Thailand Live Thursday 12 Jul 2012

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Thailand Live Thursday 12 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 Wednesday 11 Jul 2012

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Security tightened at Constitution Court for Friday’s charter bill ruling

Red-shirt leader Kokaew Pikulthong warns of 'all-out war' if Constitution Court blocks charter change.

BANGKOK: -- Preventive and back-up measures in place; no emergency law planned but Army ready to help police if required; Red-shirt leader Kokaew Pikulthong warns of 'all-out war' if Constitution Court blocks charter change

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MPs choose to ignore demand for explanation

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Members of the House yesterday decided to ignore a Constitution Court order seeking an explanation from them after PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang sought their impeachment for supporting the Charter Amendment Bill.

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Salmonella strain might reinfect kids

EKKAPONG PRADITPONG

THE NATION

Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI: -- A drug-resistant strain of Salmonella bacteria, that was found in eggs causing 500 schoolchildren to fall ill, might continue lingering and re-infect them for another three months.

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Photo Which Appears To Show Pattaya Police Gambling Surfaces

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AFP: Snakes and baby monkey seized at Thai airport Bangkok

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Forest and parks departments to be merged in a year

PRASIT TANGPRASERT,

SAMATCHA HUNSARA

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- It will take about one year to combine the Royal Forest Department and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

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SEMINAR

Thai exports will be hit by Euro crisis

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The euro-zone crisis will continue to be a drag on the global economy for the next few years, with Thai exports taking a direct blow and seeing growth at only a single digit this year, far below the target of 15 per cent, exporters and bankers warned yesterday.

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THAI TALK

Friday the 13th verdict is just a sideshow

Suthichai Yoon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Whatever verdict the Constitutional Court hands down tomorrow over the Constitution amendment crisis, things will get worse before they get better. And it doesn't really matter which side "wins" because the court's decision won't change anybody's opinion. Most people will continue to hold on to their positions in regard to the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the opposition Democrats.

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EDITORIAL

Clear rules for TV broadcast rights on the horizon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- After therecent 'blackout' of the Euro football championship, Thai sports viewers have reason to hope there will be no similar occurrence in future

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TELL IT AS IT IS

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, how life goes on, brah (or, take a break)

Pornpimol Kanchanalak

BANGKOK: -- This song by the Beatles was a whimsically optimistic and yet strange, or rather abstruse, track. On the surface, it talks about two characters, Desmond and Molly. They meet, fall in love, live together, build a home, have children and life goes on happily ever after. Their life is as sunny as a day in Shangri-La.

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German Resident Drugged And Robbed At His Jomtien Apartment

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New 1.1 Billion Baht Water Park Close To Pattaya Starts Construction

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BURNING ISSUE

Success as a premier is really up to Yingluck

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is getting some help from her older brother Thaksin, but unfortunately, the distance is preventing him from fully serving all her political needs. This is where Suranand Vejjajiva steps in.

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Council urges people to stop threatening judges

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Lawyers Council of Thailand yesterday called for an end to the threats and pressure directed at Constitution Court judges who will be handing down a verdict tomorrow on the charter amendment bills.

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Thailand to get its first British University

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Dangerous levels of pesticides in veggies at high-end markets

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Vegetables with a dangerously high level of pesticide have been sold in supermarkets and luxury department stores, the Foundation for Consumers said yesterday.

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BMA testing tablets for Bangkok schools

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s pilot project for students using computer tablets was introduced to four schools yesterday.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra visited the "smart classroom" project at Na Luang School in Thung Kru district, which is using the tablets to teach Prathom 4 students the Window 8 operating system. BMA has given 40 tablets for each pilot school to try different systems; Prachaniwet School using Android, Ritthiyawannalai School using Window 7 and Wat Pathumwararam School using I-Pad. When the six-month trial period has ended the city will hire King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi to assess which system is most appropriate for Bangkok students.

The city will buy the computer system it decides is the best, he said, and Bangkok schoolchildren will have the tablets for their use.

-- The Nation 2012-07-12

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Fund seeks private support to fight aids, TB, malaria

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria yesterday opened its first business forum in Bangkok to encourage more private-sector support in combating the three epidemics.

"The continued and expanded engagement of private contributors is playing a critical role in ensuring the long-term success of the Global Fund and the fight against Aids, tuberculosis and malaria," said Dr Christoph Benn, director for resource mobilisation and donor relations.

Under the theme "Investing in Asia-Pacific: Public Private Partnerships in Health", the Global Fund Business Forum, which ends today, is discussing various topics including the role of business in global health and business engagement in sustainable value creation. Panel sessions on public-private partnerships are also being held in various areas.

Key speakers include Lyn Kok, president and chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Bank Thailand; Ken Shibusawa, president of the Japan Centre for International Exchange; Anita Wei, director of communications for Greater China at Becton, Dickinson and Co; and Koichi Kaneda, senior director for corporate communication at Takeda Pharmaceutical.

In Thailand, the Global Fund has been working closely with the Public Health Ministry, the Thailand Business Coalition on HIV & Aids and non-governmental organisations such as Raks Thai on several health programmes such as the campaign for condom use to prevent infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. Other programmes are the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course for TB control and partnerships to reduce malaria in areas affected by conflict or with a high concentration of migrant workers.

Anthony Pramualratana, executive director of the Thailand Business Coalition on Aids, said Aids, TB and malaria were among the top three neglected diseases that seriously affect people's quality of life.

"What makes it worse is that the public is mostly not aware of these diseases and does not know how to tackle them. Every year, these diseases have taken many lives and caused huge economic losses to the country."

According to the Public Health Ministry's latest report, HIV patients total 1.15 million with about 10,000 new cases reported last year.

TB remains a problem, as Thailand is still one of the world's top 22 countries with the highest disease burden, according to the World Health Organisation. Worst, the success rate for TB treatment is 74 per cent, well below the WHO's 85-per-cent standard.

For malaria, 4,381 new cases were reported during the first five months this year, which is large although lower than in the same period last year.

"The situation remains critical in Thailand. We need to tackle this issue now if we need to have quality human resources. Together we can create a strong impact, and the Global Fund is committed to be the centre for mobilising the required resources and providing support to health development programmes," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-07-12

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HFMD scare on Sa Kaew border

The Nation

SA KAEW: -- Sa Kaew Provincial Governor Sanit Naksuksri yesterday issued an alert regarding a dangerous strain of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

He said Cambodian authorities reportedly were unable to get it under control and had called on the World Health Organisation’s help.

Schools were told to keep clean and health services to report any suspicious cases to the surveillance and rapid response team (SRRT) and to the provincial health office immediately.

Following news of a dangerous strain of HFMD killing 64 people and leaving 66 children sick, Cambodian vendors at the Rong Kleu border market yesterday took their schoolchildren to the Thai side. Thai border authorities conducted a random health check on the children and handed out leaflets about HFMD.

-- The Nation 2012-07-12

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Extra security for prison officials

The Nation

NAKHON SI TAMMARAT: -- A 30-strong armed border-patrol police team was deployed yesterday to guard the Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison after officials complained of continual life threats from drug-dealing gangs in the jail.

The prison has been tackling drug dealing by inmates, including by a Correction Department chief’s order to dismiss three prison officials and transfer 11 others pending severe disciplinary probes. The latest move was deployment of the border-patrol police team to prevent prohibited items from entering the prison and providing security for all prison officials.

Prison director Surapol Kaewparadai said that, while there were continuous attempts to send prohibited items into the prison, officials were searching cells and had found cell phones nearly everyday. The prison holds nearly 5,000 inmates with a ratio of officials to inmates at 1:100.

-- The Nation 2012-07-12

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Hat Yai-Narathiwat passenger van collides with 10-wheel truck at Chumphon, 11 passengers injured, 3 seriously /MCOT

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,203.19, down 5.48 points /MCOT

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Phuket Town water cuts start today

Phuket Gazette

Scenes like this will be common in Phuket Town over the next week. Photo: Gazette file.

PHUKET: -- Phuket City Waterworks (PCW) begins a series of scheduled daytime pressure cuts today in order to conduct system maintenance and install new water mains.

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Transport Ministry poised to launch joint public transport ticket service by 2015

BANGKOK, 12 July 2012 (NNT) – The Transport Ministry is set to launch a joint ticket service for all public transport systems within 3 years’ time.

Permanent Secretary to the Transport Ministry Silpachai Jarukasemratana said on Wednesday that the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning will hire a consulting company to help set up a joint ticket service for all public transport systems within 2 months from now.

The Transport Ministry stated that the details of the standard ticket and the framework of the service operation are to be concluded within the following 6 months.

Mr. Silpachai added that the linkage of the ticket systems will be performed in mid-2013 while the test run of the joint service are planned in 2014 in order to enable the real operation of the system to commence in 2015.

The Transport Ministry’s Permanent Secretary stated that during the months of August and September, Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited, the operator of BTS Skytrain, and Bangkok Metro Public Company Limited, the operator of the underground MRT service, will start the joint “Rabbit” smartcard service.

-- NNT 2012-07-12

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RT @RichardBarrow: 11:15am Many roads in Bangkok are becoming suitable for boats. This is Ekkamai (Pic @Auto_FaaD) http://bit.ly/P1OYWb

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PTT named 95th biggest company in the world by Fortune Global 500

BANGKOK, 12 July 2012 (NNT) – Thailand’s oil and gas giant, PTT, has been named by Fortune Global 500 Magazine as one of the world’s top 500 companies.

PTT President and CEO Pailin Chuchottaworn said that Fortune Global 500 Magazine has put the PTT at number-95 spot on the 2012 ranking by the world’s 500 biggest companies.

Mr. Pailin said that this year’s ranking is an improvement for the PTT, which was ranked 128th. in 2011, and also a pride as it is the only Thai company included in the survey.

He stated that Fortune Global 500 has thoroughly reviewed PTT’s earnings and profit reports as well as collected opinions from leading analysts and business leaders from around the world before honoring it with the inclusion of the company on the 2012 list.

In 2011, PTT has registered total revenue of 79.69 billion US dollar, up 33 percent on-year, and gross profit of 3.45 billion US dollars, a 31.9-percent on-year increase.

Mr. Pailin stated that a significant improvement in PTT’s performance has demonstrated the company’s potential in creating the energy stability and boosting the confidence in the economy of Thailand among local and foreign investors.

-- NNT 2012-07-12

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PM affirms transparency, accountability in drafting ToR for water projects

BANGKOK, July 12 -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thrusday has affirmed both transparency and accountability in drafting the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the country’s large-scale water management projects and for selecting and hiring a world class flood prevention consortium and experts.

The ToR is part of the government’s comprehensive flood prevention plan to create a new and improved water and crisis management system.

Ms Yingluck on Thursday chaired a meeting of the Water and Flood Management Committee (WFMC) to track the progress of flood prevention measures including the information and data collection system, the single command centre, water retention areas allocation, flood victim compensation measures and the building of dykes to protect economic areas on the western and eastern sides of the Chao Phraya River.

Before the meeting, the premier stopped at the point where document were distributed on the conceptual plan on sustainable water management and flood prevention in Thailand, the ToR on water management and flood prevention projects in 25 river basins.

Ms Yingluck said that the ToR has been drafted with transperancy and accountability. The details were ready for examination as it is a national project overseen by committees from various sectors without politicians.

She added that all processed must be done transparently and the projects would keep in mind the water management under His Majesty the King's initiatives.

The prime minister was scheduled to inspect the progress of dredging the Chao Phraya River Delta at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre in Samut Prakarn this afternoon.

Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi who chairs the Water Resources Management and Flood Control Committee (WRMFCC) said earlier that the government's decision to allow foreign companies to join the bidding of the water management and flood prevention projects was intended to offer Thailand the possibilities to utilize the best available technologies.

The ToR will be used to select both domestic and international companies specializing in water management will cover eight Chao Phraya basin areas and 17 other basins.

Interested companies can now propose conceptual plans for selection consideration, and the process will take one to three months. The committee will select the three best companies before deciding the best company, which will be given the opportunity to develop a detailed design of the overall projects.

The whole process will cover 14 mega projects valued at Bt300 billion. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-12

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New reduced price for passports

File photo. Source: wikimedia

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