Thailand Live Monday 18 Mar 2013

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Belgian prince leads group to boost ties
The Nation



BANGKOK: - Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium yesterday landed with a delegation of ministers and hundreds of leading businesspeople on an official visit to Thailand to boost economic cooperation.

The prince and his wife, Princess Mathilde, arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thai Airways International Flight TG 935 at 5.40am.

Representing His Majesty the King in welcoming the prince was Jittapat Krairirk, His Majesty's deputy principal private secretary; Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana; and the deputy governor of Samut Prakan province.

The Belgian prince and princess visited the famous Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchawora-mahawihan - better known as Wat Pho - in Bangkok yesterday afternoon, touring several of the Buddhist temple's well-known landmarks, including the Reclining Buddha, guided by an English-speaking senior monk.

His Majesty the King will grant an audience to the Belgian crown prince on Friday. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Thai economic ministers will also be granted an audience so the Thai ministers will have a chance to discuss economic cooperation with the Belgian delegation.

The Belgian crown prince, who is honorary chairman of the Belgian Foreign Trade Board, will receive a briefing on Thailand's outlook for the two countries to work on economic cooperation and to boost bilateral trade.

During the six-day visit ending Friday, the Belgian crown prince will chair a ceremony to launch repairs on the Thai-Belgian Friendship Bridge and will see Belgian firms at work on the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong province.

The royal visitor will also visit a sea-farm project under His Majesty's initiative in Phetchaburi. Princess Mathilde will attend several activities to promote the role of women in society and business. She will also meet leading Thai businesswomen and representatives of international organisations.


-- The Nation 2013-03-18

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UPDATE
Pheu Thai denies grooming Yaowapa as PM's stand-in
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The ruling Pheu Thai Party yesterday accused the Opposition Democrats of being fanciful in their claims Pheu Thai heavyweight Yaowapa Wongsawat is being prepared as a stand-in should PM Yingluck Shinawatra meet with a political accident.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626612-pheu-thai-denies-grooming-yaowapa-as-pms-standin/page-2?p=6214943#entry6214943

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Study methods set for revamp
Patcharee Luenguthai
The Nation



Drastic changes needed at all levels: Education Minister

BANGKOK: -- New teaching and learning methodologies are being developed as part of education reform to prepare and equip students for the world they will encounter in the future, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said in an exclusive interview with Nation Group.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626668-study-methods-set-for-revamp-thai-education-minister/

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Dual vocational training gets a new lease of life
Achara Deboonme
The Nation

Initiative between German corporates and Education Ministry aimed at tackling shortage of skilled labour

BANGKOK: -- The Thai-German dual vocational education is moving to another level with major German companies like BMW, Bosch and B Grimm joining a new initiative to address growing worries about shortage of skilled labour.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626669-thai-german-dual-vocational-training-gets-a-new-lease-of-life/

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Foundation urges steps to tackle growing threat from TB
The Nation

Tuberculosis strikes about 86,000 Thais each year, kills at least 10 per cent of them - and is a growing menace.

BANGKOK: -- Dr Pornthep Siriwanarangsan, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said last week that the World Health Organisation ranks Thailand as one of the 22 worst-affected countries when it comes to TB.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626670-tuberculosis-strikes-about-86000-thais-each-year-kills-at-least-10-pct/

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EDITORIAL
Govt must be held accountable for ruinous rice scheme
The Nation

Pheu Thai Party has put its political future ahead of the long-term interests of farmers and the nation

BANGKOK: -- The Yingluck government has finally decided to maintain the rice-pledging price at Bt15,000 per tonne for another year. Cabinet has given the Finance Ministry the green light to guarantee Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) loans worth Bt74.2 billion to finance the rice-pledging scheme in the 2012/2013 harvest season.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626671-thai-govt-must-be-held-accountable-for-ruinous-rice-scheme/

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REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Time to embrace best practices for reconciliation
Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Let's be blunt. The powers-that-be must display the highest level of political commitment to attain national reconciliation. That should be the mantra of the day. At this juncture, to instil the much needed public trust and confidence, the ruling party, the Pheu Thai Party, must declare the various steps it is taking to clear up any lingering doubts of its intentions.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626672-time-to-embrace-best-practices-for-reconciliation-thai-opinion/

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Thaksin has no share in PTT: Noppadol
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Noppadol Pattama, a legal advisor to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, flatly denied the rumour that Thaksin and his family hold a share in PTT Plc, the national oil and gas company.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626673-thaksin-has-no-share-in-ptt-noppadol/

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Most Thais 'approve' of bribery: poll
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Abac Poll yesterday released results of a survey showing that an overwhelming majority of people approve of bribery and had bribed officials themselves.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626674-most-thais-approve-of-bribery-poll/

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Prisoners riot after inmate 'left to die' of heart attack
The Nation



SAMUT SAKHON: -- A riot broke out briefly yesterday morning at a prison in Samut Sakhon after an inmate was refused emergency treatment for chest pain and died of apparent cardiac arrest.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626675-thai-prisoners-riot-after-inmate-left-to-die-of-heart-attack/

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More varsities offering medical courses
WANNAPA KHAOPA
THE NATION



Need for new medical schools seen to ease shortage of doctors in country

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626676-shortage-of-doctors-in-thailand-more-varsities-offering-medical-courses/

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13,200 dengue fever cases reported in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- As of March 11, 13,200 Thais have fallen victims of dengue fever so far this year, with 16 fatalities, according to the Public Health Ministry.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626677-dengue-fever-13200-cases-reported-in-thailand/

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Constitution Court slammed after admitting 2008 rulings "careless"

BANGKOK, 18 March 2013 (NNT) - The Constitution Court has faced harsh criticism from Puea Thai party, Chat Thai Pattana party, and some senators, after the Constitution Court president admitted that the rulings to disqualify former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and to dissolve political parties were, in his word, "careless".

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626706-thai-constitution-court-slammed-after-admitting-2008-rulings-careless/

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Transport Ministry: Thai people support state-initiated THB2.2tril mega-projects

BANGKOK, 18 MARCH 2013 (NNT) – The Transport Ministry has claimed that an overwhelming majority of people support the state-initiated infrastructure mega-projects, after they have seen the government's presentation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626708-transport-ministry-thai-people-support-state-initiated-thb22tril-mega-projects/

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RT @RichardBarrow: The popularCommart Thailand 2013 will take place from 21-24 March at QSNCC. Easy access via MRT QSNCC Exit 3.

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Bt2 trillion loans for mammoth projects to cabinet tomorrow
By Digital Media



BANGKOK, March 18 – The Transport Ministry is set to seek cabinet approval tomorrow on Bt2 trillion in loans for Thailand’s mega infrastructure projects and construction of four high-speed railway routes.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626708-transport-ministry-thai-people-support-state-initiated-thb22tril-mega-projects/#entry6215350

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Thai stock index opens on Monday at 1,588.04, down 10.09 points /MCOT

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Dutchman beaten for no apparent reason in Pathum Thani

By Coconuts Bangkok

Dijk Nicolaas

PATHUM THANI: -- Late last night, a group of Thai teens attacked an intoxicated, 48-year-old Dutchman in front of an Internet café near Manhattan Hotel in Pathum Thani.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626725-dutchman-beaten-by-thai-teens-for-no-apparent-reason/

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Dengue fever kills 16, infects over 13,000 people in two months
By Digital Media

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626677-dengue-fever-13200-cases-reported-in-thailand/#entry6215582

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PM chairs Royal Thai Police board meeting, police shortage in southern provinces on agend /MCOT

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April 2 deadline on new BMA governor's future
By English News



BANGKOK, March 18 – The Central Election Commission (EC) has until April 2 to announce its ruling on complaints against the Bangkok governor-elect, or it must let the winning candidate run the capital in parallel with the commission’s continued investigation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626740-e-c-to-announce-its-ruling-april-2-on-complaints-against-bangkok-governor-elect/

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Matchima faces wait for Cabinet seats
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The chances that the Matchima faction would get into the next Cabinet look slim even though it has switched from the opposition Bhum Jai Thai to the ruling Pheu Thai, as there is a long queue of party stalwarts yearning for a ministerial post.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626743-matchima-faces-wait-for-thai-cabinet-seats/

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SOUTH CRISIS
Two gunned down in Pattani
The Nation

PATTANI: -- Two men were brutally killed in separate attacks in the deep southern province of Pattani early Monday morning.

The first victim was Sapaeing Sulong, 55, a deputy village headman of Khok Pho district. The initial police investigation revealed he was heading home on a motorcycle after checking safety in Ban Nakao village shortly after midnight when armed men hiding at the roadside opened fires.

Police said the body was found about 20 metres from the vehicle, indicating that the victim did not die from the first shots. It appears he tried to escape but the assailants followed and fired repeatedly to make sure he was dead. His body was riddled with bullets form war weapons including AK47 and M16.

The attack took place at about 12.10pm but the police only learned about it at 9.30am.

Meanwhile in Sai Buri district, armed men shot dead Jaewae Jaewae, 55, as he was riding home also after midnight.

He died instantly. Police said the victim might have noticed two men on a motorcycle following him and tried to speed away. However, the men caught up with him and fired point blank, hitting him in the head and body.


-- The Nation 2013-03-18

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Tour bus door crushes Phuket driver
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Tour bus door crushes Phuket driver

PHUKET: The driver of a tour bus died this morning (March 18) when he was caught in the vehicle’s automatic door.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626745-tour-bus-door-crushes-phuket-driver/

[Lite Beer]

Severe drought paralyses Thai-Myanmar cross-border goods transport.
By English News

TAK, March 18 - The Moei River is drying up in Tak's Mae Sot district, bordering Myawaddy in Myanmar, affecting goods transport between Thailand and Myanmar.

Today the riverbed became a trail of sandbars that have become sand dunes, a problem for the transport sector here.

Phanchai Pankaew, an entrepreneur at a freight pier in Mae Sot, said the river has dried up earlier than usual this year, disrupting goods transportation, delaying sales and deliveries, and resulting in leftover goods.

In Thasailuad sub-district, 20 piers have halted commodity transport to the other side of the river in Myawaddy due to rocks and sand dunes.

Some piers have workers and machinery to excavate the accumulated sand, making a deep channel for ferries. Such transport costs are rising due to the expense of fuel cost for running sand pumps and additional labour costs.

Some entrepreneurs change to deliver goods across the Thai-Myanmar bridge with a higher cost of transportation and more processes. Ferry owners turn to other temporary jobs during the dry season.

If the water level drops further, workers may be hired to porter goods across the dry river bed, but this too will take more time and add costs. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2013-03-18

[Lite Beer]

One million tourists pose threat to wild life in Khao Yai national park: park official

BANGKOK, 18 March 2013 (NNT) - Over one million tourists visited Khao Yai national park last year, but concerns have been raised by park officials and some international organizations over tourists' threat against wild life there.

Kritsada Homsud, head of Khao Yai national park, said that Khao Yai national park saw over one million tourists last year, making it the most visited national park in the country. However, the park's revenue from tourists was less than 80 million baht, as entrance fees were still kept low.

However, the park official said that the tourists threatened to disturb wild life. The traffic noise, the rubbish left, and the food fed to wild animals threatened to change the behaviour of wild animals, he said.

Khao Yai national park, a UNESCO Heritage, covers over 2,000 square kilometers of evergreen forests and fertile grasslands. It contains over 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds, and some endangered species of mammals, including Indo-chinese tigers.

According to Mr Kritsada, UNESCO has asked the park to submit a plan to manage tourism while conserving wild life. Special emphasis has been put on wild elephants, about which no thorough study has been conducted, Mr Kritsada said.

-- NNT 2013-03-18

[Lite Beer]

Chiang Mai by-election to cost Bt10 million: EC

The upcoming by-election in Chiang Mai is expected to cost Bt10 million while the resigning politician does not have to pay for it, Election Commission member Prapun Naigowit said Monday.

However, he said the EC had already proposed changes to the law on local administration election so that an incumbent position holder who resigns before the term end should pay for the cost of by-election but the law passing is still under progress.

-- The Nation 2013-03-18

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Chachoengsao to be proposed as Central Region's logistic hub

BANGKOK, 18 March 2013 (NNT) - Secretary to Transport Minister Thitima Chaisang is looking to propose to the cabinet a plan to make the province of Chachoengsao a logistic hub.

A Puea Thai party's MP candidate for Chachoengsao, Ms Thitima said she would propose the idea to the cabinet at its meeting to be held in Chachoengsao at the end of this month.

Chachoengsao, located in the middle of 8 provinces and between industrial and agricultural zones, is well-placed to serve as a logistic hub, Ms Thitima said.

"Chachoengsao has the best mangoes in the world, Prachinburi has herbs, Sa Kaew borders Cambodia, Nakhon Nayok is a tourist destination, and Samut Prakarn is an industrial zone", she said.

However, the province's logistic infrastructures are still underdeveloped, she complained.

Thitima Chaisang was Puea Thai party's MP candidate for Chachoengsao in 2011, but she lost the race to Democrat candidate Boonlert Pairin.


-- NNT 2013-03-18

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Deputy interior minister visits Songkhla; new insurgent killing in Pattani
By English News

SONGKHLA, March 18 - Deputy Interior Minister Chat Kuldilok is visiting the southern province of Songkhla today, just hours after a local government official was shot to death in Pattani while patrolling his village last night.

Mr Chat instructed all concerned agencies to step up security measures to prevent any untoward incident. The central government minister met with governor Kritsada Boonrach and officials from 16 districts to learn more about the insurgency situation in the deep South.

Pattani provincial police commander Pol Maj Gen Ekkapob Prasitwattanachai inspected the scene of the shooting of assistant village head Sapae-ing Sulong who was shot dead late Sunday night in Khok Pho district.

Mr Sapae-ing was attacked and shot dead while driving his car on patrol in the village at night.

Police found spent shell casings for a M16 assault rifle and an investigation is underway.

In Songkhla, Governor Kritsada reported to Mr Chat that violence in his province, however, had decreased since 2010, with only 26 insurgent attacks reported in five districts.

He said there were 253 incidents between 2004-2009. The province has asked local officials--including administrative officials, sub-district chiefs, and village heads--to join security operations.

The governor said four districts remain at high risk for insurgent incidents, including Chana, Thepha, Na Thawi and Saba Yoi, while another three districts--the provincial seat, Hat Yai and Sadao--were also put under close watch. (MCOT online news)


-- NNT 2013-03-18

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Fin Min Kittiratt hints govt may further cut corporate income tax down below 20%, 2nd lowest in ASEAN /MCOT