Thailand Live Thursday 6 Sep 2012

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Thailand Live Thursday 6 September 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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FLOOD TEST

Drainage capacity 'three times higher than last year' in west Bangkok

THE NATION

Members of the public observe the drainage test yesterday at Western Bangkok

Plodprasob says results 'satisfactory' but more work to be done to sort out shortcomings

BANGKOK: -- Yesterday's test of the efficiency of canals in draining flood water from western Bangkok ran smoothly, according to the National Water Resources and Flood Policy Committee (NWFPC).

Full story:

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Ferrari that killed cop 'was doing 200kph'

THE NATION

Krating Daeng managing director Worrayuth Yoovidhya and his mother Daranee pay respects to the body of the late Pol Snr Sgt Major Wichean Klinprasert, who was run over by Worrayuth

BANGKOK: -- Police forensic experts believe Krating Daeng managing director Worrayuth Yoovidhya crashed his Ferrari car directly into the rear of a slain policeman's motorcycle at a speed of around 200km per hour.

Full story:

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Taxi complaint hotline buzzing: Thailand

Full story:

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MINIMUM DAILY WAGE

Nationwide extension spark concerns

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI,

PRANEE MEUNPANGWAREE

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Private-sector organisations have called on the government to review its plan to extend the Bt300 minimum daily wage nationwide early next year amid uncertainty over global economic growth, which would result in the double whammy of reduced sales for exporters amid higher production costs.

Full story:

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Update

TELECOMMUNICATION

DTAC fined Bt10m for network failure

USANEE MONGKOLPORN

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has slapped Total Access Communications (DTAC) with a fine of Bt10 million over its network failure late last month. The mobile-phone service provider must pay the fine within 15 days, NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasit said yesterday.

Full story:

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BURNING ISSUE

Secrecy key as election for city governor looms

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The fight for the support of Bangkok's voters has begun although there are still a few months before the next governor's election.

Full story:

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MURDER

MP claims son's killing politically motivated

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- MP Chada Thaiseth yesterday dismissed the claim of the murder suspect that road rage had caused the shooting of his son Farut, saying he believed the attack was politically motivated.

Full story:

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APRC

Bangkok home to peace council

SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council (APRC), which was officially established yesterday, will set up its secretariat in Thailand.

The council's role will be to provide "silent and quiet diplomacy" to solve conflict was well as to restore peace and reconciliation in Asia and around the globe.

Former decision-makers, senior diplomats and academics, mostly from Asia and some from Europe, announced the establishment of the organisation dedicated to peace after their two-day preparatory meeting in Bangkok.

Details of the council's structure will be finalised before the end of this year.

Members of the council, such as former president of East Timor and Noble Peace laureate Jose Ramos Horta, former Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi and former Pakistani prime minister Shaukat Aziz, agreed they would meet once a year.

Its secretariat would be registered as a non-profit foundation under Thai law, said former Thai deputy prime minister and foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who chaired the meeting yesterday.

"However the APRC members are global citizens who do not and will not represent any government, country or political party," Surakiart said in the chairman's statement.

There are pockets of conflict and potential conflict within and between societies in Asia - ranging from ethnic, religious, land boundary, maritime territorial to political disputes - that provide issues for the newly set up council to address, he said, but declined to be specific on which conflicts were under review.

Former Pakistani PM Aziz said the council would play a role or be involved in a conflict only when the stakeholders in such a conflict requested it and allowed it to do its work.

The council would operate on the principle of non-interference, silent/quiet diplomacy, consensus and inclusiveness, Surakiart said.

"The council may choose to engage in any conflict resolution process, provided all parties involved grant their consent," he said.

There are many organisations and mechanisms to engage in |and resolve conflict around the world, Surakiart said. But the APRC was unique as it consisted of founding members who could offer a wealth of knowledge, experience and understanding of bureaucracy, social political structure and realities in the region as well as first-hand knowledge in the political decision-making process.

The council would be a non-governmental and impartial body with unparalleled access to decision-makers involved in conflict situations, he said. The council could provide a comfort level for parties in a conflict to find peace and reconciliation, Surakiart said.

-- The Nation 2012-09-06

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Corruption remains Thailand's most vulnerable factor

BANGKOK, Sept 6 – The Yingluck Shinawatra government has failed to deliver its promised crackdown on corruption, according to a poll at Bangkok's Dhurakij Pundit University (DPU)

Full story:

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Top cop in trouble over Thaksin links

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt-General Khamronwit Thoopkrajang has found himself in trouble after boasting about his links to fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Full story:

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Fireworks factory blaze injures 3

The Nation

Photo : Ekkapong Praditpong

CHIANG MAI: -- A rented house, used to manufacture fireworks in Chiang Mai's Doi Saket district, caught fire yesterday morning injuring three female workers on the premises.

Since police investigation uncovered that the operation was illegal, they will file charges against the tenant to prevent future accidents.

-- The Nation 2012-09-06

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Thai version of 'Viagra' to be launched next month

Poungchompoo Prasert

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation will launch its erectile dysfunction drug "Sidagra" on October 15 at a fraction of the price of Viagra.

Full story:

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Police intercept drug haul

The Nation

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: -- police yesterday intercepted a big shipment of methamphetamine and crystal methamphetamine with street value worth more than Bt30 million.

"Their statements will lead to the seizure of a major drug trafficker in the South," Nakhon Si Thammarat police chief Maj-General Ronnapong Saikaew said.

"They used seasoning sauce to cover the smell of the drugs, which is why they got through many checkpoints."

-- The Nation 2012-09-06

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600 cold-case suspects held

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan Police chief Khamronwit Thoopkrajang said yesterday that some 600 cold-case suspects had been arrested from August 27 to 31 as part of an attempt to reduce the overwhelming 50,000 pending arrest warrants.

Police also presented seized evidence including 18 guns, 139,120 yaba tablets and 12 grenades. Police will also start using sniffer dogs to inspect luggage at Mor Chit Bus Terminal from September 15.

-- The Nation 2012-09-06

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Volunteer kills self, one other

The Nation

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: -- A territorial defence volunteer shot dead an official and wounded two others at Nakhon Ratchasima's Chum Phuang district before killing himself at 8.40am yesterday.

Yingcharoen Teepnok, 47, allegedly used his 0.38 pistol to kill clerk Thanyarak Saimai, 45, and then injured her colleagues Sunisa Saelee and La-ongthip Sodklang before locking himself in his office - the district office's radio communication room - and turned the pistol on himself. Police collected more than 10 spent bullets at the scene. Police officers said that they initially suspected that Yingcharoen planned this shooting beforehand because he had placed a photograph of himself and two wreaths in his office.

Yingcharoen's supervisor Chun Chorthonglang said the suspect had once told him that he had a crush on La-ongthip but since he was already married, Thanyarak and Sunisa tried to keep the two apart and often criticised him for his behaviour.

-- The Nation 2012-09-06

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Update:

Yoswarit 'not remorseful enough' to be granted bail

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court yesterday rejected bail for red-shirt leader Yoswarit Chooklom on grounds that he had not shown enough remorse for pressuring Constitution Court justices to rule in favour of charter amendments.

Full story:

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Court hears complaint against defence minister

CHANIKARN POOMHIRUN,

PANYA THIOSANGWAN

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Central Administrative Court yesterday heard a case in which the Defence Ministry's permanent secretary and his deputy accused their boss, the defence minister, of unfair treatment as the ministry's top council met to select a new permanent secretary.

The court concluded the hearings yesterday but did not announce its verdict.

Defence permanent secretary General Sathien Permthong-in and his deputy General Chatri Thatti filed a case against Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, accusing him of unlawfully transferring them to inactive posts at the Defence Minister's Office on August 27. The transfer came after leaks were made to the media that the defence minister was "trying to meddle" with the appointment of a new permanent secretary.

Sathien and Chatri were represented by their lawyer Thanapon Choochayanont, while Sukampol had Maj-General Pinit Chatsathienpong, assistant chief of the Defence Ministry's Secretariat Department, and Colonel Panu Phromdirek from the Judge Advocate-General's Department testify for him.

After the hearing, representatives from both sides left the courtroom through a back door to avoid the media.

Meanwhile, Sukampol yesterday chaired a meeting of the Council of Defence to discuss the selection of a new permanent secretary.

The chiefs of the three armed forces who are council members were present at yesterday's meeting.

Sukampol nominated General Thanongsak Apirakyothin, assistant Army chief, as the next permanent secretary to replace Sathien, who is to retire at the end of September. The meeting’s participants agreed to the defence minister’s nomination, which will then be forwarded to the prime minister for approval.

Sathien's other deputy who is now the caretaker permanent secretary, General Withawat Rachatanant, who was earlier expected to attend the meeting, did not show up. He said later that he did not want to cause any legal problems over the military transfer because there were no clear-cut regulations on whether he could attend the meeting on Sathien's behalf.

The permanent secretary for defence is an ex-officio member of the council.

-- The Nation 2012-09-06

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As PM visits South, bomb injures patrol marines

THE NATION

Narathiwat

NARATHIWAT: -- Members of the Marine Task Force were injured yesterday, with one losing his legs, after a roadside bomb exploded while they were on patrol to tighten security for a one-day visit by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Full story:

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THAI TALK

Drainage test is fine; political fallout floods Bangkok

Suthichai Yoon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- In the unlikely event that your house got flooded yesterday, don't get too excited. It was supposed to be just a "trial" inundation. It may have nothing to do with the "real flood", which may or may not materialise this year.

Full story:

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Car crash politics: Laws don't touch rich in Thailand

By Ploy Bunluesilp , NBC News

BANGKOK, Thailand – Shortly before dawn on Monday in an upscale area of Bangkok, a 27-year-old Thai man driving a Ferrari crashed into a policeman on a motorcycle. The driver dragged him more than 100 yards along the road before fleeing the scene. The policeman, 47-year-old Sgt. Maj. Wichien Glanprasert, was killed.

Full story:

[george]

Foreigner plunges from 3rd floor to basement within Suvarnabhumi Airport close to door 3 this morning /via @suthichai

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Lufthansa cancels 1,200 flights due to strike

FRANKFURT: -- In connection with a new cabin crew strike scheduled to take place on September 7th, Lufthansa has canceled about 1,200 of its approximately 1,800 scheduled flights.

Full story:

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Depressed woman 'fed herself to crocodiles' at popular Thai tourist attraction

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

File photo. Source wikimedia

SAMUT PRAKARN: -- A woman who was suffering from depression is believed to have fed herself to the crocodiles at a popular tourist attraction in Thailand.

Full story:

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,237.66, up 3.82 points /MCOT

[george]

A night bus on the Mae Hong Son-Bangkok route crashed into a ravine. 8 people injured (Pic via @faajung_Galz) http://pic.twitter.com/JFS1RR5P

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NSO: Bangkok is seeing the most serious narcotics problem in Thailand

BANGKOK, 6 September 2012 (NNT) – The National Statistical Office (NSO) states that the problem of drug addiction is the most serious in Bangkok, when compared with all other provinces.

NSO Director-General Viboondhat Sudhantanakit said on Wednesday that the latest public survey, conducted under the collaboration with the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), found that Bangkok is said to be the area with the most serious spread of drug abuse.

The survey was conducted to help promote the government’s national agenda on drug clampdown, which has been calling for cooperation from all parties to put a speedy and sustainable end to drug problems in the country.

Mr. Viboondhat said that the respondents stated that the southern region of Thailand is the area with the second-most serious drug problems.

However, nearly 4 in 10 of people who answered the questionnaire felt that the spread of illicit drugs across Thailand has been, on average, less pervasive than in 2011.

-- NNT 2012-09-06

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Various provinces urgently set up flood barriers ahead of flooding season

NAKHON SAWAN, 6 September 2012 (NNT) – Several provinces which were flooded in 2011 are speeding up their works on flood preventions ahead of the flooding season.

As the rainy season has begun, the Marine Department has urgently been dredging sandbars in the Ping River in Nakhon Sawan Province to prepare for possible flood from accumulating rainwater.

The dredging mission has been going on since April. The water level in the Ping Rivern which has risen after heavy rain, makes the works more difficult. Work hours have been extended as the department is rushing to complete the project by September 14th.

Meanwhile, in Ang Thong Province, construction workers have been repairing floodwalls and increasing their strength along the Chaophraya River. The water level in the river has been on the rise. After an inspection, authorities found several spots where repair works have not been completed; some among which have not been repaired at all, making them risk spots for leakage and flooding.

-- NNT 2012-09-06

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Chiang Mai selected as one of Asia’s Top-10 Cities of Charm at ASEAN-China Expo

CHIANG MAI, 6 September 2012 (NNT) – Thailand’s northern capital Chiang Mai has been selected as one of Asia’s top-10 cities of great charm.

Full story: