Thailand Live Saturday 29 Dec 2012

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Thailand Live Saturday 29 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 Friday 28 Dec 2012

http://www.thaivisa....ay-28-dec-2012/

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NEW YEAR'S EXODUS

Bus, train stations jammed as holidaymakers head upcountry

Wattana Khamchu,

Mongkhonchaowarat Tangmangmee,

Prasit Tangprasert

The Nation

Traffic comes to a virtual halt on Mitrapab Road in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday.

Passengers estimated at 300,000; 33 killed on first day of 'danger period'

BANGKOK: -- Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to key bus terminals and train stations in Bangkok yesterday to get a ride back to their home provinces for the New Year celebrations.

Full story:

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TOURISM

21 million tourists, and still counting

Phoowadon Duangmee

The Nation

Amid rising country profile and strong performance in 2012, TAT expects to see 24.5 million arrivals next year

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's international tourist arrivals reached the 21-million mark yesterday and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) now aims to achieve 24.5 million next year.

Full story:

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GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

Sukhumbhand 'chosen for continuity'

Prapasri Osathanon

The Nation

File photo : Sukhumbhand

BANGKOK: -- Continuity and experience were the main factors behind the Democrat Party's selection of incumbent Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra to run in the upcoming gubernatorial election, party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

Full story:

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NICKNAMES

Reporters find only one 'shining star' this year

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- As part of their annual ritual, reporters on the Parliament beat yesterday came up with nicknames and labels for prominent members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Full story:

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EDITORIAL

Give land title to those who need it, not the wealthy

The Nation

Legal amendments are required on forestry issues and land reform in order to address some of the fundamental problems of the poor

BANGKOK: -- Over the past few months, the ongoing conflict between forestry officials and the owners of luxury resorts inside various natural parks has made headlines. But these all-too-familiar incidents belie the fundamental problem, which is the country's failure to ensure good governance over land use.

Full story:

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Reds to push for amnesty law

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The red-shirt movement yesterday unveiled its New Year plan to push for the amnesty law and amendment of the Constitution to bring justice to its members who struggled for democracy, leader Thida Thavornseth said yesterday.

Full story:

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MARKETS

Thai bourse ends 2012 with spectacular performance

ACHARA DEBOONME

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Thai stock exchange witnessed a spectacular performance in 2012, driven by the strong domestic economy, which concurrently strengthened Thai companies financially and drew huge foreign fund inflows.

Full story:

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Posing with starfish 'ecologically harmful'

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Tourists visiting marine parks or diving sites have been advised to stop harmful practices like picking up starfish to take photographs and later sharing the shot online, a Bangkok seminar on wildlife conservation was told yesterday.

This practice was usually encouraged by tour guides and rangers stationed at marine parks, a Prince of Songkla University lecturer on marine wildlife said.

Sak-anant Plathong said fish food was also openly sold at several marine parks, a practice that was either allegedly supported by park rangers or to which they turned a blind eye. He warned that feeding certain types of fish would alter their natural characteristics important for their survival, and would also affect the area's ecological balance.

Posting pictures with starfish has now become a trend on social media, especially among Thai and other Asian tourists, Sak-anant said, adding that feather and pincushion starfish were most popular and sustained the most damage.

"Westerners have a better understanding about nature conservation and are more respectful to wildlife," he added.

Manophas Huamuangkaew, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, confirmed yesterday that tour companies and tour guides would be asked to discourage tourists from picking up starfish and that the sale of fish food at national parks would also be discouraged.

-- The Nation 2012-12-29

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NBTC to revise consumer protection regulations

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission next year will focus on revising consumer-protection regulations.

The move is aimed at dealing with the expected rise in consumer complaints after the launch of third-generation cellular service by the three holders of 2.1-gigahertz spectrum licences by the second quarter, said Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn, chairman of the NBTC's regulation-revision panel.

The commission already has in place regulations on dispute arbitration between telecom operators and complainants, as published in the Royal Gazette in September. It has also examined problems of enforcing these regulations.

The regulation-revision panel had 21 meetings this year to review which regulations needed to be amended. Among the rules it has already revised are those restricting foreign dominance of the telecom business. The new regulations came into effect in July.

The first regulations on maximum tariffs for mobile-phone voice service took effect in April.

The panel has also amended telecom licence fees, adjustments that were recently approved by the NBTC's board. It has also completed the new draft of the 2006 regulations on network access and interconnection.

-- The Nation 2012-12-29

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First-car tax rebates expected to hit Bt85 bn

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Excise Department expects to dole out Bt85 billion in tax rebates for the first-car scheme, 13 per cent more than the earlier estimate of Bt75 billion, because of the high popularity of the programme.

Full story:

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'8 Miles from Home'

A Special Episode - By Thailands Most Cinematic Videographers

Full story:

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Two Brits caught in Phuket 'ice' bust

Nattha Thepbamrung

Friday 28 December 2012, 04:27PM

PHUKET: -- Two Britons, Billy David, 23, and Lee Cannon, 42, were arrested on Christmas Day (December 25) on charges of dealing in crystal methamphetamine (“ya ice”).

Full story:

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RT @RichardBarrow: First 2 days during new year on Thai roads sees 71 dead & 826 injured - RT @Neaw_NBC: 7วันอันตรายปีใหม่2วันตาย71เจ็บ826

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Thai celebrants out in full force for New Year

By English News

BANGKOK, Dec 29 – Leading tourist attractions nationwide are mostly booked, filled with New Year's celebrants, while many people are leaving the capital or their home towns for the holidays.

National parks, especially in the wintry North, are crowded with tourists gathering for countdowns into the Year 2013.

In Phitsanulok province, 370 km north of Bangkok, accommodations in all national parks and botanical gardens are fully occupied, some until mid-month in January. Tents have been set up in reserved areas in the parks.

Some provincial administrations organised special activities as part of the New Year’s celebrations.

In Uthai Thani, 500 km north of Bangkok, the Second Buffalo Festival is being held in the provincial seat to promote tourism and create awareness among farmers on buffalo breeding. Farmers and tourists alike enthusiastically joined the festival.

In the central province of Suphan Buri, about 100 km from Bangkok, the Thai Orchid Festival is held until January 5. More than 3,000 orchids of nine different species are on display. Highlighting the festival is a 300-metre-long orchid tunnel.

Samila Beach in the southern province of Songkhla has been beautifully decorated to welcome Thai and foreign visitors who are pouring to the seaside resort for the New Year. Tourists are streaming to take pictures with the mermaid statue, a signification attraction at Samila Beach.

New Year’s celebrations in Bangkok are organised at several leading venues including Ratchaprasong intersection which is the main countdown arena on New Year's Eve, December 31. The countdown event in the eastern beach resort of Pattaya, with colourful fireworks, is no less extravagant than in Bangkok.

At Sanam Luang, people traditionally wake up early on the morning of January 1st to offer alms to Buddhist monks – a merit-making ceremony for the start of a new year. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-29

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PM on weekly TV address summarizes govt's performance, says infrastructure development to be accelerated next year /MCOT

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HEALTH

Power saver: brain caught napping with every blink of an eye

WHY do we spend about 10 per cent of our waking hours with our eyes closed, blinking far more often than is necessary to keep our eyeballs lubricated?

Full story:

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RT @RichardBarrow: Black Mountain Waterpark in Hua Hin is 600 Baht for adults & 300 Baht for children. Open 10am-5pm http://thai.vi/Vdy6fI

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Colorful Countdown Phuket kicks off today

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- The New Year celebrations on the island starts at 6pm today as the annual “Colorful Countdown Phuket” for 2013 kicks off.

Full story:

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New Year road death toll rises to 71

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The first two days of seven dangerous New Year Holidays saw71 people killed and 826 injured, the road safety management committee announced Saturday.

Full story:

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Russian Tourist Assault in Pattaya - update

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....25#entry5972181

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RT@RichardBarrow: World No 1 Victoria Azarenka and Chinese ace Li Na will battle it out in an exhibition match in Hua Hin today (Nation)

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RT@191Thailand: 38 die on Thai roads on second ‘dangerous day’. Total is now 71 deaths (Bangkok Post)

​RT@191Thailand: Provinces with most road fatalities were Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Chonburi, with 4 deaths each

RT@191Thailand: On Friday, 32.88% of road accidents were caused by drunk driving and 20.52% by speeding.

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71 killed on roads in first two days of 'Seven Dangerous Days' of New Year

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 29 - The death toll from road accidents reached 71 and 826 people were reportedly injured in the first two days of the 'Seven Dangerous Days' of the New Year holiday, according to the Department of Probation.

Full story:

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Soldiers discover weapons cache in para rubber plantation during raid today in Narathiwat /MCOT

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RT @BBCWorld: Philippines president signs law providing free access to contraception and family planning http://bbc.in/UsfoTi

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Kiwi flees from fatal road crash in Central Pattaya

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/608302-kiwi-flees-from-fatal-road-crash-in-central-pattaya/

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to continue:

Thailand Live Sunday 30 Dec 2012

http://www.thaivisa....-december-2012/