Thailand Live Friday 18 May 2012

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Thailand Live Friday 18 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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ANALYSIS

Dilemma for Thaksin as 111 Club lines up to join Pheu Thai Party

The Nation

To join, ex-PM would have to return to Kingdom, triggering arrest, disqualification from party membership

BANGKOK: -- With their five-year ban expiring at the end of this month, dozens of former Thai Rak Thai Party executives from the so-called 111 Club are lining up to be members of the ruling Pheu Thai party next week.

Full story:

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POLITICAL VIOLENCE

Late Italian journalist's case will go to court in July

The Nation May 18, 2012 1:00 am

BANGKOK: -- Police revealed yesterday that the case of the Italian journalist, who was killed in the government crackdown on red shirts in 2010, would be heard in court from July 23.

Full story:

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NAKHON SAWAN

Mae Wong Dam will be ready by 2016: Theera

KANITTHA THEPJORN

THE NATION

Minister says residents have waited for it for more than three decades

BANGKOK: -- Nakhon Sawan's Mae Wong Dam project will be completed in 2016, Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut told a House meeting yesterday.

Full story:

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Destroy GMO-tainted papaya crops, researcher says

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Academics yesterday called on the Agriculture Department to destroy farms growing Hawaiian papaya in Kanchanaburi province after a recent study found that these crops might be contaminated with genetically modified organisms (GMO).

Full story:

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PRISONS

More phones found as jail crackdown continues

The Nation

NONTHABURI: -- The commander of the Bang Khwang maximum security prison in Nonthaburi has been placed under disciplinary investigation after a prison search late on Wednesday night turned up a number of mobile phones and a large number of contraband items.

Full story:

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RED VILLAGES

Dispute over red-shirt pavilion fire continues

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The dispute over who burned down the red-shirt movement's pavilion continues, with the Democrat Party insisting that the red shirts set it on fire themselves so they could blame their foes - the Democrats.

Full story:

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PRICES

Kittiratt seeks nod to cool palm-oil prices

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong will propose to the Cabinet on May 20 a package to solve the problem of rising cooking palm oil price by boosting stocks and importing palm oil, according to government sources.

Kittiratt who is also chairman of the committee for palm-oil policy, will ask the ministers to create palm oil stocks. The stocks will be divided into three levels.

The first one is a normal level of 202,500 tonnes, or one and a half times the monthly demand.

The second is a warning level, equal to 168,750 tonnes, equivalent to 1.25 times of monthly demand.

Third is the crisis level of 135,000 tonnes, less than one time of demand.

The stock formula is based on an average demand of 135,000 tonnes per month this year.

Palm-oil refinery factories have to report their stocks to Kittiratt every 15 days.

Information on the level of stocks would help the government take timely action to tackle cooking palm oil price. For example, when the stocks drop to crisis level, the government could import palm oil.

Kittiratt will also submit to the Cabinet guidelines for importing palm oil to solve local shortages.

These guidelines include an import quota under the World Trade Organisation's rule of 4,860 tonnes with import tariff of 20 per cent. Quantity beyond the WTO quota is subject to higher tariff rate of 143 per cent.

Under the Asean Free Trade Agreement, palm oil imports are not subject to tax or quota.

Import under the free-trade deal between Asean and China is subject to the same tax rate as the WTO.

Import under the free-trade agreement between Thailand and Australia and New Zealand, to take effect in January 2015, is not subject to tax or quota.

-- The Nation 2012-05-18

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Donna Summer, queen of disco, dies at 63

The BBC's David Sillito looks back at Donna Summer's contribution to music

US singer Donna Summer, famous for disco classics including I Feel Love and Love To Love You Baby, has died at the age of 63.

Full story:

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Census system crashes around country

WATTANA KHAMCHU,

THANATPONG KHONGSAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The computerised system for conducting the Thai census crashed nationwide yesterday, and the authorities were trying to fix it, a senior official at the Department of Provincial Administration said.

Full story:

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Interior Ministry to probe BMA's Skytrain contract

KANITTHA THEPJORN

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Interior Minister Choochat Hansawas said he would investigate the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s decision to hand a Bt190-billion contract to the current operator of Skytrain system, BTSC - saying the BMA had not kept the ministry advised of its actions.

During the House meeting yesterday, Pheu Thai Bangkok MP Jirayu Huangsab asked if prior approval had been sought from the ministry. The contract's section 27.1 stated if a concession extension was desired, the firm must notify BMA at least three years (but no more than five years) before the concession expired - and the interior minister must approve it first, he said.

Choochat, on behalf of the interior minister, said the BMA had not informed the ministry because the city regarded itself as independent. When controversy arose, the city merely cited the Council of State's ruling to back its decision.

Although the city was a special administrative zone, it had to obey the law, he said, adding that the city's investments involved the people's tax money. He said he would study the documents to investigate this case and see what action should be taken.

Jirayu also questioned if the BMA awarded the 30-year contract to BTSC through its legal investment arm Krungthep Thanakhom (KT) to avoid breaching the Public-Private Partnerships Act and the Offences in Auction Offer to State Agents Act. Choochat replied it was wrong for the city to hide behind the Council of State's ruling when its action went against community sentiment.

Bangkok Democrat MPs objected, saying the question and answer session was against the meeting's regulations, but Second Deputy House Speaker, Pheu Thai MP Wisut Chai-narun, let it continue. Choochat said he would note the question for later discussion.

Jirayu asked if the BTSC contract could affect fares for the three new Skytrain extension routes and whether the policy for a flat rate fare could be implemented. Choochat replied this was a legal matter and he would investigate the legalities.

-- The Nation 2012-05-18

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Bt50m sought to clear illegal rubber farms

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is seeking Bt50 million |to clear extensive illegal rubber plantations in headwater areas in the South.

There has been extensive encroachment into national forest reserves and wildlife parks because parawood is going for a higher price, the ministry said in its written requested submitted to the Cabinet yesterday.

In 2009, 14,000 rai of restricted land was encroached upon and replaced by rubber plantations, while 4.9 million cubic metres of wood from trees felled illegally is still unaccounted for.

So far, 552 suspects have been arrested in 1,515 cases.

The ministry also said that 18,000 rai of restricted areas and another 9.8 million cubic metres of wood are missing over the past three years, the report said.

-- The Nation 2012-05-18

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Ministry to up number of elderly dental clubs

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry plans to add another 250 new elderly dental clubs to the already existing 1,728 clubs, so old people can access dental treatment more regularly.

Dr Somyod Deerassamee, director-general of the Health Department, said the department was also aiming to help elderly people get dentures.

People lose their teeth as they grow older, which makes it difficult for them to chew, leading to other health problems, he explained.

The palace-sponsored "Artificial Teeth" charity, founded in 2005, has provided dentures for up to 230,000 elderly people across the nation so far.

-- The Nation 2012-05-18

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Only 1 enrolment round at popular schools: Suchart

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej insisted yesterday that popular schools must offer only one round of enrolment, after a parent network and representatives of students sought permission for the pupils to continue studying at a prestigious school in Bangkok.

Full story:

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Three Colombians arrested in 20 Million Baht Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya burglary case

Full story:

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Red shirts to commemorate Bangkok's 2010 crackdown

Full story:

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Heavy rain and possible flash flood warning for North, Central, East, South; waves in Andaman Sea at 2m /TANN

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Constitution Court delivering verdict at 10.30am on parliamentary status of UDD co-leader Jatuporn /MCOT

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Transport Ministry to turn Nakhon Ratchasima Airport into new maintenance center

BANGKOK, 18 May 2012 (NNT) – The Transport Ministry is preparing to turn the Nakhon Ratchasima Airport into a new aircraft maintenance center.

Full story:

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PM will chair 'retreat' Cabinet meeting in Kanchanaburi

BANGKOK, May 18 - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to visit Nakhon Pathom before chairing the fourth so-called ‘retreat’ Cabinet meeting in the western province of Kanchanaburi this weekend.

Ms Yingluck and her Cabinet will leave Bangkok by motorcade to Nakhon Pathom to inspect consumer prices at Pathom Mongkol market before departing for Kanchanaburi.

She will meet women’s groups who will report about the role of women in development in the provinces around Kanchanaburi. The premier will then get a bird’s eye tour of the province by helicopter and inspect the status of water flow upstream from the dams.

After that, Ms Yingluck will be briefed on Dawei deep sea port and industrial estate project in Myanmar and Kanchanaburi’s development plan.

The premier will later chair a meeting of the Regional Joint Public/Private Sector Consultative Committee in which the private sector will propose various development projects for Cabinet consideration.

On Sunday, Ms Yingluck will chair the Kanchanaburi Cabinet session and will return to Bangkok in the afternoon.

The Kanchanaburi meeting is the fourth onsite upcountry meeting since Chiang Mai in January, Udon Thani in February, Phuket in March. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-05-18

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,157.73, down 15.83 points /MCOT

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RT @RichardBarrow: Sale & consumption of alcohol now banned in factories, state-run agencies, government agencies & vehicles. Govt want to add sidewalks too.

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RT @mpoppel: Kyodo: U.S. officials secretly visited N. Korea ahead of rocket launch

Pheu Thai may consider fielding a member of the 111 banned TRT executives in the BKK gubernatorial election early next year /TANN

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RT @RichardBarrow: 10:20am Jatuporn has just arrived at the Constitution Court to listen to verdict on his status as a MP http://twitpic.com/9m8ppl - MT @LyNGinG

Red-shirt leader Jatuporn has arrived at Constitution Court; he says he's not worried about the verdict as it's a minor issue /TANN

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Danish and Thai Police Chasing Hells Angels and Bandidos

Full story:

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Red-shirt leader Jatuporn has been stripped of his MP status in a 7:1 vote by the Constitution Court /TANN

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Constitution Court disqualifies red shirt co-leader Jatuporn of MP status

Full story:

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Money Expo kicks off at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani

Full story:

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Police arrest a Taiwanese man for selling baby carcasses on the internet for black magic purposes; he had 6 of those carcasses on him /TANN