Thailand Live Thursday 2 Feb 2012

[webfact]

Thailand Live Thursday 2 February 2012

News, Bits and Tweets

with webfact

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.

FOLLOW US:

You can also follow us on

- Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgebkk

- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThaiVisaNews

- Google+: http://plus.google.com/116866638430460700577/

- Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/564113621/

- Breaking News via SMS text messages to your mobile phone or handheld device

To subscribe dial *424010011 on AIS, One-2-Call, DTAC or True Move networks

14 days complementary subscription for Thaivisa members.

If you have questions about the Breaking News SMS service,

email: sms [at] thaivisa.com

________________________________________________________________________________

Thailand's current weather and forecasts: http://weather.thaivisa.com/

________________________________________________________________________________

Related topic: Thailand Live Wednesday 1 Feb 2012

[webfact]

THAIVISA CONNECT

Thaivisa Forum Apps for your mobile or tablet

"Thaivisa Connect" for iPhone, iPad and iPod:

iTunes App Store:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/thaivisa-connect-thailand/id492600537

"Thaivisa Connect" for Android:

Android Market

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.quoord.tapatalkthaivisa.activity

OR

For QR code just go here with your desktop or mobile:

http://apps.thaivisa.com

[webfact]

Bangkok to implement flood prevention plans

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....evention-plans/

[webfact]

New ID cards planned to protect Thailand's elephants

Full story:

[webfact]

Top cement companies spreading their wings: Thailand

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....wings-thailand/

[webfact]

Chalerm Sure Bangkok Metropolitan Police Can Suppress Gambling Dens

Full story:

[webfact]

Thailand remains world's largest rice exporter

Full story:

[webfact]

PM Yingluck Forced to Speak to Virtually Empty Seminar Room

Full story:

[webfact]

GMM 1SKY

GMM 1SKY to bid for Broadcast rights of top sports events

Watchiranont Thongtep

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- GMM Grammy, the leading music and entertainment house, has set up a subsidiary called GMM 1Sky to manage its satellite broadcasting, sports content, animation production and home-shopping interests.

With Bt1 billion in registered capital, the unit is seeking overseas strategic partners with media and sports businesses in the United States, mainland China and Japan, chairman Paiboon Damrongchaitham said yesterday.

This will strengthen the company's capability to bid for broadcast rights of world-class sports tournaments like the British Premier League.

Thana Thienachariya, a senior adviser to the president, took over as CEO of GMM 1Sky yesterday. He had left McJean late last year.

Thana said that this year he would focus on selling 1Sky set-top boxes in the mass market. The company targets sales of at least 1.5 million boxes this year. Some 300,000-400,000 of the boxes would be for the live airing of Euro 2012 soccer championship starting in June, and Germany's Bundesliga 2012-15 seasons starting in August.

The company's revenue will be generated from set-top box sales, advertisements, and pay-TV and pay-per-view subscriptions. It will also launch entertainment and sports packages for its satellite-TV channels in March, priced at Bt300 and Bt350 respectively.

The company is entering the home-shopping business with South Korean firm CJ O Shopping.

GMM-CJ O Shopping, a joint venture, was established in November with registered capital of Bt540 million and is on track to begin operations by midyear.

By the end of the year, 1 Sky and GMM-CJ O Shopping are expected to contribute at least 13 per cent of total revenue, chief financial officer Premon Pinsku told The Nation early this month.

Last year, GMM Grammy saw its revenue soar 30 per cent, but because of the massive flood, its profit increased by only 15 per cent, instead of 30 per cent as had been projected.

Paiboon said GMM Grammy expects to hit Bt10 billion in revenue this year from new businesses and existing core businesses, namely music and media.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

[webfact]

South left out of emergency flood loans, Abhisit charges

Full story:

[webfact]

From dusk till dawn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Students union, ex-rector say Thammasat ban on use of its campus to campaign for amendment of lese-majeste law violates freedom of expression

Thammasat University was yesterday urged to review its board decision to prohibit the use of its campus to campaign against the lese-majeste law as it affected the freedom of expression.

The university yesterday issued the board decision. It said the university would not allow any group to use the campus to hold activities or campaign for the amendment of Article 112 of the penal Code.

"A university is [an important] a place to drive academic development. Banning its staff from expressing their opinions is like destroying the pillar of the university, which is freedom of expression," a statement re-leased by Thammasat Univer-sity's Student Union stated.

The Thammasat University's board decision was issued on Monday in a move that would likely apply more heat to the controversial Nitirat group, which advocates changes to the law. The reason behind the decision was the fear of more conflict and chaos if the campus continued allowing the use of its facilities for such rallies. The decision was revealed by its rector Somkit Lertpaithoon through his Facebook website.

The student union said it insisted on freedom of expression within the university and respected different opinions no matter where they came from - as long as the opinions were not unlawful.

"On behalf of Thammasat students who have various opinions, we guarantee that Thammasat is not a political group. It is the beauty of different opinions that represents the true Thammasat," the statement said.

Former Thammasat rector Chanvit Kasetsiri wrote a letter to Somkit, the current rector, opposing the board decision through his website charnvitkasetsiri.com

The letter said the decision was against the intention and spirit of the founding of The University of Moral and Political Sciences as well as its tradition that insisted in the principles of freedom, equality, and fraternity.

In the letter, Chanvit voiced support for Nitirat's proposal on the amendment of lese-majeste law, defending the group wanting to use academic principles to reform and amend Article 112, which were not intended to topple the monarchy.

"The rector and the board should open the space [in the campus] and organise sessions for sharing, discussion, and finding a solution for the country. All education centres and universities should be neutral organisations to help seek a way out. Brainstorming of pro and con opinions is the most important and urgent mission," Chanvit wrote.

Meanwhile, students and alumni of the Journalism and Mass Communication Faculty are scheduled today to hold a parade to show their opposition to the Nitirat group at the faculty at Tha Pracha campus.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

[webfact]

Muslims claim Thai security agency's early reports of mass shooting 'unfair'

Full story:

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

This government does our children no favours: Thai opinion

Full story:

[webfact]

If the big flood hits us again, don't blame the 'gurus': Thai talk

Full story:

[webfact]

Pheu Thai not yet ready to sponsor charter amendments

Full story:

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

Davos: Red carpet for the Thai delegation

Full story:

[webfact]

Bangkok gambling den 'in railway police area'

Full story:

[webfact]

More Surin prison wardens face arrest

Full story:

[webfact]

Provincial jail sends drug offenders to Cambodia

The Nation

SA KAEW: -- Thai authorities yesterday extradited four Cambodian drug offenders through Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet border checkpoint to serve the rest of their jail terms in Cambodia - following a request from both Cambodia and the inmates.

Attending the handover at the Cambodian consulate in Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaew prison director Kittipat Dechapahul said it was the country's first inmate extradition through a local border checkpoint.

Two of the inmates,both female, had served 14 years in Sa Kaew Prison out of their 37year jail term. The other two male prisoners were each given a 35year jail term, leaving them 12 years to serve in Cambodia.

Kittipat said the Cambodian inmate extradition had nothing to do with the possible extradition of highprofile jailed Thai activists Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaibun, as Thailand and Cambodia often exchanged inmates but didn't publish the handover. He said the Veera and Ratree extradition was up to the Cambodian Government to decide.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

[webfact]

Life sentence confirmed for student killing

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court yesterday upheld a lower court's ruling to sentence a former student of Pathumwan Institute of Technology to life in jail for the murder of Benjapol Wiriyarampa, a student from Rajamangala University of Technology's Uthen Thawai campus in August 2006.

Finding the defendant Anucha Cherdchu, 25, had called his friends to attack Benjapol in the Lat Phrao Soi 124 area and stole Benjapol's gun before fleeing, the court handed him a life sentence. The court also ordered Anucha to join with his friends in paying Bt4.25 million compensation to the victim's mother plus 7.5 per cent interest a year. Anucha's friends have been sentenced separately,

Yesterday's Appeals Court verdict was read in the absence of Anucha, who fled even before the lower court's verdict and is still missing. An arrest warrant has been issued for Anucha and his guarantor fined Bt500,000. Only Anucha's father was present at the court yesterday.

Rajamangala University of Technology’s Uthen Thawai campus yesterday celebrated its 78 year anniversary. Metropolitan Police Region 6 dispatched 300 police officers to set checkpoints and provide security at surrounding areas during the celebrations.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

[webfact]

US Army donates US$ 50,000 to Thai school

Full story:

[webfact]

NHSO hopes to bring healthcare scheme up to par with other benefits

Chularat Saengpassa

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Health Security Office (NHSO) is hoping to put the universal healthcare scheme on par with the health benefits enjoyed by civil servants and company employees in the next five years.

An effective primary gate-keeping system will be one of the themes as the NHSO, which oversees the universal healthcare scheme, moves into its second decade.

"There are a few problems we have to tackle first, like the inequality issue when compared with other healthcare programmes and the need to focus more on primary care," NHSO secretary-general Dr Winai Sawasdivorn said last week.

According to him, though the universal healthcare scheme has been quite successful over the past decade, there has been the problem of equality for members of the scheme when compared to the beneficiaries of the Social Security Scheme and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS).

On average, CSMBS spends between Bt11,000 and Bt12,000 annually on each of its beneficiaries. The universal healthcare scheme, meanwhile, offers a flat Bt2,755 per year for beneficiaries under the care of participating hospitals.

"While CSMBS offers up to Bt18,000 for an appendix removal surgery at Siriraj Hospital, the universal healthcare scheme only pays up to Bt9,500," Winai pointed out, adding hat it was necessary to achieve equality when it came to healthcare services.

"So, I hope we will be able to see the same standard of treatments and rights in the next four or five years," Winai said, adding that he was not concerned about opposition from certain groups of doctors.

"It will be difficult for them to topple NHSO and the universal healthcare scheme," he said confidently, adding that since the universal healthcare scheme was one of the populist policies launched by Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party, the current ruling Pheu Thai Party would fully support it. Pheu Thai Party is a reincarnation of the TRT.

"The policy earned the party great support," Winai commented.

Thanks to the universal healthcare scheme, which was previously known as the Bt30 scheme, patients no longer have to worry about the cost when seeking medical treatment.

According to research, the scheme also cut down on bankruptcies caused by huge medical bills from 6.8 per cent in 1995 to 2.8 per cent in 2008. It also saved more than 80,000 families from getting poorer. People, meanwhile, gave the scheme 83 points in 2003 and as much as 90 points in 2008.

Given the popularity and success of the scheme, Winai said he was confident that political will would not be lacking for the scheme to continue, though inefficient management might bring it down. He explained that if the NHSO were to bring the scheme up to the level of CSMBS, it would likely need about Bt300 billion per annum, three times more than the Bt100 billion needed presently.

"We will have to improve our management system and primary-care services. We need a proper plan," Winai said.

He said he was confident that primary-care units, once improved, would be able to cut down on the incidences of serious diseases and symptoms that usually cost a lot to treat.

Winai added that having primary-care units overseen by retired nurses and doctors would also allow for more time to be spent on each patient, while those with non-serious complaints can also get treated there.

At present, doctors are able to spend about two-and-a-half minutes per patient. "I hope to see them spend at least five minutes," Winai said, adding that in some foreign countries, doctors spend up to 15 minutes on each patient.

As for Thailand's overall healthcare sector, Winai said more doctors were needed and that the brain drain should be stopped. He said that since the country was becoming a medical hub, private hospitals were doing their best to lure doctors from state institutions.

"Then, state hospitals in cities take doctors away from major hospitals in provinces, which in turn try to attract doctors from medical facilities in remote areas," Winai explained, adding that the government should consider creating more permanent jobs for medical workers.

"Statistics show that some 100,000 medical workers, including doctors, work at state hospitals as ordinary employees, not civil servants," he said.

Winai also lamented that there were ethical risks involved when health services became too business-oriented.

"Thailand has allowed hospitals to be listed in the stock market. Foreign countries would not allow this," Winai added. "Such focus on profits may harm patients."

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

[webfact]

4 Swedes, 1 Thai dead in horror smash near Phuket

Phuket Gazette

The crash site in Khok Kloy, just over the bridge from Phuket. Photo: Narinthorn Rescue Foundation Phang Nga

The driver of the fish transport truck fled the scene after the accident. He is now being sought by Phuket and Phang Nga Police. Photo: Narinthorn Rescue Foundation Phang Nga

Full story:

[webfact]

Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,092.43, up 6.07 points /MCOT

[webfact]

Phuket Update: British tourist stabber awaits trial in Krabi

Phuket Gazette

A photo of British stabbing victim Nicholas Palmer from his bed at Bangkok Hospital Phuket in October last year. Photo: Gazette file.

Full story:

[webfact]

Drunken friends disagreement over female Thai PM ends in murder

LOP BURI: -- A 53-year old Lop Buri native admitted to hitting and killing his friend in the head with a hammer after a heated argument about having a woman as the prime minister had taken the turn for worse.

Full story:

[webfact]

Traffic Police Delivers Baby in Taxi

BANGKOK: -- A Traffic police successfully delivered a baby boy in the backseat of a taxi stuck in traffic on Bangkok's busy New Phetburi Road. Both the baby boy and mother are now safe and being looked after by the Police Hospital.

On duty traffic police officers Police Senior Sergeant Major Krissana Phetnoi and Police Senior Sergeant Major Rittirong Mukda were required to do more than directing traffic on Wednesday afternoon. They were notified via traffic radio that a pregnant woman was about to give birth on a taxi while being stuck in traffic on New Phetburi Road in Ratchathewi District.

The two rushed to the taxi's location minutes after they received the alert. The officers inspected the expectant mother's, 26-year old Wanida Satrupai, condition and made a judgement call that there wasn't enough time to transport Wanida to a hospital.

Police Senior Sergeant Major Krissana and Police Senior Sergeant Major Rittirong successfully delivered a healthy baby boy on the backseat of the taxi. The baby and mother were immediately transported to the Police Hospital for post-natal care.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-02

[webfact]

MFA to discuss pending travel advisories with related embassies

BANGKOK, 2 January 2012 (NNT) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is set to meeting representatives from a number of governments, in hopes of a success in convincing them to remove travel advisories against Thailand

Mr. Thani Thongpakdi, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has instructed officials to promptly assure the international community about the current, peaceful situation in Thailand after a number of governments continue to keep in effect travel advisories against the country.

Since January, more than 20 countries have warned their citizens to beware of possible terror attacks in Bangkok. According to Mr. Thani, 8 of those have cancelled their warnings, while 14 others are yet to do so.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Mr. Surapong has invited ambassadors and diplomats from European embassies that have not removed the travel advisory to discuss the issue on Thursday, February 2.

The Foreign Minister hopes that the meeting will provide invited dignitaries with accurate information on Thailand, which should be useful for the consideration to lift the warning against Thailand.

-- NNT 2012-02-02

[webfact]

Yingluck faces ombudsman's probe over appointments of Nalinee and Natthawut

Full story:

[webfact]

RT @googlenews: Angelo Dundee, Ali's cornerman, dead at 90 - CBS News http://bit.ly/zsOwI0