Thailand Live Tuesday 27 Nov 2012

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Thailand Live Tuesday 27 November 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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NESDB REPORT

People 'spending beyond their means'

Suriyan Panyawai

The Nation

Thailand's happiness index very low, with 1.5m people facing depression

BANGKOK: -- Non-performing personal loans have soared to more than Bt56.5 billion in the third quarter of this year, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) said recently.

Full story:

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NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE

Rice deals with China fake : opposition

The Nation

Democrats produce evidence of a dummy firm tied to govt figures

BANGKOK: -- The opposition has established a link between the government's rice-pledging scheme and massive money laundering by producing evidence of a dummy company, individuals and old ghosts like President Agri Trading and Siam Indica, which could be found involved in non-existent rice deals.

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CENSURE DEBATE

Yingluck touts her achievements

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation

Premier shows improved oratory skills, confidently defending rice scheme and flood projects

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday turned the censure debate designed to scrutinise her into a platform to declare the government's achievements.

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STREET FOOD

Buying treats may become expensive

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- To discourage people from patronising roadside fried-banana vendors, whose presence is being blamed for traffic jams, Nanglueng Police Station said those caught buying the snacks will be fined Bt500 from today.

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EDITORIAL

Govt ignores drought threat at its own peril

The Nation

Diverting attention away from water resource management failings can only go on for so long until another crisis is upon us

BANGKOK: -- While the nation is preoccupied with domestic politics, Thailand is facing another challenge from nature. The country could face a severe drought next year, unless the government can effectively the issue of water resource management. Unfortunately, although the government has allocated a massive budget of Bt350 billion for water management, there seems to be little urgency in addressing the issue.

Full story:

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Rally leaders face treason accusations

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A Pheu Thai Party MP yesterday lodged a police complaint accusing Pitak Siam group leaders of treason in connection with Saturday's anti-government rally

Full story:

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BURNING ISSUE

Debate reveals all that's wrong in Thai politics

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- At yesterday's censure debate, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was seen as a Ken doll and likewise Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was Barbie, as the two took turns to demonstrate democracy at work.

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Handing 2010 cases over to ICC discussed

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul will discuss with other agencies on Thursday the draft recognition of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court to probe the deaths of 98 people during the crackdown on red-shirt protesters in 2010.

Full story:

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Thailand's CIFS teams up with FBI on criminal database

Piyanuch Thammukasetchai,

Mayuree Sukyingcharoenwong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation have teamed up to share their databases of criminals' and inmates' DNA, which would be useful in crime suppression. It would help identify repeat offenders, track human-trafficking rackets and minimise the chance of wrongful prosecution and conviction.

Full story:

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Response to domestic abuse 'dismal'

Saowanee Nimpanpayongwong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Three reports of violence against children or women are made every hour in Thailand, despite a law meant to protect them that has been in place for five years.

Full story:

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BTS patrons to share in the King's celebrations

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Fathers travelling with their children will enjoy free rides on December 5 as part of the celebrations marking His Majesty's 85th birthday and the 13th anniversary of the BTS system.

Surapong Laoha-Unya, director and chief operating officer of Bangkok Transit System Public

Company (BTSC), said fathers and children entering and exiting at the same station will be allowed to ride free. Coupons for the service can be obtained at all station ticket offices.

Other activities being held in honour of His Majesty's birthday kicked off on November 15, when special decorative lights were put up at 13 BTS stations.

In addition, a portrait of the King will be on display along with books for the general public to leave messages for the monarch will be placed at National Stadium Station's walkway from now until January 31.

On Friday at 10.30am, BTSC, along with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association, will organise a merit-making event during which alms will be offered to 509 monks from 10 temples located along the Skytrain route.

On December 4, BTSC will also organise an activity encouraging all staff to donate blood at the mobile unit of the Thai Red Cross in honour of His Majesty.

The public is also welcome to join a candlelight ceremony to pay tribute to the monarch at 7pm at the walkway of National Stadium Station.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 27

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Dog park, hospitals among BMA pre-election gifts

THANATPONG KONGSAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Just months before Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra's tenure ends, his city administration has unveiled many interesting projects.

Full story:

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Koh Kham project

The Nation

KOH KHAM: -- Vice Admiral Roongsak Sereeswad, commander of the First Naval Area Command, will preside over today's opening of Preser-vation and Development of the Marine Environment project to beautify the coast of Koh Kham.

Chief of the Civil Affairs Division of the First Naval Area Command, Captain Chumnan Puangpet, said the purpose of the project was to develop the marine environment and landscape in ways that encourage people to preserve nature. Activities will include growing coral and cleaning beaches and sea beds. Among the project's supporters are 300 people from Viny Thai, IRPC, Grow Energy, Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, AC Diving, Burapha University Chanthaburi and Kasetsart University.

Roongsak urged people to to unite in preserving the marine environment as a resource and tourist attraction.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 27

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Hundreds of Thai schools shut over militant attacks

BANGKOK, Nov 27, 2012 (AFP) - Teachers in insurgency-wracked southern Thailand decided Monday to suspend classes at hundreds of schools in the region over the killings of education workers by Muslim militants.

Full story:

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Moon Halo over Thailand

Full story:

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,293.04, up 2.19 points /MCOT

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RT @TIME: Bye bye, Bieber! 'Gangnam Style' is now the most-watched YouTube video ever | http://ti.me/SoTv5m (via @TIMENewsFeed)

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King reviews royal projects progress at Chitralada Palace

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Nov 27 -- His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej visited Chitralada Palace Monday to review progress of the projects he initiated as well as to visit the Royal Elephant Museum inside the compound.

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Thai 'Red Shirt' protest leaders to go on trial

by Thanaporn Promyamyai

BANGKOK, Nov 27, 2012 (AFP) - Thai leaders of "Red Shirt" opposition protests that rocked Bangkok in 2010 are set to stand trial Thursday for terrorism, in a case that risks inflaming the kingdom's political tensions.

Full story:

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Military post near Ban Bacho School in Yala attacked by presumed insurgent group, 3 soldiers wounded /MCOT

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'Gangnam Style' carries Thai inmates to stage

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Nov 27 – Thai people laughed their heads off when a video clip of Thai sailors performing the globally-viral Gangnam Style dance went online a few months ago.

Before their tears of laughter dried up, the K-pop amusement craze encored to entertain Thai netizens—this time by the Thai police force.

Thailand’s sailors and police may have been quietly reprimanded for their inappropriate sense of humour, but the Corrections Department does not see it that way. It fully embraces the Korean hip-hop and introduces Gangnam dance style behind the prison walls.

Suchart Wong-ananchai, director general of the Corrections Department, smiled broadly as he presented awards to jail winners of the ‘Gangnam Style’ dance contest at the Bangkok Special Prison today.

Prisoners from seven zones under the supervision of the prison were invited to join the contest aimed at relieving prisoners’ stress and anxiety which frequently led to brawls behind bars.

Prisoners have been encouraged to exercise to enhance their physical fitness, he said, adding that the popular Gangnam Style dance is one of the most effective forms of physical exercise.

Mr Suchart will definitely be overjoyed if the South Korean music artist PSY can spare some time to train the contestants. Now that PSY is too busy preaching his pop music cult, Thailand’s prison warders are good enough at the new style to take over the training job. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-11-27

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: New Skytrain stations BTS Pho Nimit & BTS Talad Plu on Silom Line will now open mid-January. Wutthakat & Bangwa stations to open 12 August.

[Lite Beer]

300,000 meth pills seized in Nakhon Phanom

NAKHON PHANOM, Nov 27 -- Nearly 300,000 meth pills were seized in baggage left on the banks of the Mekong River in this northeastern Thai province.

Border patrol police and Nakhon Phanom provincial police, in a joint operation, inspected the targeted routes of a drug trafficking ring after receiving information that a major lot of illicit drug would be delivered into the province.

During the operation, they have found a baggage filled with meth pills hidden on the Mekong River bank in the provincial seat. No one claimed ownership of the baggage.

The authorities searched the baggage and found 49 packages containing 294,000 meth pills.

This was the second time in three days that police seized meth pills in the same location. The police earlier found 305,600 meth pills at the site. The authorities believe that the same location had been used for drug deliveries repeatedly by the drug trafficking ring. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-11-27

[Lite Beer]

RT@veen_NT: Chalerm refused to answer Ch7 Somjit on rice scheme. "I will answer any Ch7 reporter but you. I mean anyone in the world." TR @Bancha_nna

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SATELLITE TV BUSINESS

PSI steps into TV content production

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Leading TV production house Workpoint Entertainment had formed a new joint venture with PSI Holdings, the country's largest manufacturer and trader of satellite-TV receivers, to operate satellite TV stations and related businesses.

The 50:50 joint venture firm with Bt100 million registered capital is called Freesize Broadcasting.

Workpoint Entertainment currently produces a number of TV programmes, ranging from kids show, game shows and variety shows, supplying to BEC's ThaiTV3, Royal Army's TV5, MCOT's Modernine TV. It also runs it own satellite TV channels under the same title. Meanwhile, PSI is the biggest satellite TV broadcasting platform following it claimed that over past 20 years, more than 10 million of its produced satellite dishes were sold.

Somporn Teerarochanapong, chief executive officer at PSI Holdings who is also a share holder of the new company said that Freesize Broadcasting would produce TV contents for its new three free-to-air satellite TV channels to launched early next year.

-- The Nation 2012-11-27

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Number of people injured by fireworks during Loy Krathong last year was 642 compared to 364 in 2007

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October auto sales hit record high, over 200% increase.

BANGKOK, Nov 27 - Thailand's auto sales in October totalled 142,839 units, up 233.2 per cent, a new record high, according to Wuttikorn Suriyachantananont, executive vice president of Toyota Motors (Thailand).

Total sales included 72,211 passenger cars, 70,628 commercial vehicles, and 61,391 one-tonne pickup trucks.

The considerable year-on-year sales increase was in part due to last year's auto sales being impacted by the devastating flood. The government's first car buyer scheme and automakers' return-to-normal manufacture capacity also contributed to record high sales.

Toyota recorded the highest sales at 49,055 units, followed by Honda at 21,265 units and Isuzu at 20,170 units.

Culminated sales in from January to October this year were 1.1 million units, 60.2 per cent year-on-year growth. Passenger car growth accounted for 62 per cent.

Toyota recorded top sales at 429,806 units, followed by Isuzu at 170,173 units and Honda at 127,709 units.

The auto market is likely to remain robust until the end of this year due to potential customers' right to buy their first car under the government scheme to encourage car ownership and increased auto production capacity. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2012-11-27

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SOUTH CRISIS

Schools in deep south remain closed as violence continues unabated

YALA: -- Violence continued in deep southern province of Yala on Tuesday, with hundreds of schools in the region remaining closed on Tuesday as teachers' associations protested the government's failure to tackle insurgency problems.

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