Thailand Live Monday 12 Mar 2012

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Thailand Live Monday 12 March 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 Sunday 11 Mar 2012

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

'Red shirts are the new middle class, but others back change'

Atthapoom Ongkulana

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Sociologist Yukti Mukdawi-chit of Thammasat University, a member of the Campaign Committee to Amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code, believes the leading class is trying to reach a deal in the event the government declines to support changes to the law on lese majeste offences.

From the incident of Worachet Pakeerat getting punched, what should society learn, besides tolerance of different opinions?

Not only tolerance for different opinions, but also respect for people with different opinions. Actually we are all different. We should instil the value of accepting differences and being humble and listening to others.

Students are not imbued with this value. If students criticise teachers, they are seen as bad because they are taught that they are youths and they must listen to adults.

In a democratic society, on a public stage, everyone is equal. Politics is a public issue. Social standards that once were acceptable can no longer be applied.

For instance, in the cartoon Super Hero there is a clear line separating good and bad people, black and white. Even in the Ramayana, there are giants and monks. You cannot adopt those standards, otherwise there are two different camps of yellow and red. Each side accuses the other of being stupid. Differences cannot be dissolved by saying that everyone must be united and love each other. We must look at what brings about conflicts.

There are attempts to assimilate despite the fact that they are different. If we let this continue, what could be the negative consequences?

This issue is about expression and not different opinions. One person speaks but the other punches.

The problem is about expression. It is all right to have two political camps. The United States has two large parties that compete fiercely. The country does not seem to break apart. They can live despite differences. But the attempts to separate black and white will stop society from developing. If we try to make everyone accept the same thing, you have to hide our differences through authoritarianism.

The red shirts have the image of being grassroots and the yellow shirts are the middle class and conservatives. Who are the supporters of the amendment of Article 112 of the Criminal Code?

I disapprove of the definition that the red shirts are the lower class and the yellow shirts are the leading class. From my research, the red shirts are the new middle class. I call them the new class and in terms of income they are the middle class. In general, the red shirts have many classes as their members. You cannot say that it is a struggle between the upper and lower classes.

Supporters of Article 112 are in this group. There are locals and farmers who get information and support the amendment but they are not Pheu Thai Party supporters. People who support the amendment do not declare themselves as red or yellow. For instance, Ammar Siamwalla, who is in the leading class, also supports the amendment.

What is your group's objective now that the Pheu Thai ruling party has announced that it does not support your move?

We will gather signatures till we have the targeted amount and then we will submit them to Parliament.

The situation can change. Right now the leading class is trying to arrive at some deal. After having been in conflict for six to seven years and unable to definitely topple one another, they are now trying to reach a compromise.

The fact that the Pheu Thai Party announced it will not get involved with the amendment of Article 112, can be interpreted as they are making a deal. What we are doing has political significance because our move has been used in the bargaining process. We can see the conservatives have backed down on many issues, and the government may get to do many things that it wants to do.

-- The Nation 2012-03-12

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Smog in Thailand: Rain clears haze in all areas but upper north

Rain has effectively removed the smog problem from all northern provinces except Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son.

BANGKOK: -- The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has found that the amount of small dust particles - or those in the size of PM10 - is already below the dangerous level in most northern provinces after the heavy rain.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....ut-upper-north/

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Academics want more, directly elected Thailand Constitution drafters

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Drafting Assembly should be expanded from 99 to 150 or even 200 seats to better represent the population, a debate heard yesterday.

Full story:

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EDUCATION

Thais face challenges getting Asean jobs

Poor language, IT, and numerical skills will eliminate many

BANGKOK: -- Seven professions in the labour market will be freed |up in 2015 by Asean nations under mutual recognition agreements (MRAs). But it will not be easy for Thai workers in these |jobs to gain accreditation, Assoc Prof Patcharawalai Wongboonsin, a researcher from Chulalongkorn University's College of Popula-|tion Studies, told a seminar last week.

Full story:

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AGRICULTURAL

Thai govt's Agricultural price-pledging policy has failed

BANGKOK: -- Six months since the implementation of the price-pledging scheme for farm goods, it is time the Yingluck government reviewed the policy, which has cost Thailand more than Bt300 billion and left farmers unhappy as commodities prices remain low.

Full story:

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AUCTION

1,800mhz auction may be moved up

BANGKOK: -- The national broadcasting and telecom watchdog has begun discussing the possibility of auctioning off blocks of the 1,800-megahertz spectrum before the current concessions for use of the spectrum expire.

Full story:

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Oil exploration site in Bangkok: 17 days of living anxiously

Thawi Watthana farmers, residents wait to see if oil find is confirmed, worrying about their future and environment

BANGKOK: -- One way or another, the uncertainties of farmers and residents living near an oil exploration site in Bangkok's Thawi Watthana district should be resolved in 17 days, when it becomes clear whether oil has been found.

Full story:

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Furore intensifies over elephant trade in Thailand

Repeated government raids on respected wildlife sanctuaries have damaged Thailand's image at home and abroad.

BANGKOK: -- They may also have undermined the position of the National Parks chief, whose judgment has been called into serious question since revelations that killings of mature elephants in Kaeng Krachan recently were orchestrated to supply babies to elephant tourist parks - with the involvement of top officials in that park, several hours south of Bangkok.

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

Autonomy is not the answer for Thailand's far South

Govt campaign vow was never popular among Malay Muslims

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s deep South is full of deep mysteries - especially when it comes to this government's policy for this restive region, where an ongoing insurgency has so far claimed more than 5,000 lives since January 2004.

Full story:

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REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Thailand moving in right direction on human rights

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has moved away from being a blah-blah nation to become a serious and committed member of the UN Human Rights Council.

Full story:

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Little public faith in Bangkok's fire prevention system

BANGKOK: -- More than half the residents in Bangkok have no confidence in fire prevention systems in the capital, according to a recent survey.

Full story:

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Thai worker in Israel still unconscious

The Nation

GAZA: -- A Thai worker in Israel - wounded by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip early on Saturday - remains unconscious and under close watch by doctors in hospital, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said yesterday.

Three other Thai workers injured in the same attack had been discharged by doctors, he said.

Israeli media reported that the four wounded Thais worked on a farm in Ein Habesor City near the border with the Gaza Strip, about 100 kilometres from Tel Aviv. They were taken to a hospital in Be'er Sheva by helicopter.

Thani said diplomats from the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv had been dispatched to the hospital to help the injured workers.

The group worked in Israel legally and their employers had already taken care of the medical expenses.

-- The Nation 2012-03-12

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S&P

Political uncertainty affecting Thailand's credit rating: S&P

BANGKOK: -- Political uncertainty and external factors continue to pose the highest risk to Thailand's credit rating, according to global rating agency Standard & Poor's.

Full story:

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Pheu Thai and Democrat parties locked in legal combat

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai and Democrat parties have spun legal webs designed to destroy one another.

Full story:

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EC clears 31 senators - but not Sak - in qualifications row

Prapasri Osathanon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Election Commission has ruled to drop complaints over the qualifications of 31 senators, saying it can find no cause to suspect foul play, EC member Sodsri Satayathum said yesterday.

"The EC made a unanimous decision to dismiss all 31 cases," she said.

Activist Ruangkrai Leekitwattana filed the complaints, claiming the 31 senators had failed to comply with a ban on holding two consecutive terms.

Sodsri said the EC found the 31 had resigned before completing their terms. Therefore under a transitional clause of the Constitution, which came into effect in 2007, they were exempted from the ban.

She went on to explain that the disqualification case involving Senator Sak Korsaengruang could not be compared to the charges against the 31.

In the Sak case, the senator was supposed to complete a mandatory five-year gap between appointments as prescribed under the suspended 1997 charter, she said.

The Law Society of Thailand nominated Sak for the job before the gap ended, causing his disqualification, she explained.

-- The Nation 2012-03-12

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RT @RichardBarrow: All Kasikorn ATM's will go offline from 9:30pm on 17 March to 5am on 18 March while updating software TR @js100radio

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,162.08, up 3.37 points /MCOT

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Transsexual Thai air hostesses: gimmick or equality?

ABOARD FLIGHT GT210, March 12, 2012 (AFP) - With her crisp uniform, immaculate makeup and hair swept up, Mew looks like any other air hostess, but she's one of a handful of Thai transsexuals blazing a trail in the skies.

Full story:

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Taxi Meter Rates Set to Increase in Mid-April

BANGKOK: -- The Transport Ministry has approved an increase in taxi meter rates planned to go into effect on April 16.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....e-in-mid-april/

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Cooking Gas Price Increase Possible in Oct

BANGKOK: -- The energy minister hints at a possible increase in cooking gas prices later this year due to its higher price abroad, which makes it an attractive item to smuggle into neighboring countries.

Energy Minister Arak Cholatanont said he is keeping a close watch on the price structure of cooking gas, adding that global prices are higher than the domestically-subsidized price by almost four-fold, at 1,200 dollars per ton, compared to the domestic price of 333 dollars per ton.

Therefore, there is a strong possibility that domestic prices will be increased.

The higher global price has resulted in an increase of cooking gas smuggling across the border to sell in neighboring countries, which can fetch 40 to 50 baht per kilogram while the domestic price is only 18.13 baht per kilogram.

The price hike will gradually lessen the pressure on inflation and the burden of the higher cost of living for low-income earners and food vendors. The minister targets a price hike sometime in September or October.

The minister promised that he will study a cooking gas subsidy for specific groups, similar to the free electricity for households that use less than 50 units per month, to alleviate the public’s burden. The minister reiterated that the cooking gas price hike will be carried out so as to have a minimal effect on households.

Arak said a price hike is necessary to prevent the Oil Fund from having to shoulder excessive losses from the cooking gas subsidies. Currently, the fund is 20 billion baht in the red.

He noted that if the cooking gas price hike is halted by the government, the ministry will go ahead with an increase in the LPG and NGV price hike for the transportation sector as planned.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-12

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One Million Credit Cards For Thai Farmers To Be Launched Next Month

BANGKOK: -- The Bank for Agriculture & Agricultural Cooperatives will offer one million credit cards for farmers, which is set to launch in April.

Full story:

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Train Derailment in Surat Thani Injures 49, Kills 1

SURAT THANI: -- A Bangkok-Yala sprinter train hit a six-wheeled truck in Surat Thani Province and derailed, injuring 49 train passengers and killed the train driver.

Late yesterday morning, a Bangkok-Yala sprinter train hit a six-wheeled truck carrying 1,500 liters of bunker oil at the road-rail crossing in front of Bor Krang Temple in Punpin District of Surat Thani Province.

The incident caused the first and second carriages to break lose and the train to derail. The truck was dragged by the first carriage for a distance of 50 meters.

The accident injured more than 49 train passengers, including two rail officers, and the mechanic Thirayuth Prempramote, who were seriously injured. The train driver Jane Wongsrida was recently pronounced dead as a result of his injuries.

They were stuck in the carnage, and rescue workers had to use heavy machinery to get them out. The two railway officers and eight other passengers were brought to the Surat Thani Hospital while 26 injured passengers were brought to Punpin Hospital.

Witnesses said the six-wheeled truck had crossed in front of the train as the intersection had no barrier to signal a train’s approach. Police will question those involved again to determine the cause of the incident.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-12

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Democrat Slams Govt for Poor Performance after 7 Months in Office

BANGKOK: -- The Opposition Party has expressed disapproval of the government's first-seven month performance, citing its failure to tackle problems in all areas and follow through on campaign promises.

Opposition Democrat Party spokesman Chavanont Intarakomalyasut compared performance of the government under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra during its first seven months in office with the previous one under Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Chavanont said the Pheu Thai Party-led government failed to follow through on campaign promises and allowed the public to struggle with the surging cost of living. He further said that the Abhisit government had kept the retail diesel price below 30 baht per liter, but it is already at 31.73 baht in the current government.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, and natural gas for vehicles, or NGV, is pegged at 18.8 baht and 8.50 baht per liter in the previous government, but they are already 20.33 baht and ten baht per liter right now.

The Democrat Party spokesman noted that the Abhisit administration almost settled the Oil Fund's debt but the Yingluck administration resulted in a loss of over 20 billion baht and lift it over 30 billion baht in debt.

He went on to say that the current government has sought a loan to repay the debt and plans to abolish the state Oil Fund. This might lead to an increase in the domestic oil prices.

Chavanont stated that the Democrat-led government pushed for free electricity for those who consume less than 90 power units per month, while the Yingluck government cut the consumption ceiling of free electricity to 50 units.

The recommended prices for ready-to-eat meal were set at 30 baht per dish in the previous government while those prices range between 35 to 40 baht in the current government. Its policy to distribute tablet computers to primary children nationwide is also facing a delay.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-12

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Govt Urged to Focus on People's Wellbeing

BANGKOK: -- The Opposition Party leader urged the government to prioritize the problem regarding the people's standard of living rather than play politics.

Opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the government to focus on the people's wellbeing rather than enhancing the country's infrastructure during the next mobile cabinet meeting scheduled for March 18 in Phuket Province.

Moreover, he called on the locals to inform the government about their problems so that it could provide appropriate solutions. Abhisit also believes the country is likely to suffer from an inflation due to economic problems.

Abhisit also stated that the government has made a mistake regarding the energy policies. He insisted the government must step in to control fuel prices and voiced concern over the gasoline, diesel and Natural Gas for Vehicles or NGV price hikes, saying that it increases the burden on the public. Additionally, the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG is set to increase by October.

Meanwhile, consumer goods prices are on the rise. Abhisit reiterated that people in general could feel that the government failed to alleviate their costs of living. He said the government focuses mainly on playing politics.

He called on the government to hear the public's demand rather than favoring the people who casted a ballot for it during the election.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-12

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Two soldiers wounded in bomb ambush on Pattani-Sai Buri Road; Rawaeng Tambon Adminstration Organisation office totally burned in arson /MCOT

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Wildfire Suppression Barriers Built in Phayao Province to Ease Smog Situation

PHAYAO: -- The Phayao governor led officials and public network groups to create wildfire suppression barriers to ease the smog crisis in high-risk areas of the northern provinces.

Phayao Governor Maitree Intusut led more than 600 officials from the Wildfire Department and the Natural Resources and Environment Department, soldiers, village volunteers, and local residents in San Pa Muang and Ban Tom subdistricts in Phayao's Muang District to construct wildfire suppression barriers around the Ananyotip Payaram Temple in Doi Luang area to alleviate the smog crisis.

Since there has been rain recently, the smog situation has eased and reduced the value of dust particles to 105.3 micrograms per cubic meters yesterday, down from the day before when it was at 237 micrograms per cubic meter.

Maitree said wildfire suppression barriers have been built in three areas – two areas in Muang District and one area in Phu Kamyao.

Additional wildfire suppression barriers will be established shortly in all areas. It is expected that the smog situation will improved as the number of dust particles continues to recede.

The province is now proceeding to work to ease the smog crisis through the establishment of campaigns by closely monitoring burning activities and constructing wildfire suppression barriers around the province.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-12

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Four Thai workers wounded in Gaza fighting are out of danger

BANGKOK, March 12 -- Four Thai workers who were wounded as a result of fighting near the Gaza Strip in Israel on Friday are out of danger and officials from the Thai Labour Office in Tel Aviv have provided assistance to them, according to Department of Employment Director General Prawit Kengpol.

Full story:

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BMA files civil and criminal suit against owner of Grand Park Hotel, which saw blaze last week, for illegal building extension /TANN

PM chairs 1st meeting of water management body at Govt House to discuss water management plan and info center establishment /TANN