SOUTH CRISIS

Mother loses beloved son to turmoil in the South

Kampanart Khantrakoon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Ampan Bua-thong does not feel proud when people say that her son died for the noble cause of reviving paddy fields in the violence-plagued South. All she feels is searing pain.

"My heart was torn to bits when I was told my son was killed," the 44-year-old said yesterday. She lives in the peaceful province of Sing Buri.

newsjs

Ampan said her second son, Eknarin Homchoey, left their hometown for the South because he wanted to earn extra cash to help repay her debts. Eknarin only earned Bt20 for every rai he ploughed in Sing Buri, and was promised up to Bt100 per rai when he agreed to join the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC)'s project to restore paddy fields in the deep South.

After working in Pattani for about 15 days, Eknarin called his mother and said he had Bt20,000 for her. But hours later, she heard that her son was fatally attacked and would never return home.

Eknarin died last Friday when four gunmen opened fire on a pickup carrying the "rice-farming teachers". Apart from two people killed, many others were injured. One of the victims, Thanom Khamkua, was still under intensive care yesterday.

Ampan said her son was not a brave person and chose to always look away when challenged. She said he was only brave enough to go work in Pattani because he wanted to help his family.

Ampan's husband and her eldest son had abandoned her and since then Eknarin had done what he could to support her. She ended up being mired in debt after she borrowed Bt50,000 to start a duck farm, but all the ducks died. Now, she has also lost her son.

"My son's a really good boy," she said tearfully. "Nothing can compensate for the loss of my beloved son."

-- The Nation 2013-02-05

ROSETTA STONE THAI

Spoof on Thailand removed from YouTube

The Nation

YouTube has removed the "Rosetta Stone Thai" spoof video clip produced by US late-night TV show's "Saturday Night Live" that portrays Thailand in a negative light, mocking the country as a destination for sex tourists.

Full story:

THAI-SAUDI TIES

Key witness to give testimony in missing Saudi case

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The court case over the 1989 disappearance of Saudi Arabia businessman Mohammad al-Ruwaili took a new turn yesterday as the Criminal Court granted public prosecutors permission to seek the testimony of a key witness based outside Thailand.

Full story:

WEATHER

Hail storm leaves trail of damage across north

The Nation

Roofs were punctured, cars dented and flower gardens ruined across the North in a severe hailstorm on Sunday.

BANGKOK: -- With the ice chunks turning some areas into scenes resembling snow-covered fields, Thai netizens turned to social media to share photos and video clips of the phenomenon.

Full story:

BANGKOK GOVERNOR RACE

Independents want polls banned

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan,

Chanikarn Phumhiran

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Some independents seeking to be Bangkok governor urged the Election Commission yesterday to prohibit pollsters from publishing popularity ratings, saying the surveys were aimed at influencing voters' decision-making.

Full story:

STREETWISE

Women still struggling for recognition

Achara Deboonme

BANGKOK: -- Germany, Thailand, South Korea and the International Monetary Fund all have female leaders That could convince some that the gender gap is narrowing, but this is far from reality.

Full story:

EDITORIAL

Employers and workers must talk to each other

The Nation

Honest dialogue is more important than ever in a changing business world in which two sides often view each other with suspicion

BANGKOK: -- Everyone knows communication is a key factor in the relationship between employers and those they hire. The worthiness of communication was emphasised last week at a round-table discussion hosted by Krungthep Turakij TV. The reason why communication is essential is simple: For two sides that undeniably have plenty of negative things to think about each other, the "gap" can only widen if they don't talk.

Full story:

BURNING ISSUE

Mockery of justice will resolve little

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Litigation in connection with the red and yellow protests will likely take more than a decade to complete and nothing but grief and animosity are likely to emerge from the long-drawn-out judicial process.

Full story:

Phuket expats face tougher work-permit criteria

Salinee Prap

The Nation

PHUKET: -- Following complaints by locals that foreigners were snatching their jobs, the Phuket Employment Office has revealed that 8,635 foreigners in the province currently have work permits - most of them from the United Kingdom and working in tourism.

Full story:

AIT rector's work permit lapses amid police probe

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Though his work permit has not been renewed, former Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) rector, Said Irandoust, can still live in Thailand, the Foreign Ministry's deputy permanent secretary Nopadol Gunavibool said yesterday.

Full story:

SOUTH CRISIS

Farm courses to go ahead despite attack

Anapat Deechuay

The Nation

Training to be held in Suphan Buri after killings in far South

BANGKOK: -- The Reviving Paddy Field Project will continue in the deep South despite the recent deadly attack on rice-farming teachers in Pattani, according to the National Security Council (NSC).

Full story:

Region 'must tackle pollution urgently'

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Short-lived pollutants key to global warming: experts

BANGKOK: -- South and South East Asian countries need to take urgent action regionally to reduce short-lived climate pollutant which are a leading cause of global warming, a seminar was told yesterday.

Full story:

DSI to probe police station and flats building projects

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tarit Pengdith gave the green light yesterday to an investigation into a controversial project to build 396 police stations, worth Bt5.84 billion, and 163 police flats, worth Bt3.7 billion.

Full story:

DOMESTIC SERVICE

Thai AirAsia goes for bigger market share

Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit

The Nation

Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld, second from right, helps the airline mark its ninth anniversary yesterday.

Flight expansion with fleet set to reach 46 aircraft in 2015 on deliveries of new Airbus

BANGKOK: -- Thai AirAsia will focus more on the domestic market by increasing its flight frequencies on existing routes to raise its share of this market to more than 40 per cent by the end of the year from 38 per cent currently.

Full story:

A banner year seen for hotel industry

Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- This year is expected to be a golden one for the hotel industry, with a parade of new openings in major tourism provinces thanks to improved political stability, which has created a better investment climate, and the upcoming Asean Economic Community (AEC) single market in 2015.

Full story:

King's left knee still painful

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- His Majesty the King's left knee remains in pain, and he has been injected with anti-biotic dose in it, after an earlier medication that failed to rid of the pain, said the 61th statement of the Royal Household Bureau released last night.

The pain in his right knee is gone, said the Royal Physicians. The monarch still has low fever and shows sign of weakness, but can eat normally now. His heartbeat rate and blood pressure are also normal, said the statement.

-- The Nation 2013-02-05

Phuket to crackdown on businesses using nominee shareholders

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut (center) explains that the teams will be encouraging locals to report any information that might lead to identifying companies with foreign owners that are breaking laws in The Kingdom. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- An inspection team from Bangkok will be arriving in Phuket to help local officers investigate businesses with foreign owners that are suspected of using nominee shareholders, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut announced at a meeting this afternoon.

Full story:

Spiraling Phuket prices blamed on Bt300 min wage

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET:-- A market vendor at the busy Kaset Market in Phuket Town yesterday told the Phuket Governor the 300-baht-a-day minimum wage was forcing vendors to pass on price hikes of fresh produce to consumers.

Full story:

Four Rayong fruit traders kidnapped while buying longkong in Yala; with hands tied, all four shot dead, execution-style murders /MCOT

Thai Red Cross Society invites blood donors to visit booth every quarter

BANGKOK, 5 February 2013 (NNT) - The Thai Red Cross Society is launching a campaign to raise blood donations from 65 million Thais during January to December 2013.

Mr Phaen Wannamethee, Secretary General of the Thai Red Cross Society said at a press conference yesterday (February 4) that the campaign was conceived to mark the 120 years of the Thai Red Cross in 2013 and to celebrate the 86th birthday anniversary of His Majesty the King on December 5, this year.

Under the campaign, the Thai Red Cross Society will encourage blood donors who used to donate blood once a year or who have not donated blood for a long time, to resume blood donations every three months. The move will ensure sufficient blood donations for use all year round. The Thai Red Cross Society also invites blood donors to post their picture while donating blood, on its facebook: www.facebook.com/nbctrc , as a way to encourage more people to donate blood.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,494.30, down 12.07 points /MCOT

Culture Ministry to organize symphony orchestra in honor of royal family

BANGKOK, 5 February 2013 (NNT) – The Culture Ministry has announced that it will host an international musical show in honor of the royal family.

The Culture Ministry and the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Foundation, under the Royal Patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, will host six concerts from February to September at Thailand Cultural Center.

The first four concerts will be held to honor His Majesty the King. Meanwhile, the other two will be performed to honor Her Majesty the Queen and the crown prince. Distinguished artists from across the globe will join the concerts.

The first concert, set to take place on February 16th, will be under the theme of love. Famous Thai artists such as Panadda Ruangwut, Songsit Rungnoppakulsri, and Radklao Ammaradit will sing royal composition songs.

Please visit www.culture.go.th for more information.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

RT @RichardBarrow: Bang Rachan Heroes Fair today from 6pm-11pm at the monument in Singburi. Call 086-320-4209 for more info.

Four traders killed in insurgency-hit Thai south

YALA, Thailand, Feb 5, 2013 (AFP) - Four fruit traders were shot dead by suspected militants in Thailand's unrest-hit south early on Tuesday, an army spokesman told AFP.

Full story:

RT @veen_NT: Sonthaya Klunplume, son of Somchai "Kamnan Poh", is reportedly seeking a royal pardon for his fugitive convict dad. (NNA)

Four fruit traders shot dead in Yala

By Digital Media

YALA, Feb 5 – Police said unidentified gunmen killed four fruit traders in this violence-plagued province early Tuesday.

Full story:

Private sector to propose measures to cope with strong baht to govt this week

BANGKOK, 5 February 2013 (NNT) – After a meeting among the private sector to find ways to help entrepreneurs cope with the strong baht, the tripartite private sector committee has come up with eight measures, which will be proposed to the Commerce Ministry this week.

The tripartite private sector committee meeting was held with the participation of representatives from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), and Thai Bankers' Association.

Among the eight measures, the two most important ones, according to FTI Chairman Payungsak Chartsutipol, are those to stabilize the baht and to control capital inflows. He also said the government should not allow the baht to be stronger than the currencies of other major trading countries including ASEAN member nations, China, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

As for the assistance measures for entrepreneurs affected by the 300-baht minimum wage policy, the tripartite committee said that the government measures did not respond to their needs. The private sector will conclude its report on the wage impact in order to find more appropriate measures to soften it. The report is expected to be completed in one month and will be forwarded to the Joint Public-Private Sector Consultative Committee for consideration.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

EGAT inks deal to construct phase 2 of Phra Nakorn Nua Power Plant

BANGKOK, 5 February 2013 (NNT) - The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has signed an MOU to begin the construction of the second phase of the North Bangkok or Phra Nakorn Nua Power Plant in Nonthaburi Province.

EGAT Governor Sutat Patmasiriwat has inked the 15-billion baht deal with a consortium of Alstom (Switzerland) Company Limited, Alstom (Thailand) Company Limited, and Sumitomo Corp. of Japan. The MOU includes engineering, procurement and construction contract to build the 850-megawatt North Bangkok combined-cycle power plant block 2 and supply its equipment.

The cabinet has approved the budget for the new phase in July 2012 in order for the EGAT to meet the growing demand for electricity in Thailand. The construction period is set for three years. The power generation plant is expected to go into commercial operation in January 2016.

Once finished the North Bangkok Power Plant block 2 will help reduce chances of electricity system failure and improve the electricity security in Thailand.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

RT @BBCSteveR: Due to heavy snow, the total length of last night's traffic jams in Moscow was 3500km - the distance from Moscow to Madrid.

SOUTHERN CRISIS

Four fruit traders shot dead in Yala

YALA: -- Armed men early Tuesday morning tied up four Buddhist fruit traders then shot them in the heads one by one in the latest gruesome insurgency attack in the deep southern province of Yala.

Full story: