Thailand Live Friday 24 Aug 2012

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BBC: A South Korean court rules that Apple and Samsung both infringed each other's patents on mobile devices.

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Home Buyers’ Expo 2012 held at Queen Sirikit Center

BANGKOK, 24 August 2012 (NNT) - Three grand-scale in-one housing exhibitions are being held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center from August 23-26.

The Housing Finance Association, in conjunction with Home Buyers’ Guide Co., Ltd., is organizing the Home Buyers’ Expo 2012, Non Performing Asset (NPA) Grand Sale 2012, and Home Loan 2012, at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center from now on until this Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The organizers are expecting around 80,000 visitors at the event. The Housing Finance Association has anticipated more housing loan requests than last year’s, which saw 270 billion baht worth of total home loans. It said the first-home tax deduction scheme helps stimulate home buying and the purchasing power has increased throughout the year.

According to Housing Business Association President Issara Boonyangs, many prospective buyers hesitated to purchase a house earlier in the year; however, the housing business is expected to grow in the fourth quarter. He advised people to buy their houses this year before prices of single homes and condominiums go up by 3-5% and 10% respectively next year, as a result of the minimum wage hike and construction material price increase

-- NNT 2012-08-24

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Gardener, 60, drowns in Phuket tin mine pond

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Police believe that the late Mr Waan may have fainted and drowned while fishing alone in the tin mine pond. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: -- Phuket Police are investigating the drowning death of a 60-year-old man found floating face-down in a tin mine pond in Thalang late yesterday afternoon.

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Anti-narcotics police raid illicit drug warehouse at Phahonyothin Soi 54/1; 1 million meth pills confiscated; one drug dealer killed /MCOT

Police seized illegal drugs (speed pills) worth at least Bt300 mn at Watcharapol Rd, Sai Mai District /The Nation

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Poll: Govt barely passes one-year performance evaluation

BANGKOK, 24 August 2012 (NNT) – The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has revealed that Thai people gave the government a marginal pass mark for its one-year performance.

The university conducted a survey on 1,200 participants across the country on the government’s first year performance. UTCC's Center for Economic and Business Forecasting (CEBF) Director Dr Thanawat Polvichai said that the people gave 5.32 out of 10 points to the government on the one-year performance evaluation.

He said the respondents were satisfied with the government’s 16 policies but gave a barely pass mark for its success. Its political performance received a failing grade.

Dr Thanawat indicated that the people wanted the government to tackle the rising cost of living and improve the nation's education system as the priorities for next year. He added that one-third of the participants expected the GDP this year to grow by 5.6-6%.

-- NNT 2012-08-24

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Sleeping Drunk Dutchman Robbed By Greedy Gays

A 50-year-old Dutch tourist sleeping in front of a KFC on Beach Road was robbed by two gays of his cellphone and motorbike key. Witnesses called police, who arrested the gays. The pair said they first tried to wake the man, then decided to steal his stuff.

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More Thai soap operas told to be translated for ASEAN audience

BANGKOK, 24 August 2012 (NNT) - The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has suggested that more soap operas be translated into ASEAN languages to promote Thai culture to neighboring countries and generate more income to Thailand.

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DDPM to speedily help provinces hit hard by rainfall shortage

BANGKOK, 24 August 2012 (NNT) – The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) is set to speedily help those hit hard by the shortage of rainfall in the country’s Northeast and South.

DDPM Director-General Viboon Sanguanpong said that northeastern and southern provinces, including Surin, Buriram, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Phang Nga and Surat Thani, continue to suffer the shortage of water supply due to the lack of rainfall.

Mr. Viboon stated that district and provincial DDPM offices in related areas have been instructed to set up a number of ad-hoc centers to ease and prevent drought problems to rein in the situation. Moreover, all offices have been ordered to send out water trucks to provide supply to those in need while installing water pump in drought-hit farming areas and assisting related Local Administrative Organizations (LAOs) in dredging canals and digging underground water wells.

The DDPM chief went on to say that collaborations have also been made with the Bureau of Royal Rain Making and Agricultural Aviation to help solve the rain shortage.

In addition, local officials in drought-affected areas are advised to visit villagers and review the impact of the situation in order to offer needed state assistance without delay.

-- NNT 2012-08-24

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TR@ibevanger: Anders #Breivik leaves Ila Prison outside of Oslo and heads in police convoy to Oslo district court to be sentenced.

[Lite Beer]

Shadow cabinet slams government’s one-year performance

BANGKOK, Aug 24 – Thailand’s opposition Democrat Party on Friday gave the Yingluck Shinawatra government a ‘thumbs-down’ for failing to carry out six pre-election campaign projects as promised to the Thai people.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/579456-shadow-cabinet-slams-governments-one-year-performance/#entry5601444

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POLITICS

Abhisit's six biting questions for Yingluck government

BANGKOK: -- As the government is planning to mark its first year in office this weekend, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday raised six issues omitted in the performance report.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....e/#entry5601467

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NEW RULES

Ban on alcohol sales at govt offices comes info force today

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A new regulation prohibiting the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages on the premises of government offices and state enterprises, which came into force on Thursday, will possibly minimise overall drinking at a certain level, according to a health official.

Dr Samarn Footrakul, director of the Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said the regulation, which is an addition to the 2008 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, clarifies the situation once and for all.

Prior to the addition of the regulation, it was unclear whether it was legal or not for government agencies and state enterprises to allow the sales and distribution of alcoholic drinks on their premises.

However, clubhouses on their premises are allowed to sell and distribute alcoholic drinks as usual.

The ban is extended to areas around the premises of government offices and state enterprises.

Dr Samarn said the ban might reduce the drinking volume to a small degree while traders will continue to intensify their marketing promotions to lure younger drinkers.

A survey found that the success rate of teenagers in buying alcoholic beverages is 98.7 per cent.

They can easily buy alcoholic drinks during daytime and at night at grocery stores, convenience stores and department stores, he said, adding that the imposed time limit for sales of alcoholic drinks has not been strictly enforced.

"It shows our weakness in enforcing the law including the age limit on buyers and time limit on traders," he concluded.

-- The Nation 2012-08-24

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PIRATES

Thai crewman kidnapped in Nigeria releases safe and sound

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Thai crewman who was kidnapped by pirates off the Nigerian coast early this month has been freed and will return to Thailand in a few days.

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the Thai embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, confirmed that the Thai crewman kidnapped by pirates when they hijacked his ship off the Nigerian coast has been released and also undergone medical a check.

The minister said the Thai, one of the four crewmen seized from the Dutch-owned STG housing barge Jascon 33, was attacked by gunmen in the Gulf of Guinea, 60km off the Nigerian coast on August 4.

Twenty seven people were reportedly on the barge, including seven expatriate workers. Sea Truck Group, an oil and gas contractor, which provides support vessels to oil companies operating in Nigeria, confirmed that four nationals from Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, and Malaysia on its staff were kidnapped, two security guards were wounded and two Nigerian sailors were killed.

The Associated Press quoted a company spokesperson as saying that the four men were in good health when officials recovered them Wednesday night from the Niger Delta region.

She said the men received medical check-ups after their release and were safe. The company informed their families and the local consulates.

-- The Nation 2012-08-24

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RT @RichardAlleyne: Breivik has arrived at court as Court 250 fills with journalists and relatives of victims #Breivik

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Mass killer Anders Breivik sentenced to 21 years in prison

OSLO: -- Oslo court handed down its verdict on Friday against Anders Behring Breivik for his twin attacks last year that left 77 people dead, bringing to a close one of the most spectacular trials in Norway's history.

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BORDER TRADE

Border passes in north considered

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Representatives of Foreign Ministry and the third Army Region meet Friday in Chiang Rai province to discuss possibility of opening border passes in the province.

Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichakchaikul said local residents told the ministry's Buakaew mobile team during a recent visit to the province recently that they were in need of more passes on the Thai-Myanmar border, as these would boost cross border trade and communications.

Local authorities in Chiang Rai wanted the passes to be opened at Pangtong in Fang district and Santondu in Mae Ai district.

He added that while local residents had said that border trades would increase if the passes were opened, the army argued that they would facilitate the smuggling of drugs in and out the country.

The ministry was told that Pangtong pass has been closed on and off for more than 10 years but drug problems in the area continued to increase. Putting the blame on the pass was thus not right.

The ministry will discuss the army about the possibility of open more Thai-Lao border passes on Saturday.

-- The Nation 2012-08-24

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Songkhla declares three districts drought disaster zones

SONGKHLA, Aug 24 – The southern province of Songkhla declared three districts disaster zones from drought after a lack of rainfall for a long period.

Farmland and orchards both in and outside the irrigation system area, have been damaged and some areas experienced a shortage of drinking water.

So Hemakul, head of the Songkhla disaster prevention and mitigation office, said the local authorities will provide trucks carrying drinking water to help those affected.

A meeting was held to assess the situation and to discuss response plans in case the drought worsens. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-08-24

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Green boxes tackle Bangkok crime

BANGKOK, Aug 24 - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Friday launched its ‘Green Box’ scheme in an attempt to fight the increasing crime levels in the city of angels.

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Drug suspect shot dead

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police Friday shot dead a drug suspect during an operation to block the flow of 1.5 million methamphetamine tablets into Bangkok.

If sold to end users, such amount of illicit drug could have fetched Bt450million.

Suthi Suwanyusiri, 36, sustained six gunshot wounds and died just outside the wall of a townhouse where the huge amount of methamphetamine were found.

"When he saw police, he jumped out of the townhouse and opened fire," Pol Maj General Suraphon Tuantong said in his capacity as the deputy chief of the National Police Office's Narcotics Suppression Bureau.

-- The Nation 2012-08-24

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SET index closed at 1237.19, down 0.45;Bt/USD31.09; GBP49.20; AUD32.24; EUR38.91; CAD31.12; HKD4.00; SGD24.71; JPY39.30

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California Wow Owner Sentenced To 10 Years Of Non-Stop Dance Music

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....op-dance-music/

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Phuket taxi driver presents photo of Tiger Disco 'ghost'

Phuket Gazette

The image [after automatic color adjustment] that the motorbike taxi driver claims to have snapped inside the Tiger Disco building.

PHUKET: -- A Phuket motorcycle taxi driver who entered the charred remains of the Tiger Discotheque the day after the fatal fire claims that photographs he took inside bare images of the spirit of a woman who lost her life there.

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to continue:

Thailand Live Saturday 25 Aug 2012