Thailand Live Thursday 2 Feb 2012

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Deputy PM Vows Flooding Will Not Reoccur

BANGKOK: -- A deputy prime minister is confident that the devastating floods will not reoccur because all the agencies have learned a lesson from last year's flood.

Meanwhile, the prime minister is planning to visit flooded areas to strategize ways of using the flood recovery and prevention budget.

Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit affirmed that last year's flood disaster will not reoccur this year because all of the relevant government agencies experienced it first hand.

He also added that each province has planned to work with public to prevent future floods.

The deputy prime minister encouraged the public to have confidence in the water management plan.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and other related ministers, the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development or SCRF, and the Budget Bureau Director are preparing to visit the inundated provinces of the previous year, including Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, and Ayutthaya from February 13 to February 17.

When they arrive at Ayutthaya Province, the Bangkok governor and provincial governors will be invited for the recovery flood inspection as well.

Yongyuth went on to say that the Interior Ministry is the main agency to propose the flood solutions while the SCRF has already approved the budget.

However, some projects are going through a bidding process or are currently under construction.

The cabinet will continue to monitor the flood recovery progress to prevent future floods in this year's rainy season.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-02

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Privacy, mobile and battle between Google Plus and Facebook will dominate the global social media

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Chiang Rai police arrest drug dealer with 200,000 meth pills, received Bt200,000 to deliver drug from Mae Sai to Ayutthaya /MCOT

Red-shirt leader Jatuporn pleads for opportunity for Nitirat group to clarify its stance, reasoning their objective has been distorted /TANN

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AFP: Facebook IPO latest chapter for Zuckerberg

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Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn: Lese majeste a pretext to topple govt by April

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....-govt-by-april/

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Terror Warning for Bangkok redrawn

Dennis Krog

BANGKOK: -- The risk of a possible terrorist attacks against the Thai capital, Bangkok, has apparently passed. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has chosen to redraw the warning, issued 13 January 2012.

"We have, in consultation with the Nordic countries and EU countries updated our travel advice for Thailand as the basis for the specific warning is no longer present," says the officer in charge of The Danish Foreign Affairs Consular Services.

The warning came after information from American authorities that a terrorist attack was imminent.

The Thai authorities have arrested a Lebanese with Swedish passport and bomb chemicals where found as well.The man is suspected of having links to the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah and of planning a terrorist attack against the Israeli embassy in Bangkok.

Although the acute terrorist threat in Bangkok apparently is no longer acute, one should still be careful in certain areas of Thailand.

"Danes in Bangkok and the rest of Thailand should stay away from any major demonstrations", says the ministry's website.

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs still advises against all non-necessary trips to the temple areas of Preah Vihear, Prasat Sadok Kok Thom, Ta ​​Kwai and Ta Thom's close to the Cambodian border.

Source: http://www.scandasia...74&coun_code=dk

-- scandasia.com 2012-02-02

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RT@Biz_TheNation: Thai budget deficit in fiscal yr starting Oct1 will be smaller than Bt400 bn deficit forecasted for 2012,Finance Minister Kittiratt said

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Yingluck unaware of Nalinee's sanction

The Nation

BANGKOK:--Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday insisted she had been unaware of the US Treasury sanction against PM's Office Minister Nalinee Taveesin prior to bringing her into the Cabinet.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/530429-yingluck-faces-ombudsmans-probe-over-appointments-of-nalinee-and-natthawut/page__view__findpost__p__5023470

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Drought silver lining: exposed Lampang riverbed opens gold rush

LAMPANG, Feb 2 – Near-drought conditions in this northern province have revealed a ‘silver living’ amid the cloud of bad news, as exposed riverbeds are now yielding alluvial gold deposits collected over time from the erosion of nearby hills.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/530459-drought-silver-lining-exposed-lampang-riverbed-opens-gold-rush/page__view__findpost__p__5023512

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Ubon Ratchathani police commissioner says ammonia leak at ice factory now under control, no injuries reported/TAN_Network

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Pheu Thai hits back at Democrat's request for quorum count by asking for end to House meeting which was discussing financial decrees/TAN_Network

Democrat MP Sathit announced Democrat's decision to walk out of vote for 2 financial executive decrees in protest /TAN_Network

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AFP: Four Swedish tourists die in Thai road smash

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Muhammad Ali's legendary trainer, Angelo Dundee, dead at 90

Dundee, left, stands with baseball player Frank Thomas, at Knology Field in Dunedin, Florida. File photo, source: wikimedia

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Narcotics control agency arrests Pattani sub-district chief allegedly involved in drug trading ring /MCOT

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AIDS

Regional meeting on AIDS in Bangkok

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Governments of countries across the Asia-Pacific region will meet in Bangkok during February 6-8 for high-level talks on how to speed up regional action to meet international commitments on AIDS.

Hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the event is geared towards the global vision of getting to zero HIV-related infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths.

Some 200 Ministers, including top government leaders and senior officials from across Ministries of health, justice, law enforcement, social development and drug control agencies will join civil society, including people living with HIV and most affected by HIV, to address legal and policy barriers that impede access to HIV services in the region.

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Miniter Kittiratt Na-Ranong will be one of the speakers on the first day.

The Asia-Pacific region has made significant progress on AIDS, with infection rates falling by 20 per cent across the region in the last 10 years, and with over one million people accessing life-saving antiretroviral treatment. But the region continues to face important challenges to progress with epidemics in some countries still increasing and emerging, treatment access rates lagging behind global averages and low levels of services reaching populations most at risk of HIV infection, ESCAP said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

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Phuket medical tourism threatened by taxi thuggery

Pareeya Jullaphong, director of business development at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, addresses the meeting.

Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa, who chaired yesterday's meeting.

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AFP: Thai girls 'forced into sex slavery' in Australia

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Two financial decrees pased despite the opposition's walkout

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The ruling Phue Thai Party on Thursday pushed for the passage of two financial decrees related flood control following a two-day debate and despite the walkout by the opposition Democrat Party.

The decrees, on the disaster insurance and on the soft loans for flood victims, were passed by the majority of 263-to-14 votes. Five MPs abstained.

After the 12-hour session on Wednesday, the ruling party moved a motion this afternoon to end the debate. The Democrats objected on grounds that several opposition lawmakers had not had a chance to speak from the House floor.

The coalition MPs ignored the opposition and voted to conclude the debate by the 265-to-94 votes, prompting the opposition to boycott the decree passage.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

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Thailand persuades 13 countries to lift travel warning

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is persuading 13 countries to withdraw their advisory against travelling to the kingdom due to fears of possible terrorist attacks, senior government figures said Thursday.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said that he would meet with diplomats from European Union member countries to discuss about the matter. He would update them about the current situation in Thailand regarding the terrorism fear.

"It has been a long time that they first issued the warning. Now there is longer such a threat. There are no terrorism acts here because Thailand is friendly to every country, including Muslim nations and those in the Middle East," Surapong said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

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SET index closed at 1091.67, up 5.31; Bt/USD30.80; GBP48.66; AUD32.87; EUR40.44; CAD30.69; HKD3.97; SGD24.56; JPY40.21

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Five national parks warned of forest fires

BANGKOK, 2 February 2012 (NNT) - The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) has announced that five national parks in Thailand are susceptible to wildfire during the drought season but the fire situation should not be that serious.

The five national parks most susceptible to forest fires include Huai Kha Khaeng, Doi Inthanon, Doi Suthep, Doi Tung, and Phu Kradung.

DNP Director General Damrong Pidej expects the wildfire this year not to be as serious as the years earlier as a result of the La Nina phenomenon. He says the major causes of the fire are from human activities.

According to him, the risky period is during March and April, when agriculturists are preparing for farming season, given many burn crops and woods to clear space for farming. To inform authorities of forest fire incidents, please call 1362.

-- NNT 2012-02-02

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TOT: 3G in Bangkok to be in service on Feb 24

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Largest Windmill in Asia to Power Songkhla

SONGKHLA: -- The Energy and Energy Conservation Promotion Department launches Asia's largest windmill electricity generating plant in Songkhla Province.

Energy and Energy Conservation Promotion Department Director General Krairit Nilkuha presided over the launch of the Sating Pra windmill power station in Sating Pra District in Songkhla Province.

The Provincial Electricity Authority spent 129 million baht to install the windmills in order to generate electricity for the southern coastal areas.

The Energy Policy and Planning Office helped finance 76.8 million baht.

Electricity officials said a year of study found that the coastal areas in Sating Pra District sees winds of the highest velocity in the country.

Therefore, the office decided to construct the windmill station with a capacity of 1.5 megawatts.

The usage of natural energy will help reduce pollution. Furthermore, it will lower the need to import fuel from abroad.

The country's first windmill station is located in Hua Sai District in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and the station in Songkhla is the country's second one.

Each windmill is 80 meters tall and the width of the fan measures 37 meters.

The windmills can turn both left and right at a 180 degree angle.

The windmill station in Songkhla is considered Asia's largest and most advanced.

The Provincial Electricity Authority will construct a third windmill station in Pattani Province soon.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-02

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13 nations urged to withdraw their travel advisory travelling to Thailand

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RT@RichardBarrow: Two men arrested for trying to fly mobile phones into a Thai prison http://t.co/VcTGgfUk @ThaiPrisonLife

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Staporn Kavitanon; dies at 72

Famous technocrat Staporn Kavitanon; died Thursday.

He was 72 years old.

Staporn used to be the secretary-general of the Board of Investment.

-- The Nation 2012-02-02

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to continue:

Thailand Live Friday 3 Feb 2012

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