Thailand Live Monday 16 Jan 2012

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Thailand Live Monday 16 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 Sunday 15 Jan 2012

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TERROR

Thai govt in damage control on terror

After Chalerm's chaotic response, officials say situation under control, criticise US alert as hasty

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OPINION POLL

Teachers play role in preventing corruption in Thailand

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MOBILE CABINET

Thai govt nod for Bt400-bn projects in the North

Kittiratt says 2013 fiscal might also see a deficit, though it will be on a declining trend; green light for 128 projects

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....s-in-the-north/

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ANALYSIS

Will return of 111 upset balance at Pheu Thai?

An important event on this year's political calendar is the end of a five-year ban on 111 former executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party in May.

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LOCAL ELECTION

Newin's wife triumphs

The Nation

Newin Chidchob's wife, Karuna Chidchob, won the election for president of Buri Ram Provincial Administrative Organisation, securing 411,414 votes, followed by Kachornton Judto (137,807) and Usani Chidchob (25,530).

A total of 617,994 eligible voters out of 1.1 million - 55 per cent - exercised their voting right.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

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CHARTER REVIEW

Cabinet nods proposal on appointing charter-rewrite panel

Piyanart Srivalo

Photo : Watcharachai Klaipong

The Cabinet yesterday accepted a five-point proposal from the Independent National Rule of Law Commission, one of which is to appoint a committee to amend the charter without having to amend Article 291 of the Constitution.

Government spokesman Anusorn Aimsaard said the Cabinet accepted the suggestion from Ukrit Mongkolnavin, chairman of the commission, that it was unnecessary to amend section 291 of the Constitution to allow the setting up of a Constitutional Drafting Assembly (CDA).

However, the Cabinet resolved to amend section 291 to allow the Cabinet to appoint a charter-writing committee so as to complete the charter amendment within 60 days and table the amendment for approval by Parliament.

Anusorn said the Cabinet also accepted the Ukrit committee's proposal for stricter enforcement of the Computer Offences Act 2007 in connection with Section 112 of the Criminal Code - which covers lese-majeste cases - as more offences are being committed, causing social and political impacts. The Royal Thai Police will improve legal procedures in relation to lese-majeste cases and will carry out every step of the legal procedure confidentially, Anusorn said.

Former appointed senator Ruangkrai Leekitwattana said the Ukrit committee's proposal to appoint a 34-member charter writer committee must be approved by Parliament.

Ruangkrai said senators, both elected and appointed, agreed with the proposal to have all Senators elected and allow the current appointed Senators to complete their term. He added that the proposal from Pheu Thai MPs not to have any senators would be opposed by senators, thus closing the door on amendment of the charter.

The Cabinet also instructed related agencies to enforce laws in a fair manner in regard to suspects' rights to get a temporary release as guaranteed by the Constitution.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

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LESE MEJESTE LAW

Nitirat scholars propose several changes

The Nation

The Nitirat group of law scholars called yesterday for the amendment of Section 112 of the Criminal Code relating to lese majeste, saying the law is outdated and in need of an overhaul.

Mahidol University lecturer Kritaya Artwanitkul said the group made the following proposals:

_ that Section 112 be removed from the national security law;

_ that it include additional offences in relation to the honour of the King, the Queen, Royal Family members and regents;

_ that the act provide separate legal protections for the King, the Queen, Royal Family members and regents;

_ that the penalty for offences such as defamation or insulting or threatening the King be reduced to a maximum of three years' jail, and to two years for offences against the Queen, Royal Family members and regents.

The group also called for the exemption from punishment of those who honestly express a political opinion, as well as those whose allegations are proven to be true or useful to the public.

It also urged that only the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary be granted the authority to file complaints against violators.

The group plans to solicit 10,000 signatures in support of the amendment within 112 days.

Worachet Pakeerat, head of the Nitirat group, said those accused of committing offences under Section 112 were subject not only to legal action but also to condemnation by society, which made it very difficult for them to live normal lives.

He said the lese majeste laws had not been changed since the country abandoned absolute monarchy in favour of democracy, except for offences in relation to threatening the King.

The Nitirat group's campaign to amend the law was the first step toward reforming the monarchy to ensure the institution continued in Thai society, he said.

Worachet said that people who threaten proponents of the amendment could be liable to prosecution under the Proposing Law Amendment Act 1999, violations of which are punishable by up to 5 years in jail and a Bt100,000 fine.

Dr Tul Sittisomwong, a leader of the multicoloured political group, vowed yesterday to oppose the Nitirat group's push for change to the lese-majeste law.

"The proposal for a lighter punishment will cause the number of lese-majeste offenders to rise," he said.

He was speaking as his group started gathering signatures from people who oppose the proposed amendment to lese-majeste laws.

"We hope to collect as many as 10,000 signatures. We expect to submit the signatures to the Parliament president by early February," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

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Crackdown on illegal imports of luxury vehicles

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

The Office of the Public Sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) has warned that it is cracking down on illegal imports of luxury cars, encroachment on coastal area land, and bogus loan deals in connection with the Ua Arthorn housing project.

"The PACC will root out graft violations via the crackdown on the three major targets," PACC secretary-general Dutsadee Arayawuth said yesterday.

Dutsadee said some 100 graduates returning from England were suspected of being involved in a scam to evade import tariffs for luxury cars.

The graduates falsely declare ownership of a vehicle to qualify for a personal allowance to bring back their property at concessional tax rates, he said. Upon their return home and clearing customs, the luxury cars are sold in the markets. The illegally imported cars would be 10- to 20-per-cent cheaper that those brought in under normal import tariffs.

In one case, the authorities exposed a graduate who had allowed a car dealer to use his name to falsify the records of an imported vehicle which was brand new, but was declared as having been in his possession for two years to qualify for a lower tax bracket.

Regarding land encroachment in coastal areas, PACC said a number of land and local officials in charge of issuing land documents were rotating assignments within specific offices for pricey plots on the coastline along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

The PACC suspected the officials might have been involved in a scam to falsify land records to enable encroachment on mangrove reserves and public plots to gain possession and ownership.

The PACC will recruit and develop in-house skills on aerial land survey to root out scams that falsify land records.

The damage resulting from bogus loans for the housing project is estimated at Bt6 billion. The main suspect is a defunct company, President Agri Trading, which PACC says falsified records on housing loans granted by nine state- and commercial banks to bogus home owners to cover up its financial shortfalls incurred from rice exports.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

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Some 51 teams to take part in Thailand Rescue Robot competition

The Nation

Robot lovers are invited to watch the Thailand Rescue Robot competition to select the country's entry to a famous international robot competition.

The Thai Robotics Society and King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, with support from Siam Cement Group, will host the contest from January 28-February 3 at the university's campus. The last day will be the final round.

Up to 51 teams from vocational institutions and universities across the country will join the contest, and the champion will be presented the Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn trophy.

The winning team will represent Thailand in RoboCup 2012 in Mexico from June 18-24.

Visit www.cedt.net/rescue or call (02) 586 9010, 913 2615/2500 ext 8104 or 8105 for more information.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

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RT @USEmbassyBKK: The U.S. Embassy is closed today to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. We will reopen on Tuesday, January 17.

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@RichardBarrow: Group of Thais to protest at the US Embassy at noon; do they know it's closed & that the ambassador is out of town?

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Metropolitan police continue heightened security at risk spots; still interrogating Lebanese terrorist suspect before deportation /TANN

South still warned of heavy rain and possible floods; temperature drops further in North; BKK to see rain /TANN

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At 6.36am python spotted on right lane of North Sathorn Rd pass Soi Convent near u-turn spot via @js100radio /TANN

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Manager: Israeli media reports Hezbollah has chosen Thailand as target and are planning Khaosan bombing before Feb 12 /TANN

Interrogation of Lebanese terrorist suspect leads police to raid building in Mahachai area which is used to store explosives for group /TANN

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Thailand hunting Hezbollah operatives planning terror attacks against Jews, Israelis

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....-jews-israelis/

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RT @RichardBarrow: On 3 Nov 2011 Thais sent a record breaking 3,239,307 tweets (the day floods arrived at Lad Phrao) /via @thaimarketing

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Police found chemicals, used to compound explosives, linked to terror plot in search of Samut Sakorn commercial building after Lebanese suspect detained /MCOT

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RT @terryfrd: Suspect arrested in explosives raid says material not intended for use in Thailand / TNN24

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Four workers injured when building under construction collapses

Four workers were slightly injured when a six-floor apartment building under construction collapsed Sunday night.

The building on Soi Suwicharndamri in Bang Yikhan district collapsed at 8:30 pm.

No one was killed in the accident.

The building has already been built up to the sixth floor. Police have yet to summon its owner and engineer in charge of the construction for interrogation.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,038.84, down 5.97 points /MCOT

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Police Find Bomb Components Believed to Belong to Lebanese Suspect

200 police officers raided a shop house in Samut Sakorn Province. They reportedly found bomb components believed to belong a suspect arrested late last week related to several terror warnings issued by the United States and 13 other countries.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-16

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Second Round of Flood Relief Coupon Distribution Starts Next Month

The Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency will start the second round distribution of the 2,000-baht flood relief coupons to flood victims next month.

The Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Director-General, Krairit Nilkhuha said his department will carry out the second round distribution of the 2,000-baht coupons to flood victims that will run from February 10 to February 20.

The coupons can be used for shopping and for additional savings at a home appliances event being held by the Energy Ministry.

Krairit further said that the number of outlets participating in the event will increase from the current 240 to provide customers with more alternatives.

He noted that Tesco Lotus has already confirmed its participation in the event while negotiations are being held with Home Pro and Power Buy.

Krairit added that a database will be created to prevent redundant listings of eligible people and improve the public's understanding of the program.

During the first round of distribution, 250,000 coupons were given out to flood victims, which was 25 percent of the targeted one million households.

The coupons can be used until March 31.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-16

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Heavy Rain Warned for Southern Thailand

The Meteorological Department is warning of heavy rain in ten southern provinces in these few days.

Flooding has already been reported in many areas.

Continuous heavy rain has battered the eastern part of the Luang mountain range in eight districts of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, causing runoffs and flash floods.

In Noppitam District, mountain runoff has increased the water level in the Klai Canal, which flows through the district, causing the population to be on full alert.

In Sichon District, residents are prepared to deal with the forest runoff that keeps flowing into the area.

In the downtown area of Nakhon Si Thammarat, the fast-rising water level of waterways has caused officials to change the warning flag from green to red as heavy rain continues.

In Phattalung Province, runoff from the Bantad mountain range has flooded homes in Sribanpot, Srinakarin, and Papayom districts.

In Papayom District alone, a thousand homes have been flooded.

Flooding has also submerged a 500-meter stretch of the Petchkasem Road between the Phattalung-Trang section.

Phattalung locals have complained that since November 20, they have been hit with flooding five times, which has disrupted their daily lives.

The Meteorological Department has issued a warning for heavy rain and strong waves for the South from Chumphon Province southwards for the next few days.

Those living along foothills and near waterways should look out for flash floods and overflowing rivers and canals.

The Gulf of Thailand from Nakhon Si Thammarat southwards is warned of two to three-meter high waves so small fishing trawlers should remain ashore.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-16

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ASTV: police chief says terrorist suspect arrested in building containing substance used to make explosives said Thailand's not target /TANN

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US worried about publication of details on bird flu super virus

New York - The Dutch medical researcher who came up with a super bird flu virus once described his experiment as "really, really stupid", but he remains convinced of its usefulness.

Ron Fouchier of Erasmus University in Rotterdam infected ferrets repeatedly with the deadly bird flu virus H5N1, creating a pathogen capable of spreading rapidly amongst the animals, killing most of them.

The same is likely to happen to people if this super virus ever escaped, Fourier has acknowledged, setting alarm bells ringing in the United States in particular, where there are concerns the virus could fall into terrorist hands.

The news caused nervousness when Fouchier first announced his achievement at a conference in Malta in September. That turned to outright alarm, when the respected US journal Science said it would be publishing details of his experiments in a forthcoming issue.

The US administration reacted sharply, expressing fear the article could provide a blueprint for terrorists aiming to create a biological weapon capable of killing millions of people. The US National Biosecurity Committee called on the magazine’s publishers to hold back on publication.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

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RT @ASEAN_NEWSROOM: AP to formally open a news bureau in Pyongyang,North Korea -- AFP

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Chiang Mai Residents Hope to Win Big on PM's License Plate Numbers

Yes, it's THAT time of the month again. Twice a month, a significant number of Thais wrack their brains in hopes of guessing the winning numbers of the Government Lottery. An equally large number bet on the illegal underground lottery as well. So on the first and the 16th of every month, Thai daily newspapers will be plastered with stories of where Thais from various parts of the country are getting their lucky numbers. Today is no different, but this time Chiang Mai residents feel especially lucky.

Over the weekend, the Yingluck Shinawatra administration held its first remote Cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai Province. The meeting was held at the Bank of Thailand's Northern headquarter in Mae Rim District and locals flocked to their beloved prime minister a warm home coming. Yingluck and the Shinawatra family are natives of Chiang Mai Province.

While welcoming the prime minister, it couldn't be ignored that the locals were paying special attention to the license plate of her brand new van. She was driven around in a bronze colored Volkswagen van with red plates numbered 8862.

It's been reported that a significant number of lottery goers are placing bets on the prime minister's plates as the license plates of her other cars have hit winning numbers before on two different occasions.

The top prize of the Government Lottery pays three million baht per ticket if you have all six digits correct. Wins for the two and three digit lotter pay less. However, the more popular underground lottery pays more than 10 times more.

www.dailynew.co.th

-- Tan Network 2012-01-16

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BMA Proposed to Relocate Lat Krabang Airport-Link Station

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, or BMA, organized a meeting regarding the recreation of its city plan.

It has been proposed that the Lat Krabang Airport Link Station will be relocated since it is blocking the waterway to prevent Bangkok from being flooded in the future.

Bangkok deputy governor Pornthep Techapaibul talked during the meeting on January 13, regarding the third recreation plan of the city.

He said that after 20 public hearings, it has been discovered that 21 areas need to be recreated. One of those 21 areas includes the Lat Krabang Airport Link Station, which is now under construction.

It was found that a part of the airport link station is blocking the floodway.

Therefore, it has been proposed that the station be relocated to allow the water to flow through that area so that it can avoid future flood disasters in Bangkok.

Pornthep went on to say that from the meeting, there have been proposals to expand water drainage pipes, build floodwalls, and additional roads, especially at along the Kanchanapisek Ring connecting to Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi provinces.

Furthermore, it has also been proposed to expropriate some residential areas located on the area of the waterways.

Home owners living in these areas might be also prosecuted for area encroachment according to the Town and Country Planning Act.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-16