Thailand Live Wednesday 19 Dec 2012

[webfact]

Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos

In its first big policy shift since Facebook bought the photo-sharing site, Instagram claims the right to sell users' photos without payment or notification. Oh, and there's no way to opt out.

Update, December 18 at 2:50 p.m. PT: Instagram has backed down, as we report in this CNET article posted a few minutes ago. Instagram says it will "remove" the language that caused a user revolt over the last day.

Full story:

[webfact]

Holiday road accidents expected to decline 5%

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 19 – The government has targeted reducing road accidents during the New Year holiday by 5 per cent, according to government deputy spokesman Pakdeehan Himathongkham.

He said the cabinet acknowledged the Interior Ministry’s campaign against road accidents nationwide between December 27 and January 2.

Emphasis will be given to speed control, crackdown on drunk driving, helmet wearing for motorcyclists and truck drivers’ behaviour behind the wheel, he said.

Related government agencies in Bangkok and the provinces have been instructed to follow the Interior Ministry’s guidelines on road accident prevention, he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-19

[webfact]

Thai stock index opens on Wednesday at 1,369.87, up 6.93 points /MCOT

[webfact]

Highway Department checkpoint inspectors at Chumphon arrest ethnic Hmong with 1.3 million meth pills hidden in pickup truck carrying vegetables to Phuket /MCOT

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: British Embassy in Bangkok will be closed over Christmas from 25-26 December & for New Year from 31 Dec-1 Jan 2013.

[webfact]

Highway Police arrest ethnic Hmong with 1.3 million meth pills

By Digital Media

CHUMPHON, Dec 19 -- Highway Police intercepted a shipment of 1.3 million methamphetamine pills hidden in a pickup truck carrying vegetables to Phuket.

Chunmporn-based Highway Police inspector Charoenpong Khantilo led police to set up checkpoints to prevent crime and illegal smuggling before Christmas and New Year's Festival and found suspicious pickup truck on Phetkasem Road at Hat Krai sub-district.

Police searched the vehicle carrying 12 baskets of vegetables and found each basket had a hidden rucksack inside, and each rucksack contained 1.3 million meth pills.

The driver was identified as Ong-art Sengya, 39, an ethnic Hmong living in Chiang Mai's Mae Wang district.

Mr Ong-art said he was hired to carry the drug by vegetable vendor named Jeh Phon in Ratchaburi’s Sri Mueang market to deliver to a major drug agent in Phuket. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-19

[webfact]

Attorney Gen. files suit against DPM Plodprasop for approval of export of 100 tigers to China in 2003; bail granted with Bt150k cash /MCOT

[webfact]

New vehicular excise tax rates depend on CO2 emissions, from 2016

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 19 - The Cabinet yesterday approved a new excise tax structure to take effect in January 2016 in accord with a vehicle's quantity of carbon dioxide emissions, and 20 per cent higher excise taxes on luxury motorbikes and motorcycles to take immediate effect.

Full story:

[webfact]

RT @veen_NT: Duist Poll: 83.2 % of Thai people do not believe in the doomsday.

RT @veen_NT: One Questions in Dusit Poll's survey is: which politicians you wish survive doomsday. perhaps they run out of constructive idea

[webfact]

UPDATE

Three Phuket tour van crash victims still in hospital

Phuket Gazette

The Thai tour guide is assisted out of the ambulance after the accident yesterday. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Two tourists and a tour guide travelling in a tour van that had its roof ripped off by a crane in Chalong yesterday are recovering in hospital, the Phuket Gazette has confirmed.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....n/#entry5944311

[webfact]

Phuket: KL consulate confirms: no one-year non-B visas

PHUKET: -- A staffer at the consular section of the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has confirmed that the consulate is effectively no longer issuing one-year multiple-entry non-immigrant B visas except in special cases.

Full story:

[Lite Beer]

World Bank paints improved economic future for Thailand

BANGKOK, Dec 19 – The World Bank (WB) has adjusted Thailand’s economic growth this year from 4.5 per cent to 4.7 per cent and positively forecast a 5 per cent expansion next year, according to a senior economist.

Kirida Bhaopichitr, a WB senior economist for East Asia and Pacific, said increased household consumption and investment after last year’s massive floods in Thailand, the government’s stimulation of consumer purchases and the successive inflow of foreign funds have contributed to the economic growth despite the country’s declining exports from 9.5 per cent last year to only 3 per cent this year due to the global economic slowdown and crisis in Europe and the US.

Thailand’s economic growth next year is predicted at 5 per cent thanks to revitalisation in the economic sector and the global economy, she said, adding that Thailand’s exports should expand to 5.5 per cent next year while investments in the private and public sections should increase by 8 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

Consumption in the private sector should expand by 3.6 per cent and the public sector by 3 per cent, said Dr Kirida.

She pointed out that continuous domestic investments are mainly from the Bt60 billion water management project, tax refunds for first-car owners, and higher domestic consumption.

Inflation will expand within 3 per cent while the forecast interest rate for next year will be 2.75 per cent, similar to this year’s.

The WB economist said the European economic crisis, domestic political uncertainty and the nationwide minimum wage implementation remain the risk factors for the Thai economy and exports, while the government’s rice pledging scheme is impacting Thailand’s competitiveness in the global market. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-19

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Thai government has just announced the dates for the 7 Dangerous Days of the Festive Season on the roads: 27 Dec - 2 Jan

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Good news for those celebrating the new year countdown in #Bangkok. Skytrain will extend operating hours until 2am

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Good new for Bangkokians taking new year holiday in Pattaya & Rayong. Both Motorway & Burapawitee expressway are free from 27 Dec - 3 Jan

[webfact]

McDonald's Thailand imposes one-hour time limit for customers

By Coconuts Bangkok

Thai Ronald McDonald: Not creepy at all. Photo: FastFoodHut.com

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....-for-customers/

[webfact]

CABINET

Air-conditioned vehicles to provide relief to prisoners

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet has approved a Bt492 million budget for the purchase of 300 air-conditioned vehicles for the Corrections Department to transport prisoners.

Sunai Jullapongsathorn, who chairs the House committee on foreign affairs, revealed the information at a seminar yesterday. Held by the Justice Ministry, the seminar addressed the detention and fettering of prisoners.

Among the issues at the seminar were the rights of prisoners and inmates.

"The vehicles used by the Corrections Department are clearly old. Inmates in the vehicles feel hot and uncomfortable," Sunai said.

Aware of this problem, he said he decided to write to the Corrections Department to suggest that the air-conditioned vehicles should be used for the transportation of prisoners/inmates.

"I've heard that the department has followed the advice and requested the budget for the purchase of the new vehicles. The Cabinet has approved the request," Sunai said.

-- The Nation 2012-12-19

[webfact]

Criminal Court sets January 23 to issue verdict on Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, editor, labour rights activist charged under lese majeste law /MCOT

[webfact]

DSI sets up centre in charge of cases against Abhisit, Suthep

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation has set up a centre tasked to handle cases involving two Democrats, Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban, linked to deaths and injuries in the 2010 political mayhem.

"Some 2,000 people injured in the violence will file charges against Abhisit and Suthep," DSI director general Tarit Pengdith said.

Tarit said the two would face three types of charges - order the killings, attempted killings and physical assualts.

The DSI will treat all cases involving the two in a batch instead of treating them as individual cases, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-12-19

[webfact]

POLITICS

Special centre set up to deal with cases against Abhisit, Suthep

The Nation

File photo : Abhisit

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation has set up a centre tasked with handling the cases involving Democrats, Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban in connection with deaths and injuries in the 2010 political mayhem.

Full story:

[webfact]

Plodprasop released on bail in alleged tiger export case

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Ratchadapisek Criminal Court Wednesday granted a Bt120,000 bail release to Minister of Science and Technology Plodprasop Suraswadi, who was accused of authorising the export of 100 tigers to a Chinese zoo in defiance of the animal exchange law in 2002.

Full story:

[webfact]

World Bank raised its Thai GDP growth 2012 projection to 4.7 percent from previous 4.5 percent growth projection /The Nation

[webfact]

Nearly 2 million persons likely involved with drugs next year: Health Ministry

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 19 - Thailand's Ministry of Public Health said nearly two million persons are projected to be using illicit drugs next year, even as the ministry targeted the rehabilitation of at least 300,000 drug addicts.

Deputy Health Minister Sophon Petchsawang said the drug situation in the country is still worrisome and the number of drug-involved persons tends to increase.

Department of Medical Services Deputy Director-General Dr Jirot Sindhvananda said about 1,900,000 Thais are expected to be entangled with drugs in 2013, with the government targeted 300,000 for rehabilitation and another 700,000 under ongoing rehabilitation and close watch.

Dr Jirot said the government will increase the quality and efficiency of its rehabilitation programme, noting that last year about 460,000 persons received approximately 4-month treatment per person.

The deputy director general added that methamphetamines are listed as top illicit drug, followed by crystal methamphetamine or 'ice', and marijuana, with the drug addiction rate among youth having risen.

The record youngest drug addict is a nine-year old boy who has been lured to take drugs and worked as a distributor to avoid police observation, said Dr Jirot.

Among the patients at the ministry's five drug rehab centres, he said, 80 per cent are outpatients as they are not heavily addicted to drugs, 20 per cent must stay at the centres, while another 10 per cent are in the group who have become readdicted to drugs. Some have returned to receive treatment for the third time after first rehab course. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-19

[webfact]

SET index closed at 1378.40, up 15.46; Bt/USD30.46; GBP49.43; AUD31.88; EUR40.24; CAD30.74; HKD3.92; SGD24.86; JPY36.61

[webfact]

World Bank paints improved economic future for Thailand

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 19 – The World Bank (WB) has adjusted Thailand’s economic growth this year from 4.5 per cent to 4.7 per cent and positively forecast a 5 per cent expansion next year, according to a senior economist.

Full story:

[Lite Beer]

SOUTH CRISIS

New measures implemented to keep teachers in Pattani safe

PATTANI:--Government security authorities in Pattani along with provincial officials at all levels have been instructed to remain alert and do everything in their power to ensure the safety of school teachers in this southern province, the provincial governor said.

Pramook Lamoon invited community, village, and religious leaders, as well as teachers and local educators, to a meeting with security officials to inform them of the new measures to provide security to teachers who have been targets of insurgent attacks.

Teachers are to commute between their homes and schools in armoured vehicles if requested, the governor said. Border patrol police and rangers who have teaching background or credentials are encouraged to apply for teaching jobs due to the shortage of educators.

He said affected areas are divided into three degrees of security risk serious, mild and light in order to facilitate deployment of government forces accordingly.

The new measures call on the authorities to strictly abide by the law in carrying out their duties without violating human rights or creating hatred among the people.

Pramook said a series of attacks on teachers in a number of districts has shaken the public's faith in the government's security measures, compelling provincial authorities to be more proactive in providing safety, especially to teachers.

A number of teachers at government primary schools in this southern province have been killed or wounded in shootings by insurgents, some in broad daylight.

The worsening situation prompted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to go South last week to boost teachers morale with a promise to improve their welfare.

-- The Nation 2012-12-19

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: #Bangkok Formula 1 Grand Prix as good as confirmed for 2015 (@Saksith) goo.gl/fb/IIlBI

[webfact]

F1 Adds Bangkok Race to 2015 Schedule

BANGKOK: -- Formula One Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone revealed that the 2015 Grand Prix calendar will feature a night race on the streets of Bangkok.

Full story:

[Lite Beer]

'America's most wanted deadbeat dad' arrested after fleeing to Thailand to avoid $1.2m in child support payments

Caught: Robert Sand was arrested for failing to pay more than $1.2million in child support for his three children.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/606151-americas-most-wanted-deadbeat-dad-arrested-after-fleeing-to-thailand/#entry5945592

[webfact]

to continue:

Thailand Live Thursday 20 Dec 2012