Over 100,000 Chinese speaking tourists to celebrate Chinese New Year in Thailand

BANGKOK, 5 February 2013 (NNT)-The Foreign Affairs Ministry said Thailand could possibly earn over 2 billion baht in revenue during the Chinese New Year celebration as an influx of tourists of Chinese descent is expected to arrive during this time.

According to Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Manasvi Srisodapol, who is also the Director General of the Information Department, more than 100,000 tourists from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam will arrive to Thailand from February 9-14, 2013 to spend their vacations during the Chinese New Year celebration this weekend.

He is urging Thais to take this opportunity to be helpful and good hosts to foreigners. The government, he added, placed significant importance on the role of Thais in accommodating travelers and has asked tourism related units such as police tourist, a tourism 1672 call center ,and all airports across the country to coordinate their efforts to welcome and provide convenience to visitors.

Meanwhile, Mr. Manasvi said the Immigration Bureau will also redouble the number of officials at the immigration check points as the number of visitor arrivals is expected to increase. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will also be convening a meeting with both the public and the private sectors to further formulate measures to boost tourism before the celebration arrives.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

Upper Thailand warned to brace for thunderstorm-gusty winds

BANGKOK, 5 February 2013 (NNT) – The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued warnings for residents in the upper part of Thailand against possible danger from harsh weather conditions, expected this week.

DDPM Director-General Chatchai Promlert revealed on Monday that residents in the North and the upper part of the Northeast and the central region should beware of threats from the presence of thunderstorms and gusty winds, forecast until at least Tuesday.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

RATE CUT

Kittiratt renews pressure on central bank

Kittiratt Na-Ranong

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong has renewed his efforts in forcing for the Bank of Thailand's rate cut.

Thai Rath daily newspaper quoted him as saying that he already sent a letter to the BOT’s board of governors, reminding them of their legal obligations to maintain financial stability. In the letter, he cited the central bank’s accounting loss of about Bt400 billion, incurred from baht stabilisation in light of foreign capital inflows.

"My intention is to have the BOT chairman read the letter to all board members and I also specified the requirement for the BOT chairman to write back on the response. I hope that the board, consisting of the governor and two deputies, would now learn the legal consequences," he said in the daily.

Kittiratt and BOT chairman Virabongsa Ramangkura have agreed that the policy rate must be cut sharply from 2.75 per cent, believing that it would discourage capital inflows. BOT Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul however was uncertain that the low rate would do the wonder, while it could send negative impacts on savings and later affect financial stability.

Year to date, capital inflows exceeded $4 billion or Bt120 billion. The Stock Exchange of Thailand index hit an 18-year high due to the "hot money". Due to the inflows, the central bank had to issue bonds to absorb excess liquidiity from the financial market, to prevent bubbles. This in turn boosts the country’s foreign exchanges which are denominated in foreign currencies but forces the central bank to pay interest for the bonds. Such "accounting losses" have amounted to Bt400 billion.

Both Kittiratt and Virabongsa are convinced that while the lower rate would deter foreign capital inflows, it would also help reduce the financial burden.

In the daily, Kittiratt said that he had no intention to have the governor dismissed. "Seeing damage in front of me, I can’t let it intensify."

-- The Nation 2013-02-05

Kamnan Poh transferred to ICU after having difficulty breathing

CHONBURI, 5 February 2013 (NNT) - Immediately after being transferred from Bangkok to serve his sentences in a prison in Chonburi, Kamnan Poh or Somchai Kunplome had to be taken to an intensive care unit (ICU) as he had difficulty breathing.

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Health Ministry: Thailand has paid over THB1bil in medical expenses for migrant workers

BANGKOK, 5 February 2013 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry has revealed that the government has been digging deep into its pockets to offer free medical treatment for migrant workers from 3 neighboring countries.

Deputy Minister of Public Health Cholanan Srikaew, on Monday, visited the Chiang Kham General Hospital in northern Phayao, to chair the groundbreaking ceremony of a 70-million-baht building, which is designed to handle earthquake tremors and scheduled to be completed in 2015.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

NARATHIWAT

Security measures tightened ahead of Chinese NY

Narathiwat authorities have strengthened safety measures for the upcoming Chinese New Year when tourists from Malaysia are expected to flock into the province to celebrate.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/617109-security-measures-tightened-ahead-of-chinese-ny/

Racha residents call for Phuket officials to fulfill old promises

Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: The ongoing struggle to protect the beauty and environmental health of the tourist-popular Racha Yai Island, about 25 kilometers south of Phuket, continued yesterday in a meeting with Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/617144-racha-residents-call-for-phuket-officials-to-fulfill-old-promises/

The cabinet made a resolution to make April 12-16 official holidays for this year's Songkran celebrations /Bangkok Post

Cabinet adds April 12 as added official Songkran holiday, resulting in 5 day holiday April 12-16 /MCOT

Tokyo is world's most expensive city

The Nation

After currency swings pushed Zurich to the top of the ranking last year, Tokyo has resumed its place as the world's most expensive city, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's new report of "cost of living 2013".

This is a familiar position for the Japanese capital, which has been the world's most expensive city for all but a handful of the last 20 years.

In fact, since 1992 Tokyo has been the topranking city in every year bar six. Only Zurich, Paris and Oslo were dubbed the world's most expensive city during this time.

This comes despite a fall in the relative cost of living in Tokyo (against the base city of New York) due to Japanese deflation, a weaker yen and rising prices elsewhere in the world. In Switzerland, efforts to weaken the franc meant that the relative fall in Zurich and Geneva was much stronger. In fact, relative to New York, the two Swiss cities saw the steepest declines of all 131 cities surveyed. Zurich experienced an index decline of 39 percentage points, falling from the world's most expensive city 12 months ago to its seventh most expensive now. A 33-percentage-point decline prompted Geneva to fall seven places to tenth place.

-- The Nation 2013-02-05

Trang prepares to host underwater weddings

TRANG, 5 February 2013 (NNT) – The Trang Chamber of Commerce is ready to host the 17th Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony 2013 to promote tourism opportunities in the province.

The Trang Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), as well as other participating local authorities and the private sector are joining hands launching the "Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony 2013" during February 13-15.

The project is aimed at further promoting the truly spectacular natural seaside and marine resources, with the warm love-giving atmosphere; under the concept of "Romantic Destination". Trang’s beautiful coral reef is the habitat of various aquatic plants and marine creatures. February is the high season for the Andaman Sea as the weather is perfect. Lovers and tourists do not have to be bothered by monsoon.

Under the program, couples will together plant trees, join a local parade, and traditional Rot Nam Sang, the pouring of the holy water ceremony, as part of the wedding.

On Valentine’s Day, lovers will have their underwater wedding ceremony, which is the highlight of the event, at Koh Kradan in the Hat Chao Mai National Park. The newlyweds will also be on an unseen Thailand tour to stunning natural tourist destinations in Trang, the province famous for its beautiful coral reefs and the Emerald, or Morakot, Cave.

Couples looking for an unforgettable experience can seek information from the Trang Chamber of Commerce at (075) 225-353 or www.underwaterwedding.com.

-- NNT 2013-02-05

Bangkok Dealer Made Ya-Ice In Samut Prakan Home

A 37-year-old African man was arrested in soi Nana in Bangkok for drug dealing. The man had been selling heroin, cocaine and ya-ice to Thais and foreigners around Nana for a long time. He manufactured his own ya-ice in his Samut Prakan rental house.

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Russians robbed in Phuket hotels

PHUKET: -- Four different groups of Russian tourists have been the victims of hotel theft in the last two weeks.

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Thaivisa Connect Forum App ver 2.4.4.11 released (bug fixes and improvements). iOS and Android versions available: http://apps.thaivisa.com

SET index closed at 1505.72, down 0.65; Bt/USD29.60; GBP46.55; AUD30.80; EUR39.86; CAD29.48; HKD3.81; SGD23.78; JPY31.86

Channel 3 actor admits to Thong Lor shooting

By Coconuts Bangkok

Porames "Phee" Singhpho

BANGKOK: -- Yesterday at 4:30pm, Porameth “Phee” Singhpho arrived at the Thong Lor police station, one day before his scheduled appointment on Feb. 5, in order to admit that a CCTV camera had indeed recorded him shooting Nopphadol “Ae” Athibuy on Jan. 18.

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YALA

Yala police chief criticises killings of four vendors

The Nation

YALA: -- A Yala police chief on Tuesday criticised the killings of four fruit traders in Yala as outrageous, saying it was an attack on those who have no ability to fight back.

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PM insists Finance Minister Kittiratt stay on as economic chief

By English News

BANGKOK, Feb 5 – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra stood firm today that her deputy Kittiratt Na-Ranong must remain head of the government’s economic team despite a hiccup regarding two state-operated commercial banks and the rocketing inflow of foreign capital into Thailand.

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Cabinet approves Bt4 bln budget to cope with southern insurgency

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Feb 5 - The weekly cabinet meeting today approved a budget of Bt4 billion to deal with Thailand's southern insurgency.

Government spokesperson Tossaporn Serirak told a news briefing that the budget is to cover several parts of tackling the problems in the far South.

About Bt1.5 billion is to be for the development of the education system there such as for Tadika religious pre-schools for small children, Thai language education, and development of teachers' quality of life, while about Bt630 million will be for rehabilitation for residents in the area who have been affecting by the insurgency.

According to Mr Tossaporn, the government will also support and recruit volunteers for local defence, allocate the budget for dealing with natural disasters, and set up a Malayu-language radio station in the area. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-02-05

Suspected Hat Yai hotel bomber arrested

By Digital Media

SONGKHLA, Feb 5 - A suspect involved with the deadly car bomb at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel in this southern border province’s Hat Yai commercial centre was arrested on Tuesday after a year-long escape.

A combined force of police, soldiers and administrative workers raided a house in Thepha district after intelligence reports confirmed that a suspected insurgent, identified as Jehma Wani, was in hiding there.

Mr Jehmah is a leading member of an insurgent group operating in Chana and Thepha districts. He has an outstanding warrant for his involvement in the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel car bombing last March which killed three people--including a Malaysian tourist--and wounded several hundred shoppers.

In nearby Yala province, following the fatal shooting of four fruit vendors early today in Krongpinang district, Yala provincial police commander Pol Maj-Gen Peera Boonliang said the insurgent attack was aimed at destroying the region's economy.

He said all four victims travelled from the eastern province of Rayong to buy durians in the area.

The commander said the business of local durian growers will be hard hit by the latest attack.

Gen Peera said police investigators collected enough evidence to identify the culprits and will be able to locate them soon.

To prevent any untoward incident and ensure safety of fruit traders, the commander said he has instructed officials to tighten security at trading locations where a number of traders from other provinces usually come to buy the agricultural produce. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-02-05

Visa exemptions for Gulf States' patients

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Feb 5 – Medical patients from six Gulf States who seek medical treatment in Thailand will be exempted from visa requirements and allowed to stay in the kingdom for a maximum 90 days, the public health minister announced today.

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Phuket Police search for jet-ski operator after anchor attack on German tourist

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Thailand Live Wednesday 6 Feb 2013