Police burn 1 ton of narcotic plants

BANGKOK, 16 January 2013 (NNT) - Police have incinerated around 1 tons of narcotic plants generally known as 'kratom' as part of their drug eradication operation.

The Metropolitan Police Division 3 yesterday burned to ashes the kratom, which were mostly seized from farmers, at the Thai Watsadu Company parking lot on Ramkhamhaeng Road in Min Buri District, Bangkok.

The burning was a collaboration of 11 police stations under the division 3 jurisdiction. Altogether, 151 kratom plants, weighing 1 ton, and worth around 100,000 baht were incinerated. Local farmers often plant the kratom for household consumption but the plant is well-known as a narcotic drug.

The authorities noted that the growing of kratom is merely for household consumption as most houses were growing only one or two kratom plants each. However, some local farmers sell the kratom products in the market. They have already been warned that they would face harsh legal action if they continue to do so.

-- NNT 2013-01-16

Sukhothai to seek 110-million-baht budget for flood prevention

SUKHOTHAI, 16 January 2013 (NNT) - Sukhothai Province plans to seek an allocation of 110 million baht from the upcoming mobile Cabinet meeting to finance its flood prevention project.

Sukhothai Governor Sumitra Srisombat has inspected the banks of the Yom River in the Sukhothai municipality, the area designated as the site for flood prevention development. The 110-million-baht plan has been drafted and will be proposed to the cabinet for approval during its next meeting, to be held in Uttaradit during January 18-20.

The budget will be used in five projects: (1) construction of embankments on the Yom River and a sluice gate on Mae Ramphan Canal, (2) the first-phase construction of the eastern floodwall to protect Wat Ratchatani and surrounding areas in Sukhothai municipality, (3) the second-phase construction of the eastern floodwall to protect Wat Thai Chumphon and nearby areas, (4) local highway development, and (5) embankment repairs to the section of the Yom River in Sawankhalok Town.

If approved, the projects will begin immediately and are expected to complete in one year.

-- NNT 2013-01-16

NBTC speeding up 4G bidding process

BANGKOK, 16 January 2013 (NNT) - The National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has announced that it is speeding up the process for the 4G bidding, while also expanding the mobile telecommunication system to local communities.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612318-nbtc-speeding-up-4g-bidding-process/

SOUTH

TAO deputy chief shot in Pattani

PATTANI: -- The deputy chairman of a tambon administrative organisation was seriously injured when two suspects on a motorcycle, one of whom was dressed in Muslim female traditional robes, opened fire on in Pattani's Thung Yang Daeng district on Wednesday.

Mahama Imae, 53, was shot in his torso, armys and head by the perpetrators who were using assault rifles. His pickup was found riddled with bullets.

Initial police investigation showed that Mahama dropped his sister at Pakdiwittaya Pondok School in the district in the morning before heading to his office in Tambon Taohmaena. He was driving when the two suspects on a motorcycle following him opened fire.

The spot was about 50 kilometres from the school. Police said one of the suspects wore Muslim robes.

-- The Nation 2013-01-16

SOUTHERN CRISIS

Yala Governor launches inquiry into torching of CCTV cameras

Yala Governor Detcharaj Simsiri said on Wednesday that his office is investigating reports that the recent torching of 76 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in seven districts may not be the work of insurgents.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612217-chalerm-business-conflict-behind-arson-in-yala/#entry6024384

PM Yingluck offers moral support for nationwide educators on National Teachers’ Day

BANGKOK, 16 January 2013 (NNT) – The Prime Minister has offered moral support for educators nationwide as the country observes the National Teachers’ Day.

Before attending the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra passed along her best wishes and offered her gratitude and moral support to teachers throughout the nation, ahead of the National Teachers’ Day on January 16.

The PM was also joined by a number of stars and celebrities as well as representatives from Suan Dusit Rajabhat University and Cabinet members in marking the 2013 Teachers’ Day.

The Teachers’ Council of Thailand has kicked off the 57th National Teachers’ Day celebrations since January 12, at its head office in Bangkok. This year’s celebrations have also been commemorating HM the Queen’s 80th birthday anniversary and her role as the nation’s honorable teacher.

-- NNT 2013-01-16

Swiss tourist dies after being pulled from Phuket waters

PHUKET: Police are waiting for doctors to confirm whether or not a 75-year-old Swiss man pulled from the water at Patong Beach yesterday afternoon died from drowning or other – more natural – causes.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612345-swiss-tourist-dies-after-being-pulled-from-phuket-waters/

Ancient human skeletons found in Buriram

BANGKOK, 16 January 2013 (NNT) - Ancient human skeletons believed to be at least 1,500 years old have been found in Buriram Province.

Construction workers found the skeletons contained in 3 pottery jars buried in a hole of 1.5 meters deep. It is reported that the 3 skeletons and the jars are in good conditions. They are believed to be at least 1,500 years old, belonging to the prehistoric period. The first skeleton was identified as male, the second as female while the sex of the other person couldn’t still be confirmed.

A Fine Arts Department official in the province said a lot more pieces of ancient pottery and other accessories were believed to be buried in the area. The discoveries provide important evidences about ancient burial traditions in the prehistoric era. They will be displayed at the Phimai National Museum, in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The same official said she would ask for permission to further carry out the excavation in Buriram in a hope to find more artefacts.

-- NNT 2013-01-16

Baht surges to 16-mth high on speculation that central bank will not intervene; traders expect Baht at Bt29/U$ soon due to continuing capital inflow /The Nation

COMPUTER CRIME

Culture Ministry website hacked by "Bad Piggies"

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The official website of the Cultural Ministry was still off the air on Wednesday, as police continued to hunt for hackers who tampered with the website yesterday and again today.

Full story:

RT @191Thailand: 4:05pm Report of a fire on Silom near BTS Sala Daeng - RT @BD_Pae: ไฟไหม้ตึกแถวรถไฟฟ้าศาลาแดง

https://twitter.com/BD_Pae/status/291467997980286976/photo/1

Helicopter crashes into crane in London

RT @mpoppel: VIDEO: Emergency services arrive at scene of London helicopter crash - http://tinyurl.com/abkyz9e

RT @191Thailand: 4:15pm Fire this afternoon was at O'Reillys Irish Pub on Soi Thaniya in Silom. Fire is now out. No reports of injuries.

RT @mpoppel: BREAKING -- 2 dead in London crash, police say

Phuket Blood Bank: Urgent call for O-negative blood

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) urgently needs O-negative blood to save the life of a foreign patient.

Full story:

SET index closed at 1416.14, down 6.72; Bt/USD29.76; GBP47.68; AUD31.26; EUR39.43; CAD30.06; HKD3.83; SGD24.17; JPY33.6

Thailand's population of teen mothers rising, pregnancy age falling

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Jan 16 – An average 370 babies are born daily from Thai teenage mothers and about 10 babies from girls below age 15 years old, the Public Health Ministry reported today.

Full story:

Phuket First Person: Taxi greed still in driver's seat - Iain Barnes

Phuket Gazette

Each taxi must carry this large sticker on both sides of the vehicle so complaints can be easily lodged about the conduct of the driver.

British tourist Iain Barnes arrived in Phuket to begin his dream of traveling to Asia while in his twenties – he turns 30 on January 19.

Here, at the start of his trip, Iain describes his "welcome" to Phuket from the taxi touts stationed at the Phuket International Airport.

PHUKET: -- The scene at the airport was bedlam. The taxi drivers were grabbing people; they grabbed my rucksack. They were banging a metal ramp to cause a lot of noise and shouting, "You’ll be here until morning if you don’t take our taxis."

Full story:

High speed train bidding to take place in March this year

BANGKOK, 16 January 2013 (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport is expediting the high speed train project so that the bidding for train purchase can be held in March this year.

Transport Minister Chatchart Sitthiphan said on Wednesday that the construction of the northern line high speed train of 680 kilometers would not be separated into two phases as previously planned but would be carried out all at once from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in a bid to provide train passengers with more convenience.

The northern line’s bidding is expected to take place at the same time as that of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima northeastern line, the Bangkok-Hua Hin southern line and the Bangkok-Pattaya eastern line. The high speed train project is estimated to be worth around 900 billion baht in total.

The minister added that the trains would be bought first for three lines—Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok-Hua Hin, expectedly within March. The Bangkok-Pattaya trains are likely to be purchased later this year. The budget for the train purchase is set at 20% of the whole project’s cost, or about 180 billion baht.

The high speed trains will have the capacity to run at a standard speed of 250 kilometers an hour.

-- NNT 2013-01-16

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Thailand Live Thursday 17 Jan 2013