Thailand Live Thursday 12 Apr 2012

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Thailand Live Thursday 12 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 11 Apr 2012

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Exiled Thaksin Inches Closer To Return To Thailand

Full story:

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'Death threat' report disrupts Thaksin's Laos arrival

The Nation

Photo : Watcharachai Klaipong

VIENTIANE: -- Ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra was given special protection when he arrived in the capital of Laos yesterday, amid rumours of an assassination threat against him, according to people close to the former leader.

Full story:

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TSUNAMI

Tsunami scare in Thailand after strong quake hit Indonesia

Tourists and Thai residents take shelter on a high rooftop watching the ocean seeking safety during a tsunami alert in Phuket on April 11. (EPA)

THAILAND: -- Memories of the 2004 disaster flood back after powerful quake strikes again off Indonesia's Sumatra; No casualties reported as small wave hits Andaman coast; southern airports temporarily closed

Full story:

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POLITICS

Thai Cabinet delays Bt15,000 pay raise for graduates

BANGKOK: -- The proposed blanket pay raise to a standard Bt15,000 salary for civil servants with a bachelor's degree cannot be paid immediately, a government spokesperson said yesterday.

Full story:

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COPYRIGHT

Severe penalties for copyright violations in works: Thailand

BANGKOK: -- As a serious attempt to crack down on copycat goods, the Commerce Ministry aims to increase the penalties, through both imprisonment and fines, for traders in illegal products.

Full story:

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POLITICS

Quake halts charter amendment talks

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation

Photo: Sakol Sandhiratne

BANGKOK: -- A House-Senate joint meeting deliberating the second reading of the Constitution amendment closed abruptly yesterday amid tsunami fears in Thailand's South.

The deliberation is scheduled to resume on April 18 and 19. Meanwhile, the third reading is scheduled for May 8, the whips said.

Yesterday was the second day of the second reading deliberation - but it did not progress much after over six hours.

Besides repeating that the government had unusually rushed the charter amendment proceedings, the Democrats - who dominated yesterday's meeting- pointed out the report by the ad hoc committee on charter amendment contained many errors.

Around mid-day, the House Speaker called a break to allow the unhappy parliamentarians to tell the panel to correct its report.

Commenting on the amended law to add Chapter 16 "Drafting a New Constitution," the Democrats said it could be illegal as the current charter only referred to constitutional amendment and did not say anything about drafting a new charter.

Moreover, the chapter and articles on the political system and the constitutional monarchy must be preserved, so it is impossible to write-off the whole charter, they said.

The House Speaker closed yesterday's meeting at about 4.30pm so that MPs and senators could meet with local people.

-- The Nation 2012-04-12

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ROYAL FUNERAL

Hundreds brave hot weather to visit Royal cremation site

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Large crowds visited the crematorium and other buildings constructed for the funeral of Her Royal Highness Princess Bejaratana yesterday, one day after the official service.

A total of 4,600 Thais and 66 foreigners registered for four rounds of visits to the funeral site at Sanam Luang, which will be open from 9am to 7pm until next Tuesday.

Rounds of visits with tour guides are scheduled at 10am, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm daily.

The first group of visitors gathered outside the funeral compound at 5am and stayed and watched from a distance while awaiting registration, and later making their rounds.

A number of Buddhist monks and novices were among the visitors. Though visitors did not have to dress in black, they were advised to dress appropriately with proper footwear.

People were allowed to take photographs, said Thongthong Chand-rangsu, PM's Office Ministry permanent secretary and a member of the organising committee.

Areas off limits to visitors are the actual crematorium, the main central pavilion and the temporary Song Tham Throne Hall.

The funeral buildings, including the crematorium, will be dismantled later, he said.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty the Queen presided over a merit-making ceremony yesterday evening to bless the late princess' ashes.

TOURS ARRANGED

The nearby National Museum has put the main chariot and other wagons used in the funeral procession on public display and offers four guided tours each day, also ending next Tuesday.

Wanphen Mangmee, 62, was the first to enter the gate in the opening round of visits.

She arrived at Sanam Luang at 5.30am, saying she was proud to be the earliest to walk through the door.

She has visited the funerals of three past princesses and was always impressed with the splendour and unique Thai arts associated with the funeral decorations.

-- The Nation 2012-04-12

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Thailand Premier League money managers quit amid corruption rumours

Newin

BANGKOK: -- Siamsport says it is relinquishing its right to oversee Thailand Premier League's commercial benefits in the wake of allegations over irregularities in the financial management of the country's topflight league.

Full story:

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What's the hurry? Reconciliation can't be a rush job: Thai talk

BANGKOK: -- The government and ruling Pheu Thai Party have been warned: National reconciliation can't be rushed. Neither can it be force-fed. Or else the country could choke on an overdose of one-sided "justice for the victors". Disaster could strike if things are wrapped up in a hurry by a majority vote in Parliament.

Full story:

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BURNING ISSUE

Bangkok April 10, 2010: All culprits must be made accountable

BANGKOK: -- Two years on from the fateful events of April 10, 2010, Thais of various political persuasions still hold starkly different versions of history and no one has been held responsible for the deaths.

Full story:

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SINKHOLE

Fourth sinkhole appears at Pathumwan Intersection

BANGKOK: -- A 60-centimetre wide and metre deep sinkhole appeared at Pathumwan intersection near the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre yesterday morning.

Full story:

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COLD PILLS

Thai govt ban on prescription revoked

BANGKOK: -- State and private hospitals will be allowed to prescribe pseudoephedrine-based medication after Dr Paijit Warachit, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, signed a directive revoking the ban yesterday.

Full story:

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Bombed hotel can be saved

The Nation

HAT YAI: -- Songkhla Governor Krissada Boonrod said yesterday that the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel's structure was strong despite the car bomb attack on March 31.

Krissada cited the initial inspection result by the Hat Yai Municipality and Prince of Songkhla's public works engineers that the building was repairable. Work has been begun on the first to 33rd floors, though the underground remains sealed pending a week's inspection.

Executives confirmed that the hotel would resume services today and could be fully operational in two months.

Malaysian tourists continued arriving in Hat Yai, with hotels being 80 per cent full. The Hat Yai train station was packed and Bangkok-Hat Yai tickets are sold out until April 18.

-- The Nation 2012-04-12

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WATER FESTIVAL

PM launches 'Safe Songkran' campaign

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra launched the "Seven Days, 77 provinces, for a Safe Songkran 2012" project at Government House yesterday, as part of the campaign to cut down on road deaths during the April 11-17 holiday period.

Full story:

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GMO

Experts call for GMO products to be declassified as harmful

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The government should declassify experimenting with genetic modified organisms as a harmful activity, since many studies during the past 10 years in the US, Canada, Japan and China show that GMO products did not cause any impact on humans and animals, a group of experts and academics said yesterday.

"I don't understand why the government has put GMOs on to the list of harmful activities under Article 67 of the Constitution," said Assoc Professor Prasartporn Samitaman, a researcher at Chiang Mai University.

Professor Suthat Sriwattana-pong, president of the Biotech-nology Alliance Association and leader of the group of 365 biotechnological experts and academics, said his group had submitted a petition to Natural Resources and Environ-ment Minister Preecha Rengsom-boonsuk.

"We want Preecha to have a better understanding of the scientific information on GMOs and experiments on GMOs," he said.

Instead of having to ask the Cabinet, researchers should be allowed to seek approval from the Agriculture Department to conduct GMO experiments, he added.

If GMO experiments are included in the list, that means any study related to GMOs must do an environmental and health impact assessment (EHIA).

"This will delay our development of studies related to GMOs," Prasartporn said.

Farmers who want to grow GMO plants also need an EHIA.

"They do not have a lot of money like big companies to complete EHIAs," he added. No studies in Thailand have been performed to prove that GMO products can be dangerous.

Santi Boonprakran, deputy |secretary-general of the Office |of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, insisted that his agency has not yet listed experiments on GMOs or related activities as a harmful activity under Article 67.

-- The Nation 2012-04-12

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Six Andaman provinces closely monitor situation following Indonesian aftershocks in wake of lifting tsunami warning /MCOT

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Thailand's Phuket airport reopens after tsunami scare

Full story:

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Phuket Airport uses chartered flight to clear passengers stranded due to tsunami alert; Suvarnabhumi Airport prepares special flight for passengers to Phuket /MCOT

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,158.94, up 4.45 points /MCOT

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Lively Hat Yai Songkran celebration; Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel reopens 1st day, welcomes guests amid tight security /MCOT

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Songkran Revelers Have Started Traveling Back To Their Home Provinces

BANGKOK: -- Songkran revelers have started traveling back to their home provinces for the holiday, causing many main routes become busy, as well as the bus terminals to be occupied.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....home-provinces/

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RT @RichardBarrow: Boat services on Saen Saeb Canal in Bangkok will be suspended during Songkran 13-16 April

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RT @ukinthailand: The British Embassy, Bangkok will be closed on Fri13 April, we will resume our regular service from Mon 16 April onwards.

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INVESTMENT

Thailand falls 5 places in investment risk rankings

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is ranked the 47th-safest investment destination in Euromoney magazine's latest survey of country risk.

This marks a fall of five places as the Kingdom received deteriorating scores for political risk after the election of Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister last July.

Full story:

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NIDA Poll: Most people support ban on alcohol sales during Songkran

BANGKOK, 12 April 2012 (NNT) – Most people agree with the idea of banning alcohol sales during the Songkran holiday according to a recent opinion survey by National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA)

Full story:

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ATTA: Earthquake to impact Thai tourism business

BANGKOK, 12 April 2012 (NNT) – The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has predicted that the 8.6-Richter magnitude earthquake, which occurred in Sumatra Island on Wednesday, will hurt the Thai tourism business for the next few months.

According to ATTA Chairman Sitdiwat Cheevarattanaporn, the recent earthquake will affect tourists' decision to travel to provinces where tsunami warning were previously issued, especially Phuket, during the Songkran Festival. It is expected that the impact will last for at least 2-3 months due to the lack of confidence in security among tourists. Although the tsunami did not occur, it is hardly possible to guarantee that it will not. And in the case that it should happen, the degree of violence would be hard to predict.

Thus, tourists, especially the MICE groups, will most likely avoid visiting those areas, which will lead to a slowdown in tourist activities as well as trip cancellations. However, the exact cancellation rate will be determined within the next few days. The natural disaster is also expected to reduce local tourism towards the year-end.

-- NNT 2012-04-12

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Transport Ministry Tightens Road Safety During Songkran Holiday

Full story:

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Silom Road to be closed to traffic for Songkran

BANGKOK, 11 April 2012 (NNT) – The Bang Rak District Office and the Metropolitan Police Bureau have jointly announced closure of Silom Road for three days during the Songkran celebration.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner-General, Pol Maj Gen Worasak Nopsittiporn, said after a joint meeting with the Bang Rak District Office that Silom Road will be closed to traffic, starting from 2pm-8pm, on April 13-15.

Both inbound and outbound lanes of Silom Road, from Sala Daeng intersection to Naralom intersection, will be sealed off and designated as a water-splashing area. All types of vehicles, including water trucks and trucks with high-volume stereos, are not allowed in the zone.

Security operation centers will be set up in front of the Bangkok Bank headquarters and near Sala Daeng and Naralom intersections.

Pol Maj Gen Worasak also stressed that Silom Road is considered an alcohol-free zone, in accordance with the safety campaign launched this year.

-- NNT 2012-04-12