Thailand Live Friday 19 Oct 2012

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Thailand Live Friday 19 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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RICE

Thailand will dump rice : US group

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The USA Rice Federation fears Thailand will eventually dump rice on the global market, according to Oryza Rice Recap, a website specialising in providing rice information.

Full story:

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AVIATION

PC air ordered to suspend flight

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- PC Air, the airline that launched last year amid publicity for it transgender flight attendants, has been ordered to halt flights by the Civil Aviation Department after it stranded Thai tourists for two days in South Korea when it could not pay its fuel bill.

Full story:

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Controversial 3G auction gets official stamp of approval

Full story:

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UPDATE

EDUCATION

AIT's legal status could be a problem

CHULEEPORN ARAMNET

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Following Wednesday's protest by Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) students worried about the validity of their degrees, a senior education official said yesterday that AIT's curricula had been certified in accordance with Thai laws, so the problem had more to do with the school's legal status.

Full story:

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Thailand To Host Bangkok Grand Prix In 2014: Govt

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....x-in-2014-govt/

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Thai tourist police soon to speak fluent English

Full story:

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THAI-KHMER RELATIONS

Channel 3 reporter in trouble again

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- After causing an uproar by mistakenly stepping on a photograph of late Cambodian King Sihanouk while covering his funeral, Channel 3 reporter Thapanee Ietsrichai is in trouble again - this time it is for not taking her shoes off while apologising at the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok.

Messages posted on Cambodian websites and the social media dubbed her apology as being insincere, claiming she was "not genuinely penitent". One message posted by a Cambodian student called for a protest to be held at a roundabout near the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaew province.

An image released by the Cambodian mission shows Thapanee kneeling before a portrait of the late king with her shoes on. Neither Channel 3 nor Thapanee issued any statements in response to the renewed attacks as of press time yesterday.

Meanwhile, the student's call for protests at the border town has prompted the mobilisation of security officials. Thai officials spoke to their Cambodian counterparts, who said they had heard of the online posting, but said protests in Cambodia could not be held without permission. So far, no requests for such protests have been filed so far, Thai officials quoted Cambodian authorities as saying.

Thai Army and police commanders gathered and paid their respects at a makeshift marquee put up in honour of the late king at the Poi Pet checkpoint yesterday.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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Prem gives message of love to South

The Nation

Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda presides over the launch of the 18th

BANGKOK: -- Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda said everybody in the country loved people in the predominantly Muslim South and were trying hard to bring love to the violence-hit region.

Speaking to 241 youths from the restive South under the project "Weaving Thai Hearts for the South" (Sai Jai Thai Sou Jai Tai), Prem said when there is love, people can do anything for the nation. "Love of the nation can be achieved in the way we are doing," he told the youths.

Elders in this country have the same obligation, to raise children to be good citizens, he said. Children of any religion can grow up to do good things for the country, he said.

"This is not written in the Constitution, but we have to be conscious that it is our duty," he said.

"What we have to do in our country is have love and unity. All of us here, the commanders and heads of all units, love our children [from the South] and that is our clear message to you," Prem said.

"Love is important, it will bring peace, happiness and success," he said. "I beg all of you here to love them and make them good citizens," Prem said to the audience, which also included former prime minister Surayut Chulanond, Army commander Prayuth Chan-ocha, Navy commander Surasak Rounregnrom, Air Force commander Prachin Jantong and National Police chief Adul Saengsingkaew.

"Shall we tell the children to love each other, love their parents, love their communities, love their professions and love our country?" he said. "This is not others' country, it's our nation. We are all Thai, we have to love our country to make it peaceful, strong, secured and developed," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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Sylvia Kristel, star of Emmanuelle, dies

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

No excuses now for a cut-price 3G service

The Nation

The 'big three' operators bid low and won big, now they must pass on the benefits to the consumer

BANGKOK: -- The country's auction of 3G spectrum slots has finally come to an end, though questions of whether the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) was over-generous in its terms for the three bidders are buzzing louder than ever. The end result of the auction, a combined bid of Bt41.65 billion for the nine slots, was just slightly higher than the reserve price of Bt40.5 billion.

Full story:

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OVERDRIVE

Fiddling while Thailand bubbles

Thanong Khanthong

BANGKOK: -- There had not been the slightest hint that the Bank of Thailand would cut its short-term rate at yesterday's meeting of its monetary policymaking body. Also, there were hardly sufficient grounds for it to opt for the surprise rate cut, given the inflationary pressure (3.38 per cent in September), highest credit growth in Asia-Pacific and high projected economic growth rate (5.7 per cent in 2012).

Full story:

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Bulgarians arrested for ATM skimming

BANGKOK, Oct 19 – Acting on complaints from several European banks, Thai police arrested two Bulgarian nationals in downtown Bangkok for ATM skimming.

Full story:

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Siriraj declares breakthrough in stem cell research

BANGKOK, Oct 19 - A Siriraj Hospital medical team today announced its successful isolation of stem cells from amniotic fluid which they said will contribute to treatments of many chronic diseases.

Full story:

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LEGAL ISSUES

Chalerm rules out Thaksin extradition

The Nation

Democrat Party deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij, right, and Democrat MP Satit Pitutecha called on Lumpini Police Station superintendent Colonel Rangsan Praditphon yesterday, asking to see the document that former PM Thaksin Shinawatra allegedly sent

Rejects cases stemming from coup; Korn doubts Thaksin's signature

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said yesterday that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra could not be brought back to face prosecution in Thailand because all the cases against him stemmed from the 2006 coup.

Full story:

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UK junket cost up to Bt4.8m

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A recent controversial junket to England led by House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranond is believed to have cost up to Bt4.8 million of taxpayers' money or approximately Bt100,000 per head, the Parliamentary Affairs Committee was told yesterday.

Democrat party-list MP Boonyord Sukthinthai, who is also spokesperson of the committee, said this information was provided by Foreign Relations chief Sirawasa Tosthomporn.

Boonyord said his committee would be meeting soon to decide whether it should take this case to the parliamentary committee on ethics.

According to the information provided by Sirawasa, up to Bt3.4 million was spent on nine people from the lower house such as House Speaker Somsak, the House deputy secretary-general and secretary of the Parliament president, as well as Pheu Thai MP Vanida Koonpalin. This did not include airfare or the money spent on tickets for a Premier League football match, which could not be reimbursed.

Boonyord said his committee would ask deputy secretary of the House of Representatives Sompol Vanikphan to provide clarifications about the trip by next Thursday before it decides on whether it should hand the case over to the House panel on ethics.

As per details provided, MPs and parliamentary staff reportedly spent more than Bt60,000 each, while members of the media spent around Bt100,000 of the taxpayers' money. Somsak alone reportedly spent Bt2,892,320 on the trip, including buying souvenirs and travel expenses while in England.

Apart from this, 13 people listed as being part of the junket were actually not present, such as three journalists from Voice TV, which is owned by former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's son Panthongthae, as well as a reporter from Nation TV.

Though one reporter from Voice TV and two others from the little-known Maxima TV station were part of the entourage, no journalists from the opposition camp were invited to take part. Academic Pit Pongsawat, a deputy dean of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science and co-host of Voice TV's "Wake Up Thailand" programme was also part of the junket.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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BURNING ISSUE

Crying wolf harms fight against graft

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Raising false alarms on corruption will fuel apathy in rooting out graft violations and lead to a regression in levels of transparency and good governance.

Full story:

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Yingluck to attend Sihanouk's funeral today

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will Friday afternoon fly to Phnom Penh to attend the funeral ceremony of Cambodia's recently deceased former king Norodom Sihanouk, government spokesperson Sansanee Nakpong said on Thursday.

She will be accompanied by three members of her Cabinet - Deputy Prime Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha, Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom, and PM's Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal.

The prime minister and her entourage will fly to the Cambodian capital on a Royal Thai Air Force plane and will return on the same day, according to the spokesperson.

Cambodia’s King Father Sihanouk died in Beijing on Monday at the age of 89.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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No breakthrough in latest dig at doctor's farm

THE NATION

Ake Laohawatthana, a son of police doctor Pol Colonel Suphat Laohawatthana, yesterday visits his father at Phetchaburi provincial prison.

PHETCHABURI: -- In their 13th excavation at the Phetchaburi ranch of police doctor Pol Colonel Suphat Laohawatthana, police yesterday found only a shredded white T-shirt.

The three-hour dig was halted at noon, because the existing court order does not allow police to excavate anywhere else at the ranch. The parents of missing husband and wife Samart Noomjui and Orasa Kerdsab were present at the excavation, joined by several Buddhist monks who conducted a ceremony they believed would aid in the search for the couple's bodies.

Two Myanmar workers interviewed by police were not present during yesterday's dig, despite earlier statements from police that their accounts should lead to the graves of the two missing persons. The site for yesterday's excavation was selected because it looked like an old well that had been filled in, police said.

Ake Laohawatthana, a son of Suphat, yesterday visited his father at Phetchaburi provincial prison. He later said that Suphat was in good condition and that the two had discussed how to fight a number of allegations including premeditated murder, after skeletal remains at the ranch were found to be those of a Myanmar worker allegedly killed by the police doctor.

Ake said he was somewhat satisfied with police's agreeing to assign officers from the Crime Suppression Division to assist Tha Mai Ruak police in Phetchaburi, after police ruled out a wholesale replacement of local officers by other investigators.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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DSI sets up centre to crack down on online gambling websites

BANGKOK, Oct 19 – The Thai authorities Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has set up a new centre to demolish online gambling websites, saying they generate more than Bt2.3 billion in illegal funds in circulation annually.

Full story:

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Parents told to monitor kids for signs of LD

KWANRIAM KAEWSUWAN

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- As many as 900,000 Thai children have some form of learning disability (LD), a seminar was told yesterday. This is about 5 per cent of the Kingdom's total population of children.

"This is in addition to children who have symptoms similar to those in the LD group," LD Thailand Association president Padung Arayawinyu said at the seminar.

Some children considered "lazy" show symptoms indicative of LD, he said.

The event was held by the Quality Learning Foundation and the Rajanukul Institute to raise awareness of LD and how to thelp children affected by it.

Padung said parents could be taught to identify children with LD at the kindergarten level.

"If children cannot understand orders about directions or are disorganised, they may have LD," he said. "Parents can also bring their children to us if they suspect the children have LD. We have diagnosis tools."

Padung said that though there was no cure for LD, early diagnosis and proper treatment could reduce the symptoms.

Children with LD are typically at least two grade levels behind their peers in terms of their ability to learn academic subjects. For example, those in Pathom 4 may have the knowledge of a Prathom 2 student.

He added that genes, exposure to contaminants such as lead and mercury, and a poor environment were among the causes of LD.

One in every 500 autistic children had LD and the number of autistic children was rising, Padung said.

"A flawed digestive system is a possible cause of the increase," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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Twitter censors neo-Nazi group in Germany with new tool

Full story:

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RT @RichardBarrow: Chao Phraya Express boats will stop running today between 11am and 6pm due to rehearsal for Royal Barge Procession

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Court rejects two petitions challenging 3G auction result

BANGKOK, Oct 19 – Petitions by two civic groups which asked the Central Administrative Court to revoke Tuesday’s third-generation (3G) mobile telephone auction results have been rejected.

The first petition was filed by the Association of Consumers Rights Protection Institutes seeking an injunction against the bids for the 2.1 gigahertz spectrum allocations. The licences were awarded by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to Advanced Wireless Network, a subsidiary of Advanced Info Service (AIS), DTAC Network under Total Access Communication (DTAC) and Real Future, a corporate unit of True Corporation.

The court ruled that the association was not the direct party damaged by the auction.

The court also rejected a similar petition by a group of four people, led by Adm Chai Suwanparb. They claimed that the NBTC will ignore its responsibility to protect consumers since it directly is collecting Bt4.5 billion for a 3G licence from the winning companies.

The court ruled that the Bt4.5 billion fee (nearly US$146 million) for the 3G licence is paid to the state, and not to NBTC

NBTC acted on the country’s behalf in conducting the auction, the court said.

Both petitions were submitted to the court on Thursday. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

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Court offers online service to litigants

BANGKOK, Oct 19 – The Administrative Court will launch an online service for people to follow up on progress of court cases, starting with legal disputes on Oct 29.

Direkrit Jenkrongtham, secretary general of the Administrative Court office, said litigants will find it more convenient to check development of legal cases through the Internet.

He said the judges’ working procedure will be transparent since public scrutiny is allowed, adding that passwords can be obtained from the court office.

Mr Direkrit said that there is currently a backlog of about 24,000 cases still outstanding due to an insufficient number of specialised judges.

When the Administrative Court was launched in 2001, 4,000 cases were filed to the court. The number of cases increased to 9,000 this year while the number of judges increased from 190 in the first year to 214 this year.

To cope with delays, judges in the court of first instance must take 65 cases a year. The case load is increased to 125 cases a year for the supreme administrative court. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

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Yala lucky draw promotion event gives away cash prizes, gold, to shops staying open Fridays; more vendors doing business as usual /MCOT

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Domestic auto sales hit record high in September

BANGKOK, Oct 19 - Domestic auto sales in September hit a record high, totalling 132,680 units, an increase of 52 per cent year-on-year, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Surapong Paisitpatanapong, spokesman for the FTI’s Automotive Industry Club, said car production rose for domestic sales to order under the government's first-time car buyer programme.

Auto production in September amounted to 228,500 units, a 31 per cent increase year-on-year, hitting a record high since 1961.

Auto production from January to September this year reached 1.7 million units, 32 per cent higher than the same period last year.

Auto production for export in September 2012 reached 40 per cent of overall production, an increase of 2.8 per cent year-on-year, while auto production for domestic sales in September amounted to 135,675 units.

Meanwhille, Payungsak Chartsutipol, Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) reported the Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) in September 2012 has stayed at 94.1,dropping from 98.5 in August. It is the fourth consecutive month drop and the index is below 100 for the third month consecutive month, indicating poor confidence on the part of entrepreneurs.

Major factors, having an impact on business people’s confidence in September are concerns over the world economy, export slowdown, increasing production cost due to higher raw materials and labour costs.

According to the survey, entrepreneurs are concerned most over impacts from the global economy, followed by oil prices, currency exchange rate, local politics and loan interest rates, respectively. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

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AoT airports perform well

by Paphada Apimonton

BANGKOK, 19 October 2012: Six airports under Airport of Thailand’s management delivered positive performances for both aircraft movements and passenger traffic in September with just a slight drop in domestic passenger traffic at Phuket International Airport.

Full story:

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,311.28, up 0.07 points /MCOT