Thailand Live Thursday 24 May 2012

[webfact]

Thai Mental Health Dept Issues a warning against Exhibitionist Websites

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Mental Health has issued a warning against exhibitionist websites promoting indecent public exposures.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/557485-thai-mental-health-dept-issues-a-warning-against-exhibitionist-websites/

[webfact]

Police to strictly check on taxi drivers without permits from 1 June

BANGKOK, 24 May 2012 (NNT) – Taxi drivers who are missing their permits are warned to acquire the documents before the end of May, or they will risk a jail term or a fine.

Full story:

[webfact]

Phuket gets a new 'Yellow Bus'

Phuket Gazette

Yellow bus Marketing Manager Attaporn Kompipatpong. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

The interior showing the first-class seats provided for the nine-hour trip from Phuket to Hua Hin. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

PHUKET: -- A new luxury bus service to Hua Hin, called the “Yellow Bus”, has been launched, departing Phuket daily at 7am.

Full story:

[webfact]

Phuket stages earthquake drill to calm fears

Phuket Gazette

A DMAT nurse in the mock triage center renders assistance to one of the simulated 'injured' during the exercise. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

Phuket rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation assist an elderly woman into an ambulance as part of the evacuation exercise. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Emergency personnel from across Phuket joined local officials in Thalang District yesterday to conduct an earthquake rescue exercise.

Full story:

[webfact]

Home invasion: Phuket florist stabbed, robbed

Phuket Gazette

Phuket flower shop owner Sommart Chokekuea filed a statement at Chalong Police Station. Photo: Orawin Narabal

PHUKET: A local flower shop owner early yesterday morning survived a brutal home invasion by three men who left him wounded after stealing his safe containing all his valuables.

Full story:

[webfact]

Lady Gaga Lands in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- International pop star Lady Gaga has landed in Bangkok and is ready to give an all-out performance to Thai audience.

American pop idol Lady Gaga arrived in Bangkok on her private jet yesterday evening amid warm welcome by waiting Thai fans, many of whom were in striking outfits or with placards in hand.

Lady Gaga, who was dressed in a black leather suit, spent some time greeting her fans before leaving the airport.

She will be performing in 'the Born This Way Ball' concert at Rajamangla National Stadium tomorrow.

Lady Gaga wrote on Twitter that she just landed in Bangkok and is ready to meet 50,000 Thai fans.

She also said that she wants to go shopping and buy a fake Rolex.

Her arrival in Bangkok coincided with the anniversary of her latest and second major album, 'Born This Way.'

-- Tan Network 2012-05-24

[webfact]

PM to skip compensation hand-out ceremony

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck on Thursday cited a conflicting engagement in Chiang Mai as reason not to chair this afternoon's ceremony to hand out compensation for red-shirt victims of the 2010 political violence.

Yingluck designated Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit to preside over the ceremony on her behalf at Government House.

Her last-minute decision to skip the ceremony happened after Democrat MP Sathit Pitutecha threatened to petition for a graft probe on Yingluck's involvement in the compensation payments.

-- The Nation 2012-05-24

[webfact]

SET dropped 4.41 points to close at 1,106.28 with value of Bt13.35 bn during midday break /TANN

THAI board chairman Ampon will clarify reason behind dismissal of president Piyasvasti tomorrow at Govt House /TANN

[webfact]

Deputy PM Chalerm: Ex-Sai Ngam superintendent allegedly involved in cash delivery truck robbery arrested in Lao, including three members of his group /MCOT

[Lite Beer]

THAI-AUSTRALIAN RELATIONS

Premier to strengthen ties with Australia on upcoming visit

The Nation

File photo

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will make an official visit to Australia this week to boost mutual ties in the fields of trade, investment and educational development.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/557475-thai-pm-yingluck-to-visit-australia-this-week/#entry5327614

[Lite Beer]

Special Report: First Cartoon Network water park in Thailand expected to boost eastern tourism

The world’s first Cartoon Network-themed water park is being built in Bang Saray bay in Chonburi province and is expected to be open to the public by early next year.

Full story:

[Lite Beer]

PM presides over launch of community fund project

BANGKOK, 24 May 2012 (NNT) – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has presided over the launch of the community fund project, reiterating the government’s willingness to solve debt problems in local communities.

Ms Yingluck has launched the SML or small, medium, and large community fund project, which is aimed at improving the skills and competitiveness of the local people. The SML project is set to help increase their incomes, while encouraging sufficiency economy, which will enable them to live on their own.

A budget worth over 30 billion baht will be distributed to around 80,000 local communities across the country,which are supposed to manage it on their own in order to improve their well-being. Ms Yingluck said the government will not interfere with how the fund should be utilized, leaving the communities on their own devices.

-- NNT 2012-05-24

[Lite Beer]

Smokers urged to quit smoking on World No Tobacco Day

BANGKOK, 24 May 2012 (NNT) – The Thai Health Promotion Foundation is inviting smokers to quit smoking on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day on 31 May.

With the quick approach of the World No Tobacco Day, the foundation’s Director, Kritsada Rueng-areerach, has called on smokers to realize the dangers of tobacco. At the same time, he has encouraged them to take this opportunity of the World No Tobacco Day to quit their smoking habit with the objective of reducing cancer, which is one of the main causes of fatalities among the Thai people.

Approximately 40,000 people die from smoking each year. An academic report has indicated that the risk of cancer for smokers is 3.16 times greater than non-smokers. Smokers also risk contracting respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis, chronic cough, pulmonary Emphysema, all of which can lead to fatal outcomes. Moreover, smoking can cause chronic ulcers, hypertension, liver cirrhosis, periodontitis, sinusitis and heart disease. Additionally, the chance of miscarriage is 1.6 times higher in pregnant smokers, while smoking can be the root of a baby's under-development.

-- NNT 2012-05-24

[webfact]

Deputy PM Chalerm admits to wrong info about Laos' arrest of Saingarm police superintendent /TANN

[webfact]

Minister Sees Thaksin's Return as No Cause for Concern

BANGKOK: -- The defense minister says the return of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will create good opportunities for national reconciliation.

Defense Minister Air chief Marshal Sukampol Suwannatat said the return of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Thailand will bring opportunities for reconciliation dialogues and remarked no party is pushing for charter amendment to benefit a single individual.

The minister said the opening of red-shirt villages will pose no threat to national security, insisting the move is democratic.

Sukampol today visits Laos to seek cooperation in suppressing drug trafficking and follow up on issues concerning ethnic Hmong people repatriated from Thailand.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-24

[webfact]

Update

NACC rules to seize Suphoth's Bt17.5 million

Full story:

[webfact]

BY-ELECTION

Abhisit campaigns for Democrat candidate to Chiang Mai

The Nation

CHIANG MAII: -- Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was in Chiang Mai's constituency 3 on Thursday to help campaign for Democrat candidate Kullayakorn Jiamkittiwattana who is standing in next month's by-election

The June 2 election is required following the disqualification of Chinnicha, the daughter of former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions for false declaration of her assets. She was also banned from politics for five years.

Somchai is the brother-in-law of fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Abhisit told reporters that the Democrats are considered underdogs in the province, which is the home of the Shinawatra family.

However, Kullayakorn is a Chiang Mai native and is familiar to locals and determined to work for Chiang Mai people.

"We have our members to talk to people, showing our determination to represent them. We hope that this will help our popularity among the people. However, everything depends on the voters," Abhisit said.

Abhisit said Chiang Mai's constituency 3 is different from Pathum Thani where a Democrat candidate won over Pheu Thai earlier this year. "In the general election last year, a Democrat lost out to his Pheu Thai rival by almost 20,000 votes in Pathum Thani and lost even more votes in the Chiang Mai areas. So, it is difficult to say whether we could win over Pheu Thai this time," he said.

The Pheu Thai candidate is Kasem Nimmonrat, 48, a Chiang Mai local politician and a close aide to Somchai's wife Yaowapa while Kullayakorn, 29, is working for community radio in the province.

-- The Nation 2012-05-24

[webfact]

Wanted Hitman Nabbed in Surat Thani

SURAT THANI: -- Surat Thaini Police arrested a hitman on the 12th place on the national police office's most-wanted list.

The Provincial Police Region 8 held a press conference on the arrest of 45-year-old Anand Anandtharat, who faced four arrest warrants from Thung Song and Surat Thani courts.

Anand ranked the 12th on the national police office's most-wanted list of hitmen. He has 100,000 baht of bounty on his head. Anand was arrested in Surat Tani's Phanom District.

Region 8 police commander in charge of investigation work, Police Major General Weerasak Meenavanij, said the suspect had committed many heinous crimes since 2004.

Most of them were murder and robbery cases taking place in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani provinces.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-24

[webfact]

SET index closed at 1125.78, up 15.08; Bt/USD31.49; GBP49.25; AUD30.55; EUR39.41; CAD30.53; HKD4.05; SGD24.51; JPY39.41

[webfact]

to continue:

Thailand Live Friday 25 May 2012