Thailand Live Friday 15 Jun 2012

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Floods continue in Phichit

PHICHIT, June 15 – The Yom River is rising in Thailand’s northern province of Phichit, forcing farmers to harvest their not yet fully mature rice yield to prevent losses.

Flooding in the Yom River basin in Phichit’s Sam Ngam district remains critical and has spread more widely to cover low-lying areas due to further heavy rain and continued northern run-off flowing downstream from Phisanulok and Sukhothai.

The rising Yom River forced farmers to harvest off-season rice yields for fear of losses if the flood worsens.

Meanwhile, in the southern province of Trang, floods have receded in some areas. The situation is expected to return to normal in the next two days if there is neither rain nor an overly high tide.

Flooding has affected five subdistricts in the provincial seat. More than 150 houses along the Trang River are surrounded by water 20-50 centimetres deep.

As the flood started to recede, some residents have cleaned their houses, returning home from temporary shelters. The initial damages are estimated at about Bt10 million. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-15

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Leading banker considers Thai political conflicts more worrisome than global economic crisis

BANGKOK, 15 June 2012 (NNT) – A leading banker has expressed worries over the impact of the country’s political turmoil, while the global economic problem persists.

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Thailand, Cambodia launch direct bus services linking Bangkok to Phnom Penh via Aranyaprathet-Poipet border /MCOT

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House Speaker: No parliament session June 18 to vote on 3rd charter rewrite bill reading as there is no request from govt whip; House to reconvene Aug1 /MCOT

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SET index midday up 8.51 pts,0.74 pct

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai composits stocks index (SET) at midday Friday stood at 1,161.52,up 8.51 points, or 0.74 per cent amid Bt12.22 billion turnover.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 808.38,up 6.66 points or 0.83 per cent.

Top five most active (value) stocks: PTT,KBANK,SCB,JAS,PTTGC.

-- The Nation 2012-06-15

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Chalerm: presenting new approach on tackling drug abuse

BANGKOK, 15 June 2012 (NNT)-Deputy Prime Minister Police Captain Chalerm Yubamrung has chaired an opening ceremony on the drug eradication campaign, also known as ‘the 315 drug eradication strategy,’ to combat drug abuse in Bangkok and its vicinity.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also overseeing this campaign, the campaign is a new approach that combines collaborations from all relevant sectors to help tackling the use of illegal drugs.

Police Captain Chalerm has claimed that the narcotic abuse has increased so far by 35% across the country. It is important to introduce the new policy on combating narcotics to those involved so they would strive for the same goals, which focus on enforcing the law, reducing risk factors, and establishing collective efforts to prevent further drug abuse.

-- NNT 2012-06-15

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Dengue vaccine results from Thailand trial expected by September

BANGKOK: -- The efficacy of the first dengue fever vaccine isexpected to be known by September when results of tests on thousandsof Thai children will be revealed, the pharmaceutical firm SanofiPasteur said Thursday.

Sanofi Pasteur has been collaborating with Thailand’s Ministry ofHealth and Mahidol University in conducting dengue vaccine researchand trials for the past two decades, with positive results anticipated by the third quarter of this year, Sanofi Pasteur’sprogramme leader Jean Lang said.

Should the field tests prove successful, the company hopes to makethe vaccine available by 2015.

Some 3.6 billion of the world’s 7 billion population are at risk of being infected by dengue, a virus that is borne by the Aedesmosquito. Although rarely fatal among adults, dengue can claim thelives of young children.

Some scientists predict that dengue may become a health threat to Europe in the near future as a result of climate change, said PratapSinghasivanon, professor of tropical medicine at Thailand’s Mahidol University.

-- The Nation 2012-06-15

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Thailand marks ASEAN Dengue Day

AYUTTHAYA , June 15 - Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri on Friday launched Thailand’s campaign marking ASEAN Dengue Day, instructing health officials nationwide to speed up measures to eliminate mosquitoes.

The campaign marking ASEAN Dengue Day on June 15 held in Ayutthaya’s Bang Sai district was aimed at educating the public about preventive measures against dengue fever and measures to eliminate the aedes aegypti mosquitoes which are the carriers of the disease.

Mr Witthaya explained that dengue fever, transmitted to humans by mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus, was one of the main health problems in the South East Asian region and raised concerns among the health ministers and officials in the region.

About 200,000 persons in the region reportedly suffer from dengue fever every year, the minister said.

In the first six months of this year, the total number of dengue patients, particularly in Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, recorded at nearly 70,000 persons while the fever killed 57 persons.

To battle the dengue virus in Thailand, Mr Witthaya instructed provincial health official across the country to speed up measures to eliminate the virus-bearing mosquitoes as well as asking health networks, health volunteers and the public to comply with the anti-dengue measures.

Concerned that the growing incidence of dengue affected many people in the region, health ministers from 10 ASEAN country members endorsed ASEAN Dengue Day as an annual advocacy campaign day for dengue prevention and control at regional and national levels. The health ministers committed to support and promote the official launch of ASEAN Dengue Day on 15 June 2011 and every year thereafter. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-15

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House Speaker scotches rumour: No Parliament session Monday

BANGKOK, June 15 - House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont denied reports on Friday that he would call a House sitting Monday to vote on the third reading of the constitution amendment bill, saying he has not received a request from the government whip asking him to reconvene the house.

He affirmed that the house will reconvene for an ordinary session on Aug 1.

The Cabinet earlier approved a draft royal decree to conclude the current parliamentary session on June 19 as proposed by the government whips.

The decision was made following Democrat Party/opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva strongly urging the government to close the current parliamentary session to avoid conflict between the court and Parliament.

The Constitution Court had ordered parliament to stop deliberating and voting on the bill pending delivery of its ruling after the court accepted petitions questioning the legality of the bill.

The proposal to delay the vote drew fierce opposition from some red shirt MPs, including Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Nattawut Saikuar and Korkaew Pikulthong, who wanted Parliament to vote on the charter bill during the joint session on June 12.

The house speaker however insisted that there was no rift, but only differing views within the ruling Pheu Thai party on the issue.

Mr Somsak reiterated his call for all parties concerned to step backward and to discuss reducing political tensions and confrontation during the house recess. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-15

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RT@tukky_nt: Grammy boss gave last chance to those who wanted to rebroadcast #Euro 2012 including TrueVisions to send a request by 7pm tonight (1)

RT@tukky_nt: Grammy will send a legal team to talk to Uefa again. If Uefa allows Grammy will feed the signal to those who asked for (2). via @Tik_NT

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AFP: Lady Gaga in hot water over Bangkok concert

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Thailand, Cambodia launch direct bus services linking Bangkok, Phnom Penh

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Phuket needs to clean up its act: V/Gov Chamroen

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada gave local officials until June 30 to at least draw up action plans to redress key issues affecting the island. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Flower vendors peddling on the streets of Phuket were on V/G Chamroen's list of blemishes affecting the island’s image. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has given local officials until June 30 to at least draw up action plans to redress key problems affecting the island.

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Aussie woman jailed for false sexual assault report in Phuket

Phuket Gazette

Police are charging an Australian woman for filing a false report of being raped. Photo: Golf Thairath

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....port-in-phuket/

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Phuket parents appeal for help in finding missing daughter

Phuket Gazette

Mullika Suansan, 15, was last seen arriving at Muslim Wittaya Phuket School in Koh Kaew on June 8.

PHUKET: -- Distressed parents are appealing for any information that may help locate their missing teenage daughter, Mullika “Nong Fah” Suansan, who disappeared from her Phuket school last Friday morning.

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SET index closed at 1165.73, up 12.72; Bt/USD31.38; GBP48.69; AUD31.32; EUR39.55; CAD30.50; HKD4.04; SGD24.45; JPY39.45

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EURO 2012

Grammy seeks renegotiation with Uefa

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- GMM Grammy Plc, the Euro 2012 broadcasting rights holder in Thailand, has instructed its legal team to renegotiate with Uefa on the broadcasting terms.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....a/#entry5393262

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to continue:

Thailand Live Saturday 16 Jun 2012