Thailand Live Wednesday 23 January 2013

News, Bits and Tweets

with webfact

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 Tuesday 22 Jan 2013

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THAI-KHMER RELATIONS

Hun Sen asks Abhisit not to drag Cambodia into Thai politics

Agence Kampuchea Presse

Phnom Penh

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday asked the Democrat Party not to link Cambodia to Thailand's internal politics.

PHNOM PENH: -- "Thai politics have been heated up recently, and the message we want to send back [to Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva] is not to link Cambodia to the Thai internal issues," Hun Sen said at a ceremony to present land-title certificates to 1,298 families in Siem Bok district of Stung Treng province.

Full story:

UPDATE

HUMAN SMUGGLING

Army officers accused of trafficking Rohingyas

THE NATION

Probe into 3 Isoc officials based at Chumphon and their commander

BANGKOK: -- The Army is investigating at least three military officers accused of trafficking Rohingya refugees into the Kingdom.

Full story:

PUBLIC FORUM

Kasetsart to host forum on expressway

THE NATION

THE STAGE 3 N1 expressway will be eating into some parts of Kasetsart University.

Locals vow to fight proposed project; state agency says nothing finalised

BANGKOK: -- Kasetsart University will host a public forum tomorrow to discuss the issue of a six-lane expressway (Stage 3 N1) that will be eating into some parts of the campus, while people living in the area have vowed to fight against the project at every step of the way.

The forum, scheduled from 8.30am to noon at the Chakkapan Pensiri Building on campus, will discuss the impact this planned expressway would have on the university and nearby communities. Participants will also gather engineering data and related information to support their objections.

The Stage 3 N1 expressway will be 19.2 kilometres long and part of the Laem Chabang Port-Bangkok-Dawei deep-sea port highway system. Up to Bt100 billion is being spent on the N1-N3 project.

The immediate impacts reported include dust and smoke affecting nearby communities and schools, a greater risk of accidents and the expressway blocking the view and light.

Meanwhile, Chavalit Wattanakul, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat)'s deputy governor for construction and maintenance, told the Nation Channel yesterday that no meeting of a joint committee to resolve the dispute has been scheduled yet. This is because the Transport Ministry's permanent secretary has just replaced the authority's governor as committee chief, he explained.

Also, no decision has been made or reported to the Transport Ministry yet because the environment impact assessment for the project is still being conducted. Meanwhile, he said, the ministry also had other projects in hand to consider and this might take time because it has limited resources, he said.

Chavalit explained that since the Ngam Wong Wan Road had a major waterworks pipeline running underneath it, they could not build expressway support pillars on the road and hence would need to encroach upon the campus land. Also, it would be difficult to put up support pillars at the three-way junction outside the university because a tunnel runs under it, he added.

Should the university reject the plan, Exat would consider moving the support pillars to the centre of Ngam Wong Wan Road, hence cutting down the chance of intrusion into the campus, he said.

Previously, Deputy Transport Minister General Prin Suvanadat, in his capacity as Exat chief, said the authority had to discuss the issue with officials at the university. He said Exat has adjusted the design of the planned expressway by adding another access road to the campus to help avoid traffic jams.

-- The Nation 2013-01-23

EXPERTISE

'Human sniffers' confirm complaints over factory odours

JANJIRA PONGRAI

THE NATION

NAKHON PATHOM: -- With their specialised abilities becoming officially recognised in Thailand last year, "human sniffers" yesterday confirmed that the foul odours from an animal-feed factory in Nakhon Pathom have exceeded acceptable limits.

Full story:

STOPPAGE TIME

Time to pick a lesser Mr Wrong

Tulsathit Taptim

BANGKOK: -- We all know what the upcoming Bangkok gubernatorial election means. Politics makes us all a sad lady having to choose a lesser male devil from a dreaded lot that takes us for granted 99 per cent of the time. The worst part is, most of us won't even act like a woman scorned and screw them all on March 3. That, we fear, could play into the hands of the one we hate the most. Admit it, elections are not necessarily proof of empowering democracy; they sometimes exist only to trap us in a kind of romantic slavery.

Full story:

EDITORIAL

No choice but to investigate people smuggling

The Nation

Once again Thai officials are under the spotlight, accused of complicity in trafficking Rohingya boat people; it's time to bring the guilty to book

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government must vigorously investigate allegations that Thai officials are involved in smuggling Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar to third countries.

Full story:

PAD leaders face trial over 2008 unrest

Kesinee Taengkhiao

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Public prosecutors filed charges yesterday against 15 yellow-shirt leaders for alleged criminal acts in connection with mass protests in 2008.

Full story:

Non-politician likely to fill Tourism post

Piyanart Srivalo,

Khanittha Thepphajorn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- An outsider is expected to become the next tourism and sports minister, replacing the late Chumpol Silapa-archa, a well-informed source from the Chart Thai Pattana Party said yesterday.

Full story:

BURNING ISSUE

Blind support for politicians does little for democracy

Pravit Rojanaphruk

BANGKOK: -- It appears many Bangkokians have already made up their minds about who they want as governor, even though the candidates only got to register on Monday. This is probably because most city residents are more than fully committed to their favourite political party and leaders.

Full story:

BANGKOK POLL TRACKER

Toilets at all bus-stops, Pongsapat says

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen promised yesterday to build public toilets at all 4,900-plus bus stops in the capital if he is elected as the next Bangkok governor.

Full story:

ANALYSIS

Death clouds party's future

Attayuth Bootsripoom

The Nation

Chart Thai Pattana Party de-facto leader and chief adviser Banharn Silapa-archa wipes away a tear as he completes the bathing ritual at his brother Chumphol

Chart Thai Pattana, Banharn may struggle without Chumpol

BANGKOK: -- The death of Chumpol Silapa-archa on Monday is a big loss for his coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party and poses a great challenge for its bargaining power - and even its survival.

Full story:

CRIME

DSI, Interior Ministry to crackdown on ID card scam

PIYANUCH THAMNUKASETCHAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Interior Ministry have joined forces to crackdown on national ID cards being illegally issued to stateless or migrant workers at a ridiculously high price.

Full story:

'Traditional medicine' factory raided

POUNGCHOMPOO PRASERT

THE NATION

PATHUM THANI: -- Food and Drug Administration officials and police raided a traditional medicine factory in Pathum Thani's Khlong Luang district that was producing pills for erectile dysfunction, FDA chief Dr Boonchai Somboonsuk said yesterday.

Full story:

Boy killed, 3 hurt in Pattani

THE NATION

PATTANI: -- Three Army rangers from a teacher protection unit became the latest casualties of a suspected insurgency attack when they were injured by a blast during a routine patrol near a school in Khok Phoe in Pattani yesterday morning.

The bomb exploded as a unit of four soldiers patrolled about 30 metres from Ban Pa-Born School.

Police said the insurgents had concealed an iron box containing home-made explosive by the roadside, then detonated the bomb by mobile phone as the unit passed by.

Security forces surrounded the area but failed to catch those responsible for the attack.

Elsewhere, a 12-year-old boy died after the motorcycle he was travelling on with his stepfather and mother was attacked in Pattani's Nong Chik district on Monday night.

Nawaphol Li succumbed to head injuries at Nong Chik Hospital, while his stepfather, Narong Kongtong, 45, was seriously injured by gunshots to his shoulder and torso.

The boy's mother, Noknoi Li, survived unscathed.

The three were heading to their rented home after shopping at a department store, when they were attacked by two armed men on a motorcycle.

-- The Nation 2013-01-23

Yingluck outlines Thailand's strategies

Full story:

Thai stock index opens on Wednesday at 1,443.28, up 9.19 points /MCOT

Australian Arrested on Phuket for Shooting German Tourists

By Staff Reporter

PHUKET: -- On the Island of Phuket, Police have arrested an Australian accused of shooting two German tourists by accident during a debt collection that went horribly wrong

Thai teachers no longer allowed to sell things to their students

By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- The Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission’s new ethics guidelines for Thai teachers contain what seems like a fairly common-sense clause: It says that teachers should not be allowed to profit off of their students.

Full story:

Thaivisa releases new forum App for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod)

http://www.thaivisa....hone-ipad-ipod/

RT @Biz_TheNation: Thai baht slightly weakens today to 29.76 per dollar, from 29.74 yesterday. Year-to-date appreciation down to 2.86%.

NBTC inspects shops to ensure prepaid mobile consumers their benefits

BANGKOK, 23 January 2013 (NNT) – Officials from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) have inspected the sale of prepaid cards and new prepaid numbers in mobile phone shops in Siam Paragon in order to make sure mobile operators abide by its rules.

The NBTC officials, along with executives of AIS, DTAC, and True Move, visited J-Mart, True, DTAC, and AIS shops in the shopping mall to make sure all prepaid cards are sold under the NBTC’s regulations. The NBTC has recently demanded that the sale of prepaid SIM cards must be properly registered, carry no expiry date, and be charged at no more than 99 satang per minute.

NBTC commissioner Suthipol Thaweechaikarn said as the expiration period of prepaid cards is not yet finalized, mobile operators cannot impose an expiry date for the moment. He added an operator had proposed to the NBTC a 60-day expiration period, but he expected other operators to come up with a better timeframe.

In addition, operators are required to register personal details of prepaid customers, while the call charge must not exceed 99 satang per minute. Since the new regulations were applied on January 18th, there have been over 700 complaints, mostly about the operators imposing prepaid credit expiry deadline.

-- NNT 2013-01-23

Foreign Ministry insists assistance for Rohingya only temporary

By English News

BANGKOK, Jan 23 – Thailand's Foreign Ministry has called on the world community and other countries to lend their hands in solving the problem of Rohingya migrants in the long run.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Manasvi Srisodapol said the government intends to assist more than 800 Rohingya migrants arrested and sheltered in Thailand only a temporary basis while discussing with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on further assistance to them.

The Foreign Ministry has also consulted with Myanmar, the Rohingya’s country of origin, on solutions to the problem both in short and long terms, he said.

Mr Manasvi said a resolution of the Rohingya problem will not be successful unless the world community and third countries join hands.

He said the government is seriously dealing with the issue including investigating alleged human trafficking which, if confirmed, will tarnish Thailand’s reputation.

The Royal Thai Police and the Social Development and Human Security Ministry are investigating allegation that army officers are involved in human trafficking, he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-01-23

Thai activist jailed for 11 years over royal insult

BANGKOK, Jan 23, 2013 (AFP) - A prominent Thai political activist accused of insulting the monarchy was jailed for 11 years Wednesday in the latest tough sentence under the kingdom's controversial lese majeste law.

The Criminal Court in Bangkok convicted former magazine editor Somyot Prueksakasemsuk in connection with two articles deemed offensive to the royal family.

"We accept the ruling but we will appeal," his lawyer Karom Polpornklang said after the verdict.

"I can confirm that he did not intend to violate article 112," he said, referring to the lese majeste legislation. "He was doing his job as a journalist. We will seek bail for him."

Rights campaigners denounced the conviction of Somyot, who was brought to court in shackles having been held for more than a year without bail.

"The courts seem to have adopted the role of chief protector of the monarchy at the expense of free expression rights," said Brad Adams, Asia director at New York-based Human Rights Watch.

"The court's ruling appears to be more about Somyot's strong support for amending the lese majeste law than about any harm incurred by the monarchy."

Somyot, who was arrested in April 2011, is a supporter of the "Red Shirt" protest group, which is broadly loyal to ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The royal family is a highly sensitive subject in politically turbulent Thailand. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 85, is revered by many Thais but has been in hospital since September 2009.

Rights campaigners say that the lese majeste law has been politicised, noting that many of those charged are linked to the Red Shirt movement.

Under the legislation, anyone convicted of insulting the Thai king, queen, heir or regent faces up to 15 years in prison on each count.

Thailand has been riven by political divisions since Thaksin was topped by royalist generals in a coup in 2006.

Two months of mass street protests by the Red Shirts against the previous government in early 2010 triggered the kingdom's worst civil violence in decades with 90 people killed, mostly in a bloody military crackdown.

Many Red Shirts seek the return of Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon who lives overseas to avoid a prison sentence for corruption that he contends is politically motivated.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-01-23

PM meets Finance Minister, BoT chief to discuss measures to cope with fast-rising stronger baht, impacting Thai exports /MCOT

American expat held for Phuket shooting incident

Tanyaluk Sakoot

Eric Peter

PHUKET: -- An American expat living in Phuket was arrested on Saturday morning (January 19) on firearms charges, after saying the gun in his possession “went off by itself”.

Full story:

Shoplifting Russian Couple Nabbed At Tukcom

A Russian couple was caught red-handed trying to steal a 300 THB cellphone cover at a Tukcom shop on south Pattaya road. The couple refused to pay for the phone cover and insisted they did not steal it. But after police were called, the couple paid a 3,000 THB fine to avoid arrest.

Full story:

ICT Ministry to install 300,000 free WiFi service points in Q2

By English News

BANGKOK, Jan 23 - Thailand's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry has set a goal to install free 300,000 WiFi service points nationwide in the second quarter of this year.

ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap said the government is pushing the smart Thailand project to provide the public access to the Internet. Part of the move is to welcome the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which will take effect in 2015.

Thailand installed 100,000 free WiFi service points countrywide last year, he said.

Mr Anudith spoke of the progress with free WiFi service in the country at an academic seminar among Thai and Japanese-related agencies on “Wireless Broadband Experience”.

At the seminar, Japan expressed interest in the growing direction of Thailand's ICT business.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Shigekazu Sato said Japan's investment in Thailand last year reached a record high at Bt370 billion, while the number of Japanese travellers entering Thailand rose 20 per cent, reflecting the continuously growing Thai economy.

Last week’s visit to Thailand of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe signalled that Japan is ready to collaborate with Thailand on linking trade and investments with other countries in the region. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-01-23

Australians charged with attempted murder: miss ‘mafia’ target, shoot German tourists

Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: Two Australian tattoo parlor owners have been charged with attempted murder after opening fire with an unregistered firearm in the heart of Phuket’s party town, Patong, yesterday evening.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/613855-australian-arrested-on-phuket-for-shooting-german-tourists/page__st__25#entry6044321