Thailand Live Sunday 27 Jan 2013

[Lite Beer]

Thailand Live Sunday 27 January 2013

News, Bits and Tweets

with Lite Beer

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 Saturday 26 Jan 2013

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614526-thailand-live-saturday-26-jan-2013/

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[Lite Beer]

Media vehicles and ASTV office shot up

Monthien Inthaket

The Nation on Sunday

A senior policeman looks into a hole on a car window caused by a bullet. The car is one of four belonging to the ASTV-Manager media group that were shot by a man in early hours yesterday while it was parked outside its head office in Phra Nakhon district.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614735-media-vehicles-and-astv-office-shot-up/

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'2 Rohingya trained by RKK Muslim insurgents'

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Illegals admitted training for attacks in South: forensic official

Some Rohingya migrants arrested for illegal entry have confessed to being trained by insurgents to undertake attacks in the restive deep South, according to a highly-placed source in the Justice Ministry's Forensic Science Institute.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....lim-insurgents/

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NSC backs joint development of disputed temple zone

The Nation

Paradorn

BANGKOK: -- National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanathabutr said yesterday that the agency would promote joint Thai-Cambodian development of the disputed area around Preah Vihear Temple, adding that if the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rules that the 4.6-square-kilometre area belongs to Cambodia, Thailand must respect the decision.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614737-nsc-backs-joint-development-of-disputed-temple-zone/

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Kasetsart up in arms over expressway expansion

Thanapat Kitjakosol

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Kasetsart University is upping its campaign against an expressway project, whose towering structure will be built near its south wall along Ngarmwongwan Road, by seeking greater support from nearby communities.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614738-kasetsart-up-in-arms-over-expressway-expansion/

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Kasetsart win accounting challenge event

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- A three-strong team from Kasetsart University yesterday won the first Thailand Accounting Challenge, hosted by the Federation of Accounting Professions, while Chulalongkorn University's teams pocketed first and second runner-up awards.

The federation's committee for accounting education and technology chairman Virat Apimetheethamrong said the winner was Kasetsart University's team - Thanwarat Chaemcharoen, Pratthana Nooyim and Morakot Jiramettrai. They got a trophy, plus a Bt30,000 scholarship and trainee program at world-class accounting firms Deloitte Ernst & Young, KPMG and PWC.

The first runner-up was Chulalongkorn (Kamonchanok Sonsoy, Kwanchanok Kraikulchuchok and Sorawit Natheerattanakamjai), while the second runner-up was another Chulalongkorn team comprising Eksakul Manakul-issara, Khunat Saraprathet and Rongrong Detrungrojpanya.

A total of 125 three-strong teams from 64 institutions attended this first-of-its-kind contest, which aimed to promote nation-wide university students' accounting technology and education. It was held at the federation headquarters in Asoke in Bangkok. Each institution could send up to two teams to the event. For details, see www.fap.or.th or call 0-2685-2500 ext. 2577.

-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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SCHOOL PROTEST

Assumption to resume classes

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Education minister expresses relief as reopening moved forward

Both the primary and secondary sections at Bangkok's Assumption College will resume classes tomorrow, rather than on February 1 as previously announced, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614739-assumption-to-resume-classes/

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Abbot stands firm against factory

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- The abbot who put Nakhon Pathom's Wat Or Noi up for sale because of the foul smell from a nearby animal-feed factory said yesterday that although the RT Agri Tech plant had stopped production to make improvements, he would still suspend preaching at the temple until he was convinced the problem was resolved.

The temple yesterday also put a large sign up calling for those involved to take responsibility for health issues and for the suffering from the foul smell and dust over the past two years, in a bid to get authorities to solve the problem.

Luang Phu Buddha Issara urged officials to solve the dust and wastewater issues, not just the odour. He said the factory was forced to stop production after the Pollution Control Department deemed its foul smell to have exceeded legal limits, so he wasn't confident the factory would really solve the problems.

-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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Journalism tour for pupils

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Nation University's Faculty of Communication Arts yesterday hosted a visit to Krungthep Turakij TV for over 100 high school pupils to learn about "new" journalism covering quality media work for television, newspapers and radio and adjusting to the digital era.

Nation Broadcasting president Adisak Limparungpatanakij said in his welcoming speech that had Thailand shifted from six free TV channels to 48 digital channels and there were 200 Cable TV channels. But many communication arts programs still didn't support real changes so Nation U formulated a program under which graduates could work in all fields of media with quality.

Natnathee Antarabut, a Mathayom 5 student from Kalasin Pittayasan School, said he wanted to study mass communications so he joined the program-introduction activities including one by Chiang Mai University. He was impressed with Nation University activities, which let students to see real-life working environments, visit Krungthep Turakij TV studio and play games about communications, so the university was among his key choices.

-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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Bullets may have come from both sides

Opas Boonlom

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- As per the Criminal Court's inquest into the death of five redshirt supporters during the armed dispersal of protesters in May 2010, bullets from the troops' side had killed the first four.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614741-bullets-may-have-come-from-both-sides/

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Voters care for policies and vision: poll

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Policies and vision will be the deciding factors for Bangkok voters when they elect a governor candidate, according to Dusit Poll results released yesterday, while the second successive Abac Poll found Pheu Thai candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen winning the election.

Of 1,139 respondents in the Dusit Poll, 46 per cent said they would judge the policies of each candidate, 17 per cent said they would consider either the party the candidate represented or the candidates themselves and 13 per cent said they would look at the candidates' image.

When asked what message they had for all candidates, 35 per cent said they wanted to hear policies that were achievable, 21 per cent said they wanted Bangkok to prosper in every way and 19 per cent said they wanted to see transparency and no vote-buying.

Asked about the campaign style of each candidate, they said Democrat candidate MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had presented policies that were practical, and he is humble and polite; Pheu Thai Party candidate Pongsapat is energetic, easy-going and has the backing of PM Yingluck Shinawatra; independent candidate Pol General Sereepisuth Temeeyaves is honest and truthworthy; independent candidate Kosit Suwinitjit has interesting policies and independent candidate Suharit Siamwalla is technology-minded, creative and unorthodox.

Meanwhile, an Abac Poll showed that most respondents would vote for Pongsapat as their next governor.

Of 1,766 respondents, 42 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women said they would vote for Pongsapat while 36 per cent of the men and 39 per cent of the women would vote for Sukhumbhand.

Abac Poll director Noppadon Kanikar, however, said Sukhumbhand still had a chance to win the election. According to the results, 77 per cent of those who had voted for the Democrat candidate in the previous election would stick with him, the rest would opt for Sereepisuth and Pongsapat. The Democrats won 1.3 million votes the last time and this time it is possible the party candidate would receive about 1 million votes.

Sukhumbhand said he was not discouraged or worried about the poll results. He said he would be strong and work hard during the election campaign regardless of what the polls say.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said poll results are sometimes up and sometimes down. "Our candidate is not shaken and we just have to work hard to present our policies,'' he said.

Pheu Thai secretary-general and election director Phumtham Wechayachai said the party realised that Pongsapat is an underdog so it had to work harder. I thank the people for giving him moral support. However, the party wants to see a high turnout no matter what.

-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

The kingdom in hard facts

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation on Sunday

Facebook page of WhereIsThailand.info

BANGKOK: -- Website WhereIsThailand.info collects data on a range of topics to do with Thailand. Its founders prefer to remain anonymous but are happy to chat about their statistics and what they mean for the country

Since coming online in May 2011, the Thai-language website WhereIsThailand.info has been steadily attracting more and more followers eager to check on or learn facts about the kingdom's politics, society, economic culture, environment and more. Today, its Facebook friends exceed 50,000. Yet the identities of the people behind the site remain a mystery.

While respecting their wish to remain anonymous, The Nation on Sunday was recently able to interview the people behind WhereIsThailand via e-mail. They started the cyberspace chat by making it clear they want to public to concentrate on the "what" rather than the "who".

"Our mission is to raise awareness on various social issues in Thailand and to put the country into the global context using factual data. Our credibility does not really matter, let alone our identities. We started this project in the belief that society should pay more attention to substance rather than form. Therefore, our own credibility is pretty much out of our equation."

The group explains they number about a dozen and are made up of people from various backgrounds. "We are coming from different fields: science, education, finance, economics, literature, business and engineering. We rarely meet in person, but we're held together by our values: that our society needs to hold fact-driven opinions; that we value a free flow of information and that there is hope for our country, if the former two are realised."

Thailand, stresses the group, doesn't lack facts. "We certainly do not lack empirical data, as all the data we've used on the page as references are publicly available. We believe that it is simply that society is not 'used to' using data to support arguments. One example is the major flood of 2011. The media talked about coordinating armadas of small boats to push the floodwater to the sea, yet no one reported what the river flow was before and during execution. Nobody gathered that data simply because there was no demand for it."

Asked if they think Thais are more into believing than relying on facts and analysis, the answer is an unequivocal yes.

"Thai people are not taught to be sceptical, so personality and emotion usually become far too involved in any exchange of ideas. Analysis involves adding some personal bias, and can be subjective. Facts are objective. It is one of our goals to 'let the data speaks for itself' as much as possible. So we try to keep subjective part as minimal as we can.

"We believe there is more than enough analysis and comment in society these days. And we think that one should start any analysis/comment with the basic factual data before going any further."

Some of the surprising facts they have discovered include: Thailand has the world's second largest Chinese immigrant population and the highest percentage of female CEOs in the world.

"Some data surprised us because they showed something that goes against our traditional belief, for example that the major proportion of our GDP does not come from the agricultural sector anymore. And some data surprised us because they raised a big question: the biggest portion of our government budget has gone to the education sector for years, but our teachers have a very low income (on average) compared to the world as a whole, and our education system does not show itself as being in good shape."

The group also points out that all the data that have been obtained are publicly available on the Internet.

On freedom of expression in Thailand, the group cites Freedom House figures and tells The Nation on Sunday that Thailand, like many other countries, "has its own social issues that need to be addressed".

Readers won't find anything on the lese majeste law on the website, however, and a que stion on the issue went unanswered.

Since the average reader spends only a very short amount of time deciding whether they want to pay more attention to the information, WhereIsThailand say they focus on only one thing: the data. "Many of the data are impossible to crunch into one infographic, so the text is usually where the full extent of the information is displayed."

As of this month, the most shared article, according to Facebook, is about school uniform. "We have witnessed that topics which people can relate to easily and which reflect behaviour that is more peculiar to Thailand than the rest of the world are often rather popular."

Sometimes, as in the case of an article about prostitution, they do get the facts wrong.

"The original French foundation who conducted the survey admitted it was a typographical error and eventually rectified the data after our readers helped point it out."

Asked if they feel WhereIsThailand has been a success so far, the group says it would have never imagined a website dealing with a collection of statistics and hard facts could gain 50,000 followers. "So, yes, it has definitely succeeded beyond our original expectations. However, as the mission is to raise awareness, we still have a way to go and are unlikely to be finished any time soon."

As a non-profit organisation, the group say they derive most satisfaction from seeing their followers recognise issues, take note of the data, search for more information and ask questions about Thailand.

Asked where Thailand stands, internationally speaking, the answer is more complex.

"We are not the best in everything, and we are not the worst. Where we stand depends on the topic and the angle you are looking at. If you browse through all our archives, you will quickly notice that it rarely shows us as the "best" or the "worst" at anything. We are just like any other country in the world with our own curses and blessings. Thais as a people definitely do possess some unique qualities, but then does every other nationality."

-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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ENVIRONMENT

Let's replace styrene foam containers

PATCHAREE LUENGUTHAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Biodegradable Packaging for Environment (BPE) plans a series of aggressive campaigns in Thailand to increase consumer awareness of the health and environmental impacts of using styrene-foam containers.

Dr Weerachat Kittirattanapaiboon, the managing director of BPE, has gained widespread international recognition since pioneering the company's biodegradable food containers in 2006. In Thailand, however, most consumers remain reluctant to buy bio-packaging after comparing prices with those of the white styrene-foam containers that have taken root in the domestic market in recent decades.

Weerachat said that until now, the company had mainly focused on foreign markets due to the growing consumer concern in many countries over the environmental and health impacts of using foam containers.

BPE exports its bio-products to many countries, including European markets, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and the United States. Foreign sales account for more than 60 per cent of overall revenue.

Walmart stores in the US and Universal Studio in Florida, France and Singapore are among the major customers, he said.

Weerachat said that this year, however, the company would place greater importance on the local market, as more Thais were now changing their attitudes in an effort to reduce the amount of harmful foam and plastic that ends up in landfills.

This trend has persuaded BPE to expand the domestic market through health and environmental awareness campaigns around the country, he added.

Meanwhile, BPE has redesigned its brand from Bio to Gracz as a part of the strategy to strengthen brand image. The official launch of the redesign is scheduled for next month.

Weerachat said that besides supermarkets, superstores and convenience-store chains such as 7-Eleven, restaurants with take-away facilities and food-catering services are also target customers.

The company also aims to expand its bio-packaging into universities, hospitals and tourist destinations.

Campaign bears fruit

Last year, BPE joined hands with municipalities to launch a campaign encouraging restaurants and food vendors in Chiang Mai, Pai, Krabi and Bang Saen to use bio-packaging products.

Since the beginning of this year, many food vendors along a 5-kilometre stretch of Bang Saen beach have been using the bio-packaging instead of foam containers, said the MD.

"We have to provide the vendors with knowledge and foster understanding on health issues and environmental impacts. Meanwhile, Muang Saen Suk municipality offers a lower rental fee as an incentive for Bang Saen beach vendors to reduce the large amount of foam containers," he added.

Weerachat said many people still consumed toxic substances from food and food containers, ignorant of the fact that these substances can adversely affect health in a number of ways.

As they are made from bagasse, single-use BPE products are totally biodegradable within 45 days of disposal, turning the resulting material into natural soil-like fertiliser. This is in stark contrast, he said, to conventional plastic and styrene foam, which may take several decades to biodegrade and are poisonous not only to the soil and underground water sources, but also to the air we breathe.

The company's bio-products are fully microwavable with temperature resistance from -40 to 250 degrees Celsius, and heat resistant to 150 degrees, he said.

BPE, which has an annual production capacity of 240 million pieces, recorded an export value of Bt400 million last year.

Thanks to the growing demand in environmentally friendly products worldwide, the company enjoyed over 30-per-cent growth in overall sales during the course of last year. This year's sales are targeted at more than Bt520 million.

Currently, BPE produces more than 70 items of food packaging, including plates, trays, lunch boxes, bowls and cups, as well as other items made to customers' requirements.

The company is now considering diversifying into biodegradable toys in response to a growing trend for products made from natural materials, Weerachat said.

-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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Phuket villagers demand pistol whipping police officer be transferred

Phuket Gazette -

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat confronted the angry crowd and ensured them that an investigation into the matter would be set in motion. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: About 200 angry Phuket villagers Thursday night demanded that the Kamala police officer who allegedly pistol whipped a teenager in an angry mob be immediately transferred.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614743-phuket-villagers-demand-pistol-whipping-police-officer-be-transferred/

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RT@191Thailand: Fire last night at the Grand Hotel on Charoen Nakhon Rd next to Saphan Taksin Bridge on the Thonburi side (@netiharn) pic.twitter.com/SEiYSb2h

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RT@191Thailand: One dead & 6 injured in hotel fire in Bangkok last night - TR @Pat_ThaiPBS

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Deaf & Dumb bag snatcher caught by Pattaya Police

PATTAYA:--On Friday Night, Police Major General Katcha, the Provincial Police Commander, led a press at the front of Pattaya Police Station to announce the arrest of a deaf & dumb bag snatch suspect.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614611-deaf-dumb-bag-snatcher-caught-by-pattaya-police/

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RT@RichardBarrow: Today is the last 19km of the pilgrimage from Rangsit to Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Monks due to start at 9am. Map: pic.twitter.com/sC5p1xfW

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Phuket Opinion: Stateless visitors need more than hospitality

Phuket Gazette -

Though Phuket is now in Rohingya 'sailing season', there seems to be no better-life finish line for these people in Thailand. Image: Gazette Graphics

PHUKET: The plight of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine State during the current sailing season clearly shows the need for Asean and other international bodies to come together to help solve, or at least alleviate, the root causes of the problem inside Myanmar as soon as possible.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614753-phuket-opinion-stateless-visitors-need-more-than-hospitality/

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12 people injured from smoke inhalation in hotel fire on soi Chareon Nakorn, two victims remain in ICU /MCOT

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Hotel destroyed by fire declared off-limits

By English News

BANGKOK, Jan 27 – An eight- storey hotel destroyed by fire Saturday night, was declared off-limits after a man was killed in the fire.

The fire broke out at the Grand Tower Inn hotel located at Soi Charoen Nakhon 14/2 in Khlong San district.

Utcharawadee Chaisuwirat, director of the Khlong San district said that officials will inspect the area and determine the cause of the fire. Witnesses said the fire was sparked from an electrical circuit on the seventh floor.

Hotel guests evacuated and a body of a 30-year-old Thai man was found in a room on the third floor.

The room had been rented by a man named Thanawat since January 22.

It took about an hour to put the fire under control. Twelve people were injured from smoke inhalation in the incident while two victims remain in the Intensive Care Unit. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-01-27

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Villages Getting 10 Million THB To Fight Fires

The Department of Forestry will distribute 10 million THB among 100 Thai villages to help prevent and fight forest fires. Each village will receive 100,000 THB to spend on equipment and hiring local volunteers. An estimated 10,000 volunteers would be recruited as part of the plan.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....to-fight-fires/

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Phuket: Australian Embassy Thailand launches Facebook page

BANGKOK: The Australian Embassy in Bangkok has created a Facebook page to provide information about Australian culture, lifestyle, tourism, interesting facts, forthcoming events, videos and pictures.

http://www.facebook.com/australiainthailand

--The Phuket News 2012-01-27

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One killed in Bangkok hotel blaze

BANGKOK:-- A fire broke out at a 8-storey hotel in Bangkok's Kloan San district early Sunday, killing one Thai client, police said.

The victim was identified as Thanawat, surname unknown, who checked in at the Grand Tower Inn on January 22.

Police said the fire was caused by a short-circuit at the power control board on the seventh floor and quickly spread to other floors.

Fire fighters and fire engines took about an hour to put out the fire.

Fire fighters rescued several tourists from the third to the eight floors. Many suffered from inhaling of smoke and were rushed to hospitals.

The body of Thanawat was found in the toilet room of his room on the third floor.

-- The Nation 2013-01-27

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Swingers Resort Orgy Raided by Pattaya Police

PATTAYA:--A 61 year old Dutchman, Anthony Verloop has been taken into custody on Sunday to face charges of operating an organized Orgy at a Jomtien Resort along with a local lady who is said to have assisted him

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614781-swingers-resort-orgy-raided-by-pattaya-police/

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RT@191Thailand: A British man drowned today at a beach on Phuket; 2nd death in the water off Phuket in two days

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Nan Students Make Good Money Selling Sex

A 22-year old university student and a 16-year-old teen girl were arrested separately on prostitution charges by Nan police in the north Thailand province. They said many classmates are selling sex for money to buy nice things. Their customers include government officials, politicians and police officers.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/614817-nan-students-make-good-money-selling-sex/

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Metropolitan police chief says motive behind shooting of ASTV news cars still unclear, orders thorough investigation /MCOT