Thailand Live Wednesday 18 Jan 2012

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Thailand Live Wednesday 18 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 17 Jan 2012

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THE CEO FORUM

Tony Blair 'very confident' about Thailand's future

Thailand, despite suffering through a severe flood crisis and other difficulties, still has great potential for business and growth in the face of a fast-changing global environment, former British prime minister Tony Blair said.

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With new found time, ex-British PM enjoys being able to focus on single issues of concern

The Nation

Tony Blair, former UK prime minister, told Nation Group Editor-in-Chief Suthichai Yoon how he enjoys life after 10 years in Downing Street. Blair also talked about how he felt about the departure of Muammar Gadhafi, the late leader of Libya. Here's an exerpt from yesterday's interview that Mr Blair gave to Suthichai at the CEO Forum at the Board of Investment Fair.

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CABINET RESHUFFLE

Drastic overhauling for Cabinet

THE NATION

Kittiratt set to take over from Thirachai as finance minister; pundits see Thaksin hand in changes; Natthawut 'rewarded'

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BMA

Sukhumbhand denies deputy quit over row

THANATPONG KONGSAI

THE NATION

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhum-bhand Paribatra yesterday denied that one of his deputies, Pornthep Techapaiboon, had resigned over a personal conflict with him.

"There's no problem between us," Sukhumbhand said after he named Vallop Suwandee as the new deputy governor.

Sukhumbhand said he and Pornthep had been friends for more than three decades and it was Pornthep who said from the very beginning that he planned to serve as a deputy Bangkok governor for just two years.

"Now, he has worked in the post for more than two years already," the city governor said.

While insisting that Pornthep had a personal reason for his resignation, Sukhumbhand expressed his hope of delivering his best performance in his last year as Bangkok governor.

He said he had discussed his ambi?tion with his team members during the past few months.

"I've explained that I have reserved the right to reshuffle my team for max?imum efficiency. If there's someone else who can work better in a position, change will need to be made," Sukhumbhand said, "But that does not mean I have personal conflict with my team members. It's just that I focus on performances more than personal ties".

Asked whether Pornthep was forced to resign because of his rare media appearances during the flood crisis late last year, Sukhumbhand said he did not think media coverage was an indicator of a deputy Bangkok gov?ernor's performance.

Pornthep stood by Sukhumbhand's explanation yesterday. He said he had indeed told Sukhumbhand from the very beginning he would work as a deputy Bangkok governor for just two years.

"I have had a personal reason. My eldest son has had brain problems and been hospitalised for three months. His doctor recommends I closely tend to him," Pornthep said.

He said Sukhumbhand would be in the Bangkok governor's post for just one more year and he should get a new deputy who could devote full attention to the work.

"I have had no problems with the Bangkok governor. We are still friends," Pornthep said. He added that politi?cally speaking, he would continue to help with the Democrat Party's work.

Sukhumbhand and Pornthep are both members of the Democrat Party.

-- The Nation 2012-01-18

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Pattaya Immigration arrest fugitive Austrian

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BURNING ISSUE

Thai govt needs to learn from this terrorism case

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DOG TRADE

Man jailed, fined Bt35,000

The Nation

Sakon Nakhon Provincial Court yesterday sentenced a man to four months in jail and a Bt35,000 fine for capturing and detaining dogs for sale.

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EDITORIAL

Growth, but at what cost to the Thai people?: Thai opinion

Thailand is projected to rise in the world economic rankings in the next four decades, but will it be worth it if our quality of life doesn't improve?

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When it comes to terrorism, all rules and principles go out the window

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47 Red-shirt Detainees Move to New Jail

The Corrections Department transfers 47 red-shirt detainees who are being held on remand after a crackdown on the group's protests in 2010 to a less strict jail facility.

The transfer was part of a recommendation by the reconciliation panel.

Director-General of the Corrections Department, Police Colonel Suchat Wonganantachai said a regular prison routine will not be imposed at the Lak Si detention center.

The 47 red-shirt detainees have been relocated to a separate jail facility in Lak Si.

They will have full access to visitation with their family members.

Suchat stated the department will consider relocating a second group of red-shirt protesters who are still being held on remand for charges filed by the Department of Special Investigation, cases concerning lese majeste and violation of computer laws.

Red-shirt chairperson Thida Thavornset said the relocation of the 47 detainees is a first step to resolve the ongoing political conflicts.

She said the red-shirt group will then ask the government to speed up the release of the remaining red-shirt detainees and the payment of the full 7.75 million baht in compensation that was recently endorsed by the Cabinet.

The relocation of those 47 red-shirt detainees was made at the suggestion of the Fact-finding Commission for National Reconciliation.

The detainees were being held in prisons in Bangkok and other provinces after they were accused of being involved in city-wide chaos after the crackdown on the group's protests in 2010.

Some 50 red-shirt supporters also gathered at the Lak Si jail facility to give their support to the red-shirt detainees.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-18

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Thai Police target piracy rate

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What women say about PM Yingluck

Four women voice their thoughts about Thailand's first female premier and her performance over the past five months

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Cabinet reshuffle 'an attempt to please loyalists'

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Post-flood funding key task for new finance minister Kittiratt: Thailand

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Lebanese terror suspect had many accomplices: Thai police

Three Arabs seen frequenting house with stock of bomb-making material

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Trench to protect wild elephants

THE NATION

An elephant trench will be dug at Prachuap Khiri Khan's Kui Buri district as part of the Kui Buri declaration to resolve conflict between villagers and wild elephants.

The declaration was signed yesterday by eight state agencies, the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) Thailand, the Kui Buri Wild Elephant Conservation and Environment and Tambon Hat Kham Administrative Organisation.

It originated from His Majesty the King's idea - expressed on July 5, 1999 - for a conservation strategy to rehabilitate the 18,000 rai of agriculture lands, deemed the Kui Buri Forest encroachment, to be the home and food source for elephants and other wildlife.

"Elephants should be in forest but the forest should have enough food for them. [The answer] is to grow food plants for them in small plots spreading in the forest. If elephants wander to the edge of the forest they should be provided security," according to the royal idea.

The surveys by WWF Thailand and state agencies have revealed a challenge from climate change, which has caused drought in Kui Buri district for the third year in a row.

The grass meadow for wildlife couldn't depend only on rain and dew so a large herd of elephants hunted for food around the edge of forest near Pran Buri district. Farmers there weren't committed not to harm them, leading to news of elephant killing.

Prachuap Khiri Khan Governor Weera Sriwattanatrakul said concerted efforts in the province led to a number of measures, including the long-term solution of digging the trench along the forest bordering farmlands. The project would stop elephants from entering farmlands, serve as a water source for elephants and farmers, help the authorities' food creation for elephants, promote tourism and create a clear territory of forestland and farmland.

The declaration was in line with the elephant food creation guideline of building a grass meadow, eradicating weeds, creating artificial salt licks and constructing dykes to maintain moisture in the soil.

WWF Thailand and state agencies would continue surveying farmlands along the forest edges, drawing up memorandums of understanding between the Kui Buri National Park and elephant-affected farmers, and dispatching a special unit to support the farmers' elephant watch, and returning wandering elephants to the forest.

-- The Nation 2012-01-18

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Officer gets death for cop killing

The Nation

The Court of Appeals yesterday upheld a death sentence given to a former military officer for killing two policemen and injuring another during a 2007 drug-busting operation.

Major Chanon Chinnawong, 46, was convicted of shooting Pol Senior Sgt-Major Manoch Srilakorn, Pol Corporal Sawai Arjnongwa and Pol Lieutenant Sarit Aksorn on April 11, 2007, as he resisted their attempt to arrest him and his drug-trafficking accomplices at an apartment in Bangkok's Din Daeng district. The shooting killed Manoch and Sawai, and also injured Sarit.

However, the court overruled the murder convictions of Chanon's accomplices Sukhum Juajamjan and Witoon Niyakij because it was unclear whether they had used weapons.

According to the court, Sukhum and Witoon will be detained pending review from the Supreme Court.

Sukhum, Witoon and Chanon were all convicted of drug trafficking, with Sukhum getting more than 13 years in jail plus a fine of Bt80,000 and the other two 40 years in jail and a fine of Bt3 million each.

-- The Nation 2012-01-18

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Int'l education expo this weekend

The Nation

Those seeking information about studying abroad should not miss the overseas education expo in Bangkok this weekend.

The OCSC (Office of the Civil Service Commission) International Education Expo will be held at Siam Paragon's Royal Paragon Hall on Saturday and Sunday.

Visitors to the event will be able to learn about overseas education opportunities from secondary to higher-education levels, with representatives from 270 educational institutes from other countries at hand to provide information. Of the 270, as many as 64 are world-class universities from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the US, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.

Information about scholarships, including the so-called One District One Scholarship and special packages for flood-affected students, will be also available. In addition, visitors will get a chance to win free English-language courses.

Call 1786 or visit www.ocscexpo.net for more information.

-- The Nation 2012-01-18

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Samsung denies report on takeover of BlackBerry maker RIM

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Obama Says So Long SOPA, Killing Controversial Internet Piracy Legislation

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Democrat MPs React on Cabinet Reshuffle

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Thai stock index opens on Wednesday at 1,057.36, up 0.82 points /MCOT

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RT @mpoppel: BREAKING -- Dog walkers find severed head in a bag in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, police say

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His Majesty the King's health improves

BANGKOK, 18 January 2012 (NNT) – The constant pressure with slight pain that His Majesty the King feels around the lower left side of the abdomen has lessened, the Bureau of the Royal Household said in its 50th announcement issued yesterday.

Following an effort by the team of royal doctors to treat the inflammation of a diverticulum in His Majesty’s digestive tract, the result showed His Majesty has less painful abdominal cramping. After treatment, His Majesty’s general conditions are good with normal blood pressure, temperature and breathing. His Majesty the King has good appetite.

-- NNT 2012-01-18

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Foreign Ministry invited DCM at US Embassy to discuss terror alert

BANGKOK, 18 January 2012 (NNT) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited the Deputy Chief of Mission from the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok to discuss Thailand's security after the latter's posting of terror warnings last week.

Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Director-General of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, said that Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Secretary of Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday, invited Ms. Judith Beth Cefkin, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, to a meeting on Thailand's security situation.

The meeting cane on the heels of the US Embassy's last week posting of terror warnings for American citizens in the Thai capital.

Ms. Celfkin joined the meeting on behalf of Ambassador Kristie Kenney, who is on mission overseas.

According to the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mr. Sihasak has expressed Thailand's concerns over the terror alerts, which should have been handled with caution and discretion as such actions could have serious impacts on Thailand.

He added that the meeting has seen both sides reiterating the importance of battling all acts of terror and a closer cooperation.

In addition, Mr. Sihasak has assured Ms. Cefkin that Thailand's security situation is not to be worried about while necessary safety measures have been put in place to cope with any unexpected circumstances.

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson added that Ms. Cefkin has acknowledged Thailand's stance and actions to keep the situation under the control.

Moreover, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok has promised to consider removing the warnings soon.

When asked about travel advisories issued by various governments, Mr. Thani said that each advisory will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as other countries have only followed the US Embassy's move and have not banned their citizens from visiting Thailand.

-- NNT 2012-01-18

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Govt wants to oversee military line-up: Sumet

The Nation

The next military reshuffle will be a litmus test for the ties between the top brass and the government, Air Chief Marshal Sumet Photimanee said on Wednesday.

"I believe the Defence Ministry Administration Act will have to be amended, paving way for the political supervision of the military appointments," Sumet said.

Sumet, Airports of Thailand board chairman and a close ally of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was commenting on the new Cabinet line-up which Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat is poised to become the defence minister.

Sukumpol is also a Thaksin's ally from among the Pre-Cadet Class 10 graduates.

Sumet said Sukumpol will try to work with the top military leaders, particularly Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, before deciding whether any changes in the military line-up would be deemed necessary.

"There is no problem if the defence minister and top military leaders can cooperate, work and consult one another to reach a solution without any conflict," he said.

Many Thaksin's military allies and those in the Pheu Thai Party see outgoing Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha, who is tipped to become deputy prime minister, as a "soft" leader for allowing the top brass to gain an upper hand over the government.

-- The Nation 2012-01-18

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Govt Urged to Push US to Lift Terrorist Alert

The Democrat Party leader urged the government to talk with the United States into lifting its terrorist attack warning for Thailand.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the government to respond to the United States as it still has not lifted the terrorist attack warning.

He added the government must assure that Thai security agencies are closely following international terrorist movements and the situation is under control.

Abhisit noted that in the future, the United States should verify information with Thai authorities first so that no damage will be caused to Thailand, while security officials must continue to keep watch on possible terrorist threats.

However, the Democrat leader raised questions as to why the United States have not canceled the warning despite the Thai government's quick and effective response towards the issue.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-18

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Phetchaburi Court Allows Bail for Kaeng Krachan National Park Assistant

Yesterday morning, the Petchaburi Provincial Court allowed the Kaeng Krachan National Park assistant to be released on bail.

The suspect is accused of burning the body of an elephant.

Kaeng Krachan National Park Assistant Suriyont Pohtibandit is accused of burning the body of an elephant at the beginning of this month.

He turned himself into the Phetchaburi Provincial Police Deputy Commander, Police Major Torsak Noppakaew, at the Kaeng Krachan police station.

Suriyont put down 750,000 baht in cash as guarantee, and he says he is confident he will be successful in defending himself against any accusations in court.

The suspect admitted that he destroyed the elephant's body, explaining that the national park's veterinarian advised him to do so to prevent an outbreak of disease.

He did not report to the police because the incident occurred during the New Year holiday, and it was difficult to contact the officers.

He decided to burn the elephant's body immediately without following a proper procedure.

The suspect insisted that the ivory tusks were burnt as well.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-18