Thailand Live Tuesday 12 Jun 2012

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Thailand Live Tuesday 12 June 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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BURNING ISSUE

Govt realises it needs top court on side

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

The government appears to be moving in the right direction to defuse the tension over charter change.

BANGKOK: -- Despite the battle cry of the red shirts, coalition whips are working to pacify the opposition rather than flex their majority might to inflame the situation.

Full story:

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American Private School Teacher Accused Of Sex With Minors At His East Pattaya Home

Full story:

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EURO 2012

GMM Grammy defends self on Euro '12

USANEE MONGKOLPORN,

WATCHIRANONT THONGTEP

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- GMM Grammy insists it has done the right thing to prevent losses among its business partners and their customers, in regard to its decision to allow the viewing of live Euro 2012 matches in Thailand on only its own channels and those of its partners.

Full story:

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ANALYSIS

How far will Somsak push defiance of court?

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

Decision on charter reading lies with the Parliament chief after Pheu Thai Party votes to challenge top judges

BANGKOK: -- All eyes are on the Parliament president today after his ruling Pheu Thai Party resolved to challenge the Constitution Court's order to postpone the final vote on the charter amendment bill.

Full story:

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THAI - MYANMAR RELATIONS

Racial strife in Myanmar delays Thein Sein, once again

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

Thein Sein

BANGKOK: -- Myanmar President Thein Sein has been forced to postpone his official visit to Thailand again due to turmoil in his country's west.

The president is poised to travel here, but officials in Bangkok say the date is still uncertain.

A source at Government House said that violence in Rakhine State had caused Thein Sein to delay his journey here, set down for Friday.

The Myanmar government put off the visit for an undetermined period, or may cancel it, the source said. This is the third delay for his official visit to Thailand, originally planned for late last month.

Premier Yingluck Shinawatra said officials in both governments were now considering a better time for Thein Sein to come.

"I can't confirm that Thein Sein will arrive in Thailand this Friday, but I'm sure that he will come here. I must insist that relations between Thailand and Myanmar are still good," she said.

In regard to suggestions that Thein Sein may have been upset about the greeting extended to Aung San Suu Kyi (during the World Economic Forum in Bangkok), the PM said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already sent a letter to smooth ties with the Myanmar government and that had nothing to do with the latest delay.

-- The Nation 2012-06-12

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Vettel, Schumacher in Thai grand prix preview

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Perhaps the biggest motor sports event Thailand has ever seen, the Race of Champions featuring Formula One stars Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher will roar into Rajamangala National stadium in December.

Full story:

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Ayutthaya flood work '40% complete'

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Ayutthaya

AYUTTHAYA: -- Flood prevention work in Ayutthaya province was on track to prevent any repeat of last year's disaster, according to the Water Resources Department.

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

Give rural people a chance to make a living at home

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Extreme poverty is forcing more and more people into the cities, where they face even more hurdles that can lead to lives of drug abuse and crime

Full story:

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RESHUFFLE

Yingluck silent on becoming new defence minister

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra declined to deny or confirm speculation that she would also take the position of defence minister in the next Cabinet reshuffle.

Full story:

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Cheating racket

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested six people they said were behind a cheating scheme designed for an exam which selected civilian applicants to be enrolled at a police constabulary school in Si Sa Ket.

Full story:

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Bt30 healthcare payments to resume: Witthaya

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Collection of the annual Bt30 fee from beneficiaries of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) - the socalled golden card healthcare scheme - will resume, amounting to a total of more than Bt1.9 billion from more than 63 million members, who have been exempted from paying for several years.

Full story:

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Vietnamese gang arrested

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Three Vietnamese men and one Vietnamese woman were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a compatriot for ransom and the alleged gang had confessed to the abduction of two other people before, acting city police chief Pol Major-General Kamronwit Thoopkrachang said yesterday.

Kamronwit told a press conference that the three male suspects, aged 19-28, and a female suspect aged 30 were arrested along with a knife and a cell-phone allegedly used in the kidnap of Vietnamese man Vien Van Trian on Sunday at 3am. They demanded a Bt100,000 ransom or else they would kill him, which forced relatives of the victim to send them Bt20,000. But they also alerted the police.

Inquiries revealed that the gang stayed near Mahidol University campus in Nakhon Pathom and led to their arrest. They also rescued the victim, who had been assaulted and forced to wear a hood over his head, in a rented room nearby. The gang confessed to forcing Vien to board a taxi at knifepoint and detaining him in the room. They said they targeted Vietnamese - followed and kidnapped them.

-- The Nation 2012-06-12

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NASA U-TAPAO DEAL

Parliament ok 'not needed'

Nanthida Phuangthong

The Nation

Operation doesn't involve Thai sovereignty, ministry says

BANGKOK: -- The government's decision to permit an experiment by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) at U-Tapao naval airbase in Chon Buri did not require parliamentary scrutiny or approval, so the move did not violate Article 190 of the Constitution, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Full story:

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Top court backs ban on coal

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Administrative Court yesterday upheld a temporary injunction against the transporting of coal in an area of Tambon Tha Sai Administration Organisation in Samut Sakhon's Muang district.

This means that activities such as the compiling and transport of coal must stop until the court orders otherwise.

Slain environmental activist Thongnak Sawekchinda and 19 others, affected by the transport of coal in the tambon, filed a suit with the Administrative Court against Tha Sai's Tambon Administration Organisation, plus Samut Sakhon Industry Office and Samut Sakhon Water Transport Office seeking the injunction.

-- The Nation 2012-06-12

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Elderly man shot after troops reached Bonkai

Kesinee Tangkhieo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A witness told the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday that after patrolling soldiers got to the Bonkai area on May 14, 2010 - during the red-shirt unrest - shots were heard and an elderly man fell down bleeding.

Boonmee Rermsuk sustained a gunshot to his abdomen and, 76 days later, succumbed to his injuries.

"He was around there because he was waiting for his granddaughter. She reported herself to school that day and he was worried about her safety with armed soldiers all around," Boonmee's wife Nantaporn Rermsuk said.

The soldiers were mobilised in Bangkok at that time because of intensifying red-shirt protests.

Nantaporn, 71, showed up at the courtroom with her three grown-up daughters.

"He was there not because he was participating in red-shirt rallies," she said.

Thanaporn Wongnarat, 50, said he tried to warn Boonmee about approaching soldiers but it was not in time.

"I shouted out the warning because, as the patrolling soldiers approached, I heard gunshots time and again," Thanaporn said.

He said he rushed to the elderly man after seeing him fall down with a wound that was bleeding.

"Then, many people rushed to him and identified him as Uncle Boonmee," Thanaporn said.

The witness said he then sent Boonmee to a hospital on a motorcycle.

"After I sent him to the hospital, I came back to the Bonkai area because I was a red-shirt demonstrator," Thanaporn said.

He said he later learnt Boonmee finally succumbed to his injuries.

-- The Nation 2012-06-12

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New wage means fall in income, workers complain

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A number of workers at Molnlycke Health Care (Thailand) found their monthly income falling after the government's policy to raise the daily minimum wage to Bt300 took effect in April 1, because their employer had stopped paying performance-based incentives.

Full story:

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Thai AirAsia eyes big savings if it can move back to Don Mueang Airport

WATCHARAPONG THONGRUNG,

WARUNEE KHLAWKHUNTOD

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Thai AirAsia believes it could save hundreds of thousands of baht a day in fuel costs, and thus achieve better financial results, if it were to move its operations from congested Suvarnabhumi Airport back to the old airport in Don Muang.

Full story:

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Phuket Police investigate Australian tourist's sexual assault claim

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Provincial Commander Maj Gen Chonasit Wattanavrangkul. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: -- Phuket Police are investigating reports that an Australian woman on holiday in Phuket was raped in an attack by three men in Patong early yesterday morning.

Full story:

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Missing Phuket tourist whitewater rafter found dead

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- After three days of searching, rescue workers this morning found the body of a man who disappeared on Friday after a horrific whitewater rafting accident in Phang Nga, north of Phuket.

Full story:

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Patong Tunnel by 2017: EXAT Governor

Phuket Gazette

Patong Mayor Pian Keesin (left) and EXAT Governor Aiyanat Tinapai are all smiles about the Patong Tunnel project inching nearer to reality. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Both tunnels will extend more than 1,500 meters, each under the large hill beside the existing road to Patong.

PHUKET: -- The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) Governor, Aiyanat Tinapai, has announced that the Patong Tunnel project may see the light of day by 2017.

Full story:

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Ericsson: 85 percent of the world's population covered by high-speed mobile internet in 2017

Ericsson releases its second Traffic and Market Report - On the Pulse of the Networked Society, revealing that by 2017, 85 percent of the world's population will have 3G coverage

Full story:

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Stun Gun stops Foreign fighter outside Pattaya Police Station

Full story:

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,147.33, down 10.74 points /MCOT

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RT @RichardBarrow: BMA has launched an official website called “Bangkok Flood Watch” http://bit.ly/MzaaNO (Thai language) TR @pr_bangkok

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Public and private sectors to organize Crown Prince’ birthday celebration

BANGKOK, 12 June 2012 (NNT) – The government is cooperating with the private sector in organizing His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkon’s 60th birthday anniversary on July 28th, 2012.

Former deputy prime minister Suwat Liptapanlop, in his capacity as the chairman of the Crown Prince’s 60th birthday anniversary celebration, has announced that the government and the private sector are joining hands organizing the event.

According to Mr Suwat, the Foundation of King Rama IX, the Great, known in Thai as the Ha Thanwa Maharaj Foundation has received a royal permission from the Crown Prince to organize the celebrative activities at Sanam Luang on July 27-29. He added that thew committee members have discussed the preparations in order for all the ceremonies to follow proper customs.

Activities to be organized include the shows in honor of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkon, alms giving to 260 monks, merit-making ceremonies, and prayers.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkon was born on July 28th, 1952.

-- NNT 2012-06-12

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HM the King receives patent for water treatment innovation

BANGKOK, 12 June 2012 (NNT) - His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been awarded a patent for the innovation of a water treatment system using trough plants in conjunction with an aerator.

His Majesty the King, on Monday, graciously granted an audience to Secretary-General of the Chaipattana Foundation Dr. Sumet Tantivechakul, who led Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and entourage, to present His Majesty with Patent No. 29091, issued on 9th November 2010, for the royally initiated water treatment system using trough plants in conjunction with an aerator.

With the objective of solving the problem of wastewater, a number of innovations have been created under HM the King's royal initiative. For instance, the "Chaipattana Aerator", patented on 2nd February 1993, and the RX-5C Water-Air Pump Aerator, patented on 19th April 2001.

The water treatment system using trough plants in conjunction with an aerator helps increase oxygen in the water while setting up a plant trough to improve water quality. The system shows his royal determination to help better the lives of his royal subjects by improving water quality for a more sustainable life.

-- NNT 2012-06-12

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Parliament president reaffirms no vote on 3rd reading of charter amendment draft, reconciliation bills on current joint parliament session /MCOT

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RT @RichardBarrow: Taxis at Makkasan Airport Link will now wait for passengers on Level 3, Gate 2: http://bit.ly/Mzd2KJ - TR @ARL_SRTET