Thailand Live Monday 23 Jan 2012

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SET index midday up 6.64 pts, 0.63 pct

Thai composite stocks index (SET) at midday Monday stood at 1,065.30, up 6.64 points, or 0.63 per cent amid light trade of Bt8.22 billion.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 743.66, up 4.10 points, or 0.55 per cent.

Top five most active (value) stocks: ESSO, RAIMON, ADVANC, STA, INTUCH.

-- The Nation 2012-01-23

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Court orders extradition of convicted British offender

The Criminal Court Monday ordered extradition of a convicted British rapist to England.

The court ordered Paul Martin Smithers to be extradited within a month.

Smithers was arrested at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport on November 2 last year following a request by the British embassy. The embassy sent a request to the Thai government on August 28 2009 to monitor for and arrest Smithers.

He was convicted by the Cardiff Court in a rape case.

-- The Nation 2012-01-23

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Fire breaks out at Phuket official's residence

Phuket Gazette –

Black smoke was billowing from the room when firefighters arrived. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/528178-fire-breaks-out-at-phuket-officials-residence/page__view__findpost__p__4999501

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RT@chuvit_online: Illegal casino is based on corruption system in Thailand and if Thai police have accepted that nothing they could do

RT@chuvit_online: Police is importance part of corruption system, we can not waive to mention Thai police if we still want to handle corruption problem

RT@chuvit_online: in my opinion, new cabinet just served to solve their own party's problem, not country's problem, apparently so clear when u looking at PM

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Correction: Thai PM to pay state visit to India Jan 24-26 joining Republic Day celebrations;to build post-flood confidence, strengthen strategic partnership /MCOT

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PAD

PAD leader fined for court absence

Sondhi Limthongkul, a co-leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, was fined Bt4,000 by the Criminal Court on Monday for failing to show up to hear a court verdict related to his Manager Group.

Sondhi, the founder of the Manager Group, was supposed to hear the verdict by the Criminal Court on January 19 but he claimed he was receiving medical treatment in China. He is accused of violating the Securities Exchange Commission Act by filing a false statement to the Stock Exchange of Thailand from October 8, to 31 1996 regarding the Manager Group’s accounts.

On January 19, the Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Sondhi, so he turned himself to the court on Monday. The court ordered him to be in court to hear the verdict on February 28.

Sondhi was a hardcore leader of the PAD protests against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 and was behind the seizure of the Government House and airports in 2008.

-- The Nation 2012-01-23

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Insurgents attempting to attract int'l organisations: Prayuth

Insurgents behind the violence in the south have used their attacks to draw attention from international organisations in a bid to draw them into the problems, Army Commander in Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said Monday.

"The problems are the country's internal affairs and we are making our best efforts to deal with them. The presence of international organisations would certainly complicate the problems," Prayuth said.

The insurgents, he said, had tried their best to draw the agencies into the problems by instigating more violence in southernmost provinces.

They used attacks to create more violence so that people would be more fearful and refuse to cooperate and give information to the authorities, he said.

On Sunday, insurgents in Pattani launched an attack on a naval security outpost in Sai Buri district, drawing a relief force into an ambush trap where a roadside bomb and gunfire wounded six marines.

Insurgents attacked the outpost with automatic weapons at around 6pm for 10 minutes. The gunfight prompted calls for reinforcements.

However, about 600 metres from the outpost, the pickup truck carrying the 10 marines was blasted by roadside bomb, which was followed by gunfire from the insurgents. The marines returned fire and repelled the attackers after a gunfight that lasted 10 minutes. Six of them, including the leader, suffered injuries.

Military sources said both attacks were likely carried out by insurgents active in areas between Ka Pho and Sai Buri districts, and Raman district in neighboring Yala.

-- The Nation 2012-01-23

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Poll: Most See Yingluck Government Ineffective

According to the latest opinion poll conducted by Ramkamhaeng University, most people see the government, led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as ineffective in running the country, particularly the flood crisis management.

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Chinatown Bustling on Chinese New Year

The atmosphere at a famous temple in Bangkok's Chinatown is bustling as a large number of Thais of Chinese descent and foreigners pay homage to the gods for the Chinese New Year.

However, the number of vendors selling offerings are notably less than previous years.

Last night, the atmosphere at the Leng Noei Yi Temple and the Chinatown was bustling as a number of Thais of Chinese descent and foreigners prayed for good fortune for the Chinese New Year.

Moreover, many worshippers also were engaged in a ceremony to ward off their bad fortunes for this year.

Vendors selling offerings for the Chinese New Year said that silver and gold ingots, oranges, and peaches have been most popular.

However, overall sales were low due to the downturn of the economy and the increased product prices.

Chinatown sees an official opening ceremony of the Chinese New Year event today, jointly organized by the Sampantawong District Office, the Cultural Council, and members of the public and private sectors.

The event aims to preserve Thai-Chinese culture and promote tourism, while police have launched strict security measures. Police officers will patrol all areas by foot, car, and motorcycle.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-23

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Tourism Ministry held workshop on Anti-human-trafficking

BANGKOK, 23 January 2012 (NNT) – A workshop against human trafficking has been held by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to set up a network of volunteers to monitor, solve and suppress human trafficking crimes, in order to promote a positive image on Thai tourism.

Deputy Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Seksan Nakwong stated that the Ministry has collaborated with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) to set up the workshop.

The purpose of this programme is to create a network of volunteers to monitor, prevent and solve tourism and human trafficking problems, as well as cultivate moral conscience among the general public and entrepreneurs of the tourism industry.

The tourism sector generates a sustainable source of revenue for Thailand; however, human trafficking has put a stain on the country's reputation. Thus, the Tourism and Sports Ministry has enlisted the cooperation of relevant agencies to work side by side in order to create long-term prevention measures for human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Advisor to the Office of the Social Development and Human Security Permanent Secretary Sujaree Suangtho stated that crimes of human trafficking appear in many forms, including prostitution and labour exploitation. In tourist attraction sites, it is common to see victims of human trafficing in the form of beggars.

Thus, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has put in place measures to prevent and suppress human trafficking as well as provide assistance to the victims of these crimes.

-- NNT 2012-01-23

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CNNGo gives Thai iced tea 27th place among world's most popular drinks

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British Motorcyclist killed in hit-and-run road accident in East Pattaya

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SET index closed at 1062.55, up 3.89; Bt/USD31.34; GBP48.64; AUD32.80; EUR40.44; CAD30.80; HKD4.03; SGD24.54; JPY40.44

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FLOODS

Projects worth Bt20bn pending for Cabinet's approval

The Nation

The Cabinet will tomorrow consider flood-related investment projects worth over Bt20 billion, said Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Vichaidit.

After the joint meeting of two government committees tasked to rehabilitate flood victims and infrastructure, Yongyuth said that the projects are urgent and must be considered by the Cabinet tomorrow.

Of total investment for this round, transport projects would require Bt559 million, government offices and infrastructure Bt4.2 billion, religious and historical sites Bt1.52 billion, education Bt2.8 billion, irrigation Bt5.78 billion, and National Police Office Bt194.7 million.

The committees turned down the Royal Air Force’s request for a Bt103 million budget for the procurement of new training suits, damaged by the floods.

Yongyuth told the Air Force to ask for the budget from another committee dealing with flood-related social impacts.

-- The Nation 2012-01-23

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Chinese New Year celebration in Phuket Town tonight

Chinese acrobats, like these who performed at last year's event, will return to Sanam Chai in Phuket Town tonight. Photo: Gazette file.

STAGE SET: The stage set up at Sanam Chai in Phuket Town includes a sound system loud enough to be heard from the top of nearby Khao Toh Sae. Photo by Stephen Fein.

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Deputy PM Confident Charter Rewrite Not to Spark Coup

A deputy PM has expressed confidence that the charter rewrite will not lead to a military coup.

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Congratulations Sign for Red-shirt Minister Draws Ire

An alumnus of a school in Nakhon Si Thammarat puts pressure on its executives to remove a congratulations sign for a newly-appointed minister who studied there given he is no longer recognized as a former student by the alumni.

Criticism and ire have been raised against a huge placard with a congratulatory message for newly-appointed Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Natthawut Saikua, put up at the gate of Nakhon Si Thammarat's Benjamarachuthit School where he was a student.

A group of the school's alumni earlier announced they no longer recognize Natthawut as an alumnus in response to his crucial role in the red-shirt movement.

An alumnus Sumet Sodjit said he will ask other alumni and present students to join a campaign to seek removal of the sign.

Sumet urged school executives to see the importance of unity of its alumni and questioned if the placard is for their own personal interest.

Meanwhile, reports have come out that billboards with similar congratulatory messages for Natthawut will be put up across the province in the next few days.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-23

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to continue:

Thailand Live Tuesday 24 Jan 2012

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