Thailand Live Friday 20 Jan 2012

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Thailand Live Friday 20 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 Thursday 19 Jan 2012

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PM backs Nalinee despite US blacklist

Appointment is constitutional, does not harm image of Cabinet: Yingluck

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Thailand recognizes Palestine as independent state

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Thai tourism agencies eye march on US embassy over terror warning

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FLOOD COVERAGE

Kittiratt trumpets insurance pool

Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong has ambitious plans to create a giant reinsurer to provide flood coverage to local and regional industries, but critics say the government should step back as soon as possible and leave this task to private reinsurers when their confidence returns.

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CAT, AIS gain from number portability

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Groups to set guidelines for compensation

The Nation

A government subcommittee responsible for civil remedies for victims of political unrest over the past six years yesterday set up three working groups to determine the guidelines for compensation payments.

Prime Minister's Office permanent secretary Tongthong Chandrangsu, in his capacity as member of the subcommittee, said the working groups would carefully establish a list of those eligible to ensure that all of them - whatever their political colour - were fairly compensated.

He said the three working groups were set up at yesterday's meeting of the subcommittee. Tongthong said questions were raised at the meeting on the number of victims who have received compensation from previous governments, how much they were paid and how much more they deserved to get.

The subcommittee is under the government's committee for coordinating and following up on recommendations from the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT). The committee is chaired by Deputy PM and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit.

According to Tongthong, the first working group is led by the deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, Suwana Suwanjutha. Its duty is to determine the number and identities of victims since late 2005, and if they had obtained any compensation from authorities.

"Victims" refers to all groups of people - soldiers, police, journalists and tourists, and protesters from all political groups.

The second working group is led by Social Development and Human Security Ministry's deputy permanent secretary Rarintip Sirorat. Its duty is to set payment guidelines in detail, based on figures loosely outlined by the Cabinet in its resolution on January 10, and on existing compensation-payment regulations.

The third working group, led by businessman Virawong Jitmitrapap, is to look into possible compensation for the damage done to businesses in protest areas.

The first two groups were given two weeks to complete their assignments and report to the subcommittee at its next meeting on February 6, Tongthong said.

He said the subcommittee had "a lot of homework to do" after it was established following Cabinet resolution on compensation payment covering victims of political unrest from 2005 to 2010. He said the panel would have to prevent possible scams, in addition to determining how the compensation would be paid, such as in instalments or in the form of scholarships for children of the deceased or disabled.

Yongyuth, who heads the government committee that proposed the payments, insisted yesterday the government would ensure fairness. He said the government acted in response to TRCT's recommendations but that it set the compensation figures based on the country's GDP.

He was responding to a query in Parliament by an opposition Democrat MP that was intended for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

-- The Nation 2012-01-20

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Yingluck is perfect for President Aquino : @itsmekrisaquino

Apparently celebrity and presidential sister Kris Aquino believes visiting Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra could be a potential sister-in-law.

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Chief says Karen not poaching elephants or bribing officials

Officials insist villagers not hunting; body to be exhumed for evidence

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-- The Nation 2012-01-20

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EDITORIAL

Shame: We cannot even protect the national symbol: Thai opinion

Thailand's elephants are in serious decline, and we will have no one but ourselves to blame if we allow them to suffer further abuse and extinction

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Thailand-Lao open Chiang Mai-Luang Prabang bus route

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Italian man 'stabbed by mistake' in Phuket

Italian tourist Giovanni, on his first visit to Phuket, says the stabbing was most likely a case of 'mistaken identity'. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

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Sukhumbhand fails to impress Bangkokians

The Nation

A recent survey showed that Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra has failed to impress most residents since he took office three years ago.

According to Bangkok University's Bangkok Poll, conducted from last Thursday to Monday, 60.8 per cent of respondents said they had yet to see Sukhumbhand do anything impressive.

The survey covered 1,117 Bangkok residents above the age of 18.

Sukhumbhand scored just 6.15 out of 10 for his overall performance as city governor. This was 2.1 per cent less than the score he earned six months ago.

However, the survey showed that his greatest strength is diligence, for which he scored 6.6 points out of 10. He earned the lowest score, just 5.78 points, for creativity.

As for whether they would vote for Sukhumbhand again, 43.8 per cent of the respondents said they were "not sure" while some 18.3 per cent were definitely against it.

However, 37.9 per cent said they would vote for Sukhumbhand if he sought a second term as Bangkok governor.

Of the respondents, 39.2 per cent said they were "impressed" by Sukhumbhand's performance over the past three months, with his most outstanding achievement being his effort to fight floods and run the flood-relief operations.

Respondents, meanwhile, only gave 5.78 points for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's performance under the leadership of Sukhumbhand. BMA earned the highest score - 6.25 points - for its health services and the prevention of communicable diseases, and the lowest - 5.43 points - for traffic and transportation systems.

-- The Nation 2012-01-20

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One killed in Pattani gun attack

The Nation

A man was shot dead on Manang Dalam-Kapho Road near a village in tambon Karubi in Pattani's Kapho district yesterday afternoon.

The man, identified as state employee Vorasit Phuenpha, 39, sustained three gunshots to his body.

Eyewitnesses told police that the victim, who was on a motorcycle, had been shot by one of the two men following him on another motorbike. The incident took place at about 1pm.

Later at about 2.30pm, a bomb exploded at a motorcycle parking area in front of Pattana Islam School in Pattani's Muang district, damaging three motorcycles but causing no casualties.

Mustopa Matrudin, 26, a teacher of the school and owner of one of the damaged motorcycles, told police that some people saw two teenagers arrive on a motorcycle and put an object under his vehicle's seat before leaving shortly before the bomb exploded.

-- The Nation 2012-01-20

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Police break up three drug gangs

The Nation

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday told a press conference that police had cracked three gangs of drug traffickers.

Ulacha Prasutinawin, 25, and Bundit Phattana-umphaiwong, 34, were arrested in Bangkok on Wednesday, and police seized 20 kilograms of "ice" (crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride) and 366,000 tablets of ya ba.

Worasak Sricharoen, 34, was also arrested in the capital yesterday with 31kg of "ice", while Suchart Pingsuwan, 35, and Somyot Phaiboonphoonsap, 36, were nabbed in the Rangsit area of Pathum Thani on Wednesday with 10kg of "ice" in their possession.

Chalerm said that although police kept hunting down drug dealers and addicts, narcotics continued to be smuggled across Thailand's borders. Therefore, he said, he would ask Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to put the problem of drug trafficking on the regional agenda in a bid to encourage neighbouring countries to participate in tackling the problem seriously.

Police have said that they are closely monitoring the movements of six major gangs in the North and have asked the Army to block several parts of the border in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai, Mae Fa Luang and Mae Chan districts. Checkpoints have been also put up in Phrae, Lampang and Sukhothai provinces to block drugs from being trafficked into the Central region.

-- The Nation 2012-01-20

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Flooded-in farmers demand action

The Nation

More than 1,200 farmers in Suphan Buri yesterday threatened to block a major road if relevant authorities failed to drain flood water from their paddy fields urgently.

"Our fields have been flooded for about five months already," protest leader Piyapoj Kiartchusakul said.

The protesters, mostly rice farmers from Bang Pla Ma and Song Phi Nong districts, demanded that pumps be immediately installed to push the water out of their plots. As of yesterday, their areas were still under a metre and a half of water.

"We don't want to see prolonged flooding affect our farming season this year as well," Piyapoj said, adding that farmers wanted to see results in the next five days.

"We want to start our farming by February 5," Piyapoj said, adding that if their demands went unheeded, they would block Highway 340.

Suphan Buri MP Nitiwat Jansawang met with the protesters and promised to take their demands to the relevant authorities.

-- The Nation 2012-01-20

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Surachai threatens hunger strike

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Lese-majeste detainee and Red Siam group leader Surachai Danwattananusorn vowed to begin a hunger strike next Wednesday if he is not moved to the new detention centre for political prisoners in Bangkok's Lak Si district, his wife Pranee Danwattananusorn told The Nation yesterday.

Pranee said Surachai, 69, was disheartened by the fact that he and another red shirt lese majeste detainee, Somyos Prueksakasem-suk, were not regarded as political prisoners. "If political cases do not include that of Surachai and Somyos, then what else is there to be said?" Pranee quoted her husband as saying. She said Surachai is already in poor health with heart and other conditions.

Forty-seven red shirts sentenced for crimes related to the April-May 2010 clashes were moved to the new detention centre on Tuesday. However, none of the 10 or so known lese-majeste detainees were transferred despite a proposal by the Truth for Reconciliation Committee of Thailand (TRCT). The government said it would consult with the TRCT.

-- The Nation 2012-01-20

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Phuket 'spike girl' returns German victim's passport

German tourist Arndt Schneider watches as a woman returns his passport, placing it in one of the shoes he left outside his rented room. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

The CCTV footage showed the suspect leaving the room and another woman secretively returning Mr Schneider's passport.

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Swedish-Lebanese Terror Suspect Explains Himself: Thailand

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6.17am: golden retriever hit by car lay dead on Borom inbound at bridge over Taweewattana Canal, Siberian keeps vigil @js100radio /TANN

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RT @RichardBarrow: 4 reported dead in a shooting this morning on Suksawat 32 Road near Bangkok 1 Hospital /via @fm91trafficpro

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,060.94, up 2.00 points /MCOT

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Thaivisa Forum App 1.0.1 For iOS Released

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Abhisit: PM should review Nalinee's appointment

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Nalinee: US blacklist not about visa

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Autopsies of Deceased Red Shirt Victims Conducted

A Deputy Prime Minister revealed that officers are now conducting autopsies on the bodies of red-shirt protesters killed during an extensive political crackdown during the Abhisit administration.

Former fugitive leader Thaksin Shinawatra's legal adviser Robert Amsterdam spoke with Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday at the Parliament, regarding the political crackdown on the red-shirts in 2010 that contributed to large number of casualties.

Chalerm said the officers have almost finished performing autopsies on the bodies of 16 red-shirt protesters killed during the riots.

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Thailand named top-3 destination of honeymooners in Asia and South Pacific

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SET index ended up 0.32 point to close at 1,059.26 during the Fri midday break with value of Bt12.24 bn /TANN