Thailand Live Friday 19 Oct 2012

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Phuket illegal taxi amnesty to end November 1

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada shows the stickers that must be displayed on all taxis whether or not they are legal or going through the licensing process. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- All illegal taxis operating in Phuket must be “stickered” and in the process of becoming legal by November 1, said Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen has announced.

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3G auction may have violated e-auction rules and Price Collusion Act (2009), Finance Ministry notified NBTC via letter /The Nation

State Railway of Thailand to end 6 unprofitable round-trip services this Nov.1 to cut some of the Bt136 mn in annual losses /The Nation

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Deputy PM Yuthasak confident trading situation in 3 southernmost provinces will be back to normal by mid-November /MCOT

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RT @Biz_TheNation: After 80 yrs, Newsweek will publish last print edition on Dec 31, prepared to go fully digital next yrs.

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Administrative Court to launch online service

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Administrative Court is to launch an online service allowing people to follow up on the progress of court cases. The service, which starts with legal disputes, comes online on October 29.

Direkrit Jenkrongtham, secretary general of the Administrative Court office, said litigants will find it more convenient to check on the 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.

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

When the Administrative Court was launched in 2001, 4,000 cases were filed with 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 caseload has increased to 125 cases a year for the supreme administrative court.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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NBTC 'sternly warned' on collusion in 3G bidding

BANGKOK, Oct 19 – Thailand’s Finance Ministry today warned the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) of breaching the Price Collusion Act in its auction of third-generation (3G) mobile licences.

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Brainy Bahrain Man Uses GPS to Find Ladyboy Thief

PATTAYA:--A Bahrain tourist’s cellphone was stolen by a pickpocketing ladyboy on Walking Street, but he used his phone’s GPS signal to track the thief. He found the ladyboy at a phone repair shop trying to unlock his stolen phone and cut its GPS signal. Police were notified and arrested the thief.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/592262-bahrain-man-uses-gps-to-find-his-phone-and-bags-ladyboy-thief/#entry5766162

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Myanmar 'set to join US military drills'

BANGKOK, Oct 19, 2012 (AFP) - The United States plans to invite Myanmar to a major regional military exercise next year, host country Thailand said Friday, reflecting a dramatic easing of tensions between the former foes.

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PM leads delegation to pay homage to late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk /MCOT

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Indonesian import measures take toll on Thai fruits

JARKATA, Oct 19 - Thailand has been impacted by Indonesia's import restrictions on fruit following a free-trade agreement (FTA) between ASEAN and China.

Minister Counsellor Vilasinee Nonsrichai of the Trade Negotiations Department's Commercial Affairs Office in Jakarta said the Thai market in Indonesia has been heavily impacted by fruit imports from China, for their prices are cheaper than those in Indonesia.

The Indonesian government therefore set up non-tariff barriers such as reducing the number of ports for ships importing agricultural products, quality control, licensing, and quotas.

As a result, Thai fruits usually imported to the country particularly durian and longan are also impacted by the measures.

Thai Finance Ministry permanent-secretary Areepong Bhoocha-oom, meanwhile, said he believed that Thai exports might not be able to grow 10 per cent as expected by the government. It thus should find new markets for Thai entrepreneurs as well as penetrate European secondary markets instead of focusing only on primary markets. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

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Shops in Thailand's South soon to be fully open daily

BANGKOK, Oct 19 – Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa expressed confidence today that trading in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces will return to normal, without business closures on Fridays, next month.

He said all shops in Pattani province should be open today while it is business as usual for only 60 per cent of the shops in neighbouring Yala and Narathiwat provinces.

Friday has become a ‘day of fear’ for shopkeepers after leaflets were distributed and rumours spread in the three trouble-plagued provinces, threatening violence if they open their shops.

The deputy premier complimented officials of all agencies under the Interior Ministry for continuously creating better understanding among local people.

Meanwhile, Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said he had asked the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to urgently close down controversial Malaysia-based website ambranews.com which has distorted facts and attacked the Thai army.

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has closely monitored the website and learned that some of the supporters are in Thailand, he said, adding that the NIA chief will discuss the issue with his Malaysian counterpart next month. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

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RT @veen_NT: The 34th BKK In'l Gifts and BKK In't Houseware fair (BIG+BIH) at Bitec opens for the public at Bitec this weekend. 10am-9pm

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Security tightened ahead of 5th Tak Bai incident anniversary

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This Friday is happy day for vendors

YALA, Oct 19 - There are many different ways to boost shopkeepers' worsening morale when they decide to close their shops en masse every Friday to avoid violence as rumoured in this southern province for weeks.

The Yala municipality administration has declared a "Friday, Happy Day" campaign and offers raffles to shops that continued business as usual on Friday.

The campaign delightedly triggers shopkeepers' enthusiasms. Vendors show up in full force to put their merchandise for sale at the busy-as-usual Pimonchai market in the provincial seat since early this morning.

But it is hard to say if they have faith in the authorities' security system or they are more interested in winning the raffles. The rewards are, after all, attractive. The first winner gets a 5,000 baht cash award, followed by 3,000 baht and 2,000 baht for second and third place rewards respectively.

That's not all. Employees of shops and vending stalls which stay opened on Friday are entitled to a lucky draw in which five gold necklaces are offered.

Municipality officials said the campaign will continue for a certain period to encourage shopkeepers and vendors to carry on their business on Friday.

Shops in Yala and neighbouring Narathiwat and Pattani have been closed on Fridays since late last month after leaflets were distributed, warning them of attacks if they opened their shops on Fridays. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

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BIG+BH 2012 (Photo Gallery)

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bitec Bangna hosts the 34th Bangkok International Gift and Houseware Fairs 2012 (BIG+BIH) opens for public this weekend from 10am to 9pm.

This year’s theme is "Heart of Design & Lifestyle: Showcase of Asean" with more than 600 companies from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia participating. More info at www.bigandbih.com. (Photos : Ekkarat Sukpetch)

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YALA

Stolen pick up suspected of involving in bomb attacks sized

The Nation

YALA: -- Yala police on Friday impounded a stolen pickup that's believed to have been used in several insurgency attacks in both the province and neighbouring Pattani.

Locals of Pulasanor village in Raman district alerted police that a suspicious pickup had been abandoned in front of a house in the village.

Police and bomb squad rushed to the village but found no explosives hidden in the vehicle. The owner of the house; Farid Hama, told police that a had parked the pickup in front of his house at about 2am then left. He said he did not know the man.

Initial police investigation revealed that the pickup was stolen from Yala's Muang district on March 25 and the license plate had been changed from Bor Chor 2256 to Bor Chor 3635.

Pol Maj Gen Pheera Boonlieng, a Yala police commander, said that the pickup had been used to deliver ice cubes before being stolen. An arrest warrant has been issued against Abdul Rohhing or Pele Dum for the alleged theft. The suspect is suspected of using the vehicle in several attacks in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani.

Pheera said three others stolen pickups are under close watch in the belief that they could possibly be used in car bomb attacks.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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SOUTH CRISIS

Explosive components confiscated in Narathiwat

The Nation

NARATHIWAT: -- Police have confiscated explosive components from a house in a mountainous area in Narathiwat's Srisakorn district.

Security officials had to travel more than two hours throughout thick forests and rubber plantations on the mountain before reaching the house.

The raid at the house was conducted after Sof Tohluenoh, 38, believed to be a chief of RKK insurgent group, was shot dead during a fight with security officials on October 15. It was believed his members were gathering to work out a plan to take revenge on the authorities.

However, when the forces reached the house, the alleged RKK members had already fled.

Police refused to reveal the names of the suspects.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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SET index closed at 1307.71, down 3.50; Bt/USD30.57; GBP48.96; AUD31.55; EUR39.82; CAD30.82; HKD3.94; SGD24.89; JPY38.28

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update

Thai finance ministry urges 3G auction probe

BANGKOK, Oct 19, 2012 (AFP) - Thailand's finance ministry on Friday called for a corruption investigation into the country's auction of third-generation (3G) mobile telephone operating licences because of fears of collusion.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....g/#entry5766832

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200 kg marijuana seized in Nakhon Phanom

NAKHON PHANOM, Oct 19 - The police seized 197 kg marijuana with a street value of about five million baht in a long-tailed boat docked at the bank of the Mekong River in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom.

Pol Maj Thavee Phanoi, commander of a border patrol police in Nakhon Phanom told a news conference that the suspect could escape and the police believed that the illegal drug is smuggled from the neighbouring country.

Pol Maj Gen Polsak Banchongsiri, commander of the Sakhon Nakhon provincial police said about crime suppression from October 15-19 that proactive searches in the whole province led to arrests of 137 culprits involved in the illegal drug, weapon possession and natural resources and environment violations.

The action comes ahead of an election of a chairman of the provincial administrative organisation on Sunday.

The police confiscated 1,575 methamphetamine pills, 156 kilogrammes of marijuana and some volatile substance, weapons and some ammunition and volatile substances and 50 Siamese rosewood logs. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

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INTEREST RATES

BBL, SCB take lead in cutting rates

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank take the lead in cutting loan and deposit rates.

The decision followed the 25-basis points policy rate cut by the Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee on Oct 17, said Thaweelarp Rittapirom, executive vice president of BBL.

Analysts earlier foresaw no loan/deposit rate to follow, given fierce competition to deposits in response to massive loan growth.

At BBL, both loan and deposit rates are cut by 0.125 percentage point. Loan rates for all types of loans will be cut by 0.125 percentage point, which will bring the mimimum loan rate to 7 per cent. While saving deposit rate is maintained at 0.75 per cent, its fixed deposit rates will be cut by 0.125-0.25 percentage point cut. For example, the 3-month fixed rate will be 1.75-2 per cent from 1.75-2.25 per cent while the 36-month fixed rate will be 3 per cent from 3-3.25 per cent at present. The cuts will take effect on Oct 22.

SCB also maintains saving rate and cuts long-term time deposit rates, effective on Oct 20. Time deposit rates will be cut by 0.1- 0.25 percentage point, depending on maturity.

"The rate cut follows the BOT’s policy as well as market condition," said SCB President Kannikar Chalitaporn.

-- The Nation 2012-10-19

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Thailand Live Saturday 20 Oct 2012