Local politicians implicated in Rohingya smuggling racket.

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Jan 15 - A senior Thai security official today pointed a finger at local politicians for their involvement in the smuggling of Rohingya ethnic people into Thailand.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....uggling-racket/

Cold weather likely cut Chanthaburi fruit production.

By English News

BANGKOK, Jan 15 - Cold weather in the past several weeks is likely to cut Thailand's fruit produce, particularly mangosteens in the eastern province of Chanthaburi, one of the country's prime fruit producing areas.

Piya Pokkate, acting provincial agriculture head said that according to a survey, the amount of durians, mangosteens, longkong and rambutan yields to be released to the market is likely to drop due to cold weather.

He said durian yields are likely to fall 10 per cent from the normal harvest at around 240,000 tonnes. Mangosteens will drop by half from normal produce around 70,000 tonnes, and rambutan production will drop by five per cent from the annual produce of 140,000 tonnes.

Owing to lower production and higher domestic demand, in tandem with exports, particularly to Vietnam and China, it is expected that fruit prices this year will be higher than last year. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2013-01-15

WWF tells Thailand to ban ivory trade to save African elephants

BANGKOK: -- A leading wildlife conservation group on Tuesday urged the Thai government to ban its centuries-old ivory trade in a bid to save African elephants, whose numbers are dwindling fast.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612039-w-w-f-tells-thailand-to-ban-ivory-trade-to-save-african-elephants/

'One million children' join Buddhist meditation event /BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21016612

Hong Kong tourist in Phuket ICU after ‘mysterious’ swimming incident

Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: A tourist from Hong Kong is unconscious in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Bangkok Hospital Phuket (map here) after being pulled out of a swimming pool at a five-star resort in Phuket.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612042-hong-kong-tourist-in-phuket-icu-after-mysterious-swimming-incident/

ACCIDENT

Ten killed in Sukhothai collision

SUKHOTHAI: -- Ten people, among them a five-year-old boy, were killed on Tuesday in a head-on road accident in Sukhothai's Khiri Mat district.

Full story:

Phuket metered taxis still under the gun

Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: A spat between “regular” taxi drivers and a metered taxi driver broke out in Patong on December 26, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the two groups. The Patong taxi drivers accused the metered taxi driver of trying to pick up a fare from the street while on “their turf”, when all he allegedly did was provide directions to a lost tourist.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612059-phuket-metered-taxis-still-under-the-gun/

PM signed order appointing Pheu MP (Lopburi), Amnuay Klangpha as new govt chief whip /The Nation

HM the King to grant audience to Japanese PM Shinzo Abe this Thur at Siriraj Hospital /The Nation

16:02 Cabinet extends deadline by 3 months for illegal Myanmar,Lao,Cambodian workers to stay in Thailand to obtain temporary passport, Certificate of Identity /MCOT

WWF urges Thai ivory ban to spare African elephant

BANGKOK, Jan 15, 2013 (AFP) - Conservationists on Tuesday urged Thailand to end its legal trade in ivory to help curb the slaughter of African elephants by poachers cashing in on their highly-prized tusks.

Full story:

RT @mpoppel: The Netherlands has recorded an all-time record of 1,003 km (623 miles) in traffic jams during morning rush hour.

SET index closed at 1422.86, down 2.21; Bt/USD29.94; GBP48.02; AUD31.42; EUR39.82; CAD30.26; HKD3.85; SGD24.31; JPY33.57

Iranian suspects deny Thai blast plot: lawyer

BANGKOK, Jan 15, 2013 (AFP) - Two Iranians on trial for an alleged botched bomb plot against Israeli diplomats in Bangkok appeared in court again Tuesday as their Thai lawyer protested their innocence.

Full story:

Pakistan's Supreme Court orders the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf over corruption allegations relating to a power generation scheme in 2010 /BBC

Rats help police expose drug dealer

By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Yesterday, police arrested a 33-year-old man for illegally possessing over 1,000 methamphetamine pills and dealing drugs to students in the Thung Khru district. Curiously enough, rats played a major role in bringing about the arrest.

Full story:

Monk defrocked after robbing Phuket ‘money tree’

Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: A monk chose to be defrocked at the main temple in Phuket Town, Wat Wichit Sangkharam this afternoon after being caught stealing a temple donations “money tree” and running off with 1,000 baht in cash.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612180-monk-defrocked-after-robbing-phuket-money-tree/

Red shirts rally at prison

BANGKOK: -- Around 300 members of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship held a rally Tuesday at the Lak Si Special Detention Centre, and donated four sets of exercise equipment to the inmates.

UDD leader Thida Thawornset led the group of 300 to make the donation of treadmills, stationary cycles and other exercise equipment.

They also read a statement on their proposal to draft an amnesty decree comprising four articles to release those who have been convicted and those who are accused of crimes in connection to the political conflicts and rallies that took place from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2001.

The draft has stated that those who have been convicted and sentenced by the highest court or under trial are regarded as innocent and bear no responsibility, excluding authorities who made the decisions or issued orders related to political activities during the period.

-- The Nation 2013-01-15

New deadline for foreign workers

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet Tuesday gave the green light to a Labour Ministry proposal for the nationality verification of foreign migrant workers to be extended until April 15, according to Labour Minister Phadermchai Sasomsap.

He said that with the relaxation, the 266,677 workers from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia who failed to pass the verification before the December 15 deadline could now live and work in Thailand until the new deadline.

During this extended period, the workers and their employers are required to submit the necessary documents to complete the verification process, said the labour minister.

The relaxation retroactive from December 15.

-- The Nation 2013-01-15

THAI-MYANMAR TIES

We'll help Rohingya as per humanitarian principles: FM

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will be working closely with international agencies, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, to extend help to 857 Rohingya people found illegally entering Thailand earlier this month.

We will proceed in line with laws and humanitarian principle," Foreign Affairs Ministry's permanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Tuesday.

He said UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the Unicef, had expressed concerns and the wish to help the Rohingya people.

"So, we will have close discussions on what to do next. Otherwise, when the legal process in Thailand is completed, we will have to consider deporting them," Sihasak said at a press conference.

Speaking from a state-sponsored shelter in Narathiwat, a 10-year-old Rohingya boy said he would be dead if he was deported back to Myanmar's Yakhine State

Rohingya people are a Muslim minority group in Thailand's neighbouring country.

"My parents and all my four older siblings were killed," Nurahazim said. His body was scarred with many knife wounds and beating wound.

"A rich man there helped us (survivors of violence) by giving us a boat. So, we went into the sea and hoped we could reach a Muslim country," the boy said via an interpreter.

According to Nurahazim, his boat went ashore in Thailand and a man identifying himself as a soldier promised to help transferring them to Malaysia if receiving Bt150,000 per head. In the end, they were put in the hands of human traffickers.

"I feel hurt," Nurahazim said.

-- The Nation 2013-01-15

RT@KentBKK: 6,235 Thai Higher Education students in UK 2011/12. A 5% increase on previous year. Thai is 9th biggest nationality of non-EU students in UK

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Thailand Live Wednesday 16 Jan 2013