Thailand Live Tuesday 24 Jan 2012

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Thailand Live Tuesday 24 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 Monday 23 Jan 2012

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Ousted Thirachai mounts fresh Facebook attack on finance minister Kittiratt

Ousted Thirachai mounts fresh Facebook attack on finance minister

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New heads of state should be sworn in: Nitirat group

The Nation

The Nitirat group of law experts came under fire yesterday for proposing charter amendments that would require a new head of state to be sworn in and vow to abide by and protect the constitution before assuming his post.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said the police should look into the matter and determine if there was any legal violation.

"I have always called for people to help protect the monarchy. Everybody should lend a hand, particularly the mass media," he said. "People should follow the law. If what they are doing is not against the law, it is fine."

Komsan Phokong, a law lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said the proposal appeared to be intended to reduce the status of the monarchy. He said the practice of swearing in a new head of state was often used in presidential systems.

The Nitirat proposal was part of a 15-point guideline for constitutional amendments recommended by the group on Sunday.

Komsan said yesterday that the Nitirat group seemed to campaign in a manner that complemented the ideas and desires of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his red-shirt supporters.

"This proposal is aimed at changing the political system. It is similar to that of the Khanarat, which staged a coup in 1932" to overthrow absolute monarchy, he said.

The academic called on the group - which according to its website has seven members - to disclose the source of funds used in its active campaign for constitutional amendments and changes to Article 112 of the Penal Code involving lese majeste. "This is for the sake of transparency so that people can be assured the campaign has no hidden agenda," he said.

Komsan was a drafter of the current post-coup constitution and is a member of another group of academics, known as Sayam Prachapiwat, which is campaigning against amendment of the lese-majeste law. For Komsan, problems in Thai politics do not lie with the monarchy but have been caused mainly by capitalists' domination of political parties.

Senator Kamnoon Sithisamarn agreed that politicians were a major cause of political problems but said this was "the other side of the coin" that Nitirat failed to mention.

Kamnoon said yesterday that without reform by "capitalists who own political parties and turn democracy into parliamentary dictatorship", the Nitirat proposal would only boost such people's power in the name of democracy.

"I cannot tell if Nitirat is extremely innocent or super slick," the senator commented on his Facebook page.

Regarding the proposal for the head of state to be sworn in before assuming office, Kamnoon said His Majesty the King made his vow during his ascension ceremony in May 1950 by saying, "I will rule the land righteously for the benefit of the Siamese public".

Kamnoon said the King had strictly followed his vow throughout the 60-plus years on the throne, unlike many MPs, senators, and Cabinet members who failed to keep their vows made in Parliament or in front of the monarch.

Meanwhile, chief coalition whip Udomdej Ratanasathien said yesterday he wondered whether the Nitirat proposal would be accepted by the public. "We will have to listen to the majority," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-01-24

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Thai healthcare system deteriorating, academics warn

Minister rapped for poor oversight of NHSO

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Yingluck to attend Thai show at Davos summit

The Nation

Thailand will host a "Thai Night" extravaganza at next week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra leading a delegation of about 20 officials and business leaders to the premier global business event.

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Thaksin's former personal secretary Padung to be interior secretary

The Nation

But Minister Yongyuth denies move to appoint Thaksin's former personal secretary is an attempt to reduce the red-shirt quota in Yingluck's Cabinet

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Thai Airways pilot dies in attempt to rescue wife from blaze

After jumping from the second floor of his blazing home in Chatuchak district yesterday, a Thai Airways pilot ran right back into the inferno to rescue his wife - but was engulfed by flames and died even as she saved herself by also leaping.

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Chula reorienting engineering curricula for Asean Economic Community (AEC)

Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Engineering will adjust its curricula with the aim of preparing its students to tap opportunities that will come with the launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in the next three years.

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Thais get help from creative Japanese group that prepares for disaster

After the deluge, Thais get help from a creative Japanese group that prepares for disaster

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Thai elephants are being killed for tourist dollars

Edwin Wiek

Special to The Nation

News on elephants in Thailand since the start of this year has been dominated by the brutal killing of wild tuskers in Kaeng Krachan and Kui Buri national parks.

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Energy policies will be crucial to Thailand's economic growth

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British man to be sent home to face sexual assault trial

The Nation

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Video sparks probe of police, gambling den links

The Nation

Sai Mai police are heading for disciplinary action after a gambling den featuring topless models was found operating under their noses.

A video showing the partially nude girls among male bettors went viral and created a sensation in society.

Pol Colonel Harn Lertthaweewit, superintendent of the station in northern Bangkok, has been instructed to submit his reports on the incident and the results of an initial internal inquiry.

All commanders of the Metropolitan Police's nine divisions must do the same, deputy Bangkok chief Pol Maj General Saroj Phromejaroen said yesterday.

The bald man seen in the video, thought to be the den's owner, along with the two models will also face charges - the women for appearing partly nude in public, he said.

Saroj and Pol Lt General Winai Thongsong, commissioner of Metropolitan Police, were in a meeting to discuss the incident after they had dismissed media speculation that the parlour was a popular one located in Bangkok.

Police last Saturday searched a building in Sai Mai and found that "there were changes made to the building, which makes it slightly different from what was seen in the clips".

"Police searched the building last Saturday not because we believe that it houses the den, but just to check the surroundings. We later found that a wall appears similar to what is seen in the clips, which leads us to believe that the building should be the den," he said.

Many surveillance cameras were installed in the building but no recordings were uncovered. Police publicly disclosed the nicknames of the two models and said a man known as Chai Saimai, who is believed to run the den in the video, will also be questioned.

Nothing would be clear until the two models gave their statements on the details of the den's operation. Their agent has been interviewed by police and they reportedly said they "modelled" in the den before the flooding.

However, police did not believe that because detectives had learned that the den was built after the flooding.

-- The Nation 2012-01-24

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Bomb, fatal shootings mark NY in South

The Nation

Chinese New Year cheer was scarce in the southern provinces as violence continued to claim casualties - with three people shot dead in Yala and six soldiers wounded by a bomb in Pattani on Sunday night, police said yesterday.

In Yala's Muang district, villager Arif Topho, 21, was shot dead while riding a motorcycle in Ban Prama in Tambon Sateng Nok near midnight on Sunday.

At the same time, in Raman district, four gunmen on two motorcycles - using M16 and AK47 rifles and a .38 pistol - fatally shot Joh Ka Tae assistant village headman Maso Wadeh, 55, and villager Awae Juyoh, 48, as they returned from Songkhla in a pick-up.

Police suspect the two killings are part of the ongoing insurgency, but haven't totally ruled out a personal conflict as motive for the attack.

Pattani police yesterday investigated the scene of Sunday's bomb attack in Ban Pa Moung, Tambon Manang Dalam, Sai Buri district, where six soldiers were hurt.

The six-soldier team, led by Capt Suchart Rodpol, was on the way to help the Ban Chalako military outpost of Task Force 26 that had been ambushed by insurgents. Nobody was hurt in the attack, but the six soldiers in the relief team were wounded by a suspected insurgent bomb. They are now recovering in Narathiwat Hospital.

Police suspected the bomb attack was carried out by a group led by Afandi Kapa, 26, from the Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) separatist movement. Two days earlier Thai intelligence reported Afandi's movement in Pattani's Kapor and Sai Buri districts. A combined force searched three locations and set up checkpoints, but failed to find him.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said the military outpost attack reflected the insurgents' desire to drag international groups into the insurgency.

He said Thai authorities couldn't defeat the southern insurgents just by force - it was a battle of wits to win support and not normal violence in which culprits could be punished by the law. He said the insurgency was hard to defeat militarily, as Thai security officials were in the open and insurgents could attack them anytime.

-- The Nation 2012-01-24

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Our forecasting system's slower than a PC, says Thai Meteorological Department

The Nation

File photo. Source: wikimedia

The accuracy of weather forecasts by the Meteorological Department is only around 80 per cent because of its obsolete computer systems, deputy director-general Somchai Baimuang said yesterday.

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BURNING ISSUE

Mistrust and hot air causing public anxiety: Thai opinion

Politicians are allowing their imaginations to run wild and trigger anxiety with hot-air remarks and their own shadows.

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King urges new Cabinet members to keep promise

The Nation

His Majesty the King on Monday called on new Cabinet members to strictly follow their promise of performing their duty for the benefit of the people and the country.

"In your vow, you have expressed your intention to work for the happiness of people as a whole. I ask you to strictly keep your promise so that our country will retain progress and security," the King said.

"It is important that you will work to maintain the country's stability. This is vital for all people in the country," he said. "When you become satisfied with your work, you will be happy, and so do the people."

The King also said working honestly and diligently would be rewarding.

"When you work with honesty and to the best of your ability, you will be proud of yourself," he said.

His Majesty also expressed his wish for the new Cabinet members to succeed in performing their duty.

The swearing-in ceremony by the 16 new Cabinet members took place shortly after 5.30 pm at Siriraj Hospital, where the King has stayed. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who last week reshuffled her Cabinet, was also present while the new Cabinet members were having the royal audience.

-- The Nation 2012-01-24

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Dates set for Arisman libel hearings

The Nation

The Criminal Court yesterday scheduled hearings for libel cases against red-shirt leader Arisman Pongruangrong for October and December.

Arisman, who is now in monkhood, went to court with his lawyer.

The first case was filed by Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and related to Arisman's comments on the People's Channel. They allegedly referred to Abhisit and the process of requesting a royal pardon for fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The first hearing, of testimony from the plaintiff’s witnesses, is scheduled for October 10 at 9am.

The second case was filed by former chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Pol Major-General Amnuay Nimmano and related to Arisman;s alleged comments against him on a red-shirt rally stage in 2010.

The court scheduled December 4 for the first hearing.

-- The Nation 2012-01-24

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Sondhi fined for court absence

The Nation

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

Sondhi, the founder of Manager Group, was expected to hear the court's verdict on January 19 but claimed to be receiving medical treatment in China. He is accused of violating the Securities Exchange Commission Act by filing a false statement with the Stock Exchange of Thailand in regard to Manager Group's accounts from 1996.

On January 19, the Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sondhi, who turned himself in to the court yesterday. The court ordered him to be present 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 a key figure in the seizure of Government House and major airports in 2008.

-- The Nation 2012-01-24

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Suphoth responds to graft charge

The Nation

Former permanent secretary for Transport Suphoth Saplom reported yesterday to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to acknowledge a charge of being unusually rich.

NACC commissioner Preecha Lertkamolmas said Suphoth was given 15 days to defend himself to the anti-graft body.

Preecha said Suphoth signed his name to acknowledge the charge and his cooperation with the NACC. Suphoth told the NACC he might seek an extension of the deadline as he would need evidence from banks and other government agencies.

The NACC launched a probe into Suphoth after thieves who broke into his house told police they discovered he had more than Bt1 billion there.

Police have retrieved about Bt18 million from the thieves but Suphoth insists only Bt5 million was stolen.

Preecha said Suphoth was ordered to explain the source of the cash reportedly in his house and to declare all his bank accounts, plus land and vehicles.

-- The Nation 2012-01-24

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UK Family Calls For Thailand Drug Smuggler Michael Connell To Be Released

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Police extrajudicially killed drug dealer who shot dead Chatuchak female vendor when she fought back as her motorcycle was being stolen /TANN

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New PM's Office Minister's Appointment Brings Trouble for Thaksin

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,065.99, up 3.44 points /MCOT

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Khon Kaen Court Delays Trial for Terrorism Charges against Red Shirt People

The Khon Kean Provincial Court has delayed its trial against red-shirt members on charges in trespassing into the Provincial Hall and the NBT station with an arson plot.

Yesterday, the Khon Kaen Provincial Court marked a day for the trial of four red-shirt members charged for burning the Khon Kaen Provincial Hall and the local NBT broadcasting station on May 19, 2010.

However, the court's view contradicted with the Department of Special Investigation or DSI.

As a result, the trial was postponed to July 2nd.

In response, the legal advisor of the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship or DAAD group, Boonyong Kaewfainok, pointed out that the provincial court reached an agreement not to press charges of terrorism against the suspects.

Conversely, the DSI insisted that all four offenders must be charged with terrorism, saying they possessed arms and trespassed into the hall with a vicious plot.

Reports indicate that as of now, the DSI has forwarded the case to the provincial prosecutor to determine whether the Court should press a lawsuit against the suspects.

The four suspects, who are required to be present before the court, are identified as Adisai Wiboonsek, Jirattrakul Sumaha, Suthas Singbuakhao, and Udom Khammoon.

Three of the suspects trespassed into the provincial hall, while the fourth broke into the NBT station.

The court approved bail last August, on the condition that each Pheu Thai MP deposit 500,000 baht cash and title deeds worth 500,000 baht as a guarantee.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-24

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Thailand Bustling on Chinese New Year

Thai-Chinese residents in provinces are traveling to attractions during the Chinese New Year, including engaging in a ceremony to ward off their bad fortunes for this year.

Thai-Chinese residents from Bangkok and other provinces are traveling to attractions with families during the Chinese New Year.

The peak of Sakae Krang mountain is one of the most popular attractions, as many Thais of Chinese descent traveled to pay homage to the Goddess of Mercy, the Earth Mother Goddess, and the Goddess of Fortune.

Moreover, many worshippers, especially those who were born in the years of the Dragon, the Dog, the Ox, and the Goat from the Chinese Zodiac participated in a ceremony to ward off their bad fortunes for year.

Meanwhile, thousands of Thai-Chinese people traveled to the Sai Tee Hook Tung vegan canteen in the Samo Klang Mountain in Phitsanulok's Wang Thaong District to have Mee Sua or the traditional stir-fried Chinese noodles.

These needles are believed those to bring longevity to life.

The atmosphere was bustling and busy. Furthermore, some Thai-Chinese people also were engaged in a ceremony to ward off their bad fortunes for this year and achieve peace of mind.

Elsewhere, Phi Chit Province sees an official opening ceremony of the Chinese New Year event between January 22 to 31, to promote tourism.

It contains many traditional performances, such as the Illuminated Boat Procession to worship Lord Buddha to welcome Chinese New Year, and to celebrate His Majesty the King's 84th birthday as it is also one of the King's charitable activities.

Furthermore, a huge raft has been built for the Illuminated Boat Procession to pay homage to the Ganges River so that Thai residents can be safe from the severe flooding, which is expected to occur again in the next five months.

A number of other activities have also been organized within the event.

The atmosphere in Ubon Ratchathani Province was also lively during the Chinese New Year, as a 50-meter long of the Golden Dragon Parade has been organized by the Enlightenment Qigong as believed to create good fortunes amongst Thai-Chinese residents.

This has caused joyfulness to more than ten thousand households living in the town.

Meanwhile, many attractions in Satun Province, such as Ya Roi and Ton Panan waterfalls, and white-water rafting area at Sai Thong Temple, were also bustling due to a number of families visiting.

Yesterday was an official holiday for Chinese New Year Day, as the government has declared one more annual holiday in four southern provinces, including Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-24

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Police Unlink Former Actress to Drug Case

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'Social media now a part of everyday life'

Sheryl Sandberg, chief operation officer of Facebook and co-chair of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, explains how social media is changing everything from political protest to buying baby shoes.

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Myanmar Concert 2012 touted in Phuket

The concert will feature Burmese singing star Chan Chan, pictured here in one of her music videos. Image: YouTube

Posters publicizing the event have been posted across Phuket Town.

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