Thailand Live Tuesday 8 May 2012

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Thailand Live Tuesday 8 May 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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Update:

Three workers plunge to death

BANGKOK: -- A cradle hoisting five men up to the 68th floor of Baiyoke Tower II to install an advertising billboard yesterday suddenly split, flinging three men down to their deaths.

Full story:

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POLITICS

PM Yingluck pleads with reporters to stop posing questions on Cabinet reshuffle

Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has pleaded with reporters to stop posing questions on the Cabinet reshuffle, saying she wants to devote time to solving the people's grievances.

Full story:

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BURNING ISSUE

Minor Change to Cabinet Most Likely

Avudh Panannda

The Nation

Jatuporn

BANGKOK: -- Speculation about a Cabinet reshuffle is likely just testing of public opinion about how former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will deal with his political allies.

Full story:

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COST OF LIVING

Prices of food and essential goods not soaring: PM Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- Prices of food and essential goods are within an acceptable range and not soaring as many have alleged, the prime minister said yesterday.

Full story:

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Map Ta Phut needs to earn public confidence

RAYONG: -- The disaster last weekend at Map Ta Phut, the country's largest petrochemical complex, is not the first and will probably not be the last as long as good safety measures are not put in place and strictly enforced.

Full story:

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FATAL ACCIDENT

Opposition re-emerges to Map Ta Phut projects

The Nation

Photo : Nanthasit Nitmatha

RAYONG: -- The Eastern People's Network plans to file lawsuits against Bangkok Synthetics over the fatal explosion and fire at its subsidiary BST Elastomers' facility in Rayong's Map Ta Phut area on Saturday, in a move that strengthens industrialists' fears over newly brewing opposition to industrial development in the area.

Full story:

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PRICE RISE CLAIMS

Commerce Ministry calls for dumping of Thai Democrat spokesman

Yanyong

BANGKOK: -- Yanyong Phuangrach, permanent secretary of the Commerce Ministry, yesterday demanded that the Democrat Party dump Chavanond Intarakomalyasut as its spokesman over his claims that consumer product prices were rising all over.

Full story:

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CHIANG MAI

Pheu Thai's candidate gets No 1 in Chiang Mai by-election

Kasem

CHIANG MAI: -- A Pheu Thai candidate on Monday obtained No 1 for his by-election campaign in Chiang Mai's Constituency 3 after Pheu Thai MP Chinnicha Wongsawat was disqualified for a false declaration of her assets.

Full story:

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Thai Ministry calls for yet another Mae Wong dam impact study

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has been given the green light to conduct an environmental and health impact assessment on Mae Wong National Park in Nakhon Sawan.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....m-impact-study/

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Thai residency applications backlog being approved by Immigration Bureau

Full story:

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Latest Bangkok plans to go on view

Thanatpong Khongsai

The Nation

Bangkok is set to unveil its new city plans and put them up for public viewing for three months, until August 21.

BANGKOK: -- City Planning Department chief MR Premsiri Kasemsan said the Committee of City Planning had approved the redrafted plans for Bangkok at its third meeting on January 13.

On Thursday, a meeting of 50 district offices will introduce the Bangkok cityplan - the map, regulations and plan catalogue - through the district director, chief of the engineer subdivision and chief of administration.

The plans will go on display from 1pm to 4pm at the second floor conference room of the ThaiJapan Bangkok Youth Centre, in Mit Maitri Road in Din Daeng .

MR Premsiri said the City Planning Department would then make the plans available for public scrutiny for 90 days from May 24 to August 21, according to section 23 of the Town Planning Act.

Details will be posted with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Public Works Department, City Planning Department, District Offices, Public Health Centre, Public Parks, Lands Office of Bangkok and Department of Public Work and Town & Country Planning.

-- The Nation 2012-05-08

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Education in Thailand getting too expensive, parents say

A week to go, and parents take their children out for backtoschool shopping at Fashion Island. School shoes are on top of many lists. The new academic year opens next week. By Chularat Saengpassa

BANGKOK: -- In addition to the rising price of everyday goods, parents are now complaining about education costs being much higher. Many say the government's much-heralded free 15-year compulsory education scheme virtually doesn't exist.

Full story:

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Repeat applicant tops Thai university admission test

BANGKOK: -- Kewalin Ratanasopinswat, an architect student, has pursued her new dream and managed to ace the central university admission test with an outstanding score of 90.55 per cent.

Full story:

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Businesses opting for migrant workers to keep their costs low: Bt300 daily wage

Tak faces worker shortage as many head for inner city to earn more

TAK: -- Employers in five border districts of Tak face a shortage of workers as many migrants have "escaped" to work in inner cities after the government implemented its Bt300 minimum wage policy.

Full story:

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RT @js100radio 8.50am BTS announces Sukhumvit line mechanical error will cause trains to be delayed for 5 minutes

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Phuket City Police chief transferred amid underage nightlife staff probe

Phuket City Police Superintendent Chote Chitchai has been transferred to an inactive post pending an investigation into underage staff working at Phuket Town nightclubs. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: -- Phuket City Police Superintendent Chote Chitchai has been removed from active duty pending an investigation into underage staff working at Phuket Town nightclubs.

Full story:

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Storm hits Narathiwat; shattered glass litters airport, but otherwise little damage, operating normally /MCOT

Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,221.56, down 5.85 points /MCOT

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Northern Provinces Brace for Floods, Mudslides

NAN: -- The Nan Provincial authority is bracing for flooding and mudslides after continuous rains, while the flooding situation in Lampang Province is expected to ease with no more rainfalls.

The Nan Provincial authority has set up a special operation center and put in place a disaster relief plan in the event of flash flooding and mudslides, with meetings to be held every week to evaluate the situation.

Internet forecasting and alert systems, as well as manpower and necessary equipment have been prepared. The authority has also planned evacuation drills in risky areas.

Meanwhile, intermittent heavy rains continue in Lampang Province, while flood water levels in several areas have begun to subside.

However, the weather bureau expects sparse and heavy rainfalls to continue in the northern provinces until tomorrow, while warning residents in disaster-prone and low-lying areas to be on alert and move their belongings to a higher ground.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-08

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CAT Seeks Legal Interpretation of 3G License with True

BANGKOK: -- CAT Telecom has asked the Council of State of Thailand to determine whether its 3G license agreement with True Corporation is in compliance with the government-private joint venture and telecommunication regulations.

President of CAT Telecom Kittisak Sriprasert reported that the company's executive board has decided to ask the Council of State of Thailand to determine whether its 3G license agreement with True Corporation is complying with the laws.

The CAT Telecom president added that the Council of State's legal interpretation will be submitted to Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap within 15 days, after the license agreement was found to be unlawful.

Moreover, as the Cabinet's plea to CAT Telecom to seek the Council of State's approval, particularly on the government-private joint venture regulations, has been ignored before, the company's board is now looking to clarify the issue.

At any rate, True Corporation has asserted that the agreement is legal because the company is planning to offer 3G services through the network leased from BFKT company.

True claims that this is not a violation of the telecommunication regulations.

Also, the license agreement has already been reviewed by the Office of the Attorney's General, who has pointed out that CAT Telecom is no longer a state-owned firm and the agreement is therefore inapplicable to the government-private joint venture regulations.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-08

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Govt to hold ready-to-eat food fairs

BANGKOK, 8 May 2012 (NNT) – To help alleviate the people’s rising expenses, the Commerce Ministry has announced that it will organize the ready-to-eat food fairs in Bangkok and other major provinces across Thailand.

Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom admitted food prices have risen continuously, making people suffer from high living costs. He said the ministry will therefore hold fairs to sell reasonably priced ready-to-eat food in several provinces.

The ministry will ask for cooperation from food entrepreneurs to sell food at no more than 35 baht per dish in line with the ministry’s guidelines.

-- NNT 2012-05-08

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PTT cuts diesel and gasoline prices by 50 satang/l and E85 by 30 satang/l tomorrow at 5am /TANN

Woman jumps from Rama VIII Bridge after a fight with boyfriend; boats set out to find her with hopes she's still alive /TANN

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Hua Hin and 5 other districts in Prachuapkhirikhan province has been declared drought disaster zones:

Reservoirs in Prachuap Khiri Khan at 30% Capacity

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: -- Due the severe drought currently experienced in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, the reservoirs in the province are now at only 30 percent of their capacity.

Full story:

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Thailand requests arrest of Myanmar rebel leader

BANGKOK, May 8, 2012 (AFP) - Thailand has asked authorities in neighbouring Myanmar to arrest an ethnic rebel leader who was recently added to a list of most wanted drug dealers by Bangkok, a senior minister said Tuesday.

Full story:

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Thai 'prisoner of conscience' dies in jail: lawyer

Bangkok, May 8, 2012 (AFP) - A 62-year-old Thai man considered a "prisoner of conscience" by Amnesty International for his 20-year sentence for royal defamation has died in jail, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Ampon Tangnoppakul was convicted by the Bangkok criminal court in November for sending text messages deemed insulting to the monarchy in 2010. The European Union said at the time it was "deeply concerned" by the sentence.

"His wife called me this morning and told me that he has passed away in prison," Ampon's lawyer Anon Numpa told AFP, adding that his client had been hoping for a royal pardon.

The cause of death was still being investigated, according to a doctor at the Corrections Department hospital where Ampon's body was taken from the Bangkok Remand Prison.

"His medical record showed that he used to have mouth cancer and currently his stomach was swollen which is under investigation," he said. "A witness said last night he was fine but this morning he wasn't moving and was already dead."

Ampon, who became known in Thailand as "Uncle SMS", pleaded not guilty during his trial, one in a series under the kingdom's strict lese majeste legislation, which critics say is used to stifle free speech.

"He had come to represent the enormous degree of injustice that was this lese majeste law and yet he wanted nothing more than to be a grandfather and to enjoy his old age," Amnesty researcher Benjamin Zawacki told AFP.

The royal family is a very sensitive subject in the politically turbulent kingdom. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 84, has reigned for 66 years but has been in hospital since September 2009.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-05-08

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Industry Ministry: Only 60 new factories established in April

BANGKOK, 8 May 2012 (NNT) – The Industry Ministry has announced that only 60 new factories were opened in April, the lowest number in 20 years. The ministry cited the effect stemmed from the imposition of the 300-baht minimum wage policy.

The combined investment value of new factories opened in April is only 1.3 billion baht, a significant drop from last year's value of 17.8 billion baht. The value in April this year is even lower than the figures during the Tom Yum Kung Crisis in 1997, and Global Hamburger Crisis in 2009.

The ministry said many investors have delayed their plans as they are concerned over the 300-baht minimum wage policy. Currently, only seven provinces have enforced the law, other province will have to follow suit next year.

Despite the low number, the ministry is confident that foreign investors still consider Thailand as a potential production base, but they are considering the effects of the wage hike policy.

-- NNT 2012-05-08

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Pheu Thai MP opposes Jatuporn's ministerial appointment

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai MP Chalong Raewrang has stepped out to oppose the anticipated appointment of red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan as a Cabinet member.

Full story:

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LESE MAJESTY LAW

Man imprisoned for lese majeste dies in hospital

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A 61-year-old man sentenced to 20 years in jail for lese majeste died of cancer on Tuesday in a Bangkok hospital.

Corrections Department chief Suchart Wongananchai said Amphon Tangnoppakhun died at 9am Tuesday after being sent from the prison to Central Hospital. He had been suffering from stomach pain since May 4.

Suchart said he was waiting for autopsy to know the cause of death.

Meanwhile his lawyer, Anon Ampa of Rassadornprasong Law Office said on his Facebook page, that it was believed that Amphon, known as Akong or grandpa in Chinese, died from cancer.

Amphon was arrested on August 3, 2010 and was convicted on November 23 last year. Anon recently withdrew his client's appeal, as the elderly man wished to ask for a royal pardon.

-- The Nation 2012-05-08

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Deputy Transport Minister: Subway Fares Won't be Raised Yet

BANGKOK: -- The deputy transport minister insists that the subway fares will not be raised anytime soon, and if the Cabinet approves the price hike proposal in the future, it would be only one baht higher for some stations.

Deputy Transport Minister Chadchart Sittiphan has reported that the issue of the subway fare hike has just been proposed to the Cabinet, so he cannot say for sure whether it will be approved.

The fare adjustment is being followed through as stated in the concession contract with BMCL, the operator of the capital's subway system, agreed since 1999 that the fares must be reconsidered on July 3rd of every two years.

At any rate, Chadchart has reaffirmed that the fare price would only be increased by the maximum of one baht only at some stations, not on all routes as some have speculated.

The deputy transport minister added that children 120 centimeter tall or shorter and senior citizens aged at least 60 years old will be receiving 50 percent discount on fares, while the children who are not taller than 90 centimeters will be able to ride for free.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-08