Thailand Live Wednesday 26 Dec 2012

[webfact]

Beijing's 72-hour visa-free stay policy

The Nation

BEIJING: -- Air China, a member of Star Alliance, aims to gain benefits from Beijing's 72-hour visa-free stay policy, which from Jan 1, 2013 will allow free stay to citizens from 45 countries who have outbound air tickets and visas to a third country.

Full story:

[webfact]

RT @veen_NT: First issue of Newsweek on Feb 17, 1933 and last print issue on Dec 31, 2012 http://thai.vi/10h3ekd

[webfact]

Thai-Cambodian single visa to commence Thursday

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Starting Thursday, tourists from 35 countries could enter Thailand and Cambodia with single visa as foreign ministers of the two countries agreed on Wednesday.

Full story:

[webfact]

Yingluck voted most creative politician

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is voted the most creative politician in 2012 in a poll by Bangkok University.

Full story:

[webfact]

Two Russians Report Sexual Assault And Armed Robbery In South Pattaya

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/607598-two-russians-report-sexual-assault-and-armed-robbery-in-south-pattaya/

[webfact]

Heavier fine on exaggerated commercials

The Nation December 26, 2012 12:18 pm

BANGKOK: -- The Food and Drug Administration is seeking a heavier fine on exaggerated commercials.

Three laws governing food, drugs and cosmetics are being revised to raise the minimum fine from Bt5,000 to Bt500,000.

Pharmacist Srinual Karakotkorn, deputy permanent secretary, Food and Drug Administration Thailand (FDA), said that to put commercials under greater control, the agency will need to work closely with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. A campaign will be launched to raise awareness while a mechanism is required for tighter rule enforcement and complaint filing.

-- The Nation 2012-12-26

[webfact]

Police apprehend human trafficker on Myanmar border

By Digital Media

KANCHANABURI, Dec 26 – An operative of a Myanmar human trafficking gang luring that country’s young women into prostitution was arrested at Three Pagodas Pass on the Myanmar border 250 km from the provincial seat of Kanchanaburi, itself about100 km west of the capital.

Pol Col Sitthichai Leelasawat, Anti-Human Trafficking Division Superintendent, led 20 police to inspect Ban Phra Chedi Sam Ong in Kanchanaburi's Sangkhla Buri district after receiving a tip about a transnational prostitution ring operating along the Thai-Myanmar border.

The police acted as customers and contacted a 30-year-old Myanmar man identified as Maung Aye to buy services.

Mr Maung Aye agreed to provide the women and affirmed that there were Myanmar girls at work. The Thai police officers then identified themselves and rescued 18 young Myanmar women.

Three of the 18 detained young women were under 20 years of age. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-26

[Lite Beer]

Narathiwat still under floodwater; more schools closed

NARATHIWAT, Dec 26 – Flooding continued in this restive southern province due to continuing rain, forcing more schools to close on Wednesday.

Heavy downpours continued in 13 districts, raising the level of floodwaters in the areas as forest runoff from the Sankala Khiri mountain range joined with existing floodwaters.

Wang district is heaviest hit, with several villages being cut off from the outside world as main highways were under 3 metres of floodwater.

Border patrol police distributed flood relief packages provided by His Majesty King Bhumibol and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit to 48 flood-hit households in Wang.

Two more schools were forced to close today following the temporary closure of three schools earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Phatthalung province began to return to normal today as floods receded in many areas.

One hundred fifty households in Kuankanun district remain flooded as they are near a lake which has overflowed with accumulating floodwaters exceeding its capacity due to the heavy downpours. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-26

[Lite Beer]

Heavy rain warning for South during New Year.

BANGKOK, Dec 26 - Residents of Thailand's southern provinces have been warned of the possible impact of depression Wukong which is moving towards the Gulf of Thailand.

Royal Chitradon, director of the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, said today that residents of the provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Surat Thani should be specially prepared for the storm on Saturday through Monday, New Years Eve.

The southern region will have less rainfall in the next few days, possibly misleading people that the situation has improved but the storm Wukong is still developing, he warned.

He said the storm will definitely move into southern Thailand before the New Year and produce torrential rains at some 100mm per day.

People in risk-prone areas are instructed to move their belongings to higher ground, take special care of their children and the elderly and practice relocation drills in preparation for landslides and water runoff.

He said the coming storm will be less severe than last year's phenomenon which caused widespread rains in the South, peaking at 400 mm. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2012-12-26

[Lite Beer]

Petchaboon Worker Goes Crazy From Pills

SATTAHIP:--A 36-year-old construction worker in Petchaboon became deranged from overuse of amphetamine pills. He was walking around with no pants and holding a knife and cigarette lighter while talking incoherently, scaring people. Police spent 30 minutes talking to the man before restraining and taking him into custody.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/607611-no-pants-worker-runs-amok-with-a-knife-and-cigarette-lighter/

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Army Chief: Teachers in the deep South should go to work in armoured vehicles (Bangkok Post)

[Lite Beer]

RichardBarrow: Army Chief: Teachers in the deep South should go to work in armoured vehicles (Bangkok Post)

[Lite Beer]

Heavier fine on exaggerated commercials

The Nation

Advertisers and broadcasters are liable to at least Bt500,000 of fine and imprisonment for exaggerated commercials under the revision of the food and drug regulation, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This amendment is an attempt to regulate TV commercials and programmes in local TV channels, particularly cable and satellite TVs which are largely not under control.

"As current punishment under the Food Act B.E.2522 is considerably weak at Bt5,000 for the violation, FDA is proposing the Bt500,000 fine and a imprisonment term," deputy secretary Srinuan Korrakuchakorn said.

The amendment is in the final stage of public hearing with related sectors but it has not completed yet as there are some parties still oppose to the draft.

According to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, there are more than 1,000 cable and satellite TV operators. The NBTC said it had received a number of complaints about false advertising, particularly related to pharmaceutical products.

Additionaly, Suntharee T.Chaisumritchote, assistance professor at Chulalongkorn University's Drug Monitoring Development Programme, suggested that the NBTC should work closely with those key organisations to amend related regulations and promoting network of consumer right group across the country.

-- The Nation 2012-12-26

[webfact]

ACMECS

Thai-Cambodian single visa for 35 nationals gets underway

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Starting from Thursday, tourists from 35 countries will be able to enter Thailand and Cambodia with a single visa, under an agreement reached by the foreign ministers of the two countries on Wednesday.

Full story:

[webfact]

PM holds bilateral talks with visiting Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, pushing for trade, tourism cooperation /MCOT

[webfact]

THAI offers "A380 Special" promotional fares

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai Airways International is offering promotional fares to welcome the New Year 2013 with travel on its Airbus A380-800, THAI's newest and largest aircraft, to three popular destinations.

Full story:

[webfact]

SET index closed at 1382.23, up 3.91; Bt/USD30.51; GBP49.08; AUD31.46; EUR40.09; CAD30.60; HKD3.93; SGD24.81; JPY35.61

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: Google map showing the most dangerous provinces for road accidents during Songkran 2012: http://bit.ly/VxkrOJ #Thailand

[webfact]

Fatal Gunfire Erupts Outside Soi 7 Go Go Bar

A 23-year-old Thai man was fatally shot outside the Silver Star go go bar on soi 7. The victim may have been accidentally shot by the gunman, who apparently meant to kill his drinking companion. Others opened fire on the gunman as he ran down soi 7, wounding him seriously as he collapsed.

Full story:

[webfact]

Thailand tourism bounces back after the political turmoil of 2010: reports

BANGKOK -- Bouncing back from disruptions due to flooding last year and political upheavals in 2010, Thailand will welcome a record 21.8 million foreign visitors this year, reports said Tuesday.

Full story:

[webfact]

to continue:

Thailand Live Thursday 27 Dec 2012