Thailand Live Wednesday 11 Jul 2012

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Thailand Live Wednesday 11 July 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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Related topic: Thailand Live Tuesday 10 Jul 2012

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Yingluck will not discuss energy deal: Surapong

Full story:

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Jatuporn gets suspended jail term for defaming Abhisit

Full story:

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LEGISLATION

Breath-test refusers 'drunk' under law change

JEERAPONG PRASERTPOLKRANG

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Cabinet yesterday approved a change to the Land Traffic Act that gives police the right to treat motorists who refuse to take an alcohol breath test without sound reason as drunk drivers.

Full story:

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CONSTITUTION COURT

Govt has mixed feelings as charter ruling looms

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party is bracing for an unfavourable verdict on charter change, MP Phiraphan Phalusuk said yesterday, while voicing optimism that Friday's decision would not result in a worst-case scenario leading to party dissolution.

Full story:

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Many industrial estates still not flood-proof

The Nation

Barriers at key sites in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani not finished

BANGKOK: -- Concern is mounting at many industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani, with construction of floodwalls around the compounds not yet completed ahead of the rainy season.

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

Flawed policies put Thai farmers at a disadvantage

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Ongoing subsidy schemes weaken the agricultural sector and open the door for our competitors to take over with better productivity and sustainability

Full story:

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STOPPAGE TIME

I know what you'll be doing this Friday the 13th

Tulsathit Taptim

BANGKOK: -- Much has been said about Thailand's "Friday the 13th" situation, but I doubt many of you have seen the movie and its sequels.

Full story:

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No 'men-in-black' in CentralWorld fire: DSI

THE NATION

File photo. Source: wikimedia

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday there were no "men in black" linked to the fire at CentralWorld in the aftermath of the 2010 red-shirt protests.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....world-fire-dsi/

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BURNING ISSUE

Support for democracy slim if politicians are corrupt

Pravit Rojanaphruk

BANGKOK: -- What kind of political system does Thailand have? The question is deceptively simple but the real answer is not.

Full story:

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Thailand the first in Asean to buy new Black Hawk choppers

Agencies

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Thai Army has signed documents to acquire two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters through the US government's Foreign Military Sales channel.

Upon delivery, Thailand will become the first Asean country to fly the very latest version of the Black Hawk helicopter operated by the United States Army.

The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter incorporates a variety of enhancements including a digital glass cockpit, advanced flight-control system, a state-of-the-art communications suite, full night vision device capability for night operations and other improve-ments that reduce pilot workload, increase lift and provide better protection and enhanced survivability. Sikorsky expects to deliver its 500th UH-60M helicopter to the US Army this year.

"The Black Hawk helicopter is the standard by which all military utility helicopters are judged, and the UH-60M represents the very latest, most comprehensively equipped model that we have ever developed. More nations are increasingly discovering its multi-mission value, outstanding performance record, and durability even in the harshest and most hostile environments," said Samir Mehta, president of Sikorsky Military Systems. Last year, Sweden became the first European country to buy them.

-- The Nation 2012-07-11

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Soi Aree dispute

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is considering ordering a halt in construction of The Seed Atom condominium in Soi Aree 4 after locals urged an investigation on grounds that the soi is less than 10 metres wide.

After yesterday's meeting of related agencies and resi?dent representatives, Bangkok Councillor Wisut Samretwanich, who chairs the public works and city planning committee, said residents wanted construction to stop for fear of environmental impacts, including severe traffic jams.

Land Department officials confirmed the soi is less than 10m wide, making the construction of a building over 23 storeys against the Building Control Act. The developer thus asked to build three seven-storey buildings with a total of 324 units instead of the previous plan of two buildings (a 37-storey building and a 20-storey building) with 555 units, he said.

So far, a temporary office has been built and the plot fenced off for construction. The developer has been urged to implement other measures, including house repairs for locals, and to submit an EIA, Wisut said.

-- The Nation 2012-07-11

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Ministers row over flood projects

PIYANART SRIVALO

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- At a Cabinet meeting yesterday, the two ministers in charge of flood prevention appeared to have several differences over the urgency of certain projects. They were arguing about the lack of time and the need to conduct mandatory assessments, before Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ordered both sides to look into the issues together.

Full story:

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FOREST LAND

'Time for the landless to get a chance'

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK,

CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

THE NATION

Private firms will have to make way for poor once concessions end: dept

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Forest Department (RFD) is preparing to take forestland away from investors and to allow local villagers to use such green zones instead.

Full story:

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Payment of Bt30 medical fee to be left up to patients

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The government will re-launch the Bt30 healthcare scheme - with the decision on whether to pay Bt30 towards their medical bill being left up to the patients - by September 1.

Full story:

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Fine upheld over illegal VCD sales

KESINEE TAENGKHIO,

PIYANUCH THAMNUKASETCHAI

THE NATION

SURAT MAEENOPPARATSUDA, 26, a garbage collector in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court yesterday upheld a lower court fine of Bt133,400 imposed on a garbage collector in Bangkok's Saphan Sung district for selling copyrighted movie VCDs and music CDs.

Full story:

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Thein Sein due to arrive on July 22

SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE

THE NATION

PHNOM PENH

File photo. Source: wikimedia

BANGKOK: -- Myanmar President Thein Sein has finally set July 22-24 for his visit to Thailand and agreements are expected to be reached on cooperation in various fields, including technical matters, Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said yesterday.

Full story:

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Asean+3 backing for Thai connectivity initiative

SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE

THE NATION

Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH: -- The meeting of foreign ministers from Asean plus China, Japan and South Korea yesterday supported Thailand's initiative for an Asean+3 partnership on connectivity.

Full story:

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Contemporary art

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet yesterday approved more than Bt1 billion in funding to turn an old building on Rajadamnoen Avenue into a contemporary art centre, Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome said yesterday. The Office of Contemporary Art and Culture will spend Bt1.06 billion to rent the building for 30 years till 2041 and buy building insurance.

Chai Nakornchai, direc?tor-general of the office, said that about Bt179 million would be spent renovating the building, which would take 10 months to finish.

Sukumol said the Budget Bureau agreed the centre would become a learning centre and tourist site for contemporary art, which would promote Thai culture and tourism.

Chai said it would also house national artists' work, currently kept in a place where they were at risk of damage. The project is in honour of HM the King's 84th birthday.

-- The Nation 2012-07-11

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CAT telecom to dismantle its entire CDMA EV-DO network

Full story:

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Cabinet approves 106km double-track railway in eastern route

BANGKOK, July 11 – The Thai Cabinet on Tuesday approved the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) project to build 106km of double-track railway from Chachoensao to Saraburi, according to deputy government spokesperson Pakdiharn Himathongkham.

Apart from the 106km double-track, the Cabinet endorsed building rail bypasses at three railway junctions in Chachoengsao, Saraburi and Ayutthaya with the 2013-2016 budget of Bt10.63 billion, set aside from both projects.

It also endorsed the proposed SRT construction of a railway and a tunnel at Phraphuttachai Mountain in Saraburi with a budget of Bt712 million under a two-year project.

SRT railway operations nationwide total 4,363 kilometres of rails, including 3,755km of single track, 173km of double tracks and 107km of triple tracks.

The SRT targets completing 3,039km of double tracks within the next 15 years to serve a high speed railway system and to facilitate transport and railway passengers. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-11

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RT @ChadapornLin: Red-shirt taxis to gather at Royal Plaza tomorrow to voice support for charter amendment

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RT @RichardBarrow: U.S. embassy spokesperson in Bangkok confirms that lese majeste prisoner Joe Gordon has been freed /via @zenjournalist

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RT @mpoppel: PHOTO: TEPCO releases photo showing tsunami hitting Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant last year - http://tinyurl.com/ckdfkc5

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Thai pardon for US citizen jailed for royal insult

BANGKOK, July 11, 2012 (AFP) - Thailand on Wednesday said a Thai-born US citizen jailed for insulting the kingdom's revered monarch had been granted a royal pardon, in a move welcomed by the United States.

Full story:

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-07-11

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Thai stock index opens on Wednesday at 1,199.77, down 4.65 points /MCOT

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Public Health Ministry orders nationwide emergency surveillance of Hand-Foot-Mouth outbreak

BANGKOK, 11 July 2012 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry has instructed health offices nationwide to watch out for the possible outbreak of the Hand-Foot-an-Mouth disease outbreak.

Full story:

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WFMC: Foreign experts may help Thailand battle flood threats with best available technologies

BANGKOK, 11 July 2012 (NNT) – The state-appointed committee in charge of water and flood management has stepped out to defend the invitation for foreign companies to join the bidding of the country’s water resource management project.

Science Minister and Water and Flood Management Committee (WFMC) chair Plodprasop Suraswadi said on Tuesday that the WFMC’s decision to allow foreign companies to join the bidding of the water management and flood prevention projects was aimed to offer Thailand the possibilities to utilize the best available technologies.

So far, more than 40 companies have submitted their proposed Terms of Reference (ToR) documents to the committee, with at least 3 of them being foreign firms.

As worries over the competitiveness of foreign companies grow, Mr. Plodprasop affirmed that WFMC will fairly consider all proposals, with priority given to Thai firms.

He added that the WFMC has planned short-, medium- and long-term measures to prevent Thailand from being severely inundated like in late 2011, including the dredging of canals, the elevation of roads, the construction of dams, the repairs of sluice gates, and the designation of Kam-Ling or water-retention areas.

Moreover, Mr. Plodprasop said that, during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had approved additional budget of 500 million baht for the water management and flood prevention projects.

-- NNT 2012-07-11

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13 companies of police readied to provide security on Friday when Constitution Court delivers verdict on charter amendment bill: Police Chief /MCOT