Thailand Live Saturday 18 Feb 2012

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Thailand Live Saturday 18 February 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 Friday 17 Feb 2012

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Smog and smoke problem in Chiang Mai worsens

Full story:

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Detectives Travel To Thailand To Seek Justice For Kirsty Jones

Full story:

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21 Million Baht Multinational Email Scammers Arrested In Pattaya

Full story:

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Air unsafe in five northern provinces

Full story:

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World body blacklists Thailand

The Nation

Full story:

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Iran envoy claims 'Zionist regime' behind Bangkok blasts

Full story:

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Warrant sought for fifth suspect in blasts

The Nation

Full story:

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True defends 3G contracts

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- True Corp yesterday repeated its insistence that its contracts with CAT Telecom to provide third-generation cellular service on the 850-megahertz spectrum do not circumvent the law.

In a statement released to the press, the firm said the recent finding by the Senate's anti-corruption and good governance committee that parts of the contracts might breach the law had no legal binding on the CAT-True Group contracts, which are therefore still valid.

The Senate committee announced its findings last week and has forwarded them to the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

True said that under the contracts, CAT was the sole operator of the service on the 850MHz spectrum and would not transfer rights to BFKT (Thailand), a unit of True, to manage the spectrum on CAT's behalf. CAT also has authority to control the HSPA (high-speed packet access) 3G network equipment it has rented from BFKT to generate 3G bandwidth.

The Senate committee concluded that CAT had seemingly allowed BFKT to manage its 850MHz spectrum. This might breach the 2010 Frequency Allocation Law, which prohibits NBTC licence holders such as CAT and TOT from allowing other parties to manage their spectra. The licence holders have to provide services on their spectra themselves.

While the Senate committee suggested that BFKT circumvented the Telecom Business Act by renting the HSPA network to CAT without having an NBTC business licence, True argued that BFKT was not subject to that act.

The act defines a telecom business operator as one that provides a service to the public. BFKT rents the network only to CAT and provides maintenance services on the network for CAT, True maintains.

-- The Nation 2012-02-18

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Locals sidelined during PM's visit to flood-prone areas

Full story:

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Air Australia tourists tired, angry over Phuket ordeal

Stranded tourists crowd around Australian honorary consul to Phuket Larry Cunningham as he tries to figure out a short-term solution in getting them home. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Stranded tourist Michaela Colahan, 19, waits with friends at Phuket Airport. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Full story:

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Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche in Austria, in critical condition

Full story:

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South may be hit by tsunami in five years

The Nation

RANONG: -- Some 2,000 people in Ranong listened to Dr Smith Dhammasaroj's forecast yesterday that the South would suffer another tsunami in five years. Smith chairs the Foundation of National Disaster Warning Council.

The nongovernmental organisation hosted the seminar at Tinidee Ranong Hotel yesterday to promote knowledge about disaster management as well as create a disasterwarning network at risky coastal provinces. Smith said Ranong was at high risk as the Andaman Sea still had three tsunamiprone spots especially the faultline midway, which would cause a quake should the crust of the Earth make any movements.

-- The Nation 2012-02-18

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More people in Thailand lose jobs due to last year's flood crisis

Full story:

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Yala blast leaves soldier wounded

The Nation

YALA: -- A solider was seriously wounded when his team, patrolling a local road for teachers' protection in Yala's Yaha district, was hit by a roadside bomb yesterday morning, police said.

Private Jakkrit Raksanual, 21, and five other soldiers were patrolling the Ban PajorBan La Ae road on foot when the 3kilogram bomb went off at 8.15am. Jakkrit, who sustained serious shrapnel wounds to his arm and leg, was rushed to Yaha hospital. Police suspect southern insurgents had launched the attack.

Meanwhile, Ranger Forces Regiment's 43 supervisors yesterday handed the four rangers involved in the January 29 shooting that resulted in the death of four civilians in Pattani over to the investigators. The rangers initially claimed that they had acted in selfdefence, hence police will initially treat the case as extrajudicial killings. The investigation should take 30 days before the report is handed over to the public prosecutor, who will then file the suits in court.

-- The Nation 2012-02-18

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Bangchak building dyke at Ayutthaya plant

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation

AYUTTHAYA: Bangchak Petroleum is constructing an earthen dyke to protect its solar-power plant in Bang Pa-in, Ayutthaya, from flooding.

President Anusorn Sangnimnuan said the 10-kilometre-long, 5.5-metre-high dyke surrounds the solar plant and the firm's biodiesel distribution centre. The projected cost is Bt150 million, with construction due to be completed in the next quarter.

The firm hopes the dyke will boost the confidence of its insurer and persuade it to renew its coverage of the plant.

Bangchak's biodiesel distribution centre and solar plant stopped operations last October because of the floods, before resuming normal operations at the end of the year. The temporary closure is estimated to have cost Bangchak Bt800 million in lost business opportunities.

Actual damage to its solar-power plant was Bt2.5 billion, but the plant's insurance covered flood damage. The company intends to restore the plant completely by July.

Bangchak has informed the Provincial Electricity Authority of its plan to move the site of the 16-megawatt second phase of its solar-power project from Bang Pahan, Ayutthaya. If the state authority, which will purchase power from the plant, declines to allow this, Bangchak will have to invest about Bt100 million to build another dyke to protect the second phase.

-- The Nation 2012-02-18

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Thai students becoming addicted to online underground lottery betting

Full story:

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OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Unveiled

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Fire at Uthairat Community in Pradipat Soi 15 now under control; 10 houses damaged /TANN

Fire at Uthairat community in Pradipat Soi 15 caused by kids lighting candles for fun and candle toppling over to light up mosquito net /TANN

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Thailand's Thaksin prepares for war

Full story:

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Police chief says 2 elephant poachers are Karennis; arrest warrant to be issued for Ratchaburi businessman for masterminding poaching /TANN

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RT @TAN_Network: RT @news1005fm Democrat's Abhisit travels to Myanmar to meet Aung San Suu Kyi for discussion on strengthening ASEAN

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Battle to keep Phuket beaches clear continues

One of the four restaurants on Kata Beach in Phuket that have been a source of complaints at Provincial Hall recently. Photo: Warisa Temram

Full story:

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Phuket kickboxer murder fugitive Lee Aldhouse wins right to appeal extradition

British fugitive Lee 'The Pitbull' Aldhouse has won his right to appeal extradition to Phuket to face murder charges. Photo: James Goyder

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....al-extradition/

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BMA receives THB800mil in flood prevention budget from government

BANGKOK, 18 February 2012 (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been delighted by an additional budget from the government to help in the flood prevention program.

Bangkok Governor, M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, said that after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra made a visit to 10 provinces, whose locations are from upstream river to downstream region, the BMA and related units have been given more financial help to carry out the flood prevention program in the city.

During the PM's trip, the Transport Ministry has suggested the elevation of Baromrajchonnee Road, an idea that BMA has shared. Moreover, the Bangkok City Hall has also planned to ask for the approval of a budget to elevate Buddhamonthon Road - No. 2 and 3 by 50 centimeters, to help prevent future flooding from reaching Bangkok.

The additional budget that the government has just granted for the BMA amounts to THB800 million, which is earmarked to be used in the dredging of 54 canals in Bangkok and the cleaning of 3,000 kilometers of underground tunnel, for instance.

-- NNT 2012-02-18

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BREAKING: Mass injuries in Phuket resort explosion

Full story:

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Haze pollution remains in North

CHIANG MAI, Feb 18 - Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Mai remained covered by haze pollution while concerned agencies planned to use artificial rain to abate particulate dust particles, which are rising above safe levels.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/534101-smoke-smog-dust-2012-chiang-mai/page__view__findpost__p__5066216

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Public Health Ministry to amend law on puffer fish meat sales

BANGKOK, 18 February 2012 (NNT) - The Public Health Ministry is poised to make the sales of puffer fish meat legal in the near future.

Mr. Surawit Khonsomboon, Deputy Minister of Public Health, said that the Health Ministry has been informed that fishermen in Samut Songkhram Province have continually caught 100-150 tons of puffer fish as the bycatch every day.

Sold at between THB70-300 a kilo, this bycatch can translate into a huge amount of revenue for fishermen, Mr. Surawit said.

However, laws have forbidden the sales of puffer fish meat, due to the poison the fish produce.

But, the Deputy Public Health Minister stated that the poison in puffer fish is technically seasonal and found during certain times of the year and the Department of Medical Sciences has successfully developed a test kit that can be used outside the laboratory and takes only 20 minutes to verify the presence of the poison.

Therefore, the Public Health Ministry is planning to discuss with related agencies about the possible amendment of the law to allow the puffer fish meat sale in the future, in order to turn this catch into something that has economic value and benefit the fishing industry

-- NNT 2012-02-18

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Govt to watch out for rogue traders

BANGKOK, 18 February 2012 (NNT) – The government has planned to put local shops throughout the country under a close watch to prevent unscrupulous shop keepers from cashing in on consumers.

The Commerce Ministry has already sent 5,000-6,000 volunteers out to regularly check goods prices and look out for goods hoarding.

The Ministry will establish an operation center to deal with living expense problems with the help of those volunteers. The new agency will be tasked with inspecting product prices and reporting on activities that might take advantage of consumers, including unusual price increase.

The volunteers are being trained to handle their duty in preparation for the center’s opening next week.

-- NNT 2012-02-18