Thailand Live Saturday 25 Feb 2012

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Thailand Live Saturday 25 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 24 Feb 2012

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Jatuporn, Suthep battle over 2010 crackdown: Thai charter amendment

BANGKOK: -- Turmoil disrupted the second day of parliamentary debate on charter amendment when Pheu Thai MP and red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan and Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban started exchanging heated words about the 2010 political unrest.

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Suranand hired to provide 'correct image' for PM Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has named former minister Suranand Vejjajiva as her personal spokesman in the face of the controversy involving her February 8 meeting at Four Seasons Hotel.

Full story:

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Grow trees to avoid future crises, His Majesty the King advises

BANGKOK: -- His Majesty the King yesterday emphasised the importance of forests and forestation in the government's flood-prevention efforts.

Full story:

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Broadcasters unhappy with master plans

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Industry groups have criticised the spectrum-management and broadcasting draft master plans as failing to address key issues, including the action plan on deploying digital television, for which the regulator has started to announce a roll-out in the absence of a written master plan.

Representatives of the Thai Media Law and Policy Centre, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand were commenting on the draft plans announced and made the subject of public hearings by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

Suwanna Sombatraksasook, president of the News Broadcasting Council, said the master plans lack clarity on how the recall of spectra and spectrum management are to be correlated. The time period for recalling spectra should not be too long, Suwanna said, adding that the NBTC should recall radio spectra within two years, and television spectra within three years. The draft master plans provide for recall of radio spectra within five years, and of television spectra within 10 years.

Thai Broadcast Journalists Association chief Visut Komwatcharapong said that when it comes to digital television, the NBTC should issue licenses for channels, not spectra, and regulate content to ensure it does not cause social divisions.

The groups will submit their proposals to the NBTC by next week, Suwanna said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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TOT looks to IPTV by June despite doubts

BANGKOK: -- While TOT hopes IPTV (Internet-protocol television) will be its new value-added service, management still doubts whether the project will be able to get off the ground soon.

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Thai economy gets a pat on back from IMF

BANGKOK: -- The International Monetary Fund has praised Thailand for its strong macroeconomic fundamentals, but warned that the prosperity could be mired by downside risks, which include the euro-zone crisis and fiscal costs of several projects.

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Asean urged to pursue reforms ahead of AEC

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Asean countries will be required to reform laws and regulations to facilitate trade and investment growth within the region under the Asean Economic Community (AEC), which will come into effect in 2015, keynote speakers said at a conference yesterday.

Speaking at the Department of Trade Negotiations' Annual Symposium 2012 on "AEC 2015 & Beyond", Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan urged governments and all involved sectors to modify rules and open up more to facilitate investment and trade.

"The amendment of laws and regulations is a challenge for all Asean members now. Although Asean members have committed themselves to be more open to investment from each other, their stringent laws and regulations have obstructed the growth of trade and investment in the region," Surin said.

The Asean chief added that due to the slowdown in the global economy, more foreign investment is coming to Asean as they are seen as dynamic markets with potential. Of the total foreign direct investment worth US$78 billion (Bt2.35 trillion) in Asean in 2010, more than 70 per cent was in the service sector. This showed that the region has moved to another stage in development, where people want a better quality of life, while the manufacturing sector is reaching its crest. Surin said that Asean would see less investment in manufacturing but more in the service sector to facilitate manufacturing that is already here.

He added that intra-Asean trade is still small at only 25 per cent, compared with other economic groups. To ensure sustained development of the region, Asean needs to considerably boost internal trade.

He urged the setting up of a fund to support technology and help increase management efficiency of enterprises to ensure competitiveness under the single market.

Surin said Thailand should look ahead of the political conflict and concentrate more on development of the country and the region.

Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said Asean would now be prompted to move rapidly following the fast developments in Burma and the change in the mindset of the Burmese people, who are ready to embrace development.

Mohamed Ariff bin Abdul Karim, professor from the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, said that Asean needs to strengthen intra-regional trade amid the volatile global economy. To adjust to the sluggish global economy, Asean must accelerate structural reforms to facilitate trade growth among member states.

"Intra-regional trade will gain greater prominence for Asean in the face of slower extra-regional export growth. Domestic and regional demand will be the main drivers for the economic growth of Asean," said Ariff.

Mathew Verghis, World Bank lead economist in Bangkok, said Asean is moving to a new stage of growth and strong economy as more service investments are coming to the region following Asean integration.

He suggested that Asean should move to high value-added regional trade, improve the quality of human resources by focusing on education development, and facilitate more service investment as the global trend is to grow through the service sector.

Thai Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom said the government is striving to increase the efficiency of Thai enterprises to ensure their competitiveness in the upcoming seamless Asean market.

Sarasin Virapol, executive vice president, Charoen Pokphand Group of Companies, said the government should make some positive interventions in the private sector.

"The AEC will create a lot of opportunities. The question is how to make use of those opportunities. On behalf of the private sector, we are relying on the 'visible hand' of the government in removing all major challenges and obstacles to be confronted by local firms," said Sarasin. He said local entrepreneurs would face major obstacles in the wake of the AEC pertaining to mobilisation of capital, shortage of skilled labour, government over-regulation and strict control, and tax burden.

Sarasin said that in the local agricultural sector, for instance, individual farmers still lack access to capital. Farmers do not have enough assets and fixed income to grow their agricultural business and the government should do something to help farmers access capital and technology, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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CONCERT REVIEW

Sax and the city

Kittipong Thavevong

The Nation

Koh Mr Saxman and his friends raise funds for the Christian Foundation for the Blind

BANGKOK: -- Leading saxophonist Sekpol Unsamran, who is much better known by his stage name of Koh Mr Saxman, gets all the credit for jazzing up a small charity concert last Sunday that would have been far less interesting without his presence on stage.

In addition to playing his sax and singing his songs, he helped spice up the performances of other singers taking part in the "Touch of Jazz" concert with his energetic and animated sax-playing, moving rhythmically around the stage and dancing playfully with the singers. Many of the songs performed by Koh were from his latest and seventh album "The Visitor" and included "Secret Love", "Tonight" and "My Heart".

Koh, who also acted as the concert's music director, teamed up with the Jazz Brothers Band, made up of four professional and award-winning young musicians, to perform his trademark instrumental number "Mr Saxman". The longest show of the night was also its highlight, with Koh energetically playing his sax and the band members taking turns for solos on lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. The audience was impressed, applauding and cheering long and loud when the number finally drew to a close.

The two-and-a-half-hour concert at CentralWorld's 450-seat Centerpoint Playhouse also featured five well-known and not-so-well-known singers - Pongsak "Aof" Ratanapong, curvy duo Napassorn "New" Phuthonjai and Piyanuch "Jiew" Suajongpru, Mariam Grey and Naris "Kom" Sampaiworakij.

Aof Pongsak wowed the audience with his song "Sing Mi Chiwit Thi Riak Wa Huajai" ("A Living Thing Called Heart"). He danced and hopped around, joked with the audience, and encouraged them to sing along. He was joined by Koh for a superb set that was well liked by the audience. Aof and Koh later confessed that they had not practised together before the concert.

Duo New & Jiew were greeted with excitement and performed their own songs "Kon Jao Namta" ("Easy Weeper") and "Ro Laew Dai Arai" ("What Do I Get for Waiting?"). They also sang "Price Tag", English singer-songwriter Jessie J's major hit.

Mariam Grey, who emerged on the scene several years back as part of Bakery Music's B5 project of young musical talents, mesmerised the audience with her beautiful chiming voice on "Dao" ("Star") and "Kid Thueng Ther Thuk Thi Thii Yoo Kon Diew" ("Think of You Whenever I'm Alone:).

A good-humoured Kom Naris sang "Sway" in a performance that featured two female dancers. The new singer joked that he'd hired the dancers to ensure his set compared well with those of the more experienced singers at the concert.

Originally scheduled for November, "Touch of Jazz" was another victim of last year's flooding. All proceeds would go to the Christian Foundation for the Blind in Thailand, according to the organisers the Touch fashion magazine, which held the event in celebration of its first anniversary.

Concert-goers also helped the foundation by dropping cash into the donation box and purchasing Koh's new album as well as T-shirts designed by Ek Thongprasert.

-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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46 to Face More Charges over Airport Protests

BANGKOK: -- Investigators will ask 46 members of the People's Alliance for Democracy,or PAD to meet them next week to hear more charges over their roles in the 2008 airport sit-in protests.

Police senior adviser Police General Somyos Pumpanmuang who oversees the cases concerning the protests at Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi airports in 2008 has ordered investigators to conduct additional probe and file more charges against 46 of total 114 suspects.

Somyos said the additional charges are from the requirement by state attorneys and he has already forwarded their demand to the police chief.

Those additional charges are the coercion of others, violation of the emergency decree, vandalism and assembly of more than ten

He said investigators will summon the 46 suspects to meet them on March 2 for the acknowledgment of their additional charges. If they fail to do so, the meeting will be rescheduled for March 9. But if they do not show up again , arrest warrants for them will be sought from the court.

Somyos said among the additional charges is terrorism, which will be brought against only one suspect. He declined to elaborate if that suspect is ex-foreign minister Kasit Piromya.

For the other 45 suspects, Somyos said their additional charges are from their activities in the sit-in protests at the two airports.

It has been said the suspect who will face the additional charge of terrorism is second-generation leader Sawit Kaew-wan.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-25

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Pharmacist accused of supplying narcotics makers

The Nation

UDON THANI: -- A senior pharmacist at an Udon Thani hospital has been disciplined and is subject to a criminal investigation for allegedly embezzling the profits from the sale of a large amount of cold medicine containing a precursor chemical used to make amphetamines.

The unnamed official is accused of forging reports that 65,000 tablets of the pseudoephedrinebased medicine, contained in 130 bottles, had been delivered to another hospital, when in fact he had sold them and kept the proceeds, said Dr Phichart Dolchalermyutthana, director of the provincial hospital and the official's superior.

He has been transferred pending a disciplinary investigation, and will also be subject to asset seizure if police find that he knowingly sold tablets to drug dealers, Dr Phichart said.

The pharmacist faces five to 20 years' imprisonment and/or a fine of Bt100,000 to Bt400,000 if convicted.

-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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Payments in Pattani shooting to affect South violence

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Granting Bt7.5million compensation payments to families of protesters killed by state authorities in the recent shooting deaths in Pattani of four villagers, reportedly by Army rangers, could complicate reconciliation efforts in the deep South, a senior Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) official said yesterday.

Relatives of the many people killed by security officials in a string of incidents in the South, including the Tak Bai incident, are likely to demand the same amount - Bt7.5 million - that is to be paid to families of redshirt supporters and others killed in Bangkok in May 2010, Prasit Meksuwan said.

The guidelines for compensating families of those killed or wounded by insurgents or in counterinsurgency operations in the deep South have yet to be finalised. Relatives of the victims are hoping for the same Bt7.5 million figure.

"The relatives are asking how their mental anguish and suffering will be measured and how they will be compensated for the deaths of their loved ones," Prasit said. Government teachers also want higher compensation rates for doing such risky jobs in a strifetorn region, he added.

-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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Police still in the dark about SEJEAL sticker mystery: Bangkok terror plot

BANGKOK: -- Police are still in the dark about the mysterious stickers with the word SEJEAL found on a Bangkok road, suspected to have been pasted by Iranian nationals allegedly plotting a terror attack targeting Israeli interests or diplomats.

Full story:

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Conspiracy case hits dead end

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The investigation into an alleged plot to topple the monarchy has hit a dead end and may become a cold case, Pavesana Mulpramook, deputy chief of the Department of Special Investigation, said yesterday.

"Unless the graphic found can explain how the plot was hatched and carried out, investigators have no more leads left to pursue," he said.

Pavesana was referring to a chart on the alleged conspiracy plot that was circulated by the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation in the midst of red-shirt-related political turmoil in 2010.

He said four military officers attached to the CRES would give statements on March 6 to shed light on the chart. If they fail to explain it, then the case will collapse because even Suthep Thaugsuban, who was CRES director, cannot recall how the chart came to be linked to the conspiracy theory, he said.

Without any evidence backing up the theory, the DSI is in no position to build the case and indict any suspects, he said, hinting that he might suggest that the case be shelved pending fresh evidence. He added that he was waiting for the public prosecutors to decide whether the case should be dropped.

-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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Former MP Sudarat won't run for Bangkok governor: aide

BANGKOK: -- Former Bangkok MP Sudarat Keyuraphan has reportedly ruled out a bid for the Bangkok governor's job after the current office-holder's term ends next January.

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Charter amendment bills sail through after emotion-charged debate

BANGKOK: -- After two days of heated and emotion-charged debate, a joint parliamentary sitting late on Friday night voted in support of the three bills seeking to amendment the Constitution.

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Academic offers guidelines

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A leading advocate is calling for the charter rewrite to not be dominated by political parties and instead involve the public in the drafting process.

Gothom Arya, director of Mahidol University's Research Centre for Peace Building, issued an open letter yesterday outlining his recommendations for the formation of the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA).

In the letter, he also aired his views on the issues that charter rewriters should tackle.

Under the government-sponsored draft, the CDA is meant to comprise 99 members, of whom 77 are elected and 22 appointed.

Gothom countered that the CDA should have 150 to 200 members based on the population size of each province instead of just one member per province. However, he did not comment on the appointed members being based on a pool of academics.

"A larger numbers of elected CDA members would dilute partisanship by lessening the chance for political parties to fix the voting outcome," he said.

He added that the amendment deadline should be extended from 180 to 365 days so there is enough time to involve members of the public in the drafting process via a series of public hearings.

Gothom also offered a five-point observation on the political system:

_ A charter rewrite alone will not ensure political stability as evidenced by 18 charters so far;

_ Coups will continue taking place because the country does not have genuine public participation in the political system;

_ Charter amendments should focus on three issues: flaws detected in the 2007 Constitution, public participation and a referendum vote on charter draft;

_ The drafting deadline should be extended in order to ensure public hearings on draft provisions;

_ Ensure that the CDA is independent from political parties;

Deputy House Speaker Charoen Chankomol said he expected Gothom's recommendations to be vetted by the House committee after the bill on charter amendments passes its first reading, which would pave the way for the forming of the CDA.

After the first reading, the House is slated to name a 45-member committee to vet the bill, he said. The committee will debate various recommendations on the forming of the CDA before the bill is submitted for final passage, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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WATCHDOG

Pheu Thai wants more than just charter change

BANGKOK: -- Wattana Muangsuk, the Pheu Thai Party's party-list MP and vice chairman of the House Committee on National Reconciliation, suggested that the role of the Supreme Court on criminal offences by political office-holders should be reviewed.

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On a dangerous path to financial uncertainty: Thai opinion

BANGKOK: -- The government insists that massive borrowing is necessary to finance its populist policies, but the danger in the long term is that these expensive schemes could destroy the economy

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-- The Nation 2012-02-25

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Innocent Bout moved

NEW YORK: -- Viktor Bout has been transferred from a special prison block for dangerous offenders to a minimum security prison according to a spokesperson for the defense team Andrei Garkusha.

Judge Sheindlin who ordered the transfer of Bout, said that keeping Mr. Bout in solitary confinement was a violation of his human rights.

Mr. Bout was held in solitary confinement for 14 months.

In November a jury in the U.S. found him guilty of conspiring to kill Americans, trying to purchase and sell missiles and supporting terrorism.

The businessman faces 25 years in prison, the penalty will be determined on March 12. Bout has maintained since day one that he is innocent.

Source: http://english.ruvr....02_25/66851714/

-- english.ruvr.ru 2012-02-25

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Parliament passes charter amendment motion by 399:199 with 14 abstentions /TANN

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PM hosts TV show at Minburi fresh market; promises to carry out flood prevention advise of the King and fix high goods' prices /TANN

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Doctors: Dutch Prince Friso in coma, may never regain consciousness

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Phuket Gazette: Tourists go ape for Krabi bus stops

Welcome to monkey town and Ao Nang's bus stops, crawling with monkey statues. Photo: Warisa Temram

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Most people believe floods will return: Thailand poll

BANGKOK, 25 February 2012 (NNT) - A recent opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) has found that most people are of the opinion that flooding will return due mainly to deforestation and the government’s slow response to the crisis.

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

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Forbes ranks Brunei 5th richest nation

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Phuket Rotary Club rolls out high-tech devices for the disabled

READY TO ROLL: Tricycle recipients Arisa Ratso (left) and Manoo Kaewdam pose with Dr Sanguan Kunaporn, head of the Rotary Club of Tongkah at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

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Another Phuket student dies in motorbike crash

The dent in the tailgate of the pickup, parked about 1.5km from Phuket’s Heroines’ Monument. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

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