Thailand Live Wednesday 11 Apr 2012

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PM Yingluck to launch 'Zero Casualty' road safety campaign during Songkran Festival

BANGKOK, April 11 -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday will open a national road safety campaign for the upcoming Songkran Festival to urge motorists to be aware of safety concerns during the festive season.

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Foreign tourists plan to join in Songkran waterfights but worry about safety; Khao San Road voted most desirable splash centre: Survey /MCOT

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THB 15,000 salary payment for civil servants to be postponed to 2014

BANGKOK, 11 April 2012 (NNT) – The Cabinet has during yesterday's meeting decided to complete the implementation of the THB 15,000 salary base for civil servants with a bachelor’s degree by January 2014 as well as adjust salaries of other types of employees upwards .

The minimum salary of civil servants with bachelor’s degrees will be raised to THB13,300 in January 2013 and to THB15,000 in 2014.

Those holding high vocational diplomas and vocational diplomas will be paid THB10,200 and 8,300 respectively in 2013. Their salaries will increase to THB11,500 and 9,400 in 2014.

The budgets required is THB5 billion in the first year and THB7 billion in the second year.

The Cabinet has also agreed to raise the number of Tablet computers to be procured for Grade1 students and teachers in Bangkok and Chon Buri to one million this year. It is also planning to purchase spare Tablet computers for all 3,600 schools. Amendments to the purchase deal will be submitted to the Attorney General Office for consideration.

-- NNT 2012-04-11

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Ombudsman: Constitution amendment could violate constitution

BANGKOK, 11 April 2012 (NNT) - The Office of the Ombudsman of Thailand has announced that the government’s move to amend the constitution might violate the constitution itself.

Ombudsman Siracha Charoenpanij has announced that the office has submitted a document to the Parliament Speaker and the Prime Minister, suggesting changes on the constitution amendment process, so that the move does not violate the constitution.

The three main changes suggested include (1) the person who signs the royal command of the new constitution should be the Prime Minister instead of Parliament Speaker, (2) whether the constitution amendment is an administrative change or change of government should be decided by the Constitution Court, not the Parliament Speaker, and (3) once the referendum is completed, the Parliament Speaker could present the result to His Majesty the King for royal endorsement without parliament's approval.

The Ombudsman was worried that if the constitution amendment process continued the way it did, it would create more problems in the future.

Mr Siracha said it is up to related parties whether to consider this offer or not, adding that the office is just suggesting the changes so that the move abides by the law.

-- NNT 2012-04-11

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Foreign tourists want to join in water fight during Songkran: Survey

BANGKOK, April 11 - Over 60 per cent of foreign tourists surveyed said they hope to wade into the fray at Khao San Road and other waterfight venues during this weekend’s Songkran celebration, according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday.

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Police arrest 2 members of drug ring, seize 1.8 million meth pills; Sa Kaeo police arrest Zambian entering Thailand with 84 cocaine packets in his stomach /MCOT

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SET index midday down 9.54 pts, 0.82 pct

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai composite stocks index (SET) at midday Wednesday stood at 1,156.07, down 9.54 points, or 0.82 per cent in line with regional shares amid Bt11.60 billion turnover.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 812.35, down 7.22 points, or 0.88 per cent.

Top five active (value) stocks: IVL, BANPU, PTT, KBANK (XD), ADVANC.

-- The Nation 2012-04-11

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MBK mulls hotel-condo development in Pattaya

Group to focus on financial business as rice trade declines

BANGKOK: -- MBK Group said yesterday that it was considering the development of a mixed-used property project worth Bt5 billion to Bt6 billion on an 18-rai (nearly 3 hectares) plot it owns in Pattaya.

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Red Shirts mark 2nd anniversary of Khok Wua clashes: Bangkok

BANGKOK, April 11 - The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), Thailand’s so-called Red Shirt movement, on Wednesday assembled near the Democracy Monument on Rajdamnoen Avenue to mark the 2nd anniversary of their deadly protests against the then Abhisit Vejjajiva administration.

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Woman guilty of Thai sex slavery in Australia

Sydney, April 11, 2012 (AFP) - An Australian court on Wednesday convicted a 45-year-old woman of keeping a Thai cosmetic saleswoman as a sex slave and forcing her to service more than 720 clients to pay off a debt.

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Labour Ministry offers free vehicle checkups during Songkran

BANGKOK, 11 April 2012 (NNT) – The Labour Ministry is offering free vehicle checkups for motorists who plan to travel during the Songkran period.

The Labour Ministry has cooperated with the Department of Skill Development to help reduce road accidents during the ‘7 Dangerous Days’. The Department has assigned their officials, teachers, and other labors to offer vehicle checkups during the Songkran holidays during April 11-17.

Labor Minister Padermchai Sasomsap said that the Thai New Year is a very important holiday during which people usually go back to their hometowns to meet their relatives and take this opportunity to travel. According to the Minister, the massive traveling has in the past several years led to road accidents causing a number of injuries and deaths; many cases stemmed from ill-equipped or poorly maintained vehicles.

-- NNT 2012-04-11

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TCT: 5-10% increase in local and foreign tourists during Songkran

BANGKOK, 11 April 2012 (NNT) – The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has predicted that up to 25 billion-baht will come into circulation during the 7-day long Songkran holiday and that tourist count will rise by 5-10%.

TCT Chairman Kongkrit Hirunkij has indicated that money circulation in the tourism sector during the Songkran festival 2012 would see an improvement of 5-10% in comparison with that in the previous year on account of a better political situation. Additionally, given Songkran, the Thai New Year, is a long holiday, the public tend to have more plans to travel than they do during any other period of the year.

Meanwhile, he stated that the sensitive areas for this holiday season remain to be Hat Yai district in Songkhla province as well as the three southernmost provinces. Surveys have indicated that tourists who initially intended to travel to the South have changed their destination to the North instead. However, almost all regions of the country will see a 5-10% increase in both Thai and foreign tourist figures.

Mr. Kongkrit explained that Thailand currently sees an average of 1 million tourists per day, with each individual spending around 4,000 baht a day. Thus, it is safe to assume that, during the upcoming seven-day holiday, the country will see a circulation of no less than 25 billion baht.

The TCT Chairman added that the provinces which will see a lot of money circulation include Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, as they are connected by low-cost and direct flights from many countries.

-- NNT 2012-04-11

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Thaksin arrives in Laos

VIENTIANE:-- Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Wednesday arrived at the military airport in Vientiane to start his three-day visit coinciding with the Songkran Holiday.

Some 500 red shirts and supporters formed a line of welcoming committee to greet Thaksin after his flight was diverted from the Lao International Airport for security reason.

Barred party executive Prachuab Chaiyasarn was among the supporters accompanying Thaksin from the airport to Lao Plaza in the lao capital

-- The Nation 2012-04-11

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Crater in downtown Bangkok road disrupts traffic, worries city officials

BANGKOK, April 11 - A crater appeared in center city Bangkok’s busy Pathumwan intersection Wednesday morning, with city authorities initially saying the depression was believed to be caused by soil and sand under the road surface moving into a large drainage pipe.

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WATER FESTIVAL

Foreign tourists favour Khao San for Songkran

BANGKOK:-- Most foreign tourists say they hope to wade into the fray at Khao San Road and other waterfight venues during this weekend's Songkran celebration.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/547318-foreign-tourists-want-to-join-in-water-fight-during-songkran-survey/page__view__findpost__p__5209234

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Silom Road closed for Songkran Festival 2-8pm April 13-15; Police focusing on safety, weapons- and alcohol-free, for an orderly celebration /MCOT

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PM launches "7 Days 77 Provinces" campaign to raise awareness among motorists to drive more carefully during Songkran to cut number of accidents,casualties /MCOT

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RT @AP: BREAKING: Indonesian official says earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 8.9 has hit off Aceh.

RT @STcom: LATEST: 8.9-magnitude earthquake strikes off Sumatra, tsunami warning issued

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RT @tulsathit: People in high rises in Asoke say they felt buildings shook.

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RT @tulsathit: Reports flooding in of people in Bangkok high rises feeling buildings sway.

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RT @Davidlalmalsawm: #India issues #Tsunami warning for Andaman islands and eastern coast after #Indonesia #quake - Tsunami Warning Center

RT @vaitor: New tsunami warnings out for India/Andaman islands

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Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department warns tsunami to hit southern coast at 5:09 pm

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has issued an urgent warning for people living on the coast of six southern provinces to evacuate, the areas would be hit by tsunami starting from 5:09 pm.

Anusorn Kaewkangwal said residents of Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Satun, Krabi and Trang were told to clear the coastal areas before 5 pm.

He said Koh Miang of Phang Nga would be the first to be hit by tsunami at 5:09 pm.

Then, the giant waves would hit Karon and Patong beaches in Phuket and Phi Phi isalnd in Krabi and Jao Mai and Paliang beaches in Trant. Ranong and Satun would be hit by the giant waves later, Anusorn said.

-- The Nation 2012-04-11

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RT@tulsathit: RT @nnanews: Urgent evacuation warning for ppl in Hua Sai district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. #nsn

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Meteorological Dept spokesman says tsunami watch will have to continue until at least 7.30pm; wave height now estimated at 1-2m /TANN

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Mobile network in Phuket and Phangnga at full capacity; land lines and radio transmission prepared /TANN

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RT@tulsathit: RT @nnanews: 5.20 pm. Yingluck calls urgent Cabinet meeting at 7 pm. #nsn

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TSUNAMI WARNING

Thailand's Andaman coastal provinces on tsunami alert

Foreigners evacuate to higher ground following tsunami warning at Patong Beach, Phuket. (Satit Rittijak)

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's disaster centre on Wednesday put provinces along the Andaman coastline on watch for a possible tsunami after n 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Aceh province.

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/RT@Tulip_Oum: 5:24pm RT @seacorro: Thailand National Disaster Warning Centre has told us the predicted wave size is now 1.6-2 metres on average.

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RT @vaitor: Thai PM calls for Emergency cabinet meeting // Tsunami Hotline in Thailand is 192

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Thai dams safe from earthquake: Egat

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- All dams in Thailand remain secure and safe, without any impact from the earthquake north of Sumatra, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand said.

The epicentre of the earthquake at 8.7 on the Richter scale, at 3.58pm, was 969-1,899 km away from six dams in Thailand, Egat said in a statement.

"Our check shows that none of the dams witnessed an impact from the earthquake. Egat has understaken measures to maintain the foundation and safety and put in place a system which would automatically signal alert warnings if any irregularity is found," said Virachai Chaisangkaew, Egat director for maintenance.

-- The Nation 2012-04-11