Thailand Live Saturday 4 Aug 2012

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Thailand Live Saturday 4 August 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 Friday 3 Aug 2012

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Reds urged to gather outside court

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Red shirts have been told to gather in front of the Criminal Court next Thursday to offer "moral support" to their leaders, including Jatuporn Promphan, who, along with 23 other reds, will face charges of defaming the Constitution Court, which could revoke bail granted to many of them.

Full story:

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170,000 appear for police entrance exams

The Nation

All those who appeared at yesterday

BANGKOK: -- Under tightened security to prevent cheating, about 170,000 people yesterday took part in the makeup entrance examination for the recruitment of noncommissioned policemen.

Full story:

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Shops and clubs flout Buddhist Lent

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Despite awareness campaigns and legal actions against alcohol sales during the beginning of Buddhist Lent, stores were illegally selling liquor. There was even a new type of alcoholic drink launched on Asalha Bucha Day, the Office of Alcohol Control said yesterday.

Full story:

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Academics oppose curfew option in South

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Academics and religious leaders are opposed to the possible imposition of a curfew in the deep South in the wake of recent bomb attacks, saying that such drastic action would draw international sanctions on the counterinsurgency operations while also affecting the daily lives of local residents.

Full story:

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EXTERNAL RISK

External risks to escalate in second half, BOT says

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- After a strong recovery in the first half, the Thai economy will face some headwinds in the second half as private consumption slows on growing external volatility, the Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee said.

Full story:

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Krabi killers escape after 'M16 ambush'

Phuket Gazette

The pickup truck ran off the road after the gunmen opened fire with what police believe to have been an M16 assault rifle. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

KRABI: -- Krabi Police suspect revenge was the motive for a shooting in Khlong Kanan subdistrict on Saturday, when gunmen opened fire on a moving pickup truck in a well-planned ambush.

Full story:

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Ministry to scour villages for grads

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Teams of volunteers will be dispatched to villages across the country this month to find new graduates with bachelor's degrees who are still without jobs and register them for future employment, Labour Ministry permanent secretary Somkiat Chayasriwong said yesterday.

The move is in response to the large number of graduates still without jobs, who account for 34,724 of the 318,596 students who completed undergraduate studies last school semester, Somkiat said. The registration details will then be sent to three key bodies regulating the industrial, tourism and business sectors to seek job opportunities for them.

The ministry's Department of Employment will also assist those bodies in seeking jobs, and will hold a meeting of its provincial offices across the country to discuss action plans for the survey and registration, he added.

According to the department's database of graduates completing their studies last semester, 83,563 students at ninth grade level are employed out of all 867,737 graduates. The figures are 20,575/400,296 at 12th grade; 52,452/220,017 at primary vocational level; and 80,740/166,750 at secondary vocational level. The total numbers at all levels are 521,199 from 1,973,396.

-- The Nation 2012-08-04

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ThaiBev ready to work with Heineken

The Nation, Agencies

As Dutch brewer's takeover offer for APB gets nod, Thai firm says it is privileged to be stakeholder in F&N

Fraser and Neave (F&N) and Heineken have agreed on a US$4-billion (Bt126.4 billion) takeover deal for F&N unit Asia Pacific Breweries (APB), while F&N stakeholder Thai Beverage said it was ready to work with the global brewer.

Full story:

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Buakaw Por Pramuk: 'I enjoyed trying MMA but never considered competing'

by Rob Cox

BANGKOK: -- First there was his acrimonious departure from Por Pramuk, then he shocked the world by announcing his retirement from Muay Thai and was photographed training MMA amidst widespread rumours that he was in preparation to make his professional debut.

Full story:

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Thai Police Search Warehouse, Find Traces Of Drugs Smuggled To Australia: Sydney Drug Bust

Full story:

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Aussie Started The Fight: Taxi Drivers

Full story:

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City floodfighting budget doubled

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The floodprevention budget for projects in all 50 Bangkok districts has been doubled to speed them up as the peak of the wet season is nearing, Bangkok Deputy Governor Theerachon Manomaiphibool said yesterday.

A Bangkok City Council budgetvetting session approved the proposal to increase the budget from Bt75.1 million to Bt150.2 million. The money is available now for all 50 districts, at four different rates - Bt1.2 million, Bt2.4 million, Bt3 million and Bt4 million - all of which will be doubled.

-- The Nation 2012-08-04

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ICT Ministry expands free Wi-Fi project

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Information and Communications Technology Ministry will expand its free Wi-Fi project to 200,000 access points nationwide by the end of this year, up from around 76,000 points.

Full story:

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iPhone 5 prototype found at MBK?

By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- A “non-functioning replica prototype” of the new Apple iPhone 5 has reportedly turned up at MBK Center in Bangkok.

Full story:

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Thais Still Using Fake Bomb Detectors

Written by Richard S. Ehrlich

Military was warned two years ago that the devices were fake

BANGKOK: -- More than two years after being told they were fake, Thailand's military is still using bogus bomb detectors that were fraudulently sold by a discredited British company, according to the country’s Department of Special Investigation.

Full story:

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Kirsty Jones' mother in Thailand murder appeal

CHIANG MAIL -- The mother of a Welsh woman murdered in Thailand 12 years ago is travelling to the country to appeal for information.

Full story:

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Pattaya Farewells the British Ambassador

Full story:

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4 Gulf of Thailand provinces joining hands to promote tourism

SURAT THANI, 4 August 2012 (NNT) – A new tourism promotion effort is being launched under the cooperation of provinces located along the Gulf of Thailand.

Director of the Surat Thani Province Office of Tourism and Sports Promchote Traivate said that 4 southern provinces along the Gulf of Thailand, including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon and Phatthalung, have recently joined in an integrated tourism marketing collaboration.

Mr. Promchote stated that the initiative was intended to connect the tourism industry of all 4 provinces while promoting key and quality products from each locality to visitors.

The project kicks off with the 7-million-baht project, titled “Zest of the South”, scheduled during August 15th and 19th at Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok.

According to the Surat Thani Province Office of Tourism and Sports, around 3.5 million tourists have visited all the 4 provinces each year, 55 % of whom are Thais and the remainder are foreigners, generating about 35 billion baht in tourism revenue.

In 2012, the tourism income in the four provinces is expected to increase from last year’s record to about 40 billion baht, said Mr. Promchote.

-- NNT 2012-08-04

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Govt confident in the ability of Thai Army in containing southern violence

BANGKOK, 4 August 2012 (NNT) – The government has expressed its confidence in the Royal Thai Army’s ability to contain insurgent violence in the southern border area.

PM’s Secretary General Suranand Vejjajiva said on Friday that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been concerned about ongoing violent attacks in the 3 southern border provinces and has called for meetings with related agencies to discuss the issue.

Mr. Suranand said that the PM is nevertheless confident that the Royal Thai Army will be able to rein in the situation in the violence-plagued region.

The Premier has also stated that the government has been pursuing the right approaches towards the restoration of peace in the Deep South, by adopting HM the King’s philosophies on understanding, accessibility and development in its works.

The PM’s Secretary General added that the government is aware that the Deep South violence is not only about national security but also economic and social concerns.

He went on to say that the government has constantly been making an evaluation of the situation in order to enable it to implement timely and effective solutions while making sure that all related agencies are collaborating closely in tackling the years-long problems.

-- NNT 2012-08-04

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'Stars' to shine in Phuket Life Music Festival tonight

Phuket Gazette

Phuket-born Dome, winner of the popular reality TV show 'The Star'. Image: PR EXACT - SCENARIO

PHUKET: -- Jaruwat “Dome” Cheawaram, better known as “Dome The Star”, will headline at the Phuket Life Music Festival 2012 in Phuket Town tonight.

Full story:

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Swede Fatally Stabs Thai GF’s Facebook Friend

An apparent love triangle among 18-year-olds resulted in a fatal stabbing in a Sakaew hotel room. The Thai girlfriend of a Swede had befriended a Thai student on Facebook, but the two men battled each other to death when they met.

Full story:

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PM ready to clarify in no-confidence debate

BANGKOK, Aug 4 - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is ready to clarify in a no-confidence debate to be lodged by the Opposition if the probe focuses on the government's performance, not a political game, said her secretary-general Suranand Vejjajiva on Saturday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/574818-yingluck-ready-to-clarify-in-no-confidence-debate/#entry5543918

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Villager shot dead in Pattani.

PATTANI, Aug 4 - A man was gunned down early Saturday morning while riding a motorcycle in the violence-plagued province of Pattani, according to local police.

Paisan Lakor, 25, was shot dead on a road in the Taluban municipal area, Sai Buri district while he was riding a motorcycle, having left from home at 4 am.

Responding to the shooting, Pol Lt Kotchapat Wattana-udom of Sai Buri police station, together with an investigator team and relevant officials, rushed to investigate the crime scene.

Police presumed that the cause of the attack may be linked to the regional insurgency or possibly a personal conflict.

In Songkhla, meanwhile, the tourism and business ambiance in the southern metropolis of Hat Yai is lively, with Malaysian and Singaporean travellers flocking to the city during the long holiday from August 2 through 5.

Most foreign tourists expressed confidence in security measures provided by local authorities. To ensure the public security, defence volunteers and police were patrolling downtown Hat Yai as well as stationed at 45 checkpoints set up in outer areas of Hat Yai.

A bombing at Hat Yai's Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel on March 31 killed three persons - including two Malaysians - and wounded over 350 tourists and shoppers. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2012-08-04

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Pattani policeman shot dead while riding motorcycle in Sai Buri district in afternoon; cause of attack may be linked to regional unrest /MCOT

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Korat Boy, 14, dies after crashing into parked truck in Phuket

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A 14-year-old boy from Nakhon Ratchasima died after crashing his motorbike into a large truck parked by the side of the road in Phuket yesterday afternoon.

Full story:

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THAILAND: Ambivalent about needle exchanges

BANGKOK, 4 August 2012 (IRIN) - Needle exchanges for injecting drug users and the decriminalization of people who use drugs are the most effective ways of preventing HIV and hepatitis C infections in Thailand, say experts.

Full story:

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Thai jail vermin were my friends: Swedish ex-con

BANGKOK: -- A Swede incarcerated in a Thai prison after a lack of money made him turn to drug smuggling, has written a book about his experiences in Thai prison, in an isolation cell with only rats and cockroaches for company.

Full story:

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to continue:

Thailand Live Sunday 5 Aug 2012

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/574871-thailand-live-sunday-5-aug-2012/