Thailand Live Friday 25 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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Related topic: Thailand Live Thursday 24 Jan 2013

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VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH

Schools in Narathiwat shut after the killing of teacher

The Nation

NARATHIWAT: -- In the wake of the fatal shooting of a Thai-Muslim teacher, all 378 schools in Narathiwat province were closed yesterday at the conclusion of a meeting by a teachers' network.

Full story:

LESE MAJESTE

Top judge rejects criticism of court's lese majeste ruling

Kesinee Taengkhieo,

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court's chief judge yesterday countered criticism by foreign organisations after the editor of a magazine popular among the red shirts was sentenced to 10 years in jail on lese majeste offences.

Thawee Prachuablarb said Voice of Taksin editor Somyos Preuksakasemsuk had published articles that insulted His Majesty the King, adding that the articles did not present a fair or academic viewpoint.

He said the lese majeste law reflected Thailand's culture, which is different from those of other countries. "It is narrow-minded to describe the court as barbaric or as an organisation that protects the monarchy," he said. The chief judge welcomed honest and fair criticism of the judiciary, but warned that the court might take legal action against those who unfairly attack it.

The United Nations and other international organisations have joined a growing chorus of criticism against the court's ruling on Wednesday. They include the European Union, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, Reporters Without Borders, Freedom House and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (Seapa).

From Geneva, Pillay issued a statement expressing deep concern over the "harsh sentencing", saying that "this represents a setback for the protection and promotion of human rights in Thailand".

"The conviction and extremely harsh sentencing of Somyos sends the wrong signals on freedom of expression in Thailand. The court's decision is the latest indication of a disturbing trend in which lese majeste charges are used for political purposes," she said.

Washington-based Freedom House denounced the verdict against Somyos and called on the government to amend the laws to protect free expression in accordance with international rights standards. In Freedom House's latest annual survey, which came out last week, Thailand was listed as "partly free". The organisation also expressed concern about the state of Somyos's health in detention.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders issued a statement stating it was "outraged" by the 10-year sentence.

Thai Journalists Association president Chavarong Limpattamapanee took a different view, saying the court's ruling in Somyos's case should not be linked with the issue of freedom of expression.

He said the Constitution ensures Thai people's freedom of expression, but not without limit or exception.

"Freedom of expression does not mean the freedom to accuse or criticise anybody. And according to Thai law, the monarchy is an institution above politics. Whether the … penalties are too harsh or whether the legal processes are suitable is another issue," he said.

Worapol Promigaburt, an independent academic and adviser to Red News newspaper, yesterday submitted a letter to Justice Minister Pol General Pracha Promnok via the Pheu Thai Party asking for Somyos to be released on bail.

-- The Nation 2013-01-25

WEATHER

Bangkok to stay cool till end of Feb

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok will enjoy a relatively cool spell until the end of next month, according to the Meteorological Department's deputy director-general Somchai Bai-muang.

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UPDATE

Swiss student tourist Janisch out on bail

Full story:

British Man Claims Bt100,000 Left In Bangkok Taxi

Full story:

UPDATE

ENVIRONMENT

Polluting animal-feed factory suspends production

KAMPANART KHANTRAKUL

The Nation

NAKHON PATHOM: -- RT Agri Tech Co, an animal-feed factory in Nakhon Pathom's Khamphaeng Saen district, yesterday decided to halt production for one month after it was found by the Pollution Control Department, earlier this week, to be emitting foul odour 10 times beyond the acceptable limits.

Full story:

BoI soothes fears over new tax-privilege policy

Tinnakorn Chouchue

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Applications for investment privileges from the Board of Investment will not be affected by the board's revised policies if they were submitted before the new regime goes into effect, the BoI's secretary-general has ensured worried businesses.

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No signs of speculation as baht soars: Prasarn

Sarun Kijvasin

The Nation

Amid the strengthening of the baht against the US dollar, the Bank of Thailand said there were no signs of speculation. However, the central bank plans a meeting with the Federation of Thai Industries to discuss measures to help exporters.

BOT governor points to balance in buying, selling

BANGKOK: -- The Bank of Thailand has found no signs of baht speculation as it plans a meeting with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) to help exporters cope with the appreciating currency.

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EDITORIAL

Bangkok voters want to hear realistic plans

The Nation

Gubernatorial candidates make promises they can't keep, but we hear nothing about feasible ways to make the city more liveable

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok gubernatorial election kicked off earlier this week. The key candidates have launched their agendas for the public to examine, with supporters noting each candidate's alloted number. Banners and billboards are now sprouting up across town.

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OVERDRIVE

The big challenge as currencies face collapse

Thanong Khanthong

BANGKOK: -- The Bank of Thailand is facing one of its greatest policy challenges ever: how it will manage its foreign reserves of around US$200 billion amid the global currency war. For Thailand's reserves - which back the baht currency and international transactions - are mostly backed by international reserve currencies that might become worthless. If the dollar or the yen, in the worst-case scenario, were to become worthless, our reserves would also become worthless. That would be amount to a repeat of the 1997 financial crisis when the baht crashed through the floor.

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BANGKOK POLL TRACKER

Pongsapat tops capital opinion poll

Tanatpong Kongsai

The Nation

Pheu Thai Bangkok governor candidate Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen, left, takes part in traditional coffee-making during an election campaign visit to Bang Kae Market while Democrat candidate Sukhumbhand Paribatra helps make soup at Ying Charoen Market

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party gubernatorial candidate Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen has significantly beaten Democrat Party candidate MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra in the latest Abac Poll on approval ratings.

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BURNING ISSUE

Personal ties, feuds distort Thai-Cambodian relations

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand and Cambodia are neighbouring countries with deep mutual suspicions made more complicated by the individual whims of their leaders.

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Chumphol's possible replacements named

Khanittha Thepphajorn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Chart Thai Pattana is planning to put forward former deputy finance minister Pradit Phataraprasit's name as a replacement for Chumphol Silapa-archa in his post as deputy prime minister, an informed source from the party said yesterday.

The source added that the party would remove Deputy Agriculture Minister Siriwat Kachornprasart from his post in order to maintain Chart Thai Pattana's ministerial quota.

Suwat Sitthilor, incumbent permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, is expected to take over Chumphol's post as tourism and sports minister. Though Suwat will have to resign from his current position before he retires on September 30.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, meanwhile, has denied that the ruling-Pheu Thai Party will reshuffle its Cabinet members, adding that Chart Thai Pattana's changes will only take place after Chumphol's funeral.

-- The Nation 2013-01-25

Rule of law commission pushes for amnesty bill

Khanittha Thepphajorn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Independent National Rule of Law Commission (NRLC) has called on MPs and Senators to table a bill in Parliament that pardons those involved in political rallies between September 19, 2006 to May 10, 2011.

Full story:

Two teams of spokesmen to explain temple case

Nuntida Puangthong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Defence and Foreign ministries have appointed two teams of spokesmen to explain the international court battle over ownership of a plot of land around the Preah Vihear Temple.

Defence Ministry Spokesman Col Thanatip Sawangsaeng said his ministry had assigned Lt-General Thanchaiyan Srisuwan, chief of the Supreme Command's Directorate of Operations, to be head of the military spokesmen team.

Natthawut Photisaro, deputy permanent secretary, will be head of the Foreign Ministry's team of spokesmen.

The two teams would cooperate in disseminating information to the public about the battle in the International Court of Justice for sovereignty over the plot, Thanatip said.

Thanatip said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra would today chair a meeting of the legal team in charge of fighting the case, and the two chief spokesmen had been assigned to attend the meeting.

"The Defence Ministry will work parallel with the Foreign Ministry. The Defence Ministry will explain issues related to security and military while the Foreign Ministry will explain the legal technicalities of the court battle, Thanatip said.

-- The Nation 2013-01-25

ROHINGYA MIGRANTS

Narathiwat governor orders trafficking probe

Supitcha Rattana,

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

Seeks to 'clear air' over reports hundreds smuggled into province for work

NARATHIWAT: -- Narathitwat Governor Apinan Seutananuwong has ordered a probe into reports that more than 700 Rohingya have been smuggled into the southern province after crossing the border from Myanmar.

Full story:

Fashion to be in 'Vogue' from today

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation

Vogue Thailand editor-in-chief Kullawit Laosuksri with the magazine

Vogue, the 120-year-old fashion bible, hits newsstands in Thailand today, vowing to give Thai fashion a boost.

BANGKOK: -- The first Thai-language issue dated February 1 has 350 glossy pages and is priced at Bt100. The highlight is a six-page fashion set of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, published by Vogue America in the 1960s. The issue was inspired by the Queen's beauty during her visit abroad and famous photographer Henry Clarke was in charge of photography while Pierre Balmain was the designer.

Full story:

DSI launches probe into suspect migrant registration practices

WARATTAYA CHAILANGKA

THE NATION

CHIANG MAI: -- Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officials visited Chiang Mai's Wiang Haeng district yesterday to study 100,000 pages of documents after learning that up to 19,000 migrant workers were added to household registration papers.

Full story:

UPDATE:

DSI chief, 3 others face lawsuits

Kesinee Taengkhiao

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday filed a lawsuit against the chief and three other officials of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

Full story:

Thailand to Avoid Currency Fight as Shadow of 1997 Crisis Looms

By Daniel Ten Kate & Yumi Teso

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said the central bank should avoid fighting market forces to stem currency gains, heeding a lesson from the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

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Toyota investing on big things in Thailand

Kanittha Pantong

The Nation

Toyota Banpho Plant

Auto giant's big year in 2012 follows a string of record performances in the Kingdom

BANGKOK: -- The year 2012 was a historic year for the Thai automobile industry - with total production of over 2 million units and domestic sales of over 1.4 million units.

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NBTC crackdown on telecoms wrong-headed: AIS exec

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The telecom regulator should be supporting cellular operators instead of cracking down on them as it is now, Somchai Lertsutiwong, chief marketing officer of Advanced Info Service (AIS), the industry's largest player, said yesterday.

Full story:

Chiang Rai declares 80 dangerous days to curb haze crisis

Full story:

BoT sees no attack on Thai baht by foreign investors

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Jan 25 – The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has reaffirmed that it sees no sign of attacks on the Thai baht or currency manipulation in the local market as feared in some business quarters.

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Minister says safety measures for southern teachers to get boost

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Jan 25 – The government is ready to deploy more state personnel to provide safety to schools and teachers in violence-plagued areas in Thailand’s far South, a senior officials said.

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,451.07, up 1.98 points /MCOT

MRT blue line extension proceeds as tunnel boring machine introduced

BANGKOK, 25 January 2013 (NNT) – The MRT blue line extension from Sanam Chai to Tha Phra stations will proceed after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday introduced a tunnel boring machine capable of excavating tunnels beneath the Chao Phraya River.

Prime Minister Yingluck on Thursday presided over the opening ceremony of the MRT Blue Line extension construction, where a tunnel boring machine was introduced, aiming to help Thailand carry on its MRT projects. The machine will dig a tunnel under the Chao Phraya River. It will be the first MRT line that goes under the water level.

According to Ms Yingluck, the new MRT route will help ease heavy traffic and enhance the country’s transportation system.

Other than the blue line extension, Ms Yingluck also held a talk with Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan regarding other MRT projects. After the talk, the transport minister said the MRT projects were part of Ms Yingluck’s plan to improve the quality of life of the residents, especially those who have low income. He said the Prime Minister wanted the MRT project to be completed as scheduled, given chronic traffic congestion has put Bangkokians under severe strain for years.

-- NNT 2013-01-25

Samsung profits up 76% as mobile earnings double

Last year was a good year for Samsung, after winning the battle of the smartphones

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