Thailand Live Friday 20 Apr 2012

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Meteorological Dept warns of tropical storm during the weekend hitting Upper Thailand; rain, wind and hail to be seen /TANN

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Engineering Institute: Earthquake could strike in North, West

BANGKOK, 20 April 2012 (NNT) – The Engineering Institute of Thailand under His Majesty the King’s Patronage (EIT) said although Phuket is faced with several aftershocks, the province is safe from big quakes; but another earthquake could strike in the North or West instead.

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Thai PM attends 4th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo

TOKYO, April 20 -- Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday began her visit to Japan for the 4th Mekong-Japan Summit scheduled to begin Saturday, and will meet with Japanese business leaders.

The Mekong-Japan Summit will take place Saturday with leaders from the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) -- Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand -- meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda who will chair the gathering.

The summit will review the implementation of programmes and projects under the 63-point Action Programme, the Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Initiative (MJ-CI) and the Green Mekong Initiative.

The leaders are expected to adopt the “Tokyo Strategy for Mekong-Japan Cooperation” as a foundation for Mekong-Japan cooperation for the next three years, from 2013 to 2015, focusing on promoting communications between the GMS, cooperation for mutual development and how to ensure security and protect the environment.

The summit follows the 3rd Mekong-Japan Summit in Bali, Indonesia in November last year which focused on natural disaster responses and water resources management.

Ms Yingluck said before the meeting that Thailand attended the summit as a crucial strategic partner with Japan in the sustainable co-development of the Mekong River delta.

Thailand, in the past, has played an active role in develop the GMS in varied aspects including infra-structure development, competitiveness development and human resources development, she said.

After the summit, Ms Yingluck will visit and be briefed about the operations of Japanese rail services, particularly the Shinkansen bullet train before returning to Thailand on Sunday. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-04-20

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Somchai's daughter guilty of filing false asset statement, gets 5-year ban

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Court Friday removed a daughter of former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat as an MP and put her under five-year political ban for declaring false asset statement.

The Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office found Chinnicha Wongsawat guilty of failing to declare her debt worth Bt100 million upon assuming position as a Pheu Thai MP.

The court initially sentenced Chinnicha to be two months in jail but suspended the jail term for a year on ground that she has never served an imprisonment sentence. She was also fined Bt4,000.

-- The Nation 2012-04-20

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Lampang temperature hits 40 degrees Celsius; Meteorological Dept warns of summer storm in north, northeast April 21-22 /MCOT

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Southern unrest shatters mental health of local residents

SONGKHLA, April 20 - Over 4,000 residents of Thailand’s lower South are experiencing mental health problems owing to the ongoing insurgency-related violence, Deputy Public Health Minister Surawit Khonsomboon said Friday.

Mental health data monitoring of unrest-affected southern residents showed that 4,854 persons suffered mental health problems, Dr Surawit said on Friday. Nine per cent, 450 persons, were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder with symptoms including flashbacks of a shocking incident, difficulty in falling asleep and being easily spooked. They must use medications to control their symptoms.

About one in five -- 22 per cent, or a sample of 1,087 residents -- were at risk of having mental health difficulties.

Following continued rehabilitation, local health authorities found that the risk of facing metal health problems among the affected residents was reduced by 83 per cent.

The deputy public health minister on Friday chaired a meeting with provincial health chiefs, hospital directors and psychologists working in the seven southern provinces of Satun, Trang, Patthalung, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat at Hat Yai Hospital to brainstorm on how to better provide comprehensive mental rehabilitation services.

Prior to the meeting, Dr Surawit visited four victims of Hat Yai's March 31 car bombing who remain hospitalised.

Currently, all are in stable condition and receiving treatment for burns. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-04-20

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Thai forces kill wanted rebel in shoot-out: army

Bangkok, April 20, 2012 (AFP) - Thai security forces killed five suspected insurgents including a wanted leader during a 15-minute shoot-out in a village in the Muslim-majority deep south, the army said on Friday.

About 40 soldiers, paramilitary rangers and police sealed off the village in Yala province on Thursday after a tip-off that more than a dozen suspected militants were hiding there.

After an exchange of gunfire, the bodies of five men were found including Sakueri Japakiya, 38, who was believed to be a senior member of the Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) insurgency group, the military said.

"He was an RKK leader with seven outstanding arrest warrants.... His team specialised in ambushes," army spokesman Colonel Pramote Promin told AFP by telephone.

"Local religious leaders, forensic police and civilian officials are examining the scene of the clash for more evidence."

Army chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha said this month that the country was fighting against more than 3,000 Muslim militants waging a shadowy insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives since the violence flared in 2004.

A series of bomb blasts in two southern cities at the end of March killed 15 people and wounded hundreds more in the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years.

The insurgents are not thought to be part of a global jihad movement but are instead rebelling against a long history of perceived discrimination against ethnic-Malay Muslims by successive Thai governments.

The near-daily bomb or gun attacks are indiscriminate, targeting both soldiers and civilians, Buddhists and Muslims.

A state of emergency is in force in the worst-affected parts of the region, which rights campaigners say in effect gives the tens of thousands of military troops based in the area legal immunity and fuels rights abuses.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-04-20

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Three paramilitary rangers wounded when vehicle targeted in bomb ambush, firefight while patrolling Narathiwat's Su-ngai Padi district /MCOT

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BTS to introduce a new pass this month

BANGKOK, 20 April 2012 (NNT) – The Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Co (BTS) is introducing a “Rabbit Pass” to current holders of BTS 30-Day Smart Pass to use on the newly extended On Nut-Bearing section on the Sukhumvit Line.

Surapong Laoha-Unya, Executive Director of BTS Group, said a new flat-rate fee of 15 baht for the extension from On Nut to Bearing stations will not be applied to passengers holding a 30-day smart pass. A new pass titled “Rabbit Pass” will replace the old one, and holders of valid smart passes can obtain the new pass free of charge at all BTS ticket offices by presenting staff with the old 30-day pass, starting from April 23 to December 31 this year.

Rabbit Pass cards may be refilled with trips, in accordance with promotions specified by the Company.

Mr Surapong said the company is planning to discontinue the distribution of the 30-day Smart Pass and start selling the Rabbit Pass to BTS passengers on April 23.

He added that the price of the 1-day travel card will also be adjusted from 120 baht to 130 baht, commencing on May 1.

-- NNT 2012-04-20

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SET index midday up 4.82 pts, 0.41 pct

Thai composite stocks index (SET) at midday Friday stood at 1,190.16, up 4.82 points, or 0.41 per cent amid Bt11.99 billion turnover.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 836.05, up 3.39 points, or 0.41 per cent.

Top five active (value) stocks: KBANK, ADVANC, PTT, INTUCH, CPALL.

-- The Nation 2012-04-20

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RT@BTS_SkyTrain: Collect 15 Baht on BTS Extension, On-Nut to Bearing. 30-Day SmartPass have to exchange to Rabbit card on 23/04/12 - 31/12/12 at all stations

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Thaksin's niece guilty of filing false asset statement, gets 5-year ban

BANGKOK:-- The Supreme Court Friday removed a daughter of former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat as an MP and placed her under five-year political ban for making a false asset declaration.

Full story:

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Parliament votes to retain Cabinet's charter amendment clause

Kittipong Thavevong

The Nation

BANGKOK:-- A joint sitting of the two Houses voted late on Thursday night to agree with the Cabinet's original constitutional amendment draft for a constitution drafting assembly to consist of 99 members - 77 elected and 22 appointed.

In the second reading, senators and members of Parliament voted 346-134 not to change the wording in Article 291/1 of the original draft that passed the first reading in late February.

Opposition MPs - mostly from the Democrat Party - and a number of senators failed to convince the majority of the Parliament to increase the number of elected CDA members from 77 in the original draft. They said that a higher number, such as 150, would better represent different groups of people and could help prevent attempts to influence the election results.

In the Cabinet draft, every of the country's 77 provinces are to elect one CDA member regardless of the province's size. Opposition MPs and some senators said this is unfair to provinces with larger population, such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Ubon Ratchathani that deserve to have more representatives in the CDA.

The 22 other CDA members who are experts in law, political science and related fields are to be appointed by the Parliament.

Opponents to the original draft pointed out that the government would be able to influence the selection of the 22 experts due to its majority control in the Parliament. Opposition Democrat MPs and some senators also said they expected results of the CDA member election to be similar to those of the general elections last year. Therefore, it was likely that most elected CDA members would be people close to the ruling coalition parties.

The meeting chair, Somsak Kiartsuranond, adjourned the meeting shortly before 1 am on Friday and scheduled the second reading to resume at 9 am.

-- The Nation 2012-04-20

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Man who shocked and groped people at Silom Songkran beaten to death

BANGKOK: -- A young man who electrically shocked people and groped women at Songkran festivities in the Silom area was beaten to death on April 15, Matichon reported.

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BTS to introduce a new pass this month

BANGKOK, 20 April 2012 (NNT) – The Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Co (BTS) is introducing a “Rabbit Pass” to current holders of BTS 30-Day Smart Pass to use on the newly extended On Nut-Bearing section on the Sukhumvit Line.

Surapong Laoha-Unya, Executive Director of BTS Group, said a new flat-rate fee of 15 baht for the extension from On Nut to Bearing stations will not be applied to passengers holding a 30-day smart pass. A new pass titled “Rabbit Pass” will replace the old one, and holders of valid smart passes can obtain the new pass free of charge at all BTS ticket offices by presenting staff with the old 30-day pass, starting from April 23 to December 31 this year.

Rabbit Pass cards may be refilled with trips, in accordance with promotions specified by the Company.

Mr Surapong said the company is planning to discontinue the distribution of the 30-day Smart Pass and start selling the Rabbit Pass to BTS passengers on April 23.

He added that the price of the 1-day travel card will also be adjusted from 120 baht to 130 baht, commencing on May 1.

-- NNT 2012-04-20

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Narcotics control agency ONCB sets Bt12 million bounty for 25 most wanted drug dealers; 36 teams on mission to arrest them: Deputy PM Chalerm /MCOT

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Democrat MP Nat Bantadtan says he won't resign as pressured by Pheu Thai for being caught viewing a porn image /TANN

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ICT Ministry plans disaster communications fix for Phuket

Phuket will have a stable communications network capable of operating in emergency situations, said ITC Ministry telecoms expert Chaiyun Pengkiatpairot. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- A team of Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts yesterday consulted with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha on how to improve communications during future disaster evacuations.

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3.3 magnitude quake at Talang, Phuket felt by locals; 5.0 magnitude quake at Sumatra Island, Indonesia /TANN

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Defense Minister: Military Areas Not to Be Used for Political Activities

BANGKOK: -- The defense minister has asserted that military property should not be used for political rallies and the armed forces should not be linked to politics.

He also asks those who oppose the charter change to protest appropriately.

Defense Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat has commented on a report that the Thai Army Club may be used as a venue to organize a political rally, reiterating the army chief's remark that the armed forces are not taking sides on political issues.

At the same time, Sukumpol believes that military property should not be used for political activities and the armed forces should not be involved in political issues.

He also said that it would be best if there was no rally at all.

The defense minister added that the charter change and national reconciliation process have been mired in a long-running conflict as people are not willing to compromise.

Sukumpol sees opposition to the charter change as healthy, but also said that protests should be carried out appropriately and the issue should be decided by those who are responsible for the matter.

-- Tan Network 2012-04-20

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Phuket Airport included in B4bn upgrade

The 4-billion-baht upgrade follows the number of flights being handled by Phuket Airport air traffic control nearly doubling over the past five years. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Once trained in the high-technology equipment, Aerothai officers such as at Phuket Airport will be sent to train air traffic control officers abroad. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Aerothai, the state enterprise that operates air traffic control at airports throughout Thailand, including Suvarnabhumi and Phuket International Airport, will spend 4 billion baht on upgrading its computer and communications network.

Full story:

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Stock Market Happy with Record Rise in 16 Years: Thailand

BANGKOK: -- The stock market supervisory agency says the bourse has seen record growth in the first quarter with the index nearing 1,200 points.

Full story:

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Blaze at Apartment in Bangrak Area

BANGKOK: -- Fire broke out at a 13-storey apartment in the Bang Rak area early this morning. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed in the incident.

At 2.30 A.M. this morning, fire broke out at the 13-storey Welcome Apartment, located next to the Bang Rak police station.

More than ten fire trucks were dispatched and it took firefighters about half an hour to put out the blaze.

According to the investigation, the blaze started in room 827 on the eighth floor.

The apartment building houses a lot of African natives who fled for their lives. Fortunately, there was no report of any deaths or injuries.

The Bang Rak police are investigating the cause of the fire.

-- Tan Network 2012-04-20

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Bangkok: Ramathibodi Hospital announces successful distorted breast surgery

BANGKOK, April 20 - State-operated Ramathibodi Hospital on Friday announced successful distorted breast surgery using less time and less bleeding than previous surgical procedures.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....breast-surgery/

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Man killed in fight outside Central Pattaya Beer Bar: http://www.thaivisa....ttaya-beer-bar/

Gunfire on Pattaya Beach as drunken reveller celebrates Songkran: http://www.thaivisa....rates-songkran/

19 year old stabbed in the neck as he attempts to break-up fight on Jomtien Beach: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/549352-19-year-old-stabbed-in-the-neck-as-he-attempts-to-break-up-fight-on-jomtien-beach/

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Thai court approves extradition of "Pizza connection" banker

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Criminal Court on Friday approved the extradition of a fugitive Italian banker who faces charges of laundering money for the Mafia in Italy, officials said.

Although Thailand and Italy have no extradition treaty, the court approved the extradition of Vito Roberto Palazzolo, 65, under acriminal cooperation agreement between the two countries, police said.

Palazzolo, who faces a nine-year prison sentence in Italy for Mafia association, has the right to appeal the Thai court’s decision.

"I’m sure he will appeal, because if he goes back to Italy, he’s in trouble," said Police Colonel Chartchai Eimsaeng, the Immigration Police’s deputy chief of investigation. "The appeal process could take a year." Palazzolo, a former banker in Switzerland, was convicted of money laundering in the "Pizza Connection" trial involving a1.6-billion-dollar heroin and cocaine smuggling operation that used New York pizzeri as as fronts from 1975 to 1984.

Thai immigration police arrested Palazzolo on March 30, when he was preparing to board a flight for Johannesburg, South Africa.

He was arrested under an Interpol red notice, issued for people tobe detained for extradition.

-- The Nation 2012-04-20

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Villagers worry as aftershocks continue to rock Phuket

The earthquake monitoring center will monitor the situation closely. So there is nothing to worry about, said Mayor Worawut. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

The largest aftershock of the day struck Srisoonthorn at 3:10pm, with a 'boom' clearly being heard.

PHUKET: -- The fourth and largest tremor of the day hit Phuket at 3:10pm today, a 3.3 magnitude tremor clearly felt across the island with a large sonic boom clearly heard at the offices of the Phuket Gazette, about eight kilometers southeast of the epicenter near the municipal market in Thalang.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....to-rock-phuket/

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SET index closed at 1194.6, up 9.26; Bt/USD30.78; GBP49.46; AUD31.66; EUR40.38; CAD30.80; HKD3.96; SGD24.47; JPY37.45

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EARTHQUAKE SCARE

Phuket Governor takes action against rumourmongers

File photo : A road in Phuket is full of vehicles and people who ran out of buildings as quake hit the province on April 16.

PHUKET: -- Phuket Governor Tri Akaradecha on Friday ordered that a complaint be filed with police against persons spreading rumours that doomsday will arrive in Phuket by April 28.

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New power peak again today

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Power consumption hits a new peak on Friday at 25,178 megawatt as temperature climbs up, according to Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

This is the fourth new peak so far this year, after the third peak of 24,882MW which was registered on April 19.

EGAT Governor Sutat Patmasiriwat attributed the relentless rise in temperature. From 36.7 degree celcius yesterday, temperature today hits 37.2.

-- The Nation 2012-04-20