Thailand Live Sunday 24 Jun 2012

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Police to seek arrest warrants for 2 suspects related to Saturday's bombing at Surat Thani prison /MCOT

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RT@BwBBKK: Convoy of happy smiling Red Shirts on their way for the days festivities. #Thai80 http://t.co/krE55lLE

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RT@in0nymous: A big motorcycle caravan of Redshirts have blocked of most of Rajdamri, headed to the rally, I guess. #Thai80 http://t.co/5XJc29Ml

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Guinean President on 3-day official visit to Thailand

BANGKOK, 24 June 2012 (NNT) - The President of the Republic of Guinea is now on an official visit to Thailand and will be given an official welcoming ceremony on Sunday evening.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to host the welcome ceremony for President Alpha Conde of the Republic of Guinea at Government House, where they both will inspect the guard of honor.

The 3-day state visit by President Alpha Conde starts Sunday with a meeting with the Thai PM to discuss various bilateral issues, such as trade, investment and other collaborations.

Both leaders will also sign two MOUs before attending a dinner reception held in honor of President Conde at Government House at 7 pm.

The Guinean President's trip is the first high-level visit since both countries established diplomatic ties in 1983.

-- NNT 2012-06-24

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RT@RichardBarrow: 12:25pm Most lanes around Democracy Monument already closed to traffic: pic.twitter.com/y15lylqw - TR @kamkerng

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RT@ThanongK: Apart from U t.apao, NASA also wants to use Surat Thani's airport http://t.co/C05mybBm

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Japanese Crown Prince to visit Ayutthaya

AYUTTHAYA, 24 June 2012 (NNT) - On June 26, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan will make a royal visit to Ayutthaya province. The Crown Prince will visit the Ayutthaya Historical Study Center, Wat Phra Mahathat, and the province’s Japanese village. The visit will begin at 10:40 AM, and at 12:50 AM, His Imperial Highness will travel to the pier at Wat Choeng Lane, in Pakkret District, Nonthaburi province.

The Ayutthaya Historical Study Center was established in 1986 under the cooperation between Thai and Japanese scholars. The province has been chosen as the site of the center because it had served as a former capital of Thailand for 417 years and provided the foundation of modern Thai culture. It also used to be an important social and economic center.

The Japanese government made a financial donation of approximately 170 million baht to the center in 1987 on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s 60th birthday and to celebrate 600 years of the Thai-Japanese relations.

-- NNT 2012-06-24

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About 20 persons suffer smoke inhalation after fire at tutorial centre in Nakhon Ratchasima

About 20 persons suffer smoke inhalation after fire at tutorial centre in Nakhon Ratchasima; cause suspected to be electrical short circuit

-- TNA 2012-06-24

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Surin talks with Cambodian public and private sectors

SURIN, 24 June 2012 (INN) - Mr. Pipop Dumtongsuk, Surin’s vice governor, stated that the Surin Commercial Provincial Office held a meeting with members of the Cambodian public and private sectors, during which numerous trade issues between the two countries were discussed; including how trade obstacles could be reduced, trade and investment encouraged, and tourism stimulated.

The main point on the discussion agenda was consulting with representatives of the public and private sector regarding the reduction of obstacles and encouraging trade, investment, and tourism. At the beginning of August 2012, a coordination center will be set up to disseminate information on Surin and the Asean Economic Community.

The future of trade, investment, and tourism between Thailand and Cambodia is slated for discussion.

-- NNT 2012-06-24

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Auto parts import tax under JTEPA to be slashed to 0%

BANGKOK, 24 June 2012 (NNT) – Thailand will decrease the import duty for more than 140 more items of Japanese auto parts to 0% with retroactive effect from 1 April 2012. The tariff cut is expected to help speed up the recovery of the Thai automotive industry hard hit by the floods crisis last year.

Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations Srirat Ratthapana said the Ministry of Finance had issued an announcement on the tax reduction for auto parts from Japan under the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA). The auto parts’ import duty of 10-20% will be reduced to 0%.

The director-general said Thailand hoped that the tax cut would help save the cost of production for Thai entrepreneurs and contribute to the country’s goal to be a hub of automobile production in ASEAN. The duty reduction would also help boost export volume of the flood-affected industries.

Thailand’s imports of auto parts over the past three years came mostly from Japan, with the average import value of more than three billion USD a year. Japan’s long investment in Thai automotive and auto parts industries has made Thailand one of the most important automobile production bases in Southeast Asia

-- NNT 2012-06-24

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Police to seek arrest warrants for 2 suspects in Surat Thani prison blast

SURAT THANI, June 24- Police will seek arrest warrants for two suspects involved in Saturday’s bombing at Surat Thani Central Prison, according to Pol Col Pornsak Nuannu, deputy commander of Surat Thani provincial police.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/564959-police-to-seek-arrest-warrants-for-2-suspects-in-surat-thani-prison-blast/#entry5422567

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Customs Department confident will reach target revenue this year

BANGKOK, June 24 - The customs department is confident that customs revenue collection in the last four months of the fiscal year will surpass the target by 10 -12 billion baht despite the eurozone crisis.

Director-General Somchai Pulsawas said although the European economy is facing problems, Thai exports can still depend on trade with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.

The trade value with the European Union in the first eight months of the 2012 fiscal year was recorded at 787 billion baht including 360 billion baht of imports and 427 billion of exports, a drop of 12.2 percent year-on-year.

However, he said the overall trade value in the first eight months of the 2012 fiscal year from October 2011- May 2012 was 9.23 trillion baht, a 6.7 percent growth.

Imports valued in this period were at 4.8 trillion baht, expanding 14.2 percent with exports worth 4.36 trillion baht, shrinking 0.54 percent, compared to the same period last year.

According to the customs department, customs net revenue collection in the first eight month of the 2012 fiscal year amounted to 79.4 billion baht, about 10 billion baht or 14.63 percent higher than the target. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-24

[george]

Pick-up crashed into a tree this morning in Chachoengsao killing 4 & injuring 7. They were on their way from BKK to a waterfall (Thai Rath)

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RT@RichardBarrow: 28 passengers injured when a bus crashed & flipped over on Vipawadi Rd Rangsit pic.twitter.com/Q2N6v1Uq - TR @Woraphan_Rw

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Arrest warrant issued for man in late 20’s, one of two suspected of killing Australian tourist in Phuket /MCOT

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Police seize 37 kgs of crystal meth worth 250 million baht in Phayao, one suspect arrested, member of major drug ring in North /MCOT

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Thailand requests 10,000 Chinese language teachers from China

BANGKOK, June 24- Thailand asked Chinese educational institutes to send 10,000 Chinese language instructors for Thai learners as parts of a Sino-Thai educational and cultural exchange plan.

Education Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech on Sunday said after meeting with Xu Lin, director of the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), and delegates from Chinese universities and educational institutes that Thailand and China agreed to an exchange of education and culture.

As a result, the education ministry asked the Chinese educational institutes to send 10,000 Chinese language teachers to offer language instruction for Thai students, Mr Suchart said.

Currently, China supports Chinese language education in Thailand by sending some 1,200 Chinese native speaking teachers to Thailand annually, the education minister said.

The ministry is attempting to enhance the country’s educational revolution and to achieve a goal ahead of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) that Thai students will be able to speak both English and Chinese within 2015.

According to the minister, Chinese officials agreed with the request and asked for the ministry to send 500-1,000 Thai language instructors to China to introduce and teach the Thai language and teaching methods to graduated Chinese language instructors in six-month preparatory courses before the graduates are sent to Thailand to teach Thai students.

Mr Suchart said that he would later discuss with relevant agencies about the feasibility of the plan to send Thai language teachers.

In addition, both sides also discussed potential expansion of Thai language courses at universities in China.

Currently, 24 universities in China offer Thai language courses for interested students. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-24

[george]

UPDATE

Arrest warrant issued for one of two men suspected of killing Australian tourist in Phuket

Full story:

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Video: Michelle Smith murderers still unidentifed: Phuket Police

Full story, video:

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Phuket car crashes into overpass, 1 dead

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....verpass-1-dead/

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to continue:

Thailand Live Monday 25 Jun 2012