it is one of the main celebration grounds, where parents tend to take their children to enjoy the day every year.

Among the 150-strong company, there will be traffic police, SWAT, investigators and bomb squads included in the team to ensure the safety of the public.

In other celebration grounds of the city, the Metropolitan Police Bureau has collaborated with related precincts to fully provide all necessary safety measures and facilitate traffic flow in the areas.

-- NNT 2012-01-11

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ICT Min Urges DTAC to Fix Network Errors

The Information and Communications Technology minister urges Total Access Communication, or DTAC, to sort out its repeated network problems.

The ministry is set to invite the firm's executives and people from the telecommunications regulator to discuss the issue later this week.

Information and Communications Technology, or ICT, Minister Anudit Nakhontap called on Total Access Communication, the mobile network operator under the DTAC brand, to fix its network problems and improve its services, after its mobile service went down three times in the past three weeks.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, or NBTC, has looked into the issue, while the ICT Ministry has sent staff to inspect the operations of all mobile network operators.

The ministry will invite Dtac and NBTC executives to provide information on January 12 and 13.

Recently, the ICT Minister presided over CAT Telecom's launch of its 3G service under the 'My' Brand.

Interim CAT Telecom President Viroj Tocharoenwanich said the service is considered a breakthrough for the company, as the leader of 3G wireless technology.

He added that the service will offer customers a new option of quality 3G technology.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-11

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Thai stock index opens on Wednesday at 1,052.55, down 0.49 points /MCOT

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Domains with .tokyo could be available next year

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Superintendent to Submit Warrant Today to Arrest Suspect Samut Sakhon MP

The Superintendent of Samut Sakhon police station disclosed that a DNA test on the murder suspect of Udon Kraiwatnussorn has been completed.

Police will submit an arrest warrant for approval today to bring the suspect to police to face charges.

Samut Sakhon Provincial Police Superintendent Jamreang Soodjai gave an interview to INN News regarding the investigation of the murder case of Samut Sakhon Provincial Administration Organization President Udon Kraiwatnussorn.

He said that he has already received all documents and results from the Police Forensic Department after testing the suspect's DNA from the nine bullet shells found at the murder scene.

The information is very useful and beneficial to the case. However, the details cannot be uncovered as it could affect the case.

Jamreang further talked about a submission of an arrest warrant in order to bring the murder suspect Samutsakhon MP Khanchit Thapsuwan to police to face a charge of premeditated murder.

He said that since Khanchit was not detained as he is a member of parliament and has immunity while parliament is in session, Jamreang will bring a warrant which has already been signed by Region 7 Police Commander to the Royal Thai Police Commander to sign and approve in order to immediately arrest Khanchit.

He went on to say that the arrest warrant contains important details including to bring the suspect for witnesses to identify, interrogate, and to hand over a Glock.

40 pistol and a brown Toyota pick-up truck for examination, and to inform additional charges, such as being in possession of pistols without registration.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-11

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US Consular Outreach: Ubon Ratchathani - Thursday, January 12

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