Thailand Live Monday 30 Apr 2012

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Thailand Live Monday 30 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 29 Apr 2012

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Teachers over 40 may delay computer tablet use: Thai education

Those aged from 40 to 50 seen as being slow to learn, may require extra training

BANGKOK: -- A major concern over the use of tablet computers in the coming school semester is the high average age of first-grade teachers. Some 70 per cent of the 450,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools are between 40 and 50 years old - and that could be a problem, a senior Office of the Basic Education Commission official said.

Full story:

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Police protest over high-ranking officer's transfer embarrasses Chalerm

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who is in charge of the government's "war on drugs", appeared rattled yesterday when police and local leaders protested the move of a high-ranking police officer out of Nakhon Phanom.

Full story:

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Democrat's phone could have shared porn pic: Pheu Thai

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party yesterday held a demonstration on how to share pictures on an LG LED TV to try to back its claim that a Democrat Party MP was responsible for a pornographic image on a TV monitor in the parliamentary assembly hall.

Full story:

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PM Yingluck tells deep South of govt's plans to restore peace in region

Yingluck promises to encourage local participation, create more jobs

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said during her trip to the restive South yesterday the government would integrate all strategic plans to restore peace in accordance with His Majesty the King's guidance - understanding, reaching out and development.

Full story:

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Little cheer for Thai workers on Labour Day: Special report

Bosses who refuse to increase wages and rising prices mute effects of Bt300 wage

BANGKOK: -- Tomorrow brings Labour Day, but for 18-year-old waitress "Nok" and many of her fellow labourers, neither the holiday nor the recent introduction of the Bt300 minimum wage promise to change their lives much.

Full story:

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Rice pledging scheme drives out Thai businesses

BANGKOK: -- The distortion of prices in the rice business in Thailand has driven a number of leading exporters to set up not only plantations but also mills and trading companies outside the Kingdom to ensure their future competitiveness rather than remaining here in the world's biggest rice-exporting nation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....hai-businesses/

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NForum: Digital platform an increasingly important part of the recruitment mix

BANGKOK: -- Social networking currently is a powerful channel in the digital platform not only for job-seekers and freelancers, but also for employers - but it is not the only channel, said panellists from the NForum, the digital and trend forum hosted by The Nation, last Saturday at the Siam City Hotel.

Full story:

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STREET WISE

The differences between good and bad hopes: Thai opinion

BANGKOK: -- Last week came very good news for 3.4 million debtors of state-owned banks, including farmers. They can enroll into the government-sponsored debt moratorium, either a stop in principal repayment or a reduction in interest rates for their loans which must not exceed Bt500,000.

Full story:

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Public sees PM's Prem visit as aiding reconciliation

BANGKOK: -- Thais believe Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's Songkran visit to Privy Council chief General Prem Tinsulanonda will pave the way for national reconciliation, according to two pollsters.

Full story:

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Soccer games to mark end of political ban: Pheu Thai spokesman

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai will stage a special football match today with former Thai Rak Thai Party executives to celebrate the end of their time in the political wilderness, Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said yesterday.

Full story:

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EDUCATION

World win for Thai finance students

Undergrads' study of CP All takes global honour

BANGKOK: -- With well-prepared teamwork and sheer effort, a group of Thai undergraduate students has astounded their supporters to emerge as winners in one of the world's top finance competitions.

Full story:

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Hospital admissions trial going well

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- An experimental admission of patients into state and private hospitals regardless of their welfare conditions is underway without major problems, a deputy National Health Security Office (NHSO) head said yesterday. More than 1,157 people applied for treatments from April 1-25, he said.

Some 120 of those people are in the Social Security scheme, while 189 are civil servants using their welfare, 844 are under the NHSO's "golden card scheme". Three are state enterprise employees exercising their rights, and a verification of treatment rights was underway for one person, Weerawat Phankhrut said.

Some 696 cases were in Bangkok or nearby provinces while 461 were upcountry. Under many policies imposed with this trial, admission of emergency cases without staff asking patients about their rights or welfare is an important condition, he said.

Private hospitals are found to have cooperated well in admitting the patients and the transfers of patients to better equipped hospitals are made easily and without hesitation. "The experiment has been continuing well and regarded a success by far, although certain problems surface and are pending correction," he added.

-- The Nation 2012-04-30

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Thai-Nichi to hold international conference

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- To update people's knowledge on education and industry in preparation for the Asean Economic Community, the Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology will host an international conference next month.

Studies conducted by local and international researchers will be presented at TNI: International Conference of Business and Industrial Research 2012 and Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan): International Forum 2012.

Representatives from the private and public sectors of Thailand and Japan will join a seminar on the AEC held as part of the conference to point out that it will be opportunity or cause problems to Thailand.

The representatives will come from the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Trade Negotiations Department, Federation of Thai Industries, Board of Investment, Industry Ministry and Japan External Trade Organisation.

The conference will be hosted at TNI on Pattanakarn Road in Bangkok from May 17-18.

For more information, call 02 763 2704 ext 2704 or 02 258 0320-5 exts 1111, 1916 and 1923.

-- The Nation 2012-04-30

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EDUCATION

Science gathering for young people

The Nation

Youngsters interested in science and technology should not miss an inspirational conference to be held this week.

BANGKOK: -- The Seventh Science and Technology Conference for Youths will take place from Wednesday to Friday at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre where interesting research projects conducted by youths will be presented to the public.

The projects were in the science, mathematics and technology fields.

There will be exhibitions featuring Thai researchers' paths. Researchers and experts will hold discussions on steps to become scientists, how to deal with nature and the truth or rumours about the end of the world.

Experts will lecture visitors on necessary life skills for students in the 21st century and how to look after gifted children. Tips for writing scientific articles will be given. Visitors can join a math and science rally and watch a science game show.

Entry to the conference will be free of charge.

For more information, go to www.ipst.ac.th or stt4youth.ipst.ac.th.

-- The Nation 2012-04-30

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British Red Cross worker found beheaded in Pakistan

Full story:

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Rain forecast throughout Thailand; South to see heavy rain, strong wind in some areas; BKK sees temperature at 37-39 degrees Celsius /TANN

Joint committee to vet charter amendment chairman Samart believes amendment process won't end this week as many articles need to b discussed /TANN

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Australian billionaire to build Titanic II

SYDNEY (AFP) -- One of Australia's richest men, Clive Palmer, has unveiled plans for a 21st century version of the Titanic to be built in China, with its first voyage from England to New York set for 2016.

Full story:

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,218.48, up 6.70 points /MCOT

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BMA to Inspect 114 Roads, Footpaths for Damage

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is rushing to inspect 114 roads and footpaths at risk of land subsidence to prevent future sinkholes.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Theerachon Manopaiboon disclosed that after a ground penetrating radar or GPR machine was used to search for roads and footpaths prone to land subsidence in all 50 Bangkok districts, 114 areas in 32 districts were reported as risky areas.

Bangkok's Public Works Department will expedite the inspection of all 114 risky areas within two weeks and if there are cavities found underground, they will be fixed within one month.

Theerachon further disclosed that a large machine has been brought in to excavate the road surface at the Rama 4 Road's outbound area under the Thai-Belgium Bridge, which is one of the 114 risky areas.

Initially, it was found that there was no reinforced concrete under the road, which poses a significant risk.

It is primarily expected that the blunder was caused by the contractor, who was previously in charge for repairing public utilities.

However, officials are investigating for responsible units to warn about the unstandardized construction to prevent further land subsidence.

-- Tan Network 2012-04-30

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Brit Billionaire's Son Vanishes on Samui – Reward Offered

A future Thai step-mother reported to the police that her 23-years-old British son to be had disappeared on Samui island. She believes he has left for Malaysia. The young man has a brain dysfunction. The future step mother is worried.

Full story:

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Biggest riverfront shopping venue in Asia opened in Bangkok

BANGKOK, 30 April 2012 (NNT) - Asiatique the Riverfront, the largest riverfront shopping venue in Asia, was officially opened on Friday.

Located on Charoen Krung Road, the shopping venue has a 300-meter stretch facing the Chao Phraya River, with a total of 80,000 square meters of usable space. The first phase of the project is located on 44 rai of land.

It is built under the Life Museum concept, taking visitors back to the past, while decorations combine the hints of modern living. The design of Asiatique was influenced by the architectural style during the reign of His Majesty King Rama V, indicating the rise of the era in the past. Charoen Krung was the main trading venue in that period.

-- NNT 2012-04-30

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Thai webmaster verdict postponed: court

BANGKOK, April 30, 2012 (AFP) - A Bangkok court on Monday postponed giving its verdict in the closely-watched trial of a Thai web editor accused over remarks about the monarchy posted by other people on her website.

Chiranuch Premchaiporn, who faces up to 20 years in prison, denies allegations that she did not remove 10 online posts perceived as critical of the monarchy quickly enough in 2008.

Judge Nittaya Yamsri said the Bangkok Criminal Court was unable to finish considering the evidence in time due to the large number of documents filed by both sides.

"The court postpones its verdict to 30 May at 10am," she said.

The case against Chiranuch, the editor of the popular Prachatai news website, has shone a spotlight on Thailand's strict lese majeste and computer laws.

Chiranuch, who has become a figurehead for freedom of expression in Thailand, appeared shaken by the court's announcement.

"I don't know what to say. I prepared for a verdict, I did not prepare for this," she told AFP.

The royal family is a highly sensitive topic in politically turbulent Thailand. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is revered as a demi-god by many Thais, has been hospitalised since September 2009.

Observers say prosecutions under lese majeste legislation -- which bans criticism of the king, queen, heir or regent -- surged following a 2006 coup by royalist generals that left the kingdom deeply polarised.

The country saw huge street protests in Bangkok and a violent crackdown in 2010.

Chiranuch's case has received widespread international attention, because of both the length of the potential sentence and the fact the accusations relate to other people's comments that she says she removed as quickly as possible.

She has also made the unusual decision to deny the charges -- many accused in Thai lese majeste trials opt to plead guilty in the hope of receiving a royal pardon.

"This is a quick solution for those who have that option but I don't think that's the right way to resolve the issue. That just means that it will remain an open wound in Thai history and the Thai justice system," she told AFP last week.

Recent trials have sparked fierce debates on Thailand's laws, including over a 61-year-old man who was jailed in November for 20 years for sending text messages deemed insulting to the monarchy.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-04-30

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Red light confuses alleged drunk driver into taking out Phuket power poles

The pickup that crashed in Kathu before dawn on Saturday. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

After the crash the warning light that caused Mr Salee to brake suddenly was well positioned to warn other motorists of the dangers presented by dangling electric cables. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

PHUKET: -- An alleged drunk driver took down a power pole and damaged two Phuket homes and after mistaking a flashing light on the road for a police checkpoint over the weekend.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....et-power-poles/

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Phuket moves to set up Andaman-wide integrated disaster-response IT system

A Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) retrieves an injured man from a bus crash during a simulated exercise at the first-ever International Medical Rally in Asia, held in Phuket in December. The Andaman-wide DMAT IT system is expected to greatly improve response times. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) is spearheading a project to set up an integrated information system to better coordinate emergency response efforts throughout the Andaman coast provinces in disaster situations.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....onse-it-system/

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Live Wire: Google Street View has Phuket all mapped out

SMILE: A Google Street View car – similar to the one that toured Phuket.

ON THE MAP: The Google Street View of the Phuket Gazette office.

PHUKET: -- Google announced recently that it had released Google Street View for Phuket, Bangkok and environs, and Chiang Mai. Many of you read about the new service but have you had a chance to look at it? Mind boggling.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....all-mapped-out/

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RT @tulsathit: RT @BreakingNews: Myanmar oath dispute resolved; Aung San Suu Kyi to attend parliament - @ap http://huff.to/JVak4o

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Phuket governor prohibits concerts for Myanmar workers

PHUKET: -- Phuket Governor Tri Akkhadecha said Monday that he has prohibited concerts by entertainers from Myanmar for workers from the neighboring country working in his island province on Labour Day, Tuesday.

Full story:

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Royal rain to alleviate Northern drought crisis

CHIANG MAI, 30 April 2012 (NNT) - The Northern Royal Rainmaking Center is set to make artificial rain to assist farmers in the drought-hit provinces of Northern Thailand.

In an attempt to resolve the drought situation which has been brought on by the lack of rain, Northern Royal Rainmaking Center Director Song Klinprathum has met with academics and rainmaking officials to evaluate the weather condition in order to establish the target area for artificial rain distribution. The center aims to create more rain in order to increase moisture in the forests and agricultural terrains.

Meanwhile, pumping stations have been established in certain areas facing a shortage of water in order to alleviate the drought situation and distribute water in the areas where local residents rely mainly on farming and livestock for a living.

On the other hand, some areas are currently facing rainstorms, hail and gusty wind, which have caused severe damage to a number of homes. Strong wind has been predicted for this year as a result of the heat waves happening across the world at present.

-- NNT 2012-04-30