Thailand Live Wednesday 29 Feb 2012

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Constitution Court's runaway power denied: spokesman

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Court has always acted within the mandate sanctioned of the charter, court spokesman Pimol Thampitakpong said on Wednesday.

"The high court has no runaway power beyond its constitutional mandate," he said.

Pimol was reacting to remarks by Pheu Thai MP Wattana Muangsuk who alleged that the judiciary had dictated its power over the political system and that certain independent organisations had become a tool for reprisal politics.

He said Wattana merely voiced his personal opinion which he said did not reflect the sentiment on the judiciary.

He said the two judicial bodies, Constitution and Administrative courts, were part of the checks and balance designed to counter any abuses in the executive and legislative branches.

Wattana has called for the downsizing of the two high courts to become an integral part of the Supreme Court.

-- The Nation 2012-02-29

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Pregnant mother, family killed in Phuket road accident

The scene of the accident on Srisoonthorn Road in Phuket last night. Photo: Wichai Witthawat.

The wreckage of the family’s Phuket registered Honda motorbike, which apparently hit a road sign support after the initial impact with the Nissan. Photo: Wichai Witthawat.

PHUKET: -- A family of three from Uttaradit province died when their motorcycle was hit by a pick-up truck in the rainy conditions in Phuket last night. Also killed was the unborn child of the pregnant mother.

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Thai, US police jointly raid targeted Lat Phrao apartment; arrest 10 African drug addicts, dealers; heroine, ice seized /MCOT

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Suvarnabhumi Airport tops Halal Friendly Airports list

BANGKOK, 29 February 2012 (NNT) – Suvarnabhumi Airport has been voted the best Halal-friendly airport among non OIC countries for 2012.

Suvarnabhumi Airport Director Somchai Sawasdipol revealed that CrescentRating, which is a Singapore-based world leader in Halal-friendly travel, has disclosed the list of the Top 10 Halal Friendly Airports among countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and non OIC countries for 2012. Equipped with Halal-friendly facilities for Muslim passengers, Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport has secured the number-one spot on the non OIC countries list.

CrescentRating asked passengers in worldwide airports for their opinion on the top 10 Halal-friendly airports, judging from the availability of Halal-friendly facilities for Muslim passengers, such as Halal food, drinks, and prayer rooms. Muslim travelers were most impressed with Suvarnabhumi Airport since it provides the basic necessities for a Muslim, with praying rooms in both the public and airside areas, as well as clear signs directing passengers to the facilities. Additionally, Halal dining options are also available in the airport's terminals, leading to the convenience of Muslim passengers using the airport.

Also on the list of Halal Friendly Airports (Non OIC Countries) at numbers two and three are Singapore’s Changi International Airport and South Africa’s Tambo International Airport, respectively.

-- NNT 2012-02-29

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Press Conference Held for Seizure of Drug Dealers

SURAT THANI: -- Surat Thani police have seized 18,000 amphetamine pills and half a kilogram of crystallized methamphetamine, with a street value of 3 million baht.

Commissioner of the Region 8 Provincial Police, Police Lieutenant-General Santi Pensoot, held a press conference after police officers successfully arrested five suspected drug dealers in Surat Thani's Poon Pin District.

A total of 18,000 amphetamine pills and half a kilogram of crystallized methamphetamine worth 3 million baht were seized.

The five suspects are a man identified only as Winit, Rojana Wimon, Jaruek Nimma, Samrarn Petchthong, and Kittipong Laopipatpinyo.

All the suspects are thought to be part of a major drug-ring in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Khanom District as well as surrounding provinces.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-29

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Tropical Storm Warning Issued for Northeastern Provinces

BANGKOK: -- The Meteorological Department has warned of a tropical storm that struck three districts of Kalasin Province yesterday.

Rescue officers yesterday worked to remove debris in Kalasin's Huay Pueng District. A total of two subdistricts, namely Kambong and Huay Pueng as well as other five villages were struck hard by the tropical storm.

Powerful storms have damaged local homes and up to 100 households have been adversely affected. Ban Nong Kam Mee Subdistrict is one of the hardest-hit areas.

Moreover, over a hundred more households in four subdistricts and 16 villages of Kalasin's Namon Districts also hit by the storm. As of now, the provincial administration is rushing to provide initial aid by allocating disaster relief packages and tents.

At the same time, Buriram Governor Kanit Iamrahong has instructed all 23 districts to take precautionary measures against the storm and issue a summer storm warning. Residents in a risk area, especially whose houses stand nearby big trees and large billboards, must be alert.

Last year, the storm ruined around a thousand of residents' houses from March to April. The Provincial Administration administrated four million baht to compensate victims.

In the meantime, some areas of Si Sa Ket Province underwent strong winds and thick clouds covered the skies. The temperature dropped to between 19 and 20 degrees Celsius. Local commuters are urged to be extra cautious on the roads.

Meanwhile, authorities are discharging more water from the reservoir at Rasi Salai Dam to accommodate the water flowing from Nakhon Ratchasima Province which is the main source of the Mun River. This is also part of the preparation for the upcoming rainy season in two months.

The summer storm also affected Ubon Ratchathani Province. The weather has become noticeably cooler with scattered fog in various areas. Street signs and billboards that are deemed to be unsafe are being removed as many of them have already been blown away by strong winds.

There has also been a storm-induced rainfall in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, causing some local roads to become extremely slippery, leading to a number of road accidents in the area.

The Meteorological Department has issued the seventh tropical storm warning this year. A cold front is moving in from the South China Sea towards the upper part of Thailand. The cold front is expected to intensify into a summer storm, bringing precipitations, thunder storms, and strong winds.

Temperature is expected to drop by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. Those living in the lower northern, upper northeastern, central and eastern provinces are urged to keep an eye out for strong winds over the next one day or two.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-29

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Thousands of Rayong residents close off road around city hall to chase out governor who they claim is involved in corruption /TANN

Rayong residents rally at Government Centre, accuse governor of irregular conduct /MCOT

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SET index midday up 10.75 pts, 0.94 pct

Thai composite stocks index (SET) at midday Wednesday stood at 1,157.01, up 10.75 points, or 0.94 per cent in line with regional shares amid Bt16.61 billion turnover.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 815.75, up 8.06 points, or 1.00 per cent.

Top five active (value) stocks: INTUCH, PTT, IVL, CPF, CPALL.

-- The Nation 2012-02-29

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RT @RichardBarrow: Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John, 23 March 2012 at BITEC Bang Na. Tickets from Thai Ticket Major 1,500-6,000 Baht

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Judicial revamp not hinge in whims: court spokeman

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The revamp of the courts should aim to serve the public and not be swayed by personal whims of politicians, Admiministrative Court spokesman Phairoj Minden said on Wednesday.

"Society should not be misled on the issue of judicial revamp which is still unclear and has to undergo several steps before drawing conclusion," he said.

Phairoj was commenting on the call by Pheu Thai MP Wattana Muangsuk for the revamp of Constitution and Administrative courts.

He said the administrative litigations amounted to 6,000 to 7,000 cases per year, arguing that this was not a small workload which could be handled by the courts of justice.

The judicial review on administrative disputes involving government agencies and citizens required specialised procedures that were not available in the courts of justice, he added.

He said the airing of individual opinions on the courts at this juncture might cause confusion, urging for the debate to await the formation of the Constitution Drafting Assembly.

-- The Nation 2012-02-29

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Google offers US$1 million to Chrome hackers

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Leading online travel company expands to Thailand

BANGKOK, 29 February 2012 (NNT) – A world’s leading online travel agency is eying growth potential in Thailand’s online travel market by launching its Thailand website.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/537165-leading-online-travel-company-expands-to-thailand/page__view__findpost__p__5096987

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Flood-hit Japanese firms may quit Thailand: survey

BANGKOK, February 29, 2012 (AFP) - Almost one in 10 Japanese manufacturers with operations in Thailand plans to relocate out of the kingdom after last year's devastating floods, a survey showed Wednesday.

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Seven Soldiers Wounded in Insurgent Bombing in Narathiwat Province

NARATHIWAT: -- Seven soldiers have been wounded in an insurgent bomb attack in Narathiwat Province.

Police and army forces rushed to the scene of the latest insurgent bomb attack in Bacho District of Narathiwat Province.

At the scene, authorities found a military six-wheel truck belonging to Narathiwat Task Force 33, damaged by an explosion from underneath.

The blast also created a crate two feet-deep and three-feet wide.

According to the initial investigation, the explosive device was 20 kilograms of ammonium nitrate packed inside a fire extinguisher tank. The device was wired to a detonator hidden in a roadside palm plantation.

Seven soldiers who were traveling to the construction site of a new base were wounded in the attack. They have been rushed to a nearby medical facility.

-- The Nation 2012-02-29

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2 Foreigners Nabbed In Joint Thai-US Police Drug Raid In Bangkok

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Court Dismisses Suit on Suvarnabhumi Noise Pollution

BANGKOK: -- The Central Administrative Court has dismissed a suit filed by 359 people against the Airports of Thailand for allegedly failiing to address the noise pollution problem caused by planes taking off and landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-29

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Nitirat Group Leader Assaulted

BANGKOK: -- Nitirat Group leader and Thammasat lecturer Vorajate Pakeerat has been punched in the face by two men on a motorcycle at Thammasat University.

The Nitirat Group is at the forefront of efforts to call for an amendment to the lese majeste law.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-29

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Fire at an auto parts shop on Phetchburi Road slightly wounded two

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A fire broke out at an auto parts and accessories shop on Phetchburi Road, slightly injuring two on Wednesday.

Firefighters spent about 20 minutes before being able to extinguish the fire at four-storied Asia Audio Shop in Soi Phetchburi 12 on the back of Asia Hotel.

The fire started on the third floor of the building before spreading to the fourth floor. Puttisak Wanithanapong, 48, the shop's owner, was slightly injured from falling from stairs while a shop staff, whose name was not known, choked while trying to put out the blaze. They were rushed to a hospital nearby.

-- The Nation 2012-02-29

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SET index closed at 1160.9, up 14.64; Bt/USD30.10; GBP47.83; AUD32.38; EUR40.44; CAD30.13; HKD3.88; SGD23.96; JPY37.11

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Manager Group Founder Accepts Court's Verdict

BANGKOK: -- Sondhi Limthongkul, the founder of Manager Media Group, says he will accept the court's final verdict after he was handed down a 20-year prison sentence on loan fraud by the Criminal Court yesterday.

Yesterday, the Criminal Court handed down an 85-year prison sentence to Sondhi Limthongkul, the founder of Manager Media Group, for violating 16 counts of the Securities and Exchange laws.

However, the sentence was halved to 42 years and six months due to his confession. The sentence was further commuted to 20 years as the law allows the maximum penalty for such offenses at 20 years.

Sondhi told reporters afterward that he will appeal the sentence but will accept the final verdict of the Appeals and Supreme courts and will not flee to show that Thai people can still rely on the judicial system.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-29

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Nitirat academic Worachet assualted

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Nitirat academic Worachaet Pakeerut was attacked by two unidentied men and sustained injuries at the parking lof of Thammasat University, Metropolitan Police commissioner said on Wednesday.

"Police are checking security cameras at the Tha Phrachan campus in order to identify the suspects," Lt General Wichai Thongsong said.

Wichai said pollice were persuing all leads and had not drawn conclusion on the motive behind the attack.

Following the attack, Worachet underwent a medical check-up at Thonburi Hospital and filed a complaint. Chana Songkhram police station has the jurisdiction over the case.

Speaking to reporters after his treatment, Worachet said he was talking to a lecturer from Mahidol Universti when two men sneaked from behind to deliver several puches in his face.

"I was hit and everything happened so suddenly that I could not even remember the profile of my attackers," he said.

He sustained bruises and some minor cuts in the face.

Thanapol Eawsakul, editor of Fa Diew Kan magazine, said he was a witness at the scene, seeing two attackers fleeing by a motorcycle.

Anti-coup activist Sombat Boonngarm-anong Tweeted that the motorcycle license plate was Mo Tho 684.

Worachet is the core leader of Nitirat academic group spearheading a campaign to amend the lese majeste law. He is seen as a controversial figure due to his outspokenness in opposing the coup. His political views are often favouring the pro-Thaksin camp.

-- The Nation 2012-02-29

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Police Hunt for Another Blast Suspect

BANGKOK: -- Investigators are hunting for another foreign suspect who allegedly helped an Iranian fugitive in the triple blast case to flee overseas.

Investigators from the Immigration Bureau and the Metropolitan Police Bureau last night launched a hunt for the suspect believed to have assisted Iranian suspect in the triple blasts on Sukhumwit Road, Nurozi Zayan Ali Akbar, flee the country on the day the crime took place.

Investigators said they believe the suspect is still in the country given he was filmed by surveillance cameras accompanying Akbar from the Airport Rail Link's Ramkamhaeng Station all the way to Suvarnabhumi Airport

They said the suspect is also the same one who was caught by a surveillance camera giving some documents to another Iranian bomb suspect Bebudi Ali Rezar, who has been to Thailand four times.

Investigators assumed Rezar provided information to other suspects or gave advice regarding the routes they should use but he is believed to have nothing to do with the bomb-making.

Meanwhile, Deputy Police chief Police General Parnsiri Praphawat today met investigators in charge of the case and instructed them to refrain from giving interview to the press on the case as it could impact national security and international relations.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-29

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Norwegian man confesses to "accidentally killing" Phuket girlfriend

Phuket Gazette

Dokset has confessed to "accidentally killing' his girlfriend of nine years. Her body was found decomposing in a trash bin locked away in the downstairs bathroom. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Alleged victim, Rungnapa Suktong (left).

PHUKET: -- The Norwegian man arrested last night after the gruesome remains of a human body were found in his Phuket home has confessed to “accidentally killing” Rungnapa Suktong, his girlfriend of nine years.

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continues:

Thailand Live Thursday 1 Mar 2012