Thailand Live Monday 1 October 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 Sunday 30 Sep 2012

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Pheu Thai wants to avoid grounds for another dissolution

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

SatienViriyapanpongsa

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party director Phumtham Wechayachai, who calls himself the backup of the Yingluck government and the frontline of the Thaksin government, says the party has adopted an attitude of playing safe after having been disbanded twice. He spoke to The Nation before Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister YongyuthWichaidit resigned from Cabinet.

Full story:

NBTC okays Bt950m for free Wi-Fi service

USANEE MONGKOLPORN

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) committee overseeing funding for the development of telecom and broadcasting has agreed to grant Bt950 million to support the Information and Communications Technology Ministry's existing free Wi-Fi project.

Full story:

CRONYISM

Financial guru Faber knocks Thai 'cronyism', pledging scheme

PRAJYA AURA-EK,

PICHAYA CHANGSORN

THE NATION

Chiang Mai

BANGKOK: -- World-renowned investment guru Marc Faber says cronyism is a concern for an investor like himself as the Thai government has appointed people connected to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Full story:

Best charters were prior to 1947 coup, Nitirat claims

The Nation

Nitirat academics yesterday proposed three, pre-1947 coup constitutions to be used as templates for a new, improved charter.

BANGKOK: -- Worajet Pakeerat, Thapanan Nipitthakul and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul praised the three charters during a public discussion at Thammasat University to mark the second anniversary of their group and the sixth anniversary of the 2006 military coup.

Full story:

Chambers urge govt to counter threats

The Nation

A victim of M-79 grenade attack at a trade fair in Narathiwat

Say insurgents' fight against Friday trading is hurting far South

NARATHIWAT: -- A campaign by insurgents to stop trading on Fridays in the mainly Muslim region would severely hurt the economy and life of people in the far South, business chambers in the region said yesterday. They urged the government to quickly solve the problem.

Full story:

EDITORIAL

Thailand should follow Myanmar and compromise

The Nation

Reaction to TRCT report shows our political system needs give and take

BANGKOK: -- Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was in the US recently to accept honours she received during the many years of military rule she was kept her under house arrest in Myanmar, her home country.

Full story:

Many Nakhon Ratchasima dams brimming

The Nation

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: -- Several reservoirs in Nakhon Ratchasima are full of water due to heavy rain in the past few days, which is threatening to inundate several areas.

Full story:

Slogan for Bangkok ballot

Somroutai Sapsomboon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party is appealing to Bangkok voters with its "Understand the present, brace for the future" slogan in the run-up to the governor's election early next year.

Full story:

Carlsberg Returns to Thailand After Heineken Bid

By Clementine Fletcher

File photo. Source: wikimedia

BANGKOK: -- Carlsberg A/S (CARLA), the world’s fourth- biggest brewer, is returning to Thailand after a seven-year hiatus, following Heineken (HEIA) NV’s successful bid to expand in Southeast Asia.

Full story:

Utapao Airport Announces Regular Cambodia Flights

Full story:

Phumtham happy to work behind the scenes

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party director Phumtham Vejchayachai said yesterday that he prefers to work behind the scenes rather than become a Cabinet member.

Phumtham was commenting on speculation that he would be appointed interior minister, replacing Yongyuth Wichaidit who resigned.

"I like to play a back-up role to support party work. Please don't give me any position now," Phumtham said.

He said the Cabinet reshuffle would depend on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

"The prime minister said a reshuffle would take more time, so a reshuffle is not needed now," he added.

Phumtham denied that factions inside the Pheu Thai were fighting for a Cabinet seat after Yongyuth had resigned.

"We have no conflicts over Cabinet reshuffle. We are still united and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has nothing to do with the reshuffle," Phumtham said.

He also denied rumours that Yingluck had been under tremendous pressure regarding the reshuffle and she had threatened to resign. He clarified that Yingluck was still ready to head the government.

Democrat Party MP Thepthai Senapong, meanwhile, said he believed that Phumtham had the best chance of becoming interior minister.

Thepthai said the performance of former police chief Priewphan Damapong was not outstanding and he had failed to impress Thaksin, so he would not win the position.

The Democrat MP said he expected Thaksin to soon select a new interior minister because if he left the position vacant for too long, several factions in the Pheu Thai would fight for it and cause severe rifts.

Thepthai said a Cabinet reshuffle was also likely to remove possible censure targets before the opposition could submit a no-confidence motion against the government.

-- The Nation 2012-10-01

Complaint lodged against police doctor's lawyer

The Nation

PHETCHABURI: -- The father of a man who went missing three years ago lodged a complaint yesterday against the lawyer for a police doctor suspected of killing him and his wife.

Sawang Numjui spoke after filing three criminal charges against lawyer Pholthep Suwannawichian with Tha Mai Ruak police in Phetchaburi.

He said Pholthep's statement that Samart, Sawang's son, and his wife Orasa Kerdsab fled to Myanmar because of crimes committed in Thailand was a lie, or indicated he knew the whereabouts of the couple, who have been missing for three years.

Pholthep has represented Pol Colonel Dr Supat Laohawatthana, who has been charged with restraining people's freedom, theft, and possessing stolen items along with Wilsa Jantharabanchorn, the doctor's wife who is on the run, after three bodies were found on his farm in Phetchaburi. The lawyer has been accused of the same three offences, and defamation.

Sawang said it was not possible his son and Orasa had gone abroad, as their vehicle was parked at an abandoned house of Supat in Bangkok, while their young children remained with great grandparents. "If Samart and Orasa had actually been to Myanmar, whether on their intent or against their will, Pholthep must also be responsible for them going missing for three years, equally to Supat.

"If it is not true, the lawyer must be made responsible for his false statement, possibly given at the order of Supat to confuse police or undermine the investigation into the disappearance [of Samart and Orasa]," Sawang said.

Tha Mai Ruak police chief Pol Cololnel Phichai Pokpong said Pholthep would be scheduled soon to meet with police over his statement about Samart and Orasa being alive and fleeing to Myanmar.

Police completed a sixth search at Supat's farm yesterday, which turned up skeletal remains of two animals. Meanwhile, police are seeking to identify three human bodies found earlier, after DNA-based tests found that they were not Samart or Orasa.

-- The Nation 2012-10-01

Phuket's 'Dive against Debris' reef cleanup sets new world record

Phuket Gazette

PADI Dive instructor Andrei Zavafin cleans up as other dive professionals on Khao Lak Scuba Adventures' Manta Queen III clean up Banana Bay on Koh Racha Noi. Photo: Isaac Stone Simonelli

Some of the boats that took part in the event line up for a photo before returning with their debris and divers to Phuket's Chalong Pier. Photo: Isaac Stone Simonelli

PHUKET: -- The 502 participants who took part in today’s Go Eco Phuket, PADI and Project AWARE-sponsored “Dive Against Debris” can now proudly lay claim to staging the biggest reef cleanup of any kind in the world.

Full story:

Fast track for bright science students

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Talented youngsters can sit in on tertiary classes

BANGKOK: -- A new initiative is up and running to give secondary-school students with talent in science an opportunity to sit in on some university classes.

Full story:

CAMPUS UPDATE

Teachers' fair offers world ideas, talks

The Nation

Full story:

CAMPUS UPDATE

Korean programme for Thai undergrads

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai students who want to study an undergraduate degree in Korea should not miss this opportunity.

Full story:

Sex offender arrested in Canada for public safety: police

CTVNews.ca Staff

VANCOUVER: -- The decision to arrest a convicted pedophile moments after he landed at Vancouver’s airport was made in the interest of public safety, said the RCMP.

Full story:

Don Mueang Airport starts full relaunch for low cost airlines; crowded with passengers, beginning with AirAsia flight to Bali /MCOT

Foreigner shot dead in Saraburi

Developing story: http://www.thaivisa....ad-in-saraburi/

'Gangnam Style' conquers British music chart

SEOUL, Oct 1 (Yonhap) -- K-pop viral phenomenon Psy's hit "Gangnam Style" jumped to No.1 in the formal British music chart on Sunday (local time).

Full story:

RT @terryfrd: Floodwaters have now reached muang district Prachinburi. Obstacles downstream will slow flow thru Chachoensao into Bang Pakong river

RT @terryfrd: Kanchanaburi gov tells Thai PBS that 2 districts -- not 10 as reported in media -- have been flooded. Most residents not evacuating.

Don Mueang Airport relaunches for low cost airlines

BANGKOK, Oct 1 -- Don Mueang Airport fully relaunched its services for low cost airlines Monday, after operation had ceased in 2006 following the opening of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport and the single airport policy.

Full story:

Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,295.80, down 2.99 points /MCOT

RT @RichardBarrow: Traffic in Bangkok should be a little calmer during October as most Thai schools will close for a month's holiday.

CheapTickets challenges for best fares

BANGKOK: – CheapTickets.co.th kicks off “Cheap Challenge” campaign daring customers to compare fares from all travel websites. Customers that find the same flight, but cheaper on other travel websites, registered in Thailand, even just 1 Baht, may win gift cards valued 1,000 Baht up to a full fare refund*.

Full story:

Phuket Poll uncovers ‘isle of infidelity’

Phuket Gazette –

BEDTIME: More than half the people taking part in Phuket Gazette's poll said they had cheated on their partner and would do it again. Photo: Tom Small

PHUKET: More than half the respondents to a Phuket Gazette survey have admitted they have cheated on their partners, with more than 40% saying they are willing to do it again.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/588207-phuket-poll-uncovers-isle-of-infidelity/#entry5714491

PTT, Bangchak raise gasoline, gasohol by 60 satang / litre, E85 by 30 satang / litre; effective today. /MCOT

New MCOT president Anek commences work today

BANGKOK, Oct 1- Anek Permwongseni has taken the helm as president of Thailand's leading media organization, MCOT Public Company Limited, on Monday after his formal appointment by the company's Board of Directors.

The new president was welcomed by MCOT executives and attended a meeting with Thai News Agency executives and senior staff.

Mr Anek pledged that under his management MCOT will continue to play its active role as knowledge-based media to inspire its audiences. The media organisation plans at the same time to become a leader in media technology development, in particular digital television.

The former educator-turned-media executive also said that the Thai News Agency will become a national news agency providing accurate, accountable and timely news.

Some programmes may be revised to appeal more to audiences, he said.

The new MCOT president, 57, graduated from the Political Science Faculty of Thammasat University and obtained a Master's Degree and Doctorate from the Universite de Strasbourg III in France. He was secretary-general of the Office of the Education Council and a former MCOT board executive.

Mr Anek was selected by the MCOT Board of Directors for his well-rounded vision in company management and his expertise in digital television and telecommunications law. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-01