Thailand Live Thursday 5 Apr 2012

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Thailand Live Thursday 5 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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Related topic: Thailand Live Wednesday 4 Apr 2012

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POLITICS

Democrat MPs petition NACC on Shinawatra shares, taxes

Accuse finance minister, his deputy and Revenue Dept chief of dereliction of duty for not taxing Thaksin, ex-wife

BANGKOK: -- Democrat Party MPs have petitioned the national graft agency, accusing the finance minister, his deputy and the Revenue Department chief of dereliction of duty in their decision not to tax former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his ex-wife for their share sale to their children.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5192215

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Bangkok's Ratchaprasong traders join police in fight against crime

BANGKOK: -- After the extended red-shirt protest in 2010, businesses in Bangkok's Ratchaprasong area have decided to link up their security cameras to the police closed-circuit TV network to protect themselves further and prevent crime in the area.

Full story:

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CHICKEN

Thai chicken back on EU import list

The European Union will lift its marathon ban against fresh chicken imports from Thailand on July 1.

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Agricultural Affairs Office in Belgium sent a letter to the Agriculture Ministry in Bangkok on Tuesday, saying the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health reached a consensus to allow sales of Thai fresh chicken after eight years.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....eu-import-list/

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UPWARD TREND

Gas, oil prices to hike power rates soon

BANGKOK: -- Consumers will soon have to pay 30 satang per unit more for electricity after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) responds to increases in fuel tariff (Ft) costs.

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

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SOUTH CRISIS

South blasts: Thai police arrest three

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested three men over the past three days for their alleged links to the recent car bombs in Yala, Songkhla and Pattani, which killed 14 and injured many others.

Full story:

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RECONCILIATION DEBATE

Thai govt ignores KPI's caution, goes ahead with reconciliation debate

BANGKOK: -- Ignoring a warning from the King Prajadhipok's Institute (KPI), the government went ahead with holding a House debate on measures proposed by the House committee on national reconciliation.

Full story:

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Monks march through city to welcome gold statue of Buddha

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- MONKS from Wat Dhammakaya walk down a path strewn with rose petals near the Sarawittaya School in Bangkok

Though people have been criticising Wat Dhammakaya's five-day "pilgrimage" across the capital to welcome the Phra Mongkol Thepmuni (Luang Phu Sod Wat Pak Nam) statue as being inappropriate, the temple has said that the procession does not go against any religious principles.

The Phra Mongkol Thepmuni statue, made of real gold, will be enshrined at the Pak Nam Pasi Charoen temple in Bangkok's Phasi Charoen district

The third day of the march yesterday started at 8am from Sarawittaya School in Chatuchak district and went through Kaset intersection, Central Lat Phrao Mall, Saphan Kwai, Victory Monument, Phaya Thai, Sri Ayutthaya, Rajaprarop, Rajdamri, Central World, Rama I, Siam Paragon and ended at the National Stadium at 3pm. However, the procession involving some 1,500 monks brought the traffic in the areas to a standstill.

The monks, led by a truck holding the gold statue, walked down a red carpet that was strewn with rose petals by devotees clad in white.

Senator Trungjai Buranasompob, chairperson of the Senate Committee for religion, art and culture, said the march was inappropriate because a Buddhist pilgrimage required monks go to the mountains or forests and lead the life of an ascetic - not march through a city of consumerist desires.

She said she would ask the Office of National Buddhism and the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand to investigate this.

Meanwhile, Phra Sanidwong from Wat Dhammakaya's Public Relations Department defended the march on the temple's website, saying that this so-called pilgrimage through the city did not go against the principles of religion.

This morning, the march will begin at the National Stadium and head for Rama I Road, Banthat Thong Road, Rama IV Road, Thai-Chinese Friendship Road, Wat Traimitr, Yaowarat Road, Jakkapat Road, Mahachai Road, Charoenkrung Road, Tri Phetch Road and Suan Kularb School. Tomorrow, the march will continue from the school to Prachathipok Road, Wong Wian Yai, Talad Plu and the Pak Nam Pasi Charoen temple. Motorists are advised to avoid these areas.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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ART ON TV

Saluting Thailand's greatest

Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul

The Nation

The late painter Prakit

Thai PBS profiles more artists in the third season of its award-winning documentary series 'Siam Silapin'

BANGKOK: -- Television viewers once again have the opportunity to celebrate the lives of monarchs and National Artists as the third season of the documentary series "Siam Silapin" or "The Greatest Thai Artists" starts tonight on Thai PBS.

"The series is one of the government's continuous projects to honour our kings and the artists who have created priceless pieces of art and culture to promote a sense of patriotism and values among Thai children and adolescents," says Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome.

Initiated in 2006 by the Office of the National Culture Commission, or the Department of Cultural Promotion as it is known today, in collaboration with the National Artist Foundation, the documentary was aired for first time in 2008 on Modernine Channel. Since then, it has been broadcast on government-run Thai PBS and in 2009, picked up the prize for Best Documentary at the Golden Television Awards.

"Unlike in the West, where entire channels are dedicated to making interesting documentaries, Thai production companies generally don't invest in making documentary films. Yet they provide both entertainment and knowledge," says Prisna Pongtadsirikul, director-general of Department of Cultural Promotion, who says she was inspired by cable TV's Biography channel.

"It is our responsibility to encourage our national artists to pass on knowledge to the next generations. However, this project focuses on recording those artists' life stories and knowledge, including their valuable pieces of works, if possible while they are still alive. A documentary is the best way to encapsulate their entire story while entertaining the viewer.

"This documentary offers an in-depth story and analysis and has more selling points than a written biography. It has plenty of emotion and is mixed with drama, making some of the life stories seem a little like short stories as we bring in comments and reflections from the subjects' students, followers and offspring. We also anticipate that the series will act as an inspiration for artists of the new generation," she says.

This new series portrays the biographies and masterpieces of artists in different fields. Prisna says she hopes the artists' lifestyles, work styles and their struggles to overcome obstacles will inspire viewers to create their own work with determination and elaboration, while simultaneously raising awareness of the values of different fields of arts that they need to help conserve.

Among the monarchs and artists covered in this third series are King Rama III, King Rama VI, MR Kukrit Pramoj, and Senee Saowapong (Sakchai Bumrungpong) in the poet and author category; painters Prakit "Jit" Buabusaya and Kamol Tassananchalee; artist Chalood Nimsamer; sculptor Chamruang Vichienket; architects Pradit Yuwapukka and Air Vice Marshal Arwuth Ngernchuklin; musicians Sudjit Duriyapraneet, Euea Sunthornsanan, Surapol Donavanik and Phongsri Voranuch; Nairongpakdee (Jian Jarujaron) and Songchart Chuesiri in the classical dance category; and performance artists Prayoon Yomyiam (lamtad mae prayoon) and Thongmak Chantalue (mor lam).

The series, which has been a year in production and cost between Bt4 and B5 million, will be shown in 24 episodes, each of 50 minutes.

"After we completed the selection of the National Artists, we asked for permission from their offspring. Some initially disagreed with our presentation ideas but we were able to reach agreement. We thoroughly researched our subjects and conducted hundreds of interviews before we started writing the script. Both students and relatives took part in checking the script," says Prisna.

Who does she expect to tune in to the documentary series?

"Thai PBS has a variety of viewers. But from feedback, our documentary mainly targets a working people," she says.

The DVD of the series is distributed free to schools, who are encouraged to use it as an educational medium and also for research.

"We also give the DVDs to all embassies to publicise to their nationals," says Prisna.

"National artists dedicate their lives to their works. I would like everyone to appreciate those works," says the director general.

OUR HEROES

"Siam Silapin" ("The Greatest Thai Artists") airs at 10pm on Thursdays on Thai PBS.

Visit www.ThaiPBS.or.th.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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What would they say to each other at a 'peace summit'?: Thai talk

BANGKOK: -- Can you imagine General Prem Tinsulanonda and Thaksin Shinawatra meeting for a proposed "peace summit"? I can, but only in my wildest dreams.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....mmit-thai-talk/

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BURNING ISSUE

Thaksin saviour and weakest link for PM Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- While Yingluck Shinawatra became prime minister because she is Thaksin's sister, the fugitive ex-prime minister seems at the same time to be her weakest link.

Full story:

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Ban on booze as emergency services brace for accidents: Songkran festival

Authorities pledge raids on shops selling alchol beyond authorised hours

BANGKOK: -- In a bid to reduce deaths from road accidents, authorities yesterday vowed tough action against anyone found violating the ban on selling alcohol over the Songkran festival period.

Full story:

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DRY SEASON

Many villages hit by drought as dams less than half full

THE NATION

More than 20,000 villages across the country have been hit by drought as water levels in many large dams are at half capacity.

BANGKOK: -- Wiboon Sanguanpong, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said yesterday that 21,939 villages in 37 provinces had been declared drought-hit zones. The provinces are in the North, Northeast, East and Central regions.

Full story:

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Thailand's PACC Asks For British Help In Stamping Out 'Grey Market' Car Trade

Full story:

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Hospitals set up fast track for the old

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry has instructed all its hospitals nationwide to set up a fast track for patients above the age of 70 so they do not have to deal with long queues. The fast track is effective from April 1.

The ministry has also ordered all healthcare units to be friendlier toward elderly patients, who will be entitled to free health checks, as well as screening for depression and dementia.

The move marks the "World Health Day", which falls on April 7 every year. This year, World Health Organisation has highlighted "Ageing and Health" as a main theme for its campaign called "Good Health Adds Life to Years".

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said Thailand was fast becoming an ageing society as the fertility rate is dropping. As per national statistics, about 13 per cent of the total population or 8.5 million people in Thailand are elderly. The National Statistical Office of Thailand estimates that the population of seniors will rise to 30 per cent by 2050.

Under the new services, a one-stop service centre will be set up to facilitate patients above the age of 70 and a club will be set up to help support self care.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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Apprentices to get Bt300 wage, help for smes under law changes

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Apprenticed students now earning only Bt30 per hour would be entitled to the new Bt300 daily minimum wage as part of adjustments to labour regulations.

"What companies are paying students now for on-the-job training doesn't reflect the high cost of living," Somkiat Chayasriwong, permanent secretary of the Labour Ministry, said yesterday.

However, Somkiat, who chairs the Central Wage Committee, did not say when the tripartite panel would amend the law.

The panel would also study certain types of work or occupations to detect conditions unfair to employees and will discuss them once they are identified, he said.

Employers should not try to include welfare and other benefits in the Bt300 wage, or they would be forced to pay back wages and could be imprisoned and/or fined.

To help SMEs with their higher costs due to the Bt300 wage, they will be allowed to deduct 1.5 times the difference in costs from their income taxes. They must show at least Bt30 million in revenue each year and registered capital of at least Bt5 million to take the deduction.

Other measures to help employers are soft loans to buy new machinery, a 100-per-cent tax deduction on the cost of new machinery instead of the usual depreciation, and tax-free treatment on the income from the sale of old machinery.

There is money left over in the Bt10 billion fund for business development.

The fund would be increased if lenders keep submitting loan requests.

A group of cleaners working at the ministry lodged a complaint over their wages. One had not yet been given Bt300. She now receives only Bt230 even after an extra Bt15 was paid to her and 20 co-workers.

Somkiat said he was unaware of this issue but would talk with the company that hired the cleaners.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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Three more sites found encroaching

The Nation

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: -- Officials from Nakhon Ratchasima's Thap Lan National Park have discovered three more resorts and vacation homes covering about 10 rai in Wang Nam Kheow district to be within the frame of encroachment and are planning check details using satellite images, the assistant chief Nuwat Leelapata said yesterday.

The officials are also preparing to take legal action against the owners of 116 sites in Tambon Thai Samakkhee and Tambon Wang Nam Kheow after the Songkran Festival. If the three new locations are found to be encroaching, officials will add them to the 116 cases for prosecution, he added.

Nuwat said so far seven resorts in Prachin Buri's Na Di district and Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Kheow district had been demolished under court order. The court had ruled that 14 of the places be torn down, but since the owners of the sites have not yet shown up, officials will have seek funds for the demolition from the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. He said officials had also taken action against 274 people over charges of land encroachment.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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Water leak blamed for sinkhole

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Engineering Institute of Thailand said yesterday that a vacuum created by the subway system and underground water pipes had caused the sinkhole on Bangkok's Rama IV Road in February.

The institute reported that the area had been eroded by water, though engineers have still not been able to find the leak, the institute's ground engineering expert Suthisak Sornlam said. He urged the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand and the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority to inspect water pipes around the Lumpini MRT station for leaking. At a meeting with the two agencies and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration yesterday, the institute also proposed that the area be dug up to find the real cause of the subsidence.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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Bangkok Motor Show sales roar ahead

Orders pour in as auto-makers offer great promotions

BANGKOK: -- The annual Bangkok International Motor Show, which serves as a curtain-raiser to the second-quarter auto-buying season, is helping to boost auto sales as expected.

Full story:

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IMT-GT leaders okay cooperation plan

NUNTIDA PUANGTHONG

THE NATION

Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH: -- Leaders of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) yesterday endorsed the implementation of a blueprint for cooperation over the next five years.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Indonesia's Vice President Boediono held the 20th IMT-GT summit on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Phnom Penh yesterday.

According to the blueprint, the three will work together and speed up the development of infrastructure linking them up with each other as well as the rest of Southeast Asia. The three nations will also standardise their regulations in accordance with Asean integration.

The three leaders have assigned ministers to hold a meeting some time this year in Indonesia to further discuss the issue. The blueprint of implementation for 2012-2016 includes projects on infrastructure development, transportation, trade, investment, agriculture, industry, environment, tourism, food industry and human resource development.

Initiated in 1993, the IMT-GT is a cooperation development scheme to speed up economic development in this sub-region. Since all its members are part of the Asean, the IMT-GT has the same ultimate goal as the grouping, a statement issued after the meeting said yesterday. The implementation plan would be a supplement to the Asean Economic Community in 2015, it added.

During the Asean summit, Yingluck praised the grouping for helping maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Asean has had to deal with new issues such as trans-border crime and the laundering of money.

On the economic front, she said, Asean needed to enhance cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region as other parts of the world such as Europe are in recession.

Yingluck also emphasised maritime cooperation among regional countries and their dialogue partners in order to deal with the new concerns of piracy and maritime environment. She said that maritime security was of mutual benefit to all countries and should be kept separate from disputes over sovereignty, referring to the South China Sea dispute involving several countries in the region.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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Charter change draft "ready for Parliament in three weeks"

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The constitution amendment draft is expected to be ready for Parliament's final consideration by April 26, chairman of the committee on charter amendment said Wednesday.

Pheu Thai MP Samart Kaewmeechai, chairman of the joint House-Senate committee deliberating the charter change draft, said the committee’s consideration of the draft should be completed by Thursday. The committee would then bring the draft to the joint House-Senate meeting on the second reading on April 1011.

As the parliamentary session is due to be extended, the Parliament should be able to consider the draft before the end of this month.

Parliamentary meetings are scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday, and the current House session was originally scheduled to end on April 18.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

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RT @RichardBarrow: If you need to go to Immigration then go today. Immigration will be closed on Friday and Monday for the long weekend.

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RT @RichardBarrow: Picture: Husband has taken his wife hostage in Bangkok & has knife at her throat http://bit.ly/Hf5qLv - TR @yeelek_tm

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RT @RichardBarrow: 8:10am Hostage situation live on Thai TV at the moment in Bangkok - TR @Rawangpai: http://lockerz.com/s/198561853

RT @RichardBarrow: 8:17am Police ask onlookers to move back away from the hostage situation http://lockerz.com/s/198563377 - TR @ittipat_Rw

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RT @RichardBarrow: 8:35am Police close Rama III Rd to traffic at the Tok Road intersection due to ongoing hostage situation - TR @ThaiPBS

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NACC to speedily probe wealth of all lawmakers

BANGKOK, 5 April 2012 (NNT) – The anti-corruption agency has pledged to speedily check wealth records of all lawmakers while stating that anyone found concealing their financial records will be fighting a case in the Supreme Court.

The Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)’s spokesperson Klanarong Chanthick said on Wednesday that the wealth probe will be launched against all politicians without any exception.

He said that all financial records submitted by each lawmaker will be thoroughly checked to make sure that all assets and properties each has in possession are accounted for.

Mr. Klanarong stated that the existence of the wealth is not the only thing the NACC will look at, as it also needs to check how politicians have acquired their wealth.

In addition to the official reports that the politicians have submitted, the NACC will also look at other assets, which might have slipped the owners' minds.

In case that any discrepancies are spotted, the anti-graft agency will summon related lawmakers to present their cases.

The NACC spokesperson said that anyone found falsely reporting their wealth will see their cases submitted to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

He went on to say that the investigation into the unusual wealth allegations against former Permanent Secretary for Transport Supoj Saplom is expected to wrap up in May.

-- NNT 2012-04-05

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RT @RichardBarrow: 9:20am Police have used rubber bullets to bring down the man holding is wife hostage on Rama 3 - TR @js100radio

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Health Ministry steps up control over pseudoephedrine production & sales

BANGKOK, 5 April 2012 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry has stepped up its move to tackle the illicit use of pseudoephedrine in the country.

Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said on Wednesday that the Ministry has called for a meeting with representatives from 64 producers of medicines with pseudoephedrine as ingredients and 4 importers of the drug.

Mr. Wittaya said that the meeting focused on the state measures to control the production and sales of pseudoephedrine.

The discussion followed an earlier announcement of a new regulation which lists pseudoephedrine-based medicines as controlled substances under the Psychotropic Substances Act B.E.2518. The new restriction came into effect on Wednesday.

The Health Minister also said that, at the meeting, participants got to speak their minds and raised their concerns over the measures.

He added that the Health Ministry will work with the ICT Ministry to develop a central database system to control the distribution of pseudoephedrine for future use.

Meanwhile, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Secretary-General Dr. Pipat Yingsaree said that, within the next 30 days, pharmacies and clinics with supply of pseudoephedrine-based medicines are to ship all of them back to producers.

Dr. Pipat added that after the grace period, FDA will not allow any pharmacies to hold such medicines while only clinics with official permits will be able to have them for prescription.

-- NNT 2012-04-05

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Deputy PM Orders Bangkok to be under Surveillance During Sangkran Festival

BANGKOK: -- The deputy prime minster deployed officials to conduct a rigorous inspection and monitor Bangkok closely to minimize insurgency during the Songkran Festival, especially at risky areas and immigration points.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobumrung disclosed that there are no reports of insurgency in Bangkok during the Songkran Festival and said that the overall situation is in good order.

However, since the Triple Blast Incident carried out by the Hezbollah group a while ago, Chalerm has ordered officials to conduct a rigorous inspection and work through a proactive measure.

Risky areas will be under strict surveillance, including Sukhumvit Road, Soi Ramkhamhaeng, and Khao San Road, especially on April 6, which is an Easter day for Israelis.

Chalerm also ordered the police to strictly examine foreigners traveling for the Songkran Festival at immigration checkpoints in Suvarnabhumi Airport and other provincial airports, particularly tourists traveling via the Cathay Pacific airline and flights connecting Hong Kong to Chaing Mai province.

In southern provinces, officers have been ordered to inspect all vehicles to minimize the likelihood of insurgency.

Chalerm further insisted that the insurgent group in southern provinces is not the same group that attacked Bangkok.

Nevertheless, the government has not established an effective measure to protect the southern provinces from chaos. However, the government will definitely not ignore this issue.

-- Tan Network 2012-04-05