Thailand Live Monday 14 January 2013

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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Populism, friction hurt Thai rating

Wichit Chaitrong

The Nation

Although the govt believes country should get an 'A', agencies fear fiscal indiscipline

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is convinced it deserves an "A" sovereign credit rating, but several fiscal measures and renewed political tensions are now clouding the prospects of an immediate upgrade.

Full story:

Pheu Thai picks Pongsapat as city governor candidate

The Nation

KOSIT Suwinitjit, a candidate for Bangkok governor, kicks off his election campaign at the Princess Mother Garden on VibhavadiRangsit Road yesterday.

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party's executive board yesterday made a unanimous decision to field Pongsapat Pongcharoen in the race for Bangkok governor.

Full story:

Veera, Ratree may be returned in exchange for 2 Cambodians

The Nation

Democrats urge govt to pull out of World Heritage panel over P Vihear

BANGKOK: -- The Justice Ministry will seek to have the two nationalists - Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattana-Paiboon - detained in Cambodia quickly transferred to Thailand while Cambodia wants two of its prisoners sent back in exchange.

Full story:

Hospitals balk at taking patients in payment row

Chularat Saengpassa,

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

'Emergency care' definition causes clash with health funds

BANGKOK: -- The government should replace the term "emergency" with "critical" when defining medical conditions that require urgent attention, as the definition has caused confusion among both healthcare providers and patients while making private hospitals reluctant to provide life-saving treatment for state-sponsored patients, health experts say.

Full story:

Students to compete in short-film competition

Warangkana Ananta

Special to The Nation

BANGKOK: -- More than 250 students attended a recent workshop on short-film production under the Basic Education Commission's initiative to encourage the development of study materials.

"I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to join this activity. I've learned a lot of new skills and techniques," said Ratchaneekorn Kongkarn, a Mathayom 1 student from Udon Thani.

The workshop was for members of winning teams from each region.

Prominent professionals from the movie industry have volunteered as speakers, including Pattana Chirawong, a scriptwriter for Pumpuang; Sittipong Kongtong, the director of "Sabaidee Luang Prabang"; Sophon Sakdaphisit, a director and scriptwriter for Ladda Land; and Thanwarin Sukapisit, president of the Thai Film Directors Association.

"Short films can be good educational materials. They have pictures to catch children's attention. They are easier to understand than textbooks," Sophon said.

The young participants will use the knowledge they have gained from the workshop to improve their short films, which have already won regional awards.

The national contest will be held at Impact Muang Thong Thani next month.

The 36 winning teams from the four regions will submit their entries under the theme of "Morality and Ethics in Honour of His Majesty the King".

"We've put our hearts into the film's production because it focuses on His Majesty's royal works. We're proud to have played a role in sending this message across," Panadda Promyoo, a Pathom 6 student from Udon Thani, said yesterday.

-- The Nation 2013-01-14

Crackdown on issue of illegal ID cards to foreigners

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation and the Interior Ministry will on January 23 launch a joint crackdown on the illegal issuance of national identification cards to foreigners, many of them drug traffickers.

"That has given trans-border criminals a channel to escape the long arm of the law," Lt-Colonel Pong-in Intornkhao, head of the DSI's Security Crime Bureau, said yesterday.

"We can't let such corrupt practices go on. It's a threat to national security," he said.

Wanted drug kingpin Wei Xuegang from Wa state in Myanmar, for example, has managed to obtain authentic ID cards showing him as Thai. One identifies him as Chanchai Cheewinnitipanya and the other as Suchart Panlertkul.

Tharit Pengdit, director-general of the DSI, would lead a team to gather information in Chiang Mai.

"Our preliminary investigation has found that 20,000 aliens got Thai IDs by paying agents with a connection to corrupt administration officials," Pong-in said.

They paid Bt120,000-Bt180,000 per card.

A DSI source said the problem was most rampant in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Tak and Mae Hong Son, northern provinces where many non-Thai ethnic groups now live.

-- The Nation 2013-01-14

AC teachers in protest over resignation requirement

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Teachers at Assumption College (AC) have been wearing black lately in protest against a move requiring them to sign resignation letters as part of the college's plan to merge its primary and secondary sections.

Full story:

Zen Master offers retreat for teachers

By Aree Chaisatien

Special for the Nation

BANGKOK: -- World-renowned Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is due to arrive in Thailand on March 25, as part of his dhamma retreat tour of Asia this year.

Full story:

Officers criticised for protesting in uniform

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Relatives of those killed by soldiers in May 1992 yesterday condemned the Army officers' protest against the ASTV Manager daily paper. Adul Kiewbariboon, chairman of the group, issued a statement and held a press conference to say the group feared the Army was becoming more powerful than the government.

Full story:

Cards, booklets ready for poll

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has reserved more than 16,000 cards to meet an expected rush for new or updated identification cards ahead of the governor's election on March 3.

"All Bangkok residents will get their IDs, particularly the 4.3 million voters, comprising 1.9 million men and 2.3 million women," city clerk Ninnart Chalitanont said yesterday.

The city administration would also distribute election handbooks to all district offices and some of the 52,384 polling stations.

-- The Nation 2013-01-14

EDUCATION

Fewer children seen frequenting libraries

Wannapa Khaopa,

Mayuree Sukyingcharoenwong

The Nation

The habit of reading seems to be on the decline among Thais; BMA urged to make efforts to promote the habit

BANGKOK: -- It was about 3pm-4pm on Tuesday. Roads in a community in Bangkok's Khlong Toei district were more crowded as it was the time when students were walking along the roads, some sitting inside pickup vans to go back home after school. Given a choice, most of them would probably prefer to stay at home or go out for other activities, like playing with their friends or playing sports or online games.

Full story:

Help for advanced science students

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- In a bid to produce more quality scientists, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute (CGI) has awarded 30 scholarships to people interested in studying for international master's and doctoral degrees in fields that face a shortage of personnel in Thailand.

Full story:

Tollway firm offers full scholarships

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Students with a high academic performance but who do not have enough money to pursue higher education can apply for scholarships from Don Muang Tollway Plc as part of a programme called Tollway Smart Way.

Full story:

Nation photographer placed on feeding tube

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Doctors yesterday started tube feeding the photographer who collapsed from a stroke while covering news last Friday, but his condition remained critical.

"We are now waiting for his brain tissue to recover in the near future," Dr Chaiphon Wutthi-Opas, a surgeon at Klang Hospital, said yesterday.

The medical team for The Nation photographer Sakol Sandhiratne is now evaluating whether he can be taken off the tube after the team found that his blood pressure had dropped to a normal level.

Doctors are using a respiratory device to control his blood pressure and feed minerals and food to him via a tube.

Sakol suffered a cerebral haemorrhage but was refused use of the hospital's ambulance that was on standby at Parliament. His colleagues were told that the ambulance had to be available in case a legislator needed to be taken to the hospital right away.

Sakol was rushed to Klang Hospital by an ambulance from the Narenthorn EMS Centre. He underwent surgery and had surplus fluid drained from his brain.

Chaiphon insisted that Sakol had not been delivered to the hospital too late, saying that upon arrival he was able to speak with a doctor and move his eyes.

"He was not in a coma when he arrived," Chaiphon said.

Sakol had suffered a pontine hemorrhage, which strikes a vital location in the brain and can cause re-bleeding, the surgeon said.

"We'll do the best we can to help him," Chaiphon said.

-- The Nation 2013-01-14

SPECIAL REPORT

Exporters shift to non-Thai rice

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

If last year was bad for the world's former No 1 exporter, this year could be even worse

BANGKOK: -- Last year was the poorest on record for Thai rice exports and this year could be even worse due to high prices under the pledging scheme, which has ruined Thai rice's competitiveness in the world market.

Full story:

Udon enjoying a property boom prior to AEC kickoff

Somluck Srimalee

The Nation

UDON THANI: -- Listed property firms are itching to roll out residential projects in Udon Thani before the Asean Economic Community gets going in 2015, as the northeastern province is the gateway to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

Full story:

Egyptian former president Mubarak to be retried

English.news.cn

• The Egyptian Court of Cassation has accepted two appeals concerning former president Mubarak,.

• The retrial date has not been decided yet.

• The prosecution will also investigate gifts Mubarak might have received from Al-Ahram newspaper.

CAIRO, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian Court of Cassation has accepted two appeals concerning former president Hosni Mubarak, state TV reported Sunday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....-to-be-retried/

Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,416.78, up 4.72 points /MCOT

RT @191Thailand: 9:40am Shooting this morning on Soi Ladprao 48 - report of one women dead on scene - TR @fm91trafficpro

RT @191Thailand: Shooting on Ladprao 48 was between a man & a woman. Woman is dead, man critically injured (Pic @Hui_Nation) http://thai.vi/Xxal46

MUAY THAI/K-1

Singdam vs Yodvicha added to stacked card for Petwiset Promotion Debut Show at Rachadamnern

Published on January 12th, 2013

BANGKOK: -- The full fight card for the first ever Petwiset Promotions show at Rajadamnern Stadium was revealed today with the big news being that Thailand’s top fighter on current form, Singdam Kiatmoo9, is going up against tall teenager Yodvicha Por Boonsit.

Full story:

Army chief apologises to public, ASTV Manager newspaper; restates order to soldiers not to protest at news office again, denies threatening media /MCOT

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Electrical power poles, surveillance cameras destroyed in Yala

By English News

YALA, Jan 14 - Anti-government insurgents are believed to have set afire eight electrical power poles in this restive southern province in the latest incident in the far South unrest.

A provincial bomb squad unit inspected eight locations in five districts including Yaha, Kabang, Krong Pinang, Raman and the provincial seat this morning after the incidents took place last night.

The inspection response was conducted in the morning due to safety concerns as the insurgents usually carry out incident to draw response units to the scene before setting off booby trap bombs targeting respondents.

Investigators said that all closed circuit televisions installed at the electrical power poles were also destroyed in the fires. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-01-14

RT @191Thailand: A young mother strangled her 2-month old daughter, left her body near a building & then surrendered to police early Monday morning (BkkPost)

RT @Biz_TheNation: Expressway toll is tipped to rise by Bt5 on Sept 1, 2013. Via @ktnews

UPDATE

Dutch tourist murdered in Phuket

By Digital Media

PHUKET, Jan 14 – A Dutch tourist was murdered and his body was dumped in the sea off the resort island of Phuket, according to local police.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....h/#entry6018047

Phuket beach turf war leaves car gutted by flames

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- Phuket police believe a Honda Jazz belonging to a beachfront seafood restaurant owner was maliciously set ablaze last night as part of an ongoing conflict between vendors in the Surin Beach area.

Full story: