Thailand Live Friday 8 Jun 2012

[webfact]

House Speaker to take 2-3 days to consider, decide on 3rd reading of constitution amendment bill as joint sitting of Parliament starts /MCOT

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: Titanic The Artifact Exhibition in Bangkok, 9 June-2 September at Central World, 8th floor. Tickets 500B/350B

[webfact]

700,000 expected to visit Commart 2012

BANGKOK, 8 June 2012 (NNT) - Commart Next Gen Thailand 2012 officially kicked off on Thursday. The organizers aim to attract at least 700,000 visitors as well as boost the IT market during its peak in the second half of the year.

ARIP Public Co., Ltd. has joined forces with leading domestic and international IT traders to organize Thailand's largest IT product exhibition and distribution fair, Commart Next Gen Thailand 2012. The major event is held under the concept of "Modern Play", which focuses on the variety of IT trends and styles to suit each individual's need. The exhibition also features a special zone where visitors have a chance to preview the latest gadgets and technologies.

This year's Commart is expected to attract at least 700,000 visitors, which will help boost the IT market to achieve its target of 14-15% growth this year, especially during the second half of the year. The IT market during the second yearly quarter has already begun to recover, while product prices are returning to normal.

With the ever-changing technology, the "next generation" group of people have become the new target of IT products given their purchasing power and capability to stimulate the IT market's growth during the last six months of 2012. Thus, Commart aims to accommodate this group of clients with modern technology, focusing on the quality and price.

Commart Next Gen Thailand 2012 is held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center during 7-10 June; from 10 am-8.00pm.

-- NNT 2012-06-08

[webfact]

Customs Dept: Suu Kyi’s visit helps boost Thai-Burmese border trade

TAK, 8 June 2012 (NNT) – The Mae Sot-based Customs Office has indicated the Thai-Burmese border trade in the first five months this year has reached 21 billion baht, adding that Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit to Thailand also helps boost the trade.

The Customs Office revealed that the amount of border trade at Mae Sot has been expanding and the value from January to May was worth more than 21 billion baht, or around 20-30% increase year-on-year. It is expected that the trading value will be well above 30 billion baht this year, the highest since the Mae Sot check point was open.

The office commented that the recent visit of Democracy Leader Aung San Suu Kyi to Thailand could help boost the border trade, saying the visit, including her program in Tak Province, creates good image to the relationships of both nations.

Top Thai export products across the border are fuel and consumer products, while innovative products, wood furniture, and cattle are top import products. The Mae Sot-based Customs Office expects the trading value to exceed 50 billion baht when the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is established in 2015.

The Mae Sot border is a strategic place between Thailand and Myanmar. The ASEAN East-West Economic Corridor logistics line also runs across the area.

-- NNT 2012-06-08

[webfact]

RT @Aim_NT: Chuvit: pls don't criticise (the court) any more. Damage will increase. It will cause more rifts.

[webfact]

Youths urged govt to strictly enforce alcohol bans in university dorms

BANGKOK, 8 June 2012 (NNT) – Networks of youths and social activists have asked the government to strictly enforce alcohol bans in university dorms, saying many dormitories are registered as mansions or apartments in order to be able to sell alcohol freely.

Over 30 students and activists yesterday submitted an open letter to the Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups (OPP), under the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, asking for stricter law enforcement on the dormitory registration.

The group said out of 60,000 dormitories in Thailand, only 18,000 are registered as dormitories, the rest use the legal loopholes and registered as mansions or apartments. Not being classified as dormitories, grocery shops under the buildings are permitted to sell alcoholic beverages.

The OPP responded by saying it will discuss with the Excise Department and related agencies about the laws concerning the matter. It promised to also campaign against the sale of alcoholic beverages around academic institutions and in apartments near them.

-- NNT 2012-06-08

[webfact]

Keep a cool head, no coup repeat: Army chief

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha on Friday poured cold water over any attempts to lure the soldiers out of the barracks, saying he would not fall prey to staging a coup in the face of the push for charter change.

Full story:

[webfact]

RT @veen_NT: Myanmar govt is to introduce 10,000 kyat banknote. h/t @krailuk

[webfact]

Kokaew threatens to cut court budget

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai MP Kokaew Pikulthong on Friday urged the Constitution Court to cancel its injunction on the legislative vote for charter change in exchange for avoiding impeachment and budget cut.

"The red shirts will stop the impeachment drive against the judges if the court order on legislative voting is dropped," he said.

Kokaew also hinted that the House committee vetting the 2013 Budget Bill might cut the high court's non-esstential expenditures, such as the spendings on security services for the court buildings and personnel.

-- The Nation 2012-06-08

[webfact]

Court sentences Rakesh Saxena, ex-commercial bank adviser, to 10 yrs prison for BBC embezzlement,fines him Bt1 million; he pays Bt1.1 billion compensation /MCOT

[Lite Beer]

Public Health Ministry to elevate processed food to meet Primary GMP standard

BANGKOK, 8 May 2012 (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health is set to raise the standard of packaged processed food factories in preparation for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said that the ministry plans to elevate the standard of factories which manufacture processed food in an instant package with the objective of gaining acceptance from both domestic and foreign consumers in preparation for the country's integration into the AEC.

All food product manufacturers under this category must comply with production process, production equipment, and food storage (Primary GMP) rules and regulations. The premises where the production process takes place must be clean, free of waste and water stagnation; while being able to prevent animals or insects from contacting with food. The factory must also have appropriate control of production process, materials, ingredients and storage. Additionally, equipment must be easily cleaned and free of oxidation.

Entrepreneurs meeting the standard will be issued a food registration number which can be applied or printed on food packaging or labels in order to create confidence for consumers.

On this occasion, Mr. Wittaya presented certificates to 65 entrepreneurs who have passed the Primary GMP standard.

-- NNT 2012-06-08

[Lite Beer]

Parliament President: Several days needed to decide on charter rewrite bill vote

BANGKOK, June 8 - Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont told a joint House-Senate meeting on Friday that he needed two or three more days to decide on the voting for the third and final reading of reconciliation bill.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/561110-parliament-president-several-days-needed-to-decide-on-charter-rewrite-bill-vote/#entry5371626

[Lite Beer]

Seven judges of the Constitution Court should resign: Weng

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai MP Weng Tojirakarn on Friday called for the resignation of seven Constitution Court judges for issuing an injunction for the legislative vote on charter change.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/561039-red-shirts-petition-for-charter-court-judges-impeachment-as-jatuporn-calls-for-mass-action/page__st__25#entry5371663

[Lite Beer]

POLITICS

Legislative vote on charter change to be decided today

The Nation

Phiraphan

BANGKOK: -- The ruling Pheu Thai Party will comply with the today's outcome of a consultation among MPs and senators on whether to vote on charter change, party MP Phiraphan Phalusuk said on Friday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/561110-parliament-president-several-days-needed-to-decide-on-charter-rewrite-bill-vote/#entry5371735

[webfact]

RT @HuffingtonPost: Fifty years ago, Sean Connery debuted the character James Bond in "Dr. No" http://huff.to/KfnHQo #swoon

[webfact]

Red shirts end rallying at Parliament

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The red shirts on Friday's afternoon voluntarily dispersed from their rally site at Parliament, coinciding with the start of a consultation session among MPs and senators on how to respond to the court order for delaying the vote on charter change.

Full story:

[webfact]

FINANCIAL CRIME

Former BBC adviser gets 10year prison sentence

The Nation

File Photo : Rakesh by Kunlaphun Sirimamporn

BANGKOK: -- A Thai court on Friday sentenced Rakesh Saxena, the high-profile former bank adviser, to 10 years in prison and fined him Bt1 million for approving bad loans.

Full story:

[webfact]

TrueVisions to broadcast UEFA Euro 2012 despite copyrights issue: report

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Matichon Online reported that TrueVisions would relay UEFA Euro 2012 matches on its subscription TV although it was prohibited from doing so by the broadcast copyrights owner, GMM Grammy.

Full story:

[george]

According to Matichon, TrueVisions are expected to announce at 5pm today that their subscribers will be able to watch Euro2012 /via @RichardBarrow

[webfact]

Makkasan Melee: Taxi mob beat down camera-wielding commuter

One man learned the hard way to beware of illegal taxis at Makkasan Station. Photos: Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- A Thai man was severely beaten up by taxi drivers at Bangkok’s Makkasan Airport Link station when he took photos of a driver who refused to take him to his destination, according to a post on web forum Pantip.com and TV reports.

Full story:

[webfact]

Admiral P trying to block charter change: Pheu Thai spokesman

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- An admiral with the initial P was the mastermind of a plot to derail the charter change bill, Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said on Friday.

"Retired admiral P has joined hands with the government opponents in a conspiracy," he said.

Prompong said the admiral was pulling strings designed to project the escalating conflict and chaos in the legislature in order to pave way for an intervention to usurp power.

He said the public should not fall prey to such a political ploy. The charter change as per Article 291 of the Constitution will not topple the democratic rule with the King as head of state as alleged, he said.

"The charter change is meant to advance forward democracy," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-06-08

[webfact]

International crime-fighters to meet in Phuket

Phuket Gazette

Phuket has a big problem with corruption, especially related to land encroachment, said NACC Assistant Secretary-General Chairat Khanittabutr. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Phuket will host an international crime-fighting convention next month targeting money laundering and transfer of ownership of Phuket land to people or organizations overseas.

Full story:

[webfact]

High court rules out prosecution review on charter change

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Court on Friday issued a statement rebutting the prosecution review on charter change bill, saying the decision by the attorney general has no linkage to the judicial inquiry into the draft legislation.

Even though the attorney general had decided not to prosecute the case, this was a mandate vested in the prosecution but had no bearing on the judiciary, the high court said in its statement.

Article 68 of the Constitution prescribes for complainants to bring any attempts to topple the democratic rule with the King as head of state to the attention of the attorney general for fact-finding checks and to petition the Constitution Court for review.

The high court interpreted that "and" was a conjective word joining two phrases to allow the complainants to initiate the legal proceedings with the attorney general and alternately with the court.

For the case in question, the high court already ruled to launch an inquiry regardless of the legal opinions of the attorney general.

-- The Nation 2012-06-08

[webfact]

'Marathon Man' flies in for Laguna Phuket run

Phuket Gazette

'Marathon Man' Trent Morrow will be joining the Laguna Phuket International Marathon on Sunday. Photo: MarathonMan.com.au

PHUKET: -- Confirmed to take part in the Laguna Phuket International Marathon on Sunday is Australia’s renowned “Marathon Man” Trent Morrow, the Phuket Gazette has learned.

Full story:

[webfact]

Disaster warning agencies issue more warnings for North and South

BANGKOK, 8 June 2012 (NNT) - Two of the nation’s disaster-related agencies are issuing further flash flood warnings for the northern and the southern regions.

Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), Wiboon Sanguanpong, said the department is coordinating with provincial administrative organizations in extending their assistance to five flood-hit southern provinces which include Krabi, Phuket, Ranong, Chumphon and Surat Thani provinces.

Mr Wiboon elaborated that the DDPM is dispatching flat-bottom boats, trucks, patrolling vehicles and other necessary items to flood-affected areas. The department is accelerating assistance to victims by sending in emergency rescue teams and damage inspection teams.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) issued a severe weather warning saying that flash floods, forest runoffs and mudslides are expected in Denchai district in Phrae province. The NDWC urges residents in the area to closely monitor weather alerts and updates from the NDWC.

Members of the public are advised to contact the DDPM hotline at 1784 for additional assistance.

-- NNT 2012-06-08

[webfact]

SET index closed at 1127.1, up 8.57; Bt/USD31.62; GBP48.74; AUD31.03; EUR39.40; CAD30.48; HKD4.07; SGD24.47; JPY39.62

[webfact]

Phuket Gazette readership approaches 50,000 – new look, Property Review launched today

Phuket Gazette

A free 16-page 'Phuket Property Review' is tucked into every copy of the Phuket Gazette nationwide today.

The new look of the Phuket Gazette, launched nationwide at noon today, does not foretell a change in editorial policy.

PHUKET: -- The launch of a series of new supplements and expansion of the Phuket Gazette's Andaman, Nationwide and Airline editions has driven the newspaper's circulation to close to 50,000 readers a week.

Full story:

[webfact]

Phuket 'baraku' bars still under the microscope

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada displays a hookah seized during the March raids. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

While hookahs are not illegal, the duty-free tobacco they contain is. Photo: Phuket Provincial Office

PHUKET: -- At a press conference held at Provincial Hall yesterday, Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada detailed the current state of affairs concerning the investigation into the island’s baraku bar business.

Full story:

[webfact]

House And Other Assets Seized From Finnish Fraud Suspect In Central Pattaya Park

Full story:

[webfact]

Four Drown In Failed Suicide Rescue Attempt At Beach In Sattahip

Full story: