Thailand Live Tuesday 21 Feb 2012

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Thailand Live Tuesday 21 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 Monday 20 Feb 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

New visa rules for foreign fathers of Thai children

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FLOOD PLANS

Ayutthaya area could be key warning sign

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Plodprasop: Bangkok residents should pack and flee if floodwaters reach Ayutthaya's Wang Noi

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PM'S FOUR SEASONS MEETING

Yingluck govt 'delayed release of valuation': Democrat

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Thai PM Yingluck Denies Misconduct Allegation

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MONEY LAUNDERING

International blacklisting of Thailand may push up local bank costs

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Stickers at 'bomb house' also found on route to Bangkok hotel: Terror plot

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Public urged to watch out for suspicious activities by foreigners: Thai Army Commander

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Thai Defence Minister Gen Sukampol: No war room against coup

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BURNING ISSUE

Thai Constitution Court verdict may hinge on 'urgency' of debt moves

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EDUCATION

Unanswerable exam questions have students scratching their heads: Thailand

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BROADCAST RIGHTS

Grammy to televise Carling Cup

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Grammy Sports yesterday announced a signed three-year deal for exclusive Thai rights to broadcast live Carling Cup matches from September onwards.

The matches will be televised on GMM Sport One and GMM Football Plus.

Managing director Kobkiat Sangwanich said the Carling Cup was Grammy Sports' latest bigname acquisition offered to fans via the 1Sky settop box since the beginning of 2012. "Grammy will not stop at with this, but continue to select the best content for Thai sports' fans," he said.

Paiboon Damrongchaitham, chairman of GMM Grammy, said the company is negotiating with Free TV to become a co-broadcaster and plans to connect with Thai football fans through its "GMM Sport, every one can watch", campaign. The viewer ratings for the Carling Cup are close to those of Premier League matches," said Paiboon, highlighting the quality of the competition.

Besides owning the broadcast rights for the Europa League, Grammy is now negotiating for the JLeague, Asian football's top-flight league, in Japan.

Fans can watch Grammy Sports channels via a 1Sky settop box on the CBand and KUBand. Covered are GMM Sport One, GMM ASN, GMM Euro Sport, GMM Football Plus, GMM Sport Plus and GMM MUTV. For information call (02) 841 8888.

-- The Nation 2012-02-21

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EDITORIAL

New laws are needed to combat money laundering: Thai opinion

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HIV-positive Bangkok cabdriver admits sexual assaulting and robbing passengers

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ENVIRONMENT

Bangkok's Don Muang canal full of dirty water, survey finds

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DSI to probe Vajira Hospital graft claims

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will look into further corruption allegations filed by Vajira Hospital staff over the expensive purchase of equipment allegedly three times higher than market prices, director-general Tharit Phengdit said yesterday.

Corruption had forced a large number of doctors to resign from the city-run hospital, including the only four x-ray experts left, who will all quit next month, according to Dr Waikoon Sathapanawat, a surgeon who has lodged a new complaint.

A new operating room that cost more than Bt100 million had not been in use for many years because of substandard equipment installed in the room. This was also a result of graft, the doctor alleged.

The new allegations have been lodged against leaders of Vajira Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital and the newly established University of Bangkok Metropolis, run by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Tharit said the DSI recently recommended to the National Anti-Corruption Commission that it file an indictment against unidentified leaders for the 2004 purchase of three laundry machines worth Bt43 million. The purchase had resulted in a loss of more than Bt20 million to the state, he said.

BMA spokesman Wasan Meewong said the BMA had been cooperating with the DSI over the matters. He said the corruption had not occurred during the present term of incumbent Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.

In a separate case involving the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel (OTEP), the DSI found that it had sold school equipment and textbooks to Channel 3 through a mediation assisted by a woman, which was not needed.

The DSI found that OTEP director Santipharb Intharaphat and mediator Phornthip were brother and sister, and Phornthip allegedly bagged Bt1.2 million unlawfully as a "mediation cost", from a Bt3.69-million deal made with Channel 3.

The DSI was also investigating why Santipharb sold OTEP-owned land in an unspecified province at different prices in two sales when the properties were located in the same block.

-- The Nation 2012-02-21

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Thai Transport Ministry drops Suphoth graft probe, citing lack of evidence

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DSI accuses schools of embezzling student loans: Thailand

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ANALYSIS

Damage control moves already in place in case court rules against Thai govt: Executive decrees

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CONSTITUTION REVIEW

House to consider Thai charter amendment drafts Thursday

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Police chief forbids officers to speak to press about triple blast case; hunt for Thai nationals involved /TANN

Defense Minister Sukumpol says Malaysia ready to cooperate in extradition of Iranian bomb suspect /TANN

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,139.02, up 3.10 points /MCOT

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Phuket poll: Irksome complaints by foreigners

NOT SO GRUMPY: Members of Phuket's Grumpy Old Men's Society rally support for a flood relief convoy to Nakhon Sawan late last year. Photo: Gazette File

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Govt Assures Better Flood Management

BANGKOK: -- In response to a Senate inquiry, the Science and Technology Minister affirmed that the government will be able to handle flood problems more effectively this year than last.

In response to a question raised by appointed Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn regarding the government's preparations to cope with future flooding, Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi said Thailand will likely be affected by 27 storms that are expected to form in the Pacific Ocean during the six-month rainy season.

But only one of them has the potential to directly hit the country, though it could bring approximately 20 billion to 25 billion cubic meter of rain. He noted that the government plans to use two large dams to retain up to a total of five billion cubic meters of water and that it will gradually discharge the water.

In addition, low-lying land in the lower northern and upper central regions will serve as temporary water retention areas to allow more time for water to drain into the sea via the Tha Chin, Chao Phraya, and Bang Pakong rivers.

Plodprasop expressed confidence that the government will be able to manage floodwater more effectively this year than last year. Regarding improvements to the alert system, he said his ministry will serve as a central contact point for relevant agencies and will control the dissemination of information so that there is no unnecessary damage.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-21

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Unstable Weather and Drought Suffered Provinces

BANGKOK: -- Many provinces increasingly reel under the drought, which has heavily affected residents, while many reservoirs are drying up.

The drought situation in Kamphaengphet Province is getting worse, especially at Wang Thong Subdistrict in Muang District. 135 households are suffering from a lack of drinking water since the water supply of the village is insufficient for all residents, including water for farming, while natural water sources are drying up, which has heavily affected residents.

Meanwhile, consecutive days of wildfires on Sakaerung Mountain in Maung Uthaithani District has caused many residents living on the hill-slop to become ill with respiratory system problems.

The latest update reported that blaze have been extinguished in all areas, while a large area of the forest has been damaged, and that some areas became clearly bald. However, there were reports of violators burning the field and setting combustion.

Uthaithani Governor Wanchai Osukontip has announced to residents to refrain from burning the fields, and violators will face dispensary action, both jail and sentence and fines.

Meanwhile, Uttaradit Governor Yothin Samutkeeree said that Uttaradit Province have been suffering from the wildfire and smog every year during the drought season, and that residents have been affected in terms of healths and the economy.

However, this year many units are assisting to watch for all kinds of combustion in all areas, including occupied areas, unused areas, and public areas, since it is an urgent task, and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and face dispensary action.

In Phitsanulok Province, the Kaw Noi Bamroong Dan Dam in Kan Chang Subdistrict in Wat Bod District currently contains only 353 million cubic meters of water, or 38 percent of its capacity after 486 million cubic meters of water has been discharged since the beginning of this year.

The latest update indicated that the reservoir is drying up, and that mound is now visible in a wide area.

The water drainage is one of the government policies to prevent flooding, since scholars have warned that there will be heavy rains soon. However, if there is no rain within one month, there will be less than 70 million cubic meters of water in the dam.

Meanwhile, officials from Phetchaburi irrigation project have put the signs to announce the water drainage has been stopped at Huay Tapad Dam in Sam Phraya Subdistrict of Cha-om District, as there was no rain recently, causing residents to suffer from lacking of water.

There is recently 3.5 million cubic meters of water in the dam, or nine percent of its capacity, since there was no heavy rainfalls during the last two years, and so the water discharge is necessary to stop as it could affect more than 2,000 rais of residents' farms.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-21

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Southern Teachers Seeks Fair Compensation for Unrest Victims

NARATHIWAT: -- The Three Southern Border Provinces Teacher Federation's president says that compensation for people affected by the insurgency in the southern border provinces should be based on the same criteria as those stricken by political violence.

President of the Three Southern Border Provinces Teachers Federation, Boonsom Thongsriprai, chaired a meeting with representatives from schools in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and four districts in Songkhla provinces at the Park View Hotel in Pattani to discuss the compensation criteria for teachers and education workers who died or were injured in the southern violence.

The meeting's results will be proposed to the Southern Border Provinces Administration Center's committee tasked with deliberating compensation for victims affected by the southern insurgency for its consideration.

The move came after the Cabinet's resolution to offer compensation of 7.5 million baht per victim of the political unrest in recent years. Boonsom added that the victims of the southern violence should recieve the same compensation as victims of political unrest.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-21

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BBC: Eurozone finance ministers reach agreement on a new, 130bn-euro bailout for Greece, officials say after lengthy talks in Brussels.

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Israeli Embassy asks police to tighten security

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Israeli Embassy in Bangkok has asked the Metropolitan Police to tighten security around the embassy and residences of its diplomats following the discovery of alleged assassination plot of the diplomats, a well-informed police source said.

The source said the embassy has sent an urgent letter to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lt gen Winia Thongsong to increase the number police officers keeping security around the embassy and around residences of the diplomats.

The Metropolitan Police bureau has also stepped up the patrols of Soi Sukhum 23 where the embassy is located, the source said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-21