Thailand Live Tuesday 4 December 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 Monday 3 Dec 2012

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Cathay Probes ' Coffee Threat ' On Thaksin's Daughter

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....ksins-daughter/

UPDATE

SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING

Cathay Pacific fires flight attendant in Paetongtarn case

The Nation

Full story:

BANGKOK GOVERNOR ELECTION

Sudarat, Pongsapat vie for Pheu Thai ticket

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Kittipong Thavevong

The Nation

File photo : Sudarat

Female politician gets 'backing from party's city MPs'

BANGKOK: -- Rival factions in the ruling Pheu Thai Party are pushing for their candidates to represent it in the Bangkok gubernatorial election early next year.

Full story:

CORRUPTION

NACC urged to probe village fund, rice-pledging schemes

Pimnara Pradubwit

Atthapoom Ongkulana

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat Party yesterday requested the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the government's rice-pledging and village-fund schemes.

Full story:

SOUTH CRISIS

Murders, bombs strike at peace talks

Don Pathan

The Nation

PATTANI: -- The targeted killing of a well-respected imam and a brutal response from the insurgents have taken a toll on already fragile secret peace talks between the government and the exiled Patani Malay separatist leaders.

Full story:

EDITORIAL

Despite promises, no progress in the deep South

The Nation

The insurgency in the region will not end until Thai officials accept the fact that the Malay-Muslims have an entirely different cultural heritage

Full story:

TREASURY VIEW

The curious situation of the baht that refuses to bark

Parson Singha

BANGKOK: -- There is a Sherlock Holmes story that involves the strange behaviour of a dog. Holmes pointed out that it did nothing at a critical plot juncture - hence revealing clues to the mystery.

Full story:

STREETWISE

Thais need an independent consumer protection agency

Achara Deboonme

BANGKOK: -- I have to admit that last week was the first time I had heard about Thailand's independent consumer protection agency. I only knew that under the 2007 Constitution, such an institution must be established to look into matters that affect consumers.

Full story:

Arisman gets jail sentence for defaming Abhisit

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Red-shirt co-leader Arisman Pongruanrong was sentenced to one year in prison yesterday for defaming opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva by saying Abhisit had robbed political power and ordered the killings of red-shirt protesters in 2009.

Full story:

BURNING ISSUE

PM, Abhisit unsheathe their legal swords

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva individually face legal troubles that could be a turning point for either or both.

Full story:

Bhokin panel recommends final reading of charter change bill

Olan Lertrudtanadumrongkul,

Khanittha Thepphajorn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A coalition panel yesterday resolved that the government proceed with the passage of the third reading of the charter amendment bill after launching public relations campaigns seeking support.

Full story:

6-month trial run of HD digital local TV agreed

WATCHIRANONT THONGTEP

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Residents of Greater Bangkok and Chiang Mai will be the first to experience high-definition digital terrestrial television under a six-month trial period, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission said yesterday.

The Royal Army, operator of TV5; MCOT, operator of Modernine TV; the Public Relations Department, operator of NBT; and the NBTC jointly signed a historic memorandum of understanding yesterday to co-launch the trial, the first such service in the Kingdom.

Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC's broadcasting committee, said the commission aimed to use this MoU as a tool to examine readiness of the industry before the full launch of digital terrestrial TV broadcasting, planned for next year.

The NBTC has also welcomed related businesses such as distributors and manufacturers of TV sets and set-top box to join this process.

Under the six-month agreement, the three main analog terrestrial broadcasters and network providers will act as facilitators, collecting broadcast signals from their own and other stations and then transmitting them digitally to sample households.

Sample audiences will have access to the same programmes as on the six current free-TV channels, namely BEC's ThaiTV3, TV5, BBTV Channel 7, Modernine TV, NBT and Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS). The difference is that this content will be shown in high definition.

Sura Gaintanasilp, executive vice president of MCOT, said Modernine TV was the first to begin this new service, launching it yesterday to cover Greater Bangkok.

Sura said he thought MCOT should distribute about 200 set-top boxes to the sample audience during the trial period. The company will also provide USB mobile dongle receivers to the sample group.

"This is another important chapter in the country's TV broadcasting since 45 years ago when monochrome screens turned into a colour-television system," he said.

TV5 plans to start digital terrestrial TV transmission for Bangkok on Royal Thai Army Day, January 18, while the Public Relations Department will follow later in Chiang Mai.

Royal Army will transmit HD digital terrestrial TV signals from its broadcasting tower on the Baiyoke Sky Towers and MCOT from its Nong Khaem station.

-- The Nation 2012-12-04

Social media debates fireworks decision

The Nation

Many are disappointed at the restrictions on pyrotechnics; Palace denies being involved in the move

BANGKOK: -- The decision to omit fireworks displays across the country on His Majesty the King's birthday tomorrow triggered widespread debate on social networks yesterday.

It was not immediately clear who made the decision - the Interior Ministry or a government-appointed organising committee - but it ends a major traditional element of celebrations for the revered monarch's birthday.

The Interior Minister has issued an order restricting pyrotechnic performances during this year's state events marking the auspicious occasion, meaning that the customary vigils and singing of the royal anthem at city halls across the country will not include such activities.

Dissathorn Watcharothai, deputy secretary-general of the Royal Household Bureau and a member of the government panel, said the idea of restricting fireworks did not come from the palace.

"The main event in Bangkok, at Sanam Luang, has never included shows of fireworks, but elsewhere, I would not know about it, this year," he said.

Wibool Sa-nguanphong, permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, said the decision was made by the organising committee appointed by the government. "The reasons should be clarified by the panel," he said.

Dissathorn said that neither Wibool nor any Interior Ministry representative had attended the meeting.

Most social media postings complained that the restriction would go against a custom they admired, while certain anti-government pages, without giving proof, accused PM's Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsong-paisal, the head of the panel and a long-time close aide to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, of being behind the decision.

Niwathamrang clarified that the restriction had not been issued as an order, but rather as a request for cooperation, while an Interior Ministry source claimed that probably an old, similar order was presented to Wibool, and he possibly signed it, without reading it carefully.

Public transport will tomorrow offer free rides or discounted fares to fathers and children wearing yellow shirts in honour of the King. Free 22,071 runs on 2,530 city buses are available today and tomorrow, while 350 city buses and some interprovincial coaches will carry well-wishers from nine locations to the event venue at the Royal Plaza.

Fathers and children with yellow shirts and proof of kinship are entitled to half-priced tickets on interprovincial buses except services from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, Saraburi or Kamphaeng Saen in Nakhon Pathom, whose fares are already low. The discount is 30 per cent for routes longer than 300 kilometres.

Steam-engine train trips between Bangkok and Ayutthaya, which are run only four times a year, will start leaving Hua Lamphong Railway Station in Bangkok tomorrow at 8am at Bt140, while free cars will be attached to regular trains to and from Bangkok, along with special all-free trains to and from Ayutthaya.

The Airport Rail Link will allow fathers to ride at no charge from 4pm to midnight tomorrow.

Well-wishers can leave birthday greetings for His Majesty via two online channels - www.opm.go.th and www.facebook.com/85Celebration.

Yellow polo shirts are in high demand and are likely to run out of stock like in 2006 when His Majesty made a public appearance at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in front of a vast yellow sea of loyal subjects.

-- The Nation 2012-12-04

Call for DSI probe

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party yesterday urged the Department of Special Investigation to launch a graft probe into the Bangkok Futsal Arena project.

The shiny sports complex in Nong Chok district was constructed mainly for the 2012 Futsal World Cup, but because of certain problems with the facility, the global soccer body Fifa has refused to use it.

Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Jirayu Huangsap lodged a complaint with the DSI against Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra and Deputy Governor Thirachon Manomaipiboon, accusing them of violating laws in awarding the contract to a company in a non-transparent manner.

-- The Nation 2012-12-04

Krabi police seize 9 cars, M16 as meth ring crumbles

Phuket Gazette

Krabi Provincial Police Commander Nantadech Yoinuan inspects a sample of the drugs seized in the raids. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

Full story:

Brit Kills Self at Koh Samui Shooting Range

A 35-year-old British tourist shot 10 times at a paper target in a Ko Samui shooting range. For his next shot, he put the .38 caliber gun under his chin and pulled the trigger. The shocked employee nearby had no time to react. Police have not found a motive for the suicide.

Full story:

Thailand's 3G services to move on after court's ruling

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 4 – Thailand’s Administrative Court today refused to rule on a request to suspend the allocation of 3G licences by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to three bid winners.

Full story:

Another teacher killed in South, freshly after schools' reopening

The Nation

NARATHIWAT: -- On the first day schools in the deep South reopened yesterday, in the wake of a murder of a principal by insurgents last year, a teacher based in Narathiwat was gunned down last night - the 155th teacher killed through the separatist violence in the predominantly-Muslim region.

Chatsuda Nilsuwan, 32, was shot four times during an ambush in Cho I Rong district, and died at the scene. The victim left the school late because she was doing a

paperwork task, and reportedly did not ask to be escorted by security officials.

In Yala, a female villager, 33, was shot and killed at her home in Yala’s Bannang Sata district in a drive-by shooting. Police theorised that the murder was the work of insurgents but were compiling more evidence to back it up.

-- The Nation 2012-12-04

Investigation continues into British Tourist Patrick Malloy's drowning in Pattaya

By Staff Reporter

Patrick Molloy, from Newmarket Cambridge, who drowned in Pattaya on Sunday

PATTAYA: -- A day after three British men from the Cambridge and Suffolk area of England jumped into Pattaya Bay as they made a hasty escape from what has been reported as a considerable fight, Pattaya 103FM looks back at the series of events.

Full story:

RT @mpoppel: BREAKING -- Magnitude of earthquake near Anchorage upgraded to 5.9

RT @mpoppel: Tsunami Warning Center statement on Anchorage quake http://dlvr.it/2ZgLVs

Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,333.04, up 0.12 points /MCOT

East Pattaya Necklace Snatch suspect shot by Police as he attempts escape

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/602635-east-pattaya-necklace-snatch-suspect-shot-by-police-as-he-attempts-escape/

CONFIDENCE

Consumers pleased with ease in political tension

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai consumer confidence in November rose for two consecutive months to 79.1 points, thanks mainly to the stabilisation in political conflict, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce survey.

The index was 77.8 points in October.

Other positive factors that drove the confidence included recovery in export growth in October, the spike in the SET index and the Bank of Thailand’s decision to maintain the policy rate, said Thanavath Phonvichai, director to the UTCC Economic and Business Forecasting Centre

Yet, consumers are still concerned with the possibility of lower economic growth in light of weakening demand for Thailand’s export. They are also worried over the health of the global economy, fuel prices and political risks.

-- The Nation 2012-12-04

People begin occupying Royal Plaza in front of Ananta Samakon Throne Hall for best view during HM the King's birthday audience tomorrow /MCOT

International Court of Justice set public hearings on Thai-Cambodian border dispute in April 2013 /The Nation

Phuket residents urged to support Christmas blood drive

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Regional Blood Center is asking for donors to come forward. Those with Rh-negative blood will be especially welcomed. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: -- As the Christmas and New Year festive season draws closer, Phuket's residents are being asked to donate blood to ensure an adequate supply is available for hospitals to deal with emergencies.

Full story:

Consumer Confidence Index in Nov highest in 14m as consumer anxiety at anti-govt rally eases, interest rate unchanged, daily wage hike boosts spending /MCOT

Thais hunt for killer tiger after second deadly attack

BANGKOK, Dec 4, 2012 (AFP) - Terrified Thai villagers were on Tuesday hunting a tiger suspected of killing two people in less than a week after a woman was mauled to death in a rubber plantation near the site of an earlier attack.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....-deadly-attack/