Thailand Live Sunday 17 Feb 2013

[Lite Beer]

Social media poised to be game changer in poll campaigns

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- ​The upcoming Bangkok governor election will mark a historic change in election campaigning in Thailand, with the increasing role of social media, e-commerce and e-marketing, expert Pawoot Pongvitayapanu said yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619877-social-media-poised-to-be-game-changer-in-poll-campaigns/

[Lite Beer]

Emergency measures for power shortage

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- People may have to cut usage of electricity in April, minister warns

The Energy Ministry is preparing emergency measures for April to deal with an imminent shortage of power following disruption of gas supply.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619879-emergency-measures-for-power-shortage/

[Lite Beer]

WATER MANAGEMENT

PM vows to tackle worsening drought

THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Korat governor alarmed at level of off-season rice farming; 29 provinces now declared drought disaster zones

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619880-pm-vows-to-tackle-worsening-drought/

[Lite Beer]

BANGKOK POLL TRACKER

PM 'not interested in mudslinging'

The Nation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, at right, helps Pheu Thai Party candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen, with raised hand,woo voters in Bangkok

BANGKOK:Joining Pheu Thai Party gubernatorial candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen on the campaign trail in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district yesterday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the party was not interested in mudslinging but focused on acquainting voters with its policies for the capital.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619881-p-m-not-interested-in-mudslinging/

[Lite Beer]

Thousands pay last respects to Sanan

THE NATION ON SUNDAY

BANGKOK: -- The late veteran politician Sanan Kachornprasart was granted an octagonal urn with decorative items and a wreath by Their Majesties the King and Queen and the Royal Family, while thousands of people including many VIPs paid respects at his royally sponsored bathing rites yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619882-thousands-pay-last-respects-to-sanan/

[Lite Beer]

Man charged in attack on CU lecturer

THE NATION ON SUNDAY February 17, 2013 1:00 am

A man has confessed to slashing a Chulalongkorn University lecturer with a paper cutter for refusing to approve a draft thesis submitted by a friend's sweetheart. "I felt angry for my friend. So I attacked [the lecturer] at my friend's request," Praphansak Promngarm said yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619883-man-charged-in-attack-on-c-u-lecturer/

[Lite Beer]

DSI targets Phuket land encroachers

THE NATION ON SUNDAY

PHUKET: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will use the new Anti-Money Laundering law to crack down on influential figures who have allegedly encroached on over 3,000 rai of the Sirinart National Park in Phuket to develop luxury resorts.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619885-dsi-targets-phuket-land-encroachers/

[Lite Beer]

Man hurt by Pattani bomb

The Nation on Sunday

PATTANI: -- An explosion erupted in Pattani's red-light zone last night, injuring a man. But security officials successfully disposed a second bomb, hidden inside a three-wheel motorcycle, before it went off.

Police said the blast went off at around 7.30pm in Muang district where several night-time karaoke parlours were located. Pon Chumpon, 41, was hit by the shrapnel and rushed to the Pattani Hospital. The incident caused panic among locals near the scene.

-- The Nation 2013-02-17

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EDITORIAL

Concern about social norms on fringe of law

The Nation

Police officers' demands for 'ang pao' at the end of a slippery slope

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619887-concern-about-social-norms-on-fringe-of-law/

[Lite Beer]

German tumbles from Patong hotel balcony, on life support

Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: A German tourist tumbled from a balcony in Patong early this morning and is on life support at Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....n-life-support/

[Lite Beer]

Swiss man dies allegedly avoiding police checkpoint

Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: A Swiss visitor allegedly trying to avoid a police checkpoint in Chalong died early this morning after his car hit a shelter in Rawai, on Phuket's south coast, flipped and landed in the sea below.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....ice-checkpoint/

[Lite Beer]

RT@191Thailand: Scottish woman says she was 'raped' after night out (Bangkok Post)

[Lite Beer]

Gimmicks won't decide governor's poll, academics say

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Gimmicks have been spicing up the Bangkok governor election campaigns, but they will not be the decisive factor for a candidate to win the race, academics say.

Suharit Siamwalla, an independent candidate, is gimmick-savvy but all surveys have found he still lags far behind contenders from big parties like Pheu Thai or the Democrats.

"Candidates need a solid political support base to win the gubernatorial race," said Parichart Sthapitanonda, a lecturer at the Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Communication Arts.

Suharit has already unveiled many gimmicks. For example, he has encouraged city residents to post photos of "hand signs of No 17" on his Facebook page. He is candidate No 17 in the gubernatorial race. His page has already got more than 60,000 likes.

Parichart commented that such gimmicks would largely appeal to younger-generation voters.

Democrat candidate MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra and Pheu Thai contender Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen have relied more on door-to-door campaigning in their bid to woo the majority of voters.

Thanthakarn Duangratana, dean of Dhurakij Pundit University's Communication Arts Faculty, said for top contenders the use of gimmicks or social media would boost their chance to win. As for less well-known candidates, he said it gave them the chance to build a fan following and put them in a better position to run for political posts later on.

According to SocialBakers, Bangkok residents use more than 12 million Facebook accounts. Therefore, if any political candidates have solid Facebook fans, they may be able to attract a lot of votes.

Thanthakarn encouraged political candidates to interact with their supporters online themselves, rather than relying on their team. He said social-media users would feel connected to the candidates only if they thought they knew the real candidates - not their team.

"Look at US President Barack Obama. He posted messages and updates on Facebook himself when he ran for the second term," Thanthakarn said.

Rungrat Chaisamrej, who teaches at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's Faculty of Communication Arts, said the candidates in the Bangkok-governor race had used social media more than ever before.

However, she said the majority of social-media users in the capital were from the younger generation and some social-media addicts might not go to polling stations at all.

She, therefore, concluded that door-to-door campaigning would remain the crucial factor.

-- The Nation 2013-02-17

[Lite Beer]

Rising property prices no cause for concern, BOT chief says

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bank of Thailand (BOT) yesterday dismissed concerns that foreign investors have been engaging in speculative activities in the country's real-estate sector.

"To date, we have not found any speculative activity from the inflow of foreign investments," BOT Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul said.

However, he acknowledged that real-estate prices in some areas of the country had risen quite fast lately and said the central bank was monitoring such movements.

"But the [price] rise, on this scale and at this point, is not threatening to affect the whole sector," Prasarn said.

He was speaking after some real-estate developers expressed concerns that the huge inflow of foreign currencies might be directed into the country's real-estate sector in a speculative manner and cause a market bubble.

Prasarn said the BOT welcomed opinions from all sides, including those expressed via newspapers, in trying to efficiently manage the flow of foreign investment.

-- The Nation 2013-02-17

[Lite Beer]

Bomb attack in Pattani's business district wounds one; authorities are searching for assailants /MCOT

[Lite Beer]

Phuket: Drug store to the world

Phuket Gazette -

Sales of alcohol are restricted, but ‘dangerous drugs’ can often be bought without prescriptions in Phuket. Image: Gazette Graphics

PHUKET: The recent fining of a pharmacy owner in Chalong Police District (story here) for the illegal sale of prescription drugs is just the tip of an iceberg that needs to be urgently addressed by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and law enforcement agencies in Phuket.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619897-phuket-drug-store-to-the-world/

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Maduzi Ho­tel Art Fair today 10am-6pm. Located on Ratchadaphisek Rd near intersection with Sukhumvit facebook.com/maduzihotelart…

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Japanese Film Festival this afternoon at SF Cinema City, 6th floor, Terminal 21 #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/yDepjTW3

[Lite Beer]

Pistorius and girlfriend were planning a future together, athlete's uncle says

2013-02-17 08:58:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (BNO NEWS) -- South African athlete Oscar Pistorius and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who he is accused of shooting to death earlier this week, were planning a future together and his family strongly rejects the prosecutor's charge of premeditated murder.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/619902-pistorius-and-girlfriend-were-planning-a-future-together-athletes-uncle-says/

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Police officer’s sons accused of Valentine’s Day attack

Phuket Gazette -

Benz Densiri, 18, required eight stitches for a neck wound and nine for the wound on his head. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: A teenager alleged that the sons of a policeman attacked her and her boyfriend with a metal rod and a knife on Valentine’s Day, then threatened her boyfriend with a gun while the policeman restrained him.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....nes-day-attack/

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Picture: Thai security forces successfully defuse five "condom bombs" in Pattani (Via @ThaiPBS) pic.twitter.com/K2gcLpOK

[Lite Beer]

Multiple attacks in Pattani, no casualties reported

By Digital Media

PATTANI, Feb 17 -- Security agencies in the southern province of Pattani were on high alert throughout the night after a series of attacks occurred in the business areas of Pattani municipality from 6 pm until midnight on Saturday.

Security agencies have applied strict security measures after bomb and arson attacks at many locations in the province. Firefighters were on a mission to stop the fires and inspect damages, while security personnel were closely monitoring suspicious objects to prevent any repeated bomb attack.

The authorities said the first incident happened at 6.40pm on Saturday, when experts successfully defused an incendiary bomb placed in front of a grocery on Udomvithee road. There was a clock set to ignite the explosive device at 11.58pm.

The second bomb attack was at a karaoke shop on Ram Komut road at 7 pm, where one person was slightly wounded. The police determined that the explosion came from a homemade bomb weighing 3 kg, which was placed in a metal box.

The bomb squad, then, successfully defused a bomb placed in a motorcycle with a sidecar parked not far from the karaoke shop.

The authorities also defused incendiary bombs found separately at Oon Witthaya shop on Pattaniporom Road and Rung Rueang shop on Pipit Road.

At midnight, there was a bomb attack at Diana Department Store on Udomvithee road that started a fire and severely damaged the shop.

The seventh incident was a fire at a four storey building, 700 metres from Diana Department Store. The building was a shop that sell electrical appliances. Authorities were able to rescue two people from the fire.

Around midnight as well, there was a bombing at a shop that sell kitchenware on Suwan Mongkhol road. The shop owners were able to extinguish the fire before it spread further.

The latest incident occurred at around 3.35 am in Pattani's Yarang district, when a mobile telephone signal post and two CCTV cameras were torched. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-02-17

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RT@191Thailand: Bomb exploded near clock tower in Pattani - RT @idongphoto: 11.50 เบื้องต้นมีเหตุระเบิด ใกล้วงเวียนหอนาฬิกา ปัตตานี twitpic.com/c4foek

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RT@Aim_NT: The explosion near Clock Tower in Pattani: 2 dead. Via @tas_ma: ภาพที่เกิดเหตุ อยู่ตรงข้ามร้านกาแฟบิ๊กเบน pic.twitter.com/lX5JQQlg

[Lite Beer]

RT@Aim_NT: People in Pattani are warned to avoid areas around Clock Tower in Pattani. (EOD working) Via @ZakCop

RT@RichardBarrow: After the bombs last night in Pattani, the city has been rocked again by another bomb at 11:45am that killed two /via @191Thailand

[Lite Beer]

Thai Men Rape Drunk Scottish Teacher In Nakhon

A 20-year-old Scottish tourist was raped by four Thai men in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. She had been drinking heavily with her Scottish boyfriend, who went back to their room to sleep. As she was walking, a pickup truck of Thai men stopped and dragged her to a nearby building and raped her.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....cher-in-nakhon/

[Lite Beer]

Air Vice Marshal Arwut Ngernchooklin, a National Artist & former director general of Fine Arts Department, passes away at 71 from cancer /MCOT

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SRT to go ahead with plan to develop Bt200-billion Makkasan Complex, bidding process in 1-2 months /MCOT

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Vatican: Conclave on new pope could be before March 15

Rome - Conclave meetings between cardinals to elect a new pope could begin before March 15, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Saturday, despite having previously dismissed suggestions the process could be sped up.

Pope Benedict XVI has said he will officially step down on February 28. The conclave normally meets 15 to 20 days after the papal seat has been vacated, allowing the cardinals enough time to travel to Rome from all over the world.

But since Benedict is resigning - the first pope to do so in 600 years - rather than dying in office, the cardinals have more time to prepare, Lombardi said. Church rules could be interpreted so as to bring the conclave forward, he said.

The Vatican had previously said there would be a new pope by Easter, which this year falls on March 31

-- The Nation 2013-02-17

[Lite Beer]

PM remarks on bomb attacks in Pattani, expresses concern about safety of residents & authorities; declines to say if attacks are retaliation /MCOT