Thailand Live Friday 28 Sep 2012

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Thailand Live Friday 28 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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Related topic: Thailand Live Thursday 27 Sep 2012

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Army defends blimp repairs

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Army said yesterday that the deal worth Bt50 million for two foreign companies to repair and further equip its grounded airship in the South was permitted because a maintenance agreement with the seller had expired.

Full story:

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LIBEL SUIT

Jatuporn handed suspended jail term for defaming Abhisit

The Nation

Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan arrives at Criminal Court yesterday, where he was found guilty of defaming former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The court sentenced Jatuporn to six months in jail, suspended for two years.

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced red-shirt activist Jatuporn Prompan to six months in jail and fined him Bt50,000 for defaming Abhisit Vejjajiva, the opposition Democrat Party leader, and inciting public hatred against him by taking to the red-shirt stage and claiming Abhisit ordered the killing of people.

Full story:

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First Weekly Inspection Of Pattaya And Jomtien Beach Jet Ski's Takes Place

Full story:

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Pattaya sets up safety zones to reduce crime rates

Full story:

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UNGA

PM offers woman's touch in maritime row

The Nation, Agencies

NEW YORK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has offered to bring something new to the negotiating table over the broiling territorial disputes in the South China Sea - a woman's touch.

Speaking at the Asia Society in New York yesterday, she said as a non-claimant state on good terms with all the parties involved, Thailand wants to help. While stressing she wasn't underestimating the challenge, Yingluck said:

"Perhaps I can bring a bit of a woman's touch to addressing this conflict." People in the packed auditorium responded with gentle ripples of laughter.

Yingluck urged the countries involved in the maritime territorial disputes to "focus more on what we can do together rather than what divides us".

-- The Nation 2012-09-28

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RICE

Group makes constitutional challenge to rice

Pranee Muenphangwaree,

Suphannee Pootpisut

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A group of 127 academics, members of the public, university students and some rice farmers yesterday submitted a written complaint to the Constitution Court over seven key points of the government's higher-than-market price-subsidy policy that they claim breaches the charter.

Full story:

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MURDERS

Scandal-hit doctor hit with more charges

ANAN KHONGCHAROEN,

KHWANHATAI MALAIKARN

THE NATION

PHETCHABURI: -- Phetchaburi Governor Winai Buapradit has instructed the provincial employment office to file charges of hiring aliens to work and trafficking in humans against Dr Supat Laohawattana.

Full story:

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Muslim group demands removal of film clip

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Some 300 Thai-Muslims gathered outside the US Embassy yesterday and then later at a building where Google Thailand is based to protest that the film deemed offensive to Islam be removed from the Google-owned online streaming service Youtube.

A number of angry protesters threw bottles and other objects into the embassy compound and tried shoving the riot police stationed to protect the US mission when nobody from the embassy appeared to receive their complaints. They calmed down when the protest leaders insisted that using peaceful means was their only solution.

The group then walked to CentralWorld, where Google Thailand is based, and demanded that it remove the "Innocence of Muslims" video clip from YouTube, saying that its online presence violated the cyber-crime law as well as a court decision banning the clip from being shown or featured in Thailand. A Google employee received their written complaint and promised to proceed with their demand.

The protesters gave Google until midnight yesterday to remove the clip or it would "face legal action under Thai law". The group then held a prayer outside the complex before dispersing peacefully.

-- The Nation 2012-09-28

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Stop falling prey to political ploys

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- There seemed to be another upsurge of political volatility on Tuesday when the red and yellow shirts clashed in the vicinity of the Crime Suppression Division.

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

Dangerous levels of pesticides will poison food plan

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand wants to be the 'world's kitchen' and leading food exporter, but that will never happen with our safety standards so low and those in our export target markets so high

Full story:

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Herbert Lom Dead: 'Pink Panther' Actor Dies At 95

Full story:

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Thai Navy in Phuket does it 'Gangnam Style'

Phuket Gazette

Sailors at the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command in Phuket have been infected by ‘Gangnam Style’. Image: YouTube

PHUKET: -- Thai Sailors at the Navy Third Area Command, based at Cape Panwa on Phuket’s east coast, have broken their stoic mold and posted a video on YouTube showing that they can have fun too, by dancing in the now-globally infectious Korean “Gangnam Style”.

Full story:

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-- The Nation 2012-09-28

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Mammoth budget asked to revamp Thailand's railway service

BANGKOK, Sept 28 – The nearly Bt200 billion allocated by the government to improve Thailand’s railway system and finance a five-year restructuring plan will involve the purchase of new locomotives, construction of parallel railways, improvements of existing rail track, signal system and telecommunications, according to State Railway of Thailand (SRT) deputy governor Viroj Triampongpan.

Full story:

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Thai Internet 'not free': Freedom House

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is ranked along with 10 other nations as "not free" when it comes to the Internet, according to a new survey by the US-based Freedom House.

Full story:

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Thai restaurateur facing US drug charges

The Nation

USA: -- The owner of a Thai restaurant in the US state of Louisiana was arrested on Tuesday evening on suspicion of dealing in illegal drugs, local media reported yesterday.

Ricky Seubsanh, 55, owner of the Thai Thai by Ricky restaurant, had been under investigation for between three and four months prior to his arrest.

Investigators from the Narcotics Task Force took Seubsanh into custody on three counts of cocaine distribution and executed search warrants for his restaurant, his residence and his car. Investigators seized drugs, a phone and a number of laptop computers.

Officials also charged Seubsanh with possession of cocaine, hydrocodone and marijuana.

-- The Nation 2012-09-28

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BANGKOK FLOODING

Expert doubts city's rainfall claims

CHULARAT SAENGPASSA,

ANUPAN CHANTANA

THE NATION

Blames poor drainage, not unusual downpours; BMA sticks by figures

BANGKOK: -- Flawed water-drainage management, not heavy rain, is the likely culprit in the repeated hours-long flooding of Bangkok's major roads, Hydro and Agro Infomatics Institute director Royol Jitdon hinted yesterday.

Full story:

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BMA launches traffic app

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok motorists can use their mobile phones and tablet computers to see near real-time traffic conditions on an application that was launched yesterday for the iOS and Android platforms.

Full story:

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Study uncovers need for better migrant registry

SAOWANEE NIMPANPAYUNGWONG

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- In 19 Bangkok districts, 21 areas are densely populated by Myanmar, Cambodian and Laotian migrant workers, and up to 72 per cent of their pregnancies were unplanned, according to a Health Systems Research Institute study.

The authorities need to reform migrant registration systems, as they do not reflect reality, the HSRI has urged.

On Wednesday, the HSRI, Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research, Silpakorn University's anthropology department and the Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (Path) presented their research results on the estimated migrant population and their assessment of migrant mother and child care in Bangkok.

Kritiya Achawanijjakul of the Institute for Population and Social Research said that based on the National Statistical Office's census data, Myanmar, Cambodian and Laotian workers were concentrated in about 21 locations in Bangkok.

The team found 1,910 migrants mostly aged 15-49, with children under 15 representing 5.7 per cent of the total. Some 88 per cent of all migrants had migrant cards while 11 per cent had no card and lived illegally. About 69 per cent of the total, or 1,261 people, had health insurance, while 559 didn't.

Kritiya said migrant-population data were scattered among the National Statistical Office's household census, Foreign Workers Administration's migrant registration and Provincial Administration Department's migrant registration, but these agencies had limitations.

In the case of the Provincial Administration Department, it had cumulative statistics on migrant workers allowed to stay on a year-by-year basis and those who underwent the national identification process. However, there were no follow-up data on whether these workers were still in Thailand or had returned to their home countries. The real figure was unknown, she said. The government should set up a proper census system for migrants.

This is important because under the Asean Economic Community arriving in less than three years, when products, services and workers will flow freely across the region, more and more migrant workers will enter Thailand to stay in the inner cities, Kritiya said. The government should give priority to the migrant census as a database for administration, especially of healthcare services, she added.

Path official Thassanai Khantayaporn said it had also collected health information from 475 women, mostly from Myanmar with legal papers. Since 72 per cent had conceived because of improper use of birth-control pills and 18 per cent because of improper birth-control injections, the women weren't prepared to have kids. They still had to work hard for a daily wage and taking a day off meant no money.

The women said they went for maternal care to the eight Bangkok hospitals providing health security services to migrants to ensure a place to give birth because several hospitals didn't provide delivery services to those who didn't receive maternal care from the hospitals first.

However, 55 infants weighed less than the 2,500-gram standard because their mothers had to work hard throughout pregnancy. Many newborns were sent back to the workers' relatives at home. Companies were offering transport services for children for Bt3,000-Bt6,000, compared with Bt14,500 for adults.

A Bang Prakok 9 Hospital nurse said 200-250 migrants sought treatment at the hospital a day and about 150 infants of migrant parents were born there a month. Many were small and needed to be kept in the incubator for days.

She urged the government to develop a better system to support the migrant workers.

-- The Nation 2012-09-28

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Army chief calls for peace, unity in South

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's visit to deep South is a strong indication that a considerable proportion of that region is peaceful and not subject to violence, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said yesterday.

He said only 10 to 15 per cent of the area was plagued by unlawful activities, insurgency infiltration, disorder and violence. The three most-affected provinces are Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala. He said the princess regularly visited the South without any fear and her latest three-day trip to the region wrapped up yesterday.

The army chief said insurgents in the South had changed their tactics with more of them adopting guerrilla methods, making it harder for the authorities to implement suppression activities. He added that the situation had intensified and become more complicated since 2004.

Calling on citizens to stop squabbling and end factional divisions, Prayuth said: "If we continue fighting amongst ourselves, we may encounter an undesirable situation one day. Stop being violent against one another and abide by the law if you don't want the country to face a doomsday scenario."

Meanwhile, two students were wounded when a bomb explosion hit their school bus at a bridge in Bukeh Palash village in Narathiwat's Yi-ngor district at 7.40am yesterday. Sitinuriya Baka, 14, and Nadia Jehama, 17, both from Romklao School, suffered wounds to their arms and were taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to Narathiwat Rachanakarin Hospital.

Police believe that insurgents planted explosives on the approach to the bridge and triggered them as the school bus passed by. They believe that the insurgents were targeting an Army vehicle but missed.

Meanwhile in Yala's Raman district, police were alerted at 7.45am about a bomb attack at a rubber plantation in tambon Jakwa, which injured a cow. The police investigation found that villagers heard the sound of an explosion at 3.50am but did not come out to check. In the morning, they found a cow with a wound on its leg by a rubber tree and alerted police.

The bomb squad also defused two booby traps nearby. Police believe that insurgents planted the explosives at the tree and at two others nearby to lure officials to the scene before setting them off.

-- The Nation 2012-09-28

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Joint panel set up to kick-start Dawei project

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand and Myanmar yesterday activated a joint committee to jumpstart the development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone and this will be used as role model for regional cooperation at the Asean summit in November.

Full story:

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War of words over Yongyuth in House

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Interior Minister Chuchart Hansawat and Democrat MP Ong-art Klampaiboon engaged in a verbal duel during a House session yesterday, taking turns to defend and attack the job status of Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit.

Full story:

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Inquiry into Somsak's study trip postponed

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The House Committee on Parliamentary Affairs yesterday postponed the inquiry into the House speaker's controversial trip until next week.

Pheu Thai MP Phaichitr Sriworakhan, chairman of the House panel, said House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont would be returning today, so the inquiry should begin when the panel meets next.

Democrat party-list MP Boonyod Sukthinthai submitted a motion to the panel, calling for an inquiry into the House speaker's study trip, which was joined by some academics and reporters.

At the meeting yesterday, the panel confirmed that it would go ahead with the inquiry, though the committee chief said it would only begin once Somsak and his entourage return to Thailand today.

Phaichitr said he would summon Sompol Wanikkhaphan, the House deputy secretary-general, to testify about the trip because he was in charge of the study trip project, adding that he did not need to have Somsak testify.

Meanwhile, Boonyod told the panel that he would like clarification on two points.

First, he wants to be provided with details on how Bt7 million was spent on the trip and what was the criteria of deciding which reporters would be part of Somsak's entourage. Second, he wants details on the appropriate code of conduct employed in relations between MPs and reporters.

Boonyod said he had learned that organisers of the trip had made no arrangements for Somsak's entourage to visit the workings of the British Parliament because it had taken place at a time when the parliament was in recess.

-- The Nation 2012-09-28

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THAI CARGO

Thai Airways' cargo unit braces for Bt100m loss

Nongnapas Maipanit

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Because of the flood crisis last year and the wider effects of the global economic downward trend, Thai Airways International's cargo business is forecast to lose Bt100 million this year.

Full story:

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RT @ChadapornLin: Heavy rain and flooding plague BKK; flooding reported in some areas after all-night rain

RT @ChadapornLin: Traffic expected to be bad tonight being end-of-the-month Friday coupled with rain and flooding; plan your travel wisely

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TAT confident in Thai tourism growth prospects for 2012

BANGKOK, 28 September 2012 (NNT) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has expressed confidence in the 2012 growth potential of the local travel industry, following satisfactory performance during the first 8 months of this year.

TAT Deputy Governor Sansern Ngaorungsi said during the September meeting of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) that the average growth rate of the tourist numbers in Asia now stands at around 12-15 percent, with Myanmar holding the highest record of 35 percent.

For Thailand, Mr. Sansern stated that the growth rate here averages 8 percent.

He added that, from January to August, around 14 foreign tourists landed in Thailand. Out of this, 9 million came from within Asia and almost 5 million were from Europe.

The TAT’s Deputy Governor stated that, in order to boost Thailand’s tourism revenue to 2 trillion baht by 2015, the promotion strategy for the local travel industry will focus on quality holidaymakers seeking quality leisure experience.

He went on to say that Thai travel business operators will have to come up with more tour packages, which must be appealing to Asian travelers, in order to capitalize from the emerging economies in this region.

For the entire year of 2012, the TAT expects 22.4 million visitors to the country, up from the previous target of 20.5 million, with around 15 million from Asia and the rest from Europe.

-- NNT 2012-09-28

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RT @chaowarat_KTTV: The floods are in Bangkok! Don't worry, it is just from rain water, right? (floods photo at เคหะบางพลี Bangplee)#kttv http://thai.vi/OYDQM7

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,297.61, up 11.50 points /MCOT