Thailand Live Tuesday 31 Jul 2012

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NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

PM ready to face censure debate

The Nation

Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday said she was prepared to rebut the opposition's censure should the motion of noconfidence be filed upon the reconvening of the House next month.

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ECONOMY

BOT Governor puts balanced growth above GDP

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul urged the government put in place the balance of stability, competitiveness and quality of life, rather than focusing solely on the economic growth rate.

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Opposition to file urgent motion on southern violence

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The opposition Democrat Party will tomorrow file an urgent motion requesting a debate on escalating violence in the three sounthernmost provinces, opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanawisit said on Tuesday.

In June alone, some 80 violent incidents happened killing 15 officials and 31 civilians, Jurin said, noting this month saw increasing numbers of ambushes against soldiers, defence volunteers and policemen.

He said only one suspected insurgent was shot dead despite several gun battles and high casualties for security forces.

-- The Nation 2012-07-31

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Thailand sees potential as regional hub with future hi-speed train

BANGKOK, July 31 - Thailand has the potential to be South East Asia's most important economic hub when its future high-speed train is in place, due to the country's oceanic geography linking Laos and China through Singapore, a study conducted by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) said.

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PM grants 20 million baht to women’s fund in each province

BANGKOK, 31 July 2012 (NNT) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has today allotted a 20-million-baht budget to the women’s fund in each province across the country in an effort to uplift the quality of life for Thai women.

Prime Minister Yingluck presided over the official opening ceremony of the Women Empowerment Fund Program this morning at Impact Muang Thong Thani. Representatives from women’s groups nationwide were invited to participate in the ceremony.

The event features several exhibitions on women’s roles to mark the Thai Women’s Day, which falls on August 1 of every year, as well as an exhibition in honor of Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her 80th birthday anniversary this August 12.

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Yingluck authorized the transfer of 20 million baht to the bank account of the women’s fund in each of Thailand’s 77 provinces, totaling 1.54 billion baht. Throughout the program, an average of 100 million baht will be allocated to each province, or a total of 7.7 billion baht.

The government’s Women Empowerment Fund was set up to promote gender equality and women’s rights and to improve the economic and social conditions for Thai women. It also aims to strengthen women’s groups and provide assistance to the underprivileged in anticipation of many changes during the formation of the ASEAN Community in 2015.

The Yingluck administration’s main policies include encouraging women’s participation in the country’s development, ensuring security in their lives as well as empowering their roles at all levels.

-- NNT 2012-07-31

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SET index closed at 1199.30, up 5.98; Bt/USD31.41; GBP49.17; AUD32.82; EUR38.67; CAD38.36; HKD4.04; SGD25.89; JPY40.67

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Thailand Live Wednesday 1 Aug 2012