Thailand Live Monday 16 Apr 2012

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Thailand Live Monday 16 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 Sunday 15 Apr 2012

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Too soon to come back, but it's a good year, Thaksin says

SIEM REAP: -- Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday reiterated his wish to end his life in exile and make a longed-for comeback to Thailand this year, which he said was marked by auspicious occasions for the Royal Family.

Full story:

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Dozens of youths among 66 killed on roads on Saturday

BANGKOK: -- Sixty-six people were killed in multiple road accidents around the country on Saturday, which sent the total death toll to 210 for the four days starting last Wednesday, an official update on road casualties said yesterday.

Full story:

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3 murders as Songkran turns ugly

BANGKOK: -- Youth, 16, shot by rival gang on Sathorn

Three vicious murders marred Songkran celebrations in separate incidents around the country yesterday.

Full story:

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O-net set for redesign as row rages over results: Thailand

Database to be set up to help teachers draw up new test

BANGKOK: -- The poor results of primary and secondary school students in the Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) over the past eight years have prompted a debate over whether the exams are too difficult or whether Thai students are ill prepared. Educationists are adopting new test features and readjusting existing test designs as a result.

Full story:

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Yingluck heading to Beijing and Tokyo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will undertake a six-day trip to China and Japan this week.

The prime minister will leave for China tomorrow to make an official visit and then head straight to Japan on Thursday to attend the Mekong-Japan Summit, according to the official itinerary.

Yingluck and her entourage will leave Suvarnabhumi Airport tomorrow for Beijing.

Following an official reception with the Chinese government, Yingluck will meet her Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People to discuss bilateral ties. The two premiers are due to sign an agreement on bilateral cooperation.

On Wednesday morning, the PM and Thai businessmen will have breakfast with executives of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. She will deliver a speech on "development of Sino-Thai ties, partnership and cooperation on strategies".

Yingluck is scheduled to hold a discussion with Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Wang Qishan at 11am on Wednesday. She will then chair a lunch with Thai and Chinese businessmen at 12.30pm.

Shortly after, she will witness the signing of a cooperation contract between the Thai-Chinese private sectors at the China World Summit Wing hotel.

Yingluck is scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People at 5pm and will pay a courtesy call to Chinese Parliament President U Bango at 6pm.

Yingluck will leave Beijing on a chartered Thai Airways flight due to arrive in Tokyo at 11.10pm on Thursday. She will stay at the New Otani Tokyo Hotel.

Yingluck is scheduled to attend the Fourth Meeting of the Heads of Governments of Japan and Mekong region countries in Tokyo from Friday till Sunday.

She will represent Thailand and is due to sign the Tokyo Strategy for Mekong-Japan Cooperation during the summit.

-- The Nation 2012-04-16

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Gold and cash found after raids in South

The Nation

NARATHIWAT: -- Security officials raided shops and a home in urban Narathiwat yesterday suspected of dealing drugs and laundering money for insurgents. They seized cash sums of baht and ringgit, plus gold ornaments worth more than Bt14 million.

One of the five locations is a house - owned by Suwessa Sulong, a Muslim woman and her police husband Sergeant Thanawat Yordtrakoolchai, who serves with an anti-narcotics unit - where 100,000 amphetamine tablets were found hidden in a raid last week.

Three other sites were gold shops, while the remaining location was a convenience store.

A senior police commander, Maj-General Suraphol Thuangthong, said Thanawat confessed to buying gold with drug money at the three gold shops, and implicated the gold shops as money launderers for insurgents and drug gangs.

However, no evidence linking owners and drug rackets was found at Yindee and Choke Chai gold shops, and police were looking for clues to explain why Liang Ah gold shop was robbed recently by men armed with automatic rifles who killed a co-owner and a security guard.

At Suweesa's home, police found Bt600,000, plus 9,000 ringgit (Bt90,544) and gold ornaments weighing around 4.5 kilograms while she was "on the run". At Liang Ah gold shop, Bt6 million, 700,000 ringgit (Bt7 million) and another 4.5 kg of gold were found and seized.

-- The Nation 2012-04-16

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CAT hopes for future deals with concession holders

BANGKOK: -- CAT Telecom is seeking a possible future partnership with its three private cellular concession holders so they can all use CAT's network assets once they get transferred back to the agency when the concessions come to an end.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....ession-holders/

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EDITORIAL

Child's play now unfolds online: Thai opinion

Social media outlets demonstrate powerfully the law of unintended consequences - for good or bad

Full story:

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Tackle rising costs first: poll

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- People would prefer that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra tackles economic problems as her first priority rather than seek to bring about national reconciliation, according to Abac poll results released yesterday.

Cutting the rising costs of living was what about 40 per cent of respondents wanted as a New Year gift from Yingluck. That was followed by national reconciliation, which was the second priority with 20 per cent of votes. Battling corruption was the third priority with 13 per cent, while declaring war on drugs and crime came fourth with 7 per cent. Boosting the quality of education was the fifth top concern with 6 per cent.

The New Year gift that Thais wanted from the Opposition was to stop quarrelling and joining forces with the government to solve people's problems (about 34 per cent), national reconciliation (29 per cent), giving the government a chance to work and achieve (27 per cent) and stopping corruption (9 per cent).

The gift that Thais want from people with clout in society is for a connection between groups of people to help bring unity to the country (37 per cent). This was followed by being a role model and respectable (21 per cent), providing justice without discrimination (14 per cent) and giving cooperation to a democratic government (10 per cent) and operating without political interference (9 per cent).

Thais always match high-profile people to love each other forever. Some 96 per cent matched all groups and political colours to love one another, while 95 per cent matched the red shirts and the yellows; 80 per cent matched the PM Yingluck and Opposition Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to love each other; 76 per cent matched ex-pm Thaksin Shinawatra and Privy Council Chief General Prem Tinsulanonda, 65 per cent matched Democrat spokesman Thepthai Senpong and Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit to love each other.

The poll was conducted with 2,158 respondents in 17 provinces across the country from April 1-14.

-- The Nation 2012-04-16

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CHALK TALK

Reform Needed in Devising Higher Education Student Loans

There are effectively two types of student loan schemes in use around the world today.

BANGKOK: -- The first is a mortgage-type loan scheme in which the government acts as a guarantor for student loans provided by banks. The second type is known as an income contingent loan, in which repayments depend on borrowers' future income streams. Thailand is one of a few countries to have experienced both types of schemes.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....-student-loans/

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Universities to help review flood projects

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra last week signed a memorandum of understanding for a project to recruit 22 universities to help follow-up on the progress of government-initiated flood-prevention projects.

The project will be implemented under a budget of Bt30million, according to PM's Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal.

"We need to follow up," Nivatthamrong said. "If problems are detected, we can then sort them out."

He said projects involving the repair of roads and embankments, and the dredging of waterways had to be completed urgently.

"We need them completed by mid-year as the rainy season will soon start," he said.

Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej was also present at the signing of the MoU yesterday.

A source said the government believed if the flood-prevention projects progressed as planned, the country would not face another crisis this year.

Under the project, information technology including GPS will be deployed to check on the government's flood-prevention projects.

Last year, floods ravaged many provinces claiming hundreds of lives, submerging several industrial estates, and causing massive economic damage.

-- The Nation 2012-04-16

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Sonkran revellers flock to Khao San, Silom Roads for final day of water splashing; travellers begin returning to Bangkok to avoid traffic /MCOT

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Phuket Police arrest armed drug suspects in Good Friday raids

Five of the suspects were arrested in a Phuket Town car park, and the sixth, caught with more than 1,000 meth pills, was arrested in a raid on a rented room. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Phuket Police yesterday announced the arrest of six drug suspects, two of them in possession of firearms.

Full story:

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Princess Maha Chakri visits Hong Kong

BANGKOK, 16 April 2012 (NNT) – Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is to be conferred with an honorary doctorate in arts from the University of Lingnan of Hong Kong when she visits the city-state this week.

The Bureau of the Royal Household says Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is scheduled to leave for Hong Kong by Thai Airways International (THAI), flight TG600 at 8:00 hr today. In the royal program, the Princess will be given an honorary doctoral degree in Arts, at the University of Lingnan after which she will give a special lecture on Ambassador Burton Levin, at the invitation of the Asia Society Hong Kong Center.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will return to Thailand on April 18 at 20.45 hr, by THAI flight TG639.

-- NNT 2012-04-16

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Disaster Prevention Dept: 253 dead, 2,751 injured in 2,581 road accidents in first five days of Songkran April 11-17 /MCOT

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Transport Ministry expects 250,000 people to return to BKK today; Mo Chit, Hua Lampong crowded; heavy traffic on Phetkasem, Mitraphap /MCOT

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RT @RichardBarrow: Last chance tonight to celebrate #Songkran at RCA in Bangkok from 6pm-2am. Waterfights & concert by top Thai artists.

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ICT Minister confident of efficient disaster warning system

BANGKOK, 16 April 2012 (NNT) – The Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has reassured the public that all areas across the country at risk of natural disasters will be alerted in an efficient and timely manner.

ICT Minister Gp. Capt. Anudith Nakornthap said that although the recent earthquake in the Andaman region did not cause danger to Thailand, relevant agencies were efficient in providing warnings for the public’s safety. At the same time, he has asked that residents of earthquake, tsunami and natural disaster-prone areas to continue leading their life as normal.

Additionally, the ICT Minister has urged the public to rest assured that the National Disaster Warning Center will perform its duty of monitoring all possible natural disasters around the clock. Moreover, the warning system and equipment have been frequently checked up for any malfunctions in order to provide the Thai public with the most accurate disaster warning.

-- NNT 2012-04-16

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CREDIT RATING

Outlook for Thailand's Baa1 rating stable: Moody's

The Nation

BANGKOK:-- The outlook for Thailand's local and foreign government bond ratings is stable thanks to moderate risk profiles despite a series of crises, says Moody's Investors Service.

The ratings are now at "Baa1".

Moody’s said in a statement released late April 16 that the ratings are based on moderate levels of economic and institutional strength, a high degree of government financial strength, and a low-to-moderate susceptibility to event risk.

More on the statement:

"Thailand’s relatively large size and the diversification of its economy is balanced against per capita income that is lower than peers. The floods that persisted throughout the second half of 2011 represented a mere cyclical shock, rather than a structural one, and a rapid V-shaped recovery is currently under way. The country is bulking up its defenses

against flooding in the future, while the government has actively sought to restore confidence in its ability to manage such crises in order to retain onshore investments.

"Measures of the government’s effectiveness have slipped in recent years, but the relatively high quality of core economic institutions has been maintained and has enabled the country to manage recent shocks.

"While fiscal discipline has been tested by successive crises, Thailand’s fiscal and debt ratios have weakened somewhat from their strong positions before the global financial crisis, but they continue to be in line with rating peers. Thailand has a robust external payments position which has enabled favorable financing conditions for the government and the economy at large.

"Thailand’s low-to-moderate susceptibility to event risk balances prominent political risks against resilient economic and financial fundamentals. Over the medium-term, domestic political instability will continue to have only limited impact on economic growth.

"On the other hand, as Thailand is among the most open economies in the "Baa" range, it is more susceptible to external spillovers, such as those from the euro area crisis, than its rating peers.

"The Thai banking system is also well positioned to weather potential disruptions to the supply of credit stemming from volatility in the global financial market."

-- The Nation 2012-04-16

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RT@RichardBarrow: Limping's Panda Channel soon to have a rival. Novice Monk reality show starts on Friday on True CH.60 5am-9pm

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253 dead in road accidents in first five days of Songkran

BANGKOK, April 16 – Thailand’s holiday death toll reached 253 in road accidents throughout the country through the first five days of the Songkran holidays April 11-17, according to the Road Safety Centre of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

Full story:

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World Cockfighting to be held in Ranong next weekend

RANONG, 16 April 2012 (NNT)-Ranong province will be holding World Cockfighting from April 21st-22nd in a bid not just to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the province but also to promote tourism.

The provincial governor, Mr. Peerasak Hinmuangkao, said the Thai Fighting Cock Association and Ranong Province will jointly hold a fighting cock beauty contest on the first day of this event. Fighting cocks of various breeds are expected to be seen at the contest.

Cockfighting competition will take place on the same day in the afternoon at a public park in Muang district. There will also be a seminar on how to breed local cocks, conducted by experts. Visitors can also buy a wide range of affordable products relevant to this event.

On the last day of the event, there will be 3 cockfighting competitions, which consist of the fights of the cocks with or without spurs, as well as ones fitted with artificial spurs.

Bird owners from Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are expected to bring their cocks to the game too, which will be held at Salapadliamphukaoyha in Ngao sub-district of Ranong.

-- NNT 2012-04-16

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Norway gunman Breivik pleads 'not guilty' at Oslo trial

OSLO: -- Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik pleaded "not guilty" to charges he committed "acts of terror" when he massacred 77 people in twin attacks in Norway last July.

Full story:

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Construction Maewong dam given a nod by the Cabinet

BANGKOK, 16 April 2012 (NNT)-The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has given the Department of Royal Irrigation a responsibility to study geographical characteristics in areas mostly likely to cause flooding in Thailand to pave the way for the construction of Maewong dam.

According to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Mr. Theera Wongsamut, the Cabinet has given the green light to the Ministry to proceed with the construction of a new dam called Mae-Wong to prevent future deluge.

He explained the study has indicated that the run off had also come from Sa-krae-krang basin. It is located in the upper part of Thailand and is where 3 rivers, Maewong, Khlongpho and Huaytapsaloam, converge. The amount of water flowing into the basin triggered the massive run off and caused severe flooding in much lower lands in the central region last year.

The dam construction is aimed at preventing another flooding and will be financially supported under the budgets anticipated to be allocated each year from 2012-2020. The basin is said to have over 5,000 kilometer square area in total to hold the water. Each year, the amount of water in it has been measured on an average of 1.3 billion cubic meters. Its perimeter covers areas in Nakornsawan, Kamphangpet, Uthaithani and several other provinces in the lower part of the Chaopraya River, which include Bangkok and its vicinity.

The Cabinet has approved the proposal on April 10th and endorsed a 13.2 billion baht budget for the construction of the dam in Nakornsawan. According to the report, it will take approximately 8 years to complete.

-- NNT 2012-04-16

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Songkran Festival begins early in Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- Although Pattaya’s Songkran Festival does not take place until 19th April, the water fighting has begun and over the weekend some areas resembled a war zone as Thai and foreign tourists, who may not be able to stay in Pattaya until 19th, took advantage of the early celebrations.

Full story:

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19 year old man shot in "random" incident in South Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- A 19 year old man was shot in an apparently random incident in South Pattaya, early on Monday morning.

Full story:

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Man claiming to be Police Officer involved in shooting at North Pattaya Hospital

PATTAYA: -- A man, claiming to be a Police Officer attached to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, was involved in a shooting incident at a North Pattaya Hospital in the early hours of Sunday.

Full story:

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WATER FESTIVAL

Deaths in road accidents higher than last Songkran but injuries down

The Nation

Nakhon Sawan

BANGKOK: -- The first five days of the Songkran period (April 11-15) saw 253 deaths and 2,751 injuries in 2,581 road accidents. The number of deaths was higher than the same period last year, in which 188 individuals died and 2,786 were injured in 2,584 accidents.

Full story: