Thailand Live Sunday 1 April 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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Car bomb suspected in Hat Yai hotel

Supitcha Rattana,

Thoranit Pirunlaong,

Somchai Samart

The Nation on Sunday

A fireman walks next to heavy smoke during efforts to extinguish a blaze at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel in Songkhla

SONGKHLA: At least four people were killed and about 300 injured in an explosion and fire at a Hat Yai hotel yesterday - suspected to have been caused by a bomb in a car parked in the basement.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5181548

Abhisit vows to make Thailand Asean hub

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK:-- Opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday affirmed his party would lead Thailand to become the No 1 country in Asean by restructuring the country's social, economic and political sectors.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5181561

Suvarnabhumi a major channel for smuggled pseudoephedrine pills: police

Thanatpong Khongsai,

Ekkapong Praditpong

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK:-- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday revealed that about 83 per cent of the smuggling of cold medicine with pseudoephedrine happened through Suvarnabhumi Airport, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering ending imports of the cold medicine after one year.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544830-suvarnabhumi-a-major-channel-for-smuggled-pseudoephedrine-pills-police/page__view__findpost__p__5181572

Police chief confirms Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel incident is car bomb linked to Yala bombings, death toll rises to five, 354 injured /MCOT

Honda's assembly plant in Ayutthaya opens again

The Nation on Sunday

AYUTTHAYA:-- Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co yesterday officially reopened its assembly plant in Ayutthaya that was forced to close for almost six months following last year's devastating floods.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presided over the reopening ceremony at the Rojana Industrial Park that was also attended by top Honda executives. They included Honda Motor President and chief executive Takanobu Ito, Asian Honda Motor President and CEO Hiroshi Kobayashi, who is also president of Honda Automobile (Thailand), and Honda Automobile (Thailand) executive vice president Pitak Pruittisarikorn.

The prime minister said she attended the event because Honda is a large carmaker that has invested substantially in Thailand.

Industry Minister MR Pongsvas Svasti, Prime Minister's Office Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal and Japanese Ambassador Seiji Kojima were among the VIP guests.

Ito stressed Thailand's importance as "a very important production base in the region" for Honda.

"Thailand is among the three key markets for Honda in the Asia and Oceania region, along with India and Indonesia. Thailand has been and will remain a very important production base in the region for Honda to supply quality products to meet customer demands in these markets, as well as tap the future potential of growing markets," he said.

"Our operation in Thailand will maintain its major role as our R&D [research and development] and production base, as Honda Motor continues to invest in the growth of our operations here to supply products to the region," he added.

Production at the assembly plant is expected to fully resume before the Songkran festival in mid-month, according to Honda executives, who said that the company planned to export about 40,000 units this year. It makes Brio, Jazz, City, Civic, Accord and CRV models for the Thai market and 30 other countries.

Ito also announced the setting up of the Honda Thailand Fund to help Thais cope with natural disasters in future. The company will donate Bt1,000 for every car sold, Bt100 for every motorcycle sold, and Bt10 for each car part sold in Thailand and expects the fund to total Bt300 million in the first year, based on current sales projections. The fund is targeted to reach Bt1 billion.

Production at the Ayutthaya factory was halted in early October when Rojana became the first industrial estate to be hit by severe flooding. In December, Honda destroyed 1,055 cars that were damaged in the floods at the plant.

-- The Nation 2012-04-01

Three hurt by home-made bomb in Khon Kaen

The Nation on Sunday

KHON KAEN: Three people were injured yesterday by a home-made bomb in Khon Kaen.

Danai Nasongserm, 27 and Kriengkrai Hansa, 20, were seriously hurt, while Thanakorn Nasongserm, 7, was slightly injured by the bomb while they rode a motorcycle to a market in Khao Suan Kwang district in the Northeast province.

Police suspect that the bomb, allegedly made by Kriengkrai, went off accidentally while they were on the motorcycle.

The injured trio were rushed to Khao Suan Kwang Hospital and later transferred to Khon Kaen Hospital.

Police said that after Kriengkrai recovers, they would summons him for interrogation to investigate where and how he got materials to make the bomb and how he did it. Police would take legal action against him.

-- The Nation 2012-04-01

Factory fire in Nakhon Pathom

The Nation on Sunday

Fire broke out early yesterday at a sponge factory in Nakhon Pathom, causing damage of about Bt20 million. But there were no reports of deaths or injuries.

About 20 fire engines rushed to put out the blaze at the factory. Firemen took around an hour to get the fire under control.

Police found factory machinery and equipment that was damaged, as well as a lot of burnt sponges. They estimated the damage at about Bt20 million.

Police suspect a short circuit and the heat of the sun caused the fire. However, officers from Scientific Crime Detection Centre 7 would inspect the factory to try to work out the exact cause.

-- The Nation 2012-04-01

'Ice' dealer arrested in Krabi

The Nation on Sunday

KRABI:-- A former building foreman has been arrested for selling "ice" or crystal methamphetamine in Krabi.

Police in Muang district in the southern province told a press conference yesterday they arrested Kamol Samuhaseneeto, 38, and seized 113 grams of "ice", found in capsules.

Following a tip-off, police raided his home in Krabi town and found the drug hidden in the ceiling.

Kamol confessed that he used to be a foreman at a construction site in Bangkok but he lost his job after the flooding late last year. So he decided to sell "ice", ordering the drug from Bangkok to sell in Krabi. It was sent via parcel delivery on a public bus and he successfully did that once before being arrested the second time he ordered it.

Police accused him of possessing a Narcotic Drug Schedule 1 (crystal meth) for illegal sale.

-- The Nation 2012-04-01

Songkhla governor says 1 of those killed in Lee Garden bombing is a Malaysian national /TAN_Network

COMMENT

Myanmar takes small but hugely significant step

The Nation on Sunday

MYANMAR:-- Today's by-election in Myanmar will certainly not be proclaimed as the world's most democratic.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544858-myanmar-takes-small-but-hugely-significant-step/page__view__findpost__p__5181666

Car bomb caused deadly Thai hotel blast

Bangkok, April 1, 2012 (AFP) - A deadly fire at a hotel in southern Thailand was caused by a car bomb planted by suspected insurgents, the national police chief said in remarks televised on Sunday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544828-car-bomb-suspected-in-hat-yai-hotel/page__view__findpost__p__5181684

Thailand cracks down on Viagra for foreigners

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has decided to ban erectional dysfunctional medicine like Viagra and its generic equivalents (Elonza) for foreigners from May 1, 2012.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544861-thailand-cracks-down-on-viagra-for-foreigners/page__view__findpost__p__5181712

RT@RichardBarrow: Today roads around Sanam Luang are open as normal but there will be congestion around Royal Plaza due to Red Cross Fair

Suu Kyi set to make history as Myanmar votes

by Hla Hla Htay

Kawhmu, Myanmar, April 1, 2012 (AFP) - Voters in Myanmar flocked to the polls on Sunday for elections expected to sweep opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi into parliament for the first time as part of dramatic political reforms.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5181763

Bombs wreak havoc in South

The Nation on Sunday

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544862-bombs-wreak-havoc-in-south/page__view__findpost__p__5181834

PM insists Yala bombing has nothing to do with the restructuring of security keeping operations

BANGKOK, 1 April 2012 (NNT) – The prime minister denied speculations that the latest attacks in Yala Province were related to the upcoming operational restructuring plans in the war-torn region.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Saturday that initial investigations into the bomb blasts in southernmost Yala Province on Saturday have suggested that the attacks were launched to respond to the government's plan to change the security operations during the next 3 months.

The PM said she had been updated on the situation by the national police chief, who has visited Yala to further investigate the attacks.

PM Yingluck added that the Royal Thai Army has also been asked to work with the police in carrying out the probe and to help provide more safety to the public in the 3 Deep-South provinces.

-- NNT 2012-04-01

Commerce Ministry: THB300 minimum wage hurts SME operators

BANGKOK, 1 April 2012 (NNT) – The Commerce Ministry has conceded that the new daily minimum wage, which comes into effect on Sunday, is inevitably going to affect SME operators.

Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) Director-General Nuntawan Sakuntanaga said that large-sized business operators are not likely going to see much impact of the increase in the country's daily minimum wage to 300 baht.

However, she is worried that small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs, who have been operating with low cost, will feel the pinch of the higher wage.

The DITP Director-General stated that while the effect of last year's flood crisis can still be felt among business operators, global economic volatility, especially in europe, is another risk factor that may hurt the export sector in the long term.

Ms. Nuntaway added that Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong's calls for weaker baht over a short-period of time may be good for some exporters, although it needs to be cautiously implemented.

She said that, in any case, the Commerce Ministry will still be keeping its 2012 export growth target at no less than 15 percent, or at around 263 billion dollars.

And although the export growth in the first quarter might be hampered by severe flooding in 2011, the DITP believes that the situation will improve more significantly in the second quarter.

-- NNT 2012-04-01

PM orders security beefed up in southern region, police know bombers behind

car bombs in Yala, Hat Yai; pledges to rehabilitate victims /MCOT

Thai police chief confirms car bomb caused Hat Yai hotel blast

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544828-car-bomb-suspected-in-hat-yai-hotel/page__view__findpost__p__5181922

RT@RichardBarrow: It's the first of two long weekends in Thailand next week, 6-9 April, for Chakri Day & royal cremation. Banks closed.

Death toll from Saturday Hat Yai hotel car bomb revised down from 5 to 3 /MCOT

ABAC Poll:73% of respondents view reconciliation as power tug of war;38% feels Thaksin meeting Gen Prem won't solve political conflict /TAN_Network

PM says authorities know which group was behind southern bombings,measures in place to prevent reccurrence;Democrat leader Abhisit in south /TAN_Network

Perm Sec for Labour expects daily min wage hike nationwide effective today will help workers /MCOT

RT@KristieKenney: US country info for Thailand urges US citizens defer non-essential travel to provinces of Yala, Narathiwat & Pattani.

Asia's Endangered Species: The Expat

By LESLIE KWOH

Forget expats. Western companies doing business in Asia are now looking to locals to fill the most important jobs in the region.

Behind the switch, experts say, are several factors, including a leveled playing field in which Western companies must approach newly empowered Asian companies and consumers as equals and clients—not just manufacturing partners.

Siemens AG

More Western firms are filling their executive positions in Asia with locals. Mei-Wei Cheng is a China-born Cornell graduate who heads Siemens's Chinese operations.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544886-asias-endangered-species-the-expat/page__view__findpost__p__5182303

RT@Biz_TheNation: Hat Yai hotel bomb incident resulted in 60%hotel rooms cancellations;Bt1bn damage to tourism expected

City of Bangkok’s Earth Hour sees more power usage compared to last year

BANGKOK, April 1 – Thailand’s capital city, joining the worldwide Earth Hour campaign helped cut power use by 1,528 megawatt and reduced CO2 emission by over 800 tonnes.

Bangkok deputy governor Wallop Suwandee presided over the ‘60+ Earth Hour 2012’ campaign's worldwide switch-off-the-lights activities at CentralWorld, Thailand's largest shopping complex on Saturday to raise awareness on global warming.

This year is the fifth consecutive year that the City of Bangkok joined 5,251 cities in 135 countries worldwide in the campaign to turn off their lights from 8:30-9:30 pm yesterday.

The event was broadcast live as Bangkok’s five main roads and the city’s landmarks went dark. The Grand Palace, the Temple of Dawn, the Rama VIII Bridge and the Giant Swing fell into darkness after the power cut.

After the one-hour campaign, the statistics showed a reduction of electricity use by 1,528 megawatt, accounting for 4.37 million baht, less than the 2,346 megawatt savings recorded last year.

Saving power during the 60-minute campaign cut CO2 emission by 817 tonnes, less than the 1,255-tonne reduction last year.

However, the figure of reduced CO2 emission this year is still higher than the average CO2 discharge reduction of 1,475 tonnes in the Bangkok campaign over preceding years. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-04-01