Thailand Live Monday 11 Feb 2013

[Lite Beer]

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Cops demand money from shopowner in front of reporter

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Two police officers yesterday allegedly tried to extort money for the Chinese New Year from a suit-shop owner in Bang Rak district without realising they were doing so in front of a Nation television journalist.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....nt-of-reporter/

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Water plan faces major environmental hurdles

CHULARAT SAENGPASSA,

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Impact assessments, expected local opposition make 5-year goal unlikely, critics say

Environmental constraints could pose a big threat to the government's Bt350-billion water-management plan - with its vision for eight big dams, including the controversial Kaeng Sua Ten Dam in Phrae and a number of smaller dams.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618401-water-plan-faces-major-environmental-hurdles/

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POLITICAL AMNESTY

Democrats firm in opposition to blanket amnesty, Abhisit says

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat Party will not waver in its resistance to a sweeping pardon for political protesters even if it has to go it alone, the party leader said yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618403-democrats-firm-in-opposition-to-blanket-amnesty-abhisit-says/

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GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

I sell the truth, not dreams: Sukhumbhand

Kornchanok Raksaseri,

Tanatpong Kongsai,

Attayuth Bootsripoom

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat Party's Bangkok governor candidate MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra was emotional and lost his temper during a speech on Friday evening.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618404-i-sell-the-truth-not-dreams-sukhumbhand/

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NEW BANGKOK GOVERNOR

Pongsapat Denies link to building scandal

ANAPAT DEECHUAY,

ATAPOOM ONGKULNA,

OLAN LERTRUDTANADUMRONGKUL

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Tells the DSI he was not involved in controversial changes to contract

Pheu Thai Party gubernatorial candidate Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen had no role in the alleged corruption scandal involving a contract to construct 396 police stations across the country, Department of Special Investigation director-general Tarit Pengdith said yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618405-pongsapat-denies-link-to-building-scandal/

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PM says curfew yet to be decided as five killed in Yala

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday left the door open for night curfews in hot spots in the restless deep South as part of a review of security operations. "The decision on a curfew will hinge on the evaluation of specific conditions in a given area," she said.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618406-pm-says-curfew-yet-to-be-decided-as-five-killed-in-yala/

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EDUCATION

Revamp of curricula 'part of key changes'

Chularat Saengpassa,

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- 'Students need better skills for fast-changing world'

A big move to revamp basic education curricula aimed at boosting students' skills for the 21st century is being accelerated, the head of a committee to revamp curricula said last week.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....of-key-changes/

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Plodprasop seeks budget for huge seawall project

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi wants a huge budget to build a giant dam along the Gulf of Thailand to prevent inland flooding caused by seawater intrusion.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....eawall-project/

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Amnuay teams up with TSI from UK

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Amnuay Silpa School, the first "thinking school" in Thailand, has joined hands with Thinking School International (TSI) from the UK to expand the concept to more schools in Thailand and other countries in Asia.

They would run TSI International Asia (TSI Asia) courses offering training to school administrators and teachers in Thailand and also other Asian countries to help them improve their teaching in line with the thinking school concept.

The thinking school looks at focusing on not only the subjects that teachers try to teach but also tries to teach students to think. Questioning is the big part. They are reflective thinking questions.

Studies in the UK found that students' academic achievements were higher and they became more enthusiastic to study.

TSI Asia would officially begin operating from the middle of this year. It aims to expand the thinking school network to Malaysia.

-- The Nation 2013-02-11

[Lite Beer]

Juice tax loopholes set to be plugged

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Excise Department plans to restructure non-alcoholic beverage taxes, with the focus on fruit juices, to plug loopholes and prepare for regional standardisation.

"We need to consult international codes on beverage taxation and tax exemptions. We are about to become part of the Asean Economic Community, and many foreigners now visit Thailand. Products with little juice content or low-quality imported products could ruin the country's image," Somchai Pulsawas, director-general of the department, said last week.

Somchai is meeting with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today to obtain information on all the beverages on the market.

The department now collects about Bt20 billion per year from non-alcoholic beverages. Half of the receipts come from fruit juices, even though they are taxed at only 20 per cent of their prices.

However, the tax is waived for over 100 items, particularly those containing at least 10-per-cent fruit. Many makers are now selling juices with at least 10-per-cent fruit to avoid paying taxes.

The department also waives excise taxes on products aimed at enhancing the quality of life and income of farmers.

However, some manufacturers are using imported concentrates, which does not benefit local farmers.

Juice contents could be used to determine tax rates. If 100-per-cent fruit juices are taxed at one rate, diluted juices will be subjected to a higher rate.

In the meeting with the FDA, the department aims to get information on the nutritional value of juice content.

The department needs to seek more revenue. During the first four months of fiscal 2013, it collected Bt157 billion in revenue - 41.36 per cent higher than the same period last year and 15.58 per cent higher than targeted.

The top five items were automobiles at Bt60.1 billion, beer at Bt26 billion, tobacco at Bt22 billion, fuel at Bt21 billion and alcohol at Bt18 billion.

-- The Nation 2013-02-11

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True plans to launch 4G service in April

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- True Corp plans to launch 4G wireless broadband service on the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum in Bangkok in April in a bid to steal the show from its rivals, which are expected to debut the 3G service on their 2.1GHz spectrum bands in the same month.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....rvice-in-april/

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His Majesty has bacterial infection in blood

BANGKOK: -- Doctors who have been treating His Majesty the King at the Sirirat Hospital have found that His Majesty is having bacterial infection in blood, the Royal Household Bureau announced.

It its announcement issued Sunday night, the bureau said doctors have given His Majesty injections of anti-bacteria medicine and medicine for treating inflammation at the left knee.

The bureau said the swelling of the knee has improved and His Majesty no longer felt the pain at the left knee. His body temperature has improved and His Majesty now has normal heartbeat and breathing and could eat and sleep well.

-- The Nation 2013-02-11

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Protesters from Farmer's Debt Network gather at Government Housing Bank, demand government to solve debt problem; road closed /MCOT

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EDITORIAL

An old idea unlikely to bear fruit

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- ​Chalerm's push for a curfew will win him few fans in deep South

It is not only sad but somewhat upsetting to see top security officials debating whether a curfew should be imposed in the three southernmost provinces where ongoing violence has so far claimed more than 5,000 lives since January 2004.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618412-an-old-idea-unlikely-to-bear-fruit/

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CEOs see challenging period for Thai economy in the first quarter

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Less than half of Thai CEOs are bullish on the economic outlook for the first quarter of this year, due chiefly to the contraction of the US economy in the last quarter of 2012, the baht appreciation and the nationwide wage hike, according to a survey.

The CEOs said the last two factors were pulling down the country's competitiveness, as the wage hike added to the cost of doing business by 5.1 per cent while the stronger baht will dampen export demand.

"The opinions showed that the Thai economy would face a very challenging period," said Krungthep Turakij and Dhurakij Pundit University Research Centre in a joint statement, after surveying 418 CEOs for their Sentiment Index, conducted during January 29-February 4.

While only 40.1 per cent of the CEOs believed that the Thai economy would perform better in the first quarter of this year than the last quarter of 2012, 48.8 per cent expected no change

while 11.1 per cent expected a poorer outlook. Overall, the sentiment index of the Thai economy in January is at 39 points, before heading down to 22 and 16 in the subsequent two months, respectively.

Through the survey, business performance in the first quarter in terms of revenue, cost, employment and liquidity is not expected to be bright. The relatively flat revenue index implies that revenue will grow at a slow rate. On the contrary, the cost index signals that CEOs expect the cost to keep on rising, albeit at a slower rate. The rising cost and slow growth of revenue will result in a fall in the liquidity index in February and March. Such a pessimistic outlook will influence employment decisions. A slow growth in employment is expected.

The factors that would influence business performances in the first quarter are: the global economic condition; the Thai economic condition; increased wage cost; transportation and energy costs; the rise in baht value; and increase in the costs of raw materials.

When asked about the impact of the wage hike on the cost of doing business, 22.4 per cent said their costs remained unaffected; 13.9 per cent said their costs fell; 63.7 per cent said that they had been affected by the policy. For those affected, the labour costs on average had increased by 10.3 per cent and their total cost of doing business also rose by 5.1 per cent.

Regarding measures to cope with the impact from the wage hike, the CEOs had a few suggestions: 63.9 per cent focused on increasing workers' efficiency; 61.4 per cent on reduction of non-labour costs; 44.1 per cent on price adjustments; 39.5 per cent on substituting workers with machines; 38.6 per cent on reduction in long-term investment expenditure; 37.4 per cent on reduction in overall business process; 30.2 per cent on marketing and sales promotion; 28.1 per cent on outsourcing; and 11.6 per cent on reduction in welfare provisions.

-- The Nation 2013-02-11

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Thai Airways management approves pay rise to end dispute with union

BANGKOK, 11 February 2013 (NNT) - Thai Airways International has approved a pay rise for workers at all levels to end the management's dispute with its labour union.

Thai Airways' Managing Director Sorajak Kasemsuwan said the company's board has approved a pay rise of 7.5% for employees whose salaries are between 7,000 and 30,000 baht. Executive-level employees, meanwhile, will receive a 5.75% pay increase. The board also agreed to pay 300 million baht in special bonus to be distributed among the airline's 26,000 employees.

The board's decision came three weeks after the airline's union called a strike. The strike which consisted of about 400 ground staff caused delays to dozens of domestic and international flights.

The Managing Director said the pay rise would help boost staff morale, which he hopes would help the company achieve a 12% growth in revenue set for this year. He said the company would also appoint a body to foster a good relationship between the management and the union.

Thai Airways International, owning the budget airline Thai Smile and half of Nok Air, saw a total loss of 10.20 billion in 2011, despite a 5.76% increase in revenues to 191.00 billion baht. In 2012 it reported a modest profit of 700 million baht.

-- NNT 2013-02-11

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Chinese New Year brings in tourists, enlivens streets across Thailand

BANGKOK, 11 February 2013 (NNT) - Streets of the capital and cities across the country were crowded with foreign and Thai tourists, as well as locals, celebrating the third day of the Chinese New Year on Sunday.

Yaowarat Road in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown saw locals, many wearing red, coming to shop and to pay respect to the gods in shrines. The area was richly decorated with red Chinese lanterns. Chinese cultural shows were held on stage, including solos of the Chinese instrument “guzheng” and Chinese operas. There was also a Chinese food fair and screenings of Chinese movies.

Chiang Mai, the main city in which the Chinese box-office hit “Lost in Thailand” was filmed, saw an influx of over 100,000 Chinese tourists. The city of Chiang Mai organized the “Chiang Mai Chinatown” festival, featuring a procession of dancing Chinese mythical “dragons” and “lions”.

In Buriram, Phanom Rung historical park and at Prasat Hin Muang Tum saw the number of visitors surge from about 2 to3,000 during a usual weekend to between 8 and 10,000 daily.

Cha-am beach in Phetchaburi province was crowded with holiday-makers, most of whom came in groups with family or friends. The municipality organized a “fresh crab festival”, drawing on the beach town’s reputation for fresh live crabs taken directly from fishing boats’ nets. The road along Cha-am beach was reportedly congested over the Chinese New Year days.

Finally, the Thai-Malaysian border at Sungai Kolok saw Malaysian tourists crossing the border into Thailand for holidays, as the Malaysian government has declared the whole week following the Chinese New Year Day public holidays. Security in the area was tightened over the period.

-- NNT 2013-02-11

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RT@KentBKK: German Ambassador to Thailand now on Twitter. Please follow @SchulzeRolf

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RT@MimiSawitta: Thai radio hosts discuss a clip of foreigners spitting out durian, then laughing. Radio hosts upset. Videos not going down well this month.

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Thai manufacturers to bypass red-tape export procedure

By English News

BANGKOK, Feb 11 – Thai exporters will join a self-certification system to deliver their products to Indonesia, Laos and the Philippines, a move recently approved by parliament to assist the Thai export sector, according to the Commerce Ministry.

Piramol Charoenpao, director general of the Trade Negotiations Department, said it would be the second pilot project after the first pilot programme was successfully launched for Thai exports to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

Both pilot projects will be implemented in parallel until the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 with an objective to expand the project to all nine ASEAN member countries, she said.

Exporters must currently apply for the so-called Form D certification from a state agency, depending upon the export, which they find inconvenient.

Indonesia, Laos and the Philippines will launch self-certification systems next month while Thailand will start the scheme mid-year, she said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-02-11

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Salesman killed, 4 rangers wounded in two far South incidents.

By English News

NARATHIWAT, Feb 11 - A computer salesman was killed in his car in Pattani, and four Thai army rangers were wounded in a bombing in Rangae district of this southern province on Sunday, according to official reports.

Kriangsak Sermsangsuk, a 35-year-old computer salesman, was shot dead by two gunmen on a motorcycle in broad daylight after leaving a school in Saiburi district enroute to another local school to sell tablet computers.

Four rangers attached to the 4513th Military Ranger Unit were wounded in the bombing as they sat in the vehicle. They were identified as Visarut Hunkratoke, chief of the 2nd military ranger team, Sataporn Chuaman, Ekapol Tonpisa and Sathit Poolkaew.

The rangers were on the way to attend a training at the 46th Military Ranger Command.

Responding authorities found a 1-metre by 2-metre hole on the road and an 80-metre electrical wire lead from the explosion site to a nearby forest, as well as the remains of a 50kg gas cylinder. Their Toyota pickup truck was destroyed.

Rangers immediately searched the nearby forest and arrested a suspect, identified as Asmadee Seng, who was charged with involvement in the bombing.

Both incidents are believed ot be connected to the southern insurgency. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2013-02-11

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Tak rose growers eagerly await Valentine's Day.

By English News

TAK, Feb 11 - Thailand's largest rose-growing district, Pob Phra in this province, 425 km northwest of Bangkok, is eagerly waiting to cash in on Valentine's Day when prices of the blossoms will double or even triple.

Chanyawat Somboonporn, a member of the Pob Phra Rose Growers Group, said one rose will sell for as much as Bt20 during what some people call feast of romantic love when young people buy roses to their loved ones.

Pob Phra rose planters normally supply cut flowers to Pak Klong Talad, the capital's biggest and oldest wholesale market for fresh agricultural produce, and Si Mum Muang market in suburban Bangkok at Bt5-8 per piece and .40 satang each smaller roses with shorter stems.

She said rose growers have never been in the position to set the prices of their products while investment costs have been escalating.

The producer called on the government to pledge the prices of roses like other agricultural produce and promote Pob Phra district as a tourism attraction particularly during the Valentine festival. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2013-02-11

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,500.91, up 3.61 points /MCOT

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RT@ASCBKK: USCits in Thailand: Get your tax questions answered direct from the source http://t.co/h6GaCsPi

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RT@CoconutsBangkok: Transport Ministry considering scrapping expressway project in favour of light rail http://t.co/8Imq4Rl2

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RT@BBCBreaking: "Babel" by British band Mumford & Sons wins best album at the #Grammys in Los Angeles bbc.in/Y4WaCP

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RT@RichardBarrow: Last chance tonight to join in with new year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown. Easy access to Yaowarat Rd via MRT Hua Lamphong.

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Special Report: Thailand ready to become ASEAN medical hub

One of Thailand’s goals when ASEAN community is formed is to make Thailand the “medical hub” of its region. But there seems to be a major concern in doing so. That is labour transfer, which could be a holdback for the country’s medical industry.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618450-special-report-thailand-ready-to-become-asean-medical-hub/

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Thailand-France produce 4-in-1 vaccine

BANGKOK, 11 February 2013 (NNT) - The Thai government has cooperated with a French pharmaceutical company in producing a 4-in-1 vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and hepatitis B for the first time in Thailand.

Public Health Minister Pradit Sintanawarong has revealed that the GPO-Merieux Biological Products, a joint venture of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), had signed an MOU with France’s Sanofi Pasteur, agreeing to produce the 4-in-1 vaccine in Thailand. The move is aimed at improving vaccine security in Thailand by relying less on imported vaccines.

He said local manufacturing of the vaccine will save the country nearly 2 billion baht over the next 8-10 years.

Dr Pradit stated that the cooperation helps improve the vaccine technology for newborn babies. The DTP-HB vaccine, which combines vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and hepatitis B in one, will be given to all newborns in Thailand or around 800,000 babies per year.

Under the agreement, the ministry will purchase altogether six types of vaccines from the GPO-Merieux Biological Products. They include vaccines for hepatitis B, rabies, polio, influenza, DTP-HB, and Japanese encephalitis.

-- NNT 2013-02-11

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Police catch Phuket gold thief using CCTV images

Phuket Gazette -

Natthapol Kunbutr was arrested several days after he snatched two gold necklaces. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: Phuket Police used CCTV images to track down and arrest a thief who snatched two gold necklaces from a woman driving her motorbike in Rassada.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618453-police-catch-phuket-gold-thief-using-cctv-images/