Thailand Live Monday 16 Jul 2012

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Thailand Live Monday 16 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 Sunday 15 Jul 2012

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[webfact]

Accused MPs not off the hook yet, high court declares

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The 416 Cabinet members, MPs and senators who voted in support of the charter amendment bill must now file individual rebuttals to justify their votes, Constitution Court spokesman Somrit Chaiwong said yesterday.

Full story:

[webfact]

Adul likely nominee for police chief

Chanikarn Pumhirun,

Kwanhatai Malaikarn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is expected to name today the new National Police chief for approval by the National Police Office board.

Full story:

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Court acted outside its powers, says Nitirat

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Nitirat group yesterday called for the dissolution of the Constitution Court, reasoning it committed a constitutional offence by empowering itself to hear the case while bypassing the Office of the Attorney General.

Full story:

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Clarify status of border land, villagers in South tell govt

The Nation

SURAT THANI: -- Over 200 villagers from Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat called on the government yesterday to clarify the status of land on the Myanmar boundary after claiming officials allowed them to work on rubber plantations there for more than 10 years.

They said they had grown and tended rubber trees in the area - inside Myanmar - since 1996 and had also established a community in this area. The district chief and other officials had also visited and organised a meeting with them on the eighth day of every month.

Moreover, the officials had taken a helicopter last month to inspect the geographic landscape of a waterway in the area.

They said the officials had asked villagers to continue working at the rubber plantations for the next 10 years then they would get land ownership documents. The officials told them they could not issue land-title deeds as the boundary between Thailand and Myanmar had not yet been demarcated.

Meanwhile, Kriengkrai Seutrong, who was accused of leading a group of Thais to encroach on Myanmar forestland, insisted he was not involved in rubber plantations, or selling war-weapons which were discovered in the area in Myanmar.

Kriengkrai and another 92 Thais were arrested earlier in this month and detained by Myanmar authorities at an Army camp in Koh Song Island. They were accused of encroaching on forest land and working on rubber plantations there. The Thais were released on Friday.

Kriengkrai said he would explain what happened and who was behind it.

-- The Nation 2012-07-16

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EDITORIAL

Murders on the Mekong hint at shady dealings

The Nation

Thai officials need to stop using dodgy proxies in border activities

Full story:

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Most Thais think court acted rightly on charter, poll finds

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Most Thais believe the Constitution Court's ruling on the charter amendment issue last week was just and in accordance with the law, a Dusit Poll survey revealed yesterday.

Full story:

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Kokaew unfazed by bail review

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai MP Kokaew Pikulthong yesterday shrugged off an attempt to cancel his bail on grounds of being allegedly involved in inciting the red shirts to oppose the judicial ruling on charter change.

Full story:

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NACC officials die in crash

The Nation

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: -- A bus carrying senior officials from the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC) overturned in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, claiming three lives and injuring many others.

The accident took place on the Mitrapab Road after a car suddenly cut in front of the bus, which was one of three carrying the officials from Bangkok to a seminar in Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The dead victims were Chai Chinso, 52, Somrak Pukchom-ngarm, and Supawan Pinyothammakorn, 54, who were all in the same bus.

The injured passengers were taken to the nearby Bangkok Ratchasima Hospital and Pak Chong Nana Hospital.

-- The Nation 2012-07-16

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Update:

Mass fish-death probe eyes wastewater pipes

The Nation

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: -- The mysterious death of over 100,000 fish in Nakhon Ratchasima province's Lam Taklong creek has prompted local environmental authorities to investigate the quality of water discharged from five suspected wastewater pipes and sewage-treatment systems.

Full story:

[webfact]

Police clash with major drug syndicate during illicit drug delivery to Chiang Rai network; seven drug dealers killed; eight rucksacks of meth, 30kg of ice seized /MCOT

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TrueVisions Launched 17 HD Channels, Blocked Pirate Users Overnight

Did your TrueVisions settop box fail this morning?

BANGKOK: -- TrueVisions, Thailand’s biggest Thailand's biggest pay TV operator last night converted their broadcast system to the very latest MPEG4 technology, which is supposed to improve picture quality, with the introduction of 17 new HD channels.

Full story:

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Eight drug dealers killed in clash with police in Chiang Rai

CHIANG RAI, July 16 -- Eight drug dealers were killed and more than one million meth pills were seized when police and a drug syndicate clashed in the northern province of Chiang Rai over the weekend.

Full story:

[webfact]

Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,212.96, up 2.67 points /MCOT

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Former Thaksin’s lawyer charged after stealing his money

BANGKOK, 16 July 2012 (NNT) - A Dubai court has sentenced a former lawyer of Thaksin Shinawatra for stealing the ex-Prime Minister's money during the Man City sale transaction.

Full story:

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Defence minister meets top brass to discuss pulling back troops at Preah Vihear as Cambodia agrees to withdraw troops on Wednesday /MCOT

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Harsher sentencing the best approach to violent crime: Phuket poll

Phuket Gazette

If readers had their way, inmates on violent crime convictions would be spending more time at Phuket Provincial Prison. Photo: Phuket Gazette file.

PHUKET: -- Readers see harsher sentences for convicted criminals as the best deterrent to violent crime in Phuket, the results of the latest Phuket Gazette online readers poll revealed.

Full story:

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Thailand remains vigilant on hand, foot and mouth disease

BANGKOK, July 16 - Cambodia's threatened epidemic of hand-foot-mouth disease has passed its critical point and is now controllable, but Thailand remains on alert during its encounter with the epidemic, Bureau of Epidemiology director Dr Pasakorn Akarasewi said on Monday.

He noted the outbreak in the neighbouring country should decline within 45 days, while the illness has been found in Thailand among primary-school students.

About 13,000 children have been infected with the disease so far in Thailand, with the figure possibly reaching some 18,000 cases this year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), illness and death in the majority of cases in Cambodia has been due to a severe form of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) related to Enterovirus 71, which is seen in many countries worldwide.

The illness has mostly been found in Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh and its vicinity, including along the Mekong River. The situation there is currently under WHO supervision, Dr Pasakorn said.

In Thailand, the outbreak has occurred mainly in the central and the northeastern areas, followed by the north and south, in nurseries and kindergarten schools. Most patients are children of 3-5 years old, bur the symptoms are also found in some children older than age 5.

The Epidemiology Bureau director said his organisation is speeding up measures for disease control and prevention. Clear guidance for setting up a provincial centre to monitor hand-foot-mouth disease will be given for further cooperation in the province. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-16

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Myanmar to free Thai children, women detainees: Yuthasak

BANGKOK, July 16 – The Myanmar authorities will first release about ten Thai women and children who were detained during a land encroachment incident earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa said today.

The deputy prime minister reported progress in helping 92 Thai detainees still in Myanmar saying that a group of Thai officials with a Burmese language interpreter will travel to Koh Song to visit the detainees and to help them regarding their basic living conditions.

The Myanmar investigation is under way and legal action will be taken against those with weapons or illegal drugs in their possession. Anyone free of wrongdoing will be repatriated.

Myanmar troops arrested the Thais who allegedly cut trees and cleared the area to plant rubber trees inside Myanmar territory at Koh Song, opposite Ranong's Kra Buri district on July 4.

Gen Yuthasak earlier said some 200 Thai nationals were lured by brokers to build homes and plant rubber trees in Myanmar.

He said that Thailand will discuss with Myanmar allowing Thais to rent the areas for cultivation. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-16

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SET index midday up 8.29 pts, 0.68 pct

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai composite stocks index (SET) at midday Monday stood at 1,218.58, up 8.29 points, or 0.68 per cent in line with regional shares.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 847.46, up 5.87 points, or 0.70 per cent.

Top five active (value) stocks: DTAC, KBANK, JAS, BBL, IRC.

-- The Nation 2012-07-16

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Eight drug suspects killed in Thailand

BANGKOK, July 16, 2012 (AFP) - Eight suspected drug dealers were killed on Monday in a clash with Thai security forces who seized weapons and a large amount of illegal amphetamines, Thailand's military said.

Full story:

[Lite Beer]

Red shirts burn mock coffin of Constitution Court judges

BANGKOK: -- Some 90 red-shirt people from Pathum Thani filed a compliant with police against nine Constitution Court judges and burned a mock coffin to protest in front of the court Monday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....t/#entry5489537

[Lite Beer]

PM to consult Council of State on charter amendments

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Monday that the government would consult the Council of State on the Constitution Court's ruling on charter amendments.

She said the Cabinet will also discuss the issue during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

She said it would be too soon for making comments on the issue now because the government would have to consult the Council of State first. She said the Council of State was expected to present its opinion to the Cabinet during weekly Cabinet meeting.

-- The Nation 2012-07016

[Lite Beer]

RT@veen_NT: Siam Center closes for 4 months from today for major renovation, to have new tenants when done. Expect to open before greeting season.

[Lite Beer]

Two elephants join Phuket migrant labour force

Phuket Gazette –

The two elephants already at Siam Niramit Phuket, pictured here, will soon have two new friends. Photo: Phuket Gazette file

Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak appeared unworried that the two new recruits would put the province even higher over the quota imposed by his office in 2003.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....e/#entry5489564

[Lite Beer]

Somsak says current amendment bill should be scrapped

BANGKOK: -- House Speaker and Parliament President Somsak Kiartsuranon said Monday that the current amendment bill should be annulled. He said new drafts to seek amendments to certain articles should be resubmitted to Parliament.

Somsak said if the current amendment bill is proceeded in the third reading, the government would have to spend over Bt2 billion to organize a public referendum.

But, Somsak said, it would depend on the majority of MPs and senators whether the current amendment bill should be annulled or not.

-- The Nation 2012-07-16

[Lite Beer]

Deputy House speaker wants to go ahead with 3rd reading

BANGKOK: -- But Deputy House speaker Charoen Chankomol said Monday that Parliament should go ahead with the third reading of the amendment bill.

Charoen said he disagreed with Parliament President Somsak Kiartsuranon's suggestion that the third reading should be scrapped.

Somsak made the suggestion after the Constitution Court ruled that an entirely new charter could be enacted unless a public referendum was held first.

Charoen said he saw that the court's decision on public referendum was only an opinion which had no biding effect on Parliament.

Charoen said if the government planned hold a public referendum in line with the court's ruling, it should be held just one time after the third reading.

-- The Nation 2012-07-16

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HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH

Disease wanes in Cambodia but Thailand remains on alert

The Nation

File photo

BANGKOK: -- Cambodia's handfootmouth disease epidemic appears to have passed the critical point and is now under control, but Thailand remains on alert for further cases of the disease, Bureau of Epidemiology director Dr Pasakorn Akarasewi said on Monday.

He noted the outbreak in the neighbouring country should decline within 45 days and that the illness has been found in Thailand among primary school students.

About 13,000 children have been infected with the HDMD so far in Thailand, with the figure possibly reaching some 18,000 cases this year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), illness and death in the majority of cases in Cambodia has been due to a severe form of handfootmouth disease (HFMD) related to Enterovirus 71, which is seen in many countries around the globe.

The illness has mostly been found in Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh and its vicinity, including along the Mekong River. The situation there is currently under WHO supervision, Dr Pasakorn said.

In Thailand, the outbreak has occurred mainly in the central and the northeastern areas, followed by the north and south, in nurseries and kindergarten schools. Most patients are children of 3-5 years old, bur the symptoms are also found in some children older than age 5.

The Epidemiology Bureau director said his organisation is speeding up measures for disease control and prevention. Clear guidance for setting up a provincial centre to monitor handfootmouth disease will be given to ensure further cooperation.

-- The Nation 2012-07-16

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PM Yingluck: Too soon to conclude Constitution amendment; Constitution Court's ruling to given to Council of State Office Tuesday /MCOT