Thailand Live Tuesday 10 Jul 2012

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Court sentences Red Shirt leader Jatuporn to six months jail in defamation case filed by Democrat party leader Abhisit; term suspended for two years /MCOT

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Belanger Deaths: Probe finds more information but no clues

Phuket Gazette

Sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger, whose deaths by apparent poisoning on Phi Phi Island last month remain a mystery to investigators. Photo: Facebook.

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Arrest warrant out for suspected murderer of Malaysian tourist

NARATHIWAT, July 10 - A Thai court issued an arrest warrant against a prime suspect in the robbery and murder of a Malaysian tourist in this restive southern province, according to a senior police officer.

Sungai Kolok police deputy superintendent Pol Lt-Col Thaweesak Thongsongsri said a Malaysian national identified as Tang Ah Loi, 58, was robbed and killed here on Sunday. The victim's body was dumped near an irrigation canal in Pasemas sub-district and his Proton car was stolen.

The senior officer said a Narathiwat court has issued an arrest warrant against a Thai suspect who fled the crime scene after witnesses described his appearance.

Col Thaweesak said the suspect was identified as Sukaruno Da-oh, 25, from Sungai Kolok district where the murder took place.

He said the victim's car was found parked at the suspect's house.

Regarding the body of the Malaysian victim, Col Thaweesak said that the family has contacted Sungai Kolok Hospital to take the remains for a funeral in his hometown in Pahang state. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-10

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AFP: Detained Thais to face charges: Myanmar state media

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Thaivisa Speedtest to be discontinued, co-location in BKK and SIN to discontinue

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....e/#entry5470521

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Kanchanaburi childcare centre closed for one week after 4 children develop symptoms similar to hand, foot, and mouth disease /MCOT

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FM Surapong shows Clinton's invitation for PM Yingluck to join the Siem Reap's US-Asean Busienss Forum http://bit.ly/Mex3r7 / via @veen_NT

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Four Thai children develop symptoms like hand, foot and mouth disease

KANCHANABURI, July 10 – Four two-year-old children in a childcare centre in Kanchanaburi have developed symptoms similar to those of hand, foot and mouth disease and tests are being conducted to determine the virus strain.

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RT @191Thailand: 12:30pm An 18-wheeler truck hit a motorcycle in Surat Thani killing 2 people - TR @Huk_31_Korat

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RT @Biz_TheNation: "@Tik_NT: Nattawut says red shirts will meet at Imperial Latphrao on July 13, when Constitution Court to land verdict.

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RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE BEST

Five Thais are making their presence felt at Facebook and Twitter

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Facebook and Twitter have emerged as the most popular social network in Thailand with Facebook becoming the first online destination for many Thais while Twitter is becoming the fastest news channel.

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RT @AP: BREAKING: Israeli court clears former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of major charges in corruption case. -RAS

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Rubber plantation protesters block Asian Highway at Surat Thani, demand government to resolve falling prices; traffic jams both sides of road for 4km /MCOT

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Austrian Interior Minister Meets with PM for bilateral talks

BANGKOK, 10 July 2012 (NNT) - Austria’s Federal Minister of the Interior Johanna Mikl-Leitner is on an official three-day visit to Thailand during July 8-10, at the invitation of the Thai government.

Mrs Mikl-Leitner was welcomed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Government House yesterday. Both parties held private talks aimed at strengthening bilateral relations at all levels.

According to official figures, the number of Austrian visitors to Thailand jumped to 100,000 this year, and is expected to continue to increase each year.

The Thai government is set to upgrade safety measures for tourists by setting up an anti-scam committee as well as a 24-hour tourist center at Suvannabhumi airport.

The Austrian Interior Minister has thanked the Thai government for its efforts to fight crimes against tourists. She elaborated that the Austrian government is preparing to forge further collaborations on the conservation of natural resources, development of women’s roles and exchanges of disaster-related information.

-- NNT 2012-07-10

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Department of Special Investigation chief: No black-clad men involved in theft, arson at CentralWorld mall as alleged in May 2010 /MCOT

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Red shirts cancel rally at Constitution Court Friday

BANGKOK: -- Red-shirt leaders have cancelled the plan to rally their supporters at the Constitution Court Friday to wait for a court ruling on constitutionality of charter amendments.

Korkaew Pikulthong, Natthawut Saikua and Jatuporn Promphan, three red-shirt leaders, announced Tuesday that the red-shirt people would not rally at the court but would wait for the ruling at the Big C Lardprao, which is the head office of the red-shirt movement.

Earlier, Jatuporn and Natthawut urged red-shirt people to gather outside the court to hear the verdict but they said the rally was not aimed at pressuring the court

-- The Nation 2012-07-10

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CAT telecom to dismantle its entire CDMA EV-DO network

GOODBYE AIRCARD: Dongle the CAT says farewell to her predecessor EV-DO. Photo: Peasap

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Huay Kwang man arrested with arsenal of grenades, AK-47 bullets

By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok police arrested a 34-year-old man with a massive arsenal of weapons in his Huay Kwang apartment last week.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....-ak-47-bullets/

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Windows 8 to be released in October

SAN FRANCISCO: -- Microsoft is to release its new operating system, Windows 8, to the public in October, the company announced Monday.

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POLITICS

Red shirts cancel rally at Constitution Court Friday

The Nation

File photo : Korkaew

BANGKOK: -- Red-shirt leaders have cancelled plans to rally their supporters at the Constitution Court Friday while waiting for a court ruling on the constitutionality of charter amendments.

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THAI-VIETNAMESE TIES

Thai death row convict in Vietnam receives visit from Thai diplomat

The Nation

HO CHI MINH CITY: -- The Thai consulate general in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, on Tuesday visited a 23-year-old student who has been convicted to death for drug trafficking, Thai foreign ministry spokesman Damrong Kraikruan said.

On June 26, Preeyanuch Phuttharaksa, a Thai college student from Bangkok, was sentenced to death by a Vietnamese court after being arrested at Saigon airport last October for trying to smuggle 3,000 grams of methaphetamine hidden in her luggage from Benin, West Africa to Vietnam.

She confessed that she had been hired for Bt50,000 by a Nigerian drug gang to bring the drugs into Vietnam.

Damrong said the visit was made after the diplomat was granted permission by the Vietnamese side for the first time following the court's verdict. Under Vietnamese laws, a convicted prisoner can only be visited 30 days after the verdict; the Thai side was allowed diplomatic leniency in this particular case.

Preeyanuch was informed that her parents would like her to appeal. Damrong added that she would have the final say on whether to appeal or not.

If she decided to appeal, the process would take several months and if the Supreme Court upholds the death sentence, she could still petition the Vietnamese president for mercy.

-- The Nation 2012-07-10

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Yingluck will not discuss energy deal: Surapong

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Phnom Penh

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has no conflict of interest in the energy deal with Cambodia when she visits Siem Reap on Friday to join US-Asean Business Forum at the invitation of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said Tuesday.

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DSI: Men In Black were not involved in CentralWorld fire

BANGKOK, 10 July 2012 (NNT) - The Department of Special Investigation has concluded that the so-called ‘Men in Black’ were not involved in the case of the CentralWorld shopping-complex fire in May 2010.

DSI chief Tharit Pengdit said that two charges stemmed from incidents at CentralWorld during the political crisis in March-May 2010 are categorized as arson and theft.

Nine suspects have been arrested on charges of both theft and arson. Both cases were forwarded to prosecutors for further action in August 2010. The total cost of damage to the shopping complex was estimated at 8.8 billion baht.

Mr Tharit insisted that contrary to popular belief, the lawsuits involving theft and arson which are separated from terrorism charges did not include the participation of a group of armed men dressed in black ranger uniforms. He elaborated that another terrorism case involving the alleged men in black is ongoing in the criminal court.

Central Pattana, the owner of CentralWorld, took out a Bt3.5-billion insurance policy on its hotel-and-shopping complex. If the damage is ruled by the court to have been caused by an act of terrorism, the insurance company will not reimburse for the losses.

-- NNT 2012-07-10

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Jatuporn gets suspended jail term for defaming Abhisit

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court Tuesday found red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan guilty of libel and handed down a six-month jail term suspended for two years due to first offence.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....faming-abhisit/

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SET index closed at 1204.42, up 17.47; Bt/USD31.57; GBP48.87; AUD32.08; EUR38.74; CAD30.80; HKD4.06; SGD24.72; JPY39.49

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Cabinet approves 106km double-track railway, eastern route, from Saraburi to Chachoengsao /MCOT

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HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH

Disease warning for schools

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry on Tueday instructed schools and nurseries nationwide to close if they find that students in five classes or more have contracted hand, foot and mouth disease.

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Thai monarchist tried on royal insult charges BANGKOK, July 10, 2012 (AFP) -

A Thai media mogul who founded the royalist Yellow Shirt protest movement appeared in court on Tuesday accused of insulting the revered monarchy by quoting a member of the rival Red Shirts.

Sondhi Limthongkul, one of Thailand's most controversial political figures, faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty on charges relating to excerpts of a protest speech by Daranee Charnchoengsilapakul that he repeated in 2008. Daranee -- known as Da Torpido -- was herself jailed for 15 years under Thailand's strict lese majeste laws for the comments, which she made during political rallies four years ago.

Defence lawyer Suwat Apipak told the court on Tuesday that Sondhi had aimed to highlight Daranee's comments in the hope that police would take legal action against her. "He did not repeat all the words said by Da," Suwat told the court. Sondhi is expected to testify in August.

The royal family is a highly sensitive topic in politically turbulent Thailand.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is revered as a demi-god by many Thais, has been hospitalised since September 2009. Observers say prosecutions under lese majeste legislation -- which bans criticism of the king, queen, heir or regent -- surged following a coup that removed fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sondhi's Yellow Shirts have proved a powerful force in Thailand's colour coded politics, helping to spur the 2006 coup, which spawned the rise of the pro-Thaksin Reds.

Thailand has seen a series of rival street protests in recent years by the monarchist Yellows, who are backed by the Bangkok-based elite, and the mainly poor and working-class Red Shirts, whose 2010 rallies in the Thai capital ended in a bloody crackdown.

In February, the Criminal Court sentenced Sondhi to 20 years in prison for corporate fraud in a case dating back to the mid-1990s. At the time, Suwat said the tycoon was appealing the verdict and had been released on bail of 10 million baht ($330,000).

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-07-10

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Thailand Live Wednesday 11 Jul 2012