Thailand Live Tuesday 5 Jun 2012

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First batch of 220 personnel from Thai-Darfur Task Force 980 return to BKK from Sudan after completing 9 month mission; 812 soldiers all returning by Fri /MCOT

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Opposition whips want House recess

The Nation

Photo : Vorawit Pumpuang

BANGKOK: -- The opposition whips on Tuesday circulated a statement calling for the government to issue a decree for House adjournment, citing time needed to cool off the fracas over the reconciliation bill.

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POLL

First decline in confidence index in 6 months

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai consumer confidence dropped in May for the first time in 6 months due mainly to rising political instability, according to a poll.

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Pheu Thai Party's statement in defiance of high court

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party on Tuesday issued a statement lambasting the Constitution Court for overstepping its mandate to suspend the vote on charter change bill.

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Police stages a riot control drill ahead of protests

BANGKOK, 5 June 2012 (NNT) - The Royal Thai police are prepared for further clashes between different political groups, staging a riot control drill at the Central Police Training Center in Salaya, Nakhon Prathom province.

Newly appointed Metropolitan Police Chief, Pol Maj Gen Khamronwit Thoopkrachang, will this afternoon travel to the police training center to supervise the drills as well as to hold talks with relevant provincial officers this afternoon. The meeting is aimed at expanding the police’s crowd control capabilities as more protests against the National Reconciliation Bill are expected.

Pol Maj Gen Khamronwit has conceded that the security forces are currently not fully prepared for a massive outpouring of demonstrators due to the reduced frequency of protests and the internal shuffles that have occurred in the past two years.

He elaborated that the police are set to re-strategize its crowd-control policies, which may include the use of tear gas.

According to Metropolitan Police spokesman Preeda Sathaworn, police officers will be dispatched to protest sites to maintain peace and public order. Crowd-controlling methods will be implemented strictly in accordance with the law and the Royal Thai Police’s regulations.

-- NNT 2012-06-05

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Heavy rain causes forest run off in 6 Chumphon subdistricts; residents evacuate to safer places as floodwaters remain high due to continued downpour /MCOT

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Suranand appointed PM's secretary general

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet on Tuesday approved two key appointments, including the position of Prime Minister's secretary general filled by Suranand Vejjajiva.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/560379-suranand-appointed-pms-secretary-general/#entry5362911

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Thai soldiers return from Sudanese peacekeeping mission

BANGKOK, June 5 -- The first batch of 220 Thai soldiers returned home today after completing their nine-month peacekeeping mission with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

This was the second contingent of Thai troops deployed in Sudan after the first returned to Thailand last August.

Gen Sirichai Disakul, army chief-of-staff, presided over a ceremony to welcome back the first batch of 220 soldiers from Thai-Darfur Task Force 980 from Sudan.

The group led by Col Thakoon Chaoraingern from the Logistics Department of the Thai-Darfur Task Force 980 will undergo blood testing before returning home.

Gen Siricha thanked the troops who carried out their duties effectively and were praised by the United Nations and local residents.

More soldiers will gradually travel home today through Friday on four commercial flights after completing their nine month mission.

The second contingent, with 812 soldiers from the Thai armed forces went to Sudan on Aug 19, 2011. The shift was led by Col Narongrit Panikabutr.

Thailand’s participation in UNAMID follows the government’s policy to support the UN in maintaining international peace and security and to do its utmost to help alleviate the plight of fellow human beings, as Thailand is a responsible member of the international community, the general said.

Established in July 2007 by the United Nations Security Council, UNAMID was mandated to protect civilians, provide security for humanitarian assistance, monitor and verify implementing peace agreements, assist in the inclusive political process, and contributing to promoting human rights and the rule of law.

With UNAMID, the Thai troops were tasked with conducting patrols, providing protection to civilians, UN facilities, convoys and UN and other humanitarian workers, as well as providing medical services. Their assignments complemented the peace process in Darfur. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-05

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Democrats petition PM; seek closure of House session

BANGKOK, June 5 - Thailand's opposition Democrat Party lawmakers petitioned Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday, calling on her Cabinet to issue a draft royal decree closing the current House session to defuse political standoff.

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Number of new factories registered in May nosedived

BANGKOK, 5 June 2012 (NNT) – The number of new factories opening up in May has dropped four folds from that of the same period last year despite signs of economic recovery.

According to a report from the Industry Ministry, only 278 new factories, worth a combined 6.1 billion baht investment, were registered in May; a four-fold drop from the 23.9 billion baht recorded in May last year.

The report cited that some investors put off their plans due to concerns over the European debt crisis while others shifted their investments to neighboring countries to exploit lower labor costs, given the 300-baht minimum wage policy is expected to be implemented across Thailand on January 1st. next year.

Textile, garment, and food industries, which hire large numbers of workers, are most affected by the minimum wage rise.

Although the figure of new investments has dropped, the ministry remains unperturbed, saying the standards of the Thai industries are being uplifted, adding that low wage will no longer exist because the Thai government has given top priority to lifting its people’s quality of life.

-- NNT 2012-06-05

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Govt aims to increase income of people in South

BANGKOK, 5 June 2012 (NNT) – The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has aimed to improve the living standards of local southern residents with several agricultural development projects.

The ministry has set the target income of each household to increase from the average of 64,000 baht to 120,000 baht per year within this year. To fulfill this expectation, the ministry has launched several agricultural development projects since 1990.

Thirteen projects in 700 villages were aimed to improve the living standards of agriculturalists. The projects improve the lives of farmers, oil palm growers, rice growers, para rubber planters, livestock farmers, and fishermen.

The ministry will visit the South later this month to follow up on the projects and give ear to problems from the locals.

-- NNT 2012-06-05

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EARTHQUAKE

Ranong quake damaged five houses: district chief

The Nation

A Ranong resident shows cracks in her house caused by Monday quake.

RANONG: -- A minor earthquake that hit Ranong province on Monday damaged five houses in Muang district but caused no injuries, Muang district chief Surat Akkarawirotekul said Tuesday.

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Prosecution review on charter change due Thursday

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Office of the Attorney General is expected on Thursday to review and issue a prosecution order in connection with the legality of the charter change bill, OAG spokesman Winai Damrongmongkolkul said on Tuesday.

"The OAG will not comment on the Constution Court's discretion to launch an inquiry and issue an injunction on the case," he said.

Winai said the five complaints, filed at the high court and formed a basis for the judicial inquiry, were also lodged at the OAG.

Even though the high court had already ruled to look into the complaints, the OAG would separately decide whether the case would merit prosecution, he said.

The prosecution review would focus on whether the charter change bill had complied with Article 291 of the Constitution, the main clause specifying the charter rewriting process, he said.

Opponents of charter change contend that the bill is unconstitutional because it does not seek to amend the charter as per Article 291 but to write a new charter. This has triggnered the allegation about discarding the charter in order to introduce a new political system.

-- The Nation 2012-06-05

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Ghanaian arrested with 1 kg of 'ice' at airport

SAMUT PRAKAN, June 5- A Ghanaian was detained for attempting to smuggle one kilogramme of crystal methamphetamine, also known as 'ice,' with an estimated street value of Bt3.5 million (more than US$116,600) at Thailand’s main international airport, according to a senior customs officer.

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SET index closed at 1099.15, down 16.04; Bt/USD31.53; GBP48.30; AUD30.65; EUR39.16; CAD30.22; HKD4.06; SGD24.33; JPY40.0

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Political turmoil dampens Thai consumer confidence in May

BANGKOK, June 5 – Thailand’s Consumer Confidence Index in May dropped for the first time in the six months since Dec 2011 to 77.1 from the 77.6 recorded in April, according to a survey by the Economic and Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).

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ATTA confirms steady flow of tourists despite political situation

BANGKOK, 5 May 2012 (NNT) – The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has confirmed that, despite the ongoing conflict surrounding the reconciliation bill, tourists are still traveling to Thailand as normal, while imploring the government and the opposition to truly reconcile to prevent violence.

ATTA Chairman Sitdiwat Cheevarattanaporn said that even though many overseas travel agencies are beginning to worry about the political situation in Thailand, most tourists have yet to modify or cancel their travel plans to the country. However, he admitted that the political rallies taking place at present are a negative factor which destroys the confidence of tourists. The tourism sector, thus, calls for the government and the opposition to adopt a true reconciliation measure to prevent more violence from occurring in the country.

Mr. Sitdiwat added that if the conflict escalates into violence, it will be hard for Thailand to continue competing in the tourism market. However, if the government succeeds in containing the situation, Thailand still has a chance to demonstrate its potentials in tourism to the global community.

-- NNT 2012-06-05

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Japan relaxes regulations in issuing 3-year visas with multiple entries for Thai citizens: Thai Foreign Minister /MCOT

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Thailand Live Wednesday 6 Jun 2012