Thailand Live Saturday 19 May 2012

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Thailand Live Saturday 19 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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Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 18 May 2012

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TAT in bid to tackle problems faced by Chinese tourists

BAMRUNG AMNATCHAROENRIT

THE NATION

Pattaya

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday held talks with the Chinese Embassy in Thailand over ongoing problems faced by Chinese tourists as part of the TAT's plan to stabilise the local tourism industry and serve a growing number in this market annually.

Full story:

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French tourist drowns as Phuket surf danger season begins

Full story:

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Taiwanese man caught with six foetus 'charms'

The Nation

BANGKOK: --A Taiwanese man has been arrested for allegedly possessing six foetuses that he had acquired illegally and was in the process of getting blessed so they could be sold as charms at a higher price.

Full story:

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Constitution Court disqualifies Jatuporn as a party-list MP

Tossaporn Wongwaikolayut

The Nation

Disqualified MP Jatuporn Promphan tearfully waves to red-shirt supporters waiting for him outside the Constitution Court.

Judges rule 7-1 that as Jatuporn was barred from voting, he ceased to be a Pheu Thai member

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Court yesterday disqualified Jatuporn Promphan as a party-list MP of the ruling Pheu Thai Party for failing to cast his vote in last year's general election.

Full story:

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Yingluck launches anti-corruption campaign

Piyanart Srivalo,

The Nation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, accompanied by ministers and officials from relevant agencies, participates in a strategic meeting on fighting corruption. The forum was held yesterday at the Government Complex.

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday instructed top officials to rally behind the campaign to root out corruption, especially in relation to bribes being taken in exchange for government positions.

Full story:

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SANTIKA COMPENSATION

BMA seeks legal advice after latest court verdict

The Nation

File photo

Any additional payments will have to get Sukhumbhand's okay, says deputy

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is seeking legal counsel after being ordered by the Central Administrative Court to pay damages to some victims of the 2009 Santika pub fire, a senior BMA official said yesterday.

Full story:

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Govt's database woes continue for second day

Boonlua Promprathankul,

Chanikarn Phumhirun

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Most district offices and their service units were unable to issue national identification cards for a second consecutive day yesterday due to census-database problems.

Full story:

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Thai PBS asked to air House meetings

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Thai PBS television channel was pushed by the House Committee on Parliamentary Affairs yesterday to help lighten the load on NBT, which has to provide live coverage of all parliamentary meetings.

Democrat party-list MP Boonyod Sukthinthai, in his capacity as spokesperson of the committee, revealed the outcome of the panel's Thursday meeting, which was held to discuss the live broadcast of joint House-Senate meetings as well as special House of Representatives meetings.

At the meeting on Thursday, the panel asked Thai PBS executives to share the duty of broadcasting parliamentary meetings with the NBT channel. So far, NBT is the only television channel responsible for broadcasting all Parliament meetings.

The committee also wants Thai PBS to broadcast the upcoming House meeting that will be held from Monday to Wednesday to discuss the 2013 budget bill.

However, Thai PBS representatives said they had to consult with the channel's board of directors before they could make any decisions.

Meanwhile, Boonyod said the committee had suggested that Thai PBS could choose to only broadcast the 11am to 1pm House question-and-answer sessions if it is unable to provide airtime for the entire meeting. However, Thai PBS representatives pointed out that the channel already had a fixed schedule to broadcast midday news, and developments on parliamentary meetings were usually included as breaking news.

They also added that if they were to broadcast the upcoming House meeting's question/answer session, they could only do so for an hour, from 11am to noon, and the rest of the session could be broadcast at the end of the midday news.

In response to reporters seeking further details, Thai PBS representatives said they needed to meet the board of directors before making any decisions.

-- The Nation 2012-05-19

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WATCHDOG

Banned ex-TRT executives set to shake up the government

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

BANGKOK: -- Dozens of former executive members of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party held a meeting this week to discuss their future as the five-year political ban imposed on them by the Constitution Court is set to expire at the end of this month.

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

Democracy means having to tolerate 'red villages'

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Supporters of the government have the right to declare their communities as such, but they must respect the views of others, as they often proclaim

Full story:

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Three more suspects arrested in call centre scam

BANGKOK, May 19 – The Thai authorities arrested three more men in connection with call scams which surfaced in the past week, and seized a large amount of equipment used in the international operation.

Police on Friday searched a house in Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng area after six suspects had been arrested at a supermarket on Thursday while they were withdrawing cash of Bt1.3 million, believed to be given to the leader of their gang.

Three persons arrested on Friday are Chinese, Taiwanese and Myanmar nationals. Twenty-three landline phones, two computer notebooks, two routers, four calculators and one surveillance camera were confiscated at the house.

Thai investigators collected evidence to forward to the economic crime division to work with the Chinese police. The syndicate deceived victims in China and Taiwan, causing losses of more than Bt100 million but there were no losses registered in Thailand.

The recent arrests of call centre scam syndicates were conducted under the cooperation of Thai and Chinese police. The suspects are both Thai and Chinese nationals. Thailand-based centres were set up to swindle victims in China and Chinese -based call centres were used to lure Thai victims.

To entice victims to reveal their personal information and transfer their money to the scammers' bank account, the suspects told the victims by telephone that they had been implicated in a drug case and the police would help clear out all the incriminating data for their protection.

Thai and Chinese police on Thursday said they jointly arrested 10 Thais and two Taiwanese in a China-based call centre scam, luring victims in Thailand to transfer money to them in China.

Based in China's Guangdong province, at least 150 persons were deceived by the syndicate, causing a total loss of more than Bt100 million. The suspects were arrested on May 9 and brought to Thailand for investigation.

A group of seven Chinese were arrested Thursday for involvement in a call centre scam at their residence in Chonburi, southeast of Bangkok.

According to police, the arrests were linked to previous call centre syndicate where 22 people were arrested in regard to losses worth over Bt200 million. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-05-19

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DSI: Thai state officials connected to 22 deaths in 2010 protest

BANGKOK, May 19 – Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said on Friday it has concluded that 16 deaths during the 2010 political riots might have been caused by state officials, while 12 other deaths may be caused by red shirt protesters.

Full story:

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Huge turnout expected at red-shirt rally today

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Some 50,000 red-shirt supporters will likely take part in today's rally at Ratchaprasong in memory of the 2010 crackdown, Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Maj-General Methee Kusolsrang said yesterday.

Full story:

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Govt slammed for not providing justice to victims of crackdown

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The People's Information Centre (PIC) has attacked the government and other relevant agencies for doing little to deliver justice to victims of the April-May 2010 crackdown.

Full story:

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Phuket's Bangla street touts warned: 'Hands off tourists'

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Police warn Soi Bangla street touts in Patong: ‘Hands off tourists, and no drinking on the job’. Photo: Kritsada Meuanhawong

PHUKET: -- Patong Police have warned touts plying Phuket’s renowned Soi Bangla that they are not to touch tourists whilst soliciting.

Full story:

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Red-shirts start blocking traffic at Rajprasong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Jor Sor 100 Traffic Radio Station reported that red-shirt people started blocking traffic at the Rajprasong Intersection at 5 am Saturday.

They are holding a demonstration at the Intersection to commemorate those killed in the crackdowns against red-shirt protesters two years ago.

The radio station advised motorists to avoid the Ploenchit and Henri Dunant roads.

-- The Nation 2012-05-19

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RT @RichardBarrow: CentralWorld & other malls in the Ratchaprasong area are open today. Best to go by skytrain & use the skybridge

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Party Time in Chiang Mai and Phuket:

Thaivisa coming to your town:

Chiang Mai: http://www.thaivisa....iang-mai-party/

Phuket: http://www.thaivisa....3-phuket-party/

Bangkok: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/555762-bangkok-party/

North-East (Isaan):

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Science Minister, stands in for PM on weekly TV programme, expresses confidence in flood warning system; water being discharged from dams in preparation /MCOT

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Dengue fever likely strengthens in rainy season

Bangkok, 19 May 2012 (NNT) – The Disease Control Department has cautioned people to protect themselves against dengue fever which is likely to strengthen during the rainy season.

Full story:

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RT @RichardBarrow: 11:30am Panorama photo looking towards Ratchaprasong intersection during Red Shirt Rally http://bit.ly/JDGQuD

RT @RichardBarrow: 11:36am This photo is looking away from the stage towards Pratunam http://bit.ly/JDHcSc

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PM visits Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi

BANGKOK, 19 May 2012 (NNT) – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to visit Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi provinces where she is to survey goods prices and discuss economic situation with local agencies.

This morning, Ms. Yingluck has planned to visit Nakhon Pathom’s municipal market to check goods prices and meet local shop operators there.

The premier is to move on to Kanchanaburi province in the afternoon to hear the progress of the woman role development program and exchange views on its obstacles with representative of different woman groups.

She is then scheduled to follow the updates on the construction project of Dawei Deep Sea Port & Industrial Estate by Italian Thai Co. before meeting with the governor of Kanchanaburi to discuss economic development programs in the province. The Prime Minister will later presides over a joint public-private sector meeting aimed at solving economic problems in the country's western region.

Ms. Yingluck will tomorrow chair a cabinet meeting at Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University and will return to Bangkok in the afternoon.

-- NNT 2012-05-19

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AFP: Thailand's 'Red Shirts' to rally in Bangkok

Full story:

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RT @AP: Life at the top: 73-year-old Japanese woman beats own record to become oldest woman to climb Everest: http://apne.ws/Lm0hZt -JM

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RT @bangkok: Official statistics show that Thailand ranks worst in the world for motorbike casualties. 11,000 motorcycle deaths every year.

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BKK governor Sukhumbhand to run for second gubernatorial term

WASHINGTON DC, May 19 - Incumbent Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Saturday announced that he will run for a second gubernatorial term under the Democrat Party.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....rnatorial-term/

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Red Shirt supporters join 2nd anniversary of protest at Ratchaprasong

BANGKOK, May 19 -- Red shirt supporters started gathering at Ratchaprasong intersection to join activities organized by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) -- the red shirt movement -- to mark the second anniversary of the 2010 protest against the previous Abhisit Vejjajiva-led administration.

Full story:

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Thaivisa member report

Traffic completely jammed around central, taxis refusing to go there.

Sukhumvit traffic jammed all the way from Nana bts into the center.

Red shirt vehicles from all over Thailand parked directly on Sukhumvit road.