Thailand Live Sunday 29 Apr 2012

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PM assigns deputy PM/finance minister Kittirat to meet with private sectors on development of 5 southern border provinces to boost incomes /MCOT

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Mobile Agricultural Clinics in honor of Prince Dipangkorn Rasmichoti

BANGKOK, 29 April 2010 (NNT) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives today marks the 7th birthday anniversary of HRH Prince Dipangkorn Rasmichoti by sending out mobile agricultural clinics to various provinces all over Thailand. The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr Theera Wongsamut presided over the launch of such a unit in Amnat Charoen Province.

HRH Prince Dipangkorn is the youngest son of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and born to HRH Princess Srirasmi. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has organized such agricultural services every year since the first royal birthday anniversary, with assistances from provincial Public Health offices and social development centers.

This year, more than 5,000 people have turned up at the municipality center in the central district of Amnat Charoen, where an agricultural mobile clinic is giving advice on agricultural problems related to soil, crops, irrigation, planting techniques, livestock, fisheries, accountancy, laws, land documents, and repairs of agricultural tools.

The project is expected to solve urgent problems of farmers while the Ministry of Public Health which is involved in the project is helping promote farmers' health through the exhibition of food for mothers and children.

-- NNT 2012-04-29

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MP phone could have sourced porn pic, says Pheu Thai

BANGKOK:-- The Pheu Thai Party Sunday held a demonstration on how to share pictures on an LG LED TV to try to back up its allegation that a Democrat Party MP had displayed a pornographic image on a TV monitor in the parliamentary assembly hall.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/551382-mp-phone-could-have-sourced-porn-pic-says-pheu-thai/#entry5259946

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PM vows to bring peace to deep South

PATTANI, April 29--- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday pledged to bring the peace to Thailand’s troubled southern region and instructed security-related agencies to work in a more integrated direction in tackling the problems.

While meeting with local religious leaders from the five southern border provinces and community leaders during Sunday’s trip to the southern province of Pattani, Ms Yingluck said that the visit was aimed at following up the situation in the region and delivering policies to resolve the ongoing disturbances.

The prime minister also affirmed to bring peace to the southern border provinces, adding that the government would step up security measures as well as support and give importance to all regions equally.

Meanwhile, the local religious leaders asked the premier to visit the far South continually and to not neglect southern border residents.

After being briefed about the ongoing situation in the violence-plagued provinces by local security agencies, Ms Yingluck said that the government needed cooperation from all relevant parties and local religious leaders.

To tackle regional unrest, the premier stressed that the government would follow the security-related strategy delivered to the Parliament which focused on understanding, access, and development, along with the sufficiency economy principles, as well as equality.

As there are 66 agencies under 17 ministries working on the southern violence, Ms Yingluck admitted that work of the agencies lacked coordination.

However, the premier pledged to urge concerned officials to work in a more integrated manner for unity in resolving the problems, adding that a strategic committee, supervised by deputy premier Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa, would be set up to address the problems.

To ensure safety for residents in the restive southern provinces, more checkpoints would be set up, Ms Yingluck said, adding that the government would support if the budgets or security forces were not sufficient.

Regarding possible lifting of the emergency decree enforced in the three southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, a discussion was necessary regarding whether or not the decree should be revoked, the premier explained.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister/Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong was assigned to meet with the private sector on development of five southern border provinces to boost incomes.

In a related development, Narathiwat police on Sunday told a press briefing about an arrest of four Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) members allegedly involved in a failed car bomb attack in front of a telephone exchange office in Waeng district on March 19.

The four detainees were Ampan Wa-ngo, a 25-year-old suspect with an outstanding arrest warrant, Nasoree Ibbraheng, 31, Aduloh Samaair, 38, and Taofig E-la, 24. Meanwhile, Ahama Dolohmae, another suspect with an arrest warrant and a leading RKK member, was still at large.

On March 19 a group of assailants planted an explosive device in a gas cylinder which was built into a pickup truck and connected to a radio communication signal for detonation in an attempt to cause an explosion in front of the telephone exchange office on Waeng-Su-ngai Kolok road.

However, the attack failed as a bomb disposal unit successfully defused the bomb.

Apart from the arrest, the police seized a stolen pickup truck used in the attack, two motorcycles, one helmet, one gas cylinder, urea fertiliser and benzene gasoline. In addition, Mr Ampan will be sent to the Peace Protection Centre for further questioning, according to the police. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-04-29

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Shan drug kingpin suspect may not be extradited to Thailand: ONCB

BANGKOK, April 29--- Jai Norkham, a suspected ethnic Shan drug kingpin with alleged involvement in the killing of 13 Chinese shipping crewmen last year on the Mekong River in Chiang Rai, was arrested in the Lao PDR last week but may not be extradited to face drug charges in Thailand, according to Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).

After confirmation by Lao PDR authorities about the arrest of Mr Norkham, believed to be an aide of the late so-called ‘Opium King’ Khun Sa, the deputy secretary-general of the ONCB, Sukhum Opasniputh, disclosed on Sunday that the drug suspect was in detention in the Lao capital of Vientiane.

Mr Sukhum believed that Mr Norkham, who was also on China’s most wanted list, would soon be extradited to China to face prosecution for involvement in the killing of 13 Chinese boat crewmembers on 5 Oct 2011 on the Mekong River in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen district, as well as for other cases related to robberies of shipping boats and the murder of boat crewmen along the Mekong River connecting China, Myanmar, the Lao PDR and Thailand.

As a consequence, the deputy secretary-general admitted that eventually the Shan drug suspect might not be taken to face drug charges in Thailand.

Mr Norkham was suspected by Thai authorities after being implicated by detained drug ring members that he was involved with other drug cases.

The arrest of Mr Norkham would benefit cargo transportation routes along the Mekong River and be a significant blow to a major drug syndicate.

Currently, some of Norkham’s aides have begun turning themselves in to the police, according to Mr Sukhum. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-04-29

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Thailand Live Monday 30 Apr 2012