Thailand Live Tuesday 28 Feb 2012

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Thailand Live Tuesday 28 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 27 Feb 2012

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Tour Bus Attendant High on Drug, Attacks Driver With 2 Feet Long Knife

BANGKOK: -- A 21-year old tour bus attendant attacked the driver on the tour bus with a 2 inch-long knife. The driver lost control of the vehicle, causing the bus to fall into a nearby canal. More than twenty passengers were injured in the crash.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....eet-long-knife/

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Parties facing up to problem of boozed MPs

BANGKOK: -- MPs from both Pheu Thai and opposition Democrat parties continue to work on the problem of parliamentarians who turn up drunk for work, following claims Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung was intoxicated during a meeting on Friday night.

Full story:

Full story:

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WI-FI

Official vows free Wi-Fi on 2 Bangkok expressway stages

BANGKOK: -- Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) Governor Aiyarat Thinapai yesterday promised that people using Bangkok's expressways would be able to connect to the Internet for free via Wi-Fi within three months, prompting police to warn that using wireless devices behind the wheel was illegal and could lead to accidents.

Full story:

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FLOOD PLANS

Thai govt to name flood catchment zones

Areas will be identified this week; compensation has 'already been discussed'

BANGKOK: -- The government is expected to identify specific areas to be included in the two million rai marked as water-catchments before the end of this week, according to a source at the Royal Irrigation Department.

Full story:

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3 Iranians questioned, two released

Piyanart Srivalo,

Kwanhathai Malakarn,

Supachai Phetteve

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police yesterday apprehended three Iranians, including a married couple, who stayed at a Bangkok condominium rented by two people suspected of involvement in small bomb blasts in the capital two weeks ago.

The couple, identified as Rahimi Radiraj and Mahbub Tasbehi, were released after questioning revealed they had no links to the three blasts.

Meanwhile, Madani Seyed Mehrded remains in Immigration Police custody after being found to have overstayed his visa. Immigration chief Pol Lt-General Wibool Bangthamai said Khlong Tan police, who handled the case as the explosions had taken place near Sukhumvit Soi 71 - in their jurisdiction - would soon interview Mehrded. He would be sent back to Iran if they found he had no links to the explosions or other crimes, Wibool said.

On Sunday evening, police raided Nasa Vegas condominium near Khlong Tan intersection in Hua Mark, in the capital. They found the three Iranians during the search.

Police have identified five Iranian nationals as suspects in the February 14 blasts.

Saeib Morabi, who lost both legs in small bomb blasts he allegedly carried out, is still in hospital, while Mohammad Hazai, 42, is in police custody.

Masoud Seda Ghatzadeh is now held by police in Malaysia, pending likely extradition to Thailand, while suspected bomb-maker Javad Nikkahfard is on the run and Rohanni Laila, suspected as being a gang member responsible for logistics, has reportedly returned to Iran.

Thai national police chief Priewpan Damapong said there would be an extension of several days to Ghatzadeh's first 14-day period of detention, which expired yesterday.

A court session in Malaysia to hear the Thai authorities' request to send him back to the Kingdom had not begun, and no definite schedule for such a hearing was known yet, he said.

Priewpan said he had not discussed the handover of Ghatzadeh with Royal Malaysia Police chief Tan Sri Ismail Omar during a ceremony at Thai police headquarters to present his opposite number with a royal decoration.

Meanwhile, a meeting held yesterday at the National Security Council agreed to integrate crime-prevention intelligence by the police and the military's defence intelligence service to provide a better overall intelligence service and anti-terrorism operations.

Deputy Prime Minister Cha-lerm Yoobamrung was handed the integral role of overseeing the work of both intelligence branches.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

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BURNING ISSUE

Thaksin link to constitution moves is key

Thai politicking appears to be going round in circles like, as an old saying goes, a dog chasing its tail.

BANGKOK: -- Despite the political mantra for reconciliation, the yellow and red shirts are poles apart. The pro- and anti-Thaksin camps keep on faulting one another. The coalition and opposition lawmakers continue to sling mud instead of engaging in a policy debate.

Full story:

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PM Yingluck's secretary general Bantoon 'resigns'

BANGKOK: -- The prime minister's secretary general Bantoon Supakvanit has submitted his resignation following dissatisfaction from PM Yingluck Shinawatra, a source from the ruling Pheu Thai Party said yesterday.

Full story:

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THAI-JAPANESE TIES

PM Yingluck's Japan visit aims to restore investors' faith

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will lead a high-profile roadshow to Japan early next month to try to restore investor confidence following last year's devastating flood in Thailand, which hit Japanese operations especially hard, a Government House source said yesterday.

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

Crack down on illegal wildlife trafficking gangs: Thai opinion

BANGKOK: -- Thailand must take urgent action to protect endangered species, and to punish poachers and their business sponsors and patrons

Full story:

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Groupon launching in Thailand

CHICAGO, February 28, 2012 (AFP) - Groupon announced Monday it was launching in Thailand, the 47th country for the daily deals site outside the United States.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....ng-in-thailand/

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Two baby elephants seized in Phuket

Baby elephant Popeye plays with a tourist this morning. Officials say he will be reunited with his mother at the elephant conservation camp in Lampang. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Amnard Soikiew, the director of the Forestry Department’s Protection and Suppression Division in Bangkok, said his office was investigating the land titles for three elephant camps on the hill near Phuket's famed Big Buddha image. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Two baby elephants seized in Phuket today will be sent to an elephant reserve in the Northern Thailand province of Lampang.

Full story:

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Charter change opponents to rally on Friday

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Opponents to constitutional amendments plan to gather this Friday at a rally that will feature addresses by academics who oppose moves to rewrite the charter to benefit certain individuals, an organiser said yesterday.

Former senator Prasarn Maruekapithak said his United Siam (Sayam Samakkhi) group would hold the rally at Lumpini Park on Friday evening, from 5.30pm.

There would be a panel talk by leading academics who are critics of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, including former senator Chirmsak Pinthong, Seri Wongmontha, Kaewsun Atibodhi, and Banjerd Singakaneti, who is also a leader of Siam Reformation academic group (Sayam Prachapiwat), Prasarn said.

At least 3,000 people were expected to take part in the rally against moves by the Pheu Thai Party-led government to rewrite the post-coup Constitution, he said.

The latest bid to change the charter would bring back together groups that had campaigned against such attempts before, Prasarn said, including the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy and royalist groups who fear that changes to the constitution may adversely affect the monarchy institution.

"The democratic forces will unite against the dictatorship of parliamentary majority by the evil political capitalism. A CDA under supervision of the Pheu Thai Party would be just a political farce that fails to win public trust," he said, referring to a Constitution Drafting Assembly to be elected and appointed after the government pushes its amendment bills through Parliament.

On Friday, three separate bills proposed by the Cabinet, the ruling Pheu Thai Party, and the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party sailed through the first parliamentary reading following two days of heated and emotional debate.

A vetting committee is set to assess the bills within 30 days before two more parliamentary readings. The bills seek to amend Article 291 of the Constitution to allow the setting up of a CDA consisting of 77 elected members from each province and 22 appointed members who are experts in law, political science, and public administration.

Prasarn said yesterday that he believed the main goal of the latest attempt to amend the Constitution was to "whitewash the wrongdoing of some convict who does not feel remorse or accept any punishment against him".

With such a goal, he said, changing the charter would severely affect the country's justice system. "This is something Thai society should not allow to happen," the ex-senator said.

Prasarn also warned that flagrant abuse of power would lead to accumulative anger among people in society. "Eventually the Thaksin regime will have to pay back in a bruised and battered way that is even worse than before," he said.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday repeated his call for the government to assure that charter change was not aimed at helping reverse court verdicts in the past or benefiting any particular politician.

Abhisit, also Democrat Party leader, said the government had not made this matter clear. "The standard response by government people is that the CDA will decide which clauses are to be amended. Our concern is that [the ambiguity] could lead to conflict. If we can make it clear in the beginning, why don't we do it?"

Abhisit said there was also fear that chapters about the monarchy would be amended and would result in reduced power for the head of state. He suggested the government draft clearly state which chapters will be kept intact. He spoke in an interview to Blue Sky Channel, a satellite outlet run by Democrat supporters.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

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Anusorn considered as top govt spokesman

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Government Spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard will be appointed as either government spokesman or the caretaker of the post at the Cabinet's meeting today, a Pheu Thai source said yesterday.

If Anusorn takes the government spokesman post, deputy Pheu Thai spokesperson and former MP candidate Sunisa Lertpakawat would replace him as deputy government spokesperson, said the source, who asked not to be named.

Former government spokesperson and current deputy secretary-general to the prime minister Thitima Chaisang said yesterday she would give up the position of caretaker government spokesman as the premier wanted her to focus on her current position.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

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Progress made on red-yellow reconciliation, Surapong tells UN rights body

GENEVA: Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul yesterday told the United Nations Human Rights Commission that his government had made progress in reconciling the deep colour-coded political divide in Thailand.

Full story:

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SAMUT SAKHON

Little being done to counter rampant trafficking of Burmese into Thai fishing industry

SAMUT SAKOHN: -- Labour exploitation, human trafficking and bondage of migrant workers from Burma continues in Samut Sakhon's shrimp-processing factories and onboard trawlers despite the passing of an anti-human-trafficking law nearly four years ago, said Sompong Srakaew, founder and director of Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation (LPN).

Full story:

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VALENTINE DAY'S BLASTS

Malaysia needs more time to extradite suspected Iranian

BANGKOK: -- Malaysian authorities have extended the extradition process for a detained Iranian allegedly involved with the Bangkok blasts as time is needed to complete legal matters, Thai police chief Pol Gen Prewpan Dhamapong said on Monday.

He was referring to Tha request for Malaysia to extradite Masoud Sedaghatzadeh who the Thai side suspected of involving in the Valentine's day blasts and managed to flee to Malaysia.

The Iranian was arrested by the Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur while he was preparing to board a plane to his country on the day of explosions.

Masoud was the third suspect allegedly involved with the explosions in Bangkok's Sukhumvit 71 area on February 14.

Gen Prewpan said the extradition process is underway and that the Malaysian authorities had to seek further detention as the suspect has already been held for 14 days.

Malaysia are considering Thailand’s extradition request, but it will take time to review legal matters and procedures, he said.

Thai police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Piya Uthayo revealed that Malaysia's public prosecutor has already received the extradition request and relevant documents from Thailand, and that would forward the letter to the Malaysian court to decide whether the detainee will be extradited to Thailand or not.

In related developments, Thai Immigration Police commander Pol Lt Gen Wiboon Bangthamai said an Iranian couple earlier detained for questioning was released on Monday after investigators found no links to the suspects.

The couple, Rahimi Rad Iraj, a chef, and his wife Mahboobh Tasbehi lived at the Nasa Vegas Tower in eastern Bangkok's Khlong Ton area, as had Iranian suspect Leila Rohani who earlier left Thailand.

Another Iranian, Madani Seyed Mehrded, 33, detained Sunday as police with a search warrant raided room number 21434 on the 14th floor of the same apartment, remained in custody.

Gen Wiboon said although the detainee denied his involvement with the Iranian group, he remained in police lockup as his visa had expired in September.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

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Monkey cheek areas need careful management, expert warns

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Use of "monkey cheek" water retention areas was a good solution to solve flood problems but water had to be channelled into such areas at the right time.

That was a comment by Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) water engineering expert Sutat Weesakul, at a discussion last Friday titled "AIT Returns Home: Towards a Sustainable Future".

Faced with a flood crisis in which water kept rising every day, if "monkey cheek" areas were made to take water too early, a second wave of runoff - possibly of larger volume - could pour in fast, and could become difficult for officials to control, Sutat explained.

"We should let them be flooded at a low level then when water overflows the [river] banks, we can divert the excess into the monkey cheeks."

"Monkey cheek" is a description used by HM the King that refers to water retention areas. It stems from monkeys' ability to store water in their cheeks.

Sutat said work should have started on such areas in 2008. The fact it required up to Bt30 billion in funding made it difficult but the project was proceeding now.

He and other academics suggested solutions while analysing the flood disaster at an event that marked AIT Pathum Thani campus' resumption after it was swamped by more than two metres of water in October 2011.

For a long-term flood solution, the authorities had to study positive and negative consequences, Sutat said, suggesting they might have to sacrifice some areas - to be flooded at a controllable level, instead of holding as much water as possible until it spilled over and the situation became impossible. Local bodies also had to draw up flood strategies based on the government's plan.

For short-term solutions, he urged existing infrastructure to be repaired and well-maintained, so it is ready for any flood.

Sutat said the water situation this year wasn't so worrying but the government must prepare a water management plan that integrates knowledge and related experts to work together. Last year, Thailand had problems with information and communication, he said, and urged officials to improve flood warning systems, especially local ones, so they are timely and involve community participation.

Last year, warnings to people in areas at risk came too late - in fact local people didn't know floodwalls on Greater Bangkok's western bank had burst in 14 spots so they were not repaired in time. That led to a loss of water-level control, he said.

The government also needed to quickly educate the public about floods, which could result from technical issues and need public cooperation rather than people protesting for what they want.

He urged AIT to repair earth dykes damaged by last year's flood and ensure offices and communities around the campus also survived.

Dr Seree Supratid, of Rangsit University, said being prepared was key because weather patterns in Thailand had fluctuated from drought to floods over the past decade, and it was difficult to make predictions. Possible solutions were a 2-million-rai flood retention basin, creating an eastern flood bypass channel, or an East and West flood bypass channel.

Seree also suggested officials forecast the inflow to dams, with risk communication, a decision support system and land-use planning.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

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Pharmacy Council to hear cold medicine case

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Pharmacy Council has agreed to hear the case of a senior pharmacist at an Udon Thani hospital accused of embezzling a large amount of cold medicine containing a precursor chemical used to make amphetamines, chairwoman Thida Ningsanont said yesterday.

The council's ethics committee will soon hear the case of the unnamed 40-year-old official, who is accused of forging reports that 65,000 tablets of pseudoephedrine-based medicine, contained in 130 bottles, had been delivered to a health-promoting hospital at tambon level, when in fact he had sold them.

She said the official's conduct was a violation of professional ethics, but did not give details of the penalties he would be subject to, or whether the case could result in revocation of his pharmacist's license.

She did not give a date for when the Pharmacy Council would start hearing the case.

"The case has brought the pharmacists' profession into disrepute. The acts were conducted contrary to the models of a pharmacist's role and ethics, and clearly in violation of the law," she said.

Pseudoephedrine is a cheap and effective drug used to treat basic colds and fever. Formerly sold over the counter, it was recently made a prescription item and can be distributed internally only within government hospitals. Pseudoephe-drine-based medicines are to be upgraded to a Type 2 addictive substance, which would make it more difficult to acquire or obtain.

She called on police and government hospital staff to strictly monitor use of pseudoephedrine or any medicine of which it is an ingredient, now that it has been made a prescription item.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said a similar case at an Uttaradit hospital would today be lodged with local police.

He added that it would be up to police whether to expand their investigation from the current cases to other hospitals.

He said government hospitals would be instructed to check their inventories of pseudoephedrine-based medicines. They would also be ordered to look into purchase orders of suspiciously high volumes, which could prompt police investigations.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

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Yala security force surrounds Raman district area, clashes with presumed insurgents, killing one with gunfire /MCOT

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,138.03, up 2.99 points /MCOT

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@Aim_NT: Surachai Sae-Dan sentenced 15 yrs jail 4 lese majeste but penalty halved for confession. Probation refused; severe crime. TR @kesinee_t_NNA

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Facebook partly the cause of unwanted Thai teen pregnancies: NESDB

BANGKOK, 28 February 2012 (NNT) - According to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), the famous social networking site, facebook, has partly contributed to the cause of unwanted teen pregnancies.

Full story:

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Jet-skis, rip-offs and noise pollution: Phuket’s honorary consuls go through the motions

Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut said Phuket’s ‘mandatory’ jet-ski insurance scheme still required some ministerial regulations to be amended so that it could be better enforced. Photo: Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai

MY FIRST TIME: (From left) US Consul-General Elizabeth Pratt, Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul. Photo: Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai

Full story:

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DPM Chalerm files defamation suit against 2 additional newspapers and 3 Democrat MPs on drunk during Parliament session allegation /TANN

Court finds red-shirt leader Surachai Saedarn guilty of lese majeste and sentences him to 7 yr, 6 months in jail /TANN

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PM refuses to clarify resignation of Bantoon Supakvanich from PM's secretary-general post; he cited health problems /TANN

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Presumed insurgent shot dead in Yala

YALA, Feb 28 – Soldiers on Monday night clashed with presumed insurgents, killing one in this southern border province.

Forensic officials inspected a house in Raman district after the fighting ended.

Masahutee Samae, 38 was killed and a handgun was found near his body.

The incident occurred when some 60 soldiers closed in for a raid after learning that armed militants were hiding there.

An estimated five men shot at the army personnel. One of the suspected insurgents was killed in the exchange of gunfire, while the others escaped.

Mr Masahutee was a suspect with an outstanding arrest warrant in an earlier security-related case.

At the same time, 31-year-old Suhaiming Sama was found hiding in a restroom, saying he was afraid of the gunfire. He was detained for questioning. The police seized a bullet-proof jacket found inside the house. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-02-28

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BKK's Dep Governor Worried About Flood Plan

BANGKOK: -- A deputy city governor expresses concern about designating certain areas to be used as flood-waterways, saying that their physical geography could create problems in the flood prevention plan.

Full story:

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Court Finds Red-Shirt Leader Guilty of Lese Majeste

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court finds red-shirt leader Surachai Darnwatananusorn guilty of lese majeste and sentences him to 15 years in jail but halved the sentence to 7 years, 6 months in jail due to his confession. Surachai is looking to seek royal pardon.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-28